The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1912-12-28
VESTS CRUSADE TO BE
BEFORE LEGISLATURE
Governor Expected To ASK
For Laws Giving Him
Greater Power

COHVenlnB OF lne Leg stature
rapidly approaching, the presi
u. dency of the Senate and speak
, ership Of the House apparently
settled, assurances that the elec
, ton of a United States Senatol
will be but a mere formality, thu
prediction made here by those
, who have sounded the sentimen
among the Legislators is that thu
big fight Of the session will oc
cur when Governor West seek.
to have the Legislature enact his
, crusade legislation.
Generally the friends of the
Governor would have it appear
that the introduction Of his cru.
sade to have the legislature will
occasion no clash, but they, as
well as most of the Legislators,
fully realize, say those who have
taken soundings on the subject,
that these measures will be a
signal for a clash between the
Governor. and that it will be the
battle of the session.
Since his Inauguration the Gov
ernor has had two dreams-his
prison reform policy and his law
enforcement crusade. With the
hope of seeing these dreams ma
terialize, he has made every sac
rifice in the past, and recently
announced that to bring about
their realization he is prepared
to make every sacrifice in the
future. That declaration was
made when he declined to ex-
tend clemency to the four mur-
derers hanged here this month.
and the opinion voiced here is
that had the Governor not felt
that to extend clemency to them
would be to postpone the day
when capital punishment could
be abolished, and also that it
would operate as barrier to his
law enforcement crusade.
The Governors crusade in
Portland clearly demonstrated,
it is claimed, that if it is to be
crowned with success and be
made state-wi in its applica-
tion, his hands must be strength
ened materially by legislation.
Portland's crusade demonstrated,
it is further asserted, that the
Governor is practically without
appointing power when it comes
to naming special prosecutors
and sheriffs to carry on his cru
sade. and that there are no laws
whereby breweries and distill-
cries can be prevented from
shipping liquor from wet into
dry territory, and by which the
express and railroad companies
can be prevented from transport
ing it.
Already the Governor has pre-
pared a bill to give him power to
appoint special district attorneys
and sheriffs, and providing for
appropriations for the remunera-
ton of them whenever they shall
be pressed into service. Con-
tending that to give the Governor
authority to appoint special dis
trict attorneys and Sheriffs when
ever he shall take the notion to
do so would be to clothe him with
the power of an autocrat, many
of the Legislators will fight the
measure to the last, declare those
who are conversant with their
feelings on the subject.
What the attitude of the Leg
islature will be with relation to
bills prohibiting the shipment of
liquor into dry territory, should
the Government ask it to pass
such measure, as he undoubted-
ly will, is problematical, it is de-
clared. Many, it is believed,
would be in favor of such a mea-
sure, but that it would have OPP
position is certain. Among other
powerful factors to wage a fight
on it would be the liquor dealers,
and possibly also the express and
railroad companies.
In addition the Governor will
have a lot of other legislation to
propose. He believes that the
state should take over the Colum-
bia Southern project, and APP
propriate money to reclaim the
lands embraced within this pro-
ject. He has also drafted a bill
to make the salaries of county
officials uniform and equal, and
to provide for an accounting
system for county clerks. An
other bill drafted by him relates