ETT15 Vol. XLHI. Corvaijljs, Benton County, Oreoox, Tuesday; February - FREE LOCKS AMD OPEN RIVER Judge W. S, McFadden's Address Before the Willamette Valley Development . League in Albany Recently Why Corvallis wants an open river presents an inquiry of prac tical importance that should deeply interest the people of the Upper WUamette. My subject is oue material, wholly devoid of matters imaginative or those that rest on theorizing. The little that I may hv; to offer is ad dressed to men of mature year, whose aims and act 4 must be along the lines of active work, embodied in and emphasized on the actual material things that concern the utmost development of the state. An open river has long been the theme of talk with no action on the part ot the people. We have had a personal knowledge of the present order of things for more than thirty years 1 .st past -still, we have rested in quieude as dreamers. Nothing h - take n the form of organized effort. It would have been proper and cer tainly more respectful to vou had I reduced to writing in due form what I present; but the art ot writine is to a great extent a sealed if not a laborious work to me, hence, from the standpoint in which I find myself placed, extemporizing crazy-quilt fash ion, with the chances of more misses than hits, is my condition todav. and which is destined to be more fully exemplified as I proceed. I The Willamette river is n entire proposition an entity, ad when we speak of an open river we mean from its source to its mouth. To the .shame and d is grace of the state an embargo has been placed on the open river by a corporation. In round figures $300,000 has been con tributed out of your state treas ury for the construction of the Oregon City locks. It is true our legislature, as a gratuity to the people, affixed to this contri bution of the state's cash certain rights of purchase in behalf of our state, as well recoupments by way of the fixing of interest to accure; but all the rights of the people and the state were permitted to sleep the sleep of death by those who under the fictions of the constitution were supposed to protect the rights of the state. The right of purchase of the locks and the original rights of the people were allowed ! to lapse and the statute of limita tions has long since run against the interest. We have thus been robbed and victimized but of our God-given birthright and now Western Oregon like the rich man, Dives, who after pass ing irom the glories of this life, lifted up his eyes being in hell in great torment. My scriptural simile is indeed imperfect, ex cepting only in the position in which we find ourselves; for the people of the valley are not fully enjoying the "good things of this life" as did Dives, nor are our fellow co-workers in Abra ham's bosom, but instead we all seem to be very much in the clutches of that soulless thing at the locks. Still, to be facetious, our yearly tribute of $100,000 and the state s bequest 01 300, 000 to that corporation might well be classified under the head of "the good things of life." The free-will donation of our river that was given us by na ture as our common carrier and reducing our people to the con dition of beasts of burden for tolling in freight and other ex actions may be some of the good things of life for that artificial personage that holds the locks, but is worm wood and gall to the common people. We are to deal with material and substantive matters today. The open river is a practical proposition and has much to do with the devolopment of Western Oregon. Mr. Westbrook has re duced to a minute demonstration to vou a few minutes since that our people are paying tribute to this corporation in tollage, an nual v. at least 100,000. Everv ton of freight through the locks means fifty cents out of pocket as well as on every ton carried bv rail. The grim toll collector at the locks' with its clam-like hand dots down every horse and head of cattle 25 cents; each ooor old sheep ten cents: A. " every sack of potatoes, sugar, or oth r sack of produce, etc., pass ing through the gilded gates must pay its tribute; eaca Dale ot hay a nickle in the slot, and each bale of hops its stipend of ten cents. In short, this lockage charge stands knocking at every door in the valley nagging every purse string. If you look toward Portland you will always see it in the river with palm ex tended demanded tribute, tribute! It has actually chained up the river as a generating power plant for electrical purposes and exacts tribute from Portland, at so much each candle power. We are, therefore, in the language of President Cleveland, confronted i "with a condition, not a theory." i -Under the recognized system ' in which we are to work it must 1 he 1 n a representative form. The I individual factor in every com- munity is always on the ground floor and" we' "are deemed to ac complish' legitimate and proper ends by and through those wno are called upon to represent us in official capacity. - You may say: "What has our legislative body to do with our advancement, since we suffer mainlv from the bliehts of its official misrepresentation?" The answer is 'Correct tnat evu, ana establish a different order fix a standard 'j for your legislative