Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-10-16
how THEY WERE |NDORSED
a History of the "Silver Republican,
Endorsement Of the County
Ticket.
|some Interesting Facts About the
So Called "Silver Republican
Convention"

THE TRIBUNE is in receipt of letter
from subscriber in Belt who criticises
eome remarks heretofore made concern
ing the attitude of the candidates On the
kepublican county ticket on the silver
Question, and asks If it is not fact that
Rhese men were all indorsed by conven.
lion of the silver republicans of this
county. The question is pertinent one
md deserves candid answer For the
Information of our friend and other sill
Ter republicans, the facts in regard to
the two conventions which nominated
&the present republican ticket will be re-.
Viewed.
TIE regular county convention, which
|net in the court house and nominated a
county ticket, was composed of all sorts
aud conditions of men, us far as the silver
sentiment goes. BY prearrangement the
question of silver did not enter into the
Night at the primaries. That fight turned
upon who should have the "pie" and
with straight goldbugs on the same tick
ferests of the white metal were lost sight
county office. When the convention met,
however, it was patent that the McKin-
ley men had a majority of the convention
|delegates in their grasp. l.. G. Phelps
land Frank Klepetko, the two prominent
mckinley leaders, controlled the conven-
Etion and shaped things to suit them
{selves. They realized, however, that it
was one thing to control convention
and another thing to elect the nominees
cf that convention. To accomplish the
#latter it was necessary to get the votes
Eof silver men in this county. They dared
snot go back on Mckinley and the gold
$standard by adopting any resolutions in
Flavor of silver and they know that gold
Thug resolution would give their hand
&away and make defeat at the polls certain.
Nit was then that the brilliant idea of
#eaying nothing at all was broached and
&hailed as safe way out of their pradica-
ment. For the first time in the history
8Sof their party, or any party for that mat
liter, in these parts, ticket was NOM
Minated without platform or declara-
tlon of principle of any kind to go before
1.-THE people with, a delegation, composed
llEof half goldbugs and half silver men, was
I&eent to the state convention, and the
l$dif1iculty was solved, as they thought.
&E The result, however, did not satisfy
earnest silver men in the party and
SSthere was much disgust expressed over
t the cowardly bargain by which the influ-
Sence of the county IN the state conven-
2tion was reduced to nothing when the
3SE&battle between the silver and gold forces
on. 1t became evident that the
sreal silver men in the republican party
Mwould repudiate the deal made for them
&Fby their alleged leaders, and the latter
M dared not cali convention of silver re-
VI publicans to ratify the bargain. Under
these circumstances they resorted to a
serted in the republican organ in an OBJ
scure corner, calling for "meeting" of
the silver republicans of Cascade county
in the court house, which had been OBJ
tanned for the purpose from Judge Ben
& ton. There was not line or word in
the call to indicate that the meeting was
called to make nominations for silver
republican county ticket. There were
( not half dozen men in the city, out
side OF the republican candidates who
were to be the benehciarieH of the fraud,
who had any idea OF the purpose for
which the meeting was called, and very
few knew there was to be meeting at
all. When handful of men had as.
sembled, Judge Tallant produced list
of the republican candidates from his
pocket and after reading them all in q
( bunch, moved that they be made the
nominees of the silver republicans Of this
\ county sin convention assembled" A
Z few voices answered aye and
\ the motion was declared carried. This
was the first intimation that mos,
sxof those present had that the
of the meeting was te
nominate ticket. Someone objected tc
ARoing so fast and declared that he un
h gderstood there were number of gold
NJ bugs on that ticket, and he, for one
Il would vote for no goldbug. A motor
4 was passed that none of the names
1 should be certified unless they frs
pledged themselves to silver This was
\ vigorously opposed by Judge Tallant
who said it was breach OF the Butte
agreement" but it carried. 1t was evi
IL dent that more trouble was coming, ant
9 motion was hastily put to adjourn ant
IA 1t was declared carried.
5%N This is the exact truth about the ISL
s84yer republican convention which in
tdorsed the goldbug ticket 1t was 81
%fraudulent on its face that its protector
@ere afterward afraid to trust to th'
eeallty OF lIs acts, anu Circulated u po
lition to get enough names to justify it
being filed by petition instead of certlfi
G cation by chairman and secretary 1t
ects are without any legal or moral force
This is the kind of "siver indorse
|sment" the republican ticket got,
sS4zT
s "Bob" Gray Dead.
Bob" Gray, we'll known cook, die'
K Thursday night at the county hospital