Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-07-26

have final say, the necessity LOT
keening faith with the public is so
apparent that no assembly can aHoru
TO take action that does not bear on
its face the proper stamp. The differ
ance between the old convention and
the present assembly is that the action
Of the former was final, the latter
suggestive; the former had the power
of the primary today, while the latter
has absolutely no power to DO aught
but suggest, just as one person sus-
gests to another. The assembly Is only
cumulative suggestion and worthless
unless it appeals to the people as some
thing good, something worth while.
OIIESTION-Do not those who
have recently participated in these as
semblies directly violate the statute
law of our state, which expressly oe-
clares that nominations OF pupiic Of
ficers shall be made at the primary
election "and in no other manner
ANSWERING. There is no direct
or indirect. violation Of the statute
| law In participating in an assembly
Suggestion or advice, even though
coming from an organized body, can
not be construed into nomination.
An assembly does not, can not nom
mate" a ticket, and has not attempted
to do so. The Republican assemblies
believe in the direct primary and rec
ognize in it the only power to "noml-
nate" In participating in assembly,
no man has labored under the Impress
ion that he was nominating ticket
or attempting to nominate. He mas
been conscious of the fact that ne
was selecting to recommend to voters
men whom they might well nominate
In the recommendation of men Tor
nomination, no man has been deprived
of any right or privilege to vote as ne
pleases when it comes to nomination
or election, therefore there could not
possibly be violation of law.
QUESTIONING not the law es-
tablIshing the primary election Tor
nomination of public officers especially
designed to do away with the previous
convention system of nominations
and as a matter of fact. did not the
last session OF our legislature specih-
| cally refuse to make such conventions
lawful in connection with the present
| law?
| ANSWER-Sure, and the primary
accomplished its purpose. Nomlna-
tions have not been made and Will
never be made by a convention or as
sembly until the primary law is rele-
gated to the rear, and few are the Re-
publicans, if any, who desire the pri-
mary law repealed. All assembly sug-
gestlons must go before the primaries
/ ANY concerted effort to place TICK
ct in the field without primary action
would be an attempt at the old con-
vention system and would necessarily
he illegal, for it would conflict with
the statute law. OF course the legisla-
ture would have been crazy TO lesallze
the Convention" for this would nave
nullified the primary law. To ''iegallze
the assembly, however, would be like
legalizing the right to eat three square
meals a day or to take a daily walk.
The right to assemble and to consult
in great or small numbers is a right
that can not be denied free people,
and it needs no action of Legislature
to make it legal.
OJJESTION-Are you not aware
that IL has been chiefly professional
politicians and agents of railway ana
other corporate interests Which nave
been back of the convention system III
the past, enormous sums OF money
being used freely to purchase the
votes of delegates for the nomination
of officers subservient to such inter-
ests: and is 1t desirable to return
again to a system bearing such fruit
instead of the present system Which
permits no such corruptionf
ANSWER-It is not denied by any
one that more or less corruption at
tended the old convention system
Neither can it be denied that every
crime under heaven has been COM
mitted in the name OF religion, ana
vet the greatest good has come from
religious activities. While all the harm
that has come to this Nation up to this
time has come under convention sys-
TEN, it is equally true that all the
good that has been the portion OF this
Nation has come while the convention
system was in vogue. The good far out
weighs the bad. We still have a pretty
good Nation, despite the rantings OF
our pesslmistic friends. However,
there is no disposition to defend the
old conventional is dead and buried
so far as Oregon is concerned. The
assembly can never become as the Old
convention for the simple reason that
the primary stands guard day and
night and makes 1t useless for the
schemer to scheme. Some will try to
prostitute the assembly to their own
uses. regardless of the general good,
but IL they succeed, 1t will be to fail
at the primary. The design of the as
sembly is to keep the Republican
marty intact in such way that the
majority in the state may rule. The
Republicans of this state outnumber
the members Of the opposite party two
or three to one. but this majority has
been unable to exercise its rightful
power. The assembly is calculated to
restore that power. and 1t will do so II
the assembly keeps faith with the peo-
ple. Il will fail II IT does not and II
should fail. The Gazette-Times will
help Il fail when the assembly violates
its obligation to the public.
QUESTIONABLE you not aware al
80 that the chief leaders of the con-
vention system are against the initia-
tive. referendum and recall laws as
well as against the direct nomination
OF public officers by the peopleP
ANSWERING writer is not pre-
pared to say how many OF the leaders
favor or disfavor the initiative. re-
ferendum, recall. etc. etc. However.
he recalls the fact that the extremely
large proportion Of the people of this
J nation. great and small. have not yet
accepted these laws as the panacea for
: all evils polite. II the chief leaders
OF oregon are against as the inquirer
! says. they are part OF crowd 10000
times larger than that In which our
! inquirer :ravels-which proves moth
! ing. OF course. except that the good
OF such laws has as yet appealed TO the
extreme few. who. OF course. do not
! necessarily represent either greater
; intelligence. greater sincerity. or great
er patriotism than the millions who