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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1903)
THE MOlrfNGr OREGONrAtfr TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1903. 6 to regxmxcm Xaterei &: the PostoCce at Portland. Oregc. as eecoad-cl&ss matter. REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Br Hall (postage prepaid. In advance) Dally, with Sundar. per month J0.96 Deily, Sunday excepted, per year.......... 7.50 Dally, with Sunday, per year. .. 8-00 Sunday, per year . 2.00 The Weekly, per year. 1.50 The "Weekly, 3 months - -50 To City Subscribers . . pally, per week, delivered. Sunday excepted.lso ally. per week, delivered. Sunday lcluded.20o POSTAGE KATES. TJnlted States, Canada and Mexico: 10 to 14 -page naper.. .lc It to 28-page paper... ................J.-.-' Poreirn rates double. News or discussion intended for pablication hi The Oregonian should be addressed Invaria bly "Editor The Oregonian." not to the name f any Individual. Letters relating to adver ting, subsctiptlcn or to any business matter should be addressed simply "The Oresonlan." The Oregonian 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 mrpose. Eastern Business Office, 43. 44. 45, 4T. 48. 49 Tribune building. New York City: 810-11-12 urioune building, Chicago: the S. C. Beckwitn Special Agency, Eastern representative. Tor sale in San Francisco br L. E. Lee. Pal ace Hotel news stand: Goldsmith Bros.. 238 Butter street; F. TV. Pitta. 1008 Market street: J. K. Cooper Co.. "40 Market street, near the "Palace Hotel: Foster & Orear. Ferry news tand; Frank Scott. 80 Ellis street, and . Wheatley. S13 Mission street For sale in Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner, South Spring street, and Oliver Sc. Haines. 5 South Spring street. For sals in Kanras City. Mo., by flickaecfcer Cigar Co.. Ninth and Walnut streets. For sale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co.. 217 Dearborn street, and Charles MacDon&ld, Washington street. For sale in Omaha by Barkalow Bros., 1612 Farnam street: Mereath Stationery Co.. 130S farnam street. For Bale In Ogden by W. G. Kind. 114 25th srtreet; Jas. H. Crockwell. 242 25th street. For sale 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 sale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrick. 008-012 Seventeenth street: Louthan & Jackscn Book and Stationery Co.. Fifteenth and Lawrence streets: A. Series, Sixteenth and Curtis streets. TODAY'S WEATHER Increasing cloudiness; winds becoming southerly. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature, 55; minimum temperature, 34: pre cipitation, none. PORTLAND, TUESDAY, MARCH IT. PESTERS THAT NEED OPENTNG At length we begin to get some light upon the myetery of the Burdick case. Pretty much all that has been sent out heretofore has been skillfully devised for the purpose of concealing: knowl edge. People are arrested, but it la al way solemnly given out that the ar- rests are mere trifles of ceremony and that the persons detained have not the remotest connection with the case. The official proceedings seem to be like J. P. Morgan's visits to Washington and Sec retary Shaw's trips to the lower end of Manhattan Island "purely social." Col umne are given Us to inculcate a suspi cion, and then more columns to eradi cate it. We have voluminous evidence that Mrs. Hall did look over the balus trade and voluminous evidence in re buttal that she did not; but as to who Tcilled Burdick and what he was killed ior we are dished out a hodge-podge of hypotheses each of which is demon strably more untenable than all the rest. This is what Is very likely to occur In affairs of this sort: for the supreme efforts of many vitally Interested per eons are directed! toward divergent ends in which the consummation of Justice forms no part. Families of more or less respectability are dragged into the mat ter, and their chief concern is to clear their own skirts of publicity ana com plicity. Beside the murdered man him self, whose exit from life's stage inflicts little loss, apparently, on society, Mr. and Mrs. Penhell's premeditated or ac cidental death is directly or indirectly due to the scandal. The whole affair Is evidently one of those chance revela tions, made by murder, of a festering mare of moral and social rottenness, like the Mollneux trials In New York or the Philadelphia broker with two families each Ignorant of the other's existence until a negro servant killed a wife or child In one of his fine houses. Burdick himself, it appears, was a man of extensive and varied Irregularities, and his divorce complaint against his wife recounted a matter of some twenty-two specific adulterous meet ings. It is the logical end of such reckless sexual enterprises that they issue in far- reaching horrors of death and disgrace to those but remotely concerned; and the uttermost truth about them should be nakedly detailed and spread to the winds. Nothing but the fear of pub licity will deter the principals; nothing but the fear of publicity will arouse relatives and IriendB to perform, while yet there Is time, the duties of admonl tion. reproof and family and social dls ciplkie. The mother of Mrs. Burdick Is to be pitied for her most distressing sit uation; "but she is also to be blamed for ner long acquiescence m her daughter s waywardness and pretty certainly also for many a sin of omission In parental discipline. Many an evil strikes Its roots In the love of money; and society must pay the penalties of these horrors and scandals until it learns to turn its back on depravity in real lace and tuxedos as well as. in Whltechapels and Tender loin. business these lnterurban lines bring to the central point, and the only sufferer Is the steam railroad, for -which the public has little sympathy. It yields to the inevitable, Just as the telegraph companies without a struggle surren dered a large share of local business to the long-distance telephone. Based on the history of Eastern inter- urban roads, it may safely be asserted that the Hillsboro line. If built, will soon be extended to McMlnnville and thence" to Corvallis, through a section whose every mile is rich In. agricultural resources. Capital for such an enter prise Is more than abundant. With wise management, failure to earn dividends Is next to Impossible. Advantages to the farmers and to Portland are apparent. Protestants can honor the memory of the mac, even as Protestants and Catholics equally honor Jesus, the great Master, whose heroic servant this great mission ary was all his days, from youth to the grave. Truly, as Tyrone Power sang. 