The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-08-17
LIVE WIRE SPARKS . :


They're off!!!
Some thirty of Benton county's best
citizens have unselfishly answered the
clarion call of the peepul and gener-
ously offered to sacrifice their person
al interests to serve the public. The
qualifications of the individual mem
bers of this array of candidates are
many and varied. Probably the most
conspicuous and outstanding qualifi-
cations are sharp ears-ears so sharp
that they could hear the voice OF the
people loudly and insistently calling
! upon them to make the sacrifice when
the ordinary mortal couldn't even hear
a whisper. They all seem blessed with
wonderful eyes, also, for their far
sighted craftsmanship is something
marvellous. Other noticeable strong
points that all seem to possess are
silver threats, leather lungs, pump
handle jointed arms, and genial per-
sonalities, and all appear to be born
leaders of men. They all seem to be
prosperous and liberal, and are I'M
doubtedly very good company.
Here the resemblance ends, for each
has an entirely different plan for saw
ing the people from the grasp of the
trusts, from the evils of preparedness
and yet from the dangers of peace at
any price propogandists, and the ideas
in regard to Mexico, the registration
law, the referendum measures, and the
best method of reducing taxes are
comprehensively inoomprehensible.
Several of the aspirants have asked
the master Of the Finley Grange to
call meeting of the voters Of the
lower valley to meet the candidates
and hear their arguments, but he is
too wise. He says he has no objection
to such meeting, and would even at
tend himself. "But if they turn out"
he explains, "and anyone loses his
purse or his watch, they would blame
me-" However, if they are willing and
want to take the risk, he is willing to
set night for giving all the candi-
dates the "once over" but it must be
thoroly understood that every one who
comes, comes at his own risk. And
so date may be arranged later, and
if so, the announcement will appear
in the paper.
Are you a would-be or a won't-be
voter? Registration books close in
two weeks.
The Grange held it's annual county
or Pomona picnic last Saturday at the
Wilgus Grove above Prosser. The at
tendance was small on account of the
busy season, but the old timers were
all on hand. After a brief business
meeting in the morning, picnic din
ner was served, and the local grange
lived up to the national reputation Of
the grangers as being good providers.
Everyone appeared to enjoy the din
ner except L. L. Todd. The benches
were so high and the tables so low
that one couldn't get his feet under
the board, and poor Todd's legs were
so long he couldn't reach anything to
eat. Mr.. Sullivan volunteered to fur
nish tomatoes for one table, but on
the way up, he stopped in shoe store
to do little shopping and when he
opened the box of tomatoes it proved
to be box of lady's shoes.
After dinner the Changers and their
guests were addressed by Henry Nc
Cormick, and by Walter Price. The
Live Wire Sparks is Grange column,
it has always been the
policy of the editors to discuss errors
of the Changers quite as freely as
those of anyone else, for it is only by
such frankness that we can expect to
uphold the prestige of the column.
Frankly, we did not approve of some
of McCormick's remarks. His sketch
of the founding of the Grange was in
teresting, and well given, but when he
came to discuss the issues of the cam
paign and the candidates before the
people, he made a grave error in at
tempting to instruct the voters how
to mark their ballots without a word
of explanation or word of reason.
The Grange is an educational organ
ization, and its members pride them
selves upon their study and their un-
derstanding of the live issues of the
day. They don't have to have their
ballots marked and they resent any
action on the part of their leaders
which savors of bossism. It might be
explained that the Changers did not
take as serious offense at the remarks
of Mccormick as their guest, for the
reason that every Granger has been