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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1908)
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C Beck wlth special Agency New York, rooms S B0 Tribune bundles. Chicago, rooma 610-51J Tribune building. PORTLAND, FRIDAY. AlGl'ST 18. 1908. ETHICS FOR LAWYERS. If the lawyers would honestly set themselves to obey the excellent rules of conduct prescribed In their new code of ethics, the world would be come a Garden of Eden with its most venomous serpents all banished. We have noted that the committee which compiled the code admits that per haps It has left out duties Just as im portant as those Included, and one In voluntarily wonders whether the omit ted ones are any less binding than the others: still the rules actually cod ified are so numerous and excellent that even a shadowy obedience to them would look like impeccability compared with the present state of the legal soul. -Some of them, how ever, look like counsels of perfection, or even supererogatory precepts. What danger is there, for example, that the lawyers will not support the courts against "unjust criticism and clamor"? Their actual practice being to support the courts against all criti cism whatever, whether Just or unjust, this part of the code seems to be su perfluous. It is not long since an emi nent New York attorney said in public that "an honest Judge who decided a cause to the best of his ability ought never to be" criticised," and this is probably the general spirit of the pro fession. Of course this would relieve incapa ble Judges from the deserved conse quences of their Incapacity. Why they should be thus relieved is not appar ent. In the constantly reiterated wish of the courts to escape public com ment and criticism there is an Impli cation which Is not encouraging. Why should they more than other public officials expect that their conduct will not be brought to the bar of public opinion, and there approved or con demned? The election or appoint ment of a lewyer to the bench does not transform him Into a sacrosanct being who is henceforth Infallible in thought and immaculate in deed. Judges make mistakes as well as other human beings, and their fellow men often have to suffer for their blunders, and sometimes for theit bias. ' The Kings of Egypt used to have a skull at the dinner table to re mind them that, great as they were, they still had to die some time, like the rest of the world. It is Just as well for the Judges to see a skull be fore them occasionally In the shape of newspaper criticism, and a little more plain speech from the bar than they habitually hear would not hurt them. The rule which cautions lawyers not to try to switch the Judge to their side of the cause by subtle flatteries and Delilah wiles is a thoroughly good one. A clause cautioning the Judge not to lend himself to those wiles and flatteries might have been added with wholesome effect. The spectacle of a Federal Judge flitting across the coun try in a private car signing Injunctions as he flies In the midst of a cloud of corporation lawyers Is not . Inspiring. Neither does it fortify the confidence of the plain man in the courts for a Judge who is trying a case against a railroad company to go fishing In the company's specially sumptuous pleas ure car accompanied by Its general counsel. There Is a Judge of the Su perior Court In the State of Washing ton who is interested In a boom and lumber company. Suits against this company have been brought in his court and he has tried them without an apparent tremor. It Is really a pity that the eminent committee which prescribed this admirable code should have omitted to state a few of the more elementary- duties of the bench as well as the bar. The ancient rule that lawyers should not try to capture each other's business by "efforts either direct or In direct" is- an Instance of what we meant a moment ago by "counsels of perfection." The doctors have a sim ilar canon, and It Is safe to say that neither of them has been strictly kept, or ever will be. Literally Interpreted, this rule would banish competition from the legal profession. .Any at tempt by a lawyer to outshine his op p'onent either In eloquence or subtlety is an Indirect effort, to capture his business.' and it often succeeds. Obe dience to this canon of the code would reduce all lawyers to a "dead level of mediocrity," but there Is no occasion to worry. It will not be obeyed ex cept so far as outward decency goes. From another point of view. It Is in teresting to observe among the law yers the same desire to shield them selves from. brutal competition which Is so apparent among the shrewdest and strongest men everywhere. We are taught by Mr. Bryan and other great lights of philosophy that compe tition contains a remedy for every ill. and that the more of It we have the happier and better we shall be; but one notices that whenever our capital ists or ministers or doctors or lawyers see an opportunity to shut off compe tition they never let It slip by. The admonition that lawyers "should beware of bold and confident assurances to clients," especially when a fee Is at stake, also resembles a rule which the doctors are said to observe. It reads like Irony, but very likely it was not so Intended. Long-headed lawyers will not need "this precept, and the foolish will not "heed It. It Is good business policy not to raise a cli ent's hopes