Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/286

 two more were added. Tke deeiaioiis of the Oregon Supreme Court have high standing in all the states of the Union for their conformity with legal interpretations of fairness and justice.

Th» Whipping PosI Law, The question of using the vdupping post as the most effective method for punishing certain petty crimes had been suggested in various quarters in Oregon since its earliest histoiy, but it was always opposed on the ground that it seemed unnecessarily crud and was really a relic of barbarism and slavery days. In 1905, however, die legislature amended the criminal law by providing that in the case of the conviction of a man for beating his vrife the trial judge m^t, at his discretion, sentence him to a certain number of lashes to be applied by the siierif f of die county or marshal of the town in which the crime was committed. The operation of the law did not, however, result in the benefit its advocates had hoped for, since few judges fdit inclined to use the discretion as conferred and imposed fines or imprisonment which was their privilege under die provisions of the law. The resort to Mapping as a punishment for vrife-beating was not popular, however, since in most cases the wives themsdves interceded for the convicted husbands, and the legislature in 1911 repealed the provision, and public whipping vras aboHAed after a trial of six years.

Lewis and Ciailc tefemiial Ejvodllion. Natllm-Wide CBUbration. Oregon had developed so rapidly that as die centuiy was nearing the close it was decided to commemorate the centennial of the Lewris and Claik Expedition vrith a national celebration at Portland, Oregon, beginning June 1, 1905, and continuing four and one-half months. Thereupon a local corporation, with H. W. Corbett^ as president in 1902, subscribed $500,000 to the enterprise, which was

^TT. W. Corbet t died March 31, 190n, whereupon Harvey W. Scott became president. Upon Mr. Scott's resignation, H. W. Goode was elected.