Oregon Spectator, November 12, 1846 – It took a while for the news to reach the West…
HIGHLY IMPORTANT NEWS
Settlement of the Oregon Boundary Question
By the arrival of the barque Toulon, Captain Crosby, from the Islands, we have the gratifying news of the settlement of the Oregon boundary question….
OREGON TREATY RATIFIED
From the New York Gazette and Times, June 19, 1846
The Senate yesterday ratified the treaty upon the Oregon question by a vote of 41 to 14 – 27 majority.
The Senate was full but Mr. Jernagin of Tennessee, who refused to vote under instructions from the Legislature of his State to consent to no compromise.
The county will hail with joy this decision of the Senate.
We learn by private advices that the basis of the settlement of the Oregon question is 49 degrees 30 minutes latitude as the boundary, with the right of free navigation of the Columbia to England until the expiration of the Hudson’s Bay Co.’s charter.
Upon the reception of the news of the settlement of the Oregon boundary question, the piece of ordnance owned in any way by the territory – a twelve-pounder presented to this city by B. Stark, Esq., was quickly mounted upon the rocks, on the river’s bank, and a salute of twenty-one guns fired under the direction of our mayor, A. L. Lovejoy, Esq., The reports were the loudest, and the rejoicing echoes of the old hills of the Willamette the longest, that the most patriotic could wish to hear.
Oregon City Enterprise, November 10, 1866
OREGON LEATHER BELTING
John Schram of this city is employed upon a piece of leather belting for the Woolen factory, which would be a credit to the largest belting manufactory in the Union. The length is about 90 feet, width 11 inches. It is made from Oregon leather, produced at the tannery of Mr. Thomas Armstrong. This belt furnishes another evidence of the fact that our State is able to produce all that she requires for her own home wants, and that the raw materials may as well be manufactured before they are sent to other States.
KILLED – A few days since a small Indian child, while straying about in the vicinity of High Street, fell from the bluff and was almost instantly killed by dashing against the rocks in its fall. Several accidents of this nature have occurred since the foundation of Oregon City, and now that the “upper story” is becoming rather densely populated the time is approaching near when it will be necessary to erect a substantial fence along the rim of the bluff, for the protection of life and limb.
CHANGE OF PROPRIETORS – Mr. E. Payne, long and favorably known as a driver on the overland mail line, has purchased the Gem in this City and now offers a good assortment of stimulants for the inner man. Mr. J. C. Mann has also become sole proprietor of the Fashion Billiard Saloon, and Mr. George Haas, at the “Shades” deals largely in the No. 1 article. After a personal inspection of the stock of these gentlemanly proprietors we recommend them all.
Oregon City Enterprise, November 6, 1896
A GRAND RATIFICATION
This Friday evening the Republicans of Clackamas County have planned to hold a grand demonstration in Oregon City, in honor of their victory in this county and the election of Major McKinley to the presidency. Preceding the meeting, will be held in Weinhard’s hall, a monster parade will be made on the streets of Oregon City. There promises to be more men in line and novel and unique features in the parade than ever before witnessed in this city. A steam float with a chime of whistles will arouse all populists who may have retired early. The greatest feature of the parade will be the marching of 300 horsemen, who are to come from all parts of the county. They will arrive in the city in the early evening and will head the procession.
THE WEATHER – What a prolific source of comfort or discomfort the weather is to us. We are continually praising or condemning it, wishing it would be cloudy or fair, stormy or calm, according to the mood we are in. The is nothing more uncertain to bet on than Oregon weather, unless it might be an election in Clackamas County. To say that the weather has been disagreeable the past week is putting it mildly, too mildly in fact. But all this is at an end. Appreciating our situation, B. S. Pague, who has charge of Jupiter Pluvius’ business in Oregon and is incidentally connected with the U. S. Weather Bureau, will open a station in the Western Union telegraph building the first of next week with Willie Logus in charge. He will inform you when to carry your umbrella and when it will be safe to loan it to your friend, or if that won’t do he has promised to furnish weather to suit the most fastidious. In future don’t kick at the weather, kick the manipulator of it.
