The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1912-07-05
iRTFUL DEMAGOGCES.

The chief argument in favor Of the
direct primary is that it purities poll
| tics. eliminates the bosses and gives
the people an opportunity to choose
candidates for office in the various
parties without the interference OF po-
| litical machines. Prior to the adOp-
ton of the direct primary in this state.
we were assured again and again that
| it would smash the machines and kill
off the bosses When the Legislature
of 1907 passed the direct primary law,
the new act was hailed as a great vic
tory for progress and the introduction
of new era in Washington politics.
All of the office-seeking refOrmers and
prOgressives told us that we were per-
fectly capable of choosing our public
officials without the help of party ma
chimes or party leaders; that we were
freed from the grip of the interests
and the scheming of the privileged
few; and that now the people could
rule themselves in fact as well as the
DRY. Whoever dared suggest that the
direct primary was a delusiOn and
snare and that the machine and boss
would flourish under it as pOtently as
of old, was denounced as an enemy of
popular government and political
hereto who ought to be eXcOmmuDi-
Gated.
Now this same class of refOrmers
and champions of the peoples rule
who are still seeking Office are the
lOudest shouters about bosses and ma
chimes in this state. They cOnjure up
the most narrowing pictures of an abb
ject and subjugated pOpulace held in
bondage by greedy and fearless few,
and swear that this awful condition
will not only continue but that 1t will
grow q thousand times worse unless
they are elected to Office and permit
ted to save their fellows from some
thing or other that is too terrible to
Sp6n Is With dsngeusfne attery about
our supreme ability to govern our
selves, and in the next they tell us,
who have the direct primary. that we
are helpless In the hands of the boss |
rs. They palaver about our intelli-
gence and discrimination when given
the opportunity to govern ourselves di-
rectly and ut the same time buster
about the damnable oligarcy that has
us by the throat and which will plum
der us of all our rights If they are not
Immediately elevated to Office
This is a little confusing, but one
thing stands out clearly, and that is
that these refOrmers either lied when
they told us that the direct primary
would put an end to the evils that
hOurishcd under the convention sys-
tenn, or they lie now when they claim
that those evils are just as prevelant
now as ever. They either lie when
they say that they believe in direct
government, or they lie when they tell
MS, who have the direct primary, that
we have utterly failed to correct abus-
rs with 1t. If they were honest in
their declaration that the direct pri-
mary would drive out bosses and break
the machines, then they are knowing
ly dishonest when they set mp the cry
in this state about bosses and ma
chimes being a menace in this election.
The facts are that bosses and ma
chimes cannot and do not exist under
the direct primary, and the biggest
enemies of the direct primary are
these otIice-seeking progressives who
are constantly sounding alarms about
dangers that are not. so that they may
gain regulations as popular champions
which may be coined into the nee
essary number of votes to win Il nom
nation.