'St. Patrick was a gentleman" in the highest and noblest sense of that much abused word, for a true gentleman writes the "golden rule" and the whole humane code of Christ on his battleflag and strives to follow It all his days to the death. UfTERURBAX RAILROAD 8. lnterurban electric railroads, like Bteam railroads, benefit "both ends of the lkie," but especially the big end. Every such enterprise at the East fur xilshes incontrovertible evidence of this fact. These electric lines add steadily to the business of the commercial cen ter and bind It more closely to Its con tributing territory. It is strange, there fore, that coldness should mark the attl tude of Portland toward the proposed Hillsboro road. Opposition from owners of residence property to a car line In front of their doors Is not unnatural. though the Teal estate market falls to disclose depreciation of values on Glisan street as compared with the next paral lel street to the north or the south. Lots on East Yamhljl are not held higher than on East Morrison, nor Is property on North Twenty-third street less valu able than on North Twenty-second. At any number of cities In Ohio and Indiana, as well as In New England, lnterurban electric lines secure entrance Into cities under trackage arrangements with existing street-car companies. Take Indianapolis, for example. Five lnterburban roads, entering from as many different directions, run their cars Into the heart of the Hoosier capital over the tracks of the street-car com pany. They do not interfere with its traffic because they carry no city pas congers, L e., none except those destined lo the country or coming from the coun try. They have no "pick-ups" and they do not hamper the operation of city c&x. Very large Is the Aggregate of ST. PATRICK'S DAY. Today our Irish fellow-citizens will celebrate the birthday of St, Patrick with appropriate speech and song. It was Tyrone Power, a brilliant Irish comedian, who. on his last visit to America, nearly seventy years ago,, used to delight his audiences in New York City by singing: St. Patrick was a gintleman. And came of daclnt paple. Historically the song told the truth. for St Patrick was well born. Oils grandfather was a priest and his father a magistrate under the Roman rule of northernmost Britain. St. Patrick was taken prisoner at 15 In a foray made by the Plots and. Scots into Roman ter ritory. He was sold as a slave In Ire land, but escaped to his country and kindred when he was 22, and. at once began to educate and prepare himself for the work of a Christian missionary to Ireland, with whose forlorn condition of pagan barbarism he had become fa miliar during his captivity. The season passed by the great Span Ish humorist Cervantes In slavery seems to have helped rather than hindered the development of his genius and His ineiila.rlv humane, spirit So it was with St. Patrick. He was endowed by nature with the spirit of a Christian mystic and pious enthusiast. He was familiar at en early age with spiritual visions and voices that were as real to him as they were to Joan of Arc He inherited this devout nature from his priestly grandfather. Just as Emerson's exceptional spiritual nature was due to the fact that he was descended from a line of Puritan ministers. Such person ages as St Patrick are frequent in the history of the Catholic Church, whose glory has been enhanced by St. Teresa, Catherine of Siena, St. Francis Xavier, St. Francis d'AasIsi men of the breed of enthusiasts who from youth up close ly imitated the great example of their holy master In the matter of total self abnegation and self-sacrifice. It was this spirit that animated the famous prelates In early EngllBh history and nerved them to stind between the peo ple and the brutality of cruel despots, and made the Catholic Church the only shield and intercessor for the poor and the unfortunate. Anselm defied Will' lam Rufus when oo other man dared face him, as fearlessly as Stephen Lang- ton did King John and Becket Henry IL And this absolute eelf-devotlon to the cause of their persecuted flocks made the church immensely powerful for good In days when there were no Parliaments to hold the caprice of Kings In check. This heroic spirit of the early Chris tian Church filled the heart and mind of St Patrick so completely from his earli est years that he may be said to have been endowed with the genius of the missionary from birth, and it was the revival of this 6plrit by Loyola that saved the Catholic Church at a time when the shock of the great schism of the Reformation threatened to subvert it The Jesuits sought to convert China and Japan, suffered martyrdom among the American Indians in revival of the same lofty spirit that prompted St Pat rick to redeem Ireland from pagan bar barism. The highest Irish Catholic au thorities, like President Sullivan, of Queen's College, Cork, confess that It is difficult to determine how much of the story of St Patrick is fact and how much fable; but there Is no doubt that he was an authentic character, a great and good man, who made Ireland so Chrlstianacountrythat Chrlstianlty sur vlved there in better shape than it did in Britain after the Influence of Roman Christianity had departed with its arms from England and the pagan Saxon had exterminated the Brltdha St Patrick modestly describes himself as "un learned," but he was educated m all the monastic learning of his day and spent several years in such preparation before he went to his work in Ireland In 421 A. D., when he was 30 years of age, Of the celebration of St Patrick's day it Is but Just to say that it has long ago ceased in America to be what It once was, a day surrendered chiefly to the noisy conviviality of a mere National holiday. It Is become a day of serious celebration in which the religious ob servance and historical discourse are chiefly prominent This was not the fact as late as