The new age. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1896-1905, 1906-02-17

Everywhere in the state the local
newspapers report a great preponder-
ance OF Republicans in the registra-
ton OF voters. In most places the
Republicans outnumber the Demo
Gratis and those Of other politics from
two to three to one, and in a. good
many instances the proportion is even
more than three to one, even up as
high as ten or twelve to one. There
has been some suspicion that a con-
siderable number Of Democrats were
registering for the primaries as Re-
publicans, with a view of giving the
nomination to- the weaker Republican
candidates, but we think there Is not
much of a basis for this theory. The
truth more likely is that Democrats
are in fact comparatively few and far
between, for there seems to be no
use in particular just now for a Dem
ocratic party 1t has no policy nor
any platform, plan, project or princi-
pie upon which it can make any eff
fective appeal to the people, unless it
be tariff revision, and as long as the
people are prosperous and contented
they are not going to worry about the
tariff or clamor much for its revision.
Some of the Republican leaders Of
the senate are not in very high favor
among the masses of the ppople, who,
however, regard President Roosevelt
as the real head and large part OF
the party, and they have nearly all
become Roosevelt Republicans, and
believe that his policies will prevail
with congress and the people. Not
only so, but a large proportion of the
Democrats or those who have been
Democrats are also supporters OF
Roosevelt, and so are at least half Re-
publicans. They say the president Is
nearly, if not quite, a good enough
Democrat for them, and that so long
as the Republicans nominate a man
like him for president and other men
of like stripe for lesser offices they
see no use in trying to turn things
over and work and vote for Democrat
ic nominees. In fact, most of the
Democrats Glove Roosevelt for the
enemies he has made" in his own par
ty, and so have become to a large ex-
tent and for the present Republicans
themselves. This state, in November,
1904, gave Roosevelt a majority Of
over 10000, in a vote of about $1,000,
and in a similar contest next spring
we think the majority would be even
larger, perhaps $4,000 or more.
1t does not follow that the Republi-
can candidates for state offices and
for members Of congress will carry
Oregon by so great majority, for
certain Democratic candidates may
have strong Republican friends, and
there being many Republican con-
testants for all the principal Offices,
the nominees may not all receive the
united and jealous support of the dis
appointed ones and their friends, yer
it looks as if there were no doubt of
the election of all the Republican
nominees by large majorities, from
10000 UP, with perhaps two excep-
tons. Governor Chamberlain, it is
admitted, will run considerably ahead
of his ticket, but even then he can.
not reasonably expect to win, since
the Republicans will be far better
united than they were four years ago.
There is also disposition
among many Republicans to keep
Judge HALEY on the supreme bench,
as it seems only fair to elect one
Democrat out of three to that posi-
ton, and Judge Haley, while compare
lively young, is recognized as a very
competent man for that exalted posi-.
ton. His only opponent, so far as
has been announced, is Judge Eakin,
of Union county. Eastern Oregon is
fairly entitled to this Office, and both