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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 1920)
8 KtiTABLlSHED BY KKNRY 1 P1TTOCK. Published by The Oregonian Publishing Co.. lSi Slxtn duU Portland. Oregon. C. A. MORDEN. K. B. Manager. The Oreitonlan in a member of the clatd Pre The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use 'LPh ,i ,. i;on of all new. oltnatches credited to It or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news puulisnea ""V"'"' ' nftlits of republication of special dipaicne herein are also reserved. SubM-xlpUon Bate Invariably In Advance. t By Mall.) Dally, Sunday Included, one year "" Iiaily, Sunday included, alx month! . . . fo Daily, Sunday Included, three montns.. i.-n Daily. Sunday included, one month .... .ia Dally, without Sunday, one year Dally, without Sunday, elx month .... - Dallv. without Sunday, one montn .... " W eekly, one year - iuw Sunday, one vear (By Carrier.) Dally. Sunday lm-luded. one year . . . "V Dally. Sunday Included, three montna. . Dally. Sunday Included, one month .. . Daily, without Sunday, one year '-J" Dally, without Sunday, three months. . -l-"j lally, without Sunday, one month 00 How to Remit. Send postofflce money order, express or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at owner's risk. Ulve postofflce address In full, Including- county and stale. ToMtaice Kates. 1 to 10 pages. 1 cent: 18 to JJ pages, 1 cents; 34 to 48 ges, 3 cents; 00 to 64 pages, cents; Ctf to 8 riiRH.s. 3 cms; J to 08 pages, 6 cents. Foreign postage, double rates. Kat-m Business Office. Verree 4c Conk lln. Brunswick building. New York; Verree Ar Conklin, Steger building, Chicago; Ver ree Conklin. Free I'ress building, De troit. Mich. San Francisco representative. It. J. Uldwell. - culable benefits to the public school system of Portland.". General ineff icienpcy Is so tangible In the school room, under critical observation, and so vague and elu sive when brought to trial, that the ticket and lost once in spite of re publican division. Harding won by a large plurality and scored a clear majority. In this election Cor is deorived of the advantage which enabled him to schools of Portland must ever retain win two elections, and Harding has under the tenure law a considerate number of teachers who dwell In the twilight zone, and whose retention cannot but work great harm to the system of education. It is presum able. Indeed, that these questionable teachers will be the last to resign, and that they consider themselves comfortably situated for life. Bear these facts In mind when you consider the welfare or out schools, for they will withstand de nial: That the. teachers' tenure law, however admirable may have been its purpose, however justifiable Its Inception, expressly forbids your school board the right to recruit a superior teaching force or to purge the. classrooms of inefficiency. Cities thrive on the stability and good re pute of their public schools, and a deeper significance is attached to their product in trained citizenship. What is the contribution of the ten ure law to either of these ends? SHACKLING THE SCHOOL BOARD. The first duty of the school board Is to maintain an efficient and well-co-ordinated staff of Instructors. At best this Is a difficult obligation, de manding unremitting vigilance and sensible discrimination. Some un derstanding of its difficulty may be reached by a consideration of the present dilemma of the board. With the calendar almost turned to an other school year the directors, find their desks heaped high with the resignations of teachers. There is little time left to remedy these de sertions by searching the field of un employed instructors, nor can the members of the board hope to enlist superior trained teaching talent from the lists of those who, thus late in the season, are still without po sitions. It Is apparent that such a circumstance does not tend toward Increased efficiency, but actually causes an. educational loss to the public school system, of Portland. From Director Woodward's analy sis of the situation, and from the comment of State Superintendent Churchill, it is plain that there is adequate recourse against teachers who have resigned without adequate notification to the board. Their cer tificates may be revoked and the of fenders disqualified as teachers In the Oregon schools during the re mainder of the school year. Doubt less this is justice. It seems but light punishment, if the deserters had In tended- to seek employment in other schools of the state, to give them a year in which to reflect upon their plain neglect of duty and utter dis regard for ethics. Their offense is not solely directed against the school board. In adding to the perplexities of the directors w"hen the educational campaign has been mapped and the forces seem ingly assembled. It Is an offense against the children whose instruc tion has been given into their keep ing, and who assuredly must be re tarded through the whims of the recreant teachers. School teaching Is the highest form of public service and those who undertake it assume obligations that are not lightly to be cast off. The source of this and other con spicuous deflections in the Portland schools may be directly traced to the teachers' tenure of office law a measure that affords almost un bounded latitude to the employe of the district, but that binds the hands of the board, and the hopes of the parent, with absurd restrictions. Never was a law more twisted to de feat the ends of education and to serve a special interest. The public is thoroughlyaroused to the need for Improved conditions for the teacher. and it has regarded with almost un questioning approval the operation of the teachers' tenure act as a far stride toward such a goal. Yet it is this measure, more than all else that is conducive of the insouciant insubordination shown by the report that thirty-three teachers, counted on for the ensuing term, have tossed their keys to the clerk, mostly with out semblance of excuse. Lop-sided to an aggravating de gree, the teachers' . tenure law Is In eriect a perpetual contract of em ployment for all who choose to re main in the service of the district With unperturbed aplomb the Port land teacher may retain the genial shelter of this assurance, leaving it at will and wholly without explana tion