Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-10-25
Helena correspondencs.

To the Argus.
Little political news is heard nova
days, most of the interest centering in
the capital fight. The Populists
are making some noise, and, what
seems to some OF us. very extravagant
claims of strength. They are a re-
markably hopeful lot. The explana-
ton seems to be that they are most
of them candidates, and that candi-
dates are naturally hopeful. They
recently started an evening daily here
called the Evening Telegram.
Our two electric street car cOmpa-
nies were recently consolidated, and
now Helena's twenty odd miles of
street railway are under one control,
and render excellent service at the
same uniform rate OF five cent fares.
The Woman's Capital committee,
recently organized, has plunged into
work with an energy and esrnestness
that cannot but result IN much good
to Helena's cause.-the cause of the
whole state.
A fine store building is being erected
next to the Gold block. and thus fills
up the only gap from Sixth avenue to
Bridge street. Business in all channels
is reviving in a healthy way, and to
the encouragement of all.
Your old friend and nsighboE, John
r. Barrows, Esq, will soon be among
you, with John A. Largent, Esq, OF
Great Falls, to stump the Basin in
favor of Helena.
Since my last letter the outlook for
Helena in the capital fight has contin-
ued to brighten rapidly. The tide has
set in strongly for her, even in the
stronghold of the Anaconda company,
Deer Lodge, Missoula and Ravalli
counties. Splendid meetings have been
held in Butte and Missoula on the
west side, and many places on the east
side. These meetings have been marked
by crowded houses. spontaneous en-
thusiasm OF the audiences, and earn
estness and sincerity in the speakers.
The few Anaconda meetings have not
been well attended, the applause was
forced, and the efforts of the speakers
half-hearted and lame. What else
could be expected? In the one case
the fight is made on the broad princi-
Piles of the good OF the state, and the
appeal is to the best impulses of the
hearer; in the other, the fight has nc
principle to rest upon, and the appea
is to the worst impulses of the hearer
selfshness, greed, and prejudice. The
effort on the part OF the Anaconds
Mining company, to make Marcus
DAILY the conspicuous figure upon theil
side, and to hide behind his personal
ity, is coming to naught. The impor
tant fact that the Anaconda Mining
company is the great chief factor ir
this fight, and that Marcus DAILY is it,
mere agent and figurehead, is becom
ing generally known and appreciated
So much OF the much laudsd claims a,
to Marcus Daly's generosity ant
friendliness to labor, as was not lait
out cold. by the disclosure of the facts
as to his opposition to labor unions
and the eisht-hour law; the lowel
scale of wages paid in Anaconda, Al
compared with Butte, for the sam'
work; and the very palpabIe purpos'
of his various gifts, have been utterly
squelched by the astounding revela
tions made by the public records, Al
to the frauds of the Anaconda Mininl
company against Deer Lodge count,
and the state, in the matter OF taxes
This company has been boasting tha
it's properties wore worth over thirt!
millions of dollars, that they hav,
been mortgased for $7,5OO.OOO; ye
they pay taxes on less than $4,000,
900. in properties. A very conserva
tive estimate of the real value of thes
properties. shows that they have failet
to return and to pay taxes on owe
81, ,OOO, 900, in property, and on NOR
than that in the procesds Of thei
mines, which were returned as &l7l,
It's in 1898. and at $2. .S2s 900 IL
1894! Why this sudden spssm of ap
proximate honesty in 1894? Wha
treatment can the agricultural AM
stock interests of this state expec