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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 9, 1912)
TTir MORMXG OIIECiONIAX," SATURDAY, MARCH; P. 1012. M)t (Drorontatt rOBfXAXI OEEGOJI. BiiKrwf at Fortlr4 )rmtam. yoatoffla " f'cowlcua Matter. kuoacriptioo Ht Invariable u BT KAIL.) ti!y. Sthit lneiua4. I if Ciir. ui!y Include ( manias... . J- l'i!r. Sundr lnclall. thr "" ""fj !'-. t'tnamy Included, om iMt.." 0O . I'l.y. without 6uniljr. on yr. ...... I without fcundo. lx month. ... - l'il. without SunJT. hr moatM.. i,; without fiundk. on monin . . - - " Wkl. on yr. .......... j 3 feir.dajr. on yrar...... .o sad Wttklr, on yx (BT CARRIER.) t.l. Bandar Ineludad. How to Krmlt nd P o. t o (I I c. m " r. ipr. orc.r or pr.oo choc loc.l br. Stamp roln or la foil, including eonoiy and auuo. 40 to tw pasw. cant Foraim poai. oubl rat. . . ' Kaatra Bnalnwa OfTlroo V.rr. CotiB ttm Nw York. Hrunawlcn BUlldln. ct, Sleaar building B m Lanoiaa OBc No. Recant atroof. m. W.. London. FORT I .A M. MnROAV. MARCH TUB WAITIX UA-ME. Colonel Roosevelt' original plan was doubtless to Rwalt the rail of duty from the people, voiced throuBh the National Republican Convention. An -Preident by the necessities of hi position, withdrawn from active participation In public affairs. Even Roosevelt, strong, interested, capable, matured, admired, understood perfect lv that his own responsibility to the 'dicnltv and tradition of the ex-Presidential office required him to be silent and to wait. He said aa much, in one way or another, to many persons. ! Rut now he is in a mad scramble for the Presidential nomination. The third-term precedent, obligation to Taft. tradition, the universal public aspect, all are thrown to the winds. ..Vo wonder the American people are pained and grieved. It Is deplorable. ' AMtTWWESrS TRIVMPH. It I not difficult to understand how the rumor arose that Captain Scott had reached the South Pole ahead of his Norwegian competitor. Amundsen made his first landing at Hobart Town. a-Ner.- Zealand port. This Is a British possession and the Inflamed imagina tion of those who witnessed hi ar rival naturally transformed hi iriitial report. What he actually said seema tti have been. I have discovered ine Houth Pole." The way Prltish ears heard his words was. "Captain Scott haa discovered the Pole." The simi larity of the expression 1 obvious and the mistake was entirely pardonable. Mad it not been for the timely publica tion of the facts In a Copenhagen newspaper we might have enjoyed a repetition of the contest between Cook and P-ary. though It Is impossible to believe that Captain Scott, even for the g!ory of his native land, would have laid claim to an honor which he had not earned. However that may be. the early accounts of Captain Sootfs suc cess have been definitely discredited and Amundsen's title to the discovery is rot disputed. He set out with an roulpment greatly inferior to Scott's but his experience tn polar voyages as so thorough and the capabilities of Jris Norwegian crew so adequate that he overcame the handicap and carried off the palm. ) The Scandinavians are born adven turers. In earlier times they sailed all the known waters of the earth In ves sels without deck and even made new discoveries. It was sailors from Scan tlinavia who conquered part of France, and were known as Normans. Later on some of the children of these bold Adventurers crowed the channel and conquered England. Others sailed Southward and overran Sicily and parts of Italy. Their name became known and dreaded throughout the whole extent of the Mediterranean sea board. It Is well known that they discovered and colonized Greenland and Iceland. Voyaging southward from Iceland they discovered America and rlanted a colony in the eastern part oj lassachusetts. It was afterward ob literated by the savage, but there Is no doubt whatever of Its existence. The blood of every nation In Europe has been mingled with that of these Scandinavian adventurers and im proved by It. Hy reaching the South Pole Captain Amundsen has conferred no great boon upon science. Everybody knew that such a point existed and It was pretty definitely understood that the sur rounding region was a mass of Icy .mountains. Amundsen will confirm these opinions, but he cannot do much more. His success has a psychological rather than a scientific or material value. It is another in the long list of the triumphs of unconquerable he roism over obstacles. The human race has been setting problems to be solved by Its men of courage and determin ation ever since time began. When one la disposed of another is found, or always has been found thus far, but It begins to look now as If It would be a little difficult hereafter to hatch up new geographical feats as far as earth is concerned. Some way of traveling to Mars or the moon must be invented before we can have any more Stanleys or Amundsens, perhaps. But of course there ere the unknown regions of the air to be explored and hardy aviators are already undertaking the work. Time was when It was deemed a great undertaking to voyage to Cath ay, as our forefathers called China. Marco Polo made the trip overland and won everlasting renown by doing it. As late as 1840 Father Hue was thought to have done something won derful by penetrating Eastern China and parts of Thibet. But today China is almost as accessible to tourists as the Tyrol and the sacred mysteries of La ss