Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-08-20
OLYMPIA. SATURDAY MORNING. aug. 20, 1870.
The Echo vs.. the County Commissioners.

The Echo VS.. the County Commissioners.
In the last number Of the STANDARD We.
very chari,ably VIC think. gave little ad
vice to the Echo. We observed that the
editor of that paper wasvery foolishly rub
bling his nose against grindstone, and sug
gested that it was a useless amusement at
best, and would probably result in more
damage to the nasal appendase than the
grindstone. But we might just as well
have talked to the winds for all the good it
has done, as it has but led our ueighbor
into very uncharitable and decidedly I'M
christianlike abuse of US. All We advised
him to do was merely to allow the County
Commissioners to use their own conscien-
ces, instead Of the Echo editors conscience,
in the discharge of certain duties imposed
by law, and in general terms to pay little
more heed to the eleventh command
ment," which enjoins strict attention to
ones own business. Instead of thanking
US for this advice, good on all occasions
and everywhere, our contemporary proceeds
to measure our grain in his little peck
measure, aud assumes that We are con-
trolled by the same selfish motives which
have characterized his dealings in this COM
muni:y, and with the insufferable bigotry
for which he is SO noted, likens himself to
Jesus Christ and US legion of devils, to
complete his illustration
The Echo lays particular stress upon the
fact that a certain license was "dated
back few days, to cover the time from
the expiration Of the former license, and
characterizes it as palpable violation of
law and grievous sin. Now We believe
that the intention of the parties arraigned
has much to do with guilt in such matters
If the keeper Of the saloon designed to de-
fraud the revenue, or desired a months
time to pay for his license, the case might
present different phase. But he was
ready to comply with the requirements of
law: and the county was not until the
Commissioners met. Now the action Of
the Commissioners, when they did meet
was eminently just and proper. They are
constituted by law court, with discretion
airy power, to determine just such matters.
The community have some knowledge of
the pharisce who arraigns Messrs. Barnes
and Hodgdon, and some acquaintance with
the latter gentlemen, which materially aids
in arriving at the true merits of the con.
troversy. No sensible man will blame Mr..
Barnes or Mr.. Hodgdon for using their own
good common-sense, in the transaction of
business for the public, in preference to
the spurious article of brains with which
our contemporary proposed to supply them.
But the main complaint of the Echo is
because licenses are granted at all 1t pro-
fesses to believe that majority of the
population must petition for license be.
fore it can be legally issued, and bases its
claim upon the meaning which the law.
makers placed upon the term "adult."
There appears to have been no question as
to the sense 10 which it was used until I'M
to very recent date, and licenses have
issued since the organization Of the Terri.
tory upon precisely the conditions they do
now. But the Echo places its construction
upon the law and requires the Commission.
ers to accept it in preference to their own.
or be beslimed with all the abuse which
the fertile Imagination of its editor can
invent.
We care nothing for the abuse of the
Good Templars' organ when directed
against ourself. We are impervious to the
slurs Of such members of the order as have
time and again voted men into Office who
had habitually violated the obligation
registered in heaven" Politically We
have no sympathy with the County Com.