The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-06-04
EASTERN wAsuINGTON KICKS


Tacoma is not SO much a matter OF
surprise as it is of regret The peo-
plc of the grain growing counties
have become as thoroughly imbued
with the idea that Il railroad com
mission would enable them to obtain
lower freight rates on their grain to
/. e water as they were few years
q 70 with the notion that the free
u nj unlimited coinage of silver at the
r,tio of is to / would cure the
c1,mtrv's financial and industrial ills
an put them all ION easy street.
They shouted themselves hoarse for
BRYAN and free silver and were gul-
li5.e enough to believe the fallacles
which Wheat Chart Jones eXpound-
Ell 20 them as facts, purpOrting to
snow that the price of wheat was de
pendent upon the price OF silver.
When a Democratic national admin
inration plunged the country into
Industrial chaos they whooped it up
for Populism. When Bryan sprung
Ito the political arena like an acrobat
il q circus and delivered his "cross
OF gold and crown of thorns' speech
to an excited multitude looking for a
Noses. they followed him with all the
fervor of fanatics. and when Repub-
li,anism again triumphed and the
lDlr period of Industrial stagnation
rave place to an era Of progress and
prosperity throughout the country,
they exchanged with glee their gold
en- wheat for golden eagles, changed
the subject when odious comparisons
with the price of silver were men
toned by Republicans who had re-
manned firm in the faith, and
when the next election came around
they voted the Republican ticket
not as IA matter of principle but be-
cause they thought there was more
in it" for them. They are fetch
worshipers, many Of them, and any
false prophet Of politics who beats
hi tom-tom in the bunch grass can
find enough followers among them to
make something of Il noise.
For some years past George Turn
er has been the idol before whom
they have bowed down and wor-
shipped. Angered and embittered
by his failure to secure election to
the United States senate as Re
publican he allied himself with the
fusionists. When that molly aggre-
cation secured control of the legisla-
ture he called himself Populist and
changing his principles, if he ever
had any, as readily as a variety per-
former changes his costume between
acts. he managed to be elected sena-
tor, A real Populist, who was a can
iii late and had nearly enough votes
10 make him senator, told the writer
that he might have been elected if he
had had few hundred dollars more.
1t was cheap legislature and Turn
er's interest in the LeRoi mine had
made him rich When prosperity
dismembered the Populist party and
modification set in, Turner, having
then become an expert political &C.
robat, appeared in the ring as q
Democrat, and that is what he calls
himself now.
Beyond an organized appetite fol
Office the Democrats in this state
can hardly be said to have any or,
ganizatiOn at all 1t matters little
who is their standard bearer. Turn
er might possibly poll few more
votes than some real Democrat, but
that is doubtful. After all, the mass
es Of thinking voters have more re
spect for man who remains stead
fast in his political faith, whatever
that is, than for one who is ever
ready to subordinate his principles {?
to expediency and lend himself to tn,
advocacy of any ism that seems t.
offer an open door for his own ad
vancement. Senator Turner's rec
ord for the past ten years is suffi
Gent proof that he is the latter sorr
81 a man. Albert Mead's record TO,
u much longer period is ample proc