when a more promising field offers itself. The action of the de sorters is a multiple instance of one ; fault In this inequitable measure.. . which affords unlimited comfort and stability to the teacher, but leaves the pupil and the public utterly without protection. So long as It remains on the statute books un modified the evil of desertion will flourish. Nor does the disturbing tendency of the teachers' tenure law rest con tent with such results. They are minor incidents in a continuous trend toward lessened efficiency in the schools, under Its provisions - the board is powerless to dismiss, for any cause whatsoever, if the teacher chooses to plead the case before the disinterested commission provided by law. It is but natural that the ef fect of such a statute is to restrain the board from indicated dismissals, essential to the expeditious progress of school affairs. Mediocrity is not puDisimuie vy aisniissai unaer tne teachers' tenure law, as it operates for who could hope to prove medi ocrity? The charges are so intan """glble, so dependent on a host of - wholly unrelated particulars, that the bravest members of the board migm d forgiven the disinclina tion to press them. There are in the Portland schools 4 0.000 pupils, In structed by 1159 teachers and 70 principals. Any combination of cir cumstances that prevents proper ex - ercise of authority In the mante nance of the staff of Instructors, that ' binds the hands of the board, that renders dismissal formidably diffi cult, has only one result elevation of the interests of the teacher above tnose di trie i&ugriL. Should the school board determine on improving the personnel of the teaching staff until it should be sec ond to none,, how far might it pro ceed In this laudable enterprise? The project would die in discussion, for the sufficient reason that the board is powerless to act on the elimina tion of mediocrity and comparative Inefficiency, under the teachers' ten ure law, though it had in view a thousand educators who might be - drawn into the service, with lncal- THK WHY F IT. The Oregonian admits that Congressman "Pat" McArthur is "wet." but says it sup ports him because of other Issues. The same paper takes the stand that Cox Is supposed to De wet ana cans ror ntj defeat regardless of all other issues in the national election. 'inat is a cnaracteris tically Illogical position for The Orego nian to take. Eugene Guard. We have the authority of the president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, that he "doesn't care a peppercorn for logic." Small minds only permit themselves to worry about inconsistency. . Small voices shriek Inconsistency when there Is evidently nothing else to be said. It would be easy to retort that your average democrat will tell you that prohibition is settled when he Is chlded about the wetness of Cox, and that it Is not settled when he throws a fit over the wetness of McArthur. Some inconsistency there. Let it be re.narked that The Ore gonian has not demanded the defeat of Cox for his wetness, regardless of all other issues, nor asked the elec tion of McArthur for his wetness re gardless of all other issues. Hardly. But It has sought to tell the exact truth about the Cox wet record, and it has had no thought of disguising the truth about the McArthur wet record. In the one case, there is a vast amount of humbug, evasion, shilly-shally, false pretense; Inthe uiuer nulla a.i u.u. The Oregonian supports McArthur because he is a useful member of congress; and it is willing- to say that it opposes Cox because he is a demo crat, and it would oppose him wet or dry. It is weary of -Wilson, of a democratic administration, of the democratic party in power, and it would have a change. If the country doesn't get it, it will be because the good Lord is in his wisdom deter mined to afflict us further for our sins. CALLING IX THE DRAFT EVADERS. Students of human nature will watch with some interest the out come of the government's naive pro posal that draft evaders surrender themselves to arrest and await the progress of official investigation. Those who fail to do so are to be classified and published as deserters. For that matter those who yield themselves to the military authori ties will be so designated, unless most excellent extenuation Is offered for their failure to answer the draft. It is comprehensible that among the 173,911 men who are listed as draft evaders there may be some few who are the victim's of circumstance. If so, they have nothing to fear. If those who evaded the draft be cause of conscientious scruples, and many will doubtless advance this plea, take the war department at its word and surrender themselves be fore officially overtaken, they will to some extent demonstrate the sin cerity of their motives. But skep ticism may be forgiven If It fore sees but slight response to the offer. The average conscientious objector, still vastly concerned for his own hide, will remain snugly In covert until such time as he is jerked forth and judged. It seems a deal of pother and trouble to bring these recreants to the accounting. With the war won and the nation busied in Its affairs, some will, ask why the trouble is taken. An easy and slipshod leni ency will be advocated. Let it be remembered that the ends of jus tice are not served by sloth, and that the difficult and distasteful nature of the task should not deter Its ac complishment. To the last hero of conscience, or the last physical cra ven, the fellows who shirked the de fense of civilization and America must be apprehended and brought to justice. Less than this is not justice, but "unjustifiable leniency," as the war department phrases it. a united party behind him. Garford. who ran against Harding for senator as a progressive, has declared that the former progressives are solidly Denind him. William H. Boyd, leader among the Wood delegates from Ohio to the. Chicago convention, spoke at the state convention for the republican ticket. Those delegates to the San Fran cisco convention who voted for Cox because he gets the votes seem doomed to disappointment. GET BID OF POST FIRST. If there Is disorganization In the Immigration service, as is charged by Assistant Secretary of Labor Post, It can safely, be stated that he is largely. If not mainly, responsible for It. Commissioner Caminetti has or dered