The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-09-24
eEER AND THE CAUSE
oE LIE PEOPLE.

comes to a governor 10 serve the peo-
r,o and all the people of a state, such
no has come to Governor Geer The
beneft il would be to his party is sec
ondary. because in the premises, and
under the circumstances, he is in a
nosition to act for all the people, and
confer a great benefit on all the tax
payers.
II is now a matter of history in this
state that last spring all three state
conventions demanded that all state
officials be put on fiat salaries, and
that all fees and perquisites be or
dered put in the state treasury, and
that direct legislation be put into eff.
feet
Not a delegate in any state conven-
ton would have dared stand up and
oppose putting state officials on a flat
salary, and putting every dollar of fees
in the state treasury. If one candi-
date had declared in favor of contnu-
ing such extravagant salaries he would
have been defeated.
The people of Oregon spoke through
these state conventions, and declared
themselves for this reform unequivoc-
ally, and because Mr.. Furnish and Mr.
Fulton did not take a clear, strong
stand for fat salary reform thousands
of voters voted for Chamberlain who
did
The Republican candidate did not
take a clear, firm stand for the fiat
salary plank and was defeated by
Chamberlain who made his campaign
mainly on that issue. A Republican
legislature failing to keep that plat
form pledge will defeat the party in
1904
A fiat salary law was promised the
people in the Republican. Democratic
and Socialist platforms. All candi-
dates for state Offices accepted their
nominations on that platform. If that
is not enacted at a special session it
will not go into effect for four years.
Such a great reform movement did
not originate with any individual nor
with any party, but with the people
in general. II has been generally de-
manded by the reform press OF the
state and by the petitions of thou
sands Of citizens asking for these re-
forms at a special session, and not
single public man has openly raised
his voice against these reforms.
It is furthermore known and gener-
ally understood 10 be the fact that
these great and needed reforms have
little chance Of being enacted into
laws at the regular session of the
legislature.
Il only sits for forty days. A week
is taken in organizing. Then begins
balloting for senator. Then six hun
dred TO a thousand bills are intro
duced. Then the big Hobbies for
Portland charter and corporations
descend and betwixt the hobnobbing
and lallygagging at Salem and Port
land and riding about visiting state
institutions and the fish hatcheries OF
Oregon and Washington, 1t will be
about as reasonable TO expect any
thing but big appropriations as II
would TO expect a moral reform wave
to originate in the internal regions.
Nobody knows these things better
than Governor Geer, but the people
know them just about as well as he
does.
The Journal wishes to review this
whole situation so fully and clearly
that there can be no mistaldng the
responsibility il these great reforms
are not secured or II they are delayed
by inactlon for two or four years
through the fault of Governor Geer
or a Republican legislature
I. FLAT SALARY LAW.
2. ALL FEES PUT IN THE
TREASURY.
3. DIRECT LEGISLATION PUT
INTO EFFECT TO CHECK THE EN-
TRAVAeANcE OF THE LEelsLA-
TuRE.
4. A REVENUE BILL THAT
WILL EXTEND THE TWO PER
CENT. INSURANCE TAX TO uN-
TAXED FRANCHISES.
S. A DIRECT PRIMARY LAW.
Any one of these reforms is worth
calling a special session for and not
one of these reforms but Will be
ieopardized and rendered almost inn
possible at the regular session which
will do nothing but wrangle over the
senatorship and appropriate at least
half a million more than the last
legislature which nearly ran up to the
three million mark
The people of all parties have or
dered at least three of these reforms
first mentioned, in the most EN-
phatic manner and emphasized the
demand for the first by defeating the
Republican nominee for Governor who
was a strong type OF the freegrabbng
school of politics.
NO ONE BUT THE EXECUTIVE
or THE STATE HAS POWER OR
AUTHORITY TO ACT AND TAKE
THE STEP NECESSARY TO CARRY
THE WILL or THE PEOPLE INTO
EFFECT. The people have spoken