The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-15
MONTINA TO go REPUBLICAN.
Reasons for That states Complete
Change OF Heart.

BUTTE. Mon. April il.-The returns from
the recent municipal elections In Montana show
the greatest political landslide known to the his
tory Of TIL STATE. Indeed, the Democratic press
rs yet has no, recovered its equilibrium further
than to attribute the overwhelming defeat In all
sections 10 oycrconndencc and to declare that
local issues wore respnn sihle. On" Clark paper
yenturrd the statement that a Daily oretors speech
in Helena cost the ticket hyndrcdS Of votes. Yet
in Butte, the Democratic stronghold, the city
Council i equally divided or a gain of two Re
pnbiiran Nldcrmcn, Butte is Senator (larks
home city. while Anaconda, Marcus DAILY Mon
taua residence, elected three Republican and
three Democratic Aldermen, Great Falls, Tor
tho first time In seven years, will have n lt"publl
can city government. In MiSSoula, Livingston,
Sheridan, Miles City, Gl"ndive and Dillon, the
Republican ticket was successful. In but one
city Boneman did the Democrats gain and the
net result Of that victory was one Alderman.
But the greatest surprise came from Helena,
where +. j. Edwards, Republican for Mayor
received the larges, plurality on record ST..
This achievement, Is all the more remark able
from the fact that his opponent was no less a per
Spnagc than OK State Auditor James Sullivan,
a former Mayor Of this city, as well as a prorin-
! ent business man. The balance Of the Republi
can ticket was elected by large maiori,ies, as
| wrr, also six Of its seven aldermanic candidates.
The Republicans will thus have entire control
| of the city's affairs, which has not been the case
for many years.
The Republican press in advancing reasons
for the radical change In sentiment, appears quite
unanimous in attrbut ng 1t To the prosperity
~ plainly visible throughout the State since the
inauguration of President Mckinley. together
with the favorable manner in which his keep
the Philippines" policy has been received, the
| methods In vogue in both factions Of the Demo
cratic party as disclosed dur ng the Welcome
and Clark disbarment cases, and the further
fact that while Montana, eliminating the silver
issue, is normally Republican by 5000 majority,
unprecedented prosperity has developed the state,
although every silver mine has been closed down
for four or five years. Then again, it is con
tended, the Democrats he showing less drvo
ton Ia silver aud may even throw it over in the
hope Of gaining prestige in the East. Even
should 10 t. BE- made n cardinal plank in the
Dem ,Cratic platform, the republicans, while
admitting that municipal elections do not alb
snlu,rly foreca, I the result Of the more i'm pOrtant
one b. come. feel extremely hopeful, and even
som" Democratic Pap1,rs among them the Behc
lii'r, Senator tIark's personal urgan) have
placed the stat In the doubtful column.
There are qeveral reasons for this -Four years
agu tie three SILVER parties, were solldly for bryan,
" NM AT | ff~fIl Wv ! bIllliN ] mas Nlfluills
disIutcgrAted, and tie Silver Republicans, leHded
by Lee Mantle, have returned 10 tier former
political faith Then again tie Clark DAILY fight
IN the Democratic ranks IL ielnR carried Ia al eN
IRENE never htiure witnessed and bids fair Ia dis
rupt II entirely. The farmers, instead II having
a. eat tleir sheep aud make the wool into home
spun clothing, rs was predicted by tie Democratic
urat0 rs, unless Bryan was elected. are receiving
twenty a. twenty five cents a pound for the wool,
n, compared with SIX and seven cents under
the Cleveland regime ard Judging from the tone
IT the country press, they are decidedly arer'e 10
a change. II - the sane with cattle and horses,
abundant supplies and the best prices ever know
rule, and in live stock Montana ranges are feed.
ing O. quantity exceeded only by IeNns.
Aad a. T. mining, the chief industry Of the State,
II is a fact established by the figures Of a Demo
cratic labor commissioner that there are more
miners al present engaged and Al higher wages
than AT any previous time. Not only are tie
mines showing an increased output, but the value
thereof Is also greater eNoaedlng So, 900, 900 IN
1899, ~ $500 for every man, woman and child
in the State.
Tha, tie voters would indicate by an EXPRESSION
at the polls this fall a desire for A change from
these conditions seems most improbable. As one
ia, tr expresses II, bryan is having a hard time
ot II lqlking calamity 10 people all Of whom have
good Jobs"
The Democratic press Of Montana Is almost
unanimously opposed b. dewey az a Tre-idenun
candidate, holding that Bryan is, by reason II
s'eadfa.t devotion Ia It's principles. a. enuncaied
I'm the Chicago plntfC rm, the logl al Moses IA lead
the party out of the wilderness, although n slate
prepared four years ago distributing the Federal
appointments among the leaders, which would
again become effective should Bryan win, may
have something 10 do with the choice.