The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-05-02


railroad commission. clothed with suf-
ficient power to make it effective.
What became of this solemn pledge
given to the people of the state by
both great political parties? Was it
redeemed? No. Why? The answer to
this question is to be found in the
shameless prostitution of the last
Legislature to the viii of the lobby"
True. so far as it goes. but only
was a republican legislature by a large
majority in each house. The republi-
can party had the absolute and un-
limited power to pass any measure il
saw fit. and to defeat any measure
that it saw fit. 1t had votes enough to
have allowed for a large percentage of
dishonest and weak kneed members.
and still to have passed the railroad
commission bin, with every democrat
lined up against it.
Now, with this in mind, let us look
for a moment at the record of the last
legislature as contained in the jour
nal. A few honest men, all through the
session. had struggled earnestly to Sc
cure the passage of a railroad COM
mission bill, and other measures of
kindred character, which were prom
ised by the party platforms of both
parties, but without result. Every bill
introduced looking to such an end was
either promptly killed or buried with
come hostile committee. On the fifty
ncOnd day of the session, when only
eight days remained within which to
carry out the pledges made to the peo-
pie, | had the honor to present to the
senate resolution which viii be
found set out on page 427 of the Jour
na lof the senate. As I now recolIect
it. that resolution called attention to
the fact that there had been intro
duced and referred to the committee
on railroads and transportation SEN
ate bill No. ,, commonly known as the
three cent rate BILL" senate bill No.
80, commonly known as the "anti-pass
BILL" senate bill No. 1871. commonly
known as the 'eIective railway COM
mission bill" (the appointive railway
commission bill having been defeated
prior to that time); senate bill NO.
70 Of in,
suits brought for the recovery of dam
ages for stock killed on railways: and
house bill No. "a, being the same as
senate bill No. ,, and providing for a
three cent passenger rate on railways.
The resolution set out the fact that
this committee had been called to-
gether but once during the entire SEES
sion of the legislature, had never con-
sidered any of the bills named, and
unable to secure any action of the
committee or obtain any hearing upon
these measures.
The resolution further called atten-
ton to the fact that the session was
drawing rapidly to a close and imme-
date action was necessary if party
pledges were to be kept; that the peo-
pie demanded legislation along the
lines of these measures. and the resO-
luton provided that each of said bills
should be Withdrawn from the railroad
committee and placed upon the senate
calendar for action by the senate.
Having drawn the resolution myself,
l saw nothing wrong with it, and felt
that it stated the facts fairly. l saw
no reason why the senate should not
act upon these bills; let those who
favored them and who favored the
keeping of party pledges vote for
these measures, and who served the
great railway corporations instead of
their constituents and who disre-
garded their solemn pledges vote
against them if they saw fit. 1 there
fore moved the adoption of the resOlu-
ton. as you may see by referring to
page 437 of the journal. Immediately
upon my making that motion, the re-
publican chairman of the committee
on railroads and transportation moved
as a substitute that my resolution be
laid upon the table. A roll cali was de-
mandpd upOn the motion to table and