The Portland daily press., 1900-05-18
CURRENT COMMENT.
THE MONTANA MESS.
(Buston Transcript. }

(Buston Transcript
The appoin tment OF Clark to be sena-
tor from Montana. which was made BY
the lieutenant governor Of the state the
moment tina I he received the reaigna-
ton Clark sent In. while under firs,
raises some very grave constitutional
questions for the senate to consider. Ths
iteutenaut governor was acting - gov
ernor only In the Temporary absenus Of
the governor from the stats. Governor
smith Was In Cslifornia on private busi-
ness, but could Re readily informed by
telegraph Of Cisrk's resignAtion. Most
lieutenant govsSnors realizing that In the
Temporary absence OF the obisf executive
Of the state their duties were simi ~ TO
keep the routine Of Rovernmept moving,
would at least have Informed the govern
or of the resiR nation Of . senator.
The general understanding 10 that .
lieutenant governor does not aoquire %
great a oonstitutiosal 10 notion Of q gov
error as the power I appointing senators
BY the mere fact Of temporary ABB
sence. Lieutenant Governor Spriggs Of
Montana is Q Clark man. which Governor
Smith 10 not. Not being troubled with
soruples. constitutional or otherwise,
SpriRgs appointed Clark without inform
ing Gossrnor Smith Of his action, and
It was only last night that the latter
learned what had been done and started
for Montana. Spriggs. who appears 20
be ope Of the "elickest' OF "prscticAl
politicians had thrown the governor on
his guard by starting for the Sioux Falls
convention ON the day or about the same
time that Smith left for California. He
retraced his steps IS soen as smith was
out OF sight. thus preventing Norris, the
president Of the State Senate. Q DAILY
man. from continu ne to act az 'exeou-
Ave" There ought to be crisis In
Montana when the trioksd governor and
49, &.lA IA, Aue
very bad quarter OF an hour for the offi-
ciAl whose appointment Of Clark can
only be sustained BY . forced construction
Of the law. The Senate mu &c pess upon
the whole matter; and should Governor
Smith refuse to recognize the action
this lisutsuant governor and make en- ap-
pointmsnt for himseif there would be NO
sod OF the complications that would arise.
The whole transaction 10 . trisk, CLARK
rssigning to saeaps sxprlGioa, and the
lieutenant governor appointing him to
NIL the vacancy In the belief that he
forestailsd action By the executive Of the
state. Even II the Senate confirm the
Wildly of the appcintmsnt.- it will DO
Clarke NO goed with the cou ntry at large,
and ought to nsks certain the selection
OF another sni entirely different kind Of
statesman" when the Montana Legislai
tuTe meets.
THE TAIL WAGS THE DOG.
From the Hartford Times.)
We shall not be Q uiprised II the Bryan
worshippsrs who are going to assemble
ct Kansas City on the Fourth OF JGly
adopt thu whole ticket nominatsd at
Sioux Falls. We suspect, In fact. that
the nomination OF Towns was made with
the expectation or tha hops that 1t will
be ratified By the Democratic msm bsrs OF
the Bryan cult This particular enthu-
s'aat from tbs Northwest ID regarded py
every t-us Bsyapits as ons OF the discf-
piles who most nearly RI sam bles the nam
tsr. Gsorgs Fred Williams says OF hiE-