Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1890)
WEST SHORE. PUSLISHID IVIRT SATURDAY. ICAMIICI Dilhlirhnr oond Yamhill Sta., PORTLAND, OREOON, . OAITIUlL, rUUNbllBI, i Main hmM Sta., IPOKANI FALLS, WASH. fnforrd (it Ma Pott Offict In Portland, Ortam,fur tranmiulm through Iht mails at lecuni clou rata. Ona Yaar, Sli Month SUBSCRIPTION RATISStrlotlf In Advanoa. . . . . S4. Thraa Monthi, Slngla Coplti, ' I..1J .10 tycoploa will In no mm bo Hnt to aubacrlbara beyond tho tarmpaid for, (Rf Jactad manuacrlpt will not bt raturned unlaaa atampa hava baan wot to pay poataaa, Tht Wist 8hori offers the Best Medium (or Advertisers of any publication on tho Paolflc Coast. HATI'KDAY, AUQUHT MO, lNIIO. ONE of the Americanisms of recent years is the word " Kick." It has come into such universal use, except with the select few who abhor all English not strictly classical, that the (juotation marks generally used to denote a word of uncertain cre dentials bnvo been removed from around it, and it has been giv en an extremely useful, if not highly honored, position in " En glish, as she is spoke" on this Bide of the Atlantic. But kick is not a slang word ; simply the revival of a good English word once in common uho, with a broader and more comprehensive meaning given it. Kicking is an inalienable privilege of a free born American citizen. It is a safety valve. After the Ameri can has let off steam by means of a vigorous kick, he is prepared to go on with his work, whether tho kick was successful or not. Baso ball, tho great national game, would be a tame alTair with out tho inevitable kick, and it is doubtful if a game could be played without it, or deserilied without tho word being used. The knowledge of nn umpire iixin all tho dips, spurs and sinu osities of kicking must bo profound if not valuable In him, probably, can bo found tho most hearty sympathizer of Census Superintendent I'orter, whoso initiation into the mysteries, vari eties and intensities of kicking has been sudden and overwhelm ing. I'orter should have taken a course of instruction in the leaguo to prepare himself for such an avalanche of kicking as has niHhed upon him. Tho kick, in all degrees of intensity from the mild remonstrance to the most vehement invective, has been pouring into his office for tho past few weeks from every corner of tho Union. Not tho least vigorous of the kickers has been I'ortlunil, and either because of her vigor or tho Bujx'rior gravity of her wrongs, she has been successful, while nine-tenths of tho others have, failed. Salem, also, has kicked to some purpose. Now let tho remainder of Oregon emulate their example and make things lively in tho census office. That the census of Ore gon, as a whole, was a wretched lxiteh is beyond dispute. All the tests usually applied for estimating tho population show that Oregon contains a much larger numlxT of people than she is credited with. This ib made especially evident when the figures in certain counties are compared with the state census of 1885, tho last school census ami tho vote cast at tho last election. On the Inst page the artist has given his idea of the way the census wagon went through Oregon. Winded by ignorance and stupid ity, the driver has gone h11 melt through the state, driving reck lessly over facts and figures, l!y a little extra exertion Portland and Salem have succeeded in getting alxmrd the wagon, but oth er cities and counties have been left sprawling in the mire or hopelessly in the rear, What is wanted now is such a vigorous kick by thiwo sections that have been left, that the wagon will bo compiled to make a second trip through the state, so that those who have been left can get in and ride. Let every ono kick, and lx " sxvillc " alxmt it as well as vigorous. Present appearances indicate that the Knights of Labor, with the full authority and personal direction of Chief Powderly, have begun a contest that, unless terminated by a retreat on the part of the order or the railroad company, will develop into the most wide spread and disasterous conflict between labor and capital the country has ever seen. The outlook is especially dark be cause there is no question at issue which admits of arbitration. Nothing but the surrender of what each side considers a vital principle can end the struggle. The Knights of Labor are fight ing for power, for a monopoly of labor, practically a trust, which they deem essential to the existence of their order as they con ceive it should exist, and are striking to place themselves in such a position that members of their order can not be discharged by any employer without the sanction of the order. On the con trary the managers of the railroad are contending for the right to employ or discharge whom they think desirable or undesir able. Out of such a deadlock must spring a fight that can only ' end in an utter defeat of one of the parties. Vice President Webb is undoubtedly using his power in an arrogant manner, but that hardly justifies a strike in the mind of one not a member of a labor organization. Of all the combines and trusts that this country may suffer from, it is a question whether the labor trust of organizations, if it succeed in acquiring the dictatorial power at which it aims, be not the most dangerous to the well being of the nation. If we are to have rilles to guard the property of any individ ual or corporation, they should be in the hands of the represen tatives of the law, and not borne by a body of mercenaries like that recruited by the Pinkertons and hired out to corporations at so much a head. The right of the citizen to bear arms is guaranteed by the constitution, but it is an individual right and docs not include the right to raise and equip a body of armed men to be hired out for tho purpose of committing a breach of the jieaee should circumstances lead to it. Let the corporations de pend upon tho lawful authorities for protection. They are re sponsible, and the community permitting the destruction of prop erty through a failure of its legal officers to afford it protection, is responsible for the amount of the Iobb. Better that millions of dollars be lost in riot than that the principle be established that a private army can be maintained in the United States. It may lie a little uncertain whether or not the Farmers' Al lianco is entitled to all the credit, but the fact remains that the Hon. Johnny Ingalls seems to have subsided into a state of com parative decorum since the grasshopper agriculturists manifested a desire to plow him under. If the horny handed sons of toil are really going to take an intelligent interest in politics and not be contented with nicking their tariff, silver, pension and other in formation through specially constructed straws, there will be less use for the genus demagogue in the land ol the free and the home of the brave. Napoleon's maxim, that " God is on the side of tho heaviest battalions," docs not hold good in Central America, whero the Salvadorians have won every battle, though outnumliered by their enemies. The effort of Barrillos to secure through diplo macy what he first tried to gain by precipitating a needlegB and unsuccessful war, has failed, and Salvador is again pushing both him and his ally, President Brogan, of Honduras, to the wall. As was predicted by Wkst Siiohk, the United States circuit court has declared the alxmrd anti-Chinese city ordinance of San Francisco unconstitutional. Chineso legally in this country have tho same rights of residenco and business as other foreigners, and can not be discriminated against by legislation or otherwise.
