The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-09-21

leman had made during the campaign
For instance he says:
Agreeing absolutely with your be-
lief and declaration upon this vital
phase of government by the people
involved in the direct popular election
of United States senators, l have in
less conspicuous but none the less earn
est manner labored for the adoption
and application of this just principle
for MANY wears We have now Deen
honored with our respective party
nominations for United States senator
and every member of the ensuing state
legislature elected as a republican OF
as a democrat is in all political honor
bound to cast his vote, respectively, III
your favor or in mine at the session
next January They-and We-haVe
but one higher political obligation, ana
that is due to the people of the state or
Washington. In order that this high
est civil obligation may be fairly and
fully discharged invite you to JOIN me
in a plan by which we may practice
what we preach
the direct primary law of this state
offers any opportunity for a popular
choice or direct eleation of United
States senators such as we believe In
and have advocated; such as our state
legislature has 'memorialized congress
in favor of many times; such as you
had in mind in the public declaration
which L have quoted. Only the respec-
tive party choices were made or could
have been made on September 8, not d
popular choice Our names were on
separate ballots and no citizen was
given opportunity to choose between
US. PartiZan nominations were made
in the manner provided by the primary
law by not more than one-half of the
voters of Washington.
THE total vote in our state in 1900
was 1924. In 1904 it was 1860, or
an increase of 35 12 per cent in four
years. 1t is common knowledge, de-
morstrated by many statistics and
particularly by the comparative votes
cast at municipal elections, that the
percentage Of increase from 1904 to 1908
has strongly exceeded that of the pre-
vious four-year period. But applying
only the same percentage would give
us a vote of 1877, 3S1, or practically 300
0G0, at the regular election on Novem-
Der 3. These are not registration sta
tistics, but actual votes cast at the
polls. upon which this estimate is
based.
only half that number participated
in the partizan nominations for Unit
ed States senator on September s. Your
party choice came at the hands of
about $4,000 voters, less than half of
those at the primary and less than
one quarter of the citizens who will
vote in this STATE on November g. 1t
would be a travesty upon the principle
of a popular choice to permit it to end
thus The voters have had no chance |
for a popular choice
In order that this may be afforded, |
that we may fulfil that which we have
both advocated on many occasions, and |
that there may be an object lesson OF
true popular government applied in this
state, | now propose that we give the
citizens of the state of Washington a |
true and complete opportunity to select |
their next United States senator by |
direct vote of the people"
If Mr.. Jones had really told the truth /
when he said that he was in favor of !
the direct election of United States j
senators, he would have accepted the |
proposition contained in Mr. Cotterill's |!
letter. But he didn't. In his reply he'll
intimates that since more than half of
the voters who participated in the re- !
publican primaries expressed a prefer |
ence for him, he is willing to take a |
chance on a republican legislature |
electing him to the senate This is the |
way he proves that he didn't tell the !
truth when he said that he was in !
favor of the election of United States
senators by the people:
while / think l as as sincerely in |
favor of the selection of United States !
senators by a direct vote of the people |
as you are, l can not see my way clear |
to accept the proposition you submit in |!
your letter under present conditions. l
will not go into Details except to mere |
~ suggest that to take the course you
mention now would be to disregard the |
law passed by the last legislature, |
which / am not disposed to do Candi- |
dates of both parties have pledged /
themselves under that law, and l would |
not feel justified in taking any course |
inconsistent with those pledges The |
lie legislature has prescribed the method |
of procedure, which indirectly accom- |
plishes what the people desire in the |
way of selecting a candidate for the |
United States senate. and until a con-
stitutional method can be provided by |
law for the direct selection of senators |
by the people it seems to me that the |
present law is about the best way that |
can be provided"
THE CASE OF FORAKER.