The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-09-28

the following and then shows populists
why they should not support Rogers for
governor:
The Capital is the Oldest populst
paper in the state and it did not spring
into existence to live off from party pelf
but left good support in the republi
can ranks in 1891 to labor in behalf of
the common people for purer politics
and the rights of the people. In 1892
protesting against ring rule in the Attain 6
of the state it assisted in organizing
the peoples party in Thurston county
and had the satisfaction OF seeing GIL
votes polled for C. W. Young, the peo-
Piles party candidate for governor in
that year. For more than eight years
the Capital has labOred for direct legis-
lation and clean partisan politics and,
the present publisher does not propose
to mar that record by now giving the
support of the Capital to the most cor
rupt ring ever known in this state-the
present Turner Rogers machine, which ia
alone responsible for the state ticket
nominated at Seattle. In taking this
position the publisher does not stultify
himself in any way for he announced be-
fore the convention was held that he
would not support John R. Rogers for
reelection, and after his nomination, left
the convention and took no part in it,
The Capital charges, which can be
proven, that Governor Rogers machine
assessed state employees for a personal
re nomination fund which is sufficient to
absolve all populists from support of
the ticket.
Most certainly, when it comes to max
ing pledges for votes and support we are
ready to back Rogers against any poll
tician in the state. 1t is said that
Rogers has bargain counter in second
hand pledges left over from 1896 that
can be secured cheap; among the lot
is the pledges made to the populist con-
ventiOn in Ellensburg that be would not
use the veto power but hold the repre-
sentatives responsible to the people; also
his pledge of one term OF office and his
pledge to support the platform then
adopted, to say nothing of individual
and private pledges that he made for
support and violated them all. He
never lifted his hand to assist in the en-.
actmeDt into law of any of the pledges
to the people in the state platform of
1896, when the populist house in the
legislature of 1897, passed bills covering
every one, many of them only to be
killed or postponed by the Turner
Rogers senators in the state senate.
The Rogers heelers are claiming for
his administration all of the beneficial
effect OF the pOpulist legislation of 1897
and of the careful work of the state
officials elected on the state ticket with
him, but not in harmony with his ma
chine methods. All that Rogers is en-
titled to credit for is the control of state
institutions which have been manipu-
lated by his state board of politicians to
assist in establishing the Turner-Rogers
machine, and so far all the ISLANDERS of
this administration are connected with
these institutions. There was the con-
Wet pardOned to go north and show
some of the pen officials his rich Alaska
find, Only to escape the first chance he
got; then there have been continual com
plants charging Encouragement of the
two asylums.
Had Governor Rogers followed the ex
ample OF Governor Poynter of Nebraska,
who was elected as populst on a fu-
sion ticket, the popuist party of this
state would today be what it was in
1896, when Rogers was placed at the
head of the state ticket by popuIists, the
leading party in the reform ranks in the
state and not in it's death struggle by
the treacheTy of such men as Rogers
who, ever since his election has been
using all the power and influence of his
position to turn it over to the democ-
racy. In 1896 the populists had the
most and best newspapers in the state,
and instead of Rogers lending them all
the aid and encouragement needed in
their hard battle for reform he placed
the patronage of the state with demo-
Gratis or with those who would join him
in the public interviews he sent out an
nOuncing the populist party dead. Such
treachery by a man who was raised
from poverty and obscurity to wealth
and prominence by the tireIess workers
of party of reform who had sacrificed
much for their principles, should be re-
membered by every pOpulist in the state
when they cast their ballots in No
vember.
Those delegates from eastern Wash
ingtOn who went to the Seattle conyen-
ton anti Rogers men and were changed
by coming into close contact with the