The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-01
The Legislative Do-Nothings
Face Adjournment.
NOT ONE PROMISE FULFILLED
Only q Few Days Left I'm which to
WrnngIe over Hills That VIII
Never Become Law-Enorts so
Governor VIII FaiI-State oniccrs
Require as Large Appropriations
ax Under Republican Rule.

OLYMPIA. Feb. &.-Specsai.-The ffth
session Of the legislature OF Washington
I Is rapidly approaching its end. At mid
I night of Thursday. March n. the sixty
DAYS allotted by the constitution for the
+ session VIII expire. But = week and a haie
( remains 70 finish the hlg stack Of work yet
/ to be done.
/ so far the session has been remarkable
I for the amount 0f Work that has not been
4 done. Of deeds aot accomplished, and or
reforms not iuauguratea. The fusion
( party made lis campaign on the issues laid
/ down In the ElienshuFg platform. and
i promised the people OF the state legislation
/ on the following subjects:
T. Stringent reduction In state expenses
2 Railroad legislation for the relief of
/ the farmer aud producer
/ j. Reform in the revenue laws
l. Adjustment OF Especial privileges"
/ As vet no law has been passed by the
I legislature embracing any one Of these
subiects or applying the relief promised
/ 10 the people II - true that each house
/ has passed a number of hiils aesigned 10
fuihil the promises made az ElicasbuTg.
I but where one house has taken stand
I on a vital principle the other has viewed
the matter in different light. ard a con-
+ troversy has arisen between the two
/ branches OF The legislature on nearly every
important hili
1 Session
been apparent above al others the total
/ lack Of all feeling OF party responsibility
and unity OF action on party lines, In
stead OF caucusing on the most important
/ bills and deciding ON ways and means Tor
/ their enactment into law, the legislature
/ has spent It's time I'm debating ard passing
/ bills which have little or no connection
I with tho pledges made al Eilensburg and
which are largely visionary and eXperl-
/ mental IN their nature As an instance of
/ this. the house took up one day in the con-
/ sideration and passage OF the Cline dis
| pensary hill, enactinR a scheme for the
state control OF the liquor traftc. a sub
ieCt on which the EilensburE platform is
/ as silent as the tomb and in which tho
people Of the state have taken. until now.
| practically no interest. popnlist votes car
1 ried the measure through the house. and
/ while the fuaionists control the senate yet
the PopuIists lack a majority. and IS
result the bill has been practically killed
| and viii he heard Of no more,
The house X Is true. passed woman
4 suffrage amendment sind one inamguratln9
/ the Initiative and referendum. No one ex-
poets that either viii Eo through the sem
/ ate. The senate passed the nm hill con-
/ tanning the woman suffrage amendment.
/ while ignoring the house hii which had
/ been sent up for action. Thus. II neither
body acts on the bin emauating from the
/ other. as seems entirely probable. the elo-
| qucnco and costly time devoted to the
| proposition In both houses win have
| amounted 80 nothing.
/ Many bills which have paseed the house
| and which emboag the pet ideas and hob
hies Of tha members introducing them.
| have been Indefinitely ostponed in the
senate. one OF these 50 treated was tho
| bill abolishing the office Of lieutenant
| governor although this bin was ia line
| with the pretsnsons of retrenchment and
| reform Another measure which WA
was killed In the house. as was also the
| ptlotage bill.
Taking up tho matters covered by the
Ellensburg platform. it VIII be seen that
| the possibility Of successful legislation COW
erinF these subjects s. yet REMOTE.
The legislature has not made the frst
move toward making the wholesale reduce
| tions IN the expenses Of the state govern
mont that was promised Tho appropria-
ton bin introduced IN the senate yester-
day ard appropyiatlnE over 81 eoaDep. is
| but raifry saS 600 helow that OF two Years.
ago. The state officers have found that
their Offices were administered we'll aud
/ a = economically "a possible hy their Re-
publican predecessors. They have accord
insly asked for as large appropriations az
formerly. bssing their estimates on fhe
figures taken from The records. WITS BIZ
in the house amending The constitution
50 that there wil he a heavy reduction IN
all OF me salaries OF the state offices seems
10 have no show of being fassed. The
house voted down an amendment reduc-
Ing the pay OF legislators from s. 10 81 ner
day. Roth branches of the legislature have
their fun complement 81 clerks and enl-
pioyea and the bill OF expenses incurred
BY this session wlll nor differ materially
from those of former years. which were
distinguished by Republican extraya-
gance." as the Popuiist campaign orators
put II.
Radical differences ~ opinion have arisen
/ between the members ~ the reform"
party over the next subject ef lnaporfaune
contained tn the E5ienaburg platform,
that az reduction nv the ieejsiature ~
the rates charged ~ railroad companies IN
the state. 4 rate Bit. somewhat sxtrens
IN number of its provisions and ineqait-
able IN others. was prepared ~ the East
era Washington members IN the botfHa snd
passed ny fnat body aflrr a aof light Ths
success ~ tbe measure was tupefllef from
the Hrst hg the demands ~ the gpskans
delegation fo- the enactment ~ = biH cre-
afgng a railroad commission Tbtn wae De-
ms nded ~ a political rnea sure. and had 10
reference or connection with the Elisua-
burg platform. For a time neither Hids
woHfd give waF 10 the other, sd there
xss a possibility of q dea8iock ia ths
house caused aY the determination of zach
eide % fpsre SIS measure through regard
}esa ~ fhe Other Finally. after q tr1fes
had been patched 4n. fae freigas rate tai
vas naasaa Wtthtn 10 daFB afterward
fha eeBrs tssfon bsH vas taken ~ and un-
tremendously killed.
The rata Bin which g. known as ths
Canatf hfGl lass Fone 20 the senate. h8t no
action has az yet been taken or if. Its
enemies are among the most prominent
nlerDters ~ ths fusion party ia the senate,
ard there eeeus 10 doubt that it wiIl be
either killed outright or amended oat ~
aH eefrflaree of ifs original form. Mean.
time the aaeoesses 81 the commission bifi.
aided by ~ rather remarkable executive
message hsse renewed their attempts 70
have 81 ratroa3 fpFrFnl8atom created.
80 revenue hlii ~ Importance has bern
acted or tn fge hoase notwIt tnafauding ths
faet fisaf fhe need for remedial legislation
On th8a score ls most urgeuf Senator
Tay}or haa lately finished hss bill, ex-
hatasffyetR covering abe subject. and au
effort viii - made - haFe it rushed
through the senate in tifne 10 obtain fa~
vora hie actlon tu fhe hoifae
Summing up. 81 xill be plainly s~s0 that
rofhfnE whatever has been accomplished
on any of tire ftnda mental ianes laid down
fn the Fsiensburg platform. Whaf wiii 10
done IN the remaining eleven aaya - the
session can onsy bs cgnfectarsa.
Representative T4klns has introduced IN
ffe house > ksfH 20 encourage TIE prcduc-
sfor Of FAX To auy person or company
vsho stall hereafter make IN fhls stats
from rax xF8esu exclusively ia shs state
ssuz nher of standard fixed et value os
ssss Der ton w98 ~ given g. for every 30
v,<sssr a 80 rrfsstersf or manufactured TO