The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-29
sP0KANE DEMOCRATS DIs0UsrED.
Over Hugh Walisce's snap Convention
at Tacoma. April IA.

Spokane. March s.-Speciai.--The Demo-
5 eracy of Spokane. and for that matter the
untcrrifsed Of all Eastern Washington. are
sE sgog over what they term the Wallace
combine and the snap convention" called
10 meet In Tacoma on the 18th of April.
The committee met at Tacoma on the sd
OF March with scarcely any notice to the
members OF the state committee and de-
spite the fact that the Chicago convention
was nearly four months of. the state con-
,ention to elect delegates from Washing
ton was set for April IA, or very little more
than three weeks from the time of the
announcement. Democrats here who have
been IN tbs ranks for more than fifteen
years in the state Of Washington declare
that IL N an outrage and vicious attack
on political decency to ask the sparsely
bettled regions OF the state to respond to
the gathering OF se5 delegates ut the ex-
IRENE western end Of the state with only
ten days or less notice
II Is indeed strange proceeding. A week
ago Chairman Drum. who Is Federal Of
Zee holder, all OF a sudden called a meet
iEg OF the state central committee for the
20 instant. AT that Sarticular time. GU
rioasiy as IL may seem TO some people.
the following Federal officials turned up
with from one to three and four proxies:
James G. Saunders. collector OF customs.
Port Townsend: W. III. Brinker. United
States district attorney. Seattle; T.. c.
Robertson. deputy United States attorney.
Tacoma. Frank u. Schuyler. spo;ial treas
ury agent, Seattle. u. +. Jossey. special
treasury agent. Tacoma, Charles 5. Fogg.
attorney for bank receivers. Tacoma. John
c. Clinton. postmaster. Friday Harbor.
and last. but not least, Hugh &. Wallace
national committeeman
The state Democratic central COMMITTEES
consists OF thirty-five members. one from
each OF the thirty-four counties and one at
large, so that IL Is very evident that the
whole voice OF the committee was abso-
llisly in the hands of the administration.
and that IL was a Job on the part of Wal
lace TO porpetuate himself as the leader
OF the forces. and in order to do so quick
work was a very essential element In the
play. Not over one-third OF the counties
are reached by railroads, and the extreme
hard times will prevent many OF tho In
terior delegations from being present. To
add to the power OF the administration
forces. there are the seventy-five or eighty
subordinate collectors OF and inspectors of
customs. and other Federal ofhceholders.
scattered throughout the remote parts OF
The state. who are now making IL their
express business 10 draw from IS to s. per
diem salary and gather up proxies. Every
Federal oificaholder. barring the pcatmss-
ters. carry railroad passes, and will be at
the convention.
The trouble in Spokane IL that the action
OF the ensissarics OF the administration in
dealing out patronage has split the party
into a score of factions. The question il,
can these factions he cemcnted In the
sho~t period Of ten days and can Spokane
send an anti-adminsstration delegatonr
IL Is also claimed that Wallace has re-
posed his implicit confidence In NJ. r. Lc-
gan. register OF the land office here and
charged him with the silent duty OF swing
ing Spokane In line with the administra-
tion and seeing that the delegation that
comes from the inland metropolis is one
that VIII shout lond and long for Cleve-
land. In turn FOR this duty on the part OF
Logan well done. Wallace has arranged
tet Logan shall succeed J. p Fenfon, of
This city. as member OF the executive COM
niitec OF the National Association OF Dem
ocratc Clubs. HON Wallace has promised
b. have removed Mt the earliest possible
N0mant.