East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-08-16
AND OTHER THINGS.

The article below from the Oregon
Daily Journal containing a sub-quota-
ton from the st. Paul Dispatch, is
excellent reading and throws light on
an important current topic. But it
does not answer the question, what
are you going to do to keep the sem
ators out of conventions, caucuses,
and oteher channels of thought and
action by which they can influence
nominations?
The discussion is peculiarly peril
nent to Oregonians, taken in connec-
ton with Senator Bourne's open dec
laration in favor of statement No. 1.
This declaration. properly lived up to-
simply means that Mr., Bourne vol
unfairly relinquishes the time-honor-
ed prerogative every United States
senator is supposed to be entitled to
to be the boss manipulation in his
state, securing results and insuring
his faithful lackeys against the wrath
of the people, (provided he and the
| lackeys are ever found out.) Per-
haps Mr.. Bourne sees little more
clearly than the average politician
that his own prestige, emoluments
and honors are safe in oregon only by
|
complete and thorough and permanent
acquiescence in the spirit and prac-
tice of statement No. /. The Journal
says: t E-
The st. Paul Dispatch prints a
strong editorial demanding that
United States senators be kept out of
and keep their hands off the next
national conventions, particularly the
republican convention. 1t says that
the public will look with distrust up
on a republican convention dominat-
ed politically and essentially "by
members of the federal senate and
through them the army of govern
ment officials who owe their bread
and butter directly to senatorial in
fluence. The time has come when it
will be regarded as a sinister and
menacing situation II the next ma
tional convention shall be controlled
by the clique which is all-powerful
in the United States senate" The
Dispatch continues:
at would be worse than idle to de-
ny that the country is swept from end
to end by the conviction that the
United States senate, or the compact
and handleable clique which controls
it. is in diametric antagonism to the
interests of the masses; that it rep
resents. not the people, but specie
interests, and that it stands like ada
mant between the people and those
measures now universally considered
necessary to their material welfare
Party lines have been practically OBJ
liberated and the new senator, fresf
from the people and with the strong
impulse to voice their necessities ant
desires, is crushed between the up
per milestone of senatorial courtes,
and the neither milestone of the clique
that can be moved only by the mos
decided pronouncement of an awak
enad nuhIic sentiment"
1t is the senate, charges the Dis
patch, that stands like a rock IL
the path of a revision of the tariff;
that "has thwarted, to the limit o
its power" President Roosevelt's re
form program, only permitting wha
1t dared not Withstand; it is in th'
senate that IAN organized and pow
erful anti-administration machin
exists" at is in the senate that i
expressed that arrogant disregard o
what the people desire and need tina
becomes almost a menace to ou
form of government" and at is tn
sc nate that Is preparing, as in tn
past, to invade the next national re
> publican convention and dictate no
only the candidates but the platform
and policies; and as in the past
will do so, unless deferred by al
awakening of sentiment that vii
relegate the special interest senate
to his proper place in the galleries"
Hence the st. Paul paper advocate
the absolute barring Of the door Q
the next republican conventio
against senators. 1t says the peopl
should send delegates entirely fire.
- a HA NJ Is