The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1915-01-22
The Initiative, Referendum and d.
rect Primary In Oregon.

That rabidly partisan G. 0. P. organ,
the Philadelphia Enquirer, whose every
effort is directed toward discrediting by
lies and every other means that can be
employed, everything that does not wear
the brand of the Republican party in
recent editorial bad the following to say
about some reform measures that have
no favor with the party bosses who con-
troll the paper:
"Oregon, home of the initiative. refer
endum and recall and of the direct pri-
raary, is getting tired of its fads and now
proposes to return to the old order. The
voters, if one can judge by the sentiment
aroused and the pledges of members of
the Legislature, will repeal the direct
primary law aud either repeal or greatly
modify the initiative, referendum and re-
call statutes. Voters find that it is
waste of energy to elect legislators to do
their work and then have the work
thrown back upon them. For few years
the new fads were popular, but in the last
two elections almost every proposal has
been rejected by the people. The pri-
mary laws have also not worked we'll,
since it has amounted ia holding two
elections instead of one, and because it
has been discovered that candidates with
the longest purses or those who are back
ed by the most money and strongest
organizations invariably win."
This naturally brought rise ont of the
Oregonians, and the Oregon City Courier
tells the Enquirer man few plain truths
about the operation in Oregon of the
laws mentioned. Says the Courier:
Charles II. Heustis, editor in chief of
the philadelphia Enquirer. knows the
above editorial comments are lies and
libels on the Oregon System. If he
doesn't known it, he doesn't know
enough to be editor in chief of that paper.
If he doesn't know the results of state
wideselection seven weeks ago, lhe should
know, or get out and give the Office boy
chance.
''If he did know, he knows that the
attempt to go back to the assembly, that
fatherless measure that was put onto the
ballot, that bill that no one would own
and not newspaper in Oregon would
sustain, was buried by the greatest vote
ever given to an initiative measure in
Oregon-was beaten FIVE to'one
"He says the members of the legisla-
ture are pledged to repeal the direct pri-
mary law and either repeal or modify
the initiative, referendum, and recall.
''If one member of either branch of
the legislature was to come out as oppos-
ed to these laws, there would be recall
petitions out for him in less than a week.
"The comment that the voters are tired
of electing legislature to do their work
and then having that work all thrown
back on them, is too ridiculously silly TO
be laughsble. Law after law of the last
legislature has been carried to the su-
preme court for translation and repeal,
and the most extravagant, bungling ever
perpetrated, are the results of the legis.
lature. While on the other hand never
law passed by the people has failed the
test; none have ever been repealed and
not one has been referended.
"The comment that candidates with
the longest purses and backed by the
most money and strongest organizations
invariably won, is another very big break
of very small editor of very big news
paper. He should read up. Doesn't he
know that millionaire Booth, backed by
the powerful timber interests of Oregon
--aud Peunsylvania-and boosted by the
great Oregonian, hardly knew he had
run for the u. S. Senate after the votes
were conutedl
"Doesn't the Enquirer editor 10 chief
know that Hanley, the millionaire cat
tleman of eastern Oregon, backed by the
coin of Tom Lawson of Massachusetts.
was the lame third in the senatorial race,
and that Chamberlain. the winner, ex-
pended less than $500 in his campaign
Doesn't this great editor know that
Smith, nominee for governor had a for
tune back of him. but that he was de-
feated by about $4,000 votes9
1T seems very strange that paper the
size of the Philadelphia Enquirer would
dare try to get bv with this kind of stnff
In Its editorial columns. The whole ed
itorial Is bunk, the rawest, crudest of
bunk, There is not one truthful line or
statement in It, Aud yet some people
will take such newspapers, read such ed
itorials, and believe them. because they
know no better.