Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, January 08, 1895, Page 4, Image 4

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THE 3IOB2sTEN"G- OREGOmAJZ, TUESDAY, JjLKTTABY 3. 1895
Catered at the PeetoElce at Portland. Oregon.
is second-class matter.
REVISED SUBSCRIPTION BATES.
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Dally, -with Eendar. per raeath.. ...$ 1 00
Xai!r, Sunday excepted, per year..... 10 00
UaJIn xeith Ptmrta-r nw -vpor .. 12 00
Sunday, per year... ...... .. ........ W
The "Weekly, per year.
ZTbe Weekly, three meattus
150
60
TO CITV SUBSCRIBERS.
05aJly. per week, dullrered. Sonday cxceptcd-.2oc
Daily, per week, delivered. Sunday lnduded..39c
News or discussion intended for publication in
The Oregonian sfeould le addressed invariably
"Editor The Oresootan," not to the nane of
any Individual. letters relating to advertising
lubscrtfrtJon or to any business matter should
be addressed simply "The Oregonian."
The Oregoalan does not bey poems or stories
from individuals, and cannot undertake to re
turn aay manuscript sent to it without solici
tation. No uampa should be inclosed tor this
jmrpoee.
DAILY METEOROLOGICAL REPORT
PORTLAND, Jan. 7. S P. M. Maximum
temperature. 42; minimum temperature, 32;
ight of river at 11 A. M.. 11.3: change In the
1 at 21 hours. 0.5; precipitation today, .00;
precipitation from Sepetmber 1. ISO (wet sea
son), u date, 15.V8; average. 22.00; deficiency,
0.1A.
WEATHER SYNOPSIS.
ince tle barometric pressure is decreasing
f v er the western portions of "Washington and
Orogon and northwestern portion of California,
t has the appearance ef an approaching storm,
iuin has commenced In the northwestern por-
10ns of Washington. East of the Cascades the
" "mperatures are cool, ranging from 22 to 2S
lgres. and in the Dakotas and Montana tem
peratures ranging from sere to 18 degrees below
are recorded.
WEATHER FORECASTS.
forecasts made at Portland for the 21 hours
tuning at midnight January 8:
Y'T Western, Washington and Western Oregon
- Rain or sewwind warmer, -with fresh fcouth
tily winds; gales on the coast.
For Eastern Washington. Eastern Oregon and
IdahoFair weather and slightly warmer, with
Jlght to freeh southerly winds.
Tor Portland Rain or snow and slightly
"warmer, with fresn southerly Rinds.
B. S. PAGUE. Local Forecast Official.
PORTLAND. TUESDAY. JANUARY .
NOT OK LO'G DCRATIOX.
Theo? is no silver craze east of the
Mississippi river. To find It, one must
rome West, to the region where, in
one way or another, the vitality of the
craze depends upon its connection with
the interest of persons who live by sil
ver mining. Among these are desper
ate speculators who have blown every
thing into silver mines; and these be
tome political desperadoes, who, hav
ing nothing more to lose, take the lead
in absurd enterprises for recovery of
their fortunes through political action.
They play on the cupidity of other
politicians, and on the ignorance of a
mass of people who feel the stress of
hard times; and thus silver fanaticism
goes howling through the land.
It -wilt not "be of long duration. Even
in these Western regions, where a com
bination exists consisting of men who
have blown everything into barren sil
ver mines, of political demagogues who
would renounce and abjure any prin
i iple for the sake of ofllce, and Of popu
lar ignorance, which thinks that, there
is some magic in local legislation that
tan make values and sustain them
against the general values of Che world,
weariness will soon result from efforts
tu compel the Impossible. The law of
-values, the law of financial economy,
like the law of gravitation, never
Krows tired. Men may wear themselves
out in lighting II, but it remains as
fresh as ever, from year to year and
from age to age.
In our older states of the East,
"where the people are in closer contact
with the world of business and affairs,
this folly Is not acute, and indeed has
little standing. Here, it is more preva
lent; but even here it is not in the as
cendant. After all, there are few per
sons of pabsable intelligence who
really believe that silver, which can be
bought anywhere on earth atthe rate
of 00 cents an ounce, can be made worth
51 29 an ounce by an act of congress;
or that the world's market ratio of sil
er and gold, which is 32 to 1, can be
snade 16 to 1 if we will it and send to
congress men who will to declare it.
It would be a stupendous undertak
ing to dam the Columbia, or Niagara,
"but a slight undertaking in' comparison
with an effort to resist the world's law
of Values. The time is not distant when
anybody laying claim to Intelligence
aill be ashamed of the effort.
A TOP-HEAVY SYSTEM.
General Schofield, who is now at the
liuad of the army, will retire next Sep
tember, having reached the age of 64.
If no ohunge is made in his rank, he
will retire on a salary of $5623 a year.
If the president's recommendation that
the grade of lieutenant-general be re-
Mvod for the benelit of General Scho
field preail, his pay will be materially
increased, as the salary of that position
is $11,000 a year, with no deduction on
leliremont. General Schofield is the
Ighteenth general-ln-chief of the army
of the United States, only four of whom
Washington, Scott, Grant and Sheri
dan had the title of lieutenant-general,
though Sherman had the title before he
was made general-ln-chief.