deportation of many alien revolutionists whom Mr. Post has discharged or released on nominal bail, and the latter has frequently shown sympathy for those who aim to destroy the government. It Is natural that loyal employes should be discouraged In enforcing the law and should not know, how to pro ceed, and the consequence Is disorganization. The way to end disorganization is to get rid of Post, but that cannot be accomplished until the country Is rid of President Wilson and the whole crew of parlor-bolshevists and self styled idealists' with whom he has surrounded himBelf. Any reorgan ization that Post effects will be for the worse. PICKING OX THE FAMILY CAR. ine gasoline muddle 6hows . no trace of returning clarity, considered broadly, and motorists are gazing apprehensively down a vista of empty filling stations. There are oil fields yet to be tapped beneath the crust of mother earth, and mountains of oil shale to be pressed for their treasure. But meanwhile the era of gasoline has fallen In sad times, when production Is said to be running not less than 14,000,000 gal Ions short each day, and the re finers are suggesting that an In formal system of rationing be adopt ed throughout the country. As a contributor to the dilemma the "Joy rider" is under critical fi-e, The loose generality of this term. applied to the gasoline shortage would seem to. Indict all motorists who employ their cars for other than utilitarian purposes who arro gate to themselves the privileges of going fishing, of taking the family- out in the evening, of touring the highway, or of ambling away into distance under the spell of the road Let it be borne in mind that this chap, this most blameful consumer of gasoline. Invested his savings In a car for the major purposes of en joyment and recreation. He was led to believe, by the copious advertise ments of the entire motoring Indus try, the oil Interests included, that he would make a most judicious and happy Investment in buying an au tomobile. He was the mainstay of the entire commercial enterprise. The shortage Is lamentable, and drastic effort should be put forth to bring it to an end. But the driver of the family utility car Is wholly un deserving of criticism, or of special punishment in the distribution of gasoline. Something both sharp and pertinent should be said, and said officially, of an Industry that failed to meet the demands on Its product when the growth of those demands were mapped and charted by the factory programmes of auto motive builders. fluence of the American spirit. Those who were swayed by the patri otic impulse lost a creed but gamed country and are not dissatisfied with the bargain. The new arrivals will find It hard to surmount the German language barrier. The freak principles of those who regard buttons and shaving ma terials as inventions of Satan may be viewed with kindly tolerance, but their first encounter with the Ameri can school system holds possibilities of disaster. Of those who would dwell here but still insist that our language Is not to be spoken. It Is pertinent to Inquire why they do not seek an environment where this ob stacle does not exist. - The unpopu larity of the Mennonite idea has nothing to do with our conception of religious liberty, but runs In deeper channels. ; It signifies our acceptance f the doctrine that certain respon sibilities are not to be avoided if benefits are to be enjoyed. A com plex society has small place for In dividuals of the hermit type. BY- PRODUCTS OP THE TIMES COX AS A VOTE GETTER. A fiction which the democratic convention was deluded Into believ ing and which much influenced it in nominating Governor Cox Is that Mr. Cox is a vote-getter. This, like many other popular delusions which have gained currency by constant repeti tion, does not stand the test of an alysis. Mr. Cox is lucky or Is skilful at taking advantage of favorable cir cumstances, but he is no wonder at getting votes. His victories have been won by splits in the opposite party or by local disaffection among his opponents. He picked up office while others quarreled about it. Mr. Cox ran for governor the first time In 1912. when both republican and progressive candidates for gov ernor ran against him. His plur ality was 166,823, but he lacked 51,080 of a majority. He ran again in 1914 against both republican and progressive candidates, but the progressive vote shrank from 217, 903 to 60,904, and Cox was de feated by Willis' by a plurality of 29,270. He ran a third time in 1916 on the spurious issue of "He kept us' out of war," when the republican party was outwardly reunited but when the breach was not wholly healed, and he won .by a plurality of only 6616, while Wilson's - plurality was 89,408. . He won once more in 1918 by a- plurality of 11,944 over Willis, but his victory was due to local disaffection among republicans of Hamilton county, which gave him a plurality of 16,570; without this he would have been defeated. Compare Cox with Harding as a vote-getter. Harding ran for sena tor in 1914 and won by a plurality of 102.373 and a majority of 24,864, though his party vote was divided by a progressive candidate, who polled 67,609 votes. Cox won twice through division among the opposi tion, won once by a slender plurality which was a mere fraction of that of his associate on the presidential MENNONITES VlOVING SOUTH. Mennonites to the number of eight or ten thousand who have sold their property In Saskatchewan and Al berta and are moving to new loca tions in the gulf states will prove to be the forerunners, no doubt, or ether colonies, if they are received hospitably by their new neighbors. As did the original Mennonites who came to America in the seventeenth century In response to William Penn's promise of religious freedom, the new immigrants ask little or nothing except to be let alone. Curi ous by-principles that have been grafted onto the fundamentals of their religion Isolate them from the rest of their fellow men. The Issue to be settled In their new home is whether any group has the right to expect the benefits and the protec tion of organized government, while giving nothing in return. Though rirofessiner in tha hes-tn. ning that correct discipline and recti tude were more important to salva tion than acceptance of particular dogmas, the Mennonites in the United States have