t
THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 11, 1914.
5
MAKES APPEAL THAT VOTERS
SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION
The President's Accomplishments In Tariff and Currency
Reforms and His Administration of Delicate Foreign
Policies Deserve Whole-Hearted Approval.
ACHIEVEMENTS REVIEWED :
AS ELECTIONS APPROACH
-Hut
Editor of the North American Reiewi in Critical Analysis
of Wilson's Achievements in Office, Declares He Has
Kept Faith With the 'People, f!;
Hi;
LET ELECTORS VOTE AS PATRIOTS, NOT PARTISANS
URGES RETURN OF THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMEN
"UPHOLD PRESIDENT WILSON;' URGES COLONEL GEORGE HAERVEY
! 1 - - : ; - : : : ; : Wr. ; " -f
By special arrangement Th Journal
enabled to present here the article
by Colonel George Harvay which ap
pears In the Worth American Review
for October.
American
All
fCoprrtKht. MM. 'bf The North
Rryiew l"ubltblnc Company.
right, reserred. )
BT aSOSOE HAS VET.
"Stand to our work and be wise
Certain of sword and pen.
We are neither children nor gods.
But men In a world of men."
T
fUREK weeks hence the citizens
of the United States will pass
Judgment upon the national ad
ministration. That the Demo
crats will retain control of the
senate la a virtual certainty; the ver
dict, therefore, will be rendered
through the election of members of
the House of representatl ves.
That the great majority of 147 ob
tained by the successful party In 1912,
In consequence of division of the op
position, will he reduced materially
imt be anticipated. Trie Itepublican
party has recovered from the shock
of defeat and the Progressives have
disintegrated to yuch an extent that
they will wield no decisive Influence
ait a unified force. A-large majority
of th seceder who followed Mr.
Ilooscvelt undoubtedly will renew their
former allegianre. but a considerable
percentage may be expected to support
iJemoc ratio candidates.
HufflHent time has not yet elapsed
on the one hand, to quench wholly
the fires of animosity engendered two
vears aifo. while, on the other, the
president has come to loom before
thousands of sincere and conscientious
minds as larRfr, more real, more sta
ble, and more effective than Mr.
Jtoosevelt ever was or could now, rffter
months of futile and brlittinR striving
among factions within a faction, hope
to become.
Hut it is not our purpose at this
time to essay prediction or indulge in
speculation. The essential fact is that
. the election of a Republican house
would spell repudiation of the admin
istration, while a return of a Demo
cratic majority, ho wever ; greatly re
duced, would signalize the most strik
ing personal triumph of any president
since Andrew Jackson overwhelmed
the opposition in 1832. Now, as then,
the issue is not a party, but a per
sonality,' so completely has Mr. W il
eon, by sheer force of intellectual vigor
end unsurpassed' power of. resolution,
dominated the poliical aggregation
which even today, after two years of
full authority, can hardly be desig
nated. In comparison with the Repub
lican phalanx in the fullness of its
strength, as an organization. The one
question, then, which American citi
zens must answer at the polls in No
vember is this-
Has President Wilson kept the
faith?
If so. refusal to accord him a vote
of approval and confidence would be
unworthy of the American people a
reflection not upon their president
but upon themselves. Happily,, unlike
In 1906, the expression will not be
that of emotionalism inspired by per
sonal idolatry, but one of" calm, sober
Judgment based upon discriminative
consideration of actual value to the
commonwealth of public ' service ren
dered by a chosen magistrate. From
that viewpoint, looking to the future,
it Is 'necessary In this time of un
precedented peril throughout the world
to take a Burvey of conditions pre
vailing in, both Europe and the far
east, but. even so, attention must be
given to the successes and failures of
domestic administration if a true bal
ance is to be struck. A brief review
will suffice.
Tariff Reform.
