Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-02-24
SENATOR
BOURNf'S
Il LETTER
TO REPUBLICANS
DENIES THAT STATEMENT NO 4
DESTROYS PARTY OftGANEZA-
TION--DEcLAREs 1T IS THE
ExECUTIoN or PARTY WILL.

Daily it 4 becoFnlng apparent that
there IL a disposition on the part OF
certain individuals 20 overthrow the
primary election law and Statement
no. / thereof. Those who are lend
inf thcmselves 10 this conspiraey are
not very numerous, but are noisy.
and public attention should therefore
be called 10 the issue their noise in-
voies.
In the palDy days OF Oregon's po.
litlcai machine. OF which they were
integral parts and benefactors. these
consplrntors were the political ururp.
ers IN the politics and government OF
the state. On their part II required
no recognition OF right from wrong.
no adherence 90 civic decency, no re-
gard for or knowledge OF the funda-
mental powers. rights and duties OF
American citizenship 90 be political
bossos. All they needed. all they
had, was OF their own creation--the
party halter and the party lash. ana
these fuffcod for tie domination and
manipulation Of half enfranchisei
electorate whose responsibility was
shifted by the party from the indi.
vidual 70 the irresponsible party
boani the party assuming for itself
aud Its boss the assumption OF tho
king. The king can DO no wrong"
Tho names OF oregon's machine
politicians. living and dead. rise in
the memory OF the people M wit.
nespea 10 this truth. But those now
living and who would revitalise In
order 90 ornament and adorn ore
CONS political past putreacence have
no conception Of the power OF com.
pletely enfranchised people. thor
oushly awakened 10 their own place
and shelr fundamental Importance In
the svheme OF government.
The pretext for justification npon
which thia anii-statement No. 1 con
spirAcy u based Il the assertion that
the primary Law destroys party or.
Fnnitation. and therefore. upon such
preteRt, 10 predIcated an appeal 20
party prejudice a. the means 10 the
end Of overthrowlng the law. n
machine" Il meant BY the term
''paYty oreainination. and party or
ganisalion has no other or higher
meaning than the concept OF a mech.
anlam Of individual human units an.
auestloniagly obedient 20 boss viii.
then yes. II not only destroys party
organization. but Il ought 10 destroy
Il IN the interest OF free citizenship
and eommon deeency.
i.et as tfy this issue ont again be-
tween che woald.be party bosses. big
and little. and the electorate. 90
finally determine whether che boss
shall furnish us with onr party faith.
our party platform and our party
aemlnees for public once, or whether
lhe Fank and hle of the Rspuhlica I
eleefoFate. holding In common amons
shemseises Republican beliefs ani
cnlcns. shall do these things andsl
the provisions OF the law they them,
selves enact.
IL response "a the frantic appeal,
% party prejudice inveked against
the primary law and Statement Ne
4, a d veil 60 call attention 60 ths
fact that Lincoln said this nation
had been brought forth aud dcdi.
GATED 10 The proposition that an men
are created equaii chat The eiVil wav
~as iousht 60 determine whether Il
or any other nation - conceived aus
% dedicated ecald Ions endure. And
in the dedication of the battle neld u
oetlysburg he said. IA h rather foy
ns "a BE- hege dedicated 10 the greal
task Femalnlns heforo AZ. chat from
these honoFed dead Ne take m,
efeased devotion 20 that oaa5e loI
which they save the last fan meas,
are ef devotion. that Ne have highly
resolved that these dead shan no,
hasp died ln vain that this natloa.
pnder God. shall have a new birth q
ffesdoan, and that soyernment ~ the
peopis. by the people. Cor the people
sAnli noi perish from she oarth."
he never saia party once
pFeSldtng Roosevelt has aid, "A
party y o. worth oaly IA ~ ias a. a
FfoNoies naiiopai Interests. sna 81.
ery uifoeF. hish ~ los. Gao serve
me pafls hosi ~ renderlng % ne
people the besl service u which he
- eapeele''i properly reeognlsing
lAe people. and not ths party, ~ ths
spseg<lsu power
NpahlaTsou. "a his farewell "a.