divided into no fewer than twelve branches differing on points of doctrine, ritual or disci pline, or in historical origin. The real reason for their exodus from Canada is that the particular divis ion to which they belong will not fight and will speak no other lan guage than German. Otherwise they are inoffensive, and it is admitted that they are frugal and industrious. But Canada s memories of the sacri fices of its sons are too poignant to make this particular brand of theol ogy popular In that country. The chill of a Saskatchewan winter is nothing by comparison with the frig idity of the temperature when there are Canadian neighbors around. Another tenet of the strange faith of these people is that its members shall not hold civil office nor take any part in public affairs. While there seems to be little Indication that a Mennonite could be elected to office even if he should run, it is the mental attitude of which this article of faith is symbolical that is respon sible for their unpopularity. There is a notion, as sound in biology as it is in sociology, that those who are incapable of adaptation to environ ment must eventually succumb. The Mennonites, who have tried to hold aloof from worldly affairs ever since the founding of the sect in 1525, probably owe to this law of nature the fact that the excellent principles to which among others they adhere have failed to advance their sect. The nature of their reception in the land they have cHosen for their new home remains to be determined. Those already In the United States. numbering about 60,000 and living chiefly in Pennsylvania, Minnesota. the Dakotas and Kansas, have been tolerated because they seldom coma In conflict with the law and they passed practically without notice un til the issue of conscientious objec tion was raised by the war. But that experience made important inroads on their membership. It seems to have been impossible for the younger generation wholly to escape the ln- TRCTH ABOCT RCSSIAN BLOCKADE. If trade alone were involved, rais ing of the blockade on soviet Russia would be desirable, for it would ex pose the fraud which the bolshevists commit on the Russian people and that which they attempt on other nations. By destroying Industry the soviet has prevented production of the goods which should be ex changed with the peasants for food and raw materials, and by creating a government monopoly of trade in the hands of ignorant and corrupt men it prevents individuals from making this exchange. This Is the real blockade, but the soviet hides its failure by representing the allies' blockade as the cause of the people's distress. The Scandinavian coun tries imposed no blockade, but they have been able to do comparatively little business. Should trade be resumed, it would be found that Russia has little to ex port and that its railroads could not transport that little to the ports. Much movable property has been confiscated from foreigners, who would assert their claim to It In court. If Russia should attempt to pay in gold for imports, holders of Russian bonds would claim the gold as security for their loans. Knowing this to be the case, the bolshevists must have some other motive for trade negotiations than desire to procure foreign goods and to export Russia's surplus products. which they know not to exist. Ef fort to open trade supports their pretense that the allies are respon sible for the people's woe. If trade were renewed, the first things they would import would be locomotives, cars and railroad material generally, to enable Ahem to fight more effec tively and to hold control of the country, which they can do only by force. The way would also be open to push propaganda abroad, which has been decidedly checked, though by no means stopped, by the block ade. ', They can retain their hold on Russia by no other means, than spread of their system abroad, by world revolution which would spread misery to other countries and would support the delusion that they have planted in Russian minds that bol shevism is irresistible and destined to become universal. They make no secret of their intention, if trade should be resumed, to export bolshe- vlst Ideas. The real opening. for trade Is in the new states which have split off from Russia and in the territory which Wrangel has emancipated in the Bouth. The Baltic states need everything that America can supply, and their prosperity is in contrast with the ruin of Russia. By con firming title to land In the peasants and by recognizing the imperial debt. Wrangel has established credit for his territory abroad.. His people hive an inducement to produce a surplus ror export, and thus have goods to which title is dear to exchange for imports. Trade with these regions would restores their prosperity, and the contrast they would present to soviet Russia would hasten revolt there. A flock of people might flee from soviet Russia to the free sur rounding country, and bolshevism might die of Internal disintegration. Old Vllttns Ship Proves to Be Torn of Ninth Century ftneea, . The discovery of a New Norwegian Viking ship south of Aalesund, Nor way, stfrted In a cable dispatch to the New York Times recently, may prove of wide interest to the students of ancient civilization and northern an tiquities, says Arne Kildal In a letter to that newspaper. The statement given that the discovered ship is of a smaller type than the "iceberg ship" found some years ago, is a mistake, however, probably due to a tele graphic error. The ship referred to is the "Oseberg ship," discovered at Ose berg, near Tonsberg, Norway, in 1903, and excavated during the summer of the following year. This ship is the finest and best preserved of the Vik ing ships hitherto known, very com pletely restored and exhibited at the University of Christlania. But most interesting of all, the Ose berg ship has served the strange pur pose of a sarcophagus for a Viking queen, a queen who lived and died more than 200 years before William the Norman conquered Britain. Skele tons of two women were found in the ship and pieces of cloth, tapestries and ornaments, according to scientific investigations, point to the probabil ity that the remains belong to a queen and her maid entombed" there. Skele tons of 14 horses and of oxen and dogs were likewise unearthed. From the loom, fixed within the death