Oregon City Enterprise, November 9, 1906
The voters of Oregon City will decide on December 3 whether the old home of Dr. John McLoughlin, opposite the woolen mill, shall be preserved, and our city show its gratitude and respect for the memory of the man who save the Pacific Northwest to the American Union.
At a largely attended meeting of the Council Wednesday night, Mayor Caufield read a message stating that the old home was being altered and remodeled, and showing the necessity for immediate action if the building and credit of our community are to be saved. A number of representative citizens made remarks in the same tenor and a resolution referring the matter of a tax levy to buy the building and site, was unanimously adopted by the Council.
Oregon City Enterprise, November 10, 1916
MASS RIDES DONKEY UP AND DOWN MAIN
Carrying out his pre-election threat that he would parade Main Street on the same donkey on which he rode during the Democratic parade in campaign days, Ernest T. Mass, ex-sheriff and would-be postmaster of recent years, now restaurant and hotel proprietor, rode the beast down Main Street Wednesday night, gaily bedecked with the national colors.
A crowd of a hundred boys and few men followed Mass and the donkey, yelling defiance at all Hughes supporters. They probably did not know that just at that time returns were being compiled in California and Minnesota, which might have taken Wilson’s much needed electoral votes and given the presidency to Hughes. They stopped in front of the Enterprise office and with waving arms, happy smiles and loud words expressed their contempt for all Republicans and their support of everything Wilsonian.
In the pre-election parade the only bit of national colors carried by Mass and his mount was a scrap of bunting tied around the animal’s neck. Last night the donkey was decorated in fitting style with streamers and bunting. In strange contrast with the manner in which the animal traveled two weeks ago.
Oregon City Courier, November 9, 1916
Election Results: CALIFORNIA FOR WILSON GIVES HIM PRESIDENCY
At Noon Today President Wilson’s Election Was Acknowledged. California and North Dakota for Wilson.
And Oregon’s five Electoral College votes went to Hughes…
MEASURES:
Passed: Single Item Veto, Ship Tax Exemption, Abolishing Sunday Closing Law, Rural Credits, Prohibition on Import of Intoxicating Beverages.
Failed: Land or Single Tax, Pendleton Normal School, Anti-Vaccination, Brewer’s Amendment.
Click here for the earlier news on the ballot measures: Measures.
Measure 3 received overwhelming support in Clackamas County, 7,318 Yes and 4,373 No, but failed in the statewide vote, 100,107 Yes and 100,701 No.
Measure 3: Referred to the People by the Legislative Assembly
Submitted by the Legislature. – NEGRO AND MULATTO SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT – An amendment to the Constitution of the State of Oregon removing the discrimination against negro and mulatto citizens by repealing Section 6 of Article II thereof, which section reads as follows: “No negro, Chinaman or mullato shall have the right of suffrage.
It would be 1927 before Section 6, Article II was repealed by the voters.
COUNCIL MUST BUILD 1917 BUDGET AGAIN
Fire Truck May Not Be Purchased by City this Year. Funds Are Heavily Cut.
The City Council met on Monday evening to undo and rebuild the municipal budget for 1917, with the result, principally, that the appropriation for a fire truck and the reorganization of the fire department has dwindled from more than $5,000 to $3,818.18 and without a guarantee that the much needed equipment can be purchased at all this year.
The budget draft prepared last night will be presented to the taxpayers of the city at a special meeting on November 20, following the preparation of the county budget. The county budget will be completed, it is thought, by November 17.
First efforts on the part of the Council to adopt a budget were useless, even after the instrument had been approved at the taxpayers’ meeting, when City Attorney C. Schuebel advised the aldermen that the appropriations and proposed expenditures must be fully itemized. This came because the Council had made a blind appropriation under the head of “incidentals” to cover the cost of fire apparatus.
At the meeting this week several appropriations were materially reduced and changed about. The balance left after all possible cuts had been made was $3,818.18, which it is the present intention of the Council to use for the purchase of a motor driven fire truck. This sum is not sufficient to purchase the type of equipment approved by the Council, but that body can probably arrange to pay that sum down on a lease and the remainder of the cost, when paid at a future time, will give the city possession of the truck. Just what plan will be adopted in the reorganization of the fire department is not clear at this time, although the fire and water department budget contains items for the expense of six fire companies at $100 each and $120 for salary for the fire chief. This does not provide for the reorganization originally planned.
