The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-12-10

HAD IMPORTANT CASE IN ALASKA

By a neatly planned and executed
maneuver polite, Congressman Fran
cs w. Cushman of this state cleverly
avoided opposing the Cuban recipro-
city law without violating a promise
which he made in the campaign last
fall to the voters of Spokane county
says Joe Smith in the Seattle Mail
and Herald. In the 57th congress Con-
gresham CuShman was one of the
prominent republican insurgents op-
posing the policy of the administration
in the reciprocity matter, taking that
stand in the interests of the beet sugar
industry which he claimed would be
injured by reciprocity. The republican
endorsed the foreign and domestic
policies Of President Roosevelt, and
instructed the members of the delega-
ton from this state to favor them in
congress. A plank declaring openly
for the reciprocity measure was pro-
posed, but Cushman appeared before
the committee to ask that it be not
adopted as it might embarrass him in
his campaign. PrO-railroad members
Of the committee thereupOn agreed to
suppress the more emphatic resolution
provided Congressman Cushman would
not discuss the railroad commission
question in his campaign. This Cush-
man agreed to do and the positive re-
ciprocity resolution was omitted. La
ter in the campaign in an address de-
liyered in Spokane. Cushman declared
that he would never lend his vote in
congress to any measure aimed al an
industry of Spokane county. This
was accepted at the time as a declar-
alton that he would not vote for the
reciprocity measure.
80
Under these circumstances the
special session of congress for the
consideration of the reciprocity meas
ure presented a rather embarrassing
predicament to the picturesque sue
cessor of the more picturesque James
Hamilton Lewis. 1t was foregOne that
the reciprocity measure would pass
the house, and the opposition to it
under the circumstances would not
only have been wasted enegry, but
would have aroused OPPOSITION on the
part of other leaders in congress to
Cushman's own measures. SO with a
skill which again demonstrates his pO-
Iitical genius Cushnan became assO-
ciated of counsel in the Mammoth cop
per mine case which was heard al
valdez, Ala ska, on November 10, Hav
ing promised to attend the trial before
the extraordinary session of congress
was called he could not abandon the
interests of his clients in an emer-
genCy, SO his excuse to his constituents
is a valid one. The fact that the
company had two or three other of the
ablest attorneys they could find in
the United States leaves it clear that
their interests would have been Sc
riously initiated against by the alb
sence of the gentleman from Wash
! jngtOn.' Congressman Cushman re
| turned from Alaska on Saturday an6
taking the next train FASTENED away
to Washington, in order to make uI
by diligence in attending the CLOSING
days OF the extraordinary session fol
his absence when the essential vote OF
the session was taken.
The railroad political manipula tors
| Of the state are lending a passing noe
of APPROVAL to the ambitions of Super
iOr Judge S. J. Chadwick of Whitman
county to become the democratic
nominee for governor. Several little
| incidents which have occurred of late
close to the base of supplies" justify
this declaration. And there are many
circumstances which conspire to make