The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-10-29
REGULATED THE COM =
MISSION PLEDGE.

MISSlON fLEDIt
The Union complains because the
Statesman has questioned the sincerity
uf the pledge made by the local repub-
lican nominees for the Legislature to
work and vote for an appointive, regu-
Iative railway commission. The I'm
ion itself was the first to question the
truth and veracity" Of the republican
legislative nominees and to cast re-
proach upon their honor and integrity"
That pledge was first made public at
the Jones Sharpstein meeting at Arm
DRY hall on the night of October 10th.
The next morning the Union came out
with the positive declaration that no
republican legislature would ever pass
railway commission bill for George
Turner as governor to sign. The editor
of the Union being the chairman of the
republican county central committee,
this declaration was taken as an Off
cial modification and qualification of
the pledSe Indue DS inc IepuoliSal o'ii
didates for the Legislature. Voters
were warranted in the presumption
that these men if elected would vote
for an appointive railway commission
only in the event of the election of Al
bert F. Mead, the Farrell Grosscup-
railroad lobby nominee for governor.
AS Mead was nominated by the
forces opposed to Governor Mcbride
and his proposed railway commission
and as his own record shows him to be
hostile to such a commission. no man
who supports him can reasonably be
regarded as a sincere advocate Of an
appointive railway commission. The
Walla Walla republican nominees for
and no better proof is needed that
they are at heart opposed to a rail-
way commission.
Moreover, the faction to which they
belong was bitterly opposed to a rail-
way commission until a few weeks be-
fore the county convention last April,
when it's organ and leaders were forced
to turn tail and advocate a commission
in order to stem the tide that was set
ting in strongly in favor of Mcbride
in this county. When the convention
assembled the Mcbride faction offered
l.
with that adopted by the republican
state convention in 1902, but repudiated
by q republican, lobby-ridden legisla-
ture. That plank was rejected with
| ieers and Kisses and in its place a res
olutiOn declaring for a railway COM
mission underlined was adopted. Three
: Of the republican nominees for the leg
! islature We're members of that con-
vention and they voted with the ma
jority against the same kind of an APP
pointive railway commission that they
now profess to indorse.
Two years ago the recognized leader
of the dominant republican faction in
this county and owner of the Union,
came out in an interview published in
the Spokane Spokesman Review de-
claring himself unalterably opposed to
! the creation of a railway commission
of any kind This amounted to a re-
pudiation of the commission plank in
the state platform the vote for which
had been made unanimous on his mo-
ton. In spite OF this declaration of
their leader the republican Legislative
nominees stated in interviews that they
stood sQuarely on the state platform.
But in violation of this implied pledge,
/ two of them aided in placing the Or
hands of the railroad lobby and anoth
err. performed the same service for the
/ lobby in the senate. When the Tolman
! commission bill came to Il vote one of
/ the republican representatives from
/ this county voted squarely against it
and the republican member of the sen
ate did the same thing.
! In view of these facts is it any Won
! der that many voters in this county
are disposed to look with suspicion on
/ the alleged support of an appOintive
railway commission by republican
-, nominees for the legislature? A burnt
/ child knows enough to keep away from
a hot stove and a bunkoed voter ought
to know enough to beware of gold
bricks after having been fooled once
or twice by gilded promises.