The Alaska citizen., 1911-01-02
Popular vs. Delegated Govt
Senator Bourne Oregon Describes the System Government Pre- vaiing in His Home State, an Absolute Government
 by the People

To further illuminate the situation | will state that iu the primaries held in April lgr>. II. II. Cake received the Republican nomination for Unit ed Stat senator. and my colleague Senator Chamberlain. then governor of he state. received he Democratic nomination for Uuled states sona- ter. A the zen ral election in June Senator Chamberlain defeated Hr. Cake. uotwi-hs anding the state was OyorN ho.mInEiy Republican, thereby dey ioplug from the Demo. cratic candidate into the peoples choice fer United States senator. The normal Republican majority in Oregon l think. is from 15,oao to 20,ouo. With full rec gniticn of Governor Chmberlain's ability and fitnL ss fnr the office. the fact that for nearly sl& years he maGe the best governor Oregon ever had. and considering tha, undoubtedly he Is the most popular nan in our state, deem it huj just 10 the law and a proper answer 10 inc criticism Cf enemies of the law that f destroys party lines ami in-ogiity. to state that, in mg opinion, senator Cham berlain received the votes of several thousand Republican enemies Of the law. who believed that in selecting Governor Chamberlain. a Democrat, they would prevent Republican legislature from ratifying the peo- ples selection. oheying the peoples instructions. and eleCting as United States s nator the individual, regard less of party. that the people might select for that office. Thus they hoped 10 make the primary law and statement No. l odicus. and sought to create what they thought would be an impossible condition by fore ing upon Republican legislature for confirmation the pOpuiarly designat- ed Dem cratic candidate for the United S-aIes senate. They failed to realize that, greater than party and infinitely greater than any in dividual. the peoples choice becomes a repres entatiye of the principle and Cf the law; that the intelligence and integrity of the whole electorate of the state, as well as the integrity and loyalty Of the legislature. were at stake, and from any hon rable view point the mere animation of the possibility of the legislature or any member ot the legislature failing con scientiously 10 fulfill his pledge or l0yally Cbey the instructions of the people would not only be an insult to the individual members of the leg islature, but an insult to the intel lieenCe, independence, and patriotism of the OreEou electorate that they would permit such action 10 go un- Io o,,l prit to q rigid responsibility for his treason.
 No Oath More Sacred.
 Let us again consider the wording of this Statement No 1 pledge. talk en by II mlmbers of the Oregon legislature:
 Statement No. 1.
 "I further state to the people of Oregon. as well as to the people of my legislative district, that during m! term Cf office l will vote for that candidate for the United States sen atOr ill congress who has received the highest number of the peoples vote for that position at the general election next preceding the election of a mater in congress, without re gard to my individual preference"
 No oath could be more sacred in honor, no contract more binding, no mutual consideration more deti- mite, than is contained in this State ment No. l pl dee, and no parties to a contract could be of more con sequence to government and society than the electorate upon the one side and it's servants upon the other.
 Under the United States constitu- tion there can be no penalty at tached to the law The legislator breaking his sacred pledge can not be imprisoned or fined, hence he is doubly bound by honor to redeem his voluntary obligations. Failure to do so would net only brand him as the destroyer of a sacred trust. but as the most contemptible Of towards be- cause legally immune from punish ment for his perfidy.
 Yet. Mir. President, there were eff forts made to dishCnor our state and our public servants. During the seS- sion of the legislature a former gov ernme mt official, an assistant to the chairman of the Republican National committee, appeared in Oregon and, I am informed. promised federal ap- pOintmentS to legislative members if they would disregard their statement No. 1 pledges to the electorate. The effort was made by the enemies of the law to create the impression that by reason of this persons relation with the chairman of the Republi- can National committee during the national campaign he would be able to deliver these promised federal ap- pointments in case statement No. 1 subscribers sold their honor and be- trayed their trust.
 l mention these facts to show that the greatest possible strain was plac- ed upon our law, and to the credit of the 51 subscribers of Statement No. 1 in that legislature be it said that every one of those subscribers voted in accordance with his sol. emn obligation. But l would call the attention of the senate to the fact that notwithstanding the people of the state had passed under the initiative the bill 1 have referred to instructing all the members of the legislature to vote for the people choice for the United States senator not a single member of the legisla ture obeyed said instructions except the Statement Mo- l subscribers.
 An Evolution of Practical Politics
 MT. President, Statement No. 1 was an evolution of many years experi ence with practical and commercial politics. We doubtless all have found in individual cases that mems mem ories, pledges, and agreements were