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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1900)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, THURSDAY, MARCH 2.2, 1900. fts xg&omaxx .Entered at the Postofflee at Portland. Oresoa, aa eecond-cla matter. TIXEPHONES. Editorial Booms.. 168 I Business OQcc..G67 REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Mall (postage prepaid). In Advanco Daily, wlthSunday. per month ....$0 83 I Dally, Sunday excepted, per year.. ...... 7 60 I Daily, with Sunday, per year .. 8 00 Sunday, per year 2 00 The "Weekly, per year 1 SO The Weekly, 3 months.. 60 To City Subscriber Daily, per week, delivered. Sundays cxcepted.152 Dally, per week, delivered. Sundays lncluded.20s The Oregcnlan does not bur poema or stories from Individuals, and cannot undertake to re- Iturn. any manuscripts sent to it without oollclta- Itlon. No stamps should be Inclosed for this I purpose. News or discussion Intended for Dublicatlon in I The Oregonlan should be addressed invariably C Editor The Oregonlan," not to the name o tiy individual. Letters relating to advertising. ibscrlptions or to any business matter should be addressed simply "The Oregonlan." iuget Sound Bureau Cantaln A. Thompson. Dfflce at 1111 Pacific avenue. Tacoma. Box 053, Cacoraa postofflce. Eastern Business Offlce The Tribune build- e. Isew York city; "Tho Rookery." Chicago: ae b. C Beckwith special ajrencv. New Tork. I"or sale in San Francisco br J. K Cooner. M0 Market street, near the Palace hotel, and u uoiosmlth Bros.. 230 Sutter street. ror sale In Chlcaco by the P. O. New Ca.. M7 Dearborn street. TODAY'S WEATHER-Raln, except fair in itcmoon; winds northwest to west. 'ORTLASD, THtRSDAY, 3IARCII 22. AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY. Of the leading agricultural products Jf the United States, some at the pres- 2nt time bear low prices, while of oth 2rs the prices may be termed high. If cheat Is low though in fact It Is not low by 20 per cent as the prices of few years ago cotton Is well up In jrlce, and so Is wool. Cotton 1b 60 per pent higher than It was three or four fears ago, while the advance In wool las been even greater. Corn, under jresent prices, Is a highly profitable prop, in all the corngrowlng states. tVheat has a much wider range of fcrowth; and the great supply, from lany quarters of the world, keeps the jrlce below the proportion known In former times among most other staples tf agriculture. The Orange Judd Farmer, well known an authority on agricultural sub jects, presents a compilation of the re mits of our agricultural industrywhlch werth attention. The aggregate pro duction of the farms of the United States, In 1899, according to this au thority, was $4,480,000,000, as compared kith 53,509,000,000 in 1895. Here was a tin In the value of production of $971,- 00,000. It is a sum great enough to ac centuate the difference between the bad times" of 1895 and the "good limes" of 1899. By the same authority he increase In the value of farm prop- jrty within this period was $3,298,000,- 00, and at the same time a decrease Sf $280,000,000 in the amount of mort- iges on farms. These figures show that In spite of le depression in the wheat market the trmers of the United States are hav- lg a large share In the general pros- lerity. Undoubtedly there are many hose condition Is not improved, and me perhaps whose condition never in be for circumstances both In the .'orld of matter and in their own world If man are not favorable to their "get- tng ahead"; but on the whole the con- lltion of the farming population shows Iteady improvement. , In our Pacific Northwest States many trmers who were in debt some years Igo nave been able recently to hold leir crops whether it has been wise do so, or not. Owners of livestock lave seldom done better than during le last two years. Under modern con- iitions more and more depends on skill nd management. This is becoming le rule in farming quite as much as lercantile, manufacturing and other lursuits. Sometimes there is "luck." but success in farming, as in all things Use, comes as a rule to those who calculate." FOREDOOMED TO FAILURE. The failure of The Hague peace con- 2rence was foredoomed from the first ly the warlike spirit of the nations it, even when the congress was lied, was on the very point of finding cpression in military force. Even dur- lg its sittings the clash of arms was leard, and since its adjournment a mtinuous record of battle and blood ied has been given to the world. It hardly necessary, therefore, to pro- Ralm the conference a present failure, tnce this is a self-evident truth. It ippears now that it is likely to result complete future failure, the nations jeing seemingly too much absorbed in rar to consider through their repre- sntative bodies and ratify the limited leace programme agreed upon at The lague. It is, perhaps, as well that this is ie. Peace can no more be legislated rvto mankind than religion can be. It an element that depends upon the lbtle essence of the spirit for fructl- I cation, and is not in any sense a rowth that can be called Into exlst- lce by the edict of rulers or the proc- Iimation of principles by the Interna- lonal Peace Society. That universal leace will reign on earth at some time the remote future, many intelligent lersons believe. But that this belief is id rather by their desire than their 3ason, is altogether probable. "While, course, it is impossible to foretell ae modifications to which the subtle, lomlnating something called human lature may undergo through con- inued processes of evolution. It can, ily be said that the change that is to sher in the dawn of universal peace not yet discernible among the facts human progress. There are myriads men wno yet believe that war is a scessary step in human advancement; Iiat while Its waste and its miseries are ?plorable, its results justify the means .nployed as the only