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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1912)
tttt: Monxixo oregonian, Monday, ArRiL. is. 1Q1S- Bit .(Dirjpnimt rOKTLAND. OREOO. l:ni.rd at Portland. Orasjoa. PoatoSI Pecond-t.aea Matter. . kuaavristioa Kat.a Jr1bly In Advaaea. I'atlr. Sondar tacl44. eea yr. .... I'ii r. knnir inciuuxi. eia moatae . J 11T. fuclif Included, lara montna.. odaj.'soa nionta. Wa;jr. en year m a ...... u a , , w ,1 yrar miuj ana w.air. ' LLC (BT CAMU.tR. rwtiT. Hundar taeludad. yaar Li:y. Sunday lac.iMl.Hl. mo a 111 Haw t nVrsuM ad Poatodlc- ""T -r. eapreae ord.r a paraoaal '" I Jacal aaaa. tiiamea, com or '""''f," at th. ..o.l.r". rlaa. Oia poatoS.ca ddraas la fu.l. including coualy aa4 ataia. rtH. ttacaa 1 to la to 2) p,,,.. 1 mu, Wl. 4 to av pu, ceata. r' poaa rata. -,. lin .N.w lora. BraaaartcJt Udia- caj caco, ataar baiidiaa. t-arapaaa OSIro No. I Baat at root. tv.. Ladoo, I11RTU.NO. MONUAV. ArRlU t. THIS lltkLX WORLD, orea-n I piwroa. la full of people that k... Ho. Jvflt Ion, before ther if Th. or-a-maa. and bell.v. .am. c.d Ko..H. II la th. company Tfl h-pa that bona raor. than h J 1:7b H.rre, of Nf Yr. f.l"' " lor4... Lorlrner aa4 Cannon of lllinola aad u- b Thla is an extract from a pleasant letter to The Oregonian by an acldu loua Roosevelt partisan, whose name we ar not quite able to decipher. Doubtless, he i In many ways the same Roosevelt. If he. too. Is to b Judged by the company he keeps, we fear that our friend tU acquire an equally harsh opinion of his Idol r or the company Taft keep- at wnl" ton la Congress, and It Is much the ame Connr U was when Roosevelt was President. If the people want the President to keep different company. It would be well to elect other leader to Congress. . We wonder If our unrecognizable friend recalls that Roosevelt as Presi dent went on record for.Mr. Cannons re-election as Speaker? Doe he re member Paul Morton, the railroad re. bater. and Roosevelt Cabinet oftlcer. and the President-" blank refusal to prosecute a member o,f hU own official family who had been causht with the iroodn? Does he remember the mighty row with Senator Bailey and S.-nator Tillman, after President Itoowvelt had made a tacit alliance with them to pa the Hepburn bill and had repudiated It w hen he made another deal with Ald rlrh and other Sonate leaden"? But what of It? Roosevelt worked with the Instruments at hand for his ultimate great objects: and the people approved. Taft worked with the In struments at hand for precisely the same great" purposes and attained turm and the people condemn. It a fickle, world. A habitation giddy and unsure hath ho who butld eth on the vulgar heart. . (HlfKY rRETENMONS. The astounding pretention of Rep representative Lnfferty that he is the author and the moving force of the Covernmenfs suits for forfeiture of the Southern Pacifies great Oregon lund grant was complete!;- exposed by the statement of James X. Davis In The OrrgonUn yesterday, made after a careful Investigation cf the records. Lnfferty Is not a friend of the people in this suit; he is not a supporter of the Government; he Is the attorney of sixty-five deluded squatters who have paid, or have agreed to pay. Lafferty a contingent fee of $223 each to In tervene in the suit. Lafferty is not even the friend of his clients, for they have no chance, or only the poorest chance, to get what he has falsely rep resented to them he will be able to g.-t by his fruitless and mistaken -intervention" Lafferty has not gained a single point for his clients. He hJ merely harassed and annoyed the Government by his cheeky project and advertised himself before the pub lic by his audacious claim that he is the champion of the people and the foe of the railroads. But Lafferty' Insufferable nerve Is matched by the effrontery of another standing candidate for Congress. Mr. Shepherd, who professes to be greatly concerned by the spectacle of "big business'" supporting the candidacy of Jlr. Gantenbein. Shepherd's worry, if genuine, arises wholly out of the fear that he may thus lose a Job. for Shep herd ha always been, or striven to be. the lobbyist and general all-around anabber of "big business" wherever he could be. He left th City Council to become a hired political, agent of the Harrlman railroad, and he was the attorney and champioR of the Inman Poulscn Mill Company In Its effort to hold the public streets It had boldly grabbed for Its mill site. Big business? When big business gets aaay from Shepherd's thrifty mitt It has to move pretty fast. These are the fellows, with Clyde, v ho are running againt Mr. Ganten bi'ln for Congress. It Is fortunate for Portland that there is a candidate so worthy as Mr. Gantcnhctn. If the holce were merely between Lafferty. Shepherd and Clyde, the anxious voter would have to shut his eyes and then vote for nohodv. I.H ir MORTJt WHILE? Such an outcry Is being made about the "'burden'" which Panama Canal tolls will Impose on American ships that It Is as well to consider how great would be this burden. Then we shall be in a position to consider whether it is worth while to expose ourselves to the charge of violating a i.ilrmn treaty In order td escape this burden. The rate tf toll considered probable in Washington is SI per ton net regis, ter. which is equivalent to 62 W cents per ton of cargo. Professor Johnson's estimate of ships using the canal In the flrt year of operation, based on actual voyages In the year 18S9. and subsequent Increase. Is 10.300.000 tons, of which 1.10.000 tons Is coastwise, . 310. 