The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-04-05
MORE OF MANY CHARITIES.
]. II. Atkins a Friend Of the Needy
and Unfortunate.

and Unfortunate.
1t is to be remembered, and partic-
ularly by those religiously and char
ably inclined, that Hon. John H. Ait
kin Of Huntington, now seeking the
nomination on the Republican ticket
for State Treasurer, has Literally as
sisted more calls upon public charity
than any man in eastern Oregon. He
lis O banker and so president of the
largest commercial institution in the
State Of Oregon, yet his purse has al
ways been open to the appeals of mis-
cry and distressed humanity. Solici-
tors for the various churches have
never appealed to him In vain. He
gives to all of them, regardless of their
faith. To the Salvation Army he has
been friend at all times.
Let us go little further. As the
representative of large aggregation
Of Capital and president of one of the
largest mercantile establishments In
the northwest, Mr.. Aitkin has loaned
hundreds of thousands of dollars to
home builders and needy ranchers who
were struggling to get on their feet.
He has protected his bank, but to his
everlasting credit be it said he has
never foreclosed a mortgage on some
poor man g meagre holdings nor forced
helpless debtor to the wall. No sor-
rowful widow with her hungry child
rem have ever gone supperles to bed
through the actions of his bank or his
big mercantile establishment. On the
contrary the store has always been
open tot hem and their pers onal credit
was extended aim ost indefinitely.
During the hard times of a few years
ago when the prices of stock were low,
1t was within his power to break large
numbers of stockmen, and take ad
vantage of conditions, and several OF
the stockmen offered to let him have
their stock for his claim
against them, but he hepled them
through the hard times and today
these me are among the leading
stockmen of eastern Oregon.
This Is the sort of a man whose
friends have virtually forced him into
the race for the Republican nomina-
tion for state treasurer. Indivious
comparisons are always odious, but
the records can speak. Have the wor-
thy gentlemen who oppose him in the
race very much to offer as against a
life-record like this? Not that we
have heard Of.
Mr.. Aitkin has made money for his
company and money fol his bank, but
it has all been legitimate and clean
money not one cent of it having been
wrung from the distressed and pow
erty stricken, the pauper and the
widow.
Mr.. Aitkin proposes an amendment
forcing the state treasurer to deposit
the funds under direction of a board,
the interest to be paid the state. This
may be barking back to the strenuous
days of the ancient Spartans, but it is
honest and the people know it. All
Mr.. Aitkin desires is the fiat salary
paid by the state for his services not
the immense graft gathered in by
state treasnrers in the way of interest
ON personal deposits of money, really
the money of the state, and no part of
their personal prerogatives.
There is no question that the people
will stand squarely and firmly by man
of Mr.. Atkins character If they can
only know it in time. That is why
this paper is earnestly cautioning its
readers to scan closely the past rec
ords of the various candidates and
decide for themselves who among them
all has proven himself the real friend
of the people.