Seattle Democrats Bolt Their Own Party Over the Lake Washington Canal

The main topic for discussion on the streets of Seattle is politics. The Democrats to a man are hot with anger for the stinging blow in the face administered to King county by the Democratic state convention. The fact that the Republican convention distinctly approved the movement for building the Lake Washington canal, while the Democratic, at the behest of Pierce county, unequivocally and bitterly denounced the enterprise, is clearly impressed upon the mind of every man in the county, and everyone resents the outrage.

The leading Democrats make no pretense of loyalty to the state ticket. The state Democracy, they say, so far as it represents any principle in this contest, stands for the un-Democratic idea of hostility to a single community, and that principle no Democrat in King county can indorse. The convention adopted the anti-canal plank not because anyone believed it honest or just to attack King, but because the scheme seemed a good one for getting Democratic votes in Pierce county. The promoters of the anti-canal plank never for a moment pretended that the resolution was anything more than a bit of the cheapest and dirtiest political expediency.

Yesterday knots of men were gathered on all the street corners discussing the situation. The Republicans, while as Seattle men they resented the action of the Democratic convention, were none the less pleased at the certainty of Republican success, not only in the county, but in the state. Judge J. R. Lewis said: "Well, the work of the week has settled the question whether Oregon is going to run politics here, and turn the state of Washington against its own leading city. McGraw will have a majority of from 7,000 to 10,000 in the county, and probably 20,000 in the state. The Democrats have saved us the trouble of making a hard fight in King county."

To find a Democrat in Seattle willing to acknowledge that he will vote his state ticket and try to kill Seattle and the canal was an impossibility. Most of them said they would stick to Cleveland, but all of them admitted that the universal knifing of the state ticket made certain the loss of both the national and the county candidates.

There were plenty of execrations for the King county men who went to the convention to work against their own community and kill their own party here. Those who in order to defeat James Hamilton Lewis for governor lent their aid to the passage of the anti-canal plank are compared to a man who would wreck a passenger train and destroy a hundred lives in order to kill the engineer. Two stories are being passed around with much satisfaction. One is the remark that Franklin K. Lane, chairman of the Pierce county delegation, made at the close of the convention: "Of course we mustered all the aid we could to beat the canal; but I voice the feeling of every Pierce county delegate when I say that words cannot express my hearty and undying contempt for the King county men who have been arrayed here against their own city."

The other story is that when the anti-canal plank was carried, an anti-Lewis man of Seattle asked for an introduction to that blind and unyielding fighter from Pierce county, Stephen Judson. The Seattle man began saying, "I want to congratulate you on your success," when Judson broke in: "I don't care to talk to you; I don't want to know you; I don't associate with people of your kind. I am here from Pierce county, fighting for Pierce, but you, though here from King, are a traitor to her."

Those at the convention believe that King lost the fight on Wednesday night when H. J. Snively, who as chairman of the committee on resolutions had charge of the compromise plank, moved for an adjournment before a final vote was taken adopting the plank. In the morning Pierce rallied her forces and put through an anti-canal plank, and King county was robbed of even the benefit from the compromise. Snively afterward received the nomination for governor, and in the minds of many the two events are connected.

The opinion is unanimous that the King county men who won the most glory are James Hamilton Lewis, J. T. Ronald and L. C. Gilman. Lewis has the credit of refusing the nomination for governor in order to stand by King county; and Ronald for the same reason declined the nomination for congress offered him by acclamation. Mr. Ronald also made a fine fight in the battle for the canal on Thursday, and in that memorable struggle L. C. Gilman showed himself a speaker of great force, and a brilliant and gallant leader.

Mayor Ronald is at his train. He is not disposed to talk much about the Democratic convention or the political outlook. "I said what I thought as delegate to the convention: the convention did not agree with me and the majority rules. I am a Democrat, but I very deeply regret that the Democratic convention did not arrive at a different conclusion. I cannot have any sympathy with a movement directed against my friends and neighbors — against the people who have been generous to me and whom I love. I can say no more. What I said at the convention was not bombast, but the expression of sincere convictions."

J. H. Reisner, secretary of the board of public works, declares: "I shall vote for McGraw, though I am loyal to Cleveland and the Democracy."

Alderman J. Eugene Jordan's comment is: "I don't know where the Democratic state ticket will find votes in Seattle."

The workers in the city are as steadfast against the state ticket as are the city officials. John W. Considine asserts: "So far as the state ticket is concerned, there are no Democrats in the First ward." T. H. Cann's position is: "I am a Democrat, but in this fight I am, as a Seattle man, for McGraw." James Sheehan says: "I am for the canal and McGraw."

H. W. Baker said: "I am going to vote for John McGraw. I would have voted with my party if Lewis had been nominated, but now I will vote with the other side. We are Democrats or Republicans according as we think that the one party or the other will do the most good for the country generally and the section in which we live particularly. The Democratic party of this state has singled out King county as the one county in the state in particular that is to receive no consideration but contempt. That being the policy of the Democratic party in the state, I shall vote for Cleveland and McGraw. Lewis did the right thing in standing by his colors, and it will bring him into greater prominence in the future."

Guy C. Phinney, who is as uncompromising a Democrat as can be found in the city, said: "I shall not vote for any nominee on the Democratic ticket. I would rather swallow McGraw and the whole Republican party, though it is a bitter pill. The Democrats never had a better chance to win, but à la Democratic, they have made veritable asses of themselves, as usual."

Warren L. Gazzam declared: "I shall of course vote for Cleveland, but the straight Republican state ticket will have my support." W. J. Colkett said: "I want no better candidate for governor than McGraw."