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

AHkeHy Hdu spent money reckIeSS-
Ily. The railroads contributed one
hundred and fourteen thousand dol
lars for the joint purpose of elect
ing Ankeny and preventing railroad
legislation. "Ankeny's entire cam
pangn." said the Seattle ines" cf
February /. 1903, probably cost
him more money than has been ex-
pended In politics on the Pacific coast
by any other man in, the last half
century" The legislature of 1903
was one of the worst railroad orgies
in the history of the state. Every
republican state convention since the
admission of the state, at which can
didates for state offices were nomi-
mated, had declared for regulative
railroad legislation, and every repub-
lican legislature had ignored the re-
quest.
The road now leads to the national
capital. Arthur F. Slater, an En-
glishman. was formerly Ankeny's
| private secretary, and is now his con-
slant attendant. He is sometimes
referred to in Washington as the real
senator from that state. Slater
speaks of himself as Ankeny's "po-
I llllCdi lie mas ldIe-
| ly advertised himself as a candidate
| for postmaster General.
| In order to increase Statter's COM
pensaton while secretary to the SEN
ator. Ankeny wished to pad the SEN
ate pay roll by the appointment OF
J VI. L. Slater, Statter's wife, as mes
senger to his own committee the CON-
mittee on coast and insular survey
! To avert suspicion, Ankeny made I
deal with his colleague. Senator Fos-
i ter. in accordance with which SEN
tor Foster appointed Mrs. Slater as
| messenger of Fosters committee. the
committee on geological survey. while
Senator Ankeny appointed Senator
Fosters brother as messenger of his
own committee. Mrs. Slater never
performed any services. although one
report of Charles G. Bennett, secre-
tary of the senate shows that she
received $3.50. The same report
of the senate secretary shows that
Nesmith Ankeny, son of Senator An
keny, who was never closer to the
national capital than his Cow Creek
ranch in the state of Washington,
was paid as a senate folder" 1910
4 -
that the rumor that Nesmth Ankeny
was on the senate pay roll was a can
ard of An5eny's political enemies.
Putting Mrs. Statter on the Senate
Pay Roll.
In the Fifty-nnth congress An
keny renewed the arrangement as to
Mrs. Slater with Samuel II. Piles,
who has been elected senator to sue
coed Foster. and who succeeded An-
keny as chairman of the committee
on coast and insular survey
| During the latter part of the Fifty
ninth congress, A. F. Slater. partly
because of old acquaintance with Sec
rotary Shaw, was appointed private
secretary to the secretary of the
treasury. Later on Secretary Shaw's
recommendation he became assist
ant secretary of the treasury. While
Slater was private secretary to Sec
rotary Shaw. Mrs Slater continued
to draw unearned salary from the
senate. but when Slater was made
assistant secretary of the treasury,
Mrs. Statter's name was discreetly
taken off the senate pay roll
When Samuel Fl. Piles was elected
to the United States senate in 1905,
he defeated Charles Sweeny, a Spo-
kane millionaire OF unsavory reputa-
ton Sweeny is high in Standard
Of the saving that John d. Rockefel-
bread and butter what more do
they WANT" Encouraged by An
keny's success, Sweeny spent a large
amount Of money, and would I'M
doubleday have been elected but for
! a public exposure of his past record.
The federal court of appeals at San
Francisco not long ago wrote an opin-
ion in which Sweeny was character
lied as swindling partner. guilty
of fraud "grosser than which it is
difficult to conceive
The Bargain Between Piles and An
keny.
Sweenv was induced to go into the
same coterie OF political brokers who
had purchased the seat for Ankenv:
they have for years made a practice
of batting Washington millionaires
into senatorial contests in order to
catch the drippings.
After his managers had got all the
money they believed he would give
up. they made Sweeny believe the
local judge at Olympia was about TO
call a grand jury to investigate the
bribery then going on, in order to get
him ont of the race and get another
millionaire In. But Sweeny sudden
ly threw his vote to Piles, and check
mated the entrance of the other mill
lionaire into the race. The deal be-
tween the friendsof Piles and Sweeny.
who We're also Ankenys friends. in
cluded practically every federal Of
flee in the state of Washington, and
included. also. the delivery of the
King county (Seattle) delegation in
the coming legislature for an east
side candidate. which. as interpreted
bv Ankeny's friends. means Ankeny.
The primary law was sad surprise
to the bargainers
a public statement has been is
sued by certain Seattle politicians,
endorsed by large number of Seat
tie business men. calling upon the