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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1907)
VOL. XXVI.- XO. 14,669. PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1907. PRICE FIVE CENTS. HE CANNOT STOP POPULAR DEMAND Wellman's View of Roosevelt's Words. CAN'T KILL THIRD TERM TALK Latest Declaration Leaves Situation Unchanged. ONLY PEOPLE CAN DECIDE White House Bulletin Powerless Against Popular Movement. Bourne Disappointed, but Will Continue the . Agitation. BY WALTER WELLMAX. WASHINGTON, Dec. 12. (Special.) Taft against the field, with Koosevelt always and ever in the background as a potent, picturesque probability. That is the situation after the President's reiter ation last night of his declaration first made three years ago that he would not again he the candidate. The President has choked the third term talk for a time; he has not killed it. He cannot kill it. We have not heard the last of It. It is six months to the Chicago convention. Many things may happen in that time. Many things are sure to happen. . And among them is the reappearance of the talk of .nominat ing Mr. Roosevelt. It will be' with us again in January and once more in March and April and May and June, at Chicago. Not till some' one is actually nominated will it be at rest. And that some one Is Just as likely to be Theodore Roosevelt as any one else. ' Ghost Cannot Be Laid. The point Is: Let us not deceive our selves into the belief that Roosevelt Is out of it once for all. The ghost Is not laid. It will walk many a 'night yet. We shall have mystery and rumor, state ment and denial, speculation and theory galore, down to the very last minute. And then? No one knows. Let us wait and watch. It implies no disrespect to the Presi dent of the United States to Imagine him smiling to himself as he penned his re iteration of his former statement.' He knew that reiteration would not forever stop the talk. He knew it would settle nothing. He knew the demand for his nomination would spring up again and again. He "knew that no living man can control a- great popular movement like that. This Is not to question the President's sincerity. He is sincere. He does not wish to be nominated again and says so. He aays all he ought to say to stop peo ple from talking about him for another run. But they won't stop, and he knows they won't You can't change human na-J ture by a bulletin from the White House. Stand Just Where We Were. Where do we stand after last night's reiteration? What does the future prom ise? These are the questions all- the statesmen and gossips of the Nation at the capital have been asking today. They do not agree upon the . apswers. They find it a difficult, a complex problem. You can get any sort of Idea or solution you want. But the best opinion seems to be that nothing Is really changed. Two able and well-informed Washington papers, the Post and Herald, this morning point out editorially a salient fact which has ben much In my mind, as follows: People Alone Can Decide. "Mr. Roosevelt cannot take himself out of all consideration for another term. It takes the American people, the Repub lican party, to do that. If the party and the peoplo want Mr. Roosevelt again. they will get him, despite what Mr. Roosevelt himself says." If this view is correct and I think it is we are Just where we were before. Mr. Roosevelt is doing everything he can or almost everything to stop the party nominating him again. It Is for the party to decide In the end. Does It want Roosevelt or does it want another man? It will answer at Chicago, and rhe man It names at Chicago, no matter who he may be, will accept. BOURXK COXTIVUES CAMPAIGN Believes Koosevelt Will Be Conv pelled to Hun Against His Will. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington, Dec. 12. With the exception of Senator Bourne, no member of the Oregon delegation was surprised at the President's reiteration of his electlon nlglit statement, though none expected It to come so soon. Mr. Bourne was both astonished and disheartened, for he felt certain that the President would not again declare himself out wardly. However, the Junior Senator appears as confident as ever that the Roosevelt movement will go forward, and in talking with newspaper men he announces his Intention of redoubling- his efforts to force the nom ination on Mr. Roosevelt. To his friends he says Mr. Roosevelt has made a most serious mistake. The prize essay contest will go ahead as if nothing had happened, and Mr. Bourne will continue along other lines to promote Roosevelt sentiment, ad hering to his opinion that, if the con vention wants Mr. Roosevelt, his per sonal desires will have to be disre garded and he will have to serve. . It is his opinion that Mr. Roosevelt's statement makes Mr. Bryan's nomina tion a certainty, and he Is of the opinion that no Republican other than Mr. Roosevelt can beat Mr. Bryan. Therefore, he argues, the Republican convention will have to nominate Mr. Roosevelt or invite defeat. This opinion is not shared by any other member of the Oregon delegation. While Mr. Bourne's colleagues expect ' Mr. Bryan's nomination by the Democrats, and have looked for it for some time, they believe the Republican party can easily select and nominate a candidate Other than Mr. Roosevelt who can de feat Mr. Bryan with comparative ease. Senator Fulton is still of the opinion that Secretary Taft is the man, and both Representatives Hawley and Ellis regard him highly, though not absolutely com mitted to him. Mr. Fulton, Mr. Hawley and Mr. Ellis X.'