The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-08
BOB SMITH WON'T DO
That's What Senator RamSdoll
Says.
NOT RADICAL ENOUGH
ENOUGH
The Populist Senator From Flat
head County Talks Enter
tainingiy to q Re-
porter.

State Senator w. r. Ramsdell of Kalis-
pei, who will probably be one of the nomi-
nees of the populist members of the legis-
lature for the United States senate, has
been confined to his room at the CONNER
cial hotel in this city for several weeks
with typhoid fever. He came to Anaconda
to deliver an address al the *. of l.. ami
versary and did SO, though at that time he
was a very sick man, and the next day he
went to bed and has been under ply
sician's care ever since.
He was able to be up and about the hall
ways yesterday for the first time, and
though still very weak from his siege with
fever, he hopes to be able to 60 to Helena
by the 18th of this month.
Senator Ramsdell retired early last
night, but kindly received a STANDARD re-
porter and talked very entertainingly of
the senatorial prospect.
1.-THE honor of populist nomination for
senator is an empty one this year, but
would not have been had we had the sue
cess we should have had in the elections
in Silver Bow, Granite and few other
west side counties. AS it is, we are on
nearly an equal footing with the demo-
Gratis. Several days ago Senator BroSnan
of Great Falls was in the city and with Rep
resentatives Edwards, Marshall, Oker and
Gus. We decided then that 1t was best
for us, being members of a new party, to
nominate two senators from our own
ranks and not affiliate with the republic
cans or any one else. There are, you see,
so many republican candidates and sew
eral OF them having money and willing to
spend it, that it would not do for us to en-
dorse any of them by votes or open any
avenue for bribery. Nothing of this kind
is anticipated this winter, but to shun the
very appearance of evil we shall act indie
pendenty.
III do not know who tho other nominee
for the senate will be, but l guess that it
will be Oker. Smith may receive the
united support of the Lewis and Clarke
delegation, but think it is doubtful if he
does. You see he came into the party
under peculiar circumstances, sort of
backed into it, and there were several
planks in the platform which he endorsed
with a grain of salt.
"Smith is not radical enough to suit
most of the populist legislators, who were
selected from the labor leaders and
farmers, though he made many friends in
the rank and file of the party during the
campaign. He was very temperate, how
ever, in his speeches, and this did not suit
the legislative ticket, speaking of it in a
general way.
1.-THE mission of our members at this
session will be conferred upon n corrupt
practice act which will be in the nature of
throwing greater protection around the
ballot box and increasing the penalties
for the use of money in elections. The
republicans will hardly dare oppose such
n measure.
I'VE also hope to pass bill regulating
the holding of primary elections. In this
also, we expect republican aid, because ii
was an abuse of the primary system that
caused a split in the republican ranks in
Missoula county this year which enabled
us to elect a populist in one district.
This is about all that has been planned,
but other matters may develop during
the session at Helena"