The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-01
COLUMBUS IS TRUE.
Tuesdays Daily Gazette

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In yesterdays issue Of The Gazette
was reprinted an editorial that appear
ed in last weeks Tri-County News,
published at Columbus. It was a
straightforward and unequivocal de-
NAL OF a statement telegraphed from
this city to a Butte newspaper that the
people of Columbus and the western
part OF the county were opposed to
the issuing of bonds for a new court
house and Jail.
While the News admit that some OF
the people Of Columbus are Of the
opinion that The county commissioners
may have erred in regard to some OF
the preliminaries, notably in accept
Ing the Bell plans without what they
regard as sufficient consideration and
elaboration, they are not opposed TO
the construction of the buildings
themselves. On this point the News
says: w
"some of our. citizens are opposed
to the action of the county commits
sioners in allowing Architect Bell to
engineer the affair, and in as good as
accepting his plans without using (as
they b%elieve) mature elaboration.
But this is quite a different matter
from opposition to the erection of a
court house."
This honest stating of the case by a
newspaper published in a community
which it is attempted to array against
the proposition must come as q sur.
prise to the few who for purely selfish
reasons and in order to vent a trifing i
petty spite are putting forth every
effort to bring about the defeat OF the
bond issue. Honestly the News ad-
mits that it's neighbors were disap.
pointed in n respect, but they do
not intend to permit that disappoint-
ment to actuate them in assuming a.
hostile attitude toward a project COM.
Inendable in every way and which
makes for a great and needed public
improvement in the BENEFITS of which |
all the people of the county will be
sharers. AS the News correctly
states, there was practically no OPT
position in Columbus to the issue lot
bonds last fall and the people Of that
community e nc reason why they
should be opposed to it at this time.
They are patriotic and loyal enough
to the interests of the county of which
they form an important part not toll
be swayed by any feeling Of personal
disappointment at what they believe
to have been an error of Judgment
on the part of certain officials to de-
feat the cOmmendable desire of other
parts OF the county to provide it with
public buildings in keeping with the
county's needs and comparable with
it's dignity and measurable with it's
growing demands.
1t is very evident that those who
would defeat the bond proposition
aeed look for but little aid or com
from the people of Columbus.
Even the attempt they are making to
arouse hostility on the score that no
provision is made for the use Of
stone in the construction
the proposed buildings will fail
them. While it is but natural that
people should prefer that
stone from their quarries be used,
they are not unreasonable and will be
satisfied it stone from the vicinity OF
Billings or any other place in Vel
lowstone county is selected. Whether
or Billings stone is employ
I'd they say it will be giving patron
age to home industry "a policy to
which they apparently are strongly
welded.
To The Gazette, which, along with
many others, firmly and honestly be-
lievss that the time has arrived when
county should have a new
court house and jail the attitude of the
of Columbus, as defined by the
News, is particularly pleasing, as it
must be to all others who desire to
keep progress with the times and are
honest in their belief that to longer
construction of those greatly
needed public conveniences would be
wrong and a manifestation of judg-
ment of the poorest kind.
THE HITS COUNT.
st. Louis Globe-D Democrat: It is al.
GOOD thot tho circ,,it oourt oor,ro;+-