The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-01-21
il Rinpr 6larirr
Issued Every .lhuIeday by
ARTHUR %. MOE, Publisher.
CHAMRERLAIN,S ELECTION

CHAMBERLAiN'S ELECTlON
The election of George Chamberlain
as United States senator for Oregon
should not be laid at the door of the
members OF the legislature nor should
they be blamed. In fact 1t is to their
credit that they have chosen the man
selected tor tha. office by the will OF
the people and whom they were pledg-
ed to support through the workings OF
the states freak primary law. Laying
aside the question Of the laws consti-
tutionality and other defects, it was
nut in effect as q result 0f the wishes
OF the majority aud was accepted In
good faith although it has resulted in
disastrous failure, and is menace
to the progress Of the state.
Like other states, Oregon, by the
provisions OF the constitution of the
United States is allowed two senators
to represent its interests in the ma
tional congress. The manner In which
they shall be elected is poVided for
aud also provision for changing their
mode OF election by an amendment to
the constitution. 1t does not, how
ever, stlpuIate that Oregon has the
power to make this amendment or any
other one or half dozen states. The
constitution provides that an amend.
ment to the law providing tor the
election of United States senators can
originate In either house OF congress,
recurring three -fourths vote OF bot b
houses and tha ratification OF the leg
islatures OF two-thirds OF the states, to
become a law. Or it can originate
from the states and become law by
the ratification OF both houses OF CON q.
gress. There Is no question that the
trend OF public opinion Is toward the
election of United States senators by
direct vote and 1t would also appear
that the time may not be far distant
wheu this manner Of electing them
may prevail.
70 do this will require more or less
united demand on the part OF the va
rious states and all makeshift and
compromise masures such as the di-
rest primary law which must OF neces-
pity be ineffective and abortive will
undoubtedly retard rather than hast.
on action that will lead to this end.
Under the primary law the voters Of
the state had placed themselves on
record as fsyoring as their choice
George Chamberlain, supposedly q
democrat, but In fact allied with nc
party.
Admitting that Mr. Cham berlain
may have the ability to qualify him
for this most important position, it
will be impossible for him, to any
extent, or any other man without a
party to secure for the state the legis-
lation that 10 10 In need OF nor to
materially advance its interests
Slow to acknowledge the demands OF
a member of the majority party for
his constituents what will be the re-
suits of the attempted accomplish.
ment OF senator who represents no
party In the United States senstsY
1t can best be summed up ss ex-
tremely vague.
In the meantime the great public
needs of the state must 60 only pat
italy represented and its progress be
seriously impeded until such time as a
change can be effected that will put
a senator in Office whose efforts in its
behalf will be considered and who will
have the states influence to sup.
port him.
This Is the serious situation In which
the state is placed in regard to the
senatorship. The election OF Cham
berlain means that Oregon viii be
without Its majority representation In
the United States senate aud that the
abortive law which brought this state
of affairs about allows of no immedi-
ate remedy.