The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-03-13
THE STATE MEETING
DEMOCRATS IN MASS GATHER
ING AT PORTLAND.
Resolutions Commendatory of What is
Considered for Best Interests of
Nation and State.

The state mass meeting of demo
Gratis assembled at Portland endorsed
the following resolutions:
We, democrats of Oregon in mas
meeting assembled, at Portland, Ore
gon, this 18th day of March, 1906, de
clare our adherence to the purposes
and principles of the direct primary
law, and it is not the purpose of this
meeting, in any manner, to interiors
with or intreuch upon the rights Of
the people at the primary election Of
naming their candidates for the vari
GUS offices to be voted for at the next
general election, but to consult with
each other and devise ways and means
by which the true spirit and intention
of the direct primary law may be car
ried out, and to recommend declara-
tion of principles.
The reclamation of semi-arid lands
has been most potent factor in the
development of Greater Oregon, and
we, as democrats, demand at the
hands of congress and the reclamation
service a more liberal and a more
vigorous policy in the matter Of the
reclamation of the semi-arid regions
of the state
We denounce the efforts of those
who for commercial gain would open
our ports to unrestrictedsChi immi-
grafton and for the protection of the
great mass of our citizens who earn
their bread by the sweat of their
brows we insist upon the continu-
ance of our present policy of Chinese
exclusion.
The rural delivery system has done
much for the amelioration of the
condition OF the agricultural classes of
the state and nation, and we call upon
our representatives in congress for the
further extension of this system aud
urge upon them the necessity of legis-
lation looking to the establishment of
parcel posts, as advantageous both to
the farmers aud to the business men
of our cities.
In order to relieve the producers of
the state from unjust burdens now i'm
posed upon them, the rivers of the
state should be open to unobstructed
navigation, and to that end we advo-
cate federal ownership of the canals
and locks at the falls of the william
cite, speedy construction of the canal
at Celilo, continuous appropriations
for work at the mouth of the Colum-
bia, the deeenping of the channel at
the entrance to Coos and Yaquina
Bays and the mouth OF Coquille
Rivers, and the deepening of the Will
lamette river, and other Oregon har-
bors, and we pledge our candidates
to the congress of the United States to
devote their best energies to the ac-
compishmelt of these results.
Purity il elections is essential to
the perpetuity of our institutions, aud
we commend the efforts of the nation
al organization. which has for its OBJ
Ject the securing of enforced publicity
of election contributions and expendi-
lures in national campaigns, aud we
pledge our candidates to the legislature
to the enactment of law upon the
same subject governing candidates
for all Offices in Oregon.
We heartily commend President
Roosevelt for his adoption of the de-
claration for railroad rate regulation
in the democratic platform of 1904
and for his efforts to put an end to
the iniquitous methods which the
beef and other trusts and packers
combines have adopted for controlling
the markets against the interests of
the people, which he has been able to
do by the help of democrats in con-
gress. His endeavors along these lines
meet the approval of the people, and
we commend the democrats in congress
for their action in sustaining him,
and without whose support he could
accomplish nothing because of opposi-
tion which he has encountered in his
own party.
We are in favor of liberal and just
pensions to the survivors of the civil,
the Mexican, and other wars.
We advocate course of study in
our public schools in agriculture and
kindred subjects.
We believe the peoples will should
govern, and we therefore demand that
the initiative and referendum amend
ments to the constitution shall be OBJ
served in letter and in spirit, aud we
denounce as subversive of the peoples
will the efforts made by the last legis-
lature to deny to the electors of the
state the right Of the referendum by
declaring emergencies i'll all bills.
and particularly in chose appropriat-
ing money, and we insist that all APP
of public funds shall be
made in separate bills so that refer
endum may be had by the people on
obnoxious aud wastoful expenditure
Of the public revenues.
We advocate the election of United
States senators by direct vote of the
people, and we earnestly urge upon
all the states that they unite in de-
that congress take immediate
steps looking to the submission to the
people of an amendment to the con-
that will accomplish this
result. In the meantime, we insist t
that all candidates for the legislature
to statement No /. of the /
iirect primary law, promising to sup.
port only that candidate for the Unit /
cd States senate, Of whatsoever party /