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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1908)
THE 3IORNING OREGOXIAN, SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 5, 1908. 8 )t tgajprnran PORTLAND. PRECOX. Entered at Portland. Oncost Potoflce a Becond-Claaa Matter. bubecriptlon Katea InrmriWilx la Advaae. (By MaiL Dalty. Sunday Included, on year fatly. Sunday Included, all montha.... -a Dally. Sunday Included, threa mocthe. I Xaliy. Sunday Included, ona montn.... Dally without Sunday, on yaar J-0J Daily, without Sunday, six montha. .... 3 Dally, without Sunday, thrca montha.. liJ I'ally. without Sunday, ena month J" Weekly, ona yaar. J Sunday, ona yaar a oo aunday and Weakly, ona yaar. n-ali (By Carrier ) Daily. Sunday Included, ona year J Dally. Sunday Included, ana month T9 Hoar to Itrailt Bend poatorHc money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamp, cola or currenoy are at the sender'a rlak. Give noatotflce ad dresa In full. Including county and slate. foetag Katre 10 to 1 pa gee. I ceot 1 to 28 paa-ea. 2 canta; 80 to 44 pages, a eenle; 44 to 60 pages. 4 canta. Foreign ret ege double ratea Eastern Bnalnree Office The 8. C. Beck with Special Agency New York, room a 48 60 Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 610-611 Tribune building. POKTLA.VD. MTTRDAT. SEPT. ft. UM. WHERE BRYAJi'S CHACK UE8. The chance for Bryan's election lies In Republican dissension. In other states, as In Oregon, the dissension arises from a greedy ambition. In little men, for the honors of the party and the emoluments of office. This is strongly promoted by the primary law; and the scramble It produces for nominations and the enmities It en genders among men hitherto political friends, cut off all possibility of ac ' commodatlon and union for the ensu ing elections. Men of the same party denounce and even defame each other, to get ' nominations; they antagonise each . other In all possible ways; they split their party Into fragments and kindle the animosity of each against all and of all against each; many candidates. who never would appear In a repre sentative convention, knowing they would have no chance whatever upon any deliberation on their real merits. come forth for every leading office; one of the number gets a bare plural ity, perhaps not one-fourth of the party's vote then the friends of the others, together with perhaps even greater numbers who have refused to participate in the scramble, decline to support him. for one reason or an other from their own pique or dls gust, from their sense of his unfitness or other judgment of the man. The sense "or choice of the party has not at all been expressed through the nomination, and the addition of a general party quarrel. Inflamed by the participation of men of the opposite party in the primary, accentuates the farce and completes the party dis organization. All this Is going on at this time In so many of the Republican states- though not aggravated elsewhere by the bedevtlment of "Statement No. 1 as in Oregon that the chances of Bryan for election, the chances of electlcn of Democratic Legislatures, with less of Republican Senators, and cf slectlon of a Democratic House of Representatives, are greatly Improved. The Republican party !n Illinois, in Michigan, in Iowa and other states, is all b1.. completely ufs't by these strifes er.jrendered by th primary law. Candidates nominate themselves and tK "ruction" begins. The ma jority pt-rty Is split Into irreconcilable ar.; repellant fraj-ments. So many have pa-.-Uclpated in the strife, and the content has been so fierce, that reconciliation is Impossible. The Ore gonian simply states a fact, which experience in moat Northern states amply establishes. Of course, It Is different In the Southern states, where there Is but . one party. Primary contests In those ' states breed no dissensions, because I party loyalty is absolute. Besides, 1 there Is no opposition party from i "which to draw votes to support of a dissenting faction (even If there were 1 such) of the one dominant party. - Under the representative or conven tion system it was possible, by use of deliberative Judgment, to hold fac : tional contests usually within bounds. Often there were disagreements in conventions, and "soreness" would follow, but It was confined to a few. The whole membership of a party had not participated In the row and been inflamed by It to the spirit of extreme retaliation. The primary law, anyway. Is an at tempt to put mediocrity or inferiority above ability, to put the bottom rail of the fence on top. It may appear to succeed for a time, but ability or talent again will surely come Into their own. Never yet has the effort to make a slik purse out of a sow's ear however laudable In Intent met with success. Ablest men now are all shut out; but ablest men will resume con trol of party and of public affairs. Ability and talent, unchecked, run Into abuses, and doubtless must from time to time have check; but Inferior ity, and even mediocrity, that may for the moment put down ability and talent, will have, anywhere, but a brief or little day. Bryan's sole chance of success lies In Republican dissension, fomented by the primary laws. Whatever chance he has In Oregon comes through this source. A Republican faction in Ore gon pledged Itself to an absurd catch phrase, as an expedient for getting nominations: then lost the Senator ship It was contending for, landed It self In the arms of the Democratic party, and has made the state doubt ful for the Presidential election. Illinois and Michigan will now elect Democratic Governors; and both those states, with perhaps Wisconsin, where this fight also is fierce, are likely to be carried over to Bryan. But that might not be worst thing. The little men who are trying