Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-06-08
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING. June 5, 1872.
WHY Is THE ELECTION PosTPONED2

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WHY Is THE ELECTION PosTPONED2
The Courier endeavors to inform US, but
in doing so abuses US roundly for asking
troublesome questions and requiring it to
answer them. The reply is considerably
over column in length, and more than
half of that space is devoted to personal
detraction. Now we maintain that our ar
ticle was both digui6ed and courteous, its
premises justified by facts and the conclu-
sions logically drawn, and that We were en-
titled to fairness and courtesy in return.
The Courier says that Congress changed
all general elections to November, in order
Ito produce uniformity and prevent that
importation Of votes from one State or Ter
ritory to another, which has become so
common" This would be admitted as
sound reason, had it not transpircd that
the general bill placing ali elections in
November, would not 90 into effect until
1876, and the only effect of Gar6elie's
special act will be to make our election
come on at different time from that in Or
egon. If, as the Courier admits, the danger
of importation Of votes has become quite
common, and the holding Of elections on
the same day will prevent the fraud, by
what process Of reasoning docs it arrive at
the conclusion that the opposite course will
have precisely the same effect?
Again, it asserts that "the farmers, the
stock-raisers, miners and others, could bet
ter leave their business" to attend the cleo
ton in November than June. If this is
true, what woful blunder the first Legis.
lature made in fixing it in June, and what
fools the members Of the sixteen Legisla.
tive Assemblies that have met since then
have been, that they have not changed it
to more convenient season The posi-.
ton of the Courier is not defensible. In
November the Indictment season has begun,
the days are short, and travel, especially
by land, attended with much discomfo
and Inconvenience.
The only other reason assigned by our
contemporary for the change has still less
force. This is it: To postpone the cleo
ton would allow time for the Delegate to
"return home and advise and consult with
his constituents. What special benefit
this would be to the constituents does not
appear, nor is it at all probable that we
would have been deprived of the inestima-
bic companionship Of Selucius, if the bill
had not passed, as he had made arrange
ments to commence canvass Of the Terri.
tory at Walla Walla 10 that event.
This is the justification of Mr.. Garfeldc
as made BY his mouth-piece, after mature
deliberation and careful preparation. Not
enc Of the positions will support its own
weight, and they but make the Courier
appear ridiculous in the eyes of sensible
people. If we needed auy further evidence
of the weakness Of its cause, it is afforded
In the shutting mode of defense, 1t adj
mits that the measure is unpopular in the
following language:
I" The people may at frst blame the Comfy
Auditors, and these may blame the Olympia
- nrae h. as
the Delegate"
This isabsurd. Nobody blames any one
but Gar6elde, and the Courier very iuge.
niously seeks to divert the true scent BY
firing into flock. Now see how anxious
itappears to be TO impress this fiction upon
the public. 10 another paragraph it says !:
+" Here seems to be the real source of the
trouble, or fault, il any, if any one thinks that
somebody must be TO blame. We cannot say
that We think Mr.. Corbett is to be blamed
Yet il the blame be anywhere, it lies with him
rather than with any one else, whether it be
Gov. Solomon or Secretary Clements
In other words, the Courier afirms ::
LIST, There is blame; I'd, No blame at
taehes to Mr.. Gar6elde, but to somebody
else /; and finally it concludes, Sd, That
there 10 no blame at all.
N IL this conclusion is a proper one, why
has'our contemporary taken three columns
of space to discourse about Nothing?
Why atser these labored articles, does it
Istsrs to the subject 10 Thursdays paper,