too high. Just as it is to recommend compromise ' in place' of litigation In most cases. Still it is a very different thing for lawyers to dis courage litigation by good advice and for the courts to prevent it by closing their doors to the poor suitor. The one. practloe.prom.otea goxd neighbor-. liness, the other is a direct incitement to crime. But the most Immediately interesting problem raised in the new code Is "how far 8, lawyer ought to go in supporting a client's cause." The gist of the canon is that he may go as far as the "law permits, hut the modi fying clause Is added that he must obey his own conscience In the matter. If he had a conscience and obeyed it, he would often stop far short of what the law permits. There is no reason whr a man's feeing a lawyer should entitle him to do dishonorable deeds. Why is it any more worthy to play rascally tricks for a client's money than to do the same thing for oneself? The lawyer who is employed to prose cute the suit of a knave is in a dif ficult situation. The easiest way for him to escape from It would be to de cline the employment: but If he pre fers the fee and wishes at the same time to save his self-respect, he must invent some Ingenious casuistry. TIEE LOST HEIR. In the course of his speech at Sa lem, 111., on Wednesday, Mr. Bryan expressed the pious hope that the Roosevelt Republicans would vote for him Instead of Mr. Taft. He assumed, in fact, the Impressive pose of the "lost heir" to the Roosevelt policies. Mr. Taft, he declared, was not the le gitimate heir. Why he Is not was scarcely made clear. So far as one can discern, he Is certainly the heir by adoption if not by descent. His pre decessor has left not much doubt about the reality and fervor of his adoption, and It is difficult to under stand why Mr. Bryan should question It. But he does. He Invents the pa thetic fiction that the Republican party is "dead without an heir," and claims all the Roosevelt policies, by some sort of escheat, one may sup pose. Mr. Bryan may possibly argue that sinoe he invented them they ought to return to the original owner when there Is no other lawful claim ant. There are several objections to this arrangement. The most important one is that the Republican party in the Nation Is not dead yet by a long shot, and Is therefore not in immedi ate need of an heir. Secondly, If an heir were needed, there is a large and substantial one at hand In the person of Mr. Taft. And thirdly, it is very doubtful whether the Roosevelt poli cies would be in safe keeping If Mr. Bryan should be intrusted with them. He says In his Salem speech that the Democrats would be a good deal more likely to keep their platform promises than the Republicans would, but this is mere eloquence which does not mean anything. . The people have learned by hard experience not, to put much confidence In the platform promises of any party. They are more Interested in the character of the men to whom power is intrusted. The most diligently debated question be fore the public today is, "Which of the two men, Bryan or Taft, is more likely to give the country a wise, statesmanlike, progressive and impar tial administration?" What either party has promised or failed to prom ise in Its platform Interests nobody ex cept the politlicans very deeply. An swering the above question, the sound er opinion of the country decides In favor, of Mr. Taft. PRINTING BRYAN'S SAYINGS AND DOINGS. A supporter of Mr. Bryan has writ ten to The Oregonian, asking why it did not print Mr. Bryan's Des Moines speech in full, "as other newspapers did." Few other newspapers did. The Oregonian did not publish the speech in full because it was convinced that it would not be read. " That is the only reason. There was and Is no special novelty about Bryan's tariff views. The speech entire is In no Chi cago paper and in no New York pa per, or other great metropolitan news paper, with one exception. The av erage space given to the Bryan speech everywhere was about one column. It has to be a powerfully Interesting speech to be worth more space In any newspaper. Mr. Bryan is a prolific speechmaker, and he demands and gets much atten tion from the American press. In deed, it is a high tribute to the gen eral fairness of newspapers as a whole that, without regard to partisan bias or prejudice or Interest, they give up so much space to him and his dally utterances and doings. The Associat ed Press has a staff representative at Lincoln, who makes dally reports that are duly transmitted to all Associated Press newspapers and are printed by them; and It has had another repre sentative constantly at Hot Springs, Va. It will be observed by all news paper readers that the two leading candidates for President are on exact ly the same 'basis so far as the Associ ated Press Is concerned; and It will likewise have been observed that The Oregonian has printed Just as much Bryan news matter as Taft news mat ter, and indeed more. So it will con tinue to do until the campaign Is over. t ONsTITfTIOJf NOW IN THE WAY. If the people of this state should deem it advisable to undertake con struction of a railroad from Coos Bay to' a connection with the Hariiman lines, or front Coos Bay to the eastern border of the state, an. amendment to the .constitution would undoubtedly be necessary. Certainly an amendment would be necessary If the state should merely aid In constructon of the road by guaranteeing the bonds