The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-10-17

| Chehalis county, it is true, endorsed
| the state platform and ticket, but those
| familiar with the conditions there I'M
| derstand that it was done by he Box
err element for the purpose of getting
! support for the Boxer" county ticket.
| The situation is this: The Holy Roll
lers" secured complete control Of the
| first convention, although the Boxers"
under the leadership of Ed. Benn con-
| trolled one commissioners district, that
| in which Aberdeen is situated. The
| committee on order of business report
ed in favor of the selection of delegates
to the state convention by districts.
| The Boxers reported Boxer" tick
ct from their district, but it was re-
fused by the convention at large, and
delegation of "Holy-Rollers'' from
| the district made up instead.
Holy Rollers" Overthrown
These high handed methods so
aroused the republicans generally
against the "Holy-Rollers' that in the
primaries for the second convention
the Boxers were overwhelmingly
successful. and held a caucus four days
before the county convention at which
a full ticket was named, which ticket
out break. An indication of the COM
peteness with which the rule of the
Holy Rollers was overthrown in the
second convention is contained in the
fact that in the first convention the re-
publicanS of Chehalis county declared
against a railroad commission, being
the only county in the state to do SO.
But in the second convention the plat
form was silent on this issue and Ed.
Benn, a well-known commission man
was nominated for the Legislature.
Five other republican county con-
ventions indorsed the state platform
Or ticket or both in language more or
less perfunctory and in each case ac-
virtual reputation of the platform and
ticket both by declaring for the pas.
sage of a railroad commission bill.
These counties are Douglas, Franklin,
Kittas, kIickitat and Okonogan. In
Douglas county the republicans de-
clared for an appointive commission in
their first platform and an effective and
practicaI' commission in the second, a
shifting of their position which is GER
cally during the campaign. The Kitti-
tas county convention which gave the
state ticket a perfunctory endorsement
gave Gov. Mcbride, in the same plat
form a hearty and unreserved' en-
dOrsement. 1t also declared for direct
primary law as means of preventing
repetition of the scenes and results
of the Tacoma convention.
The Klickitat county republicans who
have always, heretofore, been opposed,
in their county platform, to a railroad
commissions adopted in their second
| convention a railroad commission
plank which they tackled to the en-
| dOrsement of the state ticket and con-
convention for not declaring for the
| same principle. OkOnOgan county also
declared for railroad commission.
| Seven republican county conventions
already reported are silent regarding
| both the state platform and the state
! ticket Five of these lie in eastern
! Washington and two lie in western
Washington. They are Adams, hsor,n,
Ferry Lincoln, Lewis. Stevens and
Wahkiakum. From this list it will be
observed that no county bordering on
the Idaho line and no county touching
iicke;. tEotin county, although refusing
to endorse the state ticket and al
though declaring for railroad com
mission. nevertheless turned down fer
denomination her representative in the
legislature, Geo w. r. PeaSlee, one
Of the staunchest commission men in
the present Legislature. Lincoln county,
although refusing to endorse the state
ticket, turned down for denomination
J. +. Howard, one of the ablest COM
mission members of the legislature, and
for nomination for state senator NJ. +.
| Hay. the Lincoln county leader OF the
| Mcbride forces. Ferry county declared
| IN its grst convention for an elective
commission in Straddlng plank, but
| in its first convention for an elective
/ dOrsed the state administration. Wah-
kiakum county adopted no platform but
/ nominated railroad commission man
for the legislature.
These conditions and the action of
these conventions Indicate the very
l. r. a ctp of he JiCa ffactiop ir,