The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-01-27
that the Sweeny forces are countins
upon ultimately taking over some Of
the Pierce county support. kAA#

that the Sweeny forces are counting
upon ultimately taking over some Of
the Pierce county support. 1A2AA
1t is unquestionably true that a fac
ton of the Pierce county delegation
has no interest in Fosters fight and is
dissatisfied with the management of
Of his campaign This faction is
nesting a great deal closer to Sweeny
headquarters than to the rooms which
Foster occupies
Those who have checked up the
Pierce county delegation closely be-
lieve that majority of the members
could be delivered to Sweeny were
Foster eliminated. The remainder
would rather help out the Croker
Stevenson program.
According to those who understand
Pierce county affairs, the work that
has been done with the disgruntled
part of the delegation has been to
create frame of mind that would in
sist upon Fosters withdrawal when
his strength begins to leave him. Such
an insistence would be altogether in
the interests of Sweeny, for Foster has
never had any hope except that he
could cling on by his eyelashes and
wear out the other candidates. He is
pretty good at sitting out anybody
else when ticklish occasions arise.
Would be Strong Combination.
Were Crocker to discuss the Pierce
county delegation after having deliv-
cred the Ankeny strength of SOUTH
eastern Washington, he would have
formed a combination with Sweeny
which no one could break. Whatever
promises for the future had to be made
would include Croker and he realizes
this fact as we'll as those who are flg-
uring on his attitude.
Crocker himself has considerable
money, but in contest with Ankeny
it would compare as breakfast money
ito a bank roll with the Walla Walla
bankers means. Ankeny is reported to
have cleaned up 100000 on his wheat
crop alone this year, and this money,
the loss, would swamp Croker. 1t
would have to be a contest of manipu-
lation rather than money for Croker
to make against Ankeny.
While Foster mad to be kept up to
the rack during his fight for Crocker's
appointment as collector of customs,
which finally resulted in the creation
of the position of collector of internal
revenue for him, it is unquestionably
fact that. if Foster had dropped the
contest for Crocker and named Ide the
Walla Walla man would not have been
in the public position he now holds.
Croker owes Foster something for
this.
Neither Croker nor Ankeny was
pleased by Fosters attitude of indif-
ference during the Ankeny contest two
wears ago. It is true the Pierce coun-
ty delegation voted with Ankeny, but
the Walla Walla banker does not owe
Foster anything for that 1t is not
clear though that Foster was under
any obligations to help either Ankeny
or Crocker any further.
Whatever Croker is in politics he
owes largely to Ankeny. He is pre-
sumed now to be guarding Ankeny's
political interests. In supporting
Sweeny, unless he has a secret under
standing with Ankeny, which the lat
ters interviews all indicate is not
true, he is not following out the Junior
senator's ideas.
Owes Foster Nothing.
For CrOcker to be working with
Sweeny in his own interest for the
future Is to break with both Ankeny
and Foster It is not very material %
Crocken whether Foster cares what he
! is doing or not. Foster men drew
Crocker into the last gubernatorial
fight and then dropped him, something
that Crocker has not forgiven.
The possibility Of a break with AM
keny if the interests of Croker and
Ankeny clash, as they would if Ankeny
seeks reelection or is planning now to
seek it, is the one that indicates the
seriousness of Crockers position.
There are those in politics who
speculate on the length of Ankenys
life. If he should not be alive when
the next senatorial contest Is neld he
personally would, of course, have no
opposition to present to Crocker's pro-
gram But it is a trait of the Ankeny
family to fight those who desert them,
and Croker would be apt to feel the
enmity and opposition of Ankeny's