Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-10-27
An Address
, me Voters of 7nnyston County:

To ne Voters Of 7hurston County:
In behalf OF that portion OF the citizens
of Ihurston county who, meeting together
without regard to former political aifilia-
TONS, have nominated d full county ticket
in opposition to that heretofore put UP by
the Republican County Convention, we
take this manner of announcing briefly
the grounds upon which We claim your
support; .,.oao :; ,,..o...
ana reform of certain abuses which have
crept into the administration OF our coun-
~ affairs, and to prevent those with which
We seem to he threatened.
Too long have we witnessed gross neg
lect of duty of some of our county officers,
and a perverSiOn of the authority welded
by others, which have resulted i'll the seri-
Gus impairment of the public service, the
levy of heavy taxes and the increase OF the
public Indebtedness.
Patiently nave We submitted to the most
arbitrary and corrupt influences in the
nomination aud election of our county
officers.
We have seen the public service made
the means i'll divers corrupt ways, of per-
petCating their tenure of office,
The law has been ruthleSsly trampled
under foot by these same servants OF the
people, " no assume to be our masters, to
increase the liberal fees and salaries fixed
bv statutory enactment.
They have apparently conSpired with
collection of their due proportion of taxes,
and have allowed reductions in ASSESS
ment of their property which We're unjust
and unSanctioLed by law.
We have seen the taxes OF these cOrpOr-
atoms grow smaller by degrees. by the
conniyance of those whose special duty it
is to see that the taxes are uniform.
The most fragrant evidences OF iavorite-
ism have been shown i'll the assessment of
some other taxes. as well a. i'm the allow
ance CT claims against the county.
The threatened dangers we wi h Spe-
cially to avert are those incident to the
proposed election of men whose relations
to the rail- Dad corporations are, and have
been, such that We could not reasonably
expect them TO act impartially i'll any
matter where the interests OF those corpO-
rations are in conflict with the interests of
the county, should the occasion arise, and
we confess that while we are in favor of
fostering these and any other enterprises
calculated to develop the resources and
increase the business of the county by all
proper means, we are not disposed, i'm view
of the disposition which those corpora
tons have uniformly shown. to shirk the
payment OF their share of taxes, to entrust
either the owners or servants with powers
which it is only rational to suppose will
be exercised for their own advantage.
With our opponents we have no personal
issue to make. AS for our method, we
have simply to say that it is the only one
OF which the nature OF the case will a Init.
AS it is the paramount object of all cleo
tons to choose persons to ill the several
official positions with an eye to the best
advantage of the public, we hold it to be
the plain duty of every good citizen to
vote in accordance with his own con-
science, without regard to party bias or
feeling. In other woid DIS, we hold that the
only Legitimate purpose of any political
organization, under whatever name it may
be known-Republican, Democratic or
People'S-is to secure a WISE honest and
efficient administration of public affairs,
by the selection of the best men that can
be had for the public officers.
On that test We are wiling that our tick
ct shall stand or tall, believing that in its
selection we have offered the best OF guar
antics that if it is elected, the expenses of
the county will he reduced that assess
ments will be uniform, that an equal "a
ito of tax will be eXacted from rich and
poor, that all corporations will be COM
PEELED to contribute an equal proportion
to the public revenue, thus materially
the burdens of the people IN
fine, that the duties of the various county
officers VIII be faithfully honestly and
efficiently performed.
). l.. RUDDELL,
q. +. JAMES,
K. :. WESTON,
TiIOS. PkATHER,
+. W. BROWN,
Peoples Cen. Com.