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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1900)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1900. to xzgoxxicm Entered at the Postomee at Portland, Oregoa, &s second-class matter. TELEPHONES. Editorial Booms-... 168 I Business Office.-. .G07 REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Mall (postage prepaid). In Advance Dally, with Sunday, per month. .......f0 S3 Dally, Sunday excepted, per year...... 7 CO Dally, with Sunday, per year 9 00 Sunday, per year 2 00 The Weekly, per year ........ 1 50 The Weekly, 3 months.. .............. 50 To City Subscribers Dally, per week, delivered. Sundays cxoepted.l5c Dally, per week, delivered. Sundays lnduded.20o Tle Oregonlan doee not buy poems or stories front individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to It without solicita tion. No etamps should be inclosed lor this purpoec, News or discussion Intended for publication in The Orearonlan should be addressed Invariably "Editor The Oregonlan," not to the name of any Individual. Letters relating to advertising, subscriptions or to any business matter should be addressed simply "The Oregonlan." Puget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson, offlce at 1111 Pacific avenue. Tacoma. Box 855, Taccma postofflee. Eastern Business Offlce The Tribune build . tag. New Tork city: "The Rockery." Chicago; the S. C Beckwlth special agency. New Tork. For sale In San Francisco by J. K. Cooper, 746 Market street, near the Palace hotel, and "at Goldsmith Bros.. 236 Sutter street. For aale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co, -217 Dearborn street. TODATS WEATHER. Fair, with northwest rwinda. PORTLAXP, FIUDAT, MARCH S3. ET TU, BISHOP? ' Mr. Erring "Winslow voices the anti imperlallst grief at the transformation Kf Bishop Potter, with Atkinson, Hoar 'and Bryan yet to hear from. The case 3, In reality, one which calls for tears, if not for sackcloth and ashes. Bishop tPotter was one of the bright and shin flng lights of anti-imperialism. He re rgretted the war of subjugation; and his 'stirring words ornamented the columns "of the New Tork Evening Post and Springfield Republican, and other loyal -defenders of retreat and Isolation. In an evil hour, then, this apostle of anti-ism decided to go to the Philip pines. He went, and the sequel is too jeasy for speculation. The same thing mappened to him that has happened to everybody else; He saw the facts, and kis the facts did not square with his tpreconcelved views, he changed the views. Bishop Potter, having seen the Philippines with an open mind and Svith. the courage of a brave and honest txnan, undertakes to say these three things: 1. There Is but one thing for us to do now, and that is to hold on to the islands and assume the responsibility ior their future. 2. The Filipinos are in no condition for self-government. 3. The better class of Filipinos are satisfied that American occupation means increased prosperity, and are not raising any objections. Now, what is to be said in mitigation of the grief that bows in the presence cf such a spectacle as this? Nothing, alas, nothing. It Is a tragedy that makes one feel the Impotence of con solation. All there Is for the steadfast and unchangeable anti to do is to take "tt'hlttler's "Ichabod" and Browning's 'The Lost Leader," read them over mournfully with mental application to Bishop Potter, and reflect that there is rest in the grave. THE DEATH PENALTY. "While there has seldom been a year within the past half-century -wherein th proposition to abolish capital pun ishment has not been before one or more state Legislatures, the demand meets with slow response. Proof of the unpopularity of the idea Is found In the fact that after more than fifty years of contention, first and last, there are but five states Colorado, Rhode Island, Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin in "which the death penalty is forbidden by law. The arguments by which the proposition Is supported are familiar to all. The first and most forceful of these Is that the public execution of a criminal is brutalizing in its effect. This has been conceded by the advo cates of the extreme penalty to the extent that public executions are now relatively unknown, whereas formerly they were the rule. Upon the other stock objections, viz., that capital pun ishment does not act as a deterrent to -crime, and that it defeats the ends of justice by making juries reluctant to convict a man when the penalty of teuch conviction is death, opinions differ and will continue to differ, with, in 'most legislative bodies and communi ties, a preponderance toward the uega tlve. On the other hand. It is contended that this penalty for murder is de manded as a guarantee, as far as it goes, for the safety of human life. And while it Is admitted that this guarantee is not a perfect one, experience has chown that an increase in murders has generally followed the abolishment of the death penalty, thus proving its