Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-07-21
THE OREGON sENAroRsHlP

The people are anxiorsly awaiting
the outcome of the next Oregon legis-
lature on the senatorial question. In
1895 the friends of the then Senator
John II. Mitchell opposed the re-
election of the late Hon. Joseph N.
Dolph because he was gold standard
advocate.
Geo. w. Mcbride and his friends In
the legislature were ostensibly
for the gold standard ard were sup
porting Mr.. Dolph, but in the end II
appeared that they were really foes OF
the most dangerous character, be
cause they we're inside OF the Dolph
lines and knew what was going on,
and understood how to play the cards
so as to enable Mr.. Mcbride 10 be-
come a Senator from Oregon. The
Mcbride and Mitchell factions have
since united and were able to make
deals TO secure the federal patronage
Of Oregon and will no doubt U.S. it W
elect, if.possible, one Of their combine
senator in 1899.
In the last legislature this powerful
coalition Of MCBRIDE and Mitchell
and their personal followers, backed
by the power Of federal patronage,
sought TO organize the legislature TO
return John Ii. Mitchell, but failed.
The legislature was dead-locked,
aborted, disorganlZed and disbanded.
What. .wIll be done in 1890? VIII the
legislature coTue together in an
orderly manner, proceed to elect a
senator at once and go Oh with the
legitimate business Of general as.
sembly OF the chosen representatives
OF the people? 1t is TO be hoped IL
will. That is what the people expect.
But does anyone believe such will
be the case? The people haye no con-
iidence In SO fortunate an outcome.
The olph-Scott-Simop Corbett- Lord
wing of the Republican party, who
have forced the party onto solid,
honorable gold standard platform,
without lodging, straddling or de-
ception, are not going to surrender
the legislature TO the Mcbride Mitch
ell combination. They declare that
Mitchellsm must be eliminated
from the Republican party even
though it has the apparent sanction
and endorsement OF the admlnistra-
tlon. But the trouble lies here: The
soundg money wing Of the party
has endorsed the administration, In.
GLIDING Its dlsgraceful betrayal of
the spoils, to what they call the worst
lenents OF the party. The silver
voters, or Union party are not inter
ested in this fight except In SO far as
they are interested In having con-
sistency and straightforward policies
prevail, and the Mcbride Mitchell
faction are anything bit dlsingenu-
GUS. Mr., Mitchell has never declared
for the gold standard, or disavowed
his free coinage principles, 1t is use
less to speculate what such Repub-
llcanism will not ayow TO get office.
To say that 1t is disgrace to the
American people and TO the Repub-
lican party is to put 1t mildly.
What will the twenty four members
OF the legislature chosen by the Union
party do on this question of the
senatoTship? 1t is not presumed that
they will assist either Of the Republ.
can factions TO elect senator. Ii is
NHNh NNNJ W NV III bht lultItSb Vi
the voters who elected them. Those
voters were not Republicans, and the
representative principle requires that
the members OF the Union party take
no part for or against any Republican
candidate. For once let the asprants
In this dominant party settle their
own differences, make their own bed
and lie upon IL. Let the Union
members keep their hands clean OF all
corruption. ONCE Jobbery aud cor
rupt methods cannot be continued In
the election OF senators with the
consent and cooperation Of the Union
party and have that party live and |
exist as Peoples organizations or
Reform party. Let this be clearly |
understood Ia adyance OF the legis- |
lature meeting.
Eugene-Claud Branton, who has