thirty years ago, when In our great cities "drowning the sham rock" was a leading feature of the St Patrick's banquet In New York City the parade was suffered to block the principal thoroughfares. Interrupt busl nesa and delay transportation. Mayor Hall, of New York, In those days dressed himself In green velvet and re viewed the great parade, which was, of course, as noisy and riotous as possible, But th'e Increase of humane manners has changed all this so completely that In the City of Washington at a St. Pat rick's banquet. If any body '.'drowns the shamrock" today It will be an American Invited guest, for the Irish Catholics of that city are conspicuous for total absti nence and for refusing to engage in the selling of liquor. The same change of manners and hab its Is seen in the manufacturing towns of New England. St Patrick's day Is universally celebrated with a total ab sence of the old-time alcoholic indulg ence. This notable fact is a significant Illustration of the growing refinement of the American people. Excessive hilarity obtained through alcohol on public oc casions Is looked upon with disfavor and is rapidly dying of popular dis usage. The Catholic clergy have done much to discourage the old-time con vlvial celebration of St Patrick's day by urging the leading communicants to surrender it to religious observance and historical celebration of the past and present worth of the Irish people. There is somehing very noble and reflned In keeping green the memory of the great Irish missionary, a memory that is still fragrant of moral and spiritual worth through the lapse of nearly fifteen cen turies. With such a commemoration Christians of all sects and no sect can heartily sympathize, for It Is a tribute to the self-sacrifice and the phllan thropy practiced and enforced at the peril of hk life by St Patrick. All THE GAMBLING 3CAXIA. The rambling mania is said to be at a more acute stage in the various cities of the country than usuaL It has al ways possessed a number of people in every community, but It occasionally develops new phases which bring the vice that it represents for the time being more plainly before the public Now it appears In an epidemic of bank embez zlement, brought on by ventures with the trust funds of depositors, and again In a lottery epidemic, the most com mon form of which finds expression In the church fair and in the "raffle" for a charitable purpose. Though shifting Its form upon occasion, it may well be said that gambling we have always with us. When the mania Is confined to the "fast set," It is scarcely worth while to vex the public spirit with a rehearsal of its acts and antics; but when it ex tends to the employes of business houses the situation becomes alarming. Says the Chicago Tribune: Rons of wealthy parents, fast young fellows. riddv i-lrls and reckless women may gamble at the gamlnr table, at the racetrack or In the poolroom or bucket shop, out. as a ruie, they only injure themselves. They usually s-nmhie from lovo of excitement. But when the employes of business houses, clerks, book keepers, managers or agents, having confi dential relations W1U tne nouse in some cues, ramble because of their desire to get rich quick, they are In a position 10 cann or even rum others. The story of gambling of this type Is the same yesterday, today and forever. Starting out without dishonest intent beyond the desire to make a large sum out of a small one, Its victim Is speed ily lured beyond his depth and defalca tion, debt and dishonor follow by quick or slow stages, but with absolute cer tainty. There is always the Intention to "get even" and return the amount bor rowed without the owner's knowledge or consent, but in very many cases this Intention, born of desperation, is never realized and the victim of the gambling mania in due time reaches the last stage, which is ruin. The matter as touching employes has become so serious that business men and guaranty companies have been aroused to the necessity of placing a double guard upon the risks that they take In reputations. The secretary of one of the largest guaranty companies in the East is quoted by the Journal above named as saying: "The risks these companies run are great and the number of losses grows more frequent. We have been unable to form a satis factory estimate of the actual number of shortages due to gambling, but they are undoubtedly numerous." It is admitted that the matter is a difficult one to deal with, since there are many ways to gamble without resort to a gambling-house, a racetrack or a poolroom, but it is suggested that em ployers could do something toward pro tecting themselves by giving notice that any employe known to engage in gam bling of any description would be sum marily discharged. Transportation com panles have protected themselves to a considerable extent In recent years from disasters caused by drunken employes through a rule which makes drinking while on duty or within a specified time before going on duty cause for dis missal, which will be at once acted upon. This rule has, it is saia, aone more to promote temperance in ten years than all the persuasive effort look ing to that end has been able to accom ollsh in half a century. Men hesitate when called upon to make choice be tween loss of positions and drinking, but the more upright and responsible among them usually decide to let liquor alone and attend to business. Of course this does not apply to men who are the slaves of a habit of half a lifetime, but the system merely rules these out and deals with those who are still able to exercise the virtue of self-control. In this way the irresponsible are weeded out of the ranks. There is, to be sure, a great deal to do yet before railroad trains, steamer lines and the Govern ment transport- service are free from the menace of Irresponsibility through drunken or tippling employes, but all statements agree that a great step in the right direction has been taken. This should encour age employers to apply the same rule to men who gamble, not as a mat ter of philanthropy, but of self-protection. The gambling mania Is said to be on the increase. It is well known that It is not one of those hallucinations that yields to gentle, persuasive