The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-01
IS WITHOUT PRECEDENT
A Big Registration for the Great
Falls Election.
IT BREAKS THE RECORD
The Magnificent Showing Made by the
Democratic Administration-Fou
the City in Debt and Put
1t on It's Feet.

Great Falls, March 91.-The extraord-
mary feature of the present city cam
paign is the manner in which registra-
ton has proceeded. Up to the present
time lap men have been enrolled and
there is tomorrow to come. If the
precedent is followed the registration
will reach at least 1,700. This in city
campaigns is without precedent. 1t ex-
ceeds the record in county and state
elections, for last fall the total number
OF votes cast in this city was 1455, and
this. OF course, included number who
cannot vote in the city limits, as thew
reside outside. In the last city election
only l,2OO votes were registered and that
was time when the feeling on the
WaterWorks question was at its height
and much depended on the issue of She
election. The present perfervid inter
est in this election can only be traced
to desire on the part of voters to in
Corse the democratic administration.
The fact is patent that the democratic
administration in this city means econ
omy in every department. The demo-
Gratis obtained control of municipal af-
tairs in 1893. They found the city in
debt. Every fund was overdrawn, ev-
cry warrant was being discounted from
to 40 per cent, Since 1893 there has
been but one republican mayor and he
was held in check by a democratic
council, so that democrats were the die
tators Of expenditures at that time. The
result has been that every city fund
at the present time. with the excep-
ton Of the general fund is now on
cash basis, and with two more years of
democratic administration the general
fund will be cash. Holders of warrants
are not obliged to peddle them about
the streets as if they were wilted rad
lshes and gladly accept any offer which
may be made. If figures are desired
the democrats have reduced the total
city Indebtedness by $4,000 in the past
four years.
During several campaigns the demo-
cratic platform has pledged the party
and its representatives in the city gov
eminent to the securing of the water
works. That pledge has been redeemed
and how fully redeemed has been told
in this column at different times in the
past four years. The city now not only
owns its own water plant. but it has
achieved yearly saving Of $4,000, a
saving which comes not only this year,
but every year for II successive sea-
sons, for by the terms of the contrac,
between the city and. water company
the hydrant rental would have had to
have been paid for that length of time.
The consumer, thanks to the action of
a democratic administration, feels the
relief of 20 per cent. of his burden at
once, the taxpayer will this fall find a
reduction of his burden by so per cent.
Contrast with this the action of the
republican party always dominated in
this city by the water company. Each
year the party platform has studousIy
avoided any mention of the water ques-
zion until this season, when it comes to
the front with a promise to the people
to reduce the cost of water at some
future date by exactly as much as the
democratic council has already reduced
it. Such a promise is cheap and binds
the maker to no great effort The
truth of the matter is, that the repub-
lican party has picked up the old plat
forms of the democrats and with a few
fourishes announces itself as ready to |
concur in what the democrats have
previously achieved. 1t is too late and |
it is trying to get into the game too |
cheap.