a have been Inspected by British lieutenants. The interior of Africa and the sources of the Nile baffled the cu riosity of mankind for thousands of years. The ancient Greek geographers and historians spoke wonderingly of the Xile mystery and moderns had nothing more instructive to say about it before the middle of the last cen tury. In 1S58 Speke. co-operating with Burton, discovered . Lake Tanganyika, which is the source of the Congo. Shortly afterward Speke, traveling alone while Burton was ill, found Lake Victoria Xyanza. where the Nile heads. Within a few years after that Living stone and Stanley laid the heart of Africa open to the world and all its ancient mystery" disappeared. Now England has a railroad surveyed along the shore of Lake Tanganyika, while Germany's rival line will follow the Congo from its headwaters to the sea. Africa is no longer the home of spec tral terrors. It has become a field for profitable investment and sober colon ists are covering its territory with their home. Thus wonder vanishes and the commonplace wins one victory after another. Still the commonplace with happiness is perhaps preferable to the romantic mlth danger and misery. It is idle to suppose, in spite of all this, that life will ever become a dreary waste of routine without excitement. Men will always seek and find adven tur. Whn aiorrarjhiral exploration ' no longer offers stirring attraction to bold spirits It will be found in some other sphere of activity. Instead of new routes of travel, we shall devise new kinds of vehicles to use on the old ones. The flying machine will replace the automobile and presently some thing more marvelous will supplant the flying machine. We look for the early establishment of lines of travel In pneumatic tubes. Some of them will run over mountains, some deep under ground, and the speed attained w ill far surpass anything we have seen thus far. A mile a minute will appear snail like. A band of men will be shut up In an airtight case, supplied with oxygen for the trip and shot round half the world like a cannon ball. As a matter of fact, adventure, like every thing else nowadays, is becoming so cialized. Our children are going to find their excitement In trying great governmental and economic experi ments. They will have their thrills Just as we have had, but they will get them in this novel way and the beauty of it will be that everybody will take rart In the adventure and share its dangers and triumphs, or failures. In stead of shuddering over the perils of Pearys and Amundsens. our children will travel into unknown regions themselves and behold the marvels of strange continents with their own eyes, but the continents will lie In Imma terial hemispheres. THE LOST WIKWAM. The Oregonian Is prepared to con cede the absolute logic of Mr. Clar idge's Roosevelt argument, if His premise are correct. But his prem ises are not correct. That Is what Is the majter with his letter and all that is the matter. Mr. Claridge says Taft has been tin. fnithful to Roosevelt and not Roose velt to Taft. It is another case of "In dian not lost; Indian here; wigwam lost." Much depends on the way you look at It. If you insist that Colonel Roosevelt never makes an error, on the good old theory that the King can do no wrong, you are apt to be out on the prairie with the wandering Indian, far from home and comfort. Sitting down and calmly contending that the wigwam ought to hunt you up will do you very little good. The Oregonian has no inclination to respond to Mr. Claridge's invitation to show wherein Mr. Roosevelt has de parted from his original moorings. But It will ask Mr. Claridge. or anyone, to look up the history of Mr. Roosevelt's varying attitude toward the initiative and referendum, and we also Invite the attention of the curious-minded to the Columbus speech, which discloses the fact that Mr. Roosevelt has ad vanced so far toward ultra-radlcullsrn that the Ossawatamie speech Is by contrast a half-way station and any previous platform on which Mr. Roosevelt may have stood a document of real reactionism. I.IXCOLN AH A PROPHET. Theodore Roosevelt's ambition for a third term makes pertinent-the fol lowing quotation from Abraham Lin coln, the man from whom he has lib erally quoted recently. It is from an address delivered by Lincoln on Jan uary 27. 1837, to the Young Men's Club of Springfield. 111.: Ambitious men will fprlnft up who will find no gratification In supporting and main taining an edifice that haa been erected by nthera. Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeka reglona hitherto unexplored. It senrna to tread In the. footateps of any predecessor, however Illustrious. It throbe and burns for distinction, and if possible It will have It. "When such a man appears it will require the people to be united with each other, attached to government and iawa and gen erally Intelligent, to successfully frustrate his designs. Distinction will be bis paramount object, and although ho will as willingly perhaps more so acquire It by doing good aa harm, yet that opportunity being present, and nothing left to be dona in the way of build ing up, he would set boldly to th task of pulling down. Abraham Lincoln appears to have combined the gift 6f prophecy with all his many other great qualities. Surely the Colonel must have overlooked this passage when culling quotations for hi recent speeches or It would have Influenced his reply to