of the rail road, for the present constitution ex pressly1 forbids the state to loan its credit or to create any debts or liabil ities which shall exceed $50,000. This Inhibition is contained in section 7 of article 11 of the constitution. The section preceding forbids the state to be interested In the stock of any com pany, association or corporation. Very likely the state could, in pur suance of an act passed either by the Legislature or by the people, construct and operate a railroad from Coos Bay to a transcontinental connection. The state now owns a railroad from The Dalles to Celilo. The only constitu tional limitations upon the power of the state to build a railroad are con tained in the section prohibiting the state from incurring a debt in excess of J50.000, and in' section 23 of article 4 of the constitution, forbidding the enactment of special or local laws for laying, opening and working highways. While that section, was originally de signed to apply to wagon roads, a rail road Is In all essential particulars a highway, and this section might forbid enactment of a special law for that purpose. Our supreme voun neia, t.nnvor. tn f Vi miaration which arose over an Appropriation for Tno Dalles j and Sandy road across the Cascade Mountains, that where a road con nects two distant parts of the state and serves the needs of the whole state, the act appropriating money for it is not a local law. One of the mem bers of the court dissented from this holding, so the question may not be entirely settled. However that may be. It is quite certain that a Legislature will not un dertake to authorize commencement of such a large public enterprise as con struction of a railroad across the Coast Range. If the project shall .ever be undertaken, it will be under the initi ative and referendum, and under that power the constitution may be amend ed as easily as an act. can .be submit ted and approved. There might' be some doubt -as to the validity of an act there could be none as to a con stitutional amendment. The Legisla ture has gower to submtt a proposed constitutional amendment or such an amendment may .be. proposed by Initi ative petition. POCIAL DISEASE. It is a pretty point of etiquette which ' has arisen between Mayor Lane' and his faithful and beloved Council. Each sits on its, or his, dig nity, like ' patience on- a monument bowing and smiling, but all the time resolutely determined to do nothing. "You can have the ten policemen and welcome H you . will bend your haughty soul, to ask for them," says the Council. "Nay, I will never de mean myself to. ask," returns his high ness. "If I get the ten policemen thej' must be given freely of your own motion." , And thus the matter stands while Babylon flaunts its ribbons in the North End and the scarlet woman flourishes like the green bay tree. Per haps it is Just as well that the Mayor and Council have come to a blind wall In their strenuous desire to eradicate the social, evil, all at once and nothing first. This is what happened to the deacon's hay, but it seldom happens to deepsated diseases of society. They are not often cured suddenly or by increasing the .police force. If the Mayor and Council really wish to lessen the profits of those who trade In the sin of the scarlet woman, why not station a policeman at her door and arrest every man who tries to enter? Perhaps this would require new legislation, but what Is a Council for if not to enact laws? One may venture to prophesy, that this one little trick would strike at the. social evil many Jlmes more effectually than the dispersion which Is so pretentiously threatened and so little intended. The Mayor knows very well how foolish it would be to drive the women away from the resorts where they are segre gated and lodge them here, there and everywhere about the city. Even if they were expelled altogether, they would have to go to some other town and there ply their dreadful trade. In the end no good would be accom plished. It Is neither decent nor right to try to solve our own problems by casting them upon our neighbors. They have troubles of their own. It Is unjust to attempt to visit all tle consequences of social sin upon the women. At best they suffer from It inconceivably more than the men who are their fellow sinners and often their tempters. Instead of talking so much about driving away the women, why not try to drive away the men who patronize them? It would be quite as easy and upon the whole more beneficial.- The scarlet man is more of a menace to society than the woman whom he ruins. She has her revenge by corrupting his blood and he carries the corruption into his own household. It is the man, not the woman, who disseminates the diseases of Babylon. Let. her alone and she is harmless. The proposal which is sometimes made to Inspect houses of vice and put them under medical pro tection will never be adopted in the L'nited States for long at a time. It is too revolting to the conscience, or what passes for the conscience, of our people. While we permit the evil to exist, common sense would seem to dictate that it should be made as harmless as possible, but common sense does not have much Influence upon our public conduct. The notion of Inviting young men to indulge In vice by making it safe revolts every body in this country; but the more revolting practice of condoning the vice under the worst possible condi tions does not shock us at all. Such