Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-09-16
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER re, 1898.
THAT sas.oOo WARRANT.

Of who had the right to bring the ac
tlon or who shall pay the fees. The
only benefit the people can get is from
the terrible object lesson that ought
TO impress them, Of how public money
is recklessly squandered by class oi
reckless politicians whom the people
seem unable to either size up correctly
or to get rid Of as public officials.
To understand the case at all one
must go back to the inception Of this
job. Joe Wright, In the Legislature
aud Tom Wright, the Union county
banker, originated the plan to plant a
branch asylum at Union. The legis-
lature passed the bill and the then
state officials, Pennoyer, Metschan
and Mcbride carried out the program.
A board Of politician physicians ex
amined the sites offered and promptly
located 1t at Union, Ore, on section
of land, for which a state warrant for
s25, 900 was promptly issued and de-
llyered to Tom Wright, who still holds
the said warrant, which was stamped
not paid for want OF funds, and now
with interest amounts to $4,000.
The supreme court declared the
whole proceeding unconstitutional,
and how any man, much less sane
able lawyer. who ought to know more
than a common man, can pretend
that the act OF the legislature, under
which the site Of the asylum was
purchased, paid for and trans
ferred TO the state, could be declared
unconstitutional and yet the steps
taken, under that act be perfectly
legal, we cannot understand. How
Jhe act could be held null and void
Ind the several ACTS that constl-
,uted the act be lega, and binding, is
referred TO the inmates
" the institution a5 Salem, OF which
he one at Union was to become
,ranch. How the act could be
unconstitutional, and the deed TO the
state for the S25, 900 section of laud
md the warrant therefore he consti.
,utional Is more than we can under
tand or the people can comprehend.
The former owner of the land and
lis lawyers naturally hold that the
ransfer OF land and the issue of the
variant was all In good faith, for
alue received and that the warrant
hould be paid. So anxious was Mr..
Wright, the banker at Union, TO get
he warrant paid that he was willing
0 compromise the suit and pay all
osts, some $1,000, to close the matter
p. He was In such mortal dread to
o before the legislature TO get his
variant paid that he was willing 20
Dse $1,000 costs. He frankly said 1t
Gould cost more than that to get his
lain through the legislature. There
'ould have TO be too many members
cen and the legislature might reject |
he whole claim. So he was glad TO
aye the whole matter closed up and |
ut of the courts and get his S33, 900.
The people are not anxious to see
DR.. Wright lose his sale or land TO
he state. AS such matters go, the
and bought and then price Or
cred raid, was no more than has
cen paid by the state for hundreds
I acres OF land about Salem for
'hlch the state has as little use as
Or the land ln Union county. For
Instance, about 200 acres for u deaf
lute farm near Salem---lt might as
ell haYe been for the blind to pursue
griculture upon. And then was not
nion county entitled TO u slice of
ne state pork9 As these things go
ne people need expect nothing else
Ut that they will haYe TO pay the
IS, 900 for a piece OF land for which
iere was never a word OF law to
lrchase, much less TO pay for with
lbllc money. The people will be
cky II they do not have 20 pay for
lat land, pay the interest and pay
le $500 costs aud the NEW costs
)w accumulatlng aud still 10 occum-
ate. Who ever knew the lawyers TO
'op a state case so long AS there was
lything In the lemon % squeeze ?
The only point 10 the whole matter
that these outrageous Jobs were
'rpetrated under Republican rule. by
epublIcan state otilclals. aud that
lese men are sin holding ofiice. stiIl
blCodsuckers and polIti-
u managers and viii hold ofiiee by
le grace OF the Republican party
'obably as long as they live. and
leir families after them. For which ]
, one will blame them so long as the |