Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1907)
8 THE MORXESli OKJ2GOXIAX, FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1907. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. CTINVAKIABLT IN ADVAKCE.TI (Br Mil lilT. Eundt, Included, an, ve&r $8.00 lly. Sunday Included, tlx month!.... 25 )al)y. EundaT Included. thrM months.. 2.25 Daily, Sunday Included, ona month..).. -75 Bally, without Sunday, one year 6 00 Dally, without Eunday, ll months 3.25 Bally, without Eunday. three month.. 1-75 Dally, without Sunday, one month 0 Sunday, one year - 2 M Weekly, one year (Issued Thursday)... l-oO Sunday and Weekly, one year I 50 BY CARRIES. Dally. Sunday Included, one year 2 Dally, Sunday included, one month 5 HOW TO RUM IT Send postottice money order, express order or personal check, on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give postottice aa ress In full. Including county and state, POSTAGE BATES. Entered at Portland, Oregon. Postolllco as Kecond-Class Matter. 10 to 14 Pases I oent 16 to 28 Paces 2 cents 0 to 4 Paxes ....8 cents 6 to 60 Paces nt Forelcn portage, double rates. IMPORTANT The postal laws are strict. Newspapers on which postage Is not lully prepaid are not forwarded to destination. EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICE. The. S. C. Beck-wltn. Special Arency Ktw Tork, rooms 43-60 Tribune bullainc. Chi cago, rooms 510-512 Tribune buildlnc. KEPT ON BALE. . . Chlcaa-o Auditorium Annex. Postofflc News Co., 3 78 Dearborn St. Kt. Paul, Minn. N. St. Marie. Commercial Station. Denver Hamilton & Hendrlck. 906-1112 Reventeenth street: Pratt Book Store, 1214 Fifteenth ttreet; H. P. Hansen. S. Klce. Kansas City, Mo. Rlcksecker Cigar Co., Ninth and Walnut; Sosland Kews Co. Minneapolis M. J. Kavanaugh, 60 South Third; Eagle News Co.. corner Tenth and Eleventh; Toma News Co. Cleveland, O. James Pushaw, SOT Su perior street. Washington, D. C. Bbbltt House, Penn sylvania avenue. Philadelphia, Pa. Ryan's Theater Ticket office; Kemble, A. P., 3735 Lancaster ave nue: Penn News Co. New York City L.. Jones A Co.. Astor House: Broadway Theater News Stand. Buffalo, N. Y. Walter Freer. Oakland, Cal. W. H. Johnson, Four teenth and Frar.klln streets; N. Wheatley; Oakland News Stand; Hale News Co. Oiden D. L. Boyle, W. G. Kind, 114 Twenty-fifth street. Omaha Barkalow Bros., Union Station; Magealh Stationery Co. Sacramento, Cal. Sacramento News Co.. 439 K street; Amos News Co. Salt Lake Moon Book A Stationery Co.: Aosenfeld ft Hansen. Los Angeles B. E. Amos, manager seven afreet wagons. San Diego B. E. Amos. long Beach, Cal. B. E. Amos. X'asadena. Cal. A. F. Horning. fanta Barbara, Cal. John Prechet. San Jose, Cal St. James Hotel News Stand. Fort Worth. Tex. F. Robinson. I San Francisco Foster A Orear, Ferry News Stand; Hotel St. Francis News Stnnd; I.. Parent; N. Wheatley; Fairmont Hotel News Stand; Amos News Co. tiolddeld, Nov. Louie Pollln. . Liireke, Cal. Call-Chronicle Agency. Norfolk, Ya. Jamestown Exposition News Stand; Potts A Roeder; Schneider A Kaiser. Pine Beach, Va- W. A. Cosgrove. PORTLAND, FRIDAY, MAY 10, HHT7. I JANUARY. The case of William January has now been finally disposed of. It involves In a way so pitiful and striking the seemingly Inevitable Injustice which attends the administration of the law and the punishment of crime that it presents a fruitful subject for medita tion. In 1895 January was brought into court on a charge of robbing the post office in Stillwater, Okla. The accused being a man without money or influ ential friends, the officers of the Gov ernment found no difficulty in drawing up an Indictment which accurately de- scribed his crime; not being a political 'boss, he was kept in the common jail during the proceedings instead of be ing provided with a special apartment ' and fed on sumptuous fare, like Mr. Ruef; since he was not a millionaire, there was no particular difficulty in selecting a jury to try him; the superior . courts did not interfere with dilatory writs; the lawyers did not bedevil the judge with motions and exceptions. January was promptly convicted. There was no new trial, no series of appeals and reversals, no commission of lunacy. He was sentenced to serve five years 4n the Federal Penitentiary at Leaven worth, and. strange and unusual as it may appear, he was actually incarcer ated and remained there for three years. Then he escaped. The constitution of Oregon ordains hat "laws for the punishment of crime shall be founded on the principles of -reformation and not of vindictive jus tice." From this wo can only infer that when a man has been punished onough to reform him he should be punished no more. The three years that January spent in the Federal prison reformed him; at any rate, they .did not prevent his reform, lor after his escape he became an honest, hard working citizen. We hear of him as a quarryinan, a traveling salesman and 'a day laborer In Kansas City, always upright in his conduct, paying his way and harming nobody. Finally he nloughed off his name of January, with Its reminlsconces of dlsgraoe, caJled himself Anderson, married a wife and went