Is the force of habit. . RAISING THE APPLE FREIGHT RATE. Since the railroads have raised the freight rate on apples, Oregon produc ers will take renewed interest in that comprehensive article of Railroad Commissioner West's, showing the im mense profits the Harriman lines have been making in recent years. They will be very likely to argue. In that stupid way producers have of ar guing, that, when a railroad is mak ing exorbitant profit already, there is no Justification for increase in any of Its rates. That is poor logic from the standpoint of a. railroad attorney or a railroad stock manipulator. It Is true, but somehow or other it appeals to the average citizen in such a way that the producers are likely to find many sympathizers. Consumers are likely to take up the argument, too. They are directly affected by the freight" rate, for they either have to pay part of it or have their supply of fruit dlr mlnished. The applegrowers of Oregon must not permit this raise of ' rates to be put into force without a fight. Nor must the Oregon Railroad Commis sion permit It without a fight. While it is true that the rate is one that af fects interstate shlpmens and the Ore gon Commlssien has, therefore, no Jurisdiction as a tribunal, the Commis sion Is not barred from giving the Oregon shipper what aid it can in pre senting the grievance before the Inter state Commerce Commission. If the rate must be raised, we should dis cover a good reason why. The statement that the advance In rates affects shipments to a part of the country where shipments are small is not a conclusive argument in defense of the raise. Perhaps it is the excessive rate that makes the shipments small, and, if the rate were lowered instead of raised, the ship ments would be larger. If they are small and the raise will make no ma terial difference, then why make the raise at all? Is it not as material for the shipper as for the railroads? Neither is it a good defense to say that the fruit can stand the new rate. We have passed the. day when the princi ple prevailed that rates should be fixed at "all the traffic will bear." We jira .now; governed by tha-rula that, a transportation company is entitled to a reasonable profit upon its invest ment. Mind you, a reasonable profit upon Its investment, not upon its wat ered stock and its bonds. If a trans portation company is now receiving that profit and more, rates should be reduced, and not increased. If there are Inequalities, let them be adjusted, but let the adjustment be down in stead -of up. Again, it may not be true that the fruit will stand the rate. Prices received for fruit last year are knot prevailing this year, and a rate that was not oppressive a year ago may be prohibitive now. Last year there was a short crop of apples. This year there is an immense crop of all kinds of fruit and producers want an extended rather than a curtailed mar ket. ( But whatever other arguments may be offered, the all-important fact is presented that the railroads are al ready making a profit larger than they are entitled to, and, so long as they are making such a profit, no increase In any rates can be Justified. A town's commercial enterprises are its best advertisers. Any kind of a factory or packing plant that ships goods is one of the. best agencies for spreading the" name of the city In which it Is located. . Boards of Trade and Commercial Clubs should make every possible use of this means of getting publicity.. If you have a woolen mill, see what can be done to a'flvertlse your city on every blanket or bolt of cloth that goes ovlt. If you have a cannery,, see that every can bears "an attractive ' label with the name of the town conspicuously dis played. Every box of fruit, fresh or cured, should be an advertising me dium. Every factory should bear across Its front in large letters the name of the establishment and words to Indicate the business in which, it is engaged, so that every person passing by on the train or by team wiH linow that the city possesses such an enter prise. It is a .loss of opportunity to neglect such matters, for it costs prac tically nothing to advertise a town in this way. A manufacturing or pack ing concern that won't help its home town In such a manner should not be given the support of the community in which it operates. The old adage that it is more blessed to give than to receive is not fully understood by the Atlanta young man who is suing his former sweetheart for return of Jewelry he gave her while they were sweethearts. What did he give them for? If it was not for the pleasure in giving, he must have had some ulterior and. unworthy object. Surely he did not think by giving presents of Jewelry to win and retain her affections. Love cannot be so bought, and the man who has such an idea of it is unworthy to receive It. As a token of affection, a present may engender affection in the recipient, but It can buy neither affection nor respect. The fact that the young man wants his presents returned indicates that he gave them with some mercen ary motive, and not from high im pulses. If he had been truly in love he would have enjoyed the giving enough to compensate him for the few honest dollars he spent for the pres ents. As It is, he thinks it more blessed to recover the presents than to let them remain in the possession Of the woman to . whom they were given. Where will the next big circus that comes to Portland find room enough