Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-04-03
WHITE IN DANGER
OF Being Forced
TO ENTER BATTLE

From all those patent and yisi.
bic signs which political observers
know SO well It is a pretty safe
prediction that Adjutant General
George A. White is about 70 bt
drafted" as a republican guber-
material candidate by Colonel z,
Hofer or Salem, Grant Dimick Of
Oregon City. Joe Dunno OF Port
land and other members Of the
draft committee.
OF course, General White, coy
and bashful. does not know much
about IT yet. He has heard, acct
dentally, that the draft committee
Is planning to drag his reluctant
frame onto the field Of battle; he
has been told that they had for
warded an 'insistent demand"
that be become their standard
bearer, but be viii have to receive
that letter, he says, and digest
it' before he will, like Cincinna-
tus Of old. forsake the calm Of po-
litical peace for the sweat and
clangor Of political war.
A week ago IT was recorded IN
these columns how Grant DimicK
had sent out a form letter appeal
10 those on Colonel Hofer's mail
Ing list, and probably beyond. ask
ing them to write back in urge
that concentrated demand be
made on General White to become
a gubcrnatorial candidate.
Demand Of the Hour"
And now, week later, the draft
committee has written General
White a letter which assures him
that from every section OF thin
state comes the call George A.
White for governor"
THE desire Of few days age
for your candidacy has become the
demand of this hour" the letter
continues,and II assures him that
the electorate, relying on your
patriotism and sense OF duty to
your state await your favorable
answer" Because "of the sincere
desire Of thousands OF your fel-
low citizens who have thus ex-
pressed themselves by telegram
letters or otherwise, you are here
By urged to announce yourself a
candidate for the high and respon.
sible position Of governor Of this
commonwealth, al once the draft
committee pleads.
The committee also tells the
general that a crisis is at hand
that taxes are unbearable, that
the state has deficit Of $I,201,.
904.36 for 1921; that the bonded
Indebtedness is SISS,930,Sg2;
that this means an annual interest
charge Of s14.0l against every
man, woman and child in Oregon.
that retrenchment is the first es-
sential and that with this re-
trenchment your petitioners de-
sire to trust you"
Ready for Fray.
All OF which brings up to bios
som time the carefully nurtured
plant OF General Whites ambition
TO be a candidate for governor al
the coming primary election. He
has denied, very carefully ana
adriotly,to all comers, that he har-
bored gubernatorial aspirations.
But TO all those who study poll
tics. and politicians. what he had
in the back of his head was stick
Ing out like a wen as far back as
the regular session OF the 1921
legislature. Political strategy
the fact that be Is an 0icott ap-
pointee about TO contend agaDa.
the governor who appointed him.
and such considerations, have
shaped his preliminary plans into
the eliminating draft eommi,
tee. )" and its appeals. And so, the
stage Is now properly set for Gen
eral White, heedful OF the call, to
lay his saber down for the bare
knuekled fisticufts Of the primary
battle royai.--0regoa Journal.