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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1895)
TBE MOBSnrG OEESOMTAJT, TJffUBSDAY, EBBRXTAEY 14; 1895 lx&vQuvm. Eattred at the Postofflee at Portland, Oregon, as second-class natter. REVISED STJEECKIPTIOX RATES. By aial. (postage prepaid) In Advance "Daily, with Sunday., per month... ....$ 1 GO JiHy, Sunday excepted, per year. 10 00 Bally, Trith Sunday, per yew.... .... 12 00 Buaday. per year......... ... . 2W 3fce Weekly, per year . - 1 w The "Weeiay, thrce-Tnonths 50 jTO CITX SUBSCRIBERS. "Dally, per week, delivered, Sunday excpleL25c Daily. p" reek, delivered. Sundf ladEded-SOc DAILY METEOROLOGICAL REPORT. PORTLAXD. Feb. 13. -8P. JL-Maximum temperature, 43; minimum temperature, S3, h 'ht of river at Jl A. M., 3.S; change In the past 24 hours, 0.8; precipitation today, .00; pre cipitation from September 1. 1S94 met season), to date. 19.76; average. 30.94: deficiency. 11.18; number hours or sunshine Tuesdaj, 4:05; pos sible -muaber. 30:24. v WEATHER STXOPSIS. From all appearances the etorm v.hleh has beenrpahe coast ha entirely disappeared to the wiwttrara. belns forced to change its posi tion through the influence of an area of high pressure, which prevails oxer British Colum bia." nd Montana. Though a decided rise oc-i-urred In the barometer, contrary to rule In Hcb cases, the temperature beeame warmer. Snow and rati occurred In Koutbvrestern Ore Koac.3nd fair weather elsewhere. " ' WEATHER TORECASTS. Forecasts made at Portland for the 24 hours ending at midnight February 14: Kor Oregon, Washington and Idaho Fair weather awl nearly stationary temperature, with fresh easterly winds. . Vjt Portland Fair weather and nearly sta tionary temperatue, with light to fresh east erly winds. . " 5. PAGCE. Loal Forecast Official. - PORTLAXD, THURSDAY, FEB. 14. 3ftjjCBUSE AXD PERFORSIAXCE. Last" "June the people of the city of Portland and ."he county of Multnomah voted for reduction of the taxes that burden the city and county. They were aware that this reduction could be brought about onto' by the cutting of feee. reduction or abolition of salaries aifd general economy in methods of ad ministration. Members of the legis lature -were elected under pledges to enforce these economical reforms. Not one of the members elected from this county last June would have been elect ed had these promises not been made. - But now it is said there was a reser "XatiQn In favor of the persons then can didates for office; that it was under stood they were still to receive the former salaries and fees, and that the economical measures were to be post poned till their terms had expired and they had had their "pull." Had this been whispered, had the people sus pected it, not one of these persons would have been elected. Such a pro posal, would have been received with a storm of indignant derision. Every man would have been hooted down and voted down. The Committee of One Hundred took it up. It Insisted on pledges from the candidates of all parties that these re forms should be introduced without delay;; that the reductions should be put in force as soon as the necessary legislation couIO. dq enacted. After the election .the matter repeatedly came up in the Committee of One Hundred, and many members of the committee ex pressed fear and incredulity as to the disposition of the members of the leg islature to keep the pledges as to im mediate enforcement of the necessary measures of retrenchment. But other members of the committee gave assur ance that the pledges would be kept; that the Multnomah delegation were in earnest and would do their utmost to put these measures of economy in force at once, and not put them off to a future time. It was the Committee of One Hundred and the whole people of Multnomah that pressed this mat ter, both before and after the election. Nobody then heard the talk, common now, that there was a "contract" be tween the people and the officials that these exorbitant fees and salaries should be paid till the end of the ensu ing terms. That assumption is sheer impudence. It is just the contrary of ' what the people demanded, just the contraryof what the Committee of One Htmdredinsisted upon, just the con trary of 'what the candidates were re quired to promise and pledge. Many salaries and fees are excessive. They belong to the past era of inflated values and general speculation. Com pensation of officials must be brought down to a fair proportion with other things. Officials of whom steady and continuous service is required must be adequately paid. But there is a large class of public duties which do not take much of the citizen's time, and which he may incidentally perform, and there are good citizens in every com munity who, if called upon, will per form such duties, as an obligation of citizenship, without salary. "We have many examples In Portland. Here is tur board of school directors, doing without pay more business than mem .JlfiKLS? tne common council do with it. Here are the fire and police commis sions, whose duties require a great deal of time and of painstaking atten tion, aicre' is the water committee, SQpn to be superseded by the water cpmmission serving without pay. Should there be a board of public works, the large and varied duties de volving upon It will be rendered with out compensation. The commissioners of the city hall have performed without pay the service to which they were assigned, and the little salaries paid to the members of the bridge commis sion are to be cut off. Are members of the common council, then, who now have comparatively little to do, and soon will have less, to set up a clamor for salary? "What is there in the office that entitles it to this exception? The mayor has ma'ny duties to perform; he must devote his whole time to the city, and, therefore, should have paj. But members of the common council are no more entitled to it, have no more right to demand It, than directors of the schools, than members of the