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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1912)
'A rrrn mottxtxo otieooma. rcrrjnsDAY, February 22, 1012. 10 rOS.TIa.jrO, OB-RGO- taurM at porUaad. OrA. raatarTlaa as :v,r.a-c Umttmr. , ,, laMuux kim inmnir n IBT MAno -C - fanr. eneflav tnr:al. n T'. "Mi ri:r. u".r lnela4. ssoatka. ... " lai;r. udr in.-iud.-i. tix . " li:r. funds? Iriudd. t'al.jr. wl'tlstrt urd. era rr- TTZ l-t.T. muul andf. t' months.. "ff :tboa( nJj. tfti-M moatas.. I-aiiir. without Suaaay, moots Weakly, ooa joar. ........ ludr, y r .........-.-"" 44 Ul Hlf. T (BT CAR III Kit TaflT. taaay tara4d. oae yoar. "-I? Iur. Suadar inaiud. ana H w nlt "' 7 J" TT'rZZ Xx.l tank. Blampa, la t rrTAZ IB full. loelodlBS eoaalv aad ""?,, 4 la 2 p. ..a. 1 ..: 0 " 44 to r, 4 eanl. Fataum pool aiiubia rata. - - -. f- fwrv-y.n Cea. 11 b J..- Torn. )rauUt oaUdlnaV. o. svac h.lldtas- , .aii Qgaia No. Hasast atraaa, n. W Loadoa ' rOKTUA-VD. THCKKDAT. FEB. " a irrr towabh jcsticsv -' Congress made a trtd tn advance when It passed th employer liability law lately sustained by a decision of the rotted State- Sjprem Court. That act disposed of much that u antiquated In defense acceptable 'n personal Injury cases, t It tlll left, however. th Injured employ to com bat th law-a delay, th power of u perlor finance, the uncertalntle or Juries and did not relieve him of th necessity of dividing with 1 lawyer. 4 The compensation bill prepared by th Employer.- Liability Commission" and Indorsed by the President la mora progressive In character. Compensa tion for Injuries to to be fixed io f' It can practically be "o arranged. Re course to the courta by Injured railroad 'employe will be unnecessary. o matter whether Injured aa the result of th cwreleaaness of a fellow employ or hi own unintentional nefHirenee. or through the Inherent rlk of his occu pation, the employe of his dependent will be compensated. Apparently the only occasion that can 'arise for car rylna; such an Issua to the courts will be when th Injury la not specifically defined In the act and employer and employe can sot airree on the compen sation that was Intended to be assured the employe. Why a atrateht liability law. I. ., one that simply abrofratee the common law doctrines, should be accepted any where In rlew c the superior adran? tages of an automatic compensation act Is on of the mysterle of thla pro rreasiT period.. Th liability law does little more than shift an unreasonable burden and does not create a balance. Under th common law the excess bur den was on the employ. The liabil ity law shifts th excesa to the back of th mployer. Ita chief virtue la .that the employer Is better able to carry th surplus than th employ. The compensation law lightens the burdens of both and Inure to . the financial benefit of th public. Th compensation act. It la now esti mated, will increase by about li per cent th money paid out by railroads for injuria to employes and their de pendent. "VV do not understand that any calculation has been Included of leral fee, attorney's salaries, pay of claim agenta and the Ilk, that are now met by railroad companies. The bt lnc ther- would ro toward and per haps fully offset the extra cost Imposed by th act. The statement that for erery dollar the employe and their dependents now receive they would receive a sum In excess of Il.SS under tn terms of the proposed law Is also subject to analy sis. Apparently th lump sum paid out In Jury verdicts and compromise Is th basis of this calculation.- How much of this sum went to th employe or their dependent and how much to the lawyers? The variation In verdicts In case similar In details, coming as the re sult of Jury emotionalism, sectional feeling axainst corporations, ability of lawyers and other causes, I elimi nated. Th compensation act doea not place before the injured employ th uncertainty or recovering; much. Ilttl or nothing. He Is to receive a fair compensation. Of that he Is to be cer tain. Th total amount thus paid by the railroads will be more widely dis tributed and the average will be much higher. Th satisfaction given to employes by the act will perhaps be. affected by the degree to which th act p roaches the automatic. Asid from fairness to employer and empleye. a rreat essen tial Is that there be rare ground for dlsput a to what compensation Is due. If scale of compensation Is In complete or uncertain, on ' of the great advantages the elimination of litigation la not wholly realised. This la th place, too. where th general publlo expect to rain. A th act provides that the sum paid for per sonal injuries may be conaldered In fix ing railroad rates, th public la not to escape altogether, bat It certainly will not suffer In consequence If relieved of a large portion of court costs and give a the moral and financial satisfaction of an unclcrred Judicial machinery.'