The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-02-22
SENATOR AVERY'S LETTER.
He Discusses the Jayne Bill and its
Relation to Corvallis and Local
Option.

Option.
The Jayne bill has attracted so
much attention here lately, the
contents of which are so little
known, I will refer to one of the
provisions in this bill; also to sec
ton three of the present local option
law, in order that readers may see
how the present law applies to
Corvallis and what effect the Jayne
bill would have had in Corvallis,
provided it had become a law.
Section 3 of the present local option
law reads as follows: ''if, under
the provisions of this act election
shall be demand ed wholly or in
part in any incorporated city or
town, or any ward or precinct
therein, to be held at the time of
the city OF town election, occurring
in a year in which there is no
general election, then the county
clerk shall notify the proper auth-
ority Of such city or town, that
such election has been demanded in
order that such city or town auth
ority may cause the official ballots
to be prepared in advance with
the provisions of this act, and the
city auditor or clerk OF recorder as
the case may be, shall make return
to the county clerk of the vote for
and against prohibition in the said
precincts of said city or town, and
thereafter such matter shall pro-
ceed as in the case of a general
election I think it will be read
lily seen that under this law which
is now in force the saloon interests
can demand an election at Our reg
ular city election occurring May
next, not only as to the whole of
the city, but can demand an
election in one ward or precinct if
they see fit. This would enable
them to concentrate all their forces
on one ward and would 70 doubt
carry it in spite of all opposition.
Now in the so much dreaded
Jayne bill as it passed the house,
it will be found that section starts
off as follows: Whenever a peti-
ton therefore signed by not less
than 80 per cent of the legal voters
of any precinct of any county il
this state shall be filled with the
county clerk OF such county, such
precinct shall be wholly within or
wholly without an incorporated city
or town. We have no such precint
in the city of Corvallis all of
which extend outside the city limits.
These precincts cannot be changed
under our laws before November
'o6, and not then unless the county
court shall deem it advisable. 1
think it will be plainly seen, that
if the Jayne bill had become a law,
it would not have been possible for
the saloon interests in Corvallis to
have even demanded a vote on this
question June I, 'o8. AS nearly
Iall the towns in the state went wet
at the last election, the Jayne bill
was evidently prepared for the
purpose OF protecting these wet
towns but in doing so, the framer's
of this bill lost sight of the effect
it would have in the few towns like
Ctrvallis that went dry. Some Of
the saloon men IN Corvallis caught
OH o the effect this bill would have
in Corvallis, aud during the last
few days of the session I received
not only requests from the temper
apee people, but few very urgent
lett rs from the saloon men in Cor
wallis, requesting me to vote against
the Jayne bill.
The amendments to the Jayne
bill, known as the Coe amendments,
were incorporated in the report of
the senate judiciary committee,
which provided that on a petition
of not less than IS pei cent of the
legal voters of a town like Corval1-
is could vote only as whole, net
by wards or precincts; and further
provided that the election should
not be held before the first Monday
in June 1906, and. only biennially
thereafter. I favored and voted
for these amendments which wauld
have passed the Senate had they
come in a little earlier so the Sen
ators could have had more time to
|examine them. The majority of
the senators including myself, were
in favor Of passing some measure
that could not be justly charged
with unfairness by either side
| that after being submitted to the
people and a vote taken, would set
| tie the question for few years at
least. We loped to eliminate what
L.. l.. ~1 III