fire, police and water boards, or members of the board of public works. Through many long years Portland was able to call upon her citizens of public spirit for service in the common council with out salary, and this class of men have not yet disappeared. To say -that we can get better men for $1000 a year for the common council than by making an appeal to the public spirit and to the responsibilities of citizenship, with out salary, is an insult to public hon esty and civic virtue. It is not true. Nor is it true that repeal of the salary would rule all but the rich out of the common council, any more than service without salary rules all but the rich off the school, fire, police and other boards. Did none but the rich hold seats in the common council during the long period when no salary attached to the posi tion? The contrary was true. It was seldom that a man of wealth was a member of the council. There is no "contract," express or implied, for continuance of salaries and fees in state, county or city. The Ore gonlan recently reprinted the pledges of reform in this direction made in the platform on which the republicans car ried the state last year. Did anybody declare from any slump that these re-, ductions were to be postponed? In our local canvass in Multnomah, reduction immediate reduction was proclaimed on every hand as indispensable, and there was no dissenting voice. The of ficials who ought to have salaries will still be adequately paid. Salaries that are unnecessary should be cut off en tirely, and the whole business should be simplified and reduced. The legisla tion now in progress will go far toward securing these results. It is the legis lation the people called for and ex pected. It will afford the relief so soiely needed in these conditions of public distress. The claim, that "the officials put up money for the cam paign, and therefore ought to be per mitted to draw the salaries," is a pe culiar argument for a legislature that takes fright at the mention of "the Portland ring." If it were the "Port land ring" in the legislature that was putting up this claim, how the woods and hills in Oregon would resound with denunciation of a proposal so corrupt and shameless! COST OP THE GREEXBACK. The common argument for forced issue of government credit currency, such as has been kept in circulation in the United States since 1S62, is that, since it is a loan to the government without Interest, it saves a large an nual expense. The government could have borrowed money for the expenses of the war instead of issuing legal-tender notes, or, if not so, it could have borrowed money as soon as the war was over to pay them off. But it would have had to pay interest on this bor rowed money, probably 6 per cent up to 1S70, 4 per cent from that date to 1S80, and 3 per cent afterward. At an average of 4 per cent, and assuming the loan to have been 5500.000,000 to cover all the issues and contingent ex penses, the interest charge would have been J20.000.000 per year, or $600,000,000 for the thirty years, and the bonds, would be still to pay, making the total cost of the loan up to this time $1,100,-" 000,000. This is what it would "have cost the government to borrow money at inter est for war expenses, instead of issuing legal-tender notes to pay them, and keeping them in circulation as the cur rency of the country afterward, instead of redeeming them out of the first sur plus revenue and canceling them. It is an enormous sum, but the bare truth is that the legal-tender currency already has cost the government di rectly $1,000,000,000 more, or $2,100,000,000, and the necessary redemption of the notes now out will cost $300,000,000 more, making the total cost of the "cheap" substitute for money from 1S63 $2,400, 000,000, or about as much as the na tional debt at its highest point. In this case, as in most, the cheapest means is found the'most costly in the end. The New York Times has published a series of articles, the last of which ap pears elsewhere, in which careful com putation is made of the actual cost to the government of all the legal-tender issues, from the first greenback to the treasury notes of 1S90. This computa tion includes the increased expenses of the government from 1862 to 1879, due to depreciation of the currency used in making payment, the cost of interest and redemption of bonds issued to re tire greenbacks and to maintain the gold reserve, interest on the latter, the mechanical and clerical cost of main taining legal tenders, the future cost of interest and redemption of the bonds still out, and the future cost of re deeming the legal-tender notes them selves, from which is deducted the value of the gold notes and silver bars now in the treasury. The greatest item, of course, is excess of government expenses, due to depre ciation of the greenback, which amounted to over $333,000,000 in one year, 1S63, when the greenback was worth less than 50 cents on the dollar. This ran the total cost of the green back, up to specie resumption in 1879, up to about $1,750,000,000. Since that time the main Item of cost has been the interest and redemption of bonds to maintain specie payment, which ran the total, up to 1893, up to over $1,919, 000,000. This is the actual outgo up to this time. To it falls to be added the cost of the bonds issued for this pur pose, now outstanding, which will be nearly 5172,000,000, bringing the total up to $2,100,000,000. The final item is for the redemption of $346,000,000 of green backs and $152,000,000 of Sherman notes. Deducting the value of the gold, paper and silver bars in the treasury, this will be about $300,000,000, bringing us to the impressive total with which we started. This enormous sum represents what the people of the United, States have paid in taxation for the use of about $360,000,000 of greenbacks for thirty years, and of $150,000,000 of treasury notes for from one to five years. "We could have borrowed 5500,000,000 of gold and kept. out $500,000,000 gold