The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-14
THE DEMOCRATIC RATIFICATION
REVIEWED.


To THE EDITOR: In common with many
others / took in the Democratic ratification at
the Armory, on Saturday evening. have at
tended political meetings since 1910. but the
meeting OF Saturday evening presented me
new features 1t presented the spectacle OF
party having decided on the nomination of
party ticket through its committees, At its
primary meeting and at its convention, and
then holding ratification meeting aud putting
forward its leaders as sp akers, and those
speakers making q determined effort to impress
on their hearers the idea that the Democratic
party was not presenting partisan ticket to the
people The speakers urged the people to vote
for the best men presented, regardless OF party.
but as the Democratic candidates were better
men than presented by the Republicans, to
rally around and elect the Democratic ticket.
The speeches of Judge Burke, Colonel Finch
and Mr.. Thomson were confined mainly TO
boasting about the honesty and unsurpassed
qualifications of John Collins. They endesv-
ored to create the impression that the people
were extremely aux Gus for chance to elect
him mayor III y did not refer 10 the fact
of the "dear people having repudiated him in
the past. James Hamilton Lewis next appeared
opon the scene. He said that Collins had pat
up building in place of one destroyed in the
great fire; he had reared a monument for him.
self and Seattle, while Whites monument con-
sisted of additions. He said that White came
Nebraska village 1t was reserved for Mr..
Lewis TO make it known that it is a crime to
have been u citizen OF Nebraska, one of the best
agricultural states in the Union. This was an
insult to the many hundreds of Nebraskans who
have made their homes in Seattle. and huge
joke on the 100000 who yet reside there
Where does Mr.. Lewis hail from? If ! have
been correctly informed he came from Georgia.
the home of Robert Toombs, aud whose princi-
ciples are still his guiding star; the state where
man Is life pays the penalty for attempting to
vote any other than the regular Bourbon ticket.
Had his life been spent under the free insiitu-
tons of Nebraska, where every mau may cast
his vote with none to hinder nor make afraid.
he might perhaps, have been different and
better man.
But Collins has built a monument and there.
fore must be elected mayor, while White, q
real ate dealer, is dangerous man. Is this,
too, q crime? What other class OF men have
done as much as the real estate men to advance
the wealth and increase the population OF
Seattle? Have they not advertised the resources
of the state and presented the adva tages OF
Seattle to the people OF every portion of the
country, and to them we are indebted for onr
great increase in population and wealth Mr..
Whites expenses for adver ising, ETC.. amount
to about 1900 per month. What has Mr.. Lewis
done to advance the interests of Seattle? But
Collins has put up q building, and, therefore,
should be elected mayor If every man who
has put up building in Settle is entitled
thereby to serve as mayor, we shall have at least
atull supply Of mayors He says that White
bought $1,000 worth of scrip, and forty other
men did the same thing Who are these forty
men who each bought $1,000 worth of scrip q
par when the discount on 1t in the market wa
from 10 to Is per cent? You know that it has
not been done.
Great stress is placed on the fact that Collins
owns quite o lot OF property, and therefore
would labor to advance the interests OF the city.
White also owns large amount of property for
young man. He has cast hi, lot here. He has
long Lie OF activity before him. and would be
more likely to take an active interest in pro-
noting the welfare of the city than q man
whose lease of life is almost drawing to q close.
Judging by the great ado made over the prop
erty OF Collins. one won suppose that mas
clam to the office of mayor was to be measured
by the number of dollars which he possessed
and the number of years that he has lived in Sc
aitle. Is this Democratic doctrine?
Mr.. Lewis asserted that White had done moth
ing III the council He said the Lake Washing.
ton matter was talked of before he proposed it
in the council. He had do e some HUG in re-
gard TO street work aud grading, but poor peo-
White was in favor of planking the streets, be-
cause he felt sorry for the men who had to do
hauling on the streets, yet Lewis tried to excite
the enmity of the teamsters against White by
saying that White voted to make them pay IL
cense, as they always had done.
NEBRAsKAN.