The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-10-18
OREGON ALSO
HAS TROUBLE
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
AND PRIMARY LAW BEING
ATTACKED.

| PORTLAND, Oct. 17.-Old-line poll
ticians OF the G. Q. P. in Portland and
throughout the state, are standing
about with dripping jaws hungry for
a decision by the United States SUI
preme court which will declare the in
| tiative and referendum law of Oregon
to be contrary to the federal constitu-
| ton. Thrown tight bound and helpless
out of power by the passage of that
law and the child of it's creation, the
direct primary nominating law, these
old warhorses have been chatting at
their bonds with impatient impotence
through several long and weary years.
| Times are not what they used to
be in the good old days." they have
mourned as each succeeding turbulent
| and faction-ridden convention has
wound it's course il. other states
This is OF a legislature"
mourned Billy Swope, when the direct
| primary had put the kibosh on the
| usual session-log senatorial battle
and Joathan Boure was elected by a
perfunctory rollcall. "a fellow has got
no chace up here when things are like
| this And so the mournful scale was
sung from the boxes to the pit of the
political playhouse and the old-t time
actors, manipulation and manilkin, all
I =
were sad.
! Ray Of Hope.
Now, however, there has appeared a
springs eternal in the schemirg brain
has begun to put forth faint evidences
of life, though fearful of the frost of !
the highest tribunal Men who used to
play with Oregon conventions as a girl
does with her dolls, are not talking for
publication, but privately as between I
old cronies, and former leaders they
are living in a state of high and hope |
full anticipation.
1.-The direct primary law and the
initiative and referendum are both |
cumbersome and unWieldy instruments
placed in too many hands for calm and
judicious use" said one of the old tim
ers short time ago in discussing the
possibility of the latter being declared
unconstitutional.
1.-THE convention system is the reg
/ ular and nationally approved plan of
party government. 1t puts the best OF
legislat ton systematically, and thought
fully. Under it there is no haphazarG
government ard every aspirant for Of
nee has an equal chance depending on
his personal ability.
| Hope to See Wiped Out.
''Things are different now. Inc lhl-
tia.ive makes it possible for a few
discounted opponents to a meritorious
measure to block legislation, and him
der laws passed by the legislature
hope and many other thinking men
as WELL that the supreme court Will
sweep the initiative off the books OF
Oregon and with it the direct primary
law
This is the general sentiment of the
old-time politicians who are thlrstlns
| for the pot and pie of former days
They are waiting for a decision adj
verse to the initiative, and should II
come they will drag out of the polltlcal
! boneyard the old ruins OF machines
/ now wrecked and abandoned, aust
them clean of cobwebs, scrape them
: free of rust, oil them with parry con-
tributions and set them buzzing mer-
rily as of yore. In the meantime the
long-idle engineers are standing eager
ly. their hands itching once more ~
grasp the throttle of graft ana turn
| on the steam.
Water offer. contains germs or Iy-