The Corvallis gazette., May 28, 1896, Image 2

Republican Candidates are pledged to save $5,000 to tKe County in two years. Do the voters favor Economy?
dkrMlis (Svelte,
Issued Every ThurJay "Morninc by
The Gazette Publishing Co.
B.W. JOHNSON,- lltifliues Manager.
CORVALUS, OREGON, MAY 2S, 1856.
epublic&q Ticket.
For Congressman, First Dis.,
THOMAS II. TONGUE.
For Supreme Judge,
R. S. BEAN.
For Dis. Attorney, Second Dis.,
W. E. YATES.
For Mem. Board Equalization,
ROBERT WALKER.
BENTON COUNTY.
For Representative,
R. O. LOGGAN.
For Joint Representative,
E. R. LAKE.
For Clerk,
W.
W. BRISTOW.
For Sheriff,
A. WAGGONER.
GEO.
For Recorder,
J. A. GELLATLY.
For Assessor.
L. N. EDWARDS.
For School Superintendent,
GEO. W. DENMAN.
For Treasurer,
F. G. CLARK.
For Commissioner
JOHN A. BUCHANAN.
For Coroner,
L. G. ALTMAN.
For Surveyor, .
GEORGE MERCER.
Jus. Peace, Corvallis Freoinct,
W. H. HARTLESS.
ISSUE OF SENSE AND CENTS.
" Stripped of all mystery, all
doubt and misunderstanding,
the people of Benton county are
today, on the -eve 01 election,
confronted with a plain condi
tion. The county pays its offi-
.
eta ; too mncii nionev. .even
tne democrats aamu mis wnen
fhpv sav the legislature should
j j -
reduce the salaries. If the
county is paying out too much
of the people's money, it should
stop it and stop it now.
We will take it for granted
that populists uphold their coun
ty platform. Some of the popu
list leaders repudiate it, bat the
majority of populist voters evi
dently uphold it. The republi
cans and the populists say, then,
"We" pledge our nominees, it
elected, to serve for the salaries
now provided by the law, fur
nisliing their own deputy hire at
their own expense."
The democrats say, ''We be
lieve in reducing the salaries of
the various county officials by
legislative enactment." The
democrats have no legislative
candidates, but the republican
and populist candidates for the
legislature favor the same thing,
so that there is no issue here.
The legislature cannot possibly
pass a law that will go into ef
fect before July 1st of next year.
There is no likelihood of" its
passing any law affecting offi
cials in office. The legislative
plan of reform is, therefore, at
best, only a possible coutin
. gency, a slow reform, and a re
form that is not an issue between
the candidates for county offices
because the law. whatever it is
and whenever it passes, will
bind one man as well as another.
What remedy have the people
for the present extravagance?
Must they wait for the legisla
ture to act and, in the meantime,
continue to pay out extravagant
salaries from their scanty earn
ings? They can do so, but they
do not need to do it and it is very
evident that they will not do it.
They can elect the republican
candidates or the populist can
didates and commence the de
sired and just economy on July
1st, 1896.
Public extravagance has of
late been brought home too close
ly to the taxpayers of Benton
county for them to pay much re
gard to party prejudice or person
al spite or favor. Business is
business and the people of the
county owe it to themselves to
elect men to the county offices
who interpret the salary law to
mean that the officials x shall pay
their deputy and clerk hire" from
the salary allowed them by law.
The democratic candidates do
not so interpret the law, while
the republican and populist nom
inees do. The facts are plain,
the opportunity present, the duty
clar.
FAT PICKINGS FROM THE PUB
LIC CRIB.
"As to assessments," the
Times has said that it re
quires six weeks to make the as
sessment roll and some other rot
without either meaning or truth.
Grant 6 weeks or 36 working
days to make the roll, and 365
days, less 52 Sundays, and we
have 353 working days for asses
sor and his assistant in assessing
the county and making the roll, if
every legal day in the year is
used. Notice the figures below.
When Benton county extended
to the coast the work of the as
sessor was more than double what
it is now. Notice these figures.
The year ending July, 1888, it
cost lor assessing the whole coun
ty by Mr. Skipton, $650.21.
