The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-03-28
Rockwell Brings Republican Chair
man to Time
THERE WILL Be A BIG CONVENTION
GOVERNOR MEAD WITH
BEING UNFAIR.

publican state central committee, has
been smoked out of his stand in favor
OF an apportionment for the state con-
A. E. Mead for governor, and is leav-
ing little Jimmy" Davis, committee
man from Pierce ciunty. to hold the
sack, says the Seattle Times.
During the last campaign Chairmen
Palmer sought to stem the tide of re-
volt among republicans against Mead
by announcing that the republican con-
ventiOn would be based on the vote
cast for governor. Alluring promises
We're held out by the state chairman
of the rewards that would be thrust
upon those counties which stood 10y
ally by the party nominee for gov
ernOr. and at the same time gloomy
pictures were painted of the small and
insignificant delegations that would be
seated in the convention from those
counties which knitted the head of the
ticket On one occasion, when the state
committee was in session during the
campaign. Chairman Palmer requested
that this apportionment plan be Of
ficially endorsed This was in fact done
in an informal and perfunctory man.
ner.
Try to Save Crow.
So far the rewards of merit have
failed to materialize. King county
gave Mead a majority of 1900. while
Spokane county gave Turner, his dem
ocratic opponent, 5000 majority; but in
the distribution of prizes. Spokane
county has Jared better than King.
several times over. And in addition to
the number of good appointments re-
cCived by Spokane men, one of them.
T. d. Rockwell, in addition to having
one of the best appointments at the
hands of the governor is recognized as
advisers. Rockwell is recognized as
having brought about the change in
Palmer's attitude on the apportion-
ment question. ROckwell's reason for
opposing the governOrship apportiOn-
ment was because it would materially
reduce Spokane's delegation to the state
convention. The administration wants
Judge Crow nominated to succeed him.
self on the supreme bench, and Rock
we'll argued that the administration
could not afford to allow the delegation
from Judge Crows county to be re-
duced.
Chairman Palmer stood firmly by his
scheme to base the apportiOnment this
year on the vate cast for governor
until a few days ago. After the pub
LEGATION of the plan Rockwell hurried
to Seattle and was in consultation here
with Palmer and John L. Wilson two
or three days last week. The result
was that on Saturday the Post -Intelli-
gencer printed an interview with
Chairman Palmer in which it was stat
ed that the chairman favors large
convention, based on the vote cast for
presidential electors and that "irre-
charged the chairman with favoring
convention based on the vote for
virtually charges
Chairman Palmer with being "irrespon-
sible" when he was making his official
declarations in favor of basing the
convention apportionment on Meads
vote.
Compelled to Name Hyde.
Rockwelrs influence with the state
administration is shown in the appoint
ment and retention of s. c. Hyde as
commandant of the State Soldiers
home at Orting. Early last spring
Hyde received a letter from Governor
Mead promising him the Orting ap-
pointment. 1t is said that this letter
was secured for Hyde by Rockwell.
though not admitted by the latter. Be
that as it may. the governor decided
after writing the letter, to give the
that Rockwell came to the rescue and
carried a message to the governor to
the effect that if he did not annoint