page rouu
.The OltEUON STATESMAN, Salem, Oregon, Saturday Morning, February 13, 1937
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"No Favor Sways Us; No Fear Shall Aw'
From First Statesman. March 28, 151
Charles A. SPRAGtrs . - . : Editor and Publisher
THE STATESMAN PUBLISHING CO.
Charles A. Sprague. Pres. - - Sheldon P. Sackett, Seer.
, Member of the Associated Press
Tbe Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for publica
tion st ail news dispatches credited to It or not otherwise credited in
this papei. . t: t " i
Marion County legislation
HOUSE bill 341 would exempt Marion county from requir
ing constable fees to be collected and turned over to the
county treasury. It was introduced by the Marion county
delegation. After once passing the house it was recalled and
referred to the revision of laws committee where the bill now
rests. Let it rest in peace, there.
When the office of constable in the Salem precinct was
put on a fixed salary basis the collection of fees, if made, was
not reported and the money was not j turned over to the
county treasurer. In the recent flurry; when the constable
resigned it was found that the collection of fees was a re
quirement of law, and that they should be turned over to the
"county treasurer. ! . .
There is no valid reason why the service charges should
not be imposed; and since the county is paying the salary of
the constable, the money should go into the county treasury
to of fset that cost. L
Most of the service work is in civil cases, a great deal of
it being in cases for collection of accounts. The plaintiff
should advance the regular fee for filing and for serving the
papers, the same as in cases in circuit court. The public
should not be taxed to pay the constable for this service.
A reasonable reform would be to reduce the constable
service fees to make them definitely less than for circuit
court cases.
One other bill by Marion county legislators should be
enacted. That is the one to 'raise the salary of the county
judge to $2000 a year and to fix the salaries of the two com
missions at $1800 per year instead of $5 per day. The work
of the county commissioner has become a full-time job. Road
work, relief work and other
time of these officers. They
day except when trips are needed over the cetratry. The sal
ary contemplated is no more than is reasonable for the work
with the responsibility it carries!
Provision ought to be made also to legalize the keeping
county offices open during the noon hour. It would be of
great convenience to the public, and hours of county em-
. ployes could be so arranged that no extra help would be re
quired. Banks, the postoff ice and commercial houses are
open during the noon hour; so should the off ices at the court
house, unless it be some of the smaller offices where there
jire comparatively few callers to be served.
Labor Gets Injunction
A FEDERAL judge in San Francisco has given a tem
porary injunction to union sailors restraining the fed
eral shipping commissioner from requiring seamen to
show their discharge books in applying for jobs. The brief
news report does not say, but probably the recent law of
congress was attacked as being unconstitutional. If the case
goes to the highest court and the law is held unconstitutional
there the country will have an example of labor's use of
the same legal method as employers in defense of what they
regard as their constitutional rights. j -
--In this case the seamen object to the books because they
fear they will be used for blacklisting purposes by employing
companies. Thus the laborer who gets a. reputation as an agi
tator would have a hard time getting a new job because when
he showed his discharge book the hiring office would spot
the name as belonging to an objectionable person. In the past
he could sign on without giving his full record and perhaps
not giving his correct name.
The reason for the books, so it is claimed, is that recent
marine disasters revealed 'that men without adequate experi
ence were shipping as able-bodied seamen, and they proved
incompetent in case of trouble by storm or fire. The govern
ment officials insist on enforcement of the law which re
quires the showing of books. " !
Appeal to the courts in the protection of civil rights is
. a common occurrence; and the appeal is often based on the
attempt of law-making bodies to infringe on the limits set
by the constitution. The function of the court is to interpret
the constitution fairly and justly as between litigants, and
particularly to protect individuals in their civil rights. Many
of the laws passed in recent years infringe on what were
long considered the rights of individuals. Some of these laws
,' are clearly constitutional; others clearly unconstitutional;
others in a twilight zone where even the courts have diffi
culty in steering a straight course.
The fact that the labor union members in San Francisco
went into court and obtained a temporary restraining order
Is a proof of the need of such an agency for the protection
of "human" rights. ' '
Union Responsibility
REGARDLESS of how the vote comes out today on house
bills 56 and 57, this fact seems certain, that organized
labor must come under regulation by government, if it
expects to continue to receive benefits from government It
cannot indefinitely remain free in its action and accept no
social desponsibility. Either government must regulate the
unions or the unions will run the government.
