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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1912)
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In the recent day of alienee and uncertainty In and about 0ster Hay an The Outlook off be. It was con fidently predicted that If Colonel RooM-velt did announce hl candidacy for a third term, the people would be enlightened by a definite and logical reason for the hanpe In his determin ation o remain In private life. Some of us asserted, that Colonel Roosevelt rt.uld rot be aed except b the ueiichtieat of reasons. We looked for ward t the Hi--.-ptan. e. If It wan to . ome. a the accompaniment of a con. i lu.-lve expo-ltlon of President Tafl's reprehensible oml---iorvs or eommis j.ton which In our Inferior lv lorn had failed to discover. When Roo-evrit wavered the Nation ask.-d hy ? When he threat- ht hat Into the rln and set a day for final de , IMn the country watted breathlesslv. When the answer a alven the people sought throtiBh It In vain for the drsr clr Into view- of Admlnl.-tration de fect that had l.-d to a break between two fa-t friends and the acceptance of a task that one of them professed to abhor. The iiftton of the hour ha not vet been answered. ecept by general a art ion that the lue In the Ri-pub-llcan party l.. -Shall the people ruler Even that Issue a now applied d.es not enter Into distinct poll, tea of ov . rnment. It deala aolely with the man ner of chooelne between one candi date, who la entitled to nomination, and another, -who for aome unex plained reason want It. Out of thin cloud of uncertainty cornea a complaint from the Indianap olla Star. The Star objecta to derog atory expuuiatlona for Colonel Kooee velt'a chanae of mind. It aaya: Wha a man ! wlil aar.r leara Indlaaapolta or wt.l nr vota for W. J. Hn.n and rhaoara hi mlod. It la aactay in tupla Wat aotnathlB haa aetava to In fluenza him triat did not mii befora. The rplanatla that b la bopeleaaly depraved ar r-Tant to avary rmpalaa of bonne la alaara avaliabla, of rwifw, to thoaa arboax naturaa laattncttvnly tuiirjt Ibat principle f anion; but will aol ba aecapted by rra eonta betnea until other axplanatlona bat- baen tried la vain. A happier simile could be devised than the foregoing-. When a man la put Into a position of trust upon the recommendation of ono then holding l he poet and, upon distinct pledgo that he will never aeek It himself asain. It U necejrsary to auppose. if the latter changes hla mind, that some think' haa arisen to Influence him that did not cxltit before. If the employer haa dlcovered only Industry, honesty and procreaelvenesa In hl servant, he Is entitled to be told. If the other knows, how the servant has been recreant. If dlwharired subordinates are the chief supporters of the one who reapplies for the post, and no reason Is given for the chanced atti tude. It Is not p,rv'r'pd'. but ever lasting and common-sense Instinct that rations the motives. It Is not pleasant to speculate upon Colonel Roosevelt's motives. Doubt less newspapers friendly to his can didacy find It undesirable, though nec essary. The Star has nothing definite to offer. It surcc-sls a few explana tions, but they are In tha form of questions. Mtcht not this be so? Mlpht not that be true? ll asks. That the motives or reasons for the Hoosevelt candidacy should still be subject for iuery or speculation by friends or foes is wholly unnecesnr unless, as the tatter suspect, his own ambition Is Its dam and revenge of disgruntled friends Its sire. i.a rti.L:TTv rw ri atiok. Senator I .a Follette. while not drop ping any of the old planks of the In surgent plutform. has put a new one In first place. His new political creed makes the Initiative, referendum, re call and direct nominations Its car dinal point In National as well as stale affairs. It would be Interesting to see how this would work out in practice, though we should prefer to let some other nation make the experiment. Take the tariff, for example. If Mr. U Follette were to Initiate a tariff bill, wo might expect him to show ten der car for the Industries of Wiscon sin and to apply the knife without mercy to the duties affecting other atatea which Isava not the him indus tries. Whatever exception ho made to this general rule would be made with a, view to winning enough votes to carry the measure, for. after all. Mr. LdL Kolletu is a politician of soma skill and experience, and ha plays the gams to win. Wkson the bl'J came before the peo ple of the I'nlted Statea for a popular vote- what a grand demonstration wa should have of the sow generally ad mitted fact that the tariff Is a local Issue. The bill would probably carry Wisconsin. f,r lie sponsor would have dealt sparingly with the duties on 'omber. barter nd other products of tluu state. But what an uprising a re d action In the sugar duties would cause in California, and other beet-irowinj slates; in the lead and kino duties In Idaao and Missouri; ta the wool du ties In sheepgrowlng statea of the West; In the duties on woolen and cotton fabrics in the textile manufac turing states of New England and the South; In te Iron and steel duties In I'ennsylvanla, Illinois and Alabama. Every atate would rlse in defense of protection on IU own lndustrtea, care less of the gain to bo derived from reduced