East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-04-16
Panoramic View Of Oregon SoIOns

laws vary in Importance from very
( insisnltiCant one 20 an amendment
Of the constitution Swing az COVER.
Tor power to veto single items in ap.
/ preparation bills.
Following the practice OF its not
very worthy predecessors the last
legislature, before closing. provided
for the holding OF special election
next November upon the prohibition
measure which is subject to the
/ referendum Such elections cost the
state approximately 100000, which
greatly increases the burden Of the
already over ~burdened taxpayer. The
need of having effective legislature
FOR the enactment Of the prohibition
measure after January, 1915, and the
fear that the act passed at the last
session would be subject to the ref
erendum. caused them to choose the
special election: yet its alternative. a
special session would have been far
less expensive to the state, AS a
general rule voters are less interested
in measures than in men. and do not
turn out en- mass at the special cleo
tion as they do at the regular cleo
ton And, as consequence. a mi
nority OF the electorate would likely
decide the fate OF the prohibition
measure and such other measures as
would come up for decision by the
collective vote of the people.
Some years ago our tax law pro-
vided for the payment of taxes in
April. or one half in April and the
other half in September. After 1t
had been modified so as to make the
taxpayer remit all OF his or her taxes
in April, and an increasingly monthly
interest and fine was added by our
pedantlc and ostensible lawmakers
Since then the law has been chang
ed again.
In retrospection Of the above state
ment would it not be advisable to
confer the functions Of the legislature
to the supreme court. which. by the
way. must pass upon many laws ere
ated by the solons. Some are uncon-
stitutional, others are in discord with
other laws, others are ambiguous as
to phraseology Of the measures, and
having a destructive rather than
constructive tendency.
Economics of justice should always
prevail 1t means a reconstruction
in laws, improved method Of proceed
ure and opinions cleansed from dross
OF selfishness. greed and graft.
Persons who have attained moral
stamina will come to the front from
the rank and file of the people, 1t is
time for us to take new and living
symbols; and tear the bandage from
the eyes of justice. To discover the
wolf masquerading in sleeps CLOTH
ing. We must see the scales Of JUS
tice do balance; that the ballast Of
evidence is right opinions and not
flimsy expression. precedent and
rregmatic technicality.
AS class consciousness reigns now
supreme on the mundane sphere OF
activity there is no equality today
in the value of man. Abe Lincoln
the illustrious statesman of yore
whose earthly pilgrimage was so
characteristic of purity, humility
selfless love and impersonal love, and
whose pure deeds Of love are i'm
mortalized upon the scroll of heaven,
lived up to his motto: Charity for
all enmity to none"
Does our standard of conduct and
melting out justice compare favorably
with that of the sainted statesman,
now sojourning in Realms of Light?
To man alone of all the creatures
in the infinite domain of natures
vast laboratory, is given the power
to create his own character. His
power is the sum total Of his powers
or faculties in action. The all-wise
Creator bestowed upon him the light
Of reason and the transcendental
faculty of intuition to direct his aC-
tiYity either for constructive or de-
structive purpose. After all, in the
last analysis. the results remain with
the individual, whether preacher,
banker. judge. lawmaker, printer or
manual laborer, because the collec-
tive standard Of our state is condi-
toned by the individual units that
compose It.
Justice is an attribute of the In
finite. A power given to man to
transmute discord into harmony;
corruption into purity; suburban in
stinct into initiative perception; paro-
chial egotism into self-less and i'm
personal love, so characteristic of the
gentle Nazarene whose earthly pill
grimage was constant radiation Of
purity, humility and impersonal love
the mystic solvent of all human
shortcomings.
only through the economic of JUS
tice. although imperfectly manifested
In and applied to human needs, shall
We solve our problems by the me-
dium Of the alchemy of impersonal
love. Thus, and thus only, shall we
be triumphant in attaining our stand
ard in the economies of justice pro-
mulgated to US by the omnipresent
omniscient and omnipotent Creator
Of the infinite universe.