000 tons foreign. The net cost of operation and maintenance the first Near, after deducting an estimated profit of $300,000 on ships' supplies :uid by the Government, is estimated at $$.300,000. Estimating interest on cost of the canal at 3 per cent on $l00.0n0.000, this Item would amount to $12,000,000 a year. Thus we have a total cost of $15,500,000 the first year, against a revenue from the tolls of $10,500,000. Since the tonnage of ship passing between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans was Increased by 59 per tent In 10 years under present condi tions, it is safe to assume that, wrh the stimulus the canal will give cun- n. -w,. ihA ln.raflA !n the first 10 years of operation will be 100 per cent or more. Estimating the annual ton nage at 20.000.000 and cost of oper ating at $4,000,300. we shall have a total of $1. 000.000 to raise, which a toll of SO cents a net registered ton would suffice. As Colonel Goethals states that the canal can pass eO.OOO, 000 ton a years as first constructed, we-can safely expect a continuous In crease In traffic with little, If any. In crease In operating cost. Increased profit on ships" supplies as traffic ex pands would probably take care of any Increased expense. On this basis tolls could be reduced as traffic In creases on the following scale: Toll par Toll Pr net ream- ion of Annual traffic tered ton. '' ?n.tNiOino tona -SO 3.YNl tona iimm. tona o SiOirtWMl tona ..,.. tiM,nm tona 4 ,v.im OfW tona -z "iSxi noo.rx-0 tona "J2J 7iMMnoo tona puooo.ooo tona - .in When we consider that the toll per ton of cargo would be equivalent to only 62 H per cent of the toll per net registered ton: also that the world's commerce Is Increasing at such a pace that the tonnage using the canal Is ..it iiifoi tn roaeh Its n resent capac ity within the lifetime of men now at middle age. carrying wltn it a possiDie reduction to 20 cents a net registered ton. which Is equivalent to only 12 H cents a ton of cargo, it appears that the outcry about the "burden" of tolls is out of all proportion to the sixe of this "burden." t.KANT A AIB 1HAM'HIE. The Southern Pacific ought to be given a fair franchise on Fourth street, and doubtless It will be: but It ought not to be given, and doubtless will not be given, a franchise that in any way perpetuates or recognlxes as valid the present so-called perpetual franchise. Mayor Rushlight Is entirely correct In his contention that the old franchise ought not to be used as a basis for any new, franchise. He did not give way to the wqrked-up pressure from the Valley towns against his proposed veto of the revocation ordinance, and he should not have yielded. The Valley towns appear to have feared that Portland is going to eject the Southern Pacific from Fourth street without recourse; but obviously Portland as Just as anxious for the renovated and electrified West Side railroad to enter the city as the Valley people are. Neither the railroad nor the Valley need fear that when the Southern Pacific shows Its faith by Its works a reasonable franchise will not be granted. Public opinion and the public Interest will require It. STRIKE AM) IMIUMT. Mr. Edgar W. Stahl has written an Interesting letter to The Oregonian to day In which he discusses labor con ditions, strikes and the Hicks trial from the standpoint of a working man. The letter has one Important merit. Its tone is not offensive to those who do not agree with the opinions of the writer. Mr. Stahl. It will be observed, does not believe that anything is gained by physical violence In strike periods. He has applied the same views in formulating his letter. He seems to be one who recognizes that verbal abuse and Inflammatory speech are almost equally as derogatory to labor's canse as are physical clashes begun, encouraged or permitted by strikers. The chief errors committed by Mr. Stahl. we believe, are his application of deplorable conditions In certain trades or classes of labor to the entire body of working men and his presentation of the Inference that all prosperity and happiness are found among the employers. We venture to say that comparing class and class there Is more real contentment, happiness and even comfort, when mental as well as physical comfort are measured, among the wagearners than among the em ployers. But there Is undoubtedly room for equalization and the way to gain it Is by obtaining the sympathy and sup. port of that great mass of people who In class war between labor and capital would, be non-combatants. There is th-i intermediary class the profes sions, men who live In salaried ease, small farmers, persons who are their own employers In a thousand and'one lines of endeavor the class whose views are broadly termed public senti ment. It is through this class that labor's wrongs will be righted, but Its support will never he gained by In cendiarism. There is truth In the assertion tlmt violence by strikers Is but an expres sion of human nature. Nevertheless It brings a res.ilt opposite from that desired and ought to be prevented. It never gained a cause for labor. It ha defeated many a contest. It may be true that labor organizations are powerless wholly to curb such out breaks. But there. Is another fotve that Is not. If there Is a moral re sponsibility for the slaying of Wort man not found In his own uneontrolla bllity of passion it rests with that ade quate check on lawlessness which has failed to do Its duty in the machin ists" strike, the police power of the city. PENNSVLV.aSIA. For years a strong element in the Republican party In Pennsylvania has opposed the domination of Quay and his successor. Penrose. It