The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1894-08-22
THE MINERS WALL
It attempts to HoodWink the
New Voters OF Montana.
But the People Have Long Memo
ries and Have It lii for the
Dems. and Pops.

1t would appear to citizens of Mon
tana who have been here more than
two years that the Butte Miner has Z
tenderfoot editor, Judging from the
following in a late issue Of that pa
per.
When democratic officials were in
charge of the affairs Of the state their
administration was marked by non
esty, conscientiousneSs and 4 fearless
discharge Of duty. The rightful
wishes OF the people were never ig-
norcd, and their rights as citizens OF
Il sovereign state were never abridged
1t remained for republican officials to
DO this, and it is to republican gov
crnor the fact is due that during the
time when it most needed full rep
resentation in the laW-maklnS cham
bcrs Of the nation Montana was do
priycd of that representation and de-
frauded Of the right assured ever"
state in the union OF which it is one
Of the richest and proudcst. All this
did not occur 50 long ago that the
people have forgotten it and they are
only biding their TIME to show that
the memory Of that wrong lives still
strong within them. The democrats
will control the legislature and will
elect two senators from that party TO
represent Montana in the senate.
Democratic officials never were in
| ~, f.,ir ,f
the reason that the people Of the state
were too wise to place them there.
In earlier days, before Montana be-
came state, the democratic party
had full control in the legislature OF
the territory and Of the elections. by
reason Of the latter they pcrpctratcd
| the most shameless frauds at the polls
that any community ever suffered by
in some cases carrying them SO fal
that the opposition never even sue.
cccdcd in elccting a township conSta
bic. Legal voters were driven from
the polls b. shotguns in the hands OF
democratic Judges Of election and mei
were knocked down by democratic
shcriffs for attempting only to excr
else the right Of challenge. Gaining
control of the territorial Legislature
by such actions. they gcrrymandcrc6
the territory into council districts sc
that to all seeming not q single rcpub
lican could be elected to the tcrritor
ial council, and only the great per
sonal popularity OF the late Frank |
Wordcn in Missoula and Deer Lodge
counties enabled him to be elected
the solitary republican in body o
twelve. And later, they even wen
SO far in the territorial council as t(
disfrancllise a whole county in ordc,
to unseat a gentleman who was elect
cd as a Joint councilman BY 4 plural
ity CT some 150,to give the scat to
democrat who publicly stated that III
twas fairly defeated and had no lcga
right to the scat. Yes, they were
noted then for a fearless discharge Q
duty-as democrats-for there was II
opposition strong enough to stay thci
unlawful hands. That was the kint
OF 'honesty, conscientiousncsS ant
fearless discharge Of duty" the demo
cratic party gave the people Of tn
territory, and is one Of the reason
the people unseatcd them from thci
high places and sent the state 0
Montana into the union repub
lican. And yet the editor uf til
Miner has the tcmcrity to tell old
timers that tho ri9httul wishes Of tn
people never were ignored and thci
rights as citizens never abridged. n
doubt, to his way Of thinking, til
wishes of the people to get rid Of TIL
democratic party Of force and frau
were not "rightful wishes.'
The Miner goes on to blame the re
publican governor for the fact tlla
: Montana had only one reprcscntatiy
in the United States senate when sll
should have had two. This is ste
cotyped cry of the democratic pre-:
Of the state, ,and is nothing more tina
a huge jokc,a the people undcrstan
it. The ones who were to blame #
the failure of the legislature to clct
a senator eighteen months ago, ar
so left the state without full rcpr
scntation "during the very time Wile
it was most needed" were the dem
cratic members Of the last legislator
primarily, and the three populist
sccondarily. In joint ballot for
successor to Senator Sanders the po
ulists voted wiuh the democrats {
every ballot and SO gave that part
sufficient votes to elect senator. I'll
voting strength Of the democrats
Joint ballot was 35, one less than
majority over all; the republican vo
was SO, or three less than a najori1
over all; the populists had three vot
in all. Now, it can be plainly scs
that, with the popu!ists voting wit
the democrats,as they did, that par