The Libby herald. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1911-1913, 1912-10-24
THE TRUTH ABOUT JOHN {. FRIEND

\ bitter political fight over the loca-
ton of the permanent county seat
j all extraordinary amount of venom
: and i'll will was injected into the
campaign. Old time friendships
were broken and old political lines
obliterated to very great extent.
The feeling between Eureka and
I Libby was SO intense that party
politics cut but very little figure.
10 large extent, the candidate
for county office on political tick
ct, got few votes in Eureka and
the Tobacco Plains country if he
lived i'll the Libby region. II he
lived in the Eureka territory he
got cut to the bone in this end of
the county. That was not fair
or desirable condition.; it was
unfortunate, but fact. There
were few exceptions. The candi
dates from Libby, without regard
to party affiliations, got an unmer-
clful slashing in the east end of the
county. Under the strained and
excited condition of the public
mind over the county seat question
this was probably to be expected,
after all.
But there were exceptions.
John c. Friend, a resident of
Eureka, was the democratic NOM
inee for county treasurer. He was
for Eureka for the county seat,
which was right and proper That
was his home, his interests were
there, and his social and bu,i,les,
associations were ccntcred in that
region. But Mr.. Friend was well
liked i'll Libby. He had occupied +
the position Of deputy eo,;nty treas
urer under Mr.. Brandenburg ever
since the county was created, and .
be had proved himself all obligi,,g
and competent official. The people
here thought he was on the square
and had no fault to find with him
because he was favorable to his
home town in the contest for the
county seat.
So, when the votes were counted,
it was found that Johnny F!irnd
for county treasurer had received
the largest vote Of any man in the
county. The people in the Eureka
country had voted for him almost
solidly, and Libby had treated him
like favorite son. In the Libby
precinct Mr.. Friend got 28I votes,
by long odds the highest vote cast
for any man ON his ticket. II. got
forty more votes than Paul ..
Pratt, be got two votes to Frank
Baney's one in this precinct. Blney
was another Eureka man on the
democratic ticket, generally admit
ted to be good, honest fellow, but
no so we'll known or personally
popular hereabouts as Johnny
Friend.
The vote which Libby gave Mr..
Friend should have made him both
proud and grateful. He was proud
but not grateful. From the day
he took the Office his demeanor
changed. 1t is said he went out of
his way to show his contempt for
Libby and Libby's people. He
snarled at men who had been his
friends and loyal supporters; he ap-
peared anxious to impress people
with whom he came in contact that
ne dldn like this town, its people ,
or its prospects,. The geniality {
which veneered him before election t
cracked off and revealed a coat OF I
ice. He pocketed his salary, kept {
his mouth shut, did his work and :
f1ocked by himself. Some of his {
supporters here went around apol- c
oglzlng for him by saying, "he I
was peculiar little fellow" But /
that didn't explain it. The people 9
OF Libby had loyalty supported y
John Friend. They had given him 4
all he deserved and more than he t