chamber, the web hung, half woven. The richly decorated furniture and objects d'art, the eilk cloth interwoven with gold thread and the ornaments of bronze, lead and Iron, bear witness to the ad vanced civilization of the Norsemen of the day. The other prominent and well-preserved Viking ship, the Gokstad ship, was found in 1880 near Sandefjord, Norway. It dates from the ninth cen tury and is approximately of the same size as the Oseberg ship, having a dis placement of 30 tons and a comple ment of about 40 men. A chieftain or king had been burled in It. It has 32 oars, 16 on each side. That these hulls must have been seaworthy Is sum ciently proved by the fact that an exact replica of the Gokstad ship crossed the Atlantic in 1893 and be-' came one of the sights at the world's fair in Chicago. The vessel used in the Vlneland voyage, by the first, discoverers of America, were of the same type as the Gokstad ship, but probably some what larger, and may in several cases have been of about 60 tons displace ment. The excavation of the newly discov ered Viking ship Bouth of Aalesund will be followed with keen Interest. It may offer an Important contrlbu tlon ' to the widened, knowledge or. early civilization and the rank of the Northmen in the history of culture of that age. Those Who Come and Go. Certain O. O. P. scribblers have picked a phrase out of the Cox speech of ac ceptance and setting It entirely apart from its context declare that It betrays his "wet" proclivities. It is: "Morals cannot easily be produced by statute." To say that this phrase, which Cox used in connection with a matter entire v fnr.i.r, , nm.i- bitlon. is a bid for the wet vote, is in- suiieraDiy asinine. weston Leader. Referred to William Jennings firyan, who says that the Cox phrase is "a morsel of encouragement" tn the wets and that It is a "beautiful and euphonious half-truth which probably has been used by the liquor traffic more than any other phrase." If the government should buy all the whisky, the demand for Jobs in the Internal revenue bureau would be overwhelming and proximity to wet goods would wreck its morale, while leakage from the barrels would soon exhaust the supply. I. W. W. officials In Seattle. It ap pears from" the disclosures of a dis gruntled member, are using the de fense fund to pay their own fat sal aries. That is to be expected and Is nothing new. The men who helped a number of orphan children to enjoy the circus always will have something pleasant to remember. This old world is not as sordid as It might appear to be. The old fellows and those verging on age who have their heads dandi fied can afford to pay the increased price on extras and make the bar bers happy. The fun of the campaign will be gin when the two Roosevelts go on the stump against each other. How the late Theodore would have en joyed it! i Of course Mays did not try to kill Chapman. (He just wanted to scare him. He is a dangerous man. Put him. out of 'the game. An official, of all people, should be the last to drive a car while drunk. If an alleged offense can be proved, he should be given the limit. This thing of killing children must be stopped. There must be a way. The driver who uses his eyes doesn't do It. All sound Is noiseless, says the De troit News. Deaf mutes, we are as sured by competent authorities, live in a soundless world because they have not the mechanical apparatus to register sound waves on the brain. Sound is merely the vibration of the atmosphere and these air waves are in themselves soundless. Sound traveling through the air may be likened to a set of moving spheres, all centered at the source of the sound. Of course, these spheres are distorted more or less by various objects. When they strike the normal ear they are transmitted to the audi tory nerve by the ear drum and a series of small bones and we "hear," or rather "read," the vibrations. Sound waves travel very slowly through the air, moving along at the rate of only 1090 feet a second. They travel best through light and dry air. such as a cold winter morning. As light- travels so much taster than sound (186,000 miles a second), one often sees an action before the sound thereof reaches his ear. In other words, one sees a woodchopper raise his axe to" his shoulder before the sound of the previous blow reaches the ears. Sound may be reflected, the same as light. Echoes are produced in this way. The megaphone is a de vice to give direction to sound waves. When sound waves reach the ear at irresular intervals we call them "noise." When they arrive In regular order the effect Is "music." The human ear recognizes as sound any number of vibrations, from 16 to no- uMnd to about ss.ouu sec ond. Animals have keener ears and some can detect as low as six vibra tions a second and there are many we cannot hear. High A of the tenor voice gives about 427 vibrations a sqcond. The Intensity of the sound depends on the violence of the waves beating on the ear. Vibrations from cannon discharges are very slow, yet they crash against the ear with con siderable force, producing a great volume of noise. The telephone, as we know it, does not transmit sound. It would take sound waves one hour and 18 minutes to travel between New xoric ana t-ni-cago; but as the sound waves are changed into electrical waves lor transportation they travel with the same speed as light 186.000 miles a second. The speaking tuoe actually transmits sound waves. The following list of cities' and towns in which newly weds might' spend their honeymoon is compiled by the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram: Joy, Illinois. Happy Valley, Missouri. Honey Creek, Indiana. Sweet Home, Oregon. - Delight, Kansas. Sugar City, Colorado. Kandy. Ceylon. Hope, Kansas. Loveland, Iowa. Harmony, Arkansas. Citizens of Wallawa county. Or., will feel hurt at not finding their own Paradise In the list. If real domestic felicity is desired, we would suggest Bacona. Bakeoven, Cake and Dairy, all in Oregon. There is no pride of race or blood that can equal the pride of the aver age Texan for the lone star state. W. A. Smith of Houston, Texas, who is touring the west and middle west with his wife, arrived in Portland yesterday and is registered at the Portland. Smith has seeiwmany states on his tour, but Is of the opinion that j Texas Is good enough for him. When it