The aldermen are confronted with the possibility of losing revenue from the county and that has a great deal to do with the draft of the budget, as approximately $16,000 is turned over to the Council as the city’s share of the general road levy of the county within the city limits.
The county has under consideration a plan to eliminate the general road levy and add eight mills to the general county levy, thereby making necessary the improvement of roads from the general fund. This would give the county $16,000 inasmuch as the court would not be under obligation to
turn over that sum to the city.
If the county court adopts a plan of this nature the city will have to make another budget draft, reducing all appropriations still further and eliminating the purchase of the fire truck.
Post Election Editorial from 100 Years Ago – wonder what our newspapers will say at the end of this week…
AS IT SHOULD BE
So long has the editorial typewriter been tuned to politics that it is with difficulty, yet without remorse or misgiving, that we turn to more pleasant topics, as we settle contentedly into the usual scheme of affairs, certain that the rule of the majority is for the best.
Before we enter upon other paths, however, it is wont that cannot be denied that impels us to take a parting shot at politics. Politics is dirty, and has been increasingly so for the past decade and because of that unsavory truth politics has been steadily going farther away from partisanship and closer to men.
It is our candid opinion that the next generation will live to see the ideal day of non-partisanship in politics. It is the only way out of the muddle and it seemingly has to come before corruption and interests can be forced to release their grasp upon the governmental business of the nation.
To dream of non-partisanship in politics would seem, on the face of it, to be vague and foolish. But it is not. The trend of the political mind is more firmly than ever before in the history of the country toward non-partisanship, and we have, in the recent campaign, been made to realize this fact in a very strong way.
Certain cities, Los Angeles for instance, conduct non-partisan elections. In Washington and elsewhere the judiciary is non-partisan. And the results have been so wonderful that sentiment in favor of absolute non-partisanship in all politics is rapidly growing.
We have seen those who were the staunchest of partisans turn from their party for the sake of the man; we have seen issues clouded because the man appeared to be greater than the issues; we have seen the perfections of partisanship so welded that party distinction has become nothing more than a matter of names, and we have seen the former debatable and contentious issues taken out of the political realm and established where they should have been many years ago.
We have seen a political revolution in the United States that will most certainly bring about the ideal, and that ideal seems to be non-partisan politics. Men are coming upon the political horizon who stand for the same governmental principles, who deal with like questions in like manner and whose sole distinctions are their personalities, characters and abilities. Therefore, it is not idle to dream of non-partisanship.
Before many national elections have passed the chief parties will be inseparably welded together upon common ground that the mass will vote upon the men who will best represent them, rather than upon the men who represent tariff cliques or preparedness cliques or other groups combined to force certain issues.
This ideal condition in the affairs of the nation will come about in one of two ways, but that it will come eventually seems more certain today than ever.
First, issues, principles and ambitions will so amalgamate that there will be no contention between thinking people. Have we not just emerged from a wonderful demonstration of the possibilities of this?
Haven’t party ties been overthrown on every side because the distinction between parties was so minor a quantity as to be negligible.
Second, if non-partisanship does not come through amalgamation of principles, then it will become so strong as to completely overshadow all others and thereby absorb them to such and extent that battle against the dominant party will be proved useless and unfruitful. Of course, such a dominant party must be more nearly the ideal, perhaps, than any that we have known, but as issues are dropped as voters forsake parties for men that party may result. Then, if there is to be more than one person in the race for office he will be selected by the majority and from the majority.
It seems more probable and would be more becoming to the public intelligence to accept the former possibility, however. In national affairs the day of non-partisan politics has already dawned. Its sun will actually burst upon the next generation, if not upon this one, if the political trend of the present day augurs future reality. In local politics the day of non-partisanship is probably more distant, but, at that, there is the same tendency shown to cloud partisanship in favor of men. The result at every polling place in the nation on Tuesday was a prophecy forewarning us of what appears to be the only, the natural course and, no doubt, the wisest course.
The Week That Was... 