This distinction is urged in General
Soholleld's case in view of his distin
guished services. Since these have
been gratefully acknowledged and am
ply rewarded, both In bestowal of hon
ors and substantial pay during the
ears of his active service, the country
can hardly be said to be further in
debted to him. Theie is a too great
tendency to put a money value upon
patriotism and patriotic service for the
tredlt of a nation that presumes its
citizens patriots from principle. The
wholesale pension idea which 'has been
pushed to such excess cannot be con
sistently opiosed by thoe who favor
the bestowal of an additional title upon
the commander-in-chief of the army
for the sole reason of doubling his pay
upon retirement.
The pension system, broad as it is,
5s even now top-heavy, and it must be
pruned judiciously from the top before
its rank growth can be materially
checked. No heavy pension under the
gute of added honors and increased
iwy after the age limit of retirement
nas beeti reached should be allowed to
add lus weight to the already sorely
burdened system. A man who has for
something like a generation drawn the
pay aad enjoyed the perquisites of a
major-general in the army bbould be
omfortably well off at the age of 64
year. And since by that time it is
reasonable to suppose that his family
has been reared and educated, he should
And It easy to live, and live in luxury,
upon the ijy of a retired ofilcer of his
rank. His patriotism, being of an un
purcJiHsaule quality, is above mer
cenary pwrd, and his military fame
can gain nothing by an added title
routing at least that the country should
be required to pay for. A man of Gen
eral Schofield attainments in his coun
try's service is able to stand upon his
record and live upon his legitimate
pay. This is common sense, common
justice, common patriotism three com
mon virtues that should guide a republic
NATIONAL AND STATE BANKS.
It is one of the discouraging features
of current financial discussion to find
so many of the arguments of persons
without knowledge and experience re
peated in different forms by persons
who know better, but who think they
see chance for profit for themselves in
unstable currency and insecure bank
ing. There is a large party among
bankers and well-instructed students of
finance in New York and New England,
which desires to substitute state for
national banking, simply because it is
more profitable to the banker. These
Eastern bankers do not mean to abuse
the state bank system and swindle
noteholders themselves, but they know
that this will be done In newer and
less carefully guarded communities.
This is proved by their instant protest
against the features added to the Bal
timore plan by Mr. Carlisle, putting the
credit of all the banks behind the notes
of every one. This is confession that
the sj'stem is insecure; yet many bank
ers of high standing advocate It be
cause they can make greater profit
upon circulation under" it than under
the national bank system, which is ab
solutely secure for everybody.
The views of these selfish fiankers
sift through the columns of general
and financial newspapers of equally
h'gh standing, like the Springfield Re
publican and the Financial Chronicle,
which attack national and advocate
state "banking in arguments which,
were the style muddier and the epithets
coarser, might emanate from Western
populists. Here is the Financial Chroni
cle, perhaps the highest special author
ity on finance in the country, summar
izing Its previously reiterated argu
ments against the national bank sys
tem thus:-
First A special issue of government
bonds for use as security for bank notes
would be wrong In principle, would be in
opposition to public opinion, and we can
not think it will ever receive the sanction
of any congress.
Second Even If done it would be but a
temporary provision, and could not be
the basis of a permanent system, for an
increasing demand for banks, and hence
for the bonds, would enhance the market
price until it became unprofitable to re
tain the circulation, and the notes would
be given up and the bonds sold a process
of which we have had an illustration
during recent years.
Third Bank notes so secured cannot be
elastic or the volume afloat be made in
any degree to conform to the volume of
commercial transactions, and consequent
ly would not relieve our present embar
rassment In the least.
Fourth A currency with a government
bond back of It calls for the locking up of
an equal or larger amount of capital to
secure it, so that the operation is of no
advantage but a disadvantage to the pub
lic. This Is a strange place to find that
fatally foolish assumption of the popu
list that government bonds are to be
Issued for the special purpose of fur
nishing security for bank notes. This
paper should know, if the populist does
not, that legal TShaers df e' "not money,
but a demand debt, which ought to be
wiped out at once. It is to pay this
due and pressing debt that bonds
should be sold. That the bonds, once
in hands of the public, will furnish ba
sis for a safer currency of bank notes is
only a fortunate accident. Issue of
national bank currency would not have
become unprofitable had the govern
ment devoted surplus revenue to the
legitimate purpose of reducing its de
mand debt, instead of running up the
price of bonds by buying them at a
premium, while constantly pouring
more treasury notes into circulation.
Bank notes have been crowded out by
government credit money. Wipe this
out and bankers will find it profitable
enough to issue n6tes under the present
system. The objection that a national
bank currency is inelastic is imaginary.
Elasticity is a fiction. No safe cur
rency is elastic, because .notes come in
for redemption only when holders doubt
their soundness. It is not true that the
national bank system locks up the
capital of the country more than it is
locked up already, in government
bonds. It locks up the special capital
of the bankers, but they are compen
sated by payment of interest, as well
as by the privilege of circulation.
Notes issued without locking up capital
to secure them, as under the old state
bank system, are not a safe currency.
These objections of bankers and of
banking journals to the national bank
ing system simply mean that some
bankers want to make larger profit on
circulation than is possible under this
system and are willing to sacrifice the
security of noteholders to do It, One of
the strongest proofs of the superiority
of national over state banking, for the
noteholder. Is the willingness of the
banks themselves to make the change.