possible means by hich these results could be attained. eaders may be arbitrary and politi- ans ambitious, and war may follow lese characteristics pushed to the ex- eme; but that men comprising whole )mmunlties are nothing loath to go to ar has been recently demonstrated in ir own Nation, ami more recently in le United Kingdom and the South Af- ican Republics. It is this spirit, moved to energy per- ips by the most trifling causes, that lakes peace conferences fail to accom- tlsh their purpose and causes peace cieties to look, perforce, to the far limorrows of the race for the fulfljl- ent of the hope of universal peace. lumane devices may sorten, tnaeed. liey have already to a considerable ex- nt mitigated the mere tentatlves of larfare. But war Is war still ruth- determlned, bloody, a popular ex- pression of national resentment, retali ation and compulsion. Knowledge of these facts makes practical men doubt the efficacy of peace conferences, and even question the sincerity of rulers of great and warlike nations in calling and indorsing the purpose of such meetings. THB PRACTICAL BENEFITS. It Is sufficient for our Bryanltes to know that the new banking and cur rency law Is fathered by the Repub licans. Thereupon, with what is to them adequate justification they fall upon It with avidity. If there is any, thlng undesirable or iniquitous, lay It to the gold standard we have, if any thing objectionable can be conceived, predict it as a result of the new gold standard law, and there you are. It Is idle to expect recognition of benefits under the new law from the Bryan ites. Tet benefits there are, and they must not be ignored. The first effect of the new law felt throughout the country, especially In agricultural communities like ours, is an Impetus to national banking. The dispatches state that applications for charters have been received from Med. ford and Cottage Grove, in Oregon; Chehalis, Ballard and Montesano, in Washington, and Boise and Idaho Falls, in Idaho. Perhaps not all of these will eventually receive charters, and, on the other hand, applications from others will doubtless be received later; so that there can be no doubt whatever of the tendency of state and private banks to become national banks. This is desirable for many rea sons. It should be clearly -understood by the public that the national banking sys tem throws, in the interests of the gen eral welfare, safeguards about the business of banking which are absent in the case of state and private banks. The Government has wisely hedged about the business so that depositors and noteholders may be protected as far as possible, within the limitation, of course, that no law can make bad men honest. But the fact remains that no holder of notes issued by National banks has ever lost their value, and none can ever lose it through failure of the banks. It is also true that the National bank examiners frequently admonish the officers and directors of National banks, so that dangerous practices are discontinued and the law more strictly enforced, for the protec tion of the people. No fewer than five persons can start a National bank the theory being that five heads are better than one, whereas in private banks the number is unre stricted. The bonds, moreover, de signed as security, must be deposited in the United States Treasury, whether the banks contemplate Issuing notes or not. The Government exacts from the banks a 5 per cent redemption fund, and also a tax on circulation and cap ital, which has yielded the Government to date about $150,000,000. Another measure of protection is the require ment that banks in reserve cities must at all times have 25 per cent of their deposits in "lawful money," other than bank notes, and banks in all other cities a reserve of 15 per cent of their deposits. "While state and private banking is for the most part a go-as-you-please arrangement, the National banks are subject to rigid Governmental super vision. The most approved systems of reports and examinations have been adopted. Each btfnk must five times a year make out a report of its condition upon some past day designated by the Controller, while frequent inspections are made by a trained corps of Gov ernment examiners. In case of failure, the Controller takes charge bf the as sets of the insolvent bank, through re ceivers appointed by him; and their management has proved not only satis factory In the main, but much more economical than that of receivers ap pointed under most of our state courts. The Government has also prescribed rigid restrictions as to the class of se curity upon which National banks may make their loans, and has enforced regulations preventive of sudden "or violent changes in capital or circula tion. A fair-minded man will be disposed to welcome any measure that will en courage state and private banks, now doing business without responsibility to anybody, to come under the National system, with its regime of safeguards and examinations, and statements of condition that are regularly published. One great demand of the hour is pub licity for the condition of corporations, and the new banking law promises to bring a greater number of our banks under Government inspection and pub lic scrutiny. The means adopted for this encour agement of National banking consist chiefly of enlarged opportunity In the way of issuing currency. The conten tion that issue of circulating notes is a peculiar province of the Government Is a Populist idea, unworthy of Intelli gent business men. The paper cur rency should be, not promissory notes of Government, perpetually unre deemed, but credit instruments created by the business of the country at its own cost and risk, and protected from default by strict and prudent laws. It is far more just and proper that in creasing need of currency should be met by bank notes, made absolutely safe by Government supervision, than that the Government should cele brate