Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-11-27
Jason Lee GIVEN
CREDIT FOR OREGON
C B .Moores Declares Thai Il
Is To His Efforts That The
Northwest Is American


odist church that credit should be give
en- for the fact that at the famous
Champoeg meeting Nay =, ls43, by .
vote Of so to 50. the pioneers Of Ore
gon voted provisional form Of gov
Iernment under the jurisdiction Of the
United States.
| Hon. Charles B. MoOres f Portland
in an address last evening before the
Six O'clock club of the First Method
| ist church gave Jason Lee and his
Methodist friends all credit for the
development Of Oregon and the forma-
ttion of the provisional government by
which this great northwest came un-
der the jurisdiction Of the United States
instead of England,
| These facts were established, Mr..
i Mooros said, not by Methodist church
historian but by histories OF the north
west written entirely independent Of
church influence. He described Jason
Lee as the man who was most effective
in the development of the northwest,
ever more so than DIR. Mclaughlin,
who was British subject.
Although Jason Lee was born Just
across the New Hampshire boundary
line in Canada, he was selected as the
proper man to lead the great mission
ary movement into Oregon. With a few
missionaries he arrived at Vancouver
Sept. IL, 1884, and in the following
month preached the first sermon ever
delivered in the Willamette valley. In
1887 he was reinforced by David Les
lie and others.
Through the Influence of Jason Lee,
a bill was introduced in congress in
March of 1910, looking to American
occupancy of the northwest. Lee came
in contact with the leading legislators
of the day Including the president and
members of his cabinet, at all times
urging that something be done to Sc
cure the great northwest for this coun-
try. His campaign was carried into the
central states and people in Illinois
especially become interested in the
Willamette valley, Mr.. Moores said
For 20 years, those who came to the
northwest had become interested thru
the addresses of Jason Lee.
The charter Of the Hudson Bay com
pany gave its members unlimited adj
ministrative powers in this country,
When Jason Lee was here, Americans
had no legal rights nor jurisdiction
until Lee appointed David Leslie jus,
tice of the peace. Then law was es'
tabished that was recognized
AT the famous Champoeg meeting OF
May 2, 1913, when the test vote was
taken as to whether this country should
be under the laws CT England or the
United States, the Americans won by
a majority of two in the 102 votes
east. Mr.. Moores said that among the
l52 Americans who voted, there was
seven Methodist ministers, four mem
bers of the Methodist church and II
Others who came to the country thru
the efforts of the Methodist church
In fact, Mr.. Moores was inclined to
|belicve that the Champoeg meeting was
pretty much Of Methodist affair, al
the so who voted against the United
States were traders under the influ
ence of the Hudson Bay company and
at that time exerted scarcely any rea
influence in tho valley.
i While no single man or element saw
ed Oregon, Mr.. Moores said that the
chief glory was due to the Methodist
church as it was Methodists who hac
the courage to come into the field anC
were the advance guard of civilization
| Willamette university was the great
est contribution Of Jason Lee, and Mr.
Mopres noted the fact that only 6t
Methodist institutions in the country
antedate Willamette. He alsa mention
ed the fact that the university now il
nearing the $1,O00,OO0 endowment funt
from which it draws its income.
Mr.. Moores gave Willamette univer
sity credit for being the educationa
center Of the early northwest stating
that its graduates included leading
men in all activities of life n the nortl
west and especially in the holding Of
higher political offices.