The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-09-18


should be 10 amended. Il places the
power in the hands of the people where
it rightfully belongs"
In regard 10 the second amendment
whereby the people may discharge any
public official by vote at special elec.
tion, he finds rs follows;
ut is not advisable to adopt the
amendment proposed. There are too
many elections now, and the average
voter has something else TO do besides
listening to the vitupeations of disap.
pointed "sorehead" politicians who
would no doubt trump up charges and
harass any oiliceholder who would not
stand in" with the machine, and had
probably been elected against their
wishes, One can readily see how much
trouble and expense an organized poll,
teal machine would cause to any Office
holder who refused to stand in. No. The
direct primary law, il it is faithfully
carried out without interference by the
politieians-will make this amendment
unnecessary"
The third suggestion, to give cities
power to make, or amend, their charters
subject to the constitution and the gen.
eral laws, he declares, briefly:
This is o. X. and in the right direc.
ton"
To number four, an amendment al.
lowing the enactment of laws for elec.
tion of officers by proportional, or min.
ority representation, he offers the fol.
lowing:
NO. The majority should rule-to
change the constitution as proposed
would lead to endless talk and trouble,
and would not conduee to better gov.
ernment which is supposed to be the
reason We have constitution at all.
just so long as the majority OF voters
in community are hidebound straight
ticket partisans" and vote for the candi.
date of their party, even when they
know he is corrupt or incapable. just
so long will the municipalities be cor.
rupt and badly governed. If one can
forget his party for the time and vote
for an honest clean man. Say, even ii
he was populist, when he knows that
he is far and away the best man for
the position then the dawn of better
and cleaner administration OF municipal
and state affairs will have arrived and
the day of the bunco machine politician
will be at an end"
To the fifth proposition, to allow the
state printers Office, emoluments and
duties to be regulated, or abolished by
law, he answers:
This should not be amended a. pro.
posed. The state printer is all right as
at present. II you have an honest sec.
retary of state, whose business is TO
audit the state printers bills, also an
honest legislature. You cannot legis.
late men to be honest and resolves itself
down to the proposition, that the people
Shnul1 nloct h,naut ,,,a. A. uar. -
they may do so when they get to know
their power under the workings of the
direct primary law. | think however.
that the state should own and control
the plant of the state printers office,
but then, that would cut out the pres.
ent, and long continued graft of Frank
c. Baker, ex-statd printer, and now
'hairman of the state republican com.
nittee."
The sixth question, shall the people
lave exclusive power to create public
Institutions at other places than at Sa.
EN-. he disposes of in the tersest Of
erse sentences, to.wit:
"Yes, by all means. II would cut out
he Salem Hog"
The seventh idea, that Of giving one
legislature power to pIbpose constitu.
ional amendments. and TO the people
ower to prevent the calling Of constitu.
ional conventions, he sets up the dubi.
us affirmative:
Yes. While / have not much faith {
n the wisdom of legislatures in gen.
ral-the amendments having to be yot.
d on by the people, it might be all
it might lead to
legislation, and as the pea.
lie in general are easily fooled-some.
lines there is danger in this proposed
The eighth, and last, Of the proposed
matters, the enactment Of an anti.pas-
lw. Mr.. Wingate handles as follows:
"No. II law could be framed max
ny it obligatory on the part of trans.
ortation companies to give free trans.
ortation TO all state officers, and their