duties on those of other states having different Industrlea. The Initiative applied to such measure would furnish convincing proof of the wisdom of Taft's policy of revision by schedule and of the to'Af of submitting to popular vote a meas ure which vitally alfects a number of conflicting Interests, without that close adjustment to varying conditions whlcli can be obtained only through careful study by expert statisti cians and by a committee of states men guided by common policy. The initiative Is a useful Instrument for the people to hold in reserve In In ji..u.i .i.in for the enactment Into law- of tbelr will in regard to simple. I concrete measures, nut u is no o ter adapted to National legislation than Is a sledge-hammer to the fine details of watch-making. KVIDEM-E FRO THE BAST. Tn view of the fact that ex-Senator Mulkey has become an active sup porter of -Roosevelt, the following In terview with Mr. Barry Bulkley. a prominent lecturer of Washington. D. C who was Senator Mulkey"s private secretary when the latter was in the Senate, will be of Interest to voters in Oregon, and incidentally may interest Senator Mulkey. Mr. Bulkley ssys: For tb la.t week I hav be-n Paklr. St tha Cooper In.tuut. and the '' Muaeum f Natural H.aiory In 'w,1"r'' -t. on atlo clt!e of the t nlled "' Thr h)l. have .irh a aeatlns rapacity of io and tha accommorlatl-na were taxl to ihrir uttnoat at avr lecture Not only in the, ha, I. but In every quarter of the rlt, I rata theaa leclurea. ao lhat I "ached :l ela-ea of people and got In touch with inrm. n..t only anth aome of the mot re-fin-d and ome of the ableat man of tha rilv but alao with th lab..rera and tha worker. ho make the great mass of tha people Nine-tenths of the audiences were ron p.-eed of mm. rrpre.-ntln all conditions ,n In 'Tec lure, on the CM y of Washington t .no.nl picture, of th. different re.identa ..( the I niied State., from the time or aieorae .ninon doao to and Including l-r-..-1-t.t Tali. Ju.lin from tha applau.. he.t..e.l on le piclirei. particularly thoea ..f l-re.ld-nt Taft ad em Fre.ldent Rr .;i the aenllm.nt of erer audience to hi.h I .nota a. In favor of the Pre.l dmt It . only fair to Mr. Taft My that th- approal lven hi. appearance on th. ecr-en aa ir-.i.r than that of any other one. .th th. p..lhle exception of Ai.rah.ru l.lncolo. In interview, with hun-d-e.l. people in all walka of life 1 found Ihe current of aentimenl runnlna .trnnsly aaain.t Mr. Kttoaeeit and for tha I'reaident. In the rlub. at ahich I waa a ue.t. and I .topped at a ood many, the pen. ral trrnd of opinion waa In favor of Mr. Tafl. Mr. Bulkley's statement ssuredly Indicates that the preponderance of sentiment expressed by the Eastern press coincides with public opinion there. We doubt that Senator Mulkey will question the Intelllucnce or verac ity of his former secretary. Mistake in picking out a secretary might Indicate corresponding lack of Judgment in reading the character or Presidential candidates. ASAKCIIVS KTKONt.OT KM.HV. One may reasonably suspect from his name and his violent language that Mr. I. Melrovlts is one of those sixxllng fellows who adorn our street corners nightly and advocate In the kind of talk one might expect to hear In hades the establishing of an earthly heaven for laborers. Accustomed to appeal to passion, prejudice, envy and hatred, he naturally In writing to The Oregonlan fall Into the same habit of speech. "If the Boy Scouts are not military, why give them military drill?" he asks before he becomes violent. The an swer Is that they are not given a military- drill. Baden-Poweir -Scouting for Boys- Is not the scout law. He has no official connection with or con trol over the Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts are organized along military lines. So are the Salvation Armv. the Volunteers of America, the uniformed rank. Knights of Pythias and a dozen other as widely differing organizations to which could be ap plied the term "military" as reasonably s to the Boy Scouts. Whv does not the I. W. W. make a clean sweep while It Is about It? As) much militarism Is In the air when tne Solvation Army sings Its hymns as there was in the Baden-Powell meet ing. Let the rioters pass around their disturbances. Why not interrupt the debating teams and the spelling bee? They both have captains. Why not take away the small boy's cork-snoot- nir nongun? It might mold his plas tic mind to "worship the red-fanged god of mtlltarlsm " Y hy not suppress the toy drum? The little ones may get to marching, and marching is military. The I. W. W. orators, bass drum mers and peace disturbers are over looking many opportunities. But while their orators are combating and de nouncing the fl.