The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-11-11

Helena. They had check lists of the
fraudulent registration, and on Mon
day they caused the arrest OF one OF
the most active workers for Anaconda,
Otto Flotow, on the charge OF illegal
registration. This action had the ef-
feet of keeping great many OF the
Illegal voters away from the polls, and
those who did attempt to vote in "A
majority of cases did not carry II any
farther than an attempt. Al every
polling precinct these young men had
two watchers on the inside and as
many on the outside. They had lists
OF the illegal voters. and when one
would show up a word OF warning was
sufficient TO have him forego his in
tention TO vote. These young men stald
right in and about the polling places
until the capital vote was counted and
put down I'm ink. thus preventing man
ipulation of the results. II there had
been any attempt To do so. But the
judges at the Butte precincts showed
every disposition TO do what was fair,
and there was not a single occasion To
accuse any election officer of attempted
unfair dealing.
The great work for Helena I'm Butte
on election day and before was done by
J. NJ. Quinn OF the Miner; w. A. Clark
A. j. German. M. j. Connell, $. Marks
John Cannon and w. b. Forbls, of the
Butte a-for-the-Capital club;
President Hamilton, OF the Young
Mems club. and Jas, Thompson, brother
OF w. Il. Thompson, Of Helena. Hun
dreds of others assisted In the good
work, but those named were most
prominently before the public. A. j.
Davidson and A. j. Steele. of Helena,
represented this city at Butte during
the latter part OF the campaign, and did
gooOd work.
But il must not be Inferred because
the illegal voters were shut out that
there was no corruption In Butte on
election day. 1t is estimated that the
Anaconda people bought outright alto
gether from l.50O to 5000 votes in that
city on that day. The writer hclleNes
that 900 is nearer the mark, because
the Wholesale purchasing did not begin
until the afternoon, 1t was the COM
mon report on the streets that the en-
tire police force Of Butte was under the
Anaconda influence, and that while the
Anaconda people could openly corrupt
voters. ID would he very unsafe thing
for "A Helena advocate TO do the same
thing The report must have been cor
rect, because such omen and unblush-
ing buying OF votes was perhaps never
before Witnessed In this state as was
seen at Butte Nov. 6. Several weeks
ago there were organized In Butte ten
or twelve "lndepcndent Capital clubs
in other words, a thousand or ilttcen
numbered men got together and de-
termined 10 place price upon their
ballots. Last Sunday night the officers
of these clubs held "A convention, and
the result was that they agreed upon
price. binding themselves not To take
less. The figure was $3.50 carly In the
day. and IN the afternoon, " business
was not active, they were To take So,
but under no circumstances Ia take lCss
Tuesday morning the Anaconda work
ers started to buy these independent
voters. but they only offered 81 head,
The club members Hpurned the offer
and only those outside Of the pale uf
the nssocintlonB went SO cheap, The
result wus that at noon only 5000 votes
had been pollcd In nutte, and a careful
tally showed that II was slightly in
favor of Helena. In one precinct up to
3 u. m. only Ga votes had been cast. and
when the ballots were counted I'm that
precinct II was found that Just Gl OF
them were for Helena, but IN the httcr-
noon active operations began ON the
part of the Anaconda workers The
indeprudent clubs had six meeting
ntncrs Ia various scctlunn of the city,
nnd the mon with the "atum" had no
trouble in finding them. A description
of the sccncH at one Of the places win
nnawcr for all OF them, This particular
place was In the alley back OF the Com
blnntiou gambling hall, ln fun view uf
the Western Union telegraph office, An
elderly man, with gruy hair, hnd sack
there ana he was doing the work A