Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-04-17
By L.sM. McMahan.

pay taxes take enough lHteii-
gent interest In politics to know
what ought to be done; and In Sc
lecting legislators they vote with
out knowledge Of or care for the
candidates qualification for the
office.
In vain do / read the various,
platforms for intelligent state
ments OF the candidates proposed
activities, If elected. They are all
for economy, all for reducing tax
ds; and SO has each candidate
pledged himself since the forma-
tion OF government, but taxes have
increased In spite Of all the COM
planning taxpayers have done.
The average legislator is honest
and wants to redeem the pledges
he made in good faith, but when
elected he finds that organized
forces beyond his control run the
legislature and that he is not un-
like piece OF flotsom, shunted
from one place to another, with
out power to control anything.
Long before the legislature meets
various men select for speaker Of
the house and president OF the SEN
ate those who will appoint COM
mittees favorable to them and to
the predatory interests they rep
resent; and these committees,
when SO appointed, will see 70 II
that the interests which selected
them are protected. AS result
OF this pernicious system the ieg-
islation for that session is defi-
nitely shaped long before the leg
islature meets. We got rid OF the
party convention, but not or the
party caucus, the trading and log
rolling. Every member of the leg
islature who engages In log roll
ing" should, upon conviction
thereof forfeit his office and be
forever disbarred from holding
any office In this state.
Each bill should be passed or
defeated solely upon Its merits,
but this is impossible 80 long as
legislators persist in trading their
support for one bill in return for
the support Of some other bill.
Until "log-roling" is stopped
PRACTICAL reformation is impossi-
Bile.
The state is sadly in need OF in
telligent constructive legislation
and the only way to get 1t Is for
the people to draft a just platform
and pledge each candidate to sup
port 1t. Such a platform attempt
TO submit and have the temerity
to inquire; Who among the can
didate will endorse It?
taxing the people only for the EFT
1.-The legislature is justified
In taxing the people only for the
necessary expenses of government
economically administered.
2-The taxpayers have com
pletely fulfilled their duty to the
children when they have provided
each child an ever-present oppor-
tunity to secure high school edu-
cation; and II any child gets more
than this II should get 1t at its
own expense or at the expense OF
those upon whom 1t is dependen.
From this statement of funda-
mental principle we can approach
the solution OF the problems
growing out OF our state colleges
understandingly.
3-The jurisdiction of justices
OF the peace should be increased tC
$500 and no appeal therefrom
should be allowed, unless the
amount inyoyed exceeds $200, Tn,
fees In the circuit court should bs
radically increased, throwing
more OF the burdens OF litigation
upon litigants and less upon tn,
taxpayers; and no appeal shoult
be allowed unless the amount ex
ceeds $500, or some constitutions
question, or the construction OF ,
law Is at issue. Such changes
would make It practical TO redue,
the members Of the supreme cour
from seven to five and eliminate
at least one-third OF our circui
judges and save the taxpayers full
~ $250,000 a year. In this coun
ty alone know of one civil cas-
which cost the state $3.50 and th
fees paid by the litigants amount
ed 10 but $19.
5--The insurance companies do
ing business in this state annual
ly collect from the people abou
s10s 100000 a year more than the.
pay back in losses and claims. Tn,
state already supports an insur
ance commissioner and an army o
clerks and the insurance busines
is always conducted and paid 70
out OF the money paid by the in
sured. The state should create
department OF insurance. cut IN
cost of insurance fully one-third
pay its expenses and turn into tn
general fund fully S5,000.00O an
nually.
Sin each county we have
sheriff and his deputies, in eacl
precinct a constable and in eacl
incorporated town police fore
TO arrest those who violate tn
law. yet the state game commits
zion annually expends $4,000 10
game wardens and the total fine
are less than S700 a year. Prac
tically these wardens serve no 9th