VOTERS--Over an affidavit a bridge expert has shown the county court paid thousands too much for steel in the hridaes The
defense of the court is that Marion, Linn and Benton counties paid the same. The bridges were let at private contract.
THE PRICE OF THE OREGON CITY COURIER IS $1.50 PER YEAR. ALL SPECIAL OFFERS CANCELLED. CONTEST MANAGER
OREGOM
. The Farmers Society of Equity is
spreading over this county and th
Courier is spreading with it. Its ad
vertising columns are good as gold
Clackamas County Fair
September 24, 25, 26, 27
Canby, Oregon
31st YEAR
OREGON CITY, ORE., THURSDAY, JULY 31 1313.
No. 10
CITY
COURIER
IT
E1RGE
BUT A DOZEN
THE RECALL ISSUES ARE EX
TRAVAGANCE AND CARELESS
NESS WITH COUNTY'S FINAN
CES, AND THE RESULTS NOT
WORTH THE EXPENSE
PRIVATE CONTRACTS LOOK BAD
Because Other Counties Ignored Law
is Too Weak an Excuse for County
Court to Follow.Why was there not
Open Competition?
Usually a recall election is bare J
on one major charge, one big issue,
and the men line up an fight it out
But the recall election in this coun
ty is based on a dozen or more com
plaints, one after another of charges
that do not look for the best interest
of all, but rather as if the county
had been extravagant and loose in
its management.
You taxpayers know that there it
collected in this county uver six hun
dred thousand dollars in taxes.
It's a huge sum and r heavy bur
den on a sparcely settled county.
Two hundred thousand dollars of
this goes to the state. Judge Bit ait
says the state taxes are excessivu.
and lays the responsibility to the
Republican state legislature.
He is right. This county's tribute
to the state is excessive, and the leg
islature violated the wishes of the
people when they gave away $6,000,
000. And next year taxpayers of
this county will have taxation that
will raise their hats off to pay for
the legislative fiddling.
But this is not the issue in Clacka
mas county today. This is not a leg
islative campaign. That will come
next year.
Take out the two hundred thousand
dollars that goes to the state and
we have left over four hundred thous
and dollars that goes to Clackamas
county.
And what are you getting for this
great boodle of spent money?
Are you getting anywhere near
. !4O0,00(''s worth?
Look at your roads, look over your
county and see if you can find re
suits that come within seeing dis
tance of this great expenditure.
And there's the rub in Clackamas
county today, and this is why there
is such a sentiment for the recall,
Taxpayers say the county court has
been extravagant, and has not con
sidered the tax burden on the men
who have to donate this great sum.
rhey have reasons to think so
There has never been any excuse
that would hold water for turning
down competitive bids for remodel
ing the court house, and spending
from $7,000 to $9,000 more than the
work was bid for. You can't get
away from these facts, for they are
backed by the architects who drew
the plans.
The many bridge contracts, nearly
all let by private contract to the
Coast Bridge Co., and without com
petition.
Because other counties have done
the same is absolutely no excuse.
Judge Beatie offered this as his jus
tification in his Oak Grove speech,
and he further stated this bridge
Co. built nearly all the bridges in
Oregon. If they got the contracts
in other counties the way they got
them there they should have had them
all.
Lord's laws provide for open com
petitive bids. Beatie's Clackamas
county law does not. There you have
it.
Do you think a judge who will not
open county contracts to competition
is working to save the county funds?
Think it over.
The timber cruising contract. You
remember how the investigating
committee showed it up This will
probably cost the county $60,000 at
least. Never a word was made pub
lie that such a contract was to be
let. Is there a taxpayer in the coun
ty that ever heard a whisper about
it? Were any bids asked for? Did
any resident or taxpayer in this
county have a chance at it? . It was
quietly let to an old friend of Judge
Beatie's, a Portland man, connected
with a big lumber company. It
could have been done for a quarter
of the cost and done well. Why
wasn't it?
The gas franchise that gives away
a right of way to a Portland -concern
to Clackamas county. What of that?
Not a cent's compensation, no revok
ing clause, no time limit for work to
commence. It was nicely covered
up. Apparently it was a franchise
out to the golf links locality, but
four little words following showed
the nasty joker "AND TO POINTS
BEYOND." Judge Beatie says the
contract doesn't mean what it con
tains. Draw your own conclusion,
and ask any lawyer if those four
little words don't give a right of way
to Clackamas county.
