The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-03-07
EDITORIAL NOTES.

And it will continue to roll on so
long as pensions are handed out like
chromos to advance the cause of this
or that aspirant for congressional
honors.
The last Oregon legislature spent
S23, 900 for clerks. A good business man
could take the contract for doing the
same amount of work at $500 and
make money out of the job. Is it any
wonder that taxes are high?
The question of free distribution OF
seeds has disturbed the great congress
of the United States far more than the
Importance of the subject justifies.
This franking privilege has only
served as a cheap way of distributing
political taffy.
The present congress bids fair to pass
at least one law that is commendable.
That is to abolish the fee system in U.
S. attorney and marshal's offices and
put them on salaries. Such a law
would save hundreds of thousands of
dollars every year.
| Cleveland advocates the nomination
of Carlisle for president, but this is
not all that is necessary to secure Mr..
Carlisle the nomination. He will at
least have TO convince the national
convention that he can redeem Ken
lucky, and he has nice opportunity to
do that thing at present.
Senator Sherman is developing into
pretty fair riff-for-revenue advocate.
He manly asserted a few days ago that
he would vote for duty on anything
that would produce revenue with which
to run the government. Sherman may
yet come out in favor of an extra
revenue tax on beer, or as a supporter
of an income tax.
Horatio Gibson, of Milton, this
country, though deceased, has been re-
stored to the pension roll and his de-
pendents will hereafter draw his pen
sion. The pension roll rolls on in
spite of death or time.-East Ore
gonian.
Spain has begun to realize that she
cannot longer pursue her warfare of
barbarity against the Cuban insur-
gents. General Wyler has suspended
his blood-and-iron proclamation, and
about the next thing that is heard will
be that he is supplanted by more
civilized soldier.
The East Oregonian is making a gall
liant fight against the extravagances
INDUCED in by the county court at the
expense of the taxpayers. 1t has
shown that it cost over $4,000 to assess
Umatilla county last year, and inti-
mates that deputy assessors were paid
$3.50 day, while the. county was
charged 81 day for their services.
The sketches of the building which
it is proposed to erect at St. Louis to
accommodate the republican national
convention show two fagstaffs project
ing high above the roof. This should
be changed. 1t may be possibility
now to group the republicans under
just two banners, but it would be well
to provide at least half dozen before
midsummer comes.
About a year ago there was es-
tablished at Portland a plant for
slaughtering horses. The expectation
was to find a European market and
home demand for the fertilizer made.
The meat demand not coming up
to expectations and the fertilizing pro-
duct not paying, the concern hus shut |
down for an indefinite time, after kill
ing about 1000 animals. At Paris,
France, last year over 10000 horses |
and some 400 donkeys were slain for
their meat.
If bicycles of japanese manufacture
can be shipped to this country and sold
for SIS or $16, it will lead some people |
to think that we should impose very
heavy duty on their importation.
Others will argue, that bicyle riders,
rather than the manufacturers, ARE to be
considered. It is certain, whatever
may be thought about protection, that
the wheelmakers of this country have
been making an enormous and uncon
scionable profit.-Portland Welcome.
The supreme court of ashington
has rendered an important decision, to
the effect that county treasurer and
his bondsmen are responsible for pub
ic money lost in a broken bank. Such
should be the law everywhere with re-
gard to public officials. Public money
s Entrusted to officers for safe keeping,
Ind if they allow it to disappear, either
through their own dishonesty or by
it in shaky bank, they
hould be made to account for every
Iollar.
The complaints of tax-burdened !
eople is becoming so universal that 7
& would appear as if the members of y
he next legislature must pay some 7
eed to them. The next legislature n
7ill offer splendid opportunity for c
IS members to make name for them 7
elves that will secure them future n
lvors from grateful constituency. Il
Tut the frailty of human nature that fl
in the make up of the a
verage Oregon legislator is such that E
is doubtful if many will take advant- "
ye of this opportunity.
Col. James B. Eddy takes credit to d
imself for having saved considerable F
oney to the farmers of Eastern Or u
ron, while serving as member of the m
ate railroad commission, in caus- RI
g reduction of freight rates on te
heat. But if the colonel would count CT
, the balance sheet he would learn th
at the useless railroad commission W
IS cost the state much more than it re
IS saved. If he would pose. as real
end of the people just now, while he tn
seeking the congressional nomina- fir
IN, he would resign and also advise
8 associates on the commission to do
e same. 80
The Dalles has no particular grudge .