Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-03-18
In the Most Remarkable Session of the LeQiS-
Iature in the History of the State
of Washington
UNHOLY COMBINATIONS Are THWARTED
tjndiSmdyed Governor Refuses to be Made Goat
OF Politicians at The Cost of
Taxpayers at Large


Grim and silent in their austerity, the
halls and lobbies of the capitol build
ing which for the last 60 days have
echoed and re-echoed with the tramp
ing of many feet, the clarion out
bursts Of one solon or another, the
scenes OF probably the greatest leg
islative battle in the states history,
at least in recent times, are empty
now and silent, and only the heels Of
floors disturb the peace that prevails
where the noise of battle once was
heard.
The legislature is overland what
are the results? Utter dissatsfac-
ton throughout the state "The
worst legislature in the states his
tory" is the most frequent comment; {;
certainly it was the most eXtrava-
CANT, the most reckless, in the way
of appropriations. Some 1162 en-
bryonic laws We're introduced; only
20S got to the governors Office. Some
$25,0O0,0O0 in appropriations includ-
ing $S,0O0,000 on paper were au-
thorized; so far approximately &c.
100000 have been vetoed, and the AK
is not through fallings c ~.
For so far as it lies in his power to
do so, Ernest Lister is trying valiant
ly to defeat the game of the Repub-
lican legislators and to promote his
program of economy. The Democrats
might just as we'll admit what actual
ly happened in this session, and hap
pened solely and wholly because its
representatives in the house were
not of the best. Despite their holy and
lofty interviews the Republicans are
chuckling among themselves at what
they accomplished.
whats Lister going to do-veto
some more appropriations one of
them asked me today.
Il reckon he is" was the answer
"Well, he can veto his head off
and still the appropriations will be
greater than the Hay administration"
he said with a chuckle.
And there you have the whole situ-
alton in nutshell.
Theirs was a pretty scheme and it
won out to a certain extent though
Lister, fighting a lone fight, succeed
ed in blocking the greater portion of
their propaganda. Furthermore he
succeeded in placing the blame exact
ly where it belongs-not on himself,
for his inaugural address, his special
veto messages and particularly the
stirring appropriation message he des
livered in person the Saturday before
the close of the session, placed him
before the legislature AMI before the
people of the state as waging a battle
for economy. The Republicans may
talk and write and editoralize to their
hearts content; Ernest Listers posi-
ton on appropriations by this legis-
lature is so plain it cannot be mis-
taken or deceived-from beginning to
end his one plea was for economy.
The Republicans are responsible.
The people of the state realize it now
and will remember it when they come
to pay their taxes during the next
two years. No amount of hedging,
Of talk, bluff and buster can avail
them to place the blame elsewhere
the records of the session show they
advocated and passed the heavy ap-
preparations, that Governor; Lister
vetoed them or fought for their re-
duction, and that they vainly endeav-
ored to pass them over his veto.
"The most expensive administra-
ton in the states history"-that and
that alone was the aim of the Repub-
lican legislators. That is what they
wanted to tell the people four years
from now; two-faced as "the old
guard" is In this state, they proposed
to blame a Democratic governor four
years from now for what they them
selves had done But they reckoned
without their man. They cloaked
their scheme under the guise of good
roads enthusiasm, and, working it ac-
cording to all the rules of the old,
old trading game, gave one legislator
a bridge here, another a bridge there,
a road, new state building, or some
thing or other, until they got them all
sewed up in the same little bag, and
then they put it over.