to control the Republican party, for their own advantage and profit and glory, will disappear with defeat. Thus rational and sane principles, urged by rational and sane and strong men. will reappear. A third of the Republicans of Oregon, pledged to Chamberlain, are turned Democrats, are Democrats In fact. No Chamber lain Republican can be of service to Taft. If Oregon shall vote for Taft It will be only because many Repub licans who have been misled, or have acted Inconsiderately, will recant in time; and further, because there Is a large body of Republicans, the core or kernel of the party, who will stay with and fight for It. even amid discourage ments and adversity. There Is a kind of political dllettanteelsm that pro fesses rejection of party and talks -Independence; there is an ambitious f sub-mediocrity which claims that one J ' man la as fit for Governor or Senator as another, and that the man who shows a superior ability, talent or activity, is a "boss" and therefore ought to be turned down, and the nincompoop nominated because he Is "nearer the people." But party Is not to be gotten rid of. because it is the only Instrument through which re sults can be had In politics, nor ablest men, because on the one hand they can't be kept down, and on the other because the country has need of them. The next President will be a Repub lican or a Democrat. He will owe his election to the members of his party, and from his party he will choose his advisers and the administrators of the affairs of the country. The admin istration throughout will be Repub lican or Democratic; and the Presi dent's ability to get measures through Congress will depend on his party's securing a majority In the House and the Senate. Should vacancies In the Supreme Court occur during his ad ministration he will fill them with Judges who will almost certainly take that view of constitutional and legal questions which accords with his party's traditions. More than this: a great part of his power, for good or ill. will come to him, not as President, but aa his party's leader and master; and yet, conversely, he will be leader and master of his party mainly be cause he will be President. These facts are 'fundamental. Tet Repub licans, through their little ambitions, are "mixing It up," as If such facts didn't exist. They have mixed It In Oregon more than anywtiere else, thus far; not with the result of abolishing party, but of putting the Democratic party on Its feet, with fair prospect of complete re-establlshment. It con cerns The Oregonlan no more than It concerns others; but The Oregonlan wishes it to be known that It under stands. PROHIBITION AND POLITIC 8. Professor A. S. Watklns, nominee for Vice-President, is right in saying that prohibition Is a National issue; but he Is wrong In saying that it Is a political Issue. It Is National because everybody is interested In it. but non political because there Is no room for disagreement upon its fundamental proposition. That the abuse of liquor ought to be abolished nobody whose opinion la worth anything denies. This, we take It, is the rational germ In the Prohibitionist platform. What goes beyond It Is mere froth and foam. The temperate use of liquor cannot be abolished either by law or by any other means. By law It ought not to be abolished, because the loss from the growth of meddlesome tyranny would exceed the gain from Increased sobriety. If we could entirely stop the use of liquor through the methods of persua sion something might be gained per haps, and perhaps not. While the medical profession Is now agreed' that alcohol is not a food, there Is a dif ference of opinion about Its being al ways injurious. Besides that, we can- not Ignore the scientific opinion that the elimination of moral weaklings through drunkenness tends to fortify the human race. Dr. Woods Hutch inson once elaborated this idea before a Portland audience and It Is met with often In current discussion. The prohibitionists are not likely to help along the fight against the low saloon by making it an. issue in poli tics. Taken by Itself, the cause of local option has made astonishing progress. Fart of this progress has come from the fact that parties did not divide upon the question. By forcing the subject into party politics the prohibitionists run the risk of dividing the forces which have hith erto been arrayed on- the side of decency and inflicting serious injury upon their own cause. APPROACHING END OF A BO' CO GAME. The French bark Europe was sold at London a few weeks ago for some thing less than (30.000, or about one fourth of her original cost nearly ten years ago. There is nothing unusual in the transaction at this time, for shipping property all over the world Is very much depreciated in value, and the mere fact that a vessel still com paratively new, should sell for only about one-fourth of her original cost, would not ordinarily attract special attention. But the case of the Europe offers such an excellent example of the workings of the stupendous bunco game which was worked on the French people under the guise of a ship subsidy, that It la worthy of more than passing notice. The Eu rope, since her completion about ten years ago, has been almost continu ously on the route between Portland and Europe, making the trip to Port land by way of Australia. This route was covered, not because It offered the best opportunities for business, but because it enabled the ship to sail more miles between porta and earn more subsidy than on any other route, the earnings of the vessel from this source alone fre quently exceeding $30,000 per year, and the ship returning a good profit to the owners without car rying a ton of freight on the voyage. The Europe was built for the subsidy and was steadily and consistently op erated