Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/764



562 THE CITY OF PORTLAND

followed another struggle. So determined and unyielding was the character of the fight that the session adjourned without electing a senator.

DEMOCRATS VOTE FOR MITCHELL.

The following fall Governor Moody called a special election and right early in the session the politicians being weary of the protracted turmoil, Senator Mitchell was elected by a combined republican and democratic vote, some sev- enteen democrats casting their ballot for him. In 1891 Senator Mitchell was returned to the senate without opposition. Then followed the free silver craze. Senator Mitchell became a conspicuous and persistent advocate for the white metal and another schism in the republican party followed. In 1897 the legislature met. A caucus was assembled and nominated Mitchell for senator. But the gold republicans joined with the democrats and populists in a refusal to organize the lower house, and what was called the famous legislative hold-up came into being. There was no election of senator from Oregon.

In the special session called in 1898, Mitchell was not a candidate. Joseph Simon was elected by the gold wing of the party. In 1901 G. W. McBride, an ally of Senator Mitchell's, was a candidate for reelection. He was supported by Senator Mitchell, but he was defeated, and he turned his strength to Mitchell. The session lasted forty days, and Senator Mitchell was elected at the last hour. He was serving this term when he died. Four times he was elected to the sen- ate, thrice he was unsuccessful. In all of his contests but one, there was much strife and acrimony.

IMPORTANT LEGISLATION ORIGINATING AT PORTLAND

AUSTRALIAN BALLOT LAW.

A large number of new propositions in law making and government have got their start in the United States, at Portland, Oregon. The corruption of the bal- lot box by the open purchase of votes of irresponsible and corruptible electors had obtained such a degree of scandal and criminality by the year 1890 that re- form at the ballot box was loudly demanded. As a sample of corrupt practices, at elections, prior to that time when electors voted by handing a printed ticket to an election judge, folded up, which was then dropped in a box, long lines of pur- chased voters might have been seen proceeding to the ballot box conspicuously holding up in the right hand a ballot that had been given them by a party or can- didate agent. If the ballot was faithfully kept in sight of the "spotter" until it was dropped in the box, then the "honest voter" could go around the corner to the saloon and get two dollars and a half. At that time ward bullies herded up voters like cattle at the round-ups to be branded, and sold by them at so much per head. And an instance is recollected when seventy-five "honest voters" were "rounded up" in a basement saloon at the corner of Front and Morrison streets, the whole of one election day waiting for the highest bidder to take them. The business was rather nauseating to the average American citizen, and Jacob Stit- zel, an old time sheriff, and on that day the captain general in rallying the re- publicans to the polls, decided to teach the vote sellers a lesson, and told the vote herder to safely keep his men in the cellar, and not let one of them get away, for they would be needed surely about six o'clock p. m., at five dollars a head. By this strategy Stitzel kept the opposition from getting hold of the "cattle" until it was too late in the day to vote them ; and then when he went around and told the "boss" that he did not need them. The panic was terrible — no cash, no whisky, and dead beat at their own game.

To remedy this corruption of the ballot box a league was formed to agitate and promote the adoption of the system of election voting then recently adopted in the British colony of Australia; which is the system now used in all the states in the union. It was first adopted in Oregon, and the reform was brought

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