Engineer Schuyler's letter, printed to
day, offers the excuse for the broken
reservoir in the park that he did not
make the hill; that the place was se
lected for the reservoir before he came
to the work; that he did the best he
could with It, but did not guarantee it;
that no slip of the hill was detected
last winter and none could have been
foreseen; that lie was hurried too much
with the work, but believes it can be
made good without very much expense.
Of the other broken reservoir, at the
foot of Mount Tabor, he says nothing.
The damage there. Indeed, Tis not seri
ous, and can easily be repaired; but
the work certainly was done imper
fectly, since the bottom where the ma
terials were disturbed, or where filling
was done, was not properly tamped,
and was not puddled at all. It will be
Interesting to learn what excuse Mr.
Schuyler has to offer for this oversight.
If there Is a wretched creature living
whom death has, in cruel unklndness,
too long passed by, that creature is
Sarah Althea Terry, now and for some
time past an Inmate of a California
asylum for the Insane Having proved
by calling out public odium, such as
has fortunately fallen to the lot of few
women, the utter futility of the attempt
to ride, by sheer force of will, over the
barriers of custom and decency in
which society has entrenched itself;
having failed in open contest to van
quish a shameless roue, who had noth
ing but his money to lose and was
crafty enough to secure that; having
passed through strife and degradation
and Infamy, and finally stood side by
side with tragedy that bereft her of a
friend surprisingly raised up la her de-
fense, it would seem that fate might
have kindly relinquished her to death
Instead of cruelly consigning her to
insanity, to be further preyed upon by
designing and mercenary men. Since
her name cannot recall anything that
Is honorable or worthy, either in her
own behalf or in that of those most
Intimately associated with her, it is
a pity that it should be from time to
time paraded before the public
LIQUOR AXD THE LAW.
One hears very little in the reports of
the Lexow committee's work or of other
manifestations of the moral uprising
in New York city, about the part the
liquor-dealers are playing in the history
of this epoch. This more recognizedly
buslness portion of the classes Tam
many has blackmailed represents in a
way the whole quasi-outlawed com
munity of ordinance-breaking saloons,
gambling dens and houses of prostitu
tion. Of all these, the liquor-dealers are
the only ones who are- accorded, and
justly enough, too, a standing of re
spectability before society and respon
sibility before "the law. As individuals
and through their organizations and
trade publications they have rendered
material aid to the unraveling of the
disgraceful blackmail regime which
the police have imposed. They
were very sore and restive under the
exactions, but put up with them as
long as protection was forthcoming.
When this began to flag, they rebelled,
and have been of very great assistance
to the Investigations.
It needs to be pointed out that the
principal in the municipal crime is not
the "protected," but the police. The
book-agent Is nothing at all as culpable
as the public official who sells out to
him; and the saloon man, gambler or
unfortunate woman, though accessory
to the. crime of municipal corruption.
Is more to be pitied than condemned.
The head and front of the offending- is
in the corrupt police department which
levies blackmail under the guise of pro
tection. Liquor-selling has some sort
of legitimate function; but the saloon
as it exists panders in a way to vicious
ness and immorality precisely as do the
gambler and bawd. Nobody recognizes
this more cheerfully than the saloon
keeper himself, and he Is always ready
and willing to pay a stiff license fee,
even if his next-door neighbor, the
grocer, pays none at all. Yet he should
be fairly treated. There is no justice
in robbing or blackmailing him.
Common justice is all the liquor
dealer wants; and nothing else should
be given him. But this is denied in
about equal degree by the Tammany
and the Parkhurst Idea. One is inter
ested in the liquor-dealer only as a
source of a possible corruption fund; the
other as something to be accorded nei
ther justice nor toleration, nor
charity. With neither of these
theories has the ' law, proper
ly conceived and administered,
anything in common. Liquor-selling
should bear all the burden of municipal
machinery iucan stand without oppres
sion. This it is always willing to shoul
der. Every cent of this levy should go
into the public coffers, and Its protec
tion should be provided and paid for
altogether by salaries to public officers.
To this end a system of high license is
the means most approved by experi
ence. GOOD PROSPECTS FOR. THE CANAL.
It 'is evident that the project for the
canal at Nicaragua has great strength
in congress. Opposition to it is con
fined to a very small number, though
doubtless there are many who have
not yet fully awakened to the fact that
the canal must be built, and must be
built by the United States. It is be
lieved that the violent attack, on the
project by Senator Turple, of Indiana,
will find scarcely a second in the sen
ate. Of course, on a measure of so
much importance, no vote can be
reached till after many speeches are
made, and probably the present session
will not afford time for exhaustion of
the oratory; but we fully believe that
the bill, If not passed by" the present
congress, will be passed Tjy the next.
An encouraging fact Is the active sup
port of many great newspapers. We
note scarcely any dissent on the part
of the great newspapers of the coun
try from the demand that the United
States shall build the canal, while most
of them strongly urge It. We have re
printed many such articles during the
last two or three months from journals
North and South. Some urge immedi
ate action. The New York Times makes
an earnest appeal against further de
lay. It says this canal Is to be built,
and to be built by our government,
and there ought to be no difficulty in
bringing congress to definite action.
"The two houses of congress," con
tinues the Times, "ought to agree upon
one of the pending bills, or a measure
upon the same lines, providing for con
trol of the canal in return for the guar
antee of the bonds necessary to raise
the needed capital. There has been too
much delay already, and more delay
may hive serious consequences by in
viting capital and resulting complica
tions from abroad." It is believed that
if a vote can be reached in the senate
not one-fourth of the senators will vote
against the canal.
