East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-10-20
We NEED GOVERNOR
Who WILL FIRMLY
CURB LEGISLATURE
Tax Expert Shows Necessity
for Veto of BiIIS-"Har-
mony" Would Be Fatal,
LOG-ROLLING INEVITABLE
Only Through Means Of Courageous
Governor Who wm Represent whole
State Can Expense BE Stopped


BY C. P. Strain. Assessor Of Umatilla
County.
That each succeeding Legislature
spends public money more lavishly
than any one before IL. is not q mere
accident nor is II due to the wanton
extravaganza OF the individual mem
bership.
The fault inheres in the system.
Each OF the 90 members has meas
ures Of his own. which too often. are
OF local interest only and detrimental
to the state generally, and for these
schemes he can find support in no way
except logrolling with his fellow mem
bers. Thus IL Is that waste OF public
money originates. and so Il will H.
Ways continue in spite OF criticism and
protest until some rational remedy
shall be adopted TO stop IT,
When DR.. g. J. Smith declared IL
favor OF the single item veto and Of
the free use Of the veto power. he pro-
posed such a remedy. The single item
veto would give the governor author
ity to pick an appropriation bill to
pieces and to veto any single vicious
item. Now. the governor must either
accept or reject the Legislative budget
as whole. Treasury grabs OF var.
ious kinds are so intermingled by log
rolling committees with the necessary
appropriations that the governor must
accept the whole conglomerate waste
fulness or b. his veto risk tieins Up
all the state institutions In view OF
past experience and considering that
a legislature is responsible only TO
small district. while the governors
responsibility is statewide the wis
dom Of the single item veto is so OBJ
vious and the necessity for free use
OF the veto powers so apparent that II
is amazing that this reform was not
adopted years ago. What is still more
astonishing. We are informed that DR..
Smiths opponent disapproves Of this
much needed check on legislative
waste.
When the public comes to under
stand the value OF the single item veto
they will not be long in securing it.
The legislature itself cannot resist the
logic Of this demand ,and can be ex.
pected to propose this amendment at
the coming session.
A single item veto law would be OF
value beyond measure in the hands OF
an executive with vision enough to
distinguish between measures purely
local, and those Of sufficient scope TO
merit state support But such a law
would DC worthless in the hands OF a
governor who advocates harmony and
cooperation with a legislature which
by reason Of its organization is bound
to subordinate the larger interests OF
the state TO matters OF local and per-
sonsl Importance
Having had opportunity to study Dr.
Smith at close range. do not hesitate
TO state that beneath his congenialtty
and suavity there anides A determine
tion which assures steadfast adherence
10 his policies. His extraordinary
common sense, enhanced BY study
travel and wide experience give him
Judgment and vision. Being a man
Of the people. honest and independent.
yet magnetic and tsctful, he possesses
QualiflCau uous for leadership which
constitute rare equipment for gov
eruog. With such a candidate running
on such q splendid platform the peo-
pie Of the state have reason to con-
graduate themselves on the present
opportunity to abolish the half CEN
tury reign Of legislative misrule In
this state