Into the restaurant business. His wife was morally in the case of an Innocent purchaser of railroad securi ties. She knew nothing of her hus band's previous wrongdoing. In per fect confidence and innocence she In vested in htm her youth, her woman hood and her hopes of earthly happi ness. But In the eye of the law these things are of small account. When Carl Schurx was Secretary of the In terior he caused suit to be brought against the Union Pacific Railroad for stealing Government land. The Su preme Court of the United States quashed the suit on the ground that it "-would Inflict hardshJp upon Innocent purchasers of the stolen land. Neither "the Supreme Court nor any other court could exte-nd such charity to January's wife when he Vas rearrested, for she riad only invested a heart and a human - soul, which are of trifling consequence compared! with cash. One day, after Ills daughter was born, two detectives recognized him as an escaped convict tnd he was haled back to prison. For what purpose? To reform him? He was already reformed. To vindicate she majesty of the law? What majesty iis there Jn breaking up a poor man's ''family and wreaking lifelong disgrace upon his wife and child? The transac tion may have been unavoidable. Let " us admit that It was. But it was cruel beyond all words, and. examined In the flight of reason, it was the act of mad men. Our stricter jurists exclaim against the "higher law" which is now and then Invoked to free a man from the ,lron injustice of written statutes. Were There no higher law inscribed on the hearts of men instead of in the pages of dusty volumes, sad Indeed would be the grist ground by our mills of justice. Forty thousand of January's neighbors united In a petition for his pardon. The petition slipped safely ; through the pitfalls of one department and another ana came at last to jvir. Charles Bonaparte. Attorney-General of the United States, for final disposal. Mr. Bonaparte sends January back to prison, first, to punish him for escaping-; second, to Induce him to lead "an orderly, law-abiding life"; third, "to, show clearly that as a matter of strict right he still belongs" in prison. He thinks that by July 19 all these ends will have been accomplished, and he therefore asks the President to par don January at that-time.. When Mr. Folk sought to punish the St. Louis grafters It was discovered that the statute of limitations potected almost every one of them. It is also believed by some . lawyers that the statute of limitations will protect the sales of land In Oregon by the Southern Pacific Railroad in violation of the terms of its .grant. January escaped from prison some ten years ago. Granting the impossible proposition that it was a crime for him to escape, is it cot almost time ,for the statute of limita tions to apply? If January were a railroad company, would Mr. Bona parte dream of punishing him for an act committed ten years ago? January does not need more impris onment to induce him "to lead an or derly, law-abiding life." He has been leading such a life for many years. If the imprisonment has any effect upon his disposition it will be to em bitter him. Unless he is a man of ex traordinarily Judicial temperament, he will emerge from this senseless incar ceration enraged at the blind Injustice which tears him from his wife and child and blackens their lives for no good reason. As a "matter of strict right," January does not belong in prison, and in saying that he does Mr. Bonaparte outrages the common sense of the world. He shows himself an Inconsiderate devotee of form while he disregards the soul and spirit of justice. It is a matter of strict legal ity that sends January back to prison. Right and justice have nothing to do with It. It Is the duty of those who hold the pardoning power to disregard legality for the sake of equity. Mr. Bonaparte, with light mind and facile scorn of his humbler fellow-citizens, has set aside equity for the sake of the letter of the law. A CASE FOR RESIGNATION. For a boss who has retired perma nently from politics, Mr. Cox. of Cin cinnati, seems to be playing rather a prominent part in Ohio affairs. Mr. Foraker's deference to him is truly phenomenal. "None will support Sec retary Taft more cordially than I," the Senator meekly observes, if the people approve what Boss Cox recommends. But if the people do not approve what Cox recommends, then what? It Is among the possibilities that the people of Ohio have grown tired pi following Mr. Cox's recommendations. They may take matters Into their own hands and throw the state Republi can delegation to Mr. Taft on terms entirely different from those which the Cincinnati man suggests. His very smooth plan is to allay the existing irritation between Taft and Foraker. He sees that Ohio's preference for the former as a Presidential candidate is now a foregone conclusion, and he in tervenes to save Foraker's Senatorial bark from utter wreck; The most Foraker can hope for now, after all his pretentious attacks upon the President and Mr. Taft, Is to return to the Senate. And that hope Is none too secure. If Taft's friends will