The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-09-06
THE ASTORIA IDEA.

As the second city in the State OF
Oregon; next, and nearest commercially,
to Portland, itself; and of right, well
within the purview Of the future control
the marine interests Of Oregon and OF
the Columbia Basin, Astoria claims the
privilege OF asserting, here and now, her
real attitude in this eyer-yexed problem
which. for long years, has troubled the
peace of both communities:
Primarily, we are not against Port
land. We are as proud of her as Is any
lesser town in the state; We glory in
her success, her growing population and
wealth, and her industrial and financial
expansion, and hope to see her take Lead
ing rank in the category OF Pacific
cities. We cannot wish her less than
this, and would not if we could.
We are conscious, however, that de-
spite our good win; despite the fact
that we spend several millions annually
in her marts; despite every manifesto
tion we can. and do make, in her be-
half, Portland. for some occult reason
OF her own, looks on Astoria with jaun7-
diced eve, refers to US with bitterness,
and in the main, makes Portland hateful
t, us; treats us as though we were,
somehow, in her way; takes no interest
in our welfare nor counts anything we
do a success; deyises ways and means
Of battling, humbling, discrediting, and
defeating US at every turn we make OF
our own wheel of fortune; larrups us
viciously when we refuse to swing along
with her pet schemes when they are
calculated to thwart, or hamper our own
designs and hopes; and generally pre-
sents an unfriendly face to us, forcing
US to recognize the discouraging fact
that she has no sort Of use for US.
We are not without memories Of the
days when the Sailor Boarding House
business was an important, if not alto
gether popular, item of the commercial
melange of Astoria, and during that
time, every soul connected with that
business was, according to the Portland
press in its daily utterance, thief, a
murderer, anything that was vile and
detestable altogether, from Larry Sui
Ivan down the gamut of its personnel;
but the instant the business was trans
ferred to, and permanently established
at, Portland, the tune and terms chang
ed on the spot and ''Mr. Lawrence Sull-
van" became the popular press idol and
instead of a sailor boarding house
thug he became the leading political
boss and it took the best man in
his ward to beat him by a few
votes when he ran for Councilman and
nothing was too good to say of the
business and those concerned in it; and
so it would be with the Columbia Bar
pilots, if those respectable and honest
Clatsop citizens were inspired to move,
hence to Portland; here, they are graft
ers, lazy, Indifferent, and incompetent
set of non-experts; there, they would
rise to the quick and easy dignity of
"leading citizens" and men of unparallel-
ed accomplishment, nerve, and all the
redundant excellent qualities the me-
tropolis press holds forever on tap for
those that do its bidding. This is the
spirit that marks the front Of Portland
in all its dealings with Astoria, and
these things are alluded to with an
understanding born of hundreds of
similar cases.
We do not want to fight Portland,
nor any Portland project that means
anything for the good Of the state at
large, however much Portland may Incl
dentally benefit by it; we would rather
work hand in hand with her on any
honest proposition, and will do it if
she will make it possible for us to get
into harness that does not gall the
Astoria back; we earnestly desire to be
regarded as her friend and and ally, but
we balk at the post of puppet. If Port
land really wants our friendly aid in
building up the commerce Of Oregon. via
the mouth of the Columbia River, she