members in mentality, work and character in the channels they are expected to work." If we are to have an open river, or any thing else that is open, we must make a radical departure from our old lines. In the lines of progress and an eye single to the betterment, of. our interests, it would be wise for us to take an invoice of that galaxy of states men who assumed to represent us in the legislatures of five or ten vears ago, and inspect them carefully. What you will hnd to be true of them will probably be a fair test of the caliber of those who , have gone before, as well as those who have budded and bloomed since. Consider that body at any given period in the history of the State as an entirety. Put them under your eye and see the large ' per cent that will average at the rate of one fibre of wool to each sack of shoddy; and then ask why the river is clogged and state devel opment frost bitten. Your invoice will give you the right answer. Many of those one-fibre characters are now in existance ia different parts ot the stale under the guise ot reiormers at this time, vet always promot ers, but with their bauds out for a soft "snap." Mv talk, as I before stated. must be on the crazy quilt order, and I'm to be allowed much lati tude so long as I am within the subject of State progress. The need of our day is men o: standing and identity: men who 9 stand for and represent" some thing that concerns the people. For sure, winners under the old established order, we sought for, and were usually lortunate in finding. a nonentity destitute of stamina with absolute neutrali ty of tint, who was never known to have an idea on any subject, except the weather: who never x 9 collided with anybody and as vertebraless as a asning worm, who stands , for no principle a negative factor in the body poli tic; and representing nothing ot worth except a genial smile and the "glad hand shake" and you have an ideal man for legislative timber We largely larder up our legis latures with that quality of material- in fact, those are the chief characteristics of the the meu, so called, whom we delight to honor. Is it any wonder ws have gratt ers, boodlers and place hunters whose sole aim is to make mer chandise out of their positions and sacrifice all the substantial interests of the people, who use the state tund as a trading base for some litile hungry local inter est hid in the state that Mr. Negative represents among the law makers of the state? Have vou not seen at numerous times Salem law makers of this type spending lorty days ana torty nights in a fight for Uuited States senator jumping into the passing band wagon of the triumphant senator at the last minute of the last hour of the session and rak ingin the receivership or other shin or nlace as a reward for the faithful performance of duty to his admiring constituents? How noblv is filled the duty ot a sacred trust. It is right and proper that we should have faith in each other if we are to accomplish anything; but that taith should be based upon works and acts. -We have learned in the bit ter school of experience, that that there is much more ot crook ed misrepresentation than straight representation. it is up to us to correct this evil, or still suffer the consequences. Ibis a nart vot . the unwritten historv cfOregon ' that a member of the senate who prepared the Lock Bill received Si. 000 on tne side from a disinterested patriot who desired to show his appre ciation of the provisions 01 tne . 4 bill. It was merely a iree spon taneous offering to the poor sen ator, who could not anord to serve his state under the consti tutional salary of $3.00 per day. It would not tend to precipitate development to pursue lurtner how signally the public was out raged in all matters pertaining to the Lsck 5ill. While this corporation was year by year tightening its clutches on the river, the biennial legislatures were absorbed largely in whom was to go to the U. S. Senate or in what might be extracted from the treasury for pet schemes for dear friends or for special inter ests. It is not within my power to indict that body; if I could the statutes of limitations would be invoked and the indictment fail These strictures do not apply to all members of that honorable bodv. We have had many sub tantial men there who honestly represented us; but unfortunately they nave always been in a nope- less minority. In passing, it is to be remembered that a young member of that body from Old Linn did produce a bill for the purchase of the Locks in behalt of the state, under the provisions of the Lock Bill: that it was re ceived in a frigid atmosphere and soon found its way into the hands of a hostile .committee and died a speedy death, even though un- honored and unsung. JNo sor rowful tsar drop fell from the eye of any member, and bo one at those obsequies said: "Peace to vour ashes." In some myster ious way the right kind of balm was applied and the inevitable followed: The state was buncoed and our legislative cohorts ie- turned to their admiring con stituents -wreathed in garlands and were lovingly received with due honors by admiring consul. uents. This same spirit of gen erosity that characterized our j legislative body was prior to the date of