The new age. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1896-1905, 1906-03-10
EDITORIAL
CAMPAIGNERs BECOMING ACTIVE


The spirit of contest in the loca
campaign has at last awakened to the
fact that the days intervening between
this date and the day on which will
be held the nominating election are
growing rapidly less in number and
that there is much work to be done tc
prepare and present the cases of the
hosts of candidates who seek the nom
ination for important places of public
trust and emolument. Especially is
this fact noticeable among those who
are interested chiefly in the county
campaign, for many are the candi.
dates, each one Of whom is seeking
industriously to convince the dear pub
lie that he is the only elect to be elect
ed. One result Of the primary law is
to bring to the surface many estima-
BILE citizens who probably would not
have had the courage to present their
claims to an ordinary political con-
vention. The question now to be de-
termined, so far as the virtue Of the
new nominating arrangement is con-
cerned, is, how many Of the good as
pirants-those who are unquestionably
honest, competent and incorruptible-
will the people elect as candidates
over those who seek coveted places
merely as paritsans who think their
party owes them something or over
the mere place-hunters for the graft
to be enjoyed in official positions?
Of the latter class there are many;
and they are generally active in cam
paign work among those whom they
can influence Theirs, however, is all too
frequently negative campaign; not
daring to say much in behalf of them
selves, they devote their energies to
knocking their opponents. That char
acter of campaign work does not, of
course, have weight with intelligent
people, nor would any honorable as
pirant for Office engage in it-but
some candidates do, just the same.
The knocker is, therefore, the early
bird who seeks to catch the unsus.
pecting campaign worm, in conse-
quence Of which the candidate of
character is out on the defensive at
an earlier date than he possibly would
have been under other conditions.
The fight for the shrievalty noml-
nation long ago became interesting in
the Democratic camp between the
friends Of two. strong candidates;
while that for the Republican nomina.
ton has only recently assumed an en-
PERTAINING degree Of interest. How
ever it may go in either or both par
ties, it is already evident that the Re-
publicans cannot afford to lose any
ground in this years contest.
For the county judgeship, as also
for the commissionership, the contest
has become earnest and vigorous.
Good men have been proposed and it
seems to be clean, even fight so far.
Candidates for legislative honors
are numerous and in the list may be
found the names of a number of good
citizens. For other officers the con-
tests have only begun to assume
phases of activity.
Altogether an interesting campaign
is certain. locally. The fight on the
state tickets will not be less SO. The
candidates for the governorship nomL
nation have long been in the field and
have already worked it with a measure
of thoroughness. Governor Cham
berlain, it may be said, cannot be east
ly beaten, after the primary nomina,
tions. 1t is conceded already that the
only man so far named on the Repub-
lican ticket who can win out with
hurrah is DR.. James Withycombe, of
Corvallis, who has an impregnable
stronghold in almost every county in
the state.
The First district has number of
Republican aspirants for congression-
al honors and they have for weeks
been engaged in vigorous, but good
natured, fight for supremacy in
the contest for the nomination. A