increase of business and corre sponding Increase of need for currency, by issuing its own promissory notes and thus increasing the public debt. From all of which It appears that the banking provisions of the new cur rency law offer promise of great prac tical benefit, in addition to the desira ble affirmation of the gold standard. AX INADEQUATE EXCUSE. A British officer in the current num ber of the North American Review de nounces Cecil Rhodes as responsible for the grave strategic errors which de layed for months the progress of the British arms and subjected Generals Buller, Methuen and Gatacre to defeat. General Buller's original plan of cam paign was to relieve Ladysmith and Klmberley through a prompt advance on Bloemfonteln and Pretoria. General Buller on his arrival found General White shut up in Ladysmith, and, to prevent the Boers from capturing Mar itzburg and advancing to Durban, he was obliged to divert a large number of his troops from the projected line of advance on Bloemfonteln. General Buller, however. Intended to leave the defense of Kimberley to the local troops, and planned to send Gen eral Methuen's division from De Aar to the Orange River at Norval's Pont. But about the middle of November Cecil Rhodes demanded the Immediate dispatch of a relief column to Klmber ley, and Rhodes possessed Influence enough with Sir Alfred MUner, the Governor of Cape Colony, and other high officials, to persuade General Bui ler. much against his will, to order Gen eral Methuen forward to the relief of Klmberley, despite the fact that the military chief in Kimberley reported that town capable of self-defense. Buller's strong opposition to this di version of Methuen's division from the true line of attack is proved by his .orders to Methuen, which were to re turn at once after relieving Klmberley to De Aar, In order to head the gen eral advance into the Orange Free State. The result of this absurd dis patch of Methuen to the relief of Klm berley was that he was severely de feated twenty miles from Klmberley, while the remaining forces under Gen eral Gatacre and General French In the north of Cape Colony were too weak to be of any substantial service. If this statement is true, it does not excuse General Buller for allowing his military judgment to be overruled, un less he yielded to peremptory orders from London. It Is not likely that the authorities at London would send Gen eral Buller out to the Cape as Commander-in-Chief of the English Army and then subject his military plans to dislocation by the Governor of the col ony. IMPERIAL COJTFEDERATIOX JfOT A DREAM. The speech of Premier Seddon in bid ding farewell to the fourth contingent of New Zealand troops on their depart ure for South Africa, Tuesday, included the important announcement that Aus tralasia had. 400,000 men prepared to defend the colonies; that In order to uphold the Imperial prestige of the country Australasia could send men enough to South Africa to release the Imperial troops for service against any power daring to meddle with the set tlement. This evidence of the enthu siastic determination of England's colo nies to stand by the mdther country in event of serious war means that the Boer conflict has changed Imperial con federation from a political dream into a near political probability. The Do minion of Canada, with Its 5,000,000 of people, is equally enthusiastic, and, If necessary, could and would send at least as many men to the support of the hard-pressed mother country as Australasia. The Dominion cannot have less than- 500,000 able-bodied fight ing men-; If Australasia could send to South Africa in event of a military emergency men enough to release the imperial troops now in South Africa, the Dominion could spare quite as many, for in event of war Canada could not be reached by an enemy save through the friendly territory of the United States. The pretense that the French Cana dian citizens of Canada are not in tensely loyal to Great Britain Is with out foundation of fact. Sir Wilfrid Laurier. in his loyal sentiments and ac tion, voices the vast majority of the French Canadians. An article of dis loyal spirit was recently formally re pudiated by the Roman Catholic Arch bishop of Quebec, and was denounced by all the most widely circulated French newspapers and by the most distinguished French Canadians in pub lic life, who say that "if there is a people free In Its politics, social life, language, laws and in its worship, it Is the French people of Quebec." -The French-Canadian clergy as a rule are thoroughly loyal. The Roman Catho lic Archbishop of Montreal says: "We joyfully proclaim ourselves England's subjects, and pray that she may keep her glorious place among the nations of the world." Sir Wilfrid Laurier, In a recent speech, said that he and his colleagues had authorized Canadian volunteers to enlist In the English Army and fight for the mother country "because we believed it our duty to re spond to the unanimous sentiment of the people of this country." The action of Canada and Australa sia means that a long step toward Im perial confederation has been taken. It Is a practical confession that the leading colonies of the mother country expect to help fight the battles of the British Empire, near or remote, when necessary. Mr. Wyndham, Under-Secretary of War, recently said in the House of Commons that he expected the colonies would in future continue their military support of the Empire on a systematic basis. If a portion of the military forces of Canada and Aus tralasia is for the future to be subject to the emergency call of the British Empire, it is a natural expectation that these colonies will be represented In some way through colonial delegations to the British Parliament, or through membership in a British ex-Parlla-mentary Imperial Council, where their voices may be heard In the matter of Imperial policy, which requires the aid of colonial soldiery for