The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-02-09
AS PORTLAND DOES 1T.

AS PORTLAND DOES 1T.
1t is possible that people in the
country have old fashioned and
outworn notions of what the moral
standards in city life ought to be.
1t is possible too, that these old
fashioned folk may have false and
superficial conceptions of whatought
to be the civic standards of ! states
men who serve the municipal coun-
Gil of a city, and for that reason,
what seems to them the swift pace
set blythe statesmen of the Portland
city council may be wholly inaccur-
ate.
Here for instances the Richards
establishment, a place of lascivious
debauchery, characterized as a"ho-
tel."It is the admission of all the
Portland papers that it is the high.
toned resort of libertines, voluptu-
Gus dive where young girls are en-
ticed and ruined, and an assemb-
ling ground of the fashionably lewd.
According to the testimony of a
policeman whose beat borders the
establishment, one young girl with
hair dishevelled escaped the place,
pursued by her would be destroyer,
and by a heroic defense, saved her
honor from the cowardly libertine
who pursued her. 1t was testi-
mony that the street light over the
door always went out when a car
rage arrived, and blazed again
when the occupants had passed in
side. In short, all Oregon and all
Portland knows the place to be a
big assignation house, more dis
reputable because essaying the
robes of responsibility.
In the face however. of all this,
eight municipal statesmen, stood on
the floor of the Portland council
and voted down a report of a com.
mittee. reyoking not the privilege
of the rotten establishment to dc
business in Portland, but simply
Withdrawing license to sell liquor.
Even, after the contumely
the place has brought on the
name of Portland these council.
men refused to have Richards
rebuked by even so small a penalty
as simple revocation of his license
to sell liquor. What is vastly more
to their shame, however, is tina,
they did not in manliness come on,
openly in defense Of Richards and
low morals but resorted to subter'
fuge by saying that not enough ev-
idence had been adduced. They
claim not to know, what all the
Pacific Northwest knows, and that
is the damnable character of Rich.
ards and his place. What they dc
know is that nc young woman who
has been ruined at Richards can be
induced to go on a witness stand
and acknowledge the fact, and sim.
pie folk out in country towns can.
not help but believe these Portland
councilmen thought that subterfuge
a good way to save Richards and
his business.
In the country now the wonder
is, do Portland councilmen correct
1y reflect the moral standards of the
City of Portland. AS is the source
so usually is the stream. If, a!
would naturally be suspected, the
council is an accurate reflection o.
Portland's moralideas. why robe tn,
city in roses when underneath Their
is such uncleanliness. In no coun
try town in Oregon, would the Ri
chards place be allowed to exist TO
a moment, much less would ther,
be men to appear in the council o
a country town as its apologist ant
.subterfugist as did Councilmal
Sheppard in Portland Wednesday
Perhaps though, country people d
not understand the prophecies an
ethics of modern city life, especial,
as given to the world by Count Be
nj de Caste1lane in Paris and MI