. noes taft takjb mucttsf "Detractors of President Taft are fond of comparing him unfavorably with hi predecessors a a man who is so slow-moving, timid and cautious that he will never take h chance. Let us see whether there was no element of chance tn th principal acta of hi Administration. Th first thin; ho tackled was the tariff, which ha been a thin of 111 ornen to many Presidents. Ho was no sooner Inaugurated than he called an extra session of Cor.gress to revie th tariff, which wa taklnir some chance. When th Tayne-Aldrlch bill cam to htm for signature, he balanced .It cood and bad points, then signed It, takln a chance of belnr misrepre sented. He did so. because he saw In that bill an opportunity to Inaugurate new policy by which th tariff could be gradually taken out of politic and relieved of all it inequalities. He Is th first President who haa dared to make a flrht for a permanent Tariff Board and to adopt th Napoleonic policy of divide and conquer by pro posing revision by schedule. Having become convinced that reci procity with Canada waa la the Inter est of the United States, he negotiated ar agreement with that country and risked division In his party. When It failed to pa. at the regular session, he took the irreat chance of calling- an extra seeslon of a new Congress to cass It, thou5a th Ho us wa hostll and wa stir to selxe th opportunity to make political capital When th Mexican revolution en dangered American interests both In Mexico and on th border, he ent the Army to Texas, taking a chance of be, Ing charged with Intended aggression both y Mexicans and by Americans. Event disproved theharge that the move wa aimed at' th revolutionist and proved that th presence of th Army wa th chief Instrument in preventing troubl with Mexico. . H haa enforced th antl-trost law axalnst all allk, even to th point of cftualng the Indlotment of lifelong; friends, college classmate and po litical associates. He not Only took chances, but foreknew th certainty that h would incur the enmity of th most powerful financial, interests In th country. Taft haa made no great noise about tt, but he haa taken every chance he considered necessary for him to take In th public interest.. He haa taken chances, with his political fuftire, trusting to th good sense of th peo ple to recognize his wisdom and sin gleness of purpose. MR. SELXINO FOR SENATOR. - Mr. Ben Selling, of Portland, haa be come a candidate for the Republican nomination for United States Senator. Th Oregonian doe not hesitate to commend his candidacy to the favor able consideration or the people Of Oregon. He Is widely known as hrf enterprising and successful busfhes man who has had much to do with public affairs and has left upon them, thb Impress of his sincerity, energy, carefulness. progresslveness, ' fair mindedness and Intelligence. Mr. Sell ing knows Oregon: He knows Its peo ple. He knows Its Interests and de sire. He Is In sympathy with the for ward movement of the time. He Is In position to, devote himself exclusively nd whole-heartedly to the public wel fare. He. Is not the friend of special privilege, nor the servant of private In terest. Nor Is He a demagogic cham pion of a people ho never sees, does not know and fears to meet. He Is genu inely interested tn the general welfare, meets the peopl'" face to face every day. understands their wants, sympa thises with their deepest aspirations always, and promotes them In every way In his power. Mr. Selling has grown In the public confidence through th years. "He has deserved It. Th letters Mr. Selling has received from all over Oregon as to his possible candidacy are a unique demonstration of th general esteem for th man. With characteristic frankness, when ha was solicited to run for Senator, he sent out Inquiries to all the people as to whether or not they desired him to stand. The response wa .impres sive and convincing. The people are not satisfied with their present repre sentation In the Senat at Washington. Mr. Selling appeared tj most of them to be available. A larg- number mad aa urgent appeal to him to enter the contest. He become satisfied that there was a real call upon him for his services; and he responded. Mr. Selling is a Republican, but not a, factlonlst. He believes In party, but Is no mere partisan. He la broad tn his views, and clear In' his con clusions. He . know no race ' nor creed in his many charities, and he be lieves In the right of every man to hi own. He Is tactful, genial and, hos pitable. He will make his- way at Washington. - Th Oregonian ha not Intended to eulogize Mr. Selling, nor to do more than put In a few word a statement as to his position and character that will be understood by the people of Oregon to be a fair and simple estimate of his worth and record. It Is pleased to ap prove th candidacy of a useful and efficient a citizen, and to express the hop and belief that th Republican party will find Itself able to unite its forces behind him. THAT MlSSOCltl rUTFOIUL A Missouri la Speaker Clark's own tat and the Speaker 1 a candidate for th;-Presidency, th platform adopted by the Democratic convention la worthy of more than passing no lle. It may be presumed to express the view of public affair which would be taken by Clark, should he be nomi nated. It Is, therefore, with much grief that we observe charges of "gAg rule and Cannonlsm" against the ' controlling faction, which later adopted a resolu tion boasting of the overthrow of C'an nonlsm In Congress and of th restora tion of representative government In th House. The latter phrase is pre sumably an allusion to th substitu tion of the rule of the ways and means commute for that of the Speaker. By that means the bills revising the steel and chemical tariffs were forced through th House without amend ment. The people who look beyond a n&eia or an epithet. to th thing sig nified