The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-07-31
VOTERS MAKE
A SENATOR.
advertiser Correspondence, Copyright
by Frederic J. Haskin.)

The most conspicuous example of the
change of the Voters from the attitude
of helping an aspirant to "get the nom.
nation to q determination to "make
the nomination themselves, is afford
ed by the recent success of Governor
Chamberlain of Oregon, Democrat,
who was selected for United States
senator at general direct primary in
Republican state. In that case the
party voters not only absolved their
partisans in the legislature from loyalty
to the chosen party candidate, but ac-
tually instructed the majority OF the
legislature to vote against its party can
didate. The Oregon general primary
for senator is in effect an extra-ccn-
stitutional method of choosing senator's
by direct vote, and is not party pri-
mary. Yet it is the direct outgrowth of
the determination of the voters to- take
into their own hands the elective power.
They learned how to do it in party pri-
maries, and they have carried things a
step farther toward matured democ.
racy.
Oregon and Oklahoma are both ex.
perimenting with direct legislation by
means of the initiative and referendum
Other states are not yet ready to take
such radical departures from the rep.
resentative form of government, but the
increasing power of the direct nominal.
ing primary shows that the people gen
orally are inclining in that direction.
United States senators are nominated
by party primaries in many states, and
each biennium adds others to the list.
The convention for nominating county
officers is almost extinct, SO generally
has the primary election nominating
system been applied to minor Offices in
rural districts.
Abuses of the powers of delegated
conventions, the opportunity for corrup.
tion, and the dangers of dark horses
all had to do with the downfall of the
~ " - ~ y ~ " ~ ~ y y ~ y - ~ - ~
1t has been held in certain prohibi.
ton localities that beverages contain
ing less than two per cent of alcohol
are Notwithstanding, and that they,
therefore, can be sold without violating
the local option laws; hence, in some
places, persons are paying the federal
tax as wholesale dealers in malt liquors
and handling lager beer with a slightly
alcoholic content in the face of local
laws passed for the purpose of driving
out all such supposedly evil substances.
In other localities the courts have held
practically that any beverage which
subjects the dealer to the federal spe-
cial tax cannot be sold under the local
option laws inflicting penalties for the
sale of intoxicating liquors. Here again
the Temperance beer" folks have
found relief. 1t has been held by the
internal Revenue Bureau that fer
mented liquor containing less than one
half of one per cent of alcohol may be
sold by person not holding special
tax stamp as wholesale or retail deal
er in malt liquors.
Some breweries, therefore, are pro-
ducing beverages through the regular
processes of manufacturing fermented
liquors upon which they pay the gov
eminent tax of one dollar per barrel,
after which, by methods of evapora-
ton, the alcoholic content is reduced
to less than one-half of one per cent
by volume, and the liquor is then ready
for shipment to the merchant in the
prohibition town, with all legal require
/ ments fulfilled, and yet with the most
remarkable physical resemblance to
lager beer, in color, foam and odor, and
with the possible additional advantage
that the consumer may be compelled
to increase the dose in order to reach
the proper spot.
One of the mysterious items of reve-
nue. is the sum annually collected ON
snuff, which pears the same tax as that
levied on tobacco-six cents per pound.
1t is true that the receipts for this fis-
cal year will show slight decrease,
but no more than sympathetic reduc-
tion in keeping with the general de-
cline in the revenues. 1t is very likely
that the official report, judging from
data just made public, will show a
production of twenty five million
pounds of snuff during the twelve
months ending today. Where this snuff
goes, who uses it, and why, nobody
knows, unless it be the large manu-
! facturers in close touch with the trade
, One would suppose that with the pass.
ing of the snuff box, now only memo
!. ry, and the advance of civilization in
those sections where clipping" is, or
was, INDUCED in, the production of
snuff would rapidly diminish. On the
contrary, it shows healthy and vigor-
Ions nxrrt h Tn,.