The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-01-25
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
As Seen BY Times Writer-Ihe Sem
atorisl Election Under the New E.,


ary society over the election of its
president has been more exciting
than the episode of the late senator
ial elections in Salem. In the same
assembly chamber that has resound-
ed to oratory for the main part of
40 days in former senatorial dead
locks. and in which ambitions
have been blighted, hopes blasted,
political prospects 1uined and
dreams crushed. a tame ceremony
of declaring Mr.. Bourne and Mr..
Mulkey United States senator's
transpired Wednesday. Beside an
old fashioned spelling school, the
proceeding was dull. 1t wasn't
half as interesting as many trial
in justice court.
The senator's, who by the way
are fine appearing lot of men.
filed into the assembly hall and
President Haines took the gavel.
He read:the law governing elect
ions of United States senator The
clerk of that body read the pro-
ceedings of the senate of the day
before relative to the ballot for SEN
3ator. The clerk Of the house did
the same. The president in turn
declared the newly elect United
States senators in Congress from
Oregon, and the gavel fell !. with
dull thud. A member moved that
a committee IF two senators and
three representatives 60 out in the
) corridors and see il any senator
was in waiting. They found Sen
? ator Mulkey and brought him in.
He made a short speech that be-
cause it was short and for other
reasons was appropriate, and the
members applauded. z..I
. Salem had been used to- different
kinds of scenes Thepeople in the
lobby had. His friends had begged
there patiently and entreatingly for
votes for, Senator Dolph, votes that
never came. They had pleaded
till the last minute in the last hour
of the session and only to see G.
w. Mcbride in we'll planned and
magni6cently executed melodrama
gather in the plum and sail off for
Washington. They had seen the
hold up session and had seen Joe
Simon slip away with the plum
that was intended for Mr.. Corbett
They saw Mr.. Mitchell on that
same floor deliver most eloquent
address in tones if not tears o
gratitude and thankfulness when
after 40 long days the 10th man il
the last minute had come over from
r the opposition and elected him
There, the last triumphant Ecandi
date of the lot, Charles Fulton hao
been handed his toga through th'
. aid of Brownell and in tones oi
thankfulness, in the wee small
hours of the morning, after a, ter
sarible political struggle to the mel
who had elected him by shifting
from other candidates.
But all these scenes are wither
ing memories now to- those used t.
the dramatic and sensational sen
atorial deadlock and its spectacula
{ finish. There will be no more Q
them. ;ArevolutionaTy and insur
gent minority can no more hold VI
session and force the election Q
. another than the majority candi
date. No more can caucus nam
senator and thrust a politica
stilletto into his back the next da,
as they did with the late Senate
Dolph. Statement No. did 1t
work this week and all those VIII
y have looked at it say the plan
good. Mr.. Bryan said it was ev
cry time he had a chance to do ST
in his speeches in Salem Wednes
day evening and Thursday. Ev
erybody also said so. Many thin
it unfortunate that Jonatha
Bourne was the first to land. bu
they say it is better Bourne than
debauched legislative session, di:
rupted legislature, corrupted men
Ders, predatory lobby. mobinsu1
gency. and the discordant and de1
ilish evils en- train. Better Bourn
they say and the triumph of th
elective principle as contrasted wit
the legislative plan, because the
say, as senator, Mr.. Bourne ma
reform and because of his high pt
sition play frank and fair in tt
holding onto what he has. +
Anyway, senatorialy speaking
the legislature is as good asdefunc
It is a decadent body all roune
Its sovereignty has fitted. The,
is a way to get good laws witho'
its agency. There is a way to G.
laws without it that couldn't /
had with it, and that is powerfi
reason for its diminishment Of in
portance. Nobody cares vel
much about 1t, and only few con