-- - W Lawrence O. Murray, Assistant Sec retary of Commerce and Labor, Member of Commission of Inquiry Into Goldneld Strike. severally expressed the opinion today that the President's statement puts a quietus on the third-term movement, and It is their universal opinion that hence forth Mr. Roosevelt can not in any sense be considered a candidate, as he has eliminated himself from the contest. Ytithe same time they admit the Presi dent's popularity and strength, both in Oregon and before the country. It Is the opinion of Mr, Bourne's col leagues that Oregon will not send a dele gation to the convention instructed for Mr. Roosevelt; on the contrary they be lieve the delegation is likely to go un instructed. . , URGING CUMMINS TO RUN Iowa Governor Likely to Enter Race for Presidential Nomination. DES MOINES. Ia., Dec. 12. Governor Cummins was urged today to an nounce himself a candidate for the Re publican Presidential nomination and It is likely that he will do so following a conference of prominent Iowa poli ticians to be called soon to canvas the situation. Governor Cummins to night would not give out a statement, but it Is said by his friends that he is favorably disposed to the programme arranged. "I can make no statement at this time," declared Governor Cummins when asked concerning the publication of President Roosevelt's statement. "I may be able to make a statement of some character soon, butnot now." MADE; MUCH OP IN LONDON 4 ' English Papers Comment on Roose velt's Latest Declaration. LONDON. Dec. 12. President, Roosevelt's- declaration that he would not stand for re-nomination is treated as a momentous matter in the columns of the London papers. The editorials for the large part consider that he has taken a wise decision, on the ground that, although he is th6 most striklnsr personality in the political field at the present moment, the fact that he has alienated powerful supporters by his ann-irust policy, nas made his re-election doubtful. They consider it unlike ly that President Roosevelt's successor would pursue an anti-trust campaign with such vigor. Dinner to Bryan January 15. LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. 12. T. S. Allen chairman of the Democratic State Cen tral Committee, announced today that the dollar dinner in honor of William Jen nings Bryan will be held January 15 in the Auditorium. It will be one of the most largely attended banquets ever held In Nebraska. Distinguished guests from many States are expected. The list of speakers has not been announced. It is expected that Mr. Bryan will de liver an address outjining his position on a number of Issues. PUT-BAN ON SPECULATION Missouri Congressman Proposes New National Bank Law. WASHINGTON, Dec. 12. A bill mak ing it a felony for a National bank or any of its officers to speculate with funds of the bank, and making it a high misdemeanor to borrow from a National bank funds with which to speculate, was introduced today by Representative De-Armond, of Missouri. The extreme penalty provided under the clause is 19 years' imprisonment, and under the misdemeanor clause $1000 fine. A" --7 Alalia Turns Down Delegation. WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 2. After a con ference today between President Roose velt, Senators Perkins and Flint and Representative Knowland, of California, it was announced that the President had taken the position that he could under no circumstances appoint C. E. Thomas, Postmaster of Berkeley, Cal. The appointment of Mr. Thomas has been urged by the Senators and Mr. Knowland. On the recommendation of President Benjamin Ide Wheeler, of the University of California, the President appointed " Clarence S. Merrill tempor arily. ' J. J. HILL SHOWS- HIS TEETH Threat of Bankruptcy to Lumbermen. WOULD LET THEM COOL HEELS Evidence in Rate Case Before " Interstate Board. MANY MILLS SHUT DOWN Oregon Millmen Tell of Blight on Industry Caused by- Advance In Rates Cannot Market Prod uct In the Middle West. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington, Dec. 12. Two Oregon millmen to day testified before the Interstate Com merce Commission that when it was ru mored that the rate on Pacific Coast lumber was to be advanced they saw R. B. Miller, general freight agent of the O. R. & N., and told him the increase would drive them out of Denver; Kan sas City and Chicago territory. Mr. Mil ler Is reported to have replied that the new rates were experimental and, if the trade would stand them, they would be maintained, but if not satisfactory, the rates would . be restored to the old figures. It was his opinion as well as Mr. Harriman's that lumbermen were extremely prosperous, and that their large contracts Justified the raise. - Hill's Threat to Millmen.. Later, when this subject was broached to James J. Hill by the Puget Sound millmen, Mr. Hill lost his temper and retorted that, while many mills had been driven to bankruptcy already, still others would be wiped out before the Commis sion could dispose of this case. "We are going to give you people out there a chance to cool your heels," he declared as he turned away. Mr. Hill, Howard Elliott, J. C. Stubbs. J. M. Hannaford and many other railroad men will be placed! on the stand before the hearing closes. Gives Trade to the South. George P. Rind, door, sash and blind manufacturer,, testified that if the price of Pacific Coast spruce should advance he could not use it hereafter, but would be obliged to use Eastern and( Southern lumber, which is of inferior quality. He is buying no spruce under the new rate. Arthur Nolle, another sash manufac- 1 r ....... t j "I TOLD YOU SO." . . . . .. . . ,.. ' ' " ... ........." . .i turer, gave corroboration of this testi mony. When the rate on Pacific Coast spruce dropped from 60 to 50 cents In 1905 no change was made In the selling price in Chicago. He had seen no indications that the price of Southern lumber would advance If Pacific Coast lumber should be crowded out of the Chicago market. George Cornwall, of Portland, pub lisher of the Timberman, testified that to date 165 lumber mills in Oregon have closed, and some are running on short time, The advance in rates has paralyzed lumber business.- In August orders from the East began to fall off, and by November all Eastern orders had ' ceased. The maintenance of big rates would, close out all. small mills. . . Rates Only Experiment. Mr. Miller;, of the O. R. & N., told him that the new rates were experimental, and were Justified by the prosperity of lumbermen. If they did not work, they would be recalled. He said there was practically as great a mileage of logging iiiliipiaiiiiM I ' ' 1 ?' vj - r V2", 'C jT -It ;- x ' "ft" J Klkijoro Ishl. Who - Will Succeed Takahlra as Japanese Minister to Italy. roads In Oregon as the mileage of the Harrlman lines in the state. Inquiry in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska con vinced the witness that an advance in rates would to a great extent drive Or egon lumber out of competitive territory. He admitted on cross-examination by W. W. Cotton that Columbia River loggers were making handsome profits in late .years, as the price of logs had continued to rise, bat when the demand for logs declined the price fell off from 2 to fi per thousand. The decline In the price of logs about offset the Increase in the freight rate, so that lumber could be marketed in the interior at the same profits -as under the; old rate, -if there was a demand. . Hard Blow to Oregon Men. A. C. Dixon, sales agent of the Booth Kelly Lumber Company, of Eugene, Or., in ' his testimony' covered in minute detail the operations of the Northwestern lumbermen,- particularly those of his own company, which Is one of the largest.- On cross-examination he explained that the rates made in accordance with the advance in the (Concluded on Page 6.) L'S Bonaparte Informs Ful- ton of Fact. AND STATES HIS REASONS. Delay of Land-Fraud Trials and That Telegram. HURRY NEW APPOINTMENT Bristol's Successor to Try Less Im " portant Cases, Which Heney Will Xot Handle Further Com plaint of the Delays. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash ington, Dec. 12. Senator Fulton to night received the following letter from Attorney-General Bonaparte: I regret to be compelled to a&y that. In view of the very unsatisfactory nature of the condurt of United States District At torney William C. Bristol, of Oregon, in r' latlon to land-fraud prosecutions pending In that district, and of his delay In acting upon instructions .of the department and of the terms of a certain telegram addressed by him to the Attorney-General of the De partment of Justice, has been compelled to recommend to the President the withdrawal of Mr. Bristol's nomination from the Sen ate. I am directed by the President to advise you of his action in withdrawing the nom ination In accordance with the department's recommendation, and also that he desires to nominate a new United States Attorney as soon as possible. No New Candidate Yet. Mr. Fulton said it would probably be several days before the delegation