The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-09-08
REFoRMERs' MoNsTRoUS PROPOSAL.

by the direct primary League, the Oregonlan mus
needs undertake defense of the legislative abortion
recently brought into existence by the misguided
voters of the unfortunate state OF Oregon But ever
the astute Oregonian protesting superior knowledge
of matters political admits that the new law is tul
of defects and implores that it be given fair tnal
before being pronounced to be what it s-the great
est legislative farce ever concoced by would-be re
formers.
.he attitude of the direct primary reformers to-
ward the independent voter is quite plainly brought
out in the Oregonian's belabored reply to The As
torian's criticism of the new bill. THE lNDE-
PENDENT VOTER, the Oregonian assures us, HAS
NO PRE- ELECTION RIGHTS HE SHALL BE
EITHER REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, OR
ELSE HE SHALL NOT VOTE FOR CANDI-
DATES FOR NOMINATION. He is read out of a
constitutional voice in the selection of candidates by
our present-day reformers despite the acknowledged
fact that THE INDEPENDENT VOTER Is THE
SAFETY VALVE OF OUR WHOLE POLITICAL
SYSTEM.
BY what act of God or man, by what precept OF
Americanism, was the right delegated to such men
as the editor of the Oregonian to say that any man
shall be denied the right to cast secret ballot! By
what authority has it been decreed that the indie
pendent voter shall have no voice in the selection of
candidates for scme Of whom he must vote stay
away from the polls9 Did the men who fought,
bled and died for our country contemplate legisa-
ton that would require voter to subscribe himself
to either the democratic republican party in order
that he might exercise his right of suffrage? Is
fidelity to party organization essential to enjoyment
of the privileges guaranteed by the constitution?
Long before the state election was held The Asto-
rian pronounced and denounced the direct primary
bill as un-American. Let the honest voter consider
the questions propounded above, and he will agree
with us that the direct primary bill has place upon
the statute books of an American state.
The Oregonian sets up the anarchistic contention
that an independent voter has no more right to
vote in a republican primary than a stakeholder of
the Northern Pacific railway has to vote in an cleo
tion Of directors in the Southern Pacific. What
sickening rot! The Independent voter has the God,
given right to 90 to republican democratic primar
les and express his choice Of candidate 1t would be
just as reasonable to deny him this right as to deny
him the right to vote for republican democratic
candidates after they were nominated. The Ore
gonian and the fancifu reformers with which it has
identified itself would name candidates for the in
dependent voter to choose between and would take
from him his American prerOgative of expressing his
choice for nominees at primary elections We have
failed utterly to find one reasonable innovation in
0regon's direct primary law, and are not surprised
therefore that the OregOnian has refrained from
sorting to reason in its discussion Of the outrageous
measure.
Very fppantly our Portland contemporary asks
whether or not The Astorian ever heard of primary
election under the old system in which a man did
not have to make known his party afilaton before
he could vote. The Astoran never heard Of a pri
mary election under the old system at which a man
was required to publicly or privately convey any in
timation of his political faith If he happened to
vote the republican primary ticket, it was taken for
granted that he was desirous Of voting for repub-
can delegates to the convention He might have been
republican, or he might have ben democrat. His
political faith was his own business and the con-
stution of the United States and every principle of
common decency intended that it should always re-
main So Voters, just ponder for moment upon
this argument" for that feature of the direct pr-
mary law which requires voter to publicly announce
his political faith:
every man who goes to a republican primary to
vote for delegates to a republican convention thereby
announces himself as republican Otherwise he