Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-03-04

OLYMPIA, Wash, March 2-(Spec-
ial. Perhaps by the time you read
this the rumpus which stirred the leg
islature last week viii have died
down and saneness, decency, respect
for what the people want will re-
place the wanton Misrepresentation
which characterized the last five days
of the session-perhaps, l say, with
much hesitation, too, for no one on
the face of the earth can predict
three minutes in succession what
this conglomeration of brains, in
tellect, principle and sagacity now
sojourning in Olympia, will do.
Perhaps-and l want to call your
attention to just one thing before l
tell you what actually has happened
no matter how small or how large
the levy-one mill or one hundred
mills-not one foot of road can be
constructed in the state of Washing
ton during the next two years unless
the money is specifically appropriated
by the legislature
Roads Not Really Involved.
This the legislature has not done,
but the Republicans have taken ad
vantage of Governor Listers veto OF
the 11s mill levy and his announced
veto of the 21a mill levy now pending
to declare that Lister is blocking road
construction. That is far from true
they are simply lying again. Be-
cause the legislature has not appro-
priated any money, has not even un-
der consideration any such appro-
priation, the question as to whether
roads are to be constructed or not in
Washington in the coming two years
still lies wholly with the legislature
has not been acted upon by the legis-
lature and is not involved whatever
in the question of the levy.
So much for that. The Republi-
cans might be able to get away with
their game if some one besides Ernest
Lister were in the executive chair,
but it SO happens that Earnest Lister
is setting-and not reclining-in that
chair, knows what the people want,
knows what he wants and has the
courage to fight for it.
The racket started when the gov.
ernor vetoed the Cheney normal bill;
it was increased when he sent back
with his disapproval the IL mill road
levy early last week and suggested
one mill instead. 1t was further ac-
centuated Thursday when he Topped
$896050 off the omnibus appropria-
ton bill railroaded through the legis-
lature by the machine in one day,
after previously issuing statement
declaring that the legislature was op-
posed to his program of economy
the program upon which he was ell
ected-and was endeavoring to do
all in it's power to embarass him and
to saddle still higher taxes upon the
property owners of Washington.
The Machine VS.. Lister.
But the power of the Taylor ma
chine has been broken Four days
now it has been trying in vain to
corral enough votes to pass the road
bill over the governors veto, the bill
bov;po boor roforrod to tho c,,loe
committee Wednesday after the veto
had been once sustained and the rec
ord expunged, with the express and
boasted understanding that it would
not be reported out for action until
enough votes had been signed up to
pass it. These votes the machine
has been unable to obtain and the
mere fact that it's special committee
has sought conferences with the gov
ernor during the last three days in
efforts to effect compromise is an
admission that the machine il brok-
en-, that the taxpayers, through Gov
ernor Lister, will win after all.
The fight was the bitterest of the
session and may still be going on
when you read this. 1t started on
the floor Of the house when seven
representatives favoring the Cheney
normal appropriation would not "stay
put" when the " mill levy came up
for passage over the governors veto,
and Representative Sims and the Tay.
lor machine, ahgered at this defec-
ton, forced the expunging of Tues
days record when the normal veto
was rejected and the road veto sus-