The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-08-13
PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS
AND MACHINE MANIPULA-
TORS NOT FOUND AMONG
HIS FOLLOWERS.
by JOE SMITH.

man Miles Poindexter to the Unit
ed States senate is. unique in that
n is a fight against the system
of misrepresen tative machine poll
tics, hired politicians and crooked
nolitioal leaders who take their
orders from crooked business In
terests. .t...,..s. .....e. ..,l
There have been other cam
paigns In Washington against .po-
irticai corruption. but they have
ali been waged with tho assist
ance of certain political corrup-
tionists. There have been other
campaigns for the overthrow OF
political machines, but they were,
for the most part, campaigns for
the upbuilding of other political
machines. There have been other
campaigns against the bosses who
take their program from certain
business sources but they were
waged by leaders, by prospective
bosses Ii you please, who, had
they been successful, would have
taken their orders or their pro-
gram from other business sources.
This is a campaign to cut the
politics of Washington loose from
political bossism and from the
domination of business interests
which derive financial profits from
oorrupting politics and making
government misrepresentation.
A Sure Test.
These statements are sweeping
tut they may be proven by amy
fair-minded citizen of Washington
by study of the facts coming
within his own personal knowl-
edge and observation. Let the
citizen who desires to prove them
look about him for the men of
his acquaintance whom he knows
OF suspects have contributed to
the misrepresenta tive character of
his local, city, county or state gov
eminent. He will find that, with
out exception, those men are sup
porting one or the other of the
reactionary senatorial candidates.
They may not be doing it in the
open, but nevertheless they are
doing 1t. There are no broken
down political hacks I'm the Poin'
dexter campaign, either as man
ayers or otherwise, there are nc
men of the character who carry
a candidates promise of political
Immunity to a corporation office
and return with corporation
contribution to political slush
fund.
The Rogers Campaign.
Ten years active employment
as a political reporter has given
me some inside information on
the politics and the politicians OF
Washington, and l think / can
speak with some intimate know1-
edge. Ten years ago l partici-
pated in the campaign for the re-
election of the late Governor John
r. Rogers, and, although that was
a reform" campaign the man
ayers In change of il traded their
candidate off for railroad support
while 1t was In progress. / have
always held to the conviction that
II was his discovery that he had
been thus betrayed that broke
Governor Rogers health and
brought him to an untimely
death.
What Defeated Preston.
I took part in the campaign in
1902 and 1903 for the election OF
Harold Preston of Seattle to the
United States senate, and for the
abolition of the practice iu this
state of putting the senatorshiI
up at auction and selling 1t to
the highest bidder. But in that
campaign we we're compelled to
depend, in our hope for Preston s
election, upon the loyalty and po-
1itical honor of as piratical crew
OF highbinders as ever scdttled 9
political ship to promote their
private fortunes. AS might have
been expected Harold Preston was
defeated.
In 1904 I took an active part II
the campaign against railroad
domination of state politics ant
for the nomination of Henry Nc
Bride for governor, out Henri!
Mcbride was only skilled politi
cal opportunist who had siezet
upon popular passion, and his
campaign consisted as much O
back room secret caucuses as o.
vigorous stump speeches denounc
Ing the back room methods of hi
opponents.
But In this Poindexter cam,
paign there are no political ras
calls to apologize for. The politi
clans who we're ON our side then
and for whose support we had t.
apologize to our more reputable
supporters, are divided In the1
allegiance among the several can
cidates who, In this CAMPAIGN
represent their peculiar style o.
politics.
1fdnFnH nIlnIlltIAn