And that state board of health
deal. What do you think of that?
What do you think of a judge who,
when he knew the state board had
demanded a health officer's resigna
tion for neglect of duty, and the
health officer had written the board
he would resign as demanded, know
ing these things, what do you think
of a man who would tell that official
NOT TU RESIGN and the county
court would stand by him. Judge
Beeatie did this, he was caught at
it, and he failei. What kind of a
man is it who would match politics
against the safety of the people, and
play politics. This action alone is
sufficient to recall him.
Then there is the $350 paymentfir
an examination of the suspension
bridge in this city; the charge that
material for the court house was
bought through a commission house
Judge Beatie had a financial inte.-pst
in, and bought through thee name of
a clerk; the charges of road ma
chinery; the charges of E..D. Olds,
backed by signatures and affidavits
showing how the county was short
changed out of hundreds of dollars.
Think over all these things you
voters.
Question why Judge Beatie and
Commissioner Mattoon went before
the grand jury and had the Courier
editor indicted for a comment on a
typographical error in the court ex
penses, when week after week the
charges above were printed in the
Courier?
Why hasn't the Courier and the
men who have made the, charges
above been indicted ? -
You men and women who are go
ing to vote on the recall August 16
think these things over
Look over the record of the pres
ent county court, then look over the
two men who have been nominated
to take their places, and then deter
mine whether or not you don't think
it about time to serve notice, not only
on . Judge Beatie and Commissioner
Blair, but to all other county officials
and those who will come after, that
from now on the officials who the
taxpayers hire MUST WORK FOR
THE TAXPAYER'S INTERESTS.
Think all these things over between
now and August 16.
I ARE NOT A
E Of SHEEP"
DO
Executive Committee Meet Saturdy
The executive and finance commit
tees of the recall election are hereby
requested to meet Saturday Aug. 2d
at Courier Office. .
G. N. Lazelle
P. W. Meredith
LADY VOTERS RESENT PUBLI
CATION THAT THEY ARE PRO
CLAIMING IN ADVANCE HOW
THEY WILL VOTE ON THE RE
CALL
The Latest Joke
"Want the latest joke," asked a fel
I low, Tuesday?
"Yes; what is it?"
"The Morning Enterprise." '
Homestead Entries.
ill iiioiiit tn iiiti-i i innini-l '"6 - h
All inOULl IU IHItLLIbtnUt pe General Land Office, in Washing-
ton, u. (j., oi me opening to home
stead entry of lands in the national
forest in this county.
"We Will Study the Charges and De
fense and We Will Vote Accordign
to Our Judgement. The Enterprise
is not Driving Us
Will be Printed Next Week
In answer to the Courier's invitat
ion for any writer to defend the
county court on the rceall, an article
Speaking of he big registration of has been received, too late for this
the ladies of this city the Enterprise week, but which will be printed in the
Big Business Against It
The initiative petition, to exempt
from tax $1500 of every person s to
tal assessment on buildings, live
stock, improvements, etc., seems to
strike a popular demand with the far
mers and workers of thii county. The
day after the Courier announced that
petitions could be signed at this of
fice, voters began to drop in and they
re still coming.
The bill will be voted on at the next
general election, if enough signers are
secured. It is proposed by W. S. U'Ren
G. Orton, W. H. Daley, H. D
Wagno.., Aliped D. Cridge, C. Schue-
bel and others.
Big business, The Oregonian and
the monied interests of Oregon are
opposed to it.
Not the Local Editor
Last week two or three little edi
torial squibs got into the wrong
pen,, and it appeared as if Miss Nan
Cochran, local editor, was boosting
the recall, while as a matter of fact
the indicted Courier editor was solely
responsible. We make this explana
tion in justice to Miss Cochran, and
for fear that Messrs. Beatie and Mat
toon will appear before the next
grand jury and want another indictment.
Enterprise Reads Minds
"Registration is Very Heavy. Sup
porters of County Court Desire to
Express Confidence at Polls."
The above is from a big head in the
Enterprise, and we wonder where the
editor got his mind-reader's license,
Does the County Court issue them ?
Barclay School Contract Let
The Baker Contracting Co. was the
lowest bidder on the Barclay school
building addition, and work will be
commenced at once in order that it
may be completed for the fall term.
