The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-01-07
Letter From the Capital.
BOISE Cry. Jan. 3, 1898.

BOISE CITY, Ian. s, 1870.
Ed. KEYsroNE: The respective
contingents Of the body elected to
constitute the second Legislature Of
the State Of Idaho were pretty we'll
represented in the capital city BY
the middle of last week. All the
populists but Col. j. w. Ballantine
of Alturas were on hand by Satur-
day morning and soon proceeded
to throw up breastworks and re-
connoitre in the region occupied
by the enemy. In the Senate the
prospect was not 80 discouraging as
in the House. The four populists
there properly availed themselves
of the situation by forming tenn
porary alliance with the democrats
to organize the body and will have
everything from chief clerk to mes
senger on an equitable division.
Their officers are not elected at the
time of this writing.
The House proceeded to business
at IL o'clock, noon, yesterday, and
the republican contingent at once
determined to skin the cat while
they had it. No recess was taken
until the House organization, 80 far
as attaches are concerned. was per-
fected. They took everything from
speaker to page-electing the slate
previously arranged in caucus with
out exception. The 6. 0. p. was some
what in a hurry owing to certain
contingencies wherein two or three
republicans known to be extremely
disgruntled could have upset the
party gloriously. They were not
sufficiently disgruntled, however,
to go to the relief of the populists
and democrats, as the first ballot
for speaker explained.
We are fair enough as populists,
however, to say that no better
choice, from a non-partisan stand
point, could have been made for
Speaker of the House than that of
D. T. Miller, the present incumbent.
And although the populists cannot
hope for any material advantages
in the House, it will no doubt be
considered with some respect as to
committee appointments, etc.
The pOpulists are GIN THE MIDDLE
OF THE ROAD"
You will see by reference to the
Statesman Of this morning that
Ketchum populists especially had a
representative here when the House
was being organized. Although
they were expecting nothing, and
were not disappointed, the popu-
lists nevertheless made little mat
ter of record that cannot be efaced
from the great journal nor denied
throughout ali time. Though but
five in number, we proceeded with
all the dignity and air of assurance
that our erring brethren possessed,
to place before the House of Repre-
sentatives of the Idaho Legisla
ture its first populist candidate for
speaker. That gentleman was Geo.
J. Lewis, Of Alturas, who, when the
ballot was counted, doomed up with
the support of the entire populist
contingent; thus much and no
more was dreamed of. 1t is land
mark on the highway of our politi-
cal progress, which translated reads
about as follows: Keep in the
middle Of the road"
Miss Leona Griffin, another
Ketchumite, was remembered also,
in the shower Of unavailing COM
plimcnts and received Is votes Of
II necessary for a choice to the
position of enrolling clerk.
There is broad highway between
the other old parties and our camp
ing grounds, and many evidences
that it will be largely travelled be-
tween now and the next campaign.
The political outlook is simply all
we could desire.
FREE COINAGE.