Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-04-07

LET EN- Do Their Damnedest."
can In fact, so overwhelmingly was
our party in the majority, and SO loyal
We're its rank and file, that it was not
only by the most careful arrangement
of weak candidates and of insufficient
campaign funds that | was able to
throw the legislature to the opposition.
Our candidate for governor, Walbrool
Burbank was ineligible to a second
successive term-Was elected by a
comfortable plurality. And, by the
way, ! saw to it that the party organs
gave Woodruff enthusiastic praise for
,csodiiT" so much from what had
looked like utter ruin.
My clients had been uneasy ever
since the furious popular outhurst
which had followed their breaking
away from my direction and restraint.
When they saw an opposition legisla-
ture, they readily believed what they
read in the newspapers about the i'm
pending reign OF radicalism." Sill
man, the opposition leader, had ac-
cepted John Markham's offer of $780,
600 for Croffut's seat in the senate;
but ! directed him to send Vechoft.
one of the widest and cleverest of
the opposition radicals He dared not
disobey me. Neehoft went. and
Markham never saw again the $4,000
he had paid Siliman as retainer"
Veerhoft in the United States SEN
ate gave my clients the chills; but
was preparing the fever for them also.
had Silliman introduce bills in both
houses of the legislature that reached
for the privileges Of the big corpora
tons and initiated proceedings to ex-
pose their corruption. | had Wood
ruff suggest to Governor Walbrook
that, in view of the popular clamor
he ought to recommend measures for
equalizing taxation and readjusting
the prices for franchises. AS my
clients were bonded and capitalized on
the basis of no expense either for
taxes or for franchises, the governors
suggestion, eagerly adopted by Sill
mans horde" foreshadowed ruin. If
the measures should be passed, all the
dividends and interest they were pay
ing on water would go into the pub
lie treasury.
My clients came TO me, singly and
in pairs, to grovel and to implore. An
interesting study these arrogant gen
tlemen made as they cringed. utterly
Indifferent to the appearance of self
respect, in their agony for their i'm
periled millions. A mother would
shrink from abasing herself to save
the life of her child as these men
abased themselves in the hope of saw
ing their dollars How they fawned
and tiattered! They begged my par
don for having disregarded my ad
vice; they assured me that, if I
would only exert that same genius Of
mine which had conceived the com
bine, | could devise some way Of saw
| Ing them from this tidal wave Of pop
ular clamor-for they hadn't a suspi
cion of my part in making that tidal
wave.
Reluctantly consented to see
what | can do"
The instant change in the atmos
phere of the capital, the instant out
cry from the organs of both parties
that the people had voted for reform,
not for confiscatory revolution" com
| pleted my demonstration. Ny clients
realized who was master of the ma
chimes The threatening storm rapid
| ly scattered; the people believing that
the Silliman programme of upheaval
was not to be carried out, were glad
enough to see the old conservative"
order restored-our people always rea-