The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-01-09
MIKE, OF ROCKER.

MIKE OF ROCKER,
The latest manifestation of journal
istic genius in the Montana sphere de-
mands our prompt attention. 1t is
rather mystic, il is impersonal. yet il is
tangible enough To have Il name-it is
Mike, of Rocker. Mike is writing edi-
torial comment for the Butte Inter
Mountain, although his contributions
are assigned To the local page for two
reasons: first. because Mike tells the
truth and. next. that the mystery i'm
w sets of motives and opinions for
one newspaper may De accurately pre-
served.
About three years ago. Robert Louis
Stephenson wrote "a remarkable book
entitled, "Dr. .Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde"
DIR. Jekyll was "a man of splendid traits,
ranking high in his profession. upright
i'm life, honorable i'm every action.
Lending his will power to some strange
influence. which the mystics must ex-
plain, h Doctor became on occasion u
certain Mr.. Hyde, who was the veriest
monster, greedy. bloodthirsty and vi
cious. The story developes the two
natures thas are in man. for DIR. Jekyll
and Mr.. Hyde are one and the same
person, yet the doctor. as "a rule, knew
not that he was Mr.. Hyde, and Hyde
did not realize that he was Dr. .Jekyll.
Everybody said that the story. horrible
in many of it's details. was wildly alb
surd in its conception.
Yet here comes n Butte Inter
Mountain to show with what perspi-
cacity Mr.. Stephenson traced the oper-
alton of the Butte journalistic mind.
In editorial type. it's Dr. .Jekyll says:
This journal is too good a friend of
the li~eutenant-g governor to believe that
he was actuated in the senatorial strug-
gle by anything except conscientious
motives" Its Mr.. Hyde remarks. on
the local page land yet it appears that
Mr.. Richards. knowing he had the bal
ance of power was willing to sacrifice
the interest of the VIII ole party i'm order
to crafty his own am bition." In bre-
vier, its Dr. Jekyll peers over his specs
to Suggest that u Legislative commits
sion he appointed To visit Silver Bow
county. to find tn e split i'm the republi-
can party Of which idiots have been
talking so much.' while. i'm modest
minion. its Mr.. III yde speaks of the
suspense and disappointment felt i'm
Rocker, particularly 10y republicans, who
are indignant over the action of Mr..
Richards"
Under n influence potent i'm Main
street. the Inter Mountain tells MS that
- Al htS eNSi pNStl t"'
friend of Mr.. Mantle" then. yielding 10
the prompting of the Rocker hallucina-
ton. il asserts that "Rickar,ls must
have seen that he did not stand a ghost,
of IA show and should then and there
have thrown his strength to Mr.. Man
tie" Its second page declares that "all
the friends of MIR. Richards. among
whom this journal desiresto be counted.
rejoice at his exhibition of patriotism"
yet it's other self from Rocker prompts
il to remark. on the fourth page. that
the fact that a west-side senator 'was
not chosen is a disgrace To every repub-
lican who made ii possible for the east
side to be "A hog" and n responsive
second "a echoes back the u~tterance:
lat one time Mr.. Richards held the key
to the situation. and he will never be
bic to convince the people that he did
not" The Inter Mountain proclaims
that lit has continuously upheld the
hands of Mr.. Richards and denounced
his detractors,' while Mike, of Rocker.
chimes in: Mr.. Richards must not be
carried away with IA idea that the po-
.sition he now occupies was wholly ac-
quired by his popularity"
The STANDARD does not quote all
this merely to institute a simple, every
day parallel, such as some newspapers
delight i'm. 1t has not i'm mind even one
of those luminous and deadly parallels
in which the recent Lemuel Eli Quigg
used to unfold his journalistic oddities.
We take it that, in the phrases just
quoted, there is suggestion for pro-
found psychological research on the
part of people who like that sort of
thing. OF course Mike, of Rocker, is "A
myth. His name does not appear in