The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-06-03
JONES DENOUNCES THE
KING POLITICAL PIRATES

this alleged compact was entered into
the primary law has been passed de-
claring expressly all such compacts
! and agreements to be Illegal. | would
think that senator Ankeny. if he has
due regard for the law and respect
! for the will of our people as eX-
pressed in the statutes, would say to
senator Piles and his friends
Senator. it is true we entered
people have decidedly disapproved
such agreements 1t is clearly con-
trary to the letter and spirit Of the
primary law. stand by the law. |
shall rely on my record You and
your friends are absolutely released
from this compact. and | shall rest
my case on the free and untrammeled
will of the people of our state.
1T seems to me that man seek
ing this high Office should have that
regard for the law and respect for
the people whose suffrage he asks 10
take such position. | believe that
Senator Ankeny himself would do it
but those to whom he appears to de-
fer in such matters do not seem 20
have that high regard for the people
and the laws that one would natural
~ expect from United States SEN
ator. and | have no doubt but that
they are the ones who are insisting
upon carr wing out this compact and
the practical annulment of the pri-
mary law Their insistence, it seems
to me, places Senator Ankeny in a
very unenviable light before the peo-
pie of the state and brings into this
contest greater issue than the NOM
nation Of the candidate for the sen
ate. great as that is. The issue now
is will the people of the state and
Of King county approve. ratify and
confirm corrupt agreement, an
agreement in which they had no
voice, an agreement in the interests
largely of a few offieeholders, an
agreement contrary to the expressed
will Of the state and an agreement
under which the political rights of
the people Of King county are al
tempted to be transferred and deliv-
cred as ii they were SO much cattie
with no will or thought Of their Cwn
and this, too, apparently with the
approval. if not AZ the request, OF
senator Ankeny himself. | am Will
ing to meet this issue. not only in
the state at large. but in King coun-
t. ana | predict that the people will
maintain their own rights and bury
this last yestise OF the old system of
buying and barterine offices so deep
i and emphaticallv that il will never
again be attempted in our state. The
issue is plain. square and open and,
whatever the outcome. it will be the
peoples Will.
Upon what grounds are the peo-
pie OF King county morally bound to
carry out this agreement? 1t was an
immoral agreement against public
policy and against the best Judgment
OF The people as expressed by their
representatives in the legislature in
later enacting the primary law and.
instead of being binding. should, and
believe will, be repudiated by every
good citizen. The people of King
county never authorized these gen
tlemeu in any way to make such an
agreement. They themselves only
claim that they were authorized TO
make honorable pledges and agree
ments, and any agreement involving
the selling or bartering of public Of
fee can not be an honorable agree
ment
Even if binding in its inception
it has been repudiated by the people
without protest on the part of those
who made it The King county Re
publican convention in 1905 declared
for d primary law and the selection
OF United States senators in this way
and no protest was made by these
gentlemen nor by or on behalf of
senator Ankeny. The Republican
state convention did the same thing
and they made no protest. The leg
: islature passed the Law and not one
/ voice was heard from King county
: saving that it should nor apply to
them because they already were bar
tered and sold for years to come.
The law was passed and everyone
supposed ii would be carried out.
i Even the King county convention Of
a few DAYS ago approved the law.
Gov Mcbride was chairman Of that
convention and vet no one pointed
out the uselessness OF endorsing ii