The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-09-23
HOW HE BATTLED FOR CAUSE
o. THE PEOPLE IN THE
YEAR 1889.
He Is Again Waeing War Upon the
Railroad Corporations and Cor
rupt Methods.

OLYMPIA. Wash, sept. 23-for
fifty stormy days in July and August.
1889, Judge George Turner stood on
tional convention battling for the peo-
pie of the state against the agrees
siOns of corporate wealth as repre-
scented in the convention by a number
of the most active members of that
body, and against a powerful and un-
scrupulous lobby the like of which
has seldom been assembled in Olympia.
| The records of that convention on
! file in the office of the secretary of
| state. and in the files of the various
newspapers of that time, give Judge
Turner large measure of credit for
many of the most effective provisions
of the constitution which have for their
object curbing the power of corporate,
wealth of whatever character, and es-
pecially arming the citizens of the
state with power to regulate and con-
troll the operations and charges of
railroads.
! Characteristic of the fight which
Judge Turner made for effective con-
stitutional provisions against the en-
croachment of corporate power is his
fight for the insertion in the constitu-
ton of a specific clause providing for
d state railroad commission in the
same manner as provision is made ror
other state officers. SO effective was
the fight for this provision that the
clause providing for a commission was
| reported from the committee on cor
porations other than municipal, and
adopted in committee of the whole
| convention SO of the 16 members of
the convention voting in favor of it.
But after the provision had been
adopted by committee Of the whole the
railroad lobby marsnalled it's forces
in tremendous onslaught upon it,
and in the open convention defeated
it by a small majority, inserting in
the place of the original commission
clause a provision merely giving the
legislature the authority to provide
commission by law.
The constitutional convention was
held at time when there were but
comparatively few railroads in the
| state at time when there was a pow
erful and popular clamor for the con-
!
when it was comparatively an easy
matter to marshal al olympia a pow
erful and influential lobby to oppose
any measure to which objection was
offered by the railroad interests.
Throughout the state every encourage
ment was being given by communities
to the construction of new land trans
portation lines. Popular subscriptions
we're being raised, bonuses were be-
ing subscribed, rights of way We're be-
ing secured, and in many other ways
assistance was being offered to the
construction of new lines of road.
SO general was this feeling that
the state who were able to see far
enough ahead to appreciate that
time would come within a few years,
as it mad already come in other states,
when the power of railroads over
communities and enterprises would
constitute a grave danger to the ade-
Of "a
/ commonwealth.
Under these circumstances it was
comparatively easy for the railroad in
fluences to marshal at Olympia a
| powerful lobby of leading business
men" and prominent citizens" to plead
with weak and undecided members of
! the convention against the adoption
of effective constitutional provisions
provisions which would give the peo-
pie of the state power over railroad
companies The railroad forces
played upon this popular feeling to
the limit. Throughout the state they
circulated reports of the probable i'm
!
| lines. provided no unfriendly dispo-
sition was shown" and by other ways
and means" known best to lobby work
ers brought pressure to bear against
such measures as provided for effective
trust and railroad legislation.
| In the face of such opposition as this
| Judge Turner, and small body of
faithful followers battled day by day
throughout the convention, demand
| ing what they could at the hands OF a
reluctant majority. insisting upon ad-
| equate provisions for the control of
| aggregations of corporate wealth, and
| where they failed in their efforts to
secure such provisions making the
recalcitrant members go on record as
/ being the servile tools of railroads and
/ corporate influences.
! The leader of the railroad forces on
the floor of the convention was Potter