Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1900)
(I l TTW " T l ?-t jn -w-wjpt " iffmrwwr THE M0E2OT& OREGOKIAN, 2HUESDAY, JAOTAKY 18, 1900. "" yaK"!? w ,n -z v -'," te )j0siiast Xnterofl at the Postpffice at Portland, Oregon, as secona-class matter. TELEPHONES. Editorial Eooms 166 i Business Office COT REVISED SUBSCRIPTION KATES. By Mali postage prepaia). In Advance DaUy, with Sunday, per month ?0 S5 Dalty, Sunday cxeeptea, per year 7 60 Daily, -with Sunday, per year 8 00 Sunday, per year ......................... S 04 The JNeekly, per year. 1 50 The YTeefciy. a months.. .... 50 To City Suhtaibers gaHy, per -Reek, deiHered. SunSavs -exoeptea,15o Daily, par v.eek.- delivered. Sundays lnciufied.20e News er discussion Intended for publication In The Occgonian should be ndflressed invariably "Editor The Oregonian," not to tns name of any individual, letters relating to advertising, subscriptions or to any business natter should be addressed simply -The OreBonlan." The Oregonian does not buy poems or stories irom individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to it -without solicita tion. No stamps should be Inclosed for this pur nose. Paget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson, offlce at 1111 Pacific avenue. Tacoma. Box 5353. Taooma postofficc. Eastera Business Offlce The Tribune building. New Tort city; "The Rookery," Chicago; the C Beskwjth special agency. New Tork. For sale m San Francisco by J. K. Cooper. 7W Market street, near the Pa'aco hotel, and at Goldsmith Bros., 23G Sutter srect. For eale la Chicago by the P. O. Xews -Co.. 217 Dearborn street. ' TODATS 'SVEATHSH-Rain; southeast -minds. light to fresh PORTSIjAAD, THPRSDA1', JAMJAItV IS THE POWTIC.I, TROU2LE IS KB.V TUCKY. In Kentucky there is a peculiarly dif ficult pHtica! situation. It may result in civil war. The plurality for the re publican state candidates was clear, hut it is attacked on various grounds. The democrats have the legislature, and they have made a lav.' that gives the legislature the right to "go behind the returns." The republicans were given the certificates of election, and were in stated in office a month ago. There is no doubt -whatever that it is the pur pose of the democrats ,Jto oust them. "W1H the republican officia's resist? Taylor Is de facto governor. The ex ecutive power of the state and control of the militia is lawfully in his hands. He was inaugurated in the usual man ner. The grounds of contest against him are partisan. All the machinery of the election and of the count, under the Goehel law, were In the hands of his, opponents. The state canvassing board, also, was wholly an their hands. But the law confers upon the legislature the right todeotde any contest for the office of governor, and Goebel is push ing a contest, trusting to the partisan majority to declare for him and against his opponent. Now the question is whether Gover nor Taylor should submit to a gross act I of injustice, for the sake of peace, or resist the effort to oust him; whether It is better for the commonwealth that the right of election be outraged, and abandoned temporarily, or that violence ensue, and perhaps civil war. It is argued by the supporters of Goe hel that it is the duty of their oppo nents to submit, because the statute makes the legislature the sole judge; and therefore, whether it decides justly or unjustly there can be no appeal, and resistance will he tteason. But the re publicans say this law was framed for an iniquitous purpose hy those who now try to take advantage of it; and the question simply is whether major ities are to rule or not, and whether re publican government is to be aban doned, or not. The situation is very serious, and the course of events will be controlled very much hy the courage of the oppos ing forces. The Louisville Courier Journal, which supports the Goebel party, says it believes the republican incumbents will refuse to surrender their places and will employ the mili tary forces at their command to resist the mandate of the legislature, with in tent of Causing the intervention of the United States. The constitution de clares that the United States shall guarantee to each state a republican form of government, and the supreme court has held that it devolves on con gress to declare what government is the constituted one in a state. This Ken tucky difficulty may therefore become a national question. Tet, as we view it. Governor Taylor would better retire, when the iegislature shall declare against him; for there still is a remedy in future appeals to Jhe people, since the result of elections' cannot always be set aside. .There, isplritpf fairness anu usGceln Kgntucky-hich will find a way to make itself heard and felt, and if this affair be rightly handled it may be made the means of virtual de- . Btruction of the Goebel party in the State. BUH.EJR.' DIFFICULT TASK. General Buller Is believed to have commenced a movement against the Boers a week ago, from his camp at Cheveley, twelve miles .south of LiadF Stnith, with the Tugela river in his front. The Boer position extends along a ridge parallel with the north bank of the river, from SpiingfleW, ahove the forks of the Xattle Tugela, on the west (left), to the wagon bridge on the "VTeenen road, on the east (right), a dis tance of sixteen miles. The Boers have had more than -two months to Intrench this position, and have connected it by rail directly with the Transvaal, their base of supplies. The Boers are all horsemen. Their horses wait behind the hilis back of the Tugela, ready to carry the commandos quickly to the threatened point. They move under cover, while the British are obliged to come out in the open. The Boer artil lery is about equal to that of the Brit ish, both in power and accuracy. A very intelligent ex-general of the Union army says: The Boers are well equipped "with Maxim ma chine guns and Hsxim-Nonlenfeldt Quick fires. The Maxim atitemctlc giin (rifle caliber) is good for 600 shots per minute while the 14 Jrch Maxim (37 millimeter) is good for 250 acts per minute. The Boer eharpshooiera the- are alt sharpshooters are armed with the hreecfa-loadhTs magazine Mauser or Martini, equal In all rejects to the British army. In the civil "war, with the muzzle - loading Springfield, vre regarded S0O to 400 yards as the maximum charging distance against an. en trenched Una But Tfltti the Mauser and the aiasim the aoae of fire Is extended to 000 or 1000 yards. Within that fiery zone valor does not count. It is clear from these facts that un less General Buller has obtained longer range artillery than the Boers, has am ple pontoon trains and sufficient wagdn transportation to enable him to cut f loose from the railroad and execute a J wide turning movement, he will hardly be able to force the Boers to leave the intrenched position on the Tugela river and penxnfthe relief of. Xiadysmith. jn. view of the extreme difficulty and' hazard of the movement, delay in re import -of "decisive action Is not at all sur prising. COXDITIOSS OP STECI, TDRE. HAKTJFAC- Reviewing Pacific coast development in a recent number, of the New Tork Independent, President James J. Hill of -the-Great -Njarthlern RaHway-Cqm- pany, says our new possessions 1n the Pacific have not produced any great results in the improvement of the "West. Trade cannot expand under present conditions "because we lack the neces sary steamer tonnage to move even the business now offering." Builders on the- Atlantic ccast. President Hill says, can construct steel ships much cheaper than those on the Pacific coast, and the question of cost will always decide the location of an industry. President Hill adds: There Is ah abandonee of Iron ore of good quality on the Pacific coast, but until the mines are developed and facilities provided tot the mamifactJire there of Iron and steel, the es tablishment of empyarda and the construction of ocean-going vessels In competition with the shipbuilders on the Atlantic coast will not "be practicable. At present, producers of Iron find good enough markets all over the world for tha output of their mines, and not only are the markets good, but the prices also. When they can produce Iron at 57 and $S per ten, and sell It for ?20 to Industries close at hand, already established and; In a flourishing condition. It Is apparent that the present time is not oppor tune for the establishment of shipbuilding yards dependent upon Iron brought from a, long distance for their raw material. The regrettable element in this discus sion is that President Hill's statements are literally true. Pacific coast ship builders cannot compete with the East in the construction of steel veEsels, be cause, as President Hill aptly puts it, "they are dependent upon iron brought from a long distance for their raw ma terial." "We have no Iron and steel plants, and capitalists will not estab lish them in view of the certain and deathly competition which the East will offer. The risk Is too great. The trusts are a menace to Iron and steel manu facture on the Pacific coast. Let us see what an Investor would have to contend with in case he de cided to establish a great steel and iron plant at Portland. Seattle or San Fran- "" Cisco. First of all. he would find him self face to face with the Carnegie in terests, with a capitalization of $250, 000,000; the Federal Steel Company, with $200,000,000; the National Steel Company, with $150,000,000; the Repub lic Iron & Steel Company, with $100, 000,000, and the American Steel & "Wire Company, with $30,000,000. These great trusts are working on lines of a com mon understanding. So far as known, the only competition between them is for tonnage on the Great Xakes to con vey ore to their plants. Suppose the investor decided to build a nail manufacturing plant. Nail ma chines are easy to st. But to make wire nails wire is necessary, and it would have to be bought from one of the big trusts. If the manufacturer decided to put in a drawing plant, he would have to buy the, rods from the trusts; if a rod plant, he would have to go to the trusts for his billets; if a -billet plant, he would have to buy ore of the trusts, pay freight on it to the Pacific coast, and be out of pocket for smelting and coking. To be independ ent of the trusts, the coast manufac turer of nails would have to have nail machines, drawing plant, rod plant, bil let plant, Coking plant, smelter jind an ore supply of his own. Necessary plants would cost about $5,000,000, and require from twenty-four to thirty-six months for construction. At the end of twenty-four or thirty-six months what would the investor have? .Plants cost ing 50 per cent more than 'the material for them was worth two years ago, and probably double the cost of any similar plant now operated by any of the big trusts. If business were active and Eastern competition not too severe, the coast manufacturer would be safe. But let prices decline or competition force him to the wall, his $5,000,000 plant would be as dead as -the ore which he had planned to convert into wire nails. It is the uncertainty of investment in Iron and steel manufacturing on a large scale which scares capital from undertaking such enterprises on the Pacific coast. As with a nail works, so with plate and rolling mills for the manufacture of Iron and steel for vessels. Every dollar's worth of material UEed m the building of such a plant would have to be bought from the trusts, the natural enemies of the coast manufacturer, And after the plant was built there would be Rockefeller and Carnegie to fight. Between Carnegie and the as sociate trusts In control of Iron and steel manufacture an one hand, and the big shipyards of the East already es tablished, on the other, the Pacific coast shipbuilder has no earthly show for building the big liners which before long will be carrying the trade of the Pacific. Eut this fact should not check development of Pacific coast iron mines. Good ore is found in California, on Puget sound, and at Oswego, six miles from Portland. By beginning on a small Bcale and manufacturing such articles of iron and steel as will meet with ready local sale in defiance of Eastern competition, we can build up the industry. Iron and steel shipbuild ing in competition with the East and in the face of the great trusts is out of the question at this time. In con trasting conditions on the Pacific coast with those In the East, we should re member that plants such as Carnegie's, which require a capitalization of $250,-. 