Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-29
"NEIGHBoRs'


NEORGE e. CHAMBERLAIN. gov
NJ ernor of Oregon. is probably the
~ smallest chief executive, so far as
physical stature is concerned, of any
American state But mentally he is
big. He is far-sighted and keen. He
knows mon, comprehends their motives.
The bounds of his moral courage have
not yet been measured-they have not
yet been reached His is not sus-
picious nature, but the cheap poll
ticians of oregon who have endeavored
to "size him up have been measured,
weighed, classified and put on the
shelves where they belong before they
could get anything more satisfactory
than a genial smile from the governor.
There are those in the Webfoot state
and they are not so scarce as we of
California may think-who say that the
timber which enters into the compost
ton of their 'little giant" has the same
grain and fiber and luster as that which
has adorned the interior Of the White
House in the past. But, unfortunately
for Chamberlain and for Oregon, the
political pivot does not revolve in that
state any more than in California. But
Chamberlain may keep on being gov-
ernor, it is quite likely, so long as he
cares for the job.
Up there nobody ever thinks to re-
whether he is a Democrat or
a Republican. And that means that the
heartbeats of the people of oregon and
of their governor pound along in the
same rhythm. The people know that
when they go to their chief magistrate
to ask him to help promote worthy
enterprise, whether it affects all the in
habitants of the state or those of some
obscure community, he does not care
so much as the snap of his finger
whether they are Democrats or Repub-
licans or Prohibitionists. (He is a
Democrat, but the only evidence OF the
fact is to be found in the election re-
turns). They have learned that if they
should go to him and begin by saying, |
Nov, governor, am a good Demo- |
crat," or something like that, he would
be apt to bid them a pleasant Good
gentlemen; don't know any
thing about partisan politics"
Not long ago Governor Chamberlain |
issued his 1907 Thanksgiving proclama-
ton. One of his admonitions was:
THANK God for the manifold bless
ings we enjoy, and pray him that we |
may have more confidence in our neigh |
bors, so that the good things we have !
may continue to abide with u.s."
AS we have said, suspicion is not one
of Governor Chamberlain's virtues; |
therefore we must conclude, after |
analyzing this expression, that he in
cluded himself in those whom he thus |
admonished ito have more confidence |
in their neighbors," in order that his
neighbors might apprehend that he be-
lieved that things had come to that
pass where suspicion of the motives of
some of them was logically to be ex-
pected. Or possibly Governor Chamber
lain may have intended to be under
stood as referring to other states when |
he used the term 'neighbors"; or may !
be he used the term in still broader
sense, mentally applying it to remote
neighbors, say some 5000 miles from
Oregon.
That little word is the only fly in the !
ointment 1t worries us. We wish we
knew what Governor Chamberlain
meant. 1t is the first time in four
years that there has been suspicion
Of ambiguity in any of his official utter
ances. Is it possible. can 1t be pos
sible. that by "neighbors" he had in
mind any neighboring states execu-
tive?