the seven Gov ernors. The Colonel might also have read with profit the following words of William McKinley. written on June 10, 1901. only three months before his as sassination: I regret that the suggestion of a third term has been made. 1 doubt whether I am called upon to give to It notice, but thero aro new questions of the gravest Importance before th Administration and the country, and thatr just consideration should not be prejudiced In the public mind by even the suspicion of the thought of a third term. in view, therefore, of the reiteration of tlie suggestion of It. I will now say. once for all. expressing a long-settled conviction, that 1 not only am not and will not be a candidate for a third term, but 1 would not accept a nomination for It. If It were ten dered to me. My only ambition Is -to serve through my second term, to the acceptance of my coun trymen, whose generous confidence I so deeply appreciate, and then with them to do my duty tn the ranks of private cltlien ship. McKinley was moved by the same spirit as Washington and Lincoln, and shrank from making Lincoln's pro phetic words applicable to himself. HLs name has gone Jnto history un sullied by the record of a broken pledge. This cannot be said of Roose velt, and. even if victory should crown his ambition, it will not have been worth the price. EAGLE AND LAMBS. It seems no more than reasonable that If the state insists upon protecting eagles and other destructive birds it shall pay for the damage they do. The man in the Mohawk Valley who has unwillingly contributed twelve of his Iambs to feed the eagles which the state law fosters. Is not an isolated case by any means. There are many more suffering In the same way. China pheasants devour the farmer's grain, but he Is not permitted to protect his farm adequately from their depreda tions. Numerous such points might be cited. The old French law forbade the farmers even to fence their fields lest the deer should be hindered from eating the young grain and growing fat for the lord's table. Game laws are essentially feudal in their nature and purpose. They rob the farmer of cer tain natural rights and give them to persons who imagine themselves to be the farmer's superiors In the eye of the law. Equity would demand, as we have suggested, that if the state de sires to keep eagles it Fhould pay for the damage they do. But it is not really the state which wishes to keep up the supply of eagles and other pestiferous vermin. It Is certain individuals who have Influence enough to secure the enactment of the laws which they desire. These persons obtain esthetic enjoyment from seeing eagles flying about, and they are quite willing to gratify this taste at the farmer's expense. We submit that people who like to see eagles should meet the cost of rearing and support ing eagles. The cost ought not In good conscience to fall on stockmen who prefer to rear sheep and goats. The same principles apply to deer and China pheasants. There are men who greatly enjoy hunting these ani mals, hut e notice that they are sel dom eager to obtain this recreation at their own expense. They want the farmers to bear the cost of breeding and protecting the game In order that the sportsman may have the fun of shooting It. The time has passed away when hunters ought to expect to en Joy feudal privileges at the cost of the farmers. Game laws are anachronisms which now and then degenerate Into positive injustice and cruelty. TIIK fENATK AiAI" OBSTRft'TS. Again the United States Senate has stood in the way of the adoption of general arbitration treaties. It has put the most peaceful among nations in the position of being the most back ward in acting . up to Its convic tions hy emasculating the treaties. By the adoption of the Bacon amendment excluding from arbitration the Monroe doctrine, state debts and all questions affecting admission of aliens, the Sen ate has deprived itself of any excuse for its action. The whole purpose of a general ar bitration treaty is to avoid the neces sity of going to the treaty-making of ficer or- body for consent to a settle ment of any dispute falling within certain lines. The decision whether a certain dispute comes within the defi nition laid down in the treaty is one for an administrative body such as the Joint hii;h commission. Ample secur ity against arbitration of improper subjects was takervwhen it was pro vided in clause 3 of section 3, which the Senate has eliminated, that the commission should be composed of three members from each nation and that a decision In favor of arbitration should be unanimous or have but one dissenting vote among the six. The President having agreed that the American commissioners should be confirmed by the Senate, the only possible way a dispute which this Nation did not consider justici able, that Is, of a nature capable of trial in a court of justice, could reach an arbitration tribunal waa for the President to appoint and the Sen ate confirm three commissioners, two of whom were so ignorant of interna tional law or so blind to their coun try's interests as to vote for its sub mission. If the Senate for any reason did not desire the arbitration of a dis pute which an impartial commission was likely to declare justiciable. It could block action by refusing to con firm any commissioners appointed by the President. " The Senate has proved by its action that It cares more for its precious pre