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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1900)
fsf"3" THE MORNING OREGONIAN,. TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1300.' 6 ;tte somca Entered at the Postofflce at Portland, Oregon, as second-class matter. TELEPHONES. Editorial Hooms ICO Business Office.. -.607 REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Hail (postage prepaid). In Advance Dally, wlthSunday, per month .....$0 S5 Dolly, Sunday excepted, per year 7 CO Daily, with Sunday, per year........ 8 00 Sunday, per year ........... .......... 2 00 The Weekly, per year..... .. ... 1 50 The Weekly, 3 months....-. 60 To City Subscribers Dally, per week. delivered. Sundays exeepted.l5c Bail, per -week, delivered, Sundays lncluded.20c JCews or discussion intended for publication In The Oregonl&n chould be addressed Invariably "Editor The Oregonian," not to the name of any individual. Letters relating to advertising, subscriptions or to any business matter should be addressed simply "The Oregonian." The Oregonl&n does not buy poems or stories from individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to it without solicita tion. 2Co stamps should be inclosed for this purpose. Puget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson, offlee at 1111 Pacific avenue, Tacoma. Box 855, Tacoma postofflce. Eastern Business Office The Tribune build ing, New York city; "The Rookery," Chicago; the S. C Beckwlth special agency. New York. For sale in San Francisco by J. K. Cooper, 746 Market street, near the Palace hotel, and at Goldsmith Bros., 236 Sutter street. For sale in Chicago by the P. O. News Co., 2X7 Dearborn street. TODAY'S WEATHER, Occasional rain; Fllghtly warmer; wind becoming east and south east. PORTLAXD, TUESDAY, JAXUARY 30. "WHERE REXMDCTIOXS SHOULD BE MADE. When Arthur Young: was studying the resources and prosperity of France, fi.t the time when the whole country was up In arms against the ancient regime and wonders were expected of the states-general, he met a peasant woman at Mars-la-Tours who told him of a vague something that was to be done by some great folks for poor peo ple, and added: "But God send us bet ter times, for the taxes and the feudal dues crush us." Taxes and the dues which are paid to officialism are crushing the taxpay ers of Multnomah county. Fear of high taxation scares away Investors of all classes, oppresses the enterprises already established here, and .keeps real estate values at nil. It is not surpris ing that the estimate of expenditures for 1900 just announced by the county commissioners should include an item of $1800 for the recorder's office above fees, another for $3900 for the office of clerk of the county court, and a third of $3500 for the circuit clerk. These offices are being run at a loss under the salary system, and the present inade quate fees for work done by the county. Between July 1, 1895, and December 1, 1899, the three offices cost the county nearly $24,500 over and above receipts of fees. It would be a telling blow to official ism and official extravagance to abolish the offices of clerk of the circuit court, clerk of the county court and recorder of conveyances, and create the office of county clerk, thus restoring the condi tion of affairs that prevailed prior to July, 1888. There Is no earthly need of the three offices. One officer, a county clerk, can attend to all the work at an iexpense of less than $20,000 a year. The three offices have cost since July 1, 1895, an average of nearly $31,000 a year. Here is an excellent opportunity to save nearly $11,000 a year. One method of economy in county government is to reduce all unneces sary expense; another is to abolish all useless offices. If one officer can do all the work of the county court, the cir cuit court and the recorder's depart ment, there is no valid excuse for three clerical officers, each of whom is paid a larger salary than any judicial officer in the state, be he justice of the su preme court, circuit judge or county judge. A saving of $11,000 a year is not to be despised, and the Multnomah del egation in the next legislature should not lose the opportunity to give the taxpayers even this small relief. "God send us better times, for the taxes crush us." THE FARMERS' CONGRESS. A notable meeting of farmers is fore shadowed in the arrangements made for the farmers' congress that will be held in Salem on the 7th and 8th of February under the auspices of the State Agricultural Society. Judging from the names that appear in con nection with it, the conference will be literally one of men who know what they are talking about. These will, no doubt, be ably assisted by women who have taught thel&nen much that the latter know in regard to the finer but by no means the minor details of agri culture pomology, horticulture, poultry-raising and dairying while in the beautiful realm of floriculture women will clearly prove, if opportunity offers, that they reign supreme sovereigns by "divine right." The diversified features which Ore gon agriculture has assumed in recent years are shown in the announcement of the subjects to be discussed upon the occasion mentioned. The old-time "ttheatraiser of a third of a century ago, could he be precipitated bodily and mentally upon the scene without inter vening knowledge of the evolution that has been going on in the domain of ag riculture, would be astonished when one man, well qualified to speak from experience, arose to discuss "The Out look for Hops in Oregon," and another, "Soiling and Its Advantages in Dairy ing." another, "The Poultry Industry," and yet another, "Horticulture In Ore gon and Markets for Oregon Fruits." The greatest surprise, however, would come T hen the general freight agent of a great interstate railway system arose and presented the solution of the prob lem that was the despair of pioneer agriculturists of the state under the head of "Transportation of Oregon Products." Citizens of Oregon, who were state builders in the foundation-laying era, will