The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-08
4 SENATOR ny POPULAR ELECTION

A SENATOR by POPULAR ELECTION.
There is real interest in the election
OF Governor George e. Chamberlain rs
8 United States Senator in oregon. MI.
Chamberlain was born in Mississippi
and got his final education ut WASH
ington and Lee, in this State -Four
wears after he arrived in oregon the
reople sent him to the Legislature.
This was in 1880 when he was twenty;
six wears old Since then many Of
fees have sought him in his chosen
state, including those of Attorney
General and Governor.
Governor Chamberlain appears TO
have won much the same personal
popularity in oregon that Governor
johnson enjoys in Minnesota. Both
are Democratic Governors of Republi-
can States. In 1904 when oregon sent
Chamberlain to the State House, 1t
gave Roosevelt n plurality of nearly
$4,000 votes. But the Legislature OF
Oregon remains preponderatinsly Re-
publican. and no Democrat could reach
the Senate from that State We're 1t
not for its adoption of the senatorial
primary. or direct vote plan.
The function of a Legislature in re-
gard to candidates for the Senate Is, of
course, constitutional. but the aim of
the primary election is to reduce it to
mere act OF formal ratification.
Therefore, men who offer themselves
for the Legislature must state, whether
or not they pledge themselves to sup
port the popular nominee. and voters
may choose among them according
IL. A decisive majority of the new
Oregon Legislature are under pledge
TO abide by the choice of the primary
election.
The spectacle of an almost solidly
Republican Legislature meeting to
name Democrat TO the United States
Senate will be more or less inspiring.
1t should be something of Jolt for
organization" hossism and machine
work. The people of oregon wanted
to send George L. Chamberlain to
Washington to replace Hon. Charles
w. Fulton, but the inherited powers
OF the Legislature would have made
en- impossible barrier to that end with
out the aid of the direct vote and the
pledge. Could any other method have
withstood tho overwhelming Republic
can pressure in that State? Does not
the conjunction of the people and the
polls lie, after ALL at the VeEy. root
pf true representative government?
GOOD ROADS AND LAND VALUES.
Few papers are doing more to
awaken and stimulate the interest in
good roads than the Fredericksburg
journal. Already The Dispatch
has had the pleasure of reprnting the
Intelligent comments of that paper on
the need of good roads, and we note
with interestI ITS regent remarks on
sthis question. ,"
There appeared in The Times Dis
patch an interview with a wealthy New
fiYorker who came to Richmond in his
automobile, expecting to purchase q
Rhome in Virginia. After trying the
hroads. however, the millionaire decided
that the Old Dominion was no place
Tor him. In one instance he had tC
hire six mules to pull his machine gu,
aof mud hole, and that was within
thirty miles of Richmond. The Fred
ericksburg journal says of this:
I'VE do not publish these facts lr
the interest OF the idle rich, who dc
sire smooth highways over which tt
travel TO save themselves annoyance
But the fact that every person VIII,
comes into this country with the de;
of investing in property. and goes bacl
without doing so on account of any
nnfavorable conditions which the peo
pie could remedy. is a living, walking
advertisement of the undcsirablencs
OF our State as 4 place Of rcsidenc,
and is, therefore, harmful TO ever,
person who resides within It's borders
Our contemporary is right A sat
isfed visitor is one of the best invest
ments a city or state can make, an,
good roads would pay the farmer mil
lions of dollars in peace and comfor
and profitsiS they were Gever travele
over by a single automNailist. vl
Einia VIII some day wake up to TIL
3 fact that good roads are not luxur,
but necessity, and then we will
wonder how we dia so long wlthou
them.
TOWS-PLANNiNG "A WORLD IRON
LEM.
Nothing could more strikinely en-
phasize the unity OF problems OF cit,
than the recently recognized neccssit
for.their proper planning, The old tow
meeting of New England towns ga,
opportunity for citizens 10 expires
opinions about the development ,
y their community ana may have 4.
Hwered its purpose sufficiently Well
new point OF view, however has bee
reached with the recognition that Il
planning OF a town is as much II
work OF an expert as The filling OF
prescription which has hcen made |
fa physician.
A . - ..,t-. =,