The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1918-02-14
WHATS THE MATTER WITH
OREGON?"
IF. c. Harley, Mayor of the city of
ASTORIA

" 70 - AAaA lNH va VI VI AAA0 NAA1 VI
Astorisl
The next great political battle will
be fought in Oregon. 1t will be a
battle of deepest concern to every
man, woman and child in the State.
1t will be battle that will effect the
development of our resources and in
dustries; it will be determining bat
tie and the result will decide whether
the State of Oregon shall take that
proper position in the great family
of States to which its tremendous
physical and natural resources. as
well as latent initiative and capacity
entitle it, or whether it shall continue
to be outdistanced In the procession
of progress that is constantly gyow-
ing on the Pacific Coast. Vital is
sues will be involved, and If the fu-
ture welfare of our State is to be
assured it will be necessary for US
to take a deeper and more active in
terest, not only in the issues that are
to' be placed before us, but in the men
whom We are to elect to solve them,
aHd it is therefore, imperative that
We consider the election of our state
senators and representatives with
more than the passive indifference
that has characterized our elections
in the past. Oregon. through its mis-
representation has established for It.
self a reputation as an experimental
station for all sorts of freak legisla-
tion from coast to coast Laws es-
sential to our economic expansion
have been carefully and adroitly avoi-
ded, while so many needless. useless
and throttling laws have been enac-
ted that it would take a miracle to
save our State from utter stagnation
if they were all enforced, Inefflcien-
cy, timidity and undesirable infiuen.
ces have strangied the efforts Of the
progressive elements Of euf tesisla-
ture and have retarded our growth
and hampered our progress. Our
Legislative halls have been filled with
young lawyers concerned more with
their personal ambitions and the es-
tablishment of regulations, than with
the welfare and requirements of the
State. Men incapable of managing
an enterprise requiring even mediocre
executive ability have been delegated
by our voters to manage the affairs
of the State, and they have been
moulding our destiny, not with re-
gard for our commercial and indus
trial expansion, but in that narrow,
limited manner that always accom-
panies personal and selfish motives.
OF course, here and there we have
elected a few good business men and
broad visioned representatives, men
like w. P. Lafferty, Ollie Fuller, R..
w. Ritner, Louis Hodjens and a few
others who have done exceptional
work in the way of initiating good
constructive legislation-but their
efforts have been nullified by the tide
of "mossbackism" that has kept the
State of Oregon behind her sister
States in the past, and it is time cor
rective measures were adopted.
suggest therefore that public
spirited citizens of every County in
Oregon, and every commercial club
and civic organization interest them
selves in the vital issues that are now
more than ever confronting us, and
see if we cannot by discriminating
effort elect representatives who will
not hesitate to legislate, not upon i'm
material problems, but upon ques-
tions pertaining clearly to the well
fare and development of the State
and its resources. Let us select men
who are not afraid to come out In
favor of definite, constructive poll
cies and let us compel them to COM
nit themselves in advance. Let us,
this year, concern ourselves with is
sues rather than personalities and
see if We cannot by concerted and
forceful action free Oregon from the
rut she has been relegated to by the
political legislation that has been