The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-13
THEY DON'T FUSE WELL
Friction Among Members of the
Board of Commissioners.
DEMOCRAT is NOT IN IT
Not Permitted to Make Motions and His
Explanations Not Allowed to
Appear in the Records
of the Board.

The board Of county commissioners is
composed OF one democrat and two
populists. The democrat is Charles G.
Terrell; the populists are Chairman w.
ID. Clark and Edward Mathews. They
were elected on "a fusion ticket. but
they don't fuse well at their board
meetings. There has been more or less
friction between the representatives of
the two political parties ever since they
took office. but it almost reached a
climax yesterday.
The trouble is hat the majority of
the board, by right of numbers, believes
in majority rule and that the business
or the minority is to sit quiet and be
good. The trouble started when the
board was organized. The two popu-
lists formed a combine and Mr.. Clark
was elected chairman. Mr.. Terrell had
an Idea that he should have been made
chairman, as he had received the larg-
est vote at the election. The entente
cordiale was not increased when DIR.
Sheeran. a brother-in-law of Mr.. Ma
thews. was elected county physician.
Mr.. Terrell soon found that he might
as well be a wooden indian as to be a
democrat on the board of county COM
missioners. He was permitted To vote
sometimes, but he was sure to be vot-
IHs dlone on MS ! q or any question.
sometimes he Ventured to make a mo-
ton, but no one was there to second
IL, and finally the majority adopted a
rule that motions would no longer be
the proper thing. 1t was decided that
when anything came up it was open
for discussion and a vote would her
be taken OF IL, but il would not be
necessary to make any motions about
il.
That rule has been in force for some
time. When DIR. Sheeran was appointed
and his decision was sustained by Com
tract to furnish the medicine and appli-
ances needed i'm the course 81 his treat
ment of the county poor. He had not
been in office long when the question
arose as To whether or not, under his
contract, he was obliged to provide
for crippled paupers He said
that was not included in his contract
and his decision was sustained by Com
missioners Clark and Mathews. Yester-
day afternoon COMMISSIONS Terrell
made a modest request that DR.. Sheeran
be called before the board. His request
was complied with. and when the doc
tor presented himself Mr.. Terrell in
quired why he did not furnish crutches
to crippled inmates Of the poor house.
Sheeran said IL was not i'm his con-
tract. Mr.. Terrell said il was. DR..
Sheeran said it was not. After they
mao argued the question FOR half an
hour, Commissioner Terrell made a mo-
ton. I'm order to get the matter on rec
ord. that DIR. Sheeran should furnish the
Chairman Clark refused To
the motion. 1t was not sec
onded, and then 1t was contrary to the
rules, anyway.
Mr.. Terrell tried To be heard and he
that the motion be put and that
he be allowed to explain his vote on the
and that his explanation be made
part of the minutes of the board. The
could not quite see il that
Mr.. Terrell suggested thai he
never had very much to say on that
BOARD anyway, n he thought the other
.wo members of the board might at
east permit him to get a little e~xplana-
ion on the records.
You'll have a good deal less to say
Ifter this, was Chairman Clark's reply.
Mr.. Clark, will you kindly let me
IL on the board a little while longer?"
neekly and perhaps ironically inquired
,lr. Terrell.
Il will if you will behave yourself"
aid the chairman.
he majority finally gave its consent TO
lr. Terrell referring the matter TO the
ounty attorney for an opinion as to
whether Mr.. Terrell had the right To
ave an explanation put on the records
, the board meetings.