The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-12-28
mAGNAN1mous y1Np1cAroRs.

-" 6SoN J0AAy - AAS
coming legislature and "v~indioation''
having been accomplished regardless
of cost, the wing Of the democratic
party responsible for the Issue evil
IDENTIFY proposes to be magnanimous
AMI usher III the new year Of the new
century with acts indicative Of forgiv-
ing dispositions and big heartedness.
Last week the case against the ORR
ginal purifier in Montana politics was
striker from the docket OF the district
court for the county of Flathead.
The county attorney moved that it be
dismissed and all proceedings in con-
n%ection with it dropped. The motion
was duly granted. In making it the
attorney said that the two principal
witnesses for the prosecution, Mr.. and
Mrs. Ben Folk, were out of the state,
and that the persons interested in the
prosecution had declined to prosecute
it further. Both sides to the matter
seem to be happy and satisfied. Nj.
Whiteside that his troubles in that di-
reetion are over and the ''vindicators''
that they succeeded in carrying the
election and had the Flathead states
man scared, real badly scared, for he.
exerted every possible effort in his.
power to prevent the case from going,
to trial, and succeeded until the dang
er to him that Folks testimony might
have BEEN had disappeared.
While from the first it was apparent.
that the prosecution was instituted
from motives Of revenge rather than
any desire on the part Of the complain
ant to see the law enforced, it was be-
lieved that the accused, relying on
that innocence he so loudly professed,
would insist upon a trial and show
the real animus of the other side.
But he refused to avail himself Of the
opportunity to free his name Of the
stain that the charge of attempting
to bride a county official placed upon
it. While he may be innocent, his
unwillingness to allow the case to be
heard will always detract from the
weight and force Of any denial Of
guilt he may make. Perhaps he con
siders dismissal of the suit a vindica-
tion, but If he does he is mistaken. 1t
will always be thought that some
understanding was arrived at between
himself and the men who were the
real prosecutors which resulted in the
dismissal. If he is innocent he had
the right to demand that he be given
the opportunity to establish that inno-
eence before the same tribunal where
he was accused. Simple dismissal of
the cause is no proof that the other
fellows lied when they charged him
with having offered Ben Folk money
to permit him to have access to the
election returns, and it does not in the
minds of the public free him from the
suspicion under which he rests. But
that is his affair, not the public's o.
tho affair Of this newspaper. If he is
willing to accept the motion of the
county attorney and the ruling there
on by the court as a vindication that
is his right and privilege. That the
county attorney himself does not con.
slider it in that light is evident from
the remark he made in making the
motion. "No crime was committed"
he said, "but simply an attepmt to
commit a crime" The complaint in
the case alleged no more, for it
charged Whiteside with having at
tempted to bride Folk.
But another act in connection with
the events of two years ago that so
disgraced the state has been disposed
of and buried and to that extent lec-
objection of that disgrace and shame
will be lessened, and whether White
side is innocento o not, the people are
grateful that the thing is v Trial
Of the case would have resulted in I'M
earthing much in connection with the
wholesale bribery by the men who in
stituted the case and the nasty mess
would again have been exposed and
the sten: IN which has nov almost died
out could again have assailed the
nostrils of all good and decent people.
In having the case postponed until he
finally wore it out Whiteside unwit-
tlngly did the people a service, but he
must not consider himself vindicated.