for no other purpose. Just as scores of other French ships were built and operated. She occasionally brought general cargo from a British or German exporter to a Portland Importer, touching at Cherbourg, France, and Hobart, Australia, to com ply with the law governing the sub sidy, and returning, offered a low freight rate by which the Oregon wheatgrower could send his product to the British miller. France, of course, had no participa tion In the business except the pay ment of the subsidy bills, and while American subsidy seekers pointed with well-simulated envy to the rise of the French flag on the high seas, the French taxpayer howled In wrath over the colossal bunco game that had been worked on the unsuspecting na tion under the guise of patriotism. But the end is approaching, and the French subsidized marine wilt vanish from sight as rapidly as It appeared. The Europe, still a good ship, and ca pable of sailing as many miles per year as can be covered by any other vessel of her class, is nearlng the end of her ten-year subsidized term. The subsidy will not be renewed after next year and the vessel must be operated solely on. the merits which are brought out In a supply and demand market. After next year she can no longer plow the seas In ballast, "with the French taxpayers footing the bills, but must take her place In the ranks of vessels built and operated on business principles. The same fate Is approach ing a number of other vessels which for years have been dislodging large sums from the French treasury. It has been an expensive lesson for France, and It Is one. from which the United States can profit without pay ing the bills. The next commission appointed to Investigate the. subsidy matter should make a careful study of the French efforts In this direction. Practice Is always preferable to the ory, and the ship subsidy in practice Is about the rawest bunco game that was ever "worked on a civilized people. ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP. The wedding of Marshall Field's widow is an interesting and significant event. It took place In London the other day, the groom being an Eng lishman and the great Duke of West minster a witness. This alliance probably severs the last tie which connected the Field family with America, except, of course, the finan cial one. It has- long been apparent that the boys were to be brought up as Englishmen, with aristocratic tastes and preconceptions befitting their vast inheritance. Their fortune Is now In trust and will remain so for many years. At present It amounts to some 1150,000.000, but when it is released from entail by the natural law of Increase It will have doubled at least. The chances are that the entail will then be renewed and made perpetual. Thus the Field estate will be placed upon the same footing as other great English fortunes, the only difference being that Its revenues will be drawn from America and will lie as a perpetual burden upon American Industry. The most serious hindrance to the prosperity of Ireland for many years has been absentee landlordism. The Industries of the Island are owned by persons who live and spend their In comes elsewhere. Thus they contin ually drain the resources of the people and poverty becomes ever more grind ing. If all that Is produced in a coun try is consumed there In one form or another wealth will necessarily in crease, no matter whether profits are fairly divided or not. But if the larger fraction of what Is produced Is stead ily shipped abroad with no return. then wealth must be diminished from year to year. It is precisely parallel to the case of a farmer who crops his land Summer after Summer and re turns nothing to the soli. When the arrangements for making the Field fortune a perpetuity were first pub lished the Chicago Inter-Ocean re marked that It made no difference where the income from it was spent since the capital would always provide work for Americans. The fallacy of this is evident. Were the Income to be spent in the United States it would keep a great many more workmen employed than the capital alone does, while such a vast sum being thrown annually Into new investments would stimulate all Industry and tend to urge wages upward. We are not in Immediate danger of suffering perceptibly from the evil of absentee landlordism, very likely. Large as the Field fortune is and heavy as its drain must be upon cer tain localities, still it Is a small mat ter, taken In comparison with the re sources of the Nation. The ominous circumstance is that the Fields are not an Isolated Instance, but they are simply moving with a great tide. They are following a fashion which seems likely to spread throughout a large part of our wealthy circles. There Is a steady drain of American ownership toward Europe and every year this drain grows more considerable. Noth ing need be said about the money spent by travelers. It amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars and the returns from it are not by any means proportionate to the losses. Still there are returns. But the for tunes carried across the Atlantic by American heiresses who marry Euro pean nobles are a total loss to the country. So far as America is con cerned, the capital Is utterly wasted; as much so as if it were consumed by fire. We gain nothing whatever from the transfer unless the elimination of a certain number of foolish women be counted a gain. To this drain must be added the continuous transfer of their ownership to other countries by- American millionaires like .Carnegie, Croker and Astor. In all these cases It must be remarked that It Is not the capital which Is transported abroad, but the ownership of It, which Is a great deal worse. If the capital itself were taken away we need only pay interest to replace it; but since the