The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-06-24
HOSTETTER'S
STOMACH BITTERS

carefully. They represent the work
ing men and working girls of Salem
Their number is a labor guage for al
Salem to read every day The more
, of these kind of bicycle riders Salem
5 has the better. The wage earners
! have no time for fancy tricks upon
the wheel. and are considerate. as a
rule, of others rights. Therefore
these riders cannot be made the OBJ.
ject upon which to base this newly
proposed ordinance. There remains
another class of riders. The business
man. These men are generally sensi.
bile riders. Now, we find In summing
up the situation that all these riders
are to suffer for the sake of n few.
There are probably 5000 wheels In
Salem. What per cent is ridden by
the working man and woman? What
per cent by the business man and
what per cent by the scorcher? Make
an estimate and you will find that the
sensible and needy riders are being
crowded into the streets by a handful
OF foolish and thoughtless young
wheelmen. VIII the majority of riders
allow this TO be forced upon them by
the minority? That Is a question for
wheelmen only to decide. The people
at large, and the council as a conse.
quent, will decide the matter as It
now stands regardless of the innocent
or guilty. The law must be general
in character The present laws are
sufficient and the walks permitted
wheelmen amply provide them every
concession. but What Is needed is en-.
forcement Of these laws. This is the
great trouble with all law II the
wheelmen Will enforce the law them.
selves they will draw much encour.
agement from outsiders and get what
they want. In conversation recently
with a common sense reasoner on
this matter. Il was suggested the
wheelmen appoint police officer.
and have him arrest all those who
violate the law without partiality or
favor. This sort OF enforcement will
soon clean out these seorchers and
midnight riders who slip along the
dark streets. Let this officer stand
on Marion, Center. Chemeketa and
some Of the cross streets and he will
catch them by the hundred almost.
all openly violating the law. This
will remedy the weak defense in the
argument made by the wheelmen.
Their talk will always be without
sense OF conviction because OF these
well known and obnoxious riders.
II the wheelmen could present
clean argument before the council,
The council would listen 20 them.
But can they? The council is dis.
posed TO treat all fairly. but will the
circumstances as now existing permit
the council to disregard the appeal
coming from our many walkers?
They have rights which must be re-
speeted. The council must also give
them consideration. But, the wheel.
men deserve this threatened ordin.
ance because they have wholly dis.
regarded the rights of others by al.
lowing their own riders to violate the
law and have done nothing TO help the
city nor the officers OF the law to en-
force it. Now. when the people cry
out for Justice. then the wheelmen
get together and throw printers ink
all over town and demand considera.
tion. They have brought this upon
themselves. Now. that they have been
thoroughly awakened to the great In.
convenience to be suffered by them in
prohibiting them the use OF all walks.
there can be no doubt that the council
and the people in general can depend
upon a sudden and effective stop OF
this broneho busting bicycle riding.
The wheelmen can be depended upon
to enforce the law when il stands be
tween doing that or taking 10 the
streets. There is no doubt OF the IN.
convenience Of forcing all riders to
the streets and II does smack of in.
Justice. but the people must be re-
spected and Il now rests with the
council 10 administer justice and
equity to both. which is to be had un.
der the present law. when enforced.
wHEELMAN.
Salem, June 2s, 1908.