The leading declaration of the Dem
ocratic platform reiterated emphatic-
silly and unequivot ally as a "funda
mental principle" of the party "that
the federal government under the
constitution has no riuht or power to
Impose or collect tariff duties except
tor the purpose of revenue," but the
candidate wisely refrained from com
mitting himself to a proposition so
difficult, In the light of precedent and
practice, to sustain. While not admit
ting, he did not deny, the .power of
the government to impose duties fof
the encouragement and protection of
domestic industries. What he objected
to was the utilization of such author
ity, whether strictly constitutional or
not, as a means, not of "setting up an
equitable system of protection," but
of "fostering special privilege." Upon
that solid ground he took his stand,
and promised "immediate revision.
downward, unhesitatingly, and steadtty
downward.1
The pledge was fulfilled so promptly
and so effectually that i the tariff can
hardly be reckoned an issue ' In the
present congressional campaign. So
far, at any rate, no responsible He
publican leader has had the hardihood
to raise it, and none If prudent, will
do so.
' That- changes in tariff duties wfTI be
made from time to time to conform to
varying conditions is a. simple matter
of course, but there will be no more
revisions upward.
The country knew what It was do
ing when it reinstated the Democratic
party. It was decreeing more . than
a mere lowering of duties; it was
adopting a fixed policy, correctly in
terpreted by the candidate as
"steadily' downward. The enactment
of another general tariff bill rxi many
years to come, if, indeed, ever, la un
likely. Now that the general rule of can
tious but undevtating reduction hat
been established, there remains no
reason for . continuing purely eco
nomic adjustments within the scope
of partisan politics. That the presi
dent has in mind the creation of ma
chinery to that end seems to. be ap
parent, and there need be no anticipa
tion that he will be deterred from hts
purpose by the claim of origination
loudly heralded by the leader of what
is left of the Progressive party.
In this instance, as in many anotfher,
the difference in motive and attitude
between Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Wil
son is distinct. The former espouses
a new plan to evade an old issue; the
latter adopts It for its Inherent merit.
Of the technical quality of the tariff
bill finally enacted it suffices to say
that it satisfies the promise. While
agreeing with Mr. Underwood and dis
agreeing with the president as to the
advisability of removing the duties
upon sugar, we cannot gainsay that
Mr. Wilson's insistence was in strict
accord with Innumerable specific dec
larations of his party and with his
own laudable determination to shift
the burdens of taxation, so far as can
be equitably done, from the backs of
the toilers to the shoulders of those
better able to bear them withcut dis
comfort.
Herein, then, we find no ground for
criticism from intelligent and far-see
ing citizens who realize that the
shameful injustices and inequalitle-i
which were fostered by a greedy and
arrogant Republican oligarchy must
be eliminated if the Republic is to
endure.
Of the income tax, it need only per-
haps be said that it. was no les3 essen
tial as a corrective than tariff reduc
tions; was necessary; was inevitable;
is Just. A cumbersome measure sus
ceptible of improvement, such as will
be demonstrated in practice, no doubt!
In theory, too, it is fallacious in its
most highly lauded provision of "tax
ing at the source." This method, sa
voring as it does of the indirection
which characterized excessive tariff
taxation, not only approaches far too
closely the vicious system of the past
which permitted the mulcting of the
people without their knowledge, hut in
large measure defeats the primary
purpose of such legislation to-inculcate
In the minds of voters the pressing
need of economy in government. If
the facts could be ascertained, more
over, we have little doubt that much
of the disappointment at the sums
realized Is attributable to this defect.
But simplification will ensue In time
as a 'consequence of experience; of
that we may be certain.
Meanwhile, no need of credit should
be withheld from the administration
for the revoltuion it has worked in
the principle of taxation, to the con
tinuing and increasing relief of the
struggling poor. To our mind, no
words of the president have been more
worthy or becoming than- those simple
ones in which he voiced the realisa
tion of a lifelong aspiration shared, as
he Intimated, by thousands of others
who were bred in the belief that com
mon humanity is an essential element
of intelligent patriotism.
"I have had the accomplishment of
something like this at heart," he said
when he signed the bill, "ever since I
was a boy, and I know men standing
around me who can say the same thing
who have , been waiting: to see the
things done which It was necessary to
do in order that there might be Justice
in the United States."
To that we say. Amen! In his first
Hill "" x f f f El
ninvv A a''
IE I WW . !Alyri-J''f-VS'&s& ( I I
ii us hi ' - -on
great test President' Wilson kept tha
faith.
