them as products of their own brains
and the most'successful politician is
ISSUED EVERY THURSDAY BY
he who is most sensitive to public
thought, becomes first an agitator
T. L. DUGGER, EDITOR aND PROP
and then a leader in promulgating
the idea t>r ideas.
SUBSCRIPTION, IN ADVANCE....... $1.25
Why, even in the town or school
AT END OF YEAR __________ _____ 1.50
election, agitation, the forerunner
SIX MONTHS ......
75 of public opinion governs. No mat
ter how good or just an idea may
ADVERTISING RATES:
be, unless a majority .of thé people
Local advertising, per line ........... 5c can be swayed to take it up and
Display advertising, per inch..... 10c adopt it, it amounts to nothing un
Display advertising, long time, see less it be the groundwork tô pave
the way for a future reform.
manager.
Then it is quite proper for farmer
Extended marriage or death notices
folk, through the, Grange and other
per line.....U'.........;.....:tl...(i,l...li... 3c
Special rates on long time display farm organizations to discuss mat
ters pertaining to government. Not
advertising.
every thought advanced by the
granger orator will prove to be
worthy; but it may be the crude
PUBLIC OPINION
conception of what, afterwards, may
become the basic idea of an impor
Public opinion, it can be safely
tant governmental reform.
said, is the most poteint factor in
Public opinion owes its origin to
American politics, to-day. A re
the product of some individual
form has never been secured in
thinker. His idea may be crude,
government nor never will be, ex
but discussion and agitation elimi
cept there is a well defined public
nates the crudeness and adds amend
oeinion behind it.
We now have the direct election ments until a really worthy reform
of United States senators. Why? idea is born, which is so fair and so
just that ft appeals to a majority of
The national house of representa
tives passed a resolution to submit the people and is, eventually, made
an amendment to the Federal con a law of the land. The idea, which
stitution making U. S. senators is the subject of ridicule and ' deri
elective at five or six different ses sion today, may become’the adopted
sions before the senate agreed to law of the land tomorrow.
Until public opinion is behind a
submit the matter to the people.
I law, it is but a dead letter on our
Public opinion literally forced the
statute books. An unpopular law
senate to act favorably.
Public opinion in opposition to is never nor cannot be enforced
human slavery caused the Civil war vigorously until public opinion is
and the war was fought to a victori behind it and upholds the hands of
ous conclusion, because a majority the executive officers. We have
of the people supported the govern laws against murder, arson, theft,
ment, even when they knew that etc., which are vigorously enforced;
I Why? Because everybody, demands
victory for the government meant
I that they shall be enforced. We,
freedom for the slaves.
Public opinion caused a division also, have laws requiring a property
in the republican party, last year, owner to make an honest return of
which made the election of a demo his property to the assessor for tax
Yet everybody
cratic congress and président possi ation purposes.
knows
that
this
law
is violated in
ble and resulting in the reduction
thousands
of
instances
evéry year
of the tariff, a matter which the
people had been demanding for and never or rarely, if ever, are
several years. President Wilson men punished for thé Violation.
could never have exerted the in Why? Because almost everyone
fluence. over congress which he has endeavors to have his property list
in the enactment of new tariff, if ed at a low value, in order to re
congress had not known that the duce his annual tax pay ment; Again,
President was supported by a vast we say that public opinion is the
most potent factor in American
majority of the people.
When Oregon adopted the Initia politics- and this is justification for
tive and Referendum and the Direct the assertion.
Intermountain Tribune
cism, is an honor to American citi
zenship. The democratic party
should be proud to receive him
within its folds. His action proves
him to be an absolutely honest man,
uninfluenced by party dictation.
The Tribune will be’glad to sup
port Senator LaFollette as a suc
cessor to President Wilson.
Slaughter in Boys Suits
I have 30 suits,of.boys and lads
clothing,’’ retail "price $7 to $20
per suit. i ,,T©/ close them out
these suits will be sold at just
ONE-HALF THE ABOVE PRICES
New York’s Choice of Evils
One can understand, though not
excuse, the readiness of many peo
ple in New York state to condone
the offenses ,of Gov. Sulzer when
one is informed of the methods of
Tammany, which would prevail if a
man of its choice became Governor.
Thesé methods are illustrated by
Tammany’s dealings with a contract
of work on the new aqueduct from
the Catskills to New York City.
Thé lowest bidder was a Kentucky
corporation, but actual awarding of
the contract-was likely to be indefi
nitely postponed unless the Ken
tuckians “accelerated” proceedings.
They did so, according to court
testimony, by paying $30,000 to
James E. Gaffney for "advice.”
