Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-07-16

The city council last night enacted
the franchise Of the Portland, Eu-
gene & Eastern Railroad company.
For a couple of hours the council
men sat patiently by and heard them
selves assailed, for they did not grant
the franchise without according a
hearing to those opposed to the
emergency clause, and that hearing
consisted in r. A. Harris, state print
ing expert, and w. L. Cummins op-
posing the action of the councilmen
Harris was the first to take the floor,
and he designated the councilmen as
violators of the law, and he threat
ened them with the recall. Cummins
followed, and in an impassioned
speech questioned the integrity Of
their action, and threatened them with
the same drastic measure.
After they had listened to 1t all, the
councilmen contented themselves
with a few dlgnified remarks by way
of reply and then passed the fran
chise, emergency clause and all; and
Salem will 90 forward, progress and
prosper just as 1t has done in the
past.
The session last night was hot
the atmosphere hot, the councllmen
hot, and the argument hot The coun-
cllmen began to grow hot when, dur
ing recess, Councilman Rigdon be-
came entangled with Harris and n
bunch of his followers. They under
took to take the councilman to task
for permitting the emergency clause
to remain in the franchise Calmly
he defended his position until Harris
put him on the witness stand, and be-
gan to press him with interrogatories,
and then the councilman gave way
to passion and walked up to the Polk
county man, and, shaking his finger
under his nose he gave him a grill
ing Harris came back with the re-
tort that the councilman did not want
the emergency clause eliminated, and
that It had all been fixed up, and he
knew It, This was too much for Rig
don, and leaning over to him he
hissed one short word at him, and
Harris smiling swallowed It. Just
then the council was called to order
again, and further dispute between
the two ended.
Then the real fight began, Council
man Jones, the solitary councilman
who voted against the franchise last
night, asked that the courtesy Of the
floor be extended to those who OPP
posed the emergency clause, and
Councilman Waring made a motion
L, that effect Previous to that Jones
had sought to have passed motion to
eliminate It, but It failed for the want
Of a second, and his last resort was
to rely on Harris and the others
The taking of the floor by Harris
was the signal for a red hot debate
every councilman having fire In his
eye. He declared that the people had
reserved to themselves the right to
exercise the referendum and pro-
nounced the councilmen who were
deprlylng them Of this right by at
tachIng the emergency clause to the
franchise as law-breakers. Cum
Minis followed with an lmpassloned
speech, questioning the integrity Of
the council and their motives IN at
tacAng the emergency clause. Coun-
Gilman Rigdon defended the council
declaring that they desired to see the
railroad company get to work as soon
as possible, and that, as near as he
could ascertain, no objection had been
made 70 the franchise itself White
charged Harris with securing the in
dorsement Of the Municipal Improve
ment league by Misrepresentation
Frank Waters, who represented the
company explained the situation, de.
clarng that the compan did not In
tend to deprive the people Of any
| ,lehta nr onvthtng nIaa hut that a