The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-07-19
SMOKING out
= OILY TOM''

By an, editorial in it's issue of June
/, regarding the abandonment OF Fort
Assinniboine. the Herald brought
down wrath and condemnation on its
head from sources wholly unreliable
when any question of holiness of re-
publican senators of Montana is in
volved. The Herald had even before
that found the milk in the cocoanut,
but, conservatively, too long hoped to
arouse in Senators Thomas A. Cra-
ter and Joseph NJ. Dixon the hearty,
active, rustling work of which each is
capable for Havre's splendid fort.
The Herald has said little since
then, but the press of the state-ir-
respective Of politics, except Of course,
in few state-organ, land-office-sup-
ported sheets, has come valiantly to
the rescue Of Fort Assinniboine. The
Montana press has been Investigating
and Investigating deply From bound
ary to boundary has come the demand
upon these senators to know why
they have sit idly by and allowed one
Of the prides Of the state to perish
and what they mean by their still
persistent silence and inactivity af-
ter all Of the personal and public
pledges they have made the people of
northern Montana within the last two
years. @~G"-3.
Why can't the senators say some
thing? They appear to be tongue-tied
beyond even the point of an apology.
In referring to the case of Fort AS
sinniboine as it stands, the Great Falls
Tribune of July II, says: z
Senator Carter assures the people
of Northern Nominal that he appre-
ciates the claims of Fort Assinniboine
to be made a brigade post and will
do what can this winter to accomplish
their desires. Suppose he should be-
gin now instead Of waiting for next
winter. General Bell will be in this
state in a few days, we understand,
and Senator Carter could commence
his good work by writing him let
ter to the effect that the chief of staff
had very much misunderstood his pc
sition in relation to Fort Assinnl-
boine if the interview in the Pioneer
Press by General Bell was authentic.
Suppose he added the fact which no
person acquainted with Fort Assinni-
boine and the other forts in the state
can dispute with good reason, and de-
clared that if any fort in Montana
is to be kept Assinniboine, because
of it's vastly superior accommodations
and facilities, is the one which sound
economy would select among all 9TH
ers. If he would write letter OF that
sort to General Bell and give it to the
press, we believe it would help Fort
Assinniboine, and we know it would
help Hon. Thomas H. Carter in north
ern Montana. So little do We de-
serve the slurs of Senator Crater and
the Great Falls Leader as to our
motives in smoking them out in this
Fort Assinniboine subject that we Of
fer now to print letter in full from
Senator Carterin boldface type, and
give him the benefit Of our circulation
to vindicate him from any asperslons
we have made, or suspicious we have
raised against him in this matter.
Surely that is a fair offer. In
somewhat dubious words Senator
Carter leaves us to infer that he ap-
preciates the superior claims of Fort
Assinniboine to be made a brigade
post. He also says he does not care
to have any of our posts preserved as
they are at present with only hand
full of soldiers as a garrison. Let him
then use his undoubted influence With
the war department to consolidate all
the troops at the biggest and best
fort in the northwest-Fort Asslnn1-
boine, which has already cost the
government $2,000,0 900 to build.
''In doing SO he will prove that the
suspicious entertained by this news
paper about his part in the aband-
onment of Fort Assinniboine are false.
He will also convince many of his cons
stituents in northern Montana that he
has been unjustly suspected and as
sailed by this newspaper and We will
give him, without money or price,
freely and ungrudgingly, space in the
Tribune to prove the fact. Gould a
fairer offer be mdae by political op-
ponent? We pause for reply"
oxH Knnro1r Tr af g