comes to talking in terms oi oig distances, says Smith, n,o other state In the union can compare to his state. He produced a pocket map to back up his statements and showed that Cali fornia, at its longest distance north and south was a good many miles shorter than the width of Texas, where one can travel 48 hours on the fastest train and still be within the limits of the state now and then. Smith Is going over the highway to day before leaving for the south. R. M. "Doc" Crommelln of Pendle ton, manager of the Collins Flour mills of that cltv accompanied- by H W Collins and Elmer Moore, both of the Round-up city, drifted into the Benson yesterday. It was noticed that he appeared a little wild-eyed and in the grip of some tremendous excitement. He was asked - If the crops around Pendleton way were in gocd condition and he admitted that the wheat in that section did look promising, but his thoughts were evidently far away from crops and weather conditions. Later It developed that he had come to Portland to be married and had brought members of the Collins firm with him to help him tie the knot. The event took place as scheduled at 4:30 F. M-, Miss Myrtle Ross of 'Pendleton being the other principal In the affair. A din ner last night at the Benson In honor of the happy couple marked the end of a perfect day for "Doc" Oregon blue sky laws are a stum bling-block in the path of J. S. Han sen, wno is registered at the Oreeon. Hansell has some gilt-edged sure-fire on leases that he intends to dispose of in Oregon as soon as he can get an opinion from the attorney-general as to the operation of the tflua sky taws relative to oil propositions. Oil, says Hansell, is a gambling proposi tion pure and simple, but In the Texas holdings which his company controls ne tntngs that the cards are stacked in Els favor. He Intends to allow Ore gonlans to sit in on the game as soon as tne way is clear. wnen Irv Cobb comes to Ore son he isn i going to have to go clear Into the tall timber to find a hunting luuge, ior w. j. Hirdsall. manager ' mo mot uuue Inn at Bend, is go mis m nave me authors suite con verted Into one during his entire visit. Mr. Birdsall was in Portland yesterday arranging for a decorator. who- win see mat rugs, stuffed ani mals and every sort of hunting sou venir are propertly arranged in the rooms on the north side o the hotel which the writer Is to occupy shortly. Western forests and highways hold an interest for Mrs. E. P. Shelbv. New York magazine writer, who Is passing several days sigrh tseeinir in and around Portland. Mrs. Shelby when not busy stowing away information for future use in Harper's entertains her husband. Dr. Shelby, who is ac companying her on the western tour. They spent yesterday on the highway and will leave the city shortly for their home. POLITICAL, EFFRONTERY SHOWN av Argrnmeiita of Cox and Roosevelt Are Unworthy of Them. VANCOUVER. Wash.. Aug. 15. (To the Editor.) If Candidates Cox and Roosevelt will continue their cam paign speeches along the same line as the samples so far furnished. Ssnator New should put them on his list of re publican speakers. Sarcasm, -ridicule and deliberate misstatements Indicate shallow minds and absence of con vincing argument. A campaign of that kind might be excused if used by a ward heeler "during the palmy days of John Barieycorn, but candi dates for the presidency and vice presidency of the United States are not showing up well when they stoop to such methods. The statement of Cox that the re publicans are raising millions for the purpose or purchasing control of the government is of a piece with his as sertion that the republican congress accomplished nothing and the state ment of Roosevelt that Harding Is a boss-nominated reactionary are worthy of the same amount of cre dence. The republican congress was ham pered by the democratic obstruction ist in the White House, hwo delayed their efforts for a year while they tried to Americanize and ratify the peace treaty and then he vetoed the budget bill because it would not per mit him to appoint a "deserving dem ocrat" as the administrative head-. In the matter of campaign funds the democrats have placed no limit on the sum any individual or corporation may contribute and all federal em ployes will be mulcted for the rood of the cause and the postofflce de partment will be worked for the spread of democratic propaganda. The order of Burleson against . political activity of postal employes will pot apply if the activities are along the democratic lines. In view of the fact that the demo cratic candidates owe their nomina tions to four of the most reactionary bosses in the United States, the state ment of Roosevelt is the height of political effrontery. It Is Indolence and not ignorance on the part of the voters that will make such a campaign even partially suc cessful. Men are too-indolent to read and think for themselves. They listen to political demagogues and reason falsely that their misstatements must be true or they would not dare make them. FRANK W. STONE. More Truth Than . Poetry. By Jiran J. Montague, NOTHING IS WASTED IX THIS WORLD. Hush, little failure, don't yon cry. You'll be a movie, by and by! When dramas failed and failed and failed. And so ad infinitum. I used to think that something ailed m ne cnaps tnat tried to write em. Don't those guys know that they are thick?" I asked with grim derision. "Why don't they go and swing a PICK That needs no brains or vision." But I am not so lofty now. aiy confidence is shaken. And I am willing to avow mat 1 was quite mistaken. For when, with disannrovinir mien. I made these bitter stricture I had not viewed UDOn the screen A lot of moving pictures. I now know where the failures go If rude first-nighters guy 'em; They're written for a movie show. And film-men fisrht to huv "em The drama that the critics spurn With judgment based on reason. Upon the screen will often earn a lortune In a season. No more I scoff at folks who -writ a The plays whose doom la certain. As soon as they turn down the light raise tne painted curtain. The crafty author steels his heatl xo nissing and to booing. For though he may not write for art .tie Knows wtiat he Is doing. The Lion's Share. A few educators areelimlnatlne grammar from the public schools, but most of that work is being carried on by the pupils. - Tough! We