value as a protective measure. For this reason there is a strong agitation for the restoration of the death penalty in Michigan, while Iowa once abolished capital punishment and afterward re Btored it. "While the movement in this direction makes slow progress the humanitarian idea in regard to the means and details in carrying out the penalty is gaining ground. In this line is the substitution of private for public executions In most of the states, to which reference is above made, while three states New Tork, Ohio and Massachusetts have substituted electric chairs for the gal lows and the hangman's rope. In de fiance of all of the agitation made and urged in pity's name, the plain fact remains that in a vast majority of cases wherein murder is committed the victim and not the murderer Is the le gitimate object of pity. Sentimental ists and sensationalists are found In every community ready to flock to the murderer's standard, full of pity which finds expression in the utterance of the words "poor fellow," "how handsome," "how boyish In appearance," bears trib ute of flowers and delicacies to his cell, "just to show how sorry we are for him," or (If his victim was a young girl or woman) "how we believe In his Inno cence." But the sober, sturdy common sense of the community underlying and overshadowing the principle of jus tice says: "If this man is guilty of this crime, he has forfeited his rlght to live among men." The quibbling of lawyers, the technicalities of law or the power of precedent may save the life forfeit to justice, and to the public welfare, but the great fact remains that the wholesome sentiment of the community is In favor of such. restitution f KivItv fnr tVio tminliir I committed as only the life of the mur derer his guilt being duly proven can give. The weight of argument Is in the scale of justice. Hence the slow ness of the movement to abolish capi tal punishment. WHAT "WE XEED AS TO ASIA. We wish to Invite the attention of the farmers of Oregon and Washington to a few plain facts relative to our trade with the Orient. An examination of these facts will show that the great question before the people of this sec tion is the facilitation of the carrying trade between here and Asia. Every thing tending In that direction means money in the pockets of the Oregon and Washington farmers. Statistics show that China and Japan are buying of us in constantly increas ing quantities, but that sales to us have not increased la any such proportion. It is an ominous fact for our farmers. The less we buy of Asia, the less Asia can buy of us. The situation is all the more deserving of study, inasmuch as the goods we take of China and Japan are principally such things as silk, tea, etc, which we must buy abroad any how, and can buy to best advantage of people who will take our farm products as fast as they can afford them. A few figures will make the situation clear. If we take the Chinese and Jap anese ports and the English Asiatic port of Hong Kong, our trade In 1899 was $87,305,688, as against $46,294,167 in 1889. Here is a great gain; but the gain is in our exports. We used to do near ly all the buying, and sold them little. Now they buy freely of us, but we take less from them. Ten years ago our Imports exceeded our exports by $24,000,000, whereas now the excess is only $8,000,000, and at the present rate must soon disappear. In the last few years our imports from these ports have, in fact, fallen off, while their purchases have doubled within the past three years. More specifically: Our total trade with Japan has grown Jn ten years from $21,000,000 to $43,000,000. But the gain is in exports, which have risen from $4,000,000 to $26,000,000, while the Imports have remained stationary at $17,000,000. With China, also, the case is parallel, for our exports thither have grown from $2,000,000 to $14,000,000, while our imports have risen only from $17,000,000 to $18,000,000. With Hong Kong, an Asiatic distributing port, our exports have risen from $3,000,000 to $7,000,000, but Imports amount to only $2,000,000, as against $1,000,000 in 1889. The next thing to observe is that our sales to Asia are largely products of the solL The farmer's Interest in promo tion of trade with Asia is supreme. Of agricultural products we sold the Asiatics in 1893 nearly $15,000,000 worth, against $2,700,000 in 1889. The largest item is cotton, but of flour the sales in 1899 were $4,569,000, compared with about $1,000,000 worth in 1889, when prices were higher. Other products bought by China and Japan are canned beef,. malt liquors, milk, canned fruits and leaf tobacco. In return for these purchases we take of China and Japan chiefly silk and tea. Our Imports of silk last year were $23,000,000 in value, and of tea $9,000,000. The bearing of these Increasing Asiatic purchases on the theory that Oriental commerce has no future pos sibilities of profit Is too obvious for dis cussion; and so is the desirability of trade with a people who are most anx ious to sell us such