treatment The children's cry, the mother's prayer. The weeping wife's complaint- Fall unheeded upon the ears of the man who Is possessed by It Perhaps more practical meana may arrest Its course. Failing in this, such means may at least be of the preventive order. (they mJes one day per week) is a great thing for swelling up statistics, snd the geographical location of Portland. San Francisco and all other ports lying south of the death-haunted region of Cape Flattery prevents participation In this peculiar kind of "foreign com merce." Numerous Alaska steamers, tugboats and even freight scows enter ing from British Columbia waters all aid in swelling the totals to a point far in excess of even San Francisco, but these figures are valueless for compari son unless an explanation accompanies them. The 17S vessels totaling over 328,000 tons and with a carrying capacity in excess of 500,009 tons came to this city from all parts of the world. They brought rich cargoes from Calcutta, Hong Kong, Yokohama, Australia, Lon don, Liverpool, Antwerp, Hamburg, Shields. Newcastle-on'-Tyne, or they came In ballast from Africa, Madagas car, Central and South America, New Zealand, Siberia, Java and other remote qaurters of the globe and loaded out ward for distant porta. Of course, Se attle is not to blame because such a large portion of her foreign commerce comes across a narrow strip of water on ferry steamers or tugboats, but In com paring said commerce with that of her neighbors more care should be exer cised In explaining details, for, In the language of Dogberry, "comparisons are odorous." Reducing the error of the Post-Intelligencer to ratios, it Is apparent that eliminating the tonnage of the steamers Rosalia, Majestic? North Pacific and Malnlander and a few other "Straits fer ries" would cut the totals down about 70 per cent Giving the tonnage which actually came to Portland from foreign ports In the time mentioned, the P.-L will advance Its figures about 500 per cent PROSPERITY X0T A "DEBAUCH." New York Times. The financial writer of the London Times with friendly intent uitars a word of warning concerning what he supposes to be our present tendency toward finan cial dissipation. There is for mm a dark mystery in the large reductions In the the deposits of the Clearing-House banks In the last quarter of 1902. He Infers that In some way this represents not liquida tion of excessive commitments, but trans fers of Indebtedness to European capital ists who stand ready for a handsome con I alderatlon to assume for the time being- "these attempts to put off the evil day when the United States business world will have to own .that it has bitten oft more than It can chew.1 Before proceeding to consider the fur ther counsels of sobriety of our friend across the water we invite his attention to the fact that while it is true, that there has been a considerable loss of de Doslts by the Clearing-House banks there has also been a very large increase in the deposits of the trust companies. tod- ably he had overlooked that fact A great many trust companies have been organized during the past year, and some of tne AX OLD SUPERSTITION LAID New York Evening Post There is no more inevitable supersti tion in American life than the belief that men of high rank at college rarely win the world's prises. It Ismail up with the pale valedictorian, many- feel, when he steps down from the commencement platform, while- the turn of the merry fellows In the lower hilf of the class has only begun. The reasons for a belief so contrary to all experience we shall men tion later; for the moment we must as sure ourselves that It Is contrary to ex perience. Professor Edwin G. Dexter, m an article on "High-Grade Men: in Col lege and Out" in the March Popular Science Monthly, has very clearly proved, for America, whit has been shown over and over again for the English universi tiesthat the prominence of university men in life is more or less in direct ratio to their standing in the class list Professor Belter's method of Investi gation was a very simple one. He took to represent the high-grade men, the Phi Beta Kappa catalogue of 1900. As proof of prominence he accepted the presence of a name in "Who's Who in America," a. satisfactory if by no means perfect cri terion. By taking first the PM neta Kappa men, and next tne total numDer of graduates of a college that have been older companies have Increased their cap- 1 promoted to "Who's Who," It was easy Visitors to the Oregon Historical Soci ety's rooms, who know anything of the early history of Oregon, will approach with reverence the Journal of Rev. Ja son Lee, recently added to the society's collection In the City Hall. What those early years the years of which this Journal, kept Intermittently from 1S34 to 1S38, treats meant to civilization as ex pressed In the slow growth and tardy settlement of the beautiful wilderness kndwn as the Oregon Country Is but faintly expressed In the meager records of the time. Lonely beyond conception. brooded over by Isolation, yet strong In a sublime sense of duty, were the lives of those who went up and down the Willamette Valley and out into the TJmpqua in those far-away years. The Incidents of their lives were seemingly of the barest commonplace, yet to those who are separated from them by nearly three-quarters of a century they have nil the characteristics of a romance. To Oregonlans grown old or who are grow ing old there Is a pathos in the recital of the happenings of those early days, while to younger persons they appeal with all the zest of adventure. The Historical Society Is wise In adding to its resources for information all of tne authentic data of the beginnings of the state which can be secured. INCOMPARABLE COMPARISONS. In an article on the "World's Great Ports," the Seattle Post-Intelligencer a few days ago printed some very remark able statements regarding the commerce of this port After printing the state ment that a Treasury bulletin shows a total of 1.221,890 tons of shipping enter ing Puget Sound during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, the Post-Intelll- gencer continues: Portland. Or., has made some pretensions to be considered & seaport, and has frequently challenged comparison