The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-09-01
THE PEOPLES COLUMN.
Does Ii Pay Us ?

EDITOR HERALD: At various times
during the last few years the merchants
and general public have entered vigor-
Gus protests against the encroachments
of outside concerns on the territory and
revenues that of right belong to the
home people.
Time and again has our council in def
erence to request or petition passed ordi-
nances intended to be either protective
or prohibitive in character, to the end
that fake bankrupt stocks might not be
thrown on our markets and worthless
stocks of cheap John or shoddy goods
unlosded on a gulible public at prices
"a great as our local merchants would
charge for much better ones.
Not many weeks since vigorous howl
went up from our business men because
a California firm had succeeded in selling
one or two carloads of cheap groceries
to such OF our local farmers who were
able to pay cash for their goods, alleging,
as was true, that the trade legitimatufy
belonged to the home merchant. This
WAS OF 80 recent occurrence as to lie
fresh in the memory Of all, and my only
reason for referring to it is that almost
without exception every business man
in the city called upon the city papers TO
denounce the ones who sold to the farm
ers this is no joke) and to protest against
continuance of the practice on the part
OF the farmer. Following this line of
thought, then, is not the local newspaper
sometimes entitled to little OF the same
consideration? They have lsbored in
cessantly for the advancement of every.
thing looking to the prosperity OF our
town. They have given freely of their
space in gratuitously booming anything
that seemed to be for its growth or fiuan-
cial good. They have subordinated per-
sonal and political interests to help for
ward some enterprise that meant benfit
to the citizens as whole. They have in
many instances given countenance and
aid to propositions that would have met
ignominious defeat but for such aid.
Admitting then this TO be true, let rs
accord to them the same measure Of pro-
lection which we demand for the mer-
chant. Let us 20 further, and demand
of the churches that they aid in the re-
form. For years the papers of our city
have given gratuitous publicity to any
charitable enterprise put forward by any
OF our local churches, and in this man
truel more largely to church support
than probably any other one factor. If
this be true, then these two agencies
taken together can and ought to be
power for good, aud should always be
found working together for the protection
of home interests. Yet sometimes the
assumed endorsement of the one leads
gullible public to contribute to objects
which, II not detriment to the other, is
at least misappllcation Of business
judgment and perversion OF funds
which should be kept at home.
To explain: During the few weeks
last past our people have been enter
tanned from pulpit and platform by q
reverend gentleman who had all the elo-
quence and logic necessary to hold and
instruct the crowds who turned out to
hear him-just enough of scholar and
logicisn to attract the educated and log
icslly inclined; just enough of saint to
secure the sanction of the several pas
tors of the different churches in the city,
who were glad to secure rest il by so
doing they could have the ripe scholar
and deep thinker hold forth from their