The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-03-07
EX-SENATOR LOOKING AFTER
MONTANA PATRONAGE.
BILL OPENING GROW LANDS
Not Likely to Meet as Smooth SaiIinu
In House as 1t Experience
ed In Senate.

Washington, March 4.-rSpecial to
The Gazette.] The Bill providing for
the opening to settlement of the
northern part of the Crow Indian res
ervation in Montana, had CONSERVATIVES
ly shedding in the senate, but in the
house it is not a safe bet to wager
that the measure will meet with the
entire favor of that body. The house
of representatives contains nearly 400
members and Montana people should
not be surprised if opposition is en-
countered from some quarter.
At the last session of congress the
Grow treaty bill was defeated by Mr..
Mondell of Wyoming and Mr.. Cannon
of Illinois. Mr.. Mondell recently had
a conference with Senator Clark of
your state and" at that meeting the
Montana delegation was assured of
the hearty support in the house of
the member from Wyoming. Congress
man Mondell is considered one of the
leading western members on the
house floor and his intimate knowl-
edge of anairs on the Crow reserva-
ton and the fact that he will cham
pion h passage of the Grow treaty
bill will have considerable weight
with his colleagues.
In connection with the Grow treaty
Till Indian Agent Edwards of the
Grow agency has been here for some
time past. Your correspondent has
been told hat the present agent for
the Crows wants it distinctly under
stood in Montana that if the Grow
treaty bill is successful in
it will be largely due to his efforts as
a congressional lobbyist. Many years,
residence at the national capital and
an intimate acquaintance with men
in congressional life. leads me to say
that few men who come here in the
role of lobbyists make a success of
their calling. and so I predict that
the coming of the agent of the Grow
Indians to Washington will have no
bearing one way or the other on the
Grow treaty matter.
Carter's Pull.
There is a great deal that can be
said concerning the federal patronage
in Montana. Former Senator Carter
has been here for over a month past
and his INSISTS to the white house
nave been rather frequent. It is said
that outside of the interior depart
ment Mr.. Carter has the ear of all the
cabinet officers and that the recon-
mendations of names by the republi-
can state central committee will
eventually receive recognition. In
the interior department, the gentle
man who talked to death" the river
and harbor bill in the senate at the
last session of congress. has the
cordial opposition of Secretary Hitch
cock. But the opposition of the in
terror department to the former Mon
tana senator does not necessarily
weaker Mr.. Carter's pull at Wash
ington, for if there ever was a man
who is disliked by many men in pub
lie life at Washington it is the present
secretary of the interior. Mr.. Hitch
cock says he does not propose to re-
linquish the office of interior secre-
tary but the demand for a successor
will eventually force his retirement.
Roughly estimated there are now
some 80 federal offices in Montana
ready to be filled by presidential ap-
pointment. Most of these are post
offices and registers and receivers of
land offices. The big fight is over the
appointment, of a surveyor general to
succeed Mr.. f. w. Beattie, who is
regarded as a leading Carterite in the
state. Carter, or rather the state
central committee, wants Mr.. Beat
tie reappointed and Secretary Hitch
cock, of course, is opposed to him.
Beattie is still serving, although his
term expired eight months ago, which
is prima-facie evidence that Secre-
tary Hitchcock is not all powerful in
matters coming under his department
concerning Montana appointments.
The squabble over Montana patron
age is rather an amusing feature to
both democratic senators from the
state, Clark and Gibson. Once in a |
while some republican, who fears that
he may not be able to land the plum,
writes to the Montana senators ap-
pealing for help. In all such cases
the democratic senators from the state
reply that they are powerless and
that anything they might attempt
would only injure the prospects of
the applicant in the eyes of a repub-
liean administration .--- ----