The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-04-02
RAILROAD LOBBY
LEADERS INACCURATE ANTI
MCBRIDE CAMPAIGN.
Will Make Strenuous Effort to Secure
Control o. the Various County
Conventions.

SEATTLE. Wash, April 2.-Railroad
lobby leaders in the republican party
have perfected skillfully laid plans for
the inauguration of an anti Mcbride
stampede as soon as the earliest repub-
lican county conventions are held,
which will be as follows:
Chelan county, April 9: Thurston
county, April 8; Pacific county. April
Is; Skagit county. April 16: Kitsap
county, April p; Yakima county, April
30; Asotin county. April 80; Adams
county. April So Garfield county, April
80: King county, May 8, Clallam
county, May 3; Pierce county. May 6:
Lewis county, May 9. The first con-
ventiQps to be held will be those ii
Chelan and Thurston counties. and the
] lobby is just at this time centering
tremendous efforts to carry those coun-
| ties. for the effect of victory in either
case Woulu nave III otLeI poItiollS VI
the state
Both Chela,r and Thurston counties
have candidates for the Republican,
gubernatoriaI nomination. and the
lobby depends upon the feeling of To-
cal pride In each case to assist them in
controlling those counties, III neither
instance are the candidates. of the men
who are being used for the purpose of
carrying their respective counties for
the lobby given any serious consdera-
ton IN Osher portions of the state. and
in ThurstOn county it is pretty general
ly understood that the purpose of C. J.
Lords candidacy is to enable him to
continue in control of the state depor-
It's and the lobby in control of the
county.
In each county there is an even
chance that the lobby will be success
full. In Chelan county the fight is be-
tween the Mcbride forces lined up in
support of M. f. Field for lieutenant
governor and the forces of the railroad
lobby lined up in the support of John
d. Atkinson. Reports received in this
city indicate that the contest now CEN
ters in the two precincts at Wenatchee.
One of these has Il and the other 10
4 ri
if the Mcbride forces carry either of
them they will be able to control the
for the lobby forces to carry them both
in order to control. Governor Nc
Bride spoke in Wenatchee last Monday
night to the largest political meeting
assembled in Chelan county, and at
the conclusion of the meeting scores
of his admirers gathered around him
to declare that they would carry
is controlled by the lobby forces 1T is
altogether probable that a railroad
commission resolution will be forced
both precincts. Even if Chelan county
through the county convention. and
even possible that the convention will
adopt a resolution pledging the delega-
ton never to go to any other railroad
candidate.
Thurston county is another point
where the lobby has centered its most
strenuous efforts. That county was
against Governor Mcbride in the state
convention two years gao, but the lobby
ring has been considerably shaken up
since that time and no longer express
ses the confidence in its power there
that it was wont to do in the days
gone by. The manifest insincerity Of
Lords gubernatorial candidacy Is un-
dermning the very vigorous fight
which is being made in Lords behalf,
but even under present conditions
victory in Thurston is not confidently
claimed by Mcbride adherents here.
The third county convention to be
held will be the one in Pacific county
All fights have been practically set
tied in Pacific county, and it is gem
orally understood there that the state
delegation will be unanimous for the
denomination of Attorney-General
Stratton. and will be for Mcbride first
last and all the time while he is in the
race. Leaders of the labby claim that
the delegation will be free to go TO
another candidate for governor II
Stratton can be saved by so doing, but
men who are conceded places on the
state delegation meet this statement
with a fiat denial.
The Skagit county convention Will
be held April IS. Claim agents of the
railroad lobby have blown Off great
deal of hot air about the possibility !
of defeating the governor in his own