406 



MONTANA. 



be coined at such ratio as will maintain the two metals 

 in circulation. 



The other declarations of the platform were in 

 favor of tariff for revenue only and the income 

 tax; denounced the McKinley act, commended 

 the repeal of the Federal election law, and pledged 

 the party to resist attempts to introduce ques- 

 tions of religious faith into politics. 



Francis M. Black was nominated for Justice 

 of the Supreme Court, W. T. Carrington for 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, and J. H. 

 Finks for Railroad Commissioner. 



The State Convention of Prohibitionists, which 

 met at Catrollton, May 31, nominated II. 13. 

 Robinson for Justice of the Supreme Court, Miss 

 Ellen D. Morris for Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction, and P. C. Yates for Railroad Com- 

 missioner. 



The resolutions declared for absolute prohibi- 

 tion, universal suffrage, and gold, silver, and pa- 

 per money, all to be at par ; opposed national 

 banks, issue of Government bonds, and land- 

 holding by nonresidents; favored limiting in- 

 dividual and corporate ownership of land, and 

 election of President, Vice-President, and United 

 States Senators by direct vote of the people : also 

 favored free trade, with a nonpartisan tariff 

 commission ; and opposed the formation of trusts. 



The Republican Convention was held at Ex- 

 celsior Springs, Aug. 15. There was division on 

 the silver question in the committee, but the ad- 

 vocates of silver carried the resolution in favor 

 of its coinage. A resolution condemning the 

 American Protective Association was offered but 

 was not presented by the Committee on Resolu- 

 tions. The platform expressed sympathy for 

 the Hawaiian Republic, censured the pension 

 policy of the Government, and the repeal of the 

 Federal election law, declared in favor of pro- 

 tective duties, and said further : 



We favor the largest possible coinage of silver that 

 is consistent with the permanent maintenance of 

 equal purchasing and debt-paying power of all dollars 

 in circulation. We do not want monometallism of 

 either gold or silver, and we pledge ourselves to con- 

 tinue to work for bimetallism to be brought about by 

 all means within the power of the Government. 



W. M. Robinson was nominated for Supreme 

 Court Judge, J. R. Kirk for Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction, and Joseph Flory for Rail- 

 road Commissioner. 



The vote for Justice of the Supreme Court was 

 as follows : F. M. Black, Democrat, 226,547 ; W. 

 M. Robinson, Republican, 229,641; Orvill D. 

 Jones, Populist. 42,463; Reuben B. Robinson, 

 Prohibition, 3,099; Albert E. Sanderson, Social- 

 ist-Labor, 1,573. The Republicans also elected 

 their candidates for Superintendent of Schools 

 and Railroad Commissioner. The total vote for 

 Judge of the Supreme Court was smaller by 38,- 

 201 than that for President in 1892. 



The Republican candidates for Congress were 

 elected in 10 districts, the Democratic in 5. The 

 Legislature will stand, on joint ballot : Demo- 

 crats, 77; Republicans, 95; Populists, 2. 



MONTANA, a Western State, admitted to the 

 Union Nov. 8, 1889 ; area, 146,080 square miles ; 

 population, according to the census of 1890, 132,- 

 159. Capital, Helena. 



(iroveriiinent. The following were the State 

 officers during the year: Governor, John E. 



Rickards, Republican ; Lieutenant-Governor, 

 Alexander C. Botkin ; Secretary of State, Louis 

 Rotwitt; Treasurer, Frederick W. Wright; Au- 

 ditor, Andrew B. Cook ; Attorney-General, Henri 

 J. Haskell; Superintendent of Public Instruc- 

 tion, Eugene A. Steere ; Chief Justice of the Su- 

 preme Court, William Y. Pemberton ; Associate 

 Justices, W. H. De Witt and E. N. Harwood. 



Finances. According to the report of the 

 State Treasurer the total revenues for ISIK; 

 amounted to $440,810.99. In 1894 the total rev- 

 enues amounted to $406.119.26, a net decrease 

 of $34,691.73. The falling off in receipts for 

 taxes was $11,276.69. while the loss in licenses 

 reached a total of $23,415.04. 



Education. The State has secured title to 

 180 acres in Bozeman for the Agricultural Col- 

 lege ; to 40 acres in Missoula for the University ; 

 to 10 acres in Dillon for the Normal School. 

 The Board of Trustees of the School of Mines 

 have selected 4'31 acres in Butte, but title has 

 not yet passed to the State. With the exception 

 of the Agricultural College, none of these 

 schools have been opened. The work of this 

 college is being carried on in a building pro- 

 vided by the citizens of Bozeman. 



Charities. The first annual report of the 

 State Board of Charities and Reform was sub- 

 mitted to the Governor in February. It con- 

 tained recommendations bearing principally 

 upon the penal and reformatory institutions. It 

 declared unwise the policy of letting out by con- 

 tract the care of convicts, paupers, and insane, 

 and recommended that the State take such mat- 

 ters into its own hands. 



Prisons. On this subject the Governor, in 

 his message, said : 



At the last session of the Legislative Assembly an 

 appropriation of $72,000 was made for the construc- 

 tion of the Eastern State Piison at Billinirs. Of this 

 amount 42,000 was appropriated for 1893, and $30,- 

 000 for 1894. The citizens of Yellowstone County 

 donated 40 acres of land fjpr the prison site, and active 

 steps were taken in the matter of erecting a buildiiiir. 

 Much embarrassment was caused by the fact that the 

 Third Legislative Assembly appropriated about $2on.- 

 000 in excess of the revenues, and that during the 

 financial panic over $70,000 were locked up in 

 banks. After a most thorough investigation into the 

 financial resources, and a careful estimate as to the 

 amount of revenues for the fiscal year 1893, the Board 

 of Examiners were unable to certify to the Board of 

 State Prison Commissioners that any portion of tin- 

 appropriation for the Eastern Prison for that year 

 could be made available. The status of this appro- 

 priation could not be determined until December 

 after the taxes had been collected. It was found th; 

 only $12,000 out of an appropriation of s42.0o< 

 available. As contracts preliminary to the erection 

 of a building had been let, it was held that this 

 money could be applied in payment of work done in 

 the following year, instead of being covered into the, 

 general fund. Excellent progress was made in l^'. 

 in the line of construction. A total of *.",i;.0ii ( .).l! li: 

 been expended on this institution during the pas 

 two years, and it will require an additional invest- 

 ment of $40.000 to finish the building and furnish it. 

 Necessary improvements have been made at tin- I'e"- 

 itentiary at Deer Lodge. The management of this 



Erison lias been excellent, and the best results possi- 

 le under the contract system have been attained. 



State Reform School. The enactment of a 

 law creating a State Reform School in Miles 

 City and appropriating $25,000 for that purpose 



