The west shore., September 06, 1890, Page 50, Image 2

WEST SHORE.
PUBLISHED tVIRY SATURDAY.
IIMIIFI Pllhlichar 1 oond VnmhMI Stl., POKTLAND, ORECON,
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8ATUHDAY, 8KPTKM HKIt II, Ihiio.
"VfEVEH since Lucifer and his rebellious angels were driven
1 from paradise ami fell headlong for nine days through
space to the depths of perdition has there been such a
casting out of once mighty spirits as has been witnessed the past
year in Idaho. Time was, and not long since, when the Mormon
element in Idaho politics was a powerful ono. In certain sections
it had complete social and olliciiil mastery ; but the immigration
of the past few years has caused tho opposing elements to so far
outnumber it that it has ceased to lie even the balance of jwwer.
Neither party daro now cater to it for its aid at the polls, since
by so doing it would lose more by desertion from its own ranks
than it could gain from tho Mormons. Such, ere many years,
will also be the situation in I'tah, and then tho Mormon question
will disappear as a national one. This change in the situation
was not fully realized until tho republican party took a decided
anti-Mormon stand last year in the constitutional convention
and inserted a test oath cluuse in the constitution that practically
denies tho elective franchise to any open adherent of the Mormon
church. The battlo was then transferred to Washington, and the
Mormons were totally defeated by tho division of the supreme
court that tho clause was constitutional and by the admission
into the union of the state with the constitution containing the
objective elaiiHo. The democrats wero not slow to learn that
they, too, could get along without the Mormons; indeed,, that
they must do so if they would secure success at the polls. Conse
quently, at their convention for the nomination of candidates for
the first state election soon to occur, they turned their hacks
upon the Mormons and completed tho work of casting them out
of tho politics of Idaho. Whether the outcasts will fall as fur
and as hard as did the cohorts of I.ucifer, and whether they will
lie capable of doing m imu h subsequent evil, remain to be seen.
Senator Aldrich's reciprocity amendment, which is but the
formal presentation of tho original idea of Senator Pierce places
the roeipiwity question uNin the only business liko and'practi
cable basis. If wo are ever to have reciprocity with social
nations it can only be procured through the treaty-'making power
and to make a treaty, or, rather, an informal agreement de.iend
for its vitality upon tho slow, uncertain and vascilb.ting actio,, f
engross is to make a farce of the whole business. To place the
whole matter in the hands of the executive is to relieve it of the
leg.slrtt.ve incubus that would render reciprocity efforts alwtive
Hut there is another feature, and the bettor one-that the i11H'
mt.on of a tariff on the articles covered, as against certain conn
tries, dtK's not mean tho collection of dmi, m....
. ... n 1 . , . unifies
actually imported, and a consequent rise in price to the consumer
It simply means that importations will cease from that countrv
ami be increased from countries against which the tariff is nJt
enforced. A slight, temporary fluctuation in price would natur
ally follow the change in commercial relations and conditions
thus created, but a level would soon be reached. Tariff for pro
tection of American industries, free necessaries of life and recip
rocity of trade for the extension of foreign markets is a platform
the republican party can stand upon in 1892 with much hope of
success. If it would add to this protection of the American
laborer, as well as American products, in an equally practicable
way, it would be invincible.
Much has been said upon the subject of press censorship
since the foolish blunder of the postal department in the matter
of Tolstoi's book proved such a great advertisement for that vol
ume, and general condemnation of it has been made. Neverthe
less, it is true that press censorship, in proper hands, is just
what this country needs. There are books and newspapers cir
culating by the millions that ought never to be permitted to
reach the youth of the land. They ought to be suppressed in
toto. It has been proved that a denial of postal facilities to
them has just the opposite effect from that intended, and for that
reason Buch action is absurd. What is needed is the power in
the hands of competent persons to declare a publication indecent
and harmful, and, when it is so declared, every copy of it, no
matter where found, should be made subject to seizure by any
ollicer of the law, and any person found with a copy in his pos
session, whether a dealer or a private individual, should be sub
ject to a penalty. If we had such a law we would not hn mnnn.
facturing criminals and moral outcasts at the alarming rate we
now are doing.
Tho trouble in dealing with prize fighting in San Francisco
is not that the efforts to stop it are " spasmodic," as a contem
porary states. The spasms are but an incidental feature. The
real trouble is that there is no sincere desire to accomplish that
end. Prize fights of the most repulsive kind were not only per
mitted, but were encouraged by the attendance of city officers
and prominent business men, until California and San Francisco
began to stink in the nostrils of the nation. A return current
blew a little of the odor into the governor's face, and he, for very
shame, declared that the fighting must cease, as the reputation of
the state was sinking too low. For reputation's sake only, and
not because the moral sense of those in authority was quickened,
a temporary stop was put to exhibitions of that sort ; but a sim
ulated reform for appearance's sake only can not in the nature of
things be more than spasmodic, and a resumption of the "sport"
is as natural as that night should follow day.
Wily Ben, the Butler, has laid Smooth-tongued Alger com
pletely ,n the shade on the pension question. Alger's position is
the simple Ohver Twistical ono of continually asking for more,
while erratic-eyed Benjamin puts it on legal grounds, and says
u veterans are entitled to the discount on greenbacks. Accord-
Tit, n T" IVT lmVB ,,0t haJ ffhat they bain
Tl ;y only get half tho annual revenue now, and, if one could
behove such demogogues as Butler and Alger, they bargained for
u X I1 t0 lmVe il U i8 nb0llt time the votefans came
. -atri .i" rmm"U8 e",p,mtil' dieaV0ffal of entirely
2 - penary and sollish motives attributed to them i
ZTf mn 80 ,,r"minenl in their rank8" What
lit 7 I y 1,01 80 ,m,dl men ffh0 Patriotic
'" IS,,l lit men who are patriotic in 1S-I0.
eonuS? f't " ,0rritOri,8 hM a''l,0inted 8 B'eIli"8