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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1914)
lO TTTE MORNING OREGOMAX, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1014. $wcmmx PORTLAND, OBEGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon, Postofftce aa aecoDd-daaa matter. Subscription Rates Invariably la a4tmc; (BT MAIL) Sally. Sunday Included, oa year ....... 8.00 Pally, Sunday Included, six months ..... 4-23 Dally, Sunday Included, three montha ... Daily, Sunday Included, ooe month ...... Dally, without Sunday, one year ........ a.uo Dally, without Sunday, six month! ..... Dally, without Sunday, three montha ... 1-75 Daily, without Sunday, one month Weekly, one year -W Bunday, one year 0 Bunday and weekly, one year a-ou (BT CARRIER) Dally, Sunday Included, one year $9.00 Dally, Sunday Included, one manth 's How te Bemlt Send postoffloe money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank. stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give postofflce address In full. Including county and state. Postacs Katrs 12 to 18 pages, 1 cent; 18 to 32 paces. 2 cents; 84 to 48 pages. 8 cents: CO to 60 pages, 4 cents; 62 to 70 pages, 6 cents; 78 to U2 pages. cents, foreign post age, double rates. Kaetern Business Offices -Verree & Conk lln. New York, Brunswick building-. Chi cago, Steger building. Ma Francisco Of lice R. J. Bldwsll Co-, T42 Market street. PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14, 191. , SOCIAL HTGXENB EN THE SCHOOLS. The vote against aex hygiene In struction in the Chicago public schools stood IS to 8, an unequivocal expres sion of hostility. Mrs. Young is said to have been neutral In the matter. At any rate, she refused to "make a fight" for the continuance of sex In struction. Just what has caused this revolution of sentiment in Chicago is not definitely known, but it may be Inferred that the instruction thus far given has not quit come up to ex pectations. The teachers who have it In charge may have been indiscreet. We all understand that It Is one of the most difficult tasks In the world to give Instruction of this sort without doing as much harm as good. When large classes are concerned mischief is perhaps unavoidable. Emerson's saying that nature has overloaded the sex passion is true both of young and old. The slightest im pulse of the mind In that direction, even when It is Intended to promote purity, may have the opposite effect. Imagination is active and i3 only too likely to take a wayward course in spite of teachers' wishes. To be sure 'this is an Imperfect statement of the case. Admittedly it is impossible to keep knowledge of these matters away from the young. Children from very tender ages obtain It in one way and another. If it is not Imparted to them by parents and teachers it is certain to come from vi cious companions with suggestions al together vile. The Oregon Social Hy giene Society emphasizes this unfor tunate truth in its literature and no doubt it furnishes the best argument there is for giving such Instruction in the public schools. If there were no better way to Im part It than through class instruction In the schools we should all have to yield to the force of these arguments. But undoubtedly there is a better way. One thing must always be borne in mind. Conversation about these mat ters goes steadily on among the young In spite of all their teachers can say and do. And it is regrettably certain that vicious boys and girls teach their companions with more power than the regular school instructors can, unless they are very exceptional persons in deed. The classroom work is apt to be dry and formal. The suggestions and descriptions on the playground have all the allurement of imagina tive drama. It follows pretty clearly that regu lar instruction in school can scarcely hope to compete with vicious descrip tions given by bad boys and girls to their companions. It is foolish to hope that knowledge of these subjects can be withheld from the young of either sex. They will obtain it, as the Social Hygiene Society says, in spite of everything and If it does not come to them from pure sources it will come contam inated with all sorts of imaginative poison. The only question is whether instruction in the classroom can, from the nature of the case, be pure. Is it not bound to be discolored by the tur bulent flood with which it must min gle on the playground and in the streets? It is almost equally idle to repeat, as so many do, that this kind of Instruction should be given solely In children's homes by their fathers and mothers. This would certainly be the model way to do it, but it is a way which In far too many families Is not to be thought of seriously. There are multitudes of parents who have neither the knowledge nor the mental qualities which fit them for such a task. The mere fact that a woman has borne a child or a man become a father does not imply that such persons are capable of teaching this most delicate and difficult subject What of their own thoughts? Are they habitually pure? How have they been used all their lives to think about sex. ual matters? Has It not, in thousands of cases, been with no reference what ever to larger issues and exclusively with emphasis upon self-indulgence? Until parents are much better edu cated than they now are many of them are as likely to do harm as teachers are by taking up the subject of personal and social hygiene In this perplexing department. We are therefore confronted with an apparently insoluble enigma. Chil dren must have this instruction from a truthful standpoint for their own protection and for the welfare of the race. If teachers cannot safely impart it and If the probabilities are against parents handling the task properly