Montana Medicine Show: Capital Fight

Welcome to the Montana Medicine Show. I'm Derek Strunk. Comprehends Marcus Daly and William Clark fought a no holds barred battle over the location of Montana state capital. At stake were jobs prestige and personal access to political leaders. Historian Mike Malone proclaimed this contest a spectacular and sordid political feud that botched the political culture of an entire state following Montana statehood. The permanent Capitol location was up for grabs. Voters narrowed the choices to Helena and Anaconda in 1892. Historian Dave Walter called the run off election that followed. One of the most hotly contested flamboyant corrupt elections in Montana's history Anaconda was daily Smelter City. William Clark secretly agreed to support Helena's capital bid provided the town's elite helped him become U.S. senator. CLARK And Daley both acquired major newspapers to service propaganda mouthpieces. They made bribes threats and promises in their frantic scramble for votes. Clarke

handed out miniature men's copper shirt collars to symbolize the Anaconda company's stranglehold on Montana daily war and Montana's working class that Helena's highbrow millionaires would rule the state. As historian CB Glasscock observed this was not a matter of sportsmanship but of politics in a close election. The more centrally located Helena won by nearly 2000 votes together Clark and Daley spent the equivalent of thirteen hundred dollars per voting man. From KGO studios. I'm Derrick strong. Montana medicine show is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. A private corporation funded by the American people.