certifi cates for the same time for an average of 4 per cent, $20,000,000 per year, or $600,000,000 for the thirty years, taking up the certificates with surplus reve nue, and at the end of the time pay ing off the bonds with the gold orig inally borrowed. That is to say, this cheap swindle of a forced loan has cost the country more than twice as much as the same amount of honest money. Clergymen make a great mistake to launch their thunderbolts at Paine alien the Psine anniversary comes round, and little groups here and there glorify hlnv It gives him an im - portance he does not deserve, and tends to perpetuate an idolatry that would gradually exhaust itself were it let alone. Paine is an inconsiderable figure in the world of thought and liter ature, and would quickly become un known to all but the universal reader if the over-zealous orthodox clergy would let him alone. EXTRAVAGANT. IXDECEXT AXD IX H13IAX. Jeffrey's bill to" regulate the carry ing of prisoners, lncorrigibles and In sane persons to the institutions pro vided for them by the state is more than a measure of economy, as applied to the latter class; it is a measure of decency and humanity. It embodies briefly the idea more elaborately set forth by the retiring secretary of state, relative to the conveyance of insane persons to the asylum by officers de tailed for that purpose from the trained force of asylum employes. It makes it the duty of the clerk of any court wherein a person has been ad judged insane and ordered cdmmltted to the asylum to notify the superintend ent of the asylum of this fact, the lat ter to respond immediately by sending an experienced deputy or deputies to convey such person thither. It is pro vided further that the persons per forming this detail work shall re ceive no compensation for such service beyond the salaries each one is paid as an officer of the institution, the actual traveling expenses incurred to be paid by the state upon a properly audited account. The total cost of conveying insane persons to the asylum during the past two years, under the present system of sending them under the escort of sher iffs and their deputies, was $:i0,051 56, a sum which is shown by the secretary of state to be largely in excess of a just or economical compensation for this service. A careful and competent esti mate shows that six attendants em ployed at $50 a month each could have performed this service at a saving of several thousand dollars to the state, and given one-third of their time to other duties in connection with the in stitution, while suitable arrangements for traveling expenses in such cases could be made by the superintendent of the asylum on behalf of the state, which would effect a still further sav ing. This is the economical view of the proposition merely, which, though of special importance at this time, is of secondary consideration. It is surpris ing that a plea for the attendance of a kind and skillful woman upon an In sane woman en route to the asylum must be urged in the name of common decency, or that the public should be insensible to the inhumanity of com mitting this class of unfortunates, in their utterly irresponsible and pitiable condition, to unskilled, ignorant and perhaps brutal attendants. It is not or should not be necessary to arraign the present system as a gross abuse under each of these in dictments, since either one of them should be sufficient, in the simple pre sentment, to convict it as outdated by the intelligence of the age, and secure a change in keeping with the just economies, the inherent decencies and the approved humanities of an enlight ened "era. Whatever may be done in regard to the conveyance of convicts and incorrigibles to the institutions pro vided for them, the present system of conveyance of the insane to the asy lum by unsuitable persons should be superseded by the more enlightened method embodied in the proposed law. The joint resolution in relation to the income tax, which has been passed by the house, concurred In by the senate, with amendments, and which now goes back to the house for concurrence in the senate amendments, will afford considerable relief from peremptory and inquisitorial processes adopted by the treasury department. This joint resolution doss not undertake to amend the law, but it alters materially regula tions established by the department without authority of law. For exam ple, the law requires that the Income tax be paid before July 1, but leaves the department to fix the date at which return of taxable income shall be made. The secretary fixed March 1, which is said to be Inconveniently short no tice for persons doing large and compli cated business. The resolution extends the time for making returns till April 13. Then the department prescribes a list of inquisitorial questions to be ad dressed to every person making a re turn, which have no direct bearing upon the object of the law, unless it be as sumed that the taxpayer will try to evade it by perjury unless subjected to a sweating process. The resolution provides that no questions shall be asked of taxpayers not directly re quired by the law. Other clauses pro vide specifically for exemptions and deductions, only authorized by the law in general terms, and not allowed by the secretary. This resolution prob ably will become law within a few days. In justice to the central portion of the city, which pays at least two-fifths of the taxes, there ought to be pro vided adequate accommodations at this locality for crossing the river. Other portions of the city have this ad vantage, and the central portion ought not longer to be deprived of it. It is felt by the taxpayers in the central portion that they have been unfairly dealt with by the bridge commission, since free transit over the river, which has been provided for other parts, has been denied to this large central dis trict, which pays the greatest propor tion of the tax. This question is now before our legislative delegation at Salem, and