capital Is left here while the owner ship goes we are compelled to pay both Interest and profits upon it. PVT CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. It is the practice In Oregon to post pone the opening of the public schools until the hop harvest is over, thus serving the convenience of the large number of families that work in the hop fields. Since this policy is pur sued, all parents should plan to have their children ready for school when the opening day arrives. Every child who has not completed the eighth grade should be In school this Fall, unless too young. Those who have completed the eighth grade should be in school If there is a high school within reach, unless they are learning a trade or are engaged In other useful occupations. Oregon has a good com pulsory education law, which Is largely self-executory. But no parent should need the Influence of a com pulsory education law. Every child should have a common school educa tion.. While It Is wiser to teach some children trades rather than keep them In school after they have completed the eighth grade, any child Is better off in high school than on the streets. Oregon's public school system Is recognized as one of the best in the United States. Oregon is one of the lowest states in the list when Illiteracy is considered. While a good record of this kind Is one to be proud of, the real effort should be not merely to teach every person to read and write, which is the test of literacy and il literacy, but also to read understand ing and write well. The more ex tensive the education the larger the general fund of Information which enables a person to understand and enjoy what he reads. In proportion to population, few states are better supplied with excellent preparatory schools and colleges than Is Oregon. These Institutions, together with the large number of high schools, place within reach of almost every energetic young man or woman an education as thorough as necessary. - In these schools young people may be well fitted for business or professional careers. Toung people can find here at home almost anything they desire in the way of educational opportunity. Let the most be made of the oppor tunities that offer. BRYAN ON PUBLIC EXTRAVAGANCE. If Collier's Weekly has correctly an alyzed public sentiment, Mr. Bryan made a mistake in abandoning anti imperialism as a paramount issue. Perhaps he may yet have reason to be thanktul that he straddled by declar ing his strengthened adherence to the principles he advocated in the two campaigns In which he went down to defeat. While It would be an awk ward thing to do, at this stage of the Democratic campaign, Mr. Bryan might yet decide to make anti-lmperl ailsm an Issue and declaim against the cost of armament made necessary by our policy of expansion. If the Dem ocratic party can change its policies at the end of every campaign, why not In the middle? Collier's remarks that "if the Democrats had as a candidate a Gladstone, criticising the National extravagance, the Republicans would inevitably be defeated." Then Repre sentative Tawney is quoted as saying that nearly 65 per cent of the revenues of the Government, exclusive of postal receipts, goes to the account of war. The Saturday Evening Post, In a most thrilling piece of fiction, entitled "Number 9009," makes a very pow erful arraignment of the present sys tern of handling convicts In many state penitentiaries. The story pre sents many features which bear a striking resemblance to much that ac tually took place In the historic Tracy- Merrill tragedy In this state. Through out the story the writer seeks to con vey the Impression that convicts are goaded to desperation by the con stant abuse and . "nagging" of the guards, who encourage breaks for the purpose of heading them off and thus gaining favor with the men "higher up." There are, of course, plenty of irredeemably bad men in our penal Institutions, but there are also a good many who are not altogether bad when the first mistake carries them into the penitentiary. The latter. It is feared, are not infrequently driven into total depravity by the Inhuman ity of those who are paid to guard them. Stories like "Number 9009," or even Bunko Kelly's "Thirteen Tears In the Penitentiary," cannot easily be constructed without some facts on which to build, and it Is regretta ble that bad men are made worse in stead of better at so many of our prisons. "Shall the people rule?" Inquires Mr. Bryan, to which the Democratic party replies, "Part of them shall. The fifteenth amendment to the United States Constitution declares: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state, on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude." That is the section which legally defines the people who shall rule and guarantees them the right and power. But the South, solidly Democratic, says that a certain proportion of the people shall not rule nor help rule. "Shall the people rule?" Is an appropriate ques tion, but it should be particularly ad dressed to the Democratic party. Prosperous conditions are rapidly returning in the East and South, and increasing in the Pacific Northwest. This region of the United States scarcely felt the shock of the panic last Fall, except to the extent that money was tied up because Oregon banks could not withdraw their de posits from Eastern banks. But since the money was released Investments have gone ahead as before, and public and private improvements have been pushed with vigor. If Wall street will be sane we shall have no fear of financial difficulties in this part of the country, and, since bankers have learned a lesson, Oregon money will probably never again be tied up In New York. Mayor Rpdgers, of Salem, has or dered all peanut, lemonade and other "stands'" off the streets