-vg. the church, the press and the Boy Scouts, they are overlooking their greatest enemy. That enemy Is the American system of com pulsory education. Their principles thrive best among the Illiterate. The public school is the greatest and most powerful obstacle to the growth of the doctrines preached by Melrovlts and his followers. They cannot build "P a reckonable force unless they over throw It. ANAL1ZJNO MR CANDIDATES. Jut to satisfy a passing whim of fancy, let us suppose that there exist ed a state commission whose sole du ties were to pass In cold hard Justice upon the merits of each Individual In the ubiquitous and perennial army of office-seekers. Let us give fancy riot ous sway while we are about It and assume further that the members of the commission were high-minded men, of Judicial temperament, free from the meshes of political machina tions and Inspired solely by earnest desire to put each aspirant for office under the microscope of careful analysis. With Imagination still unrestrained, fancy that the various candidates were compelled and required to use on their election cards and printed announce ments only such estimates of them as were yielded in cold analysis. Would not there be gtven a different lone, for th most part, in that Inundating har vest of campaign literature that even now carpets the streets and plasters th very hills and forests? Let us relax a moment and glance In calm deliberation upon the propo sition. Examine this modest and truly characteristic little eulogy: "! been a lawyer for the past fifty years and say. people. I stir would make some Circuit Judge. Strictly honest and highly progressive. Try me out this time." Ruminating upon the stern erasure and Interlinea tions which th candidacy commission might determine upon, one is plunged into overw helming sadness at the fear, ful hiatus often existing between beau tiful, unrestrained and untrammeled self-praise and the cruel, merciless truth. Or another: "Vot for Freddy for Constable honest, efficient, capable. Industrious: stands for squar deal, people's rights, reduction of tariff, curbing of trusts, restriction of public service corporations." All of which the commission might ruthlessly edit to read: "A constable is a sort of er rand boy for Justice courts and so we feel that perhaps Freddy has reached a state of mental development admir ably fitting him for the post." Taking the strikingly symbolical card bearing th picture of a mule de picted In the act of braying the words. Tm not a candidate for Congress. but( my owner is and he's some pump kins." the commission might be Im pelled to reconstruct the caption to read, "The candidate represented here is recommended as a bigger ass In fact than the picture would aeem to Indi cate." Once again, a little rag time epic like "I am sure the goods for County Commissioner. Made a great success out of my own affairs and am Just the noo dle to spend 13.000.000 a year of the taxpayers' coin." might be recast to read. 'This candidate is fully quali fied to handle and expend public funds up to. but not exceeding. 30 cents." But. enough! For such a programme after all would surely result in Irrepar able loss to contemporary literature, and the new but rising Oregon school of self-laudatory fiction would perish of innutrition before even approaching its zenith. Not alone the loss to the world of letters. A profitable field of exploitation would b stripped from the versatile ad men who, for a con sideration, construct the terse and graphic political epigrams that en able the illiterate and hopelessly stu pid to gallop Into public office astride of borrowed brains. Perhaps- It la better to allow full sway to the Baron Munchausens of local political fiction rather than prune such promising new fields of literary activity.' TH K PREMDKVT AND MR. KDIHOX ON THE COtT OF LIVING. The President's message of March 13 shows pretty clearly that th prob lem of the high cost of living is not limited to this country. The message transmits consular reports from Eng land. Germany, France and Holland which tell the same story about the prices of the necessaries of life with which we are only too familiar at home. Thus In Greet Britain the price of food Increased 19.6 per cent be tween the years 189s and 1910. In this same Interval the average wage of workingmen In the United Kingdom rose no more than 11. 1 per cent, while those of railway employes Increased but 7.1 per cent. Hence It Is plain to see that whatever may be the cause of the rising prices of food and clothing, wages do not keep pace with them in that country- From France heavy In creases in food price between the years 1900 and 1911 are reported. Everything has grown dearer except fish and sugar. In Germany the same thing has happened. In that country we learn that "living conditions have been seriously affected by the con tinued rise In Ihe price of food prod ucts, many of the commodities having advanced above all previous records." Holland reports an advance of prices ranging from IS per cent to 63 per cent. A phenomenon like this which is of world-wide extent cannot be counter acted by mere local measures. Those who expect to bring the cost of living down to reasonable figures by reduc ing the tariff will be obliged to modify their hopes, though lower duties might help In the good cause. Nor can It be truthfully said that our American trusts are wholly responsible. They have certainly raised prices In this country somewhat, but they could not have caused the trouble in Holland and Germany, to say nothing of the rest of the world. The President's message does not undertake to discuss the reasons why living is so much more difficult than it was ten or twelve years ago. He contents himself with reciting the disagreeable facts, leaving rhe whys and wherefores to be brought to light by specialists If they can do it. Mr. Edison is less cautious in an In terview