unite in propping up his falling fortunes he will climb Into the bandwagon; other wise he will stay out. It does not seem to have occurred to Mr. Foraker and his ardent friend Cox that the band wagon may move along very well with out them. It may even be true that their presence upon the vehicle would be a hindrance instead of a help. Mr. Foraker has served a long time in the Senate, with great advantage to him self and with little advantage to the public. His loss from that distin guished chamber would be deeply de plored by the interests he serves, but it is incredible that the people of Ohio should regret it seriously. Certainly the Nation at large would not mourn over his absence. One can contemplate the permanent retirement of Cox in deed as well as word with deep resig nation, and if Foraker should go with him into the shades of private 'life who would weep? STRIPES FOR CONVICTS. Washington has followed the exam ple of Oregon in discontinuing the use of stripes for convicts of the less vicious class. The plan is yet In the experimental stage, but is in line with the tendency of the times, which is to make punishment less disagreeable and less humiliating. Stripes are still to be used for desperate criminals, or those who violate prison rules; but those who are supposed to be susceptible to re formatory Influences are to be clad in uniforms not strikingly different from the clothing worn by ordinary citizens. Thus grades of criminals are estab lished and the distinctions recognized. Good behavior is rewarded by removal of the insignia of crime, and disobedi ence may be punished by enforced re turn to the trtriped clothing. Jn the hands of judicious and honest officials this change in policy may be made effective in improving discipline and in reforming prisoners. To the ddshor.est officers it affords one more opportunity for the display of favorit ism, which is one of the greatest bar riers to reformation. If one prisoner be clad in stripes while another guilty of exactly the same degree of crime wears plain clothing, this distinction having no other reason than that the latter has money, friends or Influence while the former has not, the results will be bad in the extreme. Favor itism cannot be practiced unless the prisoners know It. and. as soon as they see this form of Injustice, they lose whatever respect for law they may have had. The opportunity for unjust discrimination in administering the regulations as to uniforms is the same as in administration of the rules gov erning paroles and the trusty system. The official who wishes to be partial finds it easy to believe that certain prisoners are not such very bad men after all, and the fact that they may have been personal friends of the offi cers prior to conviction, or that they have frlcr.ds who are willing to exert an influence in their behalf, is sup posed not to be a controlling factor in determining the treatment that shall he accorded. Whether outside consid erations do In fact have a bearing in the administration of law and rules Is a question not to be settled by proof, but which each prisoner and officeT settles In his own mind and usually with a very great degree of accuracy. Whether a trusty system, a parole sys tem or a system of distinctive uniforms shall be an asrency for good, therefore, depends chiefly upon the good judg ment and good faith of the officers In charge. There are many who doubt the wisdom, of efforts to make prison life less disagreeable for criminals. In one view of the matter the greater the se verity of punishment the less likely will the offender be to violate other laws and lay himself liable to reincar ceration. Quite likely there are men who can be restrained from criminal acts only by fear of punishment. On the other hand, It Is argued that pun ishment may be made so severe as to deprive a man of all sense of moral obligation and make of him a con firmed enemy of society, whereas he might have been reformed by milder treatment. Records of crime in this country, as compared with the figures from the criminal courts o? other -countries, leave no room for doubt that America has not made a beginning In solving 'the problem of handling the criminal classes. Crime in this country Is not only vastly greater than In Europe, but it is increasing. We have much to learn in the control of criminals, both Inside and outside of prisons. Ef forts to shed light upon this Important problem are to be commended, even though experience may show that new ideas are not the best. BASELESS REASONING. Talking with his friend. Dr. Samuel Johnson, once about the duties of law yers to their clients. Boswell asked the great moralist what he thought of "supporting a cause which you know to be bad." Johnson replied with one of those plausible arguments which show what an eminent lawyer he might have been. Nobody can tell whether a cause is good or bad, he replied, until the judge has determined it. You may think a cause la bad, but the judge may think otherwise; the reasons that convince you may not convince him; hence it is your duty to take every case that comes along and do