The Great Blaine Betrayal: How a Few 'Carpet-Baggers' Humiliated Washington's Republicans

Two weeks have passed since the Republican party of Washington Territory met in convention at North Yakima. There has been time for the delegates to return to those who sent them, and to report and explain the work there performed; time also for the body of the party to make up its estimate concerning that work. What stands now as the judgement of the party is neither hasty nor misinformed. On the contrary, it has the quality of being second thought, based upon full exposition and discussion of all the facts.

In that convention a resolution was offered to the effect that the Republicans of Washington Territory 'unite with the Republican party through the nation in their admiration of the exalted talents, eminent services and sturdy devotion to the principles of genuine Republicanism illustrated in the political record and declarations of our illustrious standard bearer in the last presidential campaign, the Hon. James G. Blaine, of Maine.'

Any fair analysis of this resolution shows it to be simply a formal approval of recognised Republican principles and of confidence in the great recognized leader of the national Republican party. My inference, indeed, is supported by the movement for re-nomination of Mr. Blaine but it did not commit the delegates chosen to that movement nor in any way bind them to it. It was such a resolution as has been passed by nearly every convention of Republicans that has assembled in the United States within the past four years. But the convention at North Yakima first hesitated over this resolution and finally rejected it.

If there is a man of standing in the Republican party of Washington Territory who approves of this action he has yet to speak out. Nobody has yet dared to speak in support of it. On the contrary there has been a chorus of indignation from one extreme of the Territory to the other. The Republicans of Washington Territory, the rank and file of the party, believe in the 'principles of genuine Republicanism' especially as they are illustrated in the public record and declarations' of Mr. Blaine. That the representatives of the party in the Territory, formally assembled, should have declined to approve these principles and have declined further to express confidence in the great and chosen leader of the party is the subject of profound dissatisfaction.

The chagrin felt when the vote at Yakima was announced, has deepened to humiliation since it is found that the fact was telegraphed all over the United States and that Washington Territory now stands committed in opposition to the principles of the party as illustrated in the expressions of Mr. Blaine and in a hostile attitude toward Mr. Blaine himself.

This outrage upon the Territory and upon the Republican party was brought about by a few men whose chief distinction is the fact that, while assuming to be Republicans and in fact acting nominally with the party, they have been office holders under a Democratic administration. The chief conspirator (for it was a conspiracy.) was Judge Turner, the president of the convention. When the resolution referred to was introduced he left the chair, and as he took his seat among the Spokane delegates, was heard to mutter with angry in-solence, 'I'm on the war path.' When the motion to lay the resolution on the table was made it was Judge Turner who seconded it.

When it was proposed to give the matter a later thought, to talk it over, Judge Turner, by an outrageous abuse of his authority as chairman, forced the gag rule and shut off debate. In short, while others are not to be excused for this outrage which so misrepresents and humiliate the Republicans of the Territory, the chief offender is Judge Turner and, strangely enough, in spite of the contempt which his action thus gained for him, he is passing as a candidate for congress, publicly seeking nomination at the hands of the Republican party.

Under any circumstances the candidacy of Judge Turner would be an impropriety. He is a 'carpet-bagger' and office holder by profession. He came to the Territory less than four years ago with a federal commission which he has but recently resigned to engage here in a trade which he has worked at elsewhere, namely, the trade of the professional politician. Brought up and drilled in the school of Alabama politics he expects to succeed here by Alabama methods. As a member of the North Yakima convention put it, 'Judge Turner has evidently been used to herding 'niggers' in Alabama conventions, and thinks he can work the same game on white men in Washington Territory.'