Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-05-03
Washinatun s tauda1a
OLYMPIA. WISH.
tElGM nliiiG, NAl 3. l\g5.
Tell The Truth

Tell The Truth.
Inc editor Of the o. a,y... hA-
oeen wOrmy ever since tho canvass
VI last year. IN which the SIANUALIt
exercised IT. prerogatI>e al advocating
the claims OF IT. PARTY nominees and
In showing up some reasons why
Their opponents should not la elect
ed. \ studi"u> effort wA- made tu
treat our neiehhur, who was posing
As a candidate, with all the con,idera-
ton which his eminent ability and
his many graces Of manly character
deserve, but it seems that We let slip
some observations that still ranhle a.
a thorn in the flesh, for ever since
then the playful badinage which caused
the O!pmpianS columns to scintillatc
like the mica amid the clay and gravel
from a tube-well, has giy,n place to
the solemn, concise and pedantic
style, without glimmer ii good ma
ture, especially when refer ring TO the
STANDARD. This unnatural part
must be as much OF a strain to its
originator as it is trying to the nerves
OF any one who dixie the Standard
is compelled to stand the infection.
The Olympidn'S mood il. however,
variable. At times it will not deign
to notice our innocent criticisms and
good-natured comments upon its
political course, and at others it turns
sounds SO woliish that it makes the
blood run cold. This is always the
case when the STANDARD has any
thing to say OF its little idol, John l..
Wilson, over whom it stands in per-
petual guard, doubtless by right OF
discovery, as we'll as the love born
OF similarity of ambition and a
mutually OF individual interests. 1t
has never yet failed to bound out Of
its kennel and stretch its chain to the
utmost tension, whenever the slight
est whisper was heard against Wilson,
and by these antics it has rendered it.
SELF conspicuous for reward and its
owner eminently in the line for pre-
ferment should political events ever
shape themselves so that the 6. o. p.
might get it's fingers on the plum-jar.
1t will he remembered that a few
weeks ago, just after John L. arrived
in Washington and set about exhibit
ing his huge mustache and newly &C.
qutred honors, the Associated Press
published brief statement of an
alteration that occurred between him
and Congressman Weaver, Nathaniel
Page, and others, after drinking few
bottles of wine, in which Wilson was
severely scored. The paragraph was
copied by the STANDARD and many
other papers and it very naturally
ELECTED the most energetic yelps from
the Olympian. 1t declared the whole
story lie, and those who published it
were wilful and deliberate prevarica-
tors (only using harsher term of re-
proach). Later on, such leading
papers as the Herald Of Chicago, and
its namesake OF Boston, the Washing
ton Post and other papers, gave the
details of the transactio which like.
wise went the rounds of the indepcn-
dent press OF the State. The account
was as follows:
"At Chamberlin's restaurant night be-
fore last number o. prominent men
were drinking a few bottles and. talking
politics. Senator Wilson, of Washing
ton, in talking of the recent bond con-
tract, denounced President Cleveland as
thief and bribe-taker. This was hot
ly resented by number Of those present,
the Republicans showing more DISPOSE
ton to defend the President than the
Democrats. Congressman Weaver, of
New York, said he was as much opposed
to Cleveland as man could be political
ly, but he would not tolerate such
language in his presence about the
President of the United States. Ma.
chaniel Page, the International lawyer,
also Republican, told Wilson it ill be-
came a member of the United States
Senate to use such language regarding
the head of the government. Then Mr..
Wilson became abusive of Mr.. Page, and
but for interference Mr.. Page would have
mopped the floor with the little Senator.
Finally Wilson left the hotel, after an
nouncing that he was physically able to
attend to any defender Of the President.
1t will be recalled that Wilson, while a
member of the House, made reputation
as fighter. During the Fifty-first Con-
gress he engaged in a fight on the floor
of the House with Beckwith, of New Jer-
sey. After that he assaulted mes
senger, in one of the departments.
Commenting upon this, under the
caption of GA Public Disgrace" the
Boston paper said editorially:
GA bad symptom, as regards the next
United States Senate, is seen in the ac-
ton of the newly elected Senator from
Washington, Mr.. John l.. Wilson. He
is reported to have disgraced himself by
being in a state of intoxication in bar
room at the national capitol and to have
resisted all efforts of his partisan as
sociates to keep him within the bounds
of decency. He thus made himself a
public scandal. Senator Chandler might
be expected to be in a state of concern
for the honor of the Senate, did it not
happen that the man is of his own party.
Washington is one of the best of the new
er Western States, and it is pity that
she should be thus Inundated by man
whom she has elected to represent her
for six years. The Senate has plenty of
faults in its members for which to an
swer, but public exhibitions OF drunken
ness on their part have not been among
them since the days of one of the later
Senators from Virginia"
Now both these paragraphs were
copied widely by the papers of the
State. still the Olympian has the as
surance to state in a late issue that
the story was not only untrue but
originated with the STANDARD. 1t
says:
If the editor of the STANDARD would
take the pains to inform himself before
he permits his partisan preiudices to
lead him into such series of blunders
as he has made in this matter, he would
do less ffoundering to get out. in the
incident in controversy the character of
the President was not scurrilously at
tackled by Senator Wilson, nor was the
chief of tho white hons go refarraI fo ~ oil