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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1891)
HllITOI!, KEHKUAiiY fl, J801. KIMTOItlAI, XOTIiS. llox. Wii.mam Win'dom, secretary of tho treasury, died suddenly at haw York lust Thursday, while attondi' g a banquet. It im not probable tlmt the legisla ture will donate much to tho Colum bian exposition not over .$50,000 at the most Wc think this is hardly sufficient, yet, if expended judiciously, will do much towards showing up tho industriou of our wonderful state. Wi: are in receipt of a copy of the mid-winter edition of the Kroo Lance, published at llollistcr, llonito county, Cal., by W. 1$. Winn. Tho paper is illustrated and contains much inter esting matter in regard to the town and county in which it is published. Tin; xkw Spanish tariff raises the duty on flour from 18 shillings to near ly 100 shillings a ton. This is the re taliation which comes as the necessary consequence of the passage of the Mc Kinley bill by congress. And whom docs it affect? The farmer, as the price of wheat must go down with the price of flour Vlh.my Democrat. Tin? Scout acknowledges receipt of Jou. W. J. McDonnell's hill, prnvidiim for a settlement between the United States and certain r.iilro.i;! corpora tions which have horotoforo received bon Is from the government to aid in tho construction of their roads, and for other purposes, which ho has in troduced in tho United States senate, also his speech on "Silver, tho Money of tho People." Tin; hold stand that Loo It. Free man, of tho Free water Herald, is tak ing in regard to tho recent Chinese trouble in that place, should meet the hearty approval of all law-abiding citi zens. While it may bo true that tho Chinese are a ctirso to any community it docs not justify such perpetrations as have been committed in Milton lately, by a mob of men styling them solvcs "regulators." So loiitf us tho Chinese are ullowed. ) rouutiu in t,ja country tliey slioultl llo protected the miinctts our American citizens. (h:oit(iE II. Moitat, of St. Paul, has purchased tho Portland Telegram, and will convert it into a first-class daily ovoning democratic nowspapur. The linn of Palmer it Hoy, type founders, have received instructions to fill thu order for material for tho now big dem ocratic daily to bo managed by Fran!; S. Gray, formerly of tho New York Mail and Nxprcss, of which mention was made in these columns a short time ago. That both these enterprises will bo a success wo have no doubt, hut thoy must recoivo a hearty support from tho democrats of thu northwest. A I'larno.v containing nearly ton thousand names has been presented to the statu legislature asking for tho tax ation of church property. Among tho signers are said to bo a number of min isters and many church peoplo. Threo other petitions that wore to have been presented with this ono were lost be fore leaching "headquarters." This one, having for its object equitable taxation, is being pushed by tho Ore gon Secular Union, and a bill embody ing this principle will, in all probabil ity, bo presented to tho legislature bo fore tho close of tho session. Tim measure has many supportors who will make every ellbrt to secure the passage of such a law. "Nn.uti.Y thu wholo resident, popula tion of Union county pan handle has signed petitions praying tho legislature to annex that strip of country to linker county. The Union county hobos who are circulating a remonstrance meet with no success." Hindu. Tho above is a sample of the liter ature (?) that has been sent foith through the columns of Hakor City papers of late. Tho fact of tho matter is thoro is no truth in tho statement, mid why Ihey should persist in lying wo cannot see. We presume it is their nature. It is true thoy did succeed, by misrepresentation, in securing a few names to thu petition, hut when thu people found out thu facts in the mat ter they roadily signed a remoutram o ngaiust such action, and today therein not ono in ton of the taxpayers of the southern portion of this county who are in favor of being annexed to I laker county. Tho "hobos" as the Iliad. stylos thorn, who circulated thu remon strance, uomprikud some of tho boat and most rttepuolud citizens of Union county, and they did not have to carry a cargo of whisky with them and m in state facta in onlur to iudiioo tho peoplo there to sign tlio ronmntrano, as did the parties from H.W City, in order to gut uih'uurtf to thu petition. II. ClIAXrr.Y, THURSDAY TIIK lUnjlHKS AI.I.liVNCH. Tho farmers' alliance is tho product of indignation and despair indigna tion ut tho merciless exactions imposed on the agricultural interest by tho re publican party and despair that the other national part' would ever bo able to obt in tho supremacy and right the wiongs