The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-11-30
are not worrying with respect

are not worrying with respect to
events so far in advance"
But, governor, you have seen the
published statements and interviews
that you would make good presidential
timber four years hence?"
"Oh, yes; things similar to that are
said and published about every sue
cessful public man VINO represents
popular issue, and who has a reputa-
ton of fighting his own battles, but
that does not make him candidate
for president. e,a~z<-
There are many powerful influences
in this country which appear to think
they have more to say about the
choice of president of the United
States than the people themselves
have. Perhaps the candidate for pres
ident will some day be chosen by some
sort of direct vote of the people so that
manhood suffrage will be a bigger fac
tor in the choice of the right man
for a candidate for the presidency
than the interests which have been
known to influence caucuses and con-
ventions in the different states, some
times, even contrary to the will of the
very people who selected the dele
gates.
Il have had troubles of my own in
trying to, secure the adoption of the
Australian ballot system for all pri-
mary elections in Wisconsin, so as to
eliminate improper influences and
practices from the control of caucuses
am not at present seeking further
political trouble, and four years is a
long look ahead. Suppose we let all
the bridges go until We come to them
Future Of staivwartism.
Governor, what do you think will
become OF the so-called stalwart par
ty in Wisconsin,
1T looks to me as if the reason for
it's existence had passed away. 1t was
organized, originally. solely as a per-
sonal protest against me and the prin-
ciples of reform that 1 represent by
certain so-called vested interests in
Wisconsin. These interests were main
ly railroad, and large shippers by rail-
road, who receive railroad favors and
rebates.
They had been in the habit for
years of controlling both by direct and
indirect means the party leaders in the
dominant party in Wisconsin, and
through them, by the use Of railroad
passes and large campaign fund con-
tributions Thus these interests man.
aged to secure their own candidates
for office and to run the political ma
chinery of the state.
This condition of affairs now is
happily ended. The primary election !
law has been adopted by popular vote
The sonly excuse remaining for the ex- !
istence of stalwartism is a purely dis |
like for me, one of the prime movers
for these reforms. |
1.-The stalwarts have twice repudiat- |
ed the commands laid down by repub-
lican state platforms through the pow
er they gained in controlling the state
senate. This time the republicans
elected a clear majority in both !
branches of the legislature, and I think
this time the republicans will elect a
United States senator and carry |
through the reform legislation called |
for in the state PLATFORM
His Mission to the Roads.
Governor, what are your aims rela-
tive to the railroads in your state?'
Simply to eliminate them as cor
porations, as we'll as other similar fl
nancial organizations, from active
politics in the state. This government
was founded upon manhood suffrage,
not upon money suffrage, and as long
as money has more influence in poll
tics than manhood, we can never ex-
pect anything very clean in popular
government When a million dollars
counts for more in party councils and
in making bodies than million
voters, popular government has about