Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-08-21
OFFICIAL PAPER OF FERGUS COUNTY,
"R0IIEN TO The r


Under the above caption the st, Paul
Pioneer Press of the iith inst. com
ments upon the disgraceful conditions
that exist in this state as follows:
You're another" is evidently the
acme of political strategy in Montana.
Clark's defense of the use OF money to
purchase his seat in the senate was that
all the other fellows were corruption-
lists, and the only way to purge the
state of their malign influence was To
bid higher. The other fellow has al
ways been the greater rascal, and that,
according 10 the ethics Of Butte and
vicinity, has absolycd his opponent
from any regard for the moral laws.
Now comes Judge Harvey with state
mcnt made from the safe depths of Hi
nois. According to this statement
there is not a shred of truth in the
story that he had decided the Minnie
Healey mine ease in favor of I~Icinzc.
the youthful copper magnatc, under the
combined influence of large bride and
a woman's charms. The fact. Judge
Harvey says, is that the Amalgamated
Copper Company is the culprit, that il
offered him s25O,OO0 if he would decide
the case against l~lcinzc, that he scorn-
fully rejected the bride, and that the
ease was decided on its merits. The
letters offered in proof of his corrupti-
bility, he further asserts, are forgcricS.
Concerning the merits Of the Minnie
llealey mine case and concerning the
previous reputation Of Judge Harvey
the Pioneer Press is absolutely in the
dark. Consequently IL is not prepared
to pass Judgment on the truth Of the
charges and COUNTER charges. But from
what everyone knows of Montana, and
particularly of the various copper kings
of Butte, there is not much room for
doubt that no one Of them would stop
at any means To attain their ends.
They are SO used to buying the makers
and the executors of the laws that it is
not possible to believe that they would
hesitate to bride OF to attempt to bride
the interpreters of the laws. 1t would
astound no one % learn that Montana
justice, like Montana votes, is bought
and sold at scheduled rates. So far as
corruption is concerned, Montana APP
pears to be no better off than China or
the Turkish empire, and IL has been
made so by the Clarks and Heinzes with
their bands Of retainers, who do the
forging, false swearing and bribing
when there is dirty work to do, and
who, in quiet times, live in riot and de-
bauchery OFF the bounty of their mas
ters' 1t is a ~sickening spectacle; a dis
grace to the entire country.
II is intulerable that such grave
charges as those of the Amalgamated
Company can be brought against an
American court and be regarded AS Mt
all probable. 1t is ~intolerable, too,
that an American judge should find il
possible to resort To such counter
charges as Judge Harvey makes and
expect to find believers. The whole in
cident throws a light on the conditions
prevailing in Montana that is stronger
even than the light thrown by the in.
vestigation of the charges against Sen.
ator Clark. Evidently Montana regards
the holding of public Office as presump.
tive evidence of compatibility, and re.
CARDS honesty, if it exists at all, as SC
rare a characteristic that it is not worth
hunting for. The nation ut large, un.
fortunately. can do nothing to purge
itself. 1t has admitted Montana as q
state, as IL did Utah and Nevada, and
must suffer for it. hut If honesty anl
decency exist anywhere in Montana tn,
day will conn when it will assert itself
when IL will demand equal laws, fail
elections and an impartial administra
tion of justice. Until that time come.
the country can expect to be put to tn,
blush and Montana can expect To con
tinue to be the synonym for moral ant
political corruption,