Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1908-07-02
0regon Political Utopia.
Portland, Oregon Dispatch to
Baltimore Sun.


Portland, Oregon Dispatch to
Baltimore Sun.
Oregon is fast getting a corner
on the Utopia ofpolitics. The mil
lennium OF the ballot may not be
here, but it has reserved a berth
and paid for it. Hereafter, il the
law is enforced, it will cost a man
anywhere from $5 to 500 to
ask another man on election day
to vote for any candidate or any
measure-iust to ask him, MOTTO
pay him or coerce him.
In their State election the 9th.
er day the people put their sane
tion on such a measure, and they
did q lot OF other things that
make one think the old days OF
the politician are passing. Here
after it will be political criminal !
LIBEL, punishable by a peniten'
tiary sentence, to lie in print a.
bout a candidate for Office.
Candidates are forbidden to
treat, to bet on elections, direct
ly or indirectly, to promise any
political appointments; to en-
ploy workers, except challengers,
on election day; to pay voters for
time lost IN going to the polls or
to give any voter a badge or
button to wear on election day.
The Corrupt Practices act, which
the people have approved, fur
ther says:
"No person shall pay the own
er, editor, publisher or agent OF
any newspaper or other periodi-
cal to induce him editorially to
advocate or oppose any candi-
date for nominations orelection,
and no such owner, editor, pub
Usher or agent shall accept such
payment"
In the case of political crimi-
nal libel, which is now crime Gre
ated by law, both the man who
writes or offers the libelous mat
ter and the man who knowingly
connives at it's publication may
be sent to the State prison. He
has a defense If he can show that
he had good ground for believ-
ing the libelous charge or state
ment was true, but even as q vi
tai part OF that defense he must
prove that Is days befor t h e
publication Of the article he sub
mitted the charges to the candi-
date in question and that he did
not receive any denial Of Or an
swer to them within 10 days af-
ter their submission.
In the matter OF electioneering
the law is sweeping. It says in
part: "It shall be unlawful for
any person at any place on the
day OF any election to ask, solic-
it or in any manner try to in
duce or persuade any voter on
such election dav to vote for or
refrain from voting for any can
didate, or the candidate or tick
ct OF any polical party or organ
ization; or any measure submit
ted to the people"
For the man who chooses to
obey the law it will not be an ex-
pensive matter to run for office
in this State hereafter. A candi-
date for Governor, for instance,
will not be permitted to spend
more than Is per cent, OF one
years gubernatorial salary, or
$3.50, in q primary campaign,
and the maximum ofhis expendi-
lures fora general campaign is
limited to $500. Moreover, with
in Is days after the primary OF
election he must file a detailed re.
port showing just how and where
the money was spent.
Whatever the men may think.
the woman suffragists are not
agreed that the millennium has
ARRIVED. They tried for the fourth
time to get the men to allow
them to vote, but were defeated
more decisively this time thar