was strong enough to elect Pattison. a Democrat, twice as Governor and to elect Berry, another Democrat. State Treasurer. It has grown In 'power with the up rising against machine rule through out the Cnlted States. It has gained coherence as the Keystone League, known within the state as the Key stone party. It has gathered to Itself all the forces of Revolt which . are aligned behind Roosevelt In some states, behind La Follette in others, divided between both those leaders In yet others. It has swamped Penrose and has carried Taft to defeat with him In the contest for National dele gates. Taft had converted Penrose from stand patism to progTesiilvism on the tariff. As leader of his party in the Senate Penrose procured the passage of the reciprocity bilt He has fallen In line with Taft on the tariff and is endeavoring to carry out the policy of scientific revision by supporting a wool bill in accordance with the Tariff Board's recommendations. He put through the postal savings bank bill. He has seen the light since 1910 and has worked to carry out the Presi dents progressive policies. But he has been branded as a boss, and that Is the unpardonable sin in the eyes of the voters this year. Every Republican who has risen to leader ship through convention methods Is to be struck down In the crusade for di rect nominations for every office from the highest to the lowest. Because Taft has accepted the aid of Penrose in carrying out the policies which the people approved by electing Taft in 1908. the voters condemn him as a means of condemning Penrose. They want those policies, Jut only through the men and by the means they ap prove. They resemble a woman who rejects her lover's gift, much as she desires it. because the messenger who brings It Is squint-eyed. Election of Wilson delegates to the Democratic convention takes away Ihe sting of the Governor's defeat In Illinois and suggests that he may se cure most backing in the East, while Clark's main strength will be in the Middle West, the two dividing the South with Underwood and Harmon. Either the Guffey machine has loyally supported him or found the demand for his nomination so strong that pru. dence dictated swimming with the tide of party sentiment. THE rONGKKCMIONAL RKCOKH. Some of the readers of The Orego nian receive regularly the Congres sional Record, which, as'lts name Im plies, is a record of the proceedings of the House and Senate. Under the present system about 28.000 copies of the Record are published the day fol lowing each dally session of either branch of Congress, and these copies are sent out by the members as gratu ities to their frlenos as a rule, but one can subscribe for the Record direct, if he dislikes to be under obligations to k member, the subscription price being according to the length of the session. For the three sessions of the Sixty-first Congress the cost was I2S.91. There were about 1200 sub scribers for the three sessions, their subscriptions totaling $3219.50. A bill is pending to give each mem ber a sort of drawing account against which his garden seeds. Records and other printed matter Is charged, said ar.-oiint to be $2500 to Senators and $1800 for members of the House. Under this proposed law the Record would cost the members $8 for each long session and $4 for each short session. Senator Heyburn proposes to reduce tie price of the Record to a basis which will give It a large circulation. He thinks there Is no doubt but with the subscription price cut down to the figures he suggests, and every post master in the country compelled to act as a subscription agent without pay, as provided for In his amendment under such favorable conditions the Senator thinks the subscribers to the Congressional Record should number but here are the Senator's words, as reported in the Record of April 5: I have tnkn aome palna to Inqulra as to publle enflmnt and th probable reaulls of this amendment. I havo no hesitation In saying and I ppeak from the conaensiis of a larre scope of opinion that there would be i.OOO.ooo atiharibera to the Con greasionat Record at thoaa prtrei. $1 for the ahort suasion and 1..0 or even for the lone aeaaton. It Is not for us to say that the Sen ator's estimate Is exaggerated, for there is not the least doubt in the world that he knows more about the newspaper business than any man in the newspaper business not a bit. That gome of the great metropolitan newspapers, published every day in the year, giving not only practically all of the proceedings of Congress, and Just a few stray items of news besides, cost but little more than the Record would cost even at the Senator's sug gestion, and have circulations In no case 'exceeding a tenth of that num ber, few of them a twentieth, many of the best of them a fortieth those fig ures cut no ice with Senator Heyburn for the reason that he knows all about the newspaper game. OK. 1. K. FINK. When everything else about the late Dr. Isaac K. Funk has been forgotten by the world. It will probably. still be remembered . that he was an earnest student of the phenomena ol spiritism and deemed himself a fairly successful one. No doublt he was as successful as most others. He saw visions of ma- , teriallzed spirits, had communications I from Henry Ward Beecher and other eminent residents of the other world and received supernatural directions where to find lost objects. Dr. Funk was educated for the ministry at Wit- j tenberg College, in Ohio, and preached for some years. Ultimately he resigned his pulpit in order to travel, visiting the Holy land and Egypt In the course of his