of his city, and in doing so says that streets are for the use of the traveling public, and that the city has no right to lease portions of them. He Is certainly right. There is plenty of room on private property for all the refresh ment stands any city needs. "Move on" is the first rule of conduct on the public thoroughfares. No man has a right to monopolize a portion of a public street to the exclusion of others either in Salem or elsewhere. The World's Work criticises the fine Imposed upon Standard Oil by Judge Landis because It Is "confiscatory." A $29,000,000 fine was Imposed upon a corporation having a capital stock of $1,000,000, and no one knows how much resources besides. But this fine was not more confiscatory than a $29 fine Imposed upon a petty larcenlst who has only $1 of capital. The Canadian Pacific seems to be sore afflicted this season. Forest fires spread devastation through a wide gtrlp of !ts territory, and before this damage could be repaired an ocean- to-ocean strike brought on more ex pense. Now come floods and land slides which have destroyed miles of track and temporarily demoralized the service. Why shouldn't millionaires astonish people by getting married suddenly and unexpectedly? Aren't they human and are they not subject to the same weakness and power as other people? Besides, we don't usually have a very good opinion of people who go around telling everybody of their love affairs. The Intent, or at least the result, of the guaranty of bank 'deposits would be to give reckless banking the In dorsement and support of good bank ing, at the expense of those depositors and customers who are careful to use sound banks and avoid unsound ones. Candidate Chafln savs a man can be a drunkard and yet be a Prohibition ist. ' Many drunkards are Prohibi tionists. Unable to deny themselves linuor. they want the law to keep. It away. But most liquor users are not drunkards. Prohibitionist Chafln did not notice Portland's Bull Run. That s the way with some other folks. It was impossible, after all, to start the Taft campaign without Chairman Cake. BRTAN GUARANTEE: BANKING IDEA Writer Saya It la More fanatical Thaa Famous Free-Silver Craae. PORTLAND. Sept. 4. (To the Edi tor.) Mr. Bryan, in discussing his guarantee banking scheme, which Is more fanatical than his free silver craze, says that he has been informed by Governor Haskell, of Oklahoma, that the management of several Na tional banks in that state have already surrendered their charters to operate under state supervision under the new guarantee banking system of Okla homa, and that 16 others are arranging to do so. Suppose the management of all the National banks in the country snouia give up their charters so that these banks become state banks under some flimsy guarantee system, what are we to do for a circulating medium? Every National bank that goee out of busi ness takes the amount of Its capital ization out of circulation, and even if a third of them should become state banks, there would be such a shrinkage of our currency that a money panic would necessarily result. I have not read the constitution of Oklahoma, but don't think there Is a state In the Union that can legally under its constitution, guarantee for Individuals or companies; and neither can the Federal Government do so without a constitutional amend ment. If such amendment were made, these amendments would have to ap ply to all classes of enterprises alike to be Just and fair, and It is difficult to predict where the Government and state guarantee business would ena It has always been against the policy of the Nation and states to loan their credit, and It should remain so if they are to continue solvent. To assert that a constitutional law can be enacted to bind the Federal Government or the states to guarantee for Individuals or companies, under Dreeent conditions, only shows the lg norance of Mr. Bryan upon the subject. It would also require a radical change of the Federal and state con stltutlons before a law could be enact ed binding Individuals or companies in anv class of business, against their will, to become sureties for each other. Hence, I predict that Mr. Bryan will see his free sliver lunacy a realty be fore hi wildcat banking schemes are In operation. D. R. NELSON. THE BANK GUARANTY. Explanations That Resolve Several Op posing Yflevra. PORTLAND. Or., Sept. 4. (To the Editor.) A correspondent In The orego nlan favors the Democratic platform sys tem for guaranteeing depositors. Inas much as he shows that the average an nnal loss is onlv .037 of 1 per cent, there does not seem any crying necessity for deposit insurance in National Banks. Such a good record comes from Govern ment supervision of good National DanK lng. But there Is but little political Is sue about National bank deposits. The main Issue Is on the Bryan proj ect to make a National bank deposit system available to all outside banks that may want sound banks to go se curity for them. Bryan s platform de mauds that the deposit guaranty fea ture of National banks shall be available to all "state banking Institutions wish lng to use It." That Is a different and a very serious matter. It's a project to have sound banks compelled to be sut Jected to repeated assessments to pay off any - depositor in any other kind of banks "wishing" to use the guaranty. Of course, they all "wish to use it. Speculative, weak and shaky lnstitu tlons always "wish" good lndorsers. Who but Mr. Bryan and his confiding friends would then be willing to take future chances in depressions in business and In banking. Such a project Is imprac ticable. Again It Is said "bank notes are guar anteed." and "that there is no substan tial difference between the obligation to note-holders and to depositors and that there Is no sound reason why the for mer should be guaranteed while the lat ter are not." 