which he has given to a rep resentative of the Saturday Evening Post. In his opinion, while the rise In the cost of living Is a world-wide problem and has causes which apply everywhere, still as far as the United States Is concerned it has been aggra vated by local circumstances which It Is entirely within our power to remedy. One of the universal causes which he mentions is the Increased output of gold. Nobody would think of denying that the more gold we have In circu lation the more goods will cost, but it does not follow that living will be more difficult. With proper regulations wages would rise In the same ratio as prices and the "labor cost," or what some writers call the "pain cost," of living would not be affected. The fact that we have not proper regulation is shown by a comparison between the rise of goods prices In England, which has been 19.5 per cent, and that of wages, which haa been no more than 11 1 per cent since 189. The second universal cause of which Mr. Edion speaks in his important in terview Is the useless multiplication of middlemen. The senseless reduplica tion of distributing agents Is to be seen In all countries, bub perhaps It has gone farther In the United States than elsewhere and therefore we feel Its evil effects more than other peoples do. There are five times as many retail ers In every city as there should be," saya Mr. Edison, who expresses him self with commendable vigor on the subject. "The more grocery stores there are In a town of given popula tlon the higher prices the people of that town are obliged to pay for their groceries. Everything passes through too many hands. There are too many useless middlemen. On Broadway there are about 100 men's furnishing stores that ought to be closed up Naturally he Infers that every unneces. ss-ry store in the country increases the selling price of goods. The rent of the sit, the expense of upkeep, the cost of clerk and delivery wagons, interest on the Investment and so on are all added to the price of commodities, and th consumer thus haa to pay not only the Just cost of what he buys but a large additional percentage which is without reason or excuse. Mr. Edison Justly remarks that It is the poor upon whom the burden of the superfluous middleman fatla most heavily. They buy everything in small lots and there fore pay at exorbitant rates, while the wealthy ar favored at the stores as they are everywhere else. "We get our coal." says Mr. Edison, meaning persons of wealth, "for IS or 17 a ton, while the poor are obliged to pay $1( or $17." His remedy for the burden of the Intrusive middleman is a parcels post with Government warehouses. Th latter would obliterate all possible ex cuse for maintaining an expensive gro cery on every street corner and half a dozen on the block between, while the parcels post would bring the "con sumer nearer to the producer." If a farmer could send bis butter and eggs directly to purchasers by mall, what pretext would there be for tne inter vention of & middleman? Very likely It will be a long time before we see Government warehouses In the United States, but the parcels post Is on the way and ought to arrive before a great while. When we have obtained it we can then attend to Mr. Edtson"s list of purely local causes for high prices. He sums them up in three categories, de struction of. competition by the trusts, destruction of our natural resources and. the various forms of adulteration. The last may be the most pervasive and the most potent for evil of the three, though the common mind Is disposed to make light of it. When a man pavs for a dollar's worth of food and gets only 50 cents' worth, the re mainder being dirt of some kind, tne cost of living has been raised 50 per cent for him. Mr. Edison does not specifically in clude waste in its numerous aspects mona the causes of the rise in prices. bu. he must have meant to Imply it by the word "destruction." Certainly waste is the most conspicuous econom ic phenomenon of modern life, both public and private. The cost of civil government has doubled and trebled in the last quarter century. The cost of military establishments advances by giant strides everywhere. The number of men who are withdrawn from pro ductive industry to drill in armies be comes larger and larger in almost every country in the world, and not only is the labor of these men lost but somebody has to support them. - We see therefore that while It may not be practicable to set forth all the causes of the rise In the cost of living, Mr. Eidson has hit the nail squarely on the head with reference to aome of them. Dogmatism about the intellectual powers of cats and dogs is probably in Its last days, it will soon be re placed bv exact knowledge. The Uni versity' of Kansas has undertaken to discover by scientific experiment whether or not these animals can be taught to think. The results ought to be of the first importance to philos ophy and religion. When we learn that dogs can think we shall tnen oe Inquisitive to find out what their thoughts are, especially about our selves. Are they complimentary, or not? The insurgent have been entrapped hv their own inconsistencies. Their changes of front on reciprocity have been so frequent that they lorget en tirely that Roosevelt had indorsed President Taffs nolicv on their sub