Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-12-05
BLESSED is THE .PEACEMAKER.
-Phi1omath has Bees a Bold, Bad Towp,
But She will Try to Be Better.

EDITOR GAZETTE AS the most i'm
portant and interesting election ever held
in the city OF Philomath, occurred yes
te-day. and the so called "Prohi" party
was victorious, feel impressed to write
you few notes IN regard to our past his
tory as city, and making few sugges-
tions.
Although l do not propose to applaud
the retiring officers and defeated candi-
dates, yet / will make this assertion
that they deserve more of our friendship
and esteem than has been accorded
them, from the. fact that We, as voters
and taxpayers, and other residents of our
fair city, are as much if not more to
blame for the slack observance OF law as
our officers.
As proof of this, will refer the citi-
zens OF Philomath to few. instances
which have occurred, that largely in
fuenced our city officers during the past
several years. well remember, and I
know there are other older residents that
remember the time, which occurred be-
fore the division of the U. B. church,
when at least eighteen of US, who were
members of the Sunday school board,
solemnly pledged ourselves to preserve
order at our public meetings and in cur
town, and the first opportunity We had
of demonstrating our sincerity in making
that pledge occurred in the case of one
Hodges and Tom Mitchell. We started
into the affair, no doubt, in good faith.
Papers were made out by both the prose
cutting attorney, and were properly
placed in the hands of the proper Off
GERS. But in the meantime, Mr.. Mitchell
made the threat that if they fned him
over $50, he would kill Jackson and
burn the college. This threat had its de-
sired effect. 1t scared both the officers
of the law to such an extent that they
locked the papers up and refused to serve
them for fear Mr.. Mitchell would burn
their residence
And that threat had bad effect, also,
upon all the other witnesses, and most
of those pledged individuals, except the
writer, who was poor and without means
to prosecute the case any farther, and SO
it was dropped.
OF other cases, which are of more re-
cent date, will not enter into detail, but
simply refer to them. First, the case in
which the writer swore out warrant
against one Ben Childers, who took
charge of the court, denounced the ordi-
nance under which the charges were
made, got possession of the ordinance
book, held it in the drip of the hall roof
(Wilcox halD until two ordinances be-
came obliterated.
Second, the case Of W. H. Boles' acci-
dent, wherein he was damaged with a
very painful wound on the hand, and
presented bill to the council for the
small sum of $50, and the writer, who
was then member of the council, advo-
Gated the policy of allowing the bill, be-
iag as he considered reasonable enough,
stating he believed it Vas the cheapest
way we could get out of it. Mr.. Ezra
Dixon, however, opposed the suggestion
of the writer, on the grounds that it
would satisfy the taxpayers better to let
the law settle the amount of the damages.
Father Allen then arose and suggested a
compromise, and proposed that the coun.'
Gil pay Mr.. Boles the sum of $35. E. L.
Bryan then made few remarks, ,substan-
TALLY agreeing with Father Allen. But
Mr.. Dixon persisted it would satisfy the
taxpayers better to let the law settle it,
and so it did, and the least We could get
of with was the beautiful little sum
of $75.
So the writer subsequently discovered
that Mr., Dixon was right as we'll as hics-
self, for the lawsuit pleased them so we'll
that they elected Mr.. Ezra Dixon mayor
of the city the following year, and elect
ed the writer to stay at home ever after
ward.
I ght mention numerous other in
stances, but others are more familiar
with them, as they have occurred OF
more recent date, and l have not paid as
much attention, nor have been as much
interested in the welfare of the city since
l have learned that Taxpayers" prefer
to pay the greater expense caused by 60
ing to law, than to have the city ''dads''
curtail the expenses by arbitration or
compromise, and use their own best
judgment to avoid unnecessary expense.
And SO from time to time, our officers
have felt of our pulses like the learned
M. DIS do their patients, and have act
ed according. Therefore, will say to
the citizens of Philomath, let us take
part of the blame we have been hurling
against our defeated and retiring candi-
dates, and give them a banquet either
Christmas or New Years. Let them be
our honored guests, and the incoming
officers do the honors as hosts. Let us
be prepared to begin the new year OF
1908 with new purpose of uniting all
the best elements of our town, forget
and forgive the past, and uuitedIy work
for both moral and financial improve
ment, and thus make our little village,
situated as it is in pleasant locality,
surrounded by such beautiful scenery, a
desirable place for the best people to
locate and make their homes with us.
What say you fellow citizens OF Philo-
math?