The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-01-31
Olympia SlIhOuetteS
GARRETT q HUNT
Staff Correspondent of The Spokane Press

No greater change could be imagin-
cd than that which possessed the
little city of olympia Friday after
noon and evening, and which con-
tinued until Monday noon. The con-
trast between middle week activity
and the usual week end dullness was
even greater this time than custom
airy, owing to the fact that those
here who were especially interested
in the outcome of the senatorial fight
at once disappeared, like the sun be-
meath an Olympia cloud. The long
drawn tension of the senatorial fight,
with its crisis in the early hours
of Friday morning when Sweeny made
his magnificent gift to Piles, was
over at last, and all sought sleep and
recreation. OF course, it was but
natural on the part Of most men to
want to join in the Seattle celebra-
tion and see the last act in the
drama which had been prepared and
presented. save the closing lines of
felicitous denouement. Thus, one not
accustomed to Olympia in its normal
state, became acquainted with the
IboSIbllllitS VI Il AtE lS4a NNl titNS VI III
pia. 1t was SO quiet that even smoke
would not rise, or the stoves in the
houses draw"
Points Of resemblance between the
campaign which ended in the election
of Samuel H Piles to the United
States senate and that which sent
Levi Ankeny to Washington have been
drawn by many of the knowing ones
at Olympia but the resemblances
seem to stop with the number of
joint ballots taken. In both cases the
successful one was chosen on the
thirteenth ballot; Mr. Ankeny was
chosen on Thursday and Mr.. Piles on
Friday. But no one took into con-
sideration that combination Of Fri
day and 10, so often looked upon as
unpropitious. No promise of a fate
ful augury was indicated in the fine
speech of acceptance by the newly
elected senator That speech was
fitting to the solemnty and Impress
iYeness of the occasion, and not a
man who heard il doubts for an in
slant that Samuel II. Piles is to make
a senator for the whole state and
every section Of it, and a senator of
big, broad guage Republicans hail
his election as something which has
done titanic things in uniting the
petty factionalisms which have crept
into the party in recent years.
o o
No better illustration Of the HARM
lessness Of a terrible bugaboo can
be shown than that unreliable story
which was sounded so often and so
persistently all over Eastern WASH
ington by the purposeful press, ex-
pressing the thought that ]. p. Far
rell had the entire republican party
and its candidates from governor
down by the throat The Farrell
collar" is laughed at with a laugh
which indicates the sentiment. There
are more things in heaven and earth,
Horatio, than are dreamed Of in thy
philosophy" In the breast of only one
member of the legislature did there
linger any thought of appeal to the
sentiment which made for the Far
rell collar" On the morning between
INV S4i4it DNtV4lS anu i iitS itsiI ii = tFNt
and before the joint session was call
ed to order, one legislator observed:
II do not know as this thing has
been fixed up so solidly--I understand
we are to have Mr.. Farrell with us
today" If the speaker had any hope
of that sort, it disappeared as COM
pletely as the old campaign bugaboo.
Mr Farrell was present at the last
Joint ballot. He stood on the floor of
the house under the gallery at the
right Of the speakers rostrum, and
said nothing, did nothing but cheer
for Piles and cheer for Sweeny. If
in the mind Of anyone who reads
these lines there fingers the propo-
sition Of the Farrell collar" on either
the legislature or the executive, just
let him read the accounts of the cleo
ton of Mr. Piles, Of the transactions
Of the Legislature thus far and Of the
declaration of Governor Mead in his
message: then let him read the vi
tuperous propositions of the Spokane
publication late last summer, and
then--go kick himself for having be-
lieved one iota Of that kind Of rot.
Q
The Farrell collar" and private
car convention have been relegated
TO the dust heap where remains of the
political Punch and Judy" Of last
summer were carefully deposited by
certain editors when no one was look
ing on. Now, there lies beside II
another busted issue" the Sweeny
barrel. Once both were terrible to
contemplate by an honest mans eye.
Both were invested by a purposeful
press with all sorts of mallgn posi-
bilties. Each was part of a plan to
stampede the public into thinking