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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1907)
TIIE MOKJNlMx UKJStiOMAN, SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1907. NO TIE TO ACT LAND REFORM Congress Will Defer Whole Subject to Next Long Session. NEW DEAL TO COME FIRST Garfield Will Succeed Hitchcock and the House Committee Will Be Strengthened Timber and Coal Are Hard Problems , OREGON! AN NEWS BUREAU,' Wash ington, March 1. Lack of time, as much ao anything elne, will prevent any modi fication of the publir land laws thia ses sion of Oonfcress. Thre are other fac tors to be reckoned with, it is true, but the principal obstacle in the way of re form is lack of time. Were this a long, instead of a short sepwiom something could be accomplished along the lines in dicated by the President in his various messages to Congress, but land legislation has been allowed to drag from the very beginning of the present Bession. and the remaining few days are not ample to frame and agree upon bills of such vast importance. Before there can be satisfactory re form of the land laws the complexion of the House committee on public lands will have to be changed. As now constituted, that committee ia not in harmony with the President. It is not a strong commit tee, from any standpoint and te wholly Incompetent to deal with such a vast subject. The President is fully aware of this and has had talks with Speaker Can non and other House leaders, with the . probable ritult that, when the new House j of Representatives is organized next Do- ; cember, the public land committee will be readjusted in a way that will increase : its efficiency and insure action on legis- lation which is demanded by the people of the entire West. i Can Stifle Army Bill ! But there are other obstacles In the way of land legislation this session. A number of Western Senators do not con cur in the views of the President, either in regard to the coal-land laws or the laws permitting the use and development of public timber land. These Senators have it in their power at this late day to stlrte any bhM which does not have their approval. From now until the end of the Hussion little can be accomplished except the perfection and passage of the ap propriation bills. There is no chance whatever for important legislation that has not yet passed either branch of Con gress. Not a Mngle bill proposing an im portant modification in the public land laws has yet passed either the Senate or House. The cause of land-law reform has suffered to a great extent because few men In Congress are enthusiastic on the subject. Some will join the Presi dent whenever the time comes for avtton, but not many are sufficiently in sympathy with the reform ta take the ' Initiative and push through bills that - will so modify the laws as to reduce the opportunities for graft. Hitchcock Aroused Antagonism. One great difficulty about reforming the land laws Is to arrive at a com mon conclusion as to Just what sort of legislation will best serve the purpose sought by the President. Not many Senators and not many Representatives are opposed to reforming the" land laws because of any desire to permit the continuation of graft. It may be that a few are endeavoring, in a quiet way, to protect "interests" which have been enabled to enrich themselves under the existing laws, but in the main that is not the motive that has blocked artlon. It is rather the failure of Western men to compromise their con flicting views. It can not be denied that Secretary Hitchcock has been an obstacle in the path of land-law reform. There was never a Cabinet officer more unpopular with Congress than the present Sec retary of the Interior, and time and again Congress has legislated contrary to his recommendations, largely - be cause his enemies have had the power to thwart his plans. .The Secretary has been a pronounced advocate of the most radical reform in the land laws, and has lost no opportunity to place obstacles in the way of men who have sought to obtain title to parts of the public- domain during the -past three or four years. Lacking in discrimi nation, the Secretary, In order to catch a few thieves, has humiliated thou sands of honest men, and these insults, when reported to Senators and Con gressmen have but added fuel to the flames and made the enemies of the Secretary, the more ' determined to block his reforms. New Secretary, New Committee. When- the next Congress assembles there will be a new Secretary of the In terior, who has not aroused the enmity of Congress and yet who will be an enthusiastic advocate of land " law re form. This very fact will aid materially In bringing Congress around to a reason able view of the situation. Secretary Gartleld is in perfect harmony with the President on public land questions, and will exert his influence