Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-03-04
PlaCing the Blame


article in the Saturday Evening Post lamentlng the
passing of the political boss and dpong the effect of the
direct primary upon the personnel and character of the
senate. He Says
Look the United States Compare the membership Of
people with the senate of twenty thirty say when
@ o Wy that M boss o the old days no matter how case
more mo- Of I'll the peope YOU'D have brought be-
legislature for He would not have dared in
Of two men in in public
untitled for their places
nominated them
is customary in all ages to depreciae the present and
exto the past We the present in garng sunshine that
reveals it's defects and shadows its merits while we view the
past indisncty and softened by distance Twenty years
hence will undoubtedly be mourning the decadence of the
senate as compared with the senate of today.
The election of senator's by legislatures became public
scandal that could longer be tolerated Nearly every
election determined according to the money of the can
ddae his willingness to take orders The political boss
was in politics fortune at public expense When
there boss there more scandal Tor the
asprans sought to their election by corruption OF
the legislators in Oregon Occasionally the boss and the
candidate and the person. and then we had
Quay or Patt Penrose openly serving private interests
It is common faacy that humanity be reformed by
law and that passing statute will purify people or politics
We have eliminated the boss but those who seek to pur
chase seats have simply changed their method In
stead of buying the boss the legislators, they corrupt
electorate, NeWberry case
of politics remain Ingalls, day-an rrdIscent dream
is true that the present senate has developed no leader
ship and less craftsmanship Its energies have been dlss
pated in destructive demagogy and petty pefoggng 1t
has wrought recrudesence of parsanshp that has been
productive of nothing but hard times It's political ideas
are obsolete and belong to couple of generations ago. 1t
has little ideay and less initiative. 1t has shifted evaded
compromised, and failed
Just how far the failure of congress be laid at the
door the direct primary and popular election OF senators
is debatable The nation to be in the doldrums
Not only is the senate below mediocrty but in all walks OF
m genius CONSPICUOUS by it's absence The emergency of
the brought burst Of power and national energy
that left it exhausted The big developed have retired
men and from leading the world have gone to marking
time.
President Harding nominated despite the direct
prmaryso that be blamed for his lack of leader
ship Lodge and others who control the senate are not
direct primary products etherthey were in office long
before What little progressiveness there is in the senate
is there however by virtue of the direct primary for with
out it we would have Borah Johnson Capper or
a farm bloc.
We cannot blame the political ills and failures OF the
congress upon direct primary and popular elections OF
senator's it, the system is it better than the
old boss system is full of flaws and far from IDEAL 1t
puts premium upon demagogy and preens but system
has vet been devised for making skpurses out Of sows
ears and when people desire better system, it will be
evolved And if they not solve the problem is proof
that the decadence the senate merely reflects the decad
of the people.