Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-05-16
THE MAN AND THE MACHINE

The Capital Journal has not taken any interest in the
Republican primary election for the very good reason
that it is little concerned the result The candidates
have made many pledges of economy and reform in their
bids for votes but presume II nominated and repub
lican nomination is in most Instances equivalent to cleo
ton most of them will follow sereney in the footsteps OF
those who have gone before The candidate and office
holder generally view the job Of serving the public from
radically different angles Ii we took seriously the ante
election pledges of the candidates, believed that they
do themselves we might be interested in the primary
election and its results.
There is one contest however which seems to over
shadow all others this yearthat OF secretary OF state
1t is case of one man pited against political organza
tOn because the powers that be have deceed that the one
man must be punished for having occasional ndepend
ent thought and acting sometimes on his own best Judg
men Ben Ocott to be one OF the few men In the
state house who considers himself ansWerabe to the
people who elected him and not to the little ring which
now they in office feel that they own the state house
and all that appertains to it,
Between 0cott and MOores as individuals we have no
choice but do like to fair play and OcOtt as com
petent official is much entitled to it as anybody else
He is not getting it in this MOores has been chair
man of the state republican committee for several years.
and might be said to that organization Most OF the
committeeman and regular strikers are out for hlm
majority of the republican newspapers is for him be-
cause many of the publishers have received office at the
hands of the state administration among them the morn
ing Statesman of this city, which has out strongly
for MoOres Many Of these papers have to do what they
are dOng-s0me OF them are party organs OF the OLD
school from choice.
So on the face of it Ocot does not appear to have
show He is to be made horrible example of as man
who refused to bow to the powers that control his party
organization No hint is made that he is dishonest that
he is incompetent that he has neglected his official duty
but he hasn't been good in the party sense He has
at various times formed himself into minority party
and voted yes or no at board meetings when the governor
and the other members of the board anxious to have
unanimous action In Oregon party politics 1t is to be
made crime, or properly heresy, to think or act
independently and Ben Olcott is the first victim to be
burned at the stake fguratively speaking of course.
The plan to sacrifice 0cott may work out just as its
promoters confidently expect it tO-nesS the rank and
file of the republican party objects to the proceedings.
Republican voters the whole pretty honest nteli
gent people who turned their party out of power in
Oregon for several years because they had become dis
gusted with the way the men who were elected by them
conducted the business and legislation of the state There
is no reason to believe that they like ring rule any better
now than they have in the past andwe, don't begin
celebrating MooreS nomination until the returns are all
in You might have occasion to feel foolish if you do
We have always found that it best in the long run
to be honest and frank and square with the public The
editor of the Capital Journal is not republican, he is not
partisan and thinks that paper may be independent in
partisan sense although it stands for certain principles
of government that made issues by political parties,
We have no particular interest in the success of any
party organization standing rather for principles and
for candidates who seem best qualified for public service,
regardless of their party affiliations. Lincoln is credited
with saving that God must have loved the plain people
because he made so many of them and have to
think good deal that way in respect to the republican
voters They are so numerous always that 1t is safe to
say their mission in the scheme Of government is for good
and that aarge majority of them are politically interested