In taking a stand in opposition to all regulation, as many
labor leaders seem to do, they are proving as stubborn and
selfish of their powers as employers whom labor berates for
being stiff-necked and unyielding. Mr. Justice Brandeis, a
man whom labor union leaders delight to quote, said in 1914
before he became a member oOhe supreme court:
'This practical Immunity of the anions from legal liability
Is deemed by many labor leaders a treat advantage. To me 4t
appears to be just the reverse.- It tends to. make officers and
members reckless and lawless, and thereby to alienate public
. sympathy and bring failure upon their efforts. It creates on the
part ot the employers, also, a bitter antagonism, not so much on
, account ot lawless acta as from a deep-rooted sense of injustice,
arising from the feeling that while the employer Is subject to
law, the union holds a position of legal Irresponsibility.' -
House bill 56, which follows the British act in effect
since 1871, is not a harsh requirement on labor unions, if
they are to have any degree of social control; and its general
, provisions of requiring registration and accounting of funds
do not seem unreasonable. Organized labor may succeed in
defeating the bill. If it does and industrial strife continues,
more stringent restrictions may later be imposed.
Defeating the Bevans Bill
nrtHE expression of Sen. Best that the Bevans bill to require
X medical certificates for 'women as well as men .applying
. for marriage licenses is an. insult to every girl and woman
In the state is mock gallantry of a poor order. Venereal di-
- sease is here, as the senator, himself a doctor, well knows.
The way to stamp it out is to crusade against it; and one
method is to require freedom from the disease as a condition
of issuing a license for marriage. Surely the children yet
unborn have the right to expect the protection against pro
creation by infected parents, for this is one disease where
the sins of the parents are visited on the children. There is
a suspicion that the medical profession now is lax in making
its examination of men. It should not be perfunctory, but
" thorough; and should apply to women as well as men. Each
party to the contract is entitled to such a certificate.
1 - The existence of infection is not proof of immorality on
the. part of the person infected;
matters press heavily upon the
need to be m their offices every
so that the assertion of "in-
Bits for
Brccltfcst
By K. J. HENDRICKS
Some Oregon pioneer - .2-13-37
ferries that were good ? "
as gold mines; French names '
that stumped the early spellers: ...
V Is v '' !
. Under date of May 7th, 1850,
Tolume 1, page 25, Commission
ers' Journal, W. E. Hanson, the
abstractor. In looking for . Items
on the Marlon county courthouse
title, ran across this entry: '
- Tuesday Evening the Court
Met to reconsider the renewal of
the license to W. 11. Willson to
keep a Ferry across the Willam
ette Hirer in the ' Town 1 of Sa
lem; the said 'Willson refusing
to take out license for said fer
ry at the rates fixed by the
Court at the first day of its sit
ting. May term, 1850. the Court
Granted license to the .said W.
H. Willson and that he, the said
Willson, be allowed to charge If
he chooses at the following rates
for the term of one year by his
paying into the Treasury the
sum of 310: . ; - r
"Wagons and yoke ot oxen or
span of horses, 324 ;
"Each additional: yoke oxen or
span, 50c . j
"Man and horse, ,50c
"Footman. 25c j
"Head of neat cattle. 16c
"Head of sheep, goats or hogs,
12c . I
"100 feet of lumber not on
wagons, 40c
"Horse and carriages, 50c
"Hundred pounds not on wa
gons, 25C . . I
"And twenty-fire; per cent may
be added during winter months.
"Ordered by the. Court that
the Court adjourn sine die.
"B. Walden. T. Crump, Judges
of Probate. j
"Attest: I. N. Gilbert, Clerk,
P.C.M.C." " !
.
