Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-10-06
A LONG
LOOK
AHEAD
Democratic Correspondent
Says Our George Will
Succeed Fulton

FOL SShuS INC DShOCldIlC OSdllle lllues
the following forecast of future Ore
gon politics.:
The men who make politics in
Oregon are already arranging for
the senatorial contest that will oc.
cur two years from now when a sue.
cessor will be elected to Senator
Fulton.
Already, more interest is centered
in this fight than was aroused last
June or exists now over the strug-
gle that hesulted' in the election of
Johnathan Bourne by the people
over Senator Gearin.
Under the present Oregon pri-
mary and general election laws
United States senators are selected
by popular vote. The constitutional
method of electing them by the leg
islature must be adhered to. but the
members of the legislature are not
only placed on their honor to sup
port the peoples choice but in near
ly every instance they signed
pledges to do so.
No one doubts that Mr.. Bourne
will receive the unanimous vote of
the legislature next winter and that
Democrats as well as Republicans
will support him.
The election two years from now
will not be such smooth sailing.
AS was the case last June both the
| Democratic and Republican parties
will have candidates at the primary
election.
Senator Fulton will be candi-
date for reelection. He will re-
ceive the support of the Republi-
can machine and will get the osten-
sible support of the federal Office
holders. 1t is believed now that in
the Republican wing of the primary
there will be triangular fight. 1t
is expected that besides Senator Full
ton, Former Congressman Malcolm
A. Moody, of The Dalles, will be
candidate and that he will get the
support of the Simon wing of the
party and besides that will get a re-
spectible vote in eastern Oregon.
But the spectacular and dramatic
part of the situation is the presence
in the political lime light of William
S. U'Ren, of Oregon City, the father
of the initiative and referendum in
Oregon If not in the United States.
Mr.. U'Ren has never held office and
has always said he never wanted to.
He says that it has always been one
of his dreams that the Office should
seek the man and under the present
Oregon primary law 1t is practically
doing that.
Mr. U'Ren has the bitter and un-
dying enmity of the Republican ma
chine The reason is plain as he
practically put the Republican ma
chine politician out of business In
this commonwealth. For five or six
years he has given the greater part
of his time to having the initiative
and referendum laws enacted in this
state and mast of the new amend
ments to the constitution may be
traced to the same source. Mr..
U'Ren has been classed as a dema-
gogue but the truth remains that
he has done all this work for his
pet theories absolutely without COM
pensation and to the neglect OF his
law practice and at the same time
he is a poor man. While the ma
chipe will attempt to move heaven
and earth TO prevent his candidacy
or TO belittle his services to the
state, the strong probabilities are
that Mr.. U'Ren will defeat both |
Senator Fulton and Mr.. Moody and
viii go before the people as the next |
Republican candidate for the United |
States senate.
All this time the Democrats are
not sitting supinely idle. They be-
lieve that il will be easy to defeat
Mr.. U'Ren not on strict party
basis, as Mr.. U'Ren is not a strong
party man but one who claims to be
Utopian in politics. All the indica-
tions point to the conclusion that
the Democratic candidate will be
Governor George e. Chamberlain.
II Governor Chamberlain consents
to become a candidate there win
probably be no Democratic opposi-
tion. That will make the race at
the general election in June lie be-