Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-01-18
FAVOR ASSEMBLY Plan
WOULD SIMPLIFY PRIMARY
TANGLEs, SAY ADVOCATES.
Only Three Republicans out OF Ihrts-
Four Interviewed oppose
Proposed Method.

the state from klaHldtH couies -
south to Baker county on the east are
united in their advocacy Of state ana
county assemblies this year. rms sen
timent is further reflected IN the III
teryiews published in the Sunday ore
gonian, which were obtained from
nrominent members of the party IN
eight widely separated counties, repre-
sentative of every section OF tne sta'e'
The counties from which interviews
were presented are: Baker Josephine
| klamath. Lane, Sherman, Umatiiia,
Union and Wasco.
In all, 81 Republicans were asked 10
give their opinion of the proposed as
samhly. OF that number only three
declared their opposition to this sys-
tematic plan for recommending suit
able candidates to the voters, prior 10
the primary election.
The three dissenting voices are those
of s. A. Lowell and G. A. .Bartiett' Oh
ITmatilla county, and w. G. BroWley'
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney OF
of Baker county. Judge Lowell WIN
holds his Endorsement of the assembly
nlan for the reason that he suspects
II is q movement to reinstate the OLD
, convention system HE makes liio
, charge that the advocates OF the as
J sembly are machine politicians. Whlle
admitting that mistakes nave peeh
{ made under the direct primary, ne
r saws he is willing to trust to the mass
2 es," hoping that repetition OF past
5 blunders may be avoided in the iuture.
{ Mr.. Barrett, who was twice elected
c+ata Representative from Umatilla
= county is also opposed to the assem-
: bly He was one of the Repuplicaii
S members Of the last Legislature VINO
n found if necessary to vote for a Demo-
o crat for United States Senator. IN MS
r interview he expresses the beliel tial
}. the direct primary in it's present ioriii
: will vet work out satisfactorily II
n given a chance.
: The third man of the 81 who de-
clines to indorse the assembly Is AS
l. sistant Prosecuting Attorney BroWles,
It of Baker county Mr.. Browley woulo
= have the direct primary law amended
l. ca that party lines may be drawn
a more clearly, but he is not IN faVor "
ID the Republicans assembling by ouiS
le elected representatives ana RECON-
mending to the voters candidates pes
qualified for public office.
as The other "a Republicans who wer'
le interviewed are unit in declaring 10
lie tbe assembly. 1t is only in the detail
m as tn organization of these gathering
w and the manner in which delegate
IN shall be selected that there is any oil
ne ference of opinion. Several OF them az
A, willing to leave these questions TOT ue
Is, termination by the members OF TN
Is, state and county central committees
h. Eleven Favor Direct Vote.
u OF Is who discussed the selection 9
1t; delegates. II favored the election G
Oh delegates direct by the voters in tn
various precincts to the county assem-
bly,, this gathering thus constituted
- turn to elect the companys quota
delegates to the state assembly.
~ The other four Republicans who e1
nressed themselves on this sup1ec
propose that delegates to the coun
assemblies shall be elected at cauc'
;r,, or mass meeting of the Repuoilcs
~, voters of each precinct. The centr
,o1 thought and judgment of every h
nd publican committing himself on Il
,ar nuestion of how the delegates shou
in be selected is that the proceedn
,ds must be open to the voters OF q
of party. so that every Republican m
ese have something to say in the orga
M ization of the assembly In this w
ION only, it is urged, can thorough
the representative assembly be chosen
~, Twenty-four of the 81 interview
rds advise that the county assemblies
,ws held in advance of the state assemo
Four would have the state assem-
un precede the county gatherings.
in latter arrangement is not approx
rom by the great majority of OF the
,ntv nublicans for the reason that 1t wo'
,erv make more difficult the manner
on selecting delegates to the two asse
ries blies.
1,oz...o. VTota TTroad