The American Book Company is un
der the same fire in other states that it
has had to face in Oregon and Wash
ington. An article printed in another
column gives an account of Its doings
in Alabama. In Virginia the Norfolk
Pilot has created a stir by charging
the superintendent of education with
accepting a bribe from the American
Book Company, and asserting that the
other members of the board of educa
tion, the governor and the attorney
general, have allowed themselves to be
Imposed upon. The legislature has
taken the matter up, and an Investiga
tion Is ordered. The frequency of the
charges against this company almost
creates a doubt whether, after all, it is
chaste as ice and pure as snow.
The office of superintendent of public
education Is not a necessary office, but
it Is a costly one. It could be abolished
without the least detriment to the pub
lic schools. The office of attorney-general
is not a necessary office. The
state has no interests that cannot be
protected by the district attorneys.
Formerly the district attorneys did this
duty, and they can be required to re
sume it. Every office not absolutely
necessary should be cut off, and we
should return in all our affairs to the
simple economies of the early times.
The voting and speaking in the house
democratic caucus indicates that the
Carlisle banking bill cannot posslbly
pass tllg house. Out of 220 democratic
representatives, only 152 attended the
caucus, and of these only SI voted for
the Carlisle bill. This Is less than one-
fourth of the house and little more than
one-third of the democratic representa
tives. In the caucus 59 voted against
the- bllL These, with the 125 republi
cans and 11 populists, will make a ma
jority of about 20 against the bill, even
if the 75 caucus absentees all vote for
it The probability is that -most of
them will vote against it. It must be
remembered that party screws cannot
be put upon a question like this, which
is economic rather than political, and
upon which the ruling party is frankly
divided. Such a bill as this gets nearly
as many votes in caucus as it can
hope for in the house.
Traffic on all railroad lines centering
in this city and upon street-car lines
has been resumed; the streets have be
come fairly passable, the downpour of
rain, which threatened a flood, has
ceased, and the most delightful weather
has succeeded the brief reign of winter.
While first reports of great damage to
fruit trees in the section visited by the
sleet have unfortunately been verified,
it is probable that careful pruning and
a year's growth will remedy much of
the apparent destruction and reduce
the damage to the "minimum.
The story now is that German exclu
sion of American cattle and meat Is a
bid by the government for support of
the agrarian party In Prussia. But
the government never would have ven
tured upon such a step had not the
reciprocity clause of the McKinley bill,
which armed our government with
power to retaliate, been repealed. It
was under that clause that Phelps in
Germany and Reid in France obtained
abrogation of the old customs regula
tions against American meats.
The democratic caucus demonstrates
that there will beno financial legisla
tion this session. This is because the
democratic party is incapable of legis
lation or government, and the issue
does not take such form that republi
cans can come to the rescue, as they did
in the case of the silver law repeal.
Next spring the president will call an
extra session and the republicans will
help him carry out a rational plan of
currency reform.
From the time of Cataline the ruined
gambler has been a danger to the state
The noisiest clamor for free coinage of
silver comes from desperate gamblers,
ruined by reckless speculation in silver
mines, who now plot financial revolu
tion as Cataline plotted political revo
lution in the hope either to retrieve
their own damaged fortunes or to drag
all others down to .their own level and
involve the whole community in com
mon ruin.
It was more candid than politic of
the president to publish his letter to
the commissioners of the ex-queen,
Lilluokajani, in which he declared that
he had done his "best to restore the
monarchy in Hawaii and only aban
doned his purpose when he had ex
hausted his constitutional powers.
It Is thought that a test vote on the
Carlisle bill will be had in the house
this week. But this will be only the
beginning of the struggle over it. The
history of the silver repeal and tariff
bills proves that.
THB SENATORIAL ELECTION.
The Senator Muit Not Re a. Silver
Mb nam eCall s f 1
Klamath Falls Express.
The principal work of the Oregon legis
lature this winter is the selection of a
United States senator to succeed Senator
Dolph. The democrats will have but lit
tle to say about this, but if the republi
cans will send a man to represent Ore
gon in the upper branch of congress who
is in favor of honest money, they will
command the unpualifled respect of both
democrats and republicans. IE makes but
little difference what views Senator
Dolph's successor may entertain on other
subjects, If he is sound on the money
question. It will be the great problem
for the 51th congress to solve, and It Is
the earnest hope of every friend of honest
money that such men only will be Intrust
ed with Its solution as will do their duty
earnestly and well. No advocate of "the
unlimited coinage of silver, 16 to 1, with
out the aid or consent of any other na
tion on earth," will do. No advocate of
the free coinage of American silver will
do. No one who advocates that 49 cents
in silver should pass for as much as 100
cents' worth of gold, which must even
tually reduce us to a silver basis In the
event of free coinage, will do. The next
senator from Oregon should be a man
of broad views on the financial question,
one with experience who will command
respect and attention at Washington,
and a bimetallst, not a sliver tnjfnftietal
ist, believing the nation's credit should be
upheld and maintained against all as
saults of the Inflationists.
Salem Statesman.
It is growing to be more generally under
stood that a person may be a friend of sil
ver without being compelled to argue
that twice 16 are 16 worse than claiming
that black Is white, for there are opti
cal delusions and color blindness, while
figures will not lie. A great many of
those accounted gold-bugs by these 16
puzzled and befuddled cranks sincerely
deslre the largest possible use of silver.
