Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-10-22
How Two Marion County Towns
Will Be Pitted Against
Each Other
SiIvertOn Appeal Which FavOrS Real Local
Option Does Not Want
This Kind


voters of Oregon will be called upol
to decide one of the most perpiexin,
problems that has ever confronte,
the people of this state, and at thi
time it is even more important IL
Oregon than the great Presidential
election. Indeed the latter has beef
entirely abandoned from the minds o
some interested temperance worker,
and the whole interest of the fal
campaign lies within the question o.
local option Both are certainly i'm
portant in Oregon.
There are good citizens and baC
citizens in every class and in every
locality, and the attitude of decent
people toward great public and socia
questions should be determined, moi
by accidental questions of employ
ment or locality, but by those deep
set principles which represent the in.
nermost souls of men.
The good citizen is he VINO, regard
less of his wealth or his poverty
strives manfully to do his duty to
himself, to his family, to his neigh
Dor, to the state; who is incapable
of the baseness which manifests It,
self either in arrogance or in envy,
but VINO while demanding justice for
himself, is no less scrupulous to do
justice to others.
Many qualities are needed by the
people OF Oregon in handling this i'm.
portant question, which would pre-
serve power of self-government in
facts as we'll as in name. Among
these qualities are forethOught,
shrewdness, self.restraint, the cour-
age which refuses to abandon ones
rights; and the disinterested and
kindly good sense which enables one
to do justice to the rights Of others.
The Silvertonian-Appeal has previ.
ously expressed itself in favor OF To-
cal option in the state and we still
hold that this will be a good thing
for the country in general. We took
this stand from the start and have
maintained the same-and shall con.
tinue so to do until we are convinced
by experience. II possible, tnat 1t is
wrong-believing that there is a Sc
rious need OF some such reformatory
and prohibitory law in Oregon, but
we fail to see whereby the adoption
of the measure by precincts will pro-
duce the desired effect. II we are to
have local option In the counties we
should have 1t in all parts of the
county. and not In parts of the coun-
ty where the deed of such measure
is not 50 seriously fe't. Precincts like
Mt. Angel and others we could men.
tion. where the local option measure
would not be likely to become a law,
will need the assistance OF all pre-
cincts In the county to bring about
the change. Here is where the OPP
pOrtunity presents itself for the good
citizen to DO justice to the rights of
others as well as himself. Without
help the adoption OF this measure viii
never be accomplished in such cases
and without the voice of outsiders the
evils OF the liquor traffic will con-
tinue to exist in parts OF the county
IL not In all the county and the re-
suit will practically be the same or
worse at home.
Suppose, for instance. this precinct
should carry under certain circum-
stances. would it have the desired ef-
feet? The idea OF the measure, as
We understand Il, Is not for the pur-
pose of closing a few saloons. but
for the purpose OF prohibiting the sale
OF liquor In the state. This cannot
be accomplished without the adoption
OF the measure In the whole county,
and we believe IL will be easier to car.
ry the whole state by counties than
by precincts.
This may not be effected this fall,
and the discussion is probably use
less one. but il is suggested by the
fact that some OF our local option
friends. after reading the article in
the issue Of last week. accusing the
writer OF being an advocate OF anti
lOcal option. Our only objection 10
local optioE e by precincts, and We
want IL understood that way.