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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1902)
THE MORNINp OREGONIAN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1902. Entered at the Postofflca at Portland. Oregon, as second-class matter. REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Mall (postage prepaid. In advance) Dally, with Sunday, per month $ S3 Dally. Sunday except, per year 7 BO lal!y. with Sunday, per year 00 Eunday. per year 2 00 Tho Weekly, per year . 1 W The Weeky S months 60 To City Subscribers Dally, per week, delivered, fiundar excepted. lBo Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday tncluded.20a POSTAGE RATES. United States. Canada and Mexico: JO to M-pac paper. ... lo U to 28-page paDer o Foreign rates double, News or discussion Intended for publication In The Oregonlan should be addressed Invaria bly "Editor The Oregonlan." not to the name of any Individual. letters relating to adver tising, eubscrlptlons or to any business matter ttot'M addressed Imnlv "Th Oregonlan." The Oregonlan does not buy poems or stories from Individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to It without solici tation. No stamps should be inclosed for this purpose. Eastern Business Offler 43. 44. 45. 47. 48. 49 Tribune building. New York City: 010-11-12 Tiibune bulldjng. Chicago: the S. C. Beckwlth Special Agency. Eastern representative. For sale in San FranH- L. E. Lee. Pal ace Hotel news stand: Goldsmith Bros.. 239 Sutter etreet: F. W. PItt. 1008 Market street: J. K. Cooper Co.. 746 Market street, near th Palace Hotel: Foster & Orear. Ferry news 'tand: Frank Scott. SO E!lls street, and N. Wbeatley. 813 Mission street. For eale In Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner. 159 South Spring street, and Oliver & Hatnea. X05 South Spring street. For sale in Kansas City. Mo., by r -seeker Cigar Co. Ninth and Walnut -streets. For tale in Chicago by the P. O. News Co.. 1" Dearborn street, and Charles MacDonald. t3 Washington street. For sale In Omaha by Barkalow Broi.. 1612 Famam street: Megeath Stationery Co.. 130S Farnam street. For -sale in Salt Lak hv the alt Lake News Co.. 77 West Second South Etreet. For rule in Minneapolis by R. G. Hearsey & Co.. 24 Third street South. For sale "in Washington. D. C. by the Ebbett House news stand. . For sale in Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrlck. 906-912 Seventeenth street: Louthan & Jackson Book & Stationery Co.. Fifteenth and Lawrence street: A. Series. Sixteenth and Curtis streets. TODAY'S WEATHER Increasing rloudlnesn. probably followed by snow or rain: slowly ris ing temperature; winds becoming pontherly. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum, tem perature. 3S: minimum temperature, 30; pre cipitation, none. PORTLAND, THURSDAY. PEC. IS. Who Is to blame for low wages and child labor? Before us is a circular of the immigration Restriction League, an argument of Samuel Gompers. and a plea of the United Hebrew Charities, holding out the idea that what alls us is inferior immigration. We must leg islate, the idea is. against the lower or der of immigrants. At the anthracite inquiry it developed that the miners at tribute these labor evils largely to the employing power. They thought that all they had to do was to prove that wages were low and children worked, ard Instantly condemnation would fall on the mlneowners. But there is Judge Gray, again, who evidently is disposed to hold the parents responsible. A fourth theory Is discoverable in the poli cies of organized labor regarding organ ization and child labor. These proceed upon the theory that organization will remedy cheap labor and law will rem edy child labor. The idea Is that if we can get the foreigners educated and or ganized they will appreciate and de mand proper pay, and that laws against child labor will also ameliorate the wage scale by eliminating- the cheapening competition of young persons. The Ore gonian has never "been very enthusiastic over educational tests for Immigrants, partly because' our great dangers come more from smart rascals and anarchists than from' well-meaning laborers that have never been able to acquire an edu cation In the old country; and also be cause these adult immigrants soon pass off the scene in any event and they are pretty certain to covet educational priv ileges for their children. Foreign-born parents are few who do not embrace the . free school system of the United States with avidity. Yet it would be folly to be blind to the momentous changes In store for our social system through the advent of organized labor as an alert and definite and compelling political force. Immigration reform, so long de feated by steamship companies, can at length be counted on, and child labor, so long tolerated by nerveless parents and unfeeling corporations, will have to go. "What the result of organized labor's undoubted political assertion will be no one should venture to predict. Bad will come as well as good. "We should have a higher sense of responsibility In fath ers, when children can no longer eke out the family Income. In some cases the effect will be mischievous idleness on the part of children who would be better off at work, and an effectual de terrent upon the birth rate will be called into being; The severe limitations im posed by unionism upon the -number of youths permitted vto learn profitable trades Is already exerting depressing ef fects with which allare familiar. Every extension of this principle, like curtailing the supply of productive foreign parents and elimination of child labor, though operating to the amelioration of the In dividual expert workman's lot and the comfort of his children, tends to scant the labor supply, impede, rough devel opment work requiring cheap labor, and discourage large families. On the other hand, every agency that reduces the supply of labor promotes Invention and forces upon conservative employers the installation of labor-saving machinery. Equally complicated and conflicting are the International aspects of the tend ency. Much as we deplore