Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-12-21
SENATORIAL FIGHT.
Banker Brown of Moscow Said
to Be a Candidate.
SWEES'S FRIENDS CONFIDENT
An Interesting Story of the Great 2 oiit-
icai War Now Raging Fierce
In Moscow.

Moscow. Idaho. Dec. S--Moscow re-
sembles Spokane in many respects. Ii
is novelty in the political world and,
like Spokane also, is the largest town
i'm It's part of the state. 1t impresses
one with it's mud. the thrift of it's bust
ness men and the rancor of its politics.
Moscow was unknown to political
fame until about four years ago. Since
then it has claimed the residence of
United States senator, a governor, a
congressman, and still boasts of a gov
ernor, congressman and two United
States senatorial aspirants. And yet all
these famous characters in Idaho's po-
ltical history are contained in two in
dividuals, w. j. Mcconnell and Willis
Sweet.
With two such big men in one town it
is not to be wondered at that factions
| arose in the politics of the town. Two
such planets could not occupy the same
space without big display of fireworks,
There were plenty of offices to fill with
| out Sweet and Mcconnell coming in
each others way, of course, but, as is
| usual in frail human nature both
| Sweet and Mcconnell began advancing
| to the same objective point. They each
had senatorial tree and each began
| edging toward the same post-hole to
plant it. When they met they bowed,
then smiled, then frowned, then dis
| puted. and are now quarreling. They
have their knives out and each Is sur
rounded by crowd of his friends. The
steel is shining in the sunlight, and it
begins to look as if a row was on that
would end only in the complete annihi-
lation of one of the leading combatants
or both.
McCONNELL'S ASPIRATIONS.
Governor Mcconnell was a big man
four years ago. He was a merchant
with political sagacity and much desire
Northern Idaho had never been recog-
nized by the politicians of the southern
part of the state, but Mcconnell be-
came a candidate for United States sen
ator nevertheless, 1t was a figh,
against odds and it cost about 100000
but Mcconnell won. Idaho had JUS
become a state and was entitled to two
senators, one of whom was to fill Ions
and the other short term of about two
months. Mr. Mcconnell drew the shor
straw, and though he served only few
weeks in the United States senate, h,
|
rough orator-he has improved som,
since-but he made up in courage wha
he lacked in polish, and he shattered
senatorial idols with the ease of a cham
pion marksman shooting glass balls
Time-honored senatorial dignity wa
trampled under foot with such rockies
bravado that Senator Mcconnell be
came at once a famous character.
Senator Mcconnell was big mer
chant then and wealthy-or supposed t
be. He came back flushed with sena
, torial pride and was soon in hot rae
for the gubernatorial chair. He wor
After a while he failed in business
and, it is said, today has nothing lef
of his at one time big fortune. Many o
his friends and supporters disappeare
with his fortune, as is usual in sue
cases; but not all of them, and he wa
still strong enough last fall to secure tn
nomination for governor again. but
was with a split in the party at hi
home.