The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-03-23
CURTIS STANDS
| ON his RECORD
HIS WORK IN LEGISLATURE
What He Hss to Soy Concerning Sew
eVsi Bills he Fsthsred Refer
enes to Present Candidacy.

uofh NOT lhht MHulJ 10 iiif CTltlflhHl
on his determination 10 withdraw from
the party. az published In yesterdays
AstoriaB. Indeed. he declares with
characterize emphasis that he will not
stand for II" and explained himself
more fully In the following interview
with an Astorian representative.
In view OF the article IN your issue
Of yesterday. under the caption. Say
Curtis II No Angel. justice 10 myself
and my friends calls for an answer.
have always been republican. and
am today. a more consistent republi-
can than some Of my alleged friends.
whom | have assisted IN their political
campaigns. knowing that they were a
detrlmeEt 20 the best interests OF the
party.
"AH 10 my being candidate in the
republican convention will say moth
Ing I am In the hands OF my friends.
I do not expect 10 receive the nomlna-
ton for the legislature from the re-
publican convention. Experience has
taught me. that man must be tool
II he adheres strictly 10 party lines
In Clatsop county and no man has ever
used me as a tool. Perhaps this Is the
cause Of the recent unpleasantness.
In the article referred 10. some
smart Aleck.' who knows II all, ac-
euses me Of introducing seventy bills
In the last legislature and OF running
away with certain bill. Your inform
ant In one OF those lgnoramuses. who
thinks he knows everything and Is a
politician. ! admit. that ! am TO blame
for a certain report that has gained
considerable credence, that | ran away
with the 'Nickle.in-t -the-slot' bill. Peo-
Pile have been in the habit. as a Josh.
OF accusing me OF divers and sundry
and have always allowed them to
believe that they were correct In their
deductions. but. ms matter OF fact,
never ran away with any bill. The
bill referred 20 was given by me TO Il.
II. Flagg Of Marion county. a member
OF the committee to which the bill was
referred. and while was engaged ex-
porting the books OF the deaf mute
school. he reported favorably on the
bill and II was passed and Is now a
law. as appears by the session laws and
the house Journal.
THE 'nincompoop' who SO gratultous-
ly furnished you the information. says
that introduced seventy bills, none
Of which became laws. Is laborlng un-
der delusion. In contradiction Of this
statement, / will simply refer 20" -
the session laws. did introduce for
ty-one bills. but seventeen OF these bills
were introduced by me at the request
OF the ways and means committee, OF
which l was member. and which
were for private claims against the
state that the committee did not de-
sire 10 include In the general appro-
pr!atlon bill. but preferred that the
legislature pass upon the merits OF
each bill separately. | introduced sew
eral bills amending the code. which
were referred to the judiciary commit
tee, to whom were referred several
bills OF similar nature which were
all Incorporated in one bill and passed,
II admit that did not introduce a
bill for the protection OF angle worms.
nor to provide for the propagation OF
sen gulls," continued Mr.. Curtis. II
did. however. introduce and assist in
passing bill appropriating $4,000 for
the propagation Of salmon. intro
duced the present fishing law bill,
which had been prepared by the Push
Club. introduced and passed the dis
trict attorney bill, which has saved
Clatsop county over $4,000. In intro
duced and passed the bill requiring the
sheriff not TO levy upon property for
delinquent taxes. which has saved the
county $2,7O0 year. that being the
sum paid Harry Bell for levying upon
property for delinquent taxes. This
was as many bills as any one member
OF the legislature passed. was told
by my colleagues, and by large num-
ber Of people in Astoria. that had
made a most excellent record"
Continuing. Mr. Curtis said; There
seems to be a general disposition on
the part OF unscrupulous ring men, to
wash some of the dirty linen of poll
tics in Clatsop county. II necessary l
can start steam laundry and do more
washing than any man in Clatsop coun-
". II this is done, II will require q
vast amount OF fumigating matter to
clear the political atmosphere. The bu-
bonlc plague will not be a circumstance
to the epidemic that will attack the
ring In Clatsop county, Fifteen years
of experience In training with the gang
puts me In position to publish facts
and figures that will cause large
sized disturbance. / am not disposed
TO do this. / have made no statements
as to being a candidate nor have l
ever said that the republicans have
thrown me down. This has evidently
eminated from jealous opponents, who
IL nominated will simply form kin
dergarten contingent to the ring and
who viii have as much weight in the
legislature as a cipher at the end Of
Mark Hanna's income"