Senator Dolph is one of them. He has
repeatedly stood up In the United States
senate and proclaimed this friendship.
Every consideration of patriotism makes
him a friend of silver, and anxious to see
the largest possible use of that metal,
more especially the product of American
mines. He has often said in the senate
that he would be glad to help further
a financial scheme whereby the entire
American product of silver might be
used, and he has expressed hopes of see
ing such end attained by wise legislation
In this country, assisted by an Interna
tional agreement, which every republican
in both houses -of congress has favored
for years. The time Is past when any
man who will not fall down on his face
and worship the silver-mine owners, and
devoutly declare that twice 15 are 16, can
with effect and impunity be branded as
a robber, plutocrat, gold-bug, etc., by
the servants of these bullion monopolists
and the unreasoning ignoramuses who
are led and carried off their feet by the
noise of their claquers.
Portland Commercial Review-
This paper, In Its issue of tomorrow,
will say: "The term of the best senator
Oregon has had is nearly finished and an
other is to be elected. The present incum
bent, J. N. Dolph, in the ordinary course
of events would be returned, but this
is no ordinary time. The next congress
wijl be organized and governed by republi
cans and, that being the case, the state
that has the most experienced legislators
will get first pick. Senator Dolph has
done more for "this st$te in the last few
years than any other"ftiree men, hnd'ndw,
when we ought to show our appreciation,
we talk of substituting, one for him ,who
cannot do an eighth part of the good
Senator Dolph, if lt alone, could do.
Oregon's history Is full of the most stu
pendous blunders- ever wrought by man;
we certainly hope there will be none this
time. This senatorial contest is like the
business man who had taken particular
pains to promote and educate a clerk to
a position of great trust; after so fitting
him for the position a young man comes
along to whom the business man thinks
he Is Indebted, the young man asks for
this position of trust because It will give
him a little more social prestige, but it
is not given htm. In this parable the
business man Is the state, the clerk is
Senator Dolph and the other Is ?"
A SLANDERER. ROASTED.
Nebraska's Poverty In. Contrast With
Oresron's Prosperity.
LEXINGTON, Neb., Jan. 2. (To the
Editor.) In the Dawson County Pioneer,
printed at Lexington, Neb., there appears
a two-column letter, "A Breeze From
Oregon," which Is written by a man for
merly from Nebraska, but now residing
at Salem, Or. There being about one hun
dred families from this state (Nebraska),
and from Dawson county In particular,
that have moved into Yamhill county.
Or., I deem It the duty of some one to
notice this attack on the fair name of
your state.
This man, William McDonald, who is
now seeking to harm you all he can. Is,
or had been up to about six months ago,
a resident of Nebraska. When he left
here, he left for the reason that he was
"tired of such a country as Nebraska."
Now that he has left, all he has to do is
to saj : "Give Oregon a wide berth." All
the families that left this state for Ore
gon, and who all reside in Yamhill county,
are perfectly satisfied with the change.
The writer had the pleasure of visiting
your city and state during April and May
1S94, and I have the warmest feeling for
your fair state and your good citizens.
This McDonald calls Oregon "A fraud
with a big F." What is Nebraska but
a place for men of this man McDonald's
caliber and the rich? A poor man in
Nebraska must work hard in the present
times to get even enough to keep soul
and body together, and then call for
"Aid with a big A" to help out until
spring. Ho says Oregon fruit Is "no
good." Well, our Dawson county fruit,
which has been planted for over 20
years, Is no good, either, for it would take
all the fruit raised In Dawson county to
make one meal for one only; so Oregon is
far superior in fruit.
McDonald says "Oregon is the worst
state in the Union for a poor man." Well,
he is not classed with the poor, as he
left this county with an iron safe full
of money to loan to the poor man of Ore
gon, and to teach the Oregonlans how to
make money. But he finds out that there
are common farmers in Oregon who have
more money in their homes than he is
possessed of. He says Chinamen work
for To cents per day, and get their meals
for 4 cents each. I can find you 10,000
men in Central and Western Nebraska
that will work for 73 cents per day, but
they can't get work even at 50 cents. As
to Chinamen's board, here McDonald
"takes the cake." I will get 500 citizens
of Dawson county, Neb., to make oath
that McDonald kept a "shaving shop" in
this city for about 20 years, and In that
20 years he only took one square meal
each Sunday noon. The balance of his
meals did not cost hint to exceed 4 cents
per day. I mean per day, not per meal;
so he has no "edge" on the Chinaman;
and I will almost wager that it does not
cost him now to live in the city of Salem
to exceed 4 cents per meal for himself and
family. Just "have a reporter go to Day
ton, Or., and have a personal visit with
the Nebraska folks there. Then go and
see this man McDonald at Salem, and
see if all is not as I say. I think the
best thing for you Oregonians to do is to
keep" McDonald In Oregon, and the more
he says about poor people and cheap
living the better it is for your state.
F. P. KREITZ.
It should be added that Dawson county,
Neb., is one of the most destitute counties
of that state, and the people are much In
need of help to carry them through the
winter. The same letter that enclosed
McDonald's slanderous statement about
Oregon contained this clipping, viz.:
MACON, Mo., Jan. 2. A committee
which has been appointed to solicit cloth
ing and provisions for destitute farmers
at Lexington, Dawson county, Neb., has
collected a large quantity of goods and
will ship them immediately.
