The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-10-07

which Hon. P. c. Sullivan of Tacoma
was chairman. The corporate interests
of the territory, We're arrayed against
it and the proposition was defeated,
but it shows the stand taken by Judge
Turner Then came the fight in eau
cuses. in committee rooms and in the
open convention. During the entire
session of the convention Mr.. Turner
was the consistent advocate of making
a railroad commission a part of the
constitutional machinery of the state
government. He was defeated, but he
refused to give up the fight. Under his
leadership there We're conferences
and compromises until the open enc
mics of the commission idea, through
the committee on corporations, offered
the provision that was later adopted.
AS the intelligent citizen and expert
enced jurist that he was, Judge Turner
could readily see chat the measure as
reported and adopted was almost
equivalent to no provision at all, as
fifteen years of history has demon
strated. Yet the record is sufficiently
clear that the fact that the constitu-
ton recognizes the commission princi-
pie at all is due to the efforts of Judge
Turner.
When Mr. Turner was a candidate
for United States Senator in 1898, one
of the powerful influences arrayed
against him was the Northern Pacific
Railroad company. The railroad lobby
in Olympia took an active part in pre-
venting the election of Turner. During
the contest James NJ. Ashton, of Taco
ma. representing the Northern Pacific
interests, went to Olympia where he
was interviewed by members of the
legislature and representatives of the
press. This is what he said and it may
be found in the dailies of the state of
January "a, 1898:
The Northern Pacific has large in
terests in Washington. 1t pays heavy
taxes and has some rights and some
voice in the senatorial fight. We are
opposed to the election of Judge Tur-
ner. 1t is we'll known that Judge Tur-
ner furnished the brains for the cor
DOration article in the state cOnStitu
4 4 n
us without cause. When he first came
to the state we tried to be friendly
thing with him. We don't care so much
about the election of John B. Allen, but
we are willing to unite on someone
else. | am satisfied neither Allen nor
Turner can be elected"
No senator was elected and. in view
of the threat that Mr.. Ashton made. it
is apparent that the Allen forces re-
ceved their inspiration from the
Northern Pacific lobby Mr.. A. E. Mead
of Whatcom county was a member of
that legislature and steadfastly stood
by the railroad forces to the end. On
the day Mr.. Ashton's statement was
published Judge Turner issued a pub
lie letter which was published in sever
al of the daily newspapers of the state
which closed with this ringing para
graph:
In the interests of the republican
party of the state l accept the gaunt-
let thrown down by the Northern Pa
cific Railway company; and l say to it
and it's servants, agents and employees:
We will fight this contest out to the
end. Win if you can
The fight has been on ever since.
Republican conventions have made
promises to the people, and the repub-
licans who have been elected to office
on the strength of those promises have
violated them.
When the time came that the rail-
road lobby dictated the platform and
named the candidates at a republican
convention, the people, in an uprising
that was remarkable for it's unanimity,
urged that Judge Turner become a
candidate for governor. He accepted
and the fight is on.