Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-04
IS BENSON
TO GIVE UP
HIS OFFICE
OREGoNIAN SAYS HE WILL QUIT
POLITICS ENTIRELY, BUT HIS
CLOSEST FRIENDS HERE IN
TERLY DISCREDIT THE STORY.

CLOSEST FRIENDS HEtE UI'
TERLY DISCREDIT THE STORY
That Frank w. Benson secretary
of state and acting governor, has
decided to retire wholly from politics
at the close of his present term Of
office, and that his brother, Judge
Henry L. Benson, will seek the Re-
publican nomination for governor is
definite report in circulation among
Portland men who are interested in
the political situation in the state.
Governor Benson is now in Cali
fornia seeking treatment for a phys
ical affiiction that some time ago
caused him to abandon all inclination
to seek election regularly as governor
of Oregon, but at the time he heached
this determination 1t was his inten-
ton to become an aspirant for the
nomination as secretary of state. 1t
is now said that Governor Benson's
health has not improved as much as
could be desired and that his ply
sicians had advised him against
shouldering the. strain of a political
campaign.
Judge Henry L. Benson is known
to be politically ambitious, but the
fact that his brother has been an
avowed candidate for state Office has
made it inadvisable for him to enter
that field of politics. The under
standing is that Judge Benson is now
free to engage in the campaign in
any manner he sees fit, and will en-
deavor to obtain the assembly in
dorsement for governor.
Two Offices Affected.
The new prospective candidate for
governor is looked upon as an astute
politician and good "miXer" and his
entry into the contest will put a new
phase not only on the contest for the
assembly endorsement for governor,
but also on the question of recon-
mending a candidate for secretary of
state. Judge Benson, it is said, has
been a close advisor of his brother,
and will count on becoming the heir
to whatever prestige and influence
F. w. Benson has acquired since be-
coming acting governor, through the
election of Governor Chamberlain to
the United States senate.
His addition to the list of aspirants
for the nomination for governor
would make six who are more or less
avowedly candidates before the com
ing assembly. These candidates will
fairly we'll represent the four quar-
ters of the state. They include Dr.
Andrew Smith of Portland; Jay
Bowerman, of Candon, president of
the senate, and DR.. James Witty
combe, director of the Oregon Agri-
cultural College and experiment sta
tion at Corvallis. The last three
mentioned are fairly active candi-
dates. George j. Cameron, district
attorney in Multnomah county Is
suggested by some uper-enthusiastic
friends, while ]. H. Ackerman,
state school superintendent, and
Charles Johns, attorney and ex-mayor
of Baker City, are also mentioned.
If it is true that Governor Benson
has decided to abandon politics, the
field is clear so far as aspirants for
nomination for secretary of state,
with the exception of j. b. Coffey, of
Portland, and as a result it is
thought that Mr.. Coffey will soon
make himself generally known
throughout the state as seeker of
the nomination.
Assembly's Way Disputed.
1t Is hardly to be expected that
the assembly ticket will have clear
field in the primaries, once 1t is rec
commended, and there probably will
be two or more anti-assembly aspi-
rants for the gubernatorial nomina-
tion. Two are said to have their
eyes turned that way are Judge
G.. b. Dimick, of Clackamas county,
and Colonel E. Hofer, the Salem
newspaper publisher. Thus says the
Oregonian.
Discredit Story.
Friends of Governor Benson say
when they last heard from him that
he was much improved in health. He
had been recovering from the insom-
mia from which he was suffering, and
his face trouble was also mHch i'm
proved, and, because no adYices had
been received to the contrary, they
discredit the story of his retirement
from politics.
SEALED PROPOSALS VIII be re-
ceived by the undersigned until
Monday, June 9Th, at 1880 o'clock