The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-04-01

nominated now, the people can
blame no one but themselves. They
cannot shift the responsibility. If
they allow themselves to be used,
sold, traded or bartered again they
can not shirk the blame. The duties
of good citizenship are brought d.
rectly home to each one. The good
man is decidedly In the majority in
our state and he can not afford to
| neglect to exercise his political
rights. The fact that the responsible
ity for good government rests now
directly upon each individual as
never before make our citizens more
jealous of their privileges and more
active in looking after their rights
and interests.
This system has already been tried
in several city leections and the re-
suits have been, to say the least, as
satisfactory as under the old system.
Senatorial contests have greatly
influenced our political life. The
state was admitted to the union in
1889. It's legislature has met every
two years and there have been but
two in which there has occurred no
senatorial election. These contests
have been very stubbornly fought
and sometimes long drawn out; one
ir1n foil tn n1n
Our people have declared time and
again for the election of senators by
direct vote of the people and are in
favor of this proposition. There
seems to be no prospect of amending
the constitution of the United States
in this respect, so tLey have attempt
ed TO do indirectly what they could
not do directly and nave provided in
the primary-election law for each po-
litical party to express its choice for
United States senator, and the legis-
lature is supposed 20 carry out this
expressed will If the legislature is
Republican, the Republican members
are expected to vote for the choice of
the Republican party and vice versa.
That member of the legislature who
will disregard the expressed will of
the people certainly will have little
regard for his political future or for
his reputation for political honesty.
The influence of the railroads up
on our politics has been very great.
The railroads have been charged
with dominating political conven-
tons and controlling the legislatures.
This charge was so often made and
reiterated that whether true or not.
the people believed it. and again was
the power of public opinion made
manifest and the legislature of 1905
passed very stringent law provid-
ing for the creation of a railroad
commission This commission has
been at work for two years gather
ing information and data upon
which TO base action for the correc-
listed in the management and opera
ton of the railroads. Anti-pass leg
islation was enacted and there was
but little evidence of improper lobby
ing at the last session of the legisla-
ture.
An impartial system of taxation is
much to be desired but very diff
cult to attain Our experience is the
experience of every state. The in
tention of the law is to provide for
equal and uniform taxation and, in
order to come more nearly to dis
tributing the burdens of taxation
and requiring the railroads and COR
porations to bear their just share of
for a tax commission. which it is
hoped will bring about the desired
result as nearly as human ingenuity
can do it.
The last legislature enacted sew
eral laws which indicate the wonder
flu progress that our people have
made in political development This
Legislature RESPONDED very largely
to the public sentiment that is
strong throughout the country upon
many propositions intended to pro-
mote the welfare of the people An
act was passed providing that rail
road employees should not labor more
than 8 consecutive hours. This was
done in response to a strong senti-
ment which resulted in similar legis-
lation being passed by congress with
reference to interstate traffic The
legislature also passed a bill proyid-
ing that no child under 4 years of
age could be employed in any fac
tory, mill, workshop or store, and
that no person under 10 years of
age could be employed as a messen-
ger for any telegraph or telephone