000,000, did not spring into existence in a day. They are the product of a century of slow but steady growth, the same growth that offers itself to the Pacific coast. OUR POLITICAXj pxcxavick. Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, is the most zealous of Mr. Quay's friends in the senate, and in reply to the many protests against his position and re quests not to support a man of Quay's personal reputation, he says that Mr. Quay's personal reputation is not be fore the senate. Nevertheless, in face of Quay's record, there does not seem any good reason why Senator Hoar should zealously support a man when in order to seat him it Is necessary to violate the precedents of the senate for over a century and to trample under fool the constitution of Pennsylvania Mr. Hoar bluntly says that "the con stitution of Pennsylvania does not con cern the senate'of the United States in the least. This is not a very convinc ing reply, when we remember that the United States senate years ago decided that a United States senator is a state and not a federal officer. The constitu tion of the United States specifically delegates to the states the power of prescribingjthe times, places and man ner' of holding elections of United States senators. Such state regulation is, for the purpose In hand, federal law, which congress cannot rightfully Ig nore, since It is only the enactment by the state of the power specifically dele gated in the constitution. In pursuance of this power given by the federal constitution, Pennsylvania has prescribed the times, places and manner of choosing1 a United States senator' when; a vacancy exists within the, recess of the senate. It "must be done In-extra -session of thelegislature called within sixty days of the happen ing of the vacancy. That time has elapsed; the direction of the constitu tion has been ignored by Governor Stone, who made an appointment in defiance and contempt of it. Senator Hoar is supporting a clear case of usurpation of power by the governor of Pennsyivan!a Senator Hoar is, like the vast major ity of political philanthropists, not a sound lawyer, and a loquacious senti mentalist rather than a statesman. He has always been more or less of a Pick wick in national politics. He has all the Irascibility and almost the imprac ticability of that very absurd, very amusing and comparatively amiable old nincompoop. THE GREENBACK "LEGACY. The most important lesson taught by our civil war is the financial lesson. The civil war gave us the legal tenders, and these legal tenders not only brought us near bankruptcy the last year of the war, but have been the source of all the fiat-money folly that has vexed the nation up to the present date. The United States government was nearly bankrupt before the close of the civil war. "With a million men on the muster and payrolls, including several great armies of veteran troops in the field, while the Confederate army was reduced to a very small fraction of that number, the Union cause was on the verge of failure because the government could no longer raise money to pay its troops, purchase sup plies or make any further use of its magnificent armies. This astounding fact, says Lieutenant-General Schofleld, was confided to the generals of the army in the winter of 1SS4-C5 by Sec retary of War Stanton, who then said the rebellion must be suppressed in the coming spring campaign or the effort abandoned, because the resources of the treasury were exhausted. Writing under date of February 3, 1865, to a personal friend, General Schofield says: If tho -war continues long- the treasury will become bankrupt. There Is no money to pay the army, and no one can tell where It la to come from. I have succeeded In getting enough to pay my troops, but no other troops hae been paid for Ave months, and there Is no money to pay them. Now, how did we get to this deplora ble condition? We had reached the verge of bankruptcy, because our great country of unlimited resources had re sorted to the expedient of legal tenders, which were a forced loan, probably un necessary, a forced loan without inter- l est, that was robbery to the extent of unpaid interest, for which the only jus tification was .the pleaof military ne cessity. It wasVa case3 of consent on the people's part to surrender its money on ruinous terms rather than lose Its life. The issue of legal-tender notes during the civil war was an extra-constitutional financial expedient that never should have been resorted to. The people would have borne even a higher rate of taxation than they submitted to, with calmness, if no't cheerfulness, and such money as we needed beyond current revenues should have been bor rowed at such rate of interest and such security as could have been agreed upon. Napqleon'mdewar on.a gigantic scale for twenty years arid left France with only $70,000,000 of debt, but he, of course, made the conquered country pay the expenses of its conquest. We could not do that as mercilessly as Na poleon did, hecause our war was a civil war and we 'could not afford to make its scars so deep that