The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-03-28

to which he gave constant and careful
thought. In this he accomplished
great good. All the old forms of
abuse and corporal punishment were
abolished at the penitentiary and the
use of striped clothing discontinued
veloped the use of the parole system
and secured the enactment of the in
determinate sentence law, which used
in conjunction with the parole is one
yet devised for the handling of crimi-
nails. He was largely responsible for
the establishment of the reformatory
for first offenders and youthful crimi-
this state with the use of convict Ia
Dor on roads with the view both to
economy and the beneficial effect on
the prisoners themselves.
The hospitals for the insane were
placed on an absolutely non-political
basis by him and many improvements
in the handling and care of the unfor-
| tunate patients confined in those in
situations were inaugurated during
his tenure of office. The treatment of
the states wards was in fact his par
! ticular hobby, and his interest in this
important branch of state government
never Jagged. He devoted many stu
dious hours to consideration of the
problems arising in connection with
the conduct of the various institutions
and delighted in visiting them and CO.
operating with the board of control
and the various superintendent in
planning and instituting changes and
betterments.
He was ever considerate of the feel
ings of others, never intruded his
cares upon his acquaintances, was al
ways ready to give sympathy, was
WIDELY free from prejudices and mar
row bias common to smaller minds
and peculiarly devoid Of animosity
regardless of tn provocation. He new
er held an enmity and was as cheer
full in the face Of defeat as in the hour
of victory. This big calibred, broad
gagged attitude was splendidly exem-
plified in the campaign of 1908 when
he was defeated in the primaries for
denomination. He Immediately Of
fered his services to his successful ri
val, Samuel G. Cosgrove, and entered
the fight for his election with as much
spirit and earnestness as he had dis
played at any time in campaigning for
himcolf.
he had the courage of big minds
His bravery was transformations but
none the less unwavering. He shrank
from giving pain to others, but when
duty demanded or the cause of right
was at stake he feared not to do his
part. When he was nominated the
claim was set up by his opponents that
he was the tool of the railroad inter-
ests, that then eXerted an undue in
huence in the politics of the state and
maintained an expensive lobby at
olympia during legislative sessions to
control the course of legislation. He
won his election not because of this
support, but in spite OF it, if it were
ever really given to him. That he was
not dominated by the railroads or anv
other special interest was fully dem
onstrated by the record of his admin
ls'ratloh. He not only recommended.
put with the cooperation of his close
friend and advisor, II. A. Fairchild.
secured the enactment of an effective
railroad commission law and apnoint-
+ ed commission that did its duty so
4 thoroughly and efficiently that Wash
1ngton took rank with the most ad
Vanced states in the country in the
matter of regulating railroad rates
ana service, and securing accurate
: physical valuation. His administra-
ton was responsible, through his tax
commission, for the first real attempt
IN this state to compel big property
owners, like the Weyherhauser Co. TO
pay their proportion of taxation. In
all things he showed his complete in
dependence of domination or undue
influence, but never did he stoop to
demagogy or to political chicanerv in
order to profit politically by what he
considered his plain and honest duty
to the state.
The services OF Governor Mead.
while chief executive of this state that
he loved 80 we'll. were of such nature
that their benefits wilf~ihcrease a
time passes, and succeeding genera
tons will enjoy the Increment from
his wise and faithful labors.
He was . great man and . aooa
man. His whole life was regulated By
that kindly spirit and nobility Of cbsy-
acter that endeared him to bis family
and his friends and exacted an m.
voluntary homage of respect from ar
who came in contact with him. He
had many attributes in common with
Abraham Lincoln, and in the exalted
1o n ~ ho&