ject. As the campaign progresses they will find themselves namperea oy many declarations in favor of the very policies their blind factionalism tempts them to condemn. The unnaturalized husband of an American suffragist, who discovers that his neglect to become a citizen has deprived her of the right she has so long coveted. Is entitled at least to as much sympathy as his wire, ine re proaches she heaps on him would tax the human imagination. What would happen to Mr. Pankhurst If Mrs. Pankhurst found herself in such a predicament? Southern lynch law has reached its culmination In Virginia, where all the officers of one of the courts were mur dered while they were performing their duties. A community which sys tematically tolerates anarchy must ex pect to reap the fruits of anarchy. From the lawless killing of negroes the South has now proceeded to the mur der of Judges and Sheriffs. What will be the next step? The United States is no longer to be uvofl hh rorriiitino- eround and source of supplies for Latin-American revolu tions. We have no desire to pecome nianeiii In our restless nele-hbors in terminable Internal quarrels and If w-e are forced In, do not nesire to in crease our fatality lifts through the medium of weapons of our own make. When a scoundrel shot at Victor Emmanuel's father on the street, the brave old King remarked that It was part of his business to go through dangers of that kind. Now Victor Emmanuel has found by experience that his father was right. May he show himself by wise counsel and moderate action the worthy successor of his sire. The Spring fever, which announces it attack on others by an outbreak of ennui, poetry- or new hats, causes an eruption of strikes among coal miners on both sides of the Atlantic. It is an annual event, but the attack la more virulent and widespread than usual this year. Ihe man who plants a walnut tree benefits his posterity. A man able to tell how to do It will make an address at the Y. M. C. A. Auditorium tomor row night. Just to say his name Is J. C. Cooper, of the Yamhill walnut region. should be enough to attract an in in terest. ta'v.(ia nih atntes moan about stag nation of business. Oregon continues to increase her working capital, as shown by the swelling 'bank deposits. Development continues unchecked in the Beaver State The name of Trousdale will be added m rhA ion roll of honor, whereon Wells, Fargo & Company Inscribe the names of bravo express messengers, beginning with the pony express riders of pioneer days. A word to the wise and unwise: Do not wear a fool emblem tomorrow- Get a tag. which represents the effort to do good to the helpless. Kansas Democrats, on a platform demanding reconstruction of all .things mundane, instruct their delegation for Champ Clark. When "Jimmy" Hyde, hero of the monkey dinner, marries a French ac tress, his Frenchlflcatlon will be complete. The Hawley millions are so many the heirs could well afford to com promise with the young woman ward. Dan McAllen Is the first-named judge of a pending baby contest. It could not have been otherwise. Reallv. now. ar show that is too naughty for Seattle present a knotty problem. After tomorrow the Maine will be a sacred memory. Whrn vanity is tickled, petty graft i easy. GOOD 5EEX IX SCOUT MOVEMENT Roy Kept Off the Streets aad Tawght Maaly Accomplish men I a. PORTLAND. March 13- (To the Ed itor. I The present agitation antagon istic to the Boy Scout movement is sim ilar to that against the Boys' Rrlgade movement some 25 years ago. The ar guments used now are the same as used then that military drill and discipline were detrimental to the best Interests of the boys, and therefore of the coun try, yet the Boys Brigade Is a wortu- wide organization, largely Instrumental in the development of boys Into maniy men throughout the world. Jacob Rels once said: "It is by the Boys' Club that the street is hardest hit. In the fight for the lad It is that wnicn knocks the 'gang' and with Its own weapon the weapon of organization." Now. boys are naturally fond of disci pline and organization and any worthy Institution that will "Let one lener bring another feller, and then give the feller something to do" should be en couraged and helped by all members of society. The Boys' Brigade does not teach the art of war. nor does It en courage the war spirit. It, merely uses the military drill, organization and dis cipline as the most stimulating and in teresting means of securing the atten tion of certain classes of boys and pro moting self-respect, chivalry, courtesy, esprit de corps and a lot of kindred vir tues. The Boy Scout movement also seeks to attract other classes of boys and through its "hikes," camps, nature- studies and scout-craft, seeks to Incul cate the Ideals of manhood and good citizenship. Put a cap on his head and tell Private Smith or Scout Jones to hold up his head, or put his feet together. and you can order him about all day. He is compelled to brush his hair, wash his face and If he does not turn up by 8 o'clock, the door Is locked. Mil itary discipline Is established and through Its agency, you teach him obe dience, reverence, disuipline and self- respect. This is the new method; tins Is the spirit of the Boys' Brigade and the Boy Scouts. Now. while the . Boys' Brigade and Boy Scouts movements do