they would never heal, but Great Britain made war with Napoleon for twenty years and was able with her money to subsidize all the bankrupt nations of Continental Eu rope, so as to keep their armies on their feet until Napoleon fell. Great Britain first employed the income tax to raise money for the Napoleonic wars in 1708, and continued it until 1815, when the peace which followed Waterloo en abled the government to dispense with it. Pitt's Income tax was 10 per cent, and in 1806, the year of his death, yielded 11,GOO,000, and in 1814 over 14,000,000, or $70,000,000. With the in come tax at a shilling a pound, which is but two-thirds of the rate imposed for the expenses of the Crimean war In 1S54, England today could easily raise $120,000,000. England went through her gigantic ontest with Napoleon of twenty years without resorting to the radically false and dishonest policy which cost the United States hundreds of millions of dollars and came Very near bringing disaster on the Union cause. Our policy left room for doubt and cavil about the conditions of our loan, and about the standard of money in which principal and interest were to be paid, which necessarily aroused a suspicion of bad faith and seriously in jured our national credit. Our country went into the civil war practically free from debt, and came out of it with a. debt which, while nearly twice as large as if ought to have been, was yet so small in com-4 parison with the country's resources that it could be paid off in a few years. It went into the war practically with out an army, and came. out of the war with more than a million of men, nearly all veterans, and could have raised a million more if necessary without seriously Interfering with the industries of the country. Tet in four years a false financial policy destroyed the national credit, brought its treas ury to bankruptcy, and "reduced a L great people to a condition in which they could no longer make use of their enormous military strength." The greenback was born in the civil 'war. It was the greatest of the evils of that I war, hecause of its tenacity of life. As an object-lesson to the Ignorant or ill informed mind, the legal tenders were the "vinegar plant" of our barrel of financial troubles. Out of the object lesson of the legal tenders came all our subsequent fol'y of flat paper and its repulsive bastard child, fiat silver. The men who planned the greenbacks thought they were doing the best that could be done. Their patriotism is not to be impeached, but students of finance understand today the mistake made then, and its fearful legacy. Senator McX.aurin's studied address in favor of restoring state bank cur rency to its ancient place is an in structive sign of the times. A. bank note currency, obviously, is lncompati-" ble with 16 to 1 idolatry -or greenback fiatism: The principle on which state bank notes are advocated is sound, just, as sound as the arguments behind na tional bank notes. It Is" only on grounds of expediency that currency reformers divide when they come to state banks. Numbers of true blue ' gold-standard men are for state hank notes, conspic uously Mr. Carlisle, and Secretary Gage himself seems to lean perceptibly in that direction. We may have state bank notes some day, based on govern ment securities and subject to approved supervision- Their 'mission would bef instructive and helpful, if no mistakes were made in their administration. At any rate, every voice from silver sena tors in favor of state bank notes is a step'in progress. The description of Lord Kitchener In the liondon Mail as a man who never fights until he feels reasonably sure he will win, and for this reason was Im plicitly iruBted by his army in the Sou dan, recalls the fact that General Sheridan once answered the question asked many years after the war as to what he ascribed his uninterrupted suc cess substantially as follows: "I never allowed myself to fight a battle, if I could help it, where I did not feel sat isfied that my men had at least an equal chance with the enemy, and I strove by every means hi my power to secure the advantage In the situation before I joined battle. I never rushed my men up blindly against an in trenched line without knowing in ad vance, if possible, what I had to meet. I maneuvered for the 'weather gauge' of battle for forty days against Early before I decided to strike, and then I struck hard and with success. Why did the. fugitives from Cedar Creek that I met at Middletown promptly face about at my order and advance against the victorious enemy? They had retreated because they had been surprised and caught In a formation from which their high soldierly intelli gence taught them it -was hopeless to expect to deliver a successful fight; that it would 'not pay. to stay,' but they had learned to feel confidence in me that I would not have ordered them back unless I had a fair chance to win a victory." , Though in the opinion of The Orego nian the land to be purchased by the water committee west of the reservoirs is not worth in itself nearly so much as the sum agreed upon, yet in the circumstances it is a proper thing to make the purchase, since several things are thereby to be accomplished. First, the litigation, which, even with favor able results to the city, would be costly, is stopped. Second, a large sum has been invested in the reservoirs, and to protect thep it is necessary to control the land behind them. Third, the land will be a fine addition 'to the park though the purpose for which the water committee buys it is protection of the reservoirs. These are the conditions which, in the judgment of The Orego nian, justify the purchase of the land, for the city, at a higher price than its actual value. It is believed that the slide of the land can be stopped by an expenditure for tunnels and drainage not exceeding $10,000. This