would be able to file a recommendation, as it will be necessary for the Senators o confer with regard to available can didates before deciding upon a man for Mr. Bristol's place. Up to a late hour tonight Mr. Fu,lton had received no ap plication for the office, though It is ex pected that there will be an abundance of candidates when it becomes kndwn an appointment is to be made. The formal withdrawal of Mr. Bris tol's nomination today makes the of fice vacant, for, under the law. his re cess appointment terminated when Con gress met December 2. Having served until today under a renominatlon, how ever, ho will be entitled to pay to De cember 12. Plans for Trying Cases. The Attorney-General denied himself to newspaper men today, and it was impossible to secure further informa- 1 NAME MTH DRAWN tion regarding plans for bringing the land cases to trial other than the re Iteration in the semi-official way of the announcement made last night that Mr. Heney would return from San Francisco to prosecute at least the more important cases. In view of the President's determination to fill Mr. Bristol's office immediately, it Is mpre than likely that some of the cases will be intrusted to the new attorney. NEGLECTED NEW INDICTMENTS Government Says Bristol Did Not Bring Own Cases to Trial. WASHINGTON, D. C, Deo. 12. Presi dent Roosevelt sent a communication '.o the Senate formally withdrawing the nomination of William C. Bristol as Dis trict Attorney for Oregon. No nomina tion , to fill the vacancy has yet been made. It Is learned at the Department of Jus- c VIA,. Herbert Knox Smith, Commissioner of Corporations, Member of Com mission of Inquiry Into GoldUeld Strike. tice that one of the principal reasons for this action was the fact that, although the grand Jury during the last year had brought In over 25 indictments against persons for land frauds, Mr. Bristol had not entered on the prosecution of any of them and, notwithstanding the urgent requests of the Department to begin pro ceedings at once, Mr. Bristol had shown an indisposition to comply with the re quest. SCRAMBLE FOR HIS OFFICE Bristol's Removal Causes Stir Among Ambitious Lawyers. United States Attorney Bristol had not up till midnight received official notice from Attorney-General Bonaparte that President Roosevelt had withdrawn his nomination from the Senate. He still re fused to discuss what had taken place at Washington. Now that Mr. Bonaparte has requested Senator Fulton to name Mr. Bristol's successor, there will be a scramble for the office, and in addition to the names of Sanderson Reed, Harrison Allen and Chris C. Schuebel, of Oregon City, who have already been talked of, at least half a dozen other lawyers will make an ef fort to capture the berth. The Washing ton dispatch indicates that.Mr. Bristol is out of office, yet he has not been called upon to return his commission of appoint ment, which has until next June to run. The fact that Mr. Bristol's nomination was withdrawn by the President does not mean that he is dismissed, for it Is not the first time that his nomination has been withdrawn. . CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER The Weather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, 46 dejf. ; minimum. 43 deg. TODAY'S Rain; high southwesterly winds. Foreign. Kuropatkln testifies at Stoessel court mar tial. Page 1. National. Senate acts against encroachment on privi leges by department officials. Page 7. Bristol's nomination withdrawn and new appointment to be hurried. Page 1. Evans' fleet ready to sail Monday. Page 4. Politics. Roosevelt's declaration does not put him out of race, says Wellman. Page 1. Bourne will continue third-term agitation. Page 1. Democratic National convention to meet at Denver, July 7. Page 6. Domestic. Mrs. Longworth undergoes operation for appendicitis. Page C. Work begun at one Goldfleld mine; Funa- ton against martial law except as last resort. Page 6. Witness in- lumber rate case tells of Hill's threat of bankruptcy. Page 1. Michigan State Treasurer to be removed for putting funds In rotten bank. Page 6. Pacific Coast. Heney tacitly admits he needs Abe Ruefs testimony to convict Calhoun. Page 6. Campaign against rats (keeps up vigorously In San. Francisco. Page 6. Dalzell " Brown confesses fraud In Cali fornia Safe Deposit affairs. Page 6. Secretary Benson turns over all fees to the state. Page 6. Harry Orchard visibly affected during re cital of his murders.' Page 6. Commercial and Marine. Further advance in local butter market. Page ltf. Chicago wheat prices held steady by strength of corn ind provisions. Page 11. Stocks temporarily firm on White House announcement. Page 19. Two vessels clear with full cargoes for Europe. Pago 18 Portland and Vicinity. Bar Association resolves against filing of attachment suits during first 30 days after end of bank holidays. Page 15. W. H. Du