The Ketchikan miner., 1908-06-27


 eminent thinks it has some rights.
 do not look for any immediate ,1ep on the part of the Mkado's min
 ". who can not he at all desirous
 1articipate in war with China
 if the boycott grows formidable
 Y serious trouble. may be luoked
 r.- Victoria Colonist.
 OREGON ELECTION RETURNS
 Oregon, as well as Minnesota, fof several years had Democratic gov arnor. and he had done quite as re- markable things as Governor Johnson in making Republican state his political conquest. In 1904. when President Roosevelt swept the state by plurality off some 43,o0o, Mr Chamberlain captured the governor ship by 246 plurality. Two years earlier he had first gained the office hy plurality estimated at about l00o The latest performance is the most extraordinary in MT. Chamherlain's s political career, for while Republican states not infrequently place demo- crats in state offices, on issues local in their scope, it very rarely happens chat they honorssuch men ny election to the United States senate. Nd' would they ordinarily. if United States senators were generally chosen hy popular vote. according to the new Oregon system. because of. the effect of national issues.
 No one will main ain that Governor Chamberlain S. triumph is a victory for tie democratic party, for it's per sonal aspects are too conspicuous to be ignored. Yet the fact that the repuh- licans on direct appeal to the people, with the purely national issues inYolY. ed in contest for the United States senate, were unable to defeat popu- ar democrat at least has significance in proving that party ties are now ex- ceedingly loose in Oregon. Evidently the voters of Oregon are voting for the men they like, regardless of their party affiliations. Is this fact isolated or is it symptomatic?
 Personal as Governor Chamberlain s victory was, it must be concluded that newly developed conditions existed to permit triumph so personal to fake place in a contest for such an office at such time. Examination of the official ballot shows chat the popular vote for United States senator fur nished the chief test of political feel ing in the state at large that the elee- tion afforded. No Governor was elect ed this spring. and both the repubii- can and democratic parties indorsed for reelection Judge Bean of tie state supreme court In enc of the two congressional districts. the Dem- ocrats did not oppose the return of the Republican member. All tue other officers chosen were subordinate state and county officials and members of the legislature.
 In discussing this unusual state ol affairs that alle independent paper. The Republican of Springfield, Mass. says that the truth is that Oregon is in principle, one of the most truly democratic states in the country: ard by democratic is meant a practical and theoretical adherence to the idea that the people rule. NominalIy, the majority of the Oregon voters cali themselves republicans, but they have grown so thoroughly independent oi party ties, while becoming more truly democratic in their principles of gov ernmant, that party organizations now mean comparatively little to them How democratic tho Oregoni- ans have become is shown by their radical innovations, so conspicuous in this last election, and their achieve ment in making their egisIature register automatically the popular choice of a United States senator These are the new ly-developed eondl- tions which have made possible in q presidential year so unusual personal triumph as Governor Chamberlain and they embody lesson for party politicians the country over to com sider.
 In the same way the whole Ameri-  can people are more truly Democratic, in the broad sense, than ever before. They are more determined than hitherto that the people shall rule. They have come to a new eomppehen- sion of the fact that parties are more- ly the instruments of their will and the party or the candidate that affords the best promise of governing in the peoples interest will have their cor dial support.
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 A SUBSCRIBERS RESIGNATION.
 4 we'll known Michigan editor has
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