'Well, one reason Is that deposits are local and Individual mat ters, while National bank notes are pub lic In function and serve as money for all people and circulate around the globe and must be maintained In public confi dence everywhere. But not a single Na tional bank note has ever been guaran teed In the sense Mr. Bryan claims for deposits, namely, by requiring assess ments on all good banks for the benefit of the bad banks. Each keeps up its own. No National bank is now or ever has been assessed to pay any bad note of any other bank. Each National bank simply Is made to look after and guar antee the redemption of its own Indi vidual notes only. Each National bank must deposit Government bonds as se curity for ltst own notes and not for the security of somebody else's. On volun tary liquidation each bank must put up lawful money sufficient to redeem Its own notes, but never for the bad notes of any other ban:. Sound banks gener ally have enougji to do minding their own business Instead of backing up out side -weak banking Institutions. Each National bank Is required to redeem its own notes on presentation. If the bank does not redeem. Uncle Sam steps in and forfeits the bank's bonds and sells them to pay the bank's own notes, but not the- notes of any other Institution "wish ing to use the system." Good banks are never assessed to pay a note of a poor bank at any time, but Mr. Bryan now wants to assess all sound banks to re pay depositors In every "institution" any where "wishing to use" his project. The proposed system to compel all sound banks to be continuously subject to as sessments to pay all depositors of any kind and sort of state "Institutions wish ing to use It," In short for them to be taxed to pay other people's debts Is sim ply to tinker the National banking sys tem into destruction. No bank can be sound that Is liable to pay the debts of other banks over which It can exercise no control. Tour correspondent also referred to the Chicago clearance-house supervision, but that, as Mr. Gage said, is purely optional. There Is a difference between assuming a certain known obligation for another bank In some city or banking center and being required by law to Indefinite com pulsory assessments for future failures of all banks ail over the country. M. C. GEORGE. e-kokomlah Valley Cherry Tree. SEATTLE, Wash.. Sept. S. (To the Editor.) A few days ago I measured a little Black Republican cherry tree in the Skokomish Valley, near Union City, at the head of Hood's Canal. At a point Just below the spread of the branches and at the top of the solid trunk it measures IS feet 5 Inches In circum ference, or a trifle more than four feet In diameter. It Is nearly 60 years old and still growing. I submit this to Lane and Yamhill Counties. W. S. VARNUM. Won Id Exempt Women's Property. PORTLAND, Sept. 4. -(To the Ed itor.) In regard to taxation without representation. If the voters would ex empt women's property from taxation, or at least the home, I think that the difficulty could be overcome. The home should be exempt from taxation, and there should not be any laws made that would rob a woman of her home. I do not believe that women are ready for the suffrage Just yet, but I cannot explain why just now. VIOLA BURR. Couldn't Fool the Old Man. The prodigal son wrote the old man as follows: "I got religion at campmeeting the other day. Send me $10." But the old man replied: "Religion is free. Tou got the wrong kind." Cleveland Leader. CHAMBERLAIN AT THE REGATTA Rainier Woman Criticises the Gov-Vrnor-a Behavior Thereat. RAINIER. Or., Sept 3. (To the Edi tor.) I want to say a few words that I would like very much to see in print although I hardly expect to. At any rate, I will try to see If a newspaper will really print a little truth. I was down to the annual regatta at Astoria last week, and had what I thought at that time the "honor" to meet Oregon's Governor. Later, when I was on the train ready to leave, I was at first very much concerned to see our Governor being led to the train by two prominent men. At first I thought he was sick or Injured, but when I ex-' pressed my views, people laughed at my Innocence and 'told me he was In a very bad state of intoxication. I was horri fied and looked closer, and found out tbat It was the truth. He shambled! our Governor shambled! His hat was pulled down over his face and he was In a perfect stupor! And the two promi nent men that led him one held each arm so reverently as though It were something holy. Oh! How can they, how can they, elect a man of such standing to govern us! It only shows that, as the majority elects not a man, surely being like that to govern them, that they are well satis fied and willing and no better themselves. Elect a man like this and even want him to represent Oregon In the United States Senate! Picture "Our George" shambling into the Senate after a "spree." I can't stand to think of It, that he should rep resent us. I feel sure that If women held the right to vote In Oregon, that they would feel too much repugnance to cast a vote for such a person. I spoke to a well-known man about It. He said he liked Governor Chamberlain. When I told him what I had seen, he said: "Yes, he does those things." Those things! MARY JANE) SMITH. DO THE PEOPLE RILE t Here la an Article That Every Person Can Understand. New York Evening Sun. The obvious Implication of Mr. Bryan's trick question "Shall the People Rule?" Is that they have not ruled and do not rule now. Consequently, when the re sult of the elections which have been held since he came Into prominence are pointed to aa making an effective answer to his question, he does not like It. He refuses to admit its effec tiveness a.3 an answer, although