The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-08-22

LII lIlSl1 GsNNOuIlCo VI CI1C S1O1l
Of Secretary Lane at Poison last
week, both of the Poison papers
made themselves ridiculous. In
no instance did they make men,
tion of the fact that the Roman
delegation was on hand to escort
the secretary and his party
across the reservation, in the
face of the fact that arrange
ments to that effect had been
made with the secretary ten
days in advance. If this occur
red through a lack of knowledge,
then the shortcomings of the
Poison bretheren is more to be
pitied than censured, but the big
chance is that it was not ignor-
ance of the facts but rather a
jealousy which is most acute,
To set the matter straight
once and for all, the Pioneer will
give a little inside history Of the
whole affair, which may be in
teresting to some Of our Poison
readers even. According to
those who know, and our good
friend Jimmy Harbert is one of
them, no arrangements were
made by the Poison people for
the reception of the secretary
and his party until a day Or so
before their arrival at Poison,
and only a tentative plan was
agreed upon even then. The
Roman commercial club made
arrangements with the secretary
ten days previous, to escort HIM
self and party from Poison to
Ravalli, making the trip accord
ing to the wishes of the secre-
tary. 1t was with considerable
surprise that the Roman delega-
tion learned from Private Secre-
tary Myers that the whole party
was in their hands from the mo-
ment they arrived at the Poison
dock. No arrangements had
been made for lunch at Roman,
and at the special solicitation of
members of the Poison delega-
ton, it was agreed that the sec
retary and party should remain
i'll Poison until the hour of 1890,
or at the time the Roman delega-
ton were notified in advance
that the start would be made
across the reservation. T he
Poison delegation pleaded that
there was a large number of peo-
pie in that town at that time
who were there especially to hear
Secretary Lane speak and that
it would be a great d!sappoint-
ment to them not to hear him.
The Roman delegation was glad
ito accommodate all those people
and gladly assented to defer their
departure with the secretary and
party until after the speaking
could be held.
AS one member of the Poison
delegation said: 1T will be just
another case of putting it all
over us again if he leaves here
before the meeting is held"
That plea is getting old to Roman
people. The facts are. Roman
SO far has never been trailing
along behind anybody's band
wagon and has succeeded in sev.
eral instances in makinga a goat"
of the Poison crowd, which is
supposed to be the whole thing
in stirring up mess. If it had
not been for the generosity of
the Roman delegation. Secretary
Lane and party would have
merely passed through Poison on
their way across the reservation. |
1t was up to Roman to do as it /
wished.
The statement of one paper
that 'the St. Ignatius delegation
took charge of the party at the
tunnel" is a deliberate false
hood, made out of nothing but
jealousy, and with all due re-
spect to the St. Ig1atjus delega-
ton, this paper and the people
of Roman do not believe they
will claim that honor-except
Jointly with Roman.
In the Pioneers account Of the
visit, due credit was given the
Poison people for their share in