The oddly haphazard and positively
hidebound banking system of the
United States was conceded universal
ly to be antiquated and ill-adapted to
public needs a full dozen of years ago.
To the restrictions Imposed by it more
than to any other one cause was due
the lamentable panic of 1907, whose
consequences might easily have been
direful beyond computation but for the
energy manifested at the crucial mo
ment by Individuals under the truly pa
triotic lead of Mr. Morgan.
The mere fact that a condition thus
dependent for relief upon unofficial
succor could exist in a country of
abundant resources was more than dis
concerting; it was so startling that the
leaders of the Republican party in
congress undertook reformation with
commendable promptitude and pains
taking thoroughness. Surely the day
will come, if indeed it is not already
Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States
COLONEL HARVEY'S APPEAL SUMMARIZED
Three weeks hence the citizens of the United States will pass
judgment upon the national administration. That the Democrats
win retain control of the Senate Is a virtual certainty; the verdict,
therefore, will be rendered through the election of the members of'
the House of Representatives.
"The issue is not a party, but a personality, so completely has
Mr. Wilson, by sheer force of intellectual vigor, unsurpassed power
of resolution dominated the political situation.
"The one question then, which American citizens must answer
at the polls in November is this: Has President Wilson kept the
faith? If bo, refusal to accord him a vote of approval and corxfj
.. dence would be unworthy of the American people a reflection not
upon their president but upon themselves.
"Our appeal is to all good citizens first, to register without
fail; second, to vote not as partisans but as patriots; and, finally,
to uphold the president who has kept the faith among peoples
and among men." "COLONEL. GEORGE HARVEY."
here when due credit will be accorded
Senator Aldrlch for his untiring en
deavors which fructified, strangely
enough, under a Democratic adminis
tration.
But nothing was accomplished; legis
lative performance by a political or
ganization which was under private
control and public suspicion was im
possible; cooperation of clique and
community was simply unattainable.
It was a situation which might readily
have feazed one who, like Mr. Wilson,
could not assume to possess excep
tional knowledge of the many intricate
problems pertaining to national, state,
commercial, and personal finance. But
be could not fail to recognize the exist
ence of a fact which constituted a pos
itive menace, and. to his honor be it
said, he grappled what must have
seemed to be an enigma with no less
hesitation or resolution than in his cal
low days he mast have undertaken th
solution of a problem in Euclid.
That he succeeded eventually Is now
generally conceded a notable achieve
ment, surely, in Itself, but rendered
greater to our mind by the openmlnded
readiness with which he accepted from
sources theretofore distrusted sugges
tions of obvious improvement upon the
quite hopeless statute first submitted
to the house of representatives. , The
very fact that the new law bears little
resemblance to the original so-called
Administration bill is a compliment,
not a discredit, to a president who in
this instance at least proved himself
willing to profit from common counsel.
True it is that the measure has yet
to Justify Itself through prudent ad
ministration, but there can be no ques
tion that the binding cords which fet
tered our currency, and which the Re
publican party was incapable of sever
ing, have been cut; that ample safe
guards against undue inflation are pro
vided for exercise by a competent re
serve board; that Inducements to use
rather than to hoard capital are multi
plied; that insensate panics can never
again posesses the people; and, best of
all, that the power of cure lies, not in
Individuals susceptible to caprice or
hope of personal gain, but in the gov
ernment of the nation responsible to
all.
Tariff reform was a party obligation
definitely presaged by the Democratic
house, under the leadership of Speaker
Clark and Mr. Underwood. Currency
reform is President Wilson's own ac
complishment, and, in our Judgment,
considering the vagaries within his
own party and the obstacles raised
from without, no less than, the illim
itable benefits certain to accrue, it is
the most signal achievement in the
interest of the whole people of any
president since Abraham Lincoln
signed the emancipation proclamation.
Again, we say, President Wilson
kept the faith when hardly another
would have been so redoubtable as to
essay the undertaking.
The Administration and the Trusts.
Whether or not the anti-trust legis
lation demanded by the president will
prove beneficial or only confusing is
a matter of conjecture, but there can
be no doubt of the breadth and effec
tiveness of the administpatton's meth
ods of compelling interstate corpora
tions to comply with both letter and
rpirit of the law. There lias been no
beating of tomtoms such as charac
'terized the sheer 'antagonism of ilr.