July, 1SS9 $ 903 00
July, 1890 759 00
July, 189 1 1005 00
July, 1892 1341 40
While for assessing the
county out to the summit, being
less than half the work done by
Mr. Skipton, and comprising but
little more than half the work of
making the attendant assessment
rolls, has cost under Mr. Alexan
der's assessing, as follows:
To July, 1S93 S1140 00
10 July, 1H94 1092 00
To July, 1895 981 00
To Slay, 1896 1236 00
These figures are taken from the
court records and are correct.
Notice how it. is done. For in
stance, take 1893. The assessor's
bill reads as follows: "Oct. 4,
1893, Benton county, to A. B.
Alexander, assessor. Dr: To 360
days, at 3 per day, $1,140; Cr. by
pa3' for 100 days at $3 per day,
$300; by 168 poll taxes collected,
$168; total credits, $468; bal. due,
$672."
This bill was allowed Oct. 5,
1893, and paid by order No. 8,205
The $300 credit had been paid be
fore by order No. S,177. The
polls collected, the assessor simply
used, notwithstanding the law
plainly directs that the county
monies shall all go through the
county treasury.
"
In Jan., 1896, the count v paid
$5 for a trip to Salem bv Mr.
Alexander. See order - No. 10496.
In Jan.. 1895. $4.75: also see or
der No. 9,464. In. Feb.. 1895. .1,10
lor an index, order No. 9,49o, and
now the assessor has had a bill for
$50 in the county court (see pages
440 446-462, Journal 5) for three
months, trying to make the coun
ty pay for "compiling assessor's
book," a book not of the county's
records and Durelv Drivate. Of
course, it can not be allowed un
til alter tne election, as that would
hurt Mr. Rickard's candid acv for
sheriff. Wait and see.
.Without pursuing these details
further, enough has been said to
show plainly that Alexander is in
office for the money there is in it.
Duty is secondary. A hand in
the public crib first. The pickings
are of pure gold, Benton county
is rich, indeed. We have 380
working days for our assessor. If
his assistant put in 36 days at 10
hours a day, which is more time
than it has ever taken to make a
Bentou county tax roll, but if he
did put in 36 such days, and the
assessor all of the time every one
of the 317 legal working days of
the whole year, there could be
only 353 days at best. Where
are the extra 27 days at $3 per
day to come from? It is simply
from the imagination and nothing
less. It amounts to $81.
But, in fact, the assessor does
not-, can not, begin assessing un
der the law until March 1st and
his work must be done by Oct.
1st. , Even with the usual exten
sions granted by the court, seven
j months 150 days less than a year
and 130 working days less it is
not possible for the assessor, with
his one assistant to lawfully put
in over 223 working days in as
sessing and making the roll. But
he charges for 3S0 days! Where
are the 157 days at $3 per day or
$471, then, which the assessor
charged for 111 1S93? There is an
actual fact and food for serious
reflection. There is an actual
overcharge which Benton county
taxpayers have had to pay by the
sweat of their brows, at low prices
and grinding labor, for the bene
fit of an assessor, with his hand
deep in the public crib. It is
high time such infamy was stop
ped. Mr. Edwards promises to assess
the county and make the roll all
in 200 days. He and not the
county will pay his assistant.
The average saving will be over
$500 per year and the work will
be intelligently and faithfully per
formed, and it will be honest, and
it will be impartial. And Mr.
Edward? will not charge $3 per
day for electioneering, nor for
pleasure excursions, nor will he
use his favors in assessing in order
to secute votes. That is the dif
ference between a good, faithful;
assessor and the one we now have
and one whom heaven and earth
are being moved to retain.
'DISINTERESTED KINDNESS.
"Many a man in Benton county
whose land title was imperfect has
had his attention called to the
matter, and has been afforded
clear-headed assistance in straight
ening out and perfecting the title
to his home -by Virgil Watters.
In all these cases Mr. Watters'
act was merely the manifestation
of friendly and disinterested
kindness, and today these persons
all remember kindly the man
who volunteered it. Many of
them will put a cross opposite
the name of Virgil Watters on
election day." Times.
"Benton County Abstract Co.,
Corvallis, Oregon, Abstractors. I
have the only set of abstracts of
Benton county, and am prepared
to do all business entrusted to me
promptly. Virgil E. Watters."