it is hoped they will do justice to the central part of the city. It has been agreed, we learn, that there may be issued an amount of bonds adequate for this purpose, provided the question of collecting tolls on vehicles be submitted to the taxpayers at the coming school election. It would seem to be a good financial proposition to pay 5 per cent on the bonds necessary for such purpose, which could not amount to more than $10,000 a year, provided tolls be levied on vehicles, which will save to the taxpayers, in the matter of maintaining the bridges, at least $50,000 per annum. It is not improbable that New York and London money-changers have taken advantage of the straits in which the treasury was placed by the neglect of congress to authorize a bond Issue to obtain the bonds lately marketed for much less than they are worth. The bonds sold for less than 105, and it is said that the buyers have negoti ated sale for them in London at 112. This is not the fault of the president. Congress left him in the lurch, and he 1 had to make such terms as he could with the usurers. -TSven now congress I can block the profitable game of the bond-buyers by providing within a week, for 3 per cent gold bonds. These may be substituted at par for the 4s contracted to be sold, making a saving of three-fourths of one per cent inter est, or over $16,000,000, on the whole transaction. "We ought to have a proper census of the state. A census this year is re quired by the constitution and laws. "Within the limits prescribed by law, it should not cost much. Each county has authority to provide for the neces sary work within its own limits. The work falls upon the assessors. There ought to bo no hesitation, it seems to us, in making the necessary provision in each county to get a full census, and we hope the county of Multnomah will not be remiss in her part of the work. The taxpayers, we do not doubt, will sustain the county court in such rea sonable expenditure as may be neces sary for the purpose. Let us Have a census, so as to see where we are. A little extra allowance to the assessors will enable them to do the work and get the results. . The opposition to re-election of Sen ator Dolph Is said to be chiefly a pro test against the financial policy he rep resents or supports. But this policy is the policy of the country. It is the pol icy that has been steadily pursued by each of the parties alternately in power. It is the policy of the present congress, and will be the policy of the next one. It is the policy under which gold is recognized and maintained as the money standard, with such use of sil ver as may be practicable without loss of the parity. This is the policy of the country; it is the policy to which Mr. Dolph is committed, and it will be sus tained, whether he shall be re-elected or not. The opposition to him on this basis, therefore, is without sufficient cause. The ways and means committee has advanced to the point of recommend ing an act to authorize the sale of gold bonds. All bonds will be gold bonds, so long as parity is maintained, but no doubt tlie bonds would sell better if repayment in gold were distinctly pledged. The present congress prob ably will not pass any financial meas ure, but every resolution like this shows an advance toward the necessary ad mission and declaration that the gold standard is to be maintained. It will be maintained, In any event; but there is reason for such action as will cause men and parties to cease from juggling with equivocal expressions. Dr. Gaff finds it difficult to procure bail, his male acquaintances refusing to trust him. He need not repine, since he has the sympathy of his woman callers. Probably his detention will be brief. The law does not take serious cognizance of these offenses. He will be discharged in a few days, and may pursue his career of lechery so long as his physical vigor may last, if he only is careful not to run foul of any girl whose male relatives are men. In that case he will not need ball, and the sym pathy of sentimental female callers at the morgue will avail him nothing. The proposiubh to let the taxpayers of the city of Portland decide whether the bridges and ferries across the river that divides the city shall be absolutely free to the public, or be maintained and operated by a small toll upon vehicles and animals crossing them, is a just one. The people, upon whom alone the expense of the construction and main tenance of these highways falls, are competent judges in the premises, and may well be allowed to decide the mat ter. The end of contradictory rumors about Wei-Hai-Wel is that it has not been taken and the fleet still Is intact, but that propositions have been made to surrender both, on condition that the lives of the troops are spared. This condition is the fruit of the unhappy experience of the troop3 at Port Ar thur. Of course, it will be granted. The Japanese don't want to kill sol diers unless they have to. They want the town and the ships in a? good con dition as possible. It was easy for everybody to prom ise economic reform last spring, in the sweet and breezy election time; but now there is terrible resistance to the effort to fulfill the promise. So easy is it to talk reform, and so hard to ac complish it. "Which recalls the words of a solemn poet: Virtue abounds in flatterers and foes. 