The west shore., July 19, 1890, Page 899, Image 3

WEST SHORE. 899
Many newspapers are raising their voices in indig- and indirectly, chiefly through the medium of the
nant protest against a bill introduced into both the press, are great educators of the.publio upon import
house and senate by Representative Sweney and Sena- ant questions coming up for legislation. For this rea
tor Sherman, providing for the exclusion from the son a full and free discussion of every measure is do
mails of " any pamphlet, magazine, newspaper, story sirable before laws on the subject are enacted. Through
paper, or other paper, devoted to the publication, or the long debates, and the consequent discussion in the
principally made up, of criminal news, police reports, papers, the people have, a greater insight into the tar
or accounts of criminal deeds, or pictures and stories iff, silver, election, raco, internal improvement, ship
of immoral deeds, lust or crime." Any paper that ping and other questions than could possibly have
sees a menace to itself in such a law would better been the case had a full discussion of thorn been de
institute a reform immediately, before the government nied in congress ; and for this reason it would be both
reform machinery begins to work. It is admitted to unwise and wrong to arbitrarily deny the right of de
be the province of the government to educate the bate to the minority. The country doos not want leg
youth of the land to become good and intelligent citi- islation rushed through congress by mere party pro
zens. Upon this theory public schools are maintained, ponderance, but calls for such full enlightenment that
A proper education is imparted as much by protecting shall enable it to hold each party to a full rosponsibil
the mind from the absorption of that which debases it ity for its conduct. Granting, then, that full debate
as by supplying it with that which elevates it, and the ' is necessary, it is none the less true that when discus
educational work of the government can never be com- sion has degenerated into useless talk, maintained for
plete so long as such demoralizing and utterly vicious the sole purpose of consuming time and preventing
literature as that comprehended by this bill is given final action, there should be come means of cutting it
the same facilities of cheap and easy distribution by off and opening the way for practical work. If tho
the mails accorded to better publications on the theory senate can adopt a rulo that will fill both 'of these ro
that they are educators of the people. The Police quirememts, it will have taken a most important and
Gazette and its ilk, both illustrated and unillustrated, necessary step, and one to which Senator Ifoar and
are, alas, educators, and the result of their educational other old fogy sticklers for the " dignity " of the son
work may be seen in the jails, penitentiaries, reform ate will have to become reconciled,
schools, insane asylums, saloons and brothels of the
land, and are felt, not only in the hearts and homes of Genorai Fremont's death removes another person
thousands of stricken and sorrowing families, but in who wa8 once a prominent, though somewhat acci-
the enormous expenses borne by every town, county dental) figUr0 bcforo tho countrVi IIe if5 goncrilny
and state in supporting those institutions mentioned reraemb0red in Oregon as tho man who gained tho
and in the great cost of criminal trials. Tho " free- title of a Pathfinder " by riding leisurely on horseback
dom of the press " is no more assailed by tho suppres- fr0m'jljH80uri to Oregon in 1943 over tho trail made
sion of such " literature " than would be the freedom a fewccks before by 800 men, women and children
of the individual were a man to open a school for and ab0ut 300 wagons, to whom he failed to give duo
instruction in immorality and crime and it be dosed crei;t in hj8 report t10 government.
by the authorities. Oregon has a statute forbidding '
the sale or public exposure of such publications, and, , . , . , . .
though it leaks a little, it is fairly effective; and the Cleveland advises the formation of democratic
general government is negligent of its duty if it do fube. Mrs Hendricks says Cleveland is not a good
not deny them the privileges of the mails. domocrat- Blaln0 6ta af ? i i
ley's management of tho tariff bill, and Reed pays no
The proposition to change the rules of tho senate " to thj8 cr,8t?hil Tt ?f V"",
so as to limit debate at the will of the majority, some- f bc.m,nf ff f th two old ,,artic8,
what after the rule recently adopted in the house, but " n doub bo Btnuf out b tho t,me the
meets with the approval of tho common sense of the fight. for the spoils begins in 1892.
country, notwithstanding that partisans denounco it
because it will temporarily deprive them of a party Prayers for good weather to save tho crops in Eng-
advantage. Legislation is obstructed, business do- land have been ordered' in all the churches by tho
layed, the whole country kept on the anxious seat for Archbishop of Canterbury. Prayers that aro made
months at a time, simply because the rules of debate becauso tho individual hajf been ordered to mako them
enablo tho minority to stop all progress by endless must appeal very strongly) to tho Almighty. The
talk. This is not business, but horse play. It is un- Archbishop ought to bo bro'ught over and added to our
doubtcdly true that the debates in congress, directly signal corps, . r y