The Great Northern's Political Shake-Up
A key legal appointment in Seattle shifts the landscape of Washington's gubernatorial race.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Will H. Thompson, counsel and trial lawyer for the Great Northern Railway company at Seattle, is to be superseded on October 1 by L. C. Gilman, junior member of the law firm of Preston, Carr & Gilman. The story of this change in the legal department of the Great Northern is authentic and has considerable bearing on the future policies of the state. Mr. Gilman, a Democrat, was seen as a potential gubernatorial candidate favored by the faction of ex-Senator George Turner. Gilman had previously denounced the railroad lobby and advocated for a railroad commission. By accepting this appointment, he effectively removes himself from the list of gubernatorial possibilities. Mr. Thompson, who is resigning due to failing health, was a Confederate soldier from Georgia during the Civil War and brother to the noted author Maurice Thompson.
“He declared that the railroad influence should be removed from politics. Now, however, it would appear that Mr. Gilman is about to be placated with a fine legal appointment.”
This reflects the long-standing Washington tension between corporate power and electoral politics. The 'revolving door' between railroad legal departments and state office remains a recurring theme in the history of Northwest governance.
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