readily recognize in the announce ment of this congress and its pro gramme the progress made along agri cultural lines in the state in recent years. Handicapped as these sturdy farmer folk of the early days were by a restricted market practically, it may be said, no market at all for the perishable products of a diversified ag riculture, and not having come into the knowledge of hopgrowing and modern frultdrying, they were compelled to de pend upon wheat as the only product that could make the slow transit around the Horn to Eastern and for eign markets without injury. A quickly glutted local market soon put an end to attempts at fruitraislng and dairy ing for profit, while poultry-raising, ex cept to supply the demand created by the annual campmeeting in the neigh borhood or district, which consisted in feeding the multitude on eggs and chickens, without money and without price, for a week or ten days, was un known so far as an attempt to produce a surplus in that line was concerned. Our people generally are too much in clined to underrate and to criticise the efforts that have been made from year to year to Improve Oregon agriculture. A backward glance, intelligently di rected, will show that substantial prog ress has been made toward diversified farming. The advance has been slow, but the conditions furnished by a sparse population, inadequate transpor tation facilities and prohibitive freight rates, were not conducive to rapid growth. And, when added to these de terrents we remember that the inertia of long isolation had settled upon the people of many of our most fertile farming districts, and had to be over come by the subtle powers of growth, we may well cease to wonder that prog ress has been slow, and, indeed, we are likely to decide that it has been as rapid as could reasonably have been expected. Be this as it may, evidences of sub stantial advancement in agricultural lines are now met and recognized by observant people of all classes, and they see in this advancement the un derlying elements of the real prosperity and future greatness of the state. The topics to be discussed at the farmers' congress next week Indicate something of the widened range of agricultural interests in Oregon in recent years, and their discussion will, no doubt, furnish gratifying proof of the assumption that Oregon farmers are working with their brains as well as with their hands in their ancient and honorable vocation. EMERGENCY CIRCULATION. It is worth while remarking, paren thetically, that with all the currency schemes pending before congress, the problem of emergency circulation for relief of spasmodic stringency has been neglected, and of all the proposals of amendment to the banking laws none touches this serious lack. This is really strange, in view of the prominence the subject assumed in 1893, when emer gency circulation for rural districts, corresponding to clearing-house cer tificates in New Tork city, would have afforded great relief and mitigated the distresses of the panic These things are out of mind now, but they will be bitterly recalled the next time panic strikes us. Controller Dawes proposed a plan, in teresting enough in itself, but imprac ticable in view of the declared pro gramme of congress. His idea was that, instead of granting banks full Issues of notes to par of bonds, this fraction between 90 and 100 per cent should be made an emergency circula tion, subject to a tax sufficient to retire it when emergencies were past. This scheme is now outside the pale of prof itable discussion, for the simple reason that congress is going to permit full issue to par of bonds comprehensively. The act will be just, moreover, and the proposal of Mr. Dawes falls short of justice to that extent. The most celebrated plan for emer gency circulation is that of Mr. Theo dore Gllman, a banker. His scheme has received several noteworthy com mendations, notably the opposition of Professor Johnson, of the university of Pennsylvania, whose antagonism to good causes is uniform enough to cre ate a presumption in favor of every thing he attacks. Mr. Gllman advo cates legal creation of clearing-house associations, in every state, which shall be authorized to Issue emergency clearing-house currency, guaranteed by the association, and parceled out by it among local banks needing it, on de posit of "commercial security properly indorsed. Under this plan, in 1893, a bank at Albany, for example, could send its security assets to Portland and receive In exchange circulating notes at a certain fraction of the security val ues. Taxes properly calculated would support the expense -of the machinery for this operation and send the notes to redemption as soon as the crisis had passed. "We have never seen any considera tion advanced against the plan advo cated by ex-United States Senator Cor bett, of Oregon. Mr. Corbett proposes a new 2 per cent bond, which banks can buy and deposit in the treasury In exchange for emergency circulation. This 2 per cent per annum on the bonds, accruing to the banks, will cease for the time the bonds are on deposit with the treasury, thus operat ing precisely like a tax of 2 per cent per annum on the circulation. These bonds and notes would be promptly Interchangeable, and the arrangement would introduce into our currency sys tem a device of instant availability in refreshing contrast to the cumbersome, expensive and Inadequate methods now in vogue. It is practically inevitable that an emergency circulation will some time have to form part of our currency system. When all proposals are con sidered, Mr. Corbett's is as likely as any to be adopted. "PUERTO," NOT "PORTO" RICO. The senate has not lived up to Its old traditions of scholarship In its de cision to oppose the government's order establishing Puerto Bico as the recog nized form of our new West Indian possession. There is no more reason for spelling it Porto Elco than there is for spelling Manila with two l's. Porto Is Portuguese, and Puerto is Spanish. Puerto Bico is Spanish for Rich Har bor. There is no such