East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-05-30
ERIkE
Organization is Launched at
Portland for Purpose of
Fighting Big Election Evil
OUTLINED BY
ROOSEVELT AND WILSON
VIII Endeavor to Have improvements
Made in Connection With the Ini-
tiative and Referendum Laws
Senator Ben Selling Elected Presi-
dent.

Portland May 30.-Convinced that
a short ballot is necessary to correct
evils and that improvements in con-
.nection with the initiative and ref
erendum should be adopted to make
the oregon system work perfectly.
the Short Ballot League of Oregon
was formed yesterday at the CONNER
cial club.
Ben Selling was chosen president
and ]. NJ. Ambrose, secretary. Mr..
Selling is president of the state sem
ate and Mr.. Ambrose is a member Of
the lower house of the legislature
from Multnomah county.
The object of the league is to an
nounce propa ganda for a revision OF
the Oregon bai;jt laws, which MEM
bers of the league say should be
changed and shortened. Another meet
ing will be held June II to begin a
campaign to obtain a change in the
ballot laws either through an initiative
measure or by enactment by the leg
islature. The society is formed on
lines outlined by Colonel Roosevelt
and Woodrow Wilson, governor OF
New Jersey.
Wilson Heads Similar Body.
Governor Wilson is president of the
Short Ballot organization. a National
society, which has been in existence
for more than a year. 1t has for its
object the wedding out Of needless
election Of officials when appointments
of them would serve better. 1t is al
so suggested by members of the So
ciety that the percentage of sigma
lures required for petitions filed Ia
submit an initiative measure should
be made more than 10 per cent of the
total value as at present, a measure
to place on the ballot would have
to be not only popular. but one that
has already secured intelligent con-
sideratiOn Of the people.
Il am heartily in favor of a shorter
ballot" said Senator Selling. 1T La
what we need. l have with me the
sample ballot for my vote at the COM
ing city election. i contains many
names and 16 legislative measures
Not only are the names of some of the
men unfamiliar to me but l am sure
that many of the measures. which II
is desired to have become law, are not
fully understood by me. l am going
to spend good portion of a day to
post myself thoroughly. Then I
doubt if I shall be fully informed to
act with intelligence. What 1 am in
favor of is this-a shorter ballot and
a larger percentage of names 70.
submitting an initiative measure to
the people. Unless some action SIM
liar to this is taken it will bring the
Oregon system into disrepute."
Vote "No" is Urged.
League members declared that they
believed attention should be called to
the faults of the present system and
that voters should be warned to vote
mo" on all measures not fully under
stood by them as an intelligent vote
was necessary and an unintelligent
vote might work great harm.
The principles of the league as an
nounced are in part:
Each member believes in the in
itiative and referendum, the recall
statement No. l, the direct election OF
United States senators. the direct pri-
mary, the corrupt practice act and
the commission form of government
Aiit tStlARN >llNu4Q llbl ne AlCuh-
bered with great numbers of meas
ures. Only questions of general pub
lie Importance should be presented
under the initiative. Every proposed
measure should be read most care
fully and considered by every voter
No voter should become a party to
making a measure a law unless he has
actually made himself familiar with
each and all OF its provisions. In
case of doubt it is always safe te
vote mo-. If a proposed measure
has merit it will stand the test OF
time and be presented again.
1--WE believe the alarm sounded by
Colonel Roosevelt and Governor
Woodrow Wilson is timely We feel
that. the only real danger now for
the initiative and referendum lies in
the over use of both.