REMEMBER THE SAPBATH DAY
And We Don't Keep it Holy with
Circuses and Street Parades
While the Courier editor is very
liberal along many lines, yet he
doesn't believe it is right to profane
the Sabbath day with an Oklahoma
circus and he doesn t believe the coun
ty should have granted a lieense to
make a holiday of next Sunday.
Would you think it right for the
city to hold a Fourth of July celebrat
ion on Sunday?
Would you think it thep roper caper
to have a booster day celebration or
the annaul rose carnival on the Sab
bath day?
This "poor workingman" excuse is
overplayed. Thatt hey cannct attend
on other days is a fairy tale justifi
cation. Look at the rose festival in
Portland, the rose festival in this city,
the booster days, and the many other
attractions which jam this city with
spectators. Do you remember the
great crowds at the circus last year,
held Monday, and held directly after
a booster day celebration ?
"No harm in 'it,' you hear some say.
Perhaps not. Perhaps no sin in a wo
man waltzing into a saloon, putting
her elbows on the bar and telling the
barkeep to give her a "little nip," but
you and I would not care to see her
give the exhibition.
A circus and a Sunday are out of
with each other. A circus is a false
note- to a Sabbath day. It is not nec
essary. There is no demand for it. Lt
ought not to be permitted. There! s
nothing elevating or instructive. It is
bad enough on a week day. We should
at least show respect for the day and j
the divine command.
And the Courier backs the stand by
refusing cash advertising, refusing
complementary tickets and refusing
space for its display bills.
says:
The greater proportion of the
people were women anxious to in
augurate their gift of the ballot
by doing their utmost to defeat
personal ambition of the recallers.
Practically three-quarters of the
women who registered said they
were going to vote for the reten
tion in office of the presentc ounty
court officers.
Three quarters of them didn't say
any such thing; one quarter of them
didn t; one dozen of them didn't,
Does the Enterprise think it can
influence the lady voters of this city
by the silly "going with the crowd"
bunk?
Hasn't the editor of that paper dis
cernment enough to know they are
"next edition.
Elevator Work Will Start Soon
News that will greatly please many
of the residents of this city, and par
ticularly the ladies, is that work on
the public elevator will start within
the next two weeks.
All Dogs Must be Muzzled
Every dog must wear a muzzle un
til October, 1, whether in the streets
or in the yard, and any dog that
doesn't will- be the city's dog. This or
dinance will be rigidly enforced.
CAN JUDGE DEATIE
ANSWER THESE?
WILL HE EXPLAIN TO THE VOT
ERS HIS PART IN FIGHTING
THE STATE HEALTH LAWS OF
OREGON-
DARE HE TRY TO DEFEND?
Mr. Spiess Gives the Whole Political
Story and Shows How Politics nd
Pull Were put Above Human Health
in Clackamas County
Editor Courier:
In announcing the removal of Dr,
Norm by the State Board of Health
the Enterprise adds that this is the
first decision ever made in the matter.
This reminds me of the article which
appeared in the Enterprise the day
following the investigate. That ar
ticle was headed in very large letters
EVIDENCE FAVORS HEALTH
OFFICER
Witnesses tell State Board that Dr,
Norris is Faithful
Fourth Street Being Improved
Work is well along on the improv-
manr at IrrtiiM-n oftaaf nnA 1 ..(ill
not a flock of sheep, and they won't make one of the' pretti;at streets j
follow a bell-wether? ki j
JUDGE
BEATIE PAYS
TRIBUTE
HIGH
All Physicians in City Sign Statement
favorable to Health Officer accus
ed of Carelessness
follow a bell-wether
The lady voters of this city will
vote on this recall issue just as they
see it. They will study the charges,
the defense; they will weigh Mr,
Beatie and Mr. Anderson, Mr. Blair
and Mr. Smith. They aren't out on
the street like ward heelers proclaim
ing four weeks in advance who they
will vote for, and the Enterprise in
sults their intelligence when it states
hat three-fourths of them have al
ready voted.
This is written by request of one
of the lady voters of this city. How
the city when finished.
Two Big Greenhouses
H. J. Bigger has two handsome
greenhouses nearly completed on Cen
ter Street, between Second and Third
Each is 24 by 100 feet.