thing as Porto Bico, and there is no reason why accu racy should not be observed in this case as in others. As the government's commission originally pointed out, to say "Porto Bico" is to commit an error of great bulk, philological, geographi cal, historical and grammatical. The hybrid phrase, "Porto Bico," made out -of a Portuguese substantive and a Spanish adjective, is as much an ab surdity as "Newporto" Instead of "Newport" would be. Nor is the spelling "Porto Bico" con sistent with the rule for spelling geo graphic names laid down by the United States board of geographic names, ap pointed by President Harrison In 1890 to secure uniformity of spelling In the departments. In its bulletin of May, 1891, the board lays down the rule that "geographical names in countries that use Boman characters should be ren dered in the form adopted by the coun try having jurisdiction, except where there are English equivalents already fixed by use." Under this rule we may say "Marseilles" instead of "Marseille," "Antwerp" Instead of "Anvers," and "Leghorn" instead of "JLivorno," but we cannot say "Porto Bico" instead of "Puerto Bico." The spelling of "Opor to," the name of a port in Portugal, cannot properly control the spelling of the Spanish name of an island so well known as Puerto Bico. Webster and the "Standard" give "Puerto" Bico, and Webster is an au thority. The "Century" gives "Porto'" Bico, but the Century also says to pro nounce Schley "Schla." The English uniformly use the spelling "Puerto," and the maps used by the United States and those printed by Band, Mc Nally & Co. also employ that form. The senate should reverse Its decision, and perhaps it will. LADYSMITH. Whether the reported determination of Lord Boberts to abandon further efforts to relieve Ladysmith be au thentic or not, such a decision would be absolutely sound, from a military point of view, for if the three months that have been wasted in the vain ef fort to relieve Ladysmith had been employed in pushing straight against the line of the Orange river, Lady smith would probably have been re lieved, but in any event would be in no greater military extremity than it is today. Grant bluntly compared the conduct of the Union armies before he took supreme command, in March, 1864, to the behavior, of a balky team; viz., when one horse moved the other stood still, and no progress was made. Sir George White, from a purely military standpoint, had no business to allow himself to be cooped up in Ladysmith with a river behind him and a most im portant railroad bridge exposed to cap ture by the enemy. His occupation of Ladysmith after his defeat at Glencoa and Dundee was as great a blunder as the retreat of Pemberton's beaten army into Vlcksburg against the sol emn protest of General Joseph E. John ston. Grant had but 44,000 men when he caught Pemberton with his army strung out between Vicksburg and Jackson, but when Grant found that Pemberton had withdrawn Into Vicks burg he obtained 40,000 reinforcements from St. Louis and Memphis, and with 75,000 men intrenched against him Pemberton could not get out of Vicks burg and General Joe Johnston, who had but 30,000 men, could not hope to accomplish his relief by attacking Grant's rear. The result was that not only Vicks burg surrendered with over 30,000 pris oners, but the efforts of the 30,000 men under Johnston to ' relieve Vlcksburg between May 20 and July 1 paralyzed the Confederate campaign in Tennes see. If, as -Joe Johnston says, Jeff Da vis had abandoned Vicksburg promptly to its fate and allowed him to rein force Bragg at Tullahoma, In Tennes see, with 30,000 men, by sheer force of numerical superiority Bosecrans would have been defeated, and Nashville, Memphis and even Louisville could only have been saved by Grant's rais ing the siege of Vicksburg and coming to the rescue. This is the view of Longstreet, who urged this plan, with the Indorsement of Lee, upon Jeff Davis, May 10, 1863. It is three months since Sir George White was cooped up in Ladysmith, and his resistance thus far Is exactly what he could have delivered if there had not been an army of 35,000 men di verted from the movement against the line of the Orange river to his relief. General Buller's army of relief has not been able to send a pound of food or ammunition, or a single soldier, into Ladysmith. It has not been able to prevent a violent and well-nigh suc cessful assault upon Ladysmith. The Boers have been strong enough to re pulse General Buller's army twice, and yet increase the pressure of their clutch upon Ladysmith. It is plain that next to the gross military blunder of the original occupation of Ladysmith the worst mistake of the British has been to undertake the relief of Ladysmith via Durban and Estcourt. The true way to relieve Ladysmith was by a counter stroke. Every man and gun should have been pushed for ward against the Boer line of defense on the Orange river. The strategy of moving Methuen, Gatacre and French against the line of the Orange river was sound enough in theory, but they had not men enough to create any di version of the enemy's forces from Na tal. For the lack of the 35,000 men wasted in a hopeless movement against the intrenched line of the Tugela in Natal, the movement against the line of the Orange river collapsed into a state of military paralysis. It was Grant's "balky team" over again. Me thuen, French and Gatacre were too weak to make any serious impression on the enemy's lines, and Buller's army of 35,000 infantry utterly lacked the mobility necessary to conduct a suc cessful flanking movement againBt an Intrenched line of mounted infantry as well armed as to rifles and artillery as itself. The result has been that, for lack of military concentration, nothing has been accomplished by an English army of 100,000 men in South Africa. Lord Boberts sees that, while public sentiment dictated the relief of Lady smith via Estcourt, the only sound military method of relief is a powerful counter stroke on the line of the Orange river. That was the decision that a sound