The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-19

The Sixth legislative assembly o.
Montana will be remembered as one Of
the most remarkable sessions of any
lawmaking body in the history of the
United States--that was the sentiment
expressed by w. A. Clark at the con-
fessedly chilly ratification meeting held
in the Auditorium in the city of Helena
at the conclusion of lone of the most
remarkable contests ever waged'
When the millionaire of Butte uttered
these words nobody heard them who
did not believe them and, as they have
since been considered, their truth and
full significance have come to be real
lied 1t was certainly a remarkable
session. History was made rapidly by
this assembly for a time, but it was his
tory of which Montana cannot feel
proud. 1t was such history as would
have brought the blush of shame to
even the most daring and shameless of
the protiigates who controlled the re-
publics of old whose declining epochs
were marred by the control of opinions
by money, and whose end was fastened
by the process of plutocratic control.
The Sixth legislative assembly has
written chapter in the history of the
commonwealth of Montana that every
true son of this state may we'll wish
unwritten-a chapter whose caption is
Doodle and whose story is the narrative
of the yielding of men to the irresistible
temptation of thousands of dollars. Its
details are almost incredible. The stor-
from
states of somewhat similar events only
serve to make this chapter in Montana s
history all the more incredible. 1t is
told in California that man forfeited
the respect of his fellow citizens for
5000. 1t is related in Utah that 81 500
tempted a man to fall. When men can
be bought for these amounts it makes
the story of Montana's shame all the
more amazing. 1t is not of hundreds
that this story tells-it is of thousands
and of hundreds of thousands. 1t is the
story not of single man, but of many
men yielding to the influence of these
immense sums of money and selling
their birthrights when weak human ma
ture could resist no longer. 1t is a story
that can hardly be comprehended by
one who was not witness of the
scenes enacted in the city whose lead
ing citizens encouraged the traffic in
mems souls and whose influence was
devoted, night and day, to secure the
successful issue of this remarkab Bile cam
paign of Doodle against reason and
honor. And when the story is read in
later years the marvel will be that the
side of honor was maintained for so
many weeks against the influence of the
flood of gold that was turned loose for
the corruption and degradation of men
without money.
Jan. . was the date fixed by law for
the opening of the session of the Sixth
legislative assembly. This was Mon
day. The members elect began to ar
rive in Helena during the preceding
week. When Friday of that week came
most of them were on the ground. The
earliest to arrive found the emissaries
of the Doodle king on the ground and
operating upon the opening of the cam
paign whose horrifyng details We're
later to become a national theme and
local disgrace. The Clark people had
the experience of repeated attempts and
repeated failures to guide them in this,
their last. effort. They had learned
that nothing but money would gain
their point. They had learned that their
candidate had been rejected in his own
home and that he had few friends in
the state. They had learned, too, that
Doodle campaign, to be successful,
must have an unlimited supply of gold
behind it. All this they had learned and
they had profited by it. At the outset
of the contest their watchword was
I'VE will win if it takes million" A
million dollars bid for a legislature,
Where is the counterpart of this to be
found? There were "a men in the legis-
lature, and the support of not more
than 10 of them could be secured to
Clark on a basis of sentiment or prin-
ciple. The boodlers realized that their
only hope was to bid high enough to
make the offer irresistible. SO it was a
million dollars for starter. In the
legislature there were but few men who
were wealthy. 1t was an assembly of
poor men. To buy them without refer
ence to their opinions was the purpose
of the Clark campaigners. 1t was only
a question of finding out the price.
There was money without end to ac-
complish the foul purpose. The men
selected to carry on this campaign of
corruption were early in the field. The
first arrival al Helena found them there
before him. At the head was John B.
Welcome of Butte. Associated with
him were a. J. Davidson of Helena, A.
j. Steele of the same city, Walter Coop
er OF Bozeman, William McDermott
Jack Hoy. SWede Murphy and others
of Butte and score of heelars and
pluggers from all over the state. From
Ravali county on the west to Park
county on the east the bOodlers had
gathered every man that they cjuld
find who had a grievance against the
opponents of Mr.. Clark. Friends Of this
man they could not find. They must