The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-04-13
GRAFT IN OREGON
A POSITIVE AND DIRECT DE-
MAND FOR REFORM.
Methods of Grating in High Places,
Places Oregon in an I'm
enviable Light.

Portland, April 12.-Special Cor
respondence. Perhaps no people in
the world, certainly no people in free
America, are as graft. ridden as are
the taxpayers of Oregon. Some of
them have known this for long
time; great many of them have
ascertained the facts within the past
year or so, but it has only been re-
Gently that the great body of the plain
people have been awakened to a full
and complete realization of the dis
graceful condition of existing public
affairs. With the awakening comes
positive and direct demand for re-
form. It is the forward swing of
the pendulum While the movement
is not nearly unanimous, the great
majority of the taxpayers in the COM
monwealth propose to put an end to
the system and methods of grating
in high places, that have placed Ore
gon in such an unenviaEle light in
the eyes of the nation.
The awakening began when Oregon
land frauds, colossal in their extent
fostered and nurtured by the domin-
ent political party, were laid bare.
But this is only the beginning of the
house cleaning. The same forces that
placed in power Douglas in Massa-
chusetts, La Toilette in Wisconsin,
Folk in Missouri, Weaver in Pennsyl-
vania and Jerome in New York are
doing effective work in this state that
cannot fail to have results in the June
election. When enough republican
voters, four years ago, revolted at the
machine methods of their party man.
ayers, to assist in the election of Gov
ernor Cham berlain, many people saw
in the occurrence the beginning of the
end Of reign of this corrupt dynasty.
The wise. clean, economical and non-
partisan administration of the gov
ernor has strengthened this impress
sion.
The fact that at least three of the
state officers in Oregon get stupendous
gratis" or rake offs, is just now be-
coming fully understood, digested and
realized by the great mass Of voters
in OregonS 1t has set them thinking
They perhaps harbor no hatred for
the direct benehciaries but they do
condemn the political party that has
allowed the steal TO exist and it is be-
coming apparent that they intend to
vote down the regi me that has en-
couraged the graft and fattened ON
the spoils.
When the state printer au officer
that exists, like the curl of the pigs
tail, for. ornament only, receives for
his services more money than is paid |
in salary to the president Of the
United States, it is evident that there
is something rotten in the state of
Denmark. The voters would like to
know why the treasurer of Oregon
should be paid more money in one
year than the Chief justice of the
United States gets in three years.
They are asking that stop be put to
the system that pays the secretary of
state nearly as large an amount as
the combined salaries of all the pre-
sident's cabinent officers. Oregons
state printer gets more pay than the
combined salaries of the United States
ambassadors to Great Britain, Russia
and Germany. The people are ask
ing:
care we getting the worth of our
money!"
1t is noticeable fact that one of the
republican candidates supposed to be
the leading one for state printer has
studiously avoided saying that he
favors putting that Office on fiat
salary.