The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-11-04
THE RAILROAD SUBSIDY VETO

SSaeAsAy w tsAA eaSAA HAOhhAoVb w
the people in the last canvass, con-
trary to oil the rules of Democratic
craftsmanship, and contrary to right
and fairness, tho last Democratic
Legislature voted a magnificent bene-
fitto Ben. Holladay-the man who
had used every means within the con-
troll OF great moneyed power and a
great intrigucr to defeat the Demo-
cratic party in the last campaign and
to return Senator Williams to WASH
ington for another term. Ben. Hol-
laday was out about 100000 in the
last campaign, and the amount which
the Legislature levied upon the citi-
zens of Portland would have about re-
imbursed him; and if it could have
come out of the pockets of his politi-
cal friends and satellites alone, we
don't know but that it would have
been we'll enough; but the measure
under consideration would have made
Democrats as we'll as Republicans
''come down" to the great election
manipulation and railroad monopolist,
and would have put the wealth of the
entire city of Portland beneath the
iron hell of n crushing tax, the inter
est of which alone would have been a
huge burden upon the people of that
city.
But, thank God, there is check
ing power held in reserve for this
style of reckless legislation, and the
Veto Message of Governor Grover,
which we publish on the first page, IL
lustrates the wisdom of our State
Constitution in providing for such re-
strainiug barrier. The Democracy of
Oregon may well be proud of the
staunch and true stand which our Gov
ernor has taken by that instrument,
and may congratulate themselves up
on his determination to restrain that
ruinous legislation which would soon
throw us into the almost hopeless mi
nority which was few years ago our
lot in Oregon.
Governor Grover has good and FEAST
BILE precedents for his objection to this
Infamous measure besides the many
excellent reasons which he cites in
his message, among which may be
named the Supreme Court of Iowa in
1869. A prior Court had decided
that towns and counties could make
donations OF their bonds to railroad
companies to aid the construction of
their roads, after an election upon the
subject had been had and majority of
the votes OF said town or county had
been cast for the subsidy. Accord
ingly large donations to railroads were
made, by a rote Of the people; but in
the course of few years the tax nee
essary to meet the interest on the
bonds became oppressive; and as q
result. strong feeling of hostility 10
the policy which had imposed it was
developed. Parties refused to pay
the railroad tax, and, the cases being
taken to the Supreme Court, in 1863
that body decided that such tax was
unconstitutional and not collectable
by law.
OF course, neither the Court which
decided in favor OF the railroad or the
one which decided against it would
have held that such issue of bonds
was constitutional until an expression
of the people at the ballot box had
been had upon the question:
Upon this Portland subsidy bill no
popular expression was had; as the
question was never submitted to the
people of that city, and even if they
had voted in favor of the measure it
would have still been in violation of
the section of the Constitution cited
by the Veto Message.
In this connection it is q matter of
congratulation to the people of Linn
county that our delegation in both
branches of the Legislature, with a
single exception, voted against this in
famous measure. The gentleman
from Linn who favored the bill we
know well, and we are perfectly salts
fed that he did Sd from no dishonor-
able motives, but we believe him to
have been misled by erroneous repre-
sentations made by influential Demo
Gratis who were interested in the sue
cess of that measure, and who, it is
charitable to infer, were even them
selves ignorant of the intentions of
Holiday and his strikers. While
Holladay knew that it was handsome
pecuniary swindfalp in his direction,
he also knew, and SO did every Re-
publican member of the Legislature
fully understand, that it would be q
death-blow to the future success of
the Democratic party in Oregon, and
would furnish Radical cudgel for the
next campaign which would be resist
Ioac with the tay-navers of the State