SENATOR COGSWELL.
He Has Not Ceased" to Be a. Resident
of Lake County.
To the editor of the Klamath Star: A
correspondent of The Oregonian com
plains that Senator Cogswell Is no longer
a resident of Lake county, and he Is
greatly worried thereat. His worry, of
course, is thus yelled for effect on the
legislature, but somebody will be just
mean enough to spoil the effect by ex
plaining the truth that Senator Cogs
wtll's property Interests are all still in
Lake county, and that after attending to
the duties of schooling his children in
Portland this winter, he will go straight
home to his law practice. It may even be
shown clearly that the citizens of this
senatorial district have no reason to com
plain either of Mr Cogswell's temporary
absence or his services on this, his sec
ond term. Will The Oregonian please
copy? VERITAS.
PERSONS "WORTH KNOWIXG ABOUT.
Colonel John H. Bass, the car-wheel
manufacturer, of Fort Wayne, Ind., Is said
to be the wealthiest men in the state of
Indiana.
Charlotte Fowler Well3 was the first
woman publisher. She has been In busi
ness since 1814, and Is still at it in New
York. She says she is too busy to think
how old she Is.
Camllle Flammarion and three other
French astronomers will make for the
Paris exhibition in 1900 a model of the
moon a model on such an enormous
scale that balloon journeys will be made
around it.
General E. C. Walthall, of Mississippi,
who resigned his seat In the United States
senate on account of ill health, Is at
Memphis, Tenn., very much improved. He
says he will resume hi3 seat in 1SS5 If his
health remains as good as at present.
The income of John D. Rockefeller is a
matter of some concern to the local col
lector of Internal revenue at Cleveland.
The government agent expects to get $173,
320 worth of Income tax out of Mr. Rocke
feller on an assessable fortune of $3,
6W.O00. The Japanese mikado is a man of great
personal magnetism. He is in fine phy
sical condition and Is naturally extremely
vivacious. His eyes are brilliant, his
teeth white and regular, and his smile at
tractive. He has been a great reader
and is especially well informed regarding
French literature.
President H. W. Cannon, of the Chase
National bank, and President Baker, of
the First National bank, New York, have
received from James J. Hill, president of
the Great Northern railroad, Christmas
presents of two magnificent specimens
of bull buffalo heads from Mr. Hill's game
preserve In the Northwest.
Richard Watson Gilder, editor of the
Century, spent his Christmas evening in
the Bowery. Mr. Gilder has been Intensely
interested in the subject of tenement and
lodging-houses, and his Christmas even
ing investigation was only one of many
midnight tours he has made with the ob
ject of determining by personal obser
vation how the poor of the city, the ten
ement dwellers, the tramps and the home
less are sheltered at night The poet
was accompanied by Mr. Reynolds, of
the university settlement, and a-detectlve.
Josef Hofmann, Rubinstein's last pupil,
gave a concert In London just a few hours
before his master died. Some days later
he gave a memorial recital at Chelten
ham. One of his numbers was Chopln'a
B minor sonata. When he reached the
funeral march, the entire audience rose
as by a common Impulse and remained
standing till the movement came to the
end.
c
CLEAN THE STREETS.
The City Asked to Remove the Great
Plies of Snow.
PORTLAND, Jan. 7. (To the Editors
Most surely you spoke the truth the oth
er day when you said that "after a fall
of snow Portland just lay down on her
back" and did nothing. The business
streets in their present condition are a
disgrace to any place and could not be
In a worse state if we weie in some little
bit of a village instead of a well-regulated
city. Take Washington street and Third
street at their crossings, and there are
piles of snow in the street eight feet high.
Most of the citizens have cleaned off their
sidewalks, and there Is apparently hardly
a roof that does not need to be cleaned
off. All this accumulation of snow has
to go Into the street, to melt or remain, as
the weather may permit. It does not seem
right that individuals should have to
take this snow away, yet It ought to be
removed at once. What are the mayor
and council, with their street superintend
ent, for, if they don't see to these things?
They surely come under the head of city
government. If they have no ordinance
allowing this to he done at the public
expense the council should pass one and
put men to work. There la any quantity
of idle men In the city who would be only
too glad of the small amount that would
have to be paid them to shovel the snow
into carts, of which the city has plenty.
If they were hired under the superintend
ent of streets the business portion of the
city would be cleaned up and a great
many deserving men 'now out of work
would be benefited. I don't mean for the
city to go In for any charity, but sim
ply that men can now be hired cheaply
to do this very necessary work. Let the
city take hold of it in a proper, systematic
way, and It won't cost very much, and I
am pretty sure that no taxpayer will ob
ject to the small amount. The snow can
be carted off and dumped into the river,
and it. would not take long to make the
fatreets as far back as Sixth or Seventh,
and further on some of the streets where
necessary, passable. If the city cannot
or will not do this (it can if the
officers take hold of it) perhaps the
city board of charities will, but I think It
is the place of the authorities to do the
work. INDIGNANT CITIZEN.
Snow ought to be cleaned off the streets,
but it should "be done by property-owners,
not by the city. The heaps of snow of
which this writer complains, have been
piled up by owners of buildings cleaning
off their roofs, on one side, and by the
street-car companies 'cleaning their tracks
on the other. Neither of these should be
allowed to encumber the streets. Both
should be obliged to cart the snow off,
when they remove it from their own
property or right-of-way. But this is a
small thing to make a fuss about when
snow lies untouched, except as It has been
trodden under foot, on four-fifths of the
sidewalks of the city, nearly a week after
It began to fall.