to have the rec ommendations of the Public Lrfind Com mission carried out. But his methods are not the method of Mr. Hitchcock; it is not his intention or policy to humiliate every honest entryman in order to de tect a few who are crooks. He is too practical for that, and for this reason will have friends in the Senate and House. , With a new House committee on public lands, a new Secretary of the Interior und a general desire to get together on land law reform, there is some prospect for remedial legislation next session. The next session will be a long one; there will be ample time to consider the va rious bills in connection with the find lngs of the Public Lands Commission and the recommendations of the President, and ample time to readjust the conflicting views of Western men of influence. The reforms may not be as radical as have been recommended by the President, but Ihey will be a great Improvement on the existing law. - Timber Land Problem. How to solve the timber problem is a question that will have to be worked out. Recently the Senate committee on public lands recommended a bill pro posing to reserve every remaining acre M public timber land and provide merely for the sale of the timber at not less than Its Blum page value. There is objec tion to this bill in many - quarters," but. with time and effort, it is probable this abjection can be overcome. Congress real izes that something must be done to put an end to the injustices that are legally committed under the existing law. The Government is now selling its timber at a nominal price, when It might be real izing ten to a hundred times as much. according to the location of Xhe land and quality of the timber. The most practfcal idea yet advanced is the sale of the timber at its stumpage value. Tt may be that the bill will be amended to provide for the sale of the land as well as the timber, but this question has not yet been determined, because the bill has never been brought to a vote. If the land, as well as the timber, is sold,' much of the objection to the pendr ing bill would be : removed, for few men object to a change In the law which will permit the Government to recover some thing like the actual value of the tim ber land disposed of. If, on the other hand, the bill is adopted in its present form. Senator Fulton, of Oregon, and other Western Senators will insist on the retention of the Fulton amendment, re quiring that 25 per cent of the receipts from the sale of timber shall go to the county in which the timber is cut. States Must Hare Taxes. If the Government timber land is sold. It becomes subject to taxation as soon as it passes to private ownership, but, if the title remains in the Government, as proposed by the pending bill, the land will never be subject to taxation, and the counties will be deprived of a certain revenue which would otherwise come to them. There has been some mis understanding of this Fulton amendment. It having been charged in certain quarters that It would operate to relieve lumber companies from the payment of taxes. That is not the purpose at all. It has quite a different effect,- In that it en ables the counties to recover from the purchasers of timber one-fourth of the money, which they pay to the Govern ment, whereas, if this amendment was not adopted, he counties would get neither taxes nor any other compensa tion. The lumber companies would still be subject to taxation under state laws for the lumber which they produce, for the lumber is their product, whereas the land will never be. So It may be set down that the pres ent timber and stone act will ultimately be repealed and that in lieu thereof Con gress will substitute a law providing either for the sale outright of timber land at its appraised value, or for the reservation of public timber land and the sale of only the timber. Coal Land Hard Problem. The coal land problem will be as hard to solve n& the timber problem. There is a wide range of opinion as to the best method of controlling the remaining pub lic land which contains marketable de posits of coal, oil, lignite and gas. The President favors a leasing or royalty plan, but the House public lands committee is opposed to the idea, and the Senate committee is of the same' opinion. While tho next House, .committee may be fa vorable, there is no assurance that the Senate co-nmittee will change its views. But what sort of compromise will be reached is difficult to predict. There is a Ptrong sentiment in favor of amending the coal land law so as to provide for the outright disposal of the land for a fair consideration, but there 5s no small element in Congress that prefers the leasing system. May Kaise Cost to Consumer. The opponents of land law reform, or at least the opponents of radical land re form, point out truly that, if the Gov ernment raise the price of its coal