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Cards of thanLs, Bo a Una.
1 Nothing Ihudily.
Cotton Mather used to say
there was a gentleman men-
tloned In the 19th chapter of
Acts, to whom he was more
deeply Indebted than almost any
ther person. And thut was the
town clerk of EpheBiis, whoso
counsel was to do nothing rash-
ly. Upon any proposal of con-
sequence It was usual for him
to say: "Let us first consult with
the town cleric of F.phesus."
4 What mischief, trouble ami
sorrow would be avoided In the
world were the people more In
the habit of consulting this gen-
tleman.
. 4
TIIK ltlfillT TO PIOTITIOV.
The right to petition Is one of the
fundamental rights of every liberty
loving citizen. It is a right that
Should be protected to the extent
that when a man's name appears on
g petition that the person or body
petitioned realizes that the petitioner
earnestly 'desires the prayer of his
petition granted. This right has been
abused to the extent thnt a petition is
seldom given more than a passing
consideration, from tho fact that
anybody can go out among the peo
ple anywhere, at any time, and secure
a list of signatures to anything asked
for. It has often been abused to the
extent that reputable men have signed
petitions and no sooner had the par
ty left them seeking their signatures
that the signer would make It a point
to notify the person or body peti
tioned that they simply signed the pe
tition to pacify the man circulating
it, but that they did not desire their
name to carry any weight; but. In
fact, were bitterly opposed to the
material allegations and prayers asked
lor and set forth In the petition
which appeared above their signa
ture. We are now facing new conditions.
Under our Increased powers as voters,
under the Initiative and referendum
law, the right of petition being the
basis of these added responsibilities,
we should assume these responsibili
ties ami not become pliable tool to
every fad or fancy that Is presented
to us. It is Impossible to submit any
law through the Initiative with peti
tioners, but the right to petition does
not grant the right to sign every pe
tition that Is presented simply be
cause the man who Is canning the
petition receives so much per signa
ture. Kvery petitioner should investi
gate carefully what he Is petitioning
for, and unlets hp knows, should
withhold his signature.
This evil is today causing many In
telligent anil sober thinking men to
discredit the Initiative law and well
may they If everybody signs every pe
tition that Is presented, without care
ful Investigation and consideration.
Vntll wo do there is no question what
that the percentage now required to
make possible the subuiissluu of an
law to tho voters, should be greatly
increased. There Is room for educa
tion along these lines and the sooner
we honor the sacred right to petition
the stronger we will grow as a stale
and nation.
AN IMPOSITION.
. Petition are being circulated tn
various counties of the state with a
the general state election In June, the
question 'of the sub-division of the
present county of Wasco. This may
be legal and In case the required
number of the voters of thesg
number of petitioners are secured the
question will be submitted to the
voters of the state. The question
naturally arises, What Interest the
voter of the state outside of Wasco
county can possibly have In this
purely local matter. What right,
morally, have the, voters of the state
outside of Wasco, to vote on the sub
division of this county.
It Is Just possible that the best
thing the voters can do, if they are
forced to vote on this question, Is to
mow It under so deep that It will act
as a precedent In keeping down other
attempts. If this policy continues, the
ballot will be weighed down with
proposed city charter amendments.
This Is purply a county seat fight,
wherein no one not a resident of
Wasco Is Interested, and It Is an Im
position to attempt to plure it on the
general ballot.
i:i,i:ni(i mattkhs.
Tho primary election tnis year will
be held on Friday, A lull IT, and the
general election on Monday, June 1.
Initiative petitions must be filed by
January SI, and must have 74.i3 sig
natures. 'Candidates fur state aui
district offices must file their declar
ations of candidacy with the secre
tary of state before starting the peti
tions for signatures, and for offices to
be filled In any county with the
county clerk. The completed petitions
of county candidates must be filed
with the clerk on or before Wednes
day, April 1.
01 SPORTS
President James 10. Sullivan of the
A. A. U. Is on the warpath. Rotten
conditions In the Tactile northwest
uthletlc clubs districted under the
parent body Is the red flag that has
roused President .Sullivan to battle.
In u slinging letter to tho Multnomah
club management of Portland, Sulli
van ottucks William M. lnglis, man
ager of the Scuttle Athletic club anil
secretary of P, N. A., also chairman
of the registration commtltee, spe
cifically, and conditions In the north
west branch of the A. A. IT. generally.
Extracts from president Sullivan's
letter follow:
"An association of the Amateur
Athletic union must not have as Its
secretary and chairman of Its regis
tration committee, a paid employe of
a club.
"I would recommend that you at
once call a meeting of your associa
tion and ask lnglis to resign." .
"Five complaints have reached the
president's office as to the profes
sional tactics employed by Mr. lnglis,
some of them being from college pro
fessors."
"How could a paid superintendent
if an athletic club be elected secre
tary of the Pacific Northwest associa
tion or even a delegate when he Is
not a member of an athletic club, and
how can Tom McDnnuld, a profes
sional instructor, cost a vote?"
"1'ioxles are nut permitted at
board o tliiK" and McDonald vlo. ;
'aled the rules of the Amateur Alh-j
letlc union, as did others who voted
proxies, when the gymnastic Instruc- ;
tor voted for lnglis." j
"Why don't you Increase your mem- j
bership to Mii athletic clubs Instead !
of six In the Pacific Northwest asso-j
elation'.' The officials are dissatisfied'
with the showing of tl. p. X. A.,'
and if you bring only six clubs to the;
A. A. V. meeting next year, the par-1
cut body will disorganize your dis
trict." "You violated one of the vital prin
cipals of the Amateur Athletic union
when you elected the Vancouver Ath
letic club a member of the Pacific
Northwest association. Canadian ath
letic clubs cannot become member
of this organization, though they may
lie Invited to take part In your com
petitions If the national registration
ommlttee grant them a permit"
"I am simply astonished at the state
of affair In tha Pacific Northwest as
sociation. Why can't the rood men
of hte northwest association get to
gether and put a atop to the illegal
m at
77
SWT
Phone Black 641.