wanderings. Then he became an editor and In the end formed a pub lishing firm in New York, known as Funk and Wagnalls. It was this firm which began the publication of the prohibitionist "Voice," In 1880. The paper was designed at first as a cam paign document merely, but later It whs decided to make It a permanent affair. The Voice has always been dis tinguished more for seal than accu racy, but .the public has been dis posed to pardon its shortcomings for the jike of its good intentions. Funk and Wsgnalls also originated The Literary Digest, the first publi cation of Its kind in the world. It alms to keep readers acquainted with what is going on in the realm of current let ters by giving extracts from the more Important articles that appear, and summaries of the rest. The same ob ject has since been. sought in a more elaborate way by the Review" of Re views, but the Literary Digest retains Its clientele and Is perhaps more pop ular now than In former years. Dr. Funk's firm also published a dictionary. It was In connection with this last work that he had one of his most In teresting spiritualistic experiences. He had borrowed a rare coin, a copper lepton of Palestine, from which to make an engraving for the dictionary, and supposed he had returned It to the owner, though really It was In his safe. The coin Is worth only the tenth part of a cent Intrinsically, but Its market value Is about $2500 on account of Its rarity and antiquity. The owner of the lepton died without making any de mand for his property and the entire Incident slipped out of remembrance. But some two years afterward the spirit of Henry Ward Beecher came to Dr. Funk at a seance and told him he had not returned the cola and that it was lying In his safe. He looked for it and. finding it Just as the spirit said he would, returned It to the estate of the owner. This curious Incident was the foundation for Dr. Funk's book. "The Widow's Mite." He was converted to spiritualism by the medium Slade who was repeatedly exposed as a humbug. Still the. man ifestations by which he impressed Dr. Funk may have oeen genuine. The maxim "once a fraud always a fraud" does, not apply to mediums. They seem to mingle the deceptive and the gen uine in their seances In the most per plexing way and no doubt Dr. Funk had the faculty of selecting the wheat fr m the chaff. Many others suppose they possess the same faculty. lb Is comforting to hope that they are not deceived. He was convinced in his own mind that . the phenomena oi spiritualism were genuine but he did not go so far as to say that the possi bility of communications from the other world had been scientifically demonstrated. The evidence was suf ficient for him. but he admitted with unusual liberality of mind that It might not be sufficient for others. Two more books on the occult are to be accredited to him. One of them is celled "The Next Step In Evolution." The other. "The Psychic Riddle." Like all Intelligent men . Dr. Funk was profoundly Interested In the prob lem of future life. Most of us rest content with faith or a vague hope that existence continues beyond the grave. Dr. Funk sought to transform hope Into certainty. He was not satis fied with faith. He required demon stration. Like everyone else who has tried to penetrate the mysteries be yond the veil he failed, or. at least, he did not succeed completely. In our opinion it is the mystics and not the spiritualists who have found the most satisfactory means of communicating with the other world. The spiritualists depend upon Inferior beings for their knowledge and are often deceived. One spirit tells one story and another an other. The mystics go directly to-the source of all truth for their informa tion. They enjoy "the inner light." as they call It which is nothing less than the Almighty himself Illuminat ing their souls. Hence what they learn of the other world ought to be true. But mystics and spiritualists together never have since the beginning of time given the world a single Item of defi nite information which some other mystic or spiritualist has not flatly contradicted. The greatest work done by Taft Is the enforcement of the anti-trust law with such success that the trusts them, selves denounce him as a radical. He has forced the oil and tobacco trusts to dissolve. Other trusts, warned by the fate of these giants among their number, have voluntarily dissolved, some without awaiting trial of the suits begun against them, others with out even awaiting the beginning of suits. The Sherman law Is no longer despised and Ignored; it is feared and obeyed, since Taft put life into it by attacking scores of trusts. He has not picked out a combination here and there as an easy object of attack. He has haled them all Into court without discrimination, sparing neither vper sonal nor political friends. He has not confined his efforts to the mild meas ures of Injunction, but has caused nu merous Indictments to be brought un der the criminal sections of the law. He has secured the first prison sen tences for violators of this law and but for the excessive leniency of the Judges appointed by former Presi dents, he would have sent more trust officials to Jail. He has made the Sherman law a real, aotive force gov erning the Nation's industries. La Follette contends that the only Just basis for railroad rates is the ac tual value of the railroads. Taft con tends that the only Just basis for pro tective duties is the cost of production In the United States and abroad. The same rule applies In both cases. If it is good for the railroads of Wisconsin, It Is equally