482
WEST SHORE.
PUBLISHED IVIRY SATURDAY.
Jm 8AMUKL, Puhlinher,
PORTLAND, ORICO, I SPOKANI FALLi, WASH.,
N. W.CoVsYcond Yamhill SU. Icorn.r Main Itwni Straata,
Inltrri in tht Pott Offlc in Portland, Oregon, for tranmiuim through
tht mailt at mcond clou ratrt,
SUBSCRIPTION RATII-8trlotl In Advanoe.
Od Yfir,
III Monthi,
l4.oo Thrat Monthi,
1.15 1 Blnglt Capiat,
i.'S
.10
Jr-Copltt will In no mm ba tint to lubicrlbora beyond tht term
paid for. '
The Wist Shori offers the Best Medium for Advertis
ers of any publication on the Pacific Coast.
Bnturdny, DHmJxr CM, ImhO.
THE niovcniont for the admission into the union of
Idaho and Wyoming seems to be assuming tan
gible form first in the senate. The committee on
territories of that body have already decided to
report favorably on a bill, all the republican members
heartily supporting it. As both territories will probab
ly make republican states, as party issues are now laid,
vigorous opposition from the democrats may reasonably
be looked for. Notwithstanding this it is hoped to
pass the measure through the senate by tho fifteenth
of January, which will get it into the house reasonably
early in the session, where tho opposition will probab
ly lx even stronger than in tho senate There are no
reasons, other than political ones, why theso two ter
ritories should not at once become states, but politics
always have been, and probably always will be, an
important consideration in tho creation of new states,
and the minority will always struggle, no matter how
unjustly, to prevent an addition to the strength of the
oppsing party. Tho territorial struggle, however,
will soon be a thing of tho past, for unless Uncle Sam
mako an accession to his dominions, he will have no
dependent territories on his hands by tho end of the
century, save Alaska and somo portion of Indian
territory. If Idaho be admitted with tho constitution
framed Inst fall, she may become a state before the
pring flowers bloom.
Senator Hutler, of South Carolina, wants congress
to appropriate att.tXXUXX) for tho transportation of
negroes from the southern states to some portion of
the United States, South America, Africa or South sea
islands, where they could be colonized and have their
own government. This is about as absurd and chimer
ical a scheme as has ever been brought to the public
attention. The impossibility of a mass of ignorant
negroes thrown upon their own resources in a new
country being able to accomplish anything must be
patent to everyone. There is but one solution of the
negro question. He must be given his civil and
political rights where he lives now. With these and
the school book he will soon cease to be a menace to
' honeRt and intelligent government, and as a citizen
and property holder there will be little reason for
wanting to deport him to distant wilds.
Senator Pearce, of North Dakota, publishes a card
warning charitably inclined persons against giving
contributions to persons representing themselves as
agents of a relief committee, and denies that there is
much destitution in his state. While it is at all times
well to be certain that charity funds fall into proper
hands, it is questionable whether Senator Pearcc'scard
is in good taste. It has the appearance of being pub
lished as a sop to his state pride, without due consid
eration of the condition of his constituents who are
not as well able to live on pride as Senator Pearce.
There is destitution in North Dakota, and Senator
Pearce should not interfere with those who are dis
posed to relieve it.
Reading the liBt of names selected by the Oregon
congressmen for the federal offices of that state sounds
like the reciting of a page of an old political directory.
There are very few who have not "been there" before
in some capacity, but notwithstanding this fact the
people are to be congratulated, for nearly eve7 one
lias made a good record as a capable and honest
official. A great improvement in the manner of con
ducting the various offices, 'especially the Portland
post office, is looked for when these men take charge.
According to figures of the New York H'orW, com
piled from statistics received from the state and terri
torial treasurers, the total wealth of the United States
is $Gl,4.r)!),0O),000. This is a sum too vast for human
comprehension, and is more than the total wealth of
the whole world a century and a half ago. We are
the richest nation on the globe, and probably wmM'
ier than any of the great kingdoms of ancient history
or of prehistoric civilizations. One wonders, with all
this wealth, why it is so hard to mako a dollar.
The lynching of eleven of Kettle Jack's gang
Wyoming relieves that territory of a band of out-la"
apparently as bad as the Hummer gang that was so
summarily disposed of in Montana and Idaho in the
early days. While in one senso their taking off '
a blessing to the territory, Wyoming must be careful
about a too sudden reduction of her population, as
she will need them all to squeeze into the union
wun-