Evening star., 1925-08-09
Next Words iii Chosen"

Now, while McCamant's position as
to Johnson was thus unqualifiedly and
unquestionably clear. he placed him
self on record. over his signature, in
the Official voters pamphlet" issued
by the State of Oregon to every reg
istered voter, in the following Ian
guage:
II have avoided committing myself
to any candidate for President in
order that I might be in a better posi-
tion TO support the candidate who
wins out at the Oregon primary"
This language, which McCamant's
friends now admit was ell chosen" is
declared to be the only circumstance
which Senator Johnson and his fol-
lowers have been able TO seize upon in
connection with the charges he pre-
fes. But they contend it would be
absurd to assume that McCamant, |
after making public avowal OF his un.
swerving opposition TO Johnson, would
endeavor to deceive the Johnson fol-
lowers, or Oregon Republicans gen.
orally, into believing that he would
support the Californian in case John
son carried the primaries. McCamant
made what Johnson considers the in.
eliminating statement above quoted
to show that he was not committed
affirmatively to any candidate. Nc
Camant contends that statement is
literally true, the reason given for
non-committal being in strict accord
with McCamant's public assertion of
was that he would vote for whoever
carried the primaries, provided that
he would not under any conditions
vote for Johnson.
Reservation Claimed.
The McCamant party-claims that
by no fair construction can his
phraseology In the official voters
pamphlet be said to constitute Il
supporters in Oregon did not so con-
slider it during the primary cam
paign Otherwise they would hardly
have been so jealous in their efforts
to defeat McCamant for delegate. In
voting on each ballot at Chicago for
Gen. Wood, McCamant feels that he
strictly with his statement
to be guided by the choice of the
electors at the primary.
provided that he would not
vote for Johnson.
Woods vote, while slightly less
than Johnson's. was in excess of that
of the other candidates There were
four names on the ballot at the Ore
gon primary-Johnson, Wood Low
den and Hoover, whose votes were
as follows: Johnson. 46,163; Wood,
43,770; Lowden, 1851, and Hoover,
1857. While Johnson led Wood by
2.293 the combined Lowden and
Hoover vote exceeded $4,000. John
son thus fell short by about $4,000
votes of being the choice of the ma
jority of Oregons Republican cleo
tors. McCamant's vote for delegate
was 3S,464, which was 7.404 in ex-
cess of the vote for the high man on
the Johnson delegate ticket 1t is
admitted on all hands in Portland
that McCamant led the delegate poll
because he was universally recog-
niZed as the anti-Johnson candidate.
johnson Vote Minority.
In addition to the sheer mud sling
ing he is expected to do, Senator John
son probably will attempt to persuade
the judiciary committee of the Senate.
and later the Senate itself, that, while
Judge McCamant can possibly show
he was technically within the Oregon
law in refusing to vote for Hiram, he
in fact left the Republican electorate
of Oregon under the impression he
would support the candidate who won
out at the primary" johnson did win
out, though by plurality, and not
ma jority, vote. The judiciary. COM
mittee of the Senate will decide
whether plurality win means that
the victor is> "the peoples choice"
Johnson says it is. McCamant says 1t
isn't. and presents the figures that re-
veal Hiram as an overwhelming mi
nority winner. The Johnson follow
ing in oregon contends, in short that
Judge McCamant was not fair and
frank with the people in his >candi-