The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-08-09
From the Salem Morcury.l
SURKENIbERED.

In our issue of July Goth we pub
lished an article headed "What Ben
Holiday Wants. The Oregonian
of the 22d under the same heading
answered our article. In this an-
swer that paper for the first time
since Holladay has had charge OF
the Republican party in Oregon
takes position on the great and vital
question of State subsidies to rail
roads. When Gov. Grover two years
ago, by his veto of the Portland sub
sidy bill, initiated the policy that
this State will not tax the people for
subsidies to railroad corporations, he
was attacked with torrents of abuse
by every journal in tho State under
Holladny's control, making their ut
most efforts to overwhelih aud de-
feat the Governor in his position.
The Oregonian was among this list
Of journals. During all the late
State canvass, all the charges in our
article. alleging what was intended
by Holladay, in case lie secured the
Legislature, were constantly asserted
by Democratic speakers, on the
stump. aud in the press, but the Re-
publican journals never denied that
Legislation beneficial to Holladay
was intended, while the bulletin, the
personal organ of Holladay, went 80
far as to advocate subsidies. The
election was carried by Holladay at
great cost, by importing and repeat
ing votes. Hc then thought his for
tune made, and that the State Treas
rry was under his hand. His organ
more positively advocated State aid
to railroads. All the other journals
of that class acqniesced until lately.
Now comes the OreJ0nian and says
such II scheme would be preposter-
Gus because utterly impractacaLle.
1t would create obligations which the
State could not meet and would rem
der any Legislature and any party
in famous which would undertake it.
No subsidies will be voted by the
Legis lature mt its coming session. "
Mr.. Hulladay in his letter saws: II
do not propose 10 ask the State for a
cent for any of the purposes the
Mercury mentions" We place the
article Of the Oregoninn and the let.
ter of Mr.. Holladay on recoId to-
gether III another column of this pa
per III order 10 show our readers
that this battle Eas been fought
through, and for the purpose of fu-
ture reference in case it should be
renewed. The OregoniaH and Ben
Holladay would have it understood
that their present positions on the
subsidy questions are nothing new,
but they presume upon too shor;
memories and too little intelligence
in the people. The true reason ot
these present announcements are
that since the election it has been
discovered that more than half OF
the Republican members of the Leg
islature are averse to subsidies aud
that they cannot be bought or driven
against the interests of the people
on this question. Surrender then
becomes necessity on the part OF
the Holiday journals and on the
part of Mr.. Holiday himself. We
have this surrender IN full in the ar
ticle of the Oregonian aud the letter
of Mr.. Holladay which we copy
from that paper. The policy of this
State on the subsidy question is now
settled rs laid down in Gov. Grover {
message vetoing the Portland sudsi.
dy bill. The subsidy storm is ovel
and the sun again shines.