this, that Is by no means all. Ambulance classes are formed and the lads are taught the first aid to Injured and many cases are on record of lives being saved through members of these organizations. Bible classes are opened and conducted large ly by the lads themselves, under the guidance of'offlcers. Lectures are given and all meetings are opened with prayer followed by a short address. And so on It goes, and these large organiza tions. Instead of being a detriment to the community, are seeking to promote In the lads ail that Is good and pure and manly. In this city alone the benefits of such movements are felt and the principal of one of the leadnig schools referring to a company of the Boys' Brigade on the East Side near the school, said: "It haa been one of the best agencies in this neighborhood for the suppression of hoodlumism among boys" "and I believe that It is due to it that the disturbances and lawlessness once so prevalent here among boys Is now done away with." This Is exactly what com panies of t'ie Boys' Brigade and Boy Scouts do as well as providing for the moral uplift of the lads themselves and the training of them to be good citizens. I have beside me the names of nearly S00 boys with whom in the past L'O years I have been associated in the Boys' Brigade movement, and yet in none of these can be traced the evils that military organization and disci pline are said to lead to. Instead of the drill fostering the warlike spirit, it has the opposite effect and many a time have I observed a lad known to me to be one of a hasty temper who. when hit by a ball accidentally or otherwise, would check his rising anger simply be cause he knew It was against the rules of the company to quarrel or fight. The movements under proper leader ship are without doubt calculated to do more lasting good among boys than any other organization, and If any young man desiring to be of some use in the world would get around him a dozen boys (particularly those boys who do not have all that home means), and say to himself. "Now I am to be a Captain to those 12 boys," he will find that task will develop his whole character towards a nobler and stronger manhood and will bring out sympathy and tal ents which otherwise must have lain wholly dormant. I deeply deplore the unseemly con duct at the meeting on Saturday, but feel that It was because the work rf the Boy Scouts Is not understood, and therefore I have felt constrained to write this, as so many people seem to have a wrotyr Impression of what these big movements stand for. Ask any boy connected with the Boys' Brigade what the object of the Brigade is. and he will at once say: "The advancement of Christ's kingdom among boys and the promotion of habits of obedience, rever ence, discipline, self-respect and all that tends toward a true Christian man liness"; ask any Boy Scout what his movement is for, and he will say, among other tilings: "an effort to get boys to appreciate the things about them and to train them In self-reliance, manhood and good citizenship." These are the respective objects of these big methods of helping boys. If they are approved by the parents and teacbers of our boys, help them along, become Interested in them, write for authentic literature of them and then go start a company and do your share of this splendid work of service. Yours truly. ALEX. C. RAE. Roy Scouta and Courteay. PORTLAND, March 13. (To the Edi tor. Mr. R. R. Bratlon's letter and your editorial in this morning's paper interested me very much, and I want to tell you an experience of mine with the Boy Scouts. A short time ago I had occasion to go up Into one of our large buildings, and awaiting the same elevator were several men and two boys whom I knew to be Scouts. They did not know me. however. Most of the men crowded Into the elevator before me. but the boys stepped back and allowed me precedence. Immediately they entered the elevator, their hats were removed the only ones, I am sorry to say. As It chanced1, we wanted the same floor and again they stepped aside for me. I do not mean that men have never shown me this courtesy, for they have, but these boys were young enough to be thoughtless about such things. Would Mr. Brattn or his boys, who have been taught they have no su periors, show me this courtesy? I won der. MRfe. J. DEAN. Lacking In Parlotlam. PORTLAND. March 12. (To the Edi tor.) I am surprised that no one has called the bluff of the so-called Social ists and the leaders of the I. W. W. in their contention that they oppose the Boy Scout movement on the ground that It fosters militarism. Why do they not come out squarely and say that they oppose it because it teaches, as one of its cardinal principles, love of country? Love of country would hardly pros per under the leadership of the Social ist who, speaking last night under the Socialist banner on one of our streets, said, after decrying the American flag: "No, 1 have no flag, but if I should choose one it would be the red flag." R. C. PIERCE. London Meaanre Water Waste. Baltimore American. London, through the system of water waste detection Introduced by the Chief Engineer of the metropolitan water board, has reduced the daily con sumption 10 gallons per head of pop ulation. In East London enough water has been saved to supply a city of 400,. 