Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-12-26
SENATORIAL TOGA UP FOR THE
HIGHEST BIDDER.
Judging From the Tone Of The Republican
Press Of the State. the Next Senator From
the State Of Washington viii Have to Buy
His Seat.

If an object lesson was all that was
at all necessary to convince the people
OF the wisdom of electing United States
senators by popular vote, casual read
ing OF the republican press OF the state
would afford ", IT is becoming more
evident every day that at least two can
didates for that high Office are prepared
to bid big figures in coin of the realm for
the place. The following from the
Aberdeen Bulletin, and which was re-
printed in tile last issue OF this paper !,
exposes the Sweeney plan fairly we'll:
"The Sweeney propaganda is putting
upa campaign based solely upon the
iuet for loot supposed to animate the
average west legislator. 1t is a coarse
proposition; duplicate Of the Addicks
methods by which success rests upon the
ability Of unlimited wealth to corrupt
the representatives of the people. No
one pretends that Sweeney possesses
any claim to senatorial honors, except.
ing that based upon the attractiveness of
an open "bar'l. 1t is equally true that
outside OF the delegation from Spokane
UNITY, no legislator can cast a vote for
the multi.millionarie without subject
ing himself to the suspicion OF having
been corrupted"
And, in the Tacoma Ledger OF Deem.
Der %, we find the scheme of the Piles
push nicely outlined as follows:
Seattle announces that she must have
the next United States senator. Samuel
H. Piles is the candidate for the
"Seattle" senatorship. He is backed for
this position by clique OF business
men and the Great Northern railway,
who make no concealment OF their de-
termination to send him, if possible, to
to the United States senate to represen mt
them and to look after their business
interests at the national capital. 1t is
pertinent to inquire where the rest OF the
great state of Washington comes in on
the plan of granting this clique of bust
ness and railway interests centered at
Seattle special pleader in the senate.
These business and railway interests
at Seattle that demand the senatorship
for Mr.. Piles have undertaken to raise a
large fund with which to elect their can
didate for the senate. There is no posi-.
bity OF expeniing 100000 or so. 90
legitimately for such purpose. The
fund which is being raised in Seattle is
a corruption fund pure and simple. The
purpose is to bribe members of the legis
lature to vote for Mr.. Piles. AS an avow-
ed candidate for the Seattle" senator
ship, the purchase of votes for Mr.. Piles
would involve not only odium of being
bought, but also the betrayal OF the
rights OF the constituencies represented
by members of the legislature who do
not hail from Seattle. 1t is an insult to
the members of the legislature to assume,
as the business men OF Seattle shame
lessly do assume by their contributions
to this huge corruption fund, that they
are to be purchased like 80 many chattels.
1t is an afTront to the Intelligence of the
people of the common wealth and SLAM
der upon the rest of the state to declare
that Seattle MUST have senator.
Seattle has been accorded her due and
full share of consideration and effort on
the part of every member Of the Wash
ington delegation in the house and sen.
ate, regardless OF their place of residence.
The Seattle idea is that Seattle is in the
state of Washington. It is not likely to
help Mr.. Piles candidacy that he stands
as the candidate Of Seattle clique who
have SO much to gain by his election that
they propose to use large corruption
fund in the hope Of purchasing his cleo
ton.