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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1909)
10 THE MORXIXG OREGONIAX, TUESDAY, DECTEMBIJR 14, 1909. PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland, Oregon. Fostofnce aa Second-Class Matter. n ( (subscription Rates Invariably In Advance. (By Mail.) liaily. Futility Included, one year $8.00 Daily, Sunday Included, six month!..,. 4.25 Ial)y, Hunday Included, three month!.. .2.25 1aily, Hunday Included, one month....' .75 Ially, without Sunday, one year 6.00 Jally, without Sunday, six month.... 3.25 Dally, without Sunday, three month!. .. 1.7 1 Ially. without Sunday, one month 60 Weekly, one year 1.50 Sunday, one year..... 2.50 Sunday and weekly, one year 8.50 (By Carrier.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year...,. 9.00 Dally. Sunday Included, one month 73 How to Remit Send poetofrtce money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give postofflce ad dress In full, including; county and state. I onto ire Rates 10 to 14 pages, 1 cent; 18 to 2S paces. 2 cents; 30 to 40 pages. 3 cents; 40 to 60 pages, cents. Foreign postage double rata Eastern Business Office The S. C. Beck wlth Special Arency New York, rooms 49 ro Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 610-512 Tribune building. PORTLAND, TUESDAY. PEC, 14, 1909. rORTXuAlfD, OX WILLAMETTE. There are two difficulties in the way of any proposition for a tunnel under the river at .Portland, which may be regarded at this time as insuperable. Time will, however, remove them. One of these difficulties, .which at present creates an impossibility, Is the certainty that the people of Port land could not now be brought to agreement on the site for a tunnel. The northern and southern extremities of the city would not be served, as they view It, by a central tunnel, and .even In the central portion of the city there could be no agreement as to the site. Then the cost of a tunnel. It cer tainly iwould be very great. It would augment the debt of the city to a very Kreat but unknown extent; and pru dent residents, owners of property, will always consider the Interest charge and its burden. There will be tunnels, after a while, when Portland shall be prepared to meet the cost. But at present the gen eral Judgment Is that bridges will suf fice. Five bridges will answer the pur pose, for some years to come. The bridges at Madison, at Morrison,, at Burnside, at Gllsan and Oregon, and the bridge" In the northern part of the city, called usually the Broadway bridge, will suffice for some years, then the Increasing congestion may be re lieved by a central tunnel. But at this time both the northern and southern parts of the city would oppose a cen tral .tunnel, because they haven't yet obtained what they want for them selves. The Madison bridge Is under con struction, and should be ready for use by September next. The Broadway bridge has been ordered by a heavy majority of the people of Portland; and its construction should begin at once. This, with construction of the bridge at Gllsan and Oregon streets, would satisfy present requirements. Then, later, -when the congestion re quired relief, all parts of the city would Join in voting for a tube under the river. In the central part of the city. That work, whenever ordered, will cost many millions; but Portland, In that day, will be able to take care of it. In this outline The Oregonian be lieves It expresses the general senti ment of Portland. The bridge at Broadway should be built. There will then be five bridges, accommodating fairly the various divisions of the city. These will suffice for some years. Then tunnels may be talked about; and nat urally the first tunnel will be in the central part of the city. The north ern and southern portions then will gladly favor It, to relieve the conges tion on the bridges but the bridges will always remain. This is a very practical question. It is a condition, not a theory. The new facilities for crossing the river must tie accommodated to present con ditions, which are the result of the entire preceding growth of Portland. The general plan of the city, natural growth of three-score years, cannot be changed. Future development must be accommodated in very great meas ure, to established conditions. There Is no wisdom in attempt to force move ment In any other way. The Madison bridge Is under construction; . the O. R. & N. is about to begin its new bridge; the bridges at Morrison and Burnside are permanent structures. Now let us put in the high bridge at Broadway. Later; undoubtedly, we shall, put tubes under the river. But Jt win not be done now. All Judgment In affairs, If worth anything, must be based on existing facts and conditions; which are, themselves, the results of growth through antecedent periods. This Is the situation at Portland now. Changes never can be based on the ories that ignore the past, and attempt a new future, without proper regard for the situations of the present day. In Portland there is a multitude of interests, widely scattered, which yet must be consulted and considered; and no scheme, no theory. Is good for any thing that ignores important parts of them all. The population of Portland Is to be on the East Side. The major ity Is there now. But the business and the property values are on the West Side: and to hold this advantage the West Bide must not obstruct the meas ures wanted by the East Side for passage over the river. Passage under the river will come later. BOMB RECLAMATION1 RESULTS. The annual report of the Reclama tion Service shows that Oregon, after contributing millions to a fund that has been largely used In other states, at last has a completed irrigation project. The Hermiston unit of the Umatilla Jroject, embracing 6823 acres. Is all provided with water and a regular service was maintained during the past