Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-25
CITY ATTORNEY LAMB.

City Attorney e. M. Lamb occupies a
prominent position before the public, and
it is only fair that he should be permitted
to enter upon his official duties unham-
pered by the prejudices which the morn
ing papers are seeking to create. 1t looks
as if an attempt is being made to meta
morphosis that gentleman into a political
scapegoat for both factions of a fighting
democracy.
Instead of accrediting Mayor Nc
Carthy with having selected Mr.. Lamb
upon his merits as a man, the Anaconda
Standard would have it appear that he
was chosen for that high and responsible
office for the sole reason that he voted
against Mr.. Clark in the senatorial cleo
ton, while a member OF the legislature.
The fact that Mr.. Lamb was elected last
fall as an anti-Clark man, when the
issue was clearly drawn in this county
between the two wings of the democratic
party, made it his duty to oppose the
election Of Mr.. Clark, regardless Of the
merits or dement's Of hat gentleman.
His opposition to Mr.. Clark was properly
based on respect for the political issue
upon which he was elected, n which
was designed in advance of his election
to determine his course of procedure in
the senatorial election. Had he been
elected to the legislature as a Clark man,
when the issue was voluntarily made and
accepted by the contending forces in the
political campaign, it would nave been
his duty to vote for Mr.. Clark.
There was nothing. therefore, in Mr..
Lambs senatorial vote that entities him
to special consideration in the way of
rewards or punishments. He voted
merely in accordance with the implied
wishes Of his constituents, as political
issues are measured when the votes are
counted, and it imposed no hardship
upon him to do SO. Having lone SO, he
stands on precisely the same level, as a
legislator, as the man who voted for
Mr. Clark in Difference to the wishes Of
the voters behind him.
In baslng Mr.. Lambs qualifications for
city attorney chiefly on the fact that he
ana not vote for Mr.. Clark, the Anaconda
Standard is as illogical in the one direc-
ton as tho Butte Miner is in the other.
The Miner would punish Mr.. Lamb be-
cause he stood by the issue upon which
he was elected, and yet it would resent
any attempt to punish a legislator who
voted for Mr.. Clark if he was elected
such an attempt as little less than a
persecution. Both the Standard the
Miner have yet to learn that it is a poor
rule that does not work both ways.
Neither of these ably edited news
papers seem to understand that their
relative positions on the Lamb ISSUE
are embarrassing to that gentleman in
an official way. The natural inference
from what the Standard has to say is
that Mr.. Lamb will be expected to use
his Office against the Clark men when
ever opportunity OIlSiS-tHdL lit Was
made city attorney for that purpose
and to this idea the Miner, of course,
gives ready assent. In short, both papers
seem tor agree on the proposition that
Mr.. Lamb is to serve a faction in the
democratic party instead Of the city,
though they reach that conclusion by diff
ferent routes.
Such differences are manifestly unfair,
not only to Mr.. Lamb but to the mayor
who appointed him, and to the gentlemen
Of the city council who voted for his con-
firmation. There is nothing in his career
as a legislator. nor in his conduct as a
man. to warrant the conclusion at the
threshold of his office that he will be un~
responsible position. BY every rule of
fair play between man and man, by
every consideration of political equity.
MIR. Lamb is entitled to the presumption
that he will do his whole duty to the
people Of this city, without fear or favor.
and that in the impartial discharge of the
duties of his office he will be true to the
cath to which he subscribed.
When his friends endeavor 10 create