The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-13
PLANS FOR NEXT AUTUMN
Some Of the Inside Talk That Was
Heard in Helena.
ALL KINDS OF SILVER MEN
And Some Men Who Care More for
Their Own Political Schemes Than
They Do For Sllver-Certain
Plans That Fell Through.

as some other things, happened at yes
terday's meeting Of the several state
committees. There had been a good deal
more of grooming of n clique In the
membership Of the democratic meeting
than Of the others, and the transactions
of that committee were rather more in
teresting thai those of the other two
committees that were In session in the
Brandon, Just around the corner. II 1t
hadn't been hat the plans made by
those who undertook to run things in
the democratic committee went all to
smash. several things that might be sig
niicant would a happened. But they
didn't happen; they were the effort Of
that ANTICIPATED aggregation in Montana
politics that falls down and always falls
down. However. even IL it did turn out
that the schemes of those who tried to
run the committee went in essential de-
tails to pot. that doesn't alter the
fact that the preparations OF the
schemers had been as industriously made
as IL they were good for something. The
plan was to get the Montana democracy
fairly and squarely on record against
fusion, as far as the committee could set
the pace. and to prevent the great silver
supporting counties like Silver Bow and
DceT LOQSe ITOIn etltluS III tiC btdAC
convention a representation in any way
commensurate with their increased DEM
ocratic vote.
h prelude to this work was a bit
of editorial comment which appeared in
the Butte Miner n which ran this
way: 1.-THE feeling has been growing
within the past two years that the dem
ocratic party would do well to avoid en-
xo-~li-o alliances In Afnnfana In 1908 -
and the Miners added remark was that
the committee was not vested with
authority to take up the question of flu
sion. What the Miner. in its edition of
Sunday, had to say OF this score was
quoted, without comment, on the editor
ial page of the Independent of Monday
morning. The remark in reference to
the function of the committee was true
enough, but it happened, as it was
bound to happen-whether the commit
tee wished 1t or not-that one phase
at least of the question presented itself.
However, that, in the chronology of
the convention, comes later on. There
were preliminaries. One of these was a
caucus OF those of the committee who
proposed to let J.. s. NJ. Neill steer
things. This caucus, which attempted
to be absurdly exclusive of those who
were not to be in the deal. planned out
the work for the day. When the COM
mittee met. Introductory matters were
pleasantly disposed of. The first showing
OF hands was on the question of appor-
tionment. A committee appointed by
the chairman brought In a report on
this matter. Promptly, as an amend
ment, a schedule prepared by the NELL
people was submitted. The amendment
was aimed against Silver Bow, Deer
Lodge and other counties. 1t provided
an apportionment based oil the vote
taken as long ago as when Judge Dixon
ran against Carter for congress. Since
that time the city of Butte. in Silver Bow
county, has added thousands upon thou
sands to its population; in Deer Lodge
county the city of Anaconda has dou-
bled its vote; the population of Helena
has lost toward twenty-five per cent.
But the two counties of Silver Bow n
Deer Lodge were left. in the amend
ment, with their old representation,
while Mr.. Mcconnell of Helena actually
undertook to make it appear that Lewis
and Clarke ought to have an increase
in its number of delegates. That was
too glaring even for Mr.. Neill-he sat
down on Mr.. Mcconnell.
on thisa -pportionment proposition, the
Neill plan, aimed to injure several of
the strongest Bryan counties, won out.
That encouraged the faction. 1t rushed
ahead toward other ~conquests, when the
unexpected happened in the shape Of a
communication from the two other state
committees-those representing the sill
yer republicans and the populists. OF
course, these communications did not
propose the serious discussion of fusion
which was a matter not belonging to
the state committees-but they sug-
gested the idea of an agreement all
around as to a common date and place
for holding the state conventions. APP
parently no member of the democratic
committee had anticipated that the sub
ject would present itself in just that
way. But there 1t was. A motion was
made to appoint a committee to confer,
as suggested in the communications
admittedly not at all on the merits of
the fusion question. but or the plan of
simultaneous dates for conventions, SO
that. IL by and by it was deemed worth
while to discuss fusion, the forces would
be available.
As described, a motion to appoint a
committee was offered. That wasn't
provided for on the caucus slate: Mr..
Neill instantly moved as an amendment
that the communications lie on the ia
BILE. in full faith, of course, that his
amendment would prevail. But there
was a pause and then a little discussion
not much. but just enough to let the
thought run through the minds of all
the committeeman that the Neil plan
to settle then and there the whole flu
sion question was altogether too raw.
Beyond a doubt. in the silver republic
an meeting. around the corner. were
some men who hoped that the democrats
would do precisely what Mr.. NELL pro-
posed: they wanted to rush over the
state the word that the democrats of
Montana had summarily dismissed even