Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-01-12

this nomination, all, | understand, as
progressives, but | have not had the
pleasure of the acquaintance of all
of them, for the reason that my Off
cial duties at the national capital
during the last nine months have
prevented me from meeting and
greeting many of the new converts
TO the progressive faith.
In drafting the Washington direct
primary law it was intended that any
worthy citizen of proper qualifications
should be free to enter a contest for
a political nomination, and the peo-
pie it was designed, should be the
only judges Of the candidates fitness
for office. This being the case, the
present attempt so brazenly made. to
effect a frameup is contrary to the
spirit of the primary law, and wheth-
er ! am a candidate or not, | will say
to those already announced:
and let the voters search your minds
on the numerous issues which the
campaign must involve. If you still
fear to counsel with the voters at
large, just trust them a little way for
the sake of a fair trial A brief
trial, | am sure, will give you more
confidence in their judgment and
fairness, and you viii in time grow
stronger in the faith possessing me
that the rank and file can always be
trusted.
A political machine is just as OBJ
jectionable when operated under
progressive banner as it ever was
under reactionary emblem. The
fragrance of new ideas will not sup
press the stencil. Those who have
been attempting to settle the affairs
of the Third district at a meeting
held over on the coast. will do well
to remember that never, even in the
most flourishing days, did the motor
iOus old Owings machine ever dare to
venture frameup for Washington
outside the borders of the territory
for which its tickets were manu-
featured. Boss Owings made sure
that he could at least plead that his
slate was the product of home in
dustry.
No 10 or 20 men who will be
gathered together at one time to de-
eide who the district shall nominate
for congress, can be truly representa-
tive of all the diversified classes in
the district, We have not heard that
any of these committees" have in
cluded any duly accredited repre-
sentatiyes of organized labor, nor
have we heard that any bona fide
representative of the agricultural
classes were present.
So far as goes the promise to de-
liver the farmer vote to any candi-
date | shall challenge the claim that
there is any man in Eastern Wash
ington or elsewhere who can deliver
this support to anyone, although no
one doubts that such an agreement
has been made. The farmer vote is
not vest pocket vote as our friends
seem to assume any more than is the
vote of the great mass of working
men.
Two years ago | won my present
office in a race against four men,
high-minded and fair, and it would
give me pleasure to see this contest
on the same lines.
If in the course of the next few
weeks | decide to announce my can
didacy for a denomination, | will by
that time have a record of having
voted on many public questions, and
the voters will not have to Judge me
by promises. They will be invited to
examine my record carefully, and at
the same time the other gentlemen
seeking the office will be urged to
make the closest scrutiny of my
career in congress and to give the
people of the district the benefit of
any criticisms.
WILLIAM L. LA TOILETTE.