The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-08-26

lieved that Ankeny's managers never
intended he should be elected at that
session. There was a good deal of
financial evaporation on the trail he
tween AnkenX's purse and the legis-
lative halls. 1t was believed by his
managers that Ankeny would come
again, and 1t was thought a pity to
drop the flag until Ankeny had post
ed his last bet.
In 1896 Populism swept over
Washington like grasshopper
plague. George Turner, who had
made fortune in the lie Roi mine
and who had left the Republican
party and become Democrat, was
elected United States senator in 1897
by Populist-Democratic combina-
ton. In 1899, the legislature still
being Democratic. Addison G.. Foster
of Tacoma was elected.
Ankeny had had such bad luck
with his political managers that he
now sought new one. crafty and
clever. This was B. d. Croker of
Walla Walla, who, in turn, allied
himself with one of the most power
full men, politically. in the state.
George Fl. Stevenson, a calm man
who tells no tales, formerly a fisher
man on the Columbia river, is the
great railroad lobbyist of the state
of Washington. Stevenson was the
0. r. & ~ lobbyist in the territorial
days. before the Northern Pacific and
the Great Northern were built to the
coast. When these roads entered the
field, all the railroads merged po-
| litically into one legislative lobby,
and Stevenson was their joint repre-
sentative. Stevenson never forgets
his political obligations. If friend
wanted favor done, the night was
not too cold or too dark for him to
go and do it. He is said never to
have broken his plighted word. Much
of his political strength is due to the
fact that with his railroad vote in
questionable measures for legislators
who were not subject to his bidding,
in return for which these legislators
would cast their votes with the rail-
roads.
-hCr A n1-
tired of the grillng chase for office,
and Crocker now tied up to. They
determined to drive home a bargain
Governor Henry Mcbride had organ
lied a powerful public sentiment in
favor of a railroad commission bill
to check the abuses of the railroads,
to compel equitable freight rates. TO
secure just railroad taxation. The
first move Stevenson made was to Sc
cure back-room conference of the
railroad attorneys and Ankeny's rep
resentatives in the city of Portland
Oregon, outside the Washington state
boundary. Crocker and Stevenson
and five Washington state hold over
senators, VINO were Ankeny support
ers. represented Ankeny. Will H.
Thompson. prominent Seattle at
torney, represented the Great North
ern: Portland attorney represented
the o. r. & N; and B. S. Grosscup
of Tacoma, railroad attorney and
lobbyist, represented the Northern
Pacific. Grosscup is brother of
Judge Peter Grosscup of Chicago.
The result of his conference was
that it was agreed between Ankenys
managers and the railroad lobbyists
that all legislation obnoxious to the
railroads should be killed in the
Washington state senate, in return
for which the railroad representa-
tives in the coming legislative ses-
sion of 1908 were to vote for Ankeny
for the senate.
When the legislature of 1909 met,
Ankeny's chief opponent for the SEN
atorial honor was Harold Preston of
Seattle. Preston mad been a consis-
tent champion of railroad commits
sion bill Seattle has always felt that
it Jared poorly in the distribution of
senatorial honors. and its twenty-five
King county legislators were pledg-
ed by resolution of the republican
county convention "to vote for Mr..
Preston for United States senator un-
til he shall be elected, or until Mr..
Preston voluntarily releases them"
The Cost of One COunty's Delegation.
Preston's Seattle managers saw a
chance for mis- election in the latter
part of January, but were harried
by rumors of bribery on the part of
Ankeny's managers.
On one Saturday afternoon Pres
toms supporters called a meeting
in the supreme court chambers. The
Seattle delegation. being told at this
conference of certain support. suf-
ficient to elect. that would be avail
able to Preston on the following leg
islative days. lined up before the bar
of the supreme court. and. one by
one, repledged themselves that they
would stand by their written agree
ment not to go into caucus until re-
leased by Preston. Fifteen minutes
later. thirteen of them walked across
to the Ankeny headquarters and sign
ed the caucus call which resulted in
Ankeny's election on the following
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