Also Times, same issue.
$10 to $30 per title is about the
usual price of Mr. Walters' "man
ifestations of Iriendly and disin
terested kindness," His abstiajts
are kept in the fire-proof vault of
the Benton county recorder's of
fice, along with the public rec
ords, and from this citadel of ex
clusive monopoly, Mr. Walters'
reaps a golden harvest, while the
actual work of the recorder's of
fice is practically riW performed by
jyra. Buchanan, who. with great
difficulty, copied nearly all the
deeds and mortgages, etc., into the
public records with his single left
hand, he being naturally right
handed before losing his right
arm in an accident, and Mr. Buch
anan does this wotk, actually con
ducts the recorder's office and
does nearly all the work all the
time, and all the work part of the
time, for the munificent salary of
$20 per month, while -the high
salaried recorder, Mr. Watters,
conducts the business of extend
ing and building up his monopoly
of the abstracts, and makes lucra
tive contracts for present owner
maps at several hundred dollars,
and keeps up the present owner
books at a good price per month,
and makes maps for the county,
for taxpayers to pay for, and ail
the while drawing his large salary
as recorder.
The fact is that for the past
year Wm. Buchanan' has been the
actual recorder, as the records
will testify, while Mr. Wat
ters has been devoted to the pri
vate pursuit of keeping up and ex
tending his abstract monopoly
and making contracts for Benton
taxpayers to pay for, and election
eering, and other private pursuits,
all at the public expense, and with
only a fraction of his. time devot
ed to the duties of his office.
Do the citizens of Benton coun
ty wish to continue supporting, at
the public expense, an official who
turns his office into a private mo
nopoly, and who still disdains to
invest a single dollar in Benton
county real estate or enterprise of
any kind? If so, vote for Mr.
Watters, by all means, and it is
ceitain that is what they will get.
But if the taxpayers of Benton
County desire a man for clerk who
will attend strictly to the duties of
his office without running it in con
nection with an outside private
business, and who will pay the
deputy hire out of his own salary,
thus conducting the office at the
least possible expense, and a man
that invests his money in Benton
county enterprises and real estate,
vote 4'or W. W. Bristow.
The election of Waggoner, Bris
tow, Gellatly and Edwards will
save the county "$5,000 in two
years. Wouldn't it be a good
thing to save for road improve
ments?
- THE HERD LAW.
The voters of Corvallis should
refrain from voting on the herd
law question. It is not a matter
that directly affects them and
they should have no more voice
in settling this question than the
people of the country had in the
"cow, ordinance" of this city.
Farmers and. stockmen should
be allowed to settle such matters
affectiug only themselves,
among themselves. They are
able to vote intelligently and
comprehendingly, whereas we
here, in Corvallis, will vote care
lessly or in accordance with su
perficial impressions. Let the
people who are directly interest
ed, who are personally affected
and who understand the ' effects
of the proposed law be the ex
clusive judges as to the advisa
bility of putting it into operation.
MITCHELL OR NO.
A few democrats have been
persuaded to support the populist
legislative ticket, understanding
that McFadden and Whitaker
were "Mitchell" men. - These
gentlemen have carefully refrain
ed from expressing their senti
ments upon this, matter, at least
publically, and the people have
been left in the dark. However,
one of the populist speakers;
Geo. Robinson, at a public meet
ing in Fairmouut precinct last
Thursday, in the presence and
with the approval of Whitaker
and McFadden, said: " Mitchell
is not the man to represent us at
Washington. He can accomp
lish nothing."
E. R. Lake and R. O. Loggan
earnestly believe that John H.
Mitchell is the proper man to
look out for the best interests of
our state and will vote in caucus
and in joint- assembly for his
election. These, gentlemen are
pledged to work for economical
legislation, are personally in fa
vor of business-like methods in
state government and have abili
ty and influence to accomplish
something.
Let us be reasonable and sen
sible in choosing our officers. If
we believe Penuoyer is the man
to send to Washington as a rep
resentative Oregonian, we should
by all means vote the popu
list legislative ticket. If, how
ever, whether we are gold stan
dard republicans or silver stan
dard republicans, or sensible
democrats, we believe protection
is the thing and Mitchell is the
man, we should vote for Logjan
and Lake.
