The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-02
IS CHEAP J POLITICS
j. II. LEWIS, OF WASHINGTON
STATE, SAYS GOV. VAN SAINT
Is INsINCERE
DOING OPERA BoUFFE TURN
People on the Pacific Coast Are Not
Losing Any Sleep over
the Railroad
Merger.

James Hamilton Lewis, of Seattle,
Wash, eX-cOngressman from that state,
and candidate for the vice presidency in
1900 on the Democratic ticket, was seen
at the West Hotel yesterday by TIL G
Clio e. Mr.. Lewis was on his way ia
Chicago to attend a meeting of the stock
holders of a Pacific coast corporation,
He was asked in regard to the political
situation in Washington since the death
of Gov. Rogers, who is a Democrat, and
what effect the advent of Gov Mcbride,
a Republican, would have on the state
He said that Gov. Rogers, who had just
died, was universally respected and adj
mired man, and that his successor who
is Republican, having been a very
able iurist, no doubt would make a com
petent executive.
The change in office removes all Dem.
ocratic state officials subject to the ap,
pointment of the governor, putting them
in the hands of the Republicans, A
senatorial fight is now on at the cleo
ion this approaching fail. The Republi-
can candidates are Harold Preston, a
state senator, ex-senator John l.. Will
son, who lives in Spokane and Mr.
Ankeny. a wealthy banker of Walla
Walla
Should the legislature be Republican and
a deadlock arise, Gov. Mcbride would
be selected as a compromise Should
the Democrats carry the Legislature and
the present fusion senator, George Tur-
ner, from Spokane, not be a candidate.
or for any reason not acceptable, the
choice would unquestionably fall to Sc
attic, and Col. A. ]. Blethen, formerly
of Minneapolis, now owner of the Seattle
Times, would be likely to be selected
If the above programme does not ma
terialiZe it is conceded that, at the ex-
piration Of Senator Fosters term, two
years hence, Col. 4Blethen is in all prob
ability his logical successor, as the
colonel has grown into high esteem with
all the people of the state since he took
up his residence there.
Referring to the alleged merger of the
Great Northern and Northern Pacific rail-
ways, Col. Lewis said:
Speaking for myself, I think the sem
sible people of our state regard GOV. Van
SAINT as playing vaudeville politics. Ger
tatnly, as Democrat and one opposed. to
trusts and illegal consultations, l think
that the convention of governors at
Helena, in so far as they would be able
to accomplish anything at all upon the
subject, are like the famous French gen,
eral Who marched his men up the hill,
and then down again.
Admitting the evila to be what Gov
Van SAINT claims, the distinguished gen.
tlemen must know that any state legiS-
lation after the event would be ineffec-
tive as it would be retroactive and in vi
olation of the federal constitution. Leg
islation looking to the future could not
remedy a past evil, if there was SUCH
and the roads being interstate, only an
act Of congress could operate uniformly
upon the questions.
Now, if these distinguished officials
know this to be the law, as surely they
must, they are only beating a political
tom-tom to a street corner jubilee.
eff they do not know that such is the
law they make themselves ridiculous,
while they injure future legitimate efforts
which might be to peoples welfare, by
casting the reflection upon them by the
remembrance of a previous fantastic
spectacular.
1.-The people Of the state of Washington
will oppose the merger of these roads
when it becomes threatened, but they see
nothing of the kind in a mere stock COM
pany, acting as agent for the stock of
both concerns, and until they see some
actual danger or injury threatened by
this Securities company, they are not
inclined to dance a war dance at the
sight of a blanket, filing the air with
whoops of an Indian raid.
cit is my opinion that if Gov. Van SAINT
and his associates were. seriously seeking