Roosevelt, and there has been a
marked improvement upon the course
pursued .under Mr. Taft. In the face
of no little clamor from his own par
ty's organs, the president has stead
fastly sustained the department of
justice in its earnest endeavors to
right wrongs without wrecking proper
ties. No less commendable than its
firm insistence upon law observance
has been its fals consideration of the
difficulties conijronting those mana
gers of corporations who sought only
the way to conform to statute require
ments. The settlements effected in the Pa
cific Railways, Telephone and New
Haven cases afford ample demonstra
tion of Mr. Wilson's sincerity in de
claring at the outset that the attitude
of his administration toward large as
well as small business interests would
be one of active cooperation rather
than of demagogic hostility. By his
acts, if not so clearly by his word a
preliminary to his great undertaking,
the president has shown adequate ap
preciation of the necessity of relieving
industry and commerce from the pure
ly wanton assaults which had come to
be regarded by many politicians as
essential to partisan advantage. If,
as may safely be assumed, the new
attorney general shall follow faith
fully the clear course marked by his
predecessor, no Just cause for com
plaint or reason for change in admin
istration can be found on the part
either of the public or of those most
directly concerned.
Conclusions.
Ignoring, then, the innumerable do
ings and happenings of minor impor
tance which tend so often to Impair
the vision, the irresistible conclusion
is that the excellencies of the present
administration so clearly outweigh its
deficiencies that the balance in its
favor is overwhelming; that the actual
efficiency developed by untrained and
Inexperienced executive officers, un-
been surpassed, is as extraordinary as
it waji unexpected; that a competent
workups legislative body has evolved
from materials none too promising; -that
Without achieving or assuming
to hav: achieved unattainable perfec
tion, Vtf. Wilson as president has justi
fied great expectations and real
ized jLie high hopes of those whose
faith Jas strong in his intellectual and
mora) Attributes; that iu all large es
sentia: he baa. Indeed, kept faith with
his science and the people; ? and
that, fsfinsequently, he richly deserves
the v&a of confidence and gratitude,
which Ipa trio tic citizens cannot with
hold rom him without depreciating
the vslue of the commonwealth of
true bafclic service. ;
jh;t J America and Europe, ,
There, remains another most vltalK
consideration. Monarchy has failed. I
1ltA W I V. 1 . . 1
.1
utterly miserably; democracy Is oi
trial 16 the courts of Drotrrs. riv-llfi-
tion sfid humanity.
Thaf itbe situation now confronting
our vernment, and likely, in our
Judgment, to confront it for many
monthi,;. is one of the greatest dell
cacy,; jilUnff for the exercise of ex
ceptional sagacity, statesmanship, pru
dence.5 tact, even intuition, should be
apparent- to alL The president's ap
preciakon of the nature of the great
task auch has befallen him was made
manifest when at the outset he sol
cmnlyi enjoined personal as well as
official -neutrality and sought the oo-
operatin or press and people. None,
we suSpect, knows better than he the
f utileaad disabling effect of crying for
peace.; ::when there can he no peace.
That bis1 will beware of premature pro
posals J of well-meaning . busy bodies at
the trbtle instigation of one or an
otheri t the contending parties, keen
HNuuuuiciii. cravinz a cat s-Daw.
we my be assured from the perfect
respaj&es already made to direct rep-
resenUlions. If ever there was a
time jsjeijen "they also serve who only
standjfafid wait." it is now. -
TheSjjresldent promptly, as in duty
boundJimade his proffer of good of
fices jj inere he stopped; there he
shouhfi remain, ready and willing, but
.nevepbetraying eagerness to act. - -
I ha?, she will, prove his mastery of.
the Situation need not be doubted, but
" i. v4 3 uie ueip oi aiL. uu nanus
shoulil ''be strengthened by a vote of
confidJiBoe, not weakened by seeming
uivistov isow more tnan ever before,
or peroaps ever again, it behooves our
county to stand behind its leader
unlKxg (efore the world. ,-
Whatever of disaffection may exist ;
in tbCilDemocratic party, whatever ef
partlii.n feeling among Republicans,
whatever of discontent among Pro
gresapres. must be brushed aside for
the tioe if the greatest glory is to be
won fW the nation and for democracy
in achieving the goal of all mankind,
the disarmament of the world.
