The record-union., 1895-06-21

Oreg0nidn did not end there. The San
Francisco Examiner republished the
TRADE of abuse hesped upon Senator
Stanford as a reply to the economic
theories of Professor Ross, and perhaps
thought it was doing smart thing to re-
publish the very smart sayings OF the
webfoot blusterer.
Recently club was organized in San
Francisco for the purpose of promoting
the growth of the city. One would have
supposed that the growth of the city de-
pended upon its commercial relations;
upon its capacity for becoming a great
mart of exchange. and Of making itself
seat of the commerce generated by the
industrial activity of the supporting terri
tory. The first thing this club did was to
plan an excursion to a fiesta-a sort of
local holiday, held in Los Angeles. 1t
seemed to think that its presence there
would have some peculiar commercial
manufacturing or industrial significance.
1t then peram bulated over the State with
an excursion, reaching this city with
just twenty eight people. SO far its great
leading idea of the way to make q city
grow is to incite a sort of holiday skirt
dance among the inhabitants OF the in
terror towns and villages.
This May-pole conception of industrial
and commercial growth found a severe
robuke at the hands of Henry e. Highton,
distinguished lawyer Of San Francisco,
who wisely and thoughtfully suggested
the superfciality of character which the
fair and festival craze is engendering in
our people. Mr.. Highton's thoughtful
expressions were not received with the
respect their candor merited. In very
truth, Mr.. Highton's presentation of the
case was a little beyond the comprehen-
sion of his critics. There was no sober
asking: Are Mr.. Highton's criticisms
true?" on the contrary, he was simply
denounced as a marplot The new club
organization had become fad and q
prejudice. Its Impotence of all criticism
is an impeachment of its judgment.
It is but a little time since gentleman
residing in San Francisco, and now citi
zon of Chicago. wrote sonnet. The met
ropolitan press invited criticisms upon
the sonnet One gentleman of unques-
toned literary taste pronounced it excel
lent. Division of opinion as to the merit
Of this little literary performance became
fed into angry contention; and in less
than four weeks after the sonnet ap-
peared its author was denounced. not
merely as q literary pretender and
a presumptious idiot. but as one,
who, but for the miscarriage Of JUS
tice, would not have the liberty to walk
the streets of the metropolis and write
prasumptious sonnets. The author of the
sonnet made no pretense whatever as to
it's merits. He put into form certain
rythmioal thoughts which had arisen in
his mind, and gave them to the public for
whatever they might be worth. He laid
no claim to superiority; he made no pre-
tension; and the head and front of his
offending was that be had written SON
net and at the same time lived in San
Francisco.
We submit in all candor that in any
other city of the United States q man
might have written a sonnet with i'm
punity, and not have secured the bitter
enmity or the hostile denunciation of the
press.
1t is a fact of the broadest notoriety that
in every field of modern activity the
utter want OF unity of purpose obstructs
the growth of this State. And this is the
manifestation of its pro-
vincialism. We heartily commend Pro-
fessor Gaylor for the moral courage he
has manifested, and congratulate the peo-
pie of the State on the tempest he has
raised. The adage, "They are our best
friends who tell us of our faults" will
lind practicable application here.