The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-21
POLITICS In MADISON
Free Silver Is the Paramount Issue
With Both Parties.
DISTRICT COURT SESSION
Mining Matters I'm a Dormant Con-
dItion-At Silver Star and Letter.
Vile and Other Ore Produc-
ing Sections - Notes.

Special Correspondence of the Standard:
Sheridan, May 17.-There is not a
great deal of hilarity in republican cir
cles hereabouts since the return of the
Madison county delegation from Butte.
Madison county republicans are like
the citizens of every political creed in
this part of the state, tooth and toe
nail workers for the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to l.
At their county convention they gave
unmistakable evidence of their loyalty
to the white metal, and sent their dele
gates to Butte, armed with a set of
resolutions of no equivocal tone. In
fact, they were ready to sacrifice party
allegiance unless the party stood ready
to use all honorable efforts to restore
silver to it's former and legitimate
standing in the monetary system. But
when the delegation got to Butte they
found a convention made up of men
who, while professedly silver men, had
not the nerve and backbone of the
Madison men, and. withal, were not
nearly so enthusiastic in the cause.
Consequently, when the resolutions
which were expected to be of such
telling force in the convention were
presented, they were suavely referred
to the committee on resolutions, de-
liberately considered by the members
thereof with the result that they did
not deem II expedient to submit the
resolutions to the convention, lest it
might embarrass % the delegation to
st. Louis, and so the precious darling
was smothered in it's swaddling clothes.
However this may have affected the
nurses who carried 1t over the rank
and file of the party at home are for
the most part as mad as wet hens"
Even the sop that was thrown out in
the selection of a Madison man as one
of the delegates to the national conven-
ton does not serve to allay the irrita-
ton, and unless that body incorporates
a free silver plank in Its platform,
there will be many republican vote
that will go astray when polling day
comes. The Standard man asked a
leading republican and staunch friend
of silver to-day-one who is in the
habit of boasting that he never voted
anything but a straight ticket in his
life-what he was going to do about ii.
WELL" said he its tough, but / guess
Wen have to swallow it," Swallow
h-! interjected a bystander, Swallow
nothing! I'm as good republican as
anybody; but I'll vote for the d-dest
copperhead on earth If his is the only
party that has a free silver plank in it's
platform" And the sentiment was
echoed and applauded by a dozen or
more bystanders of the same political
stripe.
While all this is going on among the
republicans, the democrats of Madison
are moving along "the even tenor of
their way" awaiting the call of the
county convention, when we shall
doubtless hear some music from that
direction. In the meantime, they are
not idle, and those who imagine that
their present quietude is the stiffness
of death will find out pretty soon that
they have a pretty lively corpse on
their hands.
The spring term of the district court
for Madison county will begin at Vir-
ginia City tomorrow. AS usual, in this
county, the docket is a very light one,
and not much of the courts time will
be occupied in settling disputes be-
tween litigants. Madison county is
proverbially a resting station" for the
judge of the Fifth judicial district.
Judge Showers passed through here
yesterday en- route to the county seat
to hold the term.
There seems to be an almost univer-
sal desire, among citizens of all par
ties, that Judge Showers should be
chosen to succeed himself as judge of
this district, and should the democrats
accord him a denomination, he will find
many votes added to his poll from both
the republican and populist ranks. 1t
has been a long while since the occu-
pant of the bench in this judicial dis
trict has obtained so strong a hold
upon popular esteem as has the present
incumbent.
Mining matters have been, so to
speak, in a dormant condition for the
last few weeks. Melting SHOWS and
(o1 h. Ia. fen In
stances. made the roads to the quartz
mines almost impassable, and hauling
ore, ETC., an absolute impossibility.
They are rapidly improving now and
operations will soon be resumed and
continued with its accustomed regu-
larity.
Professors Traphagen and Van Tas-
sci of the Bozeman company which re-
Gently bonded the Iron Rod mill and
big tailings dump at Iron Rod, COM
menced operations upon the property
this week, using the Hxiviating process.
They will make a two weeks test run,
and If the results be satisfactory. will
operate the plant upon an extensive
scale. The Standard is informed that
there are nearly 10000 tons of tailings
on the dump and that they have an
assay value Of over s12 per ton.
F. r. Merk is removing his stamp
mill from Silver Star to the Bowery
formerly the Broadway mine. and
when IL is set up work will be resumed
on that well-known property with a
full force OF men. At present only
development work is being done on the
mine.
There is but little change in the sit
uation at Leiterville. the usual force of
about so men being employed at the
Letter mine. Prospecting on other
mines in the neighbOrhood is tempo
rarily abandoned on account OF the
deep snow.
The recent strike in the Madisonian
mine. where John Mcguire and Henry