Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-03-15
Washlnaton $ taudarA
OIN NPIa. AMI.
fElpAI Nk\l\G. N,h'II - 1876
What OF the N.sht Watchman9

Vi liAr NJ w atGlnla'l
The record OF tie I.e-.-.Aiur. va,
closed al" lut,iy btnis..> a.. L,, .,'.u:
reformation ~ ain..- from a l,ariv
machln" n" ;h,t "uIch controls thr
dcsuny q. tins STATE. No;with.,.nI-
ing the i,r>il promises 90; party con.
sentlons and the l,tl.mouthcd de-
claratIun- al H. nominees. that new
system g: rigId economy would he III
ausurAted >houlI the people retain
the.g trust in thcm for ]u-t on, more
favorable hai!ut, they have ,Ignaily
failed I" keep la!th on single pruI0-
s!tion which entered into tho contest.
When the Legislature met, 1t was ex-
ultantlv claimed that Economy sho.ll
be the watchwurd; bat there came
with the membership Ion. train Of
hungry camp-followers, who pitched
their tents and drove cir tcther>
with confidence that ina .ated a per
feet knowledge OF the VI. lllaung ma
ture of their local state.n. n.
1t was given out that the session
should cost but about tw thirds that
OF the VIGOROUSLY extravasant Lccis-
laturc OF two years ago. and 4 bill in
accordance with that resolve, spprO
priating $4,000 WAS speedily passed
Bat alas for human resolves and
party promises. The session had no,
progressed far before the appeals oil
party henchmen became SO imperative
that one by one they were admitted &c
the charmed circle where big pay for
little labor was placed within their
covetous grasp. Twenty thousand
dollars more were quietly "appropri-
ated," making the cost an even thou
sand per day, just the amount the
previous session had cost, and the per
diem in some instances was increased
not because OF extra service, but as a
special reward for party service, past
and prospective-the casting of bread
upon the waters" as it were, in the
hope that il might return after " many
days" Appropriations for pet schemes
and increased appropriations for pub
lie institutions were made the subject
OF deliberate barter and trade, and all
the resolves and promises made to a
confiding constituency were ruthlessly
cast to the four winds of heaven, be.
fore the final chapter OF the history OF
the Fourth Session Of the State Legis-
lature was written.
In viewing this result, amid the
present privations OF prolonged sea-
son of business depression, the query
arises, Where is there any hope for
the future?" A people never entered
the primaries with a firmer determine.
ton to secure relief. They never
found conventions more ready to
pledge relief, and never were candi.
dates more Jealous in promising re.
form, than in the contest which ended
on the 9th day of November last, when
the ballo. was supposed, theoretically
at least, to have voiced the will of the
people on question in which there
was no dispute. All parties acknowl-
edged the necessity for reform and all
promised to institute reform if charged
with that important duty. Where to
turn? was the question for the voter
who for day held the issue in his
hand.
1t would not have been surprising
that an error in judgment might result
had all the parties which placed can.
didates in the field been endowed with
precisely the same qualifications on
which to base a judgment. But this
was not the case. One party had been
tried and had proved recreant. Its
candidates had been entrusted with
power and failed to redeem its prom
Uses, had literally been weighed il
balance and found wanting" The
candidates of the other parties hat
not at least this stigma to confront
them, and if it be true, as was affirmed
by patriot of old, that we have M
better means of judging of the futur,
than by the past, what could hav'
impelled the people to indulge in thu
illusions of Hope and listen to TIN
song OF that siren until she trans
formed them into beasts? Was it no
an instance in which the homely tru
ism OF the great and good Lincoln tina
"Men may fool all the people some
times and some of the people all tn
time, but they cannot fool all the pee
pie all the time," seems to have los
its automatic force? Have not tn
people been fooled" often enough b.
the G. o. p. to fill them with an ute
detestation of its miserable policyy
But the question arises, where shal
we turn for relief? Aye. there is tn
rub. To the Populists? They vii
not do. There are enough crank
among them to turn thousand ma
chimes. To the Democrats? Hav
they any prospect OF success when tn
conduct of its party leaders has deci
mated its ranks until it has been rel
egated to the third place in this an,
several other important States. Will
not this process OF elimination go OF
unless the suicidal policy pursued b.
officers OF high and low degree is aban
doned?
1t is better to state the truth an,
size up the situation although it ma.
not afford much hope Of relief. Thos
who remained true to the party durin,
the darkest days of its existence hav
a right to diagnose its condition, an,
direct an autopsy if they find one nee
essary for knowledge that will reha
bilitate the spirit, which is eternal, 70
duties that never have been more i'm
perative than now. The STANDARD
reveres the old name with a veneer
alton that is scarcely excelled by tn,