will not be able to distinguish between Cannonlsm and Underwood tm. Though they may consider Can nonlsm bad. they will consider Under wood Ism no better -r Th Republican party la accused of breaking Its promises and permitting th establishment of monopoly. Th Mlasourlan conveniently Ignore the fact . that, when last entrusted with power, the Democrats so consistently broke their promises that th people hav for sixteen year refused them opportunity to break any more. They ignore th fact that th only effective work in destruction of monopoly has been done by Presidents Roosevelt and Taft. and that among the trusts prose cuted la th very one to which they ac cua Republicans of having given Im munity. In condemning T&ffs vetoes of the popgun tariff bills, the Mlssourians as (umi that those vetoes were prompt ed by opposition to tariff revision. They lgnor the fact that th vetoes wer th result of conflict between two policies of revision, and that th policy for which Taft stood had been first approved, then repudiated by the Democrats. These event are so recent that the 'Missouri Democrats must Imagine that th American people do not read the newspapers or have very short mem ories. Otherwise they would not thus attempt to Impose on th credulity of th public. If th Missouri platform la to b taken as a forecast of that to he adopted at Baltimore, the Repub licans will be able to shoot that docu ment full of holes. LaywUTtlxon opposes fre ship "un less other legislation la adopted to offset th disadvantage to American builder. Every advocate of fre hip 1 Also In favor of removing those advantages, but that measure Involves th whole structure of th tariff, and w cannot wait for frs ships until th taxis la so revised aa to enable Mr. Nixon and his asso-1 date to build ships In competition I with th foreigners. However. Mr. i Nixon's change of front Is a welcome f sign that he haa ceased-to chase the ship subsidy rainbow and after th , free-ship law 1 passed those who hav hitherto opposed him will gladly Join him In efforts to remove th dlsadvan- i tag of which he complains. A WORD OF EXCOTKAGlSaJSXT. Mis Oeorsi McManua, of Walla Walla, present quite a pleasing con trast to such a heroin aa Helen. Mar, who float through "The Scottish Chiefs' on a river of tears and faint away every tim th wind changes. What would the Ineffable Pamela with her prim helplessness hav said to a turdy young woman who can knock down, a ruffianly ' assailant by a blow on the point of hi Jaw? That 1 what Miss McManu did and the United States Is proud of her for do ing If. Would we had millions of girls Just as bold and competent. to defend themselves. And we hall hav them before a. great while. Th day of Lydla Languish, with her airs and perfumed graces, 1 passing away and In Its place 1 coming the day of the woman whose physical strength will be fully developed and her c outage . cultivated to the point of sufficing for 1 self defense, when there Is no male assistance at hand. Something will be lost of Course by the disappearance of the pallid maiden who dines on pickled slate pencils and sups on sighs. She is a romantic figure and Inspire pity If hot respect. But evolution has doomed her. i The world does not want any more of her be cause It needs a sturdier race than she Is capable of rearing. The gain which accrue Trqm the triumph of her mors rutrged successor is simply measure less. Our time want health abov all other things because It knows that most other blessings flow from health. We want health of the body, sine that Is the source of sane thinking. From sane thinking come good laws, efficient courts, smoothly running busi ness methods. It is Impossible for the human specie to reach, the best It Is capable of as long as one of the sexes remains undeveloped. "Women must broaden their minds and enlarge their muscle before we shall see the perfect, race for which we all hope And pray. Miss McManu 1 a pioneer In a great cause. Power to her elbow and courage to her heart. AX OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE. . , . Th Oregonian" hopes th organized "effort to secure a 1300.000 endowment for Willamette , University will not fall. If It shall fall. It will mean that the people of Oregon are Indifferent to the welfare of the historic Institution and that the Methodists of th North west do not care as much as they have been supposed to care for edu cation of young men and young women under Christian direction. Willamette University has played a great parj In th tory of the Pacific Northwest. It has played a greater part In the- de velopment of Methodism. It has been a mighty influence perhaps the might iest Influence In maintaining th prestige and establishing the character of that wonderful rellglou denomi nation, f ' Methddlsta are usually not rlch Tho reason perhaps Is that they do not think that riches count for very much In their spiritual life; and the worldly life if soon over. Another, reason Is that Methodists as a rule realize keenly their duty to .others and do It faith fully, -fully, irenefously. It 1 more blessed to give than .to receive: there fore they give away a great share of what they g'et. . Her Is a great, opportunity for Methodists and others who are not Methodists to promote an Important educational object. It Is an opportu nity to secure the permanence of a splendid school and to