perpetrated by its 'powerful adversary. That this indignation was originally well founded is beyond question, it is doubtful if the nil-important industry of agriculture was ever subjected in any country, except the feudal Franco just before the revolution, to so many crushing burdens as tho republican party heaped upon it in this. it is also beyond question that tho despair of the democratic party ever coining into power was also originally well founded. Those who organized the alliance saw nothing between them and eternal spoliation but tho unaided strength of tho fanner. Since this vista was presented, times have altered. The policy of tho repub lican party has been changed only to intensify it, and the indignation which was originally justified by that policy has now more justification than oyer. Tho relief that parly intended to give is only illusory; the bunion has in re ality been grievously augmented, and the hypocrisy which seeks to sugar over the superadded wrong is a fresh motive for now detestation. Hut on the other side of the picture theie has been a genuine and decided change. There is no room now for de spair as to democratic supremacy and the permanence of the supremacy. The lepubliean party has had its day and must go. Tho exigency which called it into existence is over. The great party of the future in ibis country is tho democratic party, and no oppressed popular interest ever looked to that jMiity in vain. New York World. AS OTIIICItS SKI IT, A correspondent from Hakor City to tho La (Jrando Chronicle, signing him self "Nemesis," has this to say of the much-boasted ''Driver of Oregon" Hiiker City: "linker is dull : there is no monr." !)Q fall rain, no winter snow, no Spring j ism ' Illllilllf II W . W II W lWWIll IV'I J. . and to add to our especial discomfort the banks are not loaning any money. What's the matter? Wo have by Cong and circular sung and shouted published and pulled thu imaginaiy virtues, fertility productiveness tc. of our (juccu Denver. Nuarly every real estate ollico along tho lines of railroad exhibits our Denver with additions extending for miles in neat square blocks with a population of f)000 of the most energetic tho most prosperous and happy people on earth. The strangor comes, and what does ho find? A small village big with iniquity and containing about 2f00 with oxhaustless capital of enthus iasm te. surrounded by a vast waste of thousands of acres of dry sunburnt sago brush land all in sight of town, portions of which aro called additions tho fact being made known by an onornieous sign looming upiu tho dis tance marked "Mix Addition" said sign being tho only sign of improvement. The fact is tho stranger is "onto" us and wo aro left unless some thing or somebody comes to our relief. Wo hoped for an appropriation by the present legislature but tho necessity of hiring some ono to go to "tho world's fair" will take all the money tho legis lature can spare after lopcalihg tho mortgage tax law and paying oil' tho railroad commissioners. We might try congress but its pressed because tho McKinley bill is falling duo in large installments. Your correspondent suggests tho publication in book form, large typo of Aesop's poem entitled "Tho Fanner and tho Lark." Shnatou Guay, of Delaware, has fconio sensible ideas about reciprocity, and ho has introduced a resolution in tho senate authorizing tho administra tion to open negotiations for thu pur pose of framing iceiprooity treaties be tween tho United States and Mexico, and .the United States and Canada. Notwithstanding thu fact that reciproc ity treaties with those to countries would bu of more roal benefit to tho peoplo of this country than all of those proposed by Mr. Hlaino with tho South and Central American republics, thoro isn't tho Mlightust probability that the republican onators will support Mr. Gray's resolution. It isn't rual recip rocity that republicans favor, but only an imitation, that will sorvu for the lime being to blind tho voters of this country. Jacksonville Tiuius. Tun tloutity of "Noinis'u" is worry ing the puoplo of Hakcr City to a ro nurUlde intent, ol latu. THE ANNEXATION SCHEME. A Common SonsoVIew of tho Situation, by a Resident of Telocastt. Editor Ohkoon Scout: Tho following is taken from the Port hind Oregonian of January 30th: Hakku City, January 29. The people of tlie panlmiidleof Union county and of North i I'owdcr have signified their desire to he cut I oirfrotn Union county and bo annexed to j linker county by signing n potition to the legislature to that ctlect. Home of the pe- tltiouers have been induced to sign a re- J monstrance. The inducements to sign re- j monstrances arc, ns the Unionite? tell them, tlmt linker count taxes are from two to ! live mills higher on the dollnr than tho-c of j Union county, and further Hint the people of the section to be cut ol! will have to help pay thedebt of both counties, making luxes In tlmt district double what thoy now are, They also represent that the petition circu lated proposed to tnke in as far north as the Cove and a part of Union town. These statements are false from beginning to end, the facts being is follows: linker county'.