things as silk and tea, which we do not grow for our selves. The Important thing to bear in mind is that every feasible facility should be afforded Chinese and Japan ese producers to do business here in our markets. One way in which this can be done Is through tariff concessions on Asiatic products. Every cent taken off the duty on silk, tea, matting, etc., means a little more business between Oregon and the Orient. If we are to sell wheat and flour at a profit In Asia, we must provide return cargoes for the ships that carry them over. Another useful thing would be free trade with the Philippines. In Manila we have an Asiatic distributing port that may easily become another Hong Kong. It should have as favorable entrance to our ports here as Hong Kong has Into Liverpool. Here In Oregon and Washington we are pre-eminently an agricultural com munity. As fares the farmer, so fares everybody. To assist in finding profit able markets for our products In the Orient Is, therefore, the universal duty of the people of these two states. The Philadelphia Ledger prints In parallel columns Mr. Cramp's recent statement that it costs 15 to 25 per cent more to build a ship in this country than It does In England, and some ex tracts from an article by Mr. Cramp In the North American Review eight years ago. In reply to the question, "Can you build a ship to do the work of the City of New Tork, or the Majestic, or the Columbia, in all respects for the same cost?" Mr. Cramp then wrote: "Tes, or within as small a margin as would be likely to prevail In a similar case between any two British ship yards. . . The 'first cost' of ships is not only not a prime factor, but It Is not even a serious factor, In any com petition that may occur between this country and Great Britain for a share of the traffic of the ocean." In the eight years that have elapsed since this was written, our ability to compete with England has Increased; In the last calendar year wo exported seven times as much Iron and steel as we imported, and In the fiscal year 1892 the lmnorts and exports of Iron and steel were practically the same. In the Interven ing years also we have increased our shipbuilding plants and experience, and, according to data collected by the Commissioner of Navigation, the cost of a first-class steamer In American yards -has been reduced 20 per cent. The career of Osman Pasha, who in the Russo-Turklsh war of 1877-78, with 56,000 men,, defended the position of Plevna against the repeated assaults of a Russian army of 120,000 men, un der the famous General Skobeloff, is a good object-lesson In defensive warfare for those persons who pretend to be astonished that the Boers armed with Improved magazine rifles and cannon, were able to repulse the frontal attacks of the British troops upon their in trenched lines at Magersfontein and before Colenso, and the approaches to Ladysmlth. The Turks were not as well armed as the Boers; they made no pre tension to superior marksmanship; they had no trained European artillerists or military engineers; they were pitted against the best Infantry in Europe, save the English; the enemy were com manded by their most heroic and sklll- Jful General, and yet Plevna held out for 144 days, and then did not yield to a frontal assault, but to the engineer ing genius of the famous Russian Gen eral Todleben, the defender of Sebasto poL The Russian loss at the hands of the Turks was not less than 25,000 men. When the Boer war is over it will be recognized by all Intelligent, candid men that the English soldiers were of the highest quality of military excel lence; that their disasters were due to nothing but the lack of a General of superior brains. The moment a Gen eral took command, the British cam paign became a "walkover," attended with comparatively small los3 in killed and wounded. HALF CHARLATAN, HALF CRAKK. Bryan, the presumptive candidate of the Demo-Populist party for President, presents the curious spectacle of a man who, defeated in 1896 by a plurality of over 600,000, has pursued no other vo cation since his defeat save that of or ganizing victory for himself in the Na tional Democratic Convention of 1900. Measured by any solid standard of po litical learning, professional eminence, statesmanship or even platform elo quence, Bryan is not a man of superior intellectual endowments. His political thoughts to a man of intelligence are so threadbare and shallow as to give him no standing as a statesman among men of knowledge and power of under standing. He is, however, an ideal pop ular demagogue in the Demo-Populist party, because he is full of rant about finance and cant about sentimental pol itics. He Is safe from contradiction or refutation in a party composed chiefly of persons incompetent through Igno rance to understand why free silver at 16 to 1 Is a delusion and a snare, or why state socialism would be inconsist ent with our fundamental Jeffersonlan principle of individualism in govern ment, and would be utterly Impractica ble save at the cost of