guarantee Its continued and arrowirur usefulness. Something Is due to tradition; some- f thing 1 due to th present; some thing Is due to the future. All these duties may be discharged, and the conscience of many men and women of means may be relieved, by givlnjr generously to Willamette University. WASHIXOTO-VS UIKTHDAY. It Is conceded by historians that th group of men who took the lead ing part In th American Revolution surpassed in sheer ability almost any other equal number who have ever appeared simultaneously upon the stag of human affair and worked together for a common cause. They were radicals, but at th same time they abounded In practical sense. They believed In the right of revolution, but they never permitted revolution to proceed to destruction. Th Right of Man -were the object, of their en deavors but -to attain these rights they established an enduring and firmly knit governmental machine. They had no faith In .our ability to secure Ju tioe and escape Injury by Individual effort. The only path to the welfare of th world. In their opinion, led throush th domain of Orderly govern ment. Among the remarkable men L two stana ouc iar aoovo tu iu rest. Benjamin Franklin excelled In. prac tical philosophy and the fin arts of th diplomat as much aa Washing ton did In th field and the Presi dential chair. Franklin gave the Na tional thought of th United State th trend which It ha followed to thla day. Washington erected stand ard of patiiotlo devotion and official disinterestedness which his successors have often emulated but never sur passed. If w eek to discover th secret of Washington' greatness It will not b found so much In what he did as In what h was. He was on of those extraordinary men who create the Im pression to all who live near them that they can do greater deeds than they hav ever done. He wa mad apparently for more splendid opportu nities than earth afford. In reading th account of his career w ere apt to feel that he wa hot only adequate to each occasion but he could have don a great deal more had more been required of him. Certainly circum stance mad heavy demand tyon hi ability. His patience waa tried se verely and none but a consummate master of the art of handling men could have held the little continental army together In th times that tried men's soul, baffled th base plot which wer hatched- against him in Congress and wrested victory from despair a Washington did. And yet hi victories were irlfllng compared with th battle which hav been fought on other field. Th. Intrigue which he defeated were far less ma lignant than those which beset the career of Queen Elizabeth, for exam- J pi. Th wonderful fact concerning Washington Is that he made greatness shine through his smallest achieve ment. He;-won skirmishes In such a way as to make them more significant than-Napoleon's Marengo and Jenas. The consequences of Washington' petty military operations have been more potent In human affairs than any that flowed from Hannibal's mag nlfloent victories Over Rome. No doubt Washington's greatness waa more of character than of Intel lect. W read of no splendid ora tions -which he ever delivered.' He Introduced no novelty In military methods por did he attempt any far-reachlnrf- schemes of legislation such as Napoleon and Caesar had in mind. HI farewell address, which was prob ably composed by another hand than his own. Is a document remarkable for cool common sense rather than deep philosophical thought. It con tains many maxims which practical statesmen have found useful, but no fundamental crlnclDles which had not been uttered long before his day. Washington was not a nan of original genius either In statesmanship or war. His originality lay In a different field. It wa moral rather than Intellectual: When he refused to be made King of the new nation which he had helped to found he must have had some con-, cept. of the sacrifice he was making. He wa familiar with the western country which lay beyond the Alle ghanle and knew what It resources were. He must have foreseen that It was only a question of time when the Valley of the Ohio and the regions far ther west would have a population of many millions. - The United States when Washlnajton was President consisted of a narrow trip of land beyond the .Atlantic, but he could easily look ahead, to the day when It would be of continental extent and lead the world In com merce and wealth. To estimate the full magnitude of the ccneclous sacri fice which' Washington made when ho refused the crown of the new Nation we must remember that he understood the possibilities of its future. As King of the United State he would have founded a dynasty whose title none of his countrymen would have Con tested. The chances are that Its dura tion would have been for centuries. The opportunity which he declined was One which occurs not more than once or twice In a thousand years, perhaps not so often. To most men the temptation to found a family Is on that cannot be resisted, no matter If It Is a family of mere parasite mil lionaires who deliver from one genera tion to another a useless and sordid existence. Every day we see men de voting all the energies of their lives to this most attractive of human am bitions. Washington might have founded a family which would have taken rank with the Hapsburgs and Hohenzollerns, mightiest among' the mighty, and he knew