the votes recorded against him make a pretty convincing showing. As a mat ter of fact It Is .a far more effective answer than appears on its face. There Is one part of the country where It la deemed of little use to pre sent or discuss the live political ques tions of the Nation. Everywhere else the voters are canvassed thoroughly by the managers and candidates of every party. They ate smothered with cam paign literature and deafened with campaign arguments. They are ex pected to have or form opinions. They are treated as though they were amen able to reason and open to persuasion in matters affecting the. whole country. They are expected to think, to reach a conclusion and to vote accordingly. It Is not so In the 11 states which make up the solid South. The other 33 states are regarded by every party as debat able ground In National elections. No party managers regard It as worth while to canvass the Solid South. The Democratic campaigners do not because they know that there Is no need of It. The other campaigners do not, because they know that It would be of no use. Political campaigners are not prone to "chase rainbows," as the vernacular of our politics characterizes a hunt for votes where none can be had; and it la generally recognized that the votes which can be had in the Solid South In a sufficient number to amount to any thing can omy be had for candidates branded as Democrats, no matter what tbat name may signify in the way of government which outrages every Southern tradition of Democracy, no matter what It may signify In the way of policies which traverse every ma terial Interest of the South. The live politics of the South are only the politics of the primary; to determine which of two fellow-parti sans shall fill a local office. For the rest, for National politics there la a considerable deal of Democratic stump speaking and Democratic exhorting, but that Is all. The politicians must make a show of keeping the game up, but It Is not a campaign, not a canvass which they conduct. The voters may have more valid reasons than the vot ers in any state outside the South for desiring the defeat of the National Democracy, but they are not expected to vote accordingly. They are expect ed to vote for the candidate called Democratic, and they do. Elsewhere In other states than the solid South Dem ocrats have, time and again, by their opinion-guided votes, turned Demo cratic states Into the Republican col umn. The Southern Democrats have taken whatever has been handed to them as Democracy, whether Cleveland Democracy, Bryan Democracy or Par ker Democracy. The reasons for this blind fidelity to the Democratic name are not to the point. The fact speaks for Itself and says beyond question that the vote which the Democracy gets from the solid South Is absolutely no expression of the popular will of the South with respect to Issues which the people of the other states seek to decide by their votes. It is merely an asset of tremen dous value to the man or men who can achieve control of the National Dem ocracy. The asset of the Southern vote goes with that control. Mr. Bryan has It now, as Judge Parker had It four years ago; as Mr. Cleveland had It 16 years ago. It Is a tremendous handi cap to be overcome by any other party hlch seeks to rule by the peoples ill. It Is Just as tremendous a handi cap to be overcome by the people them selves In seeking to make their rule, the expression of their will on the questions of the day, effective. How the people have ruled and do rule be comes impressively clear only when this asset of the Southern vote, which Bryan now has as surely as though It had been cast and counted, as surely as though there were no room for the differences of opinion which are strug gling in the other 35 states, la taken Into consideration. Relying so heavily as he does on the disproportionate power which the Southern voter has to make his preju dice count as much in National af fairs as the ballots of three voters In the other states who can render a -rea son for their suffrage, it Is becoming Increasingly evident that Mr. Bryan's popular rule poser Is the cheapest sort of campaign chicane. Harriman and the Paragraph. An expert mlndreader could make a for tune in Wall street Just now br telllna lust what Mr. Harriman thlnka. Baltimore Sun. Manr who sneer at Mr. Harrtman'a state ment that he la busy for the general good are unable to show a fraction of his ad mittedly good worn aone by tnemseivei. Buffalo Evening News. Harriman cornea more nearly to illustrat ing the fruition of the common boyish am bition to own "all the chuchu cars" than any other man at present in the railroad line. Providence Journal. uirrimiin'i inn straved from his oaoa'a special train in Omaha and was found away out in me rauroaa jarus imunj kiai-v tennis That old adage about threa generations from shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves doean't look probable with this billionaire. Milwaukee Journal. u. iiirfiinin shook hands cordially with I,,.' in.orih. hut he did not hand her a neat package containing his regards with Instructions to deliver it to her father. Chicago News. ( TROLLEY" LIXE FOR ALBA XT H. Hirschberg, It Is Reported, Has Sold All Rights to A. Welch. ALBANY, Or., Sept. 4. (Special.) A re port Is In circulation today that H. Hirschberg, of Independence, who owns the old "blanket" street railway franchise In Albany and operates a horse-car on First street, has sold all of his Hants to A. Welch, who holds a franchise for the use of several streets, and that Welch will begin work on the system the first of next week. The delay In the commencement of work on the Welch line is said to have been caused by the fact , that Hirschberg threatened an injunction suit. According to the report, Welch will rush the