Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-11-17
THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM WAS A REPUBLICAN
WEASlIRE

THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM WAS A REPUBLICAN
MEASURE
The reform known as Direct Legislation was inaugural
ed and submitted to the people by Republican legislatures
Furthermore it was endorsed and approved in RepubD-
can conventions under the good old Representative" SyS-
tenn.
Under its operation the people have secured the Direct
Primary law and the Direct Election of United States Sena-
tors,
Gated that the 0regOnian consented to- C0nnNed for and
helped adopt these things that are now called bad and reVo-
ILonary.
If the Oregonan now tells the truth about the evil effects
of these reforms which we deny the party needs nothing so
much as new leadership, and new panty organ
The party leadership is Stuliying itself when cries out
against the progressive reforms that have been secured un-
der the Initiative and Referendum
The alleged leading lights of Repqbicanism are dsown-
ing the offspring of their own political virtue and kicking
their own children out of DOORS .~,..-.@.e .---..>
Dr. T, v, B. Embree of Dallas writes thus to the Dallas
"Now, let us see whose chicken this initiative and refer
endum S Bear mind, the PopuS party too dead to
skin when that law was passed by the Legislature, That
party died from fusion The Democrats sick and hardly
able to crawl The great originator and promoter of this
measure helped to wreck the Peoples party and cuckooke
took his nest egg and placed under the good old Republican
hen to hatch (0uChl Doctor that hurtS-Edtor) There
is where he found his cranks vsonares and rascas" The
PopuS convention as WHOLE was made up of the CeaneSt
set Of men connected with the whole affair.",
Mr., Editor this initiative and referendum measure is
your partYS adopted child iS true has the PopuSt odor
on it. which gives fragrance that is somewhat Sckenng
to great many You had better umgate your own house,
hold if you want to get rid of the rat that is gnaWng your
walls, The evidence Of your pays appreciation Of the
weckeS of PopuSm is to look at the rewards given them by
promoting them to the highest positions Of honor and profit
Good >oId Dr. Embree tells whole lot of truth in the
above when he says the Republican Machine rewarded the
men who engineered the adoption of these reforms into high
office.
But is useless to go into all that The questions is to-
day. Shall the party abandon its legitimate offspring the
Or shall the Republican party stand by its record of hav
ing given the people 0egon the most progressive and ef
fCient tools for Self-governmen?
Who is crying out against DireS Legislation, the Direct
Primary and Direct Election of Senators in Oregon anyWay2
Isn't it the big interests, the hg corporations that have
ruled in conventions, that have dictated nominations, that
have controlled legislatures and have elected their agents
to the United States Senate2
Come now be honest didntyou bite off too big mouth
full and don't set hard on your SomaChS and haven't
got sick of game you did not understand when you went into
t2
Ifyou we're more or less honest and intelligent you would
quit kicking Yourselves in the face and pleading the baby act
saying you didn't know it was loaded.
Let us be proud of our record in giving the people re-
form measures