- ThV; 'choice of state and municipal
officios may well, as ever, be based
uponlbcal considerations, but in the
electlga of congressmen citizens
shoulg realize the gravity of the re
sponsibility which they must face at
the pZlis ou November 3. These facts
seernibjoth obvious and certain: They
cannoi; return an opposition congress
without repudiating an administra
tion ,hlch has served them faithfully
and rrell; without exalting blatant
demakagy over quiet efficiency as pos-
Besslgj popular appeal; without testi
fying lack of appreciation of a presi
dent -tt"ho has done not merely his own
bostiut better than any other since
11 nets n; without evincing a prefer
ence :jror government given to special
i prlvijige over government dedicated
to seiHce of the whole people; with
out (4eding "the progress of true de
mocrscy through enlightenment and
resolution; without inviting a return
from iober but steady advancement to
the jjlu hateful and utterly futile
strlraife between the extremes of rad
lcaliii, and Bourbonism; and, finally,
wlth&t seriously impairing the ef
fecti'johess of their own chief magis
trate'ji; patient and noble endeavors in
the cktise of civilization and humanity
throt&;h rocs tabli aliment of peace
am o the distracted nations of the
earth
Oiifjappeal Is to all good citizens
first o register witnout tail; secoira-
ly, t$ 'vote, not as partisans, but as
der the inspiration of a chief whose j patriots; and, finally, to uphold the
unsparing aevoteaness to the perform- 1 president who has kept the isitn
ance of bis manifold tasks has never amot peoples and among men.
TO LIGHTEN TAXPAYERS' BURDEN HAS
BEEN GOVERNOR WEST'S CHIEF CONCERN
Some Economies He Hoped
to Establish Were Defeat
i . ed in Legislature.
' fro this article Mr. Loekley conclude the
wrlew of the alms and aehieTenjenta of (Jot
rnor Went the flint part of which was pub
lhed In The Huodar Journal, October 4.)
By Fred Lockley.
If you will look in the Oregon Blue
Book for 1914, issued by the secretary
of state, you will find a Tew lines
devoted to the governor of Oregon.
To be exact, you will find twa and a
half lines devoted to the Mography
f Governor Oswald West and 13 linos
setting forth the duties of the office,
llrst, as chief executive of the state,
be Is required to see that the laws
are faithfully executed. He is commander-in-chief
of the military and
cava! forces of the state, and may
call out these forces to repel invasion,
execute the laws or suppress Insurrec
tion. He is chairman of -'he iate
board of control, of the state land
board, of the desert land board and of
various other boards and commissions.
He has authority to call special ses
sions of the legislature, lie is vested
with the veto power. He may grant
reprieves, pardons, commutations of
sentence or paroles. He has authority
to detail prisoners from the state peni
tentiary to work oa the highways or
at the various state institutions. He
Is land commissioner for the state. He
snakes appointments to fill vacancies
In' office. He has appointive' power
ever many and various boards and
Economies Inaugurated During West's Administration.
Over $16,000 a year saved in the operation of the state print
ing plant.
Charitable institutions placed under state control, providing
support for the worthy ones and causing the elimination of the
unworthy ones.
Improved banking laws established,
The blue-sky law enacted to protect the investor against the
operations of unscrupulous promoters. '
Educational Institutions put on a millage basis.
Investigation of loans from the state school fund conducted.
System installed in keening records of state land office.
Grant of the Jefferson street levee in Portland repealed.
Economies Suggested by Governor West, but Defeated.
Plan to have state engage in the Insurance business. (Defeated
by legislature.)
Uniform system of salaries for county officials. (Defeated by
legislature.)
Attempt to recover for the state title to tidelands granted
under blanket franchise to railroad company. (Case now on ap
peal in United States Supreme Court.)
Attempt to recover for the state lands included In Coos Bay
Wagon Road grant. (Defeated by the legislature.)
eonunlssions. From all ef which It
is easy to Infer that the busy bee or
the industrious ant are amateurs com
pared with the chief executive of the
state of Oregon, when it comes to
work.