rogatives than for the National inter est or the promotion of peace. Its at titude in such cases Is traceable to the manner of Its election. The indirect system of election removes It so far from direct responsibility to the peo ple as to beget an exaggerated opinion of its own wisdom and importance an opinion that a Senator is a superior being. The best cure for the Senate's megalomania is direct election. When that amendment to the Constitution has been adopted, it should be fol lowed by others, or by amendments to the Senate rules, whereby all such nonsense as prerogative the very word smells of divine right Senator ial courtesy and unanimous consent shall be twept into limbo. The Senate may then become a truly representa tive body, responsive instead of ob structive to the popular will. A.N IMPORTKW "TAXPAYER." A striking example of the overpow ering logic which single-tax writers present in their paid writings, is found in a letter from W. G. Eggleston print ed In the Portland evening newspaper that Is the willing publicity medium of the Fels press bureau. Judge Charles H. Carey In a recent address stated that Mr. Eggleston. who draws a monthly stipend from the Fels war chest, pays no taxes in Multnomah County. Mr. Eggleston. with the as sistance of the aforesaid disseminator of single-tax dogmas, now accuses Judge Carey of misrepresentation. Yet Mr. Eggleston admits that his name Is not on the tax rolls. How the adroit employe of Mr. Fels pays taxes to the confusion of Judge Carey is explained very simply. There I no paradox at all. He pays house rent, and part of that rent goes to pay the landlord's taxes. Likewise Mr. Eggleston buys sugar and salt and coffee, and clothing, and likewise part of his expenditures for those necessi ties finally find their way into the plethoric coffers that contain Multno mah County's tax money. Therefore Mr. Eggleston Is a taxpayer. Judge Carey ought to be more care ful in reciting the qualifications of the imported director of Oregon's tax poli. cies: Now that he has been enlight ened, he will probably admit not only that Mr. Eggleston is a Multnomah taxpayer, but that he is an employer of Central American peons, because part of the money he pays for coffee is dribbled out In pesos to plantation em ployes; that he also Is an employer of Oriental labor because the money he pays for sugar Is used in part to give the Chinese and Japanese who have flocked to Hawaii a cheap existence. It might also be said that Mr. Eggle ston horrible thought by buying clothing becomes one of the tariff pampered, child-oppressing miTl oper ators of Lawrence. Mass. A good many things, commendable and oth erwise, may be charged to Mr. Eggle ston if his logic is sound. The obvious purpose of Judge Carey's disclosure of Mr. Eggleston's lack of real property was to challenge the latter's moral right to pose as a public adviser In matters of taxation. Even conceding that the consumer in variably pays the tax. there is still a matter affecting Mr. Eggleston's eligi bility to the honorable distinction of being a taxpayer. Mr. Eggleston was sent here to stratify the vanity or per haps Indirectly advertise the wares of a Philadelphia millionaire. He pro duces nothing, so far as we are in formed, but vocal arguments and liter, ary gems, both of which we could get along very nicely without. He is per haps a luxury, maybe an infliction. certainly not a necessity, lie" has come to tell us how best to tax our selves and is paid for doing it with money subscribed In Philadelphia, To ronto, Chicago, Moose Jaw, Nogales. Quasqueton and other enterprising cities in this and foreign countries. By virtue of this money expended in Portland while he uplifts us on the tax question, he asserts he Is a taxpayer. It follows, then, that his landlord is not a taxpayer. Both cannot pay the tax. And by the same token Mr. Eg gleston Is not a taxpayer either. He has simply passed the money along. The real taxpayer on the Eggleston domicile Is Joseph Fels and his able financial assistants in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario. Arizona. Iowa and wherever else contributors to the war chest reside. They derive benefit, fancied or real, from Mr. Eggleston's presence in a Portland residence. They are the ultimate consumers. They, according to his argument finally applied, pay the tax. Judge Carey is right. Mr. Eggleston is not a taxpayer, according to his own definition. The enormons profits of a persist ently protected manufacturing indus try was strikingly shown before the Senate finance committee when the Underwood steel bill was under dis cussion. It was shown that on an original Investment of $600,000, the Singer Sewing Machine Company had declared a stock dividend of 175,000. 