that Senator Wright was not in sympathy with the provisions of the
measure. On February 1st, however, Senator Wright made the astonishing
confession before the Committee on Election Laws that he was not in
sympathy with that provision of his bill which gave legislative
candidates opportunity to pledge themselves to abide by the choice of
the electors of the State for United States Senator. From that moment
began Senator Wright's fight against his own bill, which finally landed
him in the camp of Leavitt, Wolfe and the other machine Senators.

At the meeting of the Senate Committee on Election Laws, held February
1st, the solid six on the Committee, Leavitt, Wolfe, Savage, Hartman,
Kennedy and Hare, had voted two amendments into the bill which rendered
it absolutely useless for practical purposes.

The first amendment provided that a majority instead of a plurality vote
should nominate, a provision as unconstitutional as impracticable. The
second amendment cut out of the measure all provision for popular vote
for United States Senators.

This decided action on the part of the machine had brought consternation
upon Estudillo and Stetson who wanted to see an effective measure
passed. Wright in this crisis took the floor to state his position.

"For my part," said Wright, "I would never sign a pledge to vote for the
candidate for United States Senator in Congress who shall have received
for that office the highest number of votes cast by my party. I do
believe, however, that the people of this State demand a partisan Direct
Primary law. But I think that the people of Oregon recognize that they
have made a mistake in going so far as they have. Under the pledge
required of candidates for the Legislature in the measure before us (the