season. The Umatilla project as a (whole, Including the Hermiston unit, was reported 85 per cent completed on June 30, and on the same date the Klamath project was 38 per cent completed. As an example of the advantages enjoyed In other states, where projects have been com pleted, to a considerable extent with' funds contributed toy Oregon, the fig ures on the Hermiston project are in teresting. This unit of 6823 acres (smaller than the domain of some of the wheat barons) is already support ing a population of between 1100 and 1200 people. Of the Klamath project, 21,000 acres were under water last year, out of a total, when completed, of 172,000 acres. According to the- Government figures, the total value of crops and livestock on the Irrigated acreage last season was 3376,600, which was a very fair first return. While Oregon has never, from the inception of the work, received money from the Reclamation Service at all in keeping with the con tributions which this state bas made to the general fund, we are unques tionably about to enjoy some highly satisfactory returns on what has been invested. It is almost impossible to over-estimate the advantage of having more than 1000 people making a good living on a tract of land no larger than is required by one wheat baron and a few employes. The one great-need of Oregon Is a population which can make use of the millions of acres of idle land in the state. With irrigation making intensi fied farming practical, the possibiltles of development in the country, as well as-in the cities "and towns, are unlimited. THE NEW STATE OF ,lSKIYOU. A few unappreciated souls in South ern Oregon are trying to interest with themselves a few unappreciated souls of Northern California In the forma tion of a new state, to be called the State of Siskiyou. It's well enough, as an exercise for local and individual ambition, that deems itself under valued and prefers "statesmanship" to practical and useful labor. But it will be necessary to obtain the consent of Oregon and the consent of California, and the approval of the Congress of the United States. Now while none of us is awfully fond of people who don't want to associate with us, we shall wait till convinced that the baker's dozen of ambitious spirits who propose the new state of Siskiyou are really the people of Southern Oregon and of Northern Cal ifornia. Then it may be time for the States of Oregon and California to pay attention. Possibly then the States of Oregon and California will say, "Go, and good riddance" but probably not. We are told that the Ja.ckson County Press Association Has "formally in dorsed the movement for a new state." The paper at Medford that speaks for the project says the naw state will be "a vast empire with ocean .harbors, and greater natural resources, greater timber and mineral wealth and scenic attractions than any section on the globe." Plus a lot of incomparable statesmen. Those natural resources and scenic attractions are there, sure enough. Yet we doubt whether they exceed those of any other section on the globe. It must, however, be a subject of regret that these choice and master spirits who are moving for a new state haven't expended part of their energies in development of the great native riches of Southern Oregon and North ern California, But, for compensation, we get matter like this: "With Eastern Oregon seceding on the one hand and Southern Oregon on the other, the Willamette Valley will be left peace fully to vegetate by Itself and the Salem hog ar.d the Portland pig can root undisturbed among the pest-laden orchards, wallow In the streaks of mire called roads, drink Arbuckle coffee and read The Oregonian. Ah, brethren! Your own roads, your own coffee, your own newspapers! Are they ideal? You have, indeed, many good orchards, put in by newcomers who, however, are not Joining the na tive politicians in the demand for se cession. But we shall Btay with each other a while yet, we reckon. Neither Ore gon nor -California will be in ' an awful hurry to push the proceedings; nor the State of Siskiyou itself knowing that aslnlnlty is a very in sufficient" capital on which to f ount a new state. SETTING A IXW THINGS STRAIGHT. The Philistine is a breezy publica tion Issued occasionally from East Au rora, N. Y.. and edited by Elbert Hub bard, quack philosopher and near-orator. The Philistine makes Its appeal to a class of people who have not time, opportunity or inclination to go to au thority for science, religion, literature or art, and who have an idea that Hubbard is giving them the real thing, it is to laugh. But they read his pa per and don't know any better, though they should. Because they don't know better, and because through them others might be misled. The Oregonian feels constrained to call attention to an article In the December number of the Philistine about the late Seattle Exposition. Hubbard says this: There were three unique features about the Seattle show that are worthy of record. First, It is the only exposition that did not receive Government aid. Second, it was the first and only great exposition where no beer, wine or other liquors were sold. Third, it is the only exposition that made money for Its stockholders. Here is the truth: First, the Seattle Exposition received Government aid to the extent of 3600,000. Besides, It had state aid to the extent of 31.000,000. Second, the sale of Intoxicants was in deed prohibited by law, since the Ex position was held within two miles of the State University, and no liquors can be sold within that radius. But liquors can be had within two miles and are and were to be had by persons knowing how to get them. Third, the Lewis and Clark Exposition at Portland returned to its stockholders over 20 per cent of their subscriptions. It is the only exposition, so far as The Oregonian knows, with such a record. The Seattle