Dr. Willson was the Salem
townsite proprietor, and had,
only 46 days before, filed tb-e
townsite of the main town of
Salem. j
The fact that this was a re
newal of the ferry right shows
tbat he had been in the business
belore perhaps ever since the
Jason Le mission had ceased to
operate the first ferry here, like
ly In 1844; which it was oper
ating In the spring of that year,
and no doubt had! been doing
since 1840, when, around July
1, it began work on the first
building by whites
site.
on Salem s
e m
But that was evidently tbe last
year Dr. Willson had the Salem
ferry, for, at the j April term,
1851. of the Marion county com
missioners' court, as! the old rec
ords show, a new ' license was
issued to Leonard White t first
to James White and then to
Leonard White), at almost the
same allowable fares, the ' main
difference being for 12 c in
stead of 16 cents for neat cat
tle. ; -
The courts of Oregon counties
tbat had Tivers were kept well
occupied with the. ; business ot
ferry licenses. At the same (Ap
ril) term at least two more fer
ry licenses were granted. -
V
One was to Jaeob L. and Sam
uel Miller for a ferry across the
Santiam river apparently at
what became Santiam City, a
mile or more below : the site of
Jefferson. The rates were cheap
er, based on 31-50 for an ox or
horse wogan and team, 25c for
a single yoke or span, 37c for a
msn and horse, etc ;
The other one was to Bap
tists DeGeere (likely Baptists
Deguire), for a ferry a mile be-'
low the mouth of the Yamhill
river. His rates were just about
the same as the Salem ones;
soaking a team or yoke and wag
on 32.
V
Many fortunes were made by
early day Oregon-; ferrymen.
Founded upon ferry money were
the first bank at Roseburg and
the first department store at Sa
lem the Aiken ferry at Win
chester, across the North Ump
qna. , ,
One of the first banks at Al
bany came partly from ferry
money the Cuslck bank. The
Salem ferry made fortunes for
several men. It furnished the
Holman money tor the .first
electric plant here. The Stark
street ferry at Portland was the
start of a dosen or more ? for
tunes. There were many more. :
v
One is amused the way the
first .deputy- clerks of Marion
county get the numerous French
names seldom right. They ap
pear often in estate matters.
They seldom if ever got such
names as these right: Francis
Bernier. Peter Belllque, Lucier
Gagnon. Louis Osant, Laplatte,
Langtain, etc. etc Wonder what
the abstracters do about those
titles?
It would require a long study
to locate many of the old roads
that were "viewed and surveyed
with great care. The one from
Oxford to Salem, for instance,
passing farms the names of the
owners of which; one sees no
more excepting in history books,
and seldom then correctly.
. More later. More and more.
Elwin Holm, 18, Called
'. To Beyond ; Rites Sunday
SILVERTON, Feb. 12 Elwin
Holm. 18, died early : Tuesday
morning at the Albany lenerat
hospital. Funeral serriees will be
held here Sunday- from the Eck
man chapeL
Holm is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Herman Holm, former resi
dents of Silrerton bat now of
Sclo. . ' - , T ;
suit" to require examination of women is unfair
It is false courtesy to exempt women from the require
ment. Before we rid sneietv of the rnvace of vpnprnl rftae.u.
in the direction of prophylaxis and treatment. Pre-marriage iW h er to her boudoir, which ia
examination is a very mild requirement. tnriated her, considering how
LUXURY MODEL
CHAPTER XVI
Mr. Vandareer was in the lobby
ot the penthouse as Lnana and her
escort came in. He greeted her
kindly. She presented Jimmy.
"I expect you'll want to come
to the bar and join the other
young people," said Mr. Vanda
veer. He led the way to the bar,
and introduced them to several
people.
He disappeared to get a cham
pagne cocktail for Luana, Jimmy
having been instantly seized upon
by a pretty debutante who seemed
attracted by his good looks.
"Where have yon been hiding
all the past seasenr" she chirped
up at him, getting as close to him
as was possible, under tbe pretext
of the crowded room. "With the
dearth of good-looking 1 boys In
the stag-line aU this past winter,
it's been simply devastating for
us debs! I can only surmise you
're one of the world's workers?"
"I hope I am, Luana heard
Jimmy answer, with a laugh.
This ' on-the-make "deb" was
pretty, and beautifully dressed.
She had an air of absolute ease
that amounted to impudence. Lu
ana Imagined she was no more
than seventeen years of age.
"Get me a. brandy flip, big boy,
will you? And come right back. I
intend to snaffle the best-looking
man here, so consider yourself
lucky." t
Jimmy flushed a little. Luana
saw it. He went over to the bar.
She thought, with a little pang:
"I might have known they wonld
be after him. tooth and nail!"
She forced herself to talk
brightly to Mr. Vandaveer, how
ever, and answer his well-meant
inquiries.
