The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1904-04-08
ReymENT FOR FOOLS AND
6ARES.

Review of lastTuesday contained
the following editorial endorse
ment of Mr.. Fields argument
for an appointive railroad COM
mission:
There is no mistaking the attitude Of
Representative Nj. E. Field of Chelan
county. Mr.. Field, who is a candidate
for lieutenant governor, was an unwa-
vering advocate of railroad commits
sion, and his frank, sad mirable state
ment, published in Fridays Spokes-
lpan- Review, makes it entirely plain
that he stands firmly by the peoples
rights. II am for an appointive rail-
road commission" said Mr.. Field, land
believe an elective commission would
be worse than no commission"
In support OF this conviction, Mr..
Field pointed out that with an appoint
i've commission the governor is respon-
sible for the work OF the commission,
and if its members fail to perform their
duty, they can be promptly removed by
the governor, and their places filled
with better men. On the other hand, if
railroad tools Slipped into the commits
sion under the elective system, they
would be there for years-six years is
the usual term OF a railroad commits
sioner-and could be removed only by
impeachment before the legislature.
AS the Washington legislature has
never tried to impeach single one OF
the innumerable tools which the rail-
roads have foisted into other public po-
sitions, there Is no probability that 1t
would deal differently with railroad
creatures on q Onmission.
Mr.. then]pOinted out the meth
DDS the railroad lobby would employ to
bring about the nomination in state
conventions Of candidates acceptable to
them, to the extent of sacrificing nomi'
nations to all other positions.
This they could do in comparative
obscurty, for the reason that the peo-
pie find it impossible to check up the
records and beliefs at the numerous
candidates for minor state offices. Can
,didates for governor, though, are inva-
riably brought into the open. The
searchlight is turned upon them, and
long before the state conventions as
sembte. the voters have pretty clear
knowledge Of their policies and affilia-
tions. For example. the voters know
ut this time that If Henry Mcbride
should appoint a railroad commission.
that body would not be weaker cor
rupt tools OF the lobby, and they know
that If Atkinson should be elected there
would be little or no interference with
the wishes of the railroad leaders.
Men like Mr.. Field are wanted in the
public service. They are frank, above
hoard, honest, brave and incorruptible.
they are the hope OF the state and the
nation. Were it not for them the re-
public would soon be overwhelmed by
civic decay.
Had not the Spokesman Re-
view given Mr.. Fields argument
prominence by indorsing it, and
passing it up to the voters OF
Eastern Washington as a sutfi-
Gent reason for supporting Mr..
Mcbride, like many osher argu-
ments that gentleman has made, it
might have escaped notice.
Some of the arguments he has
put forth in thiscampaign lacked
lucidity-that is, they were just
about as clear as mud, but this
argument lacks the Indispensable
quantity of common sense.
81 believe an elective commits
sion would be worse than no com
mission" said Mr.. Field. Does
Mr.. Field know OF, "a single state
that has abandoned an elective
for an appointiye commission:
If Mr.. Field doesn't know about
this he might call in the Spokes
man Review to help him out.
AS q matter of fact by far the
larger number of those states
that have attempted to regulate
railroads through a commission
select the commission by popu
lar vote. Can it be possible thai
all of these states have erred in
providing for an elective rather
than appointive commission
Are the conditions in Washing
ton different from what they are
in those states in which the cleo
tive commission works so salts
factorily that never a PROPOSE
ton has been made to change to
an appointive commission? Are
the people of this state less capa
BILE of making a wise and proper
use of the elective franchise than