THE BOOK TRUST IN ALABAMA.
Montgomery letter to Louisville Courier
Journal: The legislature of Alabama Is
likely to get seriously mixed up with the
American Book Company, widely known
as the School Book Trust, or the indica
tions are all wrong. .This, state has -no
statute regarding school books, and the
book trust, taking advantage of the situ
ation, has been Imposing upon the people
most outrageously, but a day of reckon
ing Is coming, and that very speedily
Some time ago this great monopoly
formed a combination with the Univer
sity Publishing Company, of New York,
and Hansell & Brother, of New Orleans.
Tnis entirely removed these popular
Southern corporations from the rank of
competitors. The Book Trust then pro
ceeded to make a deal with the Alabama
Book Sellers' Association, containing in
Its membership the most prominent book
firms in the state. It was then in beau
tiful shape to squeeze the people as it
pleased, and It ha3 been doing so in a
manner almost beyond belief. School
books that can be purchased In
other states for 75 and 80 cents,
retail in the cities of Alabama
at 51 23 and $1 50, and in the country at
even higher prices; and this monstrous
combine supplies 90 per cent of the books
used In the public schools.
For several years repeated attempts
have been made by the friends of edu
cation to induce the state legislature to
pass some measure that would relieve the
people of this burdensome school-book
tax, but the Book Trust and the book
dealers would not have It so. Through
skillful lobbying, every effort in that line
has been killed, and the exorbitant prices
have continued. In the present legisla
ture a local school-book bill was recently
Introduced. Not being acceptable to the
Book Trust, because it would open up
competition, it was vigorously jumped
upon. Some of the lobbyists, in their zeal
to serve the trust, were indiscreet. In
consequence of this, the true inwardness
of the opposition leaked out. When the
bill came up In the senate they could get
only one man to vote against It.
This knock-out was. bad enough in it
self, but there is still greater trouble
ahead. Some of the members of the leg
islature are now fully informed of the
infamous purpose of the Book Trust and
dealers to block legislation, and it is
morally certain they will be able to com
mand very few votes against the general
book bill now in the legislature; and their
compact Is likely to become the subject
of legislative investigation. No special
interest ever successfully resisted the
will of an injured people. The citizens
of Alabama have been wronged by the
School Book Trust, and they know it.
and they are now demanding and will
obtain from the legislature a proper law
for their relief and protection. The mem
bers of this general assembly will not be
controlled by the paid lobbyists of a cor
rupt combination.
Foreign Capital "Withdrawn.
United States Investor.
The silly chatter, of which so much Is
heard from populists and silver extre
mists, that the United States are strong
enough to Ignore the fundamental laws
of finance and adopt a policy of their own,
independent of that of other nations, is
naturally bearing Its ripe fruit in the
withdrawal of foreign Investments from
the United States and the demand that
our indebtedness to European capitalists
shall be promptly settled in the only
money of International exchange gold
coin and bullion.
o
All Authority Cited.
PORTLAND, Jan. 7. (To the Editor.)
In, re discussion now carried on in your
columns as to the taxing of property of
ecclesiastical and eleemosynary institu
tions in which the old statute of mort
main is being diseussed, I beg leave to
intervene "for the purpose of this con
tribution only," by stating, while rum
maging through some of the monthly
revlews of current law literature, I ran
across what may prove an Important ref
erence, being an exposition of said statute
by Hon. William Gilbert Davies, which
the disputants may not have seen. It can
be found in 4th counsellor, page 35.
CHARLES J. SCHNABEL.
NEWS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Okkob.
Eugene is not without hope for a shlrS
factory. . -
The dlamqnd drill at Newport will ba
given a new start this week.
Medford hopes to be with the other con
trlbutora.to.the Nebraska sufferers. Col
lections are now being successfully made"
there.
James H. McKee committed suicide at
Lakevlew Monday of last week by taking
an overdose of morphine. He had been
drinking heavily.
News Is brought to Medford from Hanp
ton & Lewis mines on Tom East creelc
that the recent clean-up at the mines
netted the neat sum of ?27,000.
The number of steam vessels arriving
at Coos bay during the past year was 155
and departures 156; sailing vessels arriv
ing, 84; departures, 86. Total. 479.
C. Marsh, who left his home in Eugene
two years ago to do missionary work In
India, was recently married to Miss Mc
Neil, of Prince 'Edward Isle, also a mis
sionary , stationed near Mr. Marsh.
More rabbits were killed on Tick ridge
last Thursday and Sunday, says the Lake-
view Examiner, but not so many as on
the previous drives. About 1500. however,
were laid low In the two drives. A. large
number of people went out from the town
to help In the drives.
William Nichols was seriously hurt Mon
day of last week by an accident at the
Coos river quarry, and Superintendent
Schwatka was also Injured. It seems
they were In the box used to transport
rock from the quarry to the scow, when
the cable broke, and the block, weighing
600 pounds, fell from a height of 30 feet,
striking Nichols a glancing blow, and
crushing him against the side of the box.
Washington.
The first issue of Alki, a woman suffrage
paper, has been published at Puyallup.
The management of the Tacoma the
ater has been turned over by John W.
