Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-12-08
A LETTER REFUSED
BY THE "0REG0NIAN"

Following from the pen of Levi
w. Myers was sent to the Oregonian
but refused publication, because IT
so completely knocks out some of the
arguments of that newspaper Mr..
Myers was a delegate to the CON
vention that nominated Abraham
Lincoln for president, and is a life
long supporter OF Republican prin-
ciples. Mr.. Myers writes as follows
on the topic Legislators Must Re-
present the People,:
Legislators Must Represent People.
Portland, Dec. 2.-To the Editor
of The Journal--It is said Nothing
is more certain than that the con-
stitution of the United States re-
quires the election of senat,rs by
the legislatures of the states" Yes,
certainly, and no sane person dis
putes 1t. That is, the members of
the legislatures cast the ballots that |
elect the United States senators. But |
the question arises, where did the |
members of the legislature get the |
power or right to cast these ballots,
and under what circumstances and
limitations? Whose interests and
whose welfare do these ballots rep
resent? Does the ballot represent
hht Juublltul VI lultIthl
of the legislator alone, or does he
cast II as the representative of the
people who voted for him and put
him in Office? Whom does a MEM
ber of the legislature represent
himself, or the voters who put him
there? Is he a sovereign and law
giver from his personal standpoint,
or Is he an agent of the people who
elected him, and bound to obey their Q
known will?
A good deal has been said about !
representative government and that i
Is the form OF government we have. j
but in the past, the representative y
has. in too many cases, represented {
his own personal interests rather u
than the interests of the men who
charged him with the duty OF rep
resenting them, and an effort Is now
being made TO get back to the real
representation of the whole people
by members who go as public serv-
ants 10 the legislative bodies. The Z
thought that the legislators as soon
as the ballots are counted that elect Z
him TO office, Immediately becomes a
sovereign, responsible 20 nobody but
or his own personal inter-
ests, Is fallacious I'm the extreme. II
Is, in deed, subyersiye OF our whole T,
form OF government II matter
should come up in a legislative
body that had been unforeseen and =.
unprovided for, the agent or repre-
sentative might, with propriety act
on his own judgment, but In every e
ease whore he had been instructed
by his constituents he is bound by
every principle OF honor known to
men to represent them faithfully and
we'll.
Nor is there anything in the con-
sutution of the United States, or "
the state OF Oregon. or any other oi
state, to prevent the people from in ci
structing their representatives as 20 n
what they want done, In the matter lo
OF electing United States senator, a
Or in any other matter whatever. a
The people have perfect and unob- p
right 10 instruct their rep
resentatiyes and the Representatives tC
are bound In honor TO obey, in all fC
sorts OF state AFFAIRS, In fact, every n
party platform is instruction TO leg oi
slators, and certainly legal cleo m
ton, as that of June last, Is as pos az
tive instruction as could be thought
lf. To disregard IL would, indeed, tC
I
ernment. Somehow il must be NJ
beaten out OF the heads of predatory d
politicians that public office is a al
private snap and that its emoluments al
ana powers are TO be used for pur-
poses of personal plumber rather sc
han for the good of the general pub al
lie, and right now, and In Oregon. is st
as good time and place as will ever n
occur to test the isSue TINS fairly cl
made, Is the agent bound to do the ri
work of the principal, is the question cl
10 settle. Apply 1t to business, in
he legislature, or anywhere else hi
Who shall boss the job, the employer NJ
)r the employe? bi
The power" to cast vote In a q,
legislative body lies wholly with the az
legislator. and the constitutions, both 10
state and national, put itthere, but al
he legislator must not use that IN
power" for. his own nersonal han | w