The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-25
SAID BY THE PRESS
The Benton Paper Makes a Few Re-
marks on Richards.
REGARDING HIS CANDIDACY
How the Governor "Joked" With
the Inter Mountain" Man In
the Recently Widely Ad-
vertised interview.

The River Press has an editorial in
Wednesdays issue that is attracting
considerable attention among the re-
puoHcans. Under the caption Cover
nor Richards joke" the Press SAYS:
The present executive of Montana is
an inveterate joker: his chief delight is
to tell his famous canary bird story.
but next to that nothing pleases him
more than to put up job on a guile
less and unsuspecting newspaper man.
His excellency was in Butte a few
days ago. and an oportunity present
ed itself by which the governor found
he could have some fun with the Inter
Mountain. He was approached by a
reporter of that usually wide-awake
Journal. and requested to express him
SELF In regard to the matter of succeed
ing himself in the gubernatorial chair
Inc governor at once touched the but
ton, and turned on the current of ioc-
ularity, which found expression in the
Following remarks:
The ambition to be governor of so
hne state as Montana is honorable
and my friends will present my claims
TO recognition. / have been governor
during the formative period of the
young state. Under my administration
the state buildings have been begun
and L think my familiarity with the
work fits me to continue il, should the
convention be pleased to Investigate
the facts
The interviewer also credited the
governor with few jocular remarks to
the effect that horse trading while
crossing a stream was an unwise
transaction, the suggestion being that
the present state executive should be
retained to guide the destinies of Mon
tana through the difficulties by which
we are beset.
The Inter Mountain accepted the
above remarks in good faith, and con-
Guided that the present state executive
Is candidate for a second term but
we would suggest to our contemporary
that 1t is the victim of our governors
Joking propensities. About two years
ago, or, to be more exact, in January,
1898, Governor Richards announced
that he was tired of the burdensome
duties attached to the formative pc
Rod of this young state" and desired
to be relieved therefrom. He had COM
pleted about one-half of the official
term given him by the people of Mon
tana, and which he had tacitly agreed
to fill, but the cares and responsible
ties OF the position were so great that
he desired to transfer them to presum-
ably less able hands and become a |
AhOhADSi VI lAC Onlltu states senate. |
Had this desire been gratified, the con- |
sequences to this young state durina |
Its formative period" might have been |
disastrous in the extreme.
The significance of that incident |
should not be underestimated or ig- |
nored. After occupying the state exec |
utive chair for two years only, Gov
ernor Richards found 1t so uncomfort-
able that he desired to be transferred
TO another field of usefulness. By every
known rule of mathematics and poll
tics the position of governor should be
twice as undesirable to Mr.. Richards
after holding down the executive office
furniture during a period of four long
years.
1t should be remembered, also, that
a second term would require Governor
Richards to serve eight consecutive
years in a position that had become
lrksome to him after an experience of
only one-fourth that time. The die
tates of humanity and friendship for
his excellency suggest that he be saved
from such an imposition.