We have given some space to the "life and works" of the Constitutional Convention of 1889 in a previous chapter, and need say here no more than that Columbia County, in the election which followed in October, 1889, did not accept the Constitution. The vote was 468 for and 730 against. In similar manner Columbia County registered her disapproval of Woman Suffrage by 816 to 422, and of Prohibition by 745 to 484. The result on these three important questions was similar in most of the Inland section, and with reference to Prohibition and Woman Suffrage, it was similar over the state.
The Constitution, however, was sustained by a good vote in the territory, and the state government became duly inaugurated.
The officers chosen in Columbia County in that first election under statehood were these: Congressman, John L. Wilson, republican, and for governor, Elisha P. Ferry, republican, both by very slight majorities, twenty-four in the first case and eighteen in the second; the other state officers having practically the same vote, all republican except J. H. Morgan, democrat, for superintendent of public instruction, chosen by ten over the republican candidate; judge of Superior Court, R. F. Sturdevant, republican; state senator, H. H. Wolfe, republican; representatives, H. B. Day, republican, and A. H. Weatherford, democrat; county clerk, U. Z. Ellis, democrat; other local officers were not chosen in that election, as it was an "extra" coming in with statehood.
The number of votes in that election was 1,314. Though the republicans were in the majority in almost all cases, it was by very scanty majorities, and it was plain that the good old democratic region of the Touchet was not yet entirely given over to republicanism. The precarious hold of that political faith was revealed in the election of 1890, for in that year the tide turned again and the republicans were left high and dry on the flats of Salt River, only two, John Woods for superintendent of schools, and J. C. Lewis for commissioner, being able to navigate their political barks into the desired haven. The total vote was 1,338, being an increase over the preceding year of only twenty-four. The results of the choice were as follows: Congressman, Thomas Carroll; representative to State Legislature, M. M. Godman; county attorney, J. E. Edmiston; clerk, U. Z. Ellis; auditor, J. H. Gough; sheriff, J. A. Thronson; treasurer, W. E. Ayers; commissioner, first district, I. N. E. Rayburn; commissioner, second district, J. C. Lewis; commissioner, third district, Daniel Lyons; school superintendent, John Woods, by two votes; assessor, W. J. Honeycutt; surveyor, Wilson McBride; coroner, Dr. E. H. Van Patten.
ELECTION OF 1892
The leading point of interest in connection with the election of 1892 was that it was the first in which the people of Washington participated in the choice of a President. Moreover it was a very strenuous campaign, and as we view it now it marked peculiarly the turning point in political thought toward the new set of issues, questions of labor and capital, money systems, railroad control and other economic problems, beginning to supplant the issues of the war and reconstruction. In that election the populists and prohibitionists appeared both in our new State of Washington and in the country at large. In Columbia County, as elsewhere, there was much scratching. The democrats carried the bulk of the county offices in this election, the republicans securing only the auditor, attorney and one commissioner. In this election, as is apt to be the case in periods of readjustment, the party in power suffered most.
On the vote for presidential electors the result was as follows: Cleveland, 674; Harrison, 618; Weaver, 188; Bidwell, 95.
At that time two congressmen were elected at large, and hence each of the four parties made two nominations.
The result was that Thomas Carroll and J. A. Mundy, democrats, received 656 and 635, respectively, to 592 and 591 for W. H. Doolittle and J. L. Wilson, republican candidates. H. J. Snively, democratic candidate for governor, had 647 to 571 for J. H. McGraw, republican, but the latter was successful in the state. On the Legislative ticket J. A. Kellogg and U. Z. Ellis for senator had a tie with 597 each, while Ernest Hopkins, populist, had 231.