soldier would have made, the moment the Boers captured the railroad bridge at Colenso, occupied and in trenched the line of the Tugela river. If Ladysmith had been left to its fate October 27, the line of the Orange river could have been attacked by at least 50,000 men by the 1st of Decem ber, and that assault would probably have been sufficient to recall the Free State contingent from Natal and prac tically to relieve Ladysmith. Of course, the British war office dreaded the po litical effect of letting go their grip of Natal, but their failure on the Orange river to prevent the enemy from trans ferring the war to Cape Colony has given the enemy twice as many recruits as he could have obtained in Natal. If Lord Boberts has abandoned Ladysmith to its fate, he has made a sound military decision, for the attempt to relieve Ladysmith after the Boers de stroyed the railway bridge at Colenso and fortified the line of the Tugela river was not war. It was a political bone thrown to the British bulldog pub lic maddened at the thought of the surrender of an English army of 8000 One of the most shocking events in urban life was witnessed in Astoria Saturday afternoon in the mangling and death of a boy of 6 years by being run over by a street-car. For the credit of those who control and direct electric-cars, it may be said that they are among the most careful and respon sible men in the ranks of labor. Yet with all the alertness and vigilance that the motorman can command, he cannot at all times insure the public against accident. When, as in this in stance, a child runs directly across the track of a moving car, or attempts to board or leave a moving car, fatality or maiming worse than fatality results, the motorman may be justly acquitted of blame, even while the horror stricken public turns its face shudder ingly from the spectacle. A lapse in prudence on the part of the victim is more often the cause of such disaster than inattention to duty on the part of the man who controls the move ment of the car. The lesson is for indi viduals, and he who runs may read. The importance of the Pacific coast trade with the Orient within the next five years, and its immensity there after, cannot be at this time overesti mated. For th's reason even the en larged and constantly enlarging views of J. J. Hill, president of the Great Northern railway, as published yester day, in regard to this traffic, cannot be considered extravagant. Whether he will build five ships of the largest type in ocean service each year for the next five, and put them all in the car rying trade between Asiatic and North Pacific ports may be doubted, but his general estimate of the Importance of this trade is fully indorsed by the pres ent outlook in that direction. Skill in working the Asiatic markets in the in terests of the grain, coal, iron, lumber and fruit supply of the great North west must precede to some extent and constantly accompany the freight movement thither. This skill American tradespeople should not be slow to ac quire. With a gain of 250 per cent in our trade with China and Japan during the last ten years, as shown by reports of the agricultural department, and conditions for the growth of this trade constantly expanding through familiar ity with its requirements, there is little reason to doubt that the first decade of the next century will be greatly in excess of the large gains of the last ten years. The sagacious man sees this opportunity and goes forward to meet it. If congress is equally far-sighted, the Nicaragua canal will, at as early a day in the coming century as is com patible with its construction, open an Important commercial gateway between the ports of the Eastern and Western world. Barb-wire is now sold to Americans at $4 13 a hundred pounds; to Canadi ans at $3 25, and to Europeans at $2 20. The same proportions hold true as to wire nails. Our exports of these prod ucts are so great that foreigners are being driven out of the business. It is the protective tariff that enables man ufacturers to "work" the market in this way. A trust controls the output, makes the American consumer pay an excessive price, and at their expense gives cheap products to foreigners. This whole business would be smashed quickly. If the demo-populist party would abandon its fatuous course on money and other questions. The Philadelphia Press calculates that the 2 per cent refunding bonds contemplated in the senate reform bill would certainly go to 112, and might reach 117. Long-term bonds are val uable, and will gain in value whenever the time draws on for redemption of other outstanding issues. In 1904, for example, when a little less than $100, 000,000 of the 5- per cents of 1875 are to be retired, the rush for the new 2s, if issued, would be precipitate. This con sideration is urged by some as an ar gument against the refunding scheme, but it is such only from that point of view. The departure of residents on Ger many's Samoan holdings for the island taken by the United States is not only a fine, international joke on Germany, but a disturbing phenomenon for the antis. Is it possible this country, whose das tardly purposes and unholy institu tions they never cease to bewail, can supply in a dependency a better ,gov ernment than Germany's? , The humiliation of the British empire will be complete when the Boer states dictate peace at London, require the withdrawal of the British from Africa, and compel the payment of an indem nity to cover the expenses of the war and loss of life caused by the war to the Boer states. Those interested in the subsidy dis cussion should not lose sight of the two fundamental principles on which advo cacy of the scheme is based: 1. There la so much profit in shipping that we must get it away from the foreigners. 