Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-09-27

Office without a platform-slipping
around the state for support, fish to
one voter, flesh to another, and fowl
to another? This is the method of Sc
curing office that is being pursued in
Oregon by both Republicans and
Democrats. 1t is a method that is not
only made possible but is encouraged
by the new order of things, but the
Observer will never be found admit
ting for an instant that it is for the
best interest of the state.
The assembly took from no voter
any right or privilege that he enjoyed
before it was held. The truth of this
assertion was demonstrated Saturday
afternoon when the voter went to the
polls and exercised every right guar
anted by the constitution to an Amer
lean citizen. If the assembly candidate
was the more acceptable to him, he
voted for the assembly candidate. If
he desired to support a candidate op-
posed to the assembly, he found the
name of that candidate on his ballot
also, and all that remained for him to
do was to take his pencil and indi-
cate his choice. In other words, he
found that he was still free Ameri-
can citizen, Notwithstanding all the
howl that had been raised to the ef-
feet that an effort was being made to
enslave him. He found that he was
free to vote as he pleased and this he
proceeded to do. Now, that the voters
of Oregon have exercised such a priv
ilege, who will say that the ticket
nominated does not represent the peo-
ple's will?
The Observer said all along before
the primaries that it was prejudiced in
favor of the assembly candidates, but
it also said that the primary election
would remove that prejudice, and that
whoever was nominated by the Re-
publican voters would receive its
cheerful and loyal support. This paper
realizes that there are many good Re-
publicans who do not believe in the
assembly, and who are honest in op-
posing it. With these men, the Obser-
yer has no quarrel. 1t is grateful to
know, however, that an overwhelm-
ing majority of its Republican friends
and neighbors in Polk County do be-
lieve in assembly and that these men
have pursued a course which has re-
suited in the nomination of a clean
and able county ticket without oppo-
stion and the Endorsement of the
state assembly ticket by a two-to- one
majority. No one in Oregon has yet
been heard expressing the least doubt
as to how Old Polk will vote in No
vember.
Nor will the Republican party lose
single man nominated last Saturday
unless Republicans themselves shall
make it possible for Democrats to win.
Let every Republican bear in mind
that Republicans nominated at the
primary are the regular candidates of
the Republican party; that they were
nominated in a free, clean and open
primary; that representing the choice
of the people, they are entitled to en-
thusiastic and loyal support.
Already, the defeated candidates of
both the assembly and anti-assembly
tickets are lining up as one man for
the election of the winners. 1t is good
and pleasant to see all differences laid
aside and winners and losers working
together as men and brothers should,
for such harmony means the destruc-
tion of the only ground upon which
the Democrats have been basing their
hope Of winning in the November cleo
tion.