Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/284



desire for a direct nominating law had become pronounced. Many flagrant violations of the popular wish in these matters had occurred, and the matter occupied a prominent place in the list of questions that were generally discussed.

Statement No. 1. Ariothe r Imp o rta yi t Change in the Control of political nominations was made by the people in 1904, when they abolished the system of primary conventions and initiated the Direct Primary Law, which included what is known as Statement No. I," by the terms of which each candidate for the legislature was requested to sign a statement to the effect that, if elected, he would support for the United States Senate such candidate for that office as had received the highest vote at the preceding election. The law contained another statement namely, that the candidate would not support such candidate unless he chose to do so. The two statements were known as "Statement No. I" and Statement No. 2" but as the legislative candidates were unwillmg to court defeat they almost without exception signed "Statement No. 1."

The Intenticn of "Statrwe7if No. I" was to secure the election of United States Senators by a direct vote of the people relyini^ on members of the le':z:is] ature to act upon the instruction of the people, in advance of an amendinent to the federal constitution providing for their election by popular vote.

This Plan Worked As Was InfevfJ^fJ. and at the election in 1906 Jonathan Bourne, Jr., and Fred W. Mulkey were so chosen by the people, and during the following session of the legislature were elected United States Senators. In 1908, when his second term in the Governor's office had but half expired. Governor Chamberlain was nominated by the Democratic party as its candidate for the United States Senate, and in November following he received a majority vote at the hands of the people. The legislature which met in January, though overwhelnungly Republican in both houses, had almost unanimously subscribed to "Statement