Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-13
WRETCHED BAD TASTE.
opinion as

Tom Matthews of Butte, when that
gentleman was speaker of the Montana
house of representatives. and his exhibits
in the chair were properly labelled and
/ filed away with the current jokes of the
season. But if Matthews spilled over from
time to time he was honest about it, and
no one suffered from anything worse than
a good laugh when he announced, for in
stance, that "this 'ouse stands adjourned
till 2 o'clock p. m. this afternoon
Just now, however, a gentleman occu-
pies the position of speaker of the house
who is far better qualified to perform the
duties of %janitor. We say this out of no
personal d%isrespect for Mr.. Stiff, and with
all the reverence justly due the chair
which he holds down, but merely because
it is true.
Laying aside the question of inadequate
breadth between the eyes, as illustrated
! by an exhibition of personal spite in the
appointment of house committees, the
speaker has shown wretchedly bad taste
in the undue manipulation of his mouth.
Yesterday, when the roll call on United
States senator was in progress, he re-
| sponded as follows:
Unlike the member from Lewis and
Clarke, | came here pledged to no man,
under no obligations to vote for n in
dividual, but at perfect liberty to cast
my vote for whoever in my judgment
seemed best fitted for the position of
United States senator. But if had been
SO indiscreet as to pledge my vote before
l was elected, after the evidence intro
duced here by the committee showing
that one candidate was a criminal, l
would have felt released from all obliga-
ton that | might LAY made. l am here
to cast my vote according to my best
beliefs and convictions. I vote for w. G..
Conrad.
In the foregoing Representative Day is
accused of having come to the Legislature
pledged in advance to vote for a certain
man for United States senator, although
that gentleman had previously stated
that his vote was pledged to no one. AS
presiding officer of the house Speaker
Stiff gave the lie to Representative Day.
The diplomatic language used does not
destroy the meaning conveyed by the
words. A few minutes before this speech
was made Mr.. Day had changed his vote
from j. X. Toole to w. A. Clark.
Then Speaker Stiff "rubs it in" with
the statement that one candidate was d
criminal referring to the gentleman for
whom MI. Day had just voted. What
ever the chair may think of the state
ments made by Mr.. Whitesides, Speaker
Stiff was guilty of a gross IMPROPERLY in
reaching an official conclusion for the
house. AS presiding officer of the house
he should have recognized the fact that
the Joint assembly did not pass on tbs
criminality of Candidate Clark, but in
stead of assuming that responsibility
promptly ~reIegated the confession of Mr.
Whitesides to the grand jury. Had tina
body deemed the evidence before it ample
and the case complete, it would have beer
unnecessary to ask for the immediate en-
pannclling of a grand jury to determine
its truth or falsity for the guidance of tn
legislature. 1t was the doubt enshroud
!. ing the matter that led the assembly t.
r take the course it did.
With positive evidence before it imniedi
e ate proceedings could have been take
e looking to the apprehension of the guilt
would have been out of place. Therefor,
t with the case still pending, the presidin
officer of the house had no light to sa
that one of the candidates before tha
r body was a criminal, and that the men
g Der from Lewis and Clarke was pre-
: pledged to vote for him. Such statement
: would have been bad enough coming fro,
e any member on the floor, but to emarat
e from Speaker Stiff was as rank a di.
courtesy as ever disgraced a presidin
n officer.
The Anaconda Standard quotes from
silver resolution adopted by the demo