what is to be done? There was a time when we should have answered confidently, "Leave it to the pastor," but, unhappily, the day has passed when the ordinary pastor's influence upon the young is adequate to the sit uation. The most promising course appears to be to depend upon the family phy sician. Since there are now a large number of excellently qualified wom en physicians provision might be made In this way for the instruction of both boys and girls. Information would come from medical authorities with convincing power. We are not sure but It would be more potent from such a source than even from the best qualified parent. Here again a certain danger con fronts us, but it is avoidable. Phy sicians of an older school were in clined to make light of social vice and th diseases which it causes. They are answerable for a great deal of the misery which this generation suf fers from sexual ignorance and illicit indulgence. But this trouble is pass ing away. Physicians who now gradu. ate from the medical colleges are bet ter Instructed in these matters and are often prepared to tell the truth about them to old and young. Their personal morals are not always what they should be, but It Is usually pog- stble to avoid those who are likely to impart instruction with an evil tone. Perhaps the time may come when society will employ physicians for this specific purpose. Whoever Is finally selected to give the necessary Instruc tion it ought to be imparted In pri vate and strictly confidential Inter views. Of course we refer here to purely personal affairs.. We can per ceive no harm In giving: public lec tures upon the scientific facts of ren eral social hygiene. On the contrary, it seems likely to do a great deal of good. DO THE PEOPLE RULE T The State Public Utilities Commis sion has been for a considerable time proceeding under authority of law to make an expert investigation of the rates charged by the public utilities of Portland. There Is, and there has been, among informed citizens not the slightest question as to the propriety and legality of the Commission's ac tion; yet the City Commission, un der the persuasions of Commissioner Daly, has been endeavoring to set up a little plan of Its own to regulate the corporations and we have for some time had a six-tickets-for-a-quarter agitation that has now ended where all knew, or ought to have known; it would end nowhere. Judge Bean's decision ought to make it obvious, even to Commis sioner Daly, that the control of the public utilities throughout the state, so far as rates are concerned, is with the State Commission, where the peo ple Intended it should be. The vote In Portland on the Malar- key bill referendum in Portland (No vember 6, 1912) was 21,515 yes, 11,- 917 no, an affirmative majority of 9598. If that emphatic verdict of the people was not a sufficient guaranty of the general Judgment, Mr. Daly ought to have been sufficiently Informed from the fate of his own measure (the Daly bill, for local .control of public utilities), which was as follows; 8239 yes, 15,711 no; or an adverse major ity of 7472. Obviously Commissioner Daly feels under no compulsion to heed the will of the people when It does not suit him. He quite clearly demonstrated all that In the recent water agitation. But he has now no alternative. The City Commission has taken no interest or cognizance of the state In vestigation of local public service con cerns. ' It is high time that the city be represented in that Inquiry. GOVERNMENT BY SUSPICION. The whole issue over Copperfield Is as to the right and duty of the Gov ernor to substitute the rule of the bayonet for the processes of civil law in the ordinary course of the law's administration. It is a far broader and greater question than the ex istence of two or three miserable sa loons at Copperfield or anywhere. It is fundamental. If we say that the Governor is justified In taking the law Into his own hands we declare that he is the lew. He Is not the law. The constitution and the statutes are the law and the Governor has a high and solemn duty to obey them,. Just as every citizen has; and he has a high and solemn duty to execute them, as every private citizen has not. There has been no explanation from any source as to the Governor's rea sons, if he has any, for ignoring the law of 1913 that gives the courts power to take summary action for the removal of any peace officer against whom he may complain. It Is, not sufficient to say that the courts are dilatory. If the Governor is Justified in applying physical force to achieve any end, however desirable, because the courts are not prompt, so is any citizen Justified in following his own individual method of securing private justice. There is no distinction be tween the obligation of the public of ficial and the citizen to support and obey the established forms of law and order. How did Governor West know that the Circuit Court at Baker would not have acted promptly? AN AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF OREGON The Oregon statistical bureau, of which J. A. Bexell is director, has completed a preliminary agricultural survey of the State of Oregon. The work was done under the direction of an advisory committee of the Agri cultural College faculty and the re sults are published under the caption. "The Oregon Farmer," by the State Immigration Commission. The reader will therefore understand that there has been a great deal of wholesome co-operation In the survey and that the results are all the more depend able from having passed the Inspec tion of several different authorities. Two of the particularly Interesting articles in the pamphlet are by Dean Bexell, of the Agricultural College's school of commerce, and Hector Mac pherson, professor