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THE GAZETTE-TIMES. HEPPNER. OPR.. THURSDAY, MARCH 8 1917
EDITORIAL SECTION
The Gazette-Times
The Heppner Ga.'.etto, Established March, 30, 18S3.
The Heppner Times, Established November 18, 1807.
Consolidated February 15, 11)12.
V AUTi;;i I R.UYI OIti, Proprietor. A1VT1U K R. CKAWKOUD, Editor.
Issued every Thursday morning, and entered at the postoftue at Keppuer,
Oregon, as seeoud-class matter.
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OFFICIAL PAPER FOR MORROW COUNTY.
Thursday, March 8, 1917.
KARRY LANE IS CONSISTENT.
Harry Lane, representing the Suite of Oregon in the Halls
of the National Congress and one of the twelve filibustering
senators who prevented the passage of President Wilson's
armed neutrality bill, is only acting consistently with, his past
record. His latest disgrace only brands him the deeper as a
4 ' poace-at-any-priee ' ' advocate.
During the recent election Lane, as a professed democrat,
took the stump in the State of Oregon for the re-election of
"Woodrow Wilson. He upheld the president in the Mexican
situation and gave his hearty endorsement to the present ad
ministration. But Senator Lane would do nothing that would
tend to throw this country into war. National honor is one
thing that he never professed.
From campaign speeches, we take it that Senator Lane had
always at heart the wishes of his constituency back home. Yet
lie surely does not dare to insult this constituency by turning
his back on the president in the hours of what is probably the
greatest crisis in the Nation's history. He has overlooked the
fact that the State of Oregon is standing solidly behind the
. resident.
He has disgraced the State while trying ot make present
acts consistent with those of the past. There never was one
good reason for sending a man like Harry Lane to Congress any
way, so Oregon's share in this deplorable affair, and the shame
of it all, is a just reward, an ample pay for public short sight-edne-ss.
t-i
A "BETTER ROADS' CLUB.
Now that the State Legislature has adopted some real con
structive legislation for better roads in Oregon, and have gone
so far as to refer to the people the proposition of bonding for
permanent highways, it would not be amiss at this time to start
active work over the state in organizing "Better Roads" Clubs.
The special election for voting on the bond issue has been
set for June 4th. This is a short time indeed in which the peo
ple of a big state have for a study and comprehensive under
standing of the bill and the various things to be worked out in
conjunction with floating a bond issue for better roads.
The idea which has been suggested by Frank A. Kowe, a
prominent good roads advocate of Wheeler, Oregon, that there
be clubs organized in every section of Oregon to work for the
passage of the road bonding measure, is a good one. The duties
of these clubs would be principally in dealing with the import
ance of the great practical benefits accruing to the state by
adopting the bond measure. Publicity campaigns could be
carried on in this manner, through the aid of the newspapers,
and a great campaign of education waged. It is granted that
there will be universal support for the measure, once it is com
pletely understood. t.
There is no section of the State of Oregon that will be more
benefitted by the adoption of the road bonding measure than
Morrow county. Consequently it behooves every active better
roads enthusiast to get into the harness. Heppner can well
afford to be among the first to take an active hand in this cam
paign. And later when the delegates are chosen to sit with the
"State Better Roads Committee" we will be in position for just'i
representation. The suggestions of Mr. Rowe should be fol
lowed out with all possible haste, for we believe that in this
wr.ita.er it will be found the most equitable way in carrying on
the proper campaign.
PRESIDENT WILSON'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS
"This," President Wilson rightly maintains in his second
inaugural address, "it not the time for retrospect." It is the
nip nt moment for considering today and tomorrow, deciding
with what speed we may what we should do, and then girding
ourselves to swife, strong, sagacious action."
t European affairs which lay outside of America's life as a
nation, matters whose origin and course we could not affect,
have pushed their malign consequences over the whole world
and have drawn America more and more closely to the vortex
of the whirlpool. They have inevitably divided the public
opinion of the American people according to its diverse racial
origins or its political beliefs and sympathies' or its industrial
and economic interests. Yet, as we have slowly come to see and
as I 'resident Wilson says for us all, the people of this country
have drawn more closely together and have gained a growing
general consciousness that this nation and government liave the
task to discharge "of those who mean to vindicate and fortify
peace."
The people will ask their president how peace is to be vin
dicated and fortified? The president replies: "We have been
obliged to arm ourselves. We stand firm in armed
neutrality. We may even be drawn by circumstances
to more active assertion of our rights and more immediate asso
ciation with the great struggle."
This is the solemn and final reply of the spokesman of the
American people to the German government- It is the an
nouncement that President. Wilson will not maintain peace at
anv price. He will not maintain it at the price of justice, of
righteousness, of self -respect, of wisdom. Rather than that
price for peace he will fight.
The statement later of what America stands for, whether
at war or in peace, repeats ideas expressed originally to the
onate last December. The repetition of them performs a service
to the European belligerents and ourselves. The only declara
tion in the inaugural address which will please Americans bet
ter is that "we are being forged into a new unit." But this
demands that all Americans stand as one man behind the presi
dent. Spokesman-Review.
