Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-05-18

Republican or Democrat, would AFFORD
that protection which the bill now fails
to provide
Further, mark the wide gap between
this declaration of party rights, and
the protection, so-called, given them
by the bill itself Lex uno ore omis
alloquiter, the law speaks to all alike
a maxim, which has been called the
pride of the English law. has not found
its way into the bill. Every political
party" It is declared "has the right to
be protected" And then the bill, in
the face of this declaration, excludes
Prohibitionists and Socialists from the
protection given Republicans and
Democrats by laying down qualifica-
tions they cannot meet. BY what pro-
cess of reasoning can party's rights
be made to depend on the percent of
the total vote it casts at the election ?
Again, if excluded from the protect
ion of the bill, ought Prohibitionists
and Socialists be taxed to help pay
the cost of the operation of the bill?
There is something both of the tragic
and the comic in taxing Prohibitlonists
and Socialists to reform the Republi-
can and Democratic parties in the in
terests of the bossl II tax to sup
port state primaries be just, such pri-
maries must be open to all parties
alike
The preamble further goes on to
declare, and the bill eRacts in section
II, that every political party shall
have tine sole and exclusive right, not
only to it's party name, but to every
word thereof, and no Independent or
non-partisan candidate shall be per-
mited to use any word of the name of
any existing political party. This sec
tion ought to remove any doubt as to
the true character of the bill. This
section is designed to suppress party
boiling and independent party action,
or factionism.
The state can properly step in to
protect party names from infringement
for the benefit Of the voter only, not
for party, This fact this bill totally
overlooks. The law of trademark fur
nlshes the true principle as to what
constitutes a party name infringe
ment. The voter must be deceived or
be liable to be deceived.
This bill goes entirely beyond this.
No hint, even, must be given that the
candidate is a bolter from the ma
chine. Independent Republican can
didates, for instance, will be heard of
no more. The bill never for one mo-
ment rises above the point of view
that the great object is to protect par
ty. In this pursuit the rights of the
voters are forgotten.
The Chicago Public, In late issue,
wisely said Boiling is one of the
most wholesome exercises in the pol
Itlcs of self-governing people. 1t
means death to the boss. death to the
caucus, death to the manlpulater of
conventions, and life to sound poll
tlcs!"
Section 2S Of the bill amends the
general registration law by the as
founding provision that every elector
"shall be asked by the clerk or other
registration officer OF what political
party or voluntary political organiza-
tion he is a member and the clerk
shall set the answer down in the reg
istration books. If the voter shall an
swer that he is not a member of any
political party, the clerk shall set this
down. And If the elector "shall refuse
to answer" the clerk shall enter such
refusal.
This inquisition into the political in
clinations of electors has the stamp of
the dark ages. 1t parallels that device
of the tyrants of those times by which
the victim became the carrier and de-
liverer of his own death warrant.
These registration lists will effectu-
ally serve the boss to count the votes
before they are cast The great cor
poration interests will know where to
look for faithful employees. 1t will
be a fatal black list to all who have
not registered to please them.
1t violates by subterfuge the secre-
cy Of the ballot, and will eventually
force the great mass of the voters in
TO the great dominant party, controlled
by powerful interests.
The same evidence of the machine
appears when the bill comes to treat
of nominations to be voted at the
primaries, The old doctrine that the |
office should seek the man finds no
expression in the bill. The bill speaks
Of an Office as something to be
sought" Only an elector seeking