The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-09
MONTANA Is ALL RIGHT
Governor Richards Message Makes
That Point Plain.
1T IS AN ABLE DOCUMENT
The Executive Reviews the Splen-
did Progress of Recent Months
and Urges the Legislature to
Perform Its Duty Faithfully.

GelittCDien OF Ule fOufth Legislature <4SSeni-
bly Of the State Of Montana:
BY direction of the constitution of this
| state, have the honor to submit for your
consideration my views relative to some
| of the important questions bearing upon
| the welfare of the commonwealth. In all
new states many problems must remain
unsolved until experience has ripened
| the judgment of the people and pointed
out the way to their intelligent solution.
Montana is no exception to the rule.
| Upon the threshold of statehood our law
makers were confronted by questions of
vast importance to the future. The tram
| sition from territorial life into the
| broader functions of tho state involved
| responsibilities of far-reaching charac-
/ ter. New laws, new methods, new insti-
| tutions, new enterprises for the present
and new hopes for the future had to be
considered by those delegated with the
| responsible duties of the legislative as
| semby. Much of this work has been
done, more remains to be done, and upon
you, gentlemen of tEis honorable body,
rest responsibilities that l am sure will
be honorably met and intelligently dis
charged.
| shall feel honored if any suggestion
| herewith submitted aids you in any man
| ner to reach satisfactory conclusions in
| the work before you. Any information
| attainable by the executive oflice, bearing
| on questions TO which you must address
yourselves, will be most cheerfully fur
| nished you. congratulate you that Mon
| tana has weathered the late financial
| storm more successfully than most of her
/ sister states. and / believe, with prudent
| and careful legislation, her recovery from
| the shock of unwise congressional action
may be speedy and complete. As the
1 h. nFatf Of al Nla sNf
| this state, as the accredited agents of the
| taxpayers whose best interests you are to
| serve, i congratulate them and you that
| the opportunity has come to rectify that
| which experience may have proved to be
| unwise, and to promote the welfare of the
commonwealth by wholesome legislation
| for tho future.
STATE OFFICERS.
can not speak too highly OF the ef-
ficient and careful manner in which the
several state officers have discharged their
| responsible duties. Their duties have, in
| some cases. necessitated long hours and
| overwork OH account of the lack OF suf-
ficient clerical help. l also wish to COM
mend the assistants and clerks in the
various departments of the state govern
ment.
DEFERRED IEPoRTS.
Several state reports containing inn
portant recommendations will be placed
in your hands at a later date. The brief
time between the closing of the fiscal year
| and the convening of this body makes 1t
| impossible to prepare and publish all the
state reports with the limited clerical help
| in most of the state offices. L regret
that cannot, in this connection, make
reference to many important suggestions
| contained in these reports, but | bespeak
for them your careful consideration. This
is especially true of the work of the at
GUS in his untiring devotion to the duties
| of his important position, and has rendered
| faitful service to the state in season and
| out of season. A complete report of his
work would be found of great value to you
| in discharging the responsibilities that
rest upon you as lawmakers.
| CORRUPT PRACTICE ACT.
The corrupt use of money in elections
should be prevented by stringent laws.
In no other way can the evil be abated.
| The collection of campaign funds by
political committees to meet the
| demands made upon them by
political mercenaries has grown into an
abuse of the most disgusting character.
| Poor men, however well qualified for
office and whatever their personal merits,
| often find themselves seriously crippled
financially at the end of a campaign on
account of the campaign expenses they
are compelled to meet. To such an eX-
tent has this evil grown in all political
parties that the ability of an aspirant for
office to contribute literally to cam
paign fund Is often more influential
factor in securing his nomination than
actual merit. Candidates for Office
should be protected from the exactions of
committees, as we'll as from those who,
upon various preteXts. seek to secure
money as the price of their political sup
port. The expenditures of a candidate
for political purposes should be rigidly
limited and strictly defined, thus aford-
ing protection to the honest man who is
nominated for Office, and protecting the
| public from tho designs of dishonest
nominees. Tho importance of corrupt
practice act, which Will eliminate money
| as n factor in determining the results OF
an election in which public interests are
involved, can not be too seriously con-
sidered, nor can such provision be too
| promptly enacted into law. The broader
and higher interests of the state impera-
lively demand that character and ability
be made the basis of political success.
BALLOT Reform.
! Two years ago / recommended such
changes in the Australian ballot law as
would place the names of party candi-
dates in separate columns, and thus en-
| able the voter TO vote his entire party
ticket with one mark If he so desires, but
allowing him the privilege of marking in
detail. l again call the attention of the
/ legislative assembly to the desirabillty OF
| this change in the ballot. Ii Is fact re-
! peatedy demonstrated that the position
of a candidates name with reference 20
| the alphabet often determines the ques-
tion of his election or defeat, and so thor.
| oughly is this understood in some locali-
ties that a candidate initial letter has no
! little influence in \ nominating conven-
| ton. Additional safeguards to insure
secrecy 10 the voter and honesty on the
! part of judges of election, as we'll as 10
shield the ballot box from the machina-
tions of designing men. should be thrown
around the voting system now IN vogue in
/ this state. The iIliieratc voter should cy-
I crcise the high preroEativc OF a citizen,
not by the use Of cards and devices and
explanations that rob his ballot Of the Sc.
/ creC.v intended by tue Law, but by a sim.