Exposition has returned no money and probably will return none or very little. The Oregonian has no desire to make any Invidious comparisons be tween the Portland Exposition and the Seattle Exposition. Both were great and successful affairs. Each was val uable In many ways for its community and for the Northwest. There is no occasion or excuse, however, for mis stating the facts about either of them. LES8EXTNG THE ACCIDENT RISK. The work of double tracking the Union Pacific railroad has reached a point where It Is announced that with in two years the entire line will have been double tracked and equipped with the block signal. When old Red Cloud, who died at Pine Ridge Agency last week, was fighting the whites for attempting to build a single track line across the great plains of the West, there were few people in the United States who believed that there would ever be a double-track line, or another trans-continental line across the Rock ies. The Union Pacific is not only double-tracking its line throughout, and Installing the block' signal, but it has announced that all future orders for passenger equipment will be for steel cars. With these three most necessary precautions against acci dents there ought to be a reduction in the number of accidents on the road. In this connection it Is interesting to note that the Pennsylvania railroad has a corps of experts investigating the famous block signal which has proved the greatest' safeguard a rail road could throw around its employes, passengers and property. This investi gation is being made for the purpose of discovering the cause of a collision which recently took place with the block showing the safety signal and. with no apparent dereliction on the part of the employes. If the block signal should be found at fault, an fort will be made to replace it with something better, If anything' can be found to take Its place. Thus far, as a preventive of trainwrecks, nothing ap proaching the block signal has been in vented. It would be impossiblefla'o esw timate the number of lives and the amount of property saved by its operation. WITH FEW MOURNERS. Leopold of Belgium, the monster monarch of present-day Europe, is re ported upon his deathbed. The world' will receive this news with the' first sensation of satisfaction that has been felt at the mention at the name of the Belgian King for many years. Cold, calculating, cruel, selfish, devoid as it would seem of every human affection of every motive but avarice he will leave the world Without one gracious act to hi3 credit. And this though opportunity has waited constantly at his door, . sat beside h"is domestic hearth and beseeched his mercy from the shores of the Congo. Leopold's wife. Queen Henrietta Maria of Austria, was a gentle, high minded, womanly woman. He treat ed her with extreme cruelty, persecut ed her to the last, and insulted her memory by a coarse assumption of mourning when she died; his only son died In his boyljood from a mysterious ailment resembling slow poisoning. The story of his daughters wretched lives are familiar tales. Brutal, ar rogant, tyrannical, he refused to allow them to attend their mother's funeral, driving them from the palace with curses. Licentious, avaricious, a do mestic tyrant, a national shame let Leopold of Belgium pas. RECORD BANK STATEMENT. The condition of the Oregon banks, as reflected in the detailed statement printed in yesterday's Oregonian, is a fine tribute to the general and wide spread prosperity of the state. A gain of more than 321,000,000 in resources in a single year is a showing that has never before been equalled. The total resources of 3127,688,959, as reported November 16, lead by a long way any previous record. While the large ex cess of deposits over loans quite nat urally reflects a sacrifice of some profits in the banking business. It also shows a conservative policy which is the best kind of a safeguard in times of financial strain. In Eastern finan cial centers, the surplus reserve of the banks Is usually kept down as closely as possible to the 25 per cent require ments of the National banking rules, but the Oregon banks hold nearly 36, 000,000 in excess of the 25 per cent re quirement. Oregon, in a financial way, has from the earliest times adhered rather closely to her state mdtto; through good times and bad times alijte she has managed -to "fly with her own wings." This policy has enabled her to weather some pretty severe storms when less favored localities were obliged to ship their savings to the Eastern holders of mortgages and live on credit until the storm had blown over. This gain of more than $21,000, 000 In resources was made partly with lumber, one of our greatest wealth producing industries, less active than in some former years, and was in large part due to the highly remunerative prices at which a good crop of agricul tural staples was marketed. There has also been much money brought into Oregon from other states for invest ment in timber, farm lands and in city property, the opportunities for in vestment being so much more alluring than those for loaning money that the interest as well as the principal re mains within the state as an asset. While the excellent showing made in the table printed yesterday was far ahead of any previous ' exhibit of the Oregon banks, it is a certainty that the figures a year hence will show a greater proportionate gain. The Hill and Harrlman systems will next year spend more money In Oregon than has ever been spent in railroad construction- In the state in any . two years prior to this time. There has also been a marked revival in the lumber industry, and Eastern settlers and capitalists are pouring into Oregon in greater numbers than eve.r before. The financial situation in Oregon is easy, because this state has a stead ier output of wealth-producing com modities than can be found