The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-03-14
HILTON GETS HIMSELF IN
TERTIEWED.

The interview with Senator Hilton,
published in the Times Mountoineer of
yesterday, whatever may have been it's
object, leaves unimpeached every state
ment made by the editor of this journal,
concerning the senator's action, during
the meeting of the legislature. The fact
is we related only what we saw with our
own eyes and knew to be true, and the
senator's statement is tacit confession
that it is so. We charged him with hav-
ing tried to pass the water bill, during
the absence of Senator Watkins, and he
practically admits that he did SO, and
this same senator, who could SO far for
get his manhood, plays the coward and
laws the whole blame of Mr.. Moody's
name being placed on the portage bill,
which if it had been retained would un-
doubtedly have secured its defeat, upon
the shoulders of Representative Johns
ton. 1t may be true that Mr.. Johnson was
wholly to blame, we have no means of
knowing; but we are free to confess we
don't believe word of it. MIR. Johnston
was used as catspaw, and now he is
made a scape goat.
Much that the senator says is beyond
our personal knowledge, and is of very
little Importance to us or our readers, one
way or other. Facts that transpired in
the sunlight can never be contradicted
by anything alleged to have happened
i'll the darkness of a committee room or
the obscurity of private conference.
But the senator would make the
"Dalles lobby ridiculous and in this
attempt he has not only falsified the
facts but dragged in, at least one matter,
he had better have left out. When the
news was first brought to The Dalles, on
a memorable Saturday, that our delega-
ton had endangered the passage of the
portage bill, by placing the name of
Mayor Moody in the bill, as one of the
commissioners when it was learned that
Governor Pennoyer distinctly and en-
phatically swore that he would veto the
bill if the name of any private citizen
was in it, there was but one thought
and one purpose 1--WE speak for ourselves
and we believe for many others,) that
took possession of us. 1t was to do the
only thing within our power to save the
bill, as we supposed namely, petition
the legislature to insist ''that the
name of secretary Mcbride be put
in the bill and the name of
no private person whatever be placed
there" The name of Mr.. Moody was
not mentioned. Was there anything
wrong in this? If SO Mr.. Moody has no
truer friends in the Dalles than are some
of those who perpetrated the wrong.
Two hundred and ten persons quickly
signed the petition, and had time per-
mitted, ten times that number could
easily have been obtained. Why should
this action of the people of The Dalles be
turned into ridicule by Senator Hilton?
Mr.. Moody's name had been put in the
bill. The Wasco delegation and their
abettors had, on the floor of the house
Indignantly resented its being taken out.
The governor had vowed he would veto
the bill if the name was retained The
Dalles lobby could not and did not
know anything further. They acted as
they did on the knowledge they had and
they would have been traitors to the
peoples interests and their own had
they acted otherwise. If it was a
''panic" it was panic in a noble cause
and no man who signed the petition,
under the circumstances has anything to
be ashamed of his action.
Moreover The Dalles lobby had tried
to get hearing before the committee
on railroads, before they would leave for
home. They were refused. Senator
Watkins made special effort to have a
hearing. He also was refused. This
was Thursday. The house would ad-
journ next day, noon, until Monday at
two o'clock. By that time, the three
days during which a reconsideration
could be had would have passed. Next
morning (Friday) Mr.. Farley went to
Representative Johnston, and asked him
to move a reconsideration, so that the
secretary of state might be substituted
for the name of Mr.. Moody. Mr.. Johns
ton said, "Mr. Farley, Mr.. Moody's
name remains there or nothing" There
was nothing left, but for the s'lobby'' to
seek an outsider to make the motion.
Our own representative would do moth
ing. Senator Watkins went to Paquet
of Clackamus. The motion was made,
and Mccoy and Johnston fought it with
all their might, saying that the commit
tee was amply able to take care of the
bill. The statement that "Mr. Moody
had been before the committee and re-