SIS FIR STREET.
ment? Do this quickly and consist
ently and the paent oganlzutlon will
let you alone."
ANNOUNCE BIG EXPANSION
(Continued from page 1.)
wlll be dug, poles erected, wire strung
and when one feature Is completed,
practically nil of the various depart
ments will be reudy for business. The
house 'phones to be used are of the
improved type and have the entire
mechanism condensed to the smallest
possible space. These are to be In
stalled during the spring and summer
months. However, the underground
wires must first be laid.
A IjkiiI Company.
The Home Independent Telephone
company Is n firm composed of 1'nlon
and Wallowa county people. In all
there are 29 separate stockholders
between La Orande and Joseph, the
farthest outlying station.
The company was organized about
three and one-half years ago and has
grown constantly since that time.
With n few 'phones about Imbler. the
demand for a rural service has been
so -great that the company has grow n
to its present proportions. There are
at present nine central offices In
Union and Wallowa counties, and the
total subscribers list is fully 700.
From a firm formed through neces
sity the company has grown to be a
corporation of stockholders who are
now In position to amply finance the
extensive Improvements that are to
be made In Ij Grande, When the
system Is complete, which It will be
In a few months, local subscribers
will have the entire rural telephone
service of the two counties at their
fingers' end the I'nlon county part
of It free to all subscribers.
The campaign for subscribers will
I TODAY'S MEW
For
TRY OUR JOB DEPARTMENT
lor first class Commercial Printing. Satisfaction
guaranteed.
Advertising'jpace in the OBSERVER proves a
profitable investment.
?
T44AAAaSNAS44NsA4AAA A A A A A
JANUARY 20 SALE FEBRUARY M
I will sell every article in the stores at actual COST
23 Ranges
175' Iron Beds
1 35 Mattresses, all kinds
1 5 Dressers
300 Chairs and Rockers
50 Genter Stands
A large stock of Granite and Tinware, Lamps, Crockery, Silverware goes at cost. Snaps
in Trunks, Suit Cases and Telescopes.
F. D. HAISTEN
be commenced soon and when the
wire service over the city Is complete
the company will commence to instal
house 'phones of the Improved type.
The extensive expansion the com
pany will make this winter and spring
v."":t frrr!"''1"'! nml otens were taken
to further them at a meeting of the
new board of directors yesterday.
Manager Crowe announces the actual
commencement of installing the un
derground system within two or three
days. Aside from the material al
ready, mentioned, there is a great deal
of other necessary equipment already
In the city awaiting the workmen.
The O. II. & N. machine shops In
this .city will be closed tomorrow and
rip-trnck gang, not lne"dlni the In
spectors, will be laid off on the same
day by orders received from head
quarters this afternoon.
The orders read for the 25th of Jan
uary only, and it Is apparent that
work will be resumed Monday on
either a full or diminished scale.
It Is rumored about the streets that
a generous cut Is to be made In the
working force, but this is not authen
tic.
CONTEST NOTICE.
Department of the Interior,
United States Land Office,
La Grande, Ore., Dec. 14, 1907.
A sufficient contest affidavit having
been filed In this office by Lovell E.
Tipton, contestant, against homestead
dost shops
TOMORROW
The LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER furnishes its readers
with the State, National and Local News each evening.
Delivered at your door
Only
65c
A A
$14.50 to $47 00
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28 Heating Stoves and Wood
1411,
I entry No. 15117 made July 19, 1906,
Ifor NV4 SW14 Sec. 4, and NV4 SEU
! Sec. 5, township 2 S., Hange 35, E. W.
M., by Thomas II. Daly, contestee, In
which It Is alleged that Thomas H.
Daly has wholly abandoned said en
tev for more than six months last
i
I past; that he has not resided upon or
j Improved said land at any time, and
umu nuiu uuegeu auseuce was not aue
to his employment tn the army, navy
or marine corps of the United States
as a private soldier, officer, seaman
or marine during the war with Spain
or during any other war In which th
United States may be engaged, said
parties are hereby notified to appear,
respond and offer evidence touching
said allegation at 10 o'clock a. m. on
January 28, 1908, before the register
and receiver of the United States land
A BIG CUT ON THE PRICE
OF STRINC INSTRUMENTS
. It Will Pay You to Investigate
We Need the Money t
DAVIS-JORDAN MUSIC CO.
LA GRANDE
Per
PHONE FOR MAIN 13
and our Circulation Manager will explain our
premium offer. Hundreds took advantage of the
offer last year and more are doing so this year.
Get easy money early.
t f
for CASH ONLY
Phone Red 1161.
HIS, 1415 Adams Avenue.
office in La Grande, Oregon.
The said contestant having, in
proper affidavit, filed December ,
1907, set forth facts which show that
after due diligence personal service of
this notice cannot be made, it is here
by ordered and directed that such no
tice be given by due and proper pub
lication. ,
(Signed) E. W. DAV$S,
J. T. WILLIAMSON, Register.
Agent and Attorney for Contestant.
Dec. 2 7-Jan. 24.
Much as we deplore our condition
in life, nothing would make us more
satisfied with It than the changing of
places, for a few days, with our
neighbors. Phillip Brooks.
OREGON
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