000. had paid $440,000,000 in divi dends to the stockholders and is now paying 12 per cent dividend on n capitalization of $100,000,000. Figures like these strongly support the contention that It is high time that family sewing machines were placed on the free list. Why. indeed, should every laboring man who buys a sewing machine for his wife with which to make the kiddies' clothes be taxed to swell the enormous wealth of a great manufacturing syndicate? It seems reasonably clear that here is an "in fant industry" that has enjoyed pro tection -at the expense of the common people quite long enough. The Enterprise which has produced a revival of Irish Industries is dis played in a "List of Irish Exporting Manufacturers," issued in book form. A commendable feature is that the book is printed in five languages English, French. German. Spanish and Italian each part of it being repeat ed in each of these languages. Be ginning with an introduction describ ing the scope of Irish industry, the book contains alphabetical lists of product and of their producers and agents, trade marks, and tables of ex change value of the money of all na tions and of Irish exports. The latter show an Increase of about 20 per cent in 1909 over 1905. The publication of the book in the languages of prospec tive buyers is an example worthy of imitation by Americans desiring to develop foreign trade. The serious illness of the Queen Mother, ex-Queen Alexandra, of Eng land, causes apprehension, as her death, when that event occurs, will cause profound sorrow throughout the realm of Great Britain. Ever since she came, "sea-king's daughter from over the sea," March 7, 1S63, exactly forty-nine years ago today, Alexandra, whether as Princess of Wales. Queen Consort of England or Queen-Mother, has been beloved by her adopted peo ple. Barely sixteen when, as sung by Alfred Tennyson, poet laureate, she landed In England, "blissful bride of a blissful heir," she has been one with the English people for nearly half a century not less beloved in her age than she was in youth and middle life. Her life has been a gracious one; her death, when it occurs, will be sin cerely lamented. How the woman who has sued Mad ame Schumann-Heink's son for breach of promise is to recover $25,000 from him. If she gets a verdict, is a mystery in view of the singer's Teutonic deter mination not to pay for the young man's follies. The earnings of that great voice are not to be squandered in paying for students' follies. If that Chicago banker had all the monev of Rockefeller and Carnegie he could not ameliorate the condition of the "heathen" of Chicago by handing it to them. When the heathen be comes self-supporting he ceases to be heathen, but never by the charity route. "If thrifty farmers of the near-market sections of the Willamette Valley do not plant plenty or potatoes tnis coming Spring and Summer, It will probably be because seed is so high that they cannot afford it a con tingency that at present is threaten ing. Only when the publication of their letters is threatened do the silly women and girls who become dupes of fellows like Hanish recognize their own folly. Dissolution of the oil trust cannot stop the growth of Rockefeller's for tune. Nothing can, except perhaps the drying up of all the oil wells. The City of Vale, by limiting its sa loons to two and selling the monopoly to the highest bidder, puts the best kind of regulation in effect. It is small comfort to a man killed by falling from a skyscraper when the Coroner's jury finds negligence or the contractors the cause. Assessor Strain's "simple, life" finds explanation In stomach trouble, and not desire for notoriety as a food crank. Snookums Is useful as well as orna mental. Another burglar has testified a baby is the best alarm. Chicago is the model city, foV six patrolmen and a sergeant have been dismissed for grafting. Only six! Cupid is trying to restore the equi librium at Vancouver by marrying a white man to a black. These are desultory days, waiting for the time when the bulletins will give the scores. There may be worse criminals than the dog poisoner, but they never get into Jail. Mr. Rockefeller must need help to count the riches he is accumulating so rapidly. Cook and Peary are preparing to en joy the joke. FRIENDSHIP BORN OF PRINCIPLE Mr. Clnrtrfare Thinks Rooaevelt Justified ! Break With Taft. PORTLAND, March 8. (To the Edi tor.) In The Oregonian there has been reientlv much unfavorable comment and criticism on Mr. Roosevelt, because he has followed his hat into the ring. The ex-President has been taken to task severely because, as is charged, he has srone back on Ills old friend, Mr. Taft. The force of this criticism does not take hold of my judgment to in fluence It in the way desired. On the contrary, it is repugnant to my sense of ric:ht and wrong. Possibly I am incapable of an ideal friendship, that I could value friend ship above principle, and that would cleave to Its object though that friend forsake the principles which fostered our amity. No. if you would Influence me in favor of Mr. Taft on the ground that Mr. Roosevelt is now not standing back of him, you seek to force my in clination against Its natural bent. I cannot choose but think that the charge of desertion or Infidelity is maliclouslv inverted and directed at the wrong object, like the thief who. to divert suspicion, started the hue and cry. Unless my mental compass is rid iculously out of order. Mr. Roosevelt's shlD of state is headed in the same di rection In which it hoisted sail some ten years ago. His course has been straight ahead, in the wrong direction if you please, but nevertheless in the direction of popular control and civic and business honesty and general up lift. Mr. Roosevclt't, enemies do not charge him with any new aocirines in consistent with previously expressed opinions. Mr. Taft was groomed by Mr. Roosevelt to succeed him. and Mr. Taft was hand-in-glove with what were known as Roosevelt policies. Today It is patent to everyone that the two men are sailing, if not in opposite direc tions, at least in