The Senator Who Came to Bless the Canal

Shelby M. Cullom, senior United States senator from Illinois, who has figured in public life for many years, and who says he would accept the Republican nomination for the presidency if it were offered him, accompanied by Mrs. Cullom, Mrs. W. B. Ridgeley, Miss Alice Burns and his private secretary, D. A. Kay, came very quietly to this city from Tacoma at 6:13 o'clock yesterday morning in his special car, which was attached to the Northern Pacific train. He spent the day in the city looking over the routes of the Lake Washington canal, talked with Eugene Ricksecker, the engineer having the work in charge, was given a reception at the Rainier Club, and a special meeting at the Chamber of Commerce in the afternoon, acknowledged that he favored the canal, talked politics to newspaper men, and at 6:10 in the evening left over the Great Northern railroad for Spokane, where, unless the unexpected happens, he will arrive this morning. Senator Cullom is a big man in Illinois, a bigger one in Washington City, and before he left Seattle those who met him were very favorably impressed with him. He is quiet and unassuming, has an able head on his shoulders, and is not afraid to talk, as are a good many men in public life; but he has been interviewed before, and when he does talk knows what to say.

His arrival in the city was a little unexpected. He wandered into the Rainier-Grand hotel yesterday morning, recognized the day clerk, Frank Jago, whom he had met in Springfield, Ill., and said: 'If there are any people in this vicinity who are interested in the Lake Washington canal, I am ready to talk about it, and I wish you would have them see me.' Clerk Jago put on his hat, left the hotel and in about ten minutes a dozen or more of the leading citizens put in an appearance at the hotel, and it was arranged to make a trip to the lake, so that Senator Cullom, who is chairman of the senate committee on commerce, and has a good deal to say on harbor improvements at the expense of the government, could take a look at the proposed route of the north canal.

The party, which included Roger S. Greene, chairman of the Lake Washington canal committee; E. O. Graves and H. R. Clise, members of the canal executive committee; John R. Allen, Judge H. G. Struve, State Senator R. C. Washburn and A. A. Denny, left for Lake Washington by way of the Madison street line at 11 a.m., and did not get back until afternoon. When the lake was reached the party boarded the steamer C. C. Calkins, which conveyed them up into Union bay. The steamer circled about the head of the lake, giving the senator and the accompanying party a fine view of the inlet of the proposed canal. On returning to Madison street it was the intention to take a ride on the Broadway line and let the senator catch a bird's-eye view of the canal route, but the Broadway cars were not running, and, as the senator put it, he compromised with the members of the party by suggesting that, in his opinion, the canal was all right. The senator was then escorted to the Rainier Club, where a reception was tendered him.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon a special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, having in the meantime been called by President Graves, Senator Cullom appeared there, met many of the representative men of the city and delivered a five-minute talk, after which he retired to the hotel to make arrangements for his departure East.

In his remarks Senator Cullom spoke almost solely about the canal. He said he had been led into favoring the Lake Washington project by Senator Squire and ex-Senator John B. Allen. In pursuance of the policy he had always followed since he entered the United States senate, Senator Cullom explained that he had favored the investigation and construction of the canal because he believed that to be a great nation the United States must encourage the commerce of the country. He himself favored all such improvements where it could be shown that they were a benefit to the country. Since he had been led to favor the canal in accordance with his policy and the representations made to him by the senators of the state, he proposed to continue to favor it. With that object in view he had made the trip to Washington.

'I came West,' said Senator Cullom, 'partly to get rid of the grip, partly for pleasure and partly to investigate these proposed improvements.' He continued that he had gone to California to investigate the matter of a deep water harbor for the Southern Pacific. 'And I found,' said the senator, 'that I was not content to leave this Western ocean without first coming to Seattle and Tacoma and viewing the proposed commercial improvements, including the proposed Lake Washington canal. I came here and have seen that which I wanted to see. If the cars had been running I would have had an opportunity of catching a bird's-eye view of the canal, but I compromised with our party by suggesting that the canal was all right, and unless the civil engineer having the work in charge can convince me to the contrary I will favor the canal.'

Applause followed and the senator continued: 'I am a good ways from home, but I am at home wherever I go. In my travels I meet a great many people from Illinois who make it very pleasant for me, and when I don't meet them I come in contact with other people who are just as cordial to me. I don't believe that I ever have had such a splendid time as from the date of my arrival in Los Angeles up to the present time. I have been in beds of roses and all sorts of things.

'Seattle is a great and beautiful city, and is destined to be one of the greatest in the country. If I had a son, I would tell him to go West and grow up with the country, just as Horace Greeley advised young men. All you need is a little Chicago push, if you please. I have always regarded the state of Washington as one of the great empires. Long before it was a state, it had my admiration; my heart was with its people and I did what little was in my power to usher it into statehood. You can rest assured that my heart is always with you.'

To a Post-Intelligencer reporter Senator Cullom said: 'It is unnecessary for me to tell you that I am almost tired of being interviewed. I have visited a large number of cities on my present trip, and in all of the larger ones have talked to newspaper men, something which gives me great pleasure. But at the same time it is not pleasant to talk about the same public matters so often. In interviews which I have given heretofore I have given my views on many leading public matters. Yes, I favor the Nicaragua canal, and believe that it will be a grand benefit not only to the Pacific coast but to the entire United States. I regard it as one of the most important works that has ever received the attention of congress. And as to the Washington canal, I want you to lay great stress upon the fact that I was at first inclined to work in its interests by Senator Squire and ex-Senator Allen. To those gentlemen the advocacy of the canal in the United States senate is due, and you can say that several times if you so desire.

'I have very little to say about my position on the money question. I am a sort of a bimetallist. I think that we need both metals, and there should be some international work done in relation to the money question. I don't think that gold should be the basis, nor do I think that silver should. While the money question is said by a great many to be the great one to be settled at the next national election, I think that the tariff question is just as important, if not more so. I believe that if we properly protect our industries it will mean great prosperity to our country, something we are very much in need of just now. Let us have a protective policy for American labor and American industry before we have anything else.'

Senator Cullom believes that the next national election will result in a Republican victory, regardless of who is put up by the Republican party. 'Under Republican rule,' said Senator Cullom, 'this country flourished, and I think that our people have been convinced by experience that no party except the Republican party can have control without being divided on important questions. The Republican party has proved that it can take care of all questions and be as a unit where the country's welfare is involved. And so, at another election, I think that the Republican party will be returned to power, and once we are back again we will straighten out these matters.'

As to presidential possibilities, Senator Cullom didn't care to talk, but the fact that he thinks this country should first have protection for her industries might be considered an indication that he will throw his strength to McKinley, the champion of protection. Harrison, Senator Cullom said, may be one of the candidates. Senator Cullom admitted that he would accept the nomination if it were offered him, but followed it up with the statement that there was no danger of its being offered him.