The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-08-18

tinuation of the old fight against the
isthmian canal. 1t represents the de-
termination to work the country for
all there is in it and give way to en-
terprise and justice only when no loop
hole of escape is left. We hope that
the Panama situation will be brought
to the attention of President Roosevelt,
and there need be little doubt that when
that is done he will act in accordance
with the interests of the people,"
Turning to local conditions the Ore
CONAN was moved to exclaim:
Nothing is ever wrested from a rail-
road by thanks and prayers. Speak
softly if you will, but carry big stick
Continuing the Thunderer said:
Whats the result? Well, one result
is that the state is going to be grid
ironed with electric roads. They are
going in all over the Willamette valley
and in eastern Oregon, and some of
lIleSc udyS tICy w III NC NAooS1i6 ShS
Coast mountains to Tillamook and Ne
halem and the Cascades into central
hope to escape, but with which the
state of Washington is already over
political fury whose consequences none
can foresee The average man means
to be fair and just; and whenever the
people of a state like Washington be-
come so thoroughly aroused as they
are on the railroad issue today, depend
upon it there is a cause for it not TO
be explained away by amiable heads
of departments or plausible attorneys.
Whenever a railroad denies justice Or
withhOlds feasible extensions or re-
fuses reasonable traffic concessions,
then it is laying up wrath against a
day of wrath
The Statesman and other papers in
this state and Oregon having quoted
the Oregonian editorial in proof of the
necessity Of regulating railroads by
legislation, that great journal now at
tempts to crawfish. 1t goes back to its
corporation wallow and it's vomit and
swears by all that is holy that it likes
it. After telling it's readers that thanks
and prayers ore of no avail in dealing
with railroad officials and that the only
remedy is a big stick, it now declares
that what is needed is not a railway
commission, but earnest organization
of farmers and shippers in constant
and strenuous presentation of the case
to the officials of the road
No doubt Attorney Cotton of the O.
R. & n. has called the Oregonian down
and it was forced to eat humble pie.
Its honest sentiments were expressed
in it's editorial Of August 9Th and it's
editorial of August 18th may be the
voice of Scott, but it shows the hand
of Cotton.
The Oregonian never tires Of telling
what colossal failure the Oregon rail-
way commission proved to be and
holding it's history up as horrible ex
ample to the voters of Washington.
AS the Statesman has said many times
before, that kind of commission is not
being considered in this state. 1t had
power to recommend but no power to
enforce. AS Governor Mcbride has
said, lit was a poor, weak, spineless,
nerveless thing" The people of Wash
ington want an appointive railway
commission, clothed with ample power
to regulate railway rates and fares,
prevent determinations and rebates
and to fix the taxable valuations Of
railroads. Oregons experience with
her sham commission has no bearing
on the question. AS we'll might one
argue that a genuine twenty dollar
gold piece is valueless because a burn
ished counterfeit is worthless. The
Oregonian cannot be expected to be
logical, however, when it is simply
acting as hired advocate in a bad
cause.