How did she like New York by
now? How did the work go?
Jimmy came back with the
braqdy flip for the debutante.
She exclaimed loudly: "What?
No drink for yourself? Here,
waiter, a Scotch for the gentle
man." Grabbing the glass from a
trap, she thrust It at Jimmy.
"With that divine shade of hair,
don't spring the bad newa on me
that you're on the water wagon?"
Jimmy laughingly denied the
impeachment.
- They drank together.
Presently the orchestra broke
into a. lightsome tune. The girl
grabbed him by the arm. "Come
on. Let's dance.
He turned In the direction of
Luana, but the girl pulled him off.
Through the open doorway.
Lnana had glimpses of them, the
wretched eniid with her face lit
erally barfed Jn Jimmy's shirt
new men came into the bar
and were presented to Luana. One
of them asked her to dance. She
agreed.
She pretended to be- unaware ot
Jimmy and his partner. She chat
ted gaily with her own. Their
faces being on a level, talking was
easy.
His opening remark was prac
tically the same as that of the
girl who was now dancing with
Jimmy so rapturiously. He said:
"Where hare yon been hiding all
jnia umer" . ,
Luana laughed. Nice that some
one appreciated her, since Jimmy
was so very much occupied I 8he
flirted a little. Let It teach Jim
my, a lesson. "I'm a woman of
mystery. I only appear at the
cocktail hour. This was her very
first cocktail party, but lie must
not know that, -.
"1 suppose you're fresh : I torn
school?" Here a man cant In on
"Would that I could believe them all!" I 1
I them. Her partner relinquished
Loana witn a numorous: -iine
forms to the left."
She was glad that Jimmy saw
she was successful. He was still
grinning fatuously with the same
partner. She told herself: Don't
loot their way. Pretend you're
having a grand time. Give him a
little of his own medicine.
A third man cut In on Luana.
Jimmy looked longing over at her.
Fervently he wished that someone
would remove the incubus from
hi arms!
He thought: "I must look sweU
with this snub nose buried in my
shirt!"
The musie came to an end. He
parked her at the bar. Escape
now, in search of Lnana. .
But Luana was surrounded by
a bevy of new admirers, so that
he could not get anywhere near
her. He could only see the top of
her hat, hear her musical laugh.
He went back Into the bar and
ordered himself a second Scotch
highball. His recent partner had
found a friend at the counter, for
which he was duly thankful.
He told himself that cocktail
parties were not in his line. Why
on earth had he come?
Because Luana had asked him
to. Because he found his mind
continually reverting to Luana,
these Spring days that were so
magic.
A second conservatory lay di
rectly beyond the one in which the
musicians were playing. He would
go in there and hare a cigarette.
He had no wish to watch Lnana
flirting with other men, as she ap
peared to be doing, and enjoying
it to the full.
He seated himself beside a little
fountain that dripped pleasingly.
The place was empty.
He lit his cigarette and thought
of Luana. Who was he to spoil
her fun? Among the rich, impor
tant mei. here, what was he but a
detriment?
So lost in thought was he that
Le failed to hear the footsteps of
a tall, beautiful woman who en
tered the little conservatory. W
tered the little conservatory.
When she spoke, he started ab
ruptly and jumped to his feet.
Her face was almost on a level
with his own. She smiled dasxling
ly at him.
"Do please sit down. I'll have a
cigarette with you. It s good to
escape the crowd for a minute,
isn't it?" she remarked In friend
ly fashion.
She wore no hat. .Her hair was
burnished copper, framing a pale,
fascinating face.
He said, a little breathlessly:
"I think yon are my hostess, are
you not?" ; J
Lorraine Vandaveer was ln-
triguel. She .had followed the
goodlodking -unknown in here.
Being from the South herself, she
at once recognised his Southern
accent.'
She had always liked Southern
men. They had a wonderful way
with women.
This one -was handsome, young
and shy. An aa usual combination.
and worth Investigating.
Someone of course had brought
him to her party. But why was he
sitting alone fa here?
Lorraine, without being in the
least bit intellectual, knew how
to handle men. Indeed, ft had be
come her hobby.
Within a matter of minutes she
had learned that he was a new
comer In New York and that he
knew very tew people.
That his work was everything
to him. That he was fired with
'rimendoua ambition.
