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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1909)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN. MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1009. rORTLAND, OBEGOX. Enured t Portland. Orecon. Poatofflc as Second-Claae Matter. BubacrlpUoa Ratea Invariably l Advanea. (By Mail Tt !1 v Rnnriif Included. Otll Tr ..! I'ally. Sunday Included. i month".. . Iallv. Sunday Included, three month. la!iy. Sunday Included, one mootu. . . Daily, without Hunday. or year. Dally, without Sunday. njonuia ... Dally, without Sun-lay. three monUia. 4.3 .J.:S .:s .. (09 .. j :s .. 1.TS . . .6 Iai;y. without bunday. one montn.. Weekly, one year , Sunday, one year fcunday and Weekly, one year . ( yy Carrier.) Pally. Sunday Included, one year... Dallv Sundae lu-:luued. one month. .. . . . .7S How lo Remit Send JKi.tof flee money order, eipre.. order or peraonal check on your local tunk btampa. coin are at tl .ender-i rl.k. Give ad ore In full. Inciudlns county and atate. Poelare Kate 10 to 14 paeea. 1 nt-. It " cents; S to 4 1 p.. a. ; 4 to 1 paa-ea. 4 centa. roreisa poataca doable rate. i ..-... ofAre The S. c. wun special AKency-N.w or - at) Tribune building. (Jhlcaao. rooma el Tribune bullulns- PORTLAND, MOXDAT. .AS. U. -- PROBLEMS OF DEMOCRACY. It Is certain that under our system, the people rule, and will continue to rule. Nobody can take a stand against the principle, and expect to effect anything whatever.. The only question Is whether the measures of the people are wise and sound or not. Hence there la a sound view of democracy, and an unsound one. The unsound view Is that since the majority rules, then If It can bo dis covered what the majority wants, that .r nn.-e should bo enacted. But It was precisely to prevent this conse quence, or at least to put a check upon It that our constitutional system was adopted. Men In masses have Im pulses and often passions, but not al ', ways thoughts or wisdom, and they easily adopt the errors of their lead - ers. For the people do follow leaders, must Indeed have them; and It Is childish to suppose they will not. Constitutional restrictions are Intend ed to check such movements, till the people shall have had time to debate them, to reconsider them, and to form an ultimate opinion. Few believe, for example, that if the changes that have recently been made in Oregon were now to be voted on, they would receive the degree of support and ap proval they received when adopted, and many think they would fall to carry a majority. ' The other view of democracy Is that, though the term means the rule of the people, and that the people must rul". yet the temporary majority Is not the people, for there Is a mi nority also; and as the majority will surely be but temporary, time should be given for mature consideration of measures, especially those which In clude Important principles and Imply radical change. The people Indeed must rule, but only In the long run can they rule and then with wisdom and justice. To establish the rule of the people on this basis was the de clared object of our constitutional system; which now, however, may be brushed aside by a single election. There are two kinds of leaders of democracy. Of one William J. Bryan Is perhaps the best modem represen tative. His Idea is that what the ma jority of today may want, or Imagine It wants, should be enacted. Best recent representative of the other description was Grovcr Cleveland, of whom President Butler, of Columbia University, In his remarks at the close of Cleveland's life, said: "The real leader, does not follow the crowd, but by his insistence upon sound prin ciples he compels the crowd to follow "him. This Mr. Cleveland did." Between these two (Bryan and Cleveland) Mr. Roosevelt appears to take a sort of middle course; yet It Is certain that In any emergency, or grave matter, he would act in accord with the Cleveland principle, rather than with that of Bryan. Herein ts the everlasting problem Inherent In the subject of democratio government. .Masses of the people in all ages have doiie things In haste, which they have repented at leisure. This fact was constantly in the minds of those who made our National and state constitutions. As to election of Senators of the United States, the reason why the present rule was adopted Is thus stated In the sixty-eighth number of The Federalist the Expositors; Bible of the Constitution: It waa desirable that tha sense of the people ahould operate In the choice of a peraon to whom so Important a trust waa to be confided. It was equally desirable that the Immedate election ahould be made by men capable of analyzing, adapted to tha station, and acting- under circumstances fa vorable to deliberation and to a Judicious combination of all the reasons and lnduce menta that were proper to e-overn their choice. A small number of persons selected by their fellow -clttxena from the general mass will be moet liable to possess the In formation and discernment requisite to so complicated an Investigation. It Is the attempt to reject the con stitutional method of election of Sena tors that is, to elect them by a method In defiance of the Constitu tionthat has brought matters In Oregon Into their present plight; with the result that the Senator on this programme will be opposite In poli tics, and in all National purposes, both to a great majority of the Legis lature and to an immense majority of the people of Oregon and of the United States. While The Oregonian has no advice to offer about the mat ter In its present form. It does not conceive that there Is any reason why It should not make & statement of the fact. rojsoxixo nun trees. An officer of the Colorado Experi ment Station has called to the at ' tention of orchardists a new danger that threatens their industry that of poisoning fruit trees as a result of