The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-12
King County Senators Will Have a
Big Fight This Fall.
ARE DOUBTFUL ABOUT WILLIAM POTTS
VAN DE VANTER AND PALMER
WILL ALSO BE OPPOSED FOR
DENOMINATION.

Four of the eight King county sena-
TORS whose terms expire this year are
candidates for reelection. Three OF
them have hard fights on their hands,
and it is pretty certain that the legisla-
tive delegation from King that sits in
the upper house will be freely dotted
by new faces. says the Seattle Times.
Thus far, Dr. J. ]. Smith, of Enum-
claw. has no opposition in his effort
to secure denomination. 1t is against
DIR. Smith that the effort of John l..
Wilson is principally directed. The per-
ennial candidate declared his kind of
war against the South district after the
last legislative session and announc-
ed that DR.. Smith had concluded his
legislative experience. Against Dan
Abraham, who is bearing the brunt OF
the Wilson attack, the perennial can
didate has not charged up anything
more serious than that he halls from
the South district. 1t is against Sena-
tor Smith that the principal fight is
directed. The story was floated about
Seattle in mysterious manner that
DIR. Smith, taking fright, had abandon
ed the fight to whomsoever entered the
field first. But that story is principally
interesting because it is not true.
Three Doubtful Districts.
Senators A. T. Van de Vanter, of the
Thirty second; w. G.. Potts, of the
Thirty-fifth, and E. b. Palmer of the
Thirty seventh districts are candi-
dates for reelection who will have to
fight is they hedge their way into the
convention. Van de Vanter always has
to fight and though the frame-up
against him this year is the hardest he
has met the effect on the election is
as important as the probable result of
the primary contest.
Van de Vanter beat Ralph Nichols
Nichols thought he had the nomination
and did not wake up until Van de
Vanter was thanking the delegates for
their kindness in forcing him to take
the place.
This year Nichols is slated for the
presidency of the Young Mems Repub-
lcan club, and Van de Vanter has
been drawn into the fight to save Dan
Abraham in the South district. This
latter complication will not affect him
much, nor will the fact that Wilson
has him on the list of unpardOnables
count for anything. The fight is a
precarious one in any event.
Potts is not in very strong position.
He was saved four years ago from
defeat by the importation of two Ia
coma politicians. who kept a closer
During the night two of Potts men
slipped away from him-a circumstance
of which he was in blissful ignorance
all the while. But he found in the
morning that two new votes had been
chucked into his column and he was
saved again. 1t is not altogether GER
tain that he will have this tender care
this year.
Frank Renick wants the nomination
for state senate pretty badly, and Rem
lex has been pretty generally conceded
the support of the First and Fourth
precincts of the Seventh ward. There
is looming big on the Pike street
horizon a fight against Potts on general
principles and he has an insurrection
on hand in the First and Second pre-
cincts of the Fifth ward. 1t is not a
lovely prospect.