Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/271

 ment was the first to go to Manila it wbb the fiist to be mustered out when the war ended. Governor Geer, accompanied by his entire staff, met the regiment upon its arrival in

San Francisco and welcomed it home. A great demonstration was made in that city over the arrival of the Oregon troops, and a banquet was tendered more than one thousand soldiers, officers and invited friends; the local telegraph and telephone companies extended free use of their facilities between San Francisco and the l^omes of the Or egon so Id lers. The troops were mustered out of the service at San Francisco three weeks later, and Governor Geer returned to the state line and accompamied them home. Later he made a special trip to Washington, D. C, to confer with the Secretary of War, Elihu Root, about securing a cannon from Manila for the purpose of using a part of it for making medals for the members of the Regiment. The cannon was socured, borings from it were made into medals* which were distributed to the individual soldiers* and the caimon now stands, mounted, on the grounds surrounding the capitol building at Salem.

Initiative and Referendum. During the legislative session of 1899 and again m 1901 an amendment to the constitution was passed providing for the initiation of laws by the people and the referendum of laws i)assed by the legislature to the people for their approval or disapproval. This amendment was submitted and ratified at the June election in 1902 by a vote of 62.024 to 3665.

Sil» of the Guunpoeg Meeting Located. Goyemor Geer was commissioned by the Oregon State Historical So* ciety to locate the exact sate on which the famous Champoeg meeting was held on May 2, 1843; and on May 2, 1900, with Hon. F. X. Matthieu and George H. Himes* Secretary of the Historical Society, Governor Geer drove a stake on the spot designated by Mr. Matthieu, who was the only sur-