The Governor's 'Miraculous' Absence

The 1st of February has passed and yet Governor Ferry has not returned as promised. Can it be that the Governor lied for political effect when a few days before the senatorial election he said that he was about to return to the duties at the Capital? Governor Ferry was prostrated when he left the state, surrendering all his official duties into the hands of Lieutenant Governor Laughton. Ferry had made a trade with Squire, when the former received his nomination, by which all influence of the Governor should be thrown to Squire in his senatorial fight. It was said that Ferry owed Squire nearly $100,000 and was therefore under financial as well as political obligation to the senator from Seattle. Squire's manager found Laughton very intractable, so they determined to undermine him by threatening the speedy return of Ferry to force Laughton's hand. The Post-Intelligencer therefore came out with an interview with Ferry, who was at Santa Barbara, in which Ferry praised the marvelous medicinal qualities of Santa Barbara milk and promised to return to his duties by the 1st of February. This was virtually an attack on Acting Governor Laughton, who, however, was able to counter with a letter in which it appeared that the Governor had not experienced so miraculous a cure and was not likely to return for some time. Ferry not having returned as promised shows that the whole business was a put-up job to insult Acting Governor Laughton, and the denouement justifies the charge that Ferry lied to elect Senator Squire.