The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-12
WEDNESDAY. JULY II, 1905.


Among thousands OF citizens OF
Montana the death Of Col. Wilbur F.
Sanders will be regarded as a personal
bereavement. Universally esteemed
throughout the state. the ''grand old
man" of Montana filled a place in the
hearts of his fellow citizens to which
no other man in public life can sue.
coed.
In his forty years residence in Mon.
tapa, Colonel Sanders gained a repu.
tation as the fearless advocate OF what
he believed to be right. In the early
day history of Montana he became the
leader of those determined and cour.
ageous men who formed the vigilantes'
organization and administered justice
in cases which the arm OF civil author.
tiles appeared to be powerless to
right assisted in the patriotic work Of
suppressing lawlessness and protect.
ing the public against depredations Of
desperate and murderous villains, but
as the leader and moving spirit in this
successful pioneer reform movement,
Colonel Sanders earned the gratitude
Of those who recognized that the main
tenance of law and order was the first
requisite to the upbuilding Of a great
and prosperous commonwealth.
In the political and civic affairs of
Montana the late Colonel Sanders was
as fearless in expressing his views
and taking such action as he consid.
cred right, as he was in risking his
personal safety among early day law.
breakers. He met with many defeats
on the political battlefield, but never
surrendered. Colonel Sanders was
not a ''quitter.
Possessing 1.-THE art Of oratory to a
high degree, and with a style that was
unique and popular with Montana au-
diences, Colonel Sanders rendered
valuable service to the republican
party by taking active part in nearly
every political campaign Of the past
forty years. He visited nearly every
town in :the state during these cam.
paign trips, and established acQuain.
tance and friendship among his fellow
citizens to an extent that few other
Mon.anans enjoy.
Colonel Sanders was too honest in
his beliefs to become a machine politi-
clan, and to this fact was due his fail.
ure to secure some Of the public hon.
ors to which he aspired and to which
his ability and party service entitled
him. He had acquired the habit Of
expressingI his views upon any matter
Of public interest. regardless OF the
opinions of others and also regardless
Of its effect upon his own political fu.
iure. In the struggle for preferment
among prominent politicians, Colonel
Sanders incurred the displeasure and
hostility OF many rivals who were
more skilled in machine politics than
himself, and who succeeded in keeping
him in private life. In that capacity,
however, he retained the confidence
and respect Of Montana citizens gen.
orally.
There has been no more noble and
commanding figure in Montana poll.
tics than that of Colonel Sanders in
the crisis which confronted Montana
republicans in the campaign of 1896
the year of the silver craze. Some OF
the prominent members of the party
deserted to the Bryan cause, calling
themselves Silver Republicans, while
others skulked In the brush and were
afraid to identify themselves with
either wing of the party. That was
an occasion when Colonel Sanders
honesty and f~earlessness was made
manifest in q public declaration tina,
he proposed to fight under the old re-
publican banner even if he was the
only Montana citizen to be found
there.
A biographical sketch of Colone
Sanders tells an interesting story a,
TO how he came to locate in what i.
now Montana. In company with hi
uncle, Judge Edgerton, who had bee,
appointed chief justice of Idaho, h
crossed the plains with OK teams an.
reached Snake river in the early fal
1863. The Indians of that section wer
very hostile and the emigrants wer
advised not to go to the western par
of Idaho on that account, but it wa
finally decided that their route be de
termined by standing up a stick an,
whichever way it fell should be tn
direction the party would take. Col
onel Sanders, who wished the part,
to 60 TO western Idaho, was entruste,
with the delicate task of handling tn
stick. and so impartially did he per
form the duty that the stick fell in tn,
direction of Montana and its mand at
was Obeyed without objection.