A few days ago I spent a half day
In the governor's private office,, not
with any Intention of learning the
work sad applying; for the job, but to
bow the man now on the Job
handles the work. I had been tbere
but a few minutes when the governor
excused himself to wake good bis
promise to a little girl from Spokane
to have his picture taken with her on
the stateuouse steps.
Soon he was back at bis desk going
through the mail, , which had just ar
rived. He was interrupted by an em
ploye from one" of the other depart
ments 'wring to have a special meet-
ing called by the governor of one of
the state boards. "Call it for 10
o'clock tomorrow morning. I will be
on hand," said the governor.
A moment or two later a long dis
tance call came from Medford. The
governor took trp the phone and lis
tened a moment. "Tea. All right.
I'll be here," he answered, and again
took up his letters. Nodding toward
the phone, be said: Man wants to
come up tomorrow to make a plea for
a pardon for a convict." Stepping to
the door to the outer, office, he asked
his stenographer to look up a certain
file of correspondence and to bring in
her notebook when she came with the
file. Listening to the governor dic
tate answers to 20 or more letters gave
me the key to how he gets through
so much work. Sach letter is an
swered folly but briefly. Most of
the letters be dictated ran from four
to six lines; one or two were a dozen
lines.
The letters received covered a wide
range of subjects. The first was a
request for the governor to -make an
address; the next was from a convict
wanting a pardon; then came an ap
peal from a man on the Columbia
Southern project. That was followed
by a pitiful appeal from a woman with
two small children whose husband had
embezzled a small sum of money, and
who was sentenced to the prison.
"How do you-do In cases of that
kindr I asked.
"I investigate the ease, said Gov
era or West, "and use my best Judg
ment in extending help if I find it is
deserved. For example, a man recent
ly went to a lumber camp as cook.
He was laid off. He was lonesome
and homesick for bis family, who
were - in a nearby .state, so be raised
bis pay check for enough to buy
ticket home. He was an amateur at
crime, .so he was ' apprehended, 'tried
and sentenced. ' His wife .wrote me
to help hex find work; bsro so she
could be near him. I found him a
place as cook in one of our state In
stitutions and I gave bis wife a Job
In another of the state Institutions,
which happened to be needing help. He
will get bis lesson while serving his
sentence. She, will be earning;
money, so .they will have some
thing to start on when his
term is up. He win be working for
the state without pay, while she wCl
be earning money and will not be a
public charge."
Appeals of Tn fruits "Variety.
The governor turned back to bis
letters. The next letter was from a
man asking advice as to whether he
should vote dry in the coming election.
Next came a request for work.; then an
appeal from a man- convicted of set
ting fire to slashings; an invitation to
a banquet; a letter from a mother
wanting a pardon for her son; a re
quest for information about land scrip;
a letter from a bomeseeker asking
about Irrigation; a request for a Job
on the soon-to-be--built Alaskan rail
way; a letter from a woman complain
ing of poor law enforcement in her
community; a letter from an old
schoolmate of the governor's asking
for a parole; . a request for the gov
ernor's autograph; an appeal for aid
in a county seat fight; a letter from
a mother explaining that her boy was
not - really bad. Just a little thought
less, and asking the governor to let
him out of the penitentiary so he
could have another chance. Then came
an appointment for an Interview and
later a conf ernece, and so the busy
Hours sped dt.
"Now .1 can give you a little time
to answer some of the queitiois yea
put to me? said Governor West. 'Too
wanted to know some of the 't.lngs
I have worked for to make the burden
of the taxpayer lighter daring my
administration. . To : begin with, we
have saved over $16,000 in less than
a year in the stats prrnrmg plane
Ton know what it was. Go and see
what it now is. Oregon no longer
needs to be ashamed of it.
"We have succeeded in placing our
charitable institutions under state
control, thus eliminating question
able practices and getting rid of the
unworthy ones.
"We have secured banking laws
which put Oregon at ths bead of
the procession In banking legislation.