'Tis pride to praise her, penance to, per form. LESS THAX A YEAR AGO. What Representative Lester, of Clat sop, Tliousrlit of Debased. Money. WARRENTON, Or., March 20. (To the Editor.) "Will Mr. DeLashmutt kindly in form the readers of The Oregonian in how many silver mines he is interested? "We outsiders have an idea that the en thusiasm of the leaders of the Bimetallic (?) League smacks largely of self-interest. The whole tenor of Mr. DeLashmutt's communication of the 29th inst. is to the effect that if the Oregon Bimetallic League is not allowed to dictate the platforms of all the political parties of the state they intend to throw their strength for the one which they can dictate. In other words, that the minority proposes to rule or ruin. Such a declaration, that personal interests are to be placed first, leads one to doubt the sincerity of the political con victions of Portland's ex-mayor. It is high time the honest-money men of Oregon had taken steps to right our selves before the world on this question. Free silver appears to act as a lung-expander, and a man filled up with the idea can shout twice as loud as an ordinary mortal. As a consequence, we have been placed before the country as a free-silver state, while I believe a popular vote would show the silver men in a hopeless minor ity. The leaders of both the republican and democratic parties, who believe in a sound currency, ought to take a firm stand and see that men like Mr. DeLash mutt do not write our platform. If the campaign is to be fought out between hon est money and rag-babyism, let us draw the lines distinctly and make no compro mise. One can drink either hot or cold water, but lukewarm it is nauseating. If the silver inflationists and monometalisus desire to betake themselves into the pop ulist camp, they will be in congenial com pany. The party which stands up for as much silver as can bo maintained on an equality with gold, and no more, and for international bimetallsm as soon as it can be brought about, will draw more votes on such a platform than they will lose by refusing to indorse free coinage under existing conditions. And should we lose, we will have the satisfaction of knowing It is better to lose on a sound platform than to win on a rotten one. C. F. LESTER. The above letter was published in The Oregonian of April 4, 1894. It was on the statement of principles contained la this letter that Mr. Lester was nominated and elected to the legislature. He now acts with those who refuse to vote for Mr DOlph because Mr Dolph stands for the "honest-money" principles which Mr. Lester then so vigorously defended. Mr. Lester ought, in justice to himself and his Lconstituents, to quit this company and vote for Mr. Dolph. This Is what both he and Mr. Curtis pledged themselves to do. Mr. Fox, candidate for the senate on the same ticket with them, refused to come out for "honest money" and for Mr. Dolph, and was not elected. In all kindness. The Oregonian suggests to Mr. Lester and Mr, Curtis that it is time for them to consider and to reconsider, and to put themselves back into the position where the people who elected them intended they should stand. "COIX" IX LAW MEAXS GOLD. And That Is the- Reason. Why Gold Can Be Got for "Coin" Bonds. Chicago Herald. A New York financial newspaper pub lishes a letter from a prominent business man containing statemerts in substance as follows: 1. The resumption act requires the sec retary of the treasury to redeem "in gold" all greenbacks presented for redemption. 2. If the gold is not In the treasury the act requires the secretary to sell bonds to get the gold. "The only discretion allowed him is to decide whether it shall be 4 per cent or 5 per cent bonds he will sell. But sell one or the other he must, and he could be mandamused if he refused to do his duty. The one restriction is that the bonds must be sold at not less than par." This is true in substance, but not in form. The secretary can sell not only 4 or 5 per cent bonds, but 4J& per cents, if he chooses. But that is not a material point. The essential thing is the requirement to redeem in gold. The word used in the law is "coin," not "gold." But, althourh the law does not specify gold coin, it none the less certainly means gold coin. At the time the law was enacted, gold coin was the only coin of unlimited legal tender capacity. The coin age of silver dollars was discontinued in 1873, and the only authorized silver coins in 1S73, when the resumption act was passed, were fractlonals, which were then legal, tender to the amount of $3 only in any one payment. It necessarily follows that the secretary of the treasury is re quired to redeem greenbacks in gold coin. Congress placed this construction upon the law when it passed the bank charters act in 1SS2. Although that act was passed four years after the passage of the Bland Allison silver dollar law, it contained a provision that whenever the "gold" held in the treasury for the redemption of greenbacks should fall below 5100.000,000 the secretary of the treasury should sus pend the issue of gold certificates. By law, therefore, as well as by invariable practice ever since resumption, the gov ernment is pledged to the redemption of greenbacks in gold. The resumption act also provides that the bonds sold for the purposes of the act shall be sold at not less than par in "coin." "Coin" means gold here as else where in the act, and for the same rea son. The secretary of the treasury can not sell the bonds at less than par in gold coin. But he cannot sell them at par in gold if there is a serious doubt about their being payable in gold. Therefore he has a right to promise payment in gold. It may become his duty to do so, for other wise he may not be able to sell the bonds as the law requires. It has been stated repeatedly of late that the president was Inclined to "stretch his authority" so far as to insert the word gold in the next issue of bonds. It now seems to be understood in financial circles that he has decided to do this if neces sary in order to dispose of the bonds on favorable terms. Indeed, it is sad that the sudden cessation of the demand on the treasury for gold is due to this deter mination. Be that as it may, it is altogether likely that the president will direct that the world "gold" be inserted in the bonds if he thinks it necessary. And he will not stretch his authority much in so doing. The principal objection to this course is that it might cast a shadow upon existing bonds authorized by the same acts, in cluding those recently issued, in which the word "gold" is not used. For this reason Jt may be best not to use the