Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-02
NICE HOT FIGHT ON
Montana Reps. and Oems.
Row Over Boxelder.
THE CANyASSING BOARD SKIPS
II Hamilton 10 Not Seated the Demo-
Gratis Threaten to orgsniEs Another
Lower House With Populist&

HELENA. Mont. Jan. l.-No such ex-
element IS exists in Helena tonight
has been known In the Montana capital
ia many years. The city 10 full of
members of tho legislature determined
TO get the best of tho contest. which 10
to begin tomorrow. Everything Gen.
ters around the United States senator
ship. and ats O'Clock tonight all the
indications point TO q dual house. OF
course the senate will have no quarrel.
IL is composed of sixteen members, ten
OF whom are democrats and elk ropub-
lIcans, and there are no contests. In
the house, however, = very strained
feeling exists. The membership of the
body Is fifty-five. The democrats hold
tweniy-six certificates of election, the
republicans twenty-six and tho popu-
lists three.
A serious complication has risen in
the now famous Boxelder case. Choteau
county ycanvsssinS board declared Ham,
ilton elected by throwing out the vote
of Boxelder precinct. Had this pre-
clnct been counted ]. Lerhr would
have been elected. The matter was
carried up TO the supreme court. which
after bitter fight lasting several weeks,
ordered the canvassing board OF Cho-
teau county to reassemble and count
the ureclnc. which had been thrown
out. The canvassers, upon hearing the
decision, ran away TO Washington, the
British p sessions and North Dakota.
Marshals were dispatched from Helena
TO Fort Benton and elsewhere in Cho-
teau county, but before they could find
any OF the men they wanted, time In
which the writs were to be served, ex-
pred and they were obliged to return
To Helena.
Democrats Wild.
The supreme court Immediately is-
sued new wrlts, but up TO tonight the
marsnals have been unable to serve
them. Both Hamilton and Lerhr have
| come here to be seated. Hamilton
still holds the certificate OF election,
but the state auditor has placed the
name OF Lerhr on the house roll. The
! democrats claim that If Hamilton can
be regularly sworn IN as member
from Chotead county before the re-
count Is made the question OF who is
entitled TO n seat must be settled by
the house itself.
The program of the republicans is to
seat Lerhr and organize the house with
the aid OF two populists. TINS, they
claim, Will give them twenty-nlne
members. legal majority of the
body. The democrats say they will
assemble IN the regular way ana take
the oath of office, but that if the ma me
OF Lerhr IS found on the regular list,
they Will go in a body to another hall
and organize as the lower house of the
Montana Legislature. This they will
do, they say, because Lerhr as yet has
no certificate of election whatever, and
that ne has no standing before the leg.
lslature except as a constituent.
So far as known but one OF the pop
ulists will act with the democrats. TIE
democrats will therefore have buI
tweDty-seven members in their house
all told, and 1t Is difficult to see how
they can transact business unless they
can induce one of the populists to acl
with them, thus giving them the nee
esssry twenty.elght, just majority.