The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1902-08-29

nestly desired a basis of union be
established between the Populist anC
Democratic wing of the Democratic
party. Perhaps it should be said thai
the Populists were more willing thar
were the old line Democratic friends
of the senator. It was the latter who
refused and continue to refuse to lis
ten to any fusion talk and say they
prefer to go it alone rather than tc
make terms with the Pops. At the
meeting of the Populist central com
mittee last Saturday Senator Tolman
Democrat of the stalwarts. urged
the Populists to abandon their organ
| iZation and come into the Democratic
party as Democrats. They refused
They said they had asked the Demo
Gratis to agree upon a line of fusion
but their request had been turned
down. But they appointed a commit
tee which has the power to agree with
i the Democratic convention on line
of fusion, but it is not believed the
Democrats will listen. John Coffeen
urged the Populists to go into the
Democratic party, or at least he pre-
tended to. The Democratic county
convention meets on the sixth of Sep
tember and the Populist convention on
the 18th. The Socialist party will also
meet ON the 18th to name a county
ticket.
George Mudgett, county treasurer
is left in an uncertain position b,
the recent action of the Populists it
calling convention. Mudgett, who
himself is popular in Spokane county.
is POpulist, but he was elected on
the Democratic ticket when his own
party placed no ticket in the field
But now if he declares himself a POD-
They may refuse to place him on theil
ticket if he does not come out as a
Democrat. On the other hand, if he
declares himself a Democrat and ac-
cepts a position on that ticket the
Populists may refuse to name him on
their ticket, which would seriously
lessen his chances of reelection, fol
while he is generally popular his
greatest strength lies with the Popu.
lists. At the present time Mr.. Mud.
gett says he has not made I'D his
mind whether he is a Democrat or a
Populist, but will know in a few days
Another man who is in a similarly
embarrassing position is Judge w. E.
Richardson of the superior court
bench. The judge is pronounced anG
activetSocialist end Socialistic worker
But he too was elected on the Demo.
cratic ticket. That was all very we'll
when the Democrats were bidding fol
Socialist votes and were supported by
the Socialists, but now the Socialists
have decided to place ticket of thei1
own in the field in this county. This
will not please the Democrats. whose
chances of success this fall will be
seriously lessened thereby. Where
then will Judge Richardson get off two
years hence when he desires to be
reelected to the superior court Judge
ship? He can not say he has not been
Socialist and that his work will not
have assisted in Democratic defeat.
This will make it very difficult, if MOI
impossible, for him to secure a re.
nomination from the Democrats. On
the other hand if he accepts a nom
ination from the Socialists alone it is
not likely he can be elected although
personally popular.
In Whitman county the political sit
uatlon is becoming mixed. In the
eighth senatorial district, which in a
general way includes the southern
portion of the county, which has been
the Republican stronghold of the
county in years past, and which was
made still stronger Republican by the
redlstricting Of the state by the last
legislature, the Republicans are in
danger OF losing a part or all of their
legislative nominees for both houses.
In this district the fight between the
Ankeny forces and the Preston forces
IN the convention was very bitter and
the bitterness has not abated since
the convention was very bitter and
the bitterness has not abated since the
convention when Ankeny won and his
friends were nominated. The oppon-
ents Of Ankeny swear they will OF
support men who will go to the legis-
lature to vote for a man who is a
pronounced enemy of the railroad leg
islation which they deem of so much
Importance. They declare it is absurd
to expect the county which has been
most persistent for railroad legisla.
ton to send men who will vote for a
man for United States senator who
publicly announces that he is not in
favor Of railroad legislation. On the
other hand the Democrats in this dis.
trict are united and are putting up a
good fight.