read with a feeitnsr of nii.f that the national debt has been low ered by $76,404,453. And then turn ing over the Pasre our normalcv w..t restored by discovering that there still remains $24, 222,911, 013 to be paid. If Possible. When France has made German-- deliver that coal, perhaps she will come over here and make our coal oarons deliver a little to us. (Copyright, by the Bel! Syndicate. lne. Ed Cusick, state senator from Al bany, Is registered at the Oregon. Mr. Cusick has to walk these days, as some unscrupulous individual recently DroKe into ins garage and got away with his brand new car. He savs he knows' the car when he "sees it. how ever, and Is examining every car that passes nim on the street.' He intends to start a reign of terror when the car is found. It Is a Willys-Knight, black with cream wheels, but Mr. Cusick is watching even the little Fords that pass him on the street. After about a three years" absence from Portland, A. H. Cousins is back to take up his new duties as district fiscal agent for the United States for est service. He will replace H I. Loving, recer-tly resigned. Mr. Cous ins made his home in this city for eight yeads, then was sent to Salt Lake to the forest service headauar ters there. He arrived here yester- aay. E. E. Howard of Kansas City, con sulting engineer who was one of the principals in the building of the Broadway bridge in this city, is reg istered at the Portland. Judee A. J. Grosscup of Nampa. Idaho, with his wile and family. Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Cunningham, and Mr. and Mrs. O. O. Olenclute. from Medford, are also reg- isterea ai tne Portland. Oregonlans who registered at the New Perkins yesterday were: D. H. McRae, a sheepman, from Antelope; G. W. Heayes, attorney from Vale; Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Arnold. Rex; J. E: uaviason. f orest Grove: Mr. and Mrs. F. Scott of Baker and Alfred Soren- sen and niece of Sisters. Mrs. B. Sidell and Mrs. L. D. Mor gan, both of Astoria, are registered at the Multnomah. Other Oregonians registering yesterday were: F. E. Coffin and Howard Jenks of Albany. R. K. Stroi-g and W. K. Taylor of Corvallis and C. C. ' Chapman of Amity. L. Hill of Shanghai is registered at the Benson. RECKLESS SMOKERS TO BLAME Recent Tragic Flrea Point to Need of Protective Lawn, Says Writer. PORTLAND. Aug. 17. (To the Edi tor.) Our attention has been espe- especailly drawn o flate t more than one instance where destructive fires have originated from an unknown source, presumably through a half smoked cigarette. As vigilance is the price of -safety, strict watchful ness should be used to prevent a repe titlon of the recent terrible fire In Portland; also one of recent date In Albion, N. Y.. which It was made plain was caused by a cigarette In the pos session of a reckless smoker. We do not know how many fires In he United States are caused by such carelessness, but more effrrt should made to find the guilty parties and bring them to Justice. With the almost universality of smoking among men we do not feel safe in any hotel or lodging house. There Is too little mportance attached to human lives. Every locality where people congre gate, whether In parks or buildings, should have notices in a conspicuous place. "No Smoking Allowed," as is done at the entrance of lumber yards. t has always seemed to be "the peo pie come last" until an awakened conscience adopts methods whereby conditions are improved. Let us hope and pray the tobacco craze will soon lose its popularity and young men will spend more of their time in Industrial pursuits than ighting cigarettes, which are becom ing more and more a menace to indi vidual and public welfare. After more buildings are destroyed by cigarettes and more internal ma chines of the human system disor dered, we may have more protective laws against their use. It no doubt will be the extermination of an arti cle which has abused too many gen erations already, but some of us are going to etay on the job. JULIA A. HUNT. Lonesome, That's All. By Grace E. Hall. CHURCH REFORMATION IS SIMPLE Hint Ia Furnished by Case of Sevei Churches of Asia Minor. PORTLAND, Aug. 17. (To the Edi tor.) Our politicians are greatly to be admired who are doing all in their power to get back to normal condl tions of pre-war days. It Is also very Interesting to observe as your corre spondent, B. J. Hoadley, points out that there are signs of reformation In the churches. The reformation would be very simple would the churches follow Christ's teaching to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Of these churches five were commended for what was right, and condemned for what was wrong, and earnestly invited to repent of the wrong. Two of these churches were only commend ed, though one of them was only con demned and invited to repent. Now if the churches take their only Infallible criterion, they can soon dis cover'what is right and what Is wrong in doctrine, worship, government and discipline, and there is no reason why there should not be a larger co-operation and good to humanity, and also a larger union. M. MACKAY. The Los Angeles policarlafe was cracked Monday night, but not by a quake. Did somebody speak of the weather? What weather? A sale of blankets is in order. "How much did you pay for that suit of clothes?" "Forty dollars." "Forty dollars! For heaven's sake, man, where can you get a suit like that for forty dollars r "I don't know, nowadays. I bought this eight years ago. "The happy pair must have a num ber of rich relatives and friends." "Why do you think so?" "I understand no less than 15 old shoes were picked up in the street af ter they left for their honeymoon." Birmingham Age-Herald.; I'm lonesome tonight, dear that Js all: lhe winds come In from the lands afar. The birds wing by with a sad. weird call. And over the hilltOD Ju6t one star Trembles and waits in the breathless blue. With ne'er a companion to share the night: And I'm lonesome for love, dear, love and you. And my restless heart like the bird takes flight. Tm lonesome tonight, dear. All day long The things that must needs he claimed my thought; The notes in their discord marred my song. I loved no tone in the rhythm wrought; The lone north star like a bright gem gleams On the soft still breast of the night so blue. 