The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-17
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1908.
WHY IT WAS DROPPED.

pressive of their honest and sincere
opinion, her it is to be taken tina,
some of the democratic newspapers
not in sympathy with the movement
are displeased at the action of the
house in deciding to drop the matter
OF Investigating the frauds said to
have been committed by one faction
Of the party in Silver Bow county and
to allow the contestees to retain their
seats. Sorrowfully they say that the
people expected something different
and that to drop the matter was a
serious mistake. They Furthermore
charge that the manner in which the
house set about to make it's inquiry
was indicative of its intention to do
no more than possible and showed a
plain lack of purpose to enter into an
Investigation of the real merits of the
case.
AS it vas expected of them that
they would have something to say on
the subject the coterie of purifiers
probably thought they might as we'll
make the charge made as any other;
that the people would draw their own
conclusions regardless of what was
said. Fault is found with the fact
that the house as a primary move be-
gan to count the ballots Of the pre-
ninofc i'm which II uyoo ohio rood fro,1c
had been committed. To most per-
sons this must appear as unreason-
able and captious. Having no other
basis upon which to work and as it
is always customary to count the bal
lots in cases of that kind, the house
could not we'll do otherwise than it
did and adhered to precedent. But
there is another very important fact
that should not be overlooked. The
attorneys for the contestants notified
the committee that they would no long
err continue the contest and moved for
it's dismissal. There being no con
t%estants, the committee could not we'll
do otherwise than report as it did. 1t
was not within it's province to take
what would then have been the initia-
ton and it very properly concluded to
quit. the prosecutors having with
drawn from the case.
Above all it must not be forgotten
that a democratic senate gave a
strong hint to the republican house
when it voted to seat the contestees
in it's own body, voted to give seats
to the men who represented the
movement" in that chamber and one
of whom was elected on the same tick
ct and by the same faction as the o
testees in the lower body. If the
senate considered Mr.. Tewey's cleo
ton as having been without stain and
that he was good enough to occupy a
seat in Thai chamber, then certainly
the republicans in the other house
were by every process of reasoning
justified TO arrive at the same con-
clusion as regards the contestees in
that chamber. If Tewey was elected
honestly, and the senate declared he
was, then the representatives were
also honestly elected. Their names
were on the same ticket as his.
1t is a weak argument to say that
the house is under the domination and
control of the man held responsible
for the movement" and that to this
subserviency on the part of the con-
trolling party must be laid it's action
in Diminishing the contests. The
whole matter of the contest from it's
incipiency has been marked by too
much talk on the part of the con-
~testants and by too little action. They
made charges of fraud, but offered
no proofs. AS far as heard Of no testi-
mony of a relevant and admissible
nature has been offered at any time
to make good those charges. If fraud
was committed, as is claimed by the
other side, by the judges and clerks
of election in making the poll books
and ballots agree and by concealing
any discrepancies that may have ex-
listed, nothing has been brought to
the attention of the committee to
show it. Having nothing else to work
the committee was perforce com
PEELED to count the ballots and make
a comparison of numerical results
with the poll books.
Newspaper charges of fraud and
dishonesty. while they may be based !