to spread Its canvas? Probably not on the west side of the 'Willamette. The last occupied practically all the available vacant ground in the north western district. One residence on either side of two double blocks will serve to eliminate Goldsmith's addi tion as a future circus site. Then the East Side. Before we are aware of it, old Portland will have advanced to the foothills and then must begin to cover the sides. It is doubtful whether there is room enough now on the west side of the river for a thousand new homes if each is to occupy one lot. t Candidate Chafin Is certainly right when he says that a prohibitionist need not be a total abstainer. As a matter of fact, the man who should most earnestly desire prohibition is he who cannot control his appetite for liquor. The man who can control himself, or who has no desire for liquor, has no personal reason for vot ing for prohibition. To be a heavy drinker and a prohibitionist Is not In consistent, but to be a moderate drinker and a prohibitionist Is. The New York horsemen who re fused to race while Governor Hughes was on the track gave a very con spicuous demonstration of their stu pidity. They could not see that they were offering the best of evidence that the Governor's course against the racetrack gamblers was fully Justified. A class of men who will thus offer in sult to the chief executive of the state will resort to other low measures con trary to public morals. Judge Baker, replying to criticisms of the United States Court of Appeals In the Standard Oil case, says: "What one man may say in regard to a deci sion, of a court counts for no more than his opinion." Just so. But sup pose there are several million men like minded. It may be remembered that the Dred Scot decision went a long ways toward crystallizing anti slavery sentiment. Circuit Judge H. L. Benson, of the district composed of Klamath, Lake and Josephine Counties, has resigned. Now it will be in order to draw infer ences from that act in connection with the section of the constitution which forbids a Judge to accept any other than a Judicial office during the term for which he was elected. Let the politicians get busy. Mayor Rodgers, of Salem, wants the owners of a millrace to fence it or cover it so that so many children will not be drowned therein. He evidently thinks that human life is of more im portance than corporation revenues. Strange delusion! When the son of a brewer meets death while under the influence of liquor, the argument that liquor is a food receives a severe shock. Now watch the Governor show his nonpartlsanship in the appointment of a Judge to succeed Judge Benson. A frult inspector la known by the .enamies. h makes, - MR. BRYAN AND FREE WOOL. Facta and Ftgtirea of Iatereat to Sbeep men and the Baying Public. American Sheep Breeder. Bryan's free wool sophistry Is knocked into a cocked-hat by facts and figures as far as the "dear public" is concerned. Mr. Bryan doesn't believe In building up a great National in dustry like the wool industry, at the expense of the general public. Really, how much does the dear public have to pay to maintain the wool industry of the United States? Let us get down to facts and figures. There are some thing like 1,000,000 men engaged in growing wool, with about $500,000,ODO of capital invested, with an annual wool production of say from $50,000, 000 to $60,000,000. This figure Is based on an average of 18 cents per pound for the wool grown. In addition to that, say 15,000,000 muttons are pro duced at a selling price of around $65,000,000 to $75,000,000. A fair valua tion of the annual production of wool and mutton would be $125,000,000. What the annual loss to this industry would be under a free wool regime is well known. Instead of the average of say 18 cents per pound (which is an extremely low figure for wool under ordinary times) and the average of about half that price for wool (on a free trade basis) would mean a loss to-the wool-grower of at leasf $2 3,000, 000 per year. Wool growing In the West, under Cleveland's administration, ruined thousands of flockmasters. Montana wools sold as low as 7 and 8 cents per pound under Cleveland. Two years ago these wools brought any where from 18 to 25 cents per pound, and even higher figures for exceptional clips. v e Now let us find out the cost of cloth ing, and the so-called saving to the consumer. For a Spring suit of all wool clothes -three and one-half yards of cloth are required. One yard of cloth weighs ten ounces. This would require & trifle over two pounds of wool. A Fall suit requires three and one-half yards at 14 ounces to the yard, or 49 ounces. The cost of cloth ing represents 85 per cent in labor and lo per cent in material. The ordinary suit of clothing has 60 per cent of wool and the balance is shoddy and cotton. Suppose the tariff on wool were re moved, that wool that had been aver aging 18 cents per pound fell 50 per cent: the saving on a Spring suit of clothing would be a trifle under 20 cents, providing the manufacturer and the retailer cut down "the price of the garment to the extent of the reduced value of the wool caused by a removal of the tariff. On a Fall suit of cloth ing, based on the same figures and conditions, the cost would be reduced to the extent of say 27 cents or there abouts. This means all-wool clothing, and does not take into consideration any shoddy or cotton, which every body knows is used