land and Increases the price of its timber land, the price of lumber and of coal will in stantly take a rise on the market and the consumer, or the common people. will pay the difference. These men are looking at this question from the stand point of the entire people, and up to tnis time they have been unable to appreci ate the merits of the pending bills, inas much as they are certain to raise the price of coal and lumber, and thereby increase the pronts of tne coal ana lum ber barons. As pointed out above, both these prob lems are of such vast importance that they cannot be adjusted in a week or a month, and the probabi iities are that, when th3 next Congress opens, the Rep resentatives and Senator from the West will get together, as they did in fram ing the National reclamation law. and agree upon a system of land law reform that will be, mutually satisfactory and ac ceptable alike to the President and to Congress. Naturally any such bill must be a compromise. USUAL PLEA IN DEFENSE STliOTHERS' LAWYERS CRY EMOTIONAL INSANITY. Whole Day Spent in Framing Ques tion for Submission to Expert. - Itebullal Evidence Begins. CULPEPPER. Va., March 1. Com monwealth's Attorney Keith today be gan the presentation of his evidence in rebuttal in Ills attempt to shatter the plea of justification advanced by the defense for James and Philip Strother, on trial here for the murder of William F. Bywaters, their brother- in-law. The defense had called as a witness. Dr. Chelf, one of the physi cians who attended Mrs. Viola By- waters, who was declared by her broth ers to have been the victim of a crim inal operation performed in Washing ton at the instance of Bywaters. Although the names of the witnesses for the rebuttal have not been an nounced, they will be called mainly to-show that when Bywaters married Viola Strother. . he made .full repara tion for the wrong he is alleged by the defense to have done her, and that the shooting was therefore not justified. Dr. C. H. Clark, of St. Elizabeth's Government Asylum for the Insane in Washington, was the first witness called today. Mr. More of the defense submitted a lengthly hypothetical question re citing all the facts of the case as claimed by the defense and concluding by asking the witness how he would characterize the act of homicide com mitted under such circumstances. Mr. Keith objected that the question did not recite all the facts, especially that the defendants were armed and had all along intended to do, under certain conditions, that which they did do. The jury was withdrawn in order that the court might hear arguments upon the admissibility of the question. The effort of the defense to establish emotional insanity as a plea evidently did not surprise the prosecution. At the afternoon .session a hypothet ical question to be put to Dr. Clark was agreed upon. The arguments took up too much time to permit 'the ex amination of the witnesses to proceed today, and court adjourned. THREE SHOT IN RANGE WAR One Man Expected to Die as Result of Encounter on Montana Ranch. HELENA, Mont. ' March 1. A report, has just been received here telling of -the' shooting scrape between ranchmen 30 miles north of Helena. Three were shot, among them being Paul Reiburgh, who was injured In the heart and will probably die. Others whose names are unknown at this time are seriously wounded. Range war is said to be the cause. The Sheriff has gone to the scene, HAUL FINOS Beveridge and McCumber Un popular Senators. TILLMAN SITS ON HOOSIER McCumber's Threat to Speak Causes Adjournment President's Power Over Congress Shown Jews Who Have Been Senators. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, "Wash ington, March L There are two men in the United States Senate who are prac tically without friends and certainly without admirers Senator Beveridge, of Indiana, and Senator McCumber, of North : Dakota. Mr. Beveridge is un popular because he is so domineering and so self-important. Mr. McCumber is disliked because he is a nuisance. Mr. Beveridge holds the record for rapid talking, and Mr. McCumber breaks all records in the other direc tion. Since the statehood bill was packed on ice, Mr. - Beveridge has deemed it a part of his duty to participate in the Important legislation of the Sen ate and he makes a speech on every bill that comes up. Usually he has only a superficial knowledge of the subject under discussion, but he will take issue with the brainiest men in the Senate, even on topics which they have studied for years. Mr. Beveridge has the nerve to question the legal knowledge of such men as Senators Knox and Spooner. Naturally, his con tinual interruptions are annoying to men of acknowledged attainments. Only a few days ago Senator Till man was talking about immigration in the State of Scuth Carolina, Mr. Bev eridge interrupted and, like most men who tackle