Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-20
It Of the affairs Of the govern

Hes Power League kept hammering
lway at its program undisturbed. In
1902 a legislature was elected in
which a majority of the members had
pledged themselves to vote for sub
mission to the people of a constitu-
tional amendment giving them direct
initiative and referendum. The vote
for the adoption of the amendment
vas overwhelmingly in favor. Only
1 small proportion of the voters of
the stateput themselves on record as
being afraid to trust the people to
vote upon their own laws In 1904
the amendment went into full effect.
Under the working of the system
N Oregon not one of the evils pre-
dicted by the machine calamity howl
srs has developed. Their have been
found to be defects in the system but
these will be patched up. The peo-
pie run the state of Oregon. The
republican and democratic parties
| continue to exist, and elections are
along partisan lines. but the people
control the parties. The corporations
are powerless to prevent it. To-day
the party organizations are as strong,
md party lines are as closely drawn
! in Oregon as ever, but the parties
now divide on issues, although the
| patronage continues to play some
! part in party affairs. Instead of be-
! ing creatures of the corporations, the
| eaders in the party organizations to-
| day are real leaders, who take an in
! terest in questions and issues. The
| legislature is a peoples Legislature.
What Happened in Oregon.
| Let me illustrate how entirely the
| rf ios in tho ct a h1Nn
ceased to be controlled by the cor
porations under the peoples rule.
The first measure submitted to a
popular vote in Oregon by initiative
petition was for direct nominations
and the adjustment of the delegate
convention system, under which the
corporations and the bosses make
nominees and issues to suit their own
purposes. The vote by which this
aw was adopted was 56,2S5 to 49,
354.
BE it enacted by the people Of
! the state of Oregon is the way the
enacting clause of this act, and OF
other laws now passed in that state,
are framed.
The provisions for a popular vote
on United States senator was made
part of the primary election law. un-
der it, the different political parties
choose party nominees for senator,
| Just as they choose party nominees
for other Offices Candidates for par
ty nomination for senator file petit
tions with the secretary of state,
their names are placed alphabetically
on the party primary ballots through
out the state, and the vote is canvass
ed by the secretary of state for the
entire state.
The candidate who receives the
highest vote in the primaries of his
party becomes the party nominee for
senator. In the general election the
names of these party nominees, and
of independent nominees, are placed
\ at the top of their respective party
| ballots. The election returns on SEN
ator are canvassed in the same way
as the vote for governor.
| On the primary ballots, as well as
on the general election ballots in the
state, each candidate is allowed, II
/ he desires, to have a brief statement
! printed underneath his name, stating
what he favors or opposes in the way
of state or local issues and questions.
The provision for pledging the leg
islators to carry out the peoples will
in the choice of United States sena-
tors is made as follows:
Legislators Are Pledged.
In case of an electLr seeking nomi-
nation for the Office of senator or
I representative in the Legislative as
sembly,f he may include one of the
following two statements in his petit
tion; but if he does not do so, the
/ secretary of state or county clerk, as
i a.. 1 Oh not. 4 hat
count refuse to file his petition:
Statement No. IL further state
% the people of Oregon, as well as to
the people of my legislative district,
| that during my term of Office | will
always vote for that candidate for
/ United States senator in congress
who has received the highest number
of the peoples vote for that position
at the general election next preced
ing the election of a senator in con-
gress, without regard to my individ-
ual preference.
If the candidate shall be unwilling
to sign the above statement then he
may sign the following statement as
4 part of his petition:
/ Statement No During my term
of office ! shall consider the vote of
The people for United States senator
in congress as nothing more than a
recommendation, which | shall be at
liberty to wholly disregard if the rea-
son for doing so seems to me to be
sufficient.
1t is a reckless man who goes out
and asks the people to vote for him
'or Office and at the same time serves
notice upon them that If elected he
will disregard their wishes and opin-
ion. Experience in Oregon has shown
that such men are few. With very
few exceptions, the candidates of
both parties in Oregon last summer
rigned statement No. 1. With fewer
exceptions, those who signed No. or
refused to sign either, were defeated
1t the polls. The legislature elected
vas almost solidly pledged to vote
Sor the candidate for senator who
vas the peoples choice in the general
election
Machine Made the Old Fight.
Under the new order of things the
corporations and the machine politi-
clans were at a loss. But they s5ent