good for all the Indus tries of the United States. Taft stands for the application of the Wisconsin principle to the tariff, and La Follette should support him instead of Joining the Democrats in guesswork revision. Taft has courageously set his shoul der to the wheel in the effort to bring the tariff into harmony with the opin ion of the people. He Is not daunted by the disasters which have befallen former statesmen who have under taken this task. He is moved by a pa triotic purpose, his mind set on win ning the enduring fame of the benefi cent statesman, despising the fleeting popularity of the demagogue and time server. Electricity being invisible, it is eminently proper that a scientific Dane should Invent an accumulator so full of holes as to Increase the effi ciency fivefold. A blasting rebuke to a spendthrift is embodied in the will cf the wealthy Brooklyn woman who left $5 to her husband to be paid In 5-cent install ments. If La Follette can strike such tell ing blows when he Is represented to be a mere nervous wreck, what would he do if he were in good fighting trim? Morgan, fighting Italians angry at the exportation of art treasures, has as interesting a time as when he smashes cameras In New York. Queen Mary promises to make the English court as dull and decorous as during the widowhood of King George's grandmother. When Roosevelt reads La Follette's Pendleton speech, he may regret ever having encouraged the bellicose Sen ator's candidacy. Homer C. Atwell is to be congratu lated on realization of his dream a selling organization of North Pacific apple growers. t In sending Hobson back to Con gress possibly Alabama was moved by the fear that he might remain at home. There will be many a campaign in which to regulate the universe before we drop into the cluster of Hercules. Seattle has an upright Judge of the Superior Court who resigns because he cannot live on the salary of $4000. As this Is likely to be a good year for hops, threatened famine in cham pagne is of little moment. President Taft is little better off than the rest of mankind, with but '$840 cash In hand." Only four days for strenuous poli tics, with the opening game to eclipse the interest. Watch Great Britain attend to the Mexicans who bastinadoed a Canadian woman. Glorious weather yesterday fore tokened the Sunday excursion season. James J. Hill is too busy to deny the rumor that he will retire. Cyclones are starting early in Mis souri. Arrange to go early tomorrow. CHAXiE .NEEDED IS PRIMARY LAW C. H. Carey SuKgeata Initiative Mea sure Ilemovlna- Disfranchisement. PORTLAND, April 13. (To the Edi tor.) As I am a candidate for election in the coming primaries as delegate to the Republican National Convention, it may not be good policy for me to write this letter. I know that it is not gen erally considered popular to criticise any of the laws adopted by popular vote, but the time to discuss our elec tion laws and to suggest changes is now, when the people are interested in the election, and when they can take steps to have amendments proposd un der the initiative. The Oregonian has already called attention to the fact that by the Presidential preference law, no voter may vote for more than one dole gate to the National Convention, al though there are ten delegates to elect. Now I became a candidate at an early date: in fact. I believe I was the first to declare for Taft, and at that time, although La Follette was an avowed 1 -.. -. IKa nnmlnfltinn ROOSeVelt Jiad not come Into the field. Since that time a large numDer oi persuus. urai u 20. have filed their nominating papers and are candidates for delegates to the convention. Some of these are for Taft, others for La Follette. and still others for Roosevelt. As each voter must select one and one only from this list, we will be very apt to find at the close of the primaries that the ten per sons who have received the highest vote represent more than one of the Presidential candidates, and whilo the state will declare for Taft, La Follette or Roosevelt, as the case may be, the delegation will be composed of a mix ture of the supporters of the three. True, the law requires all delegates to take oath that they will support the people's choice at the convention, but thorough-goinsr, loyal support to the people's candidate may not be secured by such a mixed delegation. The cast ing of the vote for the head of the ticket is not the whole duty of the delegates. They make the platform and. In many ways,' can aid or injure the randidate supported by the people of OreKorr. If a mixed delegation goes to Chicago, those who did not favor the successful candidate selected by the Re publican voters of the state will not, perhaps, be as cordial or as enthusias tic in their interest as they should be. although they may and probably will obey the law and vote for him. I have had a good deal of experience In National conventions, having attend ed many of them during the past 30 years, and I know that if I were to be a candidate before such a convention I should want Oregon not only to declare for me. but also to 'send me a delegation that would support me on principal and not by force of statute. 