, 1905-02-01
COL. COUTANT"S DECLlNATION

From the different reports current
over the state, it is hard indeed to say
just what the position of Colonel Cou,
tant is in relation to the office of state
librarian. The first new received
was through an interview with the col,
cnel in the Cheyenne Tribune. which
tss that he would o be %acandidatc
for reappointment and that Governor
Brooks would, in all probability, ap.
point Mrs. Fred Bond, an estimable
lady whose husband was state cngi'
neer. Mrs. Bond has three children to
support and could fill the Office of Ii
brarian in a very acceptable manner,
Her friends, who were the friends OF
her honored husband and reside in ev,
cry section of the state. were pleased
to note the evident gallantry evinced
by Colonel Coutant in thus gracefully
withdrawing from the race. They were
10th to believe he would assume the
role 81 recently espoused by Colonel
William Jennings Bryan in his contest
with a widow.
northern Wyoming bearing unmistak'
able evidence that Colonel Coutant was
not sincere in the statement made to
the Tribune that he was not a candi
date, and that he Is furnishing ammu
milton for a bitter campaign for the of
fee. Before the Cody S%tockgrower
and Farmer had time to reach this city
pg had an article there
& in severe terlls the
of the executive sin
mel out in his last days
horse on the desert to
lCoutaN has stated to sever
that it\was his purpose to
Weekly paper. a paper of state,
influence and circulation, that
rs employment would be more con
genial to him and more in accord with
his talents. II this is true, why the
struggle Of his friends in the north
friends who are little aware of all the
facts and circumstances surrounding
the matter at issue.
When the time arrives for the ap
pointment Of Colonel Coutant's success
sor, The Republican has not the $liht
est doubt but that Governor Brooks
will weigh all the evidence carefully
----n-lot kh1 oorItIatn hn hnliayns
most acceptable to the people of the
entire state.
In discussing the somewhat perplex
ing problem, the Cheyenne Leader
says:
$50 much is being said in reference
to the office of state librarian these
days, which appears to be utterly ir
irrelevant and unreasonable, that we
feel constrained to correct a few
wrong impressions which seem to pre-
vail regarding the situation. As far
IA we have been able to learn, matters
came to a head a couple of weeks ago
when Colonel Coutant went to Cover,
nor Brooks and asked him his views
concerning the appointment. The
governor stated that Mrs. Bond had
applied for the position; that it was a
position which a woman could fill and,
all things being equal, he would feel
disposed to appoint a m to the
place. Governor Brooks did not. how.
ever, say hat all things were equal or
that he intended appointing Mrs.
Bond.
Colonel Coutant~ Immediately declar-
ed that he would make no application
for himself-that he would not oppose
the appointment Of the widow of State
Engineer Bond. After he had finished
his interview with the governor, he
made a similar announcement to Mrs.
Bonds friends and accepted with a
good deal of e~quanimity their express
sions Of appreciation Of magnanimity.
$50 far, SO good. 1t was not long,
however, before articles which bore
all the ear-marks of being inspired by
the colonel began to appear in vari-
GUS journals, lamenting the heartless
treatment to which he had been sub
jected and making dire prophecies OF
his early demise. declaring that he a
been turned out to die.
without commenting unkindly on
the colonel or what appears to be his
methods. We cannot but say that we
feel that Mrs. Bond certainly has
claims upon the state equal. II not
mneriu to his own. She is a widow
with . number Of small children. She
and her family are solely dependent
for . livelihood on what she can earn,