Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-10-11
What Might Have Been.

OF those, who, with modicum of
sense, form their opinions from close /
observation of passing events and the
results likely to follow from purely log /
ical inference. When the Constitutions /
al Convention gagged at the proposi-
ton of placing definite location OF the |
capital in the document formulated by /
them as the basis OF Statehood, the |
STANDARD intimated that a proper |
conception OF duty to the whole COM
monwealth had been subordinated to |
the personal ambition of members of
the Convention who, with singular |
unanimity, were candidates for State |
and district offices. This suggestion
was promptly frownel down by such
OF our people as had insisted upon
Olympia having three dele gates in the
Convention, but for what reason it
now seems impossible to determine.
" Do not arouse the antagonism of the
Convention" was constantly dinned
in our ears, "but let us swallow any
medicine they may prescribe and take
the taste from the mouth by liberal
libations of Jay II and state repast
of clam chowder." So, under this we
honestly believe mistaken policy, our
guns were abandoned before a shot
was fired; the flag of truce was run up
before the smoke of battle had OBJ
scured the horizon; we uncondition-
ally capitulated before the enemy had
suggested an armistice; we accepted
the terms of defeat before we had OBJ
tanned accurate knowledge that the
enemy was in sight-and why? Sim
ply because a large proportion of the
constitution-tinkers had axes to grind !;
simply because Self Interest predomi-
mated over Popular Welfare; merely
for the reason that none of the patriots
had the self-abnegation and heroism
to place the matter before the conven-
ton in its true light. Had anybody
done SO, it is as probable that they
might have been shamed into an ac-
quiescence that would have been quite
rs unanimous as was the vote against
the proposition submitted in jest that
no member should be shorn of the
privilege of running for an Office he
had helped to create, and the salary of
which he had carefully nursed until it
had assumed robust proportions.
Had Judge Hoyt, Judge Turner,
Judge Sharpstein, or Judge Henry law
yer Stiles, lawyer Kinnear, lawyer
Browne, or lawyer Griffitts; DR.. Manly,
DR.. Blalock, DR.. Minor or DR.. Wilson
farmer Eldridge, farmer Moore, farmer
Prosser or farmer Eshleman, or a
score of others, have entered even a
mild protest against letting the CAPT
tai location out to a vote that must
necessarily be largely under the con-
troll of sordid, moneyed interest, it
would not have carried. There was too
much of pride about the membership
for them to have allowed their inner
motives thus to be laid bare to The
public, while they might, like the
ostrich with its head in the sand, think
that advocacy of " rights of the people,
would hide their real subservency to
Kittitas and Yakima, which polled
heavy votes for Governor and Judge
and Congressman, and minor State
officers. 80
That was the true reason for the re.
markablc change in the sentiment Of
the convention soon as il was known
that a majority of the committee on
Public Buildings were plain, practical
men who favored Olympia and thought
that the very worst place to put the
question would be in the political pot
to mingle with the scum and corrup.
ton that usually bubbles up when the
witches dance begins. M
The. result has more than verified
the eTAxpARD's prediction. After a
vigorous struggle, and with all the ad
.yantages our city possesses, she lacks
The regulate vote to secure the loca
ton, when, had not speh men as Allen
Mason spent their te6s of Thousands o.
nd0llars to obtain votes for the wind
swept-city Of the sage-bush plains, We
would now be in possession Of what
by right belongs to us. All unbiased
people admit that Olympia is the pro
per place for the capital. The Consti-
tutional Convention conceded it, while
it had not enough courage to vote fol
it, and now the matter is heldin abey.
ance for another year, when the same
battle will have to be fought over
again! Pity tits, it's true.
--e>s-s------