Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-09-29
Mr.. GEER HAS HIS SAY

Mr.. GEER HAS HIS SAY
SALEM, Or, Sept 24-(To the
Edltor)-In your editorial on the 22d
inst, entitled "Will have to explain,
you have three paragraphs which you
appear TO think come under that
caption, as follows:
''Since Dir. Geer admits that the
Governors salary is 5000 a year, it
can safely be taken for granted that
he got that much each year that he
filled that office. Now that the Ex-
Governor is loosening up on the salary
subject 1t is To be hoped that he will
go the whole length and tell the
people exactly how N uch he did get "
Agreed. / received precisely the
sum that was allowed by the laws of
the state, regularly allowed by war
rant from the Secretary of State, and
not one cent more, directly or in
directly, and any man, no matter who
he may be, who asserts TO the con-
trary or who has ever SO asserted is a
cowardly calumniator. This plain
language has no application to any
truthful man, and is too mild for any
other.
And I did not admit that the
Governors salary is $4,000 a year. In
an interview on another subject it
was incidentally stated that the
Governors salary, since the passage
Of the fiat salary law last winter, is
that sum. Your version that l "ad-
mitted" it is equivalent to saying that
hitherto no one knew what his compen-
sation is, and that my statement that
il is $4,000 is the first intimatlon the
people had that this state law" ex-
listed, though there has been a public
clamor for it for several years. 1t
would naturally be supposed that the
Observer would keep its readers better
posted as to the work of the states
lawmakers.
And you say ''the Geer influence
elected Chamberlain Governor that
"here in Polk county certain inhuen-
tial friends OF Geer worked early and
late for Chamberlain, with the result
that the Republican majority was
overcome and the county was carried
for the Democratic candidate" and
that 'the number OF Republican votes
cast for Chamberlain in Polk county
alone would have been sufficient to
have elected Furnish had they been
cast for him"
No doubt; but since no Republican
in the state can be found who will say
that in any manner endeavored to
induce him to vote for Chamberlain or
to not vote for Furnish, your effort to
find some one to blame for the fiasco |
Of a few bosses who temporarily had
control OF affairs, falls to the ground. |
Suppose these misguided Polk county |
men you have in mind were friends |
Of Geer?" They were also friends Of |
Treasurer Moore and friends of Secre-
tary Dunbar-at least they voted for |
them. made as many speeches dur
Ing that campaign as they did, though |
both we're candidates for reelection, |
and II you know the men you speak |
of to be friends of mine, why not
undertake to cruelty Treasurer Moore
and Secretary Dunbar also, for the
objectionable sin of having such
friends?
/ was a candidate upon the same
ticket with Mr.. Furnish, my name
being placed there by the Secretary Of
State according to the requirement of
the law, and yet, so far as | ever heard,
Mr.. Furnish did not say one word in
my favor in any speech he made.
But | made no complaint and cheer
fully forgave him then, and feel no
grudge toward him at this time. II
we are going to 'get together" and
have harmony, we cannot afford to
cherish these disappointments from
to campaign. The love
feast which is called for October u is
not based upon this unforgiving spirit
You say that enough Republican
votes were cast for Chamberlain in
Polk county alone to have elected Mr.
Furnish il they had been cast for him
And you profess to think that it was
through ''the Geer influence" though
| ask you to name the man whom |
approached, even remotely, upon the
subject But what will you do with
the vote OF Senator Fulton's own
county OF Clatsop, which gave Treas
1rer Moore COG majority and Furnish I
ton influence?" There was a falling
of in Clatsop of 500 from the normal
majority. Suppose those Republicans
had voted for Mr.. Furnish, would he
not have been electedP And will you
not be sufficiently consistent to attrib-
ute 1t to the Fulton influence?" I
was not nearer to Clatsop county dur
Ing the campaign than Salem is, and
had no communication with any citi-
zen OF il.
And Baker county gave Chamber
lain 5Sl majority while Treasurer
Moore carried it by lO2. Was that the {
Johns influence" getting in its work? S
II not, why not2
And bear in mind that all these
men who were so false 10 party duty 1
we're friends of Mr.. Dunbar and s
Moore and Ackerman and Fulton and !
,thers, as we'll as TO myself. and that >
hey were in communication with them
Turing the campaign, while 1 was v
lot Besides, IL you really want il
harmony in the Republican party Of
be state, you will bear in mind that q
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