Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-09-22
WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN

Stirred to wrath by recent editoria
in the OBSERVER, Ex-Governor Gee
grasps his ever-ready pen and writes
the Oregonian as follows:
"Ihe following editorial paragraph
appeared in recent issue Of the Poll
County Observer:
Ex-Governor Geer is quoted al
saying that he does not want to be {
United States Senator for the reason
that there is no money 10 it. He says
the Office OF Governor Is much more
profitable. Geer ought to know the
possibilities Of the Governors office
He filled that position for four years
and can evidently see more than $500
a year in the constitutional salary oi
$500. Else, why the comparison?
1T is the spirit contained in this
squib that makes it necessary at least
In the mind Of Chairman Baker, tc
call conference Of Oregon Republi-
cans in order that harmony may
again reign in the party ranks.
''Ihe statement attributed TO me was
contained in the Salem correspondence
OF The Oregonian and was based upon
the fact, known Of everybody, that the
cost OF living in Washington is
practically double what it is in Ore
gon. The purposeful mis- statement
by the Dallas paper Of what I said is
merely one Of those contemptibly
vicious methods too frequently adopted
by few newspapers in Oregon during
recent years and to which can be
directly traced whatever of Democratic
ascendency is now prevailing in our
state and county governments.
Everybody knows, even the editor
who wrote the foregoing, that the law
Of Oregon provides that the Governor
shall receive $4,000 a year, precisely
that allowed a Senator Of the United
States, and the assertion that | 'eyi-
IDENTIFY see more than $4,000 year i'm
the constitutional salary Uf $500 was
made solely for a vicious purpose.
even at the expense of disclosing the
editors own malignant animus, since
everybody knows that ne knows the
constitutional salary Of $500 has
been superseded for 20 years by the
state law. The purpose Of this quoted
paragraph finds lodgment only in the
lowest forms Of political degeneracy
and 1t might surprise some people to
hnd that 1t was copied in the Salem
Statesman, which is just now deliver
ing sermons every day in favor Of the
oregon Republicans getting together
in the interest of harmony
My name has frequently been
mentioned in connection with the next
nomination for heGovernorship. Up
70 thls time l have never said whether
would enter the contest, but if any,
thlng Will hasten my decision, and In
taYor OF the proposition, it will be the
revival OF the spirit arimating the
paragraph at the head of this com
munication-in which event we shall !
see the matter in its entirety carried |
to the people, both in the primaries |
and In the state election following.
I'm the meantime the brethren who |
are striving for harmony would do |
we'll TO invest in a text book on that |
question and to speedily abandon the |
tactics adopted by them several years |
ago and which have made necessary |
meeting OF the State Central Com |
mittee In October preceding a state |
election for the first time i'm 80 wears.
and that in a state which less than a
year ago gave Republican majority
OF more than 10000.
Let us have harmony, to be sure.
but how would it do to try the rock of |
common sense as the principal corner
stone OF the coveted structure to which
we all expect to point with pardonable
pride? Il. II. GEER"
Commenting upon the Governors
fiery denunciation of the OBSERVERS
editorial the Oregonian says:
'The Ex-Governor is surprised and
panied that everybody in Oregon
doesn't know that the Governors
salary is $4,000, just the same as a
Senator. But it is obvious that all,
even country editors, do not keep the
same close track of such interesting
matters as the Ex-Governor. Every
body should. Nearly everybody did,
when the Governors salary was only
$500, but il didn't seem to do apy
good, for there was somehow a great
deal OF doubt about Just how much
the State Executive actually did get.
Let us hope that the light now thrown
on the subject from an authoritative
source will be sufficient for all time. +"
Since Mr.. Geer admits that the
Governors salary is $4,000 a year. it
can safely be taken for granted that
he got at least that much each year
hat he filled the office. Now, that the
Ex-Governor is loosening UP on the
salary subject, it is 10 be hoped that
ne will go the whole length and tell
he people exactly how much he did ,
get, His remarkable statement that
he constitution has been superseded {
~ the state law" has awakened much {
interest, and the taxpayers would
doubtless like to know the exact /
mount of money this state law, that !