The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1902-07-11

/ '0nuehl, surveyor, coroner, county
commissioners.
Inc report OF the platform committee
was listened to with undivided atten.
tion, and applause greeted the reading
vi t1e railroad plank, the wording oi
Whlch had been the only bone of conten.
tlon IN the committee.
Convention Fireworks,
| When the reading was COMPLETED r.
L. Ettlnger secured recognition and ad-
Vanclng to the railing made an impas-
| stoned appeal to the convention to
amend the railroad plank with reference
TO the commission bill, so there could be
no possible misconstruction of it's mean
ing or the desire OF the republicans of the
county to fully and wholly endorse the
Taiiroad policy of Governor Mcbride.
lie declared that the matter was all i'm
portant, that this was where the fire.
WORKS were, and that no hasty action
ought to be taken. He then submitted
the amendment, which made support of
Cne commission bill paramount, instead
oI oelng on equal terms with a maxi
mum freight rate bill, as the plank was
originally reported, and which latter was
TO be supported if the effort to secure a
COnlLlsSlOn Idll60.
1hat the convention was in favor of a
complete Endorsement of Governor Me
brlde,s policy of putting the commits
sion foremost was now apparent, and
the motlan to amend received several
seconds.
+. W. Bier thought that majority Of
the delegates believed him to be sincere
ID his support of Governor Mcbride. He
was one OF the committee on platform,
and the question had been whether to
pledge the Legislative members to en-
deaVOr to secure a commission or maxi
mum rate bill. He couldn't see any OBJ
IectIon to getting both, and thought that
a careful reading of the plank would
snow that it endorsed Mcbride clear
through, commission and all, but he
would accept the amendment.
Il. L. Conan said that if the members
OF the convention knew what cOnsidera-
ton bad been given the subject in the
committee room they would vote the
amendment down. One hour and fifty
minutes had been devoted to discussion
OF the plank and its phraseOlogy, and
the result was finally attained by each
side cOnceding a little. The plank. he
thought, cOincided with Ettinger's views.
John Canutt compared the two hours
devoted to it by the committee TO the
six years thought he had given the sub
Iect and declared that we must say what
we want and mean what we say. The
way to support the governor was to
support his measure, and if failure re
suited, then try for some other good
measure. There was no reason why the
IAnDuaT1 in oh l. 4
clear
Lillis F. Smith called for another read
ing OF the plank and said that what we
want is reduction of rates, and he
didn't care by what method it was Sc
cured, so long as it was honest. He be-
lleved that the railroads, as a result of
the proposed conference of farmers, ship
pers and railway presidents, would re-
dIce the rates materially, and announced
that Mr. Coolidge, secretary of the meet
ing that extended invitations to the
presidents, had that morning received a
letter in reply to the one addressed to
President Mohler of the O. R. & N, ac-
cepting the invitation. He also an
nounced that it had been authoratively
stated that President Hill of the Great
Northern would come and talk the mat
ter over.
j. Z. Lawrence asserted that the decIa-
ration must mean support of the gov
ernOr in what he proposes.
U. l.. Ettinger produced the platform
adopted by the Walla Walla republicans
and asked to be shown any mention of
Governor Mcbride in the document. He
read the supplementary resolutions,
which he declared slapped the governor
in the face. A point OF order was raised
at this juncture, and the convention was
in an uproar, but the delegates desired
to hear it out and the speaker continued.
He said, care you going to allow Walla
Walla or King county to make your
platform ?" The response was mo !"
"No!" from different parts of the house.
Finally the question on the amend
ment was put and carried amid cheers
and shouts, and the amended platform
was then adopted unanimously, with
renewed demonstrations A delegate
suggested that rising vote be taken,
alleging that the democrats in the back
of the house were voting. The chair.
man remarked that there we're not
enough democrats to affect the result if
they all voted, and the delegates kept
their seats. The platform follows:
Republican Platform.
l. We most heartily endorse the admins
trations of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Governor Henry Mcbride, and that of our
several national, state and county officials.
We particularly commend their vigilance in
safeguarding the interests of the people and
their efforts to enforce the laws impartially.
without fear or favor.
II. We affirm our. allegiance to the
principles of the republican party as enunciat-
ed IN the Philadelphia platform, and call at
tentiOn to the fact that the republican party
is the only national political organization that
has had definite policy which has been en-
acted into legislation for more than forty
years.
III. We commend the action of our SEN
ator, Addison G. Foster, and Congressman
William l.. Jones and Francis w. Cushman
for their energetic and successful work in se-
curing liberal appropriations for the improve
ment of rivers and harbors of the state of
suitable public buildings in the principal
cities Of the state, that the governmental
affairs may be administered in quarters com
porting with the dignity and wealth of the
nation.
". We deplore the untimely death of our
noble and much beloved president, William
Mckinley, who was stricken down in the line
of public duty by the cowardly hand of an
anarchist assassin.
V. We favor the election of United States
senators by the direct vote of the people, and
instruct the members of our state delegation
to use their best efforts to secure the adoption
of such plank in our state platform
vi We of the proliDniu or