Hanna to S. C. Heilig and E. W. Lessten
The grain buyers of Lincoln county will
meet at Davenport today to consider
means of securing reductions on wheat
to tide-water.
William Wirt Saunders, recently par
doned by Governor Pennoyer. Is now lo
cated at Spokane. He says he has no ex
pectation of marriage at present.
James H. Ross, formerly a bookkeeper4
In the Northern Pacific carshops at Edi
son was arrested in Seattle Sunday,
charged with robbing E. V. Buckner, vn
ex-machlnlst, of $1000. Christmas day.
Loggle & Evans, formerly of Snoh6mlsh.
have closed down their large saw and
shingle mill near Port Angeles, because
of a decislor In the United States court
at Seattle that they could not maintain
a tramway across the river.
Frank King, of King's landing, and Will
Lawhorn, of Fairview, were out deer
hunting recently. King was accldentally
shot by Lawhorn, the ball penetrating
just at the edge of the right shoulder
blade. While the wound Is serious, hope
is entertained for King's recovery.
Nine Important cases will be begun at
the North Yakima land office the 19th
instant. They are the Roslyn coal claim
cases. The question at Issue will be
whether or not the claimants acted as
agents for the Northern Pacific Coal Com
pany when they made their entries.
Several young cattle belonging to C. D.
Morgan and a saddle horse belonging to
Joe Westerman slipped through the Ice in
the river just abvoe Morgan's ferry, while
trying to drink, and before assistance
could reach them were either drowned or
so badly chilled that they died a few
minutes after being taken out.
Governor McGraw has proclaimed the
adoption of the amendment to the consti
tution ratified at the recent election. It
amends section 5 of article 16 so as to
read: "None of the permanent school
fund of this state shall ever be loaned
to private persons or corporations, but
it may. be -invested in national, state,
county, municipal or school district
bonds."
D. T. Denny, J. B. Denny and Thomas
Denny confessed judgment Saturday In
the superior court In Seattle In the sura
of $302,609 21. Of this amount $17,355 24 Was
by D. T. and J. B. Denny to the Puget
Sound National bank; $125,295 92 was by
all three to the same bank, and $159,977 95
was by all three to E. T. Blunck. The
suits filed on which the confessions were
made were for promissory notes secured
by the bonds of the Consolidated Street
Railway Company.
W. F. Jones, of North Yakima, had a
streak of tough luck last Wednesday.
First, a valuable Glen Dudley colt died oC
distemper; then a 1200-pound Percheron
colt was found with a heavy piece of
greasewood forced Into Its hip to the
depth of four Inches; and then a 2-year-old
colt by Venture, which he had been
ridingandhadhltched In front of theMoxee
schoolhouse, was caught in a barb-wire
fence and came near bleeding to death
before the Injury was discovered.
PARAGRAPHERS' PLEASANTRIES.
Teacher Now, Charlie, tell us what you
know about Croesus. Charlie Dudes wear
'em In their pants. Harlem Life-.
Sing Sing stripes as a substitute for
police service stripes will not become pop
ular, but are too well deserved. New York
World.
"But didn't you promise when we were
married that I should smoke In the house
whenever I pleased? "Yes, but you never
please by smoking in the house. You dis
please me." New York Recorder.
"This old fellow," said the teamster,
fondly patting his horse on the neck, "has
been hauling for the city for 25 years."
"Got a pull, I suppose," sneered the mug
wump gentleman. Indianapolis Journal.
Sparhawk I thought the authorities in
your city didn't allow prize-fighters to
giVe exhibitions. RIngrope They don't.
But since the fighters begun to kill each
other the law hasn't been enforced. South
Boston News.
"My husband and I never have the
slightest trouble or misunderstanding
about the suitability of our Christmas
gifts." "Indeed! How do you manage it?"
"I always buy him a lovely new dress and
he gives me a box of good cigars." Wash
ington Star.
A certain judge took occasion recently
to warn his people from coming into the
coirtroom drunk In these words: "I wish
to put everybody on notice that If they
come Into this courtroom while I am
sitting on this bench drunk they had bet
ter look out." Hamilton (Ga.) Journal.
"De gret trouble wif dese times," said
Erastus Plnkley, "am dat 'nuff folks doan
un'stand'de ta'hlff question." "Dasso," re
plied his companion. "Foh instance, you
an' me wants free ror material." "Does
we?" "Sut'hy. Spose'n de 'ysters as dey
is brung Turn de bay didn't cost nuffln'.
Dan you'd hab de freest kin ob rorest
material, an de intiah profit ob de 'yster
bus'ness 'ud go ter us gemmen wha does
de shuckln'." Washington Star.
Obstructions In. a. Great Harbor
Are less easily removed than obstructions
of the bowels are by Hosteler's Stomach
Bitters, Infinitely more effectual than vio
lent purgatives, and which never gripes,
convulses and weakens as they do. The
Bitters also removes malarial and rheu
matic complaints, biliousness, sick head
ache, nervousness and dyspepsia. Give
this deserving remedy a fair trial and ex
pect the best and most complete results.
A Pertinent Inquiry.
MARSHFIELD. Jan. A (To the Editor.)
In The Oregonian of the 29th ult, Arch
bishop Gross Is quoted as saying, "The
first principle Is that a member of the
Catholic church cannot have any secret
which the church cannot know." I would
like to ask the archbishop, through the
columns of The Oregonian, If that includes
the secrets of the grand jury room?
S. B. CATHCART.