A Local Politician Vouching for Cabinet Nominee Hoke Smith
Seattle figure James Hamilton Lewis intervenes to defend a controversial presidential cabinet appointee from accusations of being a 'railroad underservant'.
James Hamilton Lewis, of Seattle, who declined his party's nomination for governor and who was one of the recipients of the Democratic caucus votes for United States senator, sent today to W. R. Goodyear, editor of the Palouse News, the following telegram: 'I am informed your county intends to protest against the confirmation of Hon. Hoke Smith, claiming him as a railroad underservant. As you know, I am from Georgia. I knew Hoke Smith personally and well for a long time. He is no creature of the Northern Pacific, but a true friend of the people and good government. Say to your people that I recommend him as an honest man.'
“He is no creature of the Northern Pacific, but a true friend of the people and good government.”
This incident captures the deep anxiety regarding railroad influence in 1890s Washington politics, highlighting how local political figures like James Hamilton Lewis navigated public trust. The struggle to reconcile pro-labor sentiments with presidential cabinet appointments remains a familiar tension in regional civic discourse.
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