The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-09-04
COL. HARTLEY
ON WAR PATH
STANDPAT CANDIDATE FOR
LEGISLATURE DOES NOT
LIKE QUIZ OF JOINT LEGIS-
LATIVE COMMITTEE.

Last Sunday mornings Tribune
contained a howl of Indignation (?)
from Col Roland H. Hartley, capital
ist, ex-mayor, candidate of the stand
4Sth district. The occasion of the
colonePs outburst was the receipt of
the request for pledge from him that
he would vote, if elected, to submit to
the people a constitutional amend
ment giving to the people the right to
amend the state constitution by direct
vote. The colonels wrath was aroused
particularly at the frank statement
that his failure to sign would be con-
sidered indication of his opposition to
the measure and the voters of his dis
trict would be so advised.
You know the old feeling about po-
litical candidates. 1t was your hum
BILE servant" before election with the
boys who wanted votes, but an entire
ly different attitude after election.
From time immemorial We have been
sending good fellows to the legisla-
ture and have had the spectacle of the
good fellows" tied hard and fast to
the chariot wheels of a "Taylor-Sims"
combination of politicians, frankly rep
resentative of the big monied interests
of the state. There isn't man who
has ever watched a session Of the leg
islature, be he standpat or progress
sive that doesn't know that legisla-
tive sessions have been a series of
barters and trades and deals, the good
fellows" voting against their own con-
that had the last say on appropria-
appropriations being the hope
and despair of every member of the
Legislature that wants to go back.
It's about time we knew where leg
islative candidates were going to
stand upon questions of public policy
What are they anyhow, but the pro-
spective 'hired men" of the people?
These same standpatters who get up
on their hind legs and howl about the
"wickedness of an organization that
threatens legislative candidates" are
the very buckoos that have so much
to say on the stump about govern
ment by, for and of the people" Who
are the people? The members of the
legislature, apparently, judging by the
things they have put across in every
state in the union.
The colonel is an employer of labor,
We have a life-size portrait of him
hiring a crew of men and telling them
they could suit themselves about their
work He'd like to know their opin-
/ ion about this or that phase of the job,
but if they didn't think his way was
best it would be all right with him" "
/ You can all see the colonel doing
that-NOT. That is exactly the posi-
tion he wants to be in himself, how
ever, when it comes to making laws to
/ SON eIil lIlC ptOpits W nave littu wv
many with his trend of thought in the
legislature. That's the reason we have
an initiative act today that is as full
of holes as a sponge. A legislature
chuck full of men who talked loudly
about government of the people" and
then proceeded to hand them lemon.
The Joint Legislative Committee
comes in for a. good roast from the
Tribune in the following language:
"The whole matter may be summed
up into this: Sign up to do the bid
ding of a dozen delegates from half a
dozen organizations or you will be put
on a legislative blacklist and have the
fact given the widest publicity"
Possibly the Tribune is not aware
of the fact that these half a dozen
delegates represent 100000 dues pay
ing members in this state and that
the program of the Joint Legislative
Committee exactly as stated in its lit,
Continued on Page Four)