of economics. Dean Bexell writes upon "Farm Finance," Professor Macpherson upon "Country Life in Oregon." We learn from the former article that "the Oregon farm er Is prosperous. He Is making a good living and a reasonable rate of profit on his Investment," and abundant facts are provided to sustain this en couraging view. Dean Bexell shows, for example, that the average Oregon small farm of 13 acres returns an annual cash in come of 917 38, while the average large farm of 532 acres brings in $6938. This is not bad when every thing Is considered. Professor Mac pherson reminds us that Oregon has 23,000,000 acres of arable land, of which but a comparatively small part Is yet in use. Denmark with les than 10,000,000 acres has several times our population and has become one of the most prosperous countries In the world. "Oregon," says Professor Macpher son, "is capahle or supporting ten times its present population without at all crowding its splendid natural re sources." He continues in the follow ing strain; "the greatest need of Ore gon today is a denser rural popula tion. We have a total rural popula tion of only 337,000, an average of 3.6 persons to the sjuare mile for the whole state. Including those living in villages of 300 and under." Plainly this leaves plenty of room for new comers. But Professor Macpherson understands perfectly well that with increase of rural population we must have betterment of our market condi tions or much of the promised benefit will be lost. According to the agricultural sur vey of Oregon, dairy farm wages are fairly uniform throughout the state. They are lowest in Southern Oregon, where the average rate is $34.65 a month and highest In the coast strip, where it is $38.80. Since this rate in cludes board and lodging It is higher than it appears." Professor Kent, who treats of this subject, says that on the larger dairy farms a single hand is expected to "feed, groom, milk and clean stables" for from 20 to 24 cows. This, we are told, "makes & fair day's work." BRISTOW STILL A REPUBLICAN. An Eastern paper announces that Senator Bristow is "a .Republican again." Senator Bristow Is one of those Republicans who In 1912-"ran with the hare and hunted with the hounds." He supported Colonel Roosevelt In 1912 and generally gave the impression that he had ceased to be a Republican, but when Congress met after the election he went into the Republican Senatorial caucus and sought and obtained committee places as a Republican. He has since worked with the Republicans with an occa sional show of independence, but lined up with all the other members of that party on the Senate finance committee In favor of the Hitchcock currency bill. There has been some doubt whether Mr. Bristow would run for the Senate' as a Republican or as a Progressive, but he has evidently found the drift back to the Republican ranks so trong that he has diagnosed the case of the Progressive party as hopeless. He has no desire to lead a forlorn hope, therefore has resolved that the Republican party is progressive enough for him. No man questions Mr. Bristow s acumen as a political weather prophet, nor does any man doubt his sincere devotion . to progress. Personal am bition agrees 'with political conviction in dictating his present course, for he evidently sees In the Republican party the best medium through which to forward his principles. Many other Progressive party leaders are coming to the same conclusion and adopting the same course. The more of them do so, the more resistless will be pro gressive tendencies In the old party until no excuse for continuance of the Progressive organization will remain except blind allegiance to an Individ ual, repugnance" to confession of error and obstinate adherence to a course once adopted. AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEXICAN PROBLEM. President Wilson Is credited by Ed- ward G. Lowry with the noble pur pose of delivering Mexico and other Latin-American countries from the grasp of the concessionaries, to whose rivalries he attributes the frequent revolutions. In an article in the World's Work Mr." Lowry enlarges upon -Mr. Wilson's Latin-American policy, which he understands to be the same as his domestic policy to eman cipate government from the control of big business, which in that case is foreign interests. He says that if we had recognized Huerta the succession of Presidents set up and knocked down by foreign investors would not have ended, for Huerta, too, would have been killed or driven out. Mr. Lowry continues: There will never be any peace in Latin America so long as the presidents of those states are put Into office and maintained In office by one set of concessionaries, while another set of concessionaries, being out of favor, is striving by every expedient to pull down the government and erect another more friendly in its place. A series of articles follows dealing with the several phases of the Mexi can situation. One describes Carranza, who professes to fight for the con stitution, which has been in a chronic state of suspension ever since its adop tion. He demands a fair and free election of a President. Another ar ticle by Professor Albert Bushnell Hart, of Harvard, describes the kind of misgovernment Mexico has had ever since it became independent, except under the rule of Diaz. Professor Hart says: The "Mexican People" Is a rroup of hu man beings,- the greater part of whom are as much shut out from any share in public life and the activity of the country as though they lived In the moon: a social system In which not more than one family In fifty has any Influence upon the govern ment: a popular education which leaves five-sixths of the population Illiterate. In reality the political people ot Mexico are