U niversity o f O regon M o nthly
IO
or three of the Greek leaders, and possibly from the mere loveof
à fight when the gauntlet of opposition was cast at their feet, the
Independents united and elected almost their entire ticket. If
nothing else, it taught this lesson, that disagreeable personalities
never help a cause. This year, however, things promise no such
interesting developments; everything points to à quiet election,
one in which the personalities o f'th e ' various candidates will be a
larger factor in determining the successful aspirants to office. Yet
the competition will be keen. Perhaps'thé greatest fight will be
çentered on the candidates for President and for the athletic Coum.
cil.
There is one thing which should excite the . eternal abhorrence
of every fair and clean minded student; that is the policy which
always a few of our embryo jpoli'ticians have of attempting' tô/trade
in votes. They will come at a person something like this: “Such
and such a fraternity has promised to support our candidates if
we in turn will give our votes to their candidate.” '' Political knav
ery! Such things. Smack of machine politics'which we should fight
to the last. If a man wants to use his influencé in petsuading his
companions to Voté for a certain candidate, well and good ; but .the
attempt to trade vbtes is a farce on the right to vote, and an insult
to the self-respect oï a thinking and principled student. It; is not
only knavery; it" is foolishnesssto bargain in something that cannot
be delivered. When th e. students come away from the polls they
will have registered their vote$ according to their ideas of the oppos
ing candidates, their likes and dislikes—the hopes of the would-be
politicians have gone glimmering.
A good deal of excitement, though subdued, is prevalent during
the days closest to1 the election.' -B ut after all is over and the votes
are counted, things become as they were before; light antagonistes,
hastily formed, are forgotten ; everybody again becomes éverybody’s
friend and the unfortunate candidate^ accept their defeat philosoph
ically and smile.
Bert Prescott.