It. He let the opportunity pass by for the sake of an Idea. He believed In the right of the people to be their own rulers. Mon arch were to him an abomination and kingly government contrary to ' the political principles on which he had staked his faith. He preferred his principle to his earthly profit: He chose to be loyal to his Ideal rather than gain by betraying it. And be cause of his fidelity to the highest standards of his soul the world has unanimously agreed to number George Washington among the heroes whose names and fame shall never die. . The projected duel between two of our most esteemed mpdlcal men" may never come off, but their training will not be wasted. Both of them are too fat and too- short of wind. - Those matutinal races over the sunlit hills will do them a world of god and the Improved digestion resulting from the exercise will Wonderfully soothe their tempers. When the day of the duel arrives they will feel too well disposed toward the world to thshk of fighting. Governor Harmon correctly diag noses the case when he says that the strength" of demand for direct legisla tion and recall is the measure of pop ular dissatisfaction with legislators and other officials. If the work of these ofllclala were anywhere near the mark, the people - would not be so ready to take the legislation Inio their own hands. The Vancouver firm will probably tacitly except its own members from the veto on marriage of stenographers. It would be most embarrassing to a lovesick employer to have a fair typist point to the rule as an excuse for re jecting his hand and heart. But would ahoT -t There are evidently many women voters In California who prefer Taft's progresslveness In a direct line to the progress around the circumference of a circle made by those men who re cant their opinions whenever they find themselves In unintentional agree ment with the President. In recommending the establishment of the parcels post, the House com mittee Indorse one of the chief pro gressive measures of President Taft and practically adopts the ran of ac tion recommended by the Postmaster OeneraX. La Follette'a sickness Is used by his followers a an excuse to desert him for Rbosevelt, but they are really the sick men., sick with disgust at a. boom which refuses to Inflate. The greatest curiosity of the year can be found at Second and Oak streets a policeman under arrest for violating the law against smoking on a streetcar. Just a word to th Eugene Junk dealer held for violating the local op tion law. Send th dope to -Corvallls for analysis before pleading guilty. We shall probably not know the whereabouts of Abraham, alias Cooper, alias Chadwlck. th hexagamlst, until he marries a seventh wife. The way and means committee Is treading on the toes of big Democrats by advising higher duty on silk stock ings. - Houston affliction la great, but Houston Is a big city in a bl tat and recovery will be rapid. Judge Tazwell decides a sandwich Is not a meal, which shows th Judge never "hit the road." Snow and cold weather ar giving the Inland Empire Its seasonal scare. This la one of .th day on which to saJut th flag. GOOD ROADS FOR FARMERS Writer Favors Bond Scheme Outlined by Commission, BROWNSVILLE. Or.. Feb. 20. (To th Editor.) Having talked with many of the voter of this section. I fall to find much of the sentiment as ex pressed by Mr. Brown and Mr. Albert In The Oregonian of last Wednesday and Thursday. I have never been a supporter of Gov ernor West, but his road bill looks good to me. I will admit that the sum of money to be raised Is a large one and a large undertaking to distribute it propertly and do Justice to all con cerned, but I believe It can be done as Governor West propose to do. Few people realize in making these pay ments, one-twentieth annually will not be a drop in the bucket to the increased land Values brought about by this im provement. City improvements are flo ured on this base and I have yet to see the city that would exchange,.back to old conditions. ' " The one-man power expressed by Mr. Brown is a very effective Way of ac complishing results and should cause no alarm, as it seems to be working with splendid satisfaction with the con struction of the Panama Canal. We have the recall in Oresron that would compel the proper authorities to carry on such a vast Improvement In harmony with the sentiment of the people'. , Conse quently, no great risk would be taken In placing this power in the hands of the man. whom the rrajority have said by their votes shall sit In the Gov emor's'ohalr. There Is now and always has been too much of everybody'Sbusi ness and hone of nobody's business the Country over, to get anything like dollar for dollar for the vast sums that ha-e been appropriated for the good of the public in the past. A permanent Improvement of this kind Is to be enjoyed by generations to come, and it is proper that the various property owners Bhould bear their share of th expense of this improvement, as time goes by. While a cish layout could be done a little cheaper, it never would be done, and the result would be we should be floundering along in the mud at the end of 20 years, Just as we have In the past 20 years. It Is easy to sit in the city at a roll-top desk and write about "back to the farm" and country life in general, with a fine automobile to take one to lunch over the shining