The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-05-28
IN THE OLD DAYS
COLONEL McCLUE WAS IN ALDER
0ULCH LONG AGO.
HE WAS A STUMP SPEAKER
The First Political Speech Ever De-
livered in Bozeman Was Delivered
by the Famous Editor-He Was Well
Known by Many Montana Men and
Greatly Observation-Disclosures Visit.

The announcement of Col. A. X. Nc
Cures retirement from the editOrship of
the Philadelphia Times. recently made.
sewers connection which has for more
than quarter of century stood for all
that was fearless, efficient and effective
in American journalism, says the Boze-
man Avant Courier This step does not
carry Colonel Mcclure out of the field Of
journalistic effort. for it Is his purpose
to continue his writings upon the events
of the period, whether as editor of
newspaper or az a contributor to the
periodicals remains to be developed.
Col. A. X. Mcclure Is now past 70 years
Of age and has been engaged in Journal
ism most Of the time since he was Is.
He assisted In the organization of the
republican party and was q delegate to
the national convention Of 1856 that
nominated John c. Fremont for the
presidency. He was also q delegate to
the republican national convention Of
1860 and played a conspicuous part in
inducing the delegation from his state to
disregard their instructions for Simon
Cameron and vote for Abraham Lincoln.
In 1872 he cast his political fortunes with
the Horace Greeley party. supporting
that gentleman for the presidency, and
was that year elected to the state senate
as an independent republican. In 1873.
with Frank Mclaughlin, he established
the Times, daily newspaper and since
its foundation has been It's editor-in-
chief. He has opposed machine power in
party management and official incompe-
tency and dishonesty in the city of Phila-
delphia.
A Pioneer Stumper.
And this reminds the editor Of the
Avant Courier that Colonel Mcclure,
who in the very early days of the settle
ment and development Of Montana ter
ritory, was a resident of Alder gulch,
and hustling miner by occupation, de-
livered one of the first, If not, indeed,
the very first regular political speech
enunciated in public in Bozeman; and,
from a straight republican standpoint 1t
was both forcible and eloquent-in all
respects UP to high-water mark For
the occasion and precise date we should
| have to call on Col. w. F. Sanders, who
| perhaps was with Mcclure at the time,
and of course made a few eloquent as
we'll as pertinent remarks. but it was
certainly between 1866 and 1868. The
meeting was held in Bozeman's first
little frame edifice-''the little church
around the corner from Nelson Story s
log residence and store. OF course it was
before the church building was formally
dedicated for exclusive religious work,
| If indeed it ever was, except by prac-
| tical appropriation and actual use. Ac-
cording to the custom of those early
days, Colonel Mcclure was dressed in a
flannel shirt and a suit Of corduroy, or
fustian, that had see nmore or less Of
useful service, and thus his audience,
which tested both the seating and stand
ing capacity of the 24x36 feet structure,
was thrown off its guard, hardly really
ing that a person Of so carelessly or
roughly clad could at once be an elo-
quent speaker. gentleman and a
scholar. The republicans, who at that
time were perhaps greatly in the minor
ity, We're of course, agreeably surprised
and delighted beyond expression with
Macs eloquent presentation of their side
Of the political contention, heartily ap-
plauding him at appropriate intervals.
while the democrats present accorded
him at least respectful attention and
silence.
he Handled Hot Questions.
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