The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-08-23
WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.


your Independent movement
when there is no hope of electing
an independent ticket throughout
the counties of Southern Oregon?"
If our correspondent had studied
the matter with the carefulness its
importance deserves he would
have not asked the question
above. The main point is not to
elect Independents TO office more
than to elect honest Republicans
and honest Democrats, tor of such
is the Independent organization
composed; but what is hoped for
IN the movement is the organis
zation of an Independent balance
OF power III politics in Southern
Oregon which shall have for its
purpose the defeat OF any dis
honest Democrat or Republican
who may be nominated by the
two parties for Office, and the
election to Office oil honest and
capable men, 1t stands to reason
that II to>day there existed an
organized Independent balance Of
power and that balance of power
honestly voted for honest and ca
pable men wherever found, the
two parties would find it necessa>
ry to put forward their best men.
Imagine what a ridiculous figure
a dishonest or incapable candi-
date upon either the Democratic
or Republican tickets would cut
in this county with our Indepen-
dent balance OF power reaching
beyond several hundred votes !!
The rascal would be beaten all
the way from two hundred and
slxty.five votes to three hundred
or five hundred Douglas coun>
ty has voted two hundred and
niRety>fve majority for the Re-
publican candidate and the same
county has since then given
o Democrat three hundred
and twenty-five majority and
yet, at the same time. Republicans
were elected 10 ofhcel But only
the choice of the people received
.majorties. Would this not be
an enjoyable state of political af-
fairs in all the counties, and would
not the presence OF the Independ-
ent Old Guard, standing ever
ready to defeat the plans of plot>
ting politicians, be something to
be proud of and feel satisfied over
on the part of tax payers In the
counties of Lane, Benton. Coos,
Curry, Jackson, Josephine and
Lake, as it Is in Douglas? We
do not see wherein an organiza-
tion whose existence compels the
nomination of only honest men to
office, low taxes to the taxpayer
and a county currency going at
Far value, can be wrong. We
even believe that iu the event OF
the nomination of dishonest or
incapable candidate on the ticket
of both political parties, the Inde-
pendents could run a third and
good manfor the position in ques~
ton and elect him. This was
done IN Douglas county SIX years
ago, when the two parties cons
.blned against the Independents,
aud also have the Independents
of Jackson county, in the name
of reform and honest government,
cent Independents into Office by
handsome majorities at the polls.
This being true, why cannot there
be repetition of the work done ?
What is there to prevent the peo-
pie IN any county in Southern
Oregon from organizing ali Inde-
pendent balance OF power to de-
feat any or all nominations OF
either party by voting solidly for
thoseof the opposite side, or from
running an honest Independent
candidate against two dishonest
party candidates? The people
have right to say what will
please them best, and organiza.
tion upon the plan proposed will
unite their power into one special
effort, and place them in the po-
sltion of an organized army to
compel acqulescence with Pop
ular sentiment, and save them
from the defeat they would often
suffer IN their endeavors to force
good and honest government tor
want OF the organization having
knowledge of the object desired
aud the one important thought OF
how, when and where to obtain i.
Unless organized, the people
arraYed against the planned mons