The herald., 1895-02-28

really wanted to 60 to the Senate himself,
but his foxy attorney was too clever lor
him.
In 1874 Grover was reelected Governor,
and the whole Democratic state ticket
was elected, but by greatly reduced ma
iorities. Grover was an aspirant Tor the
Senate to succeed Colonel Kelly and there
was majority on Joint ballot, SO Grover
was elected. He left no impress whatever
llpon national legislation. Two years
later. James H. Slater was elected without
opposition, these two being the last DEM
ocratic Senators ever elected from that
state Slater got bill through Congress
providing for the construction OF canal
and locks at the Cascades, but would
have utterly failed had it not been for
LAFAYETTE Lane then a member OF the
House.
In 1889, at the expiration of Grover $
term, the Legislature was largely Repub-
lican and Mitchell's old law partner,
Joseph n. Dolph, was candidate, lie
continued to keep nine Republicans out
of caucus until the last day. Mitchell got
the caucus nomination and balloting went
on from day to day but the day OF, ad-
journment came and no Senator had been
elected. That night the caucus broke to
Dolph and he was elected.
"ln 1884 Slater's term expired and
mitchell once more OODttu up StltltlN
as an aspirant for the place and secured
the caucus endorsement. He had been
four years in Washington as lobbyist
i'm the employ of the Northern Pacific
railroad and had therefore incurred the
cnmity OF a very large following in Port
land. In this fight most desperate an
tagonism to Mitchell developed, and the
recalcitrants refused to unite upon any
compromise man. The Legislature ad-
journed without electing a senator for the
first time in the history of the nation,
although it has occurred several times
since.
In 1886 the willy and astute Mitchell was
a candidate and his friends refused to go
into caucus George II. Williams was the
most formidable man. There were sew
eral dark horses in the fight and the Orc
gonan published q series OF fac-simile let
ters from Mitchell to his sister-in-law
(the wife OF DIR. :. o. l.. Potter of the
Home of the Inebriatcs notorietyl and did
so against the wishes of Judge Williams,
to my certain knowledge. But they were
published all the same, and Mitchell was
elected on the following day, every Demo
crat but two voting for him. Dolph was
reelected without opposition in 1889 and
Mitchell had a walk-over in 1891.
Just what caused Mr.. Dolphs defeat in
the present instance, ii is hard to say.
He is no more a corporation attorney now
than he was when first elected III lSo2,
for he was then vice president of five out
of seven of Willard corporations and
director in every one OF them My own
idea of the case (for ! have not lived in
Oregon for six years. is that Dolph had
promised somebody-either David I.
Thompson or Jonathan Bourne-that il
elected in 1889 he would not be "A candi-
date for reelection. Those men were
both his adherents and earnest supporters
in 1889 and there is no doubt but they
were the ringleaders of the opposition to
him on the present occasion Probably
there was so much opposition to them on
the part of the Dolph men, that neither
of them could see any chance for an cleo
ton no matter how much money they
spent, so George W. Mcbride was called
up as Il compromise man at the eleventh
hour: and as Mcbride is an 'everybody's
friend" sort of man and had done nothing
to antagnonize Mr.. Dolph or his friends
they broke over to him like a flock of
sheep and elected him.
| have known him about fourteen
years He is man of sterling integrity
as well as strong degree of personal
popularity in his own party. He has now
the chance of his life if he can only walk
into the Senate footloose and free from
any "entangling alliances" with corpora
tions. If he win stand by the people
against the railway robbers and compel
them TO make restitution of what they
have flched from the Government; if he
will lend his strongest endeavors In behalf
of the Pacific Ocean cable to the san
Pedro harbor and to the Nicaragua canal;
and if he will be Senator of the people
and scorn the promises of the corporations
and their emissaries, he can make good
name for himself. Mr.. Mcbride is in
poor health, having been a martyr to
rheumatism for ten years, So it is doub bt-
full whether he will live to serve out his
term. He has chance to die in a blaze
of glory, however, while several of his
predecessors are living in merited obscu-
ritV