The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-03-06
BITTER RIOTERS REJOICE OVER
VICTORY IN LEGISLATIVE
HALLS AT HELENA.
STORY OF SENATE BILL 18.
s. M. Ward, Of the Returning Fighting
Delegation From Hamilton, Tells
History of Battle to Invaidate OBJ
noxious Measure-Gives Credit to
Missoula Lawmakers
Special to The Daily Missoulian.

Special to The Daily Missoulian.
Hamilton March 5.-Tired physical
ly and mentally, the leaders in the Bit
ter Roots fight against Senate Bill No.
Is returned today from Helena, salts
fled that their efforts had not been in
vain and that the measure, originally
so obnoxious to the people of this re-
gion, had been made safe. AS amend
ed Senate Bill No. IS is perfectly sat
isfactory to Hamilton and the entire
valley, who tonight are profoundly
grateful to Colonel c. M. Crutchfield
and Clay Croft of Ravalli county,
Charles Wagner of Hamilton, and the
Missoula county delegation at Helena.
Within a short time a mass meeting
will be called to ratify the passage of
the amended bill and to explain the
stand taken by the Bitter Root valley.
Tonight S. M. Ward who, With his
father, George w. Ward, was one Of
the most energetic in the battle in
the capital expressed his thanks to
the men who had helped to win it. He
tells of the strenuous days in Helena
as follows:
"Once arrived we found that 13
amendments had been added to the bill
by the senate. Then there were "a
more of which all were agreed to by
the supporters of the original meas
ure, represented by Attorney McCon
nell. These were reported by the COM
mittee on irrigation and presented to
the committee Of the whole. In this
committee the supporters of the orig
inal measure violated their pledge and
opposed the amendment to section &C.,
which affects the substitution of water
rights and was of the most vital i'm
portance, as regarding the older set
tiers of the Bitter Root.
woody of Missoula in a powerful
speech that moved the house, accused
O'Conneel of treachery and of having
violated his trust and urged the adop-
ton of the bill, as amended. These
amendments were finally adopted by
the house, with but two dissenting
votes, and the bill went to the senate,
where another attempt was made to
change section SO. The senate refused
to concur and this action resulted in
the appointment of conference
committee of five members from each
senate were opposed to the amendment
and three out of the five from the
lower. house were Of like disposition,
leaving only two, Woody and Crutch-
field, to defend our side Of the case. In
the conference committee there was a
renewal Of the attempt to shut out the
house amendment affecting the most
important interests of the Bitter Root.
Messrs. Woody and Crutchfield re-
turned to the house and presented a
minority report. A bitter debate was
led by Woody, supported by Chairman
Whaley of the committee on irrigation,
whose appeal was one Of the most elo-
quent of the session. The Bitter Root
proposition was opposed by McGinnis
and Frank of Silver Bow. This was
the warmest debate of the session and
resulted in the adoption of Woody and
Crutchfield's report by vote Of 80
to IS.
after this the senate receded from
it's position and concurred with the
house. The bill was passed. A SEN
sational incident of the struggle in the
legislature was the discovery of an at
tempt to job the bill in it's engross-
ing, "a important amendments being
left out. This was however, detected
in time and the bill is now in the
hands of the governor"