'Tis the hour we share In our gold en dreams. And I'm lonesome for love, dear love and you. The notes of the songbird flung In air Trill on in the echoes of hill and glen. But the music of tenderness sweet and rare Dies out in our hearts through a fear of men: The star shines clear o'er the distant hill. Like a diamond brooch on a scarf of blue; The breeze Is a touch the touch, a thrill And I'm lonesome for love, dear love and you. In Othei Days. CONCERT OF ACTION FAVORED Bat Nation Will Not Assent to Im pairment of lis Sovereignty. EUGENE. Or.. Aug. 17. (To the Editor.) It Is manifest that while the Issues are somewhat confused or conflicting, the general tendencies or purposes of the two parties are suffi ciently plain for the average voter to decide or form some conclusion as to which is most beneficial or detri mental to the Interests of the country. As to the league of nations ques tion, we think it plain that the coun try does not want any arrangement that -will limit its sovereignty as a nation, but Is willing to enter Into some sort of a union or association that will assure or provide for con cert of action in case of disagreement or an attack upon the peace or good order of the world or of civilized peo ples, at least, what this will be or should be, time, of course, will tell. The principles that should govern or be incorporated in the same are suffi ciently indicated, we think, in the re publican platform, and If it Is put in power it will, as Its record points to In the past, have or furnish suffi cient statesmanship to carry them out or make a large step toward It. It is a large and complex question which it will take time and patience to effect. As to local problems the party makes a stand for proper guarantees for protection of the rights of alL poor as well as. rich; laborer as well as capitalist, on the '-elfare of both of which the country la dependent for any kind of prosperity or success at tx u cl li u ii in me wuiiu. a. A. Twenty-five Tears Ago. From T-fce Oresonlan of August 18. 1S95. Trustees of the Boys' and Girls' Aid society have accepted the building site proffered by Mrs. Rachael Haw thorne, with its prov'sions that a building, to cost not less than 6Q0U, be erected within one year. Searching parties have as yet found no trace of Albert E. Webber, who disappeared while returning -ia a row boat from a trip to Ross Island. During the past week 125 persons interested in good roads have joined the new Oregon Road club. The to tal membership is now 264 and the Dekum residence has been leased as headquarters. The champion Multnomah nine de feated the Spqkane team herd yes terday by a score of 8 to a. Dancing is Instinctive. London Mail. The dean of Durham, Bishop Well don, after watching displays of coun try and Morris dances by the Eng lish Folk Dance society at Durham, said that he greatly regretted certain changes which had come over the character of dancing. "Even my mem ory," he said, "carries me back to the time when the mazurka, the schot tische and Sir Roger de Coverley were habitual. In recent days dancing has almost degenerated to the waltz alone, and that has been to some extent supplemented by the jazz. I would welcome any revival of old dances. There Is a physical benefit which be longs tc dancing, and nobody who watches the conduct of young chil dren in is the Instinctive motion oi numan na ture." BEAN WILL HAVE ITS OWN WAV It Insists on Turning in Direction Op posite to Sun, MILLWOOD. Or., Aug. 15. (To the Editor.) My wife and I have had our annual laugh over Inez Gage Chap- pel's advice on how to raise pole beans. It was all the more funny be cause we were looking for it. If Inez is not afraid of getting ner nose sun burnt. It would be well for her to go out Into a real, honest-to-goodness garden and take a look a; Madam Bean who is of her own free will em bracing a friendly sunflower or corn stalk, and then take a look at the sun and see which way it lsvgoing. You had just as well try to make a hop vine or morning glory vine turn against the sun as to try to make bean vine go with the sun. Fifty Tears Ago, From The Oregonian of August 18, 1870. New Tork Tlfe Prussian war forces now number 570.000 men 250.000 under Prince Frederick Wil liam, 230,000 under Prince Frederick Charles, and 70,000 under General Steinmetz. New Tork Census returns indicate that the population of this city will be less than 900,000. Petitioners on the east side have asked from the county th right to build a bridge from the nign lana of Dr. Hawthorne's place along the street to the present ferry landing. Last evening the Right Reverend Bishop Morris, assisted by other local rectors, laid tne cornerstone or si David's church at East Portland. Millionaires tn the United States. HEPPNER, Or., Aug. 15. (To the Editor.) How many millionaires are there In the United States Individ uals, not corporations? E. P. Accurate data as to 4he number of millionaires In the Units.l States are lacking. It is difficult ' tc ascertain in the first place just what consti tutes a "millionaire." According to income tax returns for 1917 sum marized by a government official. there were 26.186 Individuals return ing Incomes In excess of $40,000 a year, which would be equivalent to 4 per cent on $1,000,000. They included, however, an undetermined number I think when the country Is cryine whose chief income was salary and for more food stun. Beginners ought not to be discouraged from raising pole beans. C. I GERMOND. Telephone Rates Contrasted. Dallas (Tex.) Journal. Very appropriately some of the latest telephone directories have at tached to them a card advertising an automobile "rent service." "anywhere within the city limits for Jl." One Is rem in ded of the rule for eoliini. the slums as soon as rau!ici..ienhone messaee "across" wlilrh w. heard can doubt that dancing is published in New York: "For local calls, take a taxi: ror long-distance calls, take a train." who may not have possessed much if any property. oovernmeni oniciais are inclined to take the income of $100,000 a year as the basis of rating a man a "millionaire," though this Is necessarily an approximation. There were 6664 of these in 1917. the last year for which any official returns have been published. Resourceful Aernt 'Explains. Judge. "The stocky you sold me Is full of water." "Well," said the agent, "have a blotter." - :V