the Lock Bill emphasized on the part of the general govern ment by our Congressional dele gation; our representatives in Congress, for they, too, were en gaged on the lines of state devel opment. Big grants ot public land to the railroad with the modest limitation of forty miles on either side of the con templated road-bed, with llieu lands to make up shortages, in sured home-builders, and would make the waste places bloom as the rose. Wagon road grants from the public domain bloomed forth in golden colors because under the terms of the grants public roads lor the use of the home-builders was a certainty. The titles to the lands left the . luuicm and vested in the ; scade the Yquina Bay, etc., Wagon Road Companies. The V gon Companies had built tne o ds as pm- the terms of the grant, all of which was made to appear by proper, certincates after 'actual examination. A few scratches at long inter vals and some blazed roads were constructed by the companies that a jack rabbit would not attempt to travel without an accident. nolicv. Thus the letter and the snirit of the grants were strictly complied with by the Wagon Lio's.. and tne glories 01 urvciuu- ment were in the ascendant. The result was that those promoters and schemers made cheap mer chandise out of the government, and the thousands ot acres wnicn the fathers designed for the sole benefit of the, home-builders is nnw concerned and held in a vice "grip by these wagon roads and their successors m interest. So strong is this grip that the general government cannot now even pet lair concessions ior lrri- - o - . . . . r gating purposes in tne interest 01 the people. Open rivers, state development and public aid are now old steeds tnat have Deen brettv well ridden in the past, To relieve ourselves from the old P. T. holdings at the Falls in the shape of the basin the good of the state was msnred by tne pas sage nf the Lock Bill, bo as tbe matter stands instead ot tne state getting the locks the locks have got us pretty hard. It is hardlv proper to attempt. to hold the corporation up to exe cration. It is simplv living up to its privileges, certainly not be- " . ... low them. The corporation nas not victimized us. It has no greater rights than your legis lature allowed iL Hence, the corporation can greet us with a smile and with bam tumpson, say: "Onward ever, lovely river." Are we to get succor from the rail-road? INVESTIGATION Bhows that many good watches are spoiled by tampering. No matter how little you suppose ia the matter with yours better HAVE US REPAIR IT. A whole lot of damage can be done by those who are not acquainted with the delicate mechanism. We know watches and can repair them as they should be. Bring us yours if it doesn't go just right. Albert J. Metzger WATCHMAKER Occidental Building, - - - CorvalliB SPENCER'S Hair Invigorator And Dandruff Eradlcator V5 - r; i S f if"' V i'iii 5 i - a o o 2 a s r a 5 " m m c 5 3 -1 0 cs Trad Hard Bsgistsred. . Price, - Fifty Cents Manufactured by The Vegetable Compound Company Corvallis, Oregon 9tf ... A Specialty . We are making a specialty in the form of the latest and most up-to-date eye glass mounting, ever ' offered to the public. This eye glass mounting is "The Heard" guaranteed to stay on where others absolutely fail. If you care to investigate call at my store any time. E. W. S. PRATT, Jeweler and Optician. The Weekly Oregonian and the Gazette Both one year for $2.55 I 1 - - .li.'iL'JSigF"' I I (Continued on second page.) Have your job printing done at the Gazette office. Notice. The Philomath Mills will be prepared to furnish pins and brackets for tele graph and telephone works after Jan uary 25, 1906. Inquire of M. Ek at mills. 9 Take The Gazette for all the local news. The Kind Tou Have Always Bought, and which has been. in use for ove 0 years, nas borne the signature of - . . . - and has been maue unaer m pw-l&tf-?4u sonal supervision since its infancy. Y &CcU6 Allow no one to deceive you in this. All Counterfeits, Imitations and " Just-as-good' are but Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of Infants and Children Experience against Experiment. What is CASTORlA Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Par goric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is Pleasant. I contains neither Opium, Morphine nor other NarcotiO substance. Its age is its guarantee. It destroys "Worms and allays Feverishness. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind Colic. It relieves Teething Troubles, cures Constipation and Flatulency. It assimilates the Food, regulates the Stomach and Bowels, giving healthy and natural sleep The Children's Panacea The Mother's Friend, GENUINE CASTORIA ALWAYS Bears the Signature of 7 The Kind You Have Always Bought In Use For Over 30 Years. iNMMY, Tt tORR STH1 Tr.'r.hT"":,:".r THE CENTAUR eOMMUtV, TT MURRAY STnCET. RIW TOU CIT ARPUT; The most liberal reduction ever offered on HALF ROLLS and REMNANTS now on at our store This is to make room for our I. -e spring stock that is soon to arrive. If you need floor cov ering of any description, now is your opportunity. Come early while you can get .choice of patterns. Remember we have wall-paperat 7 1-2 cents per double roll. Hollenberg & Oady