Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-02-28
MONMOUTH DRAIN VETO
lcontInuod trOm page onel

bill had passed, when, in fact, It had
speaker declared on the evening OF
not passed. That the next morning
when the house convened he stated
that he had announced the bill as
passed the evening before, when In
fact It had not passed, and then, OF
his own motion. he ordered the roll
called for the purpose OF checking
the negative votes, no member an
swering to his name until that Of
Representative King. of Malheur
county was reached Mr.. King.
when his name was called changed
his vote OF mo" cast the evening be-.
fore. TO YES" and. without proceed
ing further down the roll, the speak
er declared the bill passed a second
time. am OF the opinion that these
Irregularities would invalidate the
measure, even II Il were not vetoed
by me. The journal OF the house
will only show the ultimate facts,
however, and will not show the
speeches that were made by the
speaker and others. These, which
are contemporaneous history, must
be gathered from other sources, and
as part of that contemporaneou
history ] quote from a paper pub
lished In the Capital City. and which
is edited by the distinguished speak
er, who presided on both the occa-
sions referred to. | think II but fair
TO assume that what Is there stated,
would not have been published un-
less true, and quote:
A True Report.
when the vote was finished on
the bill just before Adjournment
there were still two lacking of the
required number.
"Only two more needed shout
ed Davey as he held his gavel sus-
pended. and then Bayer changed his
vote from no to yes.
"'Only one more needed now,
said Davey, and Reynolds, OF Marion,
changed his vote. presumably carry
ing the bill. After the house had
adjourned Il was discovered that
still one vote was lacking, as stated
in the Statesman yesterday morning.
and Il was thought for time that
the bill would be defeated, but yes
terday morning the question was re-
opened again and. without new
vote being taken. Davey allowed
King to change his vote from no To
yes, and the Drain and Monmouth
schools were given new lease OF
llfe."
II will thus be seen that the pro-
ceedings OF the house partook some
what OF an auction sale. and the
rights OF the people struck on under
the hammer to those producing the
greatest number OF votes.
Unlawful Precedent.
l There Is certainly no precedent for
this In Oregon, and | know OF no
parallel In history, except that In
stanced by Cibbon In his Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire"
where the Praetorian guards. grown
insolent with excess Of military n.
cense, ran out upon the ramparts.
proclaimed the Roman world for sale
and struck on the right and privi-
lege OF presiding over the destinles
OF a decadent people at public auc-
tlon TO the highest bidder
! cannot give my assent or approv-
al 10 any law, whether passed I'm the
interest of an educational institution
or for any other purpose. which 80
ilagrantly violates the rights OF the
people. and shows such contempt
and disregard for their interest.
There Is no safety for government
In state or nation n such a precedent
is to remain established for the guild
ance OF generations yet unborn.