The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-24
ALL ABOUT that LETTER.

pendent. to come right to the front and
excuse itself for having said that IL is
the 'only newspaper to print Mr.. Car
ter's letter of declinatiOn addressed To
Mr.. Seligman.' That is precisely what
the INDEPENDENT said, and our Helena
contemporary will have to take il back
right away or there will be trouble. On
the morning of Tuesday, July %, 1880,
the STANDARD gave to its readers the
full text of Congressman Carriers letter
to Mr.. Seligman.
No newspaper in Montana was ahead
of the STANDARD with this letter: there
isn't a newspaper i'm Montana that gets
ahead of the STANDARD with any item
of news in which the public takes in
terest. We are quite ready to admit
that the Helena Independent comes
very close TO being the STANDARDS rot-
ting mate in the race for news-itis the
only newspaper in Montana entitled
to rank with us in the chase after in.
formation that interests the public. At
the same time, everybody admits that
the STANDARDS Washington special
service is the best in the Northwest.
IL ought to be: IL is the most expensive
and the best organized special service
provided for any newspaper in these
parts. Besides, the STANDARD takes
particular pride i'm the promptness with
which il has presented every detail re-
lating TO Mr.. Carriers career.
We may say that these columns are a
complete history of the Montana mem
l..,, ..n.no,,nnl .xparfan,a a,,l that
IL has afforded the STANDARD great
pleasure to speak in hearty commenda-
ton of some of the things he has done.
We regret that Mr.. Carter could not
get an appropriation for a federal build
| ing i'm Butte and we are downright
sorry that. in pursuit of that form of
appropriation, he gave Helena the long
lead. Perhaps il wasn't in his thought
to give Helena the preference in this
matter, but il would be difficult TO per
suade west-siders that his intention
was To give the two cities an even show.
This much, however, is certain Carter
never would favor the Independent
ahead of the STANDARD with any let.
ter or any item of Washington news,
and we expect our Helena contempt.
rary "a make all the amends required
by It's unduly ambitious paragraph re-
lating to the Carter letter.
But the letter in question involves
considerations of much greater weight
than those which turn on newspaper
rivalry. Putting together the Seligman
letter and yesterdays Carter interview
with which the STANDARD was favored.
the conclusion is that the congressman
really does not crave a second term.
Wetaken note of this, for the reason that
the STANDARD would have to help whip
him this year for a cardinal reason
which was SO well put in the STANDARD
two days ago that the Inter Mountain
quoted il. IL was this:
The personality incident Ia every political cam.
paign viii not he Of special significance In neN
autumn's contest. The names Of candidates will
he n matter Of relatively small account.
This little statement Is true. The
issue In Montana will be strictly i'm
personal il will turn on the merit, or
rather on the honesty. of the Home
stake precinct count. Montana would
not elect a white. robed angel this year
We're IL a candidate for congress on the
republican ticket. The election will
not specially involve the remarkable
worth of candidates: rather il will set
tie a vital question involving personal
rights and political honesty. Better
than any other man, Mr.. Carter under
stands this. He's not 10y any means
the fraud that Sanders is. Hes not the
political nonentity that Power is known
to be: and il is not in Carriers plan or
purpose to 20 into the vicarious atone
ment business for these his two re-
publican associates, who are not worthy
even SO much as To unloose the latchet
of Carriers political shoes.
Indeed. renewing the question that
ran through Montana two years ago, we
may inquire with eminent propriety to-
day: whats the matter with Carterg"
lie appears TO be pretty nearly "all
right" Still, a dozen Helena republi-
cans lately interviewed 10y the Inde-
pendent, seem TO be unwilling To ad-
NIT as much. There is the letter two
days old about which there isn't the
slightest of guile. Yet Colonel
McCutcheon says: Garter has not de.
clined: he does not say he will not ac-
cept." state Treasurer Hickman re-
marks: IL think he would accept a re-
nomination il rendered unanimously"
while state kenney observes. Il do not
look upon the letter as a declinatiou."
The STANDARDS close acquaintance