Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-10-17
WANTS
MORE
LIGHT


The Initiative and referendum
came up for discussion, or rather con-
|demnatlon, at Portland recently, the
time being Tuesday night, the occa-
sion, the Commercial Clubs first
monthly dinner, and the speakers
being provided for the especial pur-
pose of jumping onto the initiative
and referendum individually and
collectively.
The horse editor has read with
amusement, not un-
mixed with some Information. the
account OF the affair, as heralded to
the world through the columns of
the Oregonian. Now, the horse edi-
tor is one of the commonest kind of
common people. He does not boast
,of college education. He has not
the erudition of Harvey Scott, the
profound mass of generally useless
knowledge with which the average
college presidents think tank is com
monty filled, or the brilliant array
of gllttering generalitles with which
Hon. w. ID. Fenton can polish up any
old subject till II coruscates like an
over-ripe mackerel in the bright eff
fulgence OF the harvest moon. Still,
with the plain, common, everyday
thinker with which n chary nature
provided him, he has given the
speeches of the gentlemen OF the
Commercial Club some thought, and
arrived at the conclusion that, as the
speakers admitted they didn't know
anything about what they were vot.
ing for when they assisted in adopt
ing the initiative and referendum.
and as II is evident that they have
learned nothing since. the common
people" are up against it. There
4 isn't any one to teach them. either.
Fenton can't; President Campbell
doesn't know the difference between
the law and the U. OF o. appropria
tion bill: U'Ren has forgotten, and
oNoNl hdoh uNNiutu gNe NHiNh oiuN
I he Is on.
The horse editor feels hurt. He
wants to vote on this proposition
and he wants to vote right: but how
can he do II II the great men of tbs
state shove their feet under the Com
mercial Clubs mahogany, and re-
ward the hosts for furnishing the
stuffing by dealing In metaphysical
dissertations on "The seeming OF the
thing unknown" or "Who knows
what is going on under a farmers
hat?"
Fenton says "The Initiative anu
referendum has dono no serious
harm, because the people are nearly
always right" That was real nics
OF him. but how are the people going
TO remain right II the Portland
bunch pulls down the blinds over
their thInkographs. and don't let the
bright lights OF their intelleots cast
few bright flashes into the dark
and rayless gloom OF our innocent
ignorance? True. the leading intel
lects OF the village down the creek
have asserted that they believe the
University OF Oregon appropriation
ought to pass. but this Is not con-
vineing. The common. everyday
voter wants reason. How are We
to know whether the great men real
ly meant what they said. We real
tze that they were guests, invited to
attend the wake OF the referendum,
and their expressions may have only
been those trifies OF politeness COM
mon on such occasions. Who knows
but that. when the champagne ceases
to bubble and the hllarity 10 flow,
they will say they never said IT,"
Then, again. when the Initiative
and referendum was 10 be voted up
on. did not some OF the same born
molders OF public sentiment send
pamphlets broadcast over the fair
state, and scatter them through the
highways and byways. until the syl-
van paths looked like the tail end OF