The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-13
SATURDAY, APRIL ID. 1895.
The Presidents Appointments.


Upon what theory President Cleve-
land in his appointment of mineral
land commissioners yesterday went
outside of the state for two-thirds of
the selections. it is very difficult to
understand. The STANDARD is frank
to acknowledge that it considers the
action of the president a very gross
violation of the principle of home
rule. The gentlemen to be imported
into Montana from New York, AR.
kansas, Georgia. Florida and Wiscon-
sin may or may not be mining ex-
perta We do not know. There is
nothing In the residence OF any one of
them to indicate that he makes min
ing speciality, or that he is in any
way qualified for the delicate and, to
the state OF Montana, tremendously
important task to which he has been
assigned OF still higher consequence
even than competency is the considera-
ton of honesty-nothing short of the
very highest integrity in the commits
sioners will satisfy the people of Mon
tana that they are getting square
deal in the final adjudication of their
long, bitter and costly. dispute with
the Northern Pacific railroad.
Who in Montana knows these
strangers? Who vouches for them
Who in heavens name asked for them /?
Who, except possibly the Northern Pa
cific, wants half dozen carpetbaggers
to come out here from the East and
South and interfere in this busi-
ness anyway? They may know
more about mines and mineral
lands than any of us, they may be the
best practical mineralogists in the
world, in personal character they may
eclipse all the saints and martyrs in
all the history Of Christendom, but
still they will come here under a thick
cloud OF suspicion which nothing can
remove. Under the peculiar circum-
stances existing, remembering the
long-continued and desperate efforts
of the Northern Pacific to cheat them
out of their mineral lands, the people
of Montana will suspect these out
siders of collision with the railroad
and the decisions such commissioners
may render, though they be never so
just and righteous, are bound to give
rise to general doubt and wide spread
dissatisfaction.
The business has bad look. There
is no legitimate excuse for it. There
Is no scarcity Of good, honest, capable
men In Montana, men who would have
discharged the duties devolving upon
the commissioners with equity and |
justice to both sides, men in whom the
public would have reposed complete
confidence. Some Montana gentlemen
had been mentioned in connection
with the appointments who would not |
have been satisfactory to the people
at large simply because they were sus-
pected OF holding relations with the /
Northern Pacific that were too close
and friendly to admit of an adjudica-
ton free from bias But there was an |
abundance of men willing to accept
the appointment against whom no
such charge could possibly be brought.
We don'tknow whether or not the au-
thorities at Washington took into ac-
count any political considerations in
Montana, but If the matter of political
policy and party expediency came into
play at all, it would have been a very
easy thing indeed for the president.
with total of eight or ten men to an.
point, SO to have made his selections
as to have satisfied all the factions and
helped bring them into more amlcable
and harmonious relations Instead
OF that he has pursued policy with
winch neither the politicians nor
the people are in the least satisfied.
The STANDARD hopes the business
will not prove so bad as it appears.
it hopes that the gentlemen from the
distant states will discharge their
duties with honesty, fidelity and
ability. and that Montana will vet get
a square deal with her old and per-
sistent foe. But the people of Mon.
tana cannot be blamed for viewing
these appointments with serious ap-
prehension.