Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-05-22
SAYS STATE FACES
INDUSTRIAL CRISIS


Under the title, washington Fac
.ns q Criss', the following comment
IN the pending Initiative measures is
submitted by the Stop-Look-Listen
esGue:
IL the people Of Washington are
ither as crooked or as lazy as some
> these proposed initiative measures
lainly suggest, it is about time for
aost of us to slit our throats end
beat it for everlasting shadows. Be-
cause of the prepogterousne@s and IN
EQUITY of some of these measures
sometimes we are inclined to believe
| they are but visions OF the Silly
night, the grotesque and hideou
fabrications of a dream: and yet here
are these Seven Sisters and the April
| Fool Twins: here are these petitions,
these palavering busybodies, and all
the rest of it, moving and having
their being in ouE>midst.
Inherent Crookedness Assumed.
what, anyway, do the sober men
and women of Washington think OF
the blind assumption underlying all
Of these measures that we are iEhsr-
emily crooked. and hence for our own
good, and for society's, must submit
ourselves to an infamous system OF
state espionage? Is not such an as
sumption the rankest kind of political
insanity? Is it not mean and in
famous SANDER of both the intelli-
gence and the integrity of the people
of this state?
"If we are wicked enough to de-
serve the several indictments the pro-
noters of these initiative measures
have returned against us, we are
band of bold constituencies business
brigands; we may as we'll speak thus
plainly of it, for it is the unmistake-
able purport of the fisheries bill. the
blue sky bill, the eight-hour bill, the
first aid bill and some of the other
measures it is proposed to submit to
the people of Washington.
Registers Protest.
Against these harsh and SANDER
Gus judgments passed upon the peo-
pie of Washington, we earnestly and
lsolemnly protest; we do not believe
the fishermen of this state are pirates
engaged in plundering our waters;
we do not believe the employers Of
this state are mericlessly grinding
the faces of the men and women who
| work for them; we do not believe
| that every man with capital is con
CENTRALLY and by acquired habit a
crook, or that the state should exact
of every man seeking to invest money
in this state a complete history of his
life from the time his coming was
chronicled in the family Bible; in a
word We do not believe that our own
citizens who have built up enormous
industries in Washington, nor pros
pective investors who are eager to
come into the state, should be ham
lpered, harassed and hurt in the man
ner proposed by these measures.
"These measures are not regula-
tive; they are destructive. They will
create and usher in upon us evils
that we dream not of. They will drive
some of our most substantial men
out of business and out of the state;
they will keep out of the state vast
amount of capital inclined to flow
into the state, and will greatly in
crease the army of the unemployed
in Washington.
Industries Facing Crisis.
"It is not an inviting picture; but
1T has in it the everlasting color of
truth and the people may as well
realize it and make firm and timely
resolve to meet the issue by with
holding their support from any of
these freakish and hurtful initiative
proposals. Industrial Washington is
face to face with a crisis; whether
the outcome is to be good or bad will
depend upon the sober men and wo-
men of the state"