HARD PRESSED
Private Talks, Half Told. Used to Dis
credit Formidable Recall Movement
The trouble with the Enterprise is
she will vote the Courier doesn't know " nIv teHs, half truths:
and did not ask her, but she stated she
and many others resented the state
ment of the Enterprise that the wo
men voters of this city did not have
any ore judgement thn that pap
er tttributes to them.
Will the Wild West Exhibit?
Under a three column heding Tues
day morning it related what it claim
ed was a private conversation between
M. J. Brown and a "prominent busi
ness man." M. J. Brown's name was
plain enough, but the other fellow's
name was hidden.
Now we will tell you all about it:
The Courier doesn't believe in pub
lishing private conversations beween
The ministers nf thn pit.v will atnn
the Sunday performance of the wild individuals, but if this gentleman does
west circus if possible, and Governor we mve no oujecuon, oniy let n ai
West has been asked to aid. iwwhu.
DeDUtv StiDn savs in hia iudo-pmpnf. ine prominent Business man
the performance would be illegal, and wa8 S" Dillman' walkin6. wtn him
that it is the Sheriff's duty to arrest ulB B""rway ' conversation turn
any violators. to the recall, and he questioned
J. E. Hedges, actirnr for the circus. wnv Mr- Mattoon was not in,
says he does not think a Sunday cir
cus is a violation of the law.
Sheriff Mass, acting on the opinion
of Mr. Stipp, says unless restrained
He said Mr. Mattoon was unfit for
the position; that he was weak and
changeable.
tie made me a direct promise.
bv law, he will arrest evorv nprfnrmov said Mr. Dillman, "then in five min
Who violates the law. ui.es umue me same promise 10 unoui-
And the public will wait and watch er man' and ne broke nls Pmse to
me.
M. J. Brown explained that the sen
ounneiy duuk ounK j timent was to recall all three com-
The bride-e burninff and hern stiirv missioners, as all were equally re
the Enterprise slipped over last week sponsible with Judge Beatie, but Mat-
is the laughing stock of Oregon City K,on naa nm Bervea Blx monms wnen
and Canemah, and the ieal laugh is lne recau started and could not be
that the Oregonian had the story and lncludeL and that it would not have
the railroad officials came down from done to have asked the PeoPle to re"
P..iiland ia view the damaee and re- 0811 Judee Beatie one, as it would
ward the heroine.
.'i rp",v s.parKs on a tie ignited by a
iuar stub Miss Mary Green dips a
Newspaper in the water shakes it
have looked like a personal fight.
The Courier editor has never spok
en to Mr. Blair, he does not know him,
but he knows him as a member of the
over thfl fir, and In. th fire is n,,t County Court he is equally responsible
end she is leading lady in the Enter- with Judge Beatie 8nd rmmi8l"on
pi .se ar.i uregonian. n.o iiiaiifcmciii,.
No trestle, no warped and bended If Mr- Dillman missed his supper to
ironwork, n0 loaded train going to rush this private conversation to the
rnemali. In fart RPvarnl whn wnt Enterprise he is welcome to all he
down to view the scene of the near KeM oul 01 lu
tmgedy couldn't even find the place
v ;fre a fire should have been.
1 wonder if the Enterprise is going
to be a kid all its life?
But the people wonder why Judge
Beatie isn't defended instead of mak
ing a three column head out of noth
ing.
ww 1 ii . w ft I r
neip me ronce ne.p iou There is a big ad on page 8 that will
Liner bnaw says there is a law interest to buyers,
against the distribution of medicine If you want goods cheap, see Hol-
samples in thee lty, and if any man or me a ad., page 8.
woman will phone in when such vio
lation is made the patent medicine
venders will be promptly arrested.
Policemen cannot cover the resi
dent part of the city during the day,
and it is the duty of any home to not
ify the police by 'phone of any violat
ions. Do your part and headache pow
ders won't bo scattered on front porches.
Evidence was heard by a com
mittee of the Oregon State Board
of Health at the County Court
House Thursday afternoon which
was entirely favorabla to Dr. J.
W. Norris the county health of
ficer. Dr. Norris was accused by
Rev. Spiess of willful violation of
the state health laws in connect
ion with the recent epidemic of
scarlet fever at Clackamas Stat
ion. The prosecution endeavored
to show that the physician did
not attend to his duties and that
his books did not show complete
records of the diseases that were
reported to him. No -. evidence was
introduced which showed that Dr.
