The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-08-29
AN LNSURGENT TO THE FINISH

declare that unless political trick
cry is employed and the wishes OF
the people subverted. Poindexter
will be Washington's next senator
washington has followed the lead
OF. Oregon in the direct primary
idea for senator. The people ex
press their desire on an advisory
ballot, and legislators pledge them
selves to vote as the people indi
cate-that is, most of the legisla
tors do. A peculiar situation arises
in the fact that Washington's east
ern and western portions are sc
completely separated and SO d.
verse in their interests that each
feels itself entitled to United
States senator. Wesley L. Jones oil
Yakima, on the eastern side is the
hoidover senator, SO Legislative
candidates on the western slope
are declaring that they will vote
for the popular choice only in case
a western man is selected.
HIS SECRETS OF SUCCESS.
Honesty, stragihtforwardness
courage Of conviction, convincing
sincerity-those are the secret Of
the Poindexter success. The peo
pie believe in him. 1t was cam
paign like Lincoln made, travelling
over the district on horseback, that
brought him In close touch with the
voters previous to the congress
siOnal election. He shook hands
and discussed national affairs with
every farmer in the Inland Empire
One OF their number, a plain, out
spoken country lawyer, he met. II
was an oldfashioned next-to-the
people campaign, and 1t put to rou'
six strong opponents.
Through many long years OF toll
and study did Poindexter fit him
self for his later career. He was
born in Memphis, Tenn, three
years after the close of the war, his
father being General Poindexter, in
the Confederate army. A good part
of his ducation he received at
Fancy Hill academy, in Virginia
and later he was graduated from
the. Washington and Lee university
carrying off class honors.
LONG, LANKY YOUTH.
When he was % years old-in
1S91-Poindexter went west equip
ped to practice law; a long. gawky
youth who did not know what to
do with his hands and feet, but
able to hold his own against those
who put up better appearance
His first experience as yawyer
was gained in the little town OF
Pendleton, Ore, not far from Walla
Walla, Wash, which is one Of the
oldest settlements in the North
west. To the fact that he became
friendly with Tom Page in Pendle.
ton is due his subsequent marriage
to Elizabeth Gale Page, whose
family boasts the blood Of Indian
tribes who peopled the Pacific slope
countless generations before the
white race took possession of their
land.
Young Page rode from Pendleton
to Walla Walla every Sunday morn
ing to have dinner with his mother
and sisters. One trip he persuad-
ed Poindexter to go with him, and
the youthful Tennessee lawyer was
his companion on many subsequent
horseback journeys.
You'll find my Pendleton friend
fine fellow; III put my money on
him." said Tom Page laughingly,
as he introduced the stranger to
his favorite sister, Elizabeth.
Toms confidence in his friend
was evidently shared by his sister,
for 1t was not so very much later
that she became Mrs. Miles Poin-
dexter.
For six years the Poindexters
lived in Walla Walla. The gawky
youth vecame prosecuting attorney
of the county. Thirteen years ago
he moved to Spokane, and for six
years was deputy prosecuting attor-
ney. Then came his election to
the superior bench as joint Judge
of two counties, which he left to
enter the congressional campaign
when the district was made vacant
by the elevation of Wesley l..
Jones to the United States senate.
SPLENDID RECORD ON BENCH.
On the bench Poindexter made a
splendid record. His decisions bore
the marks Of deep study. and were
uniformly just. Other judges liked
to sit with his in the trial of cases
and liked to exchange benches with
him. His written opinions bore
testimony to the fund OF knowledge
and to the maturity of judgment
that years of reading and observa-
tion had brought.
Sleeping only four or five hours
a night, Judge Poindexter had made
use of most OF the hours of dark
ness in reading-classics. fiction,
history, everything that might give
him information. Few men If his
age have been able to store away a
greater fund of useful knowledge,
The habit of sleeping about half
the time the average man con
s,lnes. PoindeXter acquired when
yoAh&l yet lack of the ordinary
amount of rest does not seem to
have impaired his physique, one
reason being his love of the open
ana and his insistence upon lib
eral amount Of physical exercise