Mr. Tillman, was "stung." Mr. Tillman told Mr. Beveridge he would like to enlighten him on the South Carolina situation, and the In diana man replied in -sarcastic tones that he was always ready to be en lightened by such a worthy man as Mr. Tillman. "Well." retorted Mr. Tillman, "if you will shut up for a minute I'll shine on you a bit." Cold Snub to McCumber. Mr. McCumber on the same day re ceived as cold a snub as haa ever been dealt to any Senator. The agricultural bill was up and the Senate was dis cussing an amendment to increase the salary of Chief Forester Pinchot. When the subject bad been threshed outa nd was ready for a vote, Mr. Mc Cumber rose and objected, saying, In his peculiar drawl: "There are several Senators who would like to be heard before a vote is taKen." "Does the Senator mean by that that he is going to speak?" asked Senator Proctor, in charge of the bill. "That would be a proper Interpre tation of my meaning," replied Mr. McCumber. "If that is the case, Mr. President said Mr. Proctor in most earnest tones. "I move that the Senate adjourn.". And the Senate, glad of an opportunity to avoid a speecn By Mr. McCumber, promptly adjourned. ' President's Strength Shown. If any one doubts that the President Is as strong with Congress as he was a year ago, he need only observe little Incidents that happen around the Capitol from time to time. The House committee on public lands began a series of hearings early in December on the public coal land problem, . Its intention being to gather information which would enable it to frame a bill for the proper regula tion of the remaining public coal land of the West. Hearings . were held three times a week for upwards of two months, and the committee reached the conclu sion that it would be unwise to hold the coal lands subject only to lease. In fact It ordered a report on a bill pro viding for the outright sale of the re maining coal land at a fixed price per acre. The next day the. President sent in a special message urging the adoption of legislation providing ;for the leasing of coal land: the House committee promptly held a special session, reversed Its opinion reached after the numerous hearings and reported a bill directly in line with the recommendations of the President. This is but another illustration of the power of Theodore - Roosevelt when it comes to framing legislation for the pub lic good. The committee overturned its own judgment, for it feared to place its judgment against that of one man. Sixth Jewish Senator. Simon Guggenheim of Colorado will be the sixth Jew to occupy a seat in the United States Senate. He will not be the only Senator of that race, for Mr. Rayner of Maryland is of that faith and is now In office. The first Jewish Senator was David Yulee of Florida, who served from 140 to 1853. His real name was David Levy, but it was changed before he en tered the Senate. Judah P. Benjamin of Louisiana was the second Jewish Senator. Benjamin F. Jones, another Louislanlan. although not of - Jewish name, was of Jewish blood and was the third on the list. Joseph Simon of Oregon was the fourth, and Mr, Rayner the last up to this time. Contrary to general belief, a Senator is not handicapped because he happens to be a Jew. The Senate does not draw race lines, and some of the Jewish Sen ators have been numbered among the most prominent members of Congress. Mr. Rayner, for instance, stands well in the Senate today and Judah P. Benjamin In his time was a mighty factor in his party and In the Senate. Some Jews in public life have rather sought seclusion and have in consequence left little Im pression on the Senate, but it has been of their own choosing rather than be cause of any discrimination against them on the part of other Senators. Not Bothered by His Boom. : Secretary Taft does not look like a man who Is losing sleep over his presidential boom. During the past few weeks the Secretary of War has been an almost daily visitor at the Capitol, getting about among the committees ana irequentiy dropping in. the Senate or House to watch proceedings and tain witn nis friends.. He is there strictly on business, for the Secretary is deeply Interested in a great deal of legislation now pending and is doing his utmost to get a liberal recognition for his department. Every once in a while some menu win talk with him about his boom, and the Secre tary will laughingly change the subject. He acts at all times like a man who would highly "appreciate .the honor of a nomination, but for all that a man who believes his first duty is to perform the functions of his present office, regardless of the effect It may have upon his po litical future. As a matter of fact, Mr. Taft is not nursing his boom and is not giving it serious consideration. He is de voting his entire time and attention to his work as Secretary of War. The