- takes for the year are2l 10-33 milN on tiie dollar, and hinds of the same character, along the lino of division between the coun ties named were assessed in 1839 at if 1 per acre in linker county ami $3 in Union coun ty, and in 18!)0 if.3 In linker and $12 in Un ion, ltcsides taxes being higher in Union the assessment is nlsn higher. The part to he annexed, after annexation, will pay the same taxes as the balance of Hakcr county. There is not more than $100.000 difference hi the indebtedness of the two counties, and further the potition does not contemplate taking in the Covo ns a n ferenne to the de scription in the petit ion will show. The strip of country proposed to ho cut otl' from Union county is so .situated as to uatarnlly belong to linker county, and, if so cut oll'and annexed to linker county, will ho of great convenience to the people living there. The people living on the line are anxious to h 'long to linker county. The city of Union Is trying to prevent this. It is barely possible that a word from one who lives in tho panhandle might throw a feebler ay of light on the feeling of annexation ; that is, if the intellect ual brilliancy of the anther o,f the fore going is not of such power as to totally obliterate the feeble ray of light emit ted by any one so unfortunate (?) as to bo located outside of Hakcr county. A remonstrance was placed in my hands to circulate against annexation. I had the paper in my hands three days and it was signed by every voter in tho precinct except ono, whom I did not see. The heaviest taxpayer in the precinct, hearing th'Vt I had a re monstrance, saddled his iiorcC and rode seven miles to sign it, ho having heuid that it was to be sent away that day. This gentleman lives on "tho line to ho annexed" and owns land on both sides of the line. Hvcrv ono who signed tho remon strance will bear mo out in the state ment that no "inducements" were ex tended i.or argument advanced to in duce them to do so. The fact is, thu pooplo are beginning to look upon this biennial effort on tho part of linker City as a nuisance. Not a session of the legislature has passed in the last eight or ten years that wo havo not been cursed with this sterotyped an nexation bill, as though wo did not possess sufficient intelligence to take this matter into hand ourselves. Whonover our relations with Union county aro such that it cannot bo en dured, wo are vory apt to tako some action in the matter for our relief, vol untarily, and not wait for Hakcr City to inform us of our ufllictions; and when wo do tako such action wo will let our desires bo known in a manner becoming men of intelligence, honesty and fair-dealing, and not sncakingly and slyly circulato a potition as if to steal a march on our neighbors in an unguarded niomont, asking tho legis lature to do a thing which of right be longs to tho pooplo. Tho idea seems to prevail in tho minds of certain individuals that couu tiescan bo chopped up by tho legisla ture at any timo to gratify tho whims of a few disaffected or avaricious poli ticians, merely by an act based on a petition. Tho United States derives its power from the consent of tho gov erned ; so, also, do the states, and all rights not specially delegated to the states are reserved to the peoplo. Tho right to change or divide counties in Oregon is not only not delegated to tho state, but is specifically reserved to tho people by the state constitution, (Arti cle 1, section 21.) which provides as follows : "No ex post facto laws, or laws impairing tho obligations of con tracts, shall over bo passed, nor shall any law be passed, tho taking offoot of which shall be made to depend upon any authority, excopt as provided in this constitution ; provided, that laws locating thu capital of the state, locat ing county seats, and other local and social laws, may tako effect or not, upon ii vote of the electors interested." As an act to cut ofl'a portion of this county and annex it to linker would come under tho head of special laws, it is wholly in tho hands of the pooplo. Can thu author of tho foregoing batoh of inlommtiou give ua my itmson why thu hind op the linker oouiity tide is not asiessed int high as that on the fil ion county side? If his Hgtius arc cor I rect and ho is well informed on the I matter and proposes to do the fair i thing with'us, he surely ought to tell ! U3 why thore is such a