, 1922-06-17
Wyoming's Governors

Upon the organization of the state government t. of
" Wyoming Francis L. Warren was. elected its
first governor, assuming office October IL. 1890
Having been elected United States senator he re-
signed and was succeeded by Amos W. Barber
then secretary of state as acting governor on No
vember "a, 1890.
At the election held in November 1892 John E
Osborn was elected governor to complete the orig
inal term of Governor Warren
William A Richards WAS elected governor in
November 1894, assuming office in January 1895
and served the f~ourGyear term.
DeForest Richards was elected chief executive in
1898, taking the oath in January 1899. He was re
elected in 1902, assuming office in January 1903
Governor Richards served but a few month of his
second term when death overlook him and FEM
more Chatterton, secretary of state, became acting
governor.
In the election of 1904 Bryant B. Brooks was
chosen TO complete the term of the lamented Gov
ernor Richards. In 1906 Governor Brooks was
chosen his own successor, for the regular term.
Joseph NJ Carey was the choice of the people
in 1910 and was inaugurated in January 1911.
John B. Kendrick was the successful candidate
in 1914 and became governor in January 1915. In
the campaign of 1916 he was elected United States
Senator, r%esigning the governorship February 26,
1917. Frank L. Houx by virtue of his office of sec
rotary of state bacame acting governor on the same
date
At the last gubernatorial election November 1918,
Robert d. Carey was elected and took office Jan
nary 1913, and is the present governor.
The next election for governor occurs in Novcn-
Der of this year.
Of the eleven governors and acting governors
since the admission of the state to the union, seven
were Republicans, three were Democrats and one
Joseph NJ Carey was a life long Republican elect
ed on the head of the Democratic ticket, and could
more properly be styled fusion.
Only two governors were chosen their own sue
cessors, DeForest Richards and B. B. Brooks.
There is a considerable sentiment in the state
that a term of four years is a sufficient length of
time. for one person to occupy the governors chair
That a term of this length is equal to two terms
in most other states of the union, where the two
year term is fixed by state constitution.
In the two cases cited there were unusual circum-
stances surrounding them, and possibly the senti
ment for the one term was not SO pronounced as
it is today. DeForest Richards was much beloved
by the public and gave them an excellent admin
istration. In the case of Governor Brooks who
came in for the u~nexpired term of two years of the
Richards term, he had given the people such a
high class, business government in the interim that
there was no question of their choice for the regu
lar term.
There are some excellent things in connection
with the Carey administration the credit for which
no one would withhold from the governor. That
Republicans may differ with the governor on fea
lures of his administration and prefer another
candidate whom they believe will better serve the
people is all perfectly proper and thoroughly Re
publican. And it means nothing so much as a
conviction that a f~ouryear term of office is all
that any Republican in this day ought to ask of
the people.