Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-11-05
THE DEMAGOGUES
OF THESE TIMES
RefOrmers Have Failed to Elm
mate Them.
Instead of the Office Seeking the
Man, Many Men Are Seek
ing the Offices

Colfax, Oct. 81. - Editor GAZETTE:
When the pOpulist party was being or
ganized in this county and state one of
the chief reasons assigned for the need OF
a new political party was the fact that
the two old parties, and especially the
republican party, was dominated by the
professional demagogue or chronic Office
seeker
The promoters of the populist organ
ization argued that the demagOgue
should be eliminated from active politics;
that his influence was demOralizing and
the only way to secure efficient and hon
est official service was to form a party
founded upon the principles that "the
Office should seek the man and not the
man the office" which was the case, they
stated, with the two old parties at
that time. There was no denying the
fact that there was some cause for the
assertion that the professional place
hunter was much in evidence in the old
parties few years ago. But where is
that smiling individual today? We
answer that the party of reform is
dominated by him. Instead of the popu-
list party of this county and state being
composed OF and controlled by the non
office seeking element, the organization
is in the hands OF the most interruptions
political charlatans that ever controlled
any political party. Such we'll known
mountebanks as George Turner, Wheat
Chart" Jones, Pat" Winston, Dude
Lewis, J r. Rogers and large number
of smaller lights OF the same type, are
the beneficiaries and bosses OF the re
form" party. Now, what are the ante
cedents OF those individuals who joined
the populist party at the eleventh hour
and were received with open arms, and
Immediately given a conspicuous place
at the official pie counter?
Hon. George Turner came to this state
with a commission in his pocket emitting
him to a seat on the territorial supreme
bench and since the territory became a
state he was a standing candidate for
the position he now occupies. But, be
it said to the credit of the republican
party it repeatedly refused to elect Mr.
Turner and when his last hope had van
ished he moved with his sack and bag
gage into the pOpulist fold where be was
| joyfully received, notwithstanding the
fact that not long before he joined said
| party he abused it more than any poll
tician OF the state had ever done. with
| lIo pO5slUlt eACSpllOH Vi az W AnbbOu
| The populists have claimed in justifica-
ton for their inconsistent act of electing
| Mr.. Turner to the position OF United
| States senator, that he was and still is,
an anti mOnopolist. WE>answer that
when a great corporation like the N. Z.
railroad cOmpany-eXertS its.infiuence for
a candidate for United States senator, it
is safe to conclude that said candidate
will not, if elected, antagonize the inter
ests of said corporation. We care not
what the pOpulists may say on behalf Of
their senator as an antl-mOnOpolist, for
we know that during the senatorial con-
test in 1898, Mr.. Turner received the
support OF the Northern Pacific railroad
company as against ex-senator Allen.
Senator Turner'S campaign during that
famous contest was managed directly by
such we'll known railroad men and loby-
ists as Senator Van HOughton OF SpO-
kane, Nick Owings OF Olympia, Miles
Moore of WaIla Walla and james NJ.
Ashton Of Tacoma, the latter named
gentleman being the local attorney of
the Northern Pacific Railroad company.
Notwithstanding this fact Mr.. Turner
had the audacity to issue an address to
the public some time during the lpgisla-
tive session of 1898 in which he stated
that his candidacy was being opposed
by the Northern Pacific Railroad com
pany and for that reason he felt justified,
as the peoples" candidate to remain in
the race, which he did, perpetuating the
dead loci" and thus defeating the true
peoples candidate for United States SEN
ator, Hon. J. B. Allen. For pure gall
Senator Turner's claim that the railroad
company opposed his candidacy in 1893
has no parallel in political chicanery,
and it is our opinion that the Northern
Pacific Railroad company accomplished
through the populist legislature of 1897 |
just what it tried but failed in doing in |
1898, namely the election of George |
Turner, as United States senator from |
this state. And we wish to add in this |
connection that the same influence was |
ID evidence when the bill providing for a |
reduction OF freight rates was being con
sidered by the fusion legislature. In
brief, nothing was done that the railroad |
company was opposed to, and every
thing was done that it wished to have
done, by that body of "refOrmers." In
addition to the claim of the "reformers''
that the "Office should seek the man"
they vehemently condemn what tbev
term the "free pass evil'' and in the face
OF this declaration, their party nominal
ed w. 4. Jones, a renegade republican
who, during his last term of office as at.
tUrney general, drew mileage from the
state and then Travelled over the railroad
lines on free pass. Mr.. Jones proved
himself to be different from the average
populist office holder by frankly acknoT-
Lodging that he always Travelled on free
passes, and also was not too modest to
draw and pocket his mileage as congress
man. To the average Performer such
conduct may be consistent, but to the
true refOrmer who is not an office seeker
1t Is reprehensit lie. The same NAV be
said of another refOrmer for revenue
only. Hon. pat" Winston, who like
Mr.. Jones draws salary and mileage
regularly and travels on free passes; al.
though Mr.. Winston when stumpinp the
state during the campaign two wears
ago told the people that he heartily in {
dorsed every plank of the populist plat
form. 1t is also said OF the attorney
general that he has paid no attention to
the duties of his Office since bis election.
The only hard labor he performs is the
drawing OF bis salary But perhaps such
little trifes as these should not be noticed
by the tax payers when the money is
used in paying the salary of a reform