000 inhabitants. Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe When with women, a bachelor al ways claims to be lonelier than he really Is. you usually find that the man who says he will fight until hell freezes over, and then fight on the ice, is ready to compromise long before that. Sympathy Is never as satisfactory as not having trouble. When a man gets the worst of it, he finds it difficult to make the best of it After a woman gives up, and lets it go, how big her waist can get! The best thing you can do with some golden opportunities is to neglect them. Girls at the glove counter say that most women who call for a five-and-three-quarter gloye compromise on a number six. When a baby cries, a mother can al ways tell whether it Is a pin or tem per. All women say they can tell a home made hat as far as they can see it. BOl'RNK AND CORRUPT PRACTICES la Hia t.'.OO Contribution ot Sly Kva- aion of Law, Js Asked. PORTLAND, March 14. (To the Editor. I Our non-resident Senator gets a front page story for the $500 he con tributed to Mr. U'Ren, to help enforce the corrupt practices act in the coming election. Now suppose that Mr. U'Ren con cludes that "composite" citizens are not attempting any evasion of the law and that under the Oregon system the police power and courts are doing their sworn duty and that say half of the $500 can better be used In boosting Bourne, and the other half go to U'Ren himself, or the single tax war chest. Is not Mr. Bourne himself slyly eva ding the law? If he were not seeking the nomination for an office would he have made such a contribution? Dur ing the several elections held in the state under the law has Mr. Bourne ever before made contributions? Would he not be doing himself more good if ho returned the $500 to the poor women and children toiling in his cotton mills for starvation wages, in order that he might make a cheap bid for the good Government vote, , while at the sal time he evades the law? ARTHUR ANDERSON. Ruy Seuul. and MlniMera. PORTLAND, March 13. (To the Kdl tor.) In your editorial on the Boy Scouts you quote the following from the International Year Book: "The Boy Scouts is not a militant body, although Its organization is along military lines. A prescribed uniform is worn." By the same token the charge ef militarism against the United States Army would he false, for it has been "military in form only" since the Spanish-American War and will b until the ruling class decides another orgy of blood Is neces sary. If -the Boy Scouts are not military, why give them military drill? "Scout ing for Boys," by Lieutenant Baden- Powell, K. C. B., on page 175, teaches the boys how to conduct a military ex ecution; on page 277 it teaches the boys how to shoot a man "with your staff, using It as if it were a rifle. Aim first at the man, then moving the muzzle a little faster, etc." It sems to me some body Is mistaken somewhere and I have a strong suspicion it Isn't the Social ists. The holy protest simultaneously emitted by four ot God's agents on earth has afforded many of us "sin ners In the sight of God" considerable amusement and some Instruction. The spectacle of the digBified, befrocked, eminently respectable chorus braying their approval and sympathy for Baden-Powell's murder-virus bears out everything we ever thought about them. Their sanctified outcry resulted simply because the folks attending the meeting were humans and were unable and unwilling to sit idly by w;hile the plastic minds of the little children were being craftily moulded to worship the red-fanged god of militarism. It was for far less than this that Christ, himself, ruthlessly disturbed a meeting. And his crime was doubly heinous, for he went into the very Temple (house of God) itself to drive those he considered and who undoubt edly were detrimental to the general welfare. O, you holy men with a halo adorning your virtuous brows Con sistency, thou art a jewel. Y'our grave like silence whenever an outrage against the working class Is perpetra ted (instance the recent invasion by the police of an indoor meeting in Oak land and the cracking of heads) and your galvanization into boisterous ti rades and diatribes whenever you think the code of morals made by you to enslave us is violated, is illuminating to say the least and clearly indicates on which side of the class war you are lined. Who. I ask, is turning the crank that releases these floods of vi tuperation? In conclusion I would ad monish the four reverends and all other representatives of God to "let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Also to "judge not lest ye be Judged." I- MEIKOVITS. Columbus Day. PORTLAND, Or., March 12. (To the Editor.) To settle a simple dispute, can I trouble you to state. Is Columbus day a legal holiday In Oregon? Y'our authority for answer, and if yes, when enacted. Yours respectfully. SAM F. GILL, October 12. Columbus day was de clared public holiday by act of the 1911 Legislature. New Special Features FOR THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN Is Ireland Coming Into Her Own? A review of pxeat events in the Kmerald We. Full page, timely and interesting,-illustrated. Mail-Order Swindlers How they operate and how Uncle Sam is just now hard on their trail. Full page, illustrated. ' Jinxes In his eighth article, Christy