THE SHAMEFUL DILLY-DALLYING OF CONGRESS.
The pages of American history are stained with the blood
of the victims of Indian atrocity, but the mind of no American
Indian was ever more exultantly bloodthirsty than the German
mind that conceived this campaign of organized manslaughter
against non-combatants and compelled its servile subjects to
carry out the decrees of butchery. The Indian, too, fought
from ambush, but at least he refrained from niassacreing those
whom he calhd his friends. German savagery spares nobody,
neither women nor children, neither the helplessly old nor the
helplessly young, neither foe nor friend.
Yet despi.e these latest records of German slaughter, con
gress dawdles, intrigues and shirks its duty. Another day has
passed without definite action on the resolution to give the
president power to protect American lives aud American ships.
The house committee has emasculated the senate resolution,
and nobody knows when a vote M ill be reached in either branch
of congress, which has only three days more in which to finish
its work. The stage is set for a filibuster which may defeat not
only this legislation, but other legislataion of vital importance
to the national welfare.
Pro-German propagandists, professional pacifists and re
actionary republicans conspiring to levy political blackmail
upon the president are linked into unholy alliance against the
honor and dignity of the United States. All of them are
assistant Germans, playing Germany's game and giving aid
dud comfort to German ruthlessness.
There have been many shameful scenes in congress, but
no other scene s shameful as that which is now staged at the
capHol. If congress, in its sluggish indifference to the honor
and dignity of the United States as well as the rights and sov
ereignty of the United States, is truly representative of the
American people, then God save the republic! New York
World.
t-i
THE GERMAN RETREAT.
At last the prime reason for the great retreat of the Ger
man army on the Western front has come to light. Press re
ports state that the British troops have found the vacated
trenches of Teutonic armies to be in the worst state of unsani
tary condition imaginable. The report says that the Germans
retreated because they were fast becoming a garrison of gibber
ing lunatics. "Their position had become more hideous than
the scuppers of heil. Mud, bottomless in places, and the cease
less pounding of the British guns had turred their positions into
stench pits too horrible for human nerves to stand. " These are
the conditions found by a press correspondent after the Ger
man retreat.
The press correspondent gives a graphic account of war as
it is fought in the European trenches and the almost unbeliev
able results therefrom. He said, "I'found myself stepping on
German bodies which littered the region. They were in all
imaginable conditions and positions sometimes piled several
1 T . . i phi n j i ii lii i
deep, l saw arms sticking inn lengtn out oi tne muu mat con
cealed all lese of the body to wheh they were attached. There
were legs, feet, half bodies or heads alone protruding. Some
lay face downward, some were prone on their backs exactly as
if asleep. Imagine scenes like this covering miles
.'magine every trace of vegetation long since blasted away,
magine the earth powder-stained and churned up from 10 to
10 feet in depth. Imagine mud so bottomless that the German
prisoners claim their men were frequently swallowed up whole
:n attempting to cross after dark."
There is a limit to all human endurance and the German
soldier is not immune from the accumulated nerve-racking
-tenches of a long occupied trench. Retreat was better than a
slow, agonizing death.
Our County Court seems to be somewhat puzzled on the
road bonding question, and at a loss just how to proceed on the
proposition at this time. They are convinced of one thing,
however, and that is the Court should take no steps at this time
looking to the placing of this issue before our people for a vote
until it has been settled whether or not the bonding issue betore
the state carries in June. Tliey seem to think there will be no
question as to this, but as that question is understood at pres
ent, our county will not be in position to take advantage of the
bonding law unless we see fit to bond the county also for the
funds necessary to prepare the road bed along the routes of the
Columbia Highway as outlined in the proposed law. Whether
our people will he in favor of this remains to be seen. Under
the new road code adopted by the recent legislature, the Court
would be authorized in making a levy of as much as ten mills
for the general road fund of the county, and this scheme would
in the end prove better than the bonding issue. There is plenty
of time, however, to get right on this question before it is put
up to our people. The $(i,0(M),000 bonds will very likely be voted
by the State at large; at least it looks that way from this dis
tance. ii
The "Fall of a Nation," pictured at the Star Theatre on
Wednesday evening is a film of high order, and well calculated
to arouse the true American spirit. In the light of very recent
developments it can readily be seen that this portrayal of what
might happen to the United States in its present unprepared
condition to meet a foreign foe, stands out very distinctly. It
is now past time that our citizenship should be thoroughly
aroused to the dangers from without anil within our borders.
Some slight indication that Spring is on the way. Several
sunshinny days this week and that which we are anxiously
looking for should soon arrive. ... '
5S
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A MILLION DOLLAR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
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. Heppner, Oregon
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SOFT DRINKS OUR SPECIALTY
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GRIEF EXTRACTER
Get double the mileage out of your tires. No blow outs.
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LEO HILL, Manager
Temporary quarters with Bradford & Son.