'. "Suet a contrast to Ramon!"
thought she. Only a short half-
hour ago she had quarreled with
by
MAY CHRISTIE
many people were in the house,'
and the tongue of gossip ready as
always to strike at one whom
beauty and fortune favored.
"Get out of her, you fool! Have
yon gone mad?" she exclaimed.
"Do you want to get me Into a
scandal?"
Cruel Lorraine! You do not
understand how much I love you."
She. could have willingly slap
ped his sleek face. How dare he
display such a lack ot discretion!
"Get oat, I say! Pyon want t
have me call Slmes and have you
ejected bodily?
"Lorraine, be kind to me"
But she had fairly' shoved him out
into the passage.
He had stood there protesting.
whining. She had been terrified
that at any moment some of her
guests might take it into their
heads to come upstairs.' and see
the two of them in the middle of a
scene. That would be a grand bit
of gossip. , I
Losing her temper, she had said
more to Ramon than was wise.
His face had darkened ominously.
"You choose, to Insult j me, you
who once said you loved me
who have proved to me you loved
me "
"That's all over and done witn!
Can't you see I'm sick and tired
of you? Don't you know when
it's time to bring a thing to an
end? Have you no sense of pro
portion? Have you gone perfect
ly mad with conceit?" 1
Ramon scowled at her. "Who is
the man? Who is it who has tak
en my place? It I find him. J
keell him!" h
She had broken Into a hyster
ical laugh. A taunting laugh.
Fool that he was, to be thinking
of sex, and nothing but sex! How
could she ever have endured the
creature?
"If you don't get down those
stairs. 111 call Slmes." she said
again. - A
Simes was the butler.
"That. Madame, is the final
insult. said Ramon, with a pe
culiar smile that he considered
deadly Indeed, he had often
practised It for just such occa
sions. "I shall no more trouble
you. I have been mistaken In
yon. You are like all Anglo
Saxons -cold cold thinking
only of themselves so selfish.
Now I go. I do not come back
again. You may telephone me.
you - mar come to me on your
bended knees, but nev-alre do
see you again!
.. With that, he had flung open
the door leading from the in
side of the boudoir down to the
terrace via a flight of stairs. It
was the most indiscreet exit pos
sible. The wretch, she thought
was doing It on purpose!
She prayed Joel might not be
on tbe terrace, nor any I of the
avid gossips! Thank heaven for
the busy bar! - U
She went into the bedroom.
locked the door and went over to
the mirror. - 1 '
A -flush was on her I cheeks.
That looked bad. She dipped a
powder puff Into a little j bowl of
pale green powder. I :
That was : better. Translucent
pallor was becoming with her
red hair and green eyes land ea
otie type. She picked up a lip
stick and accentuated the flow
erlike affect of her mouth.
She sprayed scent on her hair.
She searched In her bureau tor
an embroidered jade , handker
chief that was the exact Color ot
her eyes. Ramon had
today
started her feeling of Irritation
with him by , annexing a similar
handkerchief. She had told him
it was burgeow trick, more
suited to the servants hall than
to people ot breeding. , J
"Like a policeman flirting with
tbe cook." she had said, not ear
ing how much ahe Insulted him.
Forget about It now. Go down
and mingle with her guests and
enjoy herself. ;
Interpreting thz Nsvs
- By MARK SULLIVAN j I
WASHINGTON. Feb. 10 A
widespread feeling about Presi
dent Roosevelt's action with re
spect to the supreme court a
feeling so wide
spread that with
time and nnder
standing it
should become a
majority convic
tion ot the peo
ple is expressed
by Mr. Walter
Llppmann: "I f
the Amer lean
people do not
ituKtobajuvaa . rise ud and de
feat thl4 measure, then they have
lost their instinct for liberty and
their understanding ot constitu
tional government ... No blow
has been struck, which if it Is suc
cessful, would so deeply Injure the
moral foundations of the repub
lic There is no doubt' that a great
question has been raised In
America."
This judgment I share. I share
also the similar conviction which
Miss Dorothy Thompson holds,
and I have long felt the appre
hension which she expresses In a
question and a moving appeal:
"This is the beginning ot pure
personal government. Do you want
it? Do von like It? look arouna
about the worldthere are plenty
of examples and make up your
mind."
