Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-05-11
'STAYT0N ROAD Meeting
ADVOCATES OF THE $4,000 ISSUE
OF ROAD BoNDs MEET WITH A
CHILLY REoEPTIoN.


! meeting here was somewhat of a frost
when you take il into consideration
} that the number OF voters in Stayton
lis about 400, and then consider that
the meeting was called to- order at 25
: after eight with total Of SO present
including the speakers and some. four
other outsiders, having about A. of the
\ local citizens. -f3s>r
Mr.. George Keeeh, a local booster,
] acted as chairman and dramatically in
troduced the speakers He spent some
time in discussing the issue pro und
con, and other than saying. that he
has deep voice and flowery com.
mand of a limited vocabulary, there is
; not much to say Of his speech.
Mr.. Peets, of Salem, was introduced
aud took considerable time to- establish
his personal attitude toward the peO.
fple Of Marion county and the fact that
he is.recently from Indiana and Of Ger.
man extraction in the minds of the as.
semblagc, and finished by giving some
very able advice regarding the bond
tissue. He said in part that the idea
to. expend the money raised in the i'm.
mediate vicinity Of the property taxed
was not feasible, as there would not
be enough money to get any results
in this way. 'e
He asked whether il was not better
to concentrate the money on few
roads and get immediate results than
to spread it over large area and only
partially fix large number.
Some, he said, had asked who would
handle this money, and to that he re.
piled that the county court was author.
lied to do so, and as the people yearly
entrust them with small amounts, sure.
ly they should trust them with more.
He made the assertion that il the
bond issue is authorized, not a single
bond would be sold, but county war.
rants would be issued in lieu therefor
! as cheaper and more feasible plar.
On this point he produced as authority
pamphlet containing the laws pertain
ing to the subject, and read whore II
says 1t is discretionary with the county
court whether he shall issue bonds or
county warrants.
When asked whether warrants would
sell as readily as bonds, he could not
answer definitely, as he said he had no
knowledge on that subject.
Some one asked If il is true tbot
the county must pay SO Nor each dol.
lar' worth of work obtained in that
the interest will equal the principal
. when the bonds have run their course
} he said that the warrants could only
be issued as the money was needed
, and so the interest would be reduced
but failed to directly answer the oues.
, tion. 4'
, lie discoursed long and freely on
l tne fact that the farmers only repre-
9 sented less than half of the taxable
g property in Marion county so tbey
should get what they could out of tbs
8 cities railroads and other corporations
e MI Jones, of Salem, was here intro
: duced by the chairman in such glowing
: phrases that one was led to think him
some standard-bearer of some politica
: party that was going to be a Nose,
{ ana lead the people out of bondage
1 instead of into it.
}, lie arose and asked If any one pres
{ ent cared to discuss the other side M
the question, and lady well along il
years arose and remarked. that she wa,
no orator but wanted to read an article
z mat had impressed her as being moi
odt OF place at this time. She ther
/ read the Journals report Of the Pra
d tum meeting of last Wednesday night
d ms was like Haunting red flof
s IN the face Of wild bull to Mr. Jones
L ana ne launched forth in a pyrotechni
" cal display of oratory in thunderou
e tone that struck deep in every hear
l. and convinced all present of two thing
-.aat ne was in earnest and peaved.
Mr.. Jones talked fast and long. an,
1t 1t was hard for ears uuaccustomed I,
It such free flow of English to keei
" pace, and If anything of primal i'm
Il portance was missed the writer humbl,
begs his pardon.
/. Mr.. Jones said farmers were tb
hardest-headed class of men he knew
OF, due no doubt TO the fact tim
their life kept them away from other
or their kind, and he had found tina
you must show them very plainly be
fore they are convinced
He said there were few good road
m now existing in Marion county. ant
Is NO law can suit all; every law is
is compromise; SO if you cannot entirely
k agree about this law why condem il
IT is the best we now have. He sal,
the debt incurred by this bond issu,
IS a mere bagatelle and not the hor
ror some think it. The rate of inter
est is very low-lower than any indi
vidual could lend money or borrow 4
, for.
y He said the bad roads were driyinf
the boys and girls from our farms.
He discoursed ably on Oregon {,
l backwardness and told how boil
Washington and California were fai
far ahead of us here; how many inves
tors came and looked at the state ant
! then went on.
His whole speech was so filled will
] platitudes, oratorical displays and dra
matte elimaxes that it is hard to con
dense it and bring it down TO tb,
common phraseology of a mere plebian
and he closed by stating that if tb,
people defeated this issue II would Sc
the state back five years
An old resident Of Linn count
arose and stated that he had been ia,
assessor and deputy for many year
for that state, and knew something O