The Governor Against the Rails
Governor Miles C. Moore denounces the corrupting influence of the railroad lobby in Washington state politics.
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Miles C. Moore of Walla Walla, former governor of Washington and a leader of the anti-Ankeny faction of the Republican party, gave an interview regarding the state's political landscape. Moore, himself a director of the O.R.&N. railroad, expressed his belief that unless the railroad political organization changes its tactics, the voters will eventually deliver an overwhelming defeat to railroad interests. He argued that the strong public demand for a railroad commission bill is driven not by dissatisfaction with rates or management, but by the 'offensive lobby' and constant interference in politics. Moore noted that the railroads are capable of fostering better relations, as evidenced by the lack of such agitation in Oregon, where railroads refrain from manipulating elections.
“I still think that the railroad representatives in this state have gone to far greater lengths than necessary to protect their own interests from adverse legislation, and to lengths which have aroused against them and their methods much bitter resentment on the part of the people.”
This reflects a classic era of Washington state progressivism, where business leaders—even those inside the industry—sought to curb corporate dominance over the democratic process. It echoes contemporary arguments about the influence of big money in local and state elections, showing that the fight for a clean, neutral government is as old as the state itself.
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