Rickard has bsen aa offlcs holdsr
in the past four ysars. So liavs
Watters and Alexaadsr. Hsre is a
combination of professional office
Holders who value their experience
gained 'at the taxpayers expense,
so highly that they demand n ' pre
mium of $5,000 over the legal sal
ary, for a continuauss of their val
uable services.. -
officer and has been for the pastjties out r my own pocket.
four years. Have his official acts
been such as to justify the people
in supporting him again? Has his
policy as commissioner been com -
mendable. ' 'Taxes have been al- j
lowed to run . uncollected, the,
property in many instances going
imu "wuc neob. nc uii itru tuai uc o representative for Ben
who were unaware of the unpaid who voluntarily, publicly, and tQn Jand LiloIn. The uomina
taxes of a few years previous, without provocation, calls anoth- j . , A
i These taxes were allowed to gfo
uncollected until the people were
in the most desperate financial
cfroifc- if- "txrcic unnnccinlp in
.iiupubMuic tu
sell or to borrow.
r Z . tucuaij
went forth and a great many
mi 4.i. c.
pitiful sacrifices and desperate ex-, sumed importance. Mr. Robin
ertion barely sufficed to . save sou has a right to vote for Pete
others, theif little all. Was this Rickard if he desires, but has no
a wise policy; was it just; was it right to do so and claim to be in
honorable? Who profited by it?
The men cf: means. The men
who can and do speculate in tax
titles. Mr'.; Rickard can not es
cape responsibility. He is try
ing to glide stnoothly into office ,
without opening his mouth to ex
plain these other matters. He
is not going to bind himself by
any promises to the people. He
makes no statement in print or
from the rostrum. - His election
speech is "Have a drink." If
he is elected, the office of sheriff
may be expected to an be expen
sive oneto the taxpayers. Mr..
Rickard has his sawmill his 8oo
acre ranch and other things to
look after. ;' He wants an office
that pays big or none at all. He
can not afford to lose his time for
a paltry $1,200 a year. At the
Fairniount meeting all the other
candidates present, including Geo.
Waggoner, stated their position
on the various matters of inter
est to the voters. Peter Rickard
was called upon and had "noth
ing to say." There is manliness
for you. The people are not so
afraid - of expressing themselves
and on next' Monday they will
have "something to'say."
The schools of Benton coun
ty could not ho. in safer hands
than those of George Denman,
the republican nominee for
county superintendent.
The Times, the orgran of the
fancy-priced office seekers, does
not meet the issues of this cam
paign seriously and sensiblv.
Every fair argument and busi
ness proposition causes it to flut
ter around, and crv "bogfus re
form." "fraud," "deceit,"
lies" and such exclamations.
It evades or denies the main per
tinent issues. We wish only to
present facts, sound arguments,
indisputable figures and official,
records. The voters can dis
tinguish sense from deceit, argu
ment from exclamation.
To the Voters and Taxpayers of I
Benton County.
Gentlemen: The democrats
having objected to meeting the
people in joint canvass lor the
purpose of discussing their claims
to further support at your hands,
as previously arranged and pub
lished, aud as I have no other
way of stating my position on the
subject of the salary of the sher
iff, I am compelled to resort to the
countv papers in order to let you
know what you may rely uporr in
case 1 should be elected.
It iclaimsd by the framers of
the bill fixing the salary ol sheriff,
that it was their intention that
the sheriff should perform all the
duties of his office for $2,000. pay
ing his own clerk and deputies.
The 1 tw appears capable of a dif
ferent interpretation and since its
enactment, our county court has
allowed clerk and deputy hire to
be paid by the county. This sub
ject was discus-ed in the republi
can county convention and decid
ed in favor of the taxpayers. The
populist convention took the same
position. The democratic conven
tion contented itself with allowing
the interpretation heretofore given
to the law to stand, and recom
mended the next legislature lo re
duce the salary. Such a reduc
tion, if passed, could not affect the
incoming officers and should the
democrats succeed in ' electing
their officers, the county would
again be mulched for two years.
