Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/351



"We helped through measures we didn't believe in," U'Ren says in his plain way, "to get help for our measures from members who didn't believe in them. That's corruption, yes; that's a kind of corruption, but our measures were to make corruption impossible in the end."

The "I. & R." passed in 1899, 44 to 8 in the House, 22 to 6 in the Senate. And U'Ren went on working. The moment the session closed, the Direct Legislation League (W. S. U'Ren, secretary) set about making it impossible for Brownell's friends to "beat it next time." U'Ren instructed the voters. The propaganda was systematic, thorough, complete, and the politicians knew it. And the politicians knew now that U'Ren's word was good, and his support worth having. So in 1901, when the measure came up for second passage, U'Ren, from the lobby and after more dickering, saw it go through unanimously. And at the next general election (1902) the people approved it, 11 to 1.

Thus it was, then, that the people of Oregon achieved actual sovereignty over their corrupted state—by the methods of corruption. What good has it done them? They have the power to change their constitution at will; to make laws and to veto acts of their Legislature, but laws and machinery are of no use to a people unless