The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-10-24
UNION FORCES
JOIN HANDS
MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLA-
TURE BREAK PLEDGES TO
PEOPLE UNDER LASH OF
THE HOUSE MACHINE.

| (By e. p. Marsh, President Washing
ton State Federation of Labor.)
ARTICLE III.
The political campaign of 1912 in
this state was marked by all the bitter
phases of partisan conflict that charac-
terized the contest throughout the
nation The Aberdeen convention of
the republican party forced the hand
of both factions of the party and the
bull moosers complicated the situation
by getting into the game with both
feet. No man knew where he was at
when it came to making political pre-
dictions. Issues took precedence over
the personality of many candidates for
the legislature and candidates were
voted for in many instances the way
the farmer boys used to swap jack
knives, "unsight and unseen" Wash
ington had been a rock-ribbed republi-
can state since the decline of .populism
in the late nineties. 1t had been as
hard for a democrat to break into the
| legislature as for the proverbial camel
to pass through the proverbial needles
eye. The campaign of 1912 produced
the worst political scramble since
! 1896 When the votes were counted
there were in the house 49 republicans,
20 progressives, 1S democrats and 1
socialist. In the senate there were 27
republicans, 9 democrats, progress
sives. Of the 81 members of the house
but 81 had had previous legislative
experience. The temper of the great
mass of voters of the state was plain
ly progressive. Roosevelt had carried
the state by thirty thousand. Know
ing the progressive sentiment of the
voters it was to be expected that the
Legislature, spotted though it was,
would have united upon progressive
program of legislation. The republi-
cans were in control of both branches.
The first conciliatory policy should
have been the election of speaker of
the house in harmony with the senti-
ment of the people. Howard Taylor,
speaker of the 1911 session, was the
mouthpiece of the great timber inter-
ests. Able, affable, very fair pre-
siding officer, but indisputably allied
with the corporate interests of the
state, Howard Taylor was assuredly
not the man to whom it was safe to
entrust program which was aimed
at the very combination of predatory
interests of which he was a part
The reactionary element had done
it's work well, however. The first
termers were assiduously cultivated
and won over-not by promise of pc
cuniary reward-that old stuff is out
of date-but by giving them peek at
the pork barrel. Generous portions of
pork if they came through but lean
picking if they did not And then
some of the democrats, led by "Safe-
and-Sane" Hughes of Whatcom, lined
up with the machine. The 'unholy al
lance" was formed and Taylor was
elected speaker. Friends of the Sys-
tenn were made chairman of the i'm
portant committees. Farnsworth,
banker, chairman of the committee on
banks and banking; Sims, a cannery
owner chairman of the committee on
fisheries; Jimmie Davis, able member
of the machine, chairman of the i'm
portant committee on appropriations;
Speaker Taylor, chairman of the all
important rules committee and had as
co-workers in the vineyard such able
lieutenants as Sims, Conner, Farms
worth, etc. The cards and chips were
prepared and as merry little bunch
of twentieth century political manipu-
lators sat into the game as ever scut-
tied political ship. And the irony of
it was that every last man jack of the
crew called himself progressive"
From the jump the representatives
of the farmers and trade unionists
were the objects of attack of this
precious bunch of lawmakers. Kegley,
CHdHlDerldll, Sdse anu oIhoiS' "ho "P
peared at one time and another before
committees in behalf of legislation or
sat in the house gallery tabbing the
legislators, were viciously attacked
and the joint legislative committee
subjected to satire and ridicule.
Some very meritorious bills were
passed. The legislature had to offer
some excuse for its being allowed to
use up the peoples patience, and, Incl
dentally, their money, in a sixty-day
gabfest We are particularly con-
cerned with the measures advocated
! by our joint forces.
Tho Joint lapisIative committee Dre-