The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-03-26
ASTORIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
POLITICS AND LOCAL ELECTIONS.

POLITICS AND LOCAL ELECTIONS.
Our evening contemporary, the Budgets
discussing the approaching county election
and the action thus far taken by the COM
mittees representing the two parties, AYERS
that it has always advocated the keeping
of politics out of local affairs. The Budget
does not make itself clear on this point, as
the utterance in question is more in the ma
ture of an arraignment of committees. the
regularity of whose actions In calling the
conventions and providing for primary
elections is questioned. However, the cry
that there should be no politics in local cleo
tions has so long been set up and withal is
SO ridiculous that it merits discussion at
this time.
Politics is nothing more or less than the
actions of body of men who seek to bring
about the election of their friends to public
Office. Therefore the assertion that ''poli-
tics should be kept out of local affairs" is
so utterly ridiculous as to be absolutely
meaningless. Let us consider for moment
the local political situation. On one hand
we have an organized party, which holds its
primaries and conventions and elections in
the manner generally recognized through
out the country and by law provided. The
central committee chooses the list of dele
gates to be voted for at the primaries. Ii
the voters do not favor the delegates chosen
by the committee, it is their privilege to
elect others It may be said that this is i'm
practicable, but we have had ample proof
that it is not In support of this statement
we may call attention to the election of G..
0.Moen to the Office of police commissioner
Mr.. Moen's name was not on the ticket,
while the name of the republican candidate
appeared on the official ballot. The voters
exercised their prerogative of writing In
the name of the man they favored The
circumstance is cited as proof that there is
nothing impracticable in this feature of the
law
Then we have the ''nOn-partisan" po-
itical organization. This organization is
democratic in spirit, but makes use of the
name "citizen." 1t does not hold primar-
les, but nominates its candidates in mass
convention, or assembly. If there are 100 or
more persons present at the assembly, nom
nations may be filed by means Of certifi-
Gates signed by the chairman and secretary
of the assembly; if there are less than 100
persons in attendance, petitions must be
circulated and certain number OF sigma
lures secured to the petitions. After the
nominations are made the "citizens" en-
ploy every political means to bring about
the election of their candidates. They are
just as rabidly partisan as the republicans.
They call themselves citizens" and seek to
elect their candidates, while the men who
make up the other crowd call themselves
republicans and strive for the success of
their ticket.
In the name Of common sense. what's the
difference?
We can not see any valid reason for ques-
tioning the regularity of the action Of the
central committees The republicans, in an
effort to satisfy everyone, have this year
announced their determination of publish
ing the list Of delegates Immediately upon
its selection This publication will be in
the nature of notice to voters, who may then
proceed to offer other names if they are
dissatisfied with the men chosen by the COM
mittee. The Budget says that half dozen
men usually meet in some quiet place andse-
lect the list of delegates, and that the dele
gates are usually required to commit them
selves before being selected. There will be
112 delegates at the forthcoming republican,
convention. To say that this large number
of men will meekly bow to the will Of half