Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-14


: and yet there is nearly the same rea
{ son for complaint as before. Fo
F; instance, the report of the board o
, the First Eastern Oregon Distric
I Agricultural Society for the present
! year discloses the fact that the entire
81 800 was distributed to only fifty
two persons in the vicinity of Baker
City. It will thus be seen that the
equitable distribution Of money
appropriated for premiums by the
state has not even been attained by
the multiplicity Of fairs. Is it just
that the citizens of Clatsop, Coos or
Lake counties should be taxed for the
purpose of raising the cum Of $500 to
be paid to the 50 persons residing
near Baker City as premiums on
articles perhaps inferior to what
they might have presented if equal
opportunity had been afforded them?
The PLAIN rule of right demands that
no tax should be laid by the govern
meht upon the people for any other
purpose than the economical admin
istratiOn of government. And
whenever this just rule is departed
from, and taxes are laid upon all for
the purpose of giving bounties to
the few, it will sooner or later meet
with popular disapproval. 1t can-
not be denied that if the legislature
of a state makes appropriations for
such purposes, there is no power
that can gainsay it, nor is there any
inhibition against it, but that law
of Justice which fOrbids that any one
man should be taxed for the benefit
Of any other man, and which is
equally as sacred as are the prOvis-
ions of the constitution, ought to
control the action of the legislature
in this matter.
An effort, sanctioned 10y the state
board of trade and by very many of
the leading journals of the state,
will be made to secure at the pres
ent session of the legislature an APP
preparation of S250,000 to be eXpend-
ed in advertising the state at the
Columbian Exposition to be held at
Chicago two years hence. Can
such sum, or can any sum what.
ever, be rightfully appropriated for
such purpose from money collected
by taxation Of the people? If it is
unjust to tax the whole people to
raise money to be expended at fairs
within the state, would it not be
much more unjust to raise money
by taxation to be expended for fairs
without the state?
In this day when the people are
taxed for almoqt every conceivable |
purpose, Oregon would gain wide
and well-earued popularity among
the over-taXed people of other states,
If it would refuse to levy any tax for
any purpose except an economical
administration Of government, Such
refusal would be calculated to in
duce a large immigration hither
ward.
LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS.
While there is no provision Of the
constitution forbidding the apprOprl-
alton of money collected from a gen
eral tax for special and local pur-
poses, yet the proposition that the
people of one locality should be
taxed for the benefit o' the people
Of another locality is SO manifestly
unjust as to merit the most positive
di-approval. No general tax should
be LEVIED for any other purpose
than the general welfare. And
when money collected from such II
tax is appropriated for local inn
provements, such appropriation
should only be made upon the eX-
press condition of compensation
10y the collection of n sufficient toll
or revenue from the improvements
? so made as to insure to the public
treasury a fair interest upon the in
vestment.
5 RAILROAD COMMISSION.
, one of the first acts which shOulC
2 be performed by tins legislator,
% should lie the repeal of the law pro
. viding for board Of railroad com
, misslouers. As the law now staUd,
{ sinecure positions at fat salaries art
| furnished to four men with no Other
! duty of any practical result than Il
1 quarterly visit to the state treasury
$ for their stipends. The law should
{ Ice AT once repealed. There is No
% place under our state constitution in
the discharge of any state duty foI
e a railroad commission or any other
p commission. Under our conslim-
7 tion all the powers Of government
I are conferred upon the three de-
7 pariments Legislative, executive
{ aud judicial created by it, There
T is therefore, no provision or excuse
for railroad commission. The
power 10 regulate freight rates on
? railroads cannot be conferred upon
b IL because that is Il power delegated
to the legislature 10y the people un-
i der the constitution, and 1t is a
: wellestahl!sAad rule of law that
; delegated power cannot he again
; delegated 10y the agent Nor can
. the power be gwen to It TO enforce
. the law in regard To railroads, Sec
ton 10 of Article . OF our state con.
d sututiou, referring TO tho preroga.