The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1894-09-22
CAMPAIGN NOTES.

is always the same. It is neces.
sary that the legislature should
designate some town to act as a
county seat pro tempore. 1t in
variably happens that the town
thus designated aspires to become
the permanent seat of government.
In order to attain that end the com
missioners of the new county ex.
pend a considerable amount of the
taxpayers money in improving the
pseudo county seat. This is pre-.
cisely what has happened in Teton
county,
We are told that the taxpayers
will not stand the expense of trans
porting the county seat from Cho-
teau to Dupuver. There is nothing
to be removed, except few safes,
desks and books. The people of
Dupuyer are sufficiently generous
to see that the transportation OF
those few articles is accomplished
free of cost. The court building is
purely private speculation. It is
a matter of Indifference to every
one except the owners, what be-
comes of it. The Jail has cost the
county over nine thousand dollars.
There is no reason why it should
not remain where it is. Choteau
is not such highly moral town
that it may dispense with doujon
keep.
Section 1868 of the Compiled
Statutes of Montana reads as fol-
lows. "Tbat whenever in the dis
erection of the commissioners of the
several counties it is necessary or
desirable to build Jail or lock up
in any town other than the county
seat, they are hereby authorized
and empowe led so to do. Provided,
however, that no such jail or lock
up shall cost to exceed one thou
sand dollars"
Section 26 of the Constitution of
the State of Montana says. "The
legislative assembly shall not pass
local or special laws in any of the
following enume: ated cases, that is
to say. For granting divorces, lay
ing out, opening, altering or work
ing roads or highways, vacating
roads, town plats, streets, alleys or
public grounds, locating or chang
ing county Seats" etc.
1t will be observed that the legis-
lature has no power to locate a
county seat. 1t follows, therefore,
that Choteau is not county seat
within the meaning of the law. If
it is not, then the cost of a jail at
that place cannot exceed one thou
sand dollars. The law is manda-
tory. Hence, all that has been ex-
pended in excess of that sum may
be recovered by the county from
the commissioners or their bonds
men. AS above intimated, this ex-
penditure was made for the pur-
pose of coercing the taxpayers of
Teton county into voting for Cho-
teau. An exposure of this fact is
sure to defeat the end desired.
What the Jail cost, in excess cf
one thousand dollars, being re-
funded to the county by our reck-
less commissioners, will build a
very nice cooler in Dupuyer. This
dlsposes of the great bugaboo of
the expense of "moving the county
seat" "The mountain was in la
Dor and brought forth mouse"
Andy Condor and Show Toe are
both doomed to defeat at the COM
ing election. Their methods are
similar and, to say the least, pecu>
liar. To handicap the voters by
an unnecessary and unlawful ex-
penditure of the public moneys on
one town; to force a laboring man
to cast his ballot their way as the
condition upon which he may hold
his job; to disfranchise the voters
of the outside precincts; to deny
legally elected delegates their seats
while admitting that they have ev-
cry right to them; to adopt the
principle that any wrong whatever
is iuStifiable If one onIv oets awav