East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-03-10

urged and the legislature acted ac-
cordingly. He suggested a central
board of control for state institutions
and such a board was created. An
appropriation of $4,000 for the in
vestigation of the power resources of
the Deschutes river was recommended
and secured after a hard fight Ra-
tional tax reform was one of the gov
ernor's requests and steps were taken
in this direction. sterilization bill
was passed and a half dozen others
which he espoused
OF course the legislature also passed
a great many other bills which the
governor did not recommend and
some to which he was strenuously op-
posed, among these latter being some
dozen or fifteen for the raising of SAL
aries of various officials. But in view
of the fact that such a notable effort
was made to discomfort the chief ex-
ecutive final analysis of the late ses-
sion will show the discontinue with
| the solons, or rather with those par
ticuiar eRes VINO worked the levers of
the steam roller.
They were forced to pass many Of
the governors bills not so much be-
cause they feared the wrath of the
governor but because they realized
that the governors measures were re-
form measures and that back of him
was public opinion which it would i'll
behoove them to ignore.
Many people were surprised when
it became known that william Jen-
nings Bryan, thrice
A Proof of candidate for pres
Bryan's Bigness. ident, had accepted
portfolio in the
Wilson cabinet. They We're confident
that the man who had himself striven
three times unsuccessfully for the
chief office of the land would not
take a smaller position under another
who had been more successful than
he.
mate knowledge of the man. FIRE.
quently Bryan has stated that there
is no office within the gift of the peo-
rle that he would not take If by so
doing he could be of genuine service
to them and his acceptance of the
secretaryship of state proves that sell
fish ambition is not the main spring
of the Bryan mechanism. His latest
act shows the bigness of his calibre.
Nor will the peerless leader" suf-
fer in the estimation of the people nor
become a lesser historical figure be-
cause of his action. The situation is
not without precedent. Henry Clay
was once a candidate for the presi-
dency and subsequently he became
secretary of state under John Quincy
Adams. Daniel Webster sought the
highest honor several times and, al
ways unsuccessful, he did not think II
beneath his dignity to accept the Sec
retaryship of state under Tyler. James
G. Blaine likewise was defeated when
he carried the standard of his party
in a presidential campaign and later
he became secretary of state under
came smaller for accepting the posts
of service which were beneath those
to which they had aspired.
The secretaryship of state in the
Wilson administration is an office oi
great Importance, what with the Mex
lean situation and the Panama cana
question always bobbing up and for
tunate indeed is the new president tc
secure a man with the statesmanshiI
and diplomacy of Bryan to fill 1t.
Governor Lister OF Washington
seems to be having the same expert
ence with his legislature as did Gov,
ernor West. They both happen to b
democratic executives IN republicar
states. After sii most legislatures srt