the whites, who, though only a tentn to a twentieth of the whole, own most of the property, furnish mow of the business and professional men, and take to them selves most of the significant offices. Among these live the foreign busi ness men who have become temporary residents, and beneath them are the millions of peons, kept in slavery by debt' and Ignorance. Professor Hart is not hopeless of popular government for he says "Chile and the Argentine have pulled out of similar conditions," but he continues: There is little reason to expect betterment from the present dominant class in Mexico the Spanish with the alliance of part of the mixed race. They have had a century of trial, yet cannot hold together to protect themselves. A free Mexico must go. deeper down must set the peon at liberty, offer rewards to his thrift, try to bring up the averaga of the whole population. What Is the remedy for the confessed Ills of Mexico? Can redemption come from outside? Where Is the money and the energy to do for Mexico what the people of Mexico cannot do for themselves? On their side they fear the United States and would fight to the death for the privilege of Ill-governing themselves. Conquest and military occupa tion of an unwilling people, who know neither the English language nor American law. would be rather an unfortunate way of teaching the Mexicans the wondrous art or. sell-governmeni. , Mexico is described as "the land of concessions" by James MIddleton, Who says: While the aduoated Mexicans have been busy making politloal speeches, foreign cap italists, American and European, have quietly taken possession of their country. Though Mexico Is very rich, Mexicans are very poor. . . . The country really be longs to outsiders. It Is probably the most remarkable case of absentee landlordism In history. The Mexicans can play at war and revolution In their own country and do lit tle harm to anything they own themselves. The largest financial stake In Mexico, therefore. Is not Mexican at all, but foreign And of this foreign interest, the largest part Is American. , Americans have built nearly all the railroads, but Europeans are the larg est holders of Mexican railroad se curities. Still "the people who are doing the work of opening up Mexico everywhere are mainly Americans." The story of the oil war between Lord Cowdray and the Waters-Pierce Company Is told, Madero having fa vored the Americans, Diaz the .English. As to their part In the revolution, Mr. MIddleton says: Most students of Mexican affairs believe that the anti-Diaz movement represented a real, popular uprising, for the remedy of clearly apparent evils, and not an artl flcial revolution inspired by Wall street. This review of conditions in Mexico shows both the hopelessness of any improvement resulting from the downfall of Huerta, which President Wilson has contributed, by every means short of armed intervention, to bring about. It also shows what a poor pi'srfert of genuine democracy is held ry the supremacy of any leadar. It further shows what a long, laoori- ous and costly task would be Ameri can conquest and establishment of democratic rule in the manner we are following In the Philippines. We can do it and Mr, Wilson has put us In a position where we may not be able to avoid doing it, lest a worse evil befall in the shpe of a National confession of failure and of European interven tion, but we shall not relish the task and shall not thank the man who Im posed it upon us. Feeling it Imperative on him not to be outshone entirely, Colonel Birch, our new Minister to Portugal, pro vided the necessary gold lace by wear ing the uniform of an aide-de-camp to the Governor of New Jersey, when he presented his -jredentlals to the Portu guese President. Of course the Portu guese did not know but that it was regulation diplomatic uniform and honored the Colonel according to his glittering splenddr. Gold lace Is a great open sesame, no matter how one gets it. A doughty Colonel of the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, proved that when he wore his gorge ous uniform and plumed hat in Ger many. He was received with military honors at all the garrisons and the doors of military clubs flew open, for him, on the assumption that he was a Majcr -General at least. The New York Evening Post does not relax its vigil over the civil serv ice and does not scruple to show up every outbreak of the spoils system, as can be seen from the following: If any further doubts exist of the fitness of the Democratic party, and of the Demo crats, to rule, they will be remoyed by the lesc lor emciency made in tne onice or tne Public FTlnter and recorded In this morn ing's World. Of 81 employes reduced In rank and salary by the Public Printer, Just 81 are Republicans. Of 89 employes ad vanced In rank and salary no less than 39 are Democrats, 25 of them from south of Mason and Dixon's line. No doubt Wallace, the insane man who has just come to his death at the .eylum, was a hard case and brought Uis troubles upon himself. We dare rsy the "broken ribs and Internal in- Juiies" which were discovered by the surgeons might have been caused by "falling on a block," but readers of the literature concerned with insane asylums -will feel privileged to doubt. Fights" between Insane patients and attendants do not occur in well-managed asylums. The report that feather beds are coming Into fashion again Is credible and comfortable. In the days when people slept with windows tightly closed an ascetic hair mattress was tolerable, but since we have all learned to Bleep with the frosty air blowing a gale about us something warmer is needed. Happy now is the matron who has saved her feathers. Her ruddy cheeked family will honor her above queens. According to the