the best you can for your client, leaving the moral question to the Judge. Like all of Ir. Johnson's more famous sayings, this one has had a great influence upon current notions of morality. It is plausible, but not very plausible, and wholly misleading. No person dare shift the burden of decid ing what it is right or wrong for him to do upon another. The plain man cannot shift It upon the priest, the wife upon her husband nor the lawyer upon the judge. In most cases the judge is no better able to draw conclusions from a train of reasoning than the lawyer himself; he is never better able to decide a question of right and wrong. For Buch questions depend very little upon formal logic and al most entirely upon faith and sentiment. The Justice of a given case In court Is, nine times out of ten, a very simple matter. It requires no difficult logic to discover. It is pate it to everybfdy. When a lawyer is asked to take a oase upon a certain statement of facts, he knows at once whether he is required to support a good cause or a bad one. To say that he does not Is to Indulge In dangerous casuistry. To try to shift the moral responsibility upon a judge or anybody else Is cowardice. Dr. Johnson never hesitated to defend the side which he happened to have chosen with specious logic and violent verbosity. He argued for the wrong and for the right with equal relish; but he never supported a more vicious proposition than the one we have quoted and his reasoning was never more baseless. IN SAN FRANCISCO. The initial Issue between the carmen's union of San Francisco and the United Railroads Company was over a single cent an hour. Other causes -of disa greement were composed. A cent isn't much, but it would have meant an average of about 10 cents a day to the employes and several hundred dollars to the company. In the present .situ ation the original difference has disap peared and the old contention as to recognition of the union has taken Its place. Very likely now, If President Calhoun would concede the demands of the union for exclusive employment of Its member, they would waive entirely the question of increased wages. It Is likely, also, on the other hand, that if the men would agree to drop fur ther question of advanced wages for a stipulated time, say for one or two years, the railway company would con tinue to recognize the union. It Is deplorable that a conflict so bloody and disastrous should have arisen through a dispute appar ently so trifling. Yet the controversy Is not a mere trivial difference over wages, but It grows out of fundamental conditions in San Francisco and ele mental differences there between em ployer and employe. The city had been exploited by franchise-grabbing corpo rations, working through robbers and grafters In and out of office, until every valuable public privilege It pos sessed had been alienated. Street rail way franchises and telephone fran chises of enormous value were given away for a song through a private ar rangement with a political boss and a pliant Mayor operating through a venal Board of Supervisors. Criminals were permitted to pursue their nefari ous occupations through corrupt ar rangement with the semi-criminal po lice. Restaurants, saloons and propri etors of all sorts of shady establish ments were secretly licensed to conduct their businesses in defiance of law on payment of stipulated sums to the "men higher up.' A prizefighting trust flourished and paid thousands of dol lars annually into the yawning pockets of the hungry official cabal. Contract ors, theater owners, every person who was obliged to ask any sort of favor from the city administration, was bluntly told he could not get it unless he paid the price. He paid. It is small wonder that the deadly poison of a system so utterly corrupt found Its way from the franchise cor porations and their associated traffick ers In vice and privilege Into the camps of the labor unions. Many, or most, of the present Board of Supervisors were elected through the dominant Influence of the labor unions In politics. Boss Ruef attained his bad eminence by his shrewd manipulation of the unions. Mayor Schmltz always pro claimed his allegiance to the unions. This predaceous pair shamefully mis used their official power for their own personal aggrandizement, and grossly betrayed the cause of the men who had done so much for their elevation. It Is not surprising, then, that the union men of San Francisco are extremely hostile not only to the men who sold them out, but to the men who bought their betrayers. They observe that great fortunes have been made and ex pended in the traffic of privileges that belonged to the public. They think that the street railway company and the telephone company are able to pay them a liberal wage, and they make demands for higher pay and endeavor to enforce them by violence and blood shed. The murderous methods of the men. or some of them, can in no sense be Justified any more than the original crimes of the street railway company against the public can be excused or de fended. Yet the street railway com pany Is entitled to employ whom it pleases