1 am not criticising the principle or Presidential' primaries which gives di rect expression of the opinion and wishes of the voters for the Presiden tial office, but I think this act is not well planned in not providing that the voters may vote for the full number of Presidential electors and delegates to the convention. In a close election like the Hayes-TUden election in 1876. this selection of a divided group of Presiden tial electors miKht easily result in thwarting the choice of the people of the state. Would it not be a Rood plan, since this law applies to both the Republican and the Democratic parties and to their Presidential electors and delegates to conventions, to have the chairman of the state central committees of those parties co-operate in preparation of an Initiative bill for an amendment to be submitted to the voters at the Novem ber election? I think the people of the state did not understand that In adopt ing the law in its present form they were depriving themselves of the right to vote for their full representation In the electoral college and In the Na tional conventidn. In making this rec ommendation at this time I would not be understood as charging, that any or the delegates selected will deliberately seek to evade their sworn duty at the convention, though required to vote for some candidate other than their ta vorite. but I believe that a solid delega tion should be given to the state's can didate, and that half-hearted support, however honest, is not what he is en titled to expect. If suchn amendment is prepared it will not. of course, af fect my candidacy for the office of delegate in the cominsr primaries, but 1 would like to see the law corrected for the election four years hence. CHARLES H. CAREY. THB UOUK AHEAD OF SOCIALISM It In tbe Destruction of Institution of Private Irnpert. CORVALLIS. Or.: April 13. (To the Editor.) E. B., writing in The Ore gonian. has misunderstood my letter of April 1 on the subject of Socialism. 1 did not and never have said that So cialists propose to destroy private prop ertv If It is so printed, the error must be 'typographical. 1 said: "The Russell Idea" is to destroy the institution of private property." or to that effect. There Is a lot of difference between the institution of private property and the property Itself. When you have con ferred ownership of all property on the government, have you not destroyed the Institution of private property? Of course you have. Ripht there Is the rock on which Socialism in its present form will strand. If that were elimi nated, the La Fo!le.tte idea would come near to representing the feelincs of the people of unrest. Mr. Roosevelt has been saving fcoine things along this line but few believe that he means them. The next loeical step for Roose velt Is Socialism. Do they want him? Hardly. . Now, when you brush away the lai lacies of Socialism, place the people on one side and capital on the other, for that Is where the issues are framing up I am as much on the side of the people as K. B.. who is a personal friend of mine, and one whom 1 esteem most highly. I know who he is be cause he called my bluff, so to say, when he referred to my three children, for no one in Portland knows, or cares whether I have children or not. 1 will admit he has me cornered on the ex pense bill of keeping a wife "and three children." not to mention my own trav eling expenses, on $500. It can t be done. But my income is several times the average, and I know that I can eliminate some thlnars and live more cheaply, but in so doing 1 will Just that much lighten the profits of a number of worthy Institutions which our present civilization demands. On this point he has me cornered. J. H. WILSON. BECOMPEXSE. It is my sincere endeavor. To help a man whenever I Bee him slipping backward on life s road. For perhaps he's lacking muscle To be victor in the tussle. And again mayhap he has ari unfair load. It is. not for me to pass him In hot haste and roughly class him An uncouth thing as he so feebly stands. ' For the heart in him is beating. Just the same as mine and greeting Him, I react) to help him onward with both hands. To make brothers feel like living. My assistance I am giving. And I do not ask that money be my pay; "Tis my tribute to the master To help those who meet disaster. And are falling In the mire along the way. Let me see them banish sadness. Let me see them smile in gladness. And at heart I am repaid in every sense, -Just to know that through my calling Some one has been kept from falling. Is the greatest and most happy recom pense. G. N. Pleasants. HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY MERCY I Writer Would Aim at Omnipotent Policy In Dealing With Criminals. PORTLAND. April 13. (To the Ed itor.) I am constrained to reply to an article published in The Oregonian April 11, by J. C. Guyer, in which, he gives reasons why capital punishment should be retained in Oregon, and points out its advantages. One scin tillating feature of Mr. Guyer's argu ment Is that a criminal, after he has done his work and is a candidate for the rope, should be allowed to repent. He say 8: I believe In sWIne; every criminal a. chance to repent that they may bo saved by our gracious Saviour, who is anxious and ever readv to save even those who have Riven their whole life to the devil, but are willing tn devote their lnat few hours to him. Tel. let them have time to repent first, thai the one they have so faitla-ully rveri in life mav not he allowed them hereafter, but It is not Ohriatlike. does not show mercy and is not a benerit to ine country to parole or pardon them, or com mute their sentence. Now there is a trinity of logic, con sistency and fair play. It isn't Christ like to show a criminal any mercy, yet Christ Is ever ready to take them to his bosom. The criminal has forfeited his right to live among us earthly saints, and must repent and go to heaven. We don't want him; he's too low and vile and steeped In crime and sin. Let the heavenly