Norris was guilty of willful ne
glect and that he had been care
less. The above statement by the En
terprise, when compared with the
findings of the state board shows that
the Enterprise did not gage the evi
dence correctly. On March 31 the
state board through Dr. White sent
a letter to Dr. Norris, telling him
of the action of the board and giving
him a chance to resign but also in
closed a copy of a letter which was
addressed to Judge Beatie and read
as follows:
Judge Beatie,
Oregon City, Or.
Dear Sir:
At a meeting of the State Board of
Health I was instructed by the board
to advise you that after carefully con
sidering all the evidence furnished at
the hearing of Dr. Norris, and that
on account of the acrimonious discus
sion that has followed said investiga
tion the board deems it best that after
March 1 some other man be appoint
ed to act as county health officer in
Dr. Norris' stead.
Yours very truly,
CALVIN S. WHITE.
After Dr. Norris had read these let
ters he showed them to Judge Beatie
to read. Dr. Norris on April the 1st
sent the following letter in reply to
Dr. White:
Dr. Calvin S. White,
State Health Officer
Dear Sir:
My resignation as hea'th officer of
Clackamas county will be handed to
the county judge as demanded by the
State Board of Health.
Very truly yours,
J. W. NORRIS, M. D.
It seems that when Dr. Norris sent
this letter he understood that a de
cision had been reached Ly the State
Board. It seems also that in spite
of the Enterprise article the board
could say:
"After carefully considering all the
evidence furnished we deem it best af
ter May 1st some other man be ap
pointed." This therefore seems an action on
the part of the State Board of Health,
in fact it is the only action the state
board of health EVER TOOK. This
action on the part of the state board
was taken March 1, 1913. -On April
, ur. White says in a letter in re
gard to Dr. Norris. "His resignation
has been handed to the county court."
In another letter June 26, 1913, Dr.
White says: "Replying to your com
munication received this morning. A
copy of the findings of the board was
sent Dr. Norris by mail, and assur
ance was given this office that he had
resigned.
, Calvin S. White
Another from Dr. White, dated
June 30, 1913, reads as follows:
"Dear Sir: There has been but one
brief meeting of the board of health
since the one held in March. This
merely for the adoption of the text
boon in physiology, AND NO ACT
ION WAS TAKEN IN THE CLACK
AMAS COUNTY MATTER. In mv
judgment the matter now rests in the
hands of the citizens of Clackamas
county.
- "Calvin S. White."
UP ABOVE THE
COMMANDMENTS
Extra Special Offer
THE 11-30 DEFENSE
WE WILL GIVE ABSOLUTELY, tween the above dates, we will give a
to the first three candidates turning $20.00 credit to apply on a 6 months'
into the office of the Contest Depart- cour?e. in the Portland College and a
ment of the Oregon City Courier, the ion the vote ' hedule.
ar r eat est amount of monev. between TH ikiu mar,Hnr.aA .,.,. . u
Wednesday's Enterprise gives the the dates of July 31st ard 12 o'clock started at anv time after the first dav
county court's denial to the recall of Wednesday, Aug. 6th,l 913... of September, 1913.
To the candidate turning in the This does not mean that you must
charges. The next issue of the Courier greatest amount of money between be in the lead in votes to win this
the above dates, we will give a $30.00 prize since any money that you have
will take up these aniwers. one by credit to apply on any six months turned in Drior to the dato of Jul v 31st
one, and you readers may render the fourBe j" h Po,ril"f B"8'" Co'- will not count on these special prizes
" " 1 Iacta atiH aIba a Inimfl hnnna wnt Im 1 il. -J.i:i! 1 i l -. mt .
addition to the regular vote chedule. in a special offer which rung over a
To the candidate who turns in the period of bix and one-half days. The
iMond ffrutMt Amount nf meinpv h. nanAlAof wU oa :M Mn..
r j ' " vHiiuiuuw tt i iv uno nuv vuiiicu ill many
in wrong Again tween the above dates, we will give subscriDtiona to date ha iust aa crnnrl
The other day the Enterprise en- $25 credit to apply ' on any six a chance to win this unecial nriie an
nounced a marriage of a Bolton young months' course in the Portland Busi- the candidate whn is now in the laH
lady and a Eugene man. It was abo- nesa College and also a special bonus Get busy at once, for this is your
lutely untrue. Parents of the young vote of 5,000 in addition to the regular chance to make $30.00 in the next
lady, who is away on a vacation, say schedule. jx and one-half davs and alao to lumn
there is no such man as was named in To the candidate who turns. in the away mong the leads in the campign.
the marrige. 1 third greateet amount of money be- Get the special 10,000 bonus votes.
