The Yellowstone journal., 1894-10-30

Mr. Ed Arnold. Of the republican cen
tral committee of this county, having
sent to Gov. Richards a clipping from
the Courier. IN which the governor was
berated for having vetoed the bounty
bill. the governor responds in clear and
convincing letter which we are pleased
to be able to give to our readers. 1t is
as follows:
HELENA. Oct. n. 1884.
H.. I'd AraOld. Miles city. Mont.
DEAR sIR:-I am in receipt Of your
favor of recent date. enclosing an
excerpt from demcratic paper re
latiye to my veto Of Il bounty bill pass
ed by the last legislative assembly. Ia
the conscientious discharge Of my duty
as governor of tins state | am not un-
Q. .u.Iul Of the readiness Of the demoCra-
&C. plr-s 10 crItIclse my acts. regardless
- tnr motives that IIspiTe them. This
was So fully exempliiieu ~ the democra-
tic demand for an extraordinary session
Of the legislature that no f4rfetch~d
conclusion IN the way Of criticism as
tOuIshes me.
Relative 10 my veto of the bounty bill
! was actuateu by no desire 10 impair M
any way the stock industry IN tins state.
ga industry to which eyerl loyal Mon
tanIan owes the allegIeEce Of his best ct-
forts. In my veto message / said: 4
regret exceedingly that ! cannot see my
way clear To approve house bill No. -,
a. n Is IN many respects an improvement
over the old law" But | was not IN
mindful uI the financial condition Of this
state and that Montana was practically
enable 70 assume the resi- IOnsibIlItE Of
increasing the bounty on wolves and
coyotes from a. to -, as provided IN the
bill. 10 Increase the bounty without
the ability To cash warrants d, their face
value when issued in payment thereof
would defeat the ends and purpose Of
the bill. namely, to facilitate the destruc
tion of these pests. The increase would
have been little inducement il the war
rants could not have been turned IN for
the cash they represented. Yet this
would have been impossible.
The second Legislative assembly ap-
propristed tho sum Of sl2.OOOp per anuum
for the payment of bounties. When the
third legislative assembly convened not
only had the appropriation Of s24 900 for
the two preceding years been exhausted
but the deficiency bill showed valid
claims against the state for bounties, in
excess of the appropriation Of $4,000.
Notwithstanding this excess Of the !
it WAS the purpose OF the |
rev bounty bIll to increase the bounty
on wolves and coyotes to 50. Ii was only |
a few years ago that it was necessary to |
re convene the legislature, at great ex |
pense, to repeal the bounty on prairie /
logs. to save the treasury from bank /
ruptcy. In view Of the responsibilities /
assumed by the creation of new institu |
tIons like the Reform School in your
city. and the financial depression that |
everywhere prevails, lessenlng the value
Df taxable properties and the revenues OF
the local government, what would have
been the practical effect of house bill
No. 30 had il become law? In the
light OF past experience what would
have been the deficiency bill to cover
warrants? In short by
v hat system of financial iugglery could
he state of Montana have met it's obli-
in default of the ability to ex-
:eed the limit of Indebtedness, to borrow
money or to bond the state?
The question of protecting our live
stock industry is an important one, but
protection that does not protect-a
bounty on stock destroying animals,
promised but not pald-would not only
iefeat the purpose aimed at, but ulti-
nately bring discredit to the state. No
nan car feel a deeper interest in the pro
notion Of an industry SO closely assoc
ated with the growth and welfare of
Montana. yet in my official capacity it
becomes my duty to protect all interests
alike and above all to guard with ieal,.
,us care the financial interests OF the
I.L -. e. ha
,ret that I felt over the conditions that
made my veto Of house bill No. 80 a
,ecessity,. / still feel. and i sincerely