Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-04
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1899.
DE MOCRATIC DEFEAT,

Taken in it's entirety the election of
yesterday was a crushing defeat to the
democracy of Butte. After colonizins
several wards and placing at least 500
names illegally upon the registration
lists. after doing all that bribery and
coercion and the presence of hired thugs
at the polls could do, the democrats elect
ed Mr. NJ cCarthy mayor bx a majority of
only 200. And in doing this they lost the !
city treasurer, the police magistrate and
five out Of the eight aldermen. elected.
Had there been no illegal registration,
had it been possible to secure the inter-
vention Of the courts to prevent men
illegally registered from casting their
ballots, Mr.. Mccarthy would nave gone
down with the balance Of his ticket. In
other words. Mr.. Kirk, the republican
candidate, received a majority of all the
legal votes cast, and his defeat was due
to the colonization and registration of
men who committed a crime against the
law. against good morals and against
civilization when they voted.
While the republicans, as law abiding
citizens. will recognize Mr.. Mccarthy as
mayor Of Butte, by virtue of the ma
chinery Of the law, and will do all in
their power to promote the welfare of TIL
city during his administration, they will
not forget the political methods through
which his title to that high office was at
tanned. III every effort made in behalf of
good government Mr.. Mccarthy will have
no backing more loyal and true thar that
given him by the late supporters of Mr..
Kirk, for order is heavens first law"
but while the welfare Of the people is
thereby conserved the fact that he yves
his election to Illegally registered voters
will not be forgotten. The nlayor-elect
will not be held to a personal responsible
ity therefor, and it would be treating him
unjustly to seek to embarrass his admin
istration in any way by reason of the
course that was pursued by the party
that elected him.
The people, regardless of party afilia-
tons, owe to the presiding officer of the
municipality every encouragement to
render efficient service that can reason
ably be given him. But against the
democratic organization in this city must
rest the charge of having attained even
a partial victory at the expense of an
honest ballot. In some localities in the
United States the duty of protecting the
ballot rests with the local democratic or
ganizat4 on, the republicans having fallen
under influences inimical to the public
safety, but in the city or Butte the con
ditions are such that upon the republican
party must rest the duty of throwing the
strong arm of political honesty around
the ballot box.
The experiences of the late campaign
will not be forgotten, and it is to be hoped
that the good citizens Of this city will
keep up the Crusade against fraudulent
voting until the practice is discontinued
and men can run for office in Butte with
a feeling of security against the illega
registration of voters. The issue must
be kept alive until it is settled and settled
right. A large majority of our people are
not prepared to endorse the idea tina
politics are essentially dishonest and tina
fraud, and coercion and bribery and bull,
doing are necessary features of a politi
cal campaign in the city of Butte.
AS long as dishonest men project them,
selves into political life efforts will bt
made tD shape the results of an election
along dishonest lines, but in Butte as wei
as elsewhere such offences can be reduce
TO the minimum and it is the duty of the
republican party to see that it is done