Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-09-25
~NHE VAUDEVILLE show. as an
Vaid to a political campaign was
introduced into Montana In 1870

by William H. CIaggett, who
used 10 be described as @the re-
publican who was elected to congress
by Montana democrats. ClagRett,
who had been prominent in Nevada
politics before coming to Montana
Shared with James Cavanaugh the
reputation of being the best stamp
speaker in the northwest at that time.
! When. however, he ran for territorial
4 representative for congress against
! Warren TOole, he did not depend en-
tIreIy upon his own forensic ability.
He was nving in Deer Lodge at the
time, and from there took with him on
a campaign trip over the state q couple
Of singers, one OF them named Sam
Hart, the other, Church, the latter
collector of internal revenue for the
territory at that time.
The passions which we're aroused all
over the country by the Civil war had
not died out at that time, and waving
the bloody shirt" as 1t was called by
politicians, was Claggett's long suit. 1t
was calculated TO throw new fuel upon
the blazing questions about which the
residents Of the north and south were
hopeleSsly disagreed.
Claggett's two singers had In their
repertoire song entitled odd Shady"
which told the. story, to music, of a
negro slave who escaped from servitude
OH u ylAllbdA1OAA ny way III LIE
famous underground railway" to Cam
ada. The underground" was the term
used for assistance rendered escaped
slaves by northern abolitionists TO the
end that they might not be captured
and incur the penalties Of the law ap-
plying to runaway slaves.
The "Old Shady" song was not pop
ular with the left wing of Prices army, /
to which many of the early residents
Of Montana had belonged
When Claggett arrived at Diamond (
City, Meagher county trading post and I
mining camp, with his encourage, the /
committee of local republicans back
ing his candidacy started out to find a
place where he could address the pop
ulace upon the burning issues Of the
day. The only place in the camp which .
seemed best suited to the purpose was
the porch of one of the residences in
the camp. The owner agreed to let
Claggett speak from the roof of the
porch, which gave him an out Of door
rostrum affording ample space for an
audience limited in size only by the
carrying power Of Claggetts voice.
The owner Of the house, OF course,
knew nothing of the song "Old Shady"
but when he heard it, he didn't like
It,
Two years later when Claggett cam
paigned for congress against Maj. !
Martin MaginniS, he again went to
Diamond City, and again the local COM
mittee asked permission of the prop
erty holder for Claggett to speak from
the roof Of his porch. The man replied
that he had no objection to Claggett
speaking from the roof Of his porch,
but emphatically stated that those Fl
singers and that d-m song were
barred"
Claggett came to Montana in 1867
NJ cn4f1nd IN ncaTs Tsoficr0 ninn
n the practice of law. The following 4
year he toured the territory with Col.
A. K. Mcclure of the Philadelphia
Times, making political speeches, dur
ng which time he made many friends
and achieved reputation as a speaker
1f rare ability. It was Col. w. F.
sanders who afterwards said Of him
hat he was elected to congress In 1871
oy Montana democrats who admired
him for his ability as an extemporan-
eouS speaker and conServationaliSt."
Claggett was public spirited a man
IF good character and excellent habits.
In 1872 Claggett accompanied Gen.
James A. Garfield and a party OF In
dian commissioners to the Flathead
at which time the treaty
was made with the Flatheads by which
hey were removed to Jocko. During
mis- term in congress he succeeded in
having the Yellowstone region set aside
IS a national park. He also introduced
he bin for the establishment of a
United States assay office in Helena.
Claggett, a strong union man, was
! member Of q numerous and influ-
initial family in Maryland. Before the
Civil war he stumped the southeastern
part Of the United States for the wing
party.
once while he was in congress for
Montana, grand jury was in session
- Ts,s2os ~ al EUaft1noI T., | .
appeared before the jury and demanded
he removal Of the Indian agent on
he reservation. He addressed the jury
through an interpreter and made an /
speech in which he ac-
FUSED the agent Of almost every crime
IN the calendar, and threatened to kill
him If he was not taken away.
Claggett was asked by the Montana {
authorities to take the matter up in j
congress. He replied that the Indian
ring was too strongly entrenched at !
Washington to secure action in that {
and suggested that the In
lian's statement be taken in writing ]
and that two copies be made. One, he {
;aid, should be filed with the Indian /
department. and the other given to the !
pastor of the church which President
Grant attended In Washington, a min
ster who was credited with having
much influence with the president.
The congressman told his constit-
tents that If the complaint were sent I
20 the president through regular cham !
lels, that he would never receive 1t,
70 great was the power of the Indian ,
ing. His advice was taken. The preach
n delivered the complaint to the pres
dent, and within two weeks the In
Han agent was removed and Mai. J
Peter Roman installed in his place.
Roman remained in that capacity until
MS death
C1aggett was born in Prince Georges
county, Maryland, Sept. 81. 1888. The
family moved to Keokuk, Ia, in 1850. !
and there young Claggett went to /,
ichool, studied law and was admitted
% the bar in 1858, before he was of
lge. He practiced law there for several
zears and his first political speeches ,
we're in support Of Stephen Douglas
n 1850.
In 1851 he went to Nevada. In a
strange country, and without money, ,
re became a woodchopper for a time.
That same year he joined the gold
stampede TO Humboldt county. along !