The new age., 1906-11-17
EDITORIAL
ANOTHER VOICE AGAINST
BOURNE.

The Woodburn Independent, a RI
publican paper, commenting on the il
creasing opposition among the peopl
to the election Of Jonathan Bourne t
the senate, and thus carrying out tn
too common plan of selling the offict
to the highest bidder, says: ''We arr
confident that the greater portion O
the Republican voters of Oregon would
applaud the act of a representative
who bravely asserted his faith in the
constitution of the United States and
declared his intention of voting in ac
cordance with the wishes of the ma
jority of the Republican voters of the
state. He would be cheered by the
majority, who voted against Bourne.
He would be praised by all loyal Re-
publicans, who would consider as a
blow at the grand old party the cleo
tion of man who not long ago de-
serted that party and Mckinley for
free silver and Bryan, and who now
not only aims to gain a seat in the
United States Senate, but seeks also
to seat in that body from Oregon an
other Bryan free silver advocate, w.
S. U'Ren. Isn't it time to halt and
ponder, and not be so dazzled by the
lavish display of gold as to forget for
the nonce the vital interests of the
Republican party of Oregon?"
There is a good deal of good, sober
sense in this. The plea is made that
it is settled that Bourne is the choice
of the people" of the republican voters
of the state, but how many members
of the Legislature believe this? How
many of them believe that as between
him and any one of half dozen other
men that might be named, neither
using any money to influence votes,
Bourne could get majority? The
proposition is absurd, and legislators
know it.
But, it is said, they are bound by !
the result of the primaries and elec-
ton last spring. Let them be honest !
and ask themselves, though they may
have signed Statement No. 1, if they
would have voted for Senator Gearin
If he had beaten Bourne at the polls
last June? No, they, would not; they
would easily have found an excuse;
they would have said that they had a
mental reservation in subscribing to
that statement, and meant to confine
their votes to a Republican. Yet they
could not have done so and kept the
strict letter Of their promise, if such
It was. And they might we'll have
had another mental reservation, that
hey would vote for the Republican re-
ceiving the highest number of votes
ast April, provided he was a fit man
and got the nomination in a fair and /,
square contest with other candidates. ,
This would have been only a fair, >
proper, sensible mental modification
If their pledge, for surely the people ,
10 not want to elect an unfit man or ,
one who bought the Office. 1t would ,
De far better to depart from a foolish
promise made in the excitement of a .
than to keep it by electing
such a man. And there is no doubt :
hat majority of the people would
lot only forgive a member for using
lis honest judgment next winter and
acting in their interest, but would
ully approve such an act.
The responsibility finally falls upon
he members of the Legislature to |
10 what is best for the people, and a
hey know that this is not likely to S
,e done by electing Bourne, who after d
III received but a small fraction of '
he total vote of the state. The law a
often up by Mr.. U'Ren did not abro- o
ate the constitution of the United !;
states and of Oregon, and the Legis- o
ature Is still free to do it's duty and y
ound to do it in the interest of the W
eople, regardless of Mr.. U'Ren's law. n
If a test vote could be taken now Ii
throughout the state, on the question Il
-hether the senator should be Bourne W
r some other man, the best one the la
legislature could decide on, there ci