word unless it is clearly necessary In order to raise gold on the bonds on favor able terms and quiet all the fears that have led to the run on the treasury for gold. PREFERRED CREDITORS. OLYMPIA, Wash., Feb. 12. (To the Editor.) While the legislature is in ses sion It might be well to have some one of Its members introduce a bill covering a matter that does great injustice to many people. A case has recently come to light here, about as follows: A man died after a six months' sickness. About all he left for his family of one wife and three little ones was a $1000 life insurance policy. For a long while the butchers, grocers and bakers have fur nished the family with the necessaries, expecting, of course, that they would be repaid when the insurance money came to hand. The man died in the fond hope that all bills against the family would be paid by the insurance, and that there would be a few hundred dollars left to supply the immediate wants of the wife and little ones. But now come two doctors with very large bills, an undertaker with another large bill, and they tell the lone woman that their bills must be paid first that the plain law provides that their bills come in ahead of all others. What is the poor woman to do? If she does the bidding of these three men it will take almost the entire in surance, and there will not only be noth ing left to feed and clothe the little ones, but hardly 10 per cent to pay just claims of the men who furnished food and clothing, and the landlord who kept a roof over the family. If the law discriminates as above, It should be changed so that a reasonable part of the insurance could be set apart for the family, and the balance divided pro rata among all creditors. JUSTICE. PERSON'S WORTH ICXOWIXG ABOUT. Ex-Senator Henry G. Davis has offered to contribute $50,000 toward the establish ment of an industrial school for girls in West Virginia. Dan Emmitt. author of "Dixie," is to have a reception and testimonial soon from the Confederate vets of Washington. He will be 80 in May, and first sang the song in 1813. Captain Charles Louis Beaumont, of the royal navy, England, who has just been appointed equerry to the queen, has an Americin wife. He was married in 183S to Miss Perkins, daughter of Charles E. Perkins, of Boston. The Rev. Francis Sylvester Mahoney, known as "Father Prout," wrote "Shan-' don Bells" while he was a priest at Rome and homesick for his native Cork. There is a project on foot to erect a fitting me morial above his grave. H. R. Hatch, a well-known merchant of Cleveland, O., has offered to erect for Adelbert college of Western Reserve uni versity, a commodious stone library build ing. Work on the structure will be com menced as soon as possible. Governor Atkinson, of Georgia, recent ly made an appointement which carried him bade to the days of bis childhood. He made a porter of Robert Atkinson, a negro who was owned by the governor's father, who went to the war with the governor's brother and brought his dead body from the field in Virginia. Professor E. E. Bernard, of the Lick ob servatory, loes not think much of the scheme of a Chicago man for building an enormous telescope nar San Diego, Cal., which is to have the largest glass in the world. "He is working on a wrong hy- pothesis," he says. "What he wants is not a great glass of the kind proposed, but to do what has not been dorte find means of quieting the atmosphere. In other words, his proposlton is an absurd ity." George Q. Cannon, the leading spirit In the Mormon church, will probably be the first senator elected from Utah when the territory achieves statehood. His son, Frank Cannon, now aelegate-elect, has a good chance of becoming his father's sen atorial colleague Parker Pillabury is now the sole survi vor of the more conspicuous early aboli tionists. Mr. Pillsbury was something of a Boanerges In the cause at one time, but in view of the complete success that had been attained in the end of slavery in America he has teen content to pass his later years in the serene atmosphere of a retired New Hampshire home. The late Furman Sheppard was an in satiate collector of books having a rare or antique interest, and he has thus amassed one of the finest private libraries In Philadelphia, says the Record of that city. It was one ot his greatest delights to spend his evenings among his literary treasures. After his death his law col lection was disposed of, but his remain ing library, which is classified in groups, devoted respectively to medicine and physics, theology and philosophy, general law, political economy and politics, his tory, geography and biography, general literature, architecture and painting, and miscellaneous, is still intact as he left It. Mrs. Sheppard, it Is understood, is aa yet undecided as to what disposition shall be made of it. Some idea of the extent of the collection may be formed from the fact that the catalogue alone makes a volume of 300 printed pages. Mr. Corbett's Dinner. Eugene Register. Those who had an idea the members ot the legislature were invited to Portland In order to give an opportunity for persuasion on the matter of the election have been disappointed. We think Mr. Corbett made it sufficiently plain why he inv'ted the members to dine with him, and the motive is not an unworthy one. He had a right to entertain them, and he had a right to talk with them in regard to the reduction of expenses in Multnomah county by the passage of a salary law. It is clearly evi dent the salary law is needed in that coun ty, as there are greater opportunities for fee-grabbers In that county than in any other. The salary law works well in coun ties where it has been tried, and has dem onstrated itself to be a great factor in re duction of taxation. Every public officer should be placed upon a salary. Plenty of competent men will want the offices then, and the people will know what the offices are costing, which is not the case where the fee system prevails. Under the salary system