The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-17
the legislative ratification of their ac-
Sentiment of Oregon Legislators.

ton.
Sentiment of Oregon Legislators.
THE Oregon legislature consists of
80 members, 80 in the senate and 60 in
the house, 46 making the necessary ma
jority on full attendance for the cleo
ton of United States senator Fifty
one members out OF 80 of the legiS-
lature which elected my colleague, Sen
ator Chamberlain, were subscribers to
statement No. 1, making on joint bal
lot majority of out of a total of 80
members. All of these 81 members
subscribed to statement No. 1 pledge
voluntarily, and it WAS so subscribed to
by them from a personal belief in the
desirability of the popular election o.
United States senators and for the pur-
pose of securing for themselves from
the electorate preferfnent in the cleo
ton to the office sought; the consider
alton in exchange for such preferment
was to be by them, as the legally con-
stituted representative of the cleo
torate in their behalf, the perfunctory
confirmation of the peoples selection
of United States senator as that choice
might be ascertained under the pro.
visions of the same law by which the
legislators themselves secured nominal
ton to office"
Robert Stone on Oregon Plan.
Robert Stone, member of the legis-
lature from Shawnee, and candidate
for speaker, when asked today for
statement regarding the Oregon plan
of electing a United States senator
gave the following remarkably clear
explanation of the proposed law:
"One of the pledges of the Repub-
hcan platform is the adoption of the
Oregon plan for the election of United
States senator. It might occur to some
that under our present primary law
the people have a good opportunity to
express their choice of United States
senator. The Oregon plan, however
goes one step farther, and after pro-
Viding that the United States senators
may be nominated by the respective
parties at the primary, the people are
then given an opportunity at the gen.
eral election to vote upon the nomi-
nees of the respective parties. and the
individual receiving the greatest num-
thereby becomes the peoples choice
for United States senator. The people
of oregon adopted a bill which is as
follows:
BE It Enacted by the People of
the State of Oregon: Section 1. That
we. the people of the state of Oregon,
hereby instruct our representatives
and senators in our legislative assem-
bly,, as such officers. to vote for and
elect the candidates for United States
senators from this state who receive
the highest number of votes at our
general election
This makes the legislature mere
electoral college to deposit votes in
accordance with the expressed will of
the people-just as the presidential
electors are mere automatons in cast
ing the vote of the states for presi-
dent The result is, that while the ma
jority of the legislature may belong to
one party, the senator elected by that
legislature may belong to another
party, with the result that in Oregon,
Republican Legislature a few years
ago, elected a Democrat as United
States senator: and at the general cleo
ton just held, one of the states oper-
ating under this provision has elected
a Democratic legislature, which is, I am
informed, instructed to elect a Repub-
lican senator.
This kind of a provision removes
the legislative election from the par
tizan in the contest which is so apt to
come in the senatorial year, and gives
the voters an untrammeled opportunity y
to elect as senator the man whom they
most desire.
THE members of the legislature are.
of course, not bound to respect the ex-
preston of the people but it is hardly
likely that the intelligence and integ
rity of the whole electorate will be
impugned by any member of the legis-
lature refusing to follow the direction
of the voters. In order, however, 20
insure such loyalty. the Oregon plan
taken by members of the Legislature
who are willing to subscribe thereto,
by which the candidate for the legis =
lature states to the people of the state
as we'll as of his own legislative dis
trict, that during his term of office ne
will always vote for the candidate for
senator who has received the highest
number Of the peoples votes at the
preceding general election, without re-
gard to his individual preference.
I'm Oregon. after the adoption CT
these provisions, efforts were made TO
dishonor the state and the legislators
by Offering rewards in political prefer
ment to members who would violate
their pledge and the instructions of the
general election; but these Efforts were
futile, with the result which l have
above stated. This, of course, is ar
evolution in politics, and is hard blow
to the man who manipulates combina-
tions at legislatures but it appears TO
me to be in the interest of the govern
In 20