That there might be no
impediment in the way
poMuie
of their
Til
e" "R,a ?' V, , 7"B,i- i
- .V,r:in the sheriffs office
not nominate a leisiau-e uciier,
1 ... '
. . ,. . 1-1.
I H 111 II III I ISI I'll ! I - 1 If i:i I HS Ill i l -
vided the populist voters would in
return help thdm to steal $5,000
from the taxpayers. They deny,
quibble, bluster and ridicule, but
this is just what they mean
only this and nothing mere.
But thev have rer konetl without
their host. Ths populist parly
has interpreted the salary law as
the republicans did a;ul stand.
committed before the people.
It dare not aid this steal on
pain of political annihilation.'
If elected, I will peifoim the
duties of sheriff for $2,000 and
wm pay my own cieiK anuuepu -
G. A. Waggoner.
Afu "Robinson, whoever lip is. !
says the Gazette abuses him
;a private citizen. Mr. Robinson
is rather sensitive for a man who
voluntarily assumes to accuse a
public newspaper of untruthful-
er a liae, cannot well plead "pn-
: vate citizenship" as a defense
against notice from the party he
nccoilc Mi- Kohincnn in thp
assans. ivir. iouinbon, in uie
nz i i ;i i.:r i. : ir
ximeb, bcc ioiucuuiy im:.i,
for , our ; benefit, but somehow we
fgvof of economy and lower taxes.
Mr. Robinson, it is easy to real
ize, is supporting Rickard as a
politician, and for political rea
sons. He repudiates the populist
county platform in so doing, but
such repudiation is easy for men
who make a god of their party,
and have no respect for the peo
ple or the people's good. Mr.
Robinson cannot, however, speak
for the populist voters. They are
able to choose for themselves,
and they will vote for the peo
ple's interest in preference to sup
porting a political trade that they
had no hand in making.
Loggan and Lake stand for an
economical, businesslike admin
istration of the state's affairs,
and for the re-election of John
H. Mitchell to the United States
Senate. ' m '
' John Henry says, "out of
four newspapers in the county
the editors of three of them
are
members of the order," meaning :
the A. P. A. We. know positive
ly that the editor of the Gazette!
is not a member ol that orsram-
(zation, so Mr. Henry must mean
to include the editor of the Times.
That is why the Times then, said
"there are many good citizens in
the A. P. A." The office devil
must have written the paragraph
about "killing a dog, a varmint
or an A. P. A." John Henry
is an invaluable source of infor
mation. .
There are this year but two
candidates in the field for district
attorney in the second judicial
district. W. E: Yates of Corval
lis is the republican nominee, and
J. M. Upton has been nominated
by the democrats and populists.
But little is known here of Mr.
Upton . The republican
nominee is well known in this
countv. He is a gfood citizen, a
sound lawyer, perfectly qualified
for the position, - and will
undoubtedly get a good vote in
Benton. Times, Apr. 25.
The net total taxable property
in the state of Oregon is $144,
415,426. Of this amount Ben
ton county has $2,873,110. This
county therefore pays about
i-50th of the taxes of the state.
The proposed lopping off of ex
penses by the legislature will, if
accomplished, save the state
something like $100,000, or a
saving to the taxpayers of Benton
county, of about $2,000. It is
worth saving, certainly. But, by
employing officials who will pos
itively pay for their deputy hire
from their salaries, the taxpayers
of this county can save $5,000.
Then why look so helplessly to
the legislature for relief from
burdensome taxation, when the
voters can help themselves by
means of the ballot? Elect Wag
goner, Bristow, Gellatly, Ed
wards and the rest of the tick- t
nominated by the republican cou
vention,and do your own reform-
L. Pi. Edwards, the republicau
UDtaiaee for assessor, will assess
the county for $600. Alexander,
the present asssesor, who is up for
re-election, has drawn since latt
June $1,236, more than twice the
amount Mr. Edwards agrees to do
the work for.
The Corvallis Times says
that Geo. Wae'p-oner's electioi.
l OO
-will save Benton county oul)
; Cor, n war nr ironn fnr thp tpriti
i Twelve hundred dollars,
even,
worth
But it
IS
i . . .