and to adopt every lawful method to operate its cars. The leaders of the mobs should be summarily dealt with. The men have a right to strike, but they have no right to prevent by force the employment of others to take their places. It is well to remember, withal, the circumstances that have brought about this frenzied and de plorable situation. The earthquake and fire in San Fran cisco occurred on April 18, 1906, more than a year ago. It was a dreadful calamity. Yet It seems to The Orego nian that the crisis through which San Francisco is today passing Is quite as grave, or even more grave. On the outcome of these labor disputes rests the future of the city. There has been a systematic and successful effort at civic regeneration there, backed by men of wealth and Influence. Much has been done. Yet the result has been probably to place the corporations at a disadvantage in the contest with the unions. The street railway monopoly realizes that it is a struggle for life. So do the men. The unfortunate con sequence is, however, that the struggle involves the whole welfare of San Francisco, and, unless there shall be a peaceful and reasonable conclusion of the contest, the outlook for San Fran cisco will be gloomy indeed. If the committee on conciliation appointed by the Mayor shall be able to effect a har monious and lasting agreement be tween the men and their employers, they will be the salvation of San Fran cisco. But if they shall not. It Is not difficult to foresee a calamitous future for the unhappy city. When California strawberries sell in Portland at less than cost, because over-ripe, Oregon growers of fruits of various kinds can understand why some of their own fruit sold in other markets at such a price as would not cover freight charges. Btit this will not 'be accepted as an explanation of the reason for all profitless sales of fresh Oregon fruit. A few years ago It was the practice of Oregon fruitgrow ers to consign their fruit, and It was not uncommon for them to be called upon a few weeks later for freight charges, the commission merchant as suring them that the fruit did not bring enough to pay the .cost of hand ling. Too many experiences of that kind put an end to the consignment of frnit and of all other products. Nowa days the farmer gets his money when he parts with his product. But it is quite, likely that some one along the line must occasionally lose money on Oregon fruit, as on California fruit, be cause it gets over-ripe before going into the hands of the consumer. The family of Millard Fillmore, thir teenth President of the United States has become extinct. Mr. Fillmore was the first president of the National His torical Society, and among his per sonal effects were letters from Web- ter, Clay, Calhoun; Bennett and oth ers which by some oversight were de stroyed after the death of his son. The era of his activities was big with great events, many chronicles of which were contained in this correspondence. Hence its loss is regarded by the his torical society of Buffalo as a misfor tune which it Is trying to mitigate as far as possible by collecting the mis cellaneous writings of Mr. Fillmore for the purpose of preserving them in a printed volume. The women teachers of the schools of New York City bore down upon the Legislature at Albany last month with such effect that the "equal pay for equal work bill" for which they were sponsors passed the Assembly by a vote of 105 to 15. This bill was really a Just measure, though meeting with much opposition from men in the teachers' ranks for what reason It is difficult to conceive, since it did not interfere in the least - with their salaries. Its triumphant passage is further evidence of the truth of the assumption that when Intelligent women In representa tive numbers ask for equal rights financial, educational or political the request will be granted. The great reading-room of the Brit ish Museum is to be closed six months in order to renovate and clean it. The necessity of this precaution from a san itary point of view can be readily imagined. A human hive, swarming with people for many hours a day for years, certainly needs to be rededicated to cleanliness. All will not be done in the interest ' of health and sanitary conditions, however. Tribute will be laid upon the decorative art, a single item of the proposed renovation being the application of 200,000 leaves of gold to the dome. Chief of Police Gritzmacher has pre pared a list of eighteen eligibles for patrolmen. When they put on the uni form, he could do worse than detail them to suppress the cigar store mash ers, so offensive in the shopping dis trict It Is hinted that the Jewelers of Ore gon, who have just completed organi zation, will signalize the event by rais ing the price of diamonds. Is the movement to advance the cost of ne cessities never going to stop? A Chinese Junk is scheduled to sail for Portland from San Francisco. This Is no aftermath of the Lewis and Clark Fair year, when a lot of concession aires' junk was exchanged for coin of the realm. Prompted by a desire to see the Beavers win the Coast championship, we