Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-01-01
Boundaries
To Be Changed for the Mitchell
Push,
Ene,ewood and Prospect and Other Large
Precincts 10 Be Gerrymandered'

packing of primaries is a NOTORIOUS
scandal in the history o; Oregon poll
/ tics.
THE JOURNAL has unearthed we'll
defined scheme TO change the bound
ares Of election precincts in Ma
rion county in the interest OF the
Netschan Mcbride Mitchell push.
II is we'll known that the Mitchell
faction has not much hope of carry
ing Marion county at the Republican
primaries unless they can create new
precinct lines and thus confuse the
present boundaries.
They are also in hopeless minority
on the county central committee, and
unless they can make more precincts
and select the member Of the county
central committee from those pre-
cincts, they stand little or no show OF
controlling the county convention.
If they can make new lines and new
precincts they may be able to defeat
the anti Mitchell or ndMOney
forces at the spring primaries.
The Mitchell push has no strength
outside of few Salem city precincts.
In this city Mayor Richardson and
his police will be relied upon to round
up the primaries. If they have their
way before The county court in mark
ing new election precinct they can
win,
The pressure Of the push is to he
brought to bear on the county COM
missoners, court to make such
changes as they desire In fact they
already assert that the court has con-
sented to give them such changes
as they demand, to set all suspicious
of those who'might object at rest.
Will the, county court fall into
the trap Of these political schemers
and make itself odiOus by becoming
mere tools of defeated aspirant who
has DO following but the grafters and
partisans for revenue ? The court
cannot affort to do it.
SOME CHANGES PLANNED.
1t has been talked about for some
weeks that an effort would be made
to divide Prospect precinct, but un-
til recently it has been difficult to
learn the motive aud purpose of such
division. Now it is also proposed tu
divide Englewood and North Salem
precincts. 1t is suggested that ad-
Joining portions Of Prospect and
Englewood be taken for new pre-
cinct, thus making three fair-sized
precincts of two.
The further the matter has been
traced the more it has become ap.
parent that it is only being urged by
professional political "heelers" and
those of the Metchan-Mit Mitchell- Nc.
Bride push. The real purpose of the
scheme is withouU a doubt to give
this faction Of the Republican
party pull whereby to literally dis
franchise the regular Republicans in
the coming primaries and CONVEX
tions. 1t is an old trick of the gang
to get control of all state delegates by
: apportiOning the weaker precincts
with the stronger, which they can
handle. Most of the smaller country
r precincts generally send delegation to
the county conventions that are op-
posed to the city gang, but through
the manipulations Of the latter they
, are swallowed up by beiLg appor-
/ TONED with some larger precinct
which is controlled by the manipula
tors. A professional worker of Re
, publican primaries, who has always
held places under MetSchan and Nc
: Bride, in connection with the World:
- Fair b ard. State Fair board and al
the s'a'c house, is openly working VI
these chaDres. Precincts that can't
be managed are to be divided, ant
Il thus secure delegations for the Mitch
: ell push.
2 1t is we'll known that about forty
S men were given places on the stat,
r fair pay rolls in order to use them Il
u carry precincts for the push. Thu,
extravaganza was largely responsible,
for running the fair in debt so deeplv
5 The bosses are not showing their
haudS openly, but are saying with as.
suranoe that these changes will be
made and that big country precincts
II Dir ca