Is the opin ion of engineers who have made spe cial examination. Of course, it was necessary to buy the land in order to get the right to do with it what may be considered necessary for protection of the reservoirs in front of it. Pettlgrew and Hoar seem to have performed an important service. No senator will follow their lead. Every senator, however black his heart or empty his head, must assume the vir tues of conscientiousness and original discernment. It is as necessary for Vest, for example, to point out mis takes in Pettigrew and Hoar as it Is for Wolcott and Wellington to censure Beverldge and then enunciate the same doctrines. "Vest is the pioneer In anti imperialist criticism of Pettigrew and Hoar, but there will no doubt be others. The position that anti-imperialism is theoretically right but that now it is too late to apply it must possess strong fascination for men who like to reduce their intellectual idiocy to the mini mum compatible with party regularity. Chandler gets np in the senate of the United States and declares there is no federal statute to punish crimes against the ballot. Upon being correct ed by Spooner, he reiterates his asser tion. When shown the statute, he is content to say, "I stand corrected." It Is just such Intellectual obliquity as this that reveals the incapable thinker and explains silverlsm of the Chandler school. The difficulty Is a mental Im perfection which makes a man indiffer ent to historical or scientific truth. Just this is what makes Wolcott's views on expansion absolutely valueless and Chandler's opinion on suffrage leg islation a negligible quantity. Tet Chandler is cliairman of the committee on privileges and elections! The vote in favor of Pettigrew's reso lution was 20 to 41. This is the second vote on anti-Imperialism taken in the senate, and it stood practically the same as this. It is evident the senate is two to one on the side of sanity and patriotism. The senate will not talk forever on the money and currency bill. It will vote on the 15th of February. General Manty's Career. Chicago Tribune. The death of General Dabney Herndon Maury removes the last save two of the members of the most famous class that was ever graduated from the United States military academy. It is a matter of interest to Chicago people to know that the two surviving members of the class of '46 are both either personally or through their families intimately connect ed with this city. One of these living ex cadets, Maury's classmates, is Colonel P. T. Turnley, now Jiving at Highland Park, and who for years was a resident of this city. The other survivor Is Joseph N. G. Whistler. Mr. Whistier is a son of the Captain Whistler who drew the plans of the first Fort Dearbora, and he Is a con nection of the Kinzle family of Chicago. Some of the names of the graduates of Maury's class which have given it its 2iaim to fame are: George B. McClellan, Jesse L. Reno, Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson.v George Storteman, Samuel D. Sturgis, George E. Pickett, Charles E. Blunt and Samuel B. Maxey. Pickett, of Gettysburg charge fame, was the last man on the list In Class -standing at grad uation, and, as one of his classmates once put It, "if a certain professor had been ,less lenient at the final examination who would have led the charge at Gettys burg?" General Maury was one of the most suc cessful, if not one of the most famous, officers In the service of the Confederate States. He won his spurs in Mexico, and later in Indian warfare on the frontier. At one time he temporarily checked Grant's advance in Northern Mississippi and with General Stephen D. Lee repulsed Sherman at Chickasaw Bluff. At the storming of Corinth he lost 2000 men and displayed the utmost personal gallantry. His successes caused the Confederate gov ernment to give him the rank of major general, and to put him In command of the army of the Gulf. After the civil war he held office under the federal govern ment, and has written much ot Interest. His death leaves still livinjr but a few of the general officers of the Confederacy, c O SOCIETY'S GREAT BANGER. Eaualislnpr Schemes Tending to De stroy Individual Ambition. New Tork Times. In his brief address to the Central Fed erated Union, President Low, of Columbia, referred to the disappearance of the in dividual capitalist in the trust and of the f individual laborer In the union. He thought that the individual had incredsed in importanbe politically, but economically he Is not holding hfs own. He certainly will not hold hts own If the teachers and preachers of the shallow socialism of the day cmi prevent It. The attempt to destroy Individuality, to put a stop to individual effort and initiative, and establish what the dreamers of dreama call associative equality is a part of one of the notable social tendencies of the end of the century. President Low appears to think that the movement is already well advanced. It is In the labor unions. The itrusts are as yet too new to permit us to speak with confidence 'of their ultimate Influence. They have not been long enough tunder observation. If it shall prove that the trusts tend to smother the separate capacities of the individual, to that extent thpy will be an economic evil and do us harm. Socialism, at bottom, is the antithesis of individualism. Manliness withers and self-reliance perishes under its blighting touch. An association in which the prin ciple that the injury of one is the concern of all Is rigidly applied must tend to make tho individual less competent to look out for himself. He knows that the organisa tion will look out for him and trusts to it more or less completely to protect him and his interests. The socialistic theory has come to be ac cepted as the guiding principle by many labor unions. It is not difficult to prove that labor unions are beneficial. They help