The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-08
POLITICAL NOTES.
Opening Of the campaign-A Ticket
and No Ticket in the Field.

Opening Of the campaign-A Ticket
and No Ticket in the Field.
The coming week opens. properly
speaking, the county campaign. 1t
promises to be the most unique politi-
cal contest ever known in Clatsop or
any other country. On the one side
are the candidates Of the republican
party, regularly nominated by a con- Z
vention composed Of delegates selected
according TO law, and going before the
people upon a clear cut platform
adopted by their party. They go to the
people as candidates should go. the rep
resentatiyes of political party and
the measures and reforms it stands for.
Opposed to the republican candidates
is conglomeration Of men running for
Office. They are men Of all parties and.
in this campaign. of no party. They
are not even fusionists and they go
before the people representing the
platform Of no party, responsible to
no party. and bound to support no
measures OF reform or anything else.
The republican convention in Clatsop
county met pursuant to the regularly
published call and transacted its busi-
ness in the regular way. The demo-
cratic convention was called to meet.
and did meet and organize only TO adj
journ to attend a citizens" meeting.
to which no delegates had been elect
ed, and which was assembled in a
haphazard manner from the people on
the streets.
The citizens" meeting nominated a
county ticket The highest total vote
cast was " and this number was cast
in the case Of only one nomination. The
other candidates were selected by a
majority of from sixty to sixty-five
votes.
After the citizens" meeting adjourn
ed the democratic convention was to
re e-convene and either nominate tick
ct or indorse the citizens" ticket. But
the old line democrats were disgust
ed. and the country delegates went
home, and when the democratic con-
vention reconvened there were only six
regular delegates present. These dele
gates reorganized the convention and
proceeded to indorse, for the demo-
cratic party of Clatsop county, the
nominations made by the Citizens
meeting.
After the close of the democratic
citizen farce. a number Of office seek
ers who had been unable to get recog-
milton from the republican party or
even from the citizens" meeting, rush
ed around among their friends and Sc
cured fifty names to their petitions and
blossomed out as independents. They
were, and are, the outcasts of all po-
lltical parties, but for all that have
just as good a standing before the
people as the men who were nominated
by no party,
The mixup, on one side only, does
not end here, however. The law step
ped in and refused to recognize the
citizens" meeting as a political con-
vention and refused to place on the
ballot it's nominees. This compelled
the citizens" candidates to get out
petitions and now they have to go be-
fore the people as independents, with
out a platform and without a party.
1t does not seem as IL 1t would be
difficult for the average voter to de-
eide how to cast his ballot next June.
On the other hand he has a regularly
nominated ticket. good men represent
ing a party and with platform Of
principles which they are bound to up
hold. That is the republican county
ticket.
On the other side he has lot OF
candidates that have got upon the ball
lot helter sl1elter, any way they could.
They represent no party, are bound