different directions. We have said that Mr. Roosevelt has not changed his course. Ergo: Mr. Taft must have changed his course then. Simple as if Polonius himself had enunciated the sylogism. You may ques tion the soundless of my logic men will. It may be that you do not like Mr. Roosevelt, and I may hold him in high esteem. That may account for our different conclusions. I am not concerned here with the question whether Mr. Roosevelt should be the candidate of the Republican party, but whether. If he is displeasing to you you should not seek to discredit him on other grounds than infidelity to Mr. Taft? 1 will put to you a hypothetical case: Suppose a large and numerous society, organized for civic and business pur poses, whose members in a mad pur suit of wealth have cast off all re gard for pristine business ethics and restraint for honest principles of con duct, so that the few who possess the keenest business acumen succeed In lording it over the weak majority: suppose further, by a capricious act of nature a new manager is put in con trol of the society whom we will call T. R., and this new manager calls a halt to this frenzied rush of wealth petting that pervades the society; and suppose through his rare executive ability and matchless courage, T. R. institutes an era of reform in the so ciety, and initiates such policies that If carried out would regenerate the whole fabric of the society; but be cause of a silly archaic by-law which has outlived " the reason and purpose for its institution, T R. is forced to relinquish his management; now sup pose T. R. places in control of the so ciety a friend who is in hearty sym pathy with him. one W. T., to carry out the proposed reforms; that W. T. Is no sooner In' control than he rightabout-faces through the seductive ca jolery of the old gang which T. R. had fought and ousted, and takes to his bosom with pleasing unction the erst while enemies of himself and friend, T. R. the Cannons, the Aldriches, the Balllngers, even the Barnses, as if no applicant was so sure of a warm re ception from W. T. than he who chal lenges the greatest enmity of T. R., who Is much aggrieved at the change of front of his once true and trusted friend, but says nothing; and finally, suppose in due time anotner election for a manager of the society has come around, and W. T. seeks to have his regime continued in power, and T. R. enters the lists against him, and at once a great cry of scorn and derision Is raised against T. R. by the old guard and those whose interests will be best conserved by a continuance of the W. T. regime, and they charge T. R. with Infidelity to his old trlend. W. T. : Query: Was T. R. untrue to W. T., or was W. T. untrue to T. R.? The editor of The Oregonian will con fer an inestimable favor upon a great number of its readers if he will an swer the query editorially, correcting our savage code of friendship with re gards to these nicer destlnctlons. S. J. CLARIDGE. Jirnrn and Santayana. SPARTA. Or., May 5. (To the Edi tor.) In a recent popular periodical allusion was made to William James and Dr. Santayana as being "past mas ters In the use of language," as op posed to the general habit of using common-place phrases. Idioms and col loquialisms so prevalent among the newspaper fraternity and even the literati. "Students clever enough to avoid hackneyed phrases and coin new combinations of words for themselves should be crowned with a laurel wreath on prize day," are the exact words used, and these two are named as superior word painters. Will you kindly relieve my ignorance and state what literary attainments they have, what it consists of, productions and their personnel? J. A. WRIGHT. The late William James was profes sor of psychology at Harvard Univer sity. Mr. Santayana Is professor of philosophy, or metaphysics, at the same place. Both James and Santa yana have long been celebrated for their mastery of English style. This gift makes their books unusually pop ular, considering the difficult nature of the subjects they treat upon. Will lam James' most Important work was his "Psychology," In two large vol umes. This treatise revolutionized the science In some particulars and re ceived the highest honor both In this country and In Europe. James also wrote "Varieties of Religious Experi ence." "Pragmatism" and a number of other books, all of which have received a wide reading. Professor Santayana's books treat mostly of metaphysics, though he has written poetry and es says on themes more or less popular. He Is distinguished for an extraordi nary refinement of thought and deli cacy of expression. Some believe that he has sacrificed manly vigor to these qualities, but that is a question which each reader wili expect to decide for himself. Umatilla Project. RATHDRUM, Ida., March 5. (To -the Editor.) Could you inform me where one could find the proposed route of the Western Umatilla Project? We own a ranch in Gilliam County, and are Interested in the affair, but do not know where we could get definite In formation. S. E. B. av Try U. S. Reclamation Service. Port land, Or. Pnbllc Debt Compared. CASTLE ROCK, Wash., March 3. (To the Editor.) To settle a bet, please give the National debt at the end of th Civil War and the National debt at the present time. SUBSCRIBER. The outstanding principal of the pub lic debt July I, 1865, was $2,680,647. 