its execution. It is clear that for the time being the Boer war has made the future annexa tion of Canada to the United States the baseless fabric of a vision, and has ex tinguished all the political discontent of Australasia. Counting her ten millions of white subjects in the Dominion and Australia, and her 40,000,000 at home, Great Britain is as strong numerically as Germany, and stronger than France. When the Boer war Is over, Eng land's difficulties In South Africa are ended for all time, and that country will be amply able to defend Its integ rity against foreign or domestic foe, for with the obliteration of the Chinese policy of Paul Kruger thousands of Englishmen will flock to the Transvaal for settlement; Its burled mineral wealth will be exhumed and utilized; Its agricultural resources will be devel oped by intelligent, systematic culture, so that In twenty-five years South Af rica from the Limpopo River to Cape Town will be as loyal and contented under English rule as is Canada. India has become so loyal in its provinces in habited by its fighting races, like the Sikhs and the Rajpoots, that It would be less difficult to defend against a for eign enemy than it would have been fifty years ago. Wherever Great Brit ain has been long enough established to bear fruit In shape of enlarged hu man liberty and protection to life and property, there we find Increased loy alty and determination that Great Brit ain's civilization must and should be preserved against the assaults of for eign enemies or the intrigues of do mestic foes. Whether this imperialism will soon take shape In an imperial confederation, with representation In Parliament, cannot now be predicted, but the sentiment exists, and It only needs to be organized to make Great Britain able to defy the united military power of France and Russia. In a case of compulsory vaccination carried to the Supreme Court of Indi ana, recently, that tribunal decided that the protection of the public health comes within the police power of the state. "While extreme measures In a matter of this kind are justly deplored and are, as far as possible, to be avoid ed, the opinion of the Indiana Supreme Court is. at least in the presence of a virulent epidemic disease, well grounded. Threat of destruction of Johannes berg by the Boers, to prevent its use as a base of supplies against Pretoria, Is atrocious. Though Johannesberg be destroyed, the ground on which It stands will remain, and will serve for Just as good a base of operations for the British Army as the city itself. The British soldiers do not expect to live at the hotels of Johannesberg, at first-class rates, with four courses and dessert at every meal. The railroads will furnish all supplies for the British Army Just as well, if Johannesberg shall cease to exist. But the useless destruction of the city would be an atrocity worthy of the Scythians of his tory, and the motive of such an act would reconcile the civilized world to the complete destruction of the Boer States, while the act Itself would not cause the British to pause one moment In prosecution of the work they have undertaken. Since destruction of Jo hannesberg would be utterly useless as a military expedient, and would not stop for one day the progress of the British troops. It would be received by mankind with horror; for destruction of such a city would mean more than mere destruction of property; it would mean vast destruction of life among non-combatants, and would be taken by the world for Just what It was In fact an act of savage, yet Impotent, revenge. Nor would It go unpunished. Reprisals would be made on the prop erty, and probably on the lives, of all the leaders and. prominent men of the Transvaal. The very threat of destruc tion of such a city, when such act could serve no military purpose, but would carry .with It suffering and death to thousands of helpless persons, goes far to show the world that the Boer States have existed long enough, if not already too long. The withdrawal of the Boers from Kroonstadt to the line of the Vaal River, which forms part of the south ern boundary of tho Transvaal, means that the bulk of their army will be found holding their last line of defense In the Valley of the Vaal, In the diffi cult country about Potchefstroom, Hei delberg and Wackerstroom. The left of this line of defense in Natal will be soon attacked by General Buller's army, which will seek to cross the Buffalo River into the Transvaal by Vryheld and Utrecht. If General Bul ler succeeds In turning the left of the Boer army Intrenched In Natal, In the BIggarsberg mountains. It will be com pelled to evacuate Natal, for his suc cess would turn the pass of Lalngs Nek. Even if General Buller does not succeed in turning the Boer left, he will compel the withdrawal of a large force of Boers to the defense of their eastern frontier, which would weaken the center and right of their line on the Vaal River against the attack of Lord Roberts' army pressing them from Bloemfonteln, and probably from the railway line on the west. From a mili tary point of view the Boers cannot make any long defense; their line is strong enough, but they have not men enough to defend It from Klerksdorp, In the Transvaal, to Glencoe, In Natal. Lord Roberts, with his army of 80,000 men in the Orange Free State, and at least 25,000 In Natal, cannot fall rapldly to turn the Boers out of position and force their retreat to retoria. General Z. B. Tower, whose death is announced at the age of 8L was gradu ated from West Point at the head of the famous class of 1841, which Included Generals H. G. Wright, John F. Reynolds, Whipple, Howe, Nathaniel Lyon, Brannan, Schuyler Hamilton, Buell, Sully, Brooks and Richardson. General Tower rendered distinguished service in the Army of the Potomac until he was disabled for field duty by a very severe wound, which he re ceived while leading his brigade Into action In one of