, 1872-06-20

RUFrIANIsM. One of he most brutal
and inexcus;,ble exhibitions of rufiani-m M
which we have ever been called upon to
chronicle. was an assault made upon
Charles Prosch. the editor of the 1ri-
bune, by Gen. McKenny, late Suaerin-
tendent of Indian Affairs, at Olympia,
on Saturda, evening last. The account
the atf,ir, ',s related to us by private
| tier from responsible It source, Is, that
| Mr.. Plosch WAS accompanying his wife
and two other ladies' on ashopping tour.
While the ladies' We're engaged IN the
store of Mr.. Ouimette, McKenny came
10 the door and called p Prosch oHt. The lat
ter unsnspicious OF any hostile intent,
came to the walk; Mche,Dy without
warning dealt him an assassin blow With
heavy cudgel which felled him to the
ground, and coulinued to beat and stamp
upon him until pulled off by Mrs. Prosh
aud the other iadles of the party. Such
an assault, in such presence, would
shame the verlest ruffian outside the
penitenuary, and justify any citizen
s.s5a llst whom he harbored ii grudge, to
shoot him down like vicious dog, as
necessary precantlon against a>si.sslna
ton. McKenny is a vigorous man, Ill
the prime OF life, and Pro,ch Is cousid-
erably past his prime, and no match for
him on equal terms.
In condemning this assault, We are
very far from ignoring the personal re-
sponsloiilty of editors for publications.
affecting prisae chaiac;er; nor do We
deny that they are often guilty Of such
abuses of their position towards private
citizens as would justify a resort to club
this Was not il case Of that kind. The
otfeuse for which Prosch was assaulted
was of public chaaacter; the mere re-
Election of popular sentiment In regard
to the Official acts of IL public officer. -
rhe affairs Of the Office held by Mckin-
ney had been Investigated by two or
three separate commissions, each time
with the same result, proving conclu-
sively irregularities which demanded his
removal; and yet by ring combination
of Federal officers at home, and by ia !
voritism at headquarters, he Was per-
mitted to retain the position long after
his official character had been inpeach-
ed, and was finally superseded only to
avoid further publlc scandal to the ad-
1t wis to suppress the
Of these public facts, and 10
lntimidate others, that he resorted to
the ruffian' $ device against pubilc criI-
cism. Ii he supposes he can subJnSate
the independent press OF this Territory
by fear or force, he has very much mis-
taken his men. He and his associates
have established Il press Of their OWL
which by lavis, expenditure OF nl"hey,
the only source OF supply OF which Is
the public treasury--they hoped to DOM
mate OF destroy all others i'll the Terri
tory, and thus secure to themselves inl-
munity from public criticism. but theif
press is but IL stencil III The
uostrils of all honest men, and hence
the resort to brute force. That too, Will
fail so long as there is one man Ill con-
troll OF the newspaper press III this Ter
ritory Sho dare express the honest sen-
timents of the public again the corrupt
and corrupting rule of il ring nj FEEDER
al spoils gatherers. When pubic thieves
are forced to resort to assassination to /
avoid the exposure OF their crimes, their
case is desperate Indeed.