The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-02
CHANGE IS ORDERED
The List of Judges and Clerks of
Election Will Be Revised.
SLIDES AND BACKSLlDES
vivion and Gamblers Pull Against
the Majority Transformations
In the Aldermanic Political
5attle-CouncIl Business

Only four days before election, tn,
meeting of the city council OF Butt,
was marked by the innovation of let
ting a contract to the lowest bidder
Whether this action in letting a con
tract to the lowest bidder just before
election was done merely for politica
effect In order to shut off the criticisms
of the Inter Mountain respecting the
letting of contracts to highest bidders
or whether a change of heart has really
been experienced, is a matter for con.
lecture only.
The council at last nights meeting
received two bids for the erection and
repairing of booths for next Mondays
election. One bid was received from j
NJ. Smith for s14S and the other from
w. b. Barker for 1892. Alderman Pas
coe moved that the lowest bid be ac-
cepted. Mayor Thompson made no OBJ
lection to this motion and even consent
ed to put the motion. II was carried.
Next to the innovation of the letting
of a contract to the lowest bidder, the
matter of most interest was the debate
which arose as to whether the demo-
Gratis and populists should be allowed
any representation on the election
boards of some of the wards. Pascoe
first brought the matter up and asked
that Mr.. Grant be removed from the
the populist nomination for alderman
of that ward, and that the name of
Daniel Brown be substituted.
M. p. Gilchrist, chairman of the dem
ocratic central committee, stated that
there is no recognized democrat on the
Sixth ward election board as clerk or
judge. He asked that James Reynolds
be substituted for c. Pussy, as judge,
and that Ike Genzberger be substituted
for Chance Harris, as clerk.
After Mr.. Gilchrist had made this re-
quest there was silence for a moment.
Then Alderman Harrington said: "As
there seems to be no democratic alder
man from the Sixth ward any more
although one was elected from there, /
move that the substitution be made"
Alderman Vivion, who is a member
of the council as a democrat from the
Sixth ward, and at the same time a
republican candidate for reelection
said: Il have ii from the mouth of
Mr.. Pussy within the past two weeks
that he Is a democrat, and Mr.. Cham
berlain also told me that he is a demo-
crat. don't see fit to make any
changes. Perhaps did not appoint the
men this gentleman wants, but know
they are good men, and men / can
bank on
Mr.. Vivion did not say he could bank
on them most in his position as a demo-
cratic alderman or in his position as a
republican candidate for office.
Mayor Thompson ruled that he would
only consent TO bring up this matter
again in the form of a reconsideration
of the action of the council in apoint-
ing judges and clerks at the previous
meeting, and 1t would require a two
thirds vote of the council TO recon-
slider.
Il think 1t Is necessary to make these
changes. or the election will be illgal, "
said Alderman Knowlton. The law
does not allow one party more than a
bare majority of the election board.
The question to be settled is whether
the men are democrats or not. If they
are not. then democrats must be APP
pointed"
Il would ask Alderman Vivion," said
Byrne, IF this professional coroner's
juror. Mr.. Harris. is supposed to be a
democrat?'
II always supposed he was a demo-
crat," said Nivion.
WAS he not clerk at the republican
caucus last week?" demanded Byrne.
II cannot say" replied Vivion.
"A year ago." continued Byrne, "he
was working for the republican party.
A man like him is very handy on an
election board. He knows enough to
look after the interests of his friends.
The democrats of the Sixth ward have
been deceived a good deal by the men
supposed to represent them. We were
supposed to have a democratic alder
man from the Sixth ward in the coun-
ell, but you know how IL is yourself.
Probably these supposed democrats ap-
pointed as judges are the same kind of
democrats as Alderman Nivion, who is
now running as republican candidate
from the Sixth ward"
Alderman Rodda, the other represent
ative from the Sixth ward. said that
ha had cd he
bers of the board and had left to Mr.
Nivion the appointing of the demo-
Gratis. II asked Mr.. Pinkham whether
Harris was a democrat. and he said he
was" continued Rodda. "Still l saw
him acting as clerk at the republican
caucus last week and 1 am sure I can
not say what he is
Alderman Schatzlein said that a man
had been appointed as democratic Judge
in the Fourth ward who is now running
as republican candidate for alderman
in that ward. and he supposed a
change should be made there.
There seems to be some mighty
rapid turning in politics. these days"
remarked Byrne. Did not Nivion de-
clare in this council last week that he
was just as good a democrat as any
man in the First ward? Now, do you
want to give US for judges and clerks
the same kind Of democrats as Nivion?
Are you so fearful of the result that
you dare not allow honest democrats
and honest populists on the election
board? IL seems that you are depend
ing more on the election board than on
anything else. IL is about time that the
election Of aldermen by fixing the cleo
ton board was stopped"
II have nothing to do with the poll
tics of the Sixth ward" said Alderman
Harrington. but in behalf of the dem
ocratic party of Butte. j would say
that II is not right to allow an election
board to be made up entirely of men of
the same way of thinking. / think the
chairman of the democratic central
committee would know whether these
men who have been appointed are really
democrats or not and whether they are
favorable TO the democratic candidate
for alderman in the Sixth ward or not
Men should be appointed 10 the cleo
dion board concerning the loyalty of