Fifty Years in Oregon was written by Theodore T.
Geer, a grandson of Joseph Carey Geer and a shirttail ancestor of
ours.
I have put much of the book on
this website. I started because several
chapters describe the early roots of our family history in Oregon. I
kept going because
I found many of the chapters from this perspective on the early
settlers and the history of Oregon to be quite
interesting.
When the State campaign of 1880 opened in
the spring of that year I was nominated by the Republicans of Marion County
as a candidate for the lower house in the Legislature. Under the
apportionment then existing, that county was allowed six members and I was
the youngest of the delegation. I had been enjoying the three years
preceding in writing for the papers at somewhat regular intervals and was
quite well-known locally, so, when the time came for selecting available
material for the Legislature I succumbed to the “solicitation of my many
friends” and “permitted the use of my name” in the county convention. The
slate went through without much damage and after a joint canvass of the
county with the Democratic candidates the entire Republican ticket was
elected – since the county was under the control of that party by at least
six hundred majority.
In those days the sessions of the
Legislature were held in September, according to the terms of the State
Constitution, though it was permissible to change the date by law, which has
since been done. On the morning of September 13, I went to Salem to begin my
legislative experience. Upon arriving at the State House, I found that the
Republican caucus for the selection of officers was already at work. I was
directed to the committee room where this important function was being
attended to and upon timidly rapping at the door was greeted by a cheery
looking man with hair and full beard which were even then snowy white. Upon
my giving my name, with the information that I was a house member from
Marion County, he greeted me with a degree of cordiality which was
flattering to me, indeed, for a moment; for I assumed, of course, that my
fame had preceded me, though, up to that moment I was not aware that I had
any. But my suppressed pleasure was short-lived, for the man at once
informed me that his name was Z. F. Moody, that he was a member from Wasco
County and that he was a candidate before the caucus for Speaker. He also
presented me with a card which set forth the same fact in black and white.
A few moments later the vote was taken for
Speaker and Mr. Moody was elected. Of course, I voted for him. I had thus
taken the first degree in practical politics and it appeared to be a very
smooth game – everything was pleasant!
Mr. Moody was elected when the House met
in its first business session and he made a model officer – always fair,
always courteous and always “on the job.”
It was during this session that the bill
was passed which finally provided for the care of the insane by the State.
Until then, all the insane and feeble-minded persons in the State had been
cared for by private persons under the contract system – for many years the
work having been done by Drs. Hawthorne and Loryea, of Portland – and all
efforts to break up this system had been unsuccessful. The contracts had
been let at exorbitant figures and the contractors were amassing fortunes
from a business which it was held the State could attend to as well, and at
the same time save the people thousands of dollars annually.
For years, it had been publicly charged
that a “sack’ was always provided to be used in preventing an “asylum bill”
from being enacted, and, whether true or not, the attempt had at each
session come to naught. It was under these circumstances that the Marion
County delegation, in the session of 1880, decided to center its every
effort toward the passage of a law appropriating money for the purpose of
erecting an asylum building at Salem. We had agreed to sacrifice everything
else in the matter of new legislation, if necessary, in return for
assistance in support of our “pet measure.” The bill was prepared and was
introduced by Hon. Tilmon Ford, the chairman of our delegation.
At once, for the reason already intimated,
our asylum bill was the target for all kinds of attack. Prominent men were
in the lobby pulling all the strings at their command, and as many members
as possible were “lined up” in opposition to the proposed interference with
the established order of things. It was soon discovered that we had a fight
on our hands with the chances against us; but we also soon learned that,
very fortunately, Speaker Moody was in favor of the erection of an asylum
building and that he could be depended upon at all times. To this
circumstance our final success was to be attributed, though the question had
not been mentioned in the contest for the Speakership. In that matter we
simply had been lucky.
This was one of the most bitterly
contested struggles in the history of Oregon Legislatures, since the
breaking up of a monopoly which furnished rich pabulum for its beneficiaries
was not to be accomplished without meeting with fierce resistance. The
friends of the measure at once called a caucus and met every night until
success crowned their efforts. Every member was asked to look after as many
members among his special friends as could be persuaded to join us and to
keep things moving.
The two members from Union County, my old
home in eastern Oregon, were Terry Tuttle and J. W. Blevans. They were
friends of mine and I at once turned my attention to them, impressing upon
them the necessity of the State taking charge of its unfortunates, not only
in the interest of humanity, but in pursuance of a wise, economical policy.
They at once agreed with me and attended our caucus meetings.
But I had a brother-in-law, Dunham Wright,
who was a member of the Senate from the same county, and who had already
served several terms in the House. By reason of this experience he was
“wise” to some things, and having met with several defeats for his special
eastern Oregon measures, had imbibed a very healthy dislike for anything
that savored of western Oregon origin. When he discovered, therefore, after
a couple of weeks, that his House colleagues were attending the asylum
caucus, he promptly upbraided them for their shortsightedness, assuring them
that in so easily agreeing to a measure which meant the expenditure of
several hundred thousand dollars in Salem, without first exacting support in
return for eastern Oregon measures, they were throwing away their influence
and, in a sense, betraying the interests of their constituents, etc.
They both came to me without delay and
explained their dilemma, adding that under the circumstances they would be
compelled to withdraw from the asylum caucus. To this I seriously demurred,
impressing upon them the danger to their reputations should they take such a
step.