Brownsville investigation by. the IjBeoate committee on military, affairs is THERE'S A McKibbin dealer in the nearest town. Aik him (or The Stsndsrd or Ht Vslue.' about the driest performance now run ning in Washington. All the life has been taken out of the affair since the close of the debates in the open Senate and since the Senate virtually sustained the President in the course he . had taken. The examination by the committee is going over old ground that has been covi ered in great detail In the public prints. and not even the Senators on the com mittee are manifesting any Interest In the Inquiry. As an Indication of the dull ness of the proceedings, it is related that the venerable Senator Pettus. of Ala bama, went sound asleep during a recent session and the next day a reporter sup posed to cover the proceedings for a press association, interrupted the committee by snoring. The committee investigation does not promise to unearth any new facts and Is really nothing more nor less than an imposition ore the Senators who are obliged io aevote tneir time to It. What makes it worse, the inquiry will probably drag out ior several weeks after Congress ad journs, thereby compelling a" number of senators to remain In Washington well into iae Bpnng. . TEHUANTEPEC ISTHMUS. Steady Stream of Freight Now Flow. Ing Both Way, Mexican Herald. The Mexican Isthmus route, lately in augurated under such auspicious circum stances is entering upon its career as a great artery in the transportation chan nels Of the world with a vnliimA rf him. iness surpassing to the layman and living up to the expectations of the men who naa a hand in the creation of the facili ties, the value of which will not be long In becoming known to shippers. Since the first car of freight was sealed by President Diaz and sent across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec there has been a constant movement both ways, sugar from Hawaii brought by the Arizonan going north to Puerto Mexico (Coatza coalcos) nd reshipped aboard the Lewis Luckenbach for Philadelphia and the een eral cargo brought from New York by the latter steamer going south to be carried to American Pacific ports by the Arizo- nan. Neither has' there been delav In the ar rival of other steamers, the Carolvn. from New York, having arrived at Puerto Mexico (Coatzacoalcos) the day follow ing the departure of the inaugural trains, bringing a full cargo for American Pa cific ports. On the Pacific side the Arl- zonan has been followed by the Nebras- kan, a 6000-ton vessel, bringing, sugar from Honolulu. Beside 'the steamers of the American Hawaiian Steamship Company when the Inaugural ceremonies were held In Puerto Mexico, there were In the harbor two other large steamers, the Louisiana, of the Leyland line, and the Dictator, of the Harrison line. Lying in the river also were two' Russian barks of ancient pattern which brought cargoes of coal rrom .England. The schedule of the American-Hawaiian line provides for sailings as follows: New York. Pacific Coast ports and Ha. 1 wallan islands, weelclv. Pacific Coast ports and New York, Pacific Coast ports and Hawaiian Is lands, weekly. Hawaiian islands and New York, every twelve days. The present fleet of the company con sists of the following vessels: Alaskan. 11.000 tons; Arizonan. 11.000 tons: Co lumbian, 11.000 tons; Mexican. 11.000 tons; Texan, 11,000 tons; American. 8000 tons; Callfornian, 8000 tons; Hawaiian 8000 tons; Oregonian, 8000 tons; Isthmian. 6000 tons; Nebraskan, 5000 tons; Nevadan. 6000 tons. In addition to these 9 number of other steamers have been chartered for service on the Atlantic side, until such time as the regular ships of the company, which have been making the trip around South Amer ica, can be placed into the service with out unnecessary inconvenience. But not all the freight destined for transit over the Mexican Isthmus route will be carried on the bottoms controlled by the American-Hawaiian. Ships from all parts of the world will put in at the two great - ports and warehouse facilities have been provided for the storage of freight in case a tramp brings In a cargo When You ie way is to pay leajt, not until it moJja, or bronchitis, or pleurisy. Another -way is to ask your doctor about - Ayers Cherry Pectoral REVISED FORMULA If he says, "The best thing for colds," then take it. Do as he says, anyway. . The new kind contains no alcohol We have no secrets to hide! We pub- . lish the formulas of all our medicines; J. C. AYER CO., Manufacturing Chemists, Lowell, Mats. "1 . I ! r ! ft 1 I ' ' M J I 1 1 I I L - j without provision having been made for immediate reshlpment on the other side of the Isthmus. THE, MONEY WE HAVE. Eight Dollars More a Head Than in the Year 1896. Harper's Weekly. . "Have we enough money?" meaning, of course, as a nation. In 1896 the amount of money in