Puis, shot by John Wynne, die of wounds. Page 15. Oregom postmasters form association. Page 14. Oregon dairymen meet in convention. Page 12. Lie passed between members of Council In debate on Mayor's' veto. Page 14. E. C. Mears appointed to succeed George H. Hill as receiver of Title Guarantee & Trust Company. Page 12. Portland Ad Club will run excursion to San Francisco. Page 18. Next tax levy In Portland should not ex ceed 13.5 mills, and could be held down to 13 mills- Page 13. x ii f I KURQPATK1N US STOESSEL'SFRIEND Gives Evidence in De fence ot General. DOES NOT SPARE ALEX1EFF Japan Could Easily Have Taken Port Arthur. RUSSIA'S MISTAKE IN WAR Whole Plan Bastd on Assumed In vincibility or Fleet Alexlert's Orders to Retreat Arouse . Merriment in Court. ST. PETERS BURG, Dee. 12. General Kuropatkln testified today at the court martial of General Stoessel and other army officers, charged with needlessly surrendering Port Arthur to the Japan eBe, that the Japanese could have taken Fort Arthur by assault in the early days of the n-ar, as the defenses were then Incomplete. On the whole. General Kuro patkln's evidence was favorable to Gen eral Stoessel. The conduct of General Fock, who is charged with responsibility for the defeat at Kanshan and the subsequent retire ment to Port Arthur, also was reviewed by the court, and the evidence of General Kuropatkbi was helpful to this officer as well. Thought Fleet Invincible. General Kuropatkln declined to answer several questions, on the ground that to do so would make known military secrets, but he said that the whole plan of the war was based upon the supposed invin cibility of the Russian fleet and that the original scheme for the defense of Port Arthur could not be carried out success fully after the squadron had been crip pled by the treacherous opening attack, of the Japanese." According to the - indictment. General Fock's retreat from Nanshan jeopardized the fortress, but General Stoessel pro duced orders from General Kuropatkln and Viceroy Alexie'ff Justifying Fock's re tirement, and he obtained the admission from General Kuropatkln that the posi tion was untenable without the assistance of the fleet. Over the fleet General Stoessel had no authority. Chief Task to Ketrcat. The name of ex-Viceroy Alexleff, who has declined to appear as a witness, was mentioned continually today in an unfa vorable lifrht and a ripple of merriment was provoked by a phrase in one of his orders, saying: "The chief task of Fock is to retreat at the proper time." General Kuropatkln did not conceal his animosity toward the ex-viceroy, and de clared that Alexieff had forbidden him to visit the fortress before the siege. CENTRAL AMERICAN COURT IJttle Republics Plan Method of Settling Their IMsputes. WASHINGTON. Dec 12. The first for mal outcome of the Central American peace conference was made public today in the form of an abstract of the gen eral treaty agreed upon last night by the delegates, providing for the establish ment of a Central American court of jus- . tice, to which they bind themselves to submit all controversies on questions that may arise between them of whatever na ture or origin, if the respective foreign departments cannot settle them. Tho court also has Jurisdiction over such cases as may be voluntarily sub mitted by any two of the said govern ments. It shall also have Jurisdiction over such questions as any one of the Central American governments may , agree with any foreign government to submit to it. CAUGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS Walker, the Bankwrecker, on Way to Ixs Angeles. e NEW YORK. Dec. 12. According to in formation received hero tonight a man reported to be W. W. Walker, the ab sconding treasurer of the Now Britain, Conn., Savings Bank, has been arrested In the mountains in Mexico, and Is now on his way to Los Angeles in charge of detectives. At the headquarters here of the detective agency which has the case in hand it was said tonight that nothing would be made public until the positive Identification of the prisoner had been made. Walker disappeared April 10 last, after . a shortage in his accounts had reached $500,000. BUCK IS SET AT LIBERTY Coroner's Jury Fails to Find C'nso of Justifiable Homicide. GOLDFIEL.D,' Nev.. Dec. 12. J. HoImaA Bucki, who shot and killed Francis I Bur ton at Mina Tuesday, has been released from custody and will not be prosecuted. District Attorney Swallow returned thi morning from Mina, where he went t investigate the killing of Burton. He-re-' ports that .Buck has been released from custody notwithstanding the failure of the Coroner's Jury to reach a verdict of Jus tification. After hearing the evidence In the case, the jury deliberated several hours before reporting that the vote stood five for justification and one against such a return, and that a unanimous decision on that point was impossible.