Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-14
THE COMING MAN.

The Chicago Inter-O cean's special Wash
ipgton correspondent telegraphs under date
Of the 18th inst. that the president has SC
lected Hon. w. A. Howard, of Michigan,
for governor OF. Dakota. and has urged him,
until a reluctant consent has been secured,
to come to the land where the wild Indian
roams aud the grasshopper sits on the sweet
potato vine. Mr.. Howard hesitated. He didn't
know anything about this productive viii
derness, which is bounded on the east and
south by three large and -four
ishing states, and did not specially
care for official life. But after
procuring statistics regarding the resources
of the country, the salubrity of its climate
and its political status he made up his mind
u sacrifice himself for the benefit of his
country and come aud live with us as our
governor. The position Was formally ten
dered to Mr.. Howard a week ago last Mon
day. and the different members of the cab
net added the pressure Of their entrealies to
the solicitations Of the president, and on
Thursday last Mr.. Howard gave notice that
although he still felt some hesitation in
regard to this particular position, and did
not specially desire official life, if the
president desired to make the appoint
" ment he should not decline it, The ap-
pointment has not yet been made, but
the dispatch says that when it &C
ceptancc and confirmation will speedily fol-
low. This choice seems to have been
made in accordance with the favorit, theory
of political purifiers that the office should
seek the man, and not the man the Office.
There are a dozen good fellows who
made strenuous efforts for the privilege Of
governing the people of this extensive do
main and each Of them has thought that he
was the one to be chosen. But it seems that
the president wanted a man who didn't want
the place and he has finally found him and
the rest are relegated to a back seat. 1t is
by no means certain, though, that the ap.
pointment will follow, as probabilities are
not worth a straw under existing civil SER
vice arrangements. Still it appears that the
gentleman referred to is the leading candi-
uate IN ue race.
Hon. w. A. Howard is a good man
and an able man and will make an excellent
governor, judging by his past record. He
is a resident of Grand Rrpids, Michigan,
and is sixty-6ve years of age. He was a
representative in Congress from the state
of Michigan during the stormy days Of the
Kansas troubles and southern secession. He
gained a national reputation by his connec-
ton with the investigation into the border
rufian raids of Kansas and by the boldness
with which he exposed the deviltries prac-
ticed when that state was the scene of tur-
MOL and bloodshed. His life was sought
and he was menaced with revolvers and
bowie knives, but he halted not in the per-
Torrance of a conscientious duty because of
these dangers. Mr.. Howard was a delegate
to the last republican national convention and
is said to be the man who carried the Miohi-
gan delegation over to Hayes after Bristow's
chance fell through. The president is there
fore under personal obligations to him; but
it is not for a m to be suspected that
he would pay a debt of that sort