subverting our Federal Constitution and recasting It In accordance with the lunatic theory that it is the business of the -Government to support the people, not the people the Government. The Populist-Democracy Is a mass of Ignorance plastic as wax in the hands of a fluent, pictur esque demagogue of remarkable vocal power and endurance. Perhaps it Is not quite just to call Bryan a demagogue, pure and simple; perhaps It would be more correct to describe him as a cross between a con scious political charlatan and a politi cal crank who has become gradually "intoxicated by the exuberance of his own verbosity." Never a man of the quality that makes an earnest, thor ough student of political history. political economy or finance, Bryan, equipped with a very superficial educa tion, began his political career solely on the strength of his ambition to shine as "a magnetic orator," so-called, a reputation easily won by a man- of good physical presence, superior vocal en dowments, associated with the melo dramatic effusiveness and Intensity of speech that are the earmarks of the cheap jury lawyer. On the strength of his quality as a stump orator Bryan won his way into Congress. In Con gress he was distinguished for no solid qualities as a debater. His nomination in 1S96 was made on the strength of a speech of cheap magniloquence, deliv ered with an unusual degree of dra matic fervor and power of elocution. In the campaign Bryan utterly failed as a serious speaker. His most elab orate speeches failed to command any attention from men who sought them for Information or searched them for logic It Is perhaps fair to concede the pos sibility that Bryan is. like Mahomet, half charlatan and half self-deluded enthusiast and crank. He has worked with unflagging energy and unyielding pertinacity since his defeat to keep himself at the front, the logical nom inee of his party for 1900; and he has succeeded. He has succeeded because the rank and file of the Demo-Populists in the South, Middle West and South west are still wedded to their Idols of 1896. He has never hauled down his "free-silver" flag, and because he has never done so the masses of the South, Middle West and Southwest will have nobody but Bryan for standard-bearer. It Is possible, If not probable, that Bryan, from lorg fooling with false finance, has come at last to believe In his own folly just as a man from fre quent repetition sometimes comes at last to believe that his old-time con scious lies are really part of the body of God's truth. Bryan's superficial edu cation, his very limited knowledge of the history of finance In the past, his lack of logical power and understand ing, have always been conspicuous in his public speech, and It Is perhaps not too great a stretch of charity to grant that there Is a strain of sincerity In the composition of this brilliant political quack that is the demigod of the Demo Populists. There have been many successful demagogues In the history of American politics. Aaron Burr was a dema gogue; Jefferson was not free from the taint of demagogy. Stephen A. Doug las was a very able man, but none the less an arrant political demagogue rather than a statesman. Caleb Cush Ing and Benjamin F. Butler "are other Illustrations in point, but all of these men were possessed of high command ing talents, political knowledge and historical Intelligence that made them formidable opponents In public debate. They were- Intellectually all foemen worthy of the best steel of the opposi tion, but Mr. Bryan is unique in this respect, that he is the only successful demagogue who ever rose to the lead ership of a great party without a par ticle of tho substantial political knowl edge, or the pre-eminent Intellectual power that characterized the famous leaders of the Democratic party from Jefferson down to Tllden. His success Is due to the fact that while he knew little or nothing about the history of the world's financial experience, the great majority of his party knew so much less than Bryan that his Impu dence reigned supreme over their Ig norance. The personal efforts of Bryan to renominate himself have been equaled in ceaseless effort by nothing save the ceaseless effort of Hanna to renominate McKlnley. The funeral of thirteen soldiers of the Second Oregon, whose bodies, un claimed by those near of kin, have been returned from the Philippines for burial In and by the state that proudly sent them out, will take place In this city Sunday, with suitable obsequies. Sent out with cheering, with pride and with benediction, it is fitting that the bodies of those who met death in the dis charge of soldierly duty should be ten derly received, and the memory of those thus mutely represented should be 1 honored as the brave dead are honored by the patriotic living. Divided in opinion upon all other matters of pub lic significance, upon this the people of the community and the state are united. No detail of these obsequies will be too small to be without Interest to loyal hearts, and no feature thereof