Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-08-26
Legislative Defeat of Early Subsidy Bills
Forms Thrilling Chapter in Montana History
nv ELMO
gW1HE HISTORY of Montana's
Legislative assemblies, from

%M0HE HISTORY OF montana
legislative assemblies, from
earliest territorial days, is re-
plete with the stories of intrigue
and manipulation to secure enact
ment or defeat of Legislation. Us
ually such maneuvers have been
conducted within the Legislative
halls or through the well known
lobbying methods in the corridors
or in hotel rooms. Sometimes
they have been successful and
sometimes grandiloquent schemes
have gone down to defeat.
One little known maneuver which
probably saved Montana territory from
a load of debt in the late seventies is
recorded for history in the journals
of the Montana Historical society by
Martin Barrett, a Montana pioneer
and long a resident of Beaverhead
county. This one was the flight from
Helena of a group of legislators to
prevent quorum when railroad ex-
emption legislation was proposed at
8 special session.
Barrett. who came to Montana in
1862 before the territory was created,
was elected from Beaverhead county
as a delegate in the 18th legislative
assembly in 1873.
1.-THE most" he wrote, that we had
TO do as lawmakers was to keep busy
fighting railroad subsidies and exemp-
tions of different kinds"
At that time the railroad now called
the Oregon Short Line was building
north from Utah, and the Northern
Pacific, with tracks end in North Da-
koCa., was preparing to extend its line
through Montana to become the first
of the northern transcontinental roads.
Bills Are Defeated
1.-THE Northern Pacific" records Bar
rett, wanted only $4,000, 900, perhaps
more than the territory was worth;
the Union Pacific desired a very ma
terial sum, but I forget the amount.
However, we had no difficulty IN de-
feating these bills at the regular ses- |
sion Of the council which met in 1879. |
So far Montana has paid no subsidies |
OF any kind" Barrett's story was
About July /, 1880, Gov. B. F. Potts
called a special session of the legis- |
lature for no apparent purpose other
than to aid the Utah Northern railroad |
(now the u. P.-owned Oregon Short I
Line) in its struggle to get into the |
state The road was then well up the !
Snake river In Idaho. All of Montana's
prominent men were for the railroad.
Col. Wilbur F. Sanders, Samuel Word,
all the leading newspapers, were for
the railroad. All the newspapers, that
Is, except the Madisonian at Virginia
City, which bitterly fought the rail-
road subsidy programs.
The Utah Northern wanted bill
passed that would exempt the road
from taxation for is years. The whole
territory was divided-exemptio VS..
antiexemption. When the legislature
convened all the members were royalty
treated by the railroad lobby.
One night In the theater at Helena
Dick Hickman, councilman from Madi-
son county, reached a group OF the an
tbs with word that the railroad crowd
were at a SumptuouS banquet celeDrat-
ing the passage next day Of their ex-
emption bill. They had carefully count
ed noses and they had safe majority
of one for passage.
1t was decided by the ants that they |
would have to break the quorum 20
defeat the bill. They proceeded to leave I
town that night and walked out to
Ten Mile creek on the Fort Benton
road They left behind arrangements
for a stagecoach TO pick them up next l
and then left town to make 6
sure they would be out Of reach OF the 8
at arms when the days ses- :
sion convened.
DISORDERS for the Cause {
I'VE were deserters for the cause Of S
- says Barrett. He names 7
himself, Dick Hickman and MIR. Sed-
man OF Madison county, o. P. Hayes Of t
Gallatin county, and Frank Ives OF
county, in the flight from
w. G. Conrad of Chouteau county, /
one of the anti crowd, had been called t
home by the illness of his wife; since
be could not come to them, the crowd {
started to him. L
A large tree had fallen across the =
road in Prickly Pear canyon a few {
niles out Of Helena, blocking progress Q