869.47; November 1, 1911, it was $2,831, 330,305.6$. , ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE. It Must Be Paid for Good Government, Declarea Correspondent. PORTLAND. March 4. (To the Ed itor.) In The Oregonian of February 20, there was an article on high taxes Kin Portland by Mr. Smith, who says that one-quarter of the taxes now assessed would be sufficient to run the city If proper economy were practised and that if two-thirds of the police were laid off we would be about as well on" as now. The brother asks in despair: '"Is there no remedy for this robbery?" Now in my judgment there is a remedy if the people will use it. It is said that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and it is also the price of economical government. This ts true at all times and in all places. Emerson says, "In nature nothing is given away." All things are sold and if the price is not' paid for economic govern ment something else is obtained, such as high taxes, squandering of the peo ple's money, graft and robbery. This is true of a Nation, a state or a city. Life is a continual warfare and a bat tle not only to get liberty, reasonable taxation, economic government in all departments, but to keep them. As soon as people go to sleep, taxes spring up. The Master says, "Watch and pray." Watch your Representative in Congress; try to find out what they are doing for the country. Watch your state legislatures, what they are doing or leaving undone; and above all. watch the city officials, your rouncilmen, an'd if they fail to do their duty, mark them. Watch the School Board and the offic ials at the City Hall. Last, but not least, watch the police department; find out whether the policemen are the pro tectors of innocence and virtue or abet tors of vice and graft. If so, call the attention of the people to the facts and have them removed from their posi tions. I am well aware that the average citizen has little time or ability to watch and investigate all these points or to pay the price. However, there are some in every community that can. Let such do their duty and call atten tion to it, and the chances are that we will have better government, nut If people are indifferent and indolent and will not pay the price of good gov ernment it will go on from bad to worse. J. FRAY, 1141 Milwaukie street. STORY . OF It KCKI.KS.S COACHMAN. Writer Applies it to Present Mtuntion In National 1'olitics. HILLSBORO. March 6. (To the Ed itor.) Aspirants for the Presidency in the coming campaign seem to resemble the applicants for the position of coach man in response to the advertisement of a certain gentleman. To each one he put the question: How close to the edge of a precipice can you drive and, not go over. Several candidates for the job thought they could drive within an inch and still be safe. These were all excused, but finally one came whose answer to the question was that he would keep as far away from 'the edge as he possibly could get. He got the job. It seems that Roosevelt, La Follette and the Democratic favorites will vie with one another in this campaign In seeing how near to SociaiiEm they can approach without going clean over. Taft is the only one who seems dis posed to keep well away from it. Do you think that the people of the United States will show less discretion in choosinsr a hired man than the gentle man who advertised for a coachman? R. E. HARBISON. Military Servlee In Europe. WEISER, Idaho, March 6. (To the Editor.) Is it not so that a man who is a citizen of the Lnitert States and leaves this country for the old country or some principality in Eurpoe, may be required to serve his time in their army after staying in such country over a stipulated time If he was originally a native of that country and was born there? Of course. I understand this would not apply to a citizen of the United States who was native born in the United States, and I also under stand that this law does not apply to every country, but there are some coun tries in Europe which follow taat rule, are there not? This is also an Inter national question, Is it not, over which there has been much debate and is not settled yet? J. K. McDOXALD. Yes answers all the questions. Courts; and Conftreaalonal Dlntrli'ta. PORTLAND. March 7. (To the Ed itor.) 1. How many Congressional Dis tricts are there In Oregon? What are the names of the Representatives of Oregon? 2. Has the United States Cir cuit Court been abolished? If so, could you tell me when and why? H. 1. S. 1. There are three Congressional Districts under the terms of the re apportionment act passed since the last election, but the state will have only two Representatives until after the next election. The present two are A. W. Lafferty and W. C' Hawley. 