Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-03-19

publicans should Lot "kick," how
ever, as this has become a recognized
tenet of their belief.
Where the Shoe Pincilcs.
The Seattle Lffl,yencer takes ex-
coption to the petition which is now
receiving many hundreds of signers
praying Congress to disapprove the
Penitentiary Act. 1t is but natural
that it should do so. The appropri-
alton was made to carry out tie
" Seattle idea" of using tho public
funds to boom the local Interests of
of several favored Representatives
who were i'll the ring. If the move
ment is successful! and the Peniten-
tiary Act is disapproved by Con
Sless, on the grounds stated in th,.
petition, all the ex;ravasant aud
profl'gate appropriation laws OF The
late session will probably he Knocked
out i'll the same round. Seattle has
a slice of pie, and she of course
wishes to finish The repast in peace.
The InteHiyncrr says that the ar
guments made to secure signers to
the petition might have been urged
with propriety before the Legisla-
ture, when the bill was up for
consideration and final action. Very
true. The reason that they were
not urged, is simply because large
majority were pledged to pass the
bill i'll consideration of other leeisla-
lation, and no facts however con-
vincing, no argument however logi-
cal, would have reached the ear or
the conscience of those members.
The printed proposition sent in by
the prison contractors, which was
entitled to q respectful hearing, ut
least, was not read to either house
and scarcely received casual glance
from any of the members. 1t was II
proposition that, as lawmakers,
should have received their careful
attention; but they were muzzled
and bound and led by the leashes
held by tho domineoring Seattle
leader, who boosted that hc had be-
gun the work that was being con.
summated soon as he was elected u
Representative.
Our Seattle contemporary is not
content to oppose the petition by the
record, but declares that signers are
obtained by appeals to sectional
feeling and for other reasons not
stated in the printed heading. This
may be true, or it may not 10 true.
The Intelligencer's assertion is by no
means to be taken without n few
grains of salt. Its methods, when
Seattle ideas are discussed, are some-
times those of madness, and truth is
not always an essential element of
its chosen policy. 1t is the general
belief that, in the endeavor to create
sectional feeling on this matter, it
has only set up an image of straw
and riddled it with bullets to fright
en- timid people and keep the lcgis-
lative job intact until the scheme is
fully consummated.
With the Inteliigencer's structures
on the contract system, the STANDARD
fully agrees, but that phase of the
subject cuts no figure in the present
discussion. The question simply is,
Are the interests of the people ade-
quately guarded in the law just
passed? The Legislature has pre-
sumably passed upon the expediency
of the question. That thoy have
manifested the poorest of judment is
as apparent as the MONDAY SUI. and
it is hoped that the loop-holes for
fraud will constitute an objection that
will secure Congressional action,
as the only means of rectifying an
other and still more serious error
an error of judgment, to call it by
the mildest term.
HE Oregonian is out of luck.
Last week its boss editor got shot in
the rear by a pistol going off in his
hip-pocket, scattering blood and
brains all over the Sidewalk o,a