will speak too strongly of honor and gratitude to our brave boys who lost their Uvea In the country's service. The Icy silence of the far North gives up slowly the secrets of human life swallowed up In its depths. The murder of, Mr. and Mrs. Horton, of Eu gene, on the shore of Lynn Canal, last October, has but Just come to light through confession ofx one of the In dians who Wiled them, while the sup posed murder in December of Fred Clayson, formerly of this city, was veri fied but a few days ago by discovery of his body In an ice pack in the Tukon River. Of a multitude of nameless people, that is to say, people for whom no inquiry is made, who have gone to their death in the wilds of the Alaskan gold regions, no trace will ever be found. Like the missing after a bat tle, the unknown of the railroad wreck, the unidentified dead of the great city's morgue, these have dropped out of life and silence, has fallen around about them. The President of a prominent East ern university has disciplined the mem bers of a glee club, because they sang too much and studied too little. All who are enemies of music should now utilize this example as showing the de grading power of that pursuit. Such a course would be exactly parallel with that of the detractors of athletics who would have football and aquatics ta booed entirely because they are some times carried too far, or that of those who would force total abstinence upon all because a few can't drink temper ately. A due sense of proportion Is a great corrective of faulty social the ories. A ring newspaper at Eugene says that The Oregonlan, which heretofore has spoken favorably of Mr. Tongue, now opposes his renomlnation. The Oregonlan' does not oppose, nor has it opposed, his renomlnation. Mr. Tongue is an active and energetic Representa tive, and The Oregonlan is not pre pared to express the opinion that any one could serve the district better. But there are several other candidates for the Republican nomination, each of whom has active support, and The Ore gonlan is endeavoring to treat them, as well as Mr. Tongue, with fairness and Impartiality. There is reason to apprehend that the expenditures of the city are not being kept within the limits prescribed by law. Will there be a deficit at the end of the fiscal year? Will there be debts, on account of current expenses, which there are no funds to meet? The pres ent charter was prepared with greatest care, expressly to guard against such a result. The city had to sell bonds to the amount of nearly half a million dol lars, to meet deficits under former ad ministrations, not long ago. Will there be a deficit again? It Is a matter worth close and careful Inquiry. With repeated evidence of the possi bility of contracting smallpox while moving about the city from a patient who has the "walking" type of that disease, it would seem to be superfluous to urge upon prudent people the ad visability of being vaccinated. People who are careless and Indifferent In this matter now belong to the class that be comes panic-stricken when the effects of such carelessness is .seen in a multi plicity of cases of smallpox. A word to the wise In Buch cases is sufficient, while for the foolish repeated admoni tion does not suffice. The beneficiaries of the present postal system are the publishers of cheap books, who send them out as periodi cals. Anxious to retain their special privileges, they interest members of Congress in their cause; and when these Congressional advocates are charged with their connection with the publishers, they can only retort that the fellows on the other side are re tained by the express companies that want the law amended so they will get the carriage of the books. Between these hostile patriots It's a hard choice. The Oregonlan is not published to please the little, cheap, self-seeking politicians of the country, nor the mis erable little newspapers that toady to them. It Is published for the people at large Therefore the little, cheap, self seeking politicians, and the little news paper organs that accept enslavement to them,' needn't read The Oregonlan, unless they desire. It Is all one to it whether they like or dislike it. Since this is a political year, If they will take note .of this now, it may save them some vexation. The Oregonlan does not credit the al leged purpose of the British to dis franchise the South African Dutch. The New York World, which prints the pu tative news. Is Intensely pro-Boer, and of course such reports are just what will please Its readers. It may be set down as certain that the burghers will have more liberty under British rule than they ever had before. The differ ence will be that they can't withhold liberty and equality from others. The Social Democracy, a radical off shoot from Bryanism, which recently nominated E. V. Debs for President, has a record of 33,545 votes for Its can didate at the last general election. It had 8250 In Massachusetts, 2600 In Wis consin, 1700 in Missouri and 400 in New Hampshire. The House promises