the battles of Pope's campaign of August, 1862. He was placed on the retired list of the Army as Colonel of Engineers In January, 1883. General Tower Is the last sur vivor of his class that reached any mili tary distinction, save, we believe, Gen eral Schuyler Hamilton, of New Tork City. The heavy rains that soaked the San Joaquin Valley and extended as far south as Los Angeles the first week in March will save an Immense sum of money to beet and fruitgrowers. Bar ley In the Southern district was past redemption from drought when the downpour came, but It is thought that fully half a hay crop will be cut, while vines are saved and fruit trees of all varieties will be greatly benefited. The dwellers in the long-parched districts of our neighboring state to the south of us may perhaps estimate from the showers that have descended upon them the inestimable value of living In a country where the rains descend bountifully In their season and crops never fail from lack of moisture. Eleven caskets, containing mortal re mains of men of the Second Oregon, who perished In upholding the flag of their country in the Philippine Islands, are at the Armory of the National Guard, in Portland. During the next three days there will be opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of these gal lant men, before their final sepulture. The opportunity will not be omitted. The Guards "brigade in General Rob erts' advance on Bloemfontein marched from 3 P. M. on March 12 to 1 P. M. on March 13, with only two and a half hours' sleep. And yet President Jor dan, of the California University, thinks the Englishman of today is but a shadow of his forefathers In physical strength and endurance. Sontli African Fnturc. New York Tribune. What that future will be cannot be wholly predicted, but there- are certain general principles which we may regard as sure to be established. One is the equality of races. There will bo no more ostracism of Englishmen and Americans by the Dutch, aad there will be no more ostracism of the Dutch by the British. Tho Boers will not be transformed into Outlanders. The example has already been set In Cape Colony, which today has a Dutch ministry, and in Canada, which has a French prime minister. It Is to be supposed that in tho Transvaal, where there Is a legitimate majority of Engllsh sneaklnfr Deople. there will be an Encllsh- I speaking ministry In the place of Mr. Krugers oligarchy; In the Orange State, on tho contrary, there Is a Dutch majority, and a continuance of Dutch Government Is to be expected. But In each case the minority will have due representation, and the language of tho minority will have legal recognition In the Legislature. So much wo may assume as certain, because these were among the principles which the British Government urged upon the Trans vaal for its adoption before the war. a m PRESIDENT AXD PARTY. Tho President's Weakness the Source of Present Difficulties. Boston Herald, Ind. If President McKlnley's political future Is now in peril, he has no one to blamo for it but himself. I his party In Con gress Is now torn "by dissensions, it Is simply because he has never, as the responsible head of that party, had the courage to lay down and advocate a defi nite, consistent policy for the party to adopt. If the Republican organization throughout the country Is at odds with Itself, some of Its members calling for one thing and BOme for another, It Is becauso they have had no clear, bugle llko call from tho President to fall into lino In the hearty support of a Presiden tial programme. Political wisdom, com mon sense, the experience of others, all Justify the underlying principle of tho action taken by a majority of the House of Representatives, action which at the eleventh hour even President McKlnley has approved. There is positively no political difference between Puertd Rico and the Philippine Islands. If the former 13 under the Con stitution part and parcel of the United States, and Its people havo all of the civil rights and political status of Amer ican citizens, then the same conditions hold true of the Philippine Islands and their inhabitants. The .treaty of Paris arranged that "Spain cedes to the United States the Island of Puerto Rico and tho other Islands now under Spanish sov ereignty In the West Indies." Then, go ing on, the treaty says: "Spain cedes to tho United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands." There is nothing in the treaty that- differentiates one from the other, and on Constitutional grounds the people must be accorded the same civil and political rights In one case as In the other. Not only through Presidential tergiv ersation ha3 the opportunity been lost of properly Instructing the people of this country on this subejet, but, as If to fur ther confuse and complicate, we have, through Presidential Initiative, an ar rangement made of taking Mn Hawaii which should be treated precisely like Puerto Rico as a territory, and not a3 a dependency of the United) States. Abso lutely no reason can be given why Ha waii should be taken In and Puerto Rico kept out, and no explanation that the Republican leaders can "make on the stump during the coming campaign will be sufficient to clear up this confusion in and contradiction of public policy. It all grows out of the absence of ad ministrative leadership on the part of President McKlnley. Ho has proved hlm- "self Incapable of grasping the needs of tho situation, ho has shown neither fore sight in arriving at conclusions to which ho and his party have been .forced, nor the courage needed to explain and defend those positions when, through the press ure of circumstances, ha and his party havo been compelled to take them. As wo havo more than once said, we agree In the main with the opinions which the Republican party In the House of Repre sentatives has announced through its Puerto Rican vote. Wo believe that those principles should be applied