The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-25
ANACONDA NEWS.
MAKE THE MAJORITY BIG
To-Day Is the Day of the Bond
ing Election.
THE DUTY OF EVERY VOTER
Property Owners Should Be on the
Alert for Their Own Welfare-It
lisa Question of the Gravest
Importance.

To-day the question of whether or not
Deer, Lodge county shall have court
house will be decided. The count to-
night will show big majority in favor
of the bonds Yet the mere fact that 1t
is almost an assured fact that the
bonds will carry is not a reason why
any citizen should not go to the polls
and cast his vote.
1t is the duty ofevery citizen to work
for the welfare of himself and the COM
munity in which he lives. To-day there
will be an opportunity for every man
to discharge that duty. The question
which to-day comes before the voters
of Deer Lodge county is one sof es-
pecial Importance to the people OF
Anaconda. II the bonds carry 1t means
a big stride in the advancement for
which this town is famous: 1t means
the erection of a handsome court house
to add it's beauty to an already beaut1-
full city,. it means a big increase in the
value of property now owned by lndi-
viduals and corporations; it means the
investment of Eastern capital in these
parts: 1t means dollars in the pockets
of property owners; it means that Ana
conda people have pride in their city
and their county; it means benefits in
hundred ways
The only argument that has been adj
vanced by the few opponents OF the
bonding scheme is that the time is not
yet come for the building of court
house. Some persons hold this view
honestly. But they do not recognize
that the county is even now greatly
pressed for accommodations. that 1T
will take two years to build court
house and that in two years it will be
an utter impossibility for both the city
and county governments to longer i've
together in the city hall. They do not
l. tyatr 10
to the population of Anaconda and
therefore also to the business of the
city and that even to-day more than one
of the city officers have no room wherein
to transact city business. Leaving all
other reasons aside, then, does it not
follow that court house is an abso-
lutte necessity and that the county
must have it? In view of this fact no
one who is conversant with the condi-
ton of affairs can say that the time
is not ripe for the erection of court
house.
Then there is this about the matter.
Will the people of Deer Lodge county
let it be said of them that they did not
take pride enough in their county to
provide it's officers with a suitable place
to transact it's business? Will they let
it be said that with its $S000,0 600 worth
of property and with a light indebted
ness, the county is too poor to build
court house? Will they let their ofii-
GERS be crammed each month tighter
and tighter into building with city
government when there is not more
than room enough in that building for
one of them? Will they prohibit out
side capital from coming in and deyel-
oping Deer Lodges resources, because
the capitalist thinks that a county that
cannot afford court house cannot Of
fer much of field for investment?
The sum proposed to be raised by
the bonding of the county is 100000.
While that sum is ample for the cree
ton of court house, 1t is not in any
wise extravaganza Deer Lodge county
is an old county, it is big county, it
is a rich county, the -thousandth
part of whose resources has not been
brought to light. Deer Lodge county
can easily pay the interest on 100000
for the privilege of possessing a build
ing to which every citizen may point
with pardonable pride. At the same
time 100000 will build a court house
that will be commodious enough to ac-
commodate the county government for
years to come. The. building will be
built with view to the future as well
as to the present, and the taxpayers
will never again be called upon to sub
scribe money for this purpose.
The count tonight must show an en-
phatic expression of the will of the
people A faint-hearted response to the
call will be disastrous to the interests
possibly can should vote to-day, in or
der that the majority for the plan may
be SO overwhelmingly great as to leave
no room for doubt as to what the peo-
pie really did mean. Everyone should
bear in mind that his vote adds one
to the majority and the bigger that
majority is the more eager will bond
buyers be to secure the court house
bonds and the more spirited will their
bidding be. Thus it will be seen that
the carrying of the bonds in itself is
not enough. 1t must be shown that
Deer Lodge county wanted a court
house and that her people manifested
that demand in an unmistakable man
ner.
The polls will open bis morning Ut
o'clock and they will remain open Until
s o'clock this evening. 1t is best that
all who can should vote early in the
day, as there is no telling how large
the crowd may be later in the after
noon. A voter who has east his ballot
early will rid himself of a nscious-
ness that he has still duty to per-
form. An early voter forestalls all UNI
forseen circumstances which may arise
to prevent his voting later in the
day.
The ballot that Will be in use to- day
will be OF the following form.
L h.