The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., May 01, 1926, Page 9, Image 9

May 1926
THE UNITED AMERICAN
Page Nine
The Commonwealth of Oregon
A Brief History of the Organization and Development of One of the Forty-eight United States of America,
Submitted in a Series of Comprehensive and Interesting Letters, Written Particularly for Those Who Have
Commenced Studying and Preparing Themselves to Pass the Examination for American Citizenship.
By A. C. Strange, Oregon State Director of Americanization Schools
V.
SOME FACTS ABOUT OREGON’S GOVERNMENT
TN THIS LETTER, I shall give some of the more
important facts about the executive and admin­
istrative departments of Oregon’s government. I
shall give only those facts which I believe our citizens
should know and which men and women seeking citi­
zenship should learn.
At the head of the executive department is the
governor who at the present time is Walter M. Pierce.
The state constitution provides a term of four years
with only one re-election in a period of twelve years.
This means that a governor after serving two terms
or eight years must wait four years before trying to
be elected to the office again. Any person to be chosen
governor in Oregon must be an American citizen,
must have reached the age of thirty, and must have
lived in the state at least three years. In the case of
his death or removal from office, the president of the
senate becomes governor and holds the office until
the next regular election; and, in case this officer dies
while in office or is removed from office, the speaker
of the house assumes the office.
The duties of the governor are heavy and many.
Following are some of the most important:
He is commander of the state militia, that is, the
soldiers of the state, whom he may use to aid him in
carrying out his duties.
He must see that the laws are enforced. This is
his heaviest responsibility. It is true that every
county and every city have their officers of the law
who are directly responsible for this duty; however
the governor is, in a sense, over them and back of
them. In case he learns that any law in any county,
for example, the law against the sale of liquor, is not
being enforced, it is his duty to take steps to see
that the law is put into effect. To do this, he may
send into the county officers representing the state
who shall take over the duties of law enforcement and
the punishment of crime and, if he thinks best he
may also send the state soldiers to protect lives and
property and keep order in that county. This was
done a few years ago in Baker County. The governor
at the time was Oswald West. Believing that the
law in regard to the sale of liquor was not being en­
forced in a little mining town on the Snake River
called Copperfield, he sent to the place an officer re­
presenting his office and a company of militia who
for several weeks did the work of administering gov­
ernment there, which should have been done by the
county and town officers. As a result, the somewhat
lawless condition that had come to prevail there was
done away with. Every governor has the same power
and, if he be a man of unflagging devotion to his
duties, will not hesitate to use it when the need arises.
However, it should be said here that in America
every community is expected to enforce for itself the
laws. It has officers chosen for that purpose who, if
they have the courage and patriotism needed in their
offices, will not have reason to call on the governor
for help. Our system is such that any community
which cannot maintain order and enforce law is a lia­
bility to our country, not, as it should be, an asset.
Every good citizen knows this fact and tries to help
in the enforcement of law by reporting or checking
disorder, by serving on juries, by voting only for
good men for office, and voting only for the right sort
of laws.
The governor also shall now and then recommend
to the legislature needed laws and report about such
matters of government and financial support of state
business in which its members are interested. Such
reports and recommendations are always printed in
the newspapers and may be considered as being made
to the people as well. Moreover, when he thinks it
necessary, he may call the legislature together in
special session.
Other duties are the granting of pardons and re-
prives to those convicted of crime and the filling of
vacancies in offices by appointment. Such officers,
though, shall hold office only until their successors
have been elected and have qualified for the offices.
A somewhat unique power given the governor is
(Continued on Page Thirteen)
F o r REPRESENTATIVE
To the State Legislature
From Multnomah County
VOTE FOR
H. J.
Langoe
Editor “The United American”
Republican Primaries
Friday, May 21st, 1926
LANGOE STANDS PLEDGED to work for:
The Protection and the Betterment of the Home.
To encourage Land Settlement and Home Ownership.
Equitable Revenue, -License and Tax Laws.
Simplification of State Government.
Elimination of Autocratic Bureaucracy.
Consolidation of our numerous Expensive and Tax-
. eating Boards, Bureaus and Commissions.
To stop the prevalent raids on the Public Treasury
by Public Officials and Political Freebooters.
To restore Honesty to State Government.
Vote 75 X on the Ballot
PaidAdv .
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