suggest to Manager McCredie that he draft the High School team. By ' all means, let's have a paved roadway to the Oregon coast, with a ten-minute automobile service be tween Portland and Seaside. The domain of honest hand labor has been further Invaded. The Springfield Republican announces the invention of a machine to shuffle cards. For th next four weeks the office of Chairman Thomas, of the Multnomah Democracy, may be considered purely honorary. At this distance It looks as if Brother Taft ought to be felicitated over the situation in his own state. It Is evident from the ballntlns- at Madison that Senator Spooner Is not going to name his successor. Once more is Ohio the storm center of National, politics. DRUG TRUST SURRENDERS Assents to Perpetual Injunction Against Any Combination INDIANAPOLIS. Ind., May 9. The so-called "Drug Trust" was perpetually enjoined today from continuing Its op erations. The Injunction came in the form of a decree of the United states Court. District of Indiana, upon the complaint of the United States Govern ment filed by Joseph B. Keating, Unit ed States District Attorney. The defendants, 93 in number, who are members, officers, directors, agents and attorneys of the National Associa tion of Retail Druggists, the National Wholesale Druggists' Association, Tri partite Proprietors." "Blacklist Manu facturers." Direct Contract Proprietors, Wholesale Contract Proprietors, and Charles C. Baumbaugh are perpetually enjoined from combining and conspir ing to restrain the sale of drugs, fix prices by agreement, blacklist retailers who cut prices or to refuse to sell any retailer on equal terms. All publica tions of blacklists are forbidden and all contracts and agreements covered by the charges are declared void. The direct contract serial number plan is prohibited, as well as the secur ing of the adoption of schedules for the Eale of drugs. Charles C. Baumbaugh was 'charged in the bill of complaint with being en gaged In printing and circulating lists called "blacklists," which contained the names of druggists throughout the country who Bold proprietary articles and medicines at prices less than those which the alleged combination ordered. As charged he would send each month to every retail and wholesale druggist In the United States who belonged to the Association a .list of those accused of cutting prices and as a result of this, these "unaggressive cutters." as they were called, could not buy drugs. It was further charged that those ac cused of cutting prices on proprietary medicines were unable to purchase any kind of drugs from members of the several Associations. All such prac tices are perpetually enjoined. . The decree entered today was dictat ed by the Government attorneys and agreed to by the defendants. With the entering of the decree, the litigation came to an end with a complete vic tory for the Government. The "direct contract proprietors" are enjoined from continuing the direct contract serial plan and from co-operating with other defendants In car rying out such plan. All acts tending to restrict the free purchase of the articles of their manu facture are forbidden. The same prohibitions are ordered against the "wholesale contract pro prietors." and they are further en joined from securing the adoption of schedules for the sale of the artUUes of their manufacture and of other ar ticles In any market. ADMITTED M'CASKEY'S CLAIM Funston Asked to Have Comrade Promoted Ahead of Him. WASHINGTON, May 9. Answering some criticism which , followed the des ignation of Brigadier-General William S. McCaskey to be Major-General, which promotion was made over the head of Brigadier-General Frederick Funston, the senior Brigadier-General, the following statement was issued today at the War Department: "Concerning the recent promotion of General McCaskey, notwithstanding the seniority of General Funston, General Bell, Chief of Staff, said today that prior to General McCaskey's promotion he had personally received a letter from General Funston in which he stated that he had no objection to General McCaskey's pro motion ahead of himself, Decause or General McCaskey's character as a sol dier and his Civil War record, and that he would gladly have made this statement officially were it not for the fact that this would be assuming that the War Department intended to promote him be cause he was the senior Brigadier-General, an assumption he did not care to make, but he desired -the Chief of Staff to know his true sentiments on the sub ject and for that reason wrote personally about the matter." SCHOOL GIRLS LEAVE HOME Two Taconia Lassies Come to Port land and Are Lost. TA(XMA, Wash., May 9. (Special.) Florence Mecham, a 16-year-old High School girl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James G. Mecham, and Phyllis Powell, aged 18. a student of the State Business College, daughter of Mrs. Mlna Powell. are missing from their homes. The girls disappeared last Saturday after leaving their homes, presumably to go to school. As the girls have been companions for some time their parents soon discovered that they