The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-19
BENNETT IS FOR BENNETT,
Opposition to Senator Allen PROMPTED
by Selfish Ambition.
Tacoma Republicans Discover tho Mach
iavelian Intentions OF Their Self Con-
stituted Dictator-His Mugwump Or
gan Loses Caste.

in Tacoma. Nelson Bennett, through the
Ledger, had worked up considerable
prejudice against Senator John B. Allen.
This prejudice reached its height two
months ago. Ever since it has been on
the decline. At present it has f1attened
out altogether.
Everything went fairly well for Mr..
Bennett so long as he talked up Tacoma
and Pierce county as against trumped-up
and imagined enemies. Tacomans like to
hear Tacoma lauded. They take great
pride in Tacoma's greatness. They liked
to hear Mr.. Bennett or anybody else praise
Tacoma. 1t made no difference whether
Don Quixote Bennett fought imaginary
enemies or not, as long as he said no one
should cross Tacoma's path.
Revolt came with the showdown. Ben
nett was for Bennett. He always is. So
Pierce county Republicans said they didn't
think it fair for Bennett to berate Senator
Allen simply because he covets Mr.. Aliens
seat in the United States senate. Some
told Mr.. Bennett SO; others said nothing.
They thought it over.
To illustrate how Bennett is for Bennett,
reference is here made to the Tacoma
water supply. Bennett always has had
''it in" for the water company; he has had
lit in" foS everything he could not con-
troll. Because he could not control John
b. Allen he has had lit i'm for him. When
he bought the Ledger, Tacoma's largest
property owner and owners were down.
right mad. They knew there would be a
monkey and parrot time of it. If Mr. Ben
nett could not have his own way. Rep
resentatives of the largest interests in Ta-
will linn 70 M ha
fund, if only Mr.. Bennett could have been
kept out.
But he got in, and he set about to secure
a city council in favor of his water supply
scheme. Everybody knows how he made
candidates pledge themselves to his cause.
Through the Ledger he applied the
screws" He thought he secured those
who would be piiabie. 1t turned out that
Mr.. Bennett didn't love the dear people so
much as he did a contract with fat mar
gin of profit.
He tried to make it appear that John B.
Allen was an enemy of Tacoma; he
coveted a seat in the United States senate.
He tried to make out that the Tacoma
water supply was inadequate; he coveted
contract to build new water works.
I People soured on his projects when the
truth was fully known. They didn't like
. man who bought newspaper to help on
his personal aspirations at the cost of other
peoples regulations. They didn't like
the idea of aiding in water supply
scheme to give Mr.. Bennett a fat contract.
Mr.. Bennett has proposed to the city
council to build q new water works for
100000. Builders estimate that at that
price there is at least a half million dollars
''in it" for Bennett.
An attempt was made to get the sena-
torial bee out of Mr.. Benefits hat. 1t was
proposed that he 60 to the state senate.
He won't have it.
On the streets OF Tacoma he says to can
didates that he has no use for any one who
is not tooth and nail the foe of John b.
Allen. He would politically ostracise any
man for being friend of John B. Allen.
Fair-minded people don't like this. They
say John b. Allen today owns more prop
erty in Pierce county than he does in any
other one place in the state, not excepting
Walla Waila, his home. Why on earth
should he do anything to injure his own
interests here?
Bennett's old cry that he was down on
the enemies of Pierce county has no force
now that people are prying off Mr.. Ben
nett's mask.
If he didn't want to go to the senate
right away, and if he didn't want the wa
ter works contract for both of which he
has made bid, he might have some fol-
lowing in Pierce county.
Candidates here do not think their per-
sonal friendships should make them out
casts in their own home. Therefore they
do not herd with Mr.. Bennett and his lit
tie Mugwump Ledger clique.
To carry his water works point Mr.. Ben
nett was willing to support Democrats.
To carry his senatorial point the Demo-
Gratis expect him to support Democrats.
Mr.. Bennett, the Ledger which he owns,
his little two dozen Mugwump clique,
judged by the past, will bolt the Repub-
lican ticket in Pierce county. The Sunday
Herald. Ind, of this city today has this to
say of Mr.. Bennett and his paper:
Rumcr has it that the Daily Botter on C street
will seek to run the convention fPIeree county,
and dictste the nominations. The indications
are that If such an attempt is made there will be
heap OF trouble, aud that If the Boiter element
is not allowed 10 do this there will be moro
party discord, more bo!tiug. ana the nominees
left without a newspaper to support them The
Allen and canal faction In the county viii not
DO dictated TO by the Daily Boiter, and there 10
likely to be more political woe spread over the