to Hawaii, tho Philippine Islands, and possibly later on to Cuba, but, under the direction of a man who has proved himself to be so utterly wanting in the qualities of cour age and farsighted statesmanship, we doubt whether he can fittingly carry out the duty of colonial administration even If Congress, and not he, should define that policy . a AN DOELAXD AT OUR DOORS. Imperialism Gone Mad In the Oxnard Tariff. Yale Review. Tho declaration of President McKlnley and Secretary Root in favor o free trade with Puerto Rico was sound poli tics and sound statesmanship. It was sound politics because, being in the line of our traditional policy and the needs of tho island, it could not be effectively at tacked by the opposition. Tho criticism of tha narrow protectionists could ,be safely ignored, for no one would do more for them than McKlnley, and they could press their point only by openly pervert ing a professed policy of humanity to sel fish ends. Yet, In spite of tho obvious wisdom of the President's recommenda tion, the bills drafted by Mr. Foraker In the Senate and Mr. Payne in the House, In consequence of the protests of some pro tected Interests, havo been completely transformed In character. Upon the Puerto Rlcans are to bo levied crushing duties on the necessities of life Imported from the United States, and access- to our markets, so Indispensable to their economic development, is similarly restricted. Of economic liberty they will have less than England's most despotic ally governed crown colonial. To find a parallel to this policy one must go back to the ruthless commercial oppression of Ireland In the last century. What shall It profit the Republicans to create an Ire land at our'doors? Will tho task of con vincing the Filipinos that we are bring ing them liberty be made easier by this sacrifice of the -unresisting Puerto Rlcans? What will be Its effect on tho solution of the Cuban question? Will not the Cu bans justly suspect our intentions toward them when they see, tho outcomo of our professions to Puerto Rico? Whether In the future tho people of Cuba will look to annexation with hope or resist It with desperation will depend In no small measure on the experience of Puerto Rico. Is it sound statesman ship to convince the Cubans that annex ation would be only a change of masters? In 1S70 the Spanish Cortes recognized Puerto Rico as a province of Spain, there by constituting it just as much a part of Spain as Long Island is of Now York State, and Puerto Rico has sent four Senators and 12 Deputies to the Cortes. Yet we sever the Island from the mother stato with fair promises of liberty, and then propose to give them no more self- J government aim ivos tuiainciwai ucuuum than they nau unuer apamsn ruie. Seventy-six years ago President Mon roe warned the allied powers of Europe not to attempt to extend their system to Spanish America. What was this European system against which we pro tested? Crown colonial government with exclusive rights of navigation, substan tially a counterpart of what Is now pro posed for Puerto Rico. If the Monroe doc trine survives our taking a hand in the affairs of Asia, what will be left of It if we ourselves applv the system of the Holy Allies to Puerto Rico? a PUERTO RICO'S PROTEST. An Exposure of the Atrocity of the Oxnard Tariff. San Juan (Puerto Rico) News. The foolkiller is dead. He went to Con gress to wield his heavy club when that body had under consideration measures for the benefit of Puerto Rico. He sur veyed the crop and then dropped dead, and his last words were: "The burthen is more than I can bear." Congressmen proposed to give Puerto Rico the benefit of 75 per cent reduction in the tariff. How very kind, indeed! Only 25 per cent shall Puerto Rico pay, because we love her so. Twenty-five per cent of tho regular tar iff can be of no more benefit to Puerto Rico than 200 per cent would be. What Is the crop that must support this little domain of ours for the next year? Is It coffee? Not until tho American people change their likes and dislikes and Brazil drops off the globe; not a bag can bo sold the United States for as much as the cost of Its production, except as a souvenir. j Is it sugar? Well, not that wo have heard of. No, we have not any sugar to spare just at present. Tobacco Is the only product of the island this year that Is sufficient to keep tho human fire of life aglow In our carcass. What is our tobacco worth In New York today? The merchants say they will buy for 35 cents, possibly 40. What is the present duty on our tobacco? Only $1 85 per pound now, but Congress Is going to reduco it for us to 4S$i cents. How very nice that will be! Congressmen, you aro trying to take the matter of the collection of our taxe3 In your own hands, without knowing the condition of our trade, and the conse quences will be a prohibition of produc tion, which you will have to follow by an appropriation of $10,(00,000 for the starv ing human beings under your care. We have taxable property in Puerto Rico, we have taxable trades, and many other sources of revenue. But you cannot tax any crop moro than It -is worth, for then Immediately the property becomes worthless, and no one will produce it or pay any tax on It. THE COMIXG SETTLEMENT. British. Opinion and Purpose Plain ly Stated. 