The Western news. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1890-1977, 1910-11-04
IAN APATHET|C CAMPAIGN
DRIFTING TO ITS FINISH
Hartman Reflects Only Clean of In
surgency---Plummer and Croft
and Senate Bill 18. .,:

Clayberg of Helena, all nominated by
petition as required by the new nom
partisan Judiciary law.
Then there IS the tax amendment to
be voted upon. The constitution pro-
vides that when the total assessed val
ulation in the state shall amount to
$500, 100000 the levy for state pur-
poses shall automatically decrease
from 1-2 to IL mills. The amend
ment would prevent the reduction and
the levy would remain as it is.
In Ravalli county, ever since the
Anaconda company took charge of
both conventions and turned it's twin
republican and democratic tickets
loose on an unsuspecting public, the
The democratic nominees have been
"still hunting" each fellow for him
self and "the devil take the hindmost'
whilst the republicans, travelling in a
body, have been Transforming
holding meetings in every community
and indulging in talkfests. AS re-
suit of it all, due to the lack of inter
est and the largely increased vote, no.
body knows where they're at" 1t is
foregone conclusion that both tick
cts will be badly Scratched" and that
candidates on both legislative and
county tickets will be elected.
PIummer, Croft and Senate Bill Is.
A peculiar feature of the local sit
uation is that from first to last Sen
ate Bill IS" has obstinately obtruded
as the paramount issue in Ravalli
county. Senate bill 1S, enacted into
law by the last legislative assembly,
provided for the organization of irri-
cation districts. ,
This is the bill over which such hull
abaloo was raised in the spring of 1909.
Ostensibly because he gave that meas
ure consistent support, although in
reality because he opposed House bill
100, Senator Romney has been syste-
matically dynamited ever since. And,
professedly on account of his attitude
as to Senate bill 18, Romney was de-
feated for denomination in the recent
democratic convention. Superintend-
on hon re ho nolx
stock farm and superintendent Tot
man of the Anaconda Copper Mining
company lumber department, being
most openly and actively prominent in
procuring the scalp of the recalcitrant
Romney. And because he had success
fully sidestepped Senate bill IS, and
because he was regarded as "safe and
sane" Representative Croft was Sc
lected as the democratic nominee in
Romney's stead
But, like Banquo's ghost, Senate bill
IS would not down, even then. When
Attorney George T. Baggs, who by the
way, appears of record in the dis
trict court as an attorney for the Ana
conda Copper Mining company, plac-
ed Ben Plummer in nomination be-
fore the republican county convention
for state senator, he eulogized his can
didate for having accomplished Won
ders as member of the lobby that
fought that vicious and criminal
measure known as Senate bill 49," Ben
who has had Is years experience as an
active member of the Amalgamated
company's political staff and is rath-
er proud of it, smiled sweetly and
did not deny the soft impeachment. In
fact, he has fallen into the habit OF
seeking to worm his way into the good
graces of many voter by allusion to
his splendid and unselfish service in
this exploit
Doubtless almost everybody in the
Bitter Root has heard of all the ne
farious and damnable things that Sen
ator Romney has been charged with
in connection with the passage of Sem
ate bill 18, and doubtless that gentle
man has suffered about all the injury
it were possible to inflict by circula.
tion of these stories and at last has
grown Indifferent.
But, since Senate bill Is continues
to be the paramount issue in justice
to all concerned and for the informa
ton of the thousand or more new
voters and the credulous portion of tht
local public, that formed it's opinions
without knowing anything about th'
facts in the case and condemned off
hand, The Western News proposes tt
give the true history of the measure.
True History of Senate Bill Is,
AS will be noted every staten.en