long-continued use of arsenic in sprays for codling moth. He men tioned the matter very reluctantly and only after extensive Investigation but believes the facts ho has observed warrant the assertion that trees can be not only Injured but killed by arse nic used as a spray. The trees ob served by him seemed to have been Injured near the crown, where the bark died and peeled off. The spray apparently did no direct injury to the foliage and branches of the tree but year after year the arsenic was washed from the trees to the ground until the soil became so heavily charged with the foreign sub5tance that the tree was poisoned. The subject Is one' that may well receive the attention of Oregon horticulturists In order that the danger may be avoided if any ex ists. Quite likely some apple-grow-rrs proceed upon the theory that if a little arsenic, is a good thing for apples a large quantity Is better and therefore they use too strong a spray ing mixture. Perhaps many of them I spray the limbs and trunk of the tree - -. - m : . rwi... i well as the fruit. The warning from- Colorado should be heeded In Oregon and care should be taken not to overdo a good work. But those negligent orchardlsts who never spray at all for codling moth should not take this as an excuse for their method." A worm-Infested tree la not much better than a dead one. REPEAL NOT NECESSARY. It Is urged In many quarters that Statement One, of the primary law of Oregon, be repealed. This is urged In states other thun our own. Of course no other state will imitate this bunco feature of our primary law But, says the Chicago Tribune, "if the Republicans ot Oregon do not wish to be caught again in the Senatorial trap, let them repeal the feature of the law that has got them into the trouble." But it la not likely it will be re pealed. There will be no need of re pealing "Statement One." It can be defeated, or annulled without repeal. Nobody Is under any kind of obliga tion or need to accept it or to pledge to It. Moreover, thousands of Republi cans are resolved never to support any Republican, either for the Sen ate or for the Legislature, who here after may take this pledge, nor to act with the party if It should commit Itself to maintenance of It. With these The Oregonian will act. This bunco game will be dropped, or the Republican party of Oregon will make a permanent division upon it. Since the issue" can be dealt with in this effective way. repeal la not necessary, EXPANSION ON PVGET BOUND. Pugct Sound la a land of big things, There are big trees along the shore and big fish In the waters, said waters being so big that in most of the har bors it Is unsafe for the big ships to let go anchor, with any hope of its reaching the bottom. There are big cities In that Puget Sound country, and their population includes a num ber of big-story tellers. Perhaps there is something in the air that sweeps in from the big Pacific, or out from the big Cascade Mountains, that contributes to this permeating feeling of "bigness." In no other way can we account for this, predominating trait which is noticeable even in the heads of many of the Puget Sound dwellers. Now all of this la very well in its way so long as it appears with out unfairly dwarfing some other lo cality, which never makes any preten sions to unusual "bigness," and at the same time is desirous of credit in keep ing with its natural unexpanded merits. Unfortunately for Portland, the Collector .of Customs at Port Towns end, in his November shipping statis tics, carried the expansive Puget Sound policy ao far that he made the November wheat shipments from the Puget Sound ports more than 600,000 bushels greater than those of Port land, and thus brought the Puget Sound dLstrlct into second place among all the American wheat ship ping ports. To accomplish this re markable feat, the diminutive Japa nese steamer Fulkl Maru, which actually carried 66,666 bushels of wheat, waa credited on the official records with a cargo of 5 83,959 bush els, or-about six average grain cargoes. By adding this enormous amount to the actual clearances for the month, the Puget Sound reputation for "big ness" In all things was fairly well maintained and the Department of Commerce and Labor in its monthly bulletin sent out the news to ail the world that Puget Sound in November shipped 1,207,828 bushels of wheat, while Portland shipped but 701,070 bushels. As misrepresentation always travels so much faster than truth, there is small hope for Portland to receive any credit which a correction of this Puget Sound blunder should carry with it, but It may cause the Department of Commerce and Labor to exercise more vigilance in checking up the Puget Sound reports. ' THE EMANCIPATING 6TORM. A horse la a bundle of nerves tem pered and attuned by habits. Give him a fixed environment and this agreeable and useful animal Uvea a serenely vacuous life. He carries his rider, eats hLs oats, sleeps, wakes and dies without care or sorrow. But make the slightest change In his en vironment and you put him into a dreadful flurry. A hole by the road Bide which he haa not seen before frightens him. A bit of paper flutter ing by on the Summer 'breeze sets him'a-tremble. An unexpected noise will start him off in a frenzy which Is quite likely to end with his own and his driver's death. The horse is a valuable servant to us because he learns a few habits easily and never loses them so long as he lives. More than almost any other animal. he Jus tifies the opinion of the philosopher Descartes that the beasts are only automatons, without the power of thought and with little or no feeling. But his slavery to habit, while it is the source of hla extreme usefulness, is also hla greatest weakness. It makes htm a coward and a maniac The same Is true of men. Our hab its are at the same time our best friends and our worst enemies. Lack ing them, we are ineffective