The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1906-11-02
SENATOR :. H. PILES
People Filled Court Room Mon.
day Night to Hear Speech.
National Issues Discussed-C County
Candidates Come in for Some
of Good Things Spoken.

An interested audience filed the su
| perlor court room Monday night tC
listen TO the speech of Senator Samue
| H. Piles, who was listened to attentively
throughout, and at times his audience
| broke out into genuine enthusiasm
| Many ladies graced the occasion by theil
presence, and the Colfax Band furnished
music, playing several pieces both before
| and after entering the building
Senator Piles is in the prime of life
The ''silver threads among the gold
have not vet touched his brow, and the
| stOcky frame and the glow of health
seem to mark him for long life of use
tulness yet to cOme, As d speaker he il
forceful and earnest in manner, having
none OF the ways and indulgng in none
of the tricks of the so.called spell.
binder. His speech was a clear-cut
statement of facts, stated in plain
language, but with intense earnestness,
which carried conviction to his hearers.
The earmarks Of the trained advocate
are apparent in all he says
His speech covered a wide range OF
thought, including the tariff and ma.
tlonal issues, and he stated many facts
that will give his auditors much to
think about in the future His reference
to local political conditions struck a
sympathetic chord and received much
applause.
A. W. Perley introduced the speaker
IN few happy remarks. Mr.. Piles in
part spoke as follows:
Speech of Senator Piles.
Il have learned since my arrival in
this city that our opponents are charg-
ing that the sO-called southeast combine
did not faithfully represent the interests
OF this section of the country at the last
session of the legislature, in that they
were looking too much toward the ad-
vancement of the political fortunes of
their friends rather than to the securing
OF railroad commission bill for the
people Of the state Of Washington.
II desire in this connection to state
that when the friends of Senator Ankeny
and the friends OF Hon. Charles Sweeny
were discussing the question of giving
their support to me for the senate, / was
told by Peter McGregOr and other men,
bers OF the Legislature from eastern
Washington that | could not secure their
support unless my delegation from King
county would support them in their
effort to secure the passage of a railway
commission bill satisfactory to the peo-
pie of eastern Washington, and unless [
would support the president in his effort
TO confer upon the interstate commerce
commission the power to fix railway
rates and prevent rebates. and notify
him of the fact that | would support his
policy when | got to Washington City.
81 was invited to a conference with the
eastern Washington people the evening
previous to my election and was there
informed that unless the King county
delegation which came to Olympia
pledged to me for United States senator,
and who were ready at all times to make
any reasonable combination having this
end in view, would support a railroad
commission bill satisfactory to the peo-
pie of eastern Washington, and unless
would support the president in the policy
which have just mentioned, they were
not IN position to support me.
stated to the persons present at the
meeting that il elected to the senate the
members OF the King county delegation
would vote for a railroad commission
bill satisfactory to them; that | would
support the president as they requested.
and inform him Of that fact when
reached Washington City. Some of
those present suggested that inasmuch
as some of the members of the King
county delegation had previously op.
posed railroad commission bill that
they ought to be brought into the meet
ing and state whether or not they would
support such railway commission bill.
They came before the meeting and per-
sonally assured the delegation from
eastern Washington that they would
support a commission bill satisfactory
to them. The King county delegation
did support the railway commission bin
that iR now upon the statute books OF
this state.
"The day after my arrival in Wash.
ingtOn City | went to the president and
told him that | had made the promise
| have just referred to and that | was
there prepared to make that promise
good, and that he could depend upon
my supporting the bill which he desired
enacted on that subject | supported
the bill which the president wanted, and
in every respect made my promise to the
people OF eastern Washington good, and
these facts can be established by the
president himself
81 know that Peter McGreRor was
unwilling to support me unless | would
make the promise which | have Just men
toned. He even went further, after
had made the statement which | have
just referred to in the presence of the
meeting and in his presence. He subse-
quently came to me and said there was
a matter in which he was personally
interested for the benefit Of the students
Of what was then known as the Wash
ington Agricultural college and School
of Science, located at Pullman, in this
county, and that was that he wished to
secure the support of the King county
delegation to have the name of the col
lege at Pullman changed to the Wash
ington State College. | promised him
that | would support that change and
would ask the King county delegation
to support it. A day or two before left
Olympia Mr.. McGregor came to me and
said that some of the members of the
King comfy delegation did not seem TO
understand that | had made him the
promise which | had, and that the Hon.
Charles Gleason, among others, was op-
| posing the change in the name, and re.
! quested me to call certain of the mem
bers OF the King county delegation to-
/ gether and state to them what nv
| promise was. talked the matter over
with Mr.. Gleason and | think with
others, and explained to them the