The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-01-28

Salem, Or, Jan. 24.-Four ball
lots for United States Senator have
been taken by the Oregon Legis-
lature, one by the two branches
separately, ard three jointly,
and the chief result has been to de-
velop the apparent fact in the pres
ent condition of affairs neither
Fulton nor Geer can command a
maj ajority of the votes of the Legis-
lature.
Fulton, the leader in the contest
/ from the start, has gained a few
votes, but at least half of. them were
votes which it was generally kcown
would go bis way. He will gain a
few more similarly, perhaps but
then there is nothing in the pres.
ent situation to indicate that he
| will gain more than a few-perhaps
three or four-in addition to those
he now has. Further it may be
stated, there are indications-strong
ones-that some of the votes now
being cast for Fulton would go to
some other candidate whenever it
should develop that candidates
chances of election were good, or
even fair, and provided always that
that candidate be not T. T. Geer.
In the foregoing it is not inten-
ded to state that Fulton may not
yet make heavy gains, or even that
he may be elected; but that in the
present situation there is nothing
to justify the extravagant claims
being made by the statesman from
Ciatsop and his chief supporters.
A conservative yet suficint lib
eral summing up OF Fulton s pres
entsprospects may be made as fol-
fows: s.5s55zes-za
Votes delivered ...........,..32 80
Votes in sight. ................3
Fulton S. own yote.... ...s..........1
Total -. 80. ..s.........3 36
{ And in the present condition of
the Legislature, two members be-
ing absent, it would take 45 VOTES
to elect.
Ex-Governor Geer's present pros.
poets are still less bright. Since
the opening of the contest the Mar
ion county man has lost three
votes. It looks very much as
though fruther losses were certain.
While the Geer people held a
caueus Thursday evening and agreed
to stand together, it is not to be
supposed that they will pursue such
a course Indefinitely if it. shall be
demonstrated that their man can
not win. And this is admitted by
some of the Geer men themselves.
These same Geer men, though,
will tell you that they did not an
ticipate such contingency. Their
man will make gains, they say,-and
they are hopeful of his ultimate
election. They do not, however,
as do the Fulton men, point out
definitely where part Of their ad-
ditional strength is to come from,
and in the present aspect of the
1t is fair to say tnat Geer's
strength is fully developed. But
the aspect may change.
Jonathan Bourne is playing
waiting game, which is the logical
thing for him to do, of course. He
hopes that Fulton and Geer will
each find, as time goes on, that
success is impossible, and that one
or both will Withdraw from the
eentest. Such developm ent would
make Bourne's opportunity, and for
such development he is waiting,
meanwhile, he has obtained pledg-
IS Of q few votes. # be were to
snter the contest Monday he prob
ably would receive 10 votes, pos
sibly IL. That he would gain
,thers is not improbable, but the
present outlook does not indicate
that he could command a majority T
or even respectable minority Of
Bhe votes Of his home delegation,
md without a majority of the votes
IF his home delegation he could
hope to win. I!
TELLER ELECTED