creatures, drifting on a boundless sea without rudder or compass, at the mercy of every breeze. We spend our golden moments paddling round after jelly fish and end by plunging down into the maelstrom. Wrlth a complete out fit of desirable habits a man - can navigate the ocean of life safe from all but the fiercest tempests. They pilot him peacefully through his placid career, and when It la over they anchor him in the happy haven of a quiet grave. They win him re spect while he lives and gain him a populous funeral after he la dead. The moralists tell us that since we must in any case acquire habits, it is a point of wisdom te learn those which will befriend us later in life and not Injure us; but there la no habit so good that it may not in some contingency become a foe. Consider, if you please, the wholesome and lu crative habit of early rising. Nothing more enhances one's spiritual beauty; no practice Is more speedily or amply recompensed in cash. But when wood Is sliver and gas Is gold the man who leaves hla bed at 5 in the dark, cold mornings of Winter, hours before he can go to work, follows but a losing rule of life. The prudent man makes servants of his habits, but most of us are pru dent only in courtesy and not in fact, so that our habits end by making servants of us. We become like the poor horses who sweat with terror at the minutest alteration in their daily routine and see in fluttering ' frag ments of white paper hobgoblins of destruction. Emerson advises every body to change his. religion frequently lest he fall Into subjection to its forma and forget the meaning. It te the miii- hnhlt U'hlfh hlnrl IIS forms of our habits which bind us with Iron 'links when the meaning has vanished and our highest welfare clamors vainly for liberty. The world sticks ignobly in the mud and falls to move toward Its divine destiny only because its habits-fitter its limbs. That waa what kept poor Christian wallowing so long In the Slough of Despond on the way to the Beautiful City. The habits of mankind are like the long stalks of pond lilies which twine about the legs of a strong swimmer and drag him down beneath the water. The bliww nr the lily Is lovely, but the tenacious stems with Ltnelr dinging slime are deadly. Car lisle calls these habits which magnify perils and frighten ua from progresa "enchantments." An imaginative German calls them "spooks." Ber nard Shaw calls . them "Ideals," but that seems to be an unhappy use of a noble word. Somewhat better is the language of the Brethren of the New Thought who speak of these en slaving habits as "hypnotisms." Whatever we may agree to call them, they belittle our souls. They sap our courage. They blind us to tho glorious outlook and the divine hope of the future. They sit at our ears as we slumber like the toad be side dreaming Eve and whisper coun sel of evil omen. "Think how com fortably things are arranged," they lisp, "think how terrible any change would be. Think how many projects to make the world better have failed. How wearisome Is effort, how vain is toll. Better sink down In the warm mud and lie there motionless for ever." In righteous indignation with the habits which enervate us William James sat down one day and wrote that it was good even to go on a spree If we could not break them up in any other way. A grand plunge into debauchery twice or three times a year, he exclaimed, would purge some souls of their lethargy and strip them for high endeavor in the arena. Hla counsel Is parlous. If wo could all go. on a spree three times a year and no more it might possibly be well, but there is only too apt to' come a time when wild liberty Itself shows up as a master and drives us with a lash of terror. Nature emancipates better than our own devices can when she breaks in upon the routine of the world with her great convul sions. An earthquake is not devoid of beneficent consequence, since it compels us to abandon our habitual selfishness and evokes living streams of kindness. A cold snap which breaks down at a stroke all the estab lished system of a city'a life is good. It loosens fetters. It emancipates the soul. Men become like children while it lasts. The forgotten hearti ness of youth returns upon them. They laugh, they frolic. The snow makes them all good-natured. T,he biting frost drives the blood back into their hearts and wakens the golden memories of long ago. The snows of yesteryear are the snows of this year. Youth Is not dead in any of us. It only sleeps and the sting of the frost awakens it. RIVER AND HARBOR BILL. The outlook for river and harbor appropriations ts somewhat uncertain, and the various commercial organi zations of the country are endeavoring with commendable enterprise to im press on Congress the necessity of taking care of the more Important projecta already under way. Of the merit of these 'projects there Is no question, and there is also no disputing the fact that In many cases a heavy loss will ensue if provision is not made for continuing the work without interruption.