Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-12-01
The Situation.

III OTeBou Une minority party VIII al
ways be united, and it's members will
all support the candidates. But under
this same primary law the majority
party-its votes divided among innum-
cradle candidates for the nominations
will not support those who have
erelypluralities the pluralitics often
small.
This is the situation in, which the
Republican party of Oregon now finds
Itself The first fruits we're seen in
the election in the city of Portland
last June. Judge Williams-clarum ct
venerable nomen-could noC be elected
Mayor of Portland last June. Only
those voted for him in the election who
bad voted for him at the primaries.
No Republican who gets plurality
nomination in this state, or in any
county of it, can have good reason to
suppose he will he elected. The reason
Is Chat the primary will not be under
stood or interpreted as expressing the
voice OF the party, as the convention
did. Party authority will be wanting
The theory of the direct primary was
excellent. The result changes the the
ory to fact. The minority party accepts
the law and its consequences realizing
mat IL must hang together or pull to-
gether. The majority party, whose
candidates will be numerous, and whose
nominees will have only small plural
lilies, will not hold for these candidates
the party vote.
Say there are $4,000 Republican votes
III Oregon. There may, doubtless will
be, many candidates. Some one will
get more votes than any of the others
But he who concludes from this that
the man who may get that plurality
will find all mem bers of the Legislature
disposed to vote for him is likely to
get "a rude jolt and rough awakening.
This last sentence touches the United
States Senatorshlp.]
Again, as to Senator, members of the
Legislature will point to the Constitu-
uon of the United States. 1t provides
Tor the election of the Senator by the
Legislature. 1t is the paramount law.
They Will tell you, as they told you be.
fore, the Constitution of the United
States is not to be set aside by the
cranky statute of state. Nor will the
fact that there has been general de.
nand for election of United State.
senators by direct vote Of the people
make any difference 1t cannot be
done till there be amendment of tn,
Constitution OF the United States. Til
then the Legislature will decide, anc
each member will act for himself anc
each will decide for himself-or will
act aud decide in combination witt
others, on plan agreed upon among
them. He who doesn't know tbi,
doesn't know an Oregon Legislature.-
Oregonian.
There is considerable truth and cor
rect reasoning in the above-regardles
OF the source. However, it is not al
truth. In the first place, convention
do not always do the will OF the party
or, rather, the representatives of th
party in convention do not always rep
resent or carry out the wishes of "a ma
Iority of the majority party. The argu
ment that the direct primary law vii
fail to bring about this much. h.desiret
result is no argument at all No Law
that could be concocted would cause
large per cent of the Republicans O
oregon to quit kicking over the trace
and raising hell in camp in every politi
cal campaign. The direct primary la,
is all right; it's lot of sore.headed
disappointed, disgruntled alleged Re
publlcans who are at fault. Let thes
so-called alleged Republicans who hay
caused all the trouble in Oregon dro
politics and go way back and sit dow
and the direct primary law will wor
all right. The Republicans of Orego
will be found ready to accept pluralit
nominee with old-time enthusiasm
and there will be no more faction;
classfications. The primary law is a
right if Republicans who are all wrou
will step aside and give it chanc
The good work should begin in Per
land aud Salem.