'London Dally Mall. The moment will soon arrive for the Em Dire to consider what shall be the future of tho Boer territories. The last Ignoble peaco was made by an English Govern ment alone. The coming reconstruction will be one in which the whole Empire will have a voice. Canada and- Australia have helped in the conflict, and they will share in shaping the policy that follows victory. In effect, the whole British people is united on the broad lines of tho coming settlement. Things cannot be left as they were. The blood of our sons has not soaked the veldt in vain. The heroism of our soldiers cannot bo for naught. We are going to Insure that there shall be no possibility of this conflict recurring. This is the first and greatest necessity of the situation. Tho settlement will not be In the Interest of any one clasa. Those who talk at ran dom about this war being carried on In the interests of capitalists do not understand the spirit of the British people. We be gan It In defense of justice and liberty, and we shall maintain it till these pre cious heritages ol our people are securely guarded for "all time. We do not give our kin to death and fill our land with wldSwa and orphans In order that shares may rise a point or two. Capitalists have their rights like other citizens, but assuredly they will receive no special considera tion. Those who have suffered for their loy alty in South Africa must be amply re warded. Those who, after swearing fe alty to the Queen have joined our ene mies, will have their doings strictly scru tinized. To the men of the Free State and Transvaal we bear no vindictive feelings. They have fought us bravely, we recog nize the stability of their character, and no pains will be spared on our part to make them loyal and contented members of our Empire. They have by their own acts shattered the fabrics of their old Republics. We will find them a new con stitution, in which corruption will be re pressed. In which education, progress and freedom shall flourish. The land over which Lord Roberts and hfs men march will never again pass from our dominions. Cronje and his gallant followers have seen the Republican colors fly over them for the last time. In future when they look up they will see the Union Jack. In their Journey to Cape Town they are leaving the old order behind them. Henceforth they will be subjects of our Queen. We do not suppose that the task before us is an easy one. Some may try to turn us from our purpose by threats of a rebel lion of the Cape Dutch. The threats fall on deaf ears. If a misguided section of the Cape Dutch were so mad as to do this, we would know how to deal with It. As the Northern States met the uprising of the Confederates, so should we meet those who sought to drive us from the path of duty. With assured peace" the industrial progress of the land will advance apace. Railways will be multiplied, schools In creased, roads opened up. At the earliest moment all possible power of local govern ment will be granted to the people. The northern Boer States will be before many years among the most loyal and contented parts of the Empire. c "Key to the Laws of Oregon." Under this title, W. H. Parker, of Med ford. Or., has compiled and reduced to form for ready and convenient reference, under appropriate titles, "all the sections of the Constitution of Oregon, and all sections of tho Code of Civil Procedure which have been adjudicated by" the Su preme Court of Oregon, Including the pages of the Codes of 1855, 1862, 1S64, 1872 and 1S91. containing the same titles; also alphabetical tables of all the state cases heard and reported "by the court of last resort In Oregon; also alphabetical tables of the Criminal Code, the Justices' Code and Miscellaneous Laws, and of the sev eral Session Laws of 1S93, 1S95. 189S and 1S99, Including the Addenda of 1S91, ap pended to the Second Edition of Hill's An notated Laws of Oregon." This Is a highly useful compilation. It is executed on a plan which brings all the subjects under a highly Convenient form for ready reference. The condensa tion of the matter is very remarkable. Brief directions as to use of the index aro given, which enable any one who con sults the book on any topic to refer to everything In the Constitution, the Laws or the Supreme Court Reports that relates to It. Such Is the method of condensation and reference that the amount of printed matter Is not large; and blank pages are interspersed throughout the book for further reference and annotation, as the law3 may hereafter be added to or modi fied. Tho compilation may be called a top ical index to the legislation of Oregon and to the state cases that have been passed upon by the Supreme Court. It will be very useful to the legal profes sion, whose members throughout the stat are very generally subscribing for it. 0 Hard Times for tue Calamity Howler. Louisville Courier-Journal. Thirty additional cotton, mills will be built in North Carolina during: the present year. It is news like this that makes the calamity howler turn pale and call for stimulants. New York Mall and Express. Pass him a cotton mill. As the Gov ernor of North Carolina now puts It to tho Governor of South Carolina, it's a longer timo between drinks than be tween cotton mills. apt 1 An Annty'a Rhetoric. Louisville Courier-Journal. William Lloyd Garrison is out in an other poem In which he calls the Tagals "men and brothers," and our boys in the Philippines "brute Invaders." The wonder of such a performance is how an aunty, when she begins calling names, can re strain herself within tho limitations of verse. 0 Wnitsi for the Bent Edition. Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph. "Have you read Mr. Carnegie's answer to Mr. Frick's complaint?" asked the ob servant boarder. "No, I haven't," replied the indolent boarder; T shall wait until It appears in book form, in an edition de luxe, and then I'll draw It from the Carnegie Li brary." a 0 ProfitleHS Inquiries. Chicago News. Growell (in cheap restaurant) Here, waiter, are these mutton or pork chops? "Walter Can't you tell by the taste? Growell No. Walter Then what difference does It make which they are? 0 Ak It Struck Him. Detroit Free Press. Hojack I understand that you skated into an airhole the other day. Tomdlk That's what they called it, but t found it was full of water NOTE AND COMMENT. McKlnley Is a star lightning change artist in his mind. Kruger seems determined to cry war, war! when there is no war. In parting, it may be said that no one will ever attempt to run a newspaper tho way the