In any similar area in the United States. WORDS WITH A FANATIC. An anonymous devotee of spiritual ism who signs himself, "Philos," ad vises The Oregonian to "read up on some of your subjects before you go on shrieking and bellowing about the surface of things. This applies par ticularly to the subject of spiritualism. Your late article," continues Philos, with the true politeness of a zealot, "exhibits such profound and learned ignorance that it excites mingled laughter and pity." It must excite other emotions, also, for Philos shows a disposition to rend rather than laugh at us, while we are dismally conscious, of his withering scorn instead of 'basking in the mild rays of his pity. Sweetly reasonable and deeply pious as Philos undoubted ly is, his letter reads very much as if he had lost his temper. Little' as Philos might suspect it. The Oregonian has "read up'' a great deal on the fascinating subject of spirit ualism. Few books or articles which relate to it escape the eager eye of this newspaper, and they are avidly perused with a hope which repeated disap pointment is powerless to slay. We begin each new discourse on spiritual ism with the mental ejaculation that now, at last, after long waiting and years of hope deferred, we shall light upon some statement of fact wJiieh really proves something about theiext world or the future life. When It Is finished we lay it down with a sigh of disappointment, for nothing of the sort is ever done. Granting that the divine Eusapia can lift up a. table without touching it, what does that prove about spirits? A magnet can lift a ton of Iron with out touching it, but nobody supposes the fact concerns In any way the fu ture life. Most of the conclusions which the spiritualist brethren deduce from their experiments are sad non sequiturs. There is a great gulf be tween the proposed proof and the thing they think it proves. When they advance a well-established fact which bears on immortality, they will find The Oregonian as ready to rejoice over it as the best of them. Mrs. John Williams Jenkins, of New York, lost 3300,000 worth of jewels Sunday, when a thief entered her apartments and carried away gems of the value mentioned. It is not stated whether or not Mrs. John Williams Jenkins retained a sufficient quantity of the necessary sparklers to enable her to appear in society or on the street. There are, of course, some hun dreds of thousands of poor people in New York whom the pangs of hunger keep so busy thinking of something else that they would have no time to sympathize with the lady. If the news of the loss should reach the Upper Congo, however, Mrs. John Williams Jenkins will be sure of sympathy, for the first ladies in Congo society be deck themselves In copper wire and glass insulator Ornaments, and their rank is determined exclusively by the amount of, this kind of plunder they can pile on. In such circles of soci ety as Upper Broadway and Upper Congo Mrs. John Williams Jenkins' loss will be understood. Secretary Nagel, of the Department of Commerce and Labor, takes note in his, annual report of the "white slave traffic," to which the Immigration Commissioner called the attention of Congress last week. The department's investigations as stated in his report show that the traffic in Immoral women is 'an established and extensive busi ness,' by no means confined- to trad ing in women imported for that pur pose, but including alien women who have entered the country through reg ular -channels, and American women as well. He strongly urges that all Federal laws upon this subject be vig orously" enforced, and that they be so amended as to prohibit the transpor tation of women for Immoral purposes from one state to another, it is not to beViupposed that with all of the offi cial cognizance that has been taken of this degrading and abhorrent traffic, it will continue to flourish and grow throughout the land. The duty of Con gfess here is not alone to the individ ual, but to the race. A frail launch, an inexperienced pilot, a swift current and a dark night formed an ideal combination of condi tions for the tragedynear Rainier at an early hour Sunday morning. It la all easy now to see how the tragedy might haye been averted, but while the lesson will be remembered as long as life lasts by the families and friends of the young victims, it will hardly prevent other similar accidents when ever a similar grouping of conditions is in evidence. The report that the pilot of the steamer Lurline saw and heard the victiais while they were clinging to the launch can hardly be credited. Steamboatmen, appreciat ing the fact that they are at any time liable to need assistance themselves, are most watchful and considerate when the cry of distress is heard, and it would require well-corroborated evi dence to make the public believe that one of their number was so inhuman as to refuse aid to the drowning. Frank Davey, Bourne's office-holder at Burns, says In his Harney County News that he stands up for Statement One, in behalf of the people, against those who would "rob them of their privilege to elect Senators." Under this "privilege" he has had the satis faction of seeing Bourne and Cham berlain elected to the Senate, neither of whom Is a representative in the least of the general sentiment or polit ical, purpose of Oregon. It's a Juggle and a bunco game of politics, the like of which never was witnessed before, since the foundation of political and representative government. No other means so effective for defeat of the popular will ever was known. It breaks parties into factions especially the dominant party and turns every honest and disinterested effort In poli tics to folly. The Republican party of Oregon must clear itself of this method of Juggle and cheat, or it will die. And it ought to die. With the price of cotton soaring higher daily, as it has