Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-16
A HISTORY OF ITS WORK
BY OREGON EX-SENATOR

SSudISS anu MI WSbSlSI anu MI
Marshall could no more secure the
legislation they desired than a pri-
vate in the Oregon National Guard
could secure the command of the
Japanese army.
In other words, in our form of
government, the only real force that
has control or is seriously consider
ed is the force that comes from
property rights. A man in political
life who has Independent character
and who listens to his conscience is
never acceptable to men who control
property. These men dominate and
insist upon absolute subservency to
their rule This is illustrated in
another way. Why is it, If this is
not true, that whenever a president
of the United States comes to make
an appointment to fill vacancy on
the supreme bench of the United
States or of the United States circuit
court or district court that the first
question that he always determines
is what are the influences behind
this man; how does he stand upon
the questions affecting capital and
labor, and what have been his en-
vironments and associations relative
to the forces of property and the
monied interests. Now if this man
whose name is mentioned is salts
factory to the banking and railroad
interests he will be appointed; if he
is not he will not be appointed. Now
why is this, unless it goes to prove
that from the president of the United
States down, all men having power
cannot obtain that power under the
present system of government until
they make their peace with men rep
resenting property rights? Take an
other view; look at the cabinet of
probably all gentlemen of high char
acter and good morals, but there IS
not single member of the cabinet,
unless it may be the secretary of
the department of agriculture, who
is not an out and out corporation
man, not only a corporation man,
but a director or attorney or agent
of some of the strongest monied in
terests of the United States. Under
Mr.. Roosevelt's administration, Mr.
Root was secretary of state, iSld at
the same time attorney and agent
for Tom Ryan, J. P. Morgan and
that class of monied men in many
of their schemes when the Metropoli-
tan Railroad Company of New York
was practically looted out of mil
lions of money. Mr.. Knox, the pres
ent secretary of state, has been an
untiring agent professionally for the
Pennsylvania Railroad and Steel
Trust for years, and was represent
ing them in the senate of the United
States, as Mr.. Root is now represent
ing the same interests and not the
interests of the people in the United
States senate. 1t is Enthusiastically
true that the dominating forces in
our politics are special interests and
special privileges, and that these
interests combine in every state in
he Union to control the election Of
he United States senators and con-
yressmen as well.
Is that a just system and will 1t
produce results that will tend TO
,ivic righteousness in the United .
states of America? Ever since the !
Jivil War there has been a strong
clement among the people of the
United States that has favored a
popular election of the United States
enators. Resolutions of this char
acter have frequently been intro
uced in the congress of the United
states, but It has never amounted
o anything and 1t never WILL for
he reason that nine-tenths Of the
enators are absolutely owned and
ontrolled by the monied interests
f the United States and of the states
'hich they represent, and the monied
interests are opposed to permitting
he people to rule, always have been
nd always will be. There is no
ope that the method of the electing
I United States senator's will ever
e changed by the vote of such men
s President Taft, II he had vote,
r Mr.. Knox, his secretary of state,
r Elihu Root, or Chauncy Depew
I the state of New York, or Hale or
ldrich, or Elkins or men of that
lass who really dominate the SEN
te of the United States In the inter !
It of their masters, the monied In {
,rests OF the United States There {
IRE, feel that the assembly plan ls {
subterfuge and an Indirect method !
destroying the greatest movement &
lat has ever been originated in the I
nited states since the declaration y
Independence g
Why Is II necessary for the intelli- Z
INT people Of this state. who own all
5 property and own its schools IT'S D
lurches and It's undevelOped re- o