The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-02-28
ATHENA. ORE. FEB. 28....... 1908
Anyone having the least doubt as tc

Anyone having the least doubt as to
the betterment of conditions in this
state resulting from the primary law,
and statement No /. in particular,
should carefully read the admissions
made by Senator Fulton in his reply
to Heney's charges. While the sena-
tor handles his side of the argument
in a mastery manner, gifted, bright,
brilliant as he is, both in capacity of
lawyer and statesman, the rank cor
ruptive and coercive methods until
recently employed in the selection OF
Oregon senators, could not be covered
up in his reply to Heney's allegations
recently made in speech at Portland.
Senator Fulton's splendid composition
which was released for publication
Sunday, in which is compiled every
logical argument and fact at bis COM
mand in refutation of the famous gov
ernment prosecutors charges, bristles
with salient references to the rottenn ess
and stencil with which the state of
Oregon reeked politically under ma
chine rule. If the following excerpt
from Fulton's letter will not make
converts to Statement No. 1, what in
the name of heaven would. Remem-
ber that it is from the pen Of Oregon g
senior senator, written in defense of
his honor, character aud political
aspirations. Read it:
"Now let US see what Smith charges
in his affidavit Mitchell and did.
He says: Fulton said to mein Mitch
ellis hearing and presence, 81 will give
you So, 900 and pay you 81, 500 of that
amount down right now it you will
go into the house tomorrow and make
speech that you think there has been
enough of this delay and urge that the
members take action and vote fol
Mitchell for United States SENATOR,
aud to this he says Mitchell added his
assurance.
$50 then, he was not, according to
his own statement, asked to vote for
Mitchell himself, but he was to go into
the house--that is, take his oath of
Office and official seat-and advise
against further delay and recommend
that thn haru nt ond tho
"hold up" and elect Mitchell. Well,
even if Mitchell did offer to pay Smith
aud did pay him to qualify and take
his seat so as to make quorum, even
to make speech for him, it would not
have been violation of law.
~ do not defend such transaction
aud never engaged in one, But we
all know how bitter were those old
faotioual contests, and we know by
common report that men of the high
est character, whose horror in other
matters was never questioned. went to
leugths and did things which they no
doubt regretted ever after. In the old
Dolph- Mitchell contest of 1895 and in
the Mitchell Corbett fights thereafter,
we all know what charges and count
erobarges were made. In the heat of
suoh contest, honorable men often
90 too far. So in the contest of 1897
the most bitter ever waged in Oregon
men were at white heat.
"That money--large sums of money
was paid to members elect in 1897
to induce them not to qualify and to
absent themselves from the prelimi-
nary organization Mitchell well knew.
Indeed, current reports credited the
supplying of the money, and the pay
ment of il as we'll, to men of high
standing i'll the state. These are un-
pleasant things to mention, but am
obliged to present the situation. 1t
was not nice business on either side,
and personally | never engaged in it
and would not, as all my personal
friends know. 1t was deplorable con-
dition, hut probably inevitable under
the system then existing. am thank