Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-07-19
TILE DIFFERENCE.


Foes of the assembly plan arr
pleased to apply the term "conyen
tions' TO the recent Republican gath.
erings which have been held through.
out the state. The word Convention
Is a misnomer. A political convention
has the power to nominate candidates
for office. These assemblies can only
recommend candidates for nomina-
tlon. The difference is plain, as every
man who is honest with himself and
the people well knows. No nomina-
tions have been made In any county
in Oregon. This power will rest with
the voters at the primary election to
be held in September. The last word
as to the fitness Of any candidate will
rest with the individual voter when he
enters the voting booth. Bearing this
fact In mind, how senseless is all this
cry that the rights of the people Of
Oregon are being taken from them.
How many intelligent voters are going
to permit themselves to be deceived by
it?
1t IL a fact worthy Of note that the
Republican assemblies held in the sew
erai counties OF the state have placed
strong men before the people for in
dorsement at the polls. A mere glance
at the names recommended for the
various offices Is all that is required to
convince any voter that the selections
were carefully made. The names of
dfaoredifsd Y,nIttfcfana and uroFoa.foy,
al office-seekers are conspicuous by
their absence, and in their place are
found the names of men who have
been chosen for their qualifications to
fiji the respective offices. In a great
majority Of Instances, influential, we'll
qualified business men have been in
vited to become candidates who never
would have found the consent of their
minds to nominate themselves and 10
running around the country seeking
support. The assembly has brought out
for office men Of the very highest type
OF citizenship. Who will say that It is
not better for the office to seek the
man" than for the man TO seek the
ofice7"
Another noteworthy feature of these
county assemblies was their freedom
from machine methods. II is safe to
assert that cleaner. falrer political
gatherings were never held In any
state OF the Union. Here and there, /
attempts were made TO restore boss
dlctatlon, but II is gratifying to note I
that in all such instances these ef- /
forts were promptly and effectually /
squelched by the assembly itself. The |
work OF oregon Republicans in /
the last few weeks has not been OF "A |
character to encourage 'slate-making" .
In future. A notable example of this
OF machine rule was fur
nished by the assembly In Multno-
nah County last Saturday, when en-
tire delegations from precincts which
had resorted to questionable methods
in the primaries were denied the priv
ilege OF participating in the county
gathering Il Is this firm stand for
clean politics and n square deal that
IS establishing the assembly In the
confidence OF the people.
Day after tomorrow the state as
Iembly viii be held in Portland. The /
'athering viii be made up OF repre- 8
entative Republicans from every r
ounty In the state. elected In a fair.
pen manner TO represent their re- ]
pectiye localities. These men come 1
'irectiy from the people, as they were ;
hosen BY the delegates from their re- v
pective precincts and not by the I,
ounty assemblies az a whole. II Is safe n
% say that few. n any, Of them are D
iedged 10 any candidate FOR a state G.
fhce, therefore. they viii be In a po- Il
Ition 20 act for what they consider a
be best interest OF the Republican
arty. Considering the clean manner z
which the county assemblies have n
cen conducted. Il IL only reasonable s
presume that the deliberations Of j
he state meeting viii be guided sole ii
: By desire to put forth none but
be- best men for the consideration Of G.,
be voters Of Oregon and 10 strengthen lr
arty organization IN the state. IN
As one OF the original assembly x,
ewHpapers In the state. the Observer m
.ioices In the fact that there Is every a
here evidenced an earnest desire n
mong the Republicans of Oregon to Of
ioor-e none but clean. able men for n,
be ofhces Of public trust and 70 toier- hi
ie nothing thai savors OF machine M
lethods and boss rule. The candI- nj
ltes who secure the Endorsement OF a,
le assembly BY honorable methods o,
ID without any attempt 10 violate the N
'irit Of The primary Law win be en- iu
tled 20 the loyal support Of the Re-
ihiican voters of the state In the b,
'ptember primary. and the Observer L,
sleeves Il VIII b. cheerfuily accorded AZ
en- Any candidate obtaining In ou
'rsement otherwise should be de- In
ated Is