The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-12
BUT TWENTY DAYS MORE
The Legislative Assembly Has Used
Up Two-Thirds Of Its
Allotted Time.
Senatorial Surprises Have Been
the Order for Three
Days Past.
Bills Thai Have Nsoome Laws ana the
Status of Other Measures That Are
Now In the Hopper.

Yesterday was the fortieth day of the
Third legislative assembly of Montana,
and the last SIX we're more prolific OF
surprises and more fruitful In the amount
OF work accomplished than all the precsd-
days combined. During the week the sena-
torial contest livened mp TO such an extent
a. 10 push all other questions to the rear.
and now IL 10 once more ths absorbing
topic. The first interesting feature o.
cured on Wednesday. when Representa-
tive 1isrney. democrat, of MsaRher county.
left w. 4. Clark and voted for W. i. San
dsrs, giving that gentleman more votes
than no had ever before received in the
joint assembly, and placing him within
two of election. The Broadwater county
division bill was tho factor that switched
Tierney. As a result Of Wednesdays bal
lot tho Sanders people thought they would
win on Thursday. some others. however,
held q different opinion and these others
were members of Sanders own party.
These opponents of the War Horse proved
they were right, when on Thurs
day three republicans left him. one.
Benson. going to Clark, as an
offset for Clark. one of the others to Lee
VI ouSpVs ~ - oAA w "pV
Thos. Cosoh. For four weeks the Mantle
people had been planning md hoping for
this detection from Sande's. Thursday
night they called a caucus and made Man
tie the caucus candidate. 1t did not avail
them, however, because some OF Sanders
men would not leave him under such cir
cum%stances, and on Friday Mr.. Mantle
lacked four votes of his full party strength
in the joint assembly, two voting for
Sanders, one for Couch and one for Clark,
as an offset for Tiernsy's vote for Sanders.
Yesterday Mantle fared worse than on Fri
day. Five republicans left him and voted
for Clark, placing that gentleman within
three votes OF All election. The Sanders
men all said, II told you So" and now
Editor Reed and the mayor of Butte can
take the latter gsntleman's boom that did
not last over one night, back to the big
camp, and hide it out of sight. Capt.
Couch will mark up another tally, and
Gov. Richards will shy his castor into the
ring. But before the forty-sixth day of tho
session the democrats will have elected q
senator, or all the predictions are wrong.
The Richards boom is not of recent
growth. but the seed WAS planted by Lieut.
Gov. Botkin q week after the election in
November. Mr.. Botkin did not %partiou-
larly desire the nomination OF lieutenant
governor, but he would like to be governor.
He would prefer to be senator. but he is
willing to wait for Commodore Powers toga
if in the meantime he can occupy the
gubernatorial chair. 1t IL whispered in
s~trictsst confidence in the very innermost
nirolaO khnk ~ Aha leujolatOra inos MT AlaCf
that tho present lieutenant. governor will
appoint q successor to Col. Sanders-in
other words, that Gov. Richards will re-
sign, Mr.. Botkin will succeed him and the
latter will appoint the present governor
senator. Among republicans who have
been close TO him Richards is credited with
having a most inordinnte ambition to be a
senator, and this ambition has been indus
t~riously nursed by the lieutenant governor.
The fght over the location of tho state
educational institutions is virtually over.
though the bill to locate the state normal
school at Dillon has yet to be acted upon
in the ~lsenate. Both houses have passed
the bills locating the agricultural college
at Bozeman. the university at Missoula,
and the school of mines at Butte. The
most active contest over the state ~institu-
tions will come on the bill to remove the
penitentiary from Deer Lodge, though tho
friends OF Madison county in the senate
will fight hard for Twin Bridges. Tie new
county bills to be acted upon, ali OF which
which will consume considerable time, are
those creating sweet Grass. Broadwater,
Blaine and Granite, and Senator Steele
threatens one to set aside the county Of OK
Bow Bend. These county division schemes
are being pushed in connection with the
senatorial contest. and owing to that fact
it is hard to toll what the combinations
either way will result in.
Among the bills introduced in the house
during the week was one in which county
treasurers are Interested. 1t was intro
duoed by Bray, of silver Bow, and takes
from the state treasurer or the county
treasurer whatever opportunity they may
haye had to reap any personal benefits by
dspositinR the public funds in bank. 1t
allows all banks to compete for the bust
ness Of acting as depository of public funds,
provided the successful ono pay not less
than six per cent interest for the privilege.
One of the important bills killed during
the week was that defining the liability of
employers toward employees in case of in.
jury. The enacting clause was knocked
out in the house by u decided majority, and
in that state ii was placed on general
orders by the speaker. The senate passed
the house anti Pinketton bill during the
week, with An amendment, which was CON
cured in. and now the bill only awaits the
governors signature to become a law. One
of the ~liveliest fights in the senate was that
over the anti-scalper bill. The railroad
conductors were in favor Of il, while the
greatest opposition came from the Amer,-
can Ticket Broke q association. Tho con-
ductors were victorious. and the fight has
been passed to the house. Another imror-
tant bill that won't through the senate was
shat creating n state board OF charities and
corrections, to have general oversight over
the prisons aud reformatoriey of Montana,
The governor sent his first veto to the
legislature. killing the bill fixing tho mum
Der and compensation of employees of the
legislature. The veto was on tho ground
that the section giving tho speaker pro tenn
of tho house and the president pro tenn of
the senate $40 a day was unconstitutional.
A new bill. with the Objectionable features