The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-26

[ largely because OF MT. DhlY MethoAA.
well. suppose this IL al true, is that any
reason why Helena should noEmake all The
more effort? This article says that Helena
Ia srathetio aud not trying 60 do mnch 70
secure the capital"
"No. The position Of Helena Ia some
what misunderatooi. The article Aon ieief
I 90 claims that everything said In Helena "
known on she street corners Ia twenty
I four hours. There NAV be some truth IN
/ this. Certain 10 Is that there o. some moner
/ spent % fms out Whatever may he saldi u
is ssid that large amount Of money 10 10
bs expended by the oTpoiition IN tue
coming election and the general Impression
is In Helena that tho whole matter u 20 be
= great Doodle campaign. Tho Helena
psop'e feel IL will not by their consent
aud that they are no mo interested IA thls
oapital proposition than Bozeman or any
portion OF the state. 10 Is gseat mistake
/ 70 auppoae shat any considerable portion OF
/ the sustaining powers Of Helsns come from
| its capital relation. That they would
/ be hurt somewhat by tho sentiment OF out
/ aldo peOple, Is undoubtedly true, but other
I than this Il would make very little diner =
enee 20 Helena whether the capital u moved
/ or not The question that int ligent men
/ ana every property holder IN the state OF
Montana must before long consider as a
personal question. IL. Shall IL be Montana
I or Dalv 10 the fronti 10 rs not a question
OF whether some man IN Helena handing
real estate shall make little more money,
or whether some poor dupe In the east
shall bay some Anaoonds lots az fabu-
lous Price, and thereby sscu perpetual
inheritunee; and that IL all there Is 50 far
as the pecuniarY part OF It goes, TO either
town: but she great question - as 70
whether this state shall sell ont 10 an III
dividual and accept tho Dictatorship OF one
man and Of such a man; whether they shall
make themselves more ridiculous polite
ally 3han tney have In the ast by NOS only
voting for, but actually turning everything
over 10 this town or Its owner, man VINO
but for the rich gifts Of the gods oon-
tanned IN the everlasting mountains would
be-we.l, lust where he was twenty years
ago. Anaconda has no natural advantages
u is situstsd geographically lar nom q
central portion OF the state and has moth
ing IN the world 50 commend 10 as Gus cap
ital except a smelling works and tho Will OF
a strong man debating the disbursements
OF profitable mining enterprises. IL
has been the history OF the majority Of
suoh enterprises land l do not think Of
single exception) that they have gone down
ultimately. l DO not think there Is a single
town built purely upon a smelling plant
that has sver succeeded for any great mum
Der OF yoars. 10 il trne Anaconda may be
said TO be an exception on account OF Mr..
DnlY's personal strength. but grant him all
that you will, he Is getting 90 be an old
man and will undoubtedly be amenable TO
the laws OF Heaven II not to man, and
some time must die. There 10 always the
OF such properties es tue Ana
conda changing hands. Many other potent
reasons could DO given OF It's undesira0ility
as a capital site. A question so important
as that Of settling the permanent capital OF
a small. 10 Is true. but still great prospect
ively) stats should not BE- based on any
thing OF so temporary q character as the
Of a smelling plant. or the life
md ind twhN N - If n /
think It would be generally conceded that
II you were 10 take Nj. Days personality
out OF the matter. no one would ever think
for a moment Of voting for Anaconda for
tho capital or anything else. and as the Re
public truly says, his personality IS only
in this case because 10 is under
stool he is holding up mine $ wages" and
as I told you a little while ago, thars is no
more truth in that than IN the sophistriss
.Eat have been worked upon ths minds OF
for generations by unsc'upu-
lous bosses.
This whole matter rests upon a question
Of great principle. The odttlemen in she
} Judith Basin, the bankers az Virginia Ctr,
lhs miners OK Butte, the merchants OF
Bozemen, the ranchmen OF the Gallatin
valley. and the fruit growers OF the Bitter
Root are all interested personally, directly
and individually as much as men following
similar occu patlOns IN the town of Helena
Dr. In the valley Of the Prickly Pea. IL lie
not a question Of personal profit; u must
not be allowed 10 become question OF
personal Aggrandizemsnt. 10 Is and must be |
considered essentially a question Of prin- |
-iple. IL 10 question OF selecting suita- |
bio POSITION or location for the state gov |
'rnment and OF ahordIng accommodations |
10 the same FOR rears 10 GENE. In the frat |
place the capital should be selected Rs
nearly central az possible and within easy |
lad direct Communication OF our people, |
md &c should lie -e-onilncntly matter or |
nsid3ration as TO the best interest of the |
people ~ a whole. not the mere question OF |
v 2es for any community, or maintenance |
81 any industry for a brief period. and / |
feel satisfied that when tais matter comes |
down TO final action that She men who RTs
entitled to cast tbs votes Of Montana will
DO found 20 be In line with these general
facts aud ideas that / have suggested
Many years residence among tbs miners,
ranchmen and business men Of Montana
has convinced ms thoroughly Of their
lnteg ny where MASTERS of grave import
are a. stake. lt cannot be pos
sib.e that they will sac ihoo and endanRar
the welfare OF tho whole state for years
and years 10 come, basiuR it entiTsly upon
the personality Of = man who IS supposed
TO increase a certain clAaE Of wages tompor-
RrilJ. IL iaa disgracs 90 the lo1gnal tlat
publishes. TO the man who utterl, anu to
the community that endorses a sentiment
MA4tu viii lof oNe moment compare o. take ]
into confederation, even II 10 were ever so
8 ne. the temporary advantages OF the
wages Of few individuals as compared
with she ultimate greatness and grandeur
Of our coming state. Why should every
other interest be sacrificed 10 tie question
OF miniag, which. although IL IL "a prom
ineut feature, ana probably the greatest
lntsfeat that We have or will have FOR many
years, still 10 Is an iEterest that can and
will take care or itaslf aud II needs no
sac lice 80 She hands Of the people OF this
state, and 1 predict that tho proposed &C
tlon % sidst aoling the capital AMI placing
DC under tho Jurisdiction OF one man would
have n tendency 10 reduce the Irice Of
every salable commodity. real or pe sonal.
within the state, and Of ultimately mate
Tially reducing the IosultG OF all labor
The reasons TO- this declaration arc ap-
parent. II tho legislature Of this state can
bs controlled by one man and that condi-
ton Of affairs - thrown g. the font, 10
muat deter outside capital from developing
tho mines and other interests now lying
dormant because there would be Goa
slant fear OF the enactment II laws pr-iu-
dlcial 90 any other interest than the con
tfolllng interest 1 predict that sooner %
later the Intelligent masses OF this state
Will awaken 10 q realization Of what ter
rlbls mistake they are making 1 think Is
would be absolutely fidlcu!oas for helena
70 attempt 60 stand o. ami pa chass suf-
ncIcut vote To- compete with Anaconda, bat
on the other hand il seems % me- that com
mou cause should be made IA ouRh-
out the state und Cvory intelllQout
man who has settled and proposes to make
Montana his home should feel aud rea ixo
that this great initiative atep % the loca-
ton OF the permanent capital should be 40
place noted Tor is accesslLilitv from all