extensively in. low priced garments. As a matter of fact all woolen clothing, or clothing made out of a mixture of wool, cotton and shoddy, never has, and never wijl, be sold to the consumer for one penny less under free wool conditions. see Every schoolboy knows that the cost of his clothing under Cleveland's free wool reign was not one cent reduced by the removal of the tariff. Any re duction in the cost of wool used in the manufnrtiirA of an ordinary suit of clothing would be so infinitesimal that any manufacturer, Johber, wnoiesaier or retailer would laugh at the idea of the public saving anything by the re moval of the tariff on wool. It is the veriest nonsense to consider this propo sition, for one moment. We have, for niir own satisfaction, reduced the pos sible cost of all the woolen clothing used in the United States tor one year, 1 J ' . 1. ..lllnv ..alii, nf th o- n n rl IpruviUMig wj ovi,iiiq ....... - - r Were reduced to the extent of the re duction in the price ot wool, ana 11 reaches such a ridiculously low ngure that it is not worth mentioning. Every nno iinnwi that our manufacturers have to import about twice the amount of wool we grow in this country, unaer ordinary business conditions the tariff on wool has kept the price up to a fair measure of profit for the grower. There have been times when wool in this country has fallen down to a free wnni ha sin hut these conditions had nothing to do with the tariff. They were based entirely on. the general in dustrial' and financial conditions of the country, caused by a panic, such as the past year. On top of this came the campaign year, and the result was wool reduced to a free-wool basis, but unrior ordinary conditions, when the country is prosperous, this has never happened, and never will, no, genue men, we want no Bryan and free wooL One Weather Observer Awakens. Hot Springs (Va.) Letter to New York Sun. Professor Willis Moore, of the United States Weather Bureau, when he was here told of an experience he had In Colorado not long ego. He was on his way from Denver to Colorado Springs to attend a convention of weather sharps, and there was a mlxup between him and a young man over a lower berth. Both claimed the right to It, and the squabble became so warm that Professor Moore almost punched the young man. The professor, however, got the berth, and the next morning he felt a little repentant. So he stepped over to the table where the young fellow was sitting at breakfast and started to smooth it all out. "Going to Colorado Springs?" asked the professor. , No reply. "What business you In?" persisted the professor. - "Weather Bureau business Colorado station what the blank business is it of yoursT" finally came the reply. "O, not much of any," said the pro fessor, "except that I'm in charge at Washington, D. C." Blow From Baseball Affects Speech. Phlladelphnla Record. While playing baseball in Philadel phia. Fred Laurvlile, 12 years old, was struck in the mouth by a ball, the blow causing him to bite off the end of his tongue. The piece was stitched on at a hospital, but surgeons say there will be an impediment in the boy's speech. Dentlat Removes Gold Teeth for Debt. , Omaha (Neb.) Dispatch. In the County Jail at Lincoln, Neb., Dr. Earl Truell, a dentist, forcibly took three gold teeth from the mouth of Edward J. Reed, a prisoner, who had given a bogus check to the dentist. Vacation 'Pastor's Poat-Cnrd Sermons. Pittsburg (Pa.) Dispatch. When on his vacation, Rev. S. R. Downie, of Bath, Pa., sends each mem-v.- ftf hfc .nTia-refi-a.tion & short sermon every jveeJt printed oa a- post-sard. , GUARD NATIONAL BANK DEPOSITS Guarantee Them, Just the Same Na tional Banknotes Are Protected. PORTLAND. Aug. 27. (To the Editor.) The Oregonian of last Monday contains a report of an interview with Postmaster Qeneral Meyer, in which he strongly condemns the proposal to guarantee de posits In National banks, snd character izes it as "one step further toward so cialism." Mr. Meyer's knowledge of and experi ence In banking may be profound, and he also mar be of those "who are so rich that their opinions do not need the sup port of argument," but I will call as wit neses against him two lifelong and very able Republicans, Charles N. Fowler and Lyman J. Gage. In my opinion, Mr. Fowler is the ablest and best-informed man in either branch of Congress on the subject of finance; and the Republican majority in the House has kept him at the head of the banking and currency committee for some years. Mr. Gage has been a banker for 50 years, and President McKinley seleoted him to preside over the Treasury Dpartment in his Cabinet. The fact that Mr. Fowler incorporated In his own bill (known as the Fowler bill) the feature guaranteeing deposits in Na tional banks, is evidence enough of his belief in it as a safe and wise measure; and Mr. Gage's opinion was stated in an address, or rather, an argument, before the committee on banking and currency of the House of Representatives, February 19 last, from which I quote as follows: "The Chairman: "There is one more ques tion I would like to ask, Mr. Gage. Do you think that this guaranteeing of de posits would lead to unsound banking?" " "Mr. Gage: "No, sir. 1 think the fact that under your bill there would be a penalty for neglect of Inspection, and that there would be the machinery for Inspec tion, would lead to sound banking. The only restraint upon the bank officer really is