The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-06
RULE BY PEOPLE
NATIONAL DEMAND
Continued from PaSe One.

otHNdlNt lOIIu OF government HoNNlNh-
standing the election is supposedly by
the people
Capable of SeIf-EOvernment.
"There are doubtless some people who
honestly believe that the people as a
whole have not reached the stage of de-
velopment qualifying them individually
to participate in government. Others,
whom credit with the intelligence which
have seen manifested by them In other
directions, assert the inability Of the peo-
pie 10 govern themselves as an excuse
rather than a conviction. but l. Mr..
President, from thirty years experience
in practical politics. am absolutely con-
WINGED not only that the people are fully
capable OF governing themselves but that
they are decidedly the best judges as TO
those individuals to whom they shall
delegate the truly representative power.
Individual selhshness. cupidity and
ambition are minimized in the party or
general electorate selections OF public
servants; good general service is de-
manded by the electorate, special service
by the individual
Hence. my advocacy Of popular gov
eminent. BY popular government, ]
mean direct legislation as far as prac-
ticable, popular selection OF candidates
and such regulation Of political campaigns
as will secure fair and honest elections.
Popular selection. under the present
stage Of evolution Of our government
can be obtained only by direct primary
laws and complete elimination of con-
vention and caucus nomination of public
officers
Time was when a few self-constituted
leaders in Oregon politics arrogated TO
themselves the prerogatives Of govern
ment and made their assumption effective
through Illicit combinations and the use
OF money in any and every quarter where
necessary to their purposes Of control:
that is. they commercialized conventions.
legislatures and the administrative
branches of the city, county. and State
government. II was not a condition pc
culiar 10 Oregon. It obtained, and I be-
lieve still obtains. in more or less
fragrant degree. in every State in the
Union; and II had it's boldest. most un-
scrupulous executive genius in Boss
Tweed, who, recognizing the opportunity
OF the crook in government by party
through convention nominations, de-
clared he did not care who elected the
candidates so long as he had the power
to nominate the ticket.
Revolving against these conditions. the
State which I have the honor. in part to
system OF popular government and be-
cause Of this conviction. I take this op-
portunity Of presenting not only TO the
Senate but TO the country, a brief
analysis Of the Oregon laws bearing upon
this question, with my own deductions as
to the improvement they show and the
merits they possess"
Oregon Laws Explained.
He explained and discussed the Ore
gon laws at length and declared that
Oregon has the best SYSTEM Of popular
government known in the world to-day.
an absolute government by the people.
The Australian ballot he said insures
secrecy, prevents intimidation. and elm
mates bribery. The registration law pro-
tects the right 10 participate in govern
ment and dead men. repeaters and non
residents are no longer voted in Oregon"
The Initiative develops the electorate
and the referendum restraints the legisla-
ture- Brains, ideas, and argument rather
than money. intimidation. and iog-rolling
govern the standards of legislation. Since
the initiative and referendum was adopt
ed In Oregon in 1902. the people Of that
State have voted upon twenty-three meas
urcs submitted under the initiative. five
under the referendum, and four referred
TO the people by the Legislature. these
measures presenting every phase Of legis-
lation and some Of them being bills Of
considerable length. That the people
acted intelligently is evident from the fact
that in no instance had there been gen
eral dissatisfaction with the result OF the
vote. The people are not only intelligent
but fair. There has been no hasty or i'll
advised legislation. Corporations have
not been held up and blackmailed by the
people as they often have been by legis-
lators. The people Of Oregon were never
more prosperous and contented than they
are to-day. and never before did the State
offer such an inviting field for investment
OF caUital
The Primary system.
The direct primary election is held
forty-five days prior 10 the general cleo
ton, and persons desiring to participate
in party primaries must register under
oath their party affiliations, which re-
quirement prevents the members of one
party from participating in the primaries
Of another party. The primary law pro
vides for direct nomination of candidates
for United States Senator and also an
expression Of choice at the general cleo
ton. Candidates for the State legisla-
true may sign a pledge known as State
ment No. l." In which they promise. II
nominated and elected. 10 always vote
for that candidate for the United States
Senate who received the highest number
Of the peoples votes at the preceding
general election.
mo oath could be more sacred in hon
or" declared Senator Bourne. mo con-
tract more binding; no mutual considera-
ton more definite than is contained in
this pledge, and no parties to contract
could be of more consequence to govern
ment and society than the electorate
upon the one side and its servants upon
the other"
Though the greatest possible strain was
put upon the law. no member of the leais-
lature has ever violated his pledge TO the
people of Oregon and three United States
Senator'S have been elected after receiv-
ing the proper Endorsement.
Statement No. 1, however, is the only
pledge that will hold the legislature under
a severe strain. as was demonstrated in
Senator Chamherlain's election for al