The San Francisco call., 1904-11-01
PRESIDENTIAL BATTLE
A SECONDARY AFFAIR
Washington's Gubernato-
rial Fight a Warm One.
Special Dispatch to The call.


to the election in the State of Wash
ington, so far as Roosevelt and Fair
banks is concerned, except to write out
the majority for future reference. The
national committee has called Repre-
sentative Cushman, a strong campaign
er, into the doubtful fields of the East,
apparently careless of who shall be
elected Governor of this State. So far
as anybody can tell the names OF
Roosevelt and Fairbanks may or may
not be on the ballot in the coming selec-
tion. Or should put it the other way,
perhaps-as to whether the names OF
any other Presidential candidates will
be on the ticket The national cam
paign is, of course, referred to occa-
.sionally. but "the election" here means
Mead or Turner for Governor.
1t is a warm contest. In it is. in
VOWED a number sf interesting ques-
tions, not one of which is allowed to
be lost sight of over night. A railroad
commissioners or no-overlaps all the
others in Importance. Following that
there is the successor to Senator Fos-
ter to be- chosen by the members of the
Legislature elected this fall. !.
The railroad commission has stood
the brunt of many sincere scrap in
this State. Governor Mcbride. made II
the. issue when. he took office following
the death of Governor Rogers. This
year he fell with it, as two years age
he. won upon it.. The Republican plat
form this campaign makes. no demand
for a railroad. commission. 1t was left
out after bitter fight, just as two
years ago 1t was only. inserted after a
battle that called out the whole Red
Cross contingent. This year the Demo
Gratis are out for a railroad commits
sion. So if you only desired to know
as Ito the heat of the campaign or as
to how. the parties were lined up in. this
State l. might just let 1t go at that :.
FARMERS WANT BOARD.
Many angry men went home from
the Republican convention, especially
those. who had to cross the mountains
into the fertile wheat fields of Eastern
Washington to. get there. For the
farmers wanted the commission and
they didn't want to have to vote the
Democratic ticket to get it Many are
going to try for it that way this year,
however-many, 1 mean, who are 60
ing to vote for Roosevelt. When / was
here about three months ago 1 noticed
something of the high tension under
WHICH many voters were working al
that time as result Of the then re-
Gently held convention. Many were at
that time willing to wager two to one
on the Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor, former Senator George Turner.
That their. vision was more or less clear
has been since demonstrated by action
taken by Republican conventions in a
number of the counties, some of them
expressing indignation at the action
of the State convention in denying
their demands, one county actually re-
pudiating the State ticket.
But another factor has entered into
the situation since that time which
has very materially modified the bet
ting. That factor is the Republican
candidate himself. A. E. Mead, law
yer, of Whatcom County, entered the
campaign as an unknown quantity.
He had served in the Legislature, but
had not been noted as a State figure
Geographical considerations and the
strong backing Of railroad interests
secured him the nomination in that
stormy convention. Those who were
for it's action went away
determined to move the earth to Sc
cure Endorsement by the people, those
not concealing their inten-
ton to fight. In one Of those "whirl-
wind" campaigns which has. been on
since then the Republican candidate
has developed quality not suspected
even by some who thought they knew
him. He has proved a good vote get
ter.
Judge Turner can always draw and
entertain a crowd He has been very
busy, talking day and night, until in
terrupted by physical breakdown.
And now that the campaign is fairly
coming down to the wire the betting,
Of which there is a great deal, is
even. The betting is being exploited
by partisan newspapers and cam
paigners of both sides as a sure sign
they will win.