The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-02-25
"INGRATITUDE."

Senator Join L. Wilson Is indeed an
object of pity just now, or at least
thinks he is; that is, he feels very
sorry for himself, and is not backward
about telling it whenever opportunity
affords. After being defeated for sen:
ator he started for Washington, and
whenever he got chance to be inter-
viewed by newspaper reporter he
took advantage of it to relate bis tsle
of woe. When he reached Minneapo.
lis he stepped from the train. and of
course the first man he found was one
of those persistent" reporters, and to
him, this statesman from the ever
green state said:
Republicans are said to be migrate
full; SO are states. Mine is a case in
point. Here, for the last ~ years, I
have been working for the good of my
state. I have built u2 its commerce,
cleaned out its rivers for navigation,
dredged it's harbors. huib its light
houses and opened its Indian reserva.
tions -ouly to be relegated to private
life. The opposition to which I chief
ly owe my defeat came from the west
side of the state in the lumber districts
which were indebted to me for the tar
If bill. in -ethe passage of which l was
mostly instrumental.
What q pity it is to relegate such a
great man to privete life. What a
loss it is to the nation that the Hon.
John L Wilson's voice will no longer
be heard In the halls of the American
house of lords after the 4th of March
next. What a lot of ingrates the
Washington legislators must be.
just think of what lin his own mind)
the great John L. has done for the
people of Washington. He has ''Duils
up their commerce. cleaned out their
rivers. dredged their harbors, built
their lighthouses and opened their
Indian reservations" all with that
mighty mind of his. Were people
ever more ungrateful than when they
refused to return him to the United
States senate? Was mans inhunani-
ty to man ever more plainly displayed
than when those Washington legisla-
tors said to this great benefactor he
should no longer have an opportunity
of displaying his beneficence? rhen
just think of it, what a loss the nation
has sustained. Here is man, who
by his own lips. tells who passed the
the DingleJ tariff bill, for he says 1.-The
opposition to which 1 chiefly owe my
defeat come from the lumber districts,
which we're indebted to me for the
tariff bill, d the passage of which I
was moetly INSTRUMENTAL" Ye Gods!
what Shame ills to retire man like
this. Let the Washington legislature
reconsider the action by which it
elected ar. Foster, and replace him
with the mig hty John L. The nation
cannot we'll be deprived of his services
if be is really such a master mind.
But was the senator such q necessity
to Che state of Washington, to the
nation apd, the people generally? Did
heyactua1ly do all that he claims? And
was he so devoted to the interests of
the dear people. or was he the repres-
entative of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Co. in the senate chamber?
Possibly if he would scan bis twelve
years of service in the senate more
closely, he would learn the secret'of
Washington's ingratitude. Possibly
he would see wherein, while no was
doing all he claims to have done for
the state, he was performing double
service to the railroad company, and
then it will dawn upon him why his
state was ungrateful.