The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-05-24
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WHAT FOR?


this city, county and State at heart,
should ask himself this question:
Why does the Railroad King make
such extraordinary efforts to get con-
troll of oil our political interests?-
Why does he want TO dictate to us
whom We shall or shall not elect to
the Offices which the law calls upon
US to fill? A little examination into
the motives which influence human
conduct must certainly, in, this case,
be profitable; and cannot fail TO as-
sist the honest citizen in the intelli-
gent and faithful discharge of his
social and politica! duties. .s.t 81
All men act from some motive. Tt
is motive that stimulates exertion
andhctivity in business; would that
we could truthfully say that the mo-
tives of all men are just, upright and
honorable. But what arc the mo-
| tiyes which stimulate the extraordi-
nary conduct OF the Railroad King
| Why does he want to control our po-
litical actions and opinions? Aye,
there's the rub. We must Judge of
what he wants by what he has at
tempted to do. He made great ef-
fort. twp years ago, through the Leg
isinture, to immerse this thrifty
young city in n burdensome debt OF
three hundred thousand dollars; and
because Gov. Grover vetoed the bill
he has been the unrelenting enemy
of that gentleman ever since, heap
| ing upon him all sorts of abuse and
all kinds OF maledictions. He want
ed that money SO that he might use
it TO corrupt the people as means of
getting still larger sums. He want
ed it to minister to his own ambitious
schemes. And what were the people
to get for it? Nothing. literally
nothing, except his promise TO build
railroad which be is to own. We
are to build it; he is to own it.
And why does he want to get con-
troll of the Legislature now? So
that he can get another act passed
over the Governors veto, by which
he will immerse this city in at least
half million, perhaps million of
debt. TEis is his motive, no mistake
about it. But this is not all. AS
the State Constitution now stands,
the State is prohibited from going
into debt more than $50, 900. He is
resolved, il he can get control, as he
is trying to do, that the Constitution
shall be so amended that the State
may be immersed in debt without
limit; and this amendment achieved,
he would saddle Oregon with a debt
of at least fifteen millions, perhaps
twenty millions of dollars; a debt
whose interest alone would make the
people the laboring slaves OF his i'm
perial will; so that he might ride
through our valleys from end TO end
and wave his lordly arm over all our
farms with the exclamation-"these
lands are all mine and these people
are all my practical working slaves.
Yes, these valleys are mine, these
undulatiDg plains are. mine, and the
cattle upon thousand hills are mine
| have mortgage upon every mans
time, and toll, and home"
/ Such are the motives which infu-
ence the extraordinary conduct Of
this party. This is why he imports
mobs, over the railroads which he
wants your sweat to build that he
may own, in order to carry your pri.
maries. This is the motive which in
duced him TO form the internal pur.
pose to import another mob TO carry
the election in June, If the blast from
the Herald had not exposed and de.
nounced this piece of stupendous
scoundrelism. We have shaken the
CORY fist of murdered liberty in his
brazen front, until he shrinks. before
the fearful menace like the coward
he is; for all men who contemplate
the commission of great crimes are
towards. What has he to fear If ht
is an honest man? 1t is agains
crime and criminals that we hurl oul
anathemas, not againstl clear-faced
4 upright, honorable men. The cry oi
fear is equivalent to plea of guilty
1t is fortunate for him and for the
community if our timely warning ha.
stopped him short in the crime ht
contemplated. We shall rejoice al
it. God knows we would much
rather prevent the crime than see the
penalty of violated law visited upor
the head of the criminal Herald.
E-s fs -iF
A SHORT SERMoN.-Here is q bit oi
philosophy worth reading. 1t is al
| aynocpra of a vary com m an 4 a1 m 81 on