The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-30
PROSPERITY IN PALOUSE.
FARMERS IN THAT FRUITFUL VAL
LEY SURE OF GOOD CROPS.
Are Strong In Line for the Princi-
Pies of the Republican Party and
VIII Poll Large Vote in Com
Ing Elections for That Party.

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer.
COLFAX, May 29.-The weather and
the crops are always subjects prolific of
interest in the Palouse country and new
er nave these two subjects been dis
cussed with more general satisfaction
than during the past three months. The
weather has apparently been made to
order for the perfect development of veg
citation. All classes of crops grain, grass.
fruit and vegetables have made a per-
rect growth. No vegetation has been re-
tarded or destroyed by frosts, nor has any
languished by reason of lack of rain, nor
been drowned out by too great an amount
of precipitation. Naturally the people
of the county are Jubilant over the pros
pect. Grain crops are fully a month
ahead of previous years, the acreage is
large, an open winter has killed nearly
all the wild oats-the chief pest of the
Palouse grain farmer. All that is now
needed is a 60-cent a bushel price for
wheat this fall, when it is expected that
the earnings of the county will be as
great as in 1897 when the farmers paid
fully three million dollars of debts from
the sale of one crop.
This condition of present prosperity, to-
gether with the promise of advancing
profit in the immediate future, is reflect
ed somewhat by the political sentiment
of the people. Whitman county was once
the headquarters of the calamity bowler
par excellence; here was the stamping
ground of the organizers of the Silver
Federation, who favored an armed revo-
luton and the overthrow of the govern
ment as at present constituted. The
federation claimed that in 1896 there were
5000 of their number in the county and
that each man owned a rifle and had 500
rounds of ammunition in his possession.
and that each would obey the call of his
step ' Contemplated Il is is impossible to
find half a dozen men In the county now
who are not to some. extent ashamed OF
their former connection with this oath
bound organization, with its Illegal in
tent and purposes.
With this change of sentiment Republi-
canism has advanced, and 1t is now esti-
mated that the total Republican vote OF
the county will fall little or nothing below
5000 this fall The people of the county
retention of the Philippines. Hawaii and
the tinted States. Strange as it may
peope Of the wcs a
the return of many to Republicanism has
also brought about a revival of Democ-
racy, which has been under, a cloud in
Cleveland. The renewed activity among
the Democrats is not indicative of any
icy followed In the matter of govern
ment. Whitman county's Democracy Is
not caring very much whether the plat
form favors free trade or protection. So
double standard. just so a platform is
built upon which the right kind of honey
is spread to catch the voter and elect
that partys candidates to office.
This is best evidenced by the strong
effort that was made by the Democratic
county convention to pose in the eyes of
the PopuliSts as a party of reform with
themselves. The Democratic stage man
ager of the Democracy was an artist In
his line He made a pretty stage pic
ture for the Populist audience to enjoy
The Jewels of truth and honesty with
which Dame Democracy was supposed to
have decked her charms were calculated
to be taken for genuine when viewed
from in front Unfortunately for the sue
cess Of the performance, the Populists.
whom II was intended to impress. were
not seated In the auditorium. Nearly all
of them had slipped behind the curtain.
and were peeking out from between the
flies and could see the paint and tinsel
the patches and rags. and knew the beau
teous maid who so feliCitously rendered
her devotion to the cause of reform tas
viewed from in 'front.' to be only the
same old bag who had hawked her
charms out to the highest bidder since the
early history of the nation. And they
would have none of her. AZ one old
Populist orator stated. "They come here
with an offer of fusion and tell us that
Populism IL dead unless II can regain
vigor by consorting with Democracy. We
Populists have hong known that Democ-
racy was dead and now they want us to
Join two dead things. We would only
raise a terrible stencil II we did"