The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-03-24
coRREsPoNDENcE
rnr rrnrrnlser AllIAseE earrl.rzrp.



cerning tho coming election, and ac-
knowledging your liberality and fair
moss in publishing what your aubscrib-
ers may have to ofsr upon topics Of
general interest, without ceremony,
will at oneo proceed to tho matter ]
have in thought.
The coming election in many respects
will differ from any we have bad in
Oregon for years, and especially will
this be the caso in Linn County. Tho
tendency OF tho times il 10 dissolve the
distinction OF party lines, aud in Oregon
these tendencies aro moulding consid.
erable sentiment in their favor. Wheth.
or dissolution of party Distinction, or
a bolt Of any particular element in n
convention, or Mt nm election, simply
because il is net strong or numerous
enough to control things in accordance
with It's own siews, would bc fos the
public's good or not, it 10 not my pur-
poso TO discuss but one thing il Ger
tain, that many Of the local issues which
arc dis.racting the party leaders, such
as are embraced in tho nnti.monop9ly
movement, in the clamor for reduction
of interest to six and eight per cent,
and prohibition, arc Issues, the subject
Of legislation, aud parties will &c dero
lict in duty to their constituency If
they fail to ongraft th0m into their
platform as part Of their political creed
Party organization, unless too much
under the dictation Of combinations and
rings, is unqucstionably the best meth
od for securing gooi aud efficient officers
aud pure elections, and when these side
issues aro insisted upon, irrespective Of
party utilization, though the principles
in tho main may be mcritorions, and II
carried iato effect will be the result Of
great good 10 the public generally. yet =,
in :ho hands Of unscrupulous aud dc
signing men, they are made the inslru-
meAts Of accomplishing the worst chi
canery aud low trickcry ever prac,ieed
in politics.
IL is the kuowlelso Of these facts
which prompts mo TO write this com
munieation 70 warn the honest aud CON
scientious voters of both parties that
they may bc on their guard they
may not DO caught by any of these DC
signing "1quirrol headed aui inveteratc
office seeking politicians" The cause Of
temperance has a firm hold ia the minds
Of the people, and temperance organiza-
Iiona arc actively LL work t. accomplish
somo kind Of legislation which shall pu.
stop 10 this aecurssi liquor trailic
but even in this koly and righteous
cause some Of these chronic office cookers
have already shown the cloyen foot by
tying 10 make the temperance machin.
cry subEcryient 10 their own selfish az.
grandizcment. 4 fsw patriotic and con
seientioua temperance people conceive
the idea Of forming Temperance organ
nization Tho idea hardly takes shape
when in rush these political sharks, and
with the aid Of few OF their followers
az cunning and designing "a themselves,
aud few hide bound AMI selfish fam
tics, cat control Of tho institution, aud
then organize and work its machinery
TO accomplish their own political
schemes. In the call for the Liam Coun-
ty Temperance Alliance j; waa G.alcl
tha1 it waa not ia purpose 10 form sep.
arato party. but to devise means TO pro
mote the cause Of temperance by Undue
ing tho cid political parties to place
temperance men on their tickets. Tkc
Alliance met there were Representa-.
tives from all parts Of tho county. Ia
regard TO the persons in attendance il
waa noticeable tha. with few cxccp.
tiona they were Of tho ultra portion OF
the temperance element in the county
From such an assembly one would sup.
pose that no measure could 30 10 the
extreme that such class Of men were
independent and meant business but,
"for tricks that arc dark and ways that
arc vain" tho alliance under the manip-
ulation OF office seekers was peculiar" "
The first resolution passed which indi-
cated the temper Of the assembly was
10 tho eiIest that the members of the
Alliance, when they met Mt the prima-
ry meetings of their respective parties,
would use their best endeavors to nom
mate unplcdged, pronounced, tried
temperance men 10 represent their re
spectivs precincts in the coming Con
ventioLs So far, so good that was in
accordance with the call, and no reas
enable man could find fault, not even
the whisky element; if they arc not 20.
ing to carry the temperance war further
than the primary meetings, any person
with n grain of practical sense who has
ever had any experience in politics
would tell you at once that such reso
luton reasonably well prosecuted, with
the facilities which temperance people
have, would be rightly namsd-''a lit
tie eflsrvescent gush worthy of old
women and school children"
Another member thinking that such
resolution would not effect anything
permanent in behalf of temperance, and
probably thinking that body of men
so pronounced and radical in their opin.
ions would be ready to adopt any meas
ure to promote the cause of temperance
short of making the crime of selling Ii.
quor punishable with death, introduced
another resolution in substance as fol-
lows: "That the members of the ALI
ance pledge themselves that they will
not vote for any person, irrespective of
previous party associations, in primary
or convention, or in general elections,
either state, county or municipal, unless
he was a man of known and acknowl-
edged temperance proclivities." 1t was
moved and seconded that the resolution
pass this was done, however, by two
Of the honest, simple minded mombers
whose hearts and souls were earnestly
engaged in the good cause, but who