Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-03-22
PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY BY THE
GAZETTE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
EDITORIAL COMMENT.

In their persistent and laudable efforts to estab-
lish rural telephone system that will put them in
direct touch with the world, the farmers of Ben
ton county entitled to every encouragement and
assistance. The establishment of the free rural
delivery has done much to change the conditions of
farm life, but the telephone is destined prove the
insrumentality of new civilization. Il is esti-
mated that during the last five years telephones
have been put into nearly 100000 rural homes.
The farmer finds that with the telephone he
keep in touch with tte market, selling his produce
or live stock when quotations -'oSt favorable.
By sparng himself and help useless trips to and
from town for the purpose of delivering his pro-
ducts of asceraining the status of the Market he
now saves a vast amount of time in the course Of
year. When he is assured over the phone that he
sell to advantage he loads up his wagon and
not till then.
Aside from this purely business aspect of the
matter, the telephone adds greatly to the farmers
opportunities for entertainment and enlightenment
In Illinois the speeches of recent political conven
ton listened to by the farmers rural sys-
tenn they sat in their homes from fifteen to thirty
miles away. Being in speaking distance OF his
neighbor, not only does the farmer feel
of personal security but he knows that his belong
ings are safer from moestation than they
were before.
The prediction is made that within very few
years the majority of the 4,oooo farmers said to
be yet unprovided with the telephone service will
have followed their enterprising brethren and
That Benton county farmers will not be the last to
do so, we have everv assurance.
~ ~ u
The result of the primary election held in Multi
nomah county last week would seem to mark the
close of the late actonal strife which has ragged in
republican ranks there for the past fourteen years
The Simon forces decisively beaten last
Wednesday, that they must the hopelessness of
further opposition. On the other hand, the victors
TO he in the1r n
with the contingent that has suffered defeat. That
vctors and vanquished disposed to bury their
differences and unite in opposition to the common
enemy, is evidenced by the attitude assumed by
Judge Carey, who led the Mitchell forces and the
assurances of Simon delegates that they desire
peace
This uniting of the party in Multnomah county
will be gratifying to republicans throughout the
tire state In years past the opposing factions have
carried their fight into every county IN Oregon, and
rival organizations have knitted each other to the
advantage of the democratic party, and managers
of the latter party both local and state have made
the most of this opportunity. Nothing has been
left undone that would widen the breach between
republican factions. Therein lay the only hope of
democratic SUCCESS. The scheme has worked sol
admirably that for years we have had the spectacle
of minority party electng majority of its candi
dates for county Offices. That democratic govern
sits in the state house of republican Oregon is
due to this factional policy Of rule or ruin.
" y
With the defeat of the Simon forces in the
Multnonlah county primaries, democracy also suf-
fered a severe reverse. Secretary Ryan, of the
democratic central committee of Multnomah coun-
ty, boasted that many members of his party would
vote the Simon ticket in order to assist in widening
the breach between the two factions. ''Fron1
democratic standpoint said he, ''they doubtless
look upon this as a good policy. If the republi-
cans are split as badly in the future they are
now, the democrats will stand good chance on
election day.
There is clause in the preamble of the propos
ed primary election law, to be passed upon next
June, that Mr.. Ryau-and for that matter demo
cratic strategsts throughout the state-might read
with profit to the moral side of their anatomy:
every political party and every voluntary politi
cal organization has the right to be protected
from the interference of persons who not identl
fed with it as its known and publicly avowed men,
bers, that the government of the state has to pro-
ect itself from the interference of persons who
not known and registered its electors. 1t is as
great wrong to the people, as we'll as to the men,
bers of political party, for one who is not known
to be one of its members to vote take any part,
as it is for one who is not qualified and registered
elector any state election take any part
in the business of the state. Every political party
and voluntary political organization is rightfuly
entitled to the sole aud exclusive use Of every word
of Il 60 .-alll4 IL~ p@0ple q tAe state and
tbs > - 1-.1 e every eotiea, party and voluntary