construction on an electric line the length of the present horse-car line, extending through the business section of First street, and out Lyon street to the Southern Pacific depot. Work will then be begun on the other streets. A motor to furnish power for a street railway system was received several weeks ago at the local power plant of the Willamette Valley Company, which Is also a Welch concern. The settlement of the First street fran chise will clear the way for the paving of that thoroughfare. MUST RETURN TO PRISON Paroled Convict Is Held at Astoria Until Arrival of Guards. ASTORIA. Or., Sept. 4. (Special.) Henry Foster, .a paroled convict from the Oregon Penitentiary, was arrested here this evening for breaking the con ditions of his parole by getting drunk, and is being held pending the arrival of a prison guard. Foster, who served during the Span ish War in the Philippines as a member of the Thirty-first United States Volun teers from Kentucky, was sentenced to 10 years in the penitentiary from .Ma rion County last January for a feloni ous attack. In February he was pa roled under charge of Rev. Mr. Gilbert, of this city. Since then he has been working in logging camps in this vicin ity. Today Foster camo to town and Immediately began drinking, and as this was the fifth time lie had broken the parole rules. Mr. Gilbert decided to turn him over to the state authorities. After being taken In charge by Mr. Gilbert this evening he escaped, but was captured by the police shortly afterward. Report of Mount Angel Fire. MOUNT ANGEL. Or.. Sept. 3. (To the Editor.) Referring to the Oregon lan's news report about the lire which occurred early last Monday morning, the members of the fire brigade of Mount Angel make this report of the event: The fire was discovered at 3:29 A. M., by Joseph Zoellner, who Is employed In John W. Elrier's brickyard, burning bricks during the night-time. It was but a few minutes after the first alarm was given that the fire department of the town, aa well as a good many of the citizens, went to the the scene. It was Impossible to save R. L Dakin's drugstore and the . various outbuild ings adjoining, but the "boys" suc ceeded In saving the Mount Ang-jl Hotel, owned by Jacob Berchthold. which Is located on the opposite side of the street. By about 6 o'clock A. M. the danger wae all over and by 8 o'clock A. M. all the boys of the fire department were at their usual voca tions. The Mount Angel water system stood the test unusually well and if it ha J not been for the heroic work of ail the fire-fighters, the loss would certainly have come up to $30,000. THE MOUNT ANGEL FIRE BRIGADE. School Will Occupy New Site. CENTRALIA, Wash., Sept. 4 (Spe cial.) Work on moving the portable schoolhouse to Its location In the northeastern part of town is progress ing rapidly and will probably be com pleted by September 8, the date school Is scheduled to commence. Work on all the sewer connections and the re pairs to the buildings will probably be completed on time. The High Sohool football team will commence practice the first of the week. It Is doubtful If Captain Hubbard, of the team, will return this year. If he does not. It will materally weaken the team, as he was a strong man behind the line. Park for Baker City. BAKER CITY, Or., Sept. 4. Deeds were signed yesterday conveying to the city five acres of ground for park purposes. The land was purchased by citizens here and donated to the city. The land represents an Investment of nearly $7000. The deed makes the city agree to spend not less than $600 a year In maintenance Mayor Johns an nounces that work to Improve the tract will begin at once. It is already a natural forest, the only available tract in the city for the purpose. Boy Drowns in Willamette. SALEM, Or., Sept. 4.-(Special.)-RalJtfi Rogers, an 18-year-old boy, from Lenfs, Or., was drowned today In the Willamette River near the McCarthy hop ranch. The boy. with James Hawkins and Alfred. Forsyth, both of Portland, had gone swimming and, getting beyond his depth, was drowned before his companions could help him. The lad was a son of Mrs. Barnatt, who resides at Lents. License Law Not Broken. OREGON CITY, Or.. Sept. 4. (Spe cial.) Upon motion of Deputy District sunn the charges against N. J. Hanson and others who were accused of selling vehicles In ClacKamas tjouniy ,iKn a iirensp. were dismissed this .rxmnnn There was not sufficient evi dence against the men. It was shown that Hanson had never sola any venicies. Salaries of Deputies Increased. OREGON CITY. Or., Sept. 4. The . , . . 1 4Ani,la In tha salaries oi uiu .wirt ... Courthouse were today Increased from $60 to $70 by the County Court. Clack amas has paid the lowest salaries In the state. The officials affected are: Robert W. Baker, Deputy Sheriff; Lloyd n . I .- At,.,, T3AI1 Williams, Jjepuiy aci u, ac. , ....... 4 siirht Iienutv Clerk, and John K. Morris, Deputy Assessor. Sitting of Court Adjourned. nupuiua wah . Sent. 4 (SDeclal.) .1 (m that tha nrlmarv elec tion will be held next Tuesday, Judge Rice has adjournea court umu me nun day following. There are half a dozen ,, .. tn ha tried and a number of civil cases and It Is expected that some of these will have- to go ov. Separator Plant Proposed. HTT.LSBORO. Or.. Sept. 4. (Special.) Negotiations have bean opened toward opening a big separating station here fnr the benefit of dairymen. Portland to be the market. Farmers will bring their milk to the atation, have the cream sepa rated, and take the skimmed milk home for use on the ranches. Barn Burns Near Hlllsboro. HILLSBORO, Or.. Sept. 4. (Special.) A large barn on one of the Oregon Nurserv farms, five miles northeast of this city, was destroyed by fire today. The loss, with contents, was about J1000. The origin of the blaze is not known. 4