Evening star., 1934-11-18
SCHWELLENbACH
FRIEND OF POOR
New Western Senator Had
Struggle for Food and
Schooling in Youth.

What a sight that bustling Western
METROPOLIS must have presented to
boy of as he timidly stepped of
the train to the depot platform at
Spokane! That boy back in 1902
came with his family to Spokane from
Superior, Wis, where he had been
born on September 20, 1894.
The boy and his family were prob
ably full of hope that morning in
1902. But luck was not to be with
them. There were many times dur
ing the next six years when the
family couldn't pay its rent. There
were many days when there was not
enough to eat.
Knows Pinch of Poverty.
"a nightmare of poverty" the boy
called it % years later. And he
added:
Something was then beaten into
my child'S mind that I have never
been able to forget. I can not Just
ignore the problems of those who
suffer. I can not understand the
carefree heartleSsnesS of so many on
easy street"
That boy Of is the man of 40
tooay-LeWlS Baxter SchWellenbach,
junior Senator-elect from the State
OF Washington. Two years ago, the
voters OF the State had declined to
nominate him as the Democratic
Standard-bearer for Governor.
SchWellenbach waited his time won
the senatorial nomination this year in
hot three-sided battle for the Dem
ocratic honor and, on November 6, he
was elected United States Senator by
a majority in excess of 10000. He
goes to Washington to succeed Clar-
ence c. Dill of Spokane, who declined
to run again.
Thus the poor boy is now the re-
clpient of one of the highest honors
his fellow citizens can bestow. But
there were many lean years inter-
vening.
Sold Papers on Street.
When things were breaking badly
IN Spokane, young Lew sold papers
on the street. The boys father died
while the lad was in high school.
He had largely to work his way
through high school. Summer vaca-
t1ons he worked as a harvest hand in
the Palouse wheat fields.
The hard years during his high
school work were to be duplicated by
tough shedding financially at the
University of Washington in Seattle.
But he was graduated from the law
school in 1917 with an LII. B. degree.
That same year young Schwellen-
bach enlisted as private in the 18th
United States Infantry and went
overseas. He returned to Spokane in
1919, broke.
He decided to hang out his shingle
In Seattle and left his home in Spo-
kane 10 make his own way. He was
without funds and largely without
friends in strange city.
Defends Labor's Rights.
His early cases we're in defense of
labor unions rights in strikes and
lockoutS.
IN 1925 he organized the North
Coast Bank & Trust Co. and was a
director from 1925 to 1880. In 1880
he became president.
He early became interested in poll
tics. In 1924 he was chairman of
the Democratic State Convention.
From 1928 to 1880 he was chairman
OF the King County Democratic
Committee.
SchWellenbach established a friend
ship with Homer 7. Bone of Tacoma.
now senior United States Senator
from Washington, when Bone was
farmer-labor member of the State
Legislature. They have been shoulder
to shoulder on the power issue.
AS far back as 1912 Schwellenbach
JYofn
slons. In 1924 he succeeded in get
ting an old age pension plank in the
Democratic State platform. Again,
IN 1888, he went into court and
helped save the State old-age pen
Sion law from legal death.
Pledged New Deal Support.
Campaigning this year on a plat
form of progressive policies aimed
to bring about social justice, Schwel-
lenbach promised whole-hearted sup
port of President Roosevelt's New
Deal. Here is the direct and posi-
tive manner in which SchWellenbach
stated his views on important
questions:
81. Provide jobs for ALL will
support President Roosevelt in his
plan to put people back to work, and
will seek Federal funds for the State
of Washington to provide productive
employment by putting to use aban-
doned farms and idle factories I
favor an expanded program of useful
public works.
"2. Establish Federal control of
credit-Through creation of a Fed
eral credit bank to make money a
medium of exchange, rather than a
means by which bankers may control
business.
"3. Abolish the poor house-By
providing security and self-respect
for the aged through Federal old
age pension.
FavOrs Job Insurance.
"a. Enact unemployment inSur-
ance.-To provide every willing work.
er chance to protect himself and
his family.
IS. Develop Coulee Dam and the
Straightforward construction of the
high dam at Grand Coulee and fur
ther development of the Skagit.
"6. Save farmers from ruin.-By
guaranteeing the farmer q fair re-
turn for his work in the fields.
81. Take profits out of war
Through Government ownership of
munition plants, eliminating all pri-
vate efforts to promote war for
profit.
'8. Lower power rates.-Private
interests have no right to build
monopoly based on natural resources
belonging to all the people. am for the
Bone public power bill to encourage
development of public-owned power
plants in this State, and for ma
tional superpower system to link all
public-owned generating and distrib-
uting systems.
Would Pay Bonus.
"9. Get a square deal for veterans.