a great many men to better places and higher wages than they would bo able to secure for themselves In open competition. But that la not the point. The unions may accomplish the greatest good of the great est number, and yet do harm to the am bitious and capable few by compelling them to keep step with the slothful and in competent. Many men are helped up, but some are pulled down. The average level 13 attained at the cost of the Individuals who are held back. Municipal ownership and operation of "public utilities" is one of the modern recipes for suppressing individualism. It la the ono that is most persistently pressed upon the attention of tho public, and it captivates a great many minds that do not take the trouble to picture forth Its consequences to the community and to the individual. All the nostrums of so cialism proceed from the eternal struggle of man to Improve upon natural conditions. It Is a laudable and necessary effort. In all arrangements for the relief of the Incapable and the unfortunate, some meas ure of self-sacrifice on the part of the able and prosperous is Implied, is necessary. But remedies that hamper the Individual and harrow his range etahd In tho way of society's advancement and hindei progress. FKVANCTAI REFORM. Specific Statutes Mast Be Preceded by Public Knowledge. New Tork Commercial Advertiser. It aeems Impossible, in this country, to get affirmative financial reform Into the statute books till It has become an accom plished fact by the operation of natural laws more potent than political legislation. Probably the reason 13 that legislation will move no farther than It la pushed by pub lic opinion and the general public, lacking theoretical knowledge of finance, will move no farther than it sees its way in practical experience. On some subjects national public opinion, will accept the experience of tho world as conclusive, but not on this. In other countries generations of painful experience with violation of the laws of money havn inculcated respect for them in the public mind, but not here, though we have had our lessons, too. The most strenuous agitation can reach no farther, apparently, than the occasional defsat or repeal of evil financial legislation. Sound principles cannot be put Into law betimes a.s a curative force. They can be enacted only when the cure has been wrought by natural laws, when they are only the recognition of accomplished facts. We have destroyed unsound hanking sys tems in this country, under sore pressure of disaster, but we have set up no sound, comprehensive and permanent sys:em since popular clamor destroyed that Hamilton copied from Europe. We have been held back, after several desperate plunges, from the very brink of Irredeemable govern ment paper, but wenever have been will ing to legislate against the principle of government issues. We have fought our way back from the peril of fall to tha silver standard, but we never have been willing to establish the gold standard af firmatively by legislation till now, when the operation of natural law seems to have established It for vs so firmly that legislation is almost superfluous. And now, as usual, we aeem content to stop with formal registration of the accom- pnsnea ract, tnougn several other re forms, no less urgent than this seemed a few years ago, wait upon curative leg islation. Ott ' ' Hoar Hears Prom New England. Philadelphia Press. No wonder Senator Hoar Is annoyed by the protests of his constituents. Such po litical morality does not as a rule find fa vor In New England. It is scarcely de fended anywhere In the country outside of Pennsylvania. Public sentiment as repre sented by the newspapers of the whole country is strongly against Mr. Quay's pretensions. The precedents of the senate are against them. The constitution, the legislature and, we believe, a majority of the people of Pennsylvania are against them. We are glad that a majority of tho senate committee on privileges and elections are also against them, and we are reasonably confident that the majority of the United States senate will support its committee and adhere to Its precedents of 100 years. An Ansel. Philadelphia Press. Rakely What! I paid this bill yesterday. Ma'nchance Tes. but don't you remem ber what you said then? Rakely What did I say. Mainchance Tou said. "I'm going around paying off all my bills today, and tomorrow I'm going to begin all over again." BliKpIaced Lines. Philadelphia Catholic StatuJard. and -Time. Nell Mad at him? Why, he wrote a lovely popm to her. Belle Tes, but she never read It. When she saw the title of it she tore the whole thing up in a fit of anger. Tou see, he called It, "Lines on. Mabel's Face." THE OREGONIAN'S ANNUAL. Solid Facta lor Easterners. Philadelphia Record. The publishers- of The Morning Orego nian, of Portland, Issued on January 1 an "Annual Number for 1300," which con tains GO pages. Including an elaborately j illustrated supplement of 2A pages de voted to a pictorial exposition of the In dustrial development of Oregon and the Northwest. The whole paper Is replete with the most valuable information In re- gard to Portland and Oregon, and Its wealth of data concerning the progress of that city and state will be surprising to those of our readers who are wont to look upon the Northwest as in its. Infancy in stead of in the enjoyment of the vigorous adolescence of a developing Gargantua of Industry. Referring to the industrial show ing of the state. The Oregonlan says: Productions of farm, orcnard. dairy and range amounted last -year to $45,350,737. This lnchidee 3&,5CO,C0O -which sales of stock brought Into the state. The yield o minerals was $3,7ra,103, or which $3,28&.C0O was gold, $103, 010 silver and $2S1,163 coal. Manufactures were, according1 to the beat estimates, $36,140. 