The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-27
EIGHT-PAGE EDITION

SAAA .AsStt tue tOHkGHtAtu 10 NEdll1 AiHS
county with such n stigma as this.
We indorss the action of the Democratic
House OF Representatives in refusing an ap-
propriation for ths Lsks Washington ship canal.
and we condemn the course of Senators Allen
and Squire and Representative Wilson in their
advocacy of this measure TO the detrimens of sp-
propriatious for the necessary Improvements of
the rivers and hsroors of this state.
On Wednesday night the canal fight
hitherto carried on in caucus and commit
tee. began in the convention. After bit
ter and acrimonious contest-in which
Kings chief outside supporter was III. J.
Snively, of Yakima, the first lieutenant
of James Hamilton Lewis-the con-
ventIon by vote OF 16T to i62
adopted the anti-canal plank. There
was great uproar, and then +. C. Mil
lion. of Skagit, actuated, as he said, by the
conviction that King county had been too
grossly insulted, asked for q reconsidera-
tion. because Skagit wanted 10 change five
votes. 1t is worth remembering that ].
Z. Buckley, of Spokane, persuaded half of
the Skagit delegation TO turn from one
side 10 the other. Several votes in
Thurston also changed. and the motion to
reconsider was carried, III to 15f. Then
the Pierce county anti-canai plank was
formally rejected by a vote of 173 TO I5S.
All that remained was TO have a final vote
adopting the whole platform containing
the compromise resolution, and King
would have won partial victory in that
she would have saved herself from COM
/ plete outrage
The final vote was about 10 be taken at
! 1:20 in the morning when III. ]. Snively.
| of Iakima-LewIs' first Lieutenant and
| afterward the candidate for governor-aa-
nnrna,i ha. bs frianGs Of 40
| ise plank were satisfied. and would be
wiling TO allow an adjournment of the
vote till morning.
| Mr.. Sniyely explained afterward that he
could not hold the delegations together at
| such n late hour, and he feared efeat by
pressing the question then. The adjourn-
/ ment. curiousy enough, resulted in the
| selection of an anti-canal plank upon
| which Mr. Lewis could not run, but upon
/ which Mr.. Snively was nominated for gov
| ernor.
| During the night Pierce county rallied
| her forces, made her combination over
again, and in the morning was ready to
| secure another reconsideration and force
| denunciation of the canal down Kings
| throat On Friday morning King cast
aside all compromise and made 4 gallant,
but Intellectual, struggle Tor this reso-
| luton:
The Democracy demands liberal appropris-
| tions from the general government Tor cosst
| defense and river and harbor Improvements,
| including the construction OF the waterway
between Lake Washington and Puget sound.
| l.. c. Gilman. j. I. Ronald and F. A.
Mcdonald made brilliant speeches for
their home interests; but the plea was in
| vain.
III. J. Snively. who had pleaded well for
| King county the night before, for some
reason felt that his eloquence
would be wasted. Thus 1t was that
the resolution at the head of the column
went into the platform by vote of 1913 to
| lSS. Then H. j. Sniveiy declared that the
contest was clearly over, and so, TO pre-
vent useless debate. he said he moved the
adoption of the whole platform contain
ing the insult to King county. His mo-
tion carried, 213 to lis.
James Hamilton Lewis would have ac-
cepted the nomination for governor upon
the compromise plank, bat he could not
and would not upon the direct anti-canal
plank. Before the last struggle he had
stood by his county and offered the 178
votes then pledged to him for gov
ernor to Henry Drum, or any one else
who would stand on platform
recognizing the canal as public improve
ment. No one could be found. Though
Lewis was thus out OF the race himself, he
showed that he had been master of the
situation by smashing the Blalock and
| Shaw combine, which his Seattle enc
mics had Intellectually striven To
form. On the first ballot Lewis delivered
to Snlveiy 159 votes-seven short of aclear
majority. Snively had been put in nomi-
nation by J. Nj. Buckley, and before
the vote was announced-Skagis
and Thurston-which had made the
break for reconsideration tho
night before-chsnged ten votes TO
Snvely. Then Pierce county, which
owed so much to- the adjournment moved
by Mr.. Sniveiy the night before, moved
to make the nomination unanimous.
Carroll went in for congress and the
Lewis-haters were unable to deliver
to Eugene Semple a single vote.
King county and James Hamilton Lewis
also shattered the slate OF the triple alliances
in every nomination for which there was =
contest. III. c. Wilson. of Jefferson
county. which had stood by King. ran
John Il. Slater, the candidate of Pierce.
out of the race for lieutenant governor. j..
III. Morgan, Of Kittitas. a friendly county.
beat w. A. Payne, of Columbia, for super
intendent OF public instruction. and DR..
F. S. Lewis, of CIallam. won over J. B.
Landrum, of Lewis. for state land commits
| sioner.
At the close of the convention the King
delegates were still so angry that at first
they were unwilling 70 have man on the
state central committee. The sentiment
/ among them seems 10 be that the time is
ripe TO enforce the demand Tor the Lake
Washington canal. lfthe Democratic ticket
: is not slaughtered in King county, then
Pierce will be ready again To heap con-
tumeiy upon King in succeeding state
conventions, and the county organization
/. will remain as it is now, disrupted and
poyerless. But if the Democrats now.
once for all, while voting the ma
tional ticket bolt the state ticket IN
: body. then the Democracy of the county
will have vindicated ITS attitude in thu
, Fl sht and have placed Itself in position
!, to al least secure respectful recognition
!, With that advantage gained the Democrats
:, of King can again organize and becofns
formidable in politics.
! The delegation started for home on tht
= | train leaving at 80 y. IN. Mr.. Sniyely in
: tended to stop Off with his Pierce count,
; friends at Tacoma.
e THE CLOSING SESSION.
= Nominations Go BsgginS-Sot One Can
- didate From n ing County.
0rvupf. Aov 1e-f speciai t-DuriD.