When I received this last letter
...1 T- tin . .
wnere ur. wmte says that it now
rests in the hands of the citizens of
this county, I copied the letters fo Dr.
White ready for publication, as one of
the ways of getting them before the
citizens of thecounty. I heard that
Judge Beatie. was going to speak on
the recall at Oak Grove Tuesday, July
i. At tnat meeting 1 asked the judge
if he knew of the action of the state
board on March 31, 1913. He answer
ed that Dr. Norris came to him with
those letters and he, Judge Beatie,
read them. After having consulted
with Judge Beatie Dr. Norris wrote
his letter, of April 1st in which he
says: "My resignation will bo hand
ed to the county judge as demanded
by the state board of health." Judge
Beatie admitted this in the public
meeting in Oak Grove. In the Cour
ier of July 10th, my article appeared
containing the letters of Dr. White,
the action of the state board of health
of March 28th, the answer of Dr. Nor
ris dated April 1, 1913 Is is not
clear that these letters contain all the
action of the state board up to June
10th.' For Dr. White says in that
letter, "In my judgment the matter
now rests entirely in the hands of the
citizens of Clackamas county."
Now where does the letter come in
of which the Enterprise says: -t:
UK. NOKKIS NOT OUSTED
WHITE."
The Enterprise also says: Dit White
flatly contradicts the Rev Mr. Spiess"
The letter of Dr. White, dated July 14,
1913, was an entirely new creation as
the result of the publication of my
letter in the Courier of July 10, My
letter broke the silence of three
months. The judge and his adviser
meant to make this silence permanent.
I was told on the streets of Oregon
City to "he down" there would be no
resignation." That it would be for my
own good to quit.' And a doctor and
a lawyer started a story on me that I
had tried to cheat the Chautauqua as
sociation.
Will they get a letter from Dr.
White and publish it which will deny
the letters I published m the Courier
of July 10, over Dr. White's signa
ture? Dr. White told me repeatedly
that he had given me all the actions
of the board on June 30. He says
There had been but one meeting of
the state board of health since the
one held in March. And no action
was taken in regard to the Clackamas
matter." If any one wishes tok now
if the letters I published are genuine,
take them to the office of the state
board and compare them with those
on file here. How about the letter of
July 14th, which the Enterprise says
contradicts my statements? When
my letter of July 10th, appeared in
the Courier, the judge was convinced
the matter was going before the peo
ple of the county and advising with
others, wrote a letter to the state
board of health, telling them that Dr.
Norris had not resigned Who told
the judge about it? Why did he act
upon information in the Courier? He
had this time received no official in
formation. See Dr. White's letter of
July 14th.
Now the judge hud Knowledge of
the board action, for he himself says
Dr. Norris showed him the letters. I
showed him the letters from the state
board in early May in his office in
thee ourt house. At that time he said
the board had reversed their former
decision, And in less than an hour
from Ihe time I showed the judge
these letters, Mr, , Latouvette knew
about it and tried to stop any further
publication of the matter And with
in an hour Mr. Latourette told me I
had done a great deal of good but
there would be no resignation. For
my own good I had better quit. I re
peat the question. Why did the judge
act and inform the stato board that
Dr. Norris had not resigned? At the
time the judge wrote to Dr. White
that Dr. Norris had not resigned he
had not receive dany letter from' Dr.
White. Now if the state Board as
the Enterprise would have you believe,
had taken no decisive action before
July 14th or later, why does the judge
take notice of a matter when it ap
pears in public print? He had seen
those same letters weeks before. In
the presence of several men he said to
me that he knew there was nothing
in what I charged against Dr. Norris,
and he did not propose to allow the
man to resign. It seems to make a
great deal of difference whether it
can be kept secret or not A wiser po
litical head than that of the judge ad
DIVINE COMMANDS TOO NAR
ROW FOR OREGON CITY, AND
ENTERPRISE EDITOR WOULD
REVISE THEM TO SUIT HIS
IDEAS
REV. MILLINEN'S WARM REPLY
Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep
it Holy, Doesn't Mean Take in an
Oklahoma Wild West Show and
Have a Sunday Celebration
Editor Courier:
There are some people who wonder
what purpose preachers have in ex
isting. What good are they anyway?