pavement, but It Is a horse of a different color to stay contented ly on the farm and tto through the routine of farm life through the long Winter, carcely leaving the place or receiving visits from the near-neighbors, owing to bad conditions of the roads, I for one say that the best is none too good for the people In the country, If they Bay by their votes that they want It CHAS. STERLING. COL. HAJiLET FOR V. S. SENATOR, Waaco Cltlaen Snggesta Noted Harney Rancher for Hlsh Office. THE DALLES, Or., Feb. 20. (To the Editor.) In The Oregonian recently I noticed that the people of Harney County are arranging a celebration In honor of William Hanley, and in view of the fact that a vast number of peo ple are anxiously looking for some strong Senatorial timber who will be able to defeat Jonathan Bourne at the coming primaries, it occurred to ,me that William Hanley might be the solu tion of the problem. I note that .ex Senator Fulton does not feel that he desires to make the race, and the other candidates so far mentioned do not ap peal to all shades of opinion. Mr. Hanley, as Is well known. Is a man who represents the commercial progress and . upbuilding of the state. He has the respect and confidence of the people of Central Oregon, and also of the business Interests of Portland and other portions of the state. When he goes East to Washington he Is rec ognized by President Taft and all others with whom he comes In contact, and I believe that the farmers through cut the state would be glad to place their confidence In him, as Would also the business men. I have never seen nor met Mr. Han ley, but from what I have read about him. he appears to have all the quali fications for a United States Senator, and also the qualifications to arouse an enthusiasm which would remove Oregon from the further annoyance of Jonathan Bourne. WASCO COUNTY. A MII.D HINT OF LESS M AJRSTK. Senator hutlrra "Party Council" Thought to Have Convention Color. PORTLAND, Feb. 20. (To the Edi tor.) Isn't it lese majeste on the part of Senator Butler, of Polk; to sussest a party council as the best method of selertlng candidates for Important of fices? What Is a council but an as sembly? What is an assembly but a convention, aand haven't we- got rid of such corrupt(?) things? Senator Butler Is a Democrat of un questioned regularity (until now). Is he liable to be read out of the party? But perhaps It Is perfectly proper for any party to hold a convention or coun cil except the Republicans. They must be kept divided at any cost. How much long'er will the Republi cans of this state go to a Virginia Democrat for advice as to how they shall vote? Isn't it about time the light was breaking In and the poor, deluded things see that they are made fun of? Give me a representative convention In preference to the disgusting begglhg for signatures to petitions of self-nominated candidates, a condition to be seen every day In the Courthouse lob bies. The convention in its palmiest days never handed us such a "bunch." VIDI. Cnre Would Cause Relapae. JEFFERSON. Or, Feb. 20. (To the Editor.) Noticing an article In The Oregonian February 10 by one Floss, who seem to think he has solved the high cost and labor puzzle, I desire to take this opportunity to voice my opinion. I agree moat heartily with Mr. Floss in assuming there is a cure, but I am sorry to say I disagree Just as heartily as to the method. But I hardly think you would care to waste space on a subject which far wiser men than Floss or I have disagreed upon. Still, I hardly believe his article would appeal to man or child. It seems to me his cure would certainly result in a relapse. Why, may I have the temerity to Inquire, should we labor 16 hours each day, which Mr. Floss blandly suggests, when there are thou sand this very minute crying out for labor of any description to save them I from starvation? I am working 10 hour each day, and he claims we would be humanitarians If "Jones" and I would eaoh go to the "us." and demand that he allow us to put in 16 hours per. He would Bay, Certainly, I'll let Smith go." A. P. KLEES. Assessment Refund Provided. PORTLAND. Feb. 21. (To the Edl-' tor.) I own a lot in Westmoreland. Recently I paid an assessment of $69.15 for a water main. I wa advised to day by other property-owners In this district that thta money would be re turned to me In the course of a few year by the Water Board. I argued that thla assessment was the same a any other, such as sewer, street, eto. Will you please enlighten me and ob lige? PROPERTY-OWNER, The city will refund when the mains pay per cent on the investment. Death nnd Love. Judge. Geraldlne Would you die for me? . Gerald Do you intend to be the death of met DRAWBACKS SEES 15 SUFFRAGE. College woman Thinks Better Class ot Women Dont Want to Vote. SALEM. Or., Feb. 20. (To the Edi tor.) I read with much Interest the editorial, "Do Women Want to Vote?" In The Oregonian, and as one of the women who do not want to vote, I beg space to express some of my views upon the subject. You describe the woman who does not want to vote as either "timid or slothful, or ignorant, or Incapable, or weak, or helpless, or merely well kept." Now as I see the matter, and I do not wish to be boastful, I would like to show how well this description applies to my own case. I am not ignorant, as I have a college education, and because of that education