Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-04-23
CTPRlMARYLAW
ELECTION OF A UNITED STATES
SENATOR.
What the Legislative Pledge in the
Direct Primary Law Will Do if the
People See to ii That Section 81
is ObeYed. No More Legis lativ
Corruption CarnivaIS.

Apprehension is felt among the
more vigilant friends of the direct
primary law lest the intent and pur-
pose of section 81 be subverted. This
is the section which prescribes the
form of the legislative pledge to
vote for party choice for United
States senator's" as follows:
II hereby declare to the people of
the State of Washington, and partic-
ularly of my legislative district, that
during my term of office l will al
ways vote for the candidate for I'm
tied States senator who received the
highest number of votes upon nv
party ticket for the position at the
primary election next preceding the
election of United States senator"
1t will be noted that the pledge ap-
plies to the four years of senatorial
term as tightly as 1t does to the sin
gle term of service in the house, thus
providing against manipulation
among hold-over senators. Since it
does not lie within the power or
function of legislative body to pro-
vide for the enforcement of a politi-
cal pledge, section 81 is therefore op-
tional-that is to say, a legislative
candidate may, eff he desires to do
So" file the signed pledge quoted,
with his declaration of candidacy or
nomination paper.
No honest citizen or faithful parti-
sen candidate for the legislature, in
view of the praiseworthy end to be
attained-the publication of senat-
Orial politics-will hesitate mo-
ment to abide by section 81. To any
attempt at evasion, however specious
the preteXt, may be traced sinister
motives that will aim equally at po-
ltical corruption and party disor-
ganization.
Will End Bossism.
If, in this first test of the poten-
tial virtue of section 81, the people
by political pressure in the early
stage of the campaign, enforce the
universal filing of the pledge by leg
islative candidates, senatorial boss
ism and bribery will be at an end in
Washington.
The example of senatorial cleo
ton in which the legislature accepts
as a delegated duty the pro forma
approval of the popular choice for
United States senator, will mean a
reform in practical politics, that
must prove of inestimable value to
the state.
The conspiracy intended to render
section 81 abortive pretends to
stand on two legs, but both are very
wobbly. On the one hand it is given
out that the hold-over senators are
not bound by law passed after their
election to office; on the other hand
it is contended that, inasmuch as
legislators represent districts they
should decline to file pledge that
might require them to vote for a SEN
ator opposed by a majority of their
constituents. The trail of the graft
er is plainly visible across the face of
both assertions. The hold-over sena-
tors are bound to obey, in the spirit
as we'll as the letter, the law they
themselves passed. Any member
among them who fails to do so, will
be justly chargeable with self-stulti-
fication-and something worse.
The interests of constituency al
ways give way before the interests of
the majority. If one or three or five
and more counties preferred the min
ority candidate, let it be asked
whether it would be in the best in
terests of the state as whole, or in
their own best interests as minor
ity, that their representatives in the
legislature be encouraged to bolt the
choice of the majority so as to create
a deadlock with all its attendant
evils or bribery, barter and general
Generalization?
The paramount duty of legisla-
ture is lawmaking, yet how often,
under the system hitherto prevailing,
has this duty been thrust aside, de-
bauched and debased by the senator
ial scramble? The prolongation of
a senatorial election beyond the first
session of the joint assembly is de-
moralizing In the extreme. 1t means
trickery. corruption. legislative trad
ing in disregard Of public interests
and the vicious peddling of public
patronage.