, 1874-06-11
The DIGNITY OF JouRNAL1sn.-The

Seattle w. IT,. june II 1874
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The DIGNITY OF JoURNAI1sM.-The
:" Oregon STYLE" has become proverbial
the country over as representing all that
is low and blackguardly in journalism;
and although there are men of ability
and gentlemanly department. in private
connected with the press in that State,
the vocation will continue to be degrad-
cd and subject of contempt and deris-
ion SO long as the present ruling politi-
clans dominate and editors and publish
ers consent to be their tools and dupes;
not only 10 lead dogs life, but to be
treated like dogs. By the Constitution
Of Oregon the position of State Printer
is made State Office. equal in dignity
with the Governor, Secretary or Treas
urer, and subject to the same condi-
tions; that the incumbent of the Office
should be competent to the discharge OF
the duties of the same; that is, that he
should be practical printer is as essen
tial to the proper discharge of the duties
of the Office as that Judge of the Su-
preme Court should be educated in the
law. But the Oregon politicians have
paid no attention tothe proper require
ments for State Printer, uniformly
using the office as stock in trade to buy
votes for the Governor, either in Con-
vention or at the general election, IN
utter contempt for the rights of journal
ism or the dignity of the craft; and the
miserable subsidized and subjugated
party editors never had the manllness
to utter single protest or word OF re-
sentiment against the insrlt to every
class of mechanical or artisan labor;
but accepted as propitiary offering a
swindling itigant act, more degrading
TO the craft, as it makes them consenting
parties to an infamous public and prl-
vate robbery which brings the press In
to odium among all decent people.
Four years ago Grover was nominated
for Governor by direct trade on the
Office of State Printer, and bilked the
man with whom the trade was made out
of the nomination, giving the nomina~
ton to worthless hummer who never
set type or wrote newspaper article.
The office was subsequently vacated,
and Governor Grover appointed bank
rupt Attorney to the vacancy, who has
taken the Revised Statutes of the State
to San Francisco to be printed, thus de-
frauding the printers Of Oregon of their
legitimete rights, and taking from the
public treasury to send to California
several thousand dollars which should
have been expended i'll the State under
the direction of practical State Printer.
This is the way in which the Democrats
ic Governor of Oregon represents the
interests of the people and the rights of
labor, to which he is most devotedly at
tached by profession.
But practical printer has at last been
elected State Printer of Oregon. M.
V. Brown, by keeping himself inside
the ring, being party to every trade in
convention, constantly playing toady
and lick spittle to the ring masters, re>
senting no wrong or affront put upon
him or his craft by them, aud doing
whatever dirty work they demanded,
succeeded in getting the nomination,
and barely escaped defeat by hedging
against the tricks of his associates on
the same ticket. In Marion county,
where Grover lives, he was traded like
so pouch whiskey or tobacco for votes
for Governor. In one precinct Grover
received 1913 votes for Governor to 4 for
Tolman; Brown received "a votes for
State Printer to Ito for Waite. That
precinct was attended to by an emissary
of the Governor. holding position in
the State penitentiary, acting in con-
junction with a friend of Waite. A few
more such operations would have left
Brown in the vocative. So long as ed
itors and publishers of newspapers al
low themselves to be duped and cheated
by politicians, they deserve to be degra-
ded and despised.
In this Territory, where the uniform
rates for legal advertising are less than
In any other State or Territory on the
Pacific coast, some little damagogue,
who is undoubtedly himself treasury
leach, introduced bill in the last Ter
ritorial Legislature, which passed with
out attracting attention or discussion.
requiring County Commissioners to ad-
vertise for proposals for all legal adver-
tising, to be let to the lowest bidder.
The only County which has acted under
this law, within our knowledge, is
Thurston, and there the contract prices
are one-thrd higher than have ever
been paid before. That is right. When
petty demagogues conspire to make po-
litical capital by degrading the press, II
is the duty of printers to combine for
self protection.
A FALSE REcoRD.-Our attention has
been called to the following order of the
County Commissioners Court at an ad-
jourred meeting on the 23d of May,
1874:
"The Court having tax en- into consid-
Grafton the provisions of an Act of the
Legislature of Washington Territory en-
titled AN act regulating the publication
of legal notices. and the Court having
notified the publishers of both newspa-
pers III the county to present proposals
for such printing, and said publishers
having failed to present such proposals,