Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-10-04

In letter to yesterdays Oregonian,
Mr.. Bowerman, Republican candidate
for Governor, effectually answers the
silly charges that have been made
against him to the effect that he will
attempt to destroy the primary law,
If elected The letter is frank and sin
cere, and states clearly Mr. Bower
mans attitude toward the laws enact
ed by the people. He says:
I'm the Portland evening papers of
September 80 there appeared an inter-
view credited to Senator Bourne, in
which he endeavors to deceive the
people into the belief that I am re-
dictionary and am not in favor of pro-
gressive legislation and favor return
ing to the old system of electing I'm
tied States Senators.
I'm answer to this communication
and other false and misleading articles
recently published, | wish to say:
Statement No. / is a part of the di-
rect primary law and / have hereto
fore publicly stated, and now state
again, that I will oppose by every
means within my power any effort to
amend, modify or repeal, or in any
other manner render less useful or less
satisfactory, any part of the direct
primary law, including Statement No.
1, or any other law written on the
statute books by the people of this
state under the initiative and referen-
dunn.
"If I am elected Governor I will
veto any and every measure which at
tempts or undertakes to amend,
change or repeal the direct primary
law Statement No l., or any other law
adopted by the people, or any part of
any of them. AS a member of the Sen
ate and President of that body, I have
never endeavored in any way, manner
or form to induce any other member
to violate his obligation or pledge un-
der Statement No. l, and if | am elect
ed Governor I shall pursue the same
course and shall not in any manner or
by any means interfere or attempt to
interfere with the conduct of any
member in this particular or induce
him to violate his pledge.
at is impossible for the Governor
alone to prevent the passage of any
law, for the Legislature has it within
its power to pass a bill over the veto
of the Governor. In order to prevent
the possibility of any attempt being
made to amend, modify or repeal any
Of these statutes | would suggest that
IL i F., I fcln ~ hn.
invited to subscribe to the same obli-
cation | have heretofore taken and
now take, namely, that they will OPP
pose in every way any attempt to
amend, modify or repeal any law made
by the people. This will be an effectual
guaranty to the people that these men,
the candidates for the Legislature
when elected, will not undertake to
tamper with these laws, and | respect
fully call upon the nominees to define
their position upon this question.
81 do not anticipate that Senator
Bourne has any fear whatever that
Statement 70. 1 will be repealed or
changed, or that / will violate any of
the moral or legal obligations | would
owe to the people as Governor of this
state, but do believe he is simply in
dulging in few cheap heroics for the
two-fold purpose first, of endeavoring
to induce the people to forget his own
shortcomings in the recent past as
Senator, and second, in the further
hope that he may create a false issue
under which he might be returned to
this high office. He evidently feels that
he will need the Office of Governor to
assist him in his primary campaign
two years hence, and perhaps has
many doubts as to his ability to CO.
cree, or otherwise induce me to favor
him over other candidates in that pri-
mary nomination.
JAY BOWERMAN."