National Shoe Dealers, the barefoot days are com ing, for they say footwear will reach fancy prices, owing to state laws that say shoes must be made of leather. There Is hope yet that boys of this generation will have the Joy of com paring stone bruises, as well as acquir ing belief in the veracity of their grandfathers, who tell of one pair a year when they were boys. By the use of a salvage lighter the British government raised the sub marine C14, which sank off Plymouth in 14 fathoms of water, and towed it to a dockyard. The work was com pleted in two days. If an American submarine were to sink, we could not raise It, at least not so promptly, for Congress, with its usual lack of fore thought, has provided no salvage lighters. A Hungarian duelist has been held up by the Immigration , officials at New Tork on the ground that dueling involves moral turpitude. He answers that dueling is less dangerous than golf. What bloodthirsty ruffians that makes such mild-mannered men as John D. Rockefeller and William H Taft appear. Jess Willard, who gave the eternal count to John Toung In a bout at Vernon in August, has been acquitted by a Jury out all night. The occa sional death of a loser must not be permitted to interfere with sport, you see. It "might pay the American people better to give W. J. Bryan 812,000 a year to stay away from the State De partment altogether. Foreign affairs seem to be better managed when he is absent. The band struck up "Onward, Chris tian Soldiers" as ex-Governor Sulzer finished a speech at Albany. If they go onward whither Mr. Sulzer leads, where will they land? President Wilson is now tackling the anti-trust and rural credits prob lems. When will he arrive at con structive action on the Mexican prob lem? Big Jobs and little pay are in pros pect for the I. W. W. army. But what the I. W. W. want are little jobs and big pay. Agitation for eugenic parents Is growing. Children should be more careful hereafter In selecting their parents. The hen Is back on the Job, which is welcome news for everyone except the cold storage man and the price Juggler. Congress is overwhelmed by good roads measures and so may do noth ing. Too many cooks spoil the broth Huerta will not pay any interest this term. Got to keep a few pesos on hand, you know, to buy champagne, San Francisco has been hit by cloudburst. - Life Is Just one thing after another in sunny California. "Ho who fights and runs away should be set to music and adopted as the Mexican national anthem. Step lively, ladles. The registration booth and civic duty beckon you now that you have the suffrage. The tango originated In the United States, declares our Argentine Minis ter. Make him apologize! Mexico's default of interest on bonds will bring settlement quicker than killing foreigners. It is predicted that shoes will go to J 10. we go barefoot. the price of Here's where Hillsboro deserves credit for refuse Ing to entertain the bobtail division of stragglers. Six below In Boston, while a light overcoat Is not altogether necessary in Portland. With Thaw out on bail, what a lot of lawyers will be out of a steady Job! ALL FAULT OF TUB LEGISLATURE Jndge Lowell Thluka Itenponalblllty Should be Lodged There. ' PORTLAND. Jan. 12. (To the Edi tor.) Without attempting any discus- ion of either the constitutionality or the wisdom of the declaration of mar tial law at CoDDerfleld. I am con- trained to assert that if the Governor has gone to extremes, the Legislature, and not the executive, is at fault. The eopls demanded of that body at its last session legislation which would ssure Dromrjt and comnlata en f orce in? nt of the criminal laws, and the re- ult was the abortive statute of Feb ruary 25, 1913, which requires a tedi ous, and probably, in most cases, use less, court proceeding to remove of- ricers who are neglectful of duty. Un der 'the rules of evidence which gov ern courts It Is not easy to prove facts which on general principles every rea- onabie man knows . to be true. The state asked bread, and was given a tone. . Had the Legislature responded to public sentiment, and enacted a statute which would permit the Governor to temporarily suspend public officials. nd appoint special officers in their places, - when in his Judgment occa sion required, there would have been no occasion for the declaration of mar tial law either in Baker County, or eisewnere. Under such a statute law breakers and their sympathizers might urrer. CJertalnly law-abiding citizens and law-enforcing officials would not be injured. There is little doubt but that the great majority of the people sustain the Governor in his law enforcement crusades, and properly so. in my Judg ment. They may have some lurking doubt as to whether martial law was originally. Intended for such conditions, but it seems the only efficient weapon available, and until the Legislature places some prompt and effective civil remedy In the executive hands, he will be applauded for declaring the rule of war. The constitution commands him to see that the laws are faithfully ex ecuted and enforced. If he cannot do that with pens, he Is Justified in do ing It with bullets. The law must be supreme. If law enforcement Is to be the Issue in the coming campaign. I hope that Oswald . West will become a candidate to succeed himself. On the issue thus raised I apprehend that party lines would vanish, and that he would be triumphantly elected. STEPHEN A. LOWELL. The law passed by the recent Legis lature requires "summary" action by the courts in any action brought by the Governor to remove any derelict official. If the courts under this law are as dilatory as this correspondent appears to think they would be. the next step, in accordance with the well- known West policy, would be to