136.. The lumber cut, wlrioh Is included in manufacturer, Teas the larstet In. the history ot the state. It amounted to 069, 550.000 feet, val ued at $G,22S,250. The TTOict of fisherlss waa 52.443,155. Portland's foreign commerce for the 32 months ended Koveniber 30, 18SO, was f9,12O,S03. TM0 nmke3 a total of $117,007,903 for- products and foreign commerce. Our people are financially Independent of the East. It Is conservatively estimated that the national, for eign, state and private banfa of Oregon. "Wash ington and Idaho are now carrying Indlvldna.1 deposits of nearly $50,000,000. IndlYldoal depos its of the national banks of Oiejon were $11, 781.120 33 on September 1r :99. Those of the national banks of "Portland were $7.S12,8T3 03 on December 2. The wheat yield of tha state bad in creased from 13,916,000" bushel3 in 1883 to 23,640.334 bushels in 18S9. In the move ment of wheat Portland participated to nearly as great aa extent as Its three near-by rivals. Its wheat shipment to Eu rope and Africa for the year ended De cember 31, 1899, reached 8,946,335 bushels. This is 43 per cent of the total shipment to the same countries from Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Tacoma. In recap itulation of the Industrial and financial statistics of the Northwest, The Oregonian makes these wonderful presentations: Government land soH in Oregon. 5 ear ended June 30, 1890 (acres) Population of Oregon School population of Orego Population of. Portland Individual bank denoslts. Oreron. 540428.63 425.0OU 132.40J 86.600 Washington and Idaho $ 5O.C0O.0CO 00 Individual deposits la Oregon na tional banks, Sept. T, 1830 11.781,130 33 Deposits in national bonks of Portland. Dec 2, 1890 ... T.S43.873 03 Cost of public education In Ore gon in. 3890 1,327.78150 Lumber cut of Oregon in 1S90 (G60.650.COO feet) 228.250 0O Jobbing trade of Portland-. 1830.. 10O.00O.COO 00 Cost of new buildings erected in Portland In 1809 ." G4S.930 00 Sales of real estate In Portland In 1890 3.605.555 21 Bank clearings In Portland In 1800 01.652,230 63 The gigantic strides of the Northwest In agricultural and industrial development are bound to be accelerated both by In crease of immlgrat'on and by a universal appreciation of the opportunities afford ed for profitable Investment there. Limitless Inducements for Capital. Wilkesbarre (Pa.) Times. Ono of the handsomest as well as the most Interesting publicatlona that has reached the Times offlce In a long while Is the souvenir number of The Oregonian, ot Portland, Or. It Is a mamomth publi cation, in which Is set forth in an intel ligent and attractive way tha almost lim itless Inducements offered those who have abundant capital to Invest. A leading feat ure of tho number le the supplement, which Is most, beautifully illustrated with hun dreds of well executed half-tone cuts of the large number ot in-shipping Interests, etc., for which progressive Portland is noted. Everything Is done on a large scale In the great Northwest, and the enterpris ing proprietors of The Oregonian have simply kept that fact in view in publish ing the'r latest annual. Information for the Hooslers. Angola (Ind.) Magnet. The Magnet Is in receipt of a copy of the New Year's edition of The Portland Ore gonian, which Is a marvel in newspaper production. It comprises 60 large pages, and gives a comprehensive description of tho principal Industries of Portland, of Oregon, and of all tho Puget sound coun try, -with several hundred elegant illustra tions It Is indeed a most interesting and Instructive budget of Information. Handsome and Comprehensive. ""Wheeling Intelligencer. The Morning Oregonian, of Portland, has Issued one of the handsomest annuals ever Issued from a newspaper offlce. It contains over 500 illustrations, all printed on the finest quality of enameled book paper, the views embracing all the noted seenlc attractions of Oregon, and covering every important industry Of the Pacific Nortlrwest. From Kentnelcy. Frankfort (Ky.) Call. We have received the annual illustrated number of The Portland Morning Orego nian. The paper contains 60 pages, and tho Illustrated supplement, Which contains 800 Illustrations of points of interest and the business of that far-away "Western city. It would do credit to any city in the country, East or West. The Morality of the Fee. Boston Herald. Ex-Speaker Carlisle Is now criticised In some quarters on account of his argument in favor of excluding Roberts of Utah. And yet ex-Speaker Reed Is getting ready to argue against the constitutionality of the war tax on inheritances, which he helped to enact; ex-Senator Edmunds ap pears as counsel before congressional committees for anybody who Is able to se cure his services, and about all the other ex-statesmen of the legal profession are ready and willing to serve their clients as fast as they come along. The only thing they require In return is a good fat fee. ' "3 ' Great Mistakes of Republican Vasty. Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser. There would have been as general a stampede to the republican party in the South in 1896 as in the rest of the country, had it not been for the danger of negro domination. Unquestionably, the shrewd est political investment open in the whole country today to the republican party lb the removal of the mechanical pressure which holds the white people of tho South together. Possibly the republican lead ers may some day have the equity, the craft and the nerve to undo the blunder their predecessors committed. B "Wise Forethought. Chicago News. Hixon Tou are the only man I ever heard of who started out to build a house for $4000 and actually succeeded In finish ing It within the limit. How did you manage it? Dixon Oh, that was an easy matter. I had my architect draw up plans for a $2000 house. See? o-u. Her Cry of Despair. Detroit Journal. The sky -was dun and lowering. "It threatens ralniy said the man. "Nonsense!" said