Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-03-01
BRIBERY and CORRUPT'N
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tain their absolute rule. History,
indeed, furnishes instances OF men
whose sway was AZ great or greater,
men like Gladstone and Bismarck,
who imposed their will on multitudes
by the sheer force of splendid nat
ural gifts. But these men have moth
ing Of the kind to originate and sus-
tain their power. 1t comes not from
the profundity Of their learning; not
from their eloquence and persuasive
speech; certainly not from admira-
ton of the integrity and sterling
worth OF their characters; not from
their services to the state; not from
the depth and wide range of their
sympathies and benevolences; and
surely not from their winning per-
sonalities. These mems political
power comes from and is sustained
by the corrupt use of money. They
are coarse, common bribers and cor
ruptionists; or, il uncommon, only
80 I'm the ~brazenness and magnitude
OF their lawless operations. Corrupt
themselves, they r the occasion OF
corruption in Others. Not a man in
the state that knows anything Of
our politics but knows that these
two men arecorrupt and corrupting.
How far back their criminal per
formances go | am unable t osay, but
certainly to the admission Of Mon
tana as a state Of the Union. On the
occasion Of the first election OF United
States senator the richer of these men
tried to buy his way into the United
States senate, and failed. And men
are walking about unwhipped Of JUS
tice that proclaim their shame, and
boast Of il, only regretting that they
did not sell themselves and their con-
stituents at a still higher price. And
the unsuccessful briber and corrup-
ZIONIST IL the most conspicuous md
likely candidate for the senate of the
United States. That's the way we
in Montana punish the vilest polit-
ical crime know to law.
The lesson was well learned. And
when the capital contest came ON
three years ago the opportunity was
improved by both these criminals.
One was for Anaconda, the other for
Helena; not that the latter loved
Helena, but that he hated Anaconda.
Before, it was only a question OF de.
bauching a legislature. Now 1t was
a question Of debauch,ng a whole
state. In the interest Fl Anaconda
money flowed throughout the state
like whisky. This Is a dry state,
an | water would not be a strong
enough comparison.) 1t may be
doubted whether any state in the
history of the country has been 81
largely disgraced and shamed, and
its public morals and conscience So
deeply debauched, as was Montana
by the criminal from Anaconda. Not
in ten, twenty, thirty years will pub
lie virtue recover from the rottenness
with which ii vas infected by the
wholesale, shameless, %saturnaliaT
bribery Of 1895. l~tassailed al lclasses
and with success. There are men In
this congregation that could, if they
would, rise up and name ministers o.
the gospel that pocketed their brides
Verify, the whole body war corrup,
from the sOles Of the feet to the head
In this campaign, to be sure, thu
nor active Of the two bribers and
cOrruptionists failed; but was this 8
triumph of political virtue? Fal
from it. According to the gratefu
Acknowledgements Of Helena, thecap
ital was saved to them only by tn,
more skillfully placed, though not 81
lavish, brides Of the other criminal
1t var a question OF bribery versus
bribery, and the more skillful OF tn,
bribers won.
Now again 1t IL the same old story
Here are our two political masterI
very nearly dividing the Legislature
between them, and together dictat
ors of the situation. One asks as
reward for his law-breaking that h
shall be sen to Washington; and tn
only chan'e of defeating him il II
making terms with the other. Thes,
two men own enough OF the legisla
ture to control it; and they own |
not because they are great men, %