Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-10-29
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON ter.
OLYMPIA, FRIDAY EVENING. OCT. 20, 1886.
Our Highest Duty.

If there is any sincerity in the pro-
LESSONS of the Knights of Labor, they
will not hesitate in making choice
between the candidates for Represen-
tative in Thurston and Mason coun-
ties. One Of the primary objects of
the order has been defined to be to
eliminate from public affairs the pro-
fessional politician, and ais most of
these aspirants come from the legal
profession, lawyers are by special en-
actment debarred the order. There
are, of course, certain judicial offices
to fill, in which thorough knowledge
of the law is requisite, and these by
no means come under the ban of the
order; but experience has shown that
the best work in the Legislative As
sembly has not been done by lawyers.
We need not 60 back any further than
the last session to demonstrate this
fact. The hodge-podge and tumble of
laws which disgrace our statute-books
was the work of no less than three ex-
Judges of the Supreme Court, "as-
sisted" by a dozen or more of legal lu-
minaries of greater or less magnitude.
The result of their labor was striking
verifcation of the adage "Too many
cooks spoil the BROTH; and to any
body who sat in either hall of the As
sembly during the whole session and
heard the arguments of the accredited
big guns on constitutional questions,
with knowledge of the circumstances
which influenced them to be arrayed
in direct opposition on well-defned
principles of law, the duty of electing
plain, common-sense men for law
makers, was presented in an exceed
ingly imperative form. The license
given to the profession, of holding one
view as an individual and another
wheen feed as a lawyer, seems to have
created a lax system of moral respon-
sibility and opened the door to petit
Jogging even within the sacred pre-
cincts of the legislative halls, and the
Knights did well when they estab:
lished the tenet of their creed that
relegates to the legitimate duty of their
profession, those who have undertaken
to expound the law as made by the
people.
Mr.. Van Epps is man of anergy,
judgment and marked probity of
character. His success in private life
is an indication that he can be trusted
in the management of public affairs.
He is free from clique influence, and
possesses a mind of his own, which is
warmly enlisted in all projects for
the public welfare. He will be in the
Legislature a man of influence, one
who can command respect, and one
who will legislate for the people, the
poor as well as the rich, and will OPP
pose all schemes for plundering the
treasury or for broadening the lines
between capital and labor. Mr.. Reed
is young man we respect highly; but
in matter like this personal friend
ships must be sacrificed. Tommy"
it must be admitted by his best friends,
will never be able to "set the bay on
fire" by his energy; he will never write
his name very high on the scroll of
fame, if he is not boosted up by friends
and held upon their shoulders while
he plies the pencil, and then there is
danger of his falling asleep before the
task is completed.
Our local interests in the next As
sembly are of far more importance
than any other considerations. Party
ties should not be allowed to imperil
the public welfare. A strict adherence
to general principles results at times
in less benefit to the citizen than the
use of means which will subserve
home interests and tighten the bur-
dens which have fallen upon the
shoulders of our people.
THE newest weapon of war is an