The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-08-29
AN INSURGENT
TO THE FINISH

lof cases, and liked to exchange
benches with him. His written
opinions bore testimony to the
fund of knowledge and to the ma
turity of judgment that years OF
reading and observation had
brought.
Sleeping only four or five
hours a night, Judge PoindexteI
had made use of most of the hours
of darkness in reading-classics
fiction, history, everything that
might give him information. Few
men at 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 consumes Poindex-
ter acquired when young, yet lack
Of the ordinary amount of rest
ioes not seem to have impaired his
physique, one reason being his
love of the open air and his in
sistence upon a liberal amount OF
physical exercise each day. If Ma.
ooleon placed those who slept
longer than five hours a night
n the porcine class he would
nave admired the Washington
congressman in at least this par.
ocular. On the stump Poindex-
er is not an orator, but a clear
ogical, convincing speaker-con-
Jincfng because of the earnest
less and a sincerity that none can
ramsay. He speaks out just as
lie thinks. Perhaps voters find
his refreshing; anyway, they
seem to like it. A vein of humor
has helped him time and again to
get the better of his adversaries
One occasion Poindexter con.
fronted in court Frank Graves, of
Spokane, a leader at the bar and
one of the Inland Empires
wealthiest men. Ponderously dig
nified, Graves was making a most
serious argument. The younger
man interposed an objection that
aroused the ire of his senior. Yet
1t may have been that Mr.. Graves
was getting the better of the argu-
ment.
Anyway, Miles Poindexter did
a most unusual thing. He reached
across the table that interviewed
and tweaked-yes, actually tweak-
ed-the opposing counsels nose.
The laugh that followed was not
pleasing to the dignity of the
opposing counsel; perhaps the
proprieties of the court were
shocked; but, anyway, Poindexter
won the case, and to this day
Frank Graves and Poindexter
speak not as they pass by.
In his personal life he is plain
and frugal-frugal to a degree
He spends no more than neces-
sary upon his clothing, and he
ha sno costly fad-unless it may
be that OF the booklover. His
home, three miles from the Spo-
kane county courthouse, is really
in the country, and room after
room is filled with books. On this
little farm he lives as plainly and
simply as any farmer in western
Washington. He milks his own
COW, feeds the horses and attends
to the chickens.
No one yet has said that Of
flee changes his mode of life; If
he is sent to the senate he will
still he the plain, unostentatious
man who a few years ago was
prosecuting attorney of Walla
Walla county.
One might think from the in
PRODUCTION of this article that
Poindexter is a violent advocate
of prohibition; such is not the
case. He is, however, an advo-
cate of temperance in all things.
In the local option struggle he
argued that the smaller eenters
of population and the rural dis
tricts should be free to choose
whether they would permit the
entry of liquor, but he doubted
the wisdom of putting the ques-
ton to a vote in the cities. The
plan he advocated is now a law
in Washington, and much of the
state has gone dry"
Here is what Representative
fOlnuexter SAID ABOUT the breach
between the insurgents and the
regulars of the republican party:
There can be no backward
step in progressive republication.
1t is childish to suppose that
threats of withdrawal of patron
age or any opposition will cause
republicans to aban-
don principles that they regard as
vital, and that they have adopted
after mature deliberation.
II am for Mr.. Pinchot, and the
policies he represents. / am for
Roosevelt, and hope and expect to
see him again president of the
United States, to guard and pre-
serve the rights of the people.
Roosevelt is a good republican
notwithstanding the fact that the
so-called gang controlling the or.
ganization is bitterly opposed t.
him."
Perhaps it is ambitious foI
Poindexter to seek the toga will
only one term in congress as hi
qualifications by way of nationa
legislative experience, but he ant
i his friends haIiava he haz AZ