had left the city together, and, after investigating for two days, Mr. Me cham found that they had left for Port land on the 4 o'clock train Saturday af ternoon, but so far no trace of the run aways has been found. PICK MEN FOR JAMESTOWN Athletic Meet Is Scheduled in Se attle, for June 22. SEATTLE, Wash.. May 9. (Special.) The Pacific Northwest Association affili ated with the A. A. U. agreed tonight to hold an athletic meet here on June 22 under the auspices of the Seattle Ath letic Club. The affair will really be a tryout to select a team to send to the Jamestown Exposition meet In Septem ber. W. M. Inglls. superintendent of the Seattle Athletic Club: H. W. Kerrigan, of Portland, and A. D. Campbell, of Spo kane, were chosen as a committee to take charge of the selection, entertain ment and handling of the Jamestown group of athletes. Efforts are afoot to secure representation in the June meet here from the Olympic Athletic Club, of San Francisco. If the Californians come they will bring along such men as Par sons, Powell and Plaw. It was decided tonight that college athletes can com pete In P. N. A. meets without Injuring, their standing in either colleges or clubs. Because they believed Seattle men ought to be In charge here. President C. C. Holzel and Secretary A. D. Campbell, both of Spokane, offered to resign, but the association would not permit it. QUEER PLACE FOR STRIKE Employes of Powder Mill Refuse to Work With Nonunlonists. SAN FRANCISCO, May 9 The plant of the Hercules Powder, Company at Pinole was tied up today through the re fusal of the union men to work at the Bide of 11 nonunion machinists who had been Imported by the company to take the places of the machinists who struck for an eight-hour day. Nearly 1000 men are affected by the strike. The boiler-makers' helpers, elec tricians, lead-burners, steam-fitters and other unions called out their members working In the mills and declare they will not return to work until the ma chinists get their eight-hour day. Cement Walks for Hillsboro. . HILLSBORO, Or.. May 9. (Special.) The Olty Council has resolved to pass an ordinance requiring all new sidewalks in the business portion of the town to be made of cement, and this will cover the property on each side of two streets, two blocks in length. They have also voted to spend J'J0"0 In street Improvement. RUSSIANS ARRIVE IN LONDON Socialist Congress at Last Reaches. Place for Meeting. LONDON. May 9. The 180 Russians who left Denmark yesterday for Lon don for the purpose of holding a con gress, after having been refused per mission to do so in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, arrived here tonight. One of the leaders said the party rep resented 200 districts In Russia, and explained that the proper title of the body was the Social Democratic Labor Party. "We are a revolutionary party," said this leader, "but we are not terrorists. We shall meet to consider the con ditions prevailing in Russia and to de vise ways and means of improving and uplifting the working people. We shall direct our tactics accordingly." FLAMING OIL COVERS OCEAN French Fishermen Imagine Cause Is Submarine Volcanoes. L'ORIKNT, France, May 9. The re port brought in here yesterday by the crews of several fishing vessels that what would appear to have been a submarine volcanic eruption had been observed at a point 44 miles southwest of the island of Groth and 0 miles west . of Belle Isle has been Invest igated and it Is now known that the bright flames and smoke arising from the sea came from burning oil, with which the water was entirely covered. The oil came from the British tank steamer Silver Lip. which was de stroyed by an explosion of benzine in her cargo May 1, while In the Bay of Biscay. PEDLAR PALMER MURDERER English Pugilist, Wife and Sister Shriek at Judge's Decision. . LONDON, May 9. A verdict of murder was returned in the Croydon Police Court today against Pedlar Palmer, the Eng lish pugilist, who killed Robert Choat April 24 by beating him while they were returning from the races In a railroad car. When Palmer heard the decision he shrieked and fell down In a faint in the dock. His wife and sister were present in court and also created a scene. They were taken screaming from the room. After the testimony had been taken the prisoner was . formally committed for trial. AGREEMENT ON CONGO MADE Belgian Government Ready to Annex Leopold's Black Domain. BRUSSELS, May 9. All the dlmcilties relative to Belgium's annexation of the Congo Independent State have been over come, according to La Chronlque, which declares today that King Leopold and the government have reached an agree ment whereby the Interests of both the nation and the King are safeguarded, the members of the association are said to be satisfied that Belgium will reap im mense benefits and the danger of for eign competition has been eliminated. UNREST IN INDIA IS GROWING Government Drafts Extra Troops and Forbids Any Meeting. LAHORE, India. May 9. The political unrest here Is assuming graver propor tions. The authorities are drafting troops of all arms, and have Issued a procla mation