the fear of loss, not to his depositors, but to his stockholders. That fear and re straint would be as operative under your bill as it Is now, and the influence of the inspections and the restrictions that would be formulated by these associates who have to bear part of the risk that man takes if he goes wrong Is a pretty good asurance that he will go right and if he goes right he will go In conformity with the princi ples of good banking Instead of going loose like a wild horse on a prairie.' " As this is a question of much impor tance to every person, whether a depositor or not (for bank failures which involve loss to depositors cause many indirect losses to those who are not depositors) especially appeal to the doubtful voter. National bank notes are, and always have been, guaranteed. There is no difference at all in principle between the obligation of a National bank to the holder of Its notes, and Its obligation to its depositors. Therefore, if it is a good thing (as has been amply proved) to guarantee one form of a like obligation, why should it prove disastrous lo guarantee the other form of an equal obligation? The Government demands a guarantee for its deposits in National banks. Why should not the individual depositor be as fully protected as the Government is? In equity, the individual depositor has a stronger claim to protection than the Government has, for his loss must be made up by his own efforts, while the Government recoups itself by a further tax on the people. , With a guarantee of deposits there would never be a run on a bank. Being secure against runs, banks oouid make loans with more safety. And with greater security in the making of loans, banks would fail less often and even when they did fail the alsturbance to business would be small and temporary, instead of cumu lative and long-continued, as now. W. W. CATLIN. IS SURE METHODISTS WANT TAFT Opinion That Religion Haa No Place in Selection of a V. S. PrealUent. MILTON, Or., Aug. 26. (To the Ed itor.) There are not many Methodists who oppose Mr. Taft's being named for the Presidency, because he is a member of the Unitarian Church. His breadth of view evinced in a recent ad dress he made upon Christian missions was so notable that the entire address was-published In the Christian Advo cate, of New York City. That address would satisfy any trlnltarian. The followers of John Wesley do not forget these words of their leader: "I care not what are the opinions of a man is his heart right?" It was a Methodist, Father Taylor, the noted preacher of Boston, to seamen, who. In speaking of . Emerson, at the last hardly up to Unitarianism, but at first a Unitarian, said: "If Emerson goes to hell, he will change its temperature." Bishop Thoburn, a Methodist, speaks with enthusiasm of Taft's rule at the Philippines as being helpful to evan gelical Christianity. Senator Dolliver, another Methodist, will not oppose Taft because he happens to remember that Taft is a Unitarian, nor will Vice-President Fairbanks, another Methodiet, nor Senator Beverldge, another, and so it goes. Leslie M. Shaw, a strong Meth odist, speaks for Taft, and oven For aker, a Methodist, insists upon his right to support Taft Methodists are sound on the divinity of Jesus Christ, but Methodist bells, as wen as Catholic, tolled at Boston when the great Unitarian leader, Channing, was dead. The Methodists have no ec clesiastical claim upon the White House, and only one Methodist Presi dent William McKinley has been elected. . Grant and Hayes were not members of any church, but of course, through their wives, were in sympathy with Methodism. But Is it necessary to be a member of any church to be a Christian? Be cause Lincoln was not a church mem ber is that the reason The Oregonian said he was not a Christian? Or was it because Lincoln did not reach the high standard The Oregonian holds up for a Christian to reach? If Lincoln was not a Christian, God have mercy upon the rest of us! It would be bet ter, in the opinion of the writer, if many people had never become mem bers of the Church. They would be broader and finer specimens of people. It is too late to persecute, politically, religion or no religion. President Mc Kinley appointed a Catholic to the Su preme bench, and President Roosevelt has a Jew and a Catholic In his Cabi net. Let the Catholics be patient. We may yet elect Comrade Archbishop Ire land as our' President. Instead of the African hunt, let Mr. Roosevelt, after his friend, Mr. Taft, is seated upon the lid, chase down bigots and cheap people who reason with only two ideas instead of three, to reach their conclusions. Nobody i more orthodox than Satan. B. J. HANDLEY. Jim Hannaford's Head. Astoria Herald. When Jim Hannaford wasakld he went to school at Washougal. A phrenologist called at Jim's house the other evening and asked Jim If he ever had his head examined. "Yes," said Jim; "once, snd the teacher wouldn't let anyone set close to me after wards." Takes Swim and la Stricken. Blind. Baltimore News. William Kennedy, while very warm, plunged Into the water at Upland, Pa., the result being that he was stricken blind, the optic nerve having become paralyzed. Swimmer Attacked by Flan Hawks. Camden (N. J.) Dispatch. William Prell, swimming at Asbury Park, N. J., found himself In a school of blue fish. Two fish hawks, seeking to get at the fish, attacked Prell, who was rescued by -life guards. ' NOT WARRANTS BUT