The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-05-16
IMPORTANT, IF X L

A more or less startling announce
ment comes from New York, to th'
effect that F. Augustus Heinze may
be the next United States sen ator from
Montana. The announcement is made
by several eastern newspapers, thu
story also alleging that Heinze ts t.
get the senatorship as part of the bar
gain under which he recently cold hi.
mining properties to the Amalgamated
company.
The statement is most emph attic ally
denied by Mr.. Heinze, whose reputa.
ton for ~veracity has not been worth
five cents on the dollar since he sold
out to his business rivals. In a pub.
lie speech delivered in Butte some
time ago, Mr.. Heinze declared that he
would not make terms with the Anal
gamated "until hell freezes over,''
but it is understood there was no I'm.
usual demand for overcoa ats Ia the in.
fernal regions just prior 10 the recent
sale of his Butte mining interests.
His denial Of the ensational story
may be equally unreliable. This is
the announcement printed in New
York and other eastern newspapers:
Following closely upon the an.
nouncement that United States Sena.
tor w. A. Clark of Montana will not
be q candidate for reelection next
year, the sensational statement was
made yesterday that F. Augutus
Heinze, the millionaire copper mag.
nate, political, business and social
enemy of Senator Clark, would be his
successor, and that that understand.
ing was q part Of the deal by which
the long and bitter war between the
Amalgamated and Heinze interests in
Montana was settled last February.
"The announcement has caused
great surprise everywhere, but es-
pecially in political circles, for it was
generally believed that both Senator
Clark and Mr.. Heinze would engage
in a terrific battle for senatorial hon
ors during the next campaign. The
terms Of the Am algamated.H einze set
Element were never made public, and
the secret that Senator Clark was not
to seek reelection and that aeinze
was to be his successor was guarded
until yesterday. Then it came from a
dozen reliable ources and was not
"Senator Clark and Mr.. Heinze
were once political partners. but after
his election the senator gradually
drew away towards the Amalgamated
interests, aud Heinze, nee his friend
and companion, became his bitter foe.
Both Clark and Heinze are democrats,
but each is a copper producer, and in
Of late years the individual
copper interests have pulled against
each other in campaigns, but as the
Amalgsmated, the Clark interests
and the Heinze party are now working
together, it Is not difficult to foretell
Q democratic legislature in Montana
next fall, and the election Of F.. Au-
gustus Heinze to the United States
senate"
While the truth Of this story may be
questioned, 1t is q most unpleasant
reminder that it Is within the power of
corporation to secure the election Of
United States senator from Mon.
ana. It may have q candidate from
The republican side as we'll as from
democratic side. thus securing to
Itself such advantages as may be had
from friends In the United States sen.
ate.
In the Montana legislative assembly
there are rs state senators aud y rep
r~esentatives, making % votes in the
election OF a United States senator,
and requiring SO votes to elect, If all
are present. The choice Of these 50
members is generally determined in
caucus, in which twenty.six would be
q majority. The result of this ar.
is that 26 citizens of Mon
tana have the power to name the next
senator from Montana, and the in.
tluences behind some of them may
control their vote.
According to the election returns of
two years ago, there are about 81, 200
republican voters in Montana. Is it
proper that rs republican members of
the legislature make u senatorial
choice for these $4,000 members of
their party:
The democratic voters in Montana
two years ago numbered about 1900,
but 26 democratic members of the
legislature a name a democratic
United States senator.
The people Of Montana need direct
primary law under which senatorial
a%spirants Of each political party may
be nominated by the voters. Under
such q system the senatorship could
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