Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-10-06
State Department.

State Department.
The historic IT am the state" might be
applied to the present executive of the
state o. Washington, if he be measured
by his own standard, for his very &C:
seems to be an additional expression Of
his belief in his gubernatolial supremacy.
Mind, say eff he be measured by his
own standard" for the conclusion of a
disinterested observer would be far from
rating him as strong executive. Not
that he does not possess personal qualities
Of strength, but his position as favorite
of the corporations, and at the same time
the chief state executive, renders it es-
pecially difficult for him to exhibit
strength. Then, too, the governor is moi
physically strong, which in some in
stances at least has proved Of great adj
vantages to him, politically speaking.
For instance, how convenient it was for
him to HE off to California for his health,
when, as subsequent events have indi-
Gated, it was his political, not his phys
ical, welfare that mainly benefited by
the change in climate.
Ihave made this assertion, now let us
see if his actions do not point to such a
conclusion. Governor Ferry, let it be
understood, is one OF the shrewdest pol
iticians in the state, and his long resi-
dence. and official career, especially as a
territorial governor, enable him to foresee
much that might escape less expert
enced politician. Governor Ferry prob
ably did no: care to take upon himself
the responsibility for allowing certain
bills to pass or vetoing others. He doubt
less expected that the railroad legislation
would by paramount question with the
second legislature of Washington, and be
may not have cared to appear on record
either as favoring or opposing such legis-
lation; he saw that the senatorial fight
would engender party strife the most Bit
ter, and he may not have cared to be
drawn into the whirlpool; many vetoes
would doubtless be necessary to further
the interests of corporations, and he
would not wish to antagonize any
measures of a legislature, the members
of which might play an important part
in the election of the next senator, whose
toga he might desire to don.
This astute executive certainly exhi-
bited method in his sickness By trip
to California, ostensibly for his health,
he avoided all the political shoals and
the breakers Of party strife, and gave to
the Republican press an object other than
himself for the display of rhetoric and
upon whom to saddle the entire burden
of Republican Encouragement and ex.
travagance and subserviency to corpora
tions.
l mention this conduct on the part of
the executive, not because of any per-
sonal dislike, but because thereupon
hangs long list Of wrongs. He was pos
sibly advised to make this trip by his
political physician, Colonel Owings.
Somebody had to he sacrificed for the
grand old party, and Laughton was the
lamb (?) selected for slaughter. He was
offered up bleeding sacrifice, and it was
only when 'sNick" thought he had be-
come entirely too "blooded" that Gov
ernor Ferry was urged to return from his
"health" resort. But, observe, this was
not done until the Republican party had
the eternal cinch on poor Charley! 1t
could not assume virtue, if none really
existed, and howl itself hoarse for Gov
ernor Ferry and an extra session to undo
the hateful vetoes of the acting governor.
I might here interpolate that Mr.. Laugh
ton, during the entire time he occupied
the gubernatorial seat; never seemed
ayerse of having things somewhat his
own way, and in running the machine
mainly for Charley.
Now, it should be carefully observed by
the voter that, Notwithstanding the great
dissatisfaction with the actions of Mr..
Laughton during his brief period of as
tendency manifested by Governor Ferry,
the Republican press Of the state and the
Republicans in general, not one of Mr..
Laughton's vetoes has failed to stand as
the act OF the governor. An immense
amount OF talking about special session
of the legislature for the purpose of I'M
doing Mr.. Laughton's work has been in
dulged in, but none has been called. In
view Of all this pretended adherence Of
the acting governors work while that
work is permitted to remain unchanged
does it not appear to you as voters that
that there is some lnsincerity apparent
that the Republican party simply wished
to obtain some one upon whom the out.
rageous acts of Republican misrule could
be emptied? Mr.. Laughton has, to a
certain extent, been a martyr to the Re.
publican cause in the state of Washing.
ton-a sort of local reciprocity plank, as
it were, over which the Republican as
pirants might walk to clasp hands with
the voter who had become disguised with
Laughton's acts. But the fact that they
have not been condemned other than by
word OF mouth makes the Republican
party equally culpable with the man they
loudly condemn. Hear what some of the
Republican papers say. The Spokane
Review, in scathing arraignment of Mr..