Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-16
BrOwnell Analyses The Assembly Plan


States senators under the old system.
Another instance can recall is
where a certain man came within
one vote Of having a sufficient num-
Der of votes to elect him United
States senator and the time had
passed the hour when the joint as
sembly should adjourn, at midnight,
and all this gentlemen's friends we're
in suspense how to get that other
vote, and at the proper time a dis
tinguished gentleman who had been
on the pay roll of the United States
for many years and was then very
active member of the old machine,
quietly slipped up to a certain mem
Der of the legislature and whispered
in his ear the figure four with three
ciphers after it, and that man i'm
mediately became reformer, chang
ed from the man for whom he had
been voting for forty days and cast
his vote for the successful candidate.
recall another instance where
many thousand dollars of the peo-
pies money was appropriated to
satisfy a certain senator, for norm-
al school in his district, in order TO
obtain his vote for United States
senator, costing the people of the
state great deal of money.
Now this corruption was not con-
fined to any faction of the republi-
can party; the leading men in both
factions were equally active and
their agents on both sides resorted
to open and notorious bribery.
can recall another instance when
a certain man was nominated for
governor in this state under the ma
chine system and convention system.
that it was necessary for the candi-
date to put up $4,000 to appease
the wrath of one gentleman, and
$4,000 to fix up another faction n
the party. In the same convention
the state printer was nominated,
but before he could be nominated he
had to divide the proceeds of his Of
flee with two or three other men.
Now these are things that absolute
ly occurred and occurred within the
last twelve years in the state Of
Oregon.
recall another instance in 1907,
when a gentleman, then a member
of the legislature from one Of the
counties outside of Multnomah was
offered and received $4,000 to re-
main away for two days from what
was known as the Mitchell JOINT as
sembly for the purpose of keeping
them from getting sufficien4 num-
ber of votes to organize. This man
brought a large portion of this
money after his two days had ex-
pired, and showed it to the late
Senator Mitchell, the late Solomon
Hirsch and myself and some others
in room in the Willamette Hotel
in Salem. These men were only do
ing and what was the custom and
what was a part of the system that
then prevailed and that prevails in
every state In the Union that has.
the old system of electing United
States senators by the legislature.
These are cold facts but they are
true, and It is the result and always
win be as long as Legislators are
nominated by county conventions,
and have no fear of the popular vote.
You cannot change this system or.
method or stop this corruption by
changing men, because men will be
reached some way, If not by money,
by some other influence.
Can the people of the state OF
Oregon, with the knowledge OF these
things before them, willingly enter
into a movement, no matter how
finely disguised the movement may
be, the result of which would tend
to organize the party Of this state
along the line of destroying State
ment No. 1, and the present system
of electing senator's.
Another reason why the assembly
dea or plan is objectionable is be-
cause 1t gives an opportunity for the
public suryioe corporation and their
interests to combine through the
different assemblies in the different
counties, and name and support GER
ain men for supreme court judges
Who would be named by the state as
iembly and supported by the differ
mt county assemblies In order to
'lect the men named by the corpor-
tions for supreme court judges.
Another reason is: We now have
railroad commission that Is acting
cry Justly and fairly towards the
hippers and the people Of the state.
nd some of whom are undoubtedly
bjecuonable to the public service
orporations Of this state, and there
J no doubt but what there Is an or
anized plan upon the part Of these
orporations and their agents TO
anne men upon the railroad commits
lon that will be more satisfactory