Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-02-12
SHALL 1T BE THE PARTY OF THE
PEOPLE OR OF THE CoRPoR-
ATIONS IN OREGONY

AA1ONS IN OhEGORT
The republican party in Oregon is
upon the verge of great crisis. The
situation is this; The lower house
of the legislature, feeling and know
ing the sentiment of the masses,
elected farmer speaker. made up
its committees to pass those meas
ures that the people are most inter
.sted in, and has proceeded fairly,
rapidly and almost unanimously to
do so. 1t has secured the passage Of
a clean Australian ballot law. 1t
has passed two railroad bills. 1t
has before it the portage railway
bill. 1t is con nsidering the selection
of proper railroad commission.
The house has performed its duty
by the ballot law, and by the rail-
road bills. 1t has still to make a
record of justice toward open rivers.
In the senate the situation is differ
ent. 1t passed a clean ballot law
only when forced to do SO. 1t has
passed two bills for open rivers, one
of 5000 for state portage railway,
another of $40O, 900 for political pur-
poses. 1t has balanced of good
bill with a bad one. On railway
legislation the senate has shown
only a weak inclination to serve the
corporations. The corporation
members, with the democrats, have
united to deprive the people of what
protection they have, By seeking to
abolish the commission, and defeat
all consideration of the house bills to
compel fair rates and give the COM
mission power 10 enforce them. If
the senate can have its way the
people will be stripped Of all protec-
ton, and an effort will be made to
pass maximum rate law, throwing
every citizen and business man upon
the tender mercies of the courts and
involving endless litigation to Sc
cure for shippers those rights which
are obtained much more cheaply,
effectively and speedily in nearly all
other states by giving the same pow
ers to a commission. This plan of
the senate is to cripple the shipper
and strengthen the corporations.
This Indifference to public inter
ests on the part of the senate. Its
president is a corporation lawyer,
trained all his life to corporation
theories. Its railroad committee is
headed by a Portland millionaire,
clerked by a corporation receiver,
and utterly incompetent to know
what the masses of farmers and
business men of Oregon want. A
senate SO composed on this impor-
tant matter will not of its own ac-
cord pass measures of interest to the
people. 1t is not expected, however,
that it will endeayor to make a
record that shall strengthen the re-
publican party with the people.
Whether this senate shall be al
lowed to strangle all just railroad
legislation; whether this senate shall
be the cause that the republican
legislature shall go back to the peo-
pie Of Oregon with corporation
IT cord; wheIker the railroad COM
mission shall be either abolished or
made up anew of sclf-st eking poll
licians ignorant Of the duties they
are to perform; whether any or all
these blemishes shall attach TO Ore
gon republicanism by the action Of
II senale majority, truculent to cor
poratiOn interests, remains to be
seen.
There is no doubt but the demo-
Gratis in the senate are under skillful
leadership, and to all appearances
have combined to make a political
record to capture the state in 1892.
The democratic bill appropriating
$4OO, 600 for opening the Columbia is
card well played. The democratic
senators have undoubtedly united
with the corporation members to
put the republican party on the de-
fensive.
Just now the republican party is
in dire need of wise counsel and
honest leadership. A conference
should be held to secure these ends.
If allowed to drift, the party will be
unable to secure to the people the
good measures which have passed
the house and will go before them
at the next election Handicapped by
a good record for big appropriations
and a bad record for good peoples
measures. The party in power
should realize the situation and pro-
tect itself against the dangers In
No Show on Earth.