throng take him after he has repented and been choken to death by us. Heaven ac cepts a repentance and a criminal that we repudiate. He says the criminal should be allowed to repent. and go to heaven In order that the devil may be cheated out of a bright prospect that he has been following for a lifetime. Now, I'm in favor of a square deal: I don't believe In cheating the devil like that. Why should he be thus cheated? Hasn't he any right to fair play? Cheating is cheating, no matter who does it. Mr. Guyer's letter has opened to me a new avenue of thought. Under his theory we can pick out certain worth less people we know who ought to have been In the "bottomless pit" a long time ago, suddenly shoot, cut or garrote them in the midst of their sins and send them to perdition pell mell. Then when the hand of the law takes us in tow and decrees that we shall die also, we can "repent," and join the gentle Saviour in heaven. And through out the endless ages a blissful eternity we can tranquillize ourselves with the thought that we worked a clever stunt and sent our enemies to hell. Such Is the philosophy of J. C. Guyer and all others who believe as he does. GEORGE W. DIXON. Mr. Dixon might apply his sarcasm to the earthly mercy the opponents of capital punishment would show mur derers. We might pick out the worth less ones was know, slay them, and then in smug repentance postpone spiritual thoughts, enjoy tiie flowers sent by sentimental females, thrive on im proved prison fare, participate in the penitentiary ball games and await with patience the probable day of parole. Most theologians, however, teach that unless there lias been true repentance or atonement, no mercy Is shown the sinner in heaven. If mortals were able to distinguish between true repentance and hypocrisy much of the ground for controversy over the death penalty would not exist. MERCY A.D THE DEATH PENALTY. Murderous Degenerate Not Shawn Kindness by Confinement. . PORTLAND, April 13. (To the Ed itor.) A prominent citizen has said that the vilest murderers should be condemned to imprisonment for life. Human condemnation ceased to be justified 1900 years ago, although the one who told us not to judge declared that the worthless should be destroyed. The time is not far distant when crime will be universally recognized and treated as a disease. M. Gerard, a French lawyer, says: "Broadly speak ing, there Is not a single moral dis order that does not correspond to a physical disorder." Granting this as most intelligent people will every thing possible should be done for the uplift of the criminal that can be cured. Why should we condemn? Temperament and temptation have much to do with the destiny of each. There Is a great deal of talk con cerning capital punishment, but little has been heard of merciful execution. Modern clvilizt tion has more pity for the beast whose pain cannot be re lieved than 1c the human incurable. We put an end to the suffering of a dog, but prolong by every known means the hopeless agony of a person. Will confinement or sterilization or anything less than regeneration purify the unclean body and mind of a mur derously inclined degenerate and give a normal enjoyment of life? In kindly r.ercy to such, ought they not to be put to death as quickly, painlessly and quietly as possible? Nor should their relatives suffer dis grace or more than the natural grief that were theirs had death resulted from another cause. For the good of humanity, would it not he better that the state should help such as have been driven from our midst because they were destitute than that it should take upon itself the expense of feeding, clothing, nurs ing, sheltering and guarding Irrespon sible unfortunates throughout their desolate lives? SARAH HINDS WILDER. 1908 E. Stark Street. MVTHS l THE PI'BLIC SCHOOLS Study Proves Advantageous, Says One Recently Graduated. PORTLAND, April 13. (To the Edi tor.) I have read with interest the let ter published in The Oregonian regard ing the teaching of mythology in our public schools, and as I am a young man whb recently graduated from an Eastern high school where the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome is one of the principal studies. I want to express mv opinion -of these myths. I can truthfully say that they have given roe more of an insight into dif ferent art studies than any other study taught in the high school. We never read a newspaper but what we see some reference to one of the principal characters of some of the myths, such as Olymoia. Vulcan, Romus and others too numerous to mention. If we should drop the study of these myths, it would not be long until we should be wonder ing at the meaning of the names which are used in mythology and which are used so much at the present time. Practically all of our famous art studies are connected in some way with the myths, and it would be making a great mistake to discontinue teaching the stories which connect the two. At our great international expositions nearly all of the sculptured works of art used to decorate the grounds and buildings relate to some subject taken from mythology. In my mind it would be as great a wrong to discontinue the study of mythology in the schools as the teach ing of the Bible in tne nome H. N. W. Milwaukee Teat of Drunkenness. MARSHFIELD. Or., April 12. (To the Editor.) In The Oregonian. April 10, I see a headline, "When Is Drunk?'" In Milwaukee. Wis., the police depart ment has established the rule that so long as a man can lie on the grass and not fall off he is not to he arrested for being drunk. This would be a good rule