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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.