Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-05-24
RODE ON PASSES.
NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM
OTHER PEOPLE.
The Pop Members Of the Legislature
Drew on an Average More than
Other Members-How They ssKepa
Down EXpenses.o

/
Drew on an Average More than
Other Members-How They ssKepa
Down Expenses.'
A Tacoma paper publishes tabu-
lated form showing that the Populist
members OF the late Legislature drew
on an average for mileage $40 each
more than other members and that
they all rode on free passes. The two
shining lights of the Legislature who
did not do so are Albertson, Of King
county, Republican, and Robert
Gerry, of Pasco, Democrat. it ap-
pears that the mileage charged up 10
the State by the legislators, with the
exception of the above two honorable
exceptions, amounts to $S,l934 OF
which not one cent was paid to the
railroad companies. The authority
before us says:
"It is continually urged by these
virtuous Populist orators in their own
behalf, or by equally virtuous Populist
editors that the railroads, which in
their heart of hearts they hate at all
times, are being SO continually robbed
by their own officers, and by public
officers and others whom they carry
free, that they cannot afford to haul
wheat from the Palouse country for
what it ought to be hauled for. But
here are these virtuous statesmen not
only riding free at the expense of the
roads and indirectly at that Of the
wheatraisers, but making the State
pay them for riding. AS the State
has to get what it pays out from taxes,
and as these wheat-raisers, for whose
benefit Populist statesmen chiefly live
and thrive, pay taxes, the poor fellows
get it both ways.
ain studying the table given below
one cannot help but note that those
most conspicuously devoted to 'the
old doctrine of REFORM seem to have
got the fattest slices OF mileage.
There is peoples friend Baker, whose
eagle eye used to light so unerringly
on every corporate measure that he
sometimes attacked and killed anti
corporation measures, as in the case
of Col. Moore's poor little bill for the
relief of few poor old tide land pur-
chasers in Skagit county-People's
Friend Baker, of the car shops, slices
off $G.GO plus $1O3.6O, or $1,000 in all,
and not q cent out of pocket. Then
there was Peoples Friend Scott, OF
kitsap county, prolific in measures
that persisted on dying in committee
to the great benefit OF mankind. He
gets $2l GO plus $3.50, or $lO4. 40, and
still has his pass as Baker has. Then
three is Brother RAIDER, save the mark,
who prints Populist paper and must
60 on praising populistic virtue week
after week while Populism yet lasts, he
gets $500 plus S64O or $93, all profit,
and pass still good-doesn't even have
to give advertising for it as less ether
cal editors have TO do. Cheetham, a
most uupopulistic name, living at
Thornton in Whitman county got
three slices from the mileage cheese,
all fairly good, $500, $l9 and $500,
in all $l29.40. This beats the contri.
button box for Brother Cheetham,
who is known to be preacher. Col
lin, of Pleasant Prairie, Spokane
county, got two slices, a big one and a
little one-$SS.S0 and $S.62, $97 A in
all, but clear profit like all the rest,
and Crow, Palouse wheat grower,
teacher and Peoples Friend, got $lO5.-
90 and one of $3.50. Good Mr.. Laing,
so we'll pleased with himself and all
the other POpulist members, so sure
that they will all be glad to have their
records examined, as quoted above,
got his hand into the bag but once,
but got away with $776O the same.
He still has his pass on which he may
ride to Spokane, or elsewhere when.
ever he wants to be interviwed, and
tell how much he loves the people,
and hates and abominates above
ground all manner OF corporations.
ain strong contrast with all these
and still other not more virtuous leg
islators is perhaps friend Rogers of
Puyallup, special friend just at present
of the coal miners, who only got $40,
perhaps through no iault OF his. But
he still has his pass and is using it,
going up and down through the county
with some sort OF Punch and Judy
show, by means OF which he draws a
crowd and then talks to it of corporate
oppression and populistic virtue.
"The average amount drawn by
each Populist member, every one of
whom had passes. was 1851. The
average amount drawn by each of the
other members, Republicans and
Democrats, was $GS.72. The Peoples
Friends everywhere got the best of il
in this mileage business, and yet Mr.
Laing says they fought to keep ex-
penses down.
For their ediiication, and for that
OF the people generally, whose particu-
lar friends they are at all times, this
separate table. showing the amount
lrawp hv Zach D,,,u1;sf p,on,bar fo,