The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-27
BOASTS THE PREMIER.
Ex-Iieut. Gov. Thomas X. McInucs
OF british Columbia. vindf-
Gates Himself.

Special Dispatch to the Post -Intenigencer
,kANCOCNEk, b. G.. June 2s.-ES-
in the Vancouver World with a ten-col-
umn vindication of his position in the
recent political crisis Mr.. McInnes is
very caustic In his references 10 his dis
missal by the government OF Sir wilfrid
Laurier at Ottawa. After making a gen
eral statement of his position, he quotes
many letters and kilograms which PASSED
between Premier I.aurier and himself.
tending to support his contention. that
what ne did was the only thin. hat
To the People of British Columbia:
Having been officially deposed on the 2snd
inst. by the Laurier government from the
Columbia, l am now free for the first
time TO say word publicly In my own
defense against the charges made against
me In connection with the dismissal Of the
SemIn government and the formation of
the Martin government. The people of Brit
fsh Columbia have not only not condemn
ed my action in dismissing the Semlin
government, but thev have overwhelm-
ingly ratified It, for there Is not a single
member OF that government In the newly
elected legislature, and the party led by
Mr.. Semltn and his colleagues is utterly
thing of the past. ] was not allowed
10 be heard In my own behalf in con-
nection with my reasons for calling upon
MIR Martin / have made. at different
dates, reports concerning the calling of
Mr.. Martin, and the operation of his nd
ministration. But Sir wilfrid I.aurier
any OF them before parliament at Of
tawa. although asked by the British a.
lumbia members TO do so. And vet. al
though not a word that I had to say in
my own defense was allowed To 70 before
you ii was given out that you were the
judges OF my conduct. Is this British
JUSTICE Is this British fair play week
after the elections. at which you were
supposed TO be the judges Of my conduct
majority of the newly-elected MEM
hers OF the legislature passed a resolu-
n F.fIt oil
vention. asking Sir Wiifrjd Laurier to
dismiss me. And Sir Wilfrid. although
he had few days before said that the
matter should he left to the legislature
to decide, promptly obeyed the resolution
passed in secret session. and at a party
convention. Without my. saving what
have been expected from the premier of
Canada under such circumstances. IL GER
tainly was TO have been expected that a
body of men sufficiently imbued with the
spirit OF British institutions to represent
you in the Legislature, would have waited
before taking action, until the Legislature
was In session, when they could have
called for all correspondence and papers
I'm connection with the issues involved
and could then have dispassionately and
publicly considered my official actions on
wrong. They would only have had q
month TO wait, and In the meantime. n
new government. which they were pre-
pared to support. had been installed IN
office"
The ex-governor goes on 20 discuss HE
actions. and declares there is a difference
between misuse of power and mistakes IN
Judgment. He continues.
And I believe that II was the In
terest OF the people of British Columbia
rather than the interests of Sir Wtlfrid
1.aurier and the Crows Nest Pass coal
magnates that I was bound TO consider.
and IN my Judgment after the defeat OF
the Semlin government Mr.. Martin was
better fitted than any other member Of
the legislature 10 form "a government IN
the interests Of the province. And so I
called on Mr.. Martin And now the poii.
teal assassination that was threatened
has taken place. For all that I do not
regret the coura~ that I took-as an
American once said 4 would rather he
right than he president
The ex-governor then discusses 1T
great length the correspondence passing
between STR Wilfrid L.aurier and himself
and concludes with sarcastic reference
10 Confidential" letters from the secra-
tary Of state.