Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-10-03

and Welty OF Lewis will vote with Nc
Bride. That, with the addition ol
those counted with the railroads, com.
pletes the list of holdovers.
The railroad people claim that their
list is not exhausted by the nance
mentioned. They assert that several
other nominees, both Democratic and
Republican, are with them, while they
admit of course, that some Republican
nominees and some Democratic nomi.
nees are assuredly with Mcbride. On
the whole, however, they claim an alb.
solute majority of the Senate, and pro.
duce a list Of names in support oi
THEFT assertion.
Another element of strength which
the railroads are counting upon is the
voting strength OF their employees. A
concentrated effort is being made to
organize railroad employees for voting
purposes. The ground work of such
organization has already been per.
formed in Seattle, Tacoma and Spo.
kane. The Spokane meeting was held
at Hillyard. The idea is to have q
committee appointed by these various
organizations of employees to visit
every candidate, on both tickets, for
the Legislature and demand that they
individually and collectively pledge
themselves, if elected, to vote against
a Railroad Commission bill. The pen.
atty for refusing to make such pledge
will be threat to throw the eolid vote
of the railroad employees against the
candidate so refusing. The railroads
claim to control 1000 votes in Spo-
kane county alone and more in both
Seattle and Tacoma.
The railroad politicians do not pro-
fess to own the railroad employees body
and soul, or to be able to vote them
like cattle. They are working a
shrewder game than one of bulldozing
and browbeating. They have shrewd
agents at work among the men who
are using this kind Of an argument;
Mcbride wouldn't be advocating q
commission unless his purpose was to
reduce rates; there would be no use
for commission unless that we're its
object. Rates are now as low as the
roads can stand. A reduction means
that a cut in wages will be necessary
in order for the roads to pay operating
expenses and dividends. The only
way for you to make sure that your
wages will not be reduced is to see to
it that the legislative candidate you
vote for will agree to vote against the
commission bill"
That such an adroit appeal is having
some effect is made evident by the en-.
thusiasm with which some of the rail-
road employees have gone to work or
ganizing anti-commission associations,
which have for their avowed object the
defeat of any and all legislative condi-
dates who will not pledge themselves
in advance against the Mcbride policy.
Some Of the railroad politicians pro.
fess to believe that this antagonism
can be carried further, and can be ex-
tended by the railroad employees into
the ranks of organized labor generally.
The plan is to have the railroad
unions make sympathetic appeal to
other unions to aid them in fight,
which, il is contended, is aimed to re.
duce the wages of workingmen. This
is one OF the many sources OF strength
upon which the fertile brains of the
railroad men are now working.
The reliance of Governor Mcbride
in this fight is upon public sentiment.
Public sentiment was the rock upon
which he planted his feet in the con-
test which won him the convention.
His friends believe that public senti-
ment will aid him in breaking loose
some OF the members OF the Legisla.
ture, who. on roll call to-day might
line up with the railroads. Moreover,
he has with him the fact that the
party has declared for commission.
That itself constitutes powerful lev.
erage. which will be greatly strength.
ened If the Democratic State Conven.
ton adopts plank in harmony with
the Republican declaration on the
| commission question.
Every political interest OF my ad-
ministration will be made subservient
to the fight against the railroad lobby
So declared Governor Mcbride in Spo.
kane last February; so does he declare
today. The prestige of the executive
Office in scrap" is enormous. The
veto power, used against private meas
ures fathered by members hostile to
the Governors policy is one OF the
things that must be reckoned with, for
the Governor would not hesitate for
an instant to use it unsparingly. He
has the bit in his teeth, he has made
up his mind to down tbs lobby and he
will not hesitate to use any lawful
weapon that comes to his hand.
The Minister'S wife-Im afraid Mr..
Skinfint does not realize that the Lord
loves cheerful giver. The Minister
Oh. / don't know, the less he gives
the more cheeriully lie gives it.
Mr.. YERNING - If you will only
marry me, l promise you III make you