2. There is so little profit in shipping that It can't live without government subsidies. A Busso-Japanese alliance should be popular at St. ' Petersburg. Perhaps this is the only way in which the Bus slans can get Corea. Their wily diplo macy may achieve what their arms are unequal to. SUBSIDIES IN FRANCE. Vast Expenditures Made "Without Substantial Beneilts. Iron Ace. In view of the interest which is now being taken in the development of Amer ican shipping, it is worth while to con sider a recent report by a parliamentary committee appointed by France to study nnr TBonmmdrtft methods of encouraKlng the merchant marine of that country. After having been in session for more than 18 months, the committee is oi tne rr!n!rm thn thft nresent condition of the French mercantile marine is a critical one, and that its contlnuea iaiim-e to compete successfully with other countries, espe piniiv in thfi cast of steamshlDs. "would lead to the most disastrous commercial, social, military ana political results. Thfi renort of a eovemmental commission, based on an invetigatlon lasting for a year ana a nan, mignt De expected to contain suggestions or a wider Interest than for France alone. About all Vio h- flnna onntnin however, is a urODO- sltlon to amend certain sections of an existing law, to provide for an Increase in the rate of bounties now paid (1) for ship construction and (2) for navigation. During 16 years the French government has paid bounties for navigation (mileage) amounting to $24,425,000, and bounties for shipbuilding amounting to $8,440,000, or a total of $32,6S5,O0O. This is in addition to the postal subsidies paid by France to steamship companies, which amounted in a recent year, according to the Inter national bureau of universal postal union, to $4,965,085. It would seem that such an expenditure should bring returns In the shape of an enlarged shipping trade, even if only a forced growth. . . . This would indicate that the expenditure of money for subsidies will not alone build up a great shipping trade, nor maintain the Telative Importance of such a trade where it already exists, against active competition. "While the liberal subsidies which In times past have been paid by Great Britain may have stimulated commercial progress more or less, such payments alone could not have been the cause of her present high rank as a maritime power. The expenditures In behalf of the Cunard line, counting from 1840, have been very great, rendering its founder wealthy, but long before his compensa tion was changed from a "subsidy" to "mail pay" rival lines had grown up, without a penny from the public funds, and had become strong enough to demand a share of the mail contracts, on the ground that they could give a service equal to that ot the subsidized lines. The payment of subsidies was tried here on a considerable scale 45 years ago, and at one time it appeared as if our support of the Collins line had been the means of inducing the British government to sup port Cunard more liberally. But al though Collins received from Washington probably more than the cost of his ships, his line eventually disappeared from the seas. In the meantime British shipping has continued to grow, outside of the sub sidized lines, until a comparatively Insig nificant proportion of the whole is now aided by the government. The country which depends alone upon governmental aid in the shape of shipping subsidies is likely to find itself In the end a companion In misery of France. . . . All that American shipbuilders and shippers need ask Is that they be placed on an equality with their foreign rivals. Then the out come may be looked forward to with con fidence. That our next line of great de velopment will be In the direction of a merchant marine, no one doubts. 9 ' REPUBLICAN CRITICISM. Opposition to the Administration on West Indian Trade. The New York Press is an Intense re publican and an extreme protectionist newspaper. Until free trade in the products-of our new possessions was broach ed, it was devotedly attached to the Mc Klnley administration. But since then it has taken to criticism, which has been growing In intensity. From its columns The Oregonlan reprints the following ar ticle as a contribution to the political dis cussion of the time: The substitution of a small ad valorem duty on Puerto Rican sugar and tobacco both for the existing specific duty and the proposed abolition of all duty would help the American producer little. It was shown in the DIngley bill hearings that on wrapper tobacco especially the present rate is the lowest that will yield protec tion. As we have repeatedly pointed out, the only way in which Puerto Rico can be helped without harmlpg us is by de veloping her coffee trade. This develop ment but for the hurricane, which so providentially assisted the plans of the tropical trusts, would probably have been peacefully.pursued under the present open door tariff which gies Puerto Rico fair trade with all the world. But though we would not advise the consistent protectionists of congress to accept this compromise, we certainly do advise the tropical free traders in con gress to seek this compromise if they can get it. Its advantage to them will be that It will avoid the shipwreck ot the wnole expansionist cause on the Caribbean reefs, toward which they now have it headed. If they leave a small duty on Puerto Rican exports to the United States they can leave a duty on United States exports to Puerto Rico. This will make the Island self-supporting and will avoid the resort, which no expansionist can contemplate without a shudder, of the issuance of a loan of $10,000,000 now recom mended by the island's authorities to meet its Immediate wants. A permanent plan of revenue no one seems to have devised. By United States internal revenue taxes nothing would be raised on some staples and hades on others. The outlay upon Spain and her for mer subjects in consequence of the treaty of Paris has not been light. There was $20,000,000 for public improvements in the Philippines. There Is from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000 for damage done to American property during the insurrection. When to this Is added $10,000,000 as a first install ment of expense In the smallest of these new possessions, the intelligent voter, al ready