prohibiting meetings of every kind. A sensation was caused today by the arrest of a prominent lawyer in the Punjab. He was immediately deported to another province. RESTRAINED FROM PICKETING Judge Albert.son Issues Stringent Or der Against Seattle Strikers. SEATTLE. Wash., May 9. (Special.) Striking employes of the Moran Company and the Variety Iron Works, and the members of all unions interested, have been restrained by an order of Judge AI bertson. of the Superior Court, from pick eting or patrolling any of the streets or avenues leading to the property or eitner company; from visiting the homes of any employes with a view of persuading or coercing them to quit the service of either company, or from Intercepting employes In the streets or in other places with the same Intent, or from displaying banners containing any inscription concerning any strike inaugurated against either com pany. Both orders are temporary. They are compelled to show cause May 19 why the order should not be made permanent. PANTAGES ENTERS SPOKANE Secures Building in Heart of City for Vaudeville Theater. SPOKANE, Wash..' May 9. (Spe cial) Alexander Pantages of Seattle, who has vaudeville houses In several roast cities, closed a deal today through E. C. Walker, whereby the Holley-Ma-son building In the heart of Spokane, which recently was sold for 1140.000, will be converted Into a vaudeville theater. A building permit for $27,000 to be expended in necessary alterations has been secured. Mr. Walker says he will be manager of the theater. He has ob tained a 15-year lease on the build ing as Mr. Pantages' agent. The deal Is regarded here as a move to forestall the Orpheum circuit which is negotiating for a site. IN OLD In the Magazine Section of the Sunday Oregonian Greatest Newspaper in the West A REAL OREGON BEAUTY Full-page illustration in colors bound to attract wide ' comment. BROKE ALL RECORDS Two New York . Skyscrapers 21 stories high built in seven months. ' THE GOVERNESS MYSTERY Second of Dr. FurnivaH's in tensely interesting de tective stories. COAL PEDDLER TO MAYOR A very human story of Fred Busse, the new Mayor " of Chicago. THE AIRSHIP PROBLEM England's foremost expert de- clares that America has solved it. ROMANCES OF COPPER Dexter Marshall writes of the great properties devel oped in 20 years. IN SAHARA'S PARIS Frank G. Carpenter tells of Bis kra, with its gambling hell and races. YACHTING IN PORTLAND Full-page illustrations in colors of Summer sports in the harbor. FOR CHILDREN ONLY Five pages of the best pictures and stories anywhere obtainable. ORDER FROM YOUR NEWS DEALER TODAY CAN'T FIND A PROSECUTOR No One Willing to Fill Poisltlon In Wahkiakum County. OLYMP1A. Wash., May 9. (Special.) The County Attorney of Wahkiakum County has resigned and the County Commissioners cannot find an attorney who will accept appointment to the va cancy, according to a letter received by the Attorney-General. Under the laws no one but the County Attorney can bring criminal proceedings, so the criminal courts are blocked in that county until some one can be found to take the office. The Attorney-General suggests that the matter be taken Into the courts and that the Judge take steps to force some attor ney to fill the position. WANTS PAV FOR OVERTIME Kept in Jail Over Sentence, and Now Ue Asks Damages. NORTH YAKIMA. Wash.,' May 9. (Special.) On the application of Attorney W. J. Thompson, of this city. Judge Thomas Brents, of Walla Walla, today signed an order permitting George Finley to bring suit against ex-Warden A. F. Kees. of Walla Walla Penitentiary, and his security, the American Bonding Com pany, of Baltimore, Md., for J13.J76 for false imprisonment for the term of 11 months. An order of court was neces sary to permit the Baltimore company to be brought in as a party to the suit. The action arises through a state of confu sion existing in the penitentiary during Kees" administration. Shortly after the conviction of Finley on the charge of larceny and his sentence to four years In the penitentiary,- a state law was passed which excluded the time served pending a hearing of appeal from the term of sentence. Finley had served nearly five years altogether when the ad ministration of the penitentiary was changed, and the matter referred to the State Department. Finley was released immediately and now claims damages for overtime served. Finley is a colored resident of this city. FARMERS GIVE HIM NO AID Because They Do Not Obey Sheep Dipping Law, Inspector Quits. 1 EUGENE, Or., May 9. (Special:)-. Christie, deputy state stock Inspector for Lane County, has resigned from that position and his resignation has been ac cepted. The dlftlculty of getting the farmers to comply with the new state law in regard to sheep dipping is said to b the cause of this resignation. Deputy Bank Examiner. OLTMPIA, Wash., May . (Special.) A. A. Phillips, of Olympia. pioneer banker and for 25 years Auditor of this county, has been selected as Deputy State Bank Examiner under the new law. He Is a native of Ohio and was a miner in Idaho 4our years in the early '60s. MADRID From the Chicago Inter Ocean.