The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-03
Special stafr Correspondents.

Special Stan Correspondents.
OLYMPIA, March 2.-Thc railroad men
| are celebrating. They are victorious. They
have won the fight against a reduction oe
railroad rates on wheat and farm products
from Eastern Washington. and though IL
| Is no, victory such as any man or set OF
men should rejoice over on account Of the
disreputahle methods In use 10 gain votes.
stin railroad men and their allies In WASH
| ington are accustomed to fight Just that Pc
cullar sort Of contests. and are so hardened
| In the work that they care not the evil ef-
| fec.s 1t leaves behind. They rejoice noe
! because they corrupt. but because they
| win.
Defeated Nearly Two 10 One.
| In the senate today the Runner bill was
defeated--yeas II. nays eo-though this was
| one In excess Of the votes the majority was
entitled to. Runner voting against the bill
when he saw 1, defeated in order to be abis
| to move a reconsideration of the vote. The
| notice OF intention to move a reconssdera-
| ton was given. There Is no hope. however.
| that II will ever carry. for the men who
| voted with the railroads today would vote
with them every day until the end OF the
session. Many Of the members see before
| them more personal benefit from carrying
out resigiously agreements with the rail-
roads until the end Of the session than In
all other matters that can coma up. II 10
| the only really profitable thing that has
| come their way this session
| Temple nat viii not close just yet.
either. The railroads drive hard bar
| gain They insist on the full pound %
| flesh Not only was the rate bill to bs
killed. bu, the agreements include all bills
which are In any way Injurious to the rail-
| roads The men who have personal con-
| tracts will guard teaiously the interests of
| the railroads on all legislation until the
1 end OF the session.
| False Members show Their C0l0Rs.
| The vote today was In some respects q
| surprise--a surprise in that some members
| who only two days ago were against tho
| railroads had received light in the mean
| time. Even President Daniels was reason
| able today He evidently repented hia
hasty words Of yesterday and was not tho
| least Bit arbitrary In any Of his rulings.
| In fact. he helped grease the rails 10 help
tho machine along.
But the work il ended: the bin has been
killed. the people have lost: the railroads
have won. and II would do no good to
| mention names or amounts. even were that
possible. or to sift the guile.ess from tho
guilty, the honest from the dishonest. each
OF these elements being represented in the
vote today against the bill.
RailroadinE the BIN.
The Runner freight rate bill was reached
at II fs on the senate calendar, and Ben-
| a,or Runner asked that II 80 over awhile.
/ IA several members were absent.
| Plummer said he was anxious TO vote
| on the rate bin. as IL was necessary for
him to leave the city for a day or two.
"It was only request" said Runner.
'and withdraw IT,"
wartur;on moved that the bill be placed
on ss final paHsage. Carried.
Before the roll could be called Hail OF
Whitman moved a call Of the house.
Yeend seeonding the motion. The roll
call showed slx abasutees. two OF whom
had beer excused for sickness. The ssr-
rcans-mt-arms was instructed. on motion
Of Yesnd. 10 locate the abHsusees and
bring them TO the bar of the senate. Tho
sick we're Faem ard Rinshsrt. The other
abssntees were BIggs. Garper. Lecrons
and Land
After waiting fifteen minutes Senator
lss1rGn~ was brought tn. WaFbuTson
thought enough iirne bad been lost. Plum
ussr asked that the eaIi of the xcnnss be
suspended There was some objection.
President Daniels showed no opposition
70 the railroad fsrees ard readily put tho
motion and announced II az carried,
wsrbarton Expfains His Vote.
Warhgr,1n explained hss position ON the
tiii. The railroads had rot grown rich on
Washington traffic. and had never earned
sa@ dividends they weye entitled to- Ths
state In regulating rates. cannot take into
consideration the tnterxfase traffic. That.
he said In a settled question of law We
have 80 consider one thing oniy sn this
bsg. DO the fssights within this state.
and carried Ia points within this state.
pay the operating expenses os the road
never voted ia more conscientious
manner against a ball than do against
,hss The freight received By the Great
Northern from the tine it reaches the
state ssne Easii is reaches tide water does
not pay IN. taxes on the rnsdbed And
ret you wans 10 reduce fss rates. The tn
come derived from the snAfn itne OF shs
Northern Pacific railroad from the sase-
srn 90 the western limits does mot pay The
taxes ca the rnafbe1 We need railroads:
we MAR. nsgr~ railroads. We neeA them
more than NE x.sed sae light fsdssrssf,s ia