, 1923-01-19
The GoUernor's Opportunity.

WHAT an opportunity Governor Ross has before
w him If he can measure up to the expectations
of his friends who promoted MS caneieacy IN ha
* n really big man. he has the chance TO be q real
governor of all the people or he can be a common
place and ordinary contender foF places oas1 rt Pc I
easily and quickly. He is pretty close to the cross
roads and a few days or at farthest a few weeks
will determine what calihre governor he proposes
10 be.
There arc a few things Governor Ross must bear
IN mind and if he is wise he will consider them.
His election to office is in no sense a Democratie
party victory. From a party standpoint his elec-
ton was an accident. The votes that put MIN
over were Republican votes. He could not nave
been governor otherwise. Had the election peea
q strict party division he wuld have been ieit at
the quarter post, for Wyoming is a republican
state and the members of that party far outnumoer
the members of the governors party: And announcer
noint 10 be ~membe is that while Republicans
Furnished the votes that decided the election tney
furnished a great many more than the slender ma
iority would indicate, for there was a very consul
cradle number of members of the governors party
who did not vote for him but gave their FRANCHISE
to his Republican opponent
So, to call it a Democratic victory In the ordt-
nary sense of the term is a misnomer. It was not
a Democratic victory but a political protest grow.
ing out of Republican domestic occurrences and
Governor Ross received the benefits.
Now he can be the Governor of the Democratic
Marty If he can make it work with every other state
official and both branches Of the Legislature soudly
Republican, many of them going into office with u
greater vote OF confluence tnAh IL eo'efn"f ~
ceived. .
1t would seem to be a time to look where you are
stepping and step lightly, also leave all big sticks
on the wood pile.
Republicans ought not to embarrass or punish
the governor for the sole reason that he is g
Democrat. That is puerile and unworthy, but the
governor should have the good sense to rid himself
of the great raft of one-horse Democratic politi
clans and Job hunters who are camping on his trail,
trying to convince him that they put 1t over, and
without them he would still be presiding over a
dusty law office in Cheyenne and have for his COM
panions a lot Of musty law reports.
For the most part these valiant job hunters had
nothing more to do with the election results than
no many residents of Timbuctoo, and in many cases
Ct is Yery doubtful If they know more than 10 per
cent of the voters in the bailiwicks where they
claim TO have operated; and 1t Is more than GER
tain that they could not have influenced much
moro than their own vote among those whom they
do know. So much for that phase of the situation.
Appointments to public office placed in the
hands of the governor by the constitution and the
statutes are not the governors personal property,
and in no sense rewards for personal service or
otherwise
These appointees are to perform public work for
the people, not to draw salaries TO keep from doing
work elsewhere. These places are not sinecures.
Intelligence, ability, special training and fitness
are required of the men who fill them creditably.
In the first place, a mistake will be made by
supplanting any official before the expiration Of
the term fixed and the appointment made.
In the second place, q worse mistake will be
made by any attempt to clean out Republicans.
simply because they are Republicans and Demo
Gratis want the jobs.
In the third place, any attempt to mako It a
purely Democratic regime under the existing cir
cumstance would be next door to rank foolishness.
His friends soy the governor Is big enough and
wise enough to adjourn politics and do business,
and we hope they are true prophets, for the good Of
the public business, which is the only important
thing any of them have in hand.
Word comes in the press reports that various
candidates aye certain Of selection and among
them six, seven, or eight from NatronR county.
Thfa ta hnaninU fnn MANY lnuPp1a Tnnn Nnfrnpa
county brows. They cannot stand the strain.
Simply because Natrona county happened to tilt
the lid in the late election is no reason that Dem,
pcrats of this county should be so literally re