Mathewson, the Giants' star pitcher, takes up the varied superstitions of the baseball-playing world. Illustrated, full page. Girl Guides How an auxiliary to the Boy Scouts is to be organ ized in the United States.. Jt already flourishes in England. Woman's Rights in Russia An intimate study by a Moscow cor respondent of Mme. Philosofoff, who has led the fight for her sex ia the Czar's domain. An Interrupted Game Another thrilling romance of the business world, by Richard Spellaine. . ( Two Complete Short Stories "The Blue Thistle," a channel isle romance, and "The King of the Ostriches," about two Yanks and their adventures in Patagonia. The Jumpup They give a swell dinner party, and some of their relatives call unexpectedly. MANY OTHER FEATURES Order Today From Your Newsdealer Explaining By Dean Collins. Theodore twanged his guitar and warbled WTooing the Voters, in accents of yearning. Though he had waited full long and expected Them to declare that their hearts were a-burning. "Wherefore wait longer," he reasoned, "Who knows But they might never come through, and propose?" Therefore with many songs wooed he. enamoured; And thus ran one song of the songs that he clamored: I shot vocal guns into the air And the words flew merrily here and there; 'Twas years ago, and the words went then. "Under no circumstance ever again." With repetitions at various times. In various cities and various climes, I shot some words off into the air And whither they flew I did not care. Four years have flown, and the words I loosed Are flying, alack, back home to roost. Perch on my eaves, and me to dub Due for the Ananias Club; Everywhere I may turn my glances I see them: "Under no circumstances' Could I foretell that the words 1 sang Should turn each to be a boomerang. I shot some words off into the air Four years ago and didn't care; And now I find that they stuck, pardie. In the press and the public memory; And over the years they fly again. And I find the Now isn't like the Then; But I'll explain them if you'll incline Your ear though explaining is not my line, I shot some words off into the air You see, and that time I didn't care. Though plain they proclaimed I'd never be Trying again for the Presidency. I shot the words off hit or miss. Nor thought that they'd ever come back like this. I shot some words off into the air But I didn't mean just what I said, so there! Portland. March 12. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonian of March 15. 1S62. A few days ago Deputy Sheriff Arnold became aware of the where abouts of J. V. Clarey. under two in dictments in this county for larceny committed about a year since at Tibbett & Burke's mill across the river, by stealing a quantity of flour. Mr. Arnold informed the Prosecuting Attorney, W. W. Page, Esq., who immediately sent the necessary papers to the Sheriff of Clark County, W. T., and yesterday received the following letter: The letter, which is signed "Levi Farr.sworth, Sheriff of Clark County. W. T.," tells how the Sheriff found Clarey' at the house of B. F. Taner. about 25 miles from Vancouver: how Clarey refusnd to be taken and threatened to murder the first man that would raise a hand to-take him. and continues: "Consequently there was no alterna tive but to hoot him. I can have his body in Vancouver. A Coroner's in quest will be'held today. I do not sup pose it necessary to bring his remains to Portland." The Dalles. March 13. 1862. The ice blockade between this place and Port land is at last raised, and the boats are able to run through to within two miles of this place. In the course of two or three days the ice will be out so that the boats can come to the land ing. This is the longest freeze-up that has ever been known on the Columbia River. A letter dated Walla Walla, February 23d. says: "Everything has been dull here for the last two months. Nobody doing anything. Hotels had to close to get rid of strapped boarders. It is thought that three-fourths of the stock has perished, and many more will die before they can get grass. Working oxen are worth $200 per yoke. The Salmon River excitement remains about the same. Many are starting in all sorts of ways and conditions, and few with any money, some on foot with all they have on their backs, some with a handsled and others pack a beef's hide and drag it over the snow. Oats are worth 10 cents per pound; wheat, $2 per bushel: wood, $12 per cord; flour, $25 per barrel, and board, $14 per week; bacon, 45 cents per pound." The Carrie Ladd. This steamer, which has been lying up for some time, has been thoroughly overhauled and repaired, and resumes her trips be tween this city and the Cascades this morning. The audience was moved to tears last night in witnessing- Mrs. Forbes in the character of Mrs. Haller in "The Stranger." Mr. Beatty astonished his friends as "The Stranger," and played it, well all through. The songs of Miss Lawrence were really charming. Translation of Chinook. WAITSBURG. Wash., March 11. (To the Editor.) Dear Sir I was Informed you had a book for sale translating the Chinook Indian language into English. Would be pleased for any In formation In regard to same or any information as to where I might be able to get one of these hooks, and oblige, WALTER REYNOLDS. J. K. Gill & Co.. Portland, handle these books.