the United states was equivalent to 125.62 a head, while only 121.44 of this was in actual circu lation. That is, the business, pleasure, needs, and extravagances of the coun try had use for about H less than could have been had from the banks and the Treasury. Since then the volume of money has Increased, both in this country and in Europe, and the volume of business also. In the mere matter of coin, the United States is coining annually about 1300,000,300 In gold; Great Britain nearly 60.000,000; Aus tralasia a little more than Great Brit ain; France about $35,000,030; Germany about $25,000,000; and Japan more than $30,000,000. In this country the amount October 1, of (told and silver coins and certificates and of United States and national-bank notes, was $3,148,732,552. Besides the actual money in. the coun try, there were in the banks Individual deposits to the amount of $4,199,938,310. If we add to this amount, against which checks could be v drawn and checks constitute currency as well as national-bank notes we' had ' in the countrv in the Fall of last-year nearly $7,500,000,000, less the $337,000,000 In the Treasury. We .had a per capita circulation of $33.08, or nearly. $S more than the abundant circulation of 1896. The Capture of Santa Anna. "The Mexican War." in the Metropolitan. Early in the action. Santa Anna, seeing his men falling on every aide, had mount ed his horse, crying: "D n these Amer icans; I believe they will shoot us all," and had taken refuge In flight. When the summing up of prisoners came, this "Napoleon of the West" was missing, and Houston remarked to some - of his men. "You will find the Hero of Tamplco, If you find him at all, making his retreat on all fours, and he will be dressed as bad at least as a common soldier." It was even as Houston predicted." Santa Anna was shortly taken, disguised as a rustic, with a skin cap, blue cotton pant Take Cold no attention to it; at develops into- pneu- n p n n YOUR LITTLE GIRL will look very sweet in one of the many Smart frocks shown in the March issue of The Delineator This number shows a large selection of exquisite designs. Get it. You will be sure to find something that will please you ALL BUTTERICK PATTERNS 10 Cents and 15 Cents NONE HIQHER Mrs. Osborn OF NEW YORK Creator of fashions for women of fashion, contributes an illustrated letter to The Delineator every month. Mrs. Osborn is the most renowned individual authority' on matters of dress in all America. Any one who wishes to be in style should read her letter. Buy our Marc h issue of The Delineator now on sale at all news-stands or any Butterick agency or the Butterick Publishing Co., Ltd. Butterick. Building, New Yorc 15 CENTS A COPY ONE DOLLAR A YEAR Wn-MltrU Pmfrrn No. 9916 is eat la afaaa. tmm ikHn M,cmA. Yma cam ft tklm Pwt- iarm tram amy Bottmritk Ajvmcy of mm as m J4I-I42 tUk Avamua. Mchmoml Dlitrld, Sam Frmadaea, Cat 4 DO aloons and a round jacket, but beneath peeped out tbe fine linen shirt, and more obtrusive still and not to be . mistaken, were the manners of "EI Preslderrte." He Proof of Goodness The enormous and ever increasing de mand for Ghirardelli's Ground Choco late is conclusive evidence of inherent goodness. The Ghirardelli process of preparation preserves all the nutritive quality and delicate flavor, and renders it most de licious and satisfying. Ask your grocer for it. Be sure that you get it. Ghirardelli's Ground Chocolate BRO WN-FORMAN CO. DISTILLERS Louisville, Ky, Old Forester Whisky High in Quality and Prico Tucker Whisky Best Value on the Coast Beech Fork Straight Goods EMIL WALDMAN, Representative Care of Archer, Schanz Co., Portland Distributers J. M. CRAIG, Pacific Coast Manager . Through arrangements with Eilers Fiano House The Oregonian is enabled to offer all old or new subscribers to this newspaper a S25.QO VIOLIN Bow, strings, rosin and case included, or a S25.00 PHOINOQRAPH And six records, with a year's subscription to The Daily and Sunday . Oregonian, all for $25.65, on very liberal installments.. FOK.M OF I hereby subscribe for The Daily and Sunday Oregonian for twelve months, for which I will pay on demand 75 cents a month, and I am to receive a $2.V Violin with case complete, or a $25 "Phonograph and six standard ten-inch records (my selection), all for S16.65. I agree to pay 91.65 on delivery of the machine and six records and 60 cents a week on the machine until all pay ments have been paid In full. f In case of failure to comply with the terms of this contract. I agree to return said machine upon demand without legal process. , Signed. ; .'. EILERS PIANO HOUSE F1BK AND WASHINGTON PRIVATK 1, 23 in J 3 6 i El D 0 0 Li was crawling along through the long grass, intent upon saving at any cost a . life which In his eyes was of more value than many Mexican armies. CONTRACT THE OREGONIAN MAIN TOTO room ao