with the cities of Puget Sound, as to the volume of commerce trans acted through the several porta. The figures of tonnage which entered at the custom-house of Puget Sound for the last fiscal year ore given above. The entries at the port of Willamette for the same period were 66, Ml tons. From the above the reader unfamiliar with the facts in the case will gain the Impression that the entire foreign com merce of Portland for the period men tioned was 66 541 tons. Here are the facts: During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, there entered at Port land from foreign ports 176 vessels of a total net register of 328,005 tons. Some of these vessels entered direct from for elgn ports at Astoria, and proceeded un der a coastwise permit to Portland, Just as large numbers of vessels on Puget Sound enter at Port Townsend and pro ceed coastwise to Seattle, Tacoma, Ev erett and a dozen other ports. Every one of these vessels, however, came to Portland from a foreign port and dis charged and loaded in this city. Now as to the phenomenally large fig ures on the tonnage entering on Puget Sound. There are four good-adzed steam ers making daily round trips between the Puget Sound cities and Vancouver and Victoria, B. C. The tonnage of this fleet multiplied about 300 times per year Mr Dresser, recommended, ior- tne Oregon City Land Office, is none other than the man who came to Hon. H. w. Corbett two years ago, then unknown to Mr. Corbett, voluntarily tendered his support to Mr. Corbett for the united States Senate rshlp, and solicited air. Corbett's assistance to be placed on the Republican ticket for Joint Representa tive of Multnomah and Clackamas Counties in the Legislature. Mr. Cor bett did what he could for him as re- auested. and then Dresser, being elect ed, went up to Salem and voted against Mr. Corbett from first to last. His ap Dointment to the Oregon City place may come as the reward for that unique proceeding; but It will not go much farther than that in the way of recom mending Mr. Dresser to men of their word, or promising fidelity in his offl clal duties. The pope Is about 93, and his great aire might be quoted as due to his saintly life and serene devotion to otner than worldly pursuits, but here is ex Congressman Martin L Townsend, of Troy. N. Y., an active politician and able lawyer all his days, dead at 93 of oneumonla. There have been many long-lived sinners and a good many short-lived saints. Aaron Burr lived to be over SO. while Bishop Phillips Brooks, a giant In physique, a celibate and a saint if there ever was one, oiea wnen but a little past 57 years of age. hoc Governor Holbrook, of Vermont "war Governor." celebrated his 90th birthday recently after an active life of worldly pursuits. Practical and public-spirited Is the movement among farmers of Eastern Multnomah for a berry exhibit at the Le-wis and Clark Fair. Hood River, Walla Walla, several counties In the Willamette Valley, Clark County, across the Columbia, and Rogue River Valley will naturally Join. Money prizes ought to be put out by the Fair management to compensate growers for tneir laDor. With this Incentive the "Oregon Coun try" can make such a show that some twentieth century Isaax vvauon may truthfully write down that the creator of strawberries chose the Pacific Nortn west as his specially favored district for the finest berry In the world. Miss Emma Kellogg, of Colorado, wants to be a game warden In that state. Her petition for appointment Is backed by the statement that she skilled In woodcraft, has successfully hunted mountain Hon, deer and elk, and crowning achievement that she once lassoed a young bear and took It home alive. She should be called upon to prove that she did not hunt deer and elk out of season, ana -that sne aia not sell her luckless captive to a faker to aid in advertising a patent medicine, or to a saloonkeeper to be trained as an attraction for his saloon through the cruel devices by which such training Is accomplished. General James W. McMlllen, a Union soldier of Kentucky birth, who died re cently at Washington, aged 77, com manded a brigade of the Nineteenth Army Corps at Cedar Creek so ably that General Sheridan gave him the credit of being the first to break Early's line In the final assault He was also a veteran of the Mexican War, and was a grandson of Colonel James McMlllen, who served on Washington's staff In the Revolutionary War. ltal. The trust companies have become very active competitors of the National and state banks. They offer attractive rates of interest upon current balances. The deposits of the New York City trust companies on January 1 reached tne ag gregate of $523,737,851. They held within, about $100,000,000 as much as the Clear-Ing-House banks. Nevertheless it is perfectly true that we have called upon European capitalists and are still successfully calling upon them to aid us in the task for which our Lon don friend assumes that our masticatory apparatus Is Inadequate. It is not at all bad sign that we are borrowing- money In Europe. It means that we have a se for it a use which we believe to og profitable. Naturally our foreign creditor also believes it to be profitable, or he would Indicate his reluctance to lend by charging a higher Interest rate than now prevails. We use foreign capital Because, great as Is our wealth, the extraordinary volume of business now being done here transcends the limits of our own financial resources. In comoarlnc our departure from the nath of financial soberness to the wild habits of exuberant youth, our foreign critic, we think, has stumbled Into the nitfall of a false analogy. But here are his warning words: No country can show contempt for sound business rules with impunity, and the im punity apparently enjoyed by the- United States for the disregard of tne laws oi eco nomics, which Is a consequence of tnat coun try's comparative youth, merely amounts to delay in the day of reckoning for each occa sion of economic debauch. The Idea which possesses the mind of this writer Is plainly that of excessive speculation. He evidently imagines that we are In the midst of one of those pe riods of frenzied financial gambling which oftentimes follow upon the excessive In fiation of a