1. United States Circuit Courts were eliminated in 1911 by an act designed to simplify Federal court procedure. Swlsa Goat Breeder. - FALLS CITY, Or., March 6. (To the Editor.) An error was made in The Oregonian in answering an inquiry as to the location of my Swiss goat herd. It being given as Willamina Instead of Falls City. You may correct It or not. Just as you please. It will not make, any difference to me, as I am getting all the letters I can handle, but I thank you very much for the words you pub lished. ALBERT TEAL. NEW SPECIAL FEATURES OF The Sunday Oregonian The Presidency Just what it brings to the man who pains this exalted place, anc. what it costs him, is given an interesting page, illustrated. Ball Teams in Spring Training Christy Mathewson makes this the topic of his seventh special article in the series he has written for The Sunday Oregonian. There is a whole page of it, telling all about the shaping-up work of the players. Our Captives of War Uncle Sam has been holding in bondage a whole tribe of Apaches for 26 years past. The story of these re markable redskins occupies a page and is profusely illustrated with photographs. i Foolish Mortals Craving wings, many misguided inventors try out their flying creations from Eiffel Tower and are plunged to a fearful death. A live story from our Paris correspondent. The "Cop" Bridgebuilder An artiele by the well-known writer, Richard Spillane, on Patrick Ryan's remarkable career. Two Short Stories "A latter-day miracle" and "The Lady and the Kwang Chin." Complete Sunday. Illustrated. The Jump-Ups They try golf this week and Jim has another unhappy experience. New adventures by all the colored funny people. MANY OTHER FEATURES. Order from your newsdealer Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe After a man reaches old age, he never sees a peaceful moment when someone does not Inquire: "Have you taken your medicine?" Let the prettiest girl in town put a towel around her head, and assist in house-cleaning, and the dogs will bark at her. When a girl is in love, she doesn't stay long when she goes away on a visit: she hurries home to keep an eye on iier property. When a visitor calls at your house and you ask him if he would like to hear your little daughter play, he will say yes, but he won't mean it. In a country town, every man from the Kast claims to be from New York, and every oyster claims to be a Blue Point. A boy never believes work develops his muscles as thoroughly as gym nasium practice. There is a little of the beggar in stinct in every one. It doesn't hurt a man's feelings much to say he isn't good looking, but such a remark Is a blow to a woman. Asked of the boys at half the sup per tables every every night: ""hcr have you been since 4 o'clock? Didn't I tell you to come straight home from school?" What we all need is to befieve more in a few simple and important truths, and less of the disposition to believe a little in everything. When Victor Hugo told that story about Jean Valjean being sent to prison for stealing a loaf of bread when starv ing, he did not realize that the truth would still be chasing the iie in 1!U2. No such Incident ever happened any where. No policeman would make such an arrest, r.O' baker would pre fer such a charge, and no judge would entertain it. PATRONS WANT BETTER SKRTICE, Suburban Rexldent Aaks Granting; of Southern Pacific Franchise. TORTLAND. March 8. (To the Ed itor.) i am informed that there Is now pending before our Council an appli cation for a franchise from the South ern Pacific Jefferson street depot to Fourth street. 1 have lived on my own property In Oswego for more than eight years. The distance between the stations is seven miles and the fare we have paid, buying 60 rides at a time, has been S 1-3 cents one way. I think this a very reasonable charge to be made for a seven-mile ride. The most objectionable feature is, we are re quired to walk from Front and Jeffer son streets to the business portion of the city. It is to be hoped that the Council will be able to see their way clear to grant a franchise from the Jefferson street depot to the Fourth street line, so that the electric cars can come through the business district of the town. In my opinion this will be of untold value to residents using this line. The portion of the city west of the Willamette River is a very beautiful section, but it is not developing nearly so rapidly as the East Side because of the lack of modern facilities to get into town, and If the railroad can be electrified and terminate in the business portion of the city, in my opinion it will '"ad to great development along the West Side of the river. A. KING WILSON. Ftir Kent. One Red Itosc. People's- Magazine. There is a church at Manheim, Ta., which every year pays as Its rent one red rose. This is because in 1772 a man named Stiegel. being wealthy as well as religious, deeded to the congregation of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church a piece of land on which to put the church building, and a clause In the deed read: "And yielding and paying therefor unto the" said Henry William Sliegcl. heirs and assigns, at Manheim, in the month of June, yearly, forever here after the rent of one red rose, if the same shall be lawfully demanded." Number of Presidents. PORTLAND. March 3. (To the Ed itor). What number president is Pres ident Taft?- In Washington's home is the room with the inscription above the door. "Nellie Custls' bedroom." Who was she? MILLARD A. SAMUEL. Taft is the 27th rresident. Nellie Custis was the daughter of John Parke Custis. son of Martha Washington by her first marriage. Af ter the death of her father Nellie Custis was adopted by George Washington and lived at Mount Vernon. Consular Dlntrtrt of Hankon. London Tit Bits. The consular district of Hankow cov ers a large part of the Chinese interior, stretching from near Canton, on th south, to the Russian frontier, on the west and north. It includes the Prov ince of Honan, south of the Yellow River, and the whole of the Provinces of Hupeh. Hunan, Kiangsi, Shensi. Kan su. the Kokonor region. Turkestan, and the western and central part of Mon