The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-07-08
NEARLY THREE TO ONE,
Corvallis Voted Heavily in Favor of
Bond Issue for Mountain
-.-~>A.A Water.

In Thursdays S water bond cleo
ton, the bond issue of $4,000 for
4 municipal water plant was carried
by vote of nearly three to one.
The figures are, for bonds, 27s;
against bonds, 1o6. The total
of votes cast was 384, or
about 80 votes less than in the reg
ular city election in June.
4. The majority in favor of bonds
is somewhat heavier than the
friends of mountain water expect
ed. though a vote of two to one was
freely predicted by them when the
polls opened. A poll of the town
made up the day before showed /
that mountain water had a sure
majority with as many doubtful as
sure votes against bonds. and a !
chance for many of the doubtful
to be captured for mountain water.
This not only happened. but great
inroads were made in the ranks of
those counted on by the opposition
as certain. 1t is said that their
poll showed Isl votes against
mountain water.
It is certain now that if there
had been a week or ten more days
allowed the voters in which to be-
come familiar with the subject that
the opposition would have been
reduced to less perhaps than so
votes. The testimony on all sides
is that the anonymous sheet issued
by the opposition was an actual
detriment to the cause it professed
to serve. The fact that the men
behind it would not allow their
names to be connected with the
sheet and that they required their
printer to observe such secrecy.
was the first influence to discredit
the thing. Greater even than this
fatal error was the style of warfare
that the thing resorted to. It in
dulged solely in personalities and
an attempt to play on the fears of
the ignorant and timi1. of whom
apparently there are not many in
this town, at least of the sort the
''Lubricator" thought there was.
The double dose Of error in connec-
ton with the thing led to deser-
tions that ran the vote for noun
tain water up considerably higher
than its most sanguine friends ex-
pected. A week more of time for
voters to have gotten their bearings
would undoubtedly have split the
opposition in twain and have given
bonds majority of more than six
to one.
In the brief campaign preced-
ing the election, there was not time
for all things connected with the
enterprise to be fully explained.
For three months prior to that time
the opponents, secret and other
wise, of mountain water, had been
conducting a personal propaganda.
Many things have been circulated
that were not true. Many honest
men, indeed, it is probable that
most all connected with the. matter
on both sides were honest, got i'm
pressions that were not correct
for the removal of which time and
trouble was required.
The election was a queit one.
There was a good crowd on the
street early in the morning, and an
other to hear the result in the even
ing, but during the day there was
but little activity. The polling place
was the City Hall, and there all
day workers were congregated. The
strikers for mountain water were
the more numerous, and to their
energy and toll is due much credit
for the result. Several disputes
occurred but in each instance those
engaged in them were good temper
ed and the outcome always good
humored even though loud words
were occasionally let slip.
The anti-water people talked
about a ''perpethap' commission,
about wood pipe and urged that the
enterprise wouldn't pay. One an
ti-water man said the richer mem
bers of the water committee might
take lot of bonds themselves and
a water man in reply asked if he
thought they would pay for the
bonds they took in wooden money.
Then the first man said the other
one was talking nonsense. Then
the other man said the same thing
about the first speaker, and so it
went One Jobs additioner stood
stoutly against bonds until he found
from the survey that fire plug
was located at the corner of his
block, and then with a broad smile
| L. e. L.