The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-01-13
SEATTLE EX-SENATOR IS At
OLYMPIA READY FOR ei0
SENATORIAL BATTLE.
Fosters Stock 10 Steady While That Of
Piles Seems to Be Going
Backward.

Senator John l.. Wilson continues to
crowd a little farther into the glare
of the limelight which is beating on
the Washington political stage. He
has not yet edged Sweeny, Piles and
Foster, the original stars in the sena-
torial drama, into the wings. but he
is getting closer to them and is steadi-
ly massing following that eventual
" may make him dangerous factor
in the race. His success, however, is
entirely contingent on King county
abandoning Piles and throwing her
strength to the ex-senator.
The big delegation has not signed
any new articles within the past "a
hours, but has increased the engineer
ing staff by the addition Of Potter
Charles Sullivan, who mismanaged
the late John B. Aliens campaign IL
years ago. and Ex-Governor John H.
McGraw.
Senator Van de Vanter, who knows
more about electing United States
senator's tnan any other man in the
legislature, has. also been promoted
from the ranks and it is endeavoring
to infuse a little more life into the
Piles boom, but despite the gingery
nature Of the individual members of
the King county delegation, the Piles
support is wobbly on the legs. it has
the ricketts, and there is too much
strychnine in every tonic that is ad-
ministered to it.
The numerical strength of the Will
son following, or of that Of any other
candidate. cannot be accurately deter
mined at this early stage in the pro-
ceeding, for, like Uncle Remus' Tar
Baby, when interrogated by Brer
Rabbit, they "jes keep sayin' muffin"
but it is admitted on every hand that
the ex-senator has a sufficient number
if added to Fosters strength to come
very near to electing the Tacoma SEN
ator to succeed himself
This is the big stick with which the
Wilson men hope to beat King county
into state Of submission 50 that they
will gladly drop Piles and flock to
Wilson. in order to avoid the election
of a man from Tacoma. It y'ill be HUI
initiating and painful for King coun-
ty to fail to land the senatorial prize
hereafter. but it would be simply APP
palling and shocking for the prize to
be again awarded to Tacoma.
1t should not be understood from
this that Wilson personally will at
tempt to turn his strength over to
Foster. Two things will prevent this,
one of them being previous expert
ence Of this kind, In which John L.,
is said to have received what is known
in sporting circles as the double cross
and the other is the certainty of poll
tical death for any King county men
who attempt it. But the greater part
of the Wilson strength is in the hands
of men who have the bit in their teeth
and will go to any length to punish
King county if it withholds it's strength
from Wilson
The shadow of this big stick fell
across the King county camp today.
and while it caused some uneasiness,
a few of the members were inclined
to treat it lightly, and insisted that
if Foster had the entire Wilson
! strength he would still be shy few
votes
While this might be strictly true, it
would undoubtedly precipitate cri-
sis, for there are quite a number of
! clever gentlemen here who continual
ly have their ear to the ground, wait
ing to catch the first rattle of the
| band-wagon. This is a move, which,
once started, cannot be headed or
turned by petitions from the Seattle
chamber of commerce, Y. M. c. A.,
Amalgamated Association Of Liars OF
any other kind of county organization
| IL seems to be up to King county to
abandon the Preston Mcbride system
which proved so disastrous two years
ago, and get busy with a more modern
brand of politics.
Meanwhile the Foster boom is sta
| tionary at high-water slack and the
Sweeny men are resting on their arms
apparently waiting for some of the
others to become winded in the try
! out.
UnpopuIarity Of Senator Palmer.
1t Is too early in the session for the
work Of the legislature to show any
Of the earmarks OF senatorial inter-
ference, although there Is nothing very
friendly for Wilson in the singing
slaps which the senate is administer
ing to Senator Palmer. The feeline
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