Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-09-29
TURNER'S RECORD
CLEAN AND CONSISTENT, RAIL.
ROAD ORGAN TO CONTRARY.
Turner is the Ablest and Most Uncompromisiny
Advocate Of the Peoples Rights in the
State Of Washington Today. His Record
Shows IT,

A railroad organ inquiries: "Where
are the records to prove that George
Turner is for the people? What has he
sait and done in their INTEREST,""
The records may be easily found. The
history of the constitutional convention
Of 1889 will show that the abiest aud
most incorporating champion OF the
people AS opposed to the corporations
was Judge Turner, and it was through
his persistent efforts that the most sau-
tary provisions of the state constitution
were adopted after some terrific contests.
1t was Turner who secured the pro.
visions empowering the legislature to
pass laws regulating railroad rates and
fares or to create railway commission
to perform this service; it was Turner
who wrote the provision prohibiting
monopolies in this state; it was Turner
who induced the convention to aGopt
clause making it mandatory upon the
legislature to pass law prohibiting the
giving of free passes to public officials or
the acceptance of the same; il was Tur.
ner who drafted the clause prohibiting
the merging of parallel and competing
lines Of railway in this state. All these
provisions of the fundamental law were
designed to protect the people from the
abuses, extortions and tyranny Of preda-
tory corporations.
Ever since the admission of the state
George Turner has endeav pred to induce
successive legislatures to pass bills pre-.
pared by himself regulating railroad
rates and fares or create a railway com.
mission TO do this work. A freight rate
bill and a railway commission bill
drafted by Turner were before the fusion
Legislature Of 1897 and both would have
become laws had it not been for the solid
opposition of the strong republican mi.
nority in the state senate reinforced by
three democratic senators in the service
Of the railroad lobby. The Runner.La
Toilette freight rate bill that was de.
feated by the republican legislature Of
1899 was in fact the Turner freight rate
bill Of two years before, which was intro.
duced in the upper house by Senator
David Miller Of this county and was
therefore known ss the Miller bill. TIE
Tolman commission bill, defeated by the
republican legislatures Of 1901 and 1898
at the dictation Of the railroad lobby,
was only a modification of the Turner
commission bill ofls97. aa ''.'.r 'a'r
The nscords Of this state show that
from the admission of the STATE to the
union in 1893 down to the present time
George Turner has labored increasingly
in the interest of the people. Because
Of his advocacy of popular rights Turner
always had the bitter opposition of the
railroad lobby in all his contests for
seat in the United States senate, and in
the present contest for the governorship
the corporations that have long at.
TEN pied to usurp the government OF this
state are lined up solidly against him.
During his six.year term in the United
States senate George Turner was always
jealous Of the peoples rights and never
lost an opportunity to puncture the
chariot wheels Of the rapacions monopo.
lies that sought to ride rough shod over
the struggling masses.
He was the only senator from this
state who ever secured liberal appro-
priation for the opening OF the Columbia
river. the sum Of 1850, 900 being set aside
for that purpose through his efforts. An
unexpended balance left from that ap.
preparation is all that is now available
for prosecuting the work OF building the
proposed canal between Cello and The
Dalles.
This recital Of the deeds of George
Turner in behalf Of. the people is only
small portion Of the records that might
be produced along the same line. Turner
has q splendid record as q champion of
the people, and the less the railroad
organs say in Encouragement OF that
record the better it will be for their
cause.-Walla Walla Statesman.