The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-26
ruE l0usY TRIUMPHANT.

~ fss beer confidently predicted b.
thoss familiar vl,h the fnake-ap q the
senate FaitrsSad committee. the corpora
ssons 0an 3 majority % lis members
! ny eete 81 four 80 ;hree sae committee
has decided 10 recommend sfe Indefinite
posspenemens Of the Runner frsigas
rate hsl.
The Tacoma Ledger. which has been
working anaustriousiy fe thss end. corsa-
piaeenfly Announces that the freight
rate bill Ia killed. and also the transfer
bill This Id probably true. as the Led
ger IN deep la the couaeiis Of the iohbg.
and nas inside means If Information
that enables !, to assure it's readers that
a majority OF the senate Ia controlled
BY tsae railroads.
Tho hin VIII have to come before the
senass. however. vote taken IN deter
mine the final disposition OF the commit
tee report. ard the people will then have
an opportunity TO know who has be-
trased them, The vote In tbs senate ~
secafafsis the bib probably settles Us
fate. although IL lie TO bs. hoped that a
number Of the votes cast in favor Of re
committing may be found on the side
Of the bill when the committee report
comes up for final action. Ii is mat
ter Of surprise 10 note two Republican
votes from King county east against fhs
bill In the face Of the PARTY platform
demanding It's enactment That the sole
5 fusion member OF tse senate from this
county should vote with the railroads liz
10 be expected from the past history II
that party.
senator riarr. who assisted in killing
The bin IN committee. defends his action
by saving thar he has no particular In
tarest In the matter. claliam county
having no railroads within It's borders
and jefferson county having no Interest
in the proposed measure, This may he
true. htr the gentleman from Ciailara
and Jefferson o*erlaoks the fact that his
party Is pledged 10 enact such a law as
he Is assisting te defeat
The Runner bill. as modified in the
COMMITTEES, is fair and reasonable
measure. II does not cut freight rates Ia
/. a. great an extent az the people most
Interested are demanding. but IL makes
substantial reduction. one which the
railroads can stand without injury and
which viii be submitted To without con-
ltest, Such being the case. there il no
reason why the Republican members Of
the legislature In both houses should
not cast their votes in its favor. Pierce
county being dominated by Tacoma AMI
Tacoma being owned by the Northern
Pacific road, win oppose all railroad leg
islation. The member from that county
who developed sufficient undergraduates
IL vote otherwise than an dictated by
the railroad lobby would lind his politi-
cal career abruptly ended.
There Is hut one thing Ia b. dnne-~let
the house bill he PASSED and sent 10 the
senate. which liz controlled by the fu~
slonists and II that party chooses 10 de-
feat all railroad legislation AT this SEES
sion II must bear the responsibility.
The Hamilton transfer tin Was intro
dueed. az the Pest -Inte1ligeucer at the
time suggested. for the sole purpose 81
aiding 10 the defeat Of the tate bli3. The
absolute mastery ~ the situation hs tAe
railroads ia evidenced by shs fact that
the larwes, gamer by the passage ~ The
Hamilton blli Is resoIciuE eSer tts ae-
fsat alnee il has accomplished rs mis-
sion IN aiding re- defeat the rate hill