The examples of personal gov
ernment which. I think we cai
safely assume Miss Thompson hai
in mind, are those in Germany,
Italy and Russia. There i is not
mica here to recent explanation
ot the relation between them and
tbe situation in America. There
is not space to recite that natural
law of inevitability, by wmcn
automatically a first step toward
a new form of society and govern
ment leads inescapably to a sec
ond, and the second to a third, so
that the process, it once started
in America, would carry, us in
fallibly to a variation ot the new
forma of society in Europe.
Those new forms of society di
vide themselves roughly Into two
categories. One is communism or
socialism. The other is lascism.
If either of these forms of society.
or any ot the nations practicing
them, were to attempt to impose
their conception ot society on
America by force, America would
resist by force. Because the pro
cess is insidious, we fail to recog
nise what is happening. It Is -not
necessary, at this time, to Identify
and distinguish between tbe in
fluences which are carrying Amer
ica toward a distinction which the
country does not realise. The in
fluences are at work along many
lines: back of them are many
motives, some have no definite
motive. To what extent the process
is conscious, and to what extent
unconscious: to : what degree it
is an emanation from a man or
men, and to what extent it Is mere
contagion, an Infection from
But first a sip of brandy, to
null her together. Lorraine sel
dom drank in public, beyond an
occasional cocktail for three
rood reasons. It was bad for
one's figure and looks, and in
evitably aged one. On the prin
ciple that one drink usually led
to another, and then one was
apt to make a fool of oneself, or
give some secret away, when he
drank, better avoid It In public
Thirdly, in this town, one achiev
ed a certain cachet by having the
reputation -ot not drinking.
But Lorraine kept brandy In
a locked drawer in her bedroom.
She had a stiff one now, fol
lowed . by a scented . cachou be
fore going down to the drawing
room. .
Passing the bar, she saw a
handsome but unknown young
man go past the musicians to
the outer conservatory. Sho fol
lowed him.
She noticed the fine set ot his
shoulders, his sure tread, his
bronze hair. She thought whim
sically: "I've never . had a , beau
with hair that is practically the
color of my own, although his
is darker.
Presently, with the Hawaiian
music drifting in on them, they
were sitting side by side, and
talking together, i
He was unspoiled. How long
would he Temaln that way in
this city of predatory v females,
she wondered Ironically.
She pried out of htm his arch
itectural ambitions and hopes in
connection with the forthcoming
Exposition. V-
"Now last that interesting!"
ahe exclaimed. "It's quite a co
incidence, for ' I happen to be
president of a society organized
for makleg New York more beau
tiful!" . I-.. . - -
"That's splendid of you. Please
tell me about It
There was little to tell, since
Lorraine had never once attend
ed a meeting. Skilfully, she turn
ed the subject back to beauty;
I love beauty," she said soft
ly, conscious- that becoming
green light was : streaming on
her through the glass roof of
the conservatory. "My husband
often tells me I could have been
an artist. As a young girl, in
Virginia it was my dream to be
one. But I married directly I
got out ot boarding-school
which was a fib "I knew noth
ing of life or of the world or of
careers. I was only sixteen rears
old when I married.
He swallowed that. . He said
enthusiastically while watching
the beautiful pale face that was
unlike any other he had ever
seen: -"But you've all your life
ahead ot you!"
She gave a clever mingle of
smile and sigh.1 -
"One has so many duties."
She dropped her eyes so that he
might get the fall sweep ot her
use. atc , nan aieea Nature
here, but so skilfully one would
never suspect it. ,
"You hare a duty to yourself
to your own abilities to your
God-given talents. Mrs. Vanda
veer." said Jimmy Randolph
earnestly.
She thought: "What an old.
fashioned dear he Is! She was
enjoying - herself hugely. She
hoped no oae would' come la to
Interrupt them. , . ,
(To Be Continued)
forces' and ideas at work in Earope
all that we can waive for the
moment. ' '
Without under-estimating the
Importance of what is proposed
about the supreme court, there is
ample time for discussion of tbat,
and .voices are not lacking. There
la In another area a matter which,
without being more Important,
has grester immediacy. The par
ticular way in which the sit-down
strike In Michigan comes to an
end Is of almost as great conse
quence as how congress votes on
Mr. Roosevelt's proposal about tbe
supreme court- Revolutions do not
come wholly through acts ot con
gress or legislatures; they come
as often t hi r o u g h unnoticed
changes in traditions and usages.
