The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-05

Robert F. Booth, Senator Piles per-
sonal choice for state senator to sue
coed E. B. Palmer, fell into that COM
bine
Booth claims his opposition is based
solely on the ground that there are
two men in the senate whom he wish
es kept off advantageous committees.
Booth will not mention these names.
Next to that, Booth claims he wants
to curtail expenses, and declares, among
other things, that no fountain pens
shall be distributed to members of
the senate next year. This is a rather
remarkable attitude to adopt with
Ruth, for it was the Thurston county
senator's motion that bought fountain
pens two years ago.
Effect of Revolt.
The attitude of Booth and Potts is
not so interesting for the reasons as
signed for the revolt as for the effect
upon the Piles control of the delegation
There is not room enough for doubt
in the statement that the lieutenant
governor handled the Piles Ankeny in
terests in the Twenty-fourth senatorial
district when John L. Blair was elect
ed state senator. Coon financed that
campaign. and, though he had nothing
to do with their election, the two JEFF
ferson county representatives. A. M.
Swall and John S. Troy, are friendly
enough with the lieutenant governor
to follow his lead into the Piles camp.
For that matter, so is William Shultz,
the independent republican from San
Juan county.
The position Of the lieutenant gov
ernor, so long as he controls the sem
ate organization, is one of immense
political power. Coon is identified
ganization, and while this would not
affect the standing of such strong
and Boone of Whitman, in whose abil-
ity the lieutenant governor has great
confidence, friendliness on the part of
the lieutenant governor is a pretty
good political. asset.
There is no question but that both
Potts and Booth realize this. At least,
they have been told so pretty plainly,
and their fight for the organization
of the senate is regarded by the strong
Piles men Of the delegation as a cur
ious break in the junior senator's con-
troll Since Piles made a personal
plea for the election Of both men, the
break is the more striking.
The house delegation is entirely at
sea. There are not enough old polit1-
clans in the lower house from this
county to keep the house delegation
on its feet, and, with a purposeless
mission in front of them, politicians
are skeptical of the outcome. Thus
far no move toward organization and
the Capitalization of Kings power has
occurred 1t may be attempted this
| week, when the delegation confers
with Alaska YukOn-Pacific exposition
officials. but with break in the Sem
ate the opportunity of bringing King
out soldly is lost
In so far as the fight against the
| lieutenant governor is concerned, there
| does not seem to be much chance OF
success A thorough canvass has been
| made of more than a majority Of the
senators, who are personally pledged
to stand with him. There is an absO-
! lutte guarantee of votes enough to de-
feat the opposition organization
scheme, and this bunch of votes is
| pretty apt to develop into a control
| ling factor in the next senate. If it
| does, some new political history is
going to be made, for the sounding OF
senators done thus far has had grea,
deal to do with new members. II
they develop into forceful leaders, the
state is pretty apt to forget some OF
the men who have posed as prominent