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 - - Oregon Subscribe for the Intermountain Tribune AND BUY YOUR Groceries OF THÈ Lebanon Supply Co. EXCLUSIVE GROCERS Lebanon - * . .- Oregon co I I I I I The Lebanon National Bank I I I I a I I We do a general banking business I We pay interest on time deposits I 'We have safety deposit boxes to rent I I We want your business and will I I treat you in a manner to deserve it. I C»«B>C0ŒB>GÎ>Œn»G0 «»<■■> A V S. C. STEWART President '' W.M. BRQWN, Vice Pres. J. M. STEWART Vice Pres. ' ' CLARENCE INGRAM Cash. T. D. O’BRIEN, Assistant Cashier’ A V A V A 9 A V A © A C? LEBANON, OREGON ' A V A a A A V A 07 A A A Aè, V V V a OD <■■><>■> 3 E>C!K3!i><^K> <3 A <3 D (BOXI !><■■> CI D