The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-08-06

| Lincoln led on the popular |ote ih
Illinois. but Douglas was elected by
the legislature; Geer led on the pop
ular vote in oregon; but Fulton was
elected. In this last instance.
though Fulton and Geer were of the
same party, the legislature refused to
abandon its right to make the choice.
Hereafter. doubtless, fhe man VINO
may receive the majority vote will be
elected, If his party is In control OF
the legislature; but conditions existed
then which caused most of the MEM
bers to deny that they were under OBJ
legation to vote for Geer.
No rational man, however, can ex-
pect the party that has the majority
in the legislature to abandon the cleo
ton of Senator, or surrender the cleo
ton to the opposite party. Democrats
would be as far from it as republicans.
Where intense rivalries exist in par
ty-and in the majority party they are
sure to appear-the candidates per-
sonal opponents and factional enemies
may combine to prevent him from get
ting the majority vote-probably will;
but the legislature will not turn about
and elect the opposition candidate for
that reason. If the republican party
in Oregon do not. under present con-
ditioIs, throw to the candidate for
election. it will not be because the
voters of the party do not want a re-
| publican senator or do not want
democratic one, but because they don't
want that particular man for senator,
and expect the Legislature to elect some
other republican.
AS to governor, representatives in
congress and other officials, the case
is wholly different, because these are
elected by a direct popular vote, and
the popular vote ends it. But on sem
ator the popular vote is not conclu-
sive. The election remains III the
hands of the Legislature, and the
only way to take it out of the legisla-
ture is to change the constitution of
the United States.
If he people of Oregon elect demo-
cratic legislature. take it for certain
that they want and expect demo-
cratic senator and will have their wish
If they elect a republican legislature
and expect a republican senator and
will get him. 1t is useless to juggle
with the facts of such a situation.
The member of the legislature, more
over, take an oath to support and obey
the constitution of the United States,
which makes the election of senator
one of his duties. 1t may depend on
his conscience whether he will abli-
cate, or not. He may go so far as to
accept the instruction of his party to
deed is what is implied when he ac-
cepts the nomination of his party for
the legislature. Three or four demo-
Gratis in the legislature voted for
Bourne. but that was because Bourne's
party had great majority and would
have elected Bourne anyhow, and there
was a chance for a cheap though
transparent play; but nobody is so
fresh and green as to suppose they
would have voted for Bourne if they
could have elected a democrat.
The general principle of the pri-
mary law is sound. Through it the
people may pass upon all candidates
for offices to be filled directly by their
votes RIIf soma tOrC of +bo T-n;fod States
are not so elected. That power is
lodged in a legislature, whose MEM
bers sit in representative capacity
They are elected almost wholly as par
ty men-by one party or another, and
are expected in important political
matters to act with their party. Else
there would be no point whatever in
their seeking election as party men.
The member misrepresents his party
and the voters who elected him if he
| doesn't vote for a member of his party
for the United States senate. The no.
ton some seem to have, that political
parties are to be abandoned or abol-
ished. is silly humbug. In our country
and in all free countries-in all coun-
tries governed through debate-parties
have always existed, as an absolute
necessity, and always must. Of course,
however, the notion is not sincere. It
is play of minority parties for parti-
san advantage for themselves and de-
ceives nobody.
An unpopular candidate may force
his nomination through the primary,
o nthe plurality system, but can't win
in the general election-though his
party may have a great majority. That
ends it, in cases where the election is
settled by the direct vote of the peo-
pie. Twice has Mr.. Chamberlain been
so elected-not because the republic
cans who voted for him wanted a
democratic governor, but because they
didn't want those particular republi-
can candidates who We're running
against Chamberlain. Any one of one
hundred others might have beaten him
But the office of governor is not sc
important a political office as that OF
senator, and the popular vote settles
1t. Not so is the election of senator
, a. H..