fidgeting a little under the con tinuance of war revenue taxes, will begin to take thought and do figuring. If a $10, 000,000 loan is required in Puerto Rico, whose abolished revenues amount to $2,000,000, what size of loan will be needed in Cuba, whose revenues amount to $12, 000,000? Evidently a $60,000,000 loan. And what in the Philippines, where the Span lards before the war collected $6,200,000 in duties? Plainly a loan of $37,200,000. It the devastation of a hurricane be the plea of Puerto Rico for aid, each can argua the tenfold worse devastation of war. Whe we add to this the $60, 000,000 annual loss to our own revenues, only to be made good by internal revenue Imposts on a people al ready impatient over the continuance of war taxes, in what a chaos do we see our whole revenue system, upon which by reason of our independent treasury our whole currency system and thus our banking and commercial and Industrial systems depend? Such Is the fairly deduclble course of expansion as outlined by the secretary of war's one little winter cruise to San Juan. Does anyone suppose that the Yankee na tion will take it willingly, especially since there Is no possible profit In it to anyone but the tropical trusts, not now overpopu lar? Does anyone suppose that it will not draw back at some most awkward part of the journey as soon as It realizes its cost? And with the necessities before the country of providing for the revival of American shipping and constructing an Isthmian canal the cost is bound to be realized. There are no surpluses before the treasury for many years to follow the present session of congress. It la not the Interests of the agricul tural producers alone which are threat ened by this project, of which the ruin ous details are now being unfolded. It is the policies of the administration, in which are bound up at present the for tunes of the republican party, In which is embarked, In view of the total collapse of Its opposition as a governing force, the future, as a truly great nation, of the United States. If the administration can find safety for Itself and all It stands for In this presidential year by a retreat from tropical free trade even by that other democratic route, an ad valorem tariff, It will do well to take It at once. Q fr EJECTION OF SENATORS. Continued Scandals May Finally Com. pel Adoption of Amendment. Chicago Times-Herald. That the house will be called upon at this session to consider the question of electing United States senators by direct vote of the people Is apparent from tho favorable report of the committee on elec tions up'on the bill Introduced by Repre sentative Corliss, of Michigan, which pro poses an amendment to the constitution. The Corliss bill was framed in response to a public sentiment which has mani fested Itself In the increasing tendency of political parties to name senatorial can didates In state conventions and In the numerous petitions from state legisla tures praying for legislation of this char acter. The republican party in Ohio and the democratic party in Illinois have set the precedent of choosing candidates for the United States senate In state conven tion. A good many other states have had recont occasion to wish they had followed the example of Ohio. The long senatorial fight in Iowa, which obscured all other considerations in the election of men to the legislature, and which finally termi nated In the re-election of Senator Gear, has solidified republican sentiment In that state In favor of the nomination of United States senators In state conven tions hereafter. The contest was a clean one throughout, developing no lasting bitterness and leaving no wounds or taint of dishonesty, and yet the wrangle was protracted and expensive to the state. As soon as the political atmosphere of Des Moines began to cool off the politicians were quick to declare themselves in favor of the nominating plan as a safe measure for avoiding costly contests and for re moving all temptation to resort to the corrupt methods that have scandalized Montana. Pennsylvania and other states. It is highly probable that the successor to Senator Cullom in this state will be named in the coming state republican convention. The people will therefore come as near to voting for a United States senator as it 13 possible to get under the constitution. The report of the house committee on the Corliss bill states that "it 13 evident from an examination ot the constitution that it was the original intention to leave to the citizens of each state the right to determine when, where and In what man ner the election of senators should be held." The restriction to" the legislature, it declares, was the result of a compro mise and contrary to the judgment of the great constitutional lawyers, including Hamilton and Jefferson, who had a hand in framing the instrument. The house will doubtless pass the Cor liss measure, and the senate, as usual, will smother it in committee But public sentiment in favor of election of, senators by direct vote of the people Is gathering force every year, and a few more sena torial scandals such as is now being aired from Montana will crystallize this senti ment Into a popular mandate so strong that even the senate can no longer Ig nore it. 0 MYTH THAT DIES HARD. Conspiracy Betiveen Banks and Treasury That Does Not Exist. New York Journal of Commerce. The gentlemen who He awake nights because they apprehend that the treasury is in some sort of conspiracy with certain banks to enrich them at the expense of the rest of the country would get some in formation, if they were disposed to learn things, from a statement given out by Assistant Secretary Vand,erlip showing that the profit on government deposits to banks is very small where the banks bought the bonds deposited as security at present prices. So far as the matter of profit goes it does not matter whether the bonds were bought just now, for this pur pose, or not; they are worth their present price. The treasury endeavored to avoid depositing funds with the banks that bought bonds