for the Portland saloonmen. E. JOHNSON. This Way Diogenes By Dean Collins. I went down the street, and wherever I went. Were hundreds and hundreds of folk, Encircling boxes and automobiles, Whence leather-lunged spellbinders spoke. I listened to them, and the things they averred. And solemnly 'murmured, "Well now, 'pon my word. This town is clean crowded with paragon chaps. If I am to judge from the things I nave heard." The candidates running for Sheriff and Judge, For Coroner, Senator, Clerk, And eke many more, were extolled to the skies, la the place where the spellbinders work. I murmured "Indeed, 'tis a marvelous thing. The number of persons whose praises . they sing, i Can this be the season when honest men grow And burgeon ; long with the flow'rs of the Spring?" I caught an idea, tnd flew like the wind To seek out a psychical chap, Who calls up the spirits to kick over chairs. Tip tables and hammer and rap. A handful of shekels 1 eagerly shot him. "The shade of Diogenes hurry and spot him!" . He rolled up his eyes and he breathed through his nose then. And presently answered "All right, I have got him." "And does he seek honest men still now, as ever?" "Yep," answered the psychical gink. "Then tell him to grab up his lantern and beat it And get here as quick as a wink. And tell him to trim it and light up the wick. I've been on the streets, where the people crowd thick And if the spellbinders have doped it out rightly. Why he can come down here and just take his pick." Dean Collins. Portland. April 14. Half a Century Ago From The Oreuonlan of April 15, ISA-'. Union State Ticket For Representa tive to Congress, John R. McBride, of Yamhill County; for Governor, Addison C. Gibbs, of Jackson County; for Sec retary of State, Samuel E. May, of Jackson County; for State Printer. Harvey Gordon, of Marion County; for State Treasurer, Edwin N. Cook, of Marion County; for Judge of Fourth Judicial district, K. D. Shattack, of Multnomah County; for Prosecuting At torneys: First district, James F. Gazlaj-. of Douglas County; Second district. J. Thaver, of Benton County; Third district, J. G. Wilson, of Marlon County: Fourth district, W. C. Johnson, of Clackamas County. The New York Herald says: Our Paris correspondent says that the rebel agents in Paris have stated that the seceded states will approve of the con struction of a monarchy in the South, if it can be attempted with a prospect of success. Our reporter supposes that the Her mann steamer, after having made a trip to Victoria, will come to Portland on hr way back to San Francisco. We apprehend there is a mistake in this matter. The Hermann is too large a vessel for our river navigation. The gymnasium, under the direction of Mr. P. Hardenburg, opens again to night. Secesh nominations for Clackamas: Representatives. Jonn aiyers. v. Engle, Nathaniel Robbins; bheriff. Horace Baker; County Judge. F. S. Holland: County Clerk. John Thomas: Trasurer, John Fleming; Assessor, C. F Beattie: County Commissioners. P. liarnock, William Cown, J. A. Burnett Old Bill Holmes, who drank the health of Davis C. Beauregard, was very properly chief director in getting up tne ticket, assisted by Granny Wait. The Advocate states that in the disaster of the ferryboat in crossing the Deschutes, by which the ferryman was drowned, Thomas Carter, Esq.. of this city, was thrown into the river and narrowly escaped drowning. St. Louis, March 27. Porter's mortar fleet sailed from Ship Island on the 14th for the Southwest Pass (mouth of the Mississippi). On the 17th it stopped at the pass, where the fleet rendezvoused and proceeded up the river to attack the fortified approaches to New Orleans. St Louis March 28. Officers who have just reported at Fort Monroe from the Gulf fleet state that the reduction of the forts below New Or leans commenced several days since. .. ' St Louis, March 27. A terrible disaster had occurred at the Mexican barracks near Orizaba. They had blown up. and 1300 bodies had been found among the ruins. ifej As "Ed" Howe Sees Li Peonle will never be, entirely satis fied until they have no expenses and are permitted to name their own In comes. man attempts to rob me, is caught at ii and apologizes. Must 1 forgive him? I may say: "Oh, that's all right," but it isn't. Throwing rocks attracts a crowd and newspaper attention. And so long as this is true, rocks will be thrown. Every man who denies palpable facts not only loses the time he devotes to denying them, but the money 'he in vests in his doctrine. Go into any public meeting and you will find those present discussing not what can be done, but what should bn done. A public meeting seems the nat ural place to air big opinions. In our material affairs we have progressed wonderfully, but in our so cial affairs we are still savage. In every fight, both sides claim they engaged in it to advance great prin ciples, but usually both sides engage in it because of great stubbornness. Many people can look into the fu ture and see many things not there. What do the farmers intend to do about the roads this Summer? Is the w- talk of town men to De receiveu wiiu the usual inolnerence? The faith some people have in them selves is on the verge of madness. Lawful Mall Box. HARDMAN. Or., April 12. (To the Editor.) Please inform me what is a lawful mail box on mail lines in the country? Is it a box or sack hung on a hook? GEORGE HENDR1X. On a star-route delivery any kind of a receptacle can be used. On an es tablished rural route only those boxes approved by' the Postmaster-General are permissible, these being of fully 30 different makei. i