Rev. Mr. Sheldon ran one. A New York police captain has been granted a 20 days' vacation. Is there going to bo another investigation? A little cruise on a revenue cutter made Dewey sick to his stomach! It Is time the old Admiral was sent to sea again. A man who Is making a garden told a reporter yesterday that he planted the flowers in a bed so that they would bloom in the spring. Fifty new typewriters have been sent to General Otis. And we thought that he and Aguinaldo had finished swapping ul timatums long ago. Two more negroes were legally hanged In Tennessee the other day. Outside of Kentucky, the South is passing rapidly under the influence of civilization. There may be no adequate supply of beer In Kansas City, but the Democrats can console themselves that if they order Missouri River water it will settle. They are going to discuss 'the Alaska boundary again. By this time the Cana dians have probably discovered that tho line Is somewhere north of Cape Nome. Coal Is quoted at $1.46 per on nt the mine in Great Britain and at J1.1S per ton at the mine In tho United State. Tho figures explain why American coal is now exported to the Mediterranean. Now New York has "sicked" the grand Jury on to the gamblers. The experiment of turning the Legislature loose on tho police proved a failure, so they are going to begin with the petty offenders first. Tho record dog story comes from "West "Virginio. A setter stood on a dozen quail until all froze to death, and dog and birds are now on exhibition In Marlinton. Tha quail were afraid of the setter, and tho latter's call to duty caused him to stand until death overtook him. Since their Introduction tho speed of ocean steamers has Increased from S to 22 knots an hour, and their passen ger capacity twenty fold. The engine power is 40 times ns great, while the rate of coal consumption per horse-power per hour Is only one-third what it was la 1S40. Flying Fox. a famous English racehorse, sold at auction recently for 5190,000. Fly ing Fox's grandsire, Ormonde, Is said to have brought about 30.000. Ormonde's grandsire, Doncaster, was sold for some thins like 17,000. A dozen horses havo been sold for sums between 10,000 and 20,OCO. Sleds can be steered without wearing out the boots by a new apparatus pat ented by a Rhode Island man, comprising a lever mounted on either side of the sled, with handles on the long ends of the le vers and flat block is on tho short ends, which are forced against the ground by lifting the levers. It has been made known that Miss Helen Gould Is the donor of 5100.000 to the New Ydrk University for the Hall of Fame. She gave the money as a tribute to the memory of her father, and one of the names to be Inscribed on the tablet that will perpetuato the fame of great Americans will be Jay Gould. At least, that Is his daughter's desire. The site of the proposed park on tho East Side, in the heart of the New York tenement district, will cost 51.700,000, if the recommendation of the commission appointed to appraise the value of prop erty to be taken Is accepted. The park will be bounded by Stanton. Wlllett. Pitt. Sheriff and East Houston streets. This is a nest of tumble-down buildings, densely populated. The Hon. Eugene V. Debs has this to say of socialism, which appears to be hla "star-eyed goddess": "It throbs In my breast, it surges in my soul. It is my very life, and without It every star that blazes In the horizon would" go out for ever; without It the earth were simply a jungle, and men wild beasts devouring each other. With It the earth becomes transformed a veritable paradise, and wo are almost gods." Josiah Johnson Hawes, of Boston, tho oldest photographer In the country. If not in the world, has just celebrated his 92d birthday. Mr. Hawes still retains posses sion of the studio in Tremont Row which he has occupied for more than half a century. Numbered among his patrons are Daniel Webster, Rufus Choate. Ly man Beecher, Jenny Llnd. Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes and all the notables of a generation ago. Two American women conducting a mis sion school on the Yukon, 1,500 miles from Its mouth, tested the Alaska climate last year in kitchen gardening, beginning op erations In the open ground May 16. In spite of a lack of rain for two months and cold storms In midsummer, they har vested 250 bushels of potatoes, M0 cab bages, SO bushels of turnips and a few bushels of carrots. The strawberry bed set out grow finely, but the crop of ber ries was destroyed by mice. My bonec has been a achln', Tes, achln' fur the rain; I've had the chills an fever. An' my body's racked with pain. This here unhealthy sunshine la full o' germs an' things; They ain't no kind o' ailment But what the plagued tblnff brings. I never feel good nohow, Exceptln' when it rains; The more It pours an' drizzles The leas I feel them palna. My bones has been a achln', Tes, achln" fur the rain; I hope the pesky sunshine Won't be here soon again. The wagon bridge over the Orange Riv er at Bethulle had been mined by tho Boers, but was saved by Lieutenant Pop ham, of the Derbyshire Regiment, who crossed unobserved during a storm of shot and shell and cut the connecting wires. He discovered several boxes of dynamlto' and returned and took a party of his regi ment, who crossed and carried off the dynamite. At night Captain Grant re moved the charges from the borings and threw them Into the river. He also dis connected the remaining wires. The cour ageous exploits of Captain Grant and Lieutenant Popham coincided, fortunate ly for the British, with an equally daring feat northward of Bloemfontein. There Major eWston, of the engineers, attached to General French's brigade, passed the Boer lines on tho evening of March 12 with 10 men, and cut the telegraph and blew up the railway, thereby preventing the removal of the engines and cars in Bloemfonteln. Twelve locomotives were captured by General French. i I i