The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1963-04-05
State House Beat
FRANKLY SPEAKING
By FRANK SMALL


Irish General, who holds his swor4
able evils, to get better view of tn
events transpiring beneath his bras
mount and before it was over Tin
was up there back to back with tn,
General. Fantasy is fun but wha
really is going to happen is funnier
Inside the Capitol stands Colone
Wilbur Fisk Sanders with one hand
tucked in his brass pocket as he sur.
veys the rotunda with the stern die
tum on his tin pedestal proclaiming
edo. your duty, a quote from the
time he was doing a little hanging
around the Virginia City area. His
vigilantes stretched the neck of Sher-
iff Plummer's gang and stiffled "free
enterprise by public officials to
some degree.
But he can't stand there very much
longer because the glass and wrought
steel floor is going to be ripped up
in the remodeling plans which is 60
ing to take million and a half dol
lars out of the states poke. The floor
of the rotunda is probably three
times the strength of any floor in the
building. That's besides the point.
Where is Sanders going to go?
Well, one time when my father was
custodian of the Capitol one of the
guys working for him got little to
much Irish whiskey in him and started
commissioning about the poor Gen.
eral having to sit out there in the
cold while Colonel Sanders stood in
the warm rotunda. The rollers were
placed under the Colonel and he was
headed for the door but was stopped
by my father who, although he was
a Democrat, wouldn't allow such a
thing to happen to a Montana char
acter even though he was a Republi-
can like Col. Sanders.
The rollers are going to be placed
under the statue again, only this
time he is going to make it out the
front door and down the front steps.
After that his destination is not quite
clear because he will be back into
politics again.
During the legislative session / dis
cussed this matter of moving the
Colonel with Senator Sumner Gerard
R-Madison) and Senator Charles
Bovey (D-Cascade) who are inter
ested in this years centennial cele-
,rations to be held in Virginia City
ind surrounding territory. Both were
concerned with the welfare of the
Colonel but had divergent views as
o what role he should play in this
festivities.
Gerard thought that he should have
vantage point in Virginia City, but
'ovey thought that Nevada City
eeded the attraction more, so the
'olonel may find himself shuttled
bout once he leaves the rotunda.
4 4
Tuesday bunch of the folks were
p from Madison county to show Tim
he costumes and boards being made
eady for this years tourist season,
nd tourist paydirt. It
It's very funny the way history 8
GEMS to repeat itself. The old stage 3
zach ll1S OcSI IOpldC0u ny LIE uuSe a
sment trucks. TIL sheriff who wanted +
.ontana gold for his Montana people 0
IS been replaced by Governor who =
rs his club foot transport associa- b
ON on the lookout for ways to divert Is
!e federal gold flowing into the
,velopment of our water resources
Yellowtail and Knowles.
The cobbling done around the Gov :
nor's office is something to see. -
rst clubfoot Leonard Eccles taps !,
e lists of Republican hopefuls this ~
~ and then clubhead Mel Engles, =
publican party chairman, taps the :
t that way. =
Tap, tap, tap the fingers go in the ~
publican club. It's a good thing -
j. Sanders is going to leave the
.pitol for couple of summers
obably would cover his eyes with Ell
anne.
TIL
Frankly Speaking-Held Over w