Nation's currency. The fact that our currency is not at the moment Inflated, that it Is Indeed insufficient for our Dresent needs, and that we" should very gladly and might with entire pru dence Increase it by 5100,000,000 it our cur rency laws permitted should have put the London Times writer on his guard against the alluring simile of the disslpa tions of youth. The "economic dobauth" into wnicn we have plunged is -mainly an attempt to make tho facilities for our business more nearly adequate to Its volume. It Is per fectly true that there Is a very great volume of new bonds In the market which, have not yet passed from the hands of the underwriters Into tne hands or in vestors. In a great part they are tne bonds of railroads requiring money to en large their terminals, lay more tracks and add to their rolling stock equipment, unis Is nreclsely such an investment as manufacturer makes when he discovers that his olant must be enlarged to enable him to keep up with his1 orders. Our commodities on their way to tne sea board for export have been beyond all precedent delayed in transportation through the inability ot tne rauroaas to furnish cars and locomotives or through such freight blockades as that which nearly paralyzed the traffic of the Penn sylvania Railroad at fittsDurg. xne Pennsylvania road Itself Is preparing to spend more than $100,WO,OQO m adding to Its facilities, This use of capital by the railroads In betterinsr and enlarging their facilities Is Justified by every law of buslnees. It is no more a debauch, than the eating of a beefsteak Is a debauch when the consumer of It Is a hungry workingman employing his muscles In productive labor. Tfie ran roads are not merely repairing waste; they are bringing up to the capacity which business now calls for systems that have not been materially enlarged for a dozen years or more. To say that their expenditures are not warranted is to say that this country Is going alto jrether to the dogs. Even our conserva tive Encllsh friends do not expect to see our productiveness seriously curtailed, our prosperity altogether destroyed, uno gross earnings of our railroads for tho calendar year 1902 reached tne immense total of $i,52S,344,997, an increase of $52,- 000.000 over the preceding year. Notwitn standmsr the general increase or. wages, notwithstanding the falling off due to the anthracite coal strike and to the crop shortage of the preceding year, the net railroad earnings of the country for 1902 were $459,679,407. This shows an appar ent decrease of $3,000,000 in net earnings as compared with the preceding year, but it Is the Judgment of the Financial Chron icle, which has collated these statistics, that on complete returns this apparent decrease would be converted Into a small gain of probably $2,000,000. It Is from such figures that we come to understand upon how solid a basis the present great prosperity of the country rests. Railroad earnings are not specu lative. They reflect with great accuracy the business conditions of the country. At present these conditions are of high prosperity. That they are soon to become conditions of loss, disaster and panic there is no visible reason to believe. The symptom upon which our London friend basis his diagnosis is one due not to eco nomic debauchery, not to speculative kite flying, but to the perfectly well-understood defects of our currency laws. Congress would not give us even the little relief which the Aldrlch bill might have afforded. There was at no time during the recent session a reasonable prospect that it I would pass such a measure as was de manded in the resolution prepared by the committee of the American Bankers' As sociation, "a law Imparting a greater de gree of elasticity to our currency sys tem, making it responsive to tne demands of the business Interests of the country." If the banks were permitted to issue on sound security notes to meet such business demands as those which now exist notes which would be readily withdrawn when they were no longer needed, we should not see the surplus reserve on the point of extinction in the month of March. We should hear less of undistributed bond Is sues and London critics of American in dustry and finance would speak in a cor respondingly more hopeful tone, For their campaign against germs of disease, the new State Board of Health seem to have outlined a common-sense plan. They axe entitled to the hearty support and co-operation of every par ent and teacher in the state. TrslninK the 21 en Behind the Gam Balltmore Sun. If Uncle Sam is to have an efficient Navy as well as a large one, the men behind the guns ought to be thoroughly trained in the use of their weapons. The North At lantlc battleship squadron. It Is stated in Washington dispatches, will be kept at target practice for three months in the Gulf of Mexico prior to its departure on Its European cruise. The ships of the Pacific squadron have been Instructed to begin a systematic course of practice. The commanders ot other warships have been ordered,, to giv gunners every op portunity to improve their marksmanship. It may be taken for granted that the American people will lose no sleep because of the fear that our naval artillerists are deteriorating. to obtain percentages of prominence for a period of. roughly, about 30 years. The results were very striking. Of the total number of college graduates under con sideratlon. (some 13.000). 2.2 per cent were mentioned In "who's wno". aut oi those who graduated in the first tenth of their class. 5.4 per cent; m tne sec ond tenth, 2.9; In the third tentn. 