The new North-west., 1897-02-12
HOW IT WAS DONE.
POWELL COUNTY SACRIFICED FOR A
POPULIST MAYOR OF BUTTE.

The Populists Sold Their Votes for Prom
ises that Will Never be Fulilled--They
Have Got Nothing in the Past, They
Will Get Nothing in the Future.
Helena Correspondence Butte Miner.
HELENA, Feb "A Silver Bow county
politician is responsible for the follow
ing story: To secure the defeat of the
Powell county bill and to console them
for the defeat of their pet measure, the
initiative and referendum bill, the popu-
lists are in the future to have the sup
port of the Anaconda influences and
others.
Alderman John Byrne of Butte, re-
Gently appointed state mine inspector by
Governor Robert B. Smith. can, if he
wishes, be the next mayor of Butte. Or,
If he does not want it, having already a
good office, Representative Martin j. Ell
liot can occupy the chair as Butte's next
mayor, provided all agreements are kept
and the populists control the city cleo
tion of Butte, soon to take place, as
guaranteed.
Such is said, upon most excellent au
thority, to be the understanding between
the Populists and the lobbyists from
Butte and Anaconda, who came here to
urge the defeat of the Powell county
measure.
The history of the deal dates back to
the evening the democratic members of
the house held their caucus behind
closed doors. The session was secret
one, and was as stormy as it was private.
Not paper in the state has as yet pub
lished an authentic account of what
transpired behind the closed doors dur
| ing the four hours the caucus lasted, and
it devolves upon The Miner to be the first
paper to tell what actually transpired
| during that time.
The final outcome of the meeting came
within an ace of disrupting the democrats
of the present house and making the pop
ulists their bitter enemies throughout
the session. Had this threatened dis
ruption been permitted to take place the
populists and republicans and some dem
ocrats might have formed alliances which
other democrats and frustrated any at
tempt at fusion between the populists and
democrats of Silver Bow county. AS it
was, the democrats split on the question
| IL,
together on all other matters. 1t was
finally agreed the Silver Bow populists
were to be reconciled to harmony and to
bring about this latter friendly feeling
and to prevent any attempts in the future
on the part of the populists of Silver
Bow county to keep from fusing with the
democrats, the present deal was made
With the democrats all is now practically
serene. They are working amicably to
gether and will continue to do so throu gf
the remainder of the session unless some
thing unforeseen occurs to again disrup
them. But it was no easy matter to wir
over the populists as will be shown fur
ther on
The caucus was called for the purpose
of whipping the democratic members OF
the house into line on the initiative anG
referendum bill. In that respect it was
a dismal failure. Speaker Kennedy and
Representative George Ramsey of Gala
tin county wanted to force all the demo
Gratis to vote solidly against Mr.. Elliot's
bill. They accused some of the members
of trading votes with the populists and
other democrats to get certain other bills
through at the expense of their votes
against the initiative and referendum
bill. These accusations caused no end OF
trouble in the shape of heated discus
sions, in which those present indulged
profusely in personalities. Mr. Leehey
of Silver Bow county objected to such
gag law" proceeding. The final out
come of the whole matter was that the
meeting, which had convened at in the
afternoon, broke up at and no under
standing had been arrived at The ma
jority of those present voted down every
attempt or offer made to induce them tc
vote for the initiative and referendum
bill and declared they would vote for the
measure if they saw fit.
The populists soon got an inkling as tc
what had transpired in the caucus and
they became angry at the democrats who