The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-01

Helena, Dec. E.-This mas Deen q
busy, but uneventful day in legislative
circles. The speakership fight between
Stiff Of Missoula and Day of Helena is
practically unchanged and by common
consent the senatorial contest is virtu-
ally off until that is over. Both the
senate and house democrats will hold
caucuses Sunday to nominate the off,
GERS of the respective bodies. The re-
publicans will probably not go through
the formality of caucuses, they are so
few in number. Notwithstanding the
suppressed excitement over the senato-
rial war. all the democratic members
are fraternizing in a spirit of good fel-
lowship.
Senator Carter arrived from WASH
ington on Friday mornings train. wear
ing a silk hat and a suave smile. The
senator grows more dignified as he
grows older. Not that he was ever
lacking In dignity. but his dignity Row
is of an affirmative rather than a neg.
ative type. His silk hat, of course, has
something to do with it. Then he
walks with a slow. measured stride,
the gait of a man who considers him
self self-contained and well-balanced,
superior to the follies and frivolities Of
the generality of mankind, but yet, in
his broad charity, tolerant of other
peoples imperfections. The senator.
however, has too much hard sense to
let his dignity verge into pomposity.
or course he came to Helena at this
time on private business" Notwith-
standing the epidemic OF grip in the
East. the senator has not returned TO
Montana for his health. For month
rumors have been flying about the
state that Carter was going to throw
the IA republican votes to Clark, On
the theory that IL would disrupt and
disorganize the democratic party and
render certain his reelection in 1900.
Carter is very emphatic in his denial
of these imputations. He swears there
is nothing in them. He's such a
procedure would cover the republican
party with disgrace and infamy, and
that any republican who votes for
Clark will be forever branded as
traitor and a boodler, and be politically
and socially oetracised just as the re-
publicans have been who voted for
J Clark in 1898. The senator says Tom
Marshall is the logical republican can
didate for senator. and he hopes and
expects and fully believes that the re-
publican members will stand by Mar
shall. or some other good republican,
4 l.at fC an
Carter says. And still the Clark people
keep claiming several republican votes
at the start and the whole bunch al
the finish.
I'll As soon as the two houses have or
ganized at noon Monday an adjourn
ment will probably be taken until Tues
day noon, when Governor Smith, will
read his message to the joint assembly,
The governor has completed the docu'
ment, but Of course it's contents are
Z secret 1t is believed that he will re-
} new the recommendations he made tive
s years ago for the creation of a STATE
! railroad commission. The governor Il
5 an earnest advocate of such boart
{ and so is State Treasurer Collins. Regu
} larly the last four or five sessions. bill
providing for such an establishment
have been introduced and regularly de
5 feated. The railroads, with new
( branches and extensions in contempla
! tion. don't want to be hampered by an!
s legislation additional to that now oper
ative. The railroad companies say the.
want free scope in Montana a fev
years more for the unrestricted i'm
provement and development Of thei
various systems. and that that vii
mean much for the improvement an
development OF the state itself. On tn
other hand. they say. IL subjected to tn
Z caprices of a state board of railroa
commissioners. however liberal the &C
creating It might be. railroad enterpris
in this state will be hindered. and th
s extension OF the Burlington. for in
! stance. hopelessly deferred. That is tn
railroad argument. Governor Smit
and those who agree with him think
railroad commission would insure tn