there is an incentive to the less ening of business in the courts, where oth erwise the reverse is true. It is a com mendable effort on the part of citizens of Multnomah, and the legislature would make no mistake by passing a salary law. o Semi-Annnal Payment of Taxes. PORTLAND, Feb. 13. (To the Editor.) In the fore part of the present session of the legislature a bill was introduced pro viding for the payment of taxes in two semi-annual amounts. It would be to the Interest of many to learn what has become of this bill. In California taxes are paid semi-annually, and it is found to work there. There are mans reasons why it would be to the advantage of the community at large that such a system should be in vogue here. It would ob viate the unnecessary accumulation of so large an amount of money in the treas ury, as has been the case In the past, and danger of any of it going astray, as experienced here last year. Soon the time will be around for all to go and pay their taxes, and many will have a hard time to meet them. It woould be somewhat of a re lief, could half of the taxes be paid now and the balance six months later. This is an Important matter, and I would re spectfully call it to the attention of the committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce on the dalles portage propo sition, that leaves for Salem Thursday. Let them look into this matter. SIMON HARRIS. Unconscious Humor. St. Louis Republic. The "American silver dollar contains a trifle less silver than the Mexican dollar, but it is at a premium of about two for one over the Mexican coin, even in Mex ico. That is to say, if you go into a shop in a Mexican town, buy a Mexican, dollar's worth of something and hand the salesman an American dollar, he will give you back a Mexican dollar in change. That is because the American silver dol lar, under present conditions, is not gen uine money. At the present price of sil ver bullion the silver in our dollar is worth only about 50 cents, and it is kept up to a parity with gold only by the treas ury manipulation, and by the laws mak ing it a legal tender for all dues, public and private. As our coinage laws stand, we have no such thing as bimetalism, and the silver dollar is practically an obliga tion of the government, redeemable in gold. In Mexico silver is the standard money, and it passes in the markets cf the world at its bullion value, just as our gold money does. Apples and Potatoes "Wanted. Eugene Register. E. C. Smith is in receipt of a letter from a firm in St. Paul asking if he can ship them a few carloads or" apples. They also inquire regarding the possibility of his shippingthem several carloads of potatoes, offering 23 cents per bushel for them. He states in the letter that there is a brisk demand in that country for Pacific coast fruit and produce. Apples, prunes, pota toes, and even onions are sought for by the commission men of St. Paul and that section from the dealers in Oregon, Wash ington and California. With all the op portunities offered here, it is to be regret ted that such calls cannot be supplied. Raising of such staples In large enough quantities to afford shipments by the car load would undoubtedly be found profit able. Milton Fruitgrrovrer Object. Milton Eagle. The Eastern Oregon Fruitgrowers' Union held a meeting Thursday night of last week and passed resolutions strongly con demning the proposed changes in the horti cultural laws of Oregon. The proposed bill provides for a single commissioner at a "fixed" salary of $1500, with an addition al $C00 for traveling expenses, should that amount be required. If the same amount of interest should be taken in Eastern Ore gon orchards by the one-man commission er that has been displayed by the present board, they could reasonably expect an of ficial visit from his royal eminence early in the fall of 1900. m Free Silver a Wnge-Redncer. Des Moines Leader. The day tills country went to a silver basis the laboring men would find their rents and the prices ot nearly everything consumed advanced nearly In proportion to the depreciation of the currency of the country, while their wages fixed in terms of money would advance slowly, and never reach an amount proportionate to the increase in their expenditures. Such has been the e"perience of the past with cheap money; such will be the experience of the future if the experiment is ever tried again. All Are Pnynble in Coin. GASTON, Or., Feb. 13. (To the Editor.) Do the United States bonds now being issued read payable in "gold" or "coin"? Were there ever any government bonds issued since the war that read, "payable in United States gold coin"? ALMORAN HILL. Certainly. CORVALL1S. Or.. Feb. 13. (To the Edi tor.) Is the silver dollar coined in 1S79 a legal tender for all debts, both public and private? t P. M. ZIVOLT. XEWS OF THE NORTHWEST. ' " OrcKon. l La Grande's school census shows 230 children. The Western Phillistine has ceased to make its appearance. A nntor-car at Salem knocked out a meat-wagon in one round Tuesday. Frank G. Hull will soon begin publish ing at Milton an agricultural paper called the Inland Homestead. The city council of La Grande has for some time been unable to secure a quorum, for a meeting, owing to illness ot mem bers. The capacity of the wool-scouring mill at Pendleton is to be doubled. It is ex pected to handle 6,000,000 pounds of wool the coming season. The young men of Eugene aro talking: of organizing an athletic association. Tha North Pacific coast association would wel come a club at that place. A movement is on foot at Eugene to organize an agricultural society and hold a fair next fall. An excellent site has been offered at Merion Park. A trout, 33 inches long, S& inches wide and weighing 16& pounds, was caught in Upper Klamath lake Friday last. He Is the biggest trout ever seen there, and It took two men to land him. The Riddle city election Friday resulted as follows: Trustees, J. B. Riddle, S. S. Catching, George Cutsforth, L Lasswell and