call out the National Guard to clean up the courts. It may be pertinent to say that The Oregonian repeatedly called upon the recent Legislature to place with the Governor the power to sus pend Sheriffs or other peace officers when they are not diligent in law-en forcement; but the Legislature seemed to have more confidence in the courts than in the Governor and passed the law In its present form. COSTENTMEST IS OPEN TO ALL It Should Be Practiced by the Man of Humble Means. LAKEVIEW, Wash.. Jan. 12. (To the Editor.) It is possible for a man to be just as contented and earn onlv a small amount of money an amount sufficiently large to be adeauate for all necessities and a little more as he would be If wealthy. Solomon tells us this. I do not think Socialism will ever be adopted because I think these things will be adjusted gradually on the same lines they are now following. ah men cannot be extraordinary, as great civil engineers and lawyers and writers, but a modest man can be Just as happy with his own natural accom plishments, without anything extraor dinary. , All men can not be money makers, but the. time will come when a man will be as much ashamed to get his money by squeezing someone else as if he begged. There is no differ ence. (If you have not got your money by fair means and as a result of greater intelligence without the dominant ani mal power now so common, you will be ashamed of your money some time.) JHy eldest brother, Sherman, was a strenuous worker. He was perfectly poised, so that he did not work with nervous energy, but he nut in everv hour possible at some strenuous effort, and he was so lacking in selfishness tnat he never was compensated one- tenth for his efforts. He was always the most contented it is possible to be. So short hours of labor will not neces sarily make contentment, The real interests of capital and labor Instead of being diverse, are one; but a large measure of kindness, patience and helpfulness must be exercised on both sides. If the laboring man can become less contentious he will find the capitalist more likely to keep him constantly employed. It is natural that a man should become angry when his em ployers try in every way to hurt his interests. Present selfish conditions work a hardship on the rich also, so that often a wealthy man is pinched tor sufficient capital. xnere is aiso an error which is a great enemy to good government, and that is the present unmerciful carica tures. They cause foreigners, at least, to lose their respect for those in offi cial authority. I have a great big idea that if these individuals could turn their talents to some other use it would be a benefit to society. They are often malicious, and the less malice there is extant, the better the government. C H. WILCOX. NEW ANESTHETIC FOR SURGER.T No Drags Required) Operator Causes Sleep by Expert Pressure. Springfield . (Mass.) Republican. It is more remarkable because of Its simplicity and independence of drugs, is the new anesthetic for Burgery. It is. Indeed, very much the sort of thing that the Japanese have long practiced in their secret art of jiujitsu, and its corollary by which victims are restored. By long experiment they discovered the Important exposed nerve centers and ways of affecting them pressure at a certain Bpot behind the ears, for example, will cause unconsciousness and even death, while a certain way of treating one of the upper vertebrae is efficacious in restoring conscious ness. More crudely Western pugilistic science recognizes the solar plexus and the right spot on the Jaw for in ducing anesthesia while the timekeeper counts ten. But the new invention, though it has close analogies, goes beyond anything before attempted. By pressure on the right spots in the tongue and throat the operator causes a temporary anesthesia in any part of the body he wishes. To what extent this discovery can be used for surgery and how it compares in value with the other well-known means of accom plishing the same result we shall know in due time. While, of course, not of such transcendent importance as it would be but for chloroform and other chemical anesthetics, the discovery is of great interest, and brings us to a point which might or might not have been reached sooner but for their help. Medical science has been learning much of the value of manipulation. Home City Facts In Schools. New Tork Herald. "Teach the facts about your home city in the public schools," urged the bureau of municipal research. New Tork City. HIGH LAND VALUES IX LONDON But Those la New York Are Jut a Fraction Lower. Providence (R. I.) Journal. The nearly completed sale of 19 acres In the heart of London by the Duke of Bedford to Mr. Mallaby-Dceley, mem ber of Parliament, has attracted wide comment on both sides of the Atlantic The fact that the area included in the sale embraced Covent Garden, Drury Lane Theater and other historic land marks made the transfer especially In teresting to people of British ancestry. and the stated price $50,000,000 made it tne largest real estate near-deal of city property between two persons ever recorded. It appears, however, that this price was pure guesswork. The London Telegraph states "on very good authority that the actual purchase price agreed on is 3,750.000." or about 13.71111,000. The average land value. therefore. Instead of being about $60 a square foot, was but little more than one-fourth of that sum. This London transfer led to a com parison of land values In several of our big cities. The highest prices ever paid for real estate in Chicago and New Tork have been $277 and $307 a foot, respectively, while a parcel of land In the heart of Boston Is assessed at $300 a square foot. As real estate usually sells In Boston at a higher figure than its assessed price, the value of land there is probably as great as in New York. The largest city the world has ever seen, however, probably still holds the palm in land values. The London Telegraph states that a small strip of land near the Mansion house was sold a few years ago at an estimated price of 100, or $487, a foot. Lombard street, it states. Is the most valuable of the "city" thoroughfares, its land ranging from 50 to 80 a foot. The' Bank of England the "Old Lady of Thread needle Street" pays an annual land tax of over half a million dollars tn its three acres, and the estimated value of the site is 3.000,000, or nearly $15.