We have the most effective and pro
tective banking laws to be found any
where. In the past, our banking laws
were largely formed by wildcatting
banking companies as a cloak for their
own unbusinesslike practices. Having
worked for many years in a bank. I
was able to cooperate with the bank
ing examiner in preparing and secur
ing the passage of the desired legislation.
My experience as a railroad com
missioner' pointed out to me the pro
priety ef placing the greater part of
our public utilities under state control.
Practically all public utilities of the
state are now under the control of
the commission.
"Tha blue sky law was another of
the measures I worked hard for. My
experience in a bank, as state land
agent and as railroad commissioner,
taught me the necessity of securing
legislation, not only in this but in
other states, against the lures and
wiles of scheming wildcat promoters.
Wo are anxious to encourage outside
capital, to help develop our resources.
We have a moral obligation to see
that those who send their money here
for investment are given every reason
able protection, The bra sky law baa
exceeded our expectations. II is in
good "- and has given splendid
results.
"Our state insurance department has
pointed out the enormous profits of
the insurance business and shown that
vast sums are 'sent out of the stats
compared with what comes back into
our state. I had the matter brought
to the attention of th legislature with
a view to having the state go into
the business and keep the money at
home and save our taxpayers money.
Nothing was don about it, though the
state insurance commissioner is mak
ing a thorough investigation of the
whole matter.
"We have put our educational In
stitutions on a millage tax basis, thus
removing them from the logrolling
methods of past legislatures. Under
this system, they know what they
will, get and can follow out a carefully
made -and comprehensive plan of im
provement. TJ triform System of Salaries for County
Officials.
"One of the most needed pieces of
legislation was a uniform system of
salaries for county officials. Today
they are regulated by arbitrary meth
ods, which means that the most
astute politician coming to the legis
lature can get the biggest salaries for
the officials of his county. The sal
ary of a county official should be
based upon service performed, and
ability of the county to pay. To cut
out 'logrolling for salary increases, I
tried to draft a bill on a scientific
basis, taking into consideration the
wealth of the county, the population.
the amount of taxes collected, the cases
in court, the number of instruments
filed for record and other elements.
The bin provided that as a county
grew in wealth, population and busi
ness, the number of deputies would
Increase automatically. It was de
feated,
"I made an effort to recover the
many thousand acres of tide land
granted through a blanket grant ana
without consideration to-. the railroad
company operating the Corvallis
Eastern Bailway. The matter Is now
on a$jeal in the supreme court of the
I7nlfejj States.
"15 tried to secure legislation " to
recover the lands contained in the old
Coos'3ay wagon road grant on ao
coui)Jt!:of the failure of the company.
to comply with the terms of the grant.
The S bill proposed to treat the old
comply fairly by reimbursing It for
any jjand every legitimate expense it
had -.been put to in connection with
the-i'property. The corporation gang
in ts legislature Jumped on oar bill
wltb3tbe result that the state has
lost M the opportunity to recover for
tne State uus splendid heritage of all
the sbeopla Had the state recovered
t VtL . t n.l .. 1 . .. 1 I . .
reveaue sufficient to build not a mere
wagn road, as was originally in
tended, but two or three high class'
macadam roads from the Southern Pa
ctfic lines in southern Oregon to tide
waterj in Coos and Curry counties. -
"Look up senate blU 229, the Coos
Bayii' wagon road bill. You will be
Interested In studying the vote. The
cooj&ittee to whom it was referred
con&isted of Gus C Mosec X E.
Beaft. E- R. Butler, John A. Carson,
W. fiilr Thompson, C McCoUoch and
Wa&er Dlmlck. Moser, BuUet, Bean,
Thompson and Carson brought In a
repdrt against It. while McCoUooh and
DimJck. presented a minority report
for jJo passage of the bill. -j
"Vt were defeated by the corpora
tion: Interests in this matter, but we
dld 4succeed in getting through a bill
repealing the grant of the Jefferson
street levee tn Portland. Title was
secured without expending a single
dollar of the t0,00i appropriated for
its Srecovery from the railroad oom
panvH A strip was leased to the rail
road 'company on a rental basis Of I
perhoent of Its $70,000 valuation, and
thel rest of the . property, valued .at
JSOCLOOO, was turned over to the dock
lontrrtrsslon,"