The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1908-07-24
Legislative Candidates Fight
Shy of Section 81 Pledge
May Not Subscribe.
Among the Jones Supporters Is One
Who Possesses Consuming De-
sire to Be Again Senator.

All Wy tliblh sticttdl vi bulH L - w iuC
Oregonian says that filings Of declara-
tiOns OF candidacy for legisla tive posi-
tons on the republican ticket, which be-
gan July 10, have thrown new light
upon the proposal OF Congressman Wes.
ley l.. Jones, made in the latter part of
June, that Senator Levi Ankeny and he
sign a compact providing for the with
drawal of the loser Of the preference vote
in the primaries from the senatorial
election contest to be held hy the legis-
lature next January.
Candidates for legislative positions
are not yet falling over Themselves to
subscribe to the Section 81 pledge, de
ciaring their purpose to always vote
for the candidate for United States sena
tor who has received the highest number
OF votes upon their party ticket.
Unless public sentiment becomes more
demOnstrative concerning this feature Of
the direct primary law, it is well within
the range of possibilities that a majority
OF the members of the next legislature
will not be subscribers to the pledge.
OF the 1O7 members of the legislature,
but Sc are to be elected this year. In
the senate there are 81 hold over sen
atOrs, three of whom are democrats.
These hold,Over senators, not having
been elected under provisions OF the pri-
mary law, are not pledged to vote for
the party choice for United States SEN
ator. A majority of the legislature is
81. Therefore the election of 33 IN
pledged senator's and representatives
would make up a majority Of unpledged
members, or if the three democratic
ton, the election Of 3G unpledged re.
pubicans would make the election pos
sible of candidate for the United States
senate who failed to receive the popular
vote.
While Congressman Jones supporters
are apparently anxious to rest his case
with the voters, the more astute poll
ticians who are guiding the destinies OF
the Ankeny fight have avoided, by ad
ysing him to refuse to enter into the
compact, the very dangerous possibility
Of eliminating both candidates from sue
cess in the election by the legislature.
While in declining to enter into the
compact, Senator Ankeny gave several
reasons far not pledging himself to with
4 - - IL 6, IL,
to obtain the majority Of the popular
vote, it has become understood that
there were weightier and thoroughly
honorable motives back of his refusal
that were not mentioned.
Such a compact might result in an il
lustration OF the old story of two dogs
quarreling over bone until a third ran
away with it, There is nothing in the
law Of this state that prevents a person
whose name does not appear upon the
primary election ticket as a candidate
for the United States senate from be
coming a candidate and submitting his
chances to the legislature.
The apathy of the candidates and
vOters concerning the Section 81 pledge
now illustrates that the entering into Of
such a compact as that proposed by
Jones would have been equivalent to the
assumption by the senatorial candidates
themselves OF the pledge which the law
provides may be subscribed to by the
candidates for the legislature.
With such compact in force, the in
terest that now exists in candidates for
the legislature subscribing to the pledge
would not prevail and it would be prac
tically certainty that a majority OF
the members of the legislature would be
elected without being bound to vote for
either Jones or Ankeny.
In such an event dark horse could
enter the race with good chances OF win
ming II a man of prominence in the
state, he would have not only his per-
sonal following, but very likely that OF
the one Of the two candidates who was