- ooo.ooo. The "city" the city of the Lord Mayor contains 672 acres, or excluding pub lic ways and roads. 500 acres, which have an assessed value of 7,000,000, or nearly $35,000,000. This amounts to a tax of about $1.65 on each square foot of land. Some of the land on King William street has been rented at 35 shillings per foot, or about $8.50. ART SHOULD BRING CRITICISM. It Shows) Interest and Purges Art Dnua, Says Writer. of NEW TORK, Jan. 8. (To the Ed itor.) A short time ago I saw in The Oregonian a reply to a criticism of "Modern Art" that was hardly fair. Modern art is criticised because it so deserves criticism, and only by such means will it be purged of its dross, while what is really sincere will stand. The people who have made the West what it is today have had .little time for the study of art. Much of the so called modern art appears to them (and doubtless is) the effect of delirium tremens. They have had little . time for dreaming, and prefer realism as represented by a green tree with darK, soft shadow, to a cerise tree casting a brilliant purple shade. To infer that people who have never heard of Monet, Manet, Renoir and many others, and who admire "detail' (our friends Turner, Wyant and many others seem to have had the same feeling), are "fogies" because they nave not tried to grasp (with but one sense) the meaning of art, is thought less, to say the least. Their criticism was a proof of their Interest In art, ana tney might Justly say that many claiming; to be artists, and thinking that the world owes them a support, are densely ignorant. That the raw coloring and freakish form or much that passes for art but the stretching up of arms the feeling for the illusive something, dif ferent and more satisfying than any thing heretofore obtained, should be the explanation to those unenlight ened. It takes time to perfect everything and bring forth nocturnes like Waterloo Bridge (Metropolitan Mu seum of Art). The wandering notes will be found by those sufficiently earnest, and the symphony perfected, and the West, with her courage and sincerity, will recognize it "1111 art to loving the highest shall consciously burn." Criticism can be constructive or de structive lot us have the former. A. S. O. NEGLECT LAW AND CONSTITUTION That la Effect, Says Writer, ot Free L:e of Military. DALLAS. Or... Jan. 11. (To the Edi tor.) There is a tendency these days to pay no attention to laws and con stitutions. If a man is elected to of fice by a good-Sized majority he gets a notion in his head that the people have entrusted all of their liberties and rights Into his gentle keeping, and that his will, erratic or otherwise, is to be substituted for the constitutional guarantees of government. The old-time speaker on July 4 would tell the people and tell them truly that the principle of government established by "the fathers" was the culmination of centuries of struggle. Men whose memories were fresh with recollections of the evils of arbitrary power said: "We will make a written constitution to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." Those men understood the meaning of law terms and were not grandstand players, but earnest thoughtful men. There is a lawful way to reach any violations of law; use that way and we are safer. The Governor must see that the laws are executed but he must see to it in the mode provided in the constitution and laws. All the power he has is found there, beyond the constitution and laws he has no more power than any other citizen. It is high time some simple lessons in sound government were brought to the attention of the people. If we want a government of hurrah for tem porary popularity by grandstand buncombe we can have It, but will soon get tired of it. If we want such a government as Washington fought for and Lincoln died for we can have It. GLEN O. HOLM AN. Need of Tapping the River Route. WALLA WALLA, Jan. 12. (To the Editor.) Your article in The Orego nian this morning, "Why the River Is Not Used," Is most timely. The Open River Transportation Company went out of business because there was not enough business to pay. The fact is plain that when the Celllo Canal is finished and boats can run to Priests Rapids and Lewiston from Portland, this waterway will be of no particular benefit except to those cities and farms along its banks. To make the river a paying traffic route and of assistance to reduce freight rates, short lines of narrow gauge railroads should be built into the interior, owned and controlled by the people -through whose section of country the roads run. As an exam ple, the open river will not benefit Walla Walla a particle, for It has no Independent line to the river. The late Dr. Blalock and many others tried for years to Induce the farmers to build an electric line to the river to connect with the Open River Trans portation Company's line of steamers, but failed for lack of interest, and ac tivity of the different rail lines whose connections are Portland or the Sound. J. P. WELLAND. School Children Like Thla Rule. Indianapolis News. Kansas City schools have shortened study days