The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-08-02
MARsE HENRY ON MR.. BOURNE.

IL SSotub budO q uOW 41BuO hoo dA9cOh
in the far, far West. 1t is Of the RIG
ing, not of the setting sun. Oregon
claims exclusive ownership of this
luminary, which rejoices in the name
of Bourne-Jonathan Bourne-and
claims as its crowning distinction that
it is "the first United States Sena-
tor elected by popular vote," dear
Old Fifty -Four Forty -or-Fight having
abolished the antique form of Legisla-
tive selection and adopted the initia
tive and referendum with respect to
Salmon, Crawfish and Statesmen.
Being nothing if not exceptional,
Senator Jonathan Bourne informs a
wondering world of his advent by a
soul-stirring yawp. Whether this is
happy burst of wild and wolly inspir-
alton or a strategic bit of occidental
recrudesoence-like the nigger's "Big
Casino" consisting of five aces, that
beat straight flush and only come
once in hundred years-or whether
it is pure thrift setting its ingenious
trap for pie before the pie-counter
closes-the gentleman up-a-tree does
not inform US. The yawp part of it,
however, is unmistakable. The Sena-
tor from the headwaters of Bitter Greek
and of the Columbia reservation,
swelling nobly in his milk-white dickey
and rising effulgent above his tinted
collar of trand-new celluloid, demands
a third term for Theodore Roosevelt |!
Nay, not SO, though also; not a
"third" but second elective term"
for the one and the only t1rst-class
statesman among eighty millions OF
second-class statesmen, who can save
the country from impending chaos,
perdition, cholera morbus, infantcide
and "ole man Octopus;" the peerless
He of Oyster Bay; no less than the
Gentleman with the Big Stick. Teddy
Bear, himself
Our Jonathan has no doubt about it.
II he had he might go and hang him
self. The people. he informs us, have
Teddy where "he's bieeged to sign.
According to Jonathan, it is case of
"must." There is no escape. We
quote from an interview with The
Pride of Oregon:
"He cannot decline. He can no
more decline than can soldier who
enlists in the army decline to fight in
the face of the enemy. 1t is duty
which the people put up to Roosevelt,
and a man with his ideas of duty-a
man who has uttered the sentiments
which be has uttered on the subject of
the duty of a public servant to the
people-cannot escape the responsible
ity. There is more than the mere
honor going with this high Office of
the President. When the people
choose a man to serve them in this
high office, it is for them to say when
bis service shall end. It is not for
him. :"
Jess sol Jess sol When a man
wants to let it be known that he has
arrived, what else? When he wants
pie, how other.
The folks down in Rogue River Val.
ley know thing or two, you bet! II
can understand, Jonathan declares,
chow Mr.. Roosevelt feels. He is anx-
ious to lay down the work. He would
like rest. But, as | said, it is not for
him to say. The individual cannot
dictate to the people-ideal citizenship
necessitates strict obedience to the
sovereign will of the people.
Thus our hero, with the striped
waistooat and the tanbark, Senatorial
slippers--inslnuate that he knows
what ideal citizenship means and that
he, too, is an ideal citizen. He is a
tender hearted man. He feels for
Teddy. But, before all else, he is a
patricia stern patriot-and such
tt umpery fellows as Washington and
Jefferson and Jaokson--even as Grant
must pale their Intellectual fires and
go down in everlasting darkness before
the Morning-Star of Teddy What
no, there!
"By my halidom, there be perils at
hand"
and Jonathan sees them. Nay he
smells them. Little boys get from un-
der whilst grown men listen to this:
In my opinion great crisis now
contronts this country. The reaction
aries are determined, if possible. to
obtain control of the Government.