2.5; while beneath the third tenia me. per centage sinks well below the average. In other words: Th Phi TWx. KftDDi man's chances of suc cess are nearly threa times those of Ms class mates as a whole: the upper stratum ot col lege life Is the upper stratum stUl when put to the test, and, to borrow runner noai uie nnrnmriMture of tha eeologist. the cataclysm of graduation does not produce a subversion of strata. Some of tha statistics for Individual rnlieer? are of Interest Harvard shows 12.5 per cent of prominence among her Phi Beta Kappa men. as against per Hvinsr craduates. No other institution makes so favorable showing for her honor men, though Bow- doln with 10 to 2.2 and Williams witn .o to 2.8 still emnhasize the distinction. while Columbia., with the percentages 6.7 for her Phi Beta Kappa men and only .OS for her trraduates. generally, is an an nmnlnna case. Onlv a CTOUD Ot small colleges comes to the rescue of the old theorv thit Dromlnencc. line trutn in her well, must be sought at the bottom of the class list Hamilton, liODari, jven- von. .Marietta and aiiacueDury an imvc a greater percentage or prominence amone- their llvlnjr graduates than am ong their Phi Beta Kappa men. But since all these colleges, except one, have exceptionally high percentages or prom inence, the statistics are quite as much an argument in favor of the small col lege as against membership in that staid brotherhood. It is not difficult finally, to see bow the superstition that the dullards or ne'er-do-weels of a class come out best in the long run a theory often support ed by the venerated names of Grant and Beeches got its currency. Old graduates are noticeably reticent as to their aca demic triumphs: they soon forget to wear their Phi Beta Kappa keys or other insignia of scholastic well-doing. Time alone works a curious change with the soberest of them. Young Thomas who Is leading the Junior class In college today assiduously apologizes for the fact and Dlaues himself upon a reputation as a snort But young Thomas is nothing to Thomas senior, who delivered the vale dictory oration in 1S6S. Let Thomas sen ior In his capacity of old and prominent graduate revisit his Alma Mater of commencement season, and associate again with undergraduates and their fear fully admiring parents. Will his talfc be of his medal In natural philosophy, of his numerous prizes in all the sciences and arts of the 60s? Alas, he will appro priate to himself all the irregularities he ever saw or heard or as an under graduate; will tell how he wlgged tho professors, elevated a cow to the library roof, or introduced a goat Into the chapel. And those who hear and believe him will say, "There's a sad dog; none of your greasy grinds, and see how well he has turned out" Hence, In part, an amiable superstition which Professor Dexter's trenchant article will not avail wholly to destroy. A Queer Congressional Blander. Philadelphia Bulletin. What seems to be an Instance of gross carelessness In connection with Important legislation te revealed by the discovery that 'the new immigration law has been framed eo that it applies to all territory BUbJect to the Jurisdiction of tho United States, as well as to the country ltseir. The executive officials of the Govern ment Including Secretary Shaw, whose ad vice was asked in regard to the new act are said to have been ignorant of the clause bringing the Philippines. Hawaii and Porto "Rico within the scope of its operations. As conditions within each of these insular possessions differ widely from those prevailing in the United States, It is evident that its strict enforcement Is likely to be difficult and that it may work much hardship. There seems to be no reason for sup- Dosing that Congress knew what it waa doing when it made the provisions of the law so sweeping. The country has often been assured that the committees having measures of moment in their charge scru tinized them with such painstaking care that exhaustive debate upon them was unnecessary. In this Instance, at least this theory Is apparently disproved. The blunder may be rectified at the next session of Congress, but that does not alter the fact that it may cause a good deal of Inconvenience and poeslbly in justice In the meantime. St. Loal aad Portland Expoaltions. The New West Trade (Spokane). The St Louis Fair, commemorating the Louisiana purchase, will undoubted ly be the greatest and most successful world's fair ever held. Moreover, tne St Louis Fair will call especial attention to all that great expanse of our country lying this side of the Mississippi itiver. . The Portland uentenniai, wnue much les3 pretentious, is nevertheless of verv great imnortance to this state. The Portland Exposition s sure to do tne biggest affair of the kind ever held west of the Rockies. As many or tne peopie who will visit the Portland Fair will traverse this state, either going or com ing, or perhaps both, Washington, if creditably represented, should gain as much, if not more, from the exposition than Oregon herself. The action of certain Seattle newspa pers in attacking a worthy Portland en terprise, solely because of petty Jealous ies, is not entirely unwarranted Dut nar row and contemptible. The people of this state should, and will, go In and help for all they are worth to make the Port land Fair a success. Why Sailors Are Scarce. Philadelphia Record. In existing conditions it Is much easier to set afloat enormous sea monsters than it la to obtain the necessary quotas of f disciplined seamen for the naval service. When intelligent and spirited American youths see that there is no prospect of promotion In the Navy sava for a select few they prefer the merchant marine, in which there is no bar to their advancement NOTE AND COMMENT. A St Johns youth suggests that the street railway company reiasnion its car seats or supply a section of adhesive plaster with each transfer ticket St Louis expects to have a 5o.000.0C0 midway, but it Is to be "strictly moral." St. Louis might as well save Its money. If that's the game It proposes to work on this confiding Republic. Everybody knows the sailor boirding- house runners would not be so cruel as to leave an innocent confiding fellow creature aboard a. foreign-bound ship about to sail, and especially after pocket ing tho advance money purchased by "their fellow's innocence. Sailor board ing-house runners are our only purely benevolent Institutions. The Postmaster at Keoka, Island or Maue, Hawaii, has resigned, and tne Fourth Assistant Postmaster-General so far has been unable to find any one who will take the place. The salary is $2 a year. Tne retiring omcia uavia jB.upuu- koakimohkeweonah, is a lineal descend ant ot tho great King Kalltapokamikoki weatoha, who. according to tradition was very fond of missionaries," and partook of a very good many. There' many a. color out today; , Tes. many a one, I ween. But the