Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-04-30
REFERENDUM Is DEMANDED
For the Purpose OF Kiilins Three
Obnoxious Laws.
Grants Pass, April 20.

Grants fass, april 70.
To the Editor:
Through the columns Of your valuable
paper, wish particularly to call the
attention Of members Of iraternal orders
and working men of your city to the
effort now being made at the instance
OF Southern and Eastern Oregon mining
and mercantile men to repeal, through
the referendum Of the people, three bad
laws passed at the last session OF the
state legislature. One is the Portage
Railway bill which takes sl65,000 Of the
peoples money for nothing; another
known as the Eddy, or Corporation
Capital Stock Tax Bill, and house bill
No. 202 which repeals the present pro-
vision OF your tax law giving the poor
man exemption from taxation and exc
ecut;on on $500 OF his tools and house
hold goods. These last two were passed
to cinch certain classes OF the public for
extra taxes to meet the requirements Of
the first mentioned bill. Look into this
question carefully. See my letter in the
Oregonlan OF the oath on page 10, which
explains the situation more in detail.
came down ON the train today with
l.. b. Reeder of Pendleton, Graud
Sachem OF Red Men Of Oregon, who was
speaker OF the house Of representatives
to Salem two years ago. Mr.. Reeder
told me that he was personally aware OF
the political obbery which passd these
three bills at the last legislature. He
said
"Polilics in Oregon today is simply
a scramble for federal Office. We would
be much better off if the Legislature met
only once every 10 years. am familiar
with some Of the jobs put up by the last
Legislature by which Geer was thrown
down for the United States senator
against the expressed wish Of the people
at the last election under the constitu-
tional amendment; Moody was called
back from Washington, after having
done more for the state than any repre-
sentative we ever had there, with the
possible exception Of Torgue and which
gave us the Portage Railway, Corpor-
alton Capital Stock Tax bills, and took
from the poor man his right OF exemp-
ton from taxes and execution on his
tools and household goods. 1t was a
political trade, pure and simple, without
regard to the interests Of the people"
81. am a member of the Order OF
Eagles and have been in several other
iraternal orders and make direct ap.
peal to Eagles, Elks, Redmen, Masons,
Knights of Pythias, Workmen and all
other orders, to look into this matter
closely. We are acquiring considerable
property throughout the state, and it il
mostly held under a corporation OF the
order. From now on, we will have to
pay these taxes. Most of us are work.
ing men and have a right to some pro-
lection By exemption. Gentlemen, why
should we be taxed to death and allow
the politician to throw our money away
on portage railways at the Dalles for
which there is no more necessity than
for fifth wheel to a wagon2 The U. S.
government at the last session OF con-
gress appropriated 100000 to build a
canal between the Dales and Cecils.
Every man who has had anything TO do
with transportation, knows that tins s
the only true solution of Columbia river
transportation. Every engineer who
has examined the ground knows that
$lG5, 900 will not build one third Of
the proposed road that it will take one,
two or three more sessions OF the legis-
lature to provide suili iiont funds to COM
plete the road, to say nothing Of proyis.
ion for its equipment and operation
BY the time the road IL put into shape
10 operate, the government canal will
have been finished. In the meantime,
20 construct the road would only hamper
the operation Of the government and
cause Unnecessary delay in the building
Of the canal.
II there is no use for the portage road,
then there s no necessity Of their tax
ing all incorporated enterprises Of the
state, and imposing the hardship on the
working men as 1t now stands in House
Bill No. 292 There is no state in the
Union OF European country that does
not give the workingmen some protec.
tion against taxation and execution.
DO NOT FORGET that the signing
Of these petitions makes all three bills
imperative until the people have a
chance 10 vote upon them o, the general
election in June 1901, or, practically
speaking, we escape two years, taxes
ALSO REMEMBER that the signing
OF these petitions does not obigate your
vote in 1904, but enough signers now
will give all plenty Of time 10 consider
these laws.
Already in Southern Oregon they are
assessing the working men under this
new law House Bill No. 2J2.
Then lot Us Sign these referendum
petitions It can do no one harm-and
when We go 10 the polls In 1904, think
We will all be convinced that our gener.
al interest demands the repeal Of these
bills. It is up 10 the people to assert
their rights" W. 9. CowGLL
IA SEfDLESS WATERMEL ON