Those who read the "Morning En
terprise" of Sunday last have solved
the question. Any body of men who
succeed in so stirring up the animals
that the "Morning BMerprise
feels it meet and its bounden duty to
devote a two and a quarter column
editorial to their obliteration, and, in
addition, favors them with two first
page news articles any body of men,
I repeat, who have managed to do
all this at one sitting, surelv have
not lived in vain.
Verily the budding genius of the
Enterprise sanctum is a "Second
Daniel Come to Judgement!" At an
opportune time he appears as the
prophet of a new faith for humanity.
How the world needs his superior and
benign light! McMinnville, for ex
ample, is an up country college town.
But it is a back number morally. Sun
day theatres and amusements of such
ilk are tabooed there. Recently cer
tain Reed College professors advocat
ed stricter Sunday laws. In Eugene
the staid pedagogs of the old univ
ersity town will-not even allow a pic
tures how to open on the Lord's Day.
What an amazing lack of the broad
mindedness enjoyed oy our learned
friend of the Early Exaggerator!
The editor says: "Ministers of the
church today are complaining gener
aly of the falling off in church mat
ters." We have heard of no ' such
"falling off." People tell me congre
gations are doing pretty well in the
Oregon City churches, thank you.'
Still it must be so because our au
thority in matters religious says so.
This falling off is directly due to the
fact that the Reverend gentlemen in
charge do not spend their Sunday af
ternoons in the mildly exhilerating
mazes of the Canemah Park . turkey
trots, and their sabbath evenings in
devotional observance of the sacred
rites of the evanescent f'Wild West
Show." Our young sage declaims that
the "Average man can get quite as
much uplift for his soul from the ac
tual communion with Mother Earth in
some of her varied forms, on the
Sabbath, as he can from listening to
the average discourse from the aver
age pulpit." When he makes this dic
tum we wonder whether he does not
mean "Spiritious" rather than "Spir
itual" uplift. According to his own
admission that seems to be the kind
generally enjoyed, at least by the
piscatorial part of the communicants
with Nature. Of course "Mother
Earth and "Nature' ' are the only
forms of the "Almighty" of which he
has any conception. It does not enter
into his creed to believe that there
can be a God who cluima the right to
one seventh portion of our time. And
should there be such, how preposter
ous it is for him to dictate to such
broad minded men as our editorial
friend how they are to spend any por
tion of their time. Their elastic and
expansive consciences supply dictat
ion enough.
Incidentally the quill driver of the
Morning Extinguisher rises to remark
thut the present line of conduct of
the Oregon City pastors will not tend
to make them popular, and, of course,
popularity is what they are after.
Why they have actually backed up the
City Council in the unheard action of
deprived five saloons of their licens
es, ihink of how it hurts
the feelings of retired lliquor
sellers to be unable to muke tipsy
men tipsier, or to make' your boys
drunk any morel And incidentally
think of the good advertising lost to
city editor oft he Morning paper. No
wonder the ministers are getting un
popular.
The editor remarks that this is an
age of "Broadmindedncss and of com-.
promise." I note that the morning pa
per is great upon "com
promise." And in its attempts to
throw the mantle ' of ' harity over
its special friends it haj flattened it
self until its city editor's articles are
as attenuated as were Pat Murphy's
trousers after he had slid sitting down
two thousand feet of the slope of
Pike's Peak. Our beloved friends, Un
cle Joe Cannon and Lorimer of grac
ious memory also believed in "broad
mindedness and compromise," and it
seems to me that I have heard some
where that the American people have
given them an extended vacation from
the arduous task of law making,
while the Jersey Schoolmaster, who
was so narrow that he cut out the in-
vised a reference to thes tate board. -If , augural ball, and the gentle William
the state board had only had hearings Jennings of grapejuice fame, were ex
but no action before July 10th, why alted to the seats of the mighty. What
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