; saving to the taxpayers,
the Times right? The sheriff's
i w
1 office will have cost the count
i for the present term $6,360, ex-
elusive of board for prisoners,
ietc. The legal salary for the
1 two vears is $4, 000. The Timet
! says that only $1200 is paid foi
deputy hire. Then what ha
become of that other $1160?
'. Geo. A. Waggoner proposes to
do the work for the salary, $4000
' for the two years, and pay his
own deputy and clerk hire.
! What is the county going to do
1 with the $2360 balance? Save
it of course. There are none
:so blind as those who won't
!see.
Two certain votes for John H.
i Mitchell are assureg by the elec
tion ot ioggan ana uane.
The republican county ticket
tjje "nomination of
was topped out at fortlana bv
E. R. Lake
tr T i :. t,i
if elected his strong- per
sonaH nt hhlfom
. .A . . .
.flvs hv anv nn(1 in
a t j ,
nuences, and in so much, would
i be & man.lTimeS, Apr. 18.
The voters should under
stand that the Times' support of
Mr..Waggoner for sheriff is en
tirely unauthorized. That pa
per sees the certainty of .Mr.
Waggoner's election and wishes
to hedge. ' '
OUR HEW SPRING STOCK
OF CLOTHING IS NOW IN.
We are now showing the largest stock ot Men'i, Boys'
and Children's Clothing ever opened in Corvallis. W
have : : : : : : : : : :
Eighteen Different Styles of j
$10 All-Wool Suits
Consisting of Fancy Worsteds, Fine Clay Worsteds,
Mixed Scotches, and Blue, Black, and Mixed Cheviots.
Our 6tock for the little men is complete. We are
showing nice Mixed Suits for 50 cents each, as a chal
lenger. Our stock of Pants is unexcelled. We han
dle the Celebrated
Newburgh Never-Rip Pants
From One to Four Dollars. Guaranteed.
1
Suits Made to Order.
F. L MILLER,
THE LEADER IN CLOTHING. Corvallis. Orogon.
It
For Good Groceries
AT
Reasonable Prices,
GO TO
A. HODES.
14
People often wonder why their nervM sr '
so weak; why they get tired"so easily; ,
why they start at every slight bat
sadden sound; why they do not sleep- -naturally;,
why they have frequtnt.
headaches, .indigestion and nervous
Dyspepsia
The explanation is simple. It is found in i
that impure blood which ia contln- -ually
feeding the nerves upon refuse
instead of the elements of strength and. '
vigor In such condition opiate and i
nerve compounds simply deaden and i
do not cure. Hood's Sarsaparilla feeds -s
the nerves pure, rich, red blood; gives -natural
sleep, perfect digestion, is the
true remedy for all nervous troubles.
Sarsaparilla
Is the One True Blood Purifier. $1 per bottle.
Prepared only by C I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass,
. , , , cure Liver Ills; easy
rlOOU S PUIS take, easy to operate. 9Be.
Wanted.
Sevcal tni-twoi-lliy genllomon or ladies
i tmvel in On-!ni lr cstiililihlied, reliable
hoiisi. E;il:uy ,$T8H nucl pxponsp?. Steady-po-ilin!i.
K' cliw rrtcn-iMw and wlf-address
id, st.'unpwl ni vi-I.ii-. Tli Dominion pom
pnny. Thin! Ki- r, Omiilin liidg., Chicago
III.
V'int-l A ri'liahlf lady or (tentlnian te
tlistrilnito MimpW and inakn a hou-to-hoiisi:
ciim-:i.x for our Wjrtetable Toilet
Soi. mid 'xtv Flavoring; hxtracts. $40 to
$75 n month i-si-ilv iimdc. Addrsw Crefts
& 11 -i 1, Chicago. 111.
evevw.'
Cheapest
AND
Best
PI.-ic-k in the vnllry to buy Harneu, Saddles,...
Wl)is, Unmet Oil, and other horse
men's Milie. is at
J. iVI. CAMERON'S.,
j;HU harnj are hand-made from
belt oak-tanned leather.
the
RIP-A-N-S
The modern stand
ard Family Medi
cine: Cures the
common eYery-day
ills of humanity.
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