difference in the valuation. Some fellow a Union chap, of course has said that it is be cause the assessor has been put through a course of training, and has been in structed to assess real estate bordering on the lino very low, as a bait for tho panhandlers; but I think he said that just to get the Ilnkorites to call him names. Tho reason for such difference is a very plausible one, however, and is lor mo simple reason that about nine- i. ... . ,, ... ., , j lGnll'S f a11 1,10 oltl?n a,ul 1,md ow" ers along Powder river have erected I their buildings on the Union county j side of the river, and have, through I choice, taken up their residence in tho county of Union. The result is that j that part of the real estate situate in il.ikor county and containing no buil i din'js, outside o! fencing, cannot rcas j onably be assessed as high as that in ! Union county, containing the resi dences and other improvements. The same difference in assessment occurs where the buildings, in a few instances, are in Hakcr county. The statement that "the part to be annexed after annexation will pay the same taxes as the balance of Hakcr county," is a very smooth allegation, to say tho least, and doubtless is vory encouraging to those who are to bo grabbed up to know that they will not be taxed any higher than tho "balance of linker county." Great consolation, that! Any one of ordinary intelligence knows that the portion cut off would carry their proportion of the indebted ness of Union county with tlioni into Hakcr county, which amount would be to the balance of Union county's in- (lot)teaness as tno taxable property so cut off would be to tho rest of the tax able property of Union county. Tho county tax of Raker county lor the year 188D was 18 1-10 mills which was the lowest for several years. Un ion county's county'tax for the same year was 10 mills which was the high est for many years, mid was made nec essary by the expenditure of fjWO.OOS.Td for roads and bridges'. In 1S!)0 Raker county's levy for county purposes was 11 HH-.'h") mills, the lowest in the history of linker county, made so by the necessity of having an inducement for tho"paiihaiidIc" to be come ii portion of Hakcr county. For tho same year tho levy by Union county for county purposes was l-I mills, being nearly ono mill less than in Raker county. As a matter of fact Rukor county's indebtedness is only a matter of con jecture, and is unknown by even tho best informed of her citizens; but it is safe to say that it is double that of Union county. Raker county has n totat taxable property for 1S00 of 2, OHl.boS as against !f":i,-I0fj,255 for Un ion county. With tho above figures wo leave the taxpayers to judge for themselves as to which of the counties offer tho greatest inducements for tho future. W. A. CATES. Wk cam. the attention of those who assort that the McKinley tariff has not increased tho cost of living to the fol lowing from tho Dry Goods Economist, n strictly trade journal: "A fi 1-inch double warp Italian, which cost f2A cents to import on October 1st last, ono week later cost 12 cents; a littlo bet ter grade which cost (50 cents to import was jumped up by tho McKinley bill to 02A cents, making a dill'oronco in the retail price of either grado of not less than 2f cents a yard, Tho anius ing'part of this is that sbcut a third in valuo, and about tho snmo in weight, of this cloth is American cotton on which tho McKinley tariff imposes, in addition to tho ad valorem duty, four times tho duty on the Australian wool, of which the remainder of the fabric consists. This putting an enormous wool duty on our own cotton when wo bring it back to this country would bo enough to iniiko a cowluugh, if it wero not such an irritating pieco of stu pidity." Tin: in i.i, introduced in the legisla ture by Jennings, of Lane county, which provides that if any person shall shoot and wound or kill another, mis taking him for a doer, boar or other wild animal, ho shall be found guilty of criminal nogligeneo, and upon con viction thereof shall bo punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not less than three months nor moio than three years, and by tine not exceeding one hundred dollar, is a good one and should reuoive tho support of all our law makers. Hardly a week passes hut we road of the aoeouut of some in nocent K'rnn being killed in this way, and there hotiUI be -iiu law Ut pun ish parties gtuhy of such criminal nag ligunie. 1 I Eor Bargains ii ats, Caps, tSloves, Gents' Furnishing Goods, Jewelry, Picture Frames, Albums and Variety Goods, SCHOOL BOOKS, Mini Tablets, NoyoIs anfl C3I yip -Go In addition to bargains in the above mentioned lines, all kinds of I 1 1 AT LESS THAN COST. mi i ii JIJ 11. JONES BUGS., and iif W nfi ii unity, To - Union. Or. Goods, i