The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-04-16
Knockers

be to the interest of our country and
village. or to sit idly by and view with
complacent air the hustlers efforts to
add to and maintain the prestige now
enjoyed by our community.
The above may not be the exact
words used by the Melancholy Dane"
in his sollloquy, but for the matter in
mind they will serve as text.
In every community, especially in a
new country, there exists a class of
men-and women, too-who seem to be
imbued with a chronic desire to COM
bat all that which tends to the better
ment and advancement of their own
home town. These people, for want Of
a better name. are called knockers"
No matter what new enterprise seeks
to enter their town, whether or not 1t
might be a benefit, this class gets out
it's hammer and proceeds to knock
right and left in an effort to prejudice
their neighbors against the proposition.
They may not do this becauee they
do not think the enterp, ise will be
benefit, but solely to crafty their dis
position to knock. Many worthy towns
have been practically killed because
of the knockers efforts.
Again. man may stand for election
to a public office. He is honest. up
right and capable. Nothing whatever
can be said against his character. bur
as soon as his candidacy become
known Mr.. Knocker is after him. He
remembers the candidate as boy
when he was selling papers or saving
wood or backing boots For that rea-
son he should not be elected. and the
knocker gets busy trying to defeat the
other In this manner some of the
meanest, low-down party whipped in
competents have been elected owe
their every way capable opponents and
in the end have proven costly to Their
constituency. 1t has been done in Elko
county.
A man goes into a new country; he
looks around and recognizes the ma
tural possibilities of the section. He
secures a holding, enlists capital and
proceeds to inaugurate a campaign of
Improvement. Settlers are induced to
come and the prospects for a oultiva-
ton of the season are bright. But the
Knocker is awake. ready and anxious
TO lie heard Al the first opportunity
he buttonholes the newcomer and
pours into his ear tale of woe: and
this is the burden of his song: This
country is no good; people here now
are living a sort of hand-to- mouth es-
istence; the proposition you are here
to look over is nothing but a money
making scheme and after its promo
ters have gotten your money you will
find yourself richer in experience tho
poorer in pocket" In many instances
the Knockers argument causes the
prospective settler 10 throw a fit and
thus the community loses a good citi-
zen and the Knocker is happy because
of his success in soaring the other
away.
A person may have occasion to enter
a saloon. There he meets with a friend
and the two indulge In a social dlink.
The man goes to his place of business
and while waiting upon a customer
the fumes of liquor are noticed. I'm
mediately a story is circulated that
Jones. or Smith. or Brown. as the case
may be. is drinking AS the story cir
culates 1t grows in dimensions and be-
fore the Knocker has completed his
rounds THE business man is drunk all
the time; he is abusive TO his family
his c. editors have their eyes upon him
and are only awaiting a chance. which
will soon some, to close him up" Ii
may be that the man had not taken
drink in years before. but that is no
difference to the Knocker. His ambi-
tion is to knock, and that gratified, he
gives no thought to the consequences.
or the street with man. AS soon az
he sees them the Knocker pulls down
his vest and becomes active. The
ladys name is handed around promis-
cuously and at the end she is credited
With reputation anything but white.
Thousands of young women have been
driven to suicide and others to deeper
depths of degradation by the venom
Gus remarks of the moral leper. the
Knocker.
In society the Knocker is also to be
found. Here that parasite delights I'm
peddling the latest gossip. A breath
of scandal is nectar TO his lips and the
spl eGd.ng of tales a delight. Th. ough
the Knockers effo is cliques are
formed. The membe of one circle
win not associate with those of an
other A feeling of jealousy is aroused
and carried to an unreasonable extent.
Ii soon becomes so strong that If one
family employs. a certain physician
some of the friends of another practi-
toner are vexed and the first family
is cut off the visiting lists of the 9TH
ers. The same condition exists in re-