State Agriculture Director Makes His Bid for Governor
E. L. French, architect of Washington's administrative code and farm advocate, officially announces his Republican candidacy for Governor.
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E. L. French will file his declaration of candidacy for the Republican nomination for Governor this week. Earlier in the year he planned to resign as director of agriculture to prepare for the campaign, but an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in California led him to remain at his post until the danger of spread to this state was over. Mr. French, a prominent fruit grower in Clarke county, stated: 'My private life and official career are a guarantee that I will insist upon law enforcement. I stand for better service at less cost. During the past three years we have learned how. We have brought order out of chaos, reduced the number of state employees, cut the tax levy, turned a treasury deficit into a cash balance, and made it easier for the public to do business with the state.' French also emphasized the need for state-controlled reforestation and assistance for rural farmers.
“If good men do not hold office, bad men will.”
The tension between state-led administrative efficiency and the economic realities of Washington's rural and agricultural communities remains a recurring theme in state politics today. French's transition from a technocratic role as Director of Agriculture to the gubernatorial race highlights the historical focus on professionalizing state governance in the early 20th century.
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