The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-25
THE WAR HORSE LET'S OUT
He Says That the cItIz'ns Meeting
Hay Developed Into a
Fizzle.
Mr.. Lookey Mak,s Some Charges
Regarding the School
House Jury.
A chi 10 Form Another Commit.
tee OF Fifty to LOOK After tho Pub.
lilo Expenditures.

Tho citizens meeting Al the Board OF
Trade last night was mot ~ we'll attended
~ tho previous ones, but II was interesting
md At times more exciting than those pre-
viously held. Albert Klsinsohmidt. who
had presided previously. Was not present.
aud after Lieut.. Gov. Botkin and DIR. j. u.
Atchison had in turn declined 10 take his
place, H. W. Foote consented to take the
chair. W. E. Cox. who had been acting -
secretary. said that owing 10 tho tura
affairs had taken and the fact that he was
on the school board and In the council.
some ono else had better take his place. lie
wished to say. however, that he vas In full
sympathy with the objects Of the meeting.
L. G. Russell: was then elected secretary. The
organization being.oompleted. the president
asked II there were any committees to re.
port. Thee being no committee reports.
Richard Lockay took the floor. He said he
thought A. j. Steele would be present TO
report for the committee appointed on
county st'aifs. y He himself Ind asked Re
corder 1'ooker for n list Of county officers
and salaries and had gotten il. but had not
gotten a statement Of tho other oxpendi-
lures. Recorder Tooker. who was present.
said there was no intimation that any such
statement WAS needed. Continuing Mr..
Jockey said there was a question AZ 10
whether nm officers salary could be reduced
during his term. But II they were unable
to reduce salaries TO what thoy should BE-
they should got ready to lay tho matter
before the next legislature. Speaking on
the subject Of the petition prese nted to the
city council. he said: II was not in favor
of cutting 90 deep as tho petition asked
for"
Docs the gentleman desire to withdraw
his name from the petition2" asked Col.W.
F. Sanders.
No. sill" replied Mr.. Jockey. ''1'll stay
right there"
because II he did 1 would move that he
have pc mission" said the colonel.
subsided Mr.. Lockev continued. He said
tho %salsrie. Of elective officers could not be
touched. But where extra deputies were
employed they could be cut off or their
large salaries divided up among moro peo-
ouqh. to be taken ur," be said. Take the
school house case. It Is said that great
pressure WAS brought to bear on the high
school case jury for a large verdict. NV
impression Is that some Of tho jury were
omy If it was expected. 70 build ~ Helena
and make property valuable. He had
been hunting a,ouaAssto ind something
clean in public affsi.i.N school, city. etc.
When found he wanted to publish IL.
"You folks sliehted me-. Yon didn't
Horskv. 4S,t A4Ss ,te
II. Fl. Kleinschmidt asked II any Of the
committee who drew qpsathe, petition to this
city council vere prevent. He didn't $50
draw their names. As he understood II 1t
did not cut tho wages of the lnborinQ man,
but only the pay Of salnried ofio>rs.
The president asked If ANYBODY could
furnish tho desired information about the
petition mt Col. Sanders replied: THE
only information l have 10 TINT It IL rapidly
becoming an orphan"
Al this oint M. Jockey stated that A. b.
Clements. who was a. pointed on tn, school
committee. declined to serve. He asked
canoy. Some one suggested that the com
mittes had been discharged, and on Mr..
Lookev's motion II was resuscttated and
John Potter made a member.
r.. H.. Klein schmidt moved the appoint
ment of a committee OF three with power
to form a permanent organization under
the resolutions ado ted at the previous
meeting. His iden was 10 have this COM
mittse select fifty or 100 names and corre-
apond with tho people, and get them to
form a pc manent committee to look after
oitv and county affatts
Then Co. san:ers got the floor onoe
more. ''Hnen't this enti Q proceeding
broken down." no snid. 1T started with a
brass bsli and n clenr conception OF its
duty, and it has tizzled. Let's DO honest
with ourselves. We ought to fill a halltwice
as large as this. D oviied tho spirit Of
two weeks ago prevailed. think the Qen-
tie mon have come to the conclusion that
this is q mob with no functions; an nmia-
bic mob With the inaliennble right of petit
tion. from which mauy are lacking out be-
cause they ure afraid they oannot sell a
ribbon. II seems to me We a 9 patriotic
except on the right occasion and that is
when we elect those men," Continuing.
he said that all economy began by Offering
tackled the wrong thing when they went
for the salaries of %oflcers. He concratu-
lated the gentlemen who had come there
not to speak. as some ''blackgua d might
reminded him of a friend of his in the
early days who used to propose a
toast ITO all mankind. lest some
damn fool might be offended" He said no
had heard no word of disresrect to any
body at tho previous meeting. Criticism
OF officers was the %preroga.ive of freemen.
II was piti!ul TINT there were men in own
who did not dare say their souls we g their
own. For rea's the MAYOR and aldermen
had servel the people with no compensn-
performance whom they voted themselves
salaries. If the people wnntel the mayor
and alderman to be paid salaries the legis-
lature could have said So. II gentlemen
did not want office on the salary provided
they could resign. To let a movement like
this cool off as this had. would not only do
no good, but would do infinite mischief.
Lets wash our hands of it and meet a few
days before election and SEQ what VIC can
do then, mud not be hoo lwinked By candi-
dates who vote nway our money bscsuse
they don't have to pay IT,"
Mr.. Jockey favored the committee pro-
yosed by Mr.. kleinschmidt. All efforts to
get mp meetings had not resulted In much
better than a moo. F.om Col. : anders'
remarks he did not feel much encouraged.
He believed. however. they could do some
good il they had n committee to look into
affai 8. lhen the city council would be
more careful. He believed nearly svery
transaction OF inpo tencc needle watch
ing. He had been in the council and the
school boAid and knew it. II anything was
found to BIO wrong public officials could be
forced to resign or prosecuted by this grand
jury.
Lieut. Gov. Botkin WINS the next speaker.
He confessed that the meeting wasn serious
disappointment. He had hoped to ind q
body OF men en- nest in economy In public
affairs. He found n 81 ~iritloss meeting. II
this movement failed they would lie At tho
mercy of the tnxeaters-citv county and
schools. They must make this 4 success or
fail for years to mako any imprc salon.
Had the petition to tho council been landed
To him he Vould hnyo refnAod Ia sfyn il