for the purpose of securing these deposits; Its purpose was to secure, not a change, but an increase of the amount of currency available for com mercial uses, and the assistant secretary Is satisfied that this has been practically accomplished. His statement shows profits of 1 per cent In the case of some country banks, and of losses of several city banks. Several banks have given up their de posits, sold their bonds and employed the proceeds in their usual business, which Is conclusive evidence of the small profit found In government deposits. It was a common declaration of tha greenbackers In the days of their activity that the national banks got interest on what they owed as well as on what was owed to them, but the decreasing circula tion of these banks over a range of years proves how little excuse there is for thi3 view of the relations of the banks to the treasury. There is not a sufficient profit in circulation at the present prices of government bonds to secure from the banks as much circulation as the business of the country requires, and the finance bills pending In the house and senate propose to make the terms more favor able to the banks in the interest, not of them, but ot the community. Instead of being a great favor to the banks to de posit public funds with them upon a bond security, the profit is so moderate that It has been repeatedly declined. The myth that the treasury Is conferring great benefits upon certain banks dies hard, but the spread of knowledge may be trusted to exterminate It In the course of time. Medicine Taken With Wry Face. J. Sterling Morton's "Conservative." When men get sick they take medicine that Is sometimes exceedingly nauseating. When the country Is sick and shakes with the fever and ague that the malarias and vagaries of communism have given it, and there seems to be danger of a collapse of the entire financial system, many thought ful voters -who do not believe in McKInley ism will sustain it, take the entire dose, rather than aid In forcing the money fal lacies of Bryanarchy upon the country. President McKInley has faults and lacks Individual courage when questions of right and wrong may be determined by his own conscience, Instead of being turned over to Hanna, Elklns and Quay for solution. But It is better to have the gold standard with McKInley than the free and unlimited coinage of silver at 16 to 1 without Mc KInley. The medicine is bitter, nauseating, dis gusting, but it is better for the United States than financial death. As a dose it may be continued intermittently. But as a chronic diet or nourishment It cannot be endured except by the Insane. c The February Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly for February pre sents a variety of readable articles, most of them having the literary flavor which Is distinctive of this magazine. Herbert Putnam contributes a paper on "The Li brary of Congress," James Ford Rhodes has an essay on "History," Ethel Dench Puffer writes of "The Loss of Personal ity," and Charles L. Smith discusses "The American College In the Twentieth Cen tury." A very brisk and readable paper Is Gerald Stanley Lee's discussion of "Journalism as a Basis for Literature." Harriet Waters Preston reviews some re cent books on Italy, and there Is an ade quate review of Stephen Phillips' "Paolo and Francesca." Charles Richmond Hen derson writes of "Science In Philanthro py," and Rollln Lynde Hartt has an im portant paper on Mormonism and Its ten dencies. Zltkala-Sa begins the story of "The School Days of an Indian Girl." and William James Stlllman contributes the second Installment of his autobiography. The verse and the fiction in the number are of the usual high order. D No Compulsion About It. New York Tribune. The Transvaal Is not to be diplomatically recognized simply because of sympathy with It in this war, nor Is such recogni tion to be withheld simply because of lack of sympatny or because of friendship for Great Britain. Either of such courses would be in violation of the true spirit of neutrality. Recognition of sovereignty Is to be given on the ground of fitness and merit, and on no other. Such recognition is a very different thing from recognition of belligerency, for a belligerent Is by no means necessarily a sovereign. And even if a state be undeniably sovereign, it still remains optional with another state wheth er it will enter into diplomatic relations -with it. Any state ha3 a right to send a diplomatic representative to another, but the latter Is under no compulsion to receive him. o It "Would Be Embarrassing. Kansas City Star. What a joke it would be If Oom Paul had actually appealed for an American protectorate, as Is rumored. Of course, the United States couldn't assume any jurisdiction in the Transvaal without In sisting upon rights for Ultlanders, such as conform to American Ideas of liberty. What would the democratic tin-horn statesmen say to that? 0 Their Harvest Time. Philadelphia North American. "Not wishing our English cousins any harm," said Calesby, "but with so many of the lords and dukes rushing off to the war, it looks as though untitled but hon est Americans might have some show in the matrimonial market." a c fc The Poet's Choice. Philadelphia Record. "I don't care for your poem, 'The Song of the Lark,' " remarked the editor. The poet sighed wearily. "To tell the truth." he replied, "I myself much prefer the lay of the hen." Greatest Aid to Civilization. Chicago Record. "What do you consider the most level ing and civilizing Influence of the present a"e?" "The bath tub." NOTE AND COMMENT.. Possibly Bryan Is making money ao assiduously because money talks. When the money market reaches the bottom, the bottom Is likely to drop out. Even the prospect of being fought by both parties does not appear to worry tho trust magnates. Senator Pettigrew was a laborer at the age of 21. It Is astonishing how swiftly some men decline. Chicago Is wondering what has becomo of her winter. Isn't It possible that it es caped down the drainage canal? When a fast young man gets