Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-02-10
AN AWKWARD BLUNDER

AN AWKWARD BLUNDER
Poor, old John H. Mitchell! In
dicted by the Government he has
served so many years, and awaiting
trial on a charge of the gravest char
acter it is now apparent that many Of
his hitherto strongest supporters, men
who have been conspicuous in politics
for years as Mitchell Republicans, y
stand ready to desert him on a mo-
ment's notice.
No more cold blooded move has
ever been recorded in the history OF
Oregon politics than the effort that
was recently made by certain men,
bers Of the Legislature to create septi-
ment In favor Of an adjournment Of
the session to some date in the Fall,
so as to provide for the possibility of
vacancy in the office OF United States
Senator. The motive that prompted
the suggestion fan adjourned session
was so plain that the people could not
fail to grasp the full significance of
the move, revolving as it was to good
taste and decency. Speaking plainly,
it was based either upon the assump-
ton that Senator Mitchell, already an
old and feeble man, will soon sue
cumb to the worry and humiliation
caused by his Indictment, or that he
will be convicted of the crime with
which he is charged In case of either
death or conviction, vacancy would
be caused in the United States Senate,
and to prevent Governor Chamberlain
from appointing a Democrat to fill
this vacancy, it would be necessary
for the Legislature to adjourn to some
certain day instead of adjourning sine
die.
The mere thought of speculating
upon the chances of human life, for
political purposes, is revolving to any
person Of ordinary sensibility, and
equally repugnant to the American
spirit of justice and fair play is the
presumption of guilt before guilt is /
proven, especially in cases where the l
persons accused have hitherto led =
blameless lives; yet, the fact remains !
that move to adjourn the Legislature
for the purposes above stated was
agitated by the members of that body,
and the most amazing feature of the
matter Is that among the leaders in the
movement were men, who, but for the
prestige Of Mitchell's name in the I
primaries last Spring, would not now {
be in Office.
The effect Of this ungrateful action
on the part of the machine was far "
from what the leaders had evidently y
anticipated and desired. Their course
was everywhere condemned, even by y
who have no particular p
love for Senator Mitchell, and they II
soon found more trouble on their %
hands than they could conveniently -"
take care Of III
Realizing that it had blundered, the le
began to look about for some
way of escape from it's awkward stu
alton and finally hit upon the plan of :"
a resolution calling for III
inal adjournment on February II. Vi
But coupled with this resolution was Sd
1 declaration to the effect that there I'LL
vas no foundation for the rumor that aI
/ move had been agitated to adjourn aS
Until Fall With such resolution '''
'efore the two houses, no member o'
ould vote for adjournment next week oe
Without also declaring in effect that ~
he machine had been guiltless of any 70
ttempt to adjourn until a later date. III
The plan was smooth, after a PU
ashton, but neither the people of the "
tate nor the members Who woro pr
orccd to vote with the machine were
)oled in the least, ard there is moth
lg but amusement, mixed with pa
ertain degree of contempt, for the ~ 'l'
Ian by which the mitchell Republi- Yn' W
ans" sought to escape from their wa
situation.
Scenting trouble ahead, the machine
ought to cover its tracks, but was too
tie. Its attitude toward Senator PO
litchell was laid bare, and people
now now what they have surmised
'fore-that many of the men who /
ave heretofore professed loyalty to the
itohell, and who owe their present of
hcial positions to him, are calcu- the
ting upon his downfall and are Poi
lXiously seeking an opportunity to [
Sert him This is ipo,rotitudo ,,.;+I SOn