The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1896-10-30
WHICH SHALL TT BE?
THE MERITS OF COUNTY SEAT RE-
MOVAL CRITICALLY ANALYzED.

"o'"- Snt lOAlIf ANAlYZED.
Inc History of Recent Events Recalled
How Deer Lodge Has Stood bv 4 naconda
In the Past-Shall 1t BE Dollars and
| Cents or Right and Justice That Shall
| Control?-A Taxpayers Views.
The American people, and those of
Montana particularly, are eminent lovers
OF fair play, whether it be in dog light,
horse races football game ora county
seat contest. Their sympathy is univer-
sally with the weaker side, especially
when the acknowledged stronger side is
the aggressor and the issue is to be de-
clded by mere strength rather than by
demonstration of pluck and gameness on
the part OF the weaker one. The com
mercial, financial and political slprem-
acy OF Anaconda is acknowledged by
every one in Deer Lodge Anaconda has
the voting strength to do with Deer
Lodge just as it pleases, and the lat
ter ls as helpless as though bound hand
ana loot. The county seat contest was
thrust upon weak Deer Lodge by those
who claimed to represent strong Ana
conda. Are the fair-minded voters of
Anaconda intending to be parties to the
acknowledged inequality? Or will they
assert the manliness Of their better ma
ture and decline to allow the strong to
crush the weak? "-
That the removal of the county seat
will be serious loss to Deer Lodge. the
most ardent advocate of Anaconda does
not deny. That not more than fifty peo-
pie will ever feel the direct beneficial
effects of its acquisition by Anaconda is
aproposition as true as the other. Were
the gain by Anaconda to be in like pro-
portion to the loss to Deer Lodge the in
Justice of its removal would not be so
real or apparent. But when such an
event would depreciate the property in
Deer Lodge so per cent. without any ap-
precinble gain to Anaconda, there ought
to be enough of the American spirit
among the latters voters to not only re-
to rebuke its promoters by voting down
the proposition. 1t may be said by some
that Deer Lodge has always opposed An
aconda and now deserves the fate threat
ened To correct such an impression
and its resultant prejudice let fact or
two be stated. In the capital contest in
1892, out of the 1747 votes cast on the
proposition in the Anaconda precincts,
Deer Lodge received but votes while
Helena received 27. Ninety-four per
cent OF the vote was given to Anaconda
At the same election Deer Lodge gave
Anaconda rs votes and Helena but a.
Only 13 per cent. of the vote went to
Deer Lodge herself. Yet notwithstand-
ing the very small notice that Anaconda
took of the candidacy of Deer Lodge in
the preliminary contest in 1892,
in the election Of 1894 little over 70 per
cent. of the vote of the Deer Lodge pre-
cincts was given to Anaconda. Does that
look like opposition? But why was not
the percentage larger?
The pioneer element is large and strong
IN Deer Lodge. The majority of the vote
for Helena was from those who had held
social and business relations with that
city when the place where Anaconda
now stands was a grazing ground for
deer. 10 stand by old friends ought not
to be cause for censure or offense. The
balance Of the vote for Helena came from
those who had some personal or political
pique to crafty and possibly some few
were moved by mercenary motives. But
remember, that for every 10 votes cast in
Deer Lodge on the capital proposition in
1894 seven Of them were for Anaconda,
and Anaconda had never done a single
thing to help Deer Lodge. Such con
duct on the part Of the voters of Deer
Lodge looks more like the reaching out
of the hand Of friendship than like the
uplifted arm of a foe.
Now, in 1896, only two years from the
time when such friendship was shown
and such aid given, large and prosperous
Anaconda, either forgetting or scorning
the help of her little ally of the valley, is
reaching out to seize coveted prize and
place it in her own rapidly widening
borders and thus taking from friendly
Deer Lodge well-nigh vested right and
that which is almost vital to it's thrift,
leaving her Rachael of the valley,