- But the ways of Congress which are, to a considerable extent, the ways of the Government, are past finding out, and if we are to judge the future by the past, there Is eomethiug more than an even chance that the much-needed appropriations will be withheld. It is in the system by which these river and harbor appropriations are doled out, that the unbusinesslike methods of the Government show per haps more plainly than in any other direction. Work on the Cascade Locks and at the mouth of the Columbia in years past has been repeatedly held up through lack of appropriations, and before they could be renewed the loss through deterioration of the plant and of the work already completed has not Infrequently run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. This of course is a condition and a result that could never happen in any sensibly con ducted business operation, and there is no good reason why the Govern ment should permit this heavy loss through failure to recognize the exist ence of an emergency and to meet it n the only 'possible manner In which It can be met. There are a number of big river and harbor projects in various parts of the United States which are, in de gree, as important as the Panama Canal. Millions have already been invested in them and unless they are protected by the necessary appropri ations to carry them to uninterrupted completion, a heavy loss will ensue. The principal difficulty in the way of securing proper recognition for these projects of merit lies in the "old and deep-seated sentiment entertained against all river and harbor improve ments by numerous Senators-and Rep resentatives who never take the trouble to segregate the good from the bad. , In years gone by it was a custom altogether too common to regard any H appeal for such aid as. political graft. Out of this erroneous sentiment grew that obnoxious term "pork barrel," which has since stuck to all river and harbor bills. Since Mr. Burton has been the ruling power on the House committee on rivers and harbors, there have been very few of the plain graft bills of the tld "pork barrel" days smuggled through, but the evil that some of the predecessors of those iniquitous measures worked, still lives, and is a contributing factor in holding up the most necessary ap propriations which should be made at the present session of Congress. The entire delegations from the North Pacific states are unanimously, in favor of the needed appropriations, and by working in unison they may succeed where others have failed in the past. The Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railroad has been Incorpor ated. The new line is the Pacific Coast extension of the Chicago, Mil waukee & St. Paul. It is rushing to the Coast in time to handie the ex pected travel to the Seattle fair. Pas sengers secured by tliis line quite naturally would not know from the title of the road that it was possible for. them to reach such a place as Portland by that route, and naturally a goodly .number of them will get no farther than Puget Sound. It lsof course the privilege of the road "in this free country to decline to rec cur- nize the existence of Portland, but it should not be forgotten by the traffic rustlers of the line that Portland may exercise the same blessed prerogative and decline to recognize the existence of the Chicago. Milwaukee & Puget Sound road or even its eastern con nection. A little retaliation of thia sort would not only appraise the Mil waukee line of Portland's existence, but it would also show it that fha territory- reached from thia city is greater in extent than that reached from any other city in the Northwest. Tile Argentine wheat crop of 1908 9 will go on record as being the most "elastic" of any ever turned out by the southern hemisphere. A few weeks ago "official" statistics had it down as low as 85,000,000 bushels, and the most liberal traders who were sup posed to be in touch with the situ ation were unwilling to concede more than 110,000,000 bushels. The latter has been the popular figure for the past few weeks, but as the shipping season approaches, there has been a revision of figures, and the Chicago market 'slumped Saturday because some one has sent out figures predict ing a yield of 216,000,000 bushels This figure is probably as far wrong as the 85,000,000 prediction earlier in the season. Heavy shipments from the Argentine will not be surprising whether the crop Is large or small for present prices are too attractive to cause many holders to retain their wheat. A buoy which was aet adrift July 24, 1900, 400 kilometers northeast of the Mackenzie River, has just drifted ashore at Soroe, Denmark. It is pre sumed that the buoy was carried through the polar seas between Green land and Spitzenberg. It was nearly eight years In making the voyage This is really the most successful Arc tic voyage that has been noted in recent times, and suggests something new in the way of polar expeditions. Here is an opportunity for all na tions to participate In a grand race for the pole without risking a slnglelife. Let each nation that has sacrfflced men and money in vain efforts to dis cover that Imaginary "pole" set adrift a buoy and the first one which suc cessfully makes the passage be awarded the prize for North Pole dis covery. This method would save many lives, much money and should serve al purposes for which the discovery of the north pole la sought. The Almanac and Year Book of the Chicago Daily News, for 1909, is a close compilation of a vast amount of statistical matter. It is twenty five years since this annual issued its first number. It was then a little paper-bound booklet; now it has ex panded to a volume of 600 pages, into which every variety of statistical mat ter Is closely packed and indexed. ,It is a record of all or most things of interest and of current use that an inquirer would like to know, and the easy accessibility and compact form of tfie matter render it one of the most convenient ever published. Pub lished by Victor F. Lawson, of the Chicago Daily News. Blizzard, as the word is known east of the Rocky Mountains, is not an appropriate word to use In describing the snow storm last week in this re gion. In a real blizzard the tempera ture is 20 to 40 degrees below zero, the wind blows sixty miles an hour, the snow is so fine that its particles sift through cracks wherever air will go, and neither man nor beast can face the storm and live. In a real blizzard the air is so filled with fine snow that breathing is almost impos sible. A enow storm such as that which took place in Oregon- would, in the Middle West, scarcely cause a pe destrian to turn up his coat collar. Editor Hofer (Salem Capital Jour nal) sees no good in the Legislature. He