Mr. Gaffney is the friend and part
ner of'Charles . F. Murphy and is
the same man whom the Tammany
boss wished Governor Sulzer to in
trust with, the expenditure of $50,-
000,000 on the state roads. If he
had got .the job, there is no doubt
the $50,000,000 would have been
spent, but there is a grave doubt
whether the state would have got
good roads.
The people of New York are driv
en to choose between a man who
misapplied funds given him ity trust
by his friends and who, when dic
tated, tried to hide behind his wifés
skirts, and a-gang of men who use
political power systematically to rob
the people and. then use some of the
plunder to perpetuate their power.
The people are not safe in the hands
of Mr. Sulzer, for he has proved
lacking in integrity, and they may
well feel that policy, not conscience,
restrains him from robbing them.
But they are sure that Tammany,
if given power, would rob them.
New York probably would fain
discard both Sulzer and Murphy as
rulers, but whom shall' it put in
their places? It imagines the choice
to'be between the known and the
potentially dishonest and seems to
choose the latter. But is that
•necessary? Surely there are' other
Primary including the direct select- !
SENATOR LAFOLLETTE
horiést and capable men similar to
ion of United States senators, it
Justice Hughes among its millions.
was hardly thinkable that the idea
An effort, is being made to read It is not necessary to sustain a
would spread until public opinion
forced the adoption of the amend Senator LaFollette oVef into the Sulzer in order to defeat a Tam
ment making direct election alike democratic party. 'The reason as many.—Oregonian,
lawful in all the states. Yet the signed is, the Senator voted forthe,
Almost every man and woman
little bit of leaven, started in the what mqy be called, democratic
has
faults; for it is said in , Holy
far northwest resulted in a success tariff measure. He stated that the
Writ that none are perfect. Per
bill
was
infinitely
better
than
thé
ful but most quiet and peaceful
Payne-Aldrich tariff and was,, in a haps he. or she, whose faults you
revolution in our government.
Strange as it may appear, the .measure, what the people demand hold up to public criticism, are of
lesser gravity than vour own. The
éreation of public opinion is never ed.
It appears, then, that Senator Bible injunction, "Pick the beam
attributable to the politicians. Re
LaFollette
is to be punished, be from your, own eye before you seek
form ideas seem to develop among
to take the mote from the other
the thinking, voting masses of the cause he dared to vote in accordance
fellow
’s (thy brother’s), eye, is true
people. Then the politicians take with what he deemed was for the
is true walks and conditions of life.
up and voice the ideas, often claim best interests of the country and
ing them as the fruit of their own that he was willing to forget par-
It is said certain portions of the
tisanism long enough to do what he
gray matter.
mountain toll road, have been nèg-
Until public opinion dominates deemed was right.
lectèd until some places are almost
The democratic party should re
the masses of thé people, a majority
dangerous. Certainly if people are
vote cannot be had upon any sub ceive Senator LaFollette with open
required to pay to travel over a
ject. Therefore, when a new idea arms. Such, men are an honor to
road, the road should be reasonably
or a reform in government is evolv any party and are sure to receive
safe and in reasonably good condi
ed, a campaign of education—the the plaudits of the people, because
tion. The road company should
formation of public opinion is in they dare to do right as they see it.
live up to.the conditions of the
augurated. Why? To get the ma Senator LaFollette knew that he
contract made with the government,
jority of the people behind the idea was acting in opposition to republi
else throw up,the whole proposition.
can policies and party interests.
or reform.
Almost all ideas of reform in Yet he placed honesty and fair
À law placed in our statute books,
government, originated during the dealing above party advantage. It which is not enforced* had better
past half century* have come up is said he lost the probable repub never-been enacted. It leads to a
from the farmer folk, through the lican nomination for president by disregard, not only for this particu
grange and other kindred farmer his action.
lar; law, but for all other law as
Senator LaFollette is an hpnpr to
organizations. Practical politicians
well.
do pot, as a rule, evolve new ideas American statesmanship. A man who
of government. They are, simply, dares to vote in accordance, with . About gll. qf Sweet Home peonle
good interpreters of public opinion. what he knows is right, nevertheless who) were passing their summer
They grasp the ideas coming up it means to him, a loss of party outijig at the hop fields, have re*
from the people and appropriate prestige and, perhaps, party ostra turned.
Now is the time to fit. your boy
out with school suits
■■■'....■■■■■—We also carry a, cornplete lihe of
=
General Merchandise, Groceries,
Hardware, Etc.
If you will come in and see me,
we will do business.
J. M. COWDREY
Sweet Home
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C»«B>C0ŒB>GÎ>Œn»G0 «»<!!><■■> <IE>
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S. C. STEWART President
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W.M. BRQWN, Vice Pres.
J. M. STEWART Vice Pres. '
' CLARENCE INGRAM Cash.
T. D. O’BRIEN, Assistant Cashier’
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