one hour. Twenty-five Years Ago From The Oregonian of Jan. 14, 18S9. SALEM, Jan. 13. Scarcely half a dozen legislators are absent from the state capital, to-day. There are four can didates for the speakership: D. V. Thompson of Multnomah, J. T. Apper- son of Clackamas. E. L. , Smith of Wasco and T. T. Geer of Marion. Albany. Or.. Jan. 12. J. B. Williams. proprietor of the Revere House sample rooms, died suddenly today. A bill to anDOlnt a board of resrents for the State Normal School at Mon mouth will be presented to the Legis lature. F. II. Lysons. who is now in town on his way to visit his mother at Cottage Wove, Is County Clerk of Snohomish County. Washington Territory. An ordinance was introduced in the Vancouver City Council by P. C. Mc Farland, president of the Columbia Land & Improvement Company, grant- '"K inai company a franchise for a street railway. James G. Chapman died la He was a Bon of Colonel W. W. Chap man and was admitted to the bar in 1866. Colonel James Pale, of Baker CMtv. is at the St. Charles. The barn Of the Tranllmntlnental Company is ready for occupancy on a weniy-secona street. Colonel James Hendershott who ha missed attending only one session of tne -Legislature, either as Senator or member of the third house, since 1852, arrived from Union County yesterday. The improvements to the Oilman House are nearly accomplished. The Portland Cable Railway is to be bonded for $400,000 at 7 per cent. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonian ef Jan. 14. 1S64. The following persons have been commissioned ofllcers of a cavalry com pany at Lancaster, Lane County: Cap tain, Albert S. Powers; First Lieuten ant, A. Bonnet: Second Lieutenant, J. McLean. Another cavalry company has been organized in Yamhill County, and the officers commissioned are as fol lows: Captain, Robert G. Laughlin; First Lieutenant, G. R. Duval; Second Lieutenant, Fred A. Crawford. On Tuesday evening the subscribers to the mercantile library fund met In the United States District Court room with Hon. M. P. Deady in the chair, and appointed R. B. Knapp secretary. The amount subscribed Is $2400. With the library already at their command, com prising some 1200 to 1500 volumes, be sides the odd books that would gratui tously flow in. an expenditure of $1000 the first year would secure them nearly 3000 volumes and pay the subscriptions of all the requisite periodicals and newspapers. Owing to the favorable weather yes terday, it is the Intention of the O. S. N. Company to dispatch the steamer Julia, Captain Van Bergen, to the Cas cades this morning. A heavy dray, while crossing First street between Washington and Stark, yesterday morning, broke through the street planking with both wheels on the near side, and was only got out by the aid of long levers and axes. Messrs. Jones and Edgar, expressmen between Canyon City and The Dalles, arrived yesterday. A train of pack mules crossed the Columbia River on the ice Friday. They had to cut the ice the creeks and then swim their Slides were frequent on the horses trail. The steamer Cowlitz, Captain Olson, arrived from Montlccllo yesterday. She reports no ice in the Cowlitz, but the Columbia is full in many places. H. C. Hill and D. Monnastes spent eight hours among the canvasbacks n short distance down the river yester day, and returned with 75 fat fellows. New Thought Lyric By Dean Collins. (A New York couple were married in the New Thought Church under a ritual "taken from prehistoric times. an abstract from the Antashic record as written in the vibrations ot tne universe." News Item.) Phyllis, thou ultra-violet ray Vibrating o'er my gloomy soul. I loved thee from that earliest day My lonely eyes on thee did roll; "Here Is a soul," it seemed to me, "That vibrates in full harmony." From furthest prehistoric dates. (And do not mock at this, or giggle.) The universe, so New Thought states, Has been entirely on the wiggle; And star to star, in exultation Sends forth continual vibration. Oh rapture, Joy and high elation. Oh greatest boon by Heaven booncil. To find a soul whose light vibration To thine Is perfectly attuned. No grief nor woe to them shall be Whose souls are pitched In harmony. Such soul art thou; such soul am I. By Fate, so it appears to me, Vibrations from our souls that fly Are tuned in perfect harmony. Leaving no room to question whether We two might get along together Phyllis, be then my soul's sweet bride. Let prehistoric rites forever Harness our twin souls side by side That they may be divided never. But keep, for better and for worse, Vibrating through the Universe. Cattle to the Square Mile. Indianapolis News. Chile has only 2,674,660 head of cat tle in its total area of 292,580 square miles, or nine cattle a square mile, while Ireland has 4,645,223 head of cattle In 32,605 square miles, or 142 to the square mile, and France has 14.620. 832 head In 207,054 square miles, or about 70 to the square mile. Vigilant Advertiser Reminds Business Man "What a wonderful suggester The Oregonian's advertising columns are," said a very busy business man the other day to his wife. "Until today I had almost forgot ten the dinner we are going to to night and had quite neglected to provide several evening dress neces saries until I was reminded of my needs by an advertisement in today Oregonian. So I was saved consider able annoyance by the timely sug gestion. "Advertisers nowadays." he con tinued, "are eternally on the alert and are quick to anticipate the needs of the community they serve. "One cannot afford to neglect the clean and useful Information daily printed in such newspapers as The Oregonian." This man's experience is being duplicated constantly by other care ful readers who appreciate the real value of a good newspaper Adv.