Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/67

 POLITICAL PARTIES IN OREGON 59 denounce bitterly the bolters who had thwarted the expressed will of the party organization. They asserted that they had been assured that if Corbett were not elected, Nesmith would be, which fear they declared made it easy for them to support Corbett. Antagonism was evident between the Union members and Nesmith. In commenting on the result, the Oregonian, October 6, said : "The second great triumph of the present session of the legisla- ture has been achieved by the Union party. The ratification of the Constitutional amendment was the first victory; 86 and this is now fitly followed by the election of a United States senator who is in the strictest sense identified with the Union party of Oregon and of the Nation." Deady characterized Corbett as "a Radical in thought and a Conservative in action, a man of strong convictions, but temperate and moderate in speech and conduct." 8 ? From the permanent organization of the Oregon Republican party in 1859 until 1862, the new senator had been chairman of the state central committee. Though the old Repub- lican leaders were generally averse to giving up their own party organization for an alliance with the Union Democrats in 1862, the determination of the question devolving largely upon Corbett, he yielded to the entreaties of the Douglas lead- ers and signed the joint call for the Eugene convention which led to the formation of the Union party. While the break between Johnson and Congress drew the political lines in such a way as practically to separate Republi- cans and conservative Democrats, both clung to the name "Union," each denying to the other the right to use it. Not until the spring of 1867 did the Oregonian use the name "Republican" in designating its political party. May 25, it declared it to be the imperative duty of the "Union-Republi- can" party to keep its organization compact and perfect, in preparation for the great campaign a year hence. June 22, in an editorial "The Republican Party," it explained and de- 86 The Fourteenth Amendment passed the Legislature by the following vote: Senate, 13 to 9; House, 25 to 22. See Statesman, Sept. 24. 87 Deady, Oct. 3, to Bulletin.