I am capable of earn ing my own living and so am not help less. I am not timid, nor slothful, nor Incapable, nor weak, because I obtained that education almost entirely through my own savings and by working my way at college, besides doing some other things in life calling for at least a degree of courage and ability. I am not merely well kept, for I do my part as homekeeper, in doing all my own work, including housekeeping, launder ing, cooking, sewing and caring for my children. I have talked with many of my friends, most of whom are college women; women far more capable of doing a useful work in life than the average woman; who see the relative value of things and recognize the fact that the care of the family and home is a more important work for women than to exercise the privileges of the ballot. I have found that most of them do not want woman suffrage and would only vote, should the right be given them, because they thought It their duty to do so. On the other hand, you describe "the many women good, capable. Intelli gent, active women who arrtnown to want suffrage.'l I trust that this Is true. If It is not. It can easily be seen that If they win -their case the result will be more disastrous than beneficial in every way. However, my observa tions ftave led me to draw a different picture of the average woman suf fragist. In England she is described as "militant" and a most excellent de scription It Is. Webster defines the word thus: engaged In warfare; fight ing; combating; eervlng as a soMier. The most of the woman suffragists I have known are either "old maids" not all spinsters are "old maids" or disgruntled wives. The former, I sup pose, feel that they are not properly represented in the Government and for that reason are Interested. The latter are not so usually our well educated women, but rather the combatiVe, quar relsome class, women who consider themselves martyrs and sacrifices to their husbands and children; women who look upon housework as drudgery and who "hate" to cook; women who like to "go" most of their time and who impose their children upon their busy neighbors. In other-words, she Is the woman who Is dissatisfied with her lot In life and with the work that has been given her to do and she has come to look upon equal suffrage as the panacea that will cure all her woes. And this description does not apply only to the rank and file but many of the more prominent ones, are' known to have "henpecked" husbands and neglected homes and children. Therefore, the conclusion I draw Is this: That the better clasa of Women, as a rule, do not want to vote, "and I, for one, assuming that I am one of the better class, shall be very sorry to see the day come when we -ahall have woman suffrage In Oregon. One of my reasons Is that thewoman who gives her home and family the care and at tention she should will have no time for politics, or office or Jury duty. In the latter case, many women with little children would be more than embar rassed In long trials and much Injury might be caused them or their families. I noticed recently an article in The Oregonian calling attention to a case In Washington, I think, of a woman "serving on a jury; she was the only woman. The law there provided that the Jury should not be separated at any time during the trial. The result was that this woman must occupy the same room at night with the rest of the Jury, II men, and a special bailiff, a woman, must be employed, it would seem, as a chaperone. Now to a respectable woman, ' a refined and intelligent woman, the one who should serve, this would be a exceedingly painful ex perience. To the other class, the woman who will not better the Gov ernment, pol'tlcs nor Justice, I sup pose It would be more amusing than embarrassing, but it would hardly tend to an uplifting of her morals. It may be contended that these cases are rare, but yet it is apparent that In any equal suffrage state the"" experience may come to any woman residing therein. There are many other reasons against woman, suffrage, but space "will not permit of any exposition of them now. However, I would add that I have never known of any theory advanced by the woman sufraglst for the continued bet terment of humanity, to the Nation, to women themselves, nor to posterity that is not open to serious question. AN ANTI-SUFFRAGIST. State -Control Doubtful. McMlnnville Telephone Register. Governor West is making nightly soapbox addresses on the streets of Portland this week in the Interest of good roads a vital subject to bo con sidered in . this state. Not all' will agree with -his theory of state control of road Improvements, but wo are bound to admire his zeal on the sub ject. There are many who bolleve that each county is best qualified to Im prove Its own thoroughfares, and to Judge how much It is able to expend on them. There Is also the danger of favoritism In state- management the construction at large expense of fine auto boulevards through counties be tween large cities, while the outlying counties would not get equal consid eration of their claims for an equitable share of attention from a State Road Commissioner. How It Seems In Boston. Boston Transcript. "Tramp always seem to get enough to eat." "Of course! Isn't life one big loaf to them?" Not Only Within the Limits of the City of Portland Does The Orego nian Have a Larger Circulation