The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-05-19
REPUBLICAN OREGON.

The Morning Astorian, along witt
every other Republican paper in tn
state, deplores the level to which tn,
party has lowered itself. Had it fal
len there, through sheer battle will
an opponent anywhere near its nigh
and mettle, there would be infinitely
less regret and shame in the ugly pre-
mise; but, with a dominance. backed
by standard and actual majority Of
10000 for years past, it has been river
with factional feuds and local lapses
until il has sacrificed its supremacy
to the "pottage" that came with
treachery, qualification and practical
dissolution Its voice and mandate
fall innocuous upon the blunted con
science and consciousness of the dis
integrated voter and the ring Of its
vibrant command is lost in the sibi-
liant whisper OF the sneaking deal,
and the swish of the party knife; with
out line, form, or leadership it drifts,
derelict and desperate, in the sea it
once ruled unquestioned and with
superb success.
1t is shameful spectacle OF the
abuse Of a splendid prerogative; and
calls for the best, and instant, wis
dom and energies Of its really honest
and manful leaders, in the interest Of
reorganization, unity, and direction
to that great climax OF power and uni
ty from which it decided when the
goal was plainly in view.
That it is has trafficked shamelessly
with the enemy and given him an un-
breakable clutch upon its strength
and advantage; that it has dickered
and squandered its heritage aban-
doned its place and prestige to the
meanest of its own brood and the ad-
roit Of the opposition, does not, even
yet, leave it without a rallying cry
and rallying point; the hour is pro-
pitious for a splendid effort at restora-
tion and re-alignment; the bitter dis
appointment of party men all over
the state can be assuaged only by such
call, coming, not from interested
leaders with selfish ends to serve, but
from the men of brains and character
and proven worth, to whom the Re-
publican party of Oregon means some
thing beside vehicle for the market
ing Of Office. and appointment, and
political swapping generally.
The tentative leaderships Of the
hour are not remotely authoritative;
they are but implied, and subsist only
upon the prestige Of a once acknow-
1edged precedence and confidence;
there is not man in the state to
speak with the sanction and commits
sion OF the rank and file; no man to
voice its policies nor hint its pro-
grams Even the recent county and
state conventions were barren of
direct and dominant authority and ex-
preston Of the Republican party as
such, and the work and choices
wrought are accepted tatcitly, through
the rule of custom rather than from
any concrete partisan command or
major choice.
1t behooves the avowed leaders in
Oregon to move with extraordinary
caution, lest they transcend the silent, |
unguessed will Of the members Of that
party, and commit it to grosser evils
than it now stands for. The assump-
tion is broadly made and declared that
the State Of Oregon through its Re-
publican leaders has pinned its faith
to William H. Taft for the Presid,
ency, when, as matter of fact, Mr.,
Taft would be myth and misnomer,
if by the impusle Of events, the name
Of Roosevelt should again be pre-
sented to the country; and there is
the same untoward and unauthorized
line Of action and argument in the
issue Of the Senatorship. The people
have spoken, in so far as they may
speak, for the nomination and election
of H. NJ. Cake; and it may be we'll to
conserve the expressed will Of the
party, disrupted as it is, in SO grave a
matter as this. He is the only man in
line today who can claim the direct
partisan influence and endorsement so
far as Republican Oregon has signi-
fled its wishes in this relation; and
with that backing he must be treated
with the consideration that is his due
in the premise. The people have
fashion of asserting themselves in re-
prisal for deliberate and arbitrary
houting of their commands and they
have been known to do it even when
party lines were worse confused than
they are at this time.
In view of the tremendous neces-