color that predominates Is good- old shamrock green. There's a bit of green on the street-car man. And on tho schoolboy s breast. And even the man. who carries mall Is decked o,ut with the rest. That beautiful badge of Ireland Can everywhere be seen. And It's mighty glad I am to ba A-wearing of the- green. A short time ago Senator Foraker, of Ohio, waa asked by a gentleman Interest ed in a Methodist convention to go on to that state from Washington and help or ganize the convention in the interests ot a certain candidate for bishop. "Oh, no, replied Senator Foraker. "I guess I'll keep out of that. When It comes to Re publican politics and Methodist politics the Methodist politicians leave tho Re publican politicians a mile from the start ing point." It has recently come to light that the framework of the new elevator In the White House is made from wood taken from the historic Old South Church at Boston. A few years ago tne trustees oi the church decided to replace the roof, which had covered the church for 170 years, with one that was entirely safe. Steel trusses were substituted for tho old English oak beams, which had become as hard as iron during their years of serv ice. These beams have been carefully stored in Worcester, and enough were secured for the White House elevator. In the directory or tne j?'irty-eignui Congress, Just out Senator J. Frank Al lee, of Delaware, describes himself as president of the Bay State Gas Com pany," thus announcing his Identification with Addlcks. Mr. Hey burn tne new Idaho Senator, is described as "not af fected by the silver craze of 1896." Rep resentative Ames, of Massachusetts, is probably the only member of Congress who gives the name of his grandfather (Benjamin F. Butler), and also that or his father (Adelbert F. Ames). The new Senator from Utah, in a six-line sketch, takes pains to say that he was "married September 17, 1S84, to Alpha M. Eldrldge." He thus makes the attack of the Utah remonstrants an endeavor to "correst the record." Qnees 1,11's Generous Sole. Washington Post The Senate has arranged that Mrs. Dom lnls is to have her $200,000 personally and that it is not to filter through the hands of an agent This will be sure to disap point some of those who have been work ing so zealously for the poor, wronged woman. A tall and athletic looking man, sun tanned and wearing a sombrero, sidled up to the Senate doorkeeper recently and said: "I want to see Senator Quay?" The doorkeeper, rather Impressed with the tall man's appearance, stammered: "The Senate Is very busy now, and I'm afraid the Senator can't como out and talk to you." I don't want to talk to him. I only want to see the noble features of the man who has been fighting for statehood. I'm from Arizona." He was shown into the gallery by a page, who pointed out the Pennsylvania statesman. The Arizona man gazed long and earnestly. Then he said sadly to the page: 'Son, I wish I hadn't come to see mm. He don't impress me none." The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser Is not so far from New York that It has failed to take notice of a certain foreign er who has been getting undue attentlo in the metropolis, concerning whom and which It submits the following trenchant comment: cs-nm all account that alleged Count de Montesquieu, now doing the people of New Tork. Is tha very last possibility In the way of an ass. Nothing like him has ever messed the asmosphere of Gotham, so tar as we nave kept up with the records. -And yet. In all prob ability, some American girl, with money and sense la the ratio of 10 to 1, will buy him. We have not learned his price, hut suppose he Is on the bargain counter. llKO many ouiei torpien noblemen, and can bo had for about 39 cents. If the girl has plenty of cash. Then in a year or two ane win wonaer way uei parents didn't have her locked up In a lunatic asylum before sne coma matta a. uui ui uci self. Such things as this Count possess at tractions fqr certain female minds, and they naturally come together like a donkey and a bunch of thistles. PLEASANTRIES OF PAIUGRAPHERS "Does George stay late when he calls?" v., he does." "Poor fellow! I suppose hs falls asleep." Cleveland Plain Dealer. nniivw-Wheat nleasure have you given up during Lent as a penance? Polly Iet me see! I've given up thinking about giving things up. Baltimore Herald. Laura Tou have met the two Johnsons. What do you think of them? Maude Well, the one Is terribly simple and the other U simply terrible. Brooklyn Life. "Mr. Tiffin is awfully attentive to that rich old maiden aunt of his. Haven't you noticed It?" "Tes; he believes people can be killed by kindness." Town and Country. First Boy My father's going to have a horseless carriage. Second Ditto Huh! That's nothing. We've had a coalless furnace al our house all Winter. Boston Transcript. Tess Oh. yes. I feel pretty sure of him. J rejected him when he proposed first becaus I was positive he'd try again. Jess And you were right. He did try again, and I accepted him. Philadelphia Press. V Hundtswlll It seems that In all railroad ac cidents the first and last can are always th ones that are Injured. O'Kourke Shure, an' I wonder why they don't lave thlm two cars off the thraln entolrely. OKrolt Free Press. "Might I hope that If I asked you to marry me the answer would be favorable?" "Might I hope that If I said yea to your question yoc would really and truly ask me to marry you?" "Jane., be mine!" "I'm yours." Cleveland Plain Dealer. "The longer I live." sighed the sage, "and the more I learn, the more firmly am I con vinced that I know absolutely nothing!" "1 could have told you that 25 years ago," said his wife, "but I knew it would be of no use." Chicago Tribune. Wife What Is the meaning of this word "altruism" here in the paper? Husband 1 don't know, unless It Is some new kind oi breakfast food. Wife What makes you think It is breakfast food? Husband About every thing is, you know. Boston Transcript. "I think the great trouble with the Americas people." said the young man as he took th girl around the corner to the restaurant aftex the play. "Is that they eat too much." "Da you?" she answered. "Let me see! Ah, her It Is. I can lend you & dollar If you're short." Chicago Record-Herald.