complains that it will not take advice; says "it is useless, it Is impos sible. It is folly, to advise the Legis lature." Further, "it is the one sover eign irresponsible body, and it is a terror to the people to see It meet." The Oregonian knew it was awful, but still had hopes it . wasn't bad as that. Why didn't Marion County put Editor Hofer In the Legislature again this year? Was it because he has helped, heretofore as a member, to make it the "terror" it is? Charles S. Deneen, Governor of Illinois and candidate for re-election, fell far behind his ticket, but re ceived about 24,000 plurality. The "reformers," aided by their Democratic and other allies, are now trying to count him out. The liquor men of Indiana, who gave the state to the. Democrats, now want the liquor legislation - of the state fixed to suit them, and to this end demand -the repeal of the county local option law. There is a mighty uproar in Indiana about it. Of course a physician was found who would swear that Captain Halns was suffering from "impulsive Insan ity" when he shot Annls. While the Jury Is not required to believe the doc tor, it probably will give his testimony some credit. Nobody else will. It probably is of little use to make protest against any one of the thou sand new schemes for expenditure of public money, since they who propose and push these schemes are not those who pay the faxes to support them. A first-class battleship of the Dreadnought type costs 6,000.000. This is exclusive of the armament, which Is supplied by the Government from its great gun works. . , Misfortunes never did come singly. In Oregon, the Legislature meets con temporaneously with the "blizzard"; but we axe accustomed -to one of thorn. Perhaps the prodding the President has given Tillman was merely an ef fort to get Into practice preparatory to Jabbing the wild animals in Africa, Banking lobbyists in the Oregon Legislature this session will not. have the convenience of Banker Ross' secret "Jocular" code. There's comfort in the thought that there's Just as much danger to the pipes In the house next door. Though the market reports do not show it, there is an increasing demand for rope in this state. This was to be a happy New Year. Don't forget it when you send for the plumber. Now isnt this fine weather for the cold-iwater-bath fiend? DECLARES YUAN IS TRAITOR I ' , i President of ChJne-e Rrform Society UUCnssea unrnint PORTLAND. Or., Jan. 10. (To the Editor.) Will you kindly allow me a little space In your great paper to reply to the criticism of the dismissal of Yuan Shi Kai, one of the Grand Councillors of China? It seems that what little ad vancement China has made is solely credited to Yuan and that the dismissal of this official will have a deterrent ef fect on the progress of this ancient empire, but this view of the situation is very unjust, and we" feel sure that it would never have been made If the true Internal affairs of China were perfectly understood. , Yuan is a traitor to his countr and it was chiefly due to him that the reforms of 1S98 failed. If Yuan had kept his promise and not turned traitor the late Dowager Emprese would have been put where she could do no harm, and Em peror Kwangsu restored to his rightful power. Reforms would have long ago been carried out. Trade with foreign nations would have made more rapid strides, the life of every foreigner made secure and tranquillity prevailed through out the empire. Yuan never was a reformer in the true sense of the word. Yuan . was for Yuan, and he has been secretly laying his plans to seize the throne as soon as the opportunity arrived, and If It were not for the. great strength of the opposition,- Yuan might have seized the throne, created civic strive and endan gered the peace of the Far East. There Is plenty of proof that Yuan tried to bribe one of the .physicians in attend ance on the late Emperor, for he knew well that the old Dowager Empress could not live long, and that if she died before the Emperor, the Emperor would severely punish him for his traitorous acts in connection with me "coup" of 1898. The chief actors of the "coup" of 1898 are all dead and the history remains under ground. Yuan, indeed, is lucky to escape with his head still Intact and ought to be grateful for the great magninimlty of the Prince Regent. The government has put in his place a man educated in the United States, a man imbued with the true Western spirit, and henceforth China will advance as she has never done before. Foreign Investments will be safe, life fully protected and the national credit abroad Improved. LEB MEE GINN. President of the Chinese Empire Reform Association of Portland. INTERREGNUM CAN BE AVOIDED Coturrc Meet a Situation, Should Mr. Taft Now Either Die or Resign. PORTLAND, Jan. 9. (To the Editor.) It was with very great interest that I read Senator Fulton's communication in The Oregonian of yesterday, relative to the Presidential succession in the event of the death of Mr. Taft before having taken the oath of office. The Senator's interpretation of clause 5 of article 2 of the Constitution and the twelfth amend ment to the Constitution is undoubtedly correct. That the Constitution Is defective in the particular pointed out by the Senator Is equally clear. However, in the event of the death of Mr. Taft before having taken the oath of office,' It would be possible to avoid an Interregnum. In order o do this It would require the resignation of both President Roosevelt and Vice-President Fairbanks "before the expiration of their respective terms of office. In which case, clause 5 of article 2 of the Constitu tion gives the power to Congress to' desig nate what officer shall be President until a President snail be constitutionally elected. Congress has met this situation by the act of January 19, 1SS6, which pro vides that in case of the removal, death or resignation, etc., of