Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-09-17
DIR. HARRY LANE, ASPIRANT FOR
SENATORIAL TOGA, FIRES
OPENING GUN OF POL1T-
.ICAL CAMPAIGN.
MEETING is WELL ATTENDED
Urbane Doctor Devotes His Time to
Mild Attack On the Tariff and the
Relation of COmical Anecdotes:
Senator M. a. Miller Lambasts Re-
publicans in Closing Talk.

Devoting a considerable portion of
his speech to the tariff, which he de-
nounced as a tax, and maintained in
force for the benefit of the few at
the expense of the many, advocating
the recall of United States senator's
and judges, declaring in favor of the
Oregon System but expressing the be-
lief that the initiative should be
amended, DR.. Harry Lane, of Port
land, Democratic candidate for Unit
ed States senator, entertained good
sized crowd at the circuit court room
in the court house in Dallas on Fri
day night, with a speech of about a
half hours duration. The Doctor is
an entertaining talker: "Talker" is
used advisedly. because he did not
attempt to make speech-he just
talked, and his talk was filled with
anecdotes and personal experiences
which provoked much merriment
and kept his audience in good hu-
NOR. He did not abuse anybody al
though he handed Ben Selling few
digs.
Compliments for Dallas.
In beginning, after his introduction
by Oscar Hayter, chairman of the
meeting, DR.. Lane paid high COM
pliment to Dallas and the band. He
also told of the pleasant impression
he received in viewing the court house
in the midst of it's wellkept lawn,
and said the lights, the lawn and the
music formed one of the most pleas
ing combinations he had ever seen.
He told of his superitendency of the
Oregon Insane asylum and of his
terms as mayor of Portland and de-
clared that, of the two, the latter
was the hardest job.
I'm asking the people of Oregon
to elect me to the United States SEN
ate" said the speaker, II want them
to do so simply upon the platform up
on which l stand. I will tell you
what l believe ought to be done, and
what principles 1 advocate, and if l
can't have the office under those con-
ditions, I don't want it"
"SeIling 'Pussy-FOOting.'
In paying his respects to his prin-
cipal opponent, Hon. Ben Selling, re-
publican candidate, DR.. Lane declar-
ed that ben is pussy-footing in this
campaign and will continue to do so.
He will not make a speech and it is
practically impossible to get him to
declare himself emphatically wheth-
er he supports President Taft or eX-
president Roosevelt" The speaker
declared that, should Selling be- elect
ed and try to serve the people of Or
egon, when such effort crossed the
will of "the interests" big business
would bust him. SO far as he him
self was concerned, he was "inde-
pendently poor and he had been
busted so often that the thought of
it didn't scare him. There is too
much business in the United States
senate" shouted the speaker, land
too many wealthy men there"
Tariff is Denounced.
DIR. Lane paid his respects to the
tariff and again voiced the well-worn
and threadbare arguments opposing
it, He declared that it is a tax, and
while it's original object was to raise
revenue during a great civil war, it
had now become a special privilege
for the great corporations at the eX-
pense of the common people. He
called attention to many alleged dis
ordinations against the people and
growing facetious, declared that, if
he had his way. he would remove the
duty on steel rails and place a tariff
of $1,000, 600 on every foreign duke
or count who marries an American
heiress. He declared that the great
strike of the Massachusetts mill Op-
eratves last winter was the direct
outgrowth of the tariff which permit
ted employers to grow wealthy; and
enabled them to trample upon the
the rights of their employees. He
painted a vivid picture of the manner
in which that affair was handled and
Of the inhuman methods adopted to
force the strikers to yield, and said
that when such atrocities could be
used under the guise OF law. ITS
about time you hired Harry Lane to
go to the Senate and help stop it."
Initiative in Danger.
The speaker declared that the or
egOn system" was all right. and in
timated that some Of us were ad-
vocating the system long before
Johnny Bourne. it's self-styled
leader took it up" He said that the
initiative was in danger just now.
Its enemies had loaded IL with a lot
OF useless measures in the hope Of
making il distasteful and thus lead
to its repeal by the people them
selves. As a remedy. he advocated
that IL be amended 50 as 20 prevent
the submission Of a large amount Of
''nonsensical propositions. Whether
the genial doctor was taking a sly
whack at the Oregon City law factory
in this proposed reform was not made
clear.
Crowd Kept In Good Humor.