Intraparty Relations in Oregon

• Author: Donald Balmer
• Published date: 01 September 1958
• Date: 01 September 1958
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/106591295801100321
• Subject Matter: Articles

710

INTRAPARTY

RELATIONS

IN

OREGON

DONALD

BALMER*

*

Lewis

and

Clark

College.

Three

main

areas

of

tension

have

developed

within

the

party

structure

prescribed

by

Oregon

law.

These

are:

relations

between

the

state

central

committee

and

county

central

committees;

rivalry

between

the

state

chair-

man

and

the

national

committeeman;

and

differences

between

the

formal

party

and

political

clubs.

The

latter

can

be

disposed

of

quickly

since

it

it

not

peculiar

to

Oregon.

Political

clubs

have

no

status

under

Oregon

law

but

party

bylaws

do

pro-

vide

membership

on

committees

and

boards

of

such

groups

as

the

Young

Democrats

and

Young

Republicans.

In

1958

these clubs

in

Multnomah

County

sponsored

a

movement

for

a

city

manager

form

of

government

for

Portland.

The

county

central

committees

did

not

endorse

the

plan

and

were

somewhat

offended

by

the

activites

of

the

affiliated

clubs.

Relations

betwen

county

and

state

central

committes

may

be

strained

by

the

very

nature

of

the

structure

prescribed

by

state

law.

Oregon

statutes

provide

that

the

registered

electors

select

a

committeeman

and

a

committee-

woman

for

each

precinct

in

the

closed

primary

election.

They

become

mem-

bers

of

the

county

central

committee.

Thus

Multnomah

County

could

theoretically

have

central

committees

of

1634

membersl

Sparsely

populated

Sherman

County

would

have

a

committee

of

10.

The

tension

arises

when

the

state

central

committee

meets

and

each

county

has

equal

represen.ta-

tion

and

vote

in

selecting

a

state

chairman.

This

rotten

borough

system

may

be

modified

in

bylaws

which

give

equal

representation

to

congressional

districts

on

executive

committees.

But

this

is

usually

offset

by

other

factors.

When

the

state

central

committee

allots,

by

state

law,

Multnomah

County

one

thirty-sixth

of

the

vote

but

one-third

of

the

assesment

for

party

fund-

raising,

tensions

mount!

The

state

chairman

is

elected

by

the

state

central

committe

but

the

national

committeeman

and

woman

are

elected

by

the

voters

in

the

closed

primary.

Which

one

really

reflects

the

will

of

the

party?

Which

one

should

be

contact

person

between

the

state

party

and

the

national

party?

Which

one

should

handle

patronage,

if

there

is

any?

Oregon’s

experience

has

been

one

of

tension

and

rivalry,

depending

upon

the

personalities

involved.

Last

year

the

Democratic

national

committeeman

was

offered

a

contract

to

sign

which

defined

(limited)

his

functions.

He

refused

to

sign,

although

the

national

committeewoman

did.

Recently

the

Democratic

national

commit-

teeman

has

been

very

active

in

party

affairs

such

as

writing

the

county

chair-

man

on

issues

and

mediating

intraparty

disputes.