both the President and Vice-President, the Secretary of State, etc:, shall be President until tho disability be removed or a President shall be elected. So that it would seem that in the event of Jlr. Taft's death before his inaugura tion, President Roosevelt and Vice-President Fairbanks could resign their respec tive offices and the Secretary of State, Mr. Root, would immediately become President and would hold that office until the next regular Presidential election. FREDERICK W. 1LULKEY. STATE'S RIGHTS DOCTRINAIRES Writer Blame Dlsaaffected Southerner for "Holy Statement" Result. PORTLAND, Jan. 9. (To the Editor.) Jeff Davis, the leader of the Southern States out of the Union, held the poison ous doctrine that he had a right to disre gard the Constitution of the United States as the supreme law of the land In letter and In spirit, and to form a sep arate republic for the South. Do we want two republics in Oregon, or are we willing, as good citizens, to abide by the letter and spirit of tho United States Constitution In the selec tion of United States Senators? In other words, do we believe In Southern Demo cratic states' rights as the supreme law, or in the Constitution of the United States as the supremo law? Let us not forget that this primary In novation is an egg that was laid and hatched In Southern soil, an egg laid by Southern Democratic state rights doc trinarians who disowned the United States as the supreme government and tried to disrupt the Union. It is for each member of the Legisla ture to say which doctrine he will es- pouse--that of Lincoln, or that of Jeff Davis; one republic, or many in tho United States. CORRESPONDENT. Joke on Huaband- Heppner Gazette. Notwthstanding the fact that a casket and Bhroud were purchad for Mrs. Matthew Thoburn, of Wapinitla, and that all preparations were made for a wake over her body, the woman, is now enjoy ing the best of health Mrs. Thoburn was seriously ill at her home In Wapinitla shortly before Christ mas. She was not expected to survive. and the day before Christmas her death was considered only a matter of hours. Her husband was compelled to make a trip to The Dalles, by team, that day. The roads were in miserable condition. Expecting that his wife would not live long, and not wishing to make another trip over . the bad roadB, Mr. Thoburn decided to purchase tho casket and get the material for a shroud for her body. He carried out this plan and also pur chased a number of candles In prepara tion for th9 wake. It is humorously suggested that Mrs. Thoburn rallied and gradually Improved to have a good Joke on her husband. At any rate Mrs. Thoburn is a well woman now and was able to visit relatives In this city on New Year's day. She says she expects to remain in the land of the living for several more years in spite of tho fact that a casket which was In tended for her dead body is now stored m the barn in Wapinitla. As It Wa In the BeaTinnlns;. Puck. Tha Professor Doctor, wa have made a discovery of Inestimable Importance. We have here several hitherto unknown verses of the Book of Genesis. Listen! 'Cain rose tip against Abel, his brother, and slew him. And to the Angel of the Lord, Cain spoke. Baying: T waa Insane. I was sane before I slew him and I am sane now. but the Instant I struck I was crazed. This Is my defense." And lo! concerning the slaying tho mind of Cain was a, perfect blank." A Southern Democratio Opinion. Baltimore Sun. Just so soon as It Is understood In the Democratic National Conventions that tho Southern Democracy intends to" de mand and exercise Its proper power In the party, and that the only way to make sure of the electoral vote of the South Is to recognize its political rights, there will be a chance for a Democratio President. PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATIONS Nature of Their Franchises and Regula tion of Their Ratea. For succinct statement of the meaning and the results of the decision of the United States Supreme Court, January 4, on the appeal of the Metropolitan Gas Company, of New York,' we are indebted to an explanatory summary, published by the World. Included in the decision is a statement about the nature of the franchises of the public-service corpor ations, which of course, will have appli cation to the whole country. An eighty cent rate had been made by law for gas supplied in the City of New York. It was resisted by the company, on tha ground that It was confiscatory. The Supreme Court, however, upholds tho act, but adds that the corporation may make application for relief. If, after ex perimental trial, the rate shall be found unremunerative. The points of the de cision are thus summarized by the World: 1. That when the state by statute au thorizes the capitalization of a franchise such capitalization is valid against tho atate. but a corporation may not capitalize its rrancnifes at its own estimate of their value and require a rata profitable thereon. Neither can a public service corporation re quire compensation for its good-will. This excludes the capitalization for good-will and franchises, except so far as tne state rat ified the value of the original franchises at 7,7S1.000. 2. A net profit of s per cent 1 not con fiscatory. 3. No rate -within reasonable bounds can be asserted to be confiscatory unless there has been an actual and bona fide teat of its operation. 4. A fair return on the value of property actually used in manufacturing and supply ing gas is approximately 6 per cent. The basis Is the value of the property at the time when the rate takes effect. 6. It Is not discrimination for the city to get gas at a lower price than an individual consumer. 6. The increased cost of higher candle power la not of itself confiscatory, but Is part of the wholo computation of price and profit. 7. To require unreasonable pressure Is un constitutional, as are excessive penalties, both of which are stricken out. The court concludes that, if after honest and faithful test of 80-ccnt gas, the Con solidated Gas Company Is unable to obtain "a fair and Just return upon Its property used In Its business of supplying gas," fur ther application may be made for relief. In the meantime the constitutionality of the SO-Cent Gas law Is upheld and the con sumers are entitled to recover more than J1O.OO0.000 which they have paid in excess charges. THE FOOL OF THE FAMILY." And Its Effective Warning to All Other State. Chicago Inter-Ocean. Oregon is now having an experience which would chasten its spirit. But yes terday the primary law in that state "might have stood against the world." Today many Oregonians are asking if they must indeed lie on the bed that they nave made. Oregon is a Republican state, with a Republican Legislature. Yet this Repub lican Legislature of a Republican 6tate will, if a majority of the members keep their pledges to vote for the man nom inated for Senator under the primary law, elect a Democrat, Governor Chambelain, to represent that state for six years in the United States Senate. There is the situation which tinkering with the plain intent of the Constitution has brought about. The Consitution meant for Senators to be chosen by the Legislatures. But the Oregon primary law enthusiasts knew a better way than that No fear of misadventure damped their ardor. The scheme was sure to work. And so It did. It worked eo well that the question whether the legislators shoilld keep their pledges is now a burn ing one. Leading Republicans hold they should; leading Republicans hold they shouldn't. If they do, a state freshly committed to tho Chicago platform will be represented by a Senator freshly com mitted to the Denver declaration. If they do not, they will repudiate an obligation openly acknowledged. Tho Republican legislators should keep those pledges. They are foolish pledges made with an eye to a more foolish law. They are not technically binding. But a law is a law and should be obeyed. Bitter as the medicine may be. it will be good for Oregon. It should cure it of the idea that there Is some magic In the "primary" to solve all difficulties. It should restore a healthy respect for the plain constitutional way of doing things. And in the moment of taking the un pleasant draught, the Legislature should see to it that this one Is the last. A re peal of that portion of the law which has created such a monstrous situation is tho first demand of common sense. If the past is not to be undone, the future can at least be made secure, and tha.t by tho simple expedient of bowing to the plain intent of the Constitution. Six years Is a long time for a Demo cratic Senator to represent an unques tionably Republican state. But not too long, if the lesson of it sinks Into the pub lic mind, impressing It with the evils of hasty legislation, the folly of a too nar row enthusiasm, the impolicy of an in direct nullification of the supreme law of the land. MERCANTILE FLEETS OF WORLD United State Not Very Bis;, but I Third. The annual shipping statistics Just pub lished by the Nautical Gazette show that tha world's mercantile fleet tonnage has increased by 62S.O0O net tonnage over last year. The mercantile steamship fleets of the principal nations, with their In crease or decrease of tonnage, are: Increase in Country. Tonnage, one year. Great Britain Germany Tnlted States Norway France Japan Italy , Netherlands .. Russia Sweden Austria &paln ..10.183.000 . . 2.2"l7.0iiO .. l,253,0OO 841,1100 non.oiio K.U0 .V.H.000 r.i.t.ooo 4Ki.noo 41IS.000 443.00O 4S.O00 flO.OIIO Bfi.OUO M.000 73.000 16.000 33.000 13,000 I'-.'.OOO 33.000 32,000 6,000 Total tonnage 1S.970.000 Decrease. The decrease in sailing vessel tonnage continues. In 13 years, 1S89 to 19CS, the total has run down from 11,061,000 to 6,'.'04,OX), while In the same period the steam tonnage has increased from 7,748, 000 to 2C.G33.000. The sailing fleet of tho Netherlands, at one time by far tho larg est In the world, now takes fourteenth place, with only 74.000 tonnage, while tha American sailing fleet is now second to that of Great Britain. The tonnage of these two nations is: Great Britain, 1.691,000; the United States. 1,409.000. Hippy in Cold Weather. Condon Times. Even the stockmen are glad to see the severe weather coma at this time as cat tle, and especially sheep, are better able to stand the cold than a storm In Feb ruary when sheep are heavy with lamb. It will also give an abundance of water during lambing and help to maka good grass on tho ranges when it is most needed next April. This Is the weather we want, and, "let her snow" Is the re mark heard on all sides. Hanging for Assassinations. Philadelphia Record. Perhaps there would be fewer assas sinations If there were a stronger prob ability that a murderer would bo hanged. It might even be sufficient to make a long term in the penitentiary sure. Whatever may be said about the death penalty, the certainty of severe punishment would probably discourage the taking of human life. At any rate, it would be worth while to make a thorough test of this. LIFE'S SUNNY SIDE AN amusing Incident occurred In the trial of a recent case In an Ohio court. Counsel for the plaintiff was examining a certain witness, when he asked: "Is my understanding correct that you called on tha plaintiff, Mr. Per kins?" "Yes, sir." "What did he say?" demanded coun sel. Whereupon counsel for the other side arose and objected strenuously. Thecon versatlon could not be admitted as evi dence. But counsel for the plaintiff in sisted, and 'counsel for the other per sisted, with the result that the Judge before whom the case was being tried retired to consider tha point. He was absent for nearly an hour. When he returned he announced that the ques tion might bo put "Weil, what did he say?" repeated counsel. "The fact is, "sir," answered, the wit ness, without moving- a muscle, "he wasn't a-t home!" Indianapolis News. An Irish soldier on sentry duty had orders to allow no one to smoke near his post. An officer with a lighted cigar approached, whereupon Pat bold ly challenged him and ordered him to put it out at once. The officer, with a gesture of disgust, threw away his cigar, but i. sooner was his back turned than Pat picked It up and quiet ly retired to the sentry-box. The officer, happening to look around, observed a beautiful cloud of smoke. Issuing from the box. He at onca challenged Pat for smoking on duty. "Smoking, is it, sorr? Bedad, and Tm only Keeping it lit to show to tha Corporal when he comes, as evidenco agin you." Tit-Bit. Mme, Calve, at a women's luncheon, was condoned by an elderly spinster on the ground that a laudatory article about her haJ not been very subtle or discriminating. "I know well," said the spinster, smiling behind. her glittering spectacles, "that only discriminating praise counts as praise with you." "Don't talk about discrimlnatlnpt praise," answered Mme. Calve. "Ful some flattery Is good enough for me." Washington (D. C.) Star. On a journey through th South not long ago Wu Ting Fang was Impressed by the preponderance of negro labor in one of the cities he visited. Wherever the entertainment committee led him, whether to factory, store or suburban plantation, all the hard work seemed to be borne by the black men. Minister Wu made no comment at the time, but in the evening, when he was a spectator at a ball given in his honor, after watching the waltzing and two stepping for half an hour, he remarked to his hOBt: "Why don't you make the negroe do that for you, too?" New York Sun. e William G. Rockefeller is the presi dent of the National Beagle Club, and an authority on dogs no less than on finance. ' Discussing the training of dogs at a recent club meeting, Mr. Rockefeller Baid: "Yes, training Is an art. The simplest-appearing canine performance is, properly understood, a difficult thing. It looks easy, but it is hard; and thus" Mr. Rockefeller smiled "thus it is like the man at the photographer's, "This man, sitting for his pottrai said Impatiently to the artist: " 'Well, have I got now tha pleasant expression you desire?' "'Yes, thank you," said the photo grapher. 'That will do nicely." " Then hurry up,' growled tha man. 'It hurts my face.' " Rochester (New; York) Herald. Dorando Pletri, at one of tha many Italian banquets given In his honor In New York, talked about professional athletics. "Amateurism is no doubt more ro mantic than professionalism," he said, "but wa live In an unromantlc age. "Only the other night at one of your gayest Italian restaurants I overhear ! a dialogue that illustrated forcibly tha age's lack of romance. "It was late. At tha table next to mine a rich young Italian contractor was supping with a beautiful young: girl. As the young girl played with the stem of the wineglass I heard her murmur: " It is true. Isn't it, that you love ma, and me only?' " 'Yes.' said the young man, 'though this lobster is certainly mighty good." " New York Herald. A Town and a Country Fable. St. Louis Globe Democrat. Onca there was an Honest Man Who ,was looking for Work in a Large City. From morning until night he would tramp the streets asking for a Job. Although h, had one or two Trades he could work At, he was willing to take any kind of em ployment that was respeotable. He would be glad to be a Houseman if nothing bet ter offered and would even Assist in tho Kitchen washing Dishes rather than bo an object of Charity. But, thougli worthy, luck was against him. Being something of a student, he sought t, Analyze the reasons why he could Not get anything to do. "Here I am," he said, "an Abie-Bodied man of Good Character, born and Raised in this Country and a Citizen and Supporter of the state and it has no use for me. Evidently our social and Industrial System Is Wrong. It la chaotic and ineffective and Ought to bo Changed. What we Need Is a new Ono. Should not Every city have a Job for every Honest Man that wants one?" But as his ruminations did not put Bread in his mouth, he was compelled to stop re constructing the social System and set out onca more searching for a Means of Livelihood. At last in his Desperation, scarce knowing what ha Did, he walked out into the country. He trudged along the Roud dejectedly, wondering what was to beoomo of Him. He had traveled some distance from Town when a Farmer accosted him, crying "Hey!" In the usual and characteristic vernacular of the Bu colic Regions. The Wandering Man raised his head and the Farmer cried out; "I ben lookln' fur a hand to help me feed my Stock for three weeks and I'm clean Beat out if I kin Git one. Likely as not you might take the Job. It'll be steady Win ter and Summer. The way the Young Fellers leave the country and Crowd Into the Cities is Simply a Depopulatln' the rural decstrioks. Everybody c.-un made a Good Living In the country and havo plenty to Eat and a Comfortable place to sleep." So tho Honest Man took the Job and lived happy ever after, for threa years later by Frugality and Economy he was able to go into farming for him self. Moral It Is Better to Live in the Country and Milk the Cow than Live In tha City end Drive the -Milk Wagon. The Effective Boomer. Tillamook Headlight. The Oregonian has issued another commendable New Year's number, which is brim full of information and which will do Oregon a vast amount of good In obtaining new settlers. When it comes to genuine boomers for the state. The Oregonian Is the greatest and most effective boomer. Crop Safe Under Snow. .Pilot Rock Record. No apprehension is felt for growing crops, as the ground was but little frozen at the time of the snowfall, and It is generally believed the sown grain will continue to thrive under the warm, covering of snow. u