been for the past month, the cereal markets have been somewhat ' neglected. A 4-cent rise in the price of December wheat yesterday, with corn advancing 4 cents, gave the bear operators some very anxious moments, and may have a tendency to cause further trouble for the buying and consuming public. Ac cording to the usually grotesque fig ures . of Secretary Wilson, there is plenty of wheat in the United States for home requirements,, and a large surplus to be exported. Mr. Patten, who is always better informed than Secretary Witson. has not yet been heard from, but the course of the mar ket and a decrease of more than 2,500,000 bushels in the American visible supply would Indicate that Mr. Wilson, as usual, has made his crop estimate a joke, for which consumers must pay. Leopold, King of the Belgians, now dying, , is nearly 75 years old. He was the son of a German prlncekln, and brother of "PoorCarlotta," of Mexican tragedy. Leopold all hU life has been a scoundrel and debauchee, of first equality. Belgium never has wanted him for her King, but it has pleased the Great Powers of Europe-to keep him on the throne, on which they placed his father, after the fall of Na poleon. The alliances of his Tamily with the royal houses of England? France and Austria were the source of Its fortune. Officers at "Vancouver Barracks scan with some eagerness the news from Nicaragua day after day. They scent in it the possibility of temporary re lease from the monotony of garrison life. Several housewives in Arleta have been reprimanded for gossiping over the back fence after their husbands have gone to work. But why single out Arleta? Of course the East Side respects the Port of Portland Commission, but it has the votes to amend things next election. Perhaps even the Commis sion. If you buy the present early the person who receives it is not likely to see it in the store or know its price. Everybody who said harsh things about Oregon's normal Winter weather now seems ashamed of himself. King Leopold's life is said to be hanging by a thread. It ought to be hanging by a rope. SEEDS OP TILLAMOOK HARBOR. A Call for Improvement of Channel and ' an TJp-to-Date Lifeboat. TILLAMOOK. Or., Dec. 10. (To the Editor.) Referring to a news item In a recent Issue of The Oregonian stat ing that a resolution had been directed to the lighthouse division of the War Department, asking that a station be established on the end of the Govern ment jetty at' the mouth of the Co lumbia River be passed. I now wish to be heard in regard to same. It may be that Secretary Giltner re gards the Columbia River territory and Coss Bay as the "state In general," if so, my communication is irrelevant. Nevertheless, with the idea that some people may regard the Tillamook ter ritory as deserving of some considera tion, I beg to ask Secretarv Giltner what has the Portland Chamber of v.uiiireivc ever aone ior TUiamooK harbor? Has it ever written any reso lution; has it besought any considera tion for Tillamook on the part of our representatives in Congress; has It. ever called attention to the fact that at this moment' all Government work on Tillamook harbor is suspended on the ground that the engineers regard the present commerce as not sufficient to justify any project; has it taken cog nizance of the large number of wrecks off Tillamook harbor occasioned large ly by the shifting, treacherous chan nel and lack of deep enough water; has it "aided the state in general" by asking that the present unfit, obsolete and wretched equipment of our life saving station be replaced by some modern equipment, inasmuch as the unfit lifeboat recently cost the lives of several shipwrecked women and chil dren, some of whom were citizens of the City of Portland? If we are to have no work to Im prove conditions In the region of the harbor, we certainly are entitled to a decent lifeboat to take care of our regular quota of wrecks, and there will be many wrecks as long as navi gation is attempted Into Tillamook Harbor, in Its present .condition. The writer realizes that the Portland Chamber of Commerce has much to occupy its attention, and that the Co lumbia territory and Coos Bay should come before Tillamook. Coos Bay, for the Tia80n that there is competition with Portland for the Coos Bay busi ness and unfortunately, none at Tilla mook. However, we naturally feel "sore" to see newspaper reports tat the Portland Chamber of Commerce trustees are so kind and considerate "of . the state , In general and always have been of that disposition." The -citizens of Tillamook are striv ing might and main to get . some Government recognition and are Jeing aided by the influential timber owners of the county. We shall eventually get what we are entitled to. How ever, it will be only after a period of unceasing effort and long delay. We would welcome any help the Portland Chamber of Commerce might give us, and think that, since Portland gets all our business, we are entitled to some aid. If we have ever received any. It must have been rendered very secretly, never having been mentioned in the press dispatches or been spoken of, even in a whisper. JAMES WALTON, JR. Secretary Port of Tillamook Commis sion, NOW FOR THE GRAY FROCIC COAT WHUam K. Vanderbllt Has Set a Style for the l.uiii t umliiera. New York Morning Telegraph. Our sartorial note of the day deals with W. K Vanderbllt. Mr. Vanderbllt pos sesses as many clothes as our old college chum. Edward of England, used to own when he cared about such things. Mr. Vanderbilt was last seen by Sartor Resartus when lie occupied the stage at the New Theater, during the exercises in augurating that institution. Mr. Vander bilfs clothes on that occasion were not only admirably, nay, poetically, fitting, but they did what Strauss has done in music; what Whistler did in painting; what Algernon Swinburne did In poetry they struck a new, an original or perhaps a forgotten note. Mr. Vanderbilt wore a gray frock coat. It may be said that the usher who whis peringly referred to it as a Prince Albert was discharged at once as being too rus tic, too Western, too devoted to a pro vincial terminology to be tolerable in the patrician Olympus of the New Theater. t Mr. Vanderbilt's coat was cut long and draped gracefully. It Is fearful error to demand that clothes should merely fit mathematically. Clothes should drape. They should conceal a defect here, soften I a line there. Did imperious Caesar de- miiiui tnax nis yjga snouia utr xno: jijven as he died at the base of Pompey's statue, he gathered- his toga about him becom ingly. But the well-built figure of W. K. needs neither the mercy nor the guile of iress. As in the case of Captain Lydig, almost anything would become that tall, that lithe, that ducal figure. .Particularly the gray frock coat, with its Illuminating hue, its power to light up the face with a kind of youthfulness, as with the joy of first dawn. Nor was it a light gray. Between the very light gray that i equine and the dark, gray which is almost bour geois, it preserved that middle way which the poet Horace has called golden. Ye who would be formal without being rigid, aristocratic without being insolent, distinct without being outre, admired without astonishng, follow the example of W. K. and wear a gray frock coat. Approval of Assembly. If. is remarked by The Dalles Optimist that the convention plan is "not an tagonistic to the direct primary law," but that "the no-convention system Is antagonistic to a fair interpretation of the law." Further: "We Republicans' will have no trouble In nominating our best man or rather our best men. for we are going to follow that course from county and city officials up to United States Senators." Quoting this, the Mitchell (Wheeler County) Sentinel says: Bravol After the object lesson of two years ago. It is time now to looK back over the -wreckage and indulge ourselves in a little eommon unadulterated horse-sense as the above. Surely the Republicans of our great Oregon are not going to continue to play cat's paw for the Democrats aa two yebrs ago. When men, citizens of our state, will go before a registration officer and perjure themselves In droves and flocks In order to defeat the strongest, brightest, most honorat.le and best candidates of an oppos ing party, the bewailed methods of con tentions pale as candle before the noon day sun. Conventions will be held In every county of the state. and we will reclaim our lost heritage. Obliged for the "Tip." London Paper. Rogers, the poet, used to relate that Samuel Foote, the dramatist, being one day taken into White's by a friend who wanted to write a note, and being left standing in a room full of persons of quality who were strangers to him, might be supposed to feel not quite at his ease. Earl Carmarthen, wishing to relieve the actor's presumed embar rassment, came up to speak to him; but being himself rather shy, could think of nothing better to say than, "Mr. Foote, your handkerchief is hang ing out of your pocket," upon which Foote, looking suspiciously around and hurriedly thrusting the handkerchief back into his pocket, gravely replied: j. hank you, my lord; you know the company better than I do." Careless. Albany Argus. Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott has been (some what carelessly) denouncing the sugar trust, which (next to the steel trust) has been topof-column on the "good trust" list of the Contributing Editor. TWO CAUSES OF LONG , MESSAGES. One of Them Is the Combination of Shorthand and the Typewriter. Lynn Item. We wonder if stenography and typewriting- have anything to do with the excessive length of some public mes sages. Before shorthand writing was much In use, except for reporting ad dresses, and long before a typewriter was thought of, our Presidents wrote out their messages or had somebody write for them, as Is said to have been the case with John Tyler and Andrew Johnson. But now the customs have changed and no man In high position thinks of writing out with his own hand what he wishes to say to the'pub lic. Dictation takes the place of writ ing, and the 'pounding of the type writer long ago silenced the scratch of the pen. Speaking one's thoughts to a private secretary, while words are taken down with 'a rapidity that some times rivals the 6peed of speech, makes the preparation of a message to Con gres a comparatively easy matter. The typewritlst having done his part, J.he author has only to read over the printed copy and make corrections. It Is then a not very difficult task to set the condenser at work and boil the paper down to a point where it will be read by the people. Notwithstanding the persistent de mand for shorter Presidential mes sages, they still continue to come out at great length. It would look as though the Presidential mind recog nized the Impossibility of a message being read in its entirety and assumed that only such parts would .be read as partcularly interested the reader. In that view each point is to be treated with elaborate detail to satisfy the persons who care for no other subject. It must be that Presidents have a theory something like this, and from that premise we argue that their mes sages will always be lengthy, with no feature neglected. MORE DR. MXOIGHLW ANECDOTES Iloarburg Pioneer Relates Incidents Told by His Father and Mother. ROSEBURG, Or., Dec. 11. (To the Edi tor.) I am pleased to learn of the better Judgment that finally prevailed among the citizens of Oregon City when they decided to preserve the old McLoughlin house. I was rather young to remember much that transpired back in the days of 1848. I well remember, however, of hearing my father and mother relate many of the good characteristics of that good man. Dr. McLoughlin. Father and family came across the plains In the year 1848, arriving at Oregon City late In the Fall, and Dr. McLoughlin gave father work in a small sawmill he operated at Oregon City. But for this employment, my parents often told me, they would have had a hard Winter. It was In such extremities that Dr. Mc Loughlin showed the kindness of his na ture. I call to mind one incident of that Winter when the man helping father in the sawmill was using the mall to drive the hook into a log. The mall slipped from his hand and sank in about 20 feet of cold Willamette water. The man came running up the slip into the mill, aaid he was nervous and excited, telling father he had lost the mall. Father went down to see about it, and Dr. McLoughlin being near by, also came to the log- slip and asked what the trouble was. Being told, he turned to a mulatto standing in the lumber-yard and told him that the mall was down at the bottom of the river, at the same time handing the black man 25 cents in coin. The money went into the black man's mouth, and he dived Into the water and brought up the mall. That little Incident made a lasting Impression on my mind. L. H. RHOADES. VIOLATED BREAD AND SALT CODE 1 nforglvsble Offense of William Wat son That Merits Punishment. Philadelphia Press. William Watson has been glillty of an offense never forgiven by Americans. He had retailed the utterances of women, mother and daughter together, made to him as their guest. For this there can be neither excuse nor apology. The act closes all paths to him. "No American wants him here. No American can give him the welcome the visitor of genius always has had here and always receives. His own explanation deepens his offense. His act is deliberate. He sought this country to break the tacit pledge of bread and salt, to violate the obligations of hospitality." The English libel law, he says, made his act and utterance perilous to his pub lisher In England. So he sought the United States, where he wmild be safe. He seems to have imagined that this country was an asylum for the libeler and a place from which defenseless wom en could be attacked with impunity. He Is mistaken in both premise and conclu sion. His penalty here will be swifter and more severe than in England. Our standard aa to the place and protection of women are higher. By no possibility could there here be retailed the gossip which was sown broadcast over England 5 years ago about the Queen herself. No where here are women's names as lightly taken as in certain classes of English men. Postal Savings Banks for Aliens. Chicago Record-Herald. We . ought to have a postal savings bank. Single deposits in it ought to be limited to a few hundred dollars. We n?ed it for the aliens, mainly in our cities, who have actually paid the Gov ernment as high as $.'5,000 in a single year as fees for taking care of $8,000,000 or so of their money. We need it for the in habitants of thirty-two of our states who are so lacking in savings bank facilities that all together they possess only 1.6 por cent of the money now deposited tn savings banks. The investments of the bank should be in state and municipal bonds and in approved securities measur ing up to standards fixed by law. The proportion of the deposits which is re deposited in commercial banks should be as small as the bankers of the country as a class are willing to permit. Harriman'n Intimate Prlend. Hartford Times. In the light of the last great fight of the late H. H. Harrlman. which ended in the ousting of Stuyvesant Fish from con trol of the Illinois Central Railroad sys tem, one laconic line in a life insurance policy taken out by the railroad king thirty years ago Is a sad and significant commentary. It was when Harriman was worth many, many dollars less than $149.000,000 quite before either fame or fortune had come his way, or the lure of power caught and held him in Its clutches. . In the application for this particular policy, which was issued by a large com pany not a thousand miles from Hart ford, among other questions was asked the following: "Who is you most Intimate friend?" In Harriman's own hand is written: "Stuyvesant Fish." Export Duty on Emigrants. Fall River Globe. The exodus of desirable citizens, taking a lot of good American money with them from the states to the Canadian North west provinces, still continues if we are to accept the claims of the Dominion authorities. From these It appears that during the past year 75,000 families have crossed the border to take up settlements in those localities, each of which is esti mated to have carried with it an average of $1000. If that kind of business keeps up, it may be necessary to clap an export duty on these emigrants. Money; Then More Money, That's All. Baltimore News. Mrs. Hetty Green begins her 75th year in excellent health, and with about $100,000,000 to keep her comfort able in her old age. Life's Sunny Side "The teacher of one of the rooms in a school In the suburbs of ClsVreland had been training her pupils in anticipation of a visit from the school commissioner," said George S. Wells, of Pittsburg. "At last he come and the classes were called out to show their attainments. The arith metic class was the first called, and In order to make a good Impression the teacher put the first question to Johnny Smith, the star pupil. 'Johnny, if coal is selling at $6 a ton and you pay the coal dealer $24, how many tons of coal will ' he bring you?" 'Three.' was the prompt reply from Johnny. The teacher, much embarrassed, said, 'Why, Johnny, that isn't right." Oh, I know it ain't, but they do it, anyhow." " It was one of the stories told at the ban quet of the Central Dentists' Association, amd the best one. Most of the tooth pullers had been called upon. They had -told stories of experience with patients that caused reminiscent smiles to hover over the faces of the other diners. "One of the funniest patients I ever had," declared he, "was a man who came into my Broad street office some weeks ago. He was just from the .farm. His boots were jnuddy and his hair unkempt. "I want-this blame tooth pulled,' lif said, pointing to his swollen Jaw. "He sat in the chair. I got my forceps and he opened his mouth. I was trying to locate the tooth, when his Jaws closed so suddenly I thought he would bite my finger. " 'Say, Doc," he said, "pull it a little bit, then twist It. Worry the darn thing, worry it. It's been worrying me for the last week, and I want to get even.' " Newark Star. "It may be economical. It is certainly ridiculous," said Senator Tilman of a proposition he opposed. "It reminds mo of Calhoun White. "Calhoun White stuck his head in through the ticket window of Salters Depot railroad station and said: " 'Boss, gimme two round-trip tickets to Society Hill, one fur myself and one fur a corpse.' '." 'I never heard of nobody buying ex cursion tickets for corpses,' said the agent. 'What's the meaning of this?' " "Well, boss,' Calhoun White replied, 'my brother Webster died yesterday, and I want to take the corpse up to Society Hill and let the family review the re mains, and then I'll bring him back to Salters Depot here and bury him. That'll be a sight cheaper than for the whole family to traipse all the way from So- ' ciety Hill and all the way back again.' " Dallas News. At a banquet recently one of the speak ers told of a man who was a chronic grouch. Nothing ever suited him. and he grumbled over 'the most trivial things. Once he had to take to his bed with rheumatism, and notwithstanding the fact that his wife gave him every care he growled at her incessantly, which caused the good lady's tears to flow. "How are you getting along. Jake?" asked a friend who called one afternoon. "I am getting worse and worse," com plained Jake, "and it is all my wife's fault." "You surprise me," said the caller. "She seems one of the most devoted nurses I ever saw." "You don't know her," returned the rheumatic. "The doctor says that a damp room Is the very -worst thing for me, and that woman comes in here and weeps Just to make the air damp." Phil adelphia Telegraph. ' "I will ask you, Mr. Yipslr-y," said the attorney for the defense, "where this allpged transaction took place?" "In Joe Perrlne's grocery store," an swered the witness. 1 "How do you happen to know?" "1 was there." "Just so. You were there. What were you doing there?" "O! I was just sitting around the stove kind o' loafing, you know." "'You were merely sitting around the stove were you?" "Yes, sir." "You are sure of that?" "Yes, sir." "That is as true as anything you have testified in this case, is it?" "Yes, sir." "Now, then, Mr. Yipsley," thundered the attorney, rising to his feet, leaning forward and shaking a long forefinger in the face of the witness, "will you be good enough to tell this jury how a man can sit around a stove?" "Gentlemen," said the imperturbable Mr. Yipsley, turning to the jury, "an ordinary man might not le able to do It, but if you think I can't sit around a stove or anything else, that ain't more'n throe feet wide, gentlemen, just take a look at these how legs of mine." Chicago Tribune. Prohibition. Jewish Tribune, Portland. Though we Jews do not long for alcoholic drinks, yet wc are opposed to prohibition, for we claim that it is no remedy against drunkenness. On the contrary, on the strength of tho old saying. "Stolen bitters are sweet," we think that prohibition instead of diminishing will Increase the number of .drunkards. That the saloon in the hands of the vicious element is a curse to humanity cannot be denied. How ever, not its closing nor wholesale pro- hibition will wean the drunkard from his curse. It will only oppress the millions of good people who are in the habit of using liquors on certain oc casions. What we need is the regula tion of the sajatns. To bring the sa loon on the footing of a legitimate business, allowing a license only to people whose moral standing in the community Is without blemish, and who should be under the control of honest officeholders, elected by the people. And this should be advocated by every honest man. Yet our reformers will not agree with us: the trouble with these reformers is that they are always ex tremists, knowing nothing of modera tion, and therefore must always lose their case. Getting; Rid of Hughes. New York Evening Post. Both Chairman Woodruff and Boss Barnes now concede that Governor Hughes can have a third term if he wishes It. This is a wonderful change from their hilarious certainty In 1908 that "Charles the Baptist" would never be heard of again in politics. But what is the purpose of their public acknowledg ment now of the Governor's invincibility ? It cannot be that they really want him for another term in the governship. Nor is there any intimation that Mr. Hughes himself desires to stay at Albany. He may, however, decide to stay If it is necessary In order to complete the work to which he has put his hand. And here is where the true significance of the ut terances by Woodruff and Barnes may come in. Are they not merely preparing the minds of their followers for a sur render of the Governor? The reasoning is about as follows: If Hughes lets his name go before the people again, he will be elected in spite of all that we can do; but he surely will stand for re-election unless we permit his measures to pass this year; therefore, we had better get out of his way. Tragedy In a Koof-Shlngllns;. Bangor, Me., Dispatch. The school committee of West Surry, Me., received a report that one side of the roof of the schoolhouse was leaking. The committee was rather short of funds,, and ordered that only the leaky side of the roof bp shingled. After the job was finished it was dis covered that the men had shingled the wrong side