The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-07-24
EDITORIAL
A DIVIDED HOUSE
(By A. r. Gardner)

(By A. r. Gardner)
TT WAS to be expected that the
L Hart administration would come in
for considerable discussion during the
gubernatorial campaign but doubtless
the public was not prepared for the
rather unique situation that has de-
veloped. Two candidates, both former
members of Governor Hart's official
family are running on the Hart adj
! pministration but heading from oppo-
site directions. E. l.. French, former
director of agriculture is making his
bid for votes on the strength of the
administration. Edward Clifford.
former director of labor and indus
tries, is making similar bid on the
weakness of the administration.
Mr.. Clifford's first gun in the cam
paign was a broadside attack on the
administration of which he was a
part, that is an attack on about all of
it except the department over which
he presided. He makes the charge of
extravaganza and hints at graft and
corruption in the highway depart
ment, AYERS that if elected he will
forthwith abolish the department of
efficiency and the department of IL
censes. Referring to the department
heads, who are supporting French, he
declares, "my platform, if elected,
will mean the abolishing of half of
their jobs, they know that if win
they won't be there"
In considering Mr.. Clifford's at
tack, we should bear in mind that
he was part Of the administration
he now denounces; for three years
each two weeks, he sat as q member
Of the governors cabinet and discus
sed the works and the plans of the
administration; that for past political
services rendered, he was picked up
from obscurity by Governor Hart and
given control over one of the impor-
tant departments Of the states gov
ernment; that he has used his official
position to further his own political
ambitions; that he now denounces the
man who gave him his chance. This
should be enough to brand Clifford
as an migrate and a cheap politician.
If the Hart administration has
been too rotten longer to be toler-
ated by the people of the state, it
should have been too rotten for Cliff
ford to have participated in it; If
the good Of the state demands that
it be cleaned out, the man who for
three years by his acquiescence, con-
doned its acts is not the man to do
the house cleaning.
But how is the public to place a
fair appraisal on the Hart admins
tration? French, who was part of
it, says it is mostly all right. Cliff
ford, who was a part of it, says it IS
mostly all wrong. Who's right? Whom
are we to believe? The only safe
and wise course for the republicans
to pursue is to assume an unbiased
attitude and select as their nominee
man of unbiased views; man who
is not party to the row of Hart of
ficialdom.
Such man is Roland H. Hartley.
He is neither attacking nor defending
the Hart administration but withhold
ing his Judgment until such time as
he can know the facts from personal
inside investigation. He has announc-
ed that, if elected, one of his first
acts will be to make personal busi-
ness survey Of every state depart
ment without expense to the taxpay-
ers. If elected he will take to Olym-
pia no governmental fads or fancies
or experimental isms. He will step
into the governors chair with no an
tagonisms to blight his Judgment nor
alliances to tie his hands. He. will
be politically free to give the people
of the state the full benefit OF his
wide and successful business exper-
ience. He will be able to put into
operation a business administration
unhampered by the contentious OF
warning political factions.
Personally I don't know one hum
dred and one reasons why Col. Hart
ley should be the republican nominee.
I know only one. He's the best man
seeking the nomination.
vyn IN nANCE