The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-02-27

Gus body in the last legislature,
who impeded legislation, prevented
its work, in the interests of the
people of Oregon, and wrangled
for the full term over the person
allity of U. s. senator. AS if
the individuality of any man who
would be true to his party plat
form, makes any difference whsn
he stands in the congress- of the
United States, and supports the
principles of his party, and casts
his vote, without fear, or favor,
for that legislation which is right
in itself, and which is for the bene-
fit of all the people and not for
any one class of people, whether
railroad or manufacturing, or pro-
ducer, or what not. In the first
place we must have our platform
moulded so as to subserve the
best interests of all the people,
and protect no class. In the sec
ond place we must have men in
the legislature, and in congress
who will stand by that platform,
who cannot be bought by corpora
ton money to vote for corporation
interests, and who will insist that
the legislature and congress shall
perform its duty to the people OF
this great nation, regardless Of the
interests Of any class to be pro
tected at the expense of the Drawn
and sinew, the devotion and pa
triotism of the great mass Of the
people of this country. 1t makes
ones blood boil, to Use figure .-ol
speech, to witness the intermlna-
BILE wrangling. pickering and waste
of time, money and energy which
we see in every congress OF this
nation as it meets from term 10
term, fighting over the forms OF
yielding TO class interests; the
larger or lesser acquiescence iii the
demands of industrial, money or
corporate, influence, some making
their endaavors to restrain this en-
croachment on the rights Of the
people, and others cXertin@ ali
their energies to obtain for the III
terests, whom they represent, the
greatest concessions from the peo-
ples' representatives i'll legi stature
and congress; paying. seemingly
no heed TO the principles of our
free government, no consideration
to the rights of the people who
supply the very wealth they seek
to wrest, by legislative methods,
from them.
| AS each year rolls by, we wit
ness this spectacle until all the
people actually groan, to use an
other. figure of speech, in cry
anguish at the sight OF prostitution
so abject, and betrayal of trust SO
great. Now this nation needs its
Clay and its Webster, its Jelfer-
son and its Lincoln. Will the ex-
igiencies OF the time raise others
as create Manifestly, it will not
be out Of the ranks Of those who
can see nothing better, no greater
use, no truer devotion to their
great trust than to wrangle over
the form of capitulajion to the
money or corporate influences
which have at the throat Of this
nation and all its free people.
The people of this nation can never
rise above the conditions of vas
sells until the will of the people
can be incorporated in the legisla-
ton of the nation. When that is
completely done then the United
States of America will become
what I verify believe she is des-
tined to become, the greatest and
most powerful nation on the face
of the earth. The united intelli-
gence of the people of this coun-
try will never be prostituted to
corrupt purposes. One mans in
telligence is as good as another's
the world over, and especially is
this true in this country, where all
read and understand what they
read. Single individuals, or small
bodies of representatives, can in
a measure, be influenced, an cor
rupted. But corruption cen never
so much as touch the great body of
voters who know what they are
voting about, and that is what the
citizens of this country do know.
There are several great cardinal
principles in each of the political
platforms. Perhaps the greater
number, and safer in form, are in
the republican platform. Long
experience naturally tends to elm
mate weak points and hold to
strong ones. The democratic plat
form has also its great principles.
else how is 1t that voters will stick