Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-02-14
LISTER ASKS HART
TO ACT AS GOVERNOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE YIELDS TO
PHYSICIANS ORDERS TO TAKE
ABSOLUTE REST.

Governor Ernest Lister Wednesday
afternoon yielded % importunitie, OF
his family, advice from his friends
and orders from his old physician,
Major w. N. Keller, U. S. Army, and
turned over the responsibility of his
office, temporarily, to Lieutenant Gov
ernor Louis F. Hart, then followed
Major Keller to Keler's old residence
at Fort Steilacoom, where the COVER
nor can have absolute rest, perfect
peace and careful dieting during a
period OF convalescence that DR.. Kel-
Ter estimates will require several
weeks.
When he finally agreed to give up
work and place himself unreservedly
under a physicians care, Governor
Lister wrote to Lieutenant Governor
Hart, advising him that because of
ill health the governor would be COM
Ipelled to seek temporary rest and
asking the lieutenant governor to
take over temporarily, the duties Of
the executive office.
| Lieutenant Governor Hart agreed
and an hour after this decision had
been reached, Lister was on his way
to the hospital where he will make
his battle for health. Senator Car
lyon of this county, president of the
senate, succeeded Hart as it's presid-
ing officer.
Unsigned bills which had been in
Governor Listers hands for consid-
Grafton will be returned to the house
in which thay oriujrotad roaprolIod
so that President Carlyon, instead of
Lieutenant Governor Hart may GER
tify that they passed the senate.
While he is the executive officer,
Lieutenant Governor Hart will use
the title fAacting governor and an
nounces that he will carry out the
spirit of Governor Listers policies.
Senator p Fl. Carlyon is presiding Of
ficer of the senate and Senator How
ard D. Taylor of King county is elect
ed president pro tenn as the second in
line of the senate's executive officers.
Major Keller, who formerly was q
Tacoma physician and later was SUI
perintendent of the Western Wash
ington hospital, has been in the army
and stationed at the Presidio. He
telegraphed his resignation SO he
could devote himeslf to the task Of
restoring Governor Lister to health,
an undertaking he promised to fulf1ll
If the executive would yield himself
without reserve to his physicians
orders.
While Governor Listers most init
mate friends have been urging him
for several weeks to take complete
rest. the step that gives him the most
hope for life was taken upon the de-
mand of Major Keller. He came to
Olympia Sunday and was astonished
at the governors physical condition.
There was a bit of plain talking at
the executive mansion on that Sun
day night. Major Keller, who knows
Governor Lister tenperamentally a.
well as physically and who only was
concerned over the matter of the ex-
ecutive's health, abandoned the tao
tics Of the governors local medical
advisers and told him bluntly that
he would have to place himself with
out reserve in the hands of physi-
clan. .~iC
! You're facing DEATH" Major Kel-
Ter is reported to have said. You'll
either take advice now or within q
very short time you will not be able
to take advice. II you do as / say.
you can be restored to health; il you
do not, there is not much time left
for you"
That is what the governors friends
had been trying to convince him OF
during the past three weeks, but they
had not dared to be as plain-spoken
as was Major Keller. 1t is an open
secret now that when Major Keller
left Governor Lister was indignant
and insisted he would not give up.
Temporarily the physicians advice
had an injurious effect.
Monday State Printer Frank M.
Lamborn and Highway Commissioner
James Allen drove to Fort Stella
COON, where Major Keller was spend.
ing a furlough, and induced him to
return to Olympia and see Governor
Lister again. The professional visit
was paid Tuesday and Major Keller
told the governor that he would only
undertake supervision of his health
! if he consented to placing himself alb
solutely under a physicians control.
1t was agreed during the day that
special nurse should be provided.
and she arrive before nightfall, but
did not begin her duties until
Wednesday morning. In the mean
time Major Keller decided that three
weeks or more of complete rest were