The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1911-12-22
OUT FOR GOVERNOR.


ced himself as candidate for COVER
nor. 1t cannot be said that this action |
on the part of Mr.. Lawrence is alto
gether surprise, as rumor has been |
toying with his name in connection |
with the governorship for several |
months, but his decision will certainly |
be great disappointment to many of |
his closest personal friends, who were
in hopes that he would continue at |
the head of the public service COM
mission, where he has already accom- !
plished so much for the best interests |
of the state and the people thereof, |
and where he was in position to do |
much more good in the next few wears
than would be possible as chief ex-
ecutive In looking over the political |
situation in the state we feel that Mr. |
Lawrence has been misled, and is pc
ing used by designing men either in |
the hopes of Furnishing the present |
governor in his candidacy to succeed |
himself, or to further their own sell |
fish political ambitions. The most en-
thusiaStic supporters of Mr.. Law
renee can not say his chances are |
bright for nomination at this time He |
enters the race as an east side candi- |
date, when there is already a slroug |
east side candidate in the field in the |
person of Governor Hay. whose follow
ing is very large and earnest. His |
only hope can be to divide up the east |
side vote with Gov. Hay which would |
leave an opening for popular west |
side candidate to step into the race
and win out Thus at The best h can
only 'lope to defeat Gov. Hay without |
deriving any benefit for himself. In
deed, defeat at the primaries would |
be the death knell to Mr.. Lawrence's |
future political prospects, and he is
too able and valuable a man to &c re-
tired from public life and laid on the
shelf. And even if he were successful |
at the primaries there is no assurance
that he, or any other republican, can
carry the state next November Hen e
he is doubly jeapordiZing his fut,:re on
the chances of an honor that in all
probability would come to him without
danger of failure four years hence.
Mr. Lawrence is being made :. tool
of by designing and false friends who
have induced him to make the rln The
hope of filling the gubernatorial chair
has been held out to him by those who
expect to use him as a stepping stone
to advance their own interests, and if
his teinpters gain their ends they will
wear no sack cloth and ashes should
Mr. Lawrence fail to secure the Domj-
nation. 1t is reported that he has had
the endorsement of FoindeXter and
Durham, both democrats, who have
adopted progressive republicanism
with great ardOr as a means to an end.
1t is easy to see through PoindeXter's
seeming friendship for Mr. Lawrence.
Poindexter is a foxy politician. He be-
lieves that if Mr.. Lawrence an Mr..
Hay run for governor from the east
side west side man will secure the
anu pOooiDiN hHC ciNttich'
Then two years hence he will throw
! MS influence to ives. side man for
senator and the coast will be cle:r for
| his succeeding himself to the senate.
Durham, who is out for congress, it
| is intimated, promised Mr.. Lawrence
| the support of the SpOkesman-Review
but at the crucial moment could not
deliver the goods. Durham was work.
| ing for Durham on the principle of"you
scratch my back and | will scratch
yours" The surprising feature of this
| transaction is that Mr.. Lawrence failed
| to see through the thin mask, for, in
| the main, there is not a shrewder or
more far seeing politician in the state
than John c. Lawrence.
Mr.. Lawrence announces himself as
progressive republican, a political
hybrid without pride of ancestry or
hope of posterity, and it would sound
as we'll and convey more meaning if
designated as populist or socialist re-
! publican. This is a recent tranStOrH'a-
0,r"i he reputation OF being one of
the most active. hide bound. unconpro-
missing and influential republicans in
the state. It sounds strange to those
who sat at his feet twenty years ago
and took lessons in politics when lie
led the forlorn hope against rampant
populism ard the silver craze and was
opposed by Poindexter and Durham,
whom he is now taking to his bosom
to the exclusion of his old comrades in
arms. But no fault can be found with
Mr. Lawrence on that score. Many
men are cutting loose from old moor
ings, drifting no one knows whittier.
and man has a perfect right to
change his political predictions as
often as he changes his raiment.