The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-22
POWELL COUNTY KILLED
Bill Defeated in the Senate by
ID to II.
WAS AN EXCITING FIGHT
Hannah Made a Bitter Personal Attack
on Senator Eggleston - Riddell
Will Move for Reconsider
alton of the Measure.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Helena, Feb. 21.-The Powell county
bill was killed in the senate this af-
ternoon by vote of IS to II. 1t was
hard and exciting fight, and assumed d
peculiarly bitter phase toward the close
of the debate when Senator Hannah as
sailed Senator Eggleston personally.
The lobbies We're jammed a 2 o'clock
this afternoon when the bill came up
in committee of the whole, Myers in
the chair.
The reading of the bill was dispensed
with on Eggleston's motion, and the
fight began without any further pre-
liminaries. Eggleston moved, seconded
by Stanton, that the bill be reported
back for indefinite postponement. Rid
dell moved as substitute, seconded by
Phillips, that the bill be reported with
the recommendation that it pass. Rid
dell said the Powell county people had
no representative on the floor of either
senate or the house, and it was neces-
sary for outsiders who wished to see
justice done them to take their part.
He said Powell county would have all
the requisites of a county, sufficient
wealth, population and area, while Deer
| Lodge would be left in goOd, compact
| shape, with an abundance of wealth
and population, and more than 400
| square miles of most excellent territory.
| EggleSton replied that Deer Lodge
county would be left comparatively
| speaking with no territory at all. There
| would be less than II townships, two
| thirds of which waas mountainous and
| timber land. scrub timber at that. 1t
would be grievous injustice. Wealth
| and population We're not the only es-
| sentials of a county. If that theory
held good the Powell county people
| might just as well run the dividing line
clear down to Anaconda's city limits.
| They might as well segregate the city
| of Anaconda all by itself and call it
| county, 1t would still have sufficient
| wealth and population to make a coun-
! ty. according to their line of argument
| Eggleston appealed to the senate's
! sense of right and justice.
Senator Connolly spoke in behalf of
the BILL arguing that the Deer Lodge
| city people were taxed without repre-
| senta ton. that Anaconda ruled the af-
| fairs of the county with an iron hand
and would permit the election of no
Deer Lodge man to the legislature.
Senator Stanton replied in a vigorous
speech, denying that any portion of
| Deer Lodge county was taxed without
representation. He said that Senator
Eggleston was an able and conscien-
| tious representative of the entire county
of Deer Lodge, and worked for the best
| interests of all his constituents. The
same was true of the members of the
house from Deer Lodge county
| Senator Courtney made an eloquent
| speech on the broad proposition that
there is no occasion at present for the
| creation of any more counties in Mon
tana. They would increase the ex-
penses of the state and be an injustice
! to the whole people. He spoke for Sill
| Yer Bow county, which included % per
Gt "a 70 lot;
! and he was opposed to the creation of
| Powell county. Connolly Interrupted
| Courtney with questions two or three
| times. and some hot shot was ex-
| changed
| Senator Hannah said he was in favor
| of Powell county because the people in
that end of Deer Lodge county could
| not get fair play. They We're assessed
| to the full value of their property,
| While the Anaconda company with its si-
| gantic smelling plant was assessed at
less than quarter of it's value. 1t was
true that the people of the proposed
! Powell county We're taxed without re-
presentation Senator Eggleston had
always been found fighting for the COR
| poratons as against the interests of
| taxpayers. Eggleston was tool of the
| corporations, and had opposed every
! measure looking to the relief of individ-
ual taxpayers.
|
| seen Eggleston do anything of the kind
and he demanded to know to what
| measures Hannah referred.
Senator Hannah said that two years
aso three bills were introduced for the
! Just and equal assessment of corpora
uons the same as individuals and Egg
sleston had opposed every one of
/ them.
Senator Eggleston said he had op-
/ posed these bills two years ago for good
and sufficient reasons, and he request ed
/ Senator Hannah to inform him why. if
| they were just and meritorious meas
| ures two years ago, they had not been
reintroduced at this session.
/ Senator Phillips said it was not true
| that Deer Lodge county would be left
without any agricultural land to speak
! of. 1t would have one of the finest
| valleys in the state. The debate con-
| tinued for some time between Eggles-
| ton and stanton on the one side and
| Ridden, Hannah and Connolly on the
| other. The vote occurred on the sub
/ stitute. 1t was lost. II to u. The vote
| then occurred on the motion to indaii-
nteiy postponed. 1t prevailed by q vote
| of 13 to Il. The committee rose, and
when the senate came to vote upon
| adopting the report of the committee,
Riddell demanded a roll call. The vote
| resulted:
| Ayes-Anderson. Bowlen. Campbell
Clark, Courtney. EgElestcn. Hoffman.
! Mckay, Myers. Norr:2, Stanton. Tier
ney. Worden-13.
| Noes-Cdnnoll-- Cullen. Geigcr. Cru
| well. Hannah. Hnbson. Mahan Mitch
ell. TH:'lips Riddell. Warner-11.
! FiGdell changed his vote to aye and
/ gave notice that tomorrow he would
| move to reconsider the matter
! In committee of the whole, Myers in
! the chair, the senate considered a num-
Iar Of f,1Eal h.,
| The substitute for S. 3. "a tHannah's)
| relating to the printing of ballots and
| the manner of voting, and to provide a
! simpler form of ballet and greater
| secrecy in voting. was the first bill con-
sidered. 1t stirred up more debate than
| any other measure. The bill provides
! for printing the names of the candi-
| dates and the party or principle they
| represent on the same line and in par
| alel columns with no party name. en-
| blem or the famous circle at the top of