Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-05-12
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER
THE REPUBLICAN STATE PLATFORM.

Apart from the features that are to be expected
the features whose absence would be Wonderfully
conspicuous, such as the commentator OF Repuh-
lican state and national officials and the re
affirmation of the protective tariff theory there is
practically nothing at all to get excited about or
even enthused over in the platform adopted at the
Republican state convention last Saturday The
criticism of Governor Lister is so weak as to be
negligible; the concentrations to national honor.
merchant marine. rural credits, the seamens law.
and the like, vague as to be practically
worthless.
The country is being swept by wonderful
wave of prosperity-every visitor from the East.
every investigator who goes there tells us that.
and we all know here how the lumber trade has
improved-and so there is nothing to this hard
times talk preparedness" was originated and
advocated by the present Democratic national ad-
ministration with half Of the Republicans in con-
gress working and voting against it; Secretary
Daniels has long since recommended and Demo-
cratic congress is ordering the kind of a navy the
platform specifies and Daniels has already urged
that half of its fighting strength be stationed on
the Pacific Coast.
The Republicans in congress, notably our own
dear Senator JONES' have fought even small in
creases In our standing army; universal and COM
pulsory military training is about as popular as
hfe-sized rat at wOman's convention. The ma
tional administration is condemned for ''inter-
ference in the affairs of Mexico" while every Re-
publican paper in the land, and most of the party
leaders, have cussed" the president for not in
terfering sooner and to greater extent-to inter
vention
The Panama canal tolls issue died two years
ago. The present state administration has worked
Tor frst aid amendment to the industrial ins,,r-
ance law, while the Republican majority in two
legislatures prevented its passage The national
administration Is now enacting tariff commits
slon endorsed by the United States Chamber of
Commerce, which will not only be expert but
more important, nOnpartisan; and the admins
tratlon Is likewise enacting a sound and adequate
system OF rural credits, and has done more for
the promotion of agricultural knowledge and
a more efficient and cheaper system of marketing
farm products than has been accomplished in
any other previous three years
The remarks concerning merchant marine are
tommyrot-the Republican party in congress has
had twenty years in which to create an adequate
merchant marine and did not do it. The Pacific
Mail has come back, American merchantmen
The seamen's law is a bugaboo
Any one who wants to commend the last legis-
lature or the one before it. is welcome to the task
but most people have memories and use them
Governor Lister recommended and worked hard
to obtain from the last legislature the premina-
rles needed to call constitutional convention but
the Republican majority laughed at him and re-
fused. Nonpartisanship is an issue still in the
making; the compulsory second choice provision
IN the primary election law should be repealed:
arbitration is generally practiced in wage
disputes.
Humanitarian legislation SO proudly boosted
was wrung from Republican legislatures not will
hngly granted, their true history tells and
there are therefore some who doubt-and who
voiced that doubt two years ago and four years
ago-the ability of the Republican party to lever
keep step with the advancing sentiment upon the
vital and pressing social and economic problems -
The direct primary and the initiative and refer
endum and the recall would now be virtually
emasculated and abrogated, if Governor Lister
had not vetoed the election bills passed by the last
legislature. The criticism of his administration is
so faint and faltering to need no rejoinder
And so this document, it appears to us--and
you read it for yourself elsewhere in this
issue-is not particularly strong one upon which
to enter the coming campaign from the Repub
lcan standpoint.