FIREBRANDS Intra Raniters to Check Foreat Fire by Rcarularly Biirnlnar Aeoumulatlona. PORTLAND, Aug. 27. (To the Edi tor.) I read with Interest in today's Oregonian W. H. Dolman's method of preventing forest flres. The proposition would be all right but for two reasons: The never-ending task of cutting the dead timber, and the impossible task of getting rid of it after it was cut. P.eferring to the present policy of the Government in protecting our forests, there Is a quaint old saying, somewhat blunt, but mighty true Just the same, that, "A wise man learns by the experience of others, but a d n fool has to learn by his own experience." Old pioneers will remember that In the earlier years of our history, when "Oregon was young," that great flres were practical ly unknown, but few destructive con flagrations ever occurred and then only in small compass. The reason is obvious. Any person who has the least knowledge of moun taineering or woods-lore, knows the amazing rapidity with which trash ac cumulates In heavy timber. Falling limbs, leaves, underbrush, grass and fallen timber caused by storm or old age, will In a very few years render utterly impassable a comparatively open forest, unless kept clear by fre quent burnings. This the Indian fully : understood. In order to keep his hunt-ing-gronds clear and grass for his horse, the ground was kept clear so that wherever the Indian hunter or berry picker went, a line of fire was sure to follow him. The frequent burnings kept the annual accumula tions down, hence no serious tires. Under the present rulings, with a penitentiary term facing "the moun tain incendiary," the forest is for a ; time protected; thus in a few years an : enormous amount of trash accumu lates and when the fire does come, as '. it surely will, it sweeps the land clear. No law. human nor divine, can be made that will prevent the forest flres. It never has been done and never will. . If not set by human agency it will be ; by other means. I have of my own ; experience known several large fires to ; follow thunder storms. Rome hnlf-de- ' cayed tree is struck by lightning, set on fire and after the storm clears up. : burns to the ground and thus starts the trouble. Mr. Pinchot, arm your rangers with firebrands instead of warrants. Tell rangers to burn at all proper times and places. Be master of the situa tion instead of servant, and you will have little trouble with destructive forest flres. H. C COE. BRYAN AND CUMMINS IV REPARTEE Commoner Says Republican Compli ments Only Refer to Hlin Physically. Des Moines (la.) Dispatch to the New York World. When William J. Bryan called upon ( Governor Cummins, the leader of the rad- t ical wing of the Republican party In Iowa, the conversation between them was largely in the nature of repartee. Mr. Bryan was taking an auto ride with . Mayor A. J. Mathias and others when he expressed a desire to see the Governor Mr. Bryan and Governor Cummins shook hands and looked at each other curiously for a moment with the air of sizing up. The Governor, still holding Mr. Bryan's hand, said: "I'm glad to see you looking so well' capable of the larger work before you.'' , -Perhaps you mean fit, not capable?" suggested Mr. Bryan. "The first time I ever heard you speak." said the Governor, "I thought you had the finest voice I ever heard." "That was the first time." said Mr. Brvan, accenting the word "first." "Yes," said the Governor, candidly. "You impaired it in your campaipn in 1S9. The time I speak of was in 1Sf4." "You are a good talker yourself." re plied Mr. Bryan, and the Governor smiled. "But." the Democratic cnndldate continued, "there is one thing I don't like about Republican compliments. They are all confined to my physical attri-" butes." "A voice is all an orator needs," oh- . served Governor Cummins. "But he must be able to eat and sleep, and must have plenty of It." "Yes," said Mr. Bryan, "It Is better f--r him to sleep than to have his audience do It." Mr. Bryan was holding in his hand a little cane with a Bryan pennant on It, after the fashion of those used by col lege boys. The Governor took It, ex amined It. and said: "I see you are adopting college methods " "Yes," admitted Mr. Bryan, "that Is be cause the people are getting educated." "What degree are you going to cor ner?" "Doctor of laws," responded Mr. Bryan. "At least we expect to doctor the laws ; after they are graduated." IN THE MAGAZINE SECTION OF THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN SOLVING THE SECRETS OF AERIAL FLIGHT Remarkable symposium by noted aeronautical authorities on what has been achieved and on the de velopments likely to be made with in the next ten years, finely illus trated. DRAGGING A WOUNDED MAN OVER MOUNT ST. HELENS Thrilling account of an ascent that wasn't scheduled, involving hardship, danger and great endur ance. , This feat will live in the annals of Oregon mountain-climbing. PASSING OF THE OREGON STAGEDRIVER Civilization has forced him, like the Indian and the buffalo, into story books for children. Still he is in evidence on a few routes, but his prestige is gone. THE HOTEL CLERK ON AERIAL NAVIGATION Sundry comment on progress of the science, presenting the matter in its less serious aspect. CHAMPIONS OF THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT Running sketches of public men and reformers who have led the present widespread warfare against rum. ORDER EARLY FROM YOUR NEWSDEALER