The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-02-01
SUSTAINS
JOURNALS
FIGHT
But Has Kicks On Other
Lines.
A HOwler Who Wants TO Re-
form Everything at Once.

EDITOR JoURNAL;--I am with you in
your fight against the fee system.
believe that there is only one proper
way to pay our State officials, and that
is by paying them fixed salary, and
covering the ieee into the State treasury.
| suppose We must credit you with sin-
cerity IN making this fight, but some
times have some doubts about II Whv
do you claim the honor of being the
originator Of this plan. You speak Of il
a. "our plan" when the fact is the idea
is very old one. For years and years
| have heard people protesting against
allowing our state officials to pocket the
fees which came into their offices. The
committee Of one hundred advocated
this very plan which you claim as your
own. The Oregon Independent for the
past six or seven years has been pound
ing away on the same lines. But moth
ing ever came of IL. for the simple reason
that it did not suit the politicians. am
free to admit, however, that you have
gone into the matter more fully than
any one who has preceded you. You
have presented your readers with
more figures aud perhaps ventilated the
subject mos thoroughly than any one
who has as yet written on the subject,
For this you deserve great credit.
Now while you are exposing the cor
ruptlon and rottenpsss of our leglhla-
lures, and telling the votsrs what they
should do TO be saved from
endless taxation, why do you not
have something TO say regarding
the nepotism which prevails .among our
public men. Just look at our
Senators and representatives. There
has not been a session Of the legislature
t at senators and assembly men have
not been guilty Of this shameless and ini.
quitous practice. Aud theIe 10 nothing
in politics mure demorAlising. have
known our representatives 20 appoint
their wives, sisters, daughters and sons
to cleI kships both in the senate and In
the house. II It were not for this ungodly
and besRarly practice, the clerkship
evil would never have amounted to such
an octopus AZ it has become. These
relatives are given positions regardless
Of their qualifications, aud tue results are
| ,at.nt a, anal, caaaa aa that of Ganfus
w. Davla, when the clerks reported
everything correct while he was q dc
laul,er 10 the tune Of s32 900. No high
toned man would be guLty VI putting hi
wife, sister, or child in apublic position
IN a department wherein he himself wa,
an actor. And yet you have not n word
20 say against this Infamous practice
You keep harping away at the salary
question a. II that were The only grew
auce Of which the peopls have To com
pan. Why is tuis2 What are you
afraid o? l know senator, and Le
does not live a thousand miles from "a
lem either, who had five ol his nearest
relat'ves-t~o Of them h.sOwm children
appointed to clerLships while he was In
office. ls that rlghI2 II he had these
things to dispose OF. why did he mol
think Of some Of the poor bows anc
girls-ths ch ,ldren oi sOms uf the people
who voted for him2 Why2 Because he
was too selish 10 consider them. lie
wanted to hog Inc whole chesse himself
while he had the oppor unity. This
gentleman may have 10 solicit our suf.
ifages again and II he does he will hear
OF these things.
have also 10 find fault with you for
handling guilty public officers too GIN
gerly. When man 10 guilty OF an in
tentional wrong why not bsndle him
without gloyes1 Why be mealy. y.mouthed
b ilh culprit2 l do not mean by this
TO call him ugly names, or TO denounce
him without mercy, or 10 accuse him Of
other things OF which he is not gui.Iy.
But do believe in calling q spade a
spade, In dealing with men or bodies who
have not acted right, you remind me
of bully l once saw, lie would give his
antagonist most unmercilul blow or a
slap on the face, and then apologize to
HIM for having done 80, You accuse 3
legislature OF having been Tecklessly OK
t,aya2ant in one sentence and ia the next
you cay It has been no worse than its
predecessor.
l notice that you are down on the
Scalp bounty bill, as every honest man
should be. Senator Williamson 10 the
author Of that bill which 10 one Of the
worst gratis ever enacted in the State
But while cOndsmning the bill, you have
nothing but honeyed words for its
author Now, that is not the way to
handle men who introduce such In.
juTious measures.
l hope sou will pardon me for this
plain speaking. While | admire many
Of the positions yoC take on public
questions, yet am convinced that you
are leaving many things undone that
should Do attended TO. Yours etc.