the woman. For the woman's wet weather skirt was exceedingly becoming to her. NOTE AND COMMENT. The servant girl question Kin Ot have "me company In the parrlorr? A mob can never take the law into its own hands without breaking it. That censor will loosen up fast enough when there is a big British triumph. Since Mr. Pague "has arrived in Chicago It may be asked if Portland's prophet 13 Chicago's loss. For the benefit of the fruit trees we would (respectfully remind the weather clerk that this Is not the first of April. After Quay and Clark shall have been disposed of the senate should see if it can't find an outside job for Hoar and Pettigrew. v The fact that Joe WTieeler Is going to quit the army is evidence that Agulnal do's finish has been adequately consum mated. Teacher Johnny, what is the population of Kentucky? . Johnny Don't know. The returns from the last feud ain't all in yet. Now Boston i3 holding meetings to sup port the Boers. If her assistance is not any more valuable than it was to Agui naldo Great Britain has no immediate cause for alarm. Gars an knives am. flyln irt de middle ob da night. Sleep. Kentucky babe; Daddy am a-dyln an' ole mam's half dead, with fright, Sleep. Kentucky babe; Hob am. chaeln" brudder. an dey say dey lynch hlntsho'. Cassia one ammder anf a-poundln at de do', Tcu Is mighty lucky. Babe of ole Kentucky. Dat you'se gone ter sleep. m The strike ot tho newsboys has fur nished several very striking examples of the cowardice of mobs. A lot of big, hulking ruffians have followed tho boys about. Inciting them to riot, and yelling and howling -with all their lungs, but In almost every instance a man has ap peared and tho touts have slunk away In sullen silence. Cowards banded to gether are the most cruel and dangerous of men as long as they have Inferior numbers to cope with. Once confronted with an exhibition of n,erve, they are un masked; they become cowards again, and the most despicable sort of. cowards. The arrest of a few of these fellows would be a very useful object lesson just now, and In the interest of good order It is to be hoped that a few of them may bo jailed today. Julius Heyman. of New Tork, learned from the newspaper reports of the Moh neux trial that cyanide of mercury would produce death quickly, and was subse quently found dying in a bathing estab lishment with a bottle of the drug half emptied by his side. He had purchased the poison at a wholesale house. There Is a good deal of this sort of thing. It Is a common belief among newspaper re porters that suicides come In threes, the first acting as an inspiration for the sub sequent two. Morbid-minded women are especially likely to be Influenced by an example to shuflle off this mortal coll. But strangely enough, painless methods have never found favor with suicides. Carbolic acid is their usual drink, while a revolver or a rope is preferred to drowning or asphyxiation. Sooner or later, in any event, those who are deter mined to seek existence in another sphere will accomplish their purpose, and the sooner they are away the sooner those who are Interested in them will ho re stored to happiness. 4 B Point Mot Well Taken. Chicago Tribune. "It seems to me," said the magazine editor, condescending to point out some of the flaws In the literary style of the con tributor, "you use a faulty flgure of speech when you speak of a 'bravo old hearthstone.' How can a hearthstone be brave?" "Well, sir." said the contributor, "the one I am writing about has been under fire for nearly 40 years without flinching." A Foe to Sunday Closing:. Chicago Record. "Mi's. Jones, -why don't yeu lay In your Sunday provisions on Saturday?" "Becauso If Mr. Jones comes home hun gry late Sunday night he's liable to eat everything in the house." Soelal ArrenM. Chicago Record. "Tou haven't been to see me since I came back." "No; I'm not supposed to know you have been away until you come and tell ma good-bye." i a Old Letters. Vh-Eirta. Fraaer Beyle in January Bookman. Faded and eld Is the ribbon. Blue ence, as azure-lit skies. BreaXIns- In twain with untying". A truce held to Time aa he Hies. Brcathir.fr of rue and rosemary. And laverador pressed In the leaves; Tellorred and mellowed, love's dreamlcff. Tied in the long garnered, sheaves. "What Is the haxrwst they bring U3, Flotsam of Hfe and the years? Kissed by the dost in their sfeepingr. Bathed In love's sunshine and tears. A verse from, a Iaural-crowned poot. A garland of faith to the fair. A petal from rcoes that shattered, A curl of a. baby's bright hair; A tale of a, ball hi Its season, A scrap of goTvn that waa worn. A confldante'8 news ot a heartbreak. A lover's page, tattered and tern; A child's painful hand that was guided To trace out its first words of love; A message of birth and sorrow, A bridal song, sealed: with a dove. They flutter and drift from their moorings. Like white thought that quiver and shica, Dropped deep in the heart of forever. The past that was thine and is mine. Ay. ashes of roses, I acatter Tour memories, ever the same, Ay. aabea of roses, old letters. I lay your white hearts m the flame. m o The Man "Who Sever Lost. "The man who never knew defeat!"' How proudly doea he stride! How blindly thoughtless people, too. Go flocking to his side I "The sma who never knew defeat" May set a nation free He may be great, but there Is oca More great by far than, he I "The mai who nrvcr knew defeat! Has never passed the test That lies behlrd the truly great And uro-ves them first and best! "The man who never knew defeat" It pitiful and small Beside the one who loses and Can triumph after all. "The man who never knew defeat" May be the one to choeso As leader in the battle but "What If he chanced to lose? Above the man who never lest The one to trust is ha That bravely rlsea from defeat And goes to victory! S. E. Klaer In Chicago Timca-H-9Ta&