Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-02-21
SENATOR AVERY EXPLAINS.
The. Jayne Bill Discussed by Our
Senator-PIainIy Stated, as
You VIII See.

EDITOR GAZETTE:
The Jayne Bill has attracted sol
much attention here lately thel
contents of which are SO little1
known [ will refer to one or twot
provisions in this bill, also to-
Section 3 Of the present local |
option law, in. order that your
readers may see how the law ap-i
plies to Corvallis and what effect
the Jayne Bill would have on
Corvallis, provided it became the
law
Section 3 of the present local
option law reads as follows:
IF under the provisions of /
this act, an election shall be del
manded wholly, or in part in anyI
corporatsd city or town, or in|
any ward or precinct there n, tol
be held at the time of a city orl
town election, occurring in al
year in which there is no general
election, then the county clerk
shall notify the proper authority
of such city or town that such
election has been demanded, in
order that such city Or town au-i
tthority may cause the official bal
lots to be prepared, in accordance
with the provisions Of this act,
and the city auditor, or clerk or
recorder, as the case may be. shall
make return to the county clerk
of the votes for or against prohi-
bition in the several precincts of
said city or town, and thereafter
said matter shall proceed, a in
the case of. a general election"
I think it will be readily seen
that under this law which is now
in force, the saloon interests can
demand an election at our regu-
lar city election occurring in May
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 their force on one
| ward and would no doubt carry
it in spite of all opposition.
Now, in the so much dreaded
Jayne Bill as it passed the House
/ will be found that Section / start
ed off as follows:
Whenever "a petition there
for, signed by not less than 80
/ per cent of the legal voters OF
any precinct of any county in this
state shall be filed with the coun-
4 ty clerk of such county, such
precinct shall be wholly within
or wholly without an incorporated
I city or town T" AS We have NJ
such precincts in the city Of Cor
! wallis, all extend outside of the
city limits, and as these precincts
cannot be changed under one Law
before November 1906, and no
then unless the county cour
deems it advisable. I think i
will ae plain that if the Jayn,
Bill had become a law, it woult
not have been possible for tn,
i, saloon interests in Corvallis t
! have even demanded a vote Of
this question before June 1908
f AS nearly all the towns in thi
l state went wet at last election
5 the Jayne Bill was evidentlyp re
4 pared for the. protection of thes
! wet towns, but III doing so, tn
trainers Of this bill lost sight o
the effect itewould have in the fey
towns like Corvallis that wen
dry. Some of the saloon men i
Corvallis caught ons' to tn
= effect this bill would have O
y Corvallis and during@the last fe,
days Of the session received nc
: only requests from temporal
+ people, but a few very urge1
r letters from saloon men in Coz
! Wallis requesting me to vot
against the Jayne Bill.
The amendments to the Jayn
Bill, known as the Coe anaene
nents, were incorporated in Il
report Of the senate judieiar
committee which provided for
petition Of not less than 25 pt
2 cent Of the legal voters, a tow
Of like Corvallis could vote only as
p whole (not. by wards OF pr
i cineints and fur5nar progida
G that the election should lao5
ID held before the FIRST. aton1aV
IL June 1895, and only biennial
n thereafter. I favored and vote
e. for these amendments Whie
to would have passed the sena
* had they came IN q little earl
IS SO the senators could have b;
a more time to examine them.
o. A majority Of the senators j
oy Guiding myself were in favor
passing some MEASURES that cou
!. not be justly charged with unfa
4 ness hv either side that after (