The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-02-05
UNCERTAINTY YET.
Legislators Still at Skies and
Sevens.

Deadlocks are not exciting.
The legislative hold up at Salem
has been rather devoid of dra-
matte incidents and weary
drone is about all that greets the
casual visitor. It is singular
that anything so dull should be
so expensive.
The stayouters are now in a
"devil of fix" They are be-
ginning to realize the serious
responsibility they have assumed.
Their constituents, with the ex-
ception of few 1nadcaps, are
calling upon them to go to work,
and they are staying up O. nights
studying out a plan whereby
they can gracefully succulnb.
But they are confronted with the
fact that their going to work now
means to acknowledge that they
have been in the wrong. 1t is a
case of frying pan or fire.
Secretary Kincaid assumes to
be the dictator of Oregon. He
takes it upon himself to construe
law, pass upon the legality of the
house organization and in many
ways act as court, law maker
and executive. A troubled con-
science, perhaps, is the cause.
He is a great harvester of un-
constitutional fees and salaries
and doubtless considers the re-
sponsibility of dictatorship a
balm for his guilty feelings.
The Roseburg Review, by far
the brightest democratic paper
in Oregon, and supporter of
Bryan in the recent campaign,
denounces .'the hold up" It
says: GAS to the minority, the
senatorial contest should be a
matter of indifference. They
should devote their efforts to Sc
curing legislation in the inter
est of the people, to the full ex-
tent of their ability. Their
places are in the seats to which
their constituents elected them.
Let them make good records
there and the people will return
them. If they persist in a
''hold up" which no matter how
plausible the excuse, is only en-
gineered on account of the SEN
atorial struggle, their course will
be condemned. When the free
silver forces find themselves pat
ted on the back by Joe Simon
and the Oregonian,- it is time for
them to realize that they are on
the wrong track"
Representative Whitaker, from
Bonneville, on Simon creek,
will "explain" to his constitu-
ents. How amazed he will be
to find that the explanations, un-
warmed by the genial Johna-
than's glittering personality, fall
fatty upon his constituents un-
derstanding.
The Salem Statesman has
grown wonderfully since the
legislative fasco. The Orego-
MANS hate-colored accounts of
doings at Salem have disgusted
thousands of readers throughout
the state, who have discarded it
in favor of the Salem daily.
The Statements reports are full,
fair and readable.
The house Tuesday voted for
senator. 80 Of the 81 qualified
members were present. % voted
for John III. Mitchell and one for
Geo. Ell. Williams. In the senate,
Brownell moved that the senate
proceed to ballot for U. S. senator.
Simon declared the motion out of
order. His decision was appealed
from, but was sustained, the vote
standing Is to 10, Carter being
absent and Simon not voting.
Several of those who voted to sus-
tain the chair, did so, not from
any unfriendly feeling toward
Senator Mitchell, but because
they do not consider the house le-
gally organized and felt that the
motion practically so declared.
The debate was earnest and some
times bitter. The populists voted
with Simon and the democrats
against him.
Wednesday, at noon, 3S senators
and representatives met in joint
assembly, several Mitchell men re-
fusing to take part, owing to a
doubt as TO its-fiegality. Senator
Brownell was chosen to preside,
and after some discussion, the
meeting adjourned until 7:30 p.
m. Representative Lake declined
to participate in the joint con-
vention, because it did not recog-
nize the house as legally-orga-
nized body. He considers the
house legally organized and wants
any doubts settled at once in the
courts. He will do nothing that
might imply amy lack of faith on
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