Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/320

298 Salaries, Fees and Perquisites of State Officials.—Oregon's state government has been one virtually limited to the functions of securing law and order. With a government of this type the degree of economy actually realized is largely determined in the salaries and other emoluments received by the different state officials.

The elements of the situation that has existed here almost from the beginning of the period of statehood in regard to this matter affords a unique side-light on the ways of the Oregon people. What with the language of the constitution specifically fixing the salaries, with the repeated efforts of the legislature to get the people to ratify amendments increasing, or opening the way to increase, these salaries; their refusal, and then the realization through legislative enactment, first in one form, then in another, of what the people had denied — could anything be more anomalous than all this? It proves clearly enough that the Oregon voter is obdurately parsimonious and that he is hugging the delusion that with his rigidly fixed and meagre constitutional salaries he is securing economic state service. Not unlike the fabled ostrich is he, believing itself protected with its head alone buried in the sand. The legislature first submitted an amendment in 1864 to grant the legislative assembly power to "at any time alter or modify the salaries of any officers provided for in the constitution . ." This was defeated at the polls. Again in 1872 an attempt was made by the legislature to bring about a change in the constitution. This time it took the form of specifically naming the higher salaries to take the place of the sums fixed by the original document. This again failed. Once more in 1887 the legislature tried to have the constitution changed; this time, as in 1864, the aim was to have the legislative assembly empowered to fix these salaries. But the people were obdurate. During all this time, however, the state officials were receiving compensation in excess of their constitutional salaries.