the presence of poor and Ignorant aliens among us, it is open to question whether their assim ilation and uplift here has not contrib uted far more to our National wealth and comfort than would their stay In Europe, an unproductive burden upon populations upon which we depend for sales of- our foodstuffs and manufac tures. Do we not sell more flour to -Italy, for example, because of the relief occasioned there from immigration hither, and the money sent back there by Italian laborers here? In a word, the ascendancy of organized labor promises to give us the benefits and the disadvantages alike of a limited and highly-paid body of workmen. "What effect the resultant of these will have upon the constant Infusion of Individuals of lowly origin and sturdy fiber into the declining strength of pampered ease and culture it is, of course, impossible to , urmise. Mr. Barrett is a shining example of what a man of ordinary talents can accomplish if he resolutely sets about keeping himself in some kind of an ofllce. is. able to get his first start, and has.the knack of properly "working" com mercial bodies and the public press. San Fran cisco Chronicle. The .same thing happened when there was talk of -appointing Mr. -Barrett Minister to China, only it was done more quietly.; The governments of theso effete old Asiatic nations have the singular notion that high diplomatic station exacts other qualities than a cheek of adamant and a mouth always geared up to racing speed -Minneapolis Tribune. The two statements are apparently in conflict, but apparently only. One Is re ferring to the United States and the other to Asia. Neither, on the surface, antagonizes the gospel of self-assertion, yet It Is clear that both spring from an underlying conviction of the Invincibil ity of unassuming merit. To that ex tent fhey will hardly bear examination. Whoever described fame as a wayward glr coy to blushing merit but suscepti ble to the Rough Rider of courtship, drew a faithful picture of society and the world of business. In Sunday school books the deserving young man has re wards thrust upon him, but in real life he has to go out and get it with a 'club. The man of adamant cheek and Inces sant conversation finds everybody run 'ning to do him honor, raise his salary and invite him to dinner. It Is Mr. El bert Hubbard's estimable philosophy that thq man who can do things and does them promptly and right is certain to be rewarded by the world of busi ness. It Is exceedingly doubtfuNwhethcr Mr. Hubbard ever figured very exten sively In the stress of commercial life. If he had. he would have found that the average business man will cheerfully cut down his profits to gratify hl9 admira tion for the fellow whose nerve and gift of gab are always thrusting him into places for which his qualifications are moderate and his talents ordinary. It Is desirable, of course, that a man should do a certain minimum of work for ap pearance sake. But if he will shrewdly water his small capital stock with au dacity and torrents of words explaining how wonderfully he can and will' do and what a great man he is, the street will rush to buy him at his own inflated valuation. The beautiful law of com pensation has many hidden bearings, and this is one of them. It Is always possible for one deficient In actual worth to make It up In appearances. I CASTRO'S FORLORN HOPE. The United States under President Buchanan was just as peremptory In re sorting to coercive measures in South America as Germany and Great Britain are today. In 1S57 the so-called South American Republic of Paraguay, then under the rule of the dictator Lopez, gave citizens of the United States doing business in Paraguay cause for com plaint that they had been despoiled of their property and despitefully used by the local authorities. Lopez refused sat isfaction, whereupon Congress In June, 1S58, authorized the President to use such -force as he deemed necessary. The President at once sent a commission and a powerful fleet under Commodore Shu brlck, which consisted of nineteen war vessels, carrying 200 guns and 2500 sail ors and marines. Commodore Shubrlck took his entire fleet up -the Parana River and proceeded to the capital of Para guay on a 9teamer accompanied by the United States war vessel Water Witch. President Lopez at once acceded to the demands of our Government. If Lopez had been as contumacious as Castro, Shubrlck would have landed troops and seized Custom-Houses ; or he might have seized Lopez and held him prisoner, for under the power given by Congress to President Buchanan our naval com mander was authorized to resort to any act of war that was deemed necessary to enforce the demands of bur Govern ment upon the government of Para guay. Germany and Great Britain are co ercing Venezuela today just as we co erced Paraguay in 1859. There is dif ference in the mere Incidents, but the principle enforced is the same. Our Government does not pretend to be re sponsible to the powers of Europe for the Internal administration or malad ministration of the various governments of South America, and until It does, the powers of Europe have full right to ex act redress for any Invasion of the rights of the resident subjects of any European power, so long as no territor ial aggrandizement Is plotted or at tempted. Under any other ylew of the case the peace of our Government would be constantly threatened, If not broken, by the antics of some South American dictator or usurper. We should be the gamecock of the whole world through the mlsgovernment of South American States. If Castro had any common sense he never would have forced the allies to proceed to measures of coercion and he would have promptly made his peace on the best possible terms when the allied fleet appeared, for he Is In no con dition to make long resistance. He has "saved his face" with his countrymen by his warlike speech, but words are not deeds, and before long the shoe on his financial foot will begin to pinch se verely. Capture of the Venezuelan fleet by the allies will probably result in Cas tro's overthrow, for this fleet was