The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-05-18
SORE REPUBLICANS
DISSATISFIED WITH THE STATE
CENTRAL COMMITTEE.
Headquarters Opened On Same Floor
With Jonathan Bourne and
His Politicians.

Portland, May 17.-Special Cores
pondence. There is no gainsaying the
fact that feeling sof dissatisfaction
pervades republican circles, over the
organization of the state central com
mittee. This was evident from the
start, but as time goes on and little
leaks here and there fellow doesn't t
have to carry an ear trumpet to find
out that some of the brethren are sore
and sour to the middle.
Two things happened right after
Chairman Westgate had got through
with the Irvington horse sale and set
tied down to business. One was the
selection of republican state head
quarters and the other was the en-
ployment of a secretary of the state
committee.
In the first place Mr.. Westgate
tumbled all over himself to get into
the Bourne camp. He got there and
not only that, but he landed the whole
organization within the Bourne fold.
Bourne was consulted about every
thing and in order to make the pro-
cess of consultation more convenient
the state committees headquarters
were opened ON the same floor and ad-
joining those occupied by Jonathan
Bourne and his attachment of paid
politicians.
This, locally at least, for no one
else, scarcely, knows anything about
it, caused considerable comment. An
other cause for alarm and one which
Veterinarian Withycombe and his
friends look upon with all kinds of
distrust, is the appointment by West
gate of Colonel Schuyler Colfax Spen-
Ger as secretary of the state commit
tee This is especially distasteful to
the followers of Withycombe, for the
reason that Spencer is a Simon man
of the dyed -in-the-wool stripe and
throughout the primary campaign
supported Tall Timothy Geer with
vim that was more than merely polit-
ical. The appointment of Spencer
occasioned no little surprise and much
dissatisfied comment on the part of
Withycombe campaign boosters.
It's pretty late to talk about the
factional politics that ragged at the
time of the organization of the state
committee, but here as in other
things done in star chant ber, the facts
have begun to leak out.
II ever the hand of the old Carey
Matthews machine appeared in any
thing it was in the organization of
that committee. The Simon interests
tried hard to land man at the head
OF the committee and in turn advanc-
ed the candidacy of George A. Steel,
Wallace McCamant, Major Kennedy
and other staunch Simon adherents,
but they were turned down flat by the
Bourne crowd. whose sympathies are
with the Carey Matthews Mitchell
and the old factional political align
ment.
This created some considerable feel
ing among the Simon people, which
even the sop thrown to them in the
selection of Colonel Spencer as secre-
tary hasn't cooled off.
DR., Witnycombe started his CAM
paign boomlet this week. 1t is a rath-
or tame affair, Notwithstanding all
that was said to the contrary. The
doctor makes good impression for he
is a nice man, but he has failed yet
to give out the idea that he is gubeI-
material timber. He is a pleasant
kind of man, but hasn't been gifted
by nature with an overabundance of
force He is somewhat popular with
certain farmers who have met him
during the official trips through the
state as head of the Agricultural Col
lege Experiment station; trips, too,
that were not entirely divorced from
politics, for the doctor played the
game we'll.
Dr. Withyoombe is carrying on his
campaign with the disadvantage of
running against man who has been
tried. The doctor may promise re-
forms, but these will fall upon ears of
people who know that the present gov
ernor has made good in the line of
conservative and decent reform.
The record of the old school land
ring under former administrations and
the suddenness with which Governor
Chamberlain set himself to work to
straighten it out and the effectiveness
with which it was Strengthened out
are not forgotten.
And another thing not forgotten is
the good work of Gov. Chamberlain
when he blocked the game of the Mat
thews legislature in its attempts to
fasten on the taxpayers million dol
lor appropriation bill full lof graft and
wrath-provoking waste of the peoples
money.
Governor Ohamberlain's work dur
ing that legislature made him the
friend of every lover of fair play in
the state. He served notice on the
legislature that il it attempted to vote
away large sums of money with an
emergency clause attached, thus pre-
venting the people from exercising the
right OF referendum he would veto the
bill. The bill voted by the legisla-
ture, which was machine dominated
from Matthews Speaker to Matthews
president of the senate, was wasteful
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