The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1902-06-06
SPOKANE POLITICS.


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SPOKANE, June 4.-Since the rail-
roads have commenced their fight
against Gov. Mcbride and the Seattle
politicians who are backing him, the
people Of Spokane are wondering when
the roads will commence the same
kind of fight in this city. That the
roads will do so no ore doubts. They
will endeavOr to have nominated and
elected for the legislature men who
will favor their cause. In fact, already
they have given an indication of their
purpose in their threat to take away
the milling in transit rate from the
flour mills in Spokane, which would
come near to closing all of these big
and important institutions. 1t is be-
lieved here that this effort to deprive
Spokane Of this rate is but the first
attempt of the roads to throw Spokane
into line for them at the next session
of the legislature. At the last session
the only serious argument made to
the Spokane Republican members to
vote for the roads against the various
bills which were then pending was
that if the members from Spokane did
not do SO the result might be that the
milling in transit rate would have to
be withdrawn from the Spokane mills.
With this argument two of the Spo-
kane members were induced to re-
frain from voting for the anti-railroad
bills. The roads evidently intend to
commence earlier this year and hope
to compel all the members from SpO-
kane at the next session to vote with
them. The threat to withdraw the
milling in transit rate certainly will be
a strong argument for the roads, and
will have it's weight with the business
men and with the members Of the
legislature. What other arguments
and schemes the roads will spring with
the same object in view remains to be
seen.
At the present time public opinion
in Spokane is divided on some of the
railroad issues, and on others it is
more or less united. The governors
fight against the railroad lobby at
Olympia is generally sustained. This
lobby, as it is manipulated by George
Stevenson and others, interfering in
all matters of legislation whether per-
tanning to railroads or not, is a gen.
orally condemned as a disgrace to the
state, and if the governor can run the
entire. legislative railroad push into
the Sound the people of Spokane will
be we'll satisfied
On the question of a railroad COM
mission sentiment is also quite gen
orally with the governor Few people,
unless they are in some way connected
with the railroad business, can be
found in Spokane who do not say that
the proposition of commission is fair
to the roads, to the merchants and
to the farmers, and, further, that it
is needed to protect the interests of
the people. They also believe that if
honestly organized it would be no in
jury to the roads, Even the shippers,
the men who are most apt to be under
the influence of the railroads, say that
a commission is right and hope that
the governor and the members of the
legislature who have been with him
in this fight will win.
But when it comes to a question of
the merger and the fight which the
governor is making in the courts
against it there is very pronounced
difference of opinion. The governors
courage is admired and so is his hon.
eSty Of purpose. But the wisdom of
the fight he is making against the
roads one often hears questioned on
the streets of Spokane. Many say
the merger is but an evidence of the
spirit of the times; that Mr. Hill is
but keeping pace with the general
movement for consolidation, and that
to do otherwise would show him to be
a man not equal to the task before
him. That the. people will not suffer
in the long run and that the business
men OF. Spokane in particular will be
much better off if Mr.. Hill is allowed
to work out his railroad enterprises
without handrance from the officials
OF the state. Many of the shippers of
the city are pronounced in their dis
approval OF the action of the governor
and declare that Spokane will suffer
seriously and that the governor ought
to be and will be held responsible
On the other hand, many persons sup
port the governor and say that Mr..
Hill is violating the law and it is the
duty of the officials of the state,
whether the law is good or bad, to see
that the railroads as well as everyone
else complies with it, That the roads
have interfered so often in the legis-
latiVe affairs of the state that it is
the duty of the governor to use the
courts to curb their power, which al
ready is too great. And, further, it is
claimed by the supporters of the gov
ernOr that the people of Spokane, as
well as those of other portions of the
state, will be at the mercy of one man
II the merger stands, and that he will
have it in his power to ruin communi-
ties and individuals. And thus the
arguments are made for and against
the policy of the governor in fighting
the merger.
The result of the agitation is I'M
certain. If the roads force the ship
perS and mill owners to demand that
the delegation from Spokane oppose
any interference with the affairs of
the railroads perhaps they may bring
enough pressure to bear to line up
most, if not all, of the Spokane mem
bers for the roads. But the result is
more apt to be as it has been in the
past. Some Of the Spokane legislators
will support the roads and some of
them will be against them. The mem
bers who will be elected to the lower
house from Senator Tolman's district
are most apt to be found on the side
of the roads, for there is a bigger rail-
road vote in this district than in any
other in the county. From the dis
trict which Senator Grow represents
it is quite uncertain how the two
members of the house are apt to stand,
for there is large farmer vote, and
there is also quite railroad vote in
the city portion of the district. Sen
ator Hallett's district is all outside
of the citv of Snokane and if ia nat