W, C. Conner; recorder, George R. Riddle; treasurer, Thomas Dyer; marshal, L. Michael; street commissioner, William Sanderson. Salmon fishing on the Nahalem has played out completely. Kinney's cannery at that place has closed down for tha season on account of the scarcity of fish. The Chinamen who have been working in the cannery will be brought to Astoria on the Harrison the latter part of thei week. The project of the county court of Uma tilla county to lease the road running; through the southern portion of the county to the John Day river, is stiongly objected to. This road was built by a state appropriation of $16,000. supplemented by private subscriptions, and the people of John Day object to paying toll upon it. About 100 merry skaters from Enter prise, Alder and Joseph, were on the lako last Saturday and Sunday, and halt aa many Tuesday night, says the Aurora. The skating was all that could be de sired, there being a sheet of ice three miles long by one mile wide, and from four, to six inches thick and s-mooth as glass. The ice is excellent yet and will remain so for some time unless there is a changa in the weather. The citizens of Detroit and vicinity held a mass meeting at the Cascade housa on Saturday, February 9, for the purpose) of determining whether or not there was; any plan they might devise to do away with the letter of credit business by which the people along the line of the Oregon Pacific railroad have had to contend with so long. The result was a letter to Ham mond & Bonner asking that wood, ties and other material be paid for in cash in: future. Messrs. Flamm, Crafts and F. H. ClarK have struck a rich quartz lode above the dry diggings near Grant's Pass. These placers are among the oldest mines in Southern Oregon, and in early days yielded handsomely. They are still mined every winter with fair results, but the main ledge has been unsuccessfully searched for for many years. The gold found always had more or less quartz mixed with it. The present find is about 600 feet above the old diggings. A young man, by the name of Arthur Hilliard, had both of his feet so badly frozen while traveling on snowshoes out in the Sprague river (Klamath county) country, on the 21st ult., as to necessitate their amputation at the instep. He started to go from his homo at Robinson springs on the summit of the mountain between Bly and Barnes valley to the latter place. The young man lost his way and did not reach his. destination for IS hours, with the result, of freezing his feet as stated. Washington. Amos Reed died at Yager February 5 aged S3 years. A carload of salmon is being shipped East from Gray's harbor daily. Plans have been prepared for a new. Episcopal church at Aberdeen. Thomas Windsor will build a large saw mill, shingle mill and sash and door fac tory at Ballard. The sportsmen of Tacoma and Seattle will have a live-bird match near the for mer place Sunday. A barrel and tub factory will be estab lished at Snohomish, to use the cedar tim ber, so plentiful there. The Pierce county commissioners ara considering the question of setting the prisoners in the county jail at work. D. Woods has been arrested at Hlllyard for stocking his butcher shop in the night time, while the owners of the cattle wero asleep. The estate of Mrs. Marie Bernhardyj Jasous, the Tacoma woman who wag kified by falling off a train near Ashland, has been inventoried at $39,912 30. In a quarrel between two disreputable; women at Sprague, one of them threw a lighted lamp at another, and the arrival and vigorous efforts of the city marshat alone saved a conflagration. The first meeting of the lady commis sioners, recently appointed by Governor McGraw for the Atlanta cotton stated exposition, was held Tuesday afternoon, at the Tacoma hotel. The organization was perfected as follows: President, Mrs. Samuel C. Slaughter, of Tacoma; first vice-president, Mrs. Maurice McMicken, of Seattle; second vice-president, Mrs. Frank Allyn, of Tacoma; third vice-president, Mrs. Eugene V. Hyde, of Spokane; corresponding secretary, Mrs. A. B. Stew art, of Seattle; recording secretary, Mis. F. A. Turner, of Olympla; treasurer, Mrs. Herbert Beecher, of Port Townsend. 1'ARAGRAPHERS' PLEASANTRIES. A man may run into debt, but he seldom comes out at anything faster than a walk. Texas Siftings. Bigg3There arc very few poor men in the senate nowadays. Dlggs Yes, but there are plenty of mighty poor senators-. Life. Tourist (on the dome of the capitol) My, how the vind roars up here. Guide That isn't the wind, sir. That's congress in session. Detroit Free Press. "Did you tell Mr. Snobberly that I was not in?" Bridget I did, ma'am; but he looked so doubtful, I don't think he'd 'a' believed it if ou'd 'a' told him wid your own lips. Inter Ocean. He returned the pound of sugar, And sadly shook his head; "I do not want the earth." was all He to the grocer said. Detroit Tribune.. Farmer If you wart work, 111 give you a Job. Wlggley Waggles Well, I'd like to take advantage o' yer offer, boss, but I see a man comin' up the road that looks as if he had a family to support, an as I'm a batchelor I will resign in his 'favor. Tid-Bits. Eva I'm awfully disappointed in those New York soldiers. Nance Why? Eva Here we've been talking to some of the members of troop A for an hour and not oneof them, has swern once. I don't be lieve they are real troopers at all. Brook lyn Eagle. "Dear me," said Mr. Meekins, "it seems so absurd for men to be constantly talk ing about their wives having the last word. I never object to my wife having the last word." "You don't?" "Not a bit. I alvays feel thankful when she gets to It." Washington Star. "Really,Mr.Stalate,"she protested, "you have given me four hours of your time this evening." "Why er upon my word! So I hive. The hours pass like minutes when I am with you.' "You were telling me that since your promotion your time Is valuable." "Yes." "Well, papa doesn't allow me to accept expensive presents from young nen." Washington Star.