Fundamental In the American
form of society is thei right to
own property and be safeguarded
in the ownership of it. That is not
a right that j is In conflict with
human rights; it Is Itself one of
the human rights and one of the
most indispensable to individual
independence and security. It this
right is, by the outcome of the
Michigan strike, impaired with
respect to a I great corporation.
General Motors, that outcome will
become a precedent which will to
the same degree impair the right
of every home owner or farm
owner. The corporation; General
Motors, may, las a matter of ex
pediency, taking account of Its
own- Interest only, assent to sn
outcome of the strike which would
impair its p operty right. Yet the
country has some justificstion for
expecting this! corporation to re
gard -.itself as! a trustee for the
right of property as a principle.
Similarly, Governor Murphy of
Michigan may as a matter of ex
pediency, in the wish to 'minimize
possible disorder, wish I for and
promote an outcome ot (he strike
which sacrifices the principle of
private property. But if the gover
nor brings about an Outcome
which thrusts the principle of
private property into widespread
queation, he may think I he min
imizes disorder In one Michigan
city and for the moment; but he
will have' Increased It; in the
country and for the future. Be
sides, upon-Mr. Murphy as gover
nor ot Michigan, one principle of
government is paramount. His
supreme duty Is to follow the law
so long as thej law remains what
It is. It may be the law ought to
be changed. It may be the strikers,
mm respects the labor Issues they
have raised, are partly or wholly
in the right. With those matters.
Governor Murphy has no present
concern.
The sit-down strikers took il
legal possession of the plant. They
were in the position, as I General
Hugh Johnson put It, of fkidnap
ing a property and holding It for
ransom against both the employ
ers and fellow workers." It is not
material to the principle Involved,
hut it is pertinent to say that the
fellow workers were a large ma
jority. In the ait-downers were a
comparatively small minority.
The owner ot the property went
to the county court at Flint and
asked for an order directing the
sit-down strikers to leave. This
order the judge granted, ssylng
what Governor Murphy might well
follow: "The court must take the
law as he finds: the lew; If there
is to be change In the law. it is
legislative function to make such .
change. I
The court directed the sheriff
to read to the strikers the order
to leave the property they illegal
ly occupied. This the sheriff did.
The strikers booed. They! sent to
Governor Murphy a telegram say
ing In part, "We have decided to
stay In the plant."
The court was Informed that
the strikers had refused to obey
Its order. Thereupon the court
Issued a "writ! of body I attach
ments This writ directed the
sheriff to arrest and remove the
strikers. The sheriff could not
alone arrest and remove several
hundred men. The sheriff, on Feb
ruary S. asked Governor Murphy
to give him the assistance ot me
national ruard to carry out the
court's writ. Toi this request the
governor, up to February 10,
made no reply. I
This condition Is, of course, a
breakdown of the machinery ot
law. What commonly follows
breakdown of law 1s now arising
in Flint. Citizens, finding the
formal machinery of law Impotent,
move toward taking the law into
their own hands. There Is arising
that form of volunteer law en
forcement which prevailed la
frontier communities before offi
cial law arrived, the vigilance
committee. -I . I
(New York Herald-Tribune Syn.)
Ten Years Ago
Febrmary IS, 12T
Mrs. Lee Davenport of Portend.
for several years on republican
state control committee has been
guest of Mrs. CI P. Bishop..
Boy Scouts of troop No. f and
dads enjoyed annual scout anni
versary banquet; Bob Brady scout
master; Col. Carle Abrams gave
address. .
Seventy-five boys of I Salem
grade school and junior btth
schools participated in the hike
yesterday afternoon conducted by
Wesley Helse end Basil Delisle. of
T. M. C. A. junior board and John
Glvens, assistant Y. M. secretary.
Twenty Yeers Ajjo
February la, iiT
City school superintendent John
W. Todd was reelected by
of education last night at a salary
ot $2710 a year, advance of $500.
Linen mill for Salem seems cer
tain, board of directors of Salem
Chambe rot Commerce authorized
club to buy all flax seed tbst state
board of control can furnish.
Charles K. gpauldlng, president
and manager of Charles F.
Spauldlng Logging, company an I
contemplating the promotion of
paper mill in Salem, returned yes
terday from San Francisco. :