The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-09-09
PORTLAND LETTER.
PORTLAND. Aug. 81. 1885,

Ed. INDEPENDENT: Your edi |
toral upon the subject of a s.Reg>
istry Law should meet the ap-
proval, as | believe it does, Of all |
intelligent and honest men who
wish for fair dealing III political
as well as other matters.
At this time 1t appears proper
to refer to a little political history
upon that subject. While Addison
G. Gibbs was Governor of the
State be called the attention of the
Legislature to the importance OF
preserving the purity of tile bal
lot box, aud recommended reg,
istry law. At the time John H.
Mitchell was member of the
State Senate, and opposed the pas.
sage of the bill prepared and in
troduced by Mr.. Wakefield, of
Multnomah, and by his influence
united with others then opposed
to q registry law, defeated the
bill. Whatever his object may
have then been, certain it is that
since that time Mitchell has been
a notorious leader of a gang OF
manipulators OF primary meet
ings, bribers and reporters at
elections.
So notorious had 1t become In
Portland that the liitchell> Hollis
day ring was engaged in imports
ing votes from other counties and
Washington Territory and voting
them early and often, that it was
known and talked ofln the streets
| by the most casual observers. It
was done In sucn an open and de-
6laut manner that the United
states District Judge deemed it
his duty to bring the subject be-
fore the grand jury, which he did.
in his charge to them. aud several
indictments were found and con,
vIctions had III said court. Ex>
Governor Gibbs was then United
States District Attorney and was
engaged in prosecuting these of
tenders, as IN duly bound he was
sworn to do. For this reason
Gibbs was turned out of Office
and man put in his place to
prosecute persons indicted, but he
could find no evidence and the
balance Of the cases were, on his
| motion, ultimately dismlssed.
George 81. Durham was at the
time State District Attorney and
did his duty also, in having re-
Ipeaters indicted and punished; for
| which he too has fallen into dis>
favor with this Mitchell ring, and
rhe primaries In this city have,
since that time, been SO manlpu-
lated that Durham could have
nothing, though many OF the best
Republicans and taxpayers would
have been glad to see him in the
State Senate or Secretary of State.
| Since that time briblng and re-
| peating in Portland has been u
common thing at every election.
1t ought 10 have been stopped in
| Portland by continued prosecu>
ticn: If this had been done then
as 1t ought to have been aud
| would have been but for the con-
duct OF the Mitchell ring in stops
ping the prosecutions Dy remove
al of and prescribing men who
we've doing their duty, we would
mot now have TO suffer the humii-
ration of knowing that the vote
of man of character and one
having family and large interests
to protect, ls cancelled by a little
whisky and money from man
belonging 10 the ring and kept IN
Office by it, from year to year, to
| the exclusion of better men.
| There is great need of retorma>
ton, by prosecution of offenders
against the law, and by the enacts
mens of a registry law that will
prevent. this ring and all others
from thwartlng the will OF the
people by these vie means. A
! people that will pot protect their
| liberties do not deserve them.
| The subject is important and the
fact that other parts OF the State
are waking up to 1t, is certainly
encouraging to the better element
OF both parties in
MULTNoMAH.