the sole reliance of the Castro government in preventing the landing of military supplies by the rebel forces. The revo lutionary party is exhibiting fresh activ ity, and with his ports blockaded and a rebel army In his rear, Castro Is near the end. of his rope. If he does not ob tain the arbitration asked for, he must accept the extreme conditions of the al lies or be forced to the wall by a rebel lion that has risen with renewed strength to profit by his critical situa tion. The allies would be foolish to ar bitrate, for they can hold on to the Custom-House at La Guayra and grad ually satisfy their claims by collecting and retaining the usual customs duties on all goods entering that port If they consent to arbitrate, they will have to wait a long time for a decision, and then probably would be obliged to use coer cion to enforce payment of the award. The criticism ofithe government's action in the British parliament means noth ing, for it comes only from the Liberals, who. of course, as a matter of political tactics, never lose a chance to And fault with the party in power, just as they did in the Boer "War, Just as the Demo crats do with our Republican Adminis tration. There is no hope for Castro. He has the allied fleet making him poor in his front and a rebellion biting him savage ly in the back. He Is between two fires, and without any friends. The allies may consent to arbitrate, but they are far more likely to blockade the ports of Venezuela, allow such vessels as they, see fit to enter, collect the customs until the debt is paid or Castro gives some decent guarantee of payment. In the long run the action of the allies will in jure to the establishment of more or derly government in Venezuela and other disorderly South American Repub lics, for it will teach, them that they cannot dodge the payment of their debts and that they need not look to the United States Government for any Inter vention against just reprisals for acts of mlsgovernment and maladministra tion of their financial obligations. Our Government Is under sufficiently heavy .responsibility today for the -territorial integrity of Venezuela and' the other South American States without. being expected to shield those states trpm just measures of coercion and reprisal for their errors and misdeeds in the matter of the Internal government, or rather mlsgovernment, which seelns, to be the rule In the small South American States. PRIVATE DINING-ROOMS. An Insufficiently considered paragraph in these columns yesterday, approving the abolishment of boxes In restaurants, needs qualification. The assertion i3 doubtless correct enough when applied to numbers of disreputable places which surpass the ordinary saloon In mis chievous effects, but as for the destruc tion of private dining-rooms In reputa ble restaurants, whatever the courts might say about the proposal. It would be certain to have rib substantial sup port In public opinion? There Is a mani fest tendency in Portland as elsewhere toward open dining-rooms rather than the enclosed stall or box. Some res taurants have been remodeled with this in view; but the matter is purely one of individual preference, and that consider able body of persons who prefer seclu sion cannot be justly punished for those who make Immoral or unseemly use of the arrangement. There are restaurants in Portland which have private dining-rooms for the accommodation of customers who desire to dine In quiet, where their conversa tion Is not heard by their neighbors, where they do not have to be stared upon, where they are not. annoyed by the noise of others feeding like swine and gnashing their teeth. It Is the clear right of such persons to dine In quiet and prlvacy-lf they prefer It. The stalls they occupy generally have no locks or bolts on the doors; there Is nothing but the chairs and. table that are furnished In the open dining hall. The waiters pass in and out of the stalls, so that the closed door and the partition that sep arates the hall from the public simply gives social privacy. There Is no neces sary Impropriety In the natural desire of two persons, whether they be two men, two women or a man and a wpman. to dine quietly removed from the public eyes and ears. It is the clear right of any man or woman to dine In privacy If he or she prefers to do so. The desire to do so Implies no evil, no immodesty, no indecency. This whole matter should be placed upon the sound, just basis that a license to sell liquor can be lost by the vicious administration of the saloon-keeper. Liquor licenses can be refused to or withdrawn from restaurants that abuse their privileges, and they can be closed ani time by the Council committee or the police. The action on this line of the authorities who are holding -up sev eral questionable cases now Is to be commended. Regulation of these mat ters should proceed without unneces sary hardship on the reputable for the sake of punishing the disreputable. We Incline to the view that the ordinance aimed at boxes In saloons would only be hampered by an amendment Indiscrim inately Inclusive of restaurants; and if both should be Included, the ordinance would surely become a dead letter, as all laws become that wage war upon . thing that Is not Indecent or vicious In itself, but has been prostituted to a vicious purpose by somebody. Because somebody has abused a thing you need not expect you can keep the world frojn using it. Because some saloon-keeper has abused his license you do not order the Portland Hotel to close Its bar. Be cause some restaurant suffers Its rooms to be prostituted to Indecency, why should a restaurant-keeper who has never permitted impropriety be deprived of a perfectly legitimate privilege? Ex act good behavior of both liquor saloon and restaurant at risk of loss of license, but don't switch the decent for the sins of the indecent, and don't rob the decent public of a just privilege because the In decent have abused It. There Is noth ing that is good that the Indecent can not abuse. Let them atone for It, not the public, who do not lose their rights because the indecent have done wrong. W,hat we are In grievous danger of forgetting In all these things Is the In capacity -of mere statutes to work any real reformation, and the utter folly of holding mere mechanical objects respon sible for the actions of guilty men and women. All the fury of Carrie Nation has not made one drunken man sober, and the destruction of every private dining-room In Portland would not re form the Irregular lives that abuse them sometimes for illicit purposes. As we said the other day about saloon boxes, they afford small temptation to the rightly trained young of either sex, and so these restaurant boxes are chiefly utilized, when Illegitimately, by hard ened sinners rather than innocent youths. No girl with a proper equip ment of native modesty is going Into a private box with a man and drink liquor enough to make herself drunk. We can do a little, a very little, in the way of closing opportunity for the evil-minded to corrupt 'the Innocent. But the only safe and impregnable defense of virtue Is. In the determined breast that no temptation can move. THE NEEDS OF THE NAVY. Secretary Moody urges the House naval affairs committee to provide for the present dearth of officers for the Navy by doubling the present number of cadets admitted to the Naval Acad emy. This would do something for the Navy, which needs, however, more men as well as a larger number of officers. At present the number of officers and men in the Navy Is limited by law. While the tonnage of the Navy has doubled and trebled, the number of sea going officers bas not been increased at all, and that of the enlisted men only to a limited extent. The total of au thorized enlisted men and boys i3 but 28,000, while the total completed ton nage of the Navy January 1, 1902, -was 481,967 tons, which gives a ratio of about 60 men per 1000 t6ns of shipping. If the legal authorized strength falls below this ratio, the Navy cannot be made thoroughly efficient. But fit men are not easily obtained. In the old days of "wooden walls" and sail power it was an easy matter to man our warships with merchant sailors, but today a mer chant sailor is not much better on a battle-ship than a landsman. The Navy obtains its best men today from the youth of the country who enter the Navy as apprentices and undergo train ing during minority, and the young men from the interior of the country, who are satisfactory when they are duly trained for their work. All that Is need ed Is the authority of law to enlist them. Commander Roy C. Smith. U. S. N., points out that if the authorization to build a new ship should carry with it the authorization to enlist and train a crew for her, the problem would be, solved jfor all time, for the three years it takes to build a battle-ship would be available to enlist and train her crew. We would only have to ascertain the completed and authorized tonnage at the beginning oj each fiscal year, and then enlist the additional men needed, not to exceed sixty for every 1000 tons of shipping. The total tons for any one year would be the'total for the previous year increased, by the new tonnage au thorized and diminished by the tonnage stricken from the list. The completed and authorized tonnage January 1, 1902, was about 750,000 tons. This will require an enlisted force of 45,000 men and boys. In order that efficient crews shall be ready to man the completed ships, the Secretary of the Navy ought to be clothed with power to enlist and train men as needed, not to exceed the ratio before recited. Of course. In event of a war of any consequence we would need a strong National naval reserve to fill the war complement of ships of the Navy. The worst need of the Navy, however, Is that of officers, because the seagoing officers have not been Increased at all since the days of wooden steamers, and furthermore, while a good man-of-wars-man can be made In a cruise, it takes a dozen years, beginning at boyhood, to make an efficient Lieutenant. If the need of trained officers is felt so sorely today In the regular Army' that war colleges and schools for the Instruction of officers drawn from the volunteers or from civil life have been established, It Is clear that the same need oppresses the Navy with greater severity, for a young officer of good mettle can soon learn enough in Army' service to make a good working Lieutenant In a com pany of infantry, but you cannot make a good Lieutenant In the Navy today in a short interval of service, ""because the handling and fighting of a battle-ship is more complex than It was In the days when Farragut with wooden ships ran the batteries of the forts below New Or leans or forced the passage of Mobile Bay. The navigation of a battle-ship Is a matter of steam engineering. The han dling and serving of the great guns Is more difficult than It was forty years ago. A naval officer needs to be an all around scientific student; not simply an artillerist and a navigator, as he was In Farragut's day. He must be an electri cian as well as an artillorlst, and must thoroughly understand steam engineer ing and the working of great guns In action: To master all this requires time, study and experience, and for this rea son it Is almost Impossible for the Navy to obtain a full complement of efficient officers. The official reports. for 1901 show that 1026 additional line officers would be needed by the time all the ships then authorized shall be finished. As the Navy then consisted of 1042 line officers, this means that the number of officers would have to be doubled In two years from now. Commander Roy Smith says It will be impossible to provide for these extra officers at once; that the best we can do Is either to appoint a large number of officers directly from civil life or to increase the Naval Acad emy appointments to the limit of the resources of that Institution. The Increase in the cadets of the Naval Academy would be the best In the long run. It is bad policy to ap point officers in the Navy who are lack ing in a previous thorough naval train ing. The naval profession requires to day a certain amount of technical knowledge rpt easily acquired when the start Is not made In early life.. Even In the days of the old wooden Navy the most famous Commanders, Farragut and David D. Porter, were midshipmen at 12 and 14 years of age, under the famous Commodore Porter, of the Essex. The technical nature of the examination today makes It possible for only a few men to be successful In getting a com mission who have risen from the ranks. The best remedy Is that asked for by Secretary Moody, viz., to increase the appointments to the Naval Academy. The present strength of the cadet corps Is 371, which would mean about ninety three graduates annually. With a new apportionment of Congressmen, taking effect next year, there will be twenty nine more appointments, and the recent naval act gives the President an in crease of five appointments, and each Senator one appointment, making a total of 495, but the list of officers for the Navy needs to be doubled In the next two years, so that Secretary Moody's proposition to double the pres ent number of cadets is little enough more to prevent falling behind. To get ahead theyshould be more than doubled, so Commander Smith urges that ap pointments should be transiently made to Annapolis to the full capacity of the academy Even with this enlargement of the productive power of the Naval academy it would take several year9 to bring our complement of trained officers up to the requirements of the Navy. In event of war within two years we would be seriously crippled for competent offi cers. The object of the eight-hour bill pend ing before Congress Is to compel all contractors performing work for the Government to limit each person em ployed on such work to eight hours a day. Unless in great emergency, it is made a criminal offense to allow a per son to work over eight hours a day. Through the pressure of labor organi zations this bill was put through the House at the last session without much opposition. There is now a law on the statute-book limiting the Government to eight hours' work for a day, but the Government contractors, like the Cramps, say that they could not com pete at eight hours a day with other shipbuilders working nine or ten hours a day, so that, under fhls pending bill, they would either have to abandon Gov ernment work or devote themselves ex clusively to It, and that would be Im possible, as there is not enough of It to do. Such a law, of course, would mean a large Increase In the cost of Govern ment work. How admirable an Investment the City of Portland made In the acquisi tion of Bull Run water appears from the statement for 1902 showing that of the disbursements $46,500 was for operation and repairs and $160,000 for Interest on bonds, leaving a surplus of $111,000 for the year. When the annually accruing surplus has wiped out the bonds and the Interest no longer requires to be met. It Is apparent how cheaply the city can supply Its inhabitants with water unsur passed anywhere for coldness and pur ity. Representative Brownjow, of Tennes see, proposes to give the "Office of Pub lic Road Inquiries," which is attached to the Federal Department of Agriculture power to build something, more than merely short sections of sample roads, so he has Introduced a bill enlarging the office. Into a bureau of public roads, with power not .only to instruct but to assist and co-operate in. the building and im Drovement of 'nubile roads In the states. counties, parishes, townships and dis tricts of the United States, as deter mined bv the director, and to bring about a uniform system of taxation for road purposes and a uniform system of road construction, repair and mainte nance. This bill will probably never be come a law, as the states rignts argu ment, which was ultimately successful against the National roadbuilding scheme of Henry Clay during Jackson s Presidency, is sure to be pleaded against it. The late Thomas B. Reed believed In getting on With the public business, and .did not believe in the custom of setting apart a time for a solemn reading of oliltuary addresses In Congress. He con sidered It a foolish custom, saying that he thought "the survivors could show their respect for the dead In better ways than by voting themselves a day's Idle ness." When Thad Stevens, who, In his courage, his power of sarcasm and his pithy speech as well as his lmperlous ness In debate, resembled Mr. Reed, was on his deathbed in Washington, Con gressman Grinneil, of Iowa, who was a clergyman, called on him and said: "When your death takes place the House will, of course, take notice of the ' event. Have you any preference who ' among your old political friends should j speak at this time?" Stevens replied: "I. don't care a cuss who makes the speech, but I'm d d glad I shan't be there to hear It." Bryan has-gone to Mexico to study the money question. He could make a great hit by saying he was wrong in 1896 and will now devote himself to maintaining the gold standard. He might get the Presidential nomination in this way and win support enough' In the doubtful states to give Roosevelt a run for his money. But it takes a pretty big man to say "I was wrong.' CONGRESS CAN'T-ANDW CAN. Chicago Chronicle. Congress strains and pulls and tugs,, then spits on its hands and strains and tugs and pulls, then gets breath and a fresh hold and pull3 and tugs and strains, but oh, dear, and oh, dear, It can't do anything. Really, It can't. The session is so short, you see. Money must be voted to an aggregate of a thousand millions or so, and Congress wllr be so consumed busy doing that until the 4th of March that It can't possibly find time to do any thing else. That is to say, It can't find time to do anythirfg for the people. It is different when ft. chtnes to doing something for some Interest, especially if it is an In terest which is likely to take an active hand when election day comes around again if It is not cared for. We see how- it is In' the case of the. im porters of tea. They "have a great quan tity In bond, and it was lately discovered that they would have to pay 10 cents per pound duty on all of It under a court de cision unless Congress should come to the rescue and pass a bill for their relief. Congress came to the rescue with a rush. It was a 4-11 call, and Congress came on a dead run. The bill was whipped through the ways and means committee in the morning, shot through the House at noon, whisked over to the Senate, and that ponderous ly .dignified body stopped all other busi ness, turned itself loose for a rough rider run, and had the tea-relief bill on the way to the White House with an ex pedition that would make a humming bird's head swim. Now, that was all right. It was proper to save the tea Importers $7,000,000 more, but the bill was for the relief of the Im porters and not of the people. It Is when a bill appears for the relief of the people from wholly unnecessary and very griev ous burdens that It becomes Impossible for Congress to move. There Is a fine appearapce of a despe rate struggle to do something. First the nigh horse gives a tremendous jerk, while the other l'es back; then the off horse Jerks, while the other grunts and pre pares for a fresh yank. And so on. The result of all this effort is nothing but brokeri tucs. The people are expected to believe that the failure Is unavoidable. The case of the tea bill shows how very easy It Is to act where the Interest to be served Is private and not public. Concern In p: "Stunt." Boston Journal. You have read that members of the faculty at the University of Chicago ob ject to the word "stunt" In publications of that institution. The offending an nouncement was as follows: "The Wo men's Union, 3:30-5:30 P. M. A Thanks giving spread. Appropriate 'stunts' by members of the Women's Union. Only members are expected to attend." "Stunt" is supposed to be a slang word, but this point must first be estab lished. There were lexicographers a cen tury or so ago who Insisted that' "bet" was slang, a low word, yet Irt that mem orable scene between Shallow and Si lence, the Justice said: "Dead! he drew a good bow; and dead! he shot a fine shoot; John of Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head." And slang Is language In the making. "Stent" Is an allotted portion, hence an assigned task. There is a word "stunt" In provincial English, and It means fierce or angry or sulky or obstinate; and "to stunt" a person lb to make a fool of him. But "stunt" Is, to our mind, a more heroic form of "stent." He Is doing a "stunf; may be justly applied to Mr. Edouard de Reszke singing the Count's aria In "The Marriage of Figaro;" to an athletic pianist In mortal struggle with an orchestra; to a politician explaining the reasonableness of his vote on a cer tain bill. There is the thought of mus cular action, strained sinews, great drops of sweat, fearful disaster if the attempt be not successful. Therefore, we do not like the use of "stunt" in connection with young women at a Thmksglvlng en tertainment, and we. approve the censure of the faculty of Chicago. What Reed Accomplished. New York Commercial Advertiser. Mr. Reed will be remembered as long as Congress endures for compelling the House of Representatives to resume its functions as a legislative body. He did this mainly by force of character and the exercise of common sense, attributes which distinguished him throughout his long public career. Weighed by actual achievement he was the greatest Speaker Congress has produced and the peer of any member of that body. In debate .a ready and effective speaker, he at no time made pretentions to oratory, his In fluence on his associates and the country being exerted through appeals to their Intelligence rather than their sentiments. It was straight seeing and clear think ing thaf enabled Speaker Reed to stand unmoved by the assaults upon him when by forcing ' Representatives to perform their sworn duty against their will he rendered it possible for Congress to do its work. What he did many another man might have thought of. Only a great man would have thought of doing It, and none but a very great man could have done It. In the midst of the almost Insane clamor which his quorum ruling aroused, his. was the controlling mind that maintained its serene sanity, despite the revlllngs of opponents and the ques tioning of friends. cummins is all right. Baltimore American. Rep. ' Governor Cummins, of Iowa, is to be congratulated for having. In his speech at Detroit on, Wednesday, given a most lucid explanation of "the Iowa. Idea" about tariff revision. After declaring that "the protective pollcv of the United States Is Impregnable against the as saults of Its enemies, and if the citadel ever falls It will be because Its friends sleep while the world is awake," Gov ernor Cummins defined "the Iowa idea," saying: Reciprocity will never win its way until we shall be willing to treat the tariff rationally Instead of hysterically, and the "first step in the process Is to be willing- to make such changes as from time to time may be necessary to bring- tariff schedules into harmony wltlf the principle which vindicates their existence. H I am unalterably opposed to readjustment for light or trivial reasons. Changes should not be made unless It shall be clear' that duties are too high or 100' low. Tarfff schedules, like all other laws, are to be made, unmade and re made, according to the public needs. It Is said that in order to change any sched ule or any part of any schedule the whole tariff must be taken up and revised, the work of years discarded and a new law submitted. I deny the proposition. It is a slander upon the fundamental truths of the world to say that the prosperity of the people has ever been or can ever be impaired by doing what is right and Just and fair. What evidence Is there to sustain the asser tion "that a correction of the grossly excessive duties would hasten the-' day of extreme com mercial activity to a close? None, whatever. We who believe that the time has come In which to make certain changes are In favor of no modification that will admit, except through fair recloroclty. which will increase rather than diminish the work to bo done in this country, a single dollar of Imported com modities. Wo do not favor tho reduction of any sched ule below the point at which the American manufacturer can, if he will, monopolize the wholo American market at a fair price. "We stand for tariff duties so adjusted that the po tential competition from other countries will prevent producers at home from exacting more than a Just and reasonable price for what they produce. K We emphasize this definition of "the Iowa Idea" by reprinting It. here, be cause it Is simple, clear and unassall ably logical. It Is the common sense of business, rather than the hysteria of partisan fetich, applied to the tariff; it is a key to the perpetuation of our pros perity and the curbing of oppressive mo nopoly; it is a guide for a sane and sen sible Congress; It Is exactly what wide awake America is demanding today, and it is the one thing the Republican party cannot deny the country without invit ing disaster to itself. "The time has gone by when the Re publican party can satisfy itself or the people with mellifluous phrases concern ing reciprocity." "The Iowa Idea" must prevail, and the sooner Congress gets to work to enact it into our public laws, the better it will be for the Republican party. WELL, THEY'RE THERE NOW. " "Weil, The're There Now. Chicago Inter-Ocean. Every step taken in Venezuela by Eng land and Germany and by President Cas tro adds to the difficulties at Caracas. The Venezuelan situation, with Its un paid claims and repudiated debts, was bad enough. It has grown worse with every incident of the last five days. Tho destruction of the Venezuelan gunboats by the Germans and English, the seizure of British vessels by the Venezuelans, and the attack on German marines have added the questibn-of Indemnity to the question of debt If Venezuela could not stand under the burden of claims presented by the Euro pean powers, how can the republic stand under the added burden of indemnity? If the three powers could not' agree on the question of money borrowed, how much greater will be the difficulty of ad justing conflicting claims for indemnity! If the temptation for Germany or Eng land to occupy territory as a guaranty of tho payment of claims was great, the temptation will be still greater with tho question of indemnity In the foreground. If there was possibility of a temporary occupation of territory two weeks ago, there Is strong probability now. Herein lies the danger. The German declaration of Intentions, if strained only a little, allows of an Interpretation that will permit the temporary occupation of small pieces of Venezuelan territory. If such territory should prove to be an island or point where a naval station could be established, the United States would be under stress to intervene at once. Therefore, Admiral Dewey and a strong American fleet should be at La Guayra to prevent any reckless action or encroachment that may lead to strained relations between the United States and Germany. In the interest of peace Admiral Dewey should be at La Guayra with power to prevent on the part of Venezuela, or Germany, or Eng land any step that will endanger the peace of this country. Ah Good n We Conld Do. New York Times. Japan of course feels that she Is one of the Important nations, but It can be confidently said that Mr. Barrett, by, reason of ability and training, stands well above the average of our diplomatic appointees below the grade of Ambassa dor. He served acceptably as Minister to Slam, and his wide acquaintance with the peoples and the customs of the Far East constitutes a special qualification possessed by few Arrierlcans, probably not more than three or four. Mr. Bar rett had the confidence of President Mc Klnley, who had him in mind for a Min istership at a capital where his respon sibilities and the complexity of the ques tions with which he would have had to deal must be considered greater than would fall to his lot at Toklo. It would hardly be asserted, we suppose, that Mr. Barrett, either In respect to standing at home or successful diplomatic service abroad, is the Inferior of the late Minis ter to Japan, Mr. Buck. Odcll in 1008. Washington Star. Governor Odell is a very good man, but 1908 Is remote. Let us suppose him giv ing his state another excellent adminis tration, then re-elected In 1904. and repeat ing his success as an executive a third time. Still as an aspirant for his party's Presidential nomination in 190S he would be tested In the National Convention more by his relation to the National Issues of that year than by his record as Governor nf Kow York. And who may now say what those Issues are likely to be? Was there ever a time when speculation on such a rcore was more useless? These friends of Governor uueu are too previous by half. "Carving out a political pro gramme" for 1D0S is b'ut little short of the folly nf figuring on a date forthe begin ning of the millennium. Not even the New Yorkers should undertake so diffi cult a Job, or waste so much energy". Brotherhood. E. S. Martin. That plenty but reproaches me Which leaves ray brother bare. Not wholly glad my heart can bex While his is bowed with care. If I go free and sound and stout While his poor fetters clank. Unsated still I'll still cry out And plead with whom I thank. Almighty: thou who Father be Of him. of me. of all. Draw us together, him and ne, .That whichsoever fall. The other's hand may fall him not Tho other's strength decline No task of succor that his lot May claim from son of thine. I would be fed, I would be clad, I would be housed" and dry. But if so be my heart Is sad What benefit have I? Best he whose shoulders best endure The load that brings .relief. And best shall be his Joys secure "Who shares that Joy with grief. NOTE AND COMMENT. Good "morning! Warmenqugh? . The proof of the furnace 13 the heating thereof. It goes without saying a private bill In Congress. "Where ignorance is cheap," says tho mossback, " 'tis folly to be wise and have to pay more." The Monroe Doctrine has been put in commission, and steam Is now getting up in its boilers. President Castro has the finest assort ment of ultimatums on hand ever in the possession of an amateur. Admiral Dewey is again on the bridge. He has telegraphed for John Barrett. But where Is Mr. Dooley? There's really little news in a hotel por ter's having $100,000. The wonder Is that there are not more millionaires among them. " Tho idiot who employed the hours of Summer In inquiring "Is it hot enough for you?" is now crying, "How do you like the frost?" Venezuela shows at least one good American trait. The Generals of the revo lutionary side are coming home to fight for their country. When the small girl finds her mother's bureau drawers locked, she goes away and smiles at her doll and whispers ta her sweet anticipations of bliss. No amount of Incandescent pulchritude of face or saccharine sinuosity of figure can save the woman whose shoes are run down at the heel. It Is understood that the. Eastern the ater managers are In communication with President Castro. If he wins his fight he will receive an immense sum for the dra matic rights, and if he loses he will ap pear on the American stage In his own play, "Between the Devil and the Deep Sea." One does not have to travel the streets of this city long to realize the claims tha charities have on those who are blessed with competence. Hunger and cold ara things that few reared in comfortabla homes know about except from hearsay. But to watch the thin faces, the haggard mouths, the stumbling limbs, the despair ing eyes of hundreds that wander about the lower avenues cannot but reach the heart. The dearest prize man can gain In a chilly world Is the interest of his fel lows. These outcasts are friendless, homeless, loveless; to give them the mea ger pleasure of warmth and food is all that a busy people can do. That can be done with mutual benefit. It is told of Mr. Barrett that when he first came to Washington during Cleve land's first term he brought a delegation of his Pacific Coast friends to help him along. Their funds ran low, and they finally pooled issues and boarded at a cheap restaurant. They were sitting down to dinner one evening when one of Bar rett's friends rushed In and congratulated him on his appointment as Minister to Slam. Barrett hadn't heard the news. He Immediately arose and started to go. "What! Aren't you going to eat?" his friends chorused. "Dinner Is on the table.". "No," replied -Barrett, as he buttoried up his overcoat. "You see, it wouldn't be in keeping with my dignity as Minister to Slam to eat dinner in a la-cent restau rant." "That makes me think," said the tall man quoted by the New York Tribune, "how Colonel Ochiltree once got the bet ter of a lawyer In this city who tried to make fun of him on the witness-stand. It was In March, 1894, when the Colonel had his nurse, James F. Lynch, arrested on the charge of stealing a gold watch, a betting-book, an overcoat, an umbrella which he had bought in London, and a roll of bills. He said that ho had lost all this property when he was ill at 8 West Thirty-third street. As soon as the Colo nel took the stand the lawyer for tha nurse asked: " 'You were suffering from too high liv ing at this time, were you not?' " 'Well, I didn't live in the cellar, I can tell you,' was the answer. " 'But you had been drinking too much? " 'No, sir, 1 had not been drinking, al though I am not a bigoted teetotaler,' was the prompt reply. " 'But this watch you got that for a poker debt,' persisted the lawyer, who was beginning to get red behind the ears. " 'No; it was too honest a watch for that. It had ;an open face,' chuckled the witness. "The lawyer blushed up to the roots of his hair, took a hitch in his suspenders and then went at the complaipant fe rociously with this question: . " 'But, look here! Are you perfectly sure that this man took your watch? Could not some one else have stolen It?' " if you had ever called on me," quietly remarked tho Colonel, I might have be lieved you had stolen it.' "The lawyer thereupon gave up the cross-examination." PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHERS Gladys He said he would die if I refused him. Ethel And still you refused him? Gladys Oh, yes I I think he will live long enough to propose again. Puck. Kind Old Lady You're the daintiest llttlo boy In the whole -crowd. How Is it you keep your face so clean? Nlbsy Murphy If I didn't me mudder'd wash It. Judge. "What were you about to remark?" she asked. "Oh, it's of no consequence," he re turned. "I know that." she retorted, "but what was It?" Chicago Evening Post. Farmer Ragweed What's your specialty? Artist The poster. Farmer Ragweed Just the., feller I want. All them posts want settln' in and I'll give you the Job. Chicago Dally News. "They say she Is determined to marry a cer tain struggling young attorney." "Well. If she has made ud her mind to marry him I guess there Is no further use- for him to struggle." Puck. He That rural play we saw had a yoke of oxen and several other farm animals In It. She Did It? Well, I suppose that's what they call a stock company. Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Softlefgh (to the girl's small brother) I say. Bobble, what are you aw going to be when you grow up to be a man? Bobble Oh, I don't know. What are you going to be? Chicago Dally News. "I want to get something .for my husband this Christmas," said Mrs! Newlywed, "that he will keep a long while and not- give away." "I know the very thing, then," replied Mrs. Experience: "buy him some cigars of your own selection." Cincinnati Commercial-Tribune. College of Dialect. Young men from univer sities who have only classical educations taught dialect In from two to six weeks. Those who intend to become magazine writers would do well to take a term with us. Any quantity of professors, and all sorts of dialect. Atlanta Constitution. Tess Mr. Brusk is nice-looking, I admit, but he's not much of a talker; never seems able to say the right thing In the right place. Jess Oh, I don't know. He said the right thing last evening, although you may not think it was in the right place. Tess Where was that? Jess (displaying her. ring) In our parlor. Philadelphia Press.