The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-08-14
EDITORIAL.

EDITORIAL.
The Marion County Court has not
revoked its order denying the franchise
for trolley line from Salem to Silver
ton over the county road. but the matter
is likley 10 be taken up again and con-
sidered. The old.iasbioned Republican
act Of the court in refusing 10 make a
present to some individual Of from $780,
900 TO 100000 worth Of property Of
the people has no doubt brought down
on it's head the condemnation Of so
called prominent citlzens, and II will be
asked 10 make the donation in the in
terest Of the development OF the
country and the Investment OF
capital. II is the old story Of giving
grant or monopoly Of public property to !
some bright bandit who has the gall to !
ask for 1t. Just why the County Court
should make present to some local
adventurer or one from some other city |
or county, Of a right-oi.way along 'the
county road for twenty miles and then
have to follow up the precedent by
giving away any and all OF the comfy
roads that anyone has the nerve TO ask
for, IL is not easy to see. II the corpora.
ton that wantsa present Of this franchise
would pay into the county treasury q
percentage Of its receipts we might see
that the county would in time get some
revenue out OF II and lower the county
tax. II the franchise carried an agree.
ment 10 gravel our county roads IL might
be a bargain. II the line ran through
10 the river and tapped gravel bar and
would distribute through the county
free gravel TO help build roads II would
be worth considering. But just free
gift for the fun Of the thing, the County
Court might just as we'll give some mer-
chant or banker one corner Of the county
court house 10 do business in rent free,
and II he was a smart man he'd own
the whole building and turn the county
out in course of time. The free fran
chise racket ought TO be played out
among an intelligent community. The
County Court viii be damned II Il does
and damned II II Decent but il ought to
look at this from business standpoint,
and consider the law and the common
rights OF All, and thatls that no more
free monopolies with a po ser TO tax the
people be created. II It isa good thing
for the county aud the people, give the
county and the people some OF the ben
ehts OF int. Unconditional franchises
drawn up in the terms of the exploiter
oughtto be thing Of the past. Let the
the county put In few clauses in the
interest OF the people, and name a few
Of the conditions Of the grant. That is
the way cities and counties and states
are run that understand their business.
The jug-handled monopoly Is not worth
the intelligence Of a canoe-load Of 81.
washes, much less our County Court.
Too much politics, too much prosper
ity, too easy a way to make money on
large farms not aquar.er iarmed, has
scattered over the rich Willamette val
ley more poor farming aud more delapi-
dated barns and farm buildings than
can b. found In any other equally wide
and rich tsrrltory ON earth. This region
needs the gospel Of paint and lumber
most OF all With a thinly scattered
population under the road system we
have, IL tisa wonder the roads are "A
good as they are. There is not one road
supervisor out Of ten knows how 10 build
ronds, II great majority Of them we're
graduates from some road-bullding col |
lose they wouldn't do any better, for the
simple reason that sending man to
college won't pump brains into hia head