away -with other people's money, he usually finds that he Is not so fast as he thought ha was. v It is noteworthy that the pro-Boer agi tators did not begin to howl until the British seemed to be getting the worst of it. The cutting of ice In Chicago has been 1 prohibited by ordinance. But Cbicagoana will continue to cut Ice when they go abroad. When Buller repeated Sheridan's famous sentence, "Come on boys; we're going back." it is not likely that it creatad much enthusiasm. Senator Tillman has given notice that he Is going to make a sneech. His con sideration will undoubtedly be appreci ated by the absentees. Real estate agents say that good dwell ings, centrally located, are very much in demand in Portland, as the city's popu lation more than keeps pace with the in crease of dwelling-houses. A prominent agent said yesterday that he has charga of a certain house, which stood empty for many months, as no one seemed to cars about renting it. The other morning, however, a man appeared In the office and said: "Well. I guess I'll take that house." He paid the rent and was given the key. That afternoon a second man appeared and said: "Guess I'll take that house," but was Informed that he was just a few hours too late. Toward evening a third man came along, and, pulling out hia purse, said: "Guess we'll take that house," and he was surprised to learn that two others had been of the same mind. Thousands of the seagulls which ihova been seeking shelter in the harbor here from the heavy weather at the coast have evidently tired of fighting for the scraps thrown over from steamers, as yesterday they were visiting an Italian vegetable garden out on the Section Line road. The gardeners were busy plowing, and tho gulls were busy exploring the newly turned furrows and taking care of the worms, bugs, etc., turned up by the plows. The gardeners did not molest them,. look ing upon them as friends, who would rid their ground of many Insect pests. Earth worms, or angleworms, as they are com monly called, are not found everywhere, and cannot live in some places east of the mountains, where the soil Is charged with alkali. A citizen who used to live In a section of that kind says the people there used to have to Import angleworms from, tho Willamette valley when they wanted to go fishing for trout. There is some complaint about the un usually high tax levy In Portland, which. for all purposes, aggregates 3G mills, 4.3 of which Is levied by the taxpayers of school district No. 1. This is, however, a light tax, compared to that in school dis trict No. 25, where a school tax of 40 mills was levied, bringing the total tax up to 61.7 mills. In school district No. 15, a school tax of 20 mms was levied, making the total tax amount to 41.7 mills. In school district No. 44 a school tax of IS mills was levied, bringing the total tax up to 30.2 mills. In district No. 25, where a 40-mlll school tax was levied, a new schoolhouse has been built, and the peo ple have decided to pay for it In threa years, and get out of debt. It Is under stood that in districts of Multnomah coun ty, outside of Portland, residents who have children to send to school are al lowed to vote at school meetings, and thug It Is possible to levy a tax for school pur poses, which would not be considered In this city, where only taxpayers are al lowed to vote at school meetings. That Portland has a warm welcome to offer the Bostonlans tonight goes without saying. Between their last visit and thla one the company has fortunately not made the customary long gap, and the memory of their week here less than a year ago has not begun to fade. While added In terest attaches to new operas, amusement lovers cling with unwonted tenacity to tho favorite old productions of Barnabee and his associates. There will be new aTtlsts among the principals, and Port land may be reluctant to accept them in place of those better known, whose ca pacity to entertain has been thoroughly tested and never found wanting. Per formances of the Bostonlans always leave a good taste In one's mouth. Whatever may be the opera, one is certain to hear It presented not only in its best musical sense, with every detail of costume and scene, but he Is equally certain of. being for the time in a genteel atmosphere; of listening to singers and actors who have good stage breeding. Nor 13 he apt to miss a certain buoyancy that marks in the hands of the Bostonlans the presentation of modern light opera in its best form of development. These characteristics are and always have been noted with this or ganization, hence the certainty with which lovers of combined music and comedy look forward to an evening of delight. No wonder, then, that the Bostonlans are ever welcome. They ought to Include the Pacific coast in every annual tour. a The Man Without the Hoe. Springfield Republican. The music of a minor key a dirge. The plaintive strata which sometimes bod, now wall. The north wind shrieks; the elements are flercew December list I It la a human voice. Out in the cold a. man stands trembling', weak. And impotent: and chants his dirge of life. The brand of Indecision marks his face; His hands are white, bis clothing,- threadbare, old. And want compels his listless life to roam. He- dreams of gentle birth, a foundling once; And delgno to call the man of toil a beast. The prudish gentleman ot poverty, He shirks the fllth ot work. To be the guest Of wealth and style would count him life's suo- cess. Ah, once his life was brighter. Lovo held sway. But she who left a happy home to share His weal and woe, now fills an unknown gravo. She lived, and strove for bitter years a slave To hl3 conceit; and poverty, neglect And crime, his evil contributions, filled Her bitter cup too full; and want, disease, Inceipant toll, death left her ahltdren walfo. God. pity him. and pity all the slaves Of fears of, condescension. Give, O give To them the light of Independent thought Which dare3 the man to labor with his hand To wield the hoe, not lean, the artist's fool, Becoming master of bis destiny. f