The weekly tribune., 1892-11-11
A Contrast Between Practices Twenty
Years Ago and the Methods
Now in Use.
How Old-Timers Met and Discussed the
Issues. and the Topics They
Talked About.
Candidates We're Welcomed by Men Of
All Parties, and We're Always
Royalty Entertained.

a
tons are conducted in Montana in these
later years. Twenty years ago at the
poll there we're no booths. no official
ballots, no railing enclosing the grounds
in front of the polling places, no officer
to tell you when you might enter, no man
to make inquiry whether or not your
name was on the list of those entitled to
vote.
You didn't have to go into booth and
pick out the names of the men you want
ed to vote for. There were gentlemen at
the polls who would even mark your tick
ct for you, and if you didn't know whom
to vote for they'd tell you.
You didn't have to buy demijohn or
bottle of whisky the day before cleo
ton twenty years ago. The saloons were
open all day, and it was not until 1883
that an act prohibiting the sale or giving
away of liquor on election day was placed
upon the statute books. How often has
that law been violated, and how many
more drunken men are seen now upon
election day than there were to be found
before the passage of the law closing sd
looms on that day. Where the men get
the liquor deponent saith not, but they
do get it, and they do get drunk, and tn,
law is violated, but it is seldom that com.
plant is made, and not single prosecu-
ton Of case arising from violation of
the election day liquor law is recalled.
Excitement ran high over the election
of delegate in congress. james NJ. Cav
anaugh, Warren Toole William II.
Clagett, Martin Maginnis, and the rep
resentatives of the earlier days were al.
ways accorded cheerful reception. 1t
did not matter what mans political
views we're until election day. Until the
! time came to go to the polls and vote
zen of both parties We'd in making
Herything pleasant for the candidate.
He was given the best bed in the house
chen he staid over night. extra yiands
we're procured and he could offer no
greater insult to his host than to ask for
. his bill.
There wasn't as many hacks or band
wagons, or hambeau clubs then AS now.
| The voters congregated in the stores and
saloons and discussed the situation free
. y and good naturedly. They were we'll
! informed much better posted on the
current issues then than the same num-
Der Of men in the east. The graduate of
Dartmouth. Harvard and Yale did not
veatlate his knowledge Of Euclid or tell
how he could demonstrate some intricate
geometrical proposition: no one would
suspect that the bewhiskered man with
flannel shirt and suit of coarse cloth. his
slouch hat and muddy shoes being both
the worse for wear, was equally at home
in boiled shirt" and the conventional
evening dress. The college graduate. the
lawyer. the doctor. the business man
and the newspaper man. whose sybaritc
apartments were furnished with crack
er box for a desk and "A nail keg for "A re
CHUNG chair met on ii common Level anu
discussed intelligently the affairs OF the
nation.
II did not matter materially II they
were five hundred miles from railroad
station and the papers. aside from thosc
published in the state. were from Ten
days to two weeks OLD when they were
received. The literature of the day the
political. scientific, secular and unae-
nominational publications were hlghiy
pnzed. eagerly read and lntelligehti!
discussed The inner workings OF thG
Credit Mobilier were as fully understood
as the fact that "Billv" Clagett would ne
10 town next week and that Nhurc..
would be with hun to sing "old Sna"!
and other familiar melodies, boss l"ee.
Was as universally denounced as ti.T ,', ll"i
Who robbed the sluice boxes on t''@llui
Bar; the decentralization OF silver was
Pronounced an act of treachery toWar"
40 interest soon destined to become
Prominent in Montana, and the nat o'
lhe Louisiana returning board was pro-
Iounced by member OF the legal IRA
e-nity AS the most lniquitous declSlon
since Pontius Plate presided al me
lnal Of the Nazarene whose mission Was
10 seek aud save erring mankind.
The news of the election in Montana
didn't travel as fast as in these days "i
ralIroads, telegraph and Telephone me-,
They we're sent by courier anu ne iei' "
Incumbent to stop at every dWel'ihI ~,
tween the polling place and the count!
teat aud tell just how many volrs WHY
poled, who received the maJori'lrs anu
70 discuss the probable result "l tne
tlection. There were not a dozen hi,eF
tnt places where the returns were l'aS't''
By wire and bulletined as now. \" ri. ,
lerprising saloon keeper would Senrrdil!
bake provision for the receipt o tnr
atest news. Hc would PERSONAL! '"u'n
or the accuracy of his reports. ana MS
lace was headquarters, and his cIrr'loi
able official until the canvasslng boar"
Fnnounced the result
There is no signing for return 10 me
lays portrayed above. There were inr'-
ents transpiring then that endear the
hue referred To all who we're residents
Montana at that time. There was
othing out of Joint in those days as
ompared with the present foiiiics
sere clearer then than now once
eekers were fewer and men ana MOI
Eek official place for ease or hohor a.
alch as they do today. The new con
tion has brought new people, lhey ure
lrerent in many ways from the rarl'e,
4sidents. but they become ns loyal ,h
EARS residence as though they hah been
fere a quarter of II century.
But the difference in the conduct o'
Al h.