, 1866-02-23
ANNExATIoN-No. 2.

=
ED1roR STATESMAN. In my last f'pro>
-posed to establish the following propositions
That annexation to Oregon would reduce
our taxes; increase our wealth; reduce sne
price of merchandise increase our popuiass
ton; afford better protection 70 Ile auu
prouerty; and remove US from a'state oil COLO,
NAL vassalage to one Of political ana clFli
liberty.
The reduction of taxes, Of prices OF merr
obandise would evidently increase our wealth,
therefore to establish the first and third OF
the above propositions, is to incidentally es>
tablsh the third.
90. K" in his article of last week, mas
anticipatcd me on the tax question, and has
established the first proposition. As to the
second, we have this to say; that In oregon
they have the specific contract law; here we
have not that law. Again, in Oregon they
have frequent courts administered by capaS
BILE iudqes here we have not. When man
sells Goods on credit, he always expects to
lose a certain amount Of those credits. To
cover these losses he adds a certain extra
amount to the price. This extra amount
added to the price will be greater or smaller
in proportion to the danger of losses. Where
courts of justice are doubtful, inefficient and
dilatory, the amount of those losses are in~
creased, and therefore the added percentage.
Where you cannot receive coin, but only le>
gal tender, these losses increase. Therefore,
a merchant at San. Francisco, selling on
credit to a merchant at Walla Walla, must
charge for his risks on our courts and his
risks on greenbacks. Thus cur merchants
must pay more than the Oregon merchants,
whose obligation to pay coin can be speedily
enforced.
Again, our merchants sell to the farmer
on credit He must add to his prices per
centage for the losses he incurs in the man
ner above stated Thus merchandise is and
must be sold higher here than it would if
the risk on courts and greenbacks was not
added as a per centage on the price. This
per centage paid by consumers exceeds the
whole direct tax, either here or in Oregon.
It.injures our merchants, who labor under a
difficulty not known or felt in Oregon. l
think this establishes the proposition that
taxes will be less and merchandise cheaper,
and as incident to this, the wealth of the
community increased: The amount thus
saved would be added to the capital stock
of the farmer and the merchant. The ext q
amount would be invested by the farmer in
stock and farm improvements, and enable
the merchants to sell at prices that would at
tract the mining trade. Thus the wealth of
this county would be greatly enhanced.
4th. Would increase our population. The
general prosperity, caused as above named,
would induce merchants, mechanics and far.
mers to enigrate to this country. Even the
name cf being in State would have that
effect.
6th. Would afford better protection to
life and property. Now, the great length
Of time from court to court, the insecurity
Of our iails, the want of e Peniteutiary, and
the proximity Of the State line, give / very
good opportunity for criminals to escape jus>
! tice. Therefore Walla Nala has ever Been
city of refuge for criminals. These have
been in the habit of committing crimes with
impunity, almost always escaping punish
ment. In fact, no person has been kept long
incarcerated, except from fear of the vigi>
lance committee. The vigilance committee
was, organized because the law did not pro-
i tect life and property. Yet, in the nature
of things, vigilance committee cannot long
protect the right to life and property. After
little while, these committees become
themselves corrupt, and rather endanger lives
and property than protect them. The exs
pense, trouble and risk attending vigilance
committee, render it the most onerous, inef.
fectual and unsatisfactory of all forms for
the punishment of crime. Remove these
encOuragements 70 criminals, and you in
crease the security to life and property
These things would be effected by annex,
ation. Our judges, being elected by the
people, would be, as they are in Oregon, good
and competent, and always at their post OF
duty.
The only remaining proposition to be dis
cussed is the sixth This we will discuss in
the future-perhap next week.