“Don’t you know,” I said, “it is currently
reported around the State House that there is a large sum of money here to
be used liberally for the purpose of defeating the asylum bill, and that if,
after you have been meeting with us and declaring yourselves in favor of its
passage, you suddenly change base and join the other side, there are those
who will put two and two together and make four – maybe five, or six?”
This presentation of the situation had its
desired effect and they promised to attend at least one other caucus meeting
on that night and look into the matter a little further.
I at once reported the threatened loss of
the two supporters of our measure to several friends and when the caucus met
I carried out a scheme – which we had agreed upon – by moving, as soon as it
was called to order, that Hon. Terry Tuttle, of Union County, be elected
chairman to serve during the evening, the regular chairman, strangely
enough, being absent. The motion was carried with a great show of
enthusiasm and Mr. Tuttle was escorted to the chair. Of course, this
proceeding so prominently identified him with the asylum movement that it
was thereafter impossible for him to desert us without arousing suspicion as
to his integrity, though in his case such distrust would have been wholly
unfounded.
The effect of this ruse was to hold Tuttle
and Blevans in line for our bill, and it finally passed the House with but
one vote more than the constitutional requirement. It might have been an
instance of legislative log-rolling – it was, perhaps – but it was entirely
legitimate and was wholly in the interest of good legislation. Mr. Tuttle
was for several terms superintendent of schools for Union County and was a
splendid type of the western pioneer. He owned a fine farm near Summerville,
twenty-five miles from where I lived when I was a citizen of that county. In
the winter of 1874, I painted his house, inside and out, boarding with him
for a week. It was at the time when all the lanes in that part of the Grand
Ronde valley had drifted so full of snow that they were entirely abandoned
for neighborhood travel. Mr. Tuttle died a few years ago when well past
eighty years of age.
“Jeff” Blevans, soon after his legislative
experience, moved into Wallowa County, where he still lives. He had been a
school-teacher in his earlier days and had taken on what may be called the
pedagogic habit of conversation. He was very precise in his use of language
and somewhat pompous in his style of expression. One morning, about the
middle of the session, he arose when the House was called to order and asked
of the Speaker that he might be excused for the day, as he desired to visit
some friends across the river in Polk County. Partly as a joke, I asked if
he really ended to go to Polk County or if, as had been the case with many
members, he only wanted to attend to other matters around town. He replied
that he was going to be away from the city all day and wanted to be marked
legally absent. He was, therefore, excused the day and the fact entered upon
the minutes.
Just before noon, however, after the roll
had been called on the passage of a bill and before the result had been
announced, Blevans arose from his seat and asked that his name be called. I
had not noticed his presence until I heard his familiar voice, and, in
pursuance of some fun, I objected to the granting of his request, since I
was certain the records would show that the gentleman from Union was at that
moment over in Polk County.
“But,” said Blevans, “when I reached the
river bank, I found that the Dallas stage was already crossing on the ferry
and I was left. Therefore, I am here and want very much to vote on this
measure, as it is my bill.”
Without looking at Blevans, whose seat was
immediately behind mine, I insisted to the Speaker that he was not present,
as the House would distinctly recall that he had been excused, that he had
promised to stay away until the next morning, and that in all disputed
legislative questions the record itself was final – and I appealed to the
record! This confused Blevans to a greater degree than I had supposed
possible, and while the House was roaring with laughter over his
discomfiture, the clerk read the minutes which declared that he was
undoubtedly in Polk ‘County. Upon this showing, I insisted that outsiders
had no right to vote on measures in the House, that it was not within our
province to change the minutes unless they were manifestly wrong, and that
they were not correct not even Mr. Blevans would contend!
Blevans finally succumbed and made no
further effort for recognition. He said his bill had passed, he had learned,
that he really had some business he could attend to during the afternoon
anyway, and that he would, with pleasure, make his actions conform strictly
with the record – and he did, quite turning the tables on those of us who
had decided to abandon further opposition and admit him to the fold at once.
The Legislature of 1880 organized by the
election of Z. F. Moody, Speaker; C. B. Moores, chief clerk; J. W. Strange,
assistant clerk; E. C. Hadaway, sergeant at arms, and T. A. Bacon,
doorkeeper. Soon after these officers were installed, the peculiar
combination of their names appealed to me as being altogether out of the
ordinary and in a few minutes I rose in my place and said:
“Mr. Speaker, I trust our Democratic
friends will not be Moody any Moore, nor think it Strange that the
Republicans Hadaway of saving their Bacon in the organization of the House.”
The suddenness of this announcement at
once had a most depressing effect upon the members, but as soon as they had
regained their normal bearing I found myself in the midst of a near-mob
which was considering the propriety of introducing a resolution of
expulsion; but my friends, for I had a few yet remaining, pleaded my
youthfulness and lack of experience in my defense and the affair was
permitted to blow over without further trouble. But it was a narrow escape.
Next Chapter -
Legislative Session of 1880: Notes on A. J. Lawrence, George Chamberlain, and
William Galloway
If you are interested in finding this book, Fifty
Years in Oregon, it can
often be located at Powell's Books in Portland
which is one of the largest used book stores in the United States or, through the
Alibris service
which catalogs used books from stores across the country. For more information on the Geer Family, visit the Geer Family website. Other resources
and references include:
