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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1903)
6 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1903. Entered at the Postofllce at Portland. Oregon as second-class matter. REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Br Mall (postage prepaid. In advance) Dally, with Sunday, per month 85 Dally, Sunday excepted, per year 7 50 Daily, v-ith Sunday, per year 8 00 Sunday, per year 2 00 The Weekly, per year 1 80 Tho Wceltly. 3 month! 60 To City Subscribers Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday excepted.tSo Dally, rerweek. delivered. Sunday lncluded.20c POSTAGE RATES. United States. Canada and Mexico: 10 to 14-page paper ........lc 14 to 28-page paper 20 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 ary individual. Letters relating to adver tising, subscription or to any business matter should be addressed simply "The Oregonlan." Eastern Business Office. 43. 44. 45. 47. 48. 49 Tribune building. New York City: MO-11-12 Tribune building. Chicago; the S. C. Beckwlth Special Agency. Eastern representative. For sale in San Francisco by L. E. Lee. Pal ace Hotel news stand; Goldsmith Bros.. 238 Sutter street; F. W. Pitts. 1003 Market street; J. 1C Cooper Co.. 740 Market street, near the Palace Hotel; Foster & Orear. Ferry news stand; Frank Scott. SO Ellis street, and N. "Wheatley. 813 Mission street. For sale in Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner, 259 South Spring street, and Oliver & Haines, 305 South Spring street. For sale in Kansas City. Mo., by Rlcksecker Cigar Co., Ninth and Walnut streets. For sale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co.. 217 Deurborn street, and Charles MacDcnald. 03 "Washington street. For hale In Omaha by Barkalow Bros.. 1C12 Farnam street; Megeath Stationery Co.. 1308 Farnam street. For ale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News Co.. 77 West Second South street. For sale In Washington, D. C. by the Ebbett House news stand. For pale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrl-lt. DOG-912 Seventeenth street; Louthan & J2.ck.-on Book and Stationery Co.. Fifteenth and Lawrence streets; A. Series. Sixteenth and Curtis streets. TODAY'S WEATHER Occasional rain; brisk wln. mostly southerly. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature. 48 deg.; minimum temperature, 39 deg ; precipitation. 0.38 inch. PORTLAND, MONDAY, JANUARY 11. THE GERMAN-AMERICAS' CONFLICT. Germany is much put out at our tar iff aggression. We are much put out at Germany's tariff aggression. We pro pose to discriminate against Germany. Germany proposes to discrlmlnte against us. In order, to hurt Germany and help ourselves, we propose to lay added bur dens on commerce between Germany and the United States. In order to hurt us ar.d help themselves, the Germans propose to lay added burdens on com merce between the United States and Germany. It should be reasonably clear to the most superficial observa tion that if this retaliatory process is worked to Its full capacity there will not be much left of trade between Ger many and the United States. Neither party to this controversy ap pears in very favorable light Germany seems to be puniehlng us for reciprocity treaties with France and the British "West Indies, which have not been rati fied, and apparently never will be. There are a few reciprocal undertakings already in effect with France, but the German proposals now in sight seem based upon discriminating arrange ments not yet perfected. The talk in the Reichstag about the most-favored-natlon rule, which we are about to die own, undeniably looks to the future. The German point of view Is well illustrated by the remarks of Baron Herr von Phelnbaben, Prussian Minis ter of Finance. "America, in my opin ion," he said, "is the dark spot in the liaven of our industry. Our internal market must be greatly strengthened, for our market is today dependent upon America and England. Agriculture must be our special concern." This the ory of trade evidently regards the pur chase of American flour and meat as an unmitigated misfortune, and the Baron would, if he had his way, set the entire Prussian nation at agricultural pur suits, regardless of the possibility that they might live in greater ease and com fort to buy food from this Nation of cheap land and pay for it in Prussian manufactures. Nor does the American contribution to the conflict appear to much better advantage. Illogical though the Ger man retaliation may be, it is neverthe less a very real and stubborn fact, and there is no gainsaying the unfavorable character of high duties on flour and meat It remains, therefore, that our reciprocity programme is bringing forth a very real harvest, however phantas mal the seedu Nothing else could have been expected; for a treaty like the one negotiated with France is actual dis crimination, and Germany'9 attitude shows that although we may assure her of our entire willingness to negotiate a similar treats- with her, she is as likely aa not to flout our proposals and accept the challenge of hostility. All of which should make perfectly clear the absurdity of pretending that discriminatory and belligerent recipro-. city treaties are honest and practicable ways of liberalizing trade. The thing to do is to open our ports on a revenue basis, fairly and squarely to all alike. Then there will be no excuse for re taliation in any European quarter. Nay, moi-e-Mhere will be no inclina tion. Our heavy surplus of manufac tures as well as foodstuffs requires noth ing so much as friendly feeling on the part of possible foreign customers. Uncle Sam is too much of a seller nowa days to be at outs with the consumers of the world. FRANKNESS THAT MEANS LITTLE. The stipulation entered Into by the State of Minnesota and the Northern Se curities Company at the New York hearing, just closed, did not go far enough to disclose entirely the common impulse which lies behind the great railroad merger, and which really es tablishes Its character. The stipulation recites that the Northern Securities" Company, having been organized and having obtained from Messrs. Harriman and Pierce 34,709 shares of Northern Pa cific preferred, exchanged this stock for convertible bonds. But how did the Northern Securities Company happen to be in possession of so large a block of Northern Pacific, stock, acquired at great cost by the Harriman people? Of course, the corporation officials would say it was purchased end paid for in the regular course of business. This would be the mere outward shell or husk of the truth, however, the real soul of it being that it was all in pursuance of an understanding by -which the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern and the Burlington were to be thrown Into one control. That is the great point to be established, and everybody con nected with the great railroad trust Is very reticent about making that point clear in the legal record. It Is perfectly jelear everywhere else. This second suit of Minnesota against the merger will come on for hearing- In St. Paul, February 15. Its first one hardly got a footing . in the Supreme Court of the United Statea The new suit the state desired to bring in the State Court, but there was vigorous re sistance to such move, and the matter was finally taken to the United States Circuit Court, and it is In pursuance of an order of that tribunal that testimony "has been taken, both in Minnesota and New York, by a special examiner. His report will come before the court which will iot be much bothered with oral evi dence. Two other suits against the mer ger are pending one by the United States and one by the State of Wash ington. Though the supporters of the North ern Securities Company put on a brave front and soout the Idea that they may be found in a position that is legally un tenable, it is notable that financial lead ers are not entirely confident of the out come. There is really no precedent by which this merger may be judged. The American court? do not cling so tena ciously to outdated forms that they may be relied upon to measure this large movement of capital with the little statutory rule they have been in the habit of applying to ordinary affairs, and .until the courts do pronounce upon the new question there is bound to be uncertainty as to their judgment. And this uncertainty will run against Ihe merger, as time develops the real pur poses of the combination and the sen timent of the people respecting it These corporations are civil persons, it Is true, but they canrot yet take all the rights of the natural person when they cannot possibly take his responsibilities. RANGE CATTLE AND LAND LEASING Range cattle interests are continually crying for irieasures that will preserve their business. Free use of the Govern ment domain has been boldly demanded as' a right, and when those first estab lished in any region have felt competi tion they have frequently not hesitated to fence public land and by might take advantages that were not theirs by right Now thatthis species of usurpa tion will not longer be tolerated, there is a desperate effort to get sanction of law for the practice. It is now to be called land leasing. The stockmen are striving to get in this manner the con trol of vast areas, under conditions that will enable them to use the land with out limit and at a much less cost than would be involved In its ownership. Livestock interests of this country are large and are entitled to consideration. But the general public also has inter ests that are quite as Important to pro tect The whole theory of the stock men's contention Is that the grazing country of the great West is fit only for the use now made of it. Granting that assumption, their realonlng has merit, but that is not a sound basis. It cannot be assumed that the' best pos sible use is now made of the soil of Oregon or Montana, or even of Ne- braska. Wide stretches now given over to range stock will some day be occu pied by small farms, which will have more livestock than are now supported there, and In addition all the products and activities of general agriculture. In the current number of the Review of Reviews is an elaborate argument by Chancellor E. Benjamin Andrews, of the University of Nebraska, to establish the proposition that the preservation of the beef supply of .the Nation requires some arrangement for leasing the pub lic domain for pasture. It is Inaccurate as to facts, and It adds something to the fame of the author as a lame lo gician. At best It is but a partial state ment of facts. The essence of the ar ticle is that the overstocking of the great stfml-arid grazing belt is killing the grass and depriving the country of the power of supporting livestock; from which it is concluded that the remedy lies In giving stockmen such interest in the public doniain as will induce them to protect it from abuse. This leads naturally, it is assdmed, to the land leasing policy, though just what assur ance of non-abuse would be secured by that plan Is not quite clear. An impressive map or diagram show ing the number of cattle in the great range states appears In connection with Chancellor Andrews' argument It pur ports to have been compiled from the twelfth census of the United States, but it was not, for in not cne instance are the census figures quoted. With the proper corrections and the atrea of each state added the table is here given: Square Number miles. cattle. Arizona 113.870 742,035 California 16S.233 1.444.624 Colorado 103.0GO 1,433.318 Idaho S3.S2S 803,534 Kansas 82,236 4.401.G78 Montana 147.0C1 0BS.3S7 Nebraska - 77,531 8.178,243 Nevada 110.CT0 3S5.1f2 New Mexico f. 122.CS7 091'.S57 North Dakota 70,879 057.434 Oklahoma .... 38.D5S 1,709.753 Oregon 80.838 700.303 South Dakota 77.580 1.G4C.S00 Texas 2GG.011 i, 428.1 90 Utah 84,028 343;Gft0 Washington ...i 70.574 304.023 Wyoming 07.S7S 6S7.2S4 Totals , 1,803,740 30.0C3.S21 'These figures refer only to neat cattle, of course. They show that In" the range' stock states, of the great West each square mile of land suppbrfs only 16 2-3 head of cattle. This, together with the facts that the range Is being eaten out and the demand for beef Is running far ahead of the supply, is taken to mean that the great American ox pastures must be protected from destruction. It in profitable in this connection, however, to make comparison with other sections of the United States, which Is something Chancellor Andrews is at some pains to steer clear of. In the states between the Appalachian Mountains and the range cattle country we find nearly as many cattle as are In the range states, on an area less than half as great, as follows: Square Number miles. cattle. Alabama .31,750 878,350 Arkansas S3.22S 8i)4.535 Illinois 53,354 3.104,010 Indiana 36,587 1.6S4.47S Indian Territory 31,154 1,409.304 Iowa 50,270 5,307,630 Kentucky .',40,332 1 1.0S3.248 Louisiana -)9,G23 C70.2D5 Michigan 07,090 l,37O,40S! Minnesota 80,335 1,871.325 ' MleslBSlppl 40,919 873.35G Missouri C9.137 2.97S.'5S9 Ohio : 44,404 2.053.313 Tennessee ....J.. 42,050 912.183 Wisconsin ....V 50.805 2.314.105 Totals 21,013 27,040,187 Here we have 33 2-3 head of neat cattle to the square mile, or almost ex actly double the number on "the ranges of the West East of the Appalachians there are 10,770,121 cattle on 459,967 square miles of territory, an average of ; 23.4 head to the square mile. Of course, It may be said that the beef supply of the country comes from the Western ranges rather than, from the Arms of the Mississippi Valley, but too much Is usually made of that statement It is probably true that as man5v.animals bred in the states of the second. fore going list go to the shambles every year as go. from the Western ranges. But they are to a much greater extent han dled by the local markets, and they are rot massed In certain channels to make a great showing, as is done in the West. Efforts toward land leasing are not directed to the development of a new country. They rather tend to arrest Industrial development by making the conditions unattractive to the settler and holding the land to uses that are rough and wasteful. We should have irrigation to reclaim the land and set tlers to occupy it. Then there would be ny trouble about the beef supply. But if the ranges are tied up with leases to cattlemen. It will be a long time before their hold teshaJtep oif again. The live stock Industry should not ,ask the Gov ernment to endow It at so heavy an ex pense to' the general public. A RILL THAT SHOULD NOT PASS. Representative Martin, of South Da kota, in reminiscent mood, the other day introduced the following little bill in Congress: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives or the United States of Amer ica, in Congress assembled. That the 21st day of October of each year, the anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Colum bus, is hereby made a legal public holiday under tho name of Columbus day, to all Intents and purposes. In the same manner and effect as thf first Monday or September, known as Labor day, is now made by law a public holi day. This is such a little bill and combines so large a proportion of sentiment with such a modicum of -usefulness that It may inconsiderately be allowed to add another to our already long list of Na tional holidays. Let 'us hope that It will not pass. The discoverer of the Western World, though slighted when It came to the naming of his findings, has still been gratefully remembered as its discoverer in many substantial ways. Quite a number of monuments have been set up in public places to his memory and to the honor of his achieve ment. The tract set apart for and dedi cated to the uses of the Government as the seat of its capital and the.center of Its power bears his name?. Few if any states in the great Ameri can Union are without a county bear ing the name Columbia: two capital cities bear the same name, and the smaller cities and post towns that per petuate It literally abound. Our great Columbian Exposition was ordered in honor of his discovery and called after him; every schoolboy in the land, through all of these hundreds of years, has been drilled in the glory of the great navigator, and on all of our festal days the strains of "Hall, Columbia" are glvenMo the winds by hundreds of brass bands in commemoration not only of his name, but of the grand results in liberty and expansion that his discov ery made possible. True, we have no special day of idle ness and noise and general suspension of business called Columbus . day, but. to say the truth, we reajly have not felt the need of it Nor Is there any great or pressing demand for It now. What with Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July, Lincoln day, Washing ton's birthday. Arbor day. Memorial day, Thanksgiving and Labor day, we are pretty well supplied with National holidays, and in the stress of modern life we may well ask to be excused from havings any more added to the calendar of Idleness under the specious plea of honoring somebody who perhaps In life was a strenuous worker and never him self took a holiday. The American people are In the habit of taking all the holidays they want without waiting for or asking the con sent of Congress. The "day off" is a regular Institution in most, or at least many, vocations; the Summer vacation Is an institution that has come to stay; Sunday is still secure from secular pur suits and has become for thousands a simple weekly holiday. And when we take Into consideration the fact that the ordinary Individual never needs rest so much as on the day following a holiday, with "celebration" features and accom paniments, practical people may cer tainly be excused if they are strongly disinclined to have another National holiday added to our already long 41st IRRIGATION LEGISLATION. There is much good reason In sup-, port of the suggestion that Oregon does not need radical changes in the law of water rights. Simple regulations which will prevent a waste of water appro priated under existing laws will prob ably constitute the most practical re medial legislation. That the rights of riparian owners, as declared by the de cisions of tht Supreme Court of- this state, are mora, extensive than they should be In prder' most effectively to aid development of Irrigation enter prises there can be little doubt. Yet there is scarcely a stream In Oregon upon which some riparian rights have not been acquired, and to pass a law which attempted to take away these rights, such as they may be, would lead to endless litigation. There is no good to be accomplished by reflecting' upon' what Oregon might have done In be half? of irrigation by incorporating a proper provision in the constitution at the time of its adoption. Thai time has long since passed, and' the rights which have been acquired must be re spected. Under the decisions of our courts a riparian owner has the right to have the waters of a stream flow in their channel undiminished in quantity and unimT paired In quality, subject to a reason able use thereof by all other riparian owners. This right the riparian owner has even though he may never put the water to any beneficial use. This right is also subject to the rights of any settler who may have made a prior ap propriation of the water to a beneficial use, whether the appropriator be a riparian owner or not We therefore have two systems of water rights, one based upon the ownership of the.soll over which the stream flows, .and. the other based, upon an application of the water to a beneficial purpose. The extent of the right of a riparian owner who makes no use of water, when a conflict, arises tbetween himself and a subsequent appropriator, seems never to have been directly determined by our courts Under the general rules, which have been repeatedly expressed, a sub sequent appropriator can acquire no rights which will Interfere with the r,Ight of the earlier riparian owner to have the water how uninterrupted in its channel. If this Is1 the law of Ore gon, as It certainly seems to be, It Is unfortunate for the irrigation interests of the state. Under such a rule a ripar ian owner can sit idly by and make no use of water, but at the same time pre vent other settlers, not bordering on the stream, from acquiring any rights by appropriation which will at any future time conflict with his own. . There may perhaps be reason to hope that this is not the law of the arid re gion of this state. The rules of the common law ore declared by our courts, and since no case has been presented which directly Involves the extent of the unused right of a riparian owner as against a subsequent appropriator, there is still a possibility that the courts will declare that a riparian owner's right Is determined by the extent of his use beyond his needs for domestic pur poses. Our common law is an out growth of the needs and customs and conditions of the people. As the condi tions change and the opinions of the people change, the law is slowly modi fied by the decisions of the courts. While in theory the courts declare the law, In practice they often make it. It is quite generally believed that In East ern Oregon there Is little reason why the common law rule of riparian rights should continue, and much reason why it should not. It might perhaps be said that there io not now and nsver was a reason why the old rule of riparian rights should exist in the arid region, and therefore that the rule Itself does not now and never did exist Our court has adopted the practice of deciding the extent of the rights of ri parian ownersNjccordlng to the circum stances of each particufar case. When a controversy arises between a riparian owner who has let water flow past him unused and a subsequent settler who has appropriated it to a beneficial use, we shall have a decision which will de clare whether the first pettier has the right to have the water flow down to him undiminished in .quantity, subject to a reasonable ure by other riparian owners. The decision will be in accord ance with justice, and will establish a precedent on that subject. It is becatn of the flexible nature of our common law, which adjusts itself to the conditions and needs of the coun try, that it is probably better to leave the law of water rights largely to the. courts, and to enact statutes which will rpgulate theexercise of the rights rather than attempt to change them after they have become so widely vested. The suggestions made by Chairman Sam White, of the legislative committee of the State Irrigation Convention, are worthy the most careful consideration of the members of the Legislature. The promoting business was not very good last year. The total stocks and bonds of industrial combinations formed during the year, according to the Journal of Commerce, amounted to only $1,112,205,200. against 52,805,475.000 In 1901, of which $1,400,000,000 was credited to the steel corporation. In 1900 the total was only $945,195,000, but in 1899 it was $2,663,445,000. Moreover, there was a decided Increase last year in the formation 'of consolidations to compete with established combinations, the total stocks and bonds amounting to $244,800, 000, against 173,050,000 In 1901, and only $63,SOO,000 In 1900. Likewise in the for mation of miscellaneous or individual concerns, many of which were in a "con trolled" line of business, showed an In crease, the capitalization amounting to $1,292,000,000, against $979,000,000 in 1901 and $94S,OO0,000 in 1900. But this "mis cellaneous" total of $1,292,000,000 in cludes only independent concerns with a capital of $1,000,000 or less, practically confined to companies Incorporated In New Jersey, New York, Maine, and Del aware. Since the Journal's summary of trust capitalization is practically com plete, It appears that Attorney-General Knox was well within the truth when he said that more capital had been In vested In competing and Individual con cerns during the last two years than had been put Into trusts, in spite of the failure of existing laws to protect the Independent plant from discrimination In freights and from unfair undersell ing. General Franklin Bell, besides being a very practical fighter, is a practical civ llizer, like most of our. American officers In the Phllipplnea He has constructed a fifty-mile stretch of excellent macad am roadway from Batangas to Ca lamba at a cost of $1500 (Mexican) per mile. This is the first road of the kind In the Philippines outside of Manila, and Is a revelation to the natives. It runs through a very fertile region, which has hitherto been Inaccessible for months following the rainy season. Al- n-eady, however, the agricultural devel opment of the region has been greatly stimulated by the assurance of uninter rupted, comparatively rapid and very much cheaper transportation. Further more, General Bell has devlsad a sys tem" of regular freight and passenger wagons, drawn by traction engines, to run over this road on a regular sched ule at ' a rate of about live miles an hour. The rates will be low, and the revenues will go toward maintaining and extending a system of macadam roads extending all over the Islands. The authorities, moreover, have started In the right way by taxing all vehicles whose tires are less than a certain width. They do not propose to have1 roads needlessly cut to pieces, as they are in most states in this country. This is the sort of thing the anti-Imperialists brand as mlsgovernment. Oregon coun ties need a little mlsgovernment of the same -kind. The movement Is again under way for the enactment of a law which will per mit the Supreme Court to render: de cisions' without accompanying the de cisions with written opinions setting out the reasons upon which the decisions are 'based. Even though this act were passed, it Is doubtful whether the Su preme Court would take advantage of It The court would nSt care to Invite the defeated attorney to draw the con clusion that a decision had been ren dered which could not be supported by good reason. A quotaticn from Cord Bacon Is not inappropriate: "Let not the judgments of the courts be given In silence, but let the Judges produce the reasono of their sentence openly and In full audience of the court, so that what is free in power may yet be lim ited by regard to fame and reputation." Prussian income tax returns are sug gestive. The entire taxable population of Prussia was 34,056,000, or just about seventy times the population of Oregdh. Of this population, 20,500.000 were ex empt because their income fell below the taxable limit of 900 marks, or $214. Of the remainder of the population, 1,631,000 were exempt for special rea sons, so that only, about 11,800,000 paid taxes. The total yield was slightly over $40,000,000, distributed as follows: Amount Per Income Number. paid. capita. $214 to $714.. 3,210.831 $11,328,800 53 .VI 714 to 1.428.. 270.033 G. 015,200 2184 1.42S to 2.261.. 75,740 3.041,400 47 01 2.261 to 7.230.. 03,773 7,083,600 110 45 7,259 to 23.800.. 13,384 C.321.600 438 22 23,800 and over.. 2.774 0.420,000 2.424 90 Were the same rates in force In Ore gon, the yild would probably have been even larger In proportion, but much more evenly distributed among the population, as we have a much smaller proportion of incomes below $714. SPIRIT OF THE NORTHWEST PRESS Circumstances Alter Cases. Paisley Post . Hermann had few enemies when he was the "Oregon man" In a Federal posi tion, but when it comes to a Douglas County man for. the United States Sen ate, a position to be filled without any question as to Oregon's right to the honor, the state's patriotism Is likely to be divided. Previous Efforts Eclipsed. Shaniko Leader. The New Year's number of The Orego nlan Is a complete and exhaustive review of the resources of the Northwest Ore gon, Washington and Idaho and is very near an eclipse of any previous effort along this line. The Lewis and Clark Exposition and Oriental Fair Is dwelt upon at length, and all readersv of thls number should be impressed with the great beneilt the Northwest will receive from thi3 fair. Too many of this number ennnot find its way to the North, South and Middle Atlantic States. Experience Made Him Valuable. Oregon City Enterprise. He was a man of strong convictions, firmness and active in the Interests of his state to the poirft of aggressiveness. He was 3trongly devoted to the interests of the state, felt the responsibility of his position and with tact and Judgment la bored for his district and constituents. Oregon will miss him frcm the halls of Congress, and ennnot hope to replace him with a man as useful at once. No new man can do the work' that Thomas H. Tongue was doing for the State of Oregon. Hitchcock May Yet lie Foiled. Wallowa News. The land office at La Grande has Just undergone an inspection regarding the alleged timber frauds in Oregon, and the Receiver, O. W. Swackhamcr, has been exonerated. So much for the grave charges brought against the fair name of grand old Oregon. May we even yet hope that her honor will not suffer from this quarter? Although Secretary Hitchcock seems bent on unearthing some great bug-a-boo as regards the, matter, he may yet be foiled. We truly hope to see Oregon started forth again with an unblemished name, so far as land frauds are con cerned. Never Heard of Land Perjury. Lebanon Criterion. , The fuss about the timberland frauds in Oregon seems to be blowing over In fact, there never was any real cause' for tho noise that was made. The land was taken according to law, and because the law was giving a quarter section of land, worth from $lfr00 to $2000 for $400, was no evidence of fraud. The same law has stood for years, but not until the people began to avail themselves of Its provis ions was there any howl made. The law should be amended, no doubt, yet indi viduals should not be accused of fraud ulently obtaining land which they take In accordance with the! terms of an existing law. Union Connty'n 'Perennial Scrap. La Grande Chronicle. Petitions have been circulated In all the precincts of the county, outside of La Grande asking the Legislature to change the county seat of Union County from Union to La Grande. 'Some of the returns thus far received are only flattering to La Grande. Island precinct, for Instance, Is almost solidly represented in the peti tion. SummervlHe makes a very strong showing and there are nearly 500 peti tioners at Elgin. Unless there is a radi cal change in sentiment the petition will receive the signatures of nearly live-sixths of the .voters of the county. Fidelity Claims Its Reward. Baker City Democrat. The Democrat predicts that Blnger Her mann, just retired as Commissioner of the Land Office, will succeed the late Con gressman Tongue from the First District. Mr. Hermann has more friends in a po litical way than any other man in the First Congressional District. His forced resignation as Land Commissioner was brought about on account of his faithful ness to his friends in matters of alleged land frauds, so it is charged by Secretary Hitchcock, and this fact will be used by Mr. Hermann as a leverage In boosting his candidacy for Congress. He will repre sent to his friends that his election would be a vindication of the charges preferred against him, and aa an Indorsement of the confidence of ihe people of the southern part of the state, his home has In him. Don't Forset the Columbia Southern. Moro Observer. A massive fir stump that has been lying concealed beneath the walk on one of Portland's main thoroughfares since that city was a hamlet has been discovered and taken out by the root. Perhaps this is the identical stump that Portland business men have been bumping up against all these yenrs while waiting for the Oregan trade that hasn't come to them. Now that the old stump is out of the way let us hope that some other move will be made to attract the trade of this great In land empire their way. and one of the most important 3teps in that consumma tion is to get behind the Columbia South ern Railway, and give it a push in the di rection of the Deschutes Valley. They cannot plead ignorance every intelligent man in Portland must know the value of our Little Short Line to that city If not, God pity them. Hope for the Dredgre. Astoria News. The time for completion would make the dredge due here about August 1st Within 20 days after she gets to work there will be a depth of 30 feet on- the bar at low tide. It will be one of the most powerful dredges in the business. It will be able to take up 4000 tons of sand every 45 minutes. In a very few days the attack on sand bars , will be so vigor ous that the mighty current of tho Col umbia will become an efficient ally in re moval of the sands. While the Grant, by reason of its great length, can ride two waves at a time and work In all but the roughest seas, yet the first work she will be called upon to do will be done in August, when the bar is smoothest. Twenty days is the time limit indicated last May by Chief Engineer Gillespie within which a powerful dredge could open the entrance to the great ships. But In fact it Is most likely that only half that time will be necessary to accomplish the work. Sonic 7S,0()0 Ghosts In the Field. Salem Statesman. The Republican party of Oregon Is ap proaching one of the most serious peri ods of its history- Two years ago the representatives of that party put Into the form of law the principle of the elec tion of United States Senators by direct vote of the people. Jt was acted upon by nearly 7S;000 men of Oregon at the polls last June. Now It Is proposed to disregard this vote: In effect, to say the people of Oregon do not know what they want; to slap them In tho face, because the man receiving the highest number of votes 15,000 votes Is not pleasing to a few Republican bosses, ambitious them selves and self-seeking. It is not the political fortunes of Mr. Geer at stake. It Is a principle that Is at stake, and a principle dear to the hearts of the people, as they Indicated by their votes. It is v- not a proposition solely to slap in the face 45,000 Republi cans of Oregon, who voted for Mr. Geer. It is a proposition as well to slap in the face 33,000 Democrats who cast their bal lots for Mr. Wood. It is a dangerous proposition and far-reaching. Do not for get that The ghost of these 78,000 votes will not down. It will pursue the men making this proposition like a Nemesis, not this year and next only, but for years to come. Better have a core, gentlemen. THE LOWEST VIEW. New York Times. "I am for Senator Piatt's re-election to the Senate unequivocally and unreserved ly, for I believe that the Republican party owes to him this renewed honor because of his service to it." This perfectly frank and quite shameless statement puts an end to a lot of silly gossip about the Gov ernor's position, and tend3 to lull tho suspicion that Governor Odell might prove to be better than Piatt or better than his party. He cheerfully takes his stand on the lowest level. 4 Governor Odell says that Piatt must be re-elected because of his service to the Republican party. That Is the basest and meanest view of the Senatorship and of politics that any man could entertain. Mr. Piatt is wholly useless in the Senate, Jie has no aptitude or qualification for the Senatorial office, he performs no service to his state or to the country, and might quite as well be at all times attending to his express business as be in his seat in the Senate chamber. There are able and distinguished Republicans in New York. They must all be passed by for Piatt. New York ought to be represented in the Senate by a statesman. Its need and its desire must give way to the paramount obligation to reward the "services" of Piatt to his party. These services have been of such a nature as to bring him into public disrepute and contempt. They have tended not to lift the party higher, but to drag it lower. He has not even led It to victory. It has enrried elections in spite of him, chiefly through the mistakes of it3 opponents. But he has kept the organiza tion In a condition of efficiency, and for that we muut put up with him in the Senate. Governor Odell's view of that high office would have excluded every great Senator who has won distinction and conferred luster upon American statesmanship. It would reduce the Senate to silence, filling the scats with a lot of whispering, schem ing bosses. Incompetent to draw a bill and unable to support one in a speech. Governor Odell is the Chief Executive of the chief state In the Union. He goes about among "men holding np his head, and would no doubt be deeply pained If he should be shunned and pointed out as a person deserving of the public contempt. Yet his view of tno" Senatorship Justly ex poses him to such treatment. It is a shameful view. It disgraces h'lm, his party and the office he holds. "Co-Eds" nnd n Lending? Question. New York World. One hundred of Dr. Harper's girls at tho University of Chicago have answered the pertinently impertinent question of an editor, who asked which they would rath er be, men or women. Eighty-one of the girls stick loyally to petticoats, one wav ers according to circumstances, and 18 would frankly like to be men. Of the SI, 34 express aspirations to be wive3 and mothers, while 9 would be "noble", wom anly women." Here is a revelation of preferences which may edify but not amaze. It af fords no argument against either co-education in particular or the higher educa tion of girls in general. Wellesley or Vassar or Bryn Mawr or Smith might ac cept without a blush such a division of sentiment as that at Chicago. It is quite probable that, outside of hnppy college circles. In spheres where women know something of necessities and toil, more than IS in 100 would be found to yearn for masculine prerogatives. And in these cases the yearnings would be in no degree traceable to girlish, romantic conceptions of manly freedom and privileges. The Chicago "co-eds" answered well. If It was wise to answer at all. Very evi dently, since they obliged the editor, they are girlish girls, and are on the way to become "womanly women." It Is likely that the IS who now think they want to be men, will be. In after years, among the most womanish of all. Deaths From Cold. Chicago Tribune. Since the first of the year, says the Chicago Health Department, there has been an increase of nearly 20 per cent in the number of deaths of persons under 5 years of age over the number in the cor responding period of last year. There has been an even greater Increase in tho num ber of deaths among persons over 60 years of age. "Fully 10 per cent, or nearly 200,000, of the residents of Chicago are to day suffering from ailments of a grave character caused by privation and ex posure resulting from the coal famine." Extremely cold weather always swells the mortality among the extremely old and the Infants. A slight increase In mor tality at this time would call for no com ment. An exceptionally large increase may fairly be ascribed to the coal fam ine. If that famine really is due in part, as has been alleged, to human greed to combinations which have forced up the price of coal and made it harder for poor people to get there has been added to the crime of extortion a graver crime. If there are. Indeed, mine operators or others who have confederated to make coal dear er and make men and women suffer they should be branded with publicity, so that thekpubHc may know who are the subjects of the Indictment of the Health Depart ment, That will be a more damaging In dictment for them than any a grand jury may find against them. Meaning; of CIiriHtlan Brotherhood. Kansas City Star. Suppose that instead of accepting with thanks and praise a few thousand dol lars from John D. Rockefeller for con verting the heathen, some missionary should get Mr. Rockefeller into a corner and talk true Christian brotherhood to him until he had really appreciated what that meant. With what joyful acclaim the seraphim and cherubim would greet that missionary. And before that greeting what real Joy would reward the churchman's labor In that long step toward the aboli tion of greed and plunder. When a United States Senator can tell the Senate of the wealthiest people In the world that a poor womun died of cold and starvation in Washington at the moment when coal was being mined at $2 50 a ton and sold at $20 a ton thore is urgent work for the disciples of Christ at home. Oh. It was pitiful! .Near a whole city full. Home she had none. It was Thomas Hood who sang that 50 years ago, and It was Charl03 Dickens who wrote of poor Jo, the Rev. Mr. Chadband's subject for homilies: "Dead, Right Reverends and Wrong Reverends of every order, and dying thus around us every day." Evening; Gowns of Gnnze. New York Mail and Express. Evening gowns are made of the most perishable materials. The mystery Is how the frail groundwork ever supports the amount of ornamentation fairly loaded on it. A gown of sheer bleck net is a glim mering mass of brilliant black paillettes set on In regular lines. Headlnir the deep flounce are sprays of pale blue flow ers made of feathery chenille. More of these are used around the decolletage. and the creation Is arranged over clel chiffon. TVorfcliiB Harm to the Ncffro. New York Herald. Regretful surprise Is a mild term for the feeling aroused In the United States by President Roosevelt's nomination of . a colored man to the post of Collector of the Port of Charleston. Even the sincer est admirers of the President cannot help regarding that appointment as an ill-considered act, which will do more harm than good to the very people whom It Is Intended to benefit namely, the negroes. A Lettson to Ynnkceland. Cleveland Leader. , Of all sections New England is faring worst in regard to the cost of fuel. It is in New England that the Socialists have polled their biggest vote and shown most growth. The next elections in that part of thd country may furnish some striking object lessons for men who are radical In the use and abuse of the power of cor porations, but are. very conservative In other things. NOTE AND fcOMMENT. Salem has had a chance to catch its breath. Being a bore does not augur well for one's social success. The Baer Idea seems to have a good deal of Influence with the coal-carrying roads. The peanut trust is being freshly roast ed by the Retail Grocers' Association of Philadelphia. A thing worth looking into will be this $3,000,000 telescope that Charles T. Yerkes proposes to build. Whether tho Cubans have more rights than wrongs In Congress Is a matter for legitimate dispute. Only one telephone will ring these days, and the man who hasn't paid his New Year's bills Is not a bit sorry. . Alcohol may have a food value, but it has caused a good many people to suffer for the want of a square meal. It Is possibly because the Department of Agriculture is not an acrobat, that it admits its inability to stamp out tho foot and mouth disease. Datto Ruty, a Mindanao ruler, insists on capturing American Army mules, which he refuses to surrender. Just let Ruty alone until fly time he'll return 'em. That a strike commissioner should bo called home because the family coalbln Is empty seems to give color to the ancient proverb about the cobbler's wife gener ally being barefooted. A gentleman at the Union Depot was taken ill with heart trouble yesterday afternoon. Has this anything to do with the announcement that the trains are onca more coming in on time? Perhaps the quickness of President Roosevelt during the past few days is 'due to his endeavor to read tho letters which William Randolph Hearst has been writing him about the coal trust. As might have been expected, now that the Venezuelan business is in a fair way to be peaceably settled, divers of our states men are beginning to hitch up their trou sers, snort savagely and tell of the direful things they wero aftout to do it the thing hadn't como to a focus Just when it did. Superintendent J. D. Lee, of tho Oregon Penitentiary, says In his recent report that there are too many convicts In the institution. There always were, and thero always will be. When we discover a way to make a bad man good, the criminal population won't increase in equal ratio to the rest of the world, but that will bo after folks have quit keeping tab. The outcome of the Speakership contest at Springfield, according' to a Republican con- temporary, ha3 left a bad taste in the mouth of every Democratic editor In the state. It has, indeed, though we were hardly prepared for a Republican statement which amounts to a confession that the transaction was rotten. Chicago Chronicle. Again we announce that the Chicago Chronicle doesn't swallow everything It sees. A nervous statistician directs attention to the fact that If the first and last figures of tho year 1003 be taken they form 13; that If all the figures be added they make 13; that In the months of February, March and November the 13th will fall on Friday for all those reasons he calls upon the world to prepare for trou ble. San Francisco Chronicle. The world will never accept a nervous statistician as an authority in the matter of trouble so long as Emperor William 13 alive. Watch ing for symptoms of disorder, we are trained to keep our eyes on Berlin. There is criticism of Justice Van Brunt, of New York, because he has accepted tho presidency of a trust company while re taining his place as Justice of the Su premo Court. -His probity is unques tioned. Judge Van Brunt will receive no salary as the trust company president until he retires from the bench, and will glvo practically his entire time to tho state, but the incompatibility of the two relationships is being commented on, particularly In "view of the Judge's an nouncement that he will not resign from the bench. The big cut-glass chandelier which for years hung in the east room of the White House has been removed to the Capitol and decorates the room of the committee on appropriations. Champ Clark thinks there Is very little If any use for It there, as the room is well lighted by the sun and Congress seldom meets at night. "Reminds me of the deacons of a country church out our way," said the Missourian. "One of them wanted to buy a chande lier, but another said: T think we'd better pay off the mortgage, Supposln we got this chandelier, who's goln' to play It? " The National House of Representatives has concluded that Congressman Shep pard, of Texas, has the most delicately balanced conscience In the entire body. When he started back from his holi day he had through tickets to Washing ton, but he found that by coming on the route ho had selected he would bo four hours late for the opening of Congress This discovers was made in St. Louis. Mr. Sheppard promptly threw away his tickets and bought another which landed him in Washington just In time. He won dered why more seasoned statesmen laughed when he told of this experience. The Texan Is only 27 years old, which may go a long way toward accounting for his extreme fidelity to duty. PLEASAXTIUES OF PAItAGRAPHERS "That Is a fine, heavy-looking 'auto'." "Yes; the lightest One I ever got in It was $40." Pack. He (at the piano) And what air do you pre fer? She Well, If you give me my choice, I'll take a millionaire. Baltimore News. "Gracious. Mr. Halton. you have eaten all the birdseed." "You don't say? I thought It was a new breakfast 'food." Chicago Dally News. Her Mamma Daughter. I am surprised that you would suffer a man to kiss you. Her Daughter But. mamma. It wasn't suffering. Detroit Evening Journal. The Artist What do you think of those char coal sketches of mine? The Friend It seems too bad to waste the charcoal when fuel Is so high. Yonkers Statesman. "You are charged," said the BUlville Jus tice, "with stealing- two jmilons of whisky. Why did you do It?" "Kase I couldn't git away with a barrel, Ter Honor; I never was very strong!" Atlanta Constitution. The Husband "What are you grumbllns aboutZ You married me. for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. Didn't you? The Wife Yes. but I was wondering where the better or- richer Dart came In, Brooklyn Life. Blxter Do you know. Jlpson. that your play Is positively Indecent? Jlpson It Is very kind of you to say so. Blxter; but what's the use? I haven't been able to get any of the papers to denounce It as unfit to be seen. Boston Transcript. "How does you like de new preacher?" asked Mr. Erastus Pinkley. "Very much." answered Miss Miami Brown. "He's got a good staht. He knows a heap o' words, an Jes' as soon as he gits em arranged in de proper order he'll hab a mighty fine sermon." Washington Star