18
THE WESTERN AMERICAN
EDITORIAL
BUILDING THE OREGON COUNTRY
VV HILE the political demagogues are knowingly
misrepresenting to the people how taxes may
be reduced, they are accomplishing nothing beyond
the possibility of sufficiently misleading the public
to land themselves in safe political berths, where
they may play their various isms to their hearts
content, while the tax burden will continue to rest
as heavy, and possibly heavier, on the shoulders of
the individual taxpayer.
What we need is a concerted action to get settlers
out into the Oregon country, to till the soil and build
homes, to enjoy the improvements we have made
and, as resident citizens and taxpayers, help to pay
the district assessments. In that way we will be able
to reduce the tax burden, made heavy 'because we
were anxious to make the country accessible for the
new comers. That is the only logical solution to the
present tax situation in Oregon. The only way taxes
can be reduced to each individual of Oregon’s present
small population, lies in bringing more people into
Oregon to produce wealth from the untouched re
sources of the state, thereby increasing the number
of taxpayers to carry the burden of the tax levy.
We have far-seeing men in Oregon, who are con
structive community buliders, and we have other
elements who are everlastingly engaged in bucking
progress and community building by their freak no
tions regarding economy and preferentiality.
Minorities in Oregon have abused the initiative
in this state to a point of distraction, by their freak
measures to control the majority. Incidentally, they
have advertised Oregon as a state where freak legis
lation interferes with private business and private
rights. Oregon’s tendency to support dangerous
isms in the past, is largely responsible for the fact
that our population has not increased in comparison
with the population of our neighboring states of
Washington and California.
The progressive citizens of Oregon, who proposed
an Oregon Exposition for 1925, later changed to
1927, were far-seeing men who had in mind the well
being of the people at large of the state of Oregon.
They realized the tremendous impetus an Exposi
tion would be to the Oregon country, now accessible
everywhere by the construction of automobile roads.
They knew that the saying “seeing is believing,”
would again come true if we could create an attrac
tion of nationwide scope, bringing the people by the
hundreds of thousands to Oregon. They knew that
it would cost money to hold an Exposition, but they
believed the cost, in the ultimate, would prove in
significant compared with the gain.
True, there are far-seeing business men, men of
vision and constructive planning, who are taking the
position that the taxpayers of Oregon are not in a
position to vote in favor of an Exposition at this time.
With all due respect for their views, the prepon
derance of public opinion seems to be that the Ex
position will be a vehicle to put the Oregon country
squarely before the American body of home seekers
who are looking toward the West.
There are two Exposition measures on the ballot.
November, 19221
One is the state measure, whereby the citizens of
the state at large are called upon to authorize the
city of Portland to raise three million dollars, by
levying and collecting an annual special tax of one
million dollars for three years, to defray the cost of
the Exposition. A vote in favor of this measure]
should be indicated by making an X after number 308 ’
on the ballot. The other is the charter amendment
before the voters of the city of Portland, calling
for the authority to raise the three million dollars
for Exposition purposes. This measure is number
500 on the ballot. The promoters of the Exposition
have shown sufficient faith in the ultimate good to
come from the Exposition that they have pledged
to raise one million dollars in private subscriptions,I
This provision is incorporated in the measure author-]
izing the tax levy.
There are two obnoxious measures on the ballot]
for this election that should be voted down, first,]
before a vote in favor of the Exposition measure is]
registered. These two measures are the Single Tax]
Amendment and the Compulsory Education Bill.
These two measures combined contain enough ex-]
plosives to blast every outside interest in Oregon,]
If these measures, or either of them, are enacted, it
would be a foolhardy thing to hold an Exposition.
The Single Tax measure is loaded with Commun-]
ism. No manufacturer, farmer or investor would]
come to Oregon if the state becomes single tax com-]
munistic.
The school monopoly bill, called on the ballot the]
Compulsory Education Bill, is so over loaded with]
religious prejudices that fairminded Americans every]
where would ¿hun Oregon, no matter what the at
traction might be, even for a visit, should this meas
ure carry.
A vote against the Single Tax measure may be]
registered by making an X after number 305 on the]
ballot.
A vote against the Compulsory Education bill may!
be registered by marking an X after number 315]
on the ballot.
After having marked your ballot accordingly, if
you believe in the Exposition as a means to help
Oregon to prosper, then mark your X after numbers
308 and 500, respectively, on the ballot.
Such voting will be consistent and intelligent.
We may all have our private opinions and beliefs!
but if we put these private views before the interest
of all the people and the state at large, then wel
have retrogressed in our citizenship and we have be
come exponents of a doctrine that has never failed
to bring disaster, the doctrine of a minority forcing
its will upon the majority.
These are some of the pertinent questions to be
solved by the Oregonians of today.
The Western American has presented the situa
tion briefly above. You are either a broadminded,
constructive citizen, or a prejudiced, selfish individ
ual, caring little for the fate of the state and the
people at large, as you attempt through the ballot
to satisfy your insatiable hate and appease your
malevolent spirit.
Realizing that your vote will directly affect Or
egon’s best interest, your interest, broadly speak
ing, and that of your neighbor, do not mark your
ballot for men or measures until you have answered
yourself squarely the question:
Are you an obstructionist, or
Are you a builder of the Oregon country?