Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-07-18
Trend Of Parties.
Probably no better yindicatiOn of

sented than the very general adoption
OF them by the Republican conven.
tons. Take for example, at haphaz-
ard, the platform lately put forth by
the Republican convention in Whit
man county. The two leading planks
are sections and s. The former de-
clares I've favor the election of u.
5. Senators by direct vote OF The peo-
pie" which reads remarkably like the
declaration OF the Iowa Democracy in
1896, which is, in fact, couched in
precisely the same words, about the
first time the issue was presented in
any party platform. The National
Democratic platform the same year
vigorously denounced trusts and pools,
while the Republican party, as shown
by their national declaration of prin-
ciples, bad not yet learned that they
were menace to the people in any
shape. The narrow margin of victory
that year, however, opened their eyes,
and in 1899 six Republican State Con.
ventions had made the discovery that
trusts should be restrained by national
laws, as inimical to the interests of the
people.
The Colfax Convention has evidently
attended the Belshazzer feast which
so frightened Gov. Mcbride, and in
Section s most heartily endorses his
position on the trust ard merger ques-
tions. In fact it follows up his radi-
cal position by devoting nearly all the
remainder of the platform to his plan
for retaining a majority for the party
of magnificent promises which is fast
becoming the leaven of discomfort, by
promising about everything the re-
form element has hitherto advocated.
Free pass brides are to be prohibited
by fine, Imprisonment and forfeiture
of Office, and banks made to disgorge
a reasonable amount OF their public
plumber, while economic administra-
ton is to be instituted.
Just what is meant, or rather how
little is meant, by all this palaver, is
apparent, when we compare existing
conditions with this explicit claim of
the Whitman platform, that
1.-THE Republican party is the only ma
tional political organization that that has
acted into legislation for more than forty
years."
Now, about all the ills from which
the body corporate has suffered and
now suffers, have existed these many
years, and if remedial plans have not
been provided by the only party which,
it is claimed, has been 90 diligently
enacting salutary legislation for 4" more
than forty years." whose fault is it?
A claim of credit for the little good
done, carries with it responsibility
for the many culpable acts OF omission
and commission, and the past gives
not the slightest assurance of hope for
the future.
The Republican party has been tried
and found wanting. It is owned and
controlled by venality in high places,
where its domination is absolute. Do
the people of this State want any bet.
ter or more conclusive evidence of this
than the immediate change of front
in 1896, when the gold standard was
endorsed in the State Convention at
Everett, by party that had been up,
to that moment, almost unit in en-.
thueiastic support of bimetallism?
And that was done by orders direct
from the great Boss Hanna, before the
st. Louis Convention had met which
incorporated monometallism as an is.
sue in the National platform!
The evil consequences OF that act
have, to a large degree, been averted
by the prodigious increase in volume
OF the finer metal, but that does not
show that our finances are any more
stable on one leg than two, simply be.
cause the muscles OF the single mem.
Der have sustained abnormal develop.
ment.
The currency plank is about the
only one the party ISLANDS pat" on
Just now, and that is by command oil
its owners who absorbed it as q means
for plumber. On about all other is
sues Roosevelt, Mcbride and Other
leaders have carried enough advocates
away to leave the Hanna party in q
hopeless minority.
Cannot any intelligent judge see in
all this very bright glimmer for a
change of administration 10 1904, in
which neither branch Of the &. o. p
will have any partf
THE steamer Portland steamed into
Port Townsend bay, Tuesday, none the
worse from her long imprisonment ir
the ice.foes Of Alaskan waters. Sht
was thus imprisoned from May 10th t.
June Goth, during which time much