Than Any Other Portland Paper. Of the 53,000 copies delivered every day, thousands reach the small town resident and farmers. Almost every farm has The Oregonian delivered daily. The rural mail carriers deliver it to him. It reaches him, generally before noon. The Oregonian, in most instances, is the only Portland daily paper the near-to-Portland farmer sees. So, mer ' chants who cater to the trade of these farmers, and, most of them do the bulk of their trading in Portland, must advertise in The Oregonian if they would influence this vast business to their stores. Sugar and Socks By Dean CoIIIna. I met a man who had a grouch. His eyes were fierce and wild. He sat unbuttoning his shoes, And babbled as a child. "Wherefore thy peeve?" I asked of him. He raised a face all stern and grim. And fixed a flashing eye on me. And then, "Oh, sugar!" answered he. Full mystified with this re-tort, I queried further, while He tore his shoes and stockings off And heaved them o'er a stile; Then wandered barefoot o'er the grass "How came you to this sorry pass?" I Bald, "An answer I Implore." ' "Oh, sugar!" said the man once more. "Congress has placed the sugar In The free list," ha went on; And with his toes he plucked a few White daisies from the lawn. "They find, as a result of it, A sixty million deficit, v And to regain those vanished rocks. They sock a duty onto socks. "What boots it, though the sugar toll They banish without ruth I've lost the sweet tooth long ago, I sported In my youth. Free sugar has no lure for me, But still I yearn full earnestly. Although my tooth's no longer sweet. To wear silk socks upon my feet-" He hopped alertly o'er the dew, And stepped upon a thorn, His foot impinged upon a rock And rapped his rarest corn. "I've sworn," he said, "I will not be A party to that infamy. No shekel, come from me, atones For those odd sixty million bones." K3 waved farewell and wandered off Across tm blooming dale. And as he went, he wafted back His final doleful wall. "I shall revenge me well, in sooth. Free sugar? I have no sweet tooth; Therefore I'll roam o'er thorns and rocks And pay no duty upon socks." Portland, February 21. - Half a Century . Ago From Tha Oregonian of February 22, 1882. We have most gratifying news from the East to give our readerB on this anniversary of the birth of Washing ton. The backbone of treason, treach ery, rebellion, has been effectually broken. Laus Deo I . General Burnslde's expedition has captured Roanoke Island, with Its forts and 3000 prisoners; also Elizabeth City, Edenton and their forts, and has tak en oj destroyed the whole rebel fleet in the Sound. Beauregard was sent from the Po tomac with 15,000 troops to reinforce the rebels at Bowling i Green, Ky. Troops were sent from thence to sus tain Fort McHenry on the Tennessee River: that fort was taken by General Halleck's command; the rebels fled to Fort Donelsoni the Federal troops fol lowed them, attacked the fort and compelled 15,000 rebels to lay down their arms. Our last news left General Sherman advancing upon Savannah, In Missouri Price and his men are again on the run. General Hunter Is nearly ready to advance with an effi cient army south, probably to cut off Price, to subdue Arkansas and maybe to proceed to Texas, where a Federal Army will soon be sent under General Fremont. The pestiferous sheet known as the Oregon Democrat, for Its treasonable sentiments, will not be permitted to go into the United States malls. Southern Oregon and Northern Cali fornia papers represent that many min ers and much stock and other provi sions will go to the Oregon and Wash ington mine by the direct route to Fort Boise. , The rain yesterday made a decided impression 6n the snow. If the same thing Is kept up for another day, the snow Is bound to go under. The Hudson Bay Company has bought the United States mail steamer Enter prise at Victoria for $60,000. This Bteamer plied between that port and the Sound, but when the Fraser River opens again to navigation, she will be put on the new Westminster-route and In future will run under the British flag. County Control Favored. . Grants Pass Pacific Outlook. We have published the good roads bills gotten up by the committee ap pointed by the Governor, and as there peems to be some doubt as to the bills being just right, we will publish them again. We have had a talk with one of our prominent lawyers on the sub ject, and, while he stated that he had not made a very close study of the laws as yet, he was of the opinion that In regard to the State Road Commis sioner It gave too much power to one man to have the spending of that amount of state money, and we are of that same opinion, and we believe that it would be better to do as one of our Middle States has done, and that is to have a County Road Supervisor, who, under direction of the County Board, would build all roads and the state would give dollar for dollar spent by the county. A Movement In Potatoes, Harper's Magazine. "I beg pardon," said the reporter, "but aro you Mr. Spudde, the potato king?" "Yes, but I don't like that term," re plied the murphy magnate, testily. "Oil kings and cattle kings and the like are so common. Call me the potatentate." I'pllft at Bridge. Pittsburg Post. "Much can be accomplished by utiliz ing the odd moments." "That's right. I know a woman who read Rasselas while she was dummy at bridge." .A aa