, 1890-10-30
POLITICS IN WHITMAN.
Five Tickets Serve to Con-
fuse the Voters.
THE RESULT is UNCERTAIN
Democratic Side-Shows Almost Too
Numerous to Mention-The
Situation Reviewed.

man county is badly mixed, and the
politicians of all parties are fighting
their battles in q dense fog Of uncer-
tainty. Nobody can foretell the results
. OF the election, but there seems to be
chance of success for nearly every local
candidate, though some of the aspirants
Mare doomed to defeat that will ami
hilate them and their influence forever.
The source of this political tangle rises
in the ranks of the Farmers Alliance,
the actions OF few diyisionists in the
northern part of the county and the
conduct of several alleged prohibit.
tionists who have intox icated them
selves with the belief that they can
revolutionize the world in forty. eight
hours. But underlying these disailec-
tions is the sly hand OF democratic poll
ticians and unscrupulous demagogues.
The republican majority in Whitman
has been, since the organization of the
county, about $50, but by the grace of
republican knitting, democrats have oc-
casionally been elected. This year there
are practically five tickets in the field,
the republican democratic. farmers al
lance, prohibition and independent.
All except the republican are democratic
side shows. The democrats held their
convention in the early part of June,
advertising everywhere that 1t would be
+ under the absolute control of the farm
ers of the county. The circulars which
called for the election of delegates ap-
pcaled to the agriculturalist, regardless
ofpast afii liations, to quit his plow on
the day of the primaries and participate
in electing horny handed sons of toll"
a., hif m ha
course the appeal seemed fair enough,
and many were the honest farmers who
rcsponde d, for honest men are slow to
suspect other human beings of trickery.
The appeal in Itself was all right but
the men who inspired 1t are blatant
demagogues. They are men who never
performed days work at manual labor,
men who bid behind rocks during the
civil war and from their concealment
killed Union soldiers. Their object was
To- draw republican farmers into snare
and make democrats of them.
When the convention was called to
order J.. ii. Plattor was chosen to pre-
side, and the report OF the credentials
committee revealed that about two
thirds of the delegates were farmers,
half dozen OF whom had formerly acted
with the republican party. Candidates
by the score offered themselves, because
the outlook for democratic success at
tie polls appeared remarkably bright.
Every nominating speech closed with
sort oi u eulogy on the past life of the
presented candidate, especially his love
for the farmers. The selecting of the
legislative part of the ticket was post
ponod until after the special session of
the legislature, but by the complexion
of the ticket as far as it wGs completed
the entire proceedings ofthe convention
were adjudged mockery. Instead of
nominating horny handed sons of toiln
and without regard to past political
affiliations" none but the rankest demo.
cratic partisans were placed upon the
ticket.
After the democratic farce had ad-
journed and some OF the sensible farmers
realized that they had been duped, the
Farmers Alliance decided to put out "A
ticket of its own make up. Accordingly
when the republicans had named their
ticket the alliance met in secret session
ut Garfield, and Endorsed parts of the re-
publican and the democratic tickets.
That was apparently sensible pro-
cedure, and seemed perfectly right
until IL became known who the indorsed
were and by what means they secured
the Endorsement. This secret session of
the Farmers Alliance" was not the
Farmers Alliance at all, in Its represen-
tative capacity. 1t met us such, true
enough, but three-fourths ofits members
were democratic politicians, and its
president was Il. G. McCroskey, demo-
cratic candidate for state senator in the
sixth district. he assisted in convening
the Farmers Alliance" and after CALI
ng 1t to order he modestly retired be.
| cause he was "a candidate whose in
dorsement would probably be con-
sidered." OF course bis Endorsement
was considered" and he was chosen as
the Farmers Alliance" candidate in
preference to Ben Ostrander tho repub-
ligan npninan Wall what urn
about that? Nothing, SO far Us the
democrats we've concerned.
X. Z. McCroskey is good man and q
respectable citizen, but he is not farm
er. lie is q capitalist and banker. He
doesn't even live on farm, but resides
In Garfield. Mr.. Ostrander, however, is
a farmer and depends on that occupa-
ton for his livelihood. He served in the
lower house Of the last legislature and
worked necessarily for the good OF his
constituents.
He opposed the tide land steal with
MS vote and his labors, in common with
every other Whitman representative.
lie introduced n bill to reduce railroad
ireights and fares to an equitable
basis, and used every honorable
means in his power to secure
me adoption OF the measure.
His services were recognized by his
party, who considered that he deserved
promotion, and he was put upon the
ticket as the republican candidate for
senator. Why, then, should he be ig-
nored by his llow-farmers, in favor Of
banker? He was not but those dem
oorats who met In secret session at Gar
held are doing all they can to create the
false impression that he was.
The independent ticket was Matched
at Oaksdale. j. NJ. Richardson, who
was selected during his absence in Da-
kota, has declined absolutely to be q
candidate for senator, and has published
MS deciination In all the coun-
" papers. 1t is surprise
that the Oaksdaie republicans,
some of them men OF state reputation,
should deliver themselves to All unscru-
puious enemy, whose only principle
III this county Ia to advance the infer
est OF few bosses. What can be gained
In voting the independent ticket? Will
apetty spite be vindicated2 The nomi-
hses are supposed to favor the division
OF whitman county. They can't be
erected, except the indorsed ones, and
vote for the independent ticket means
hothing less than vote taken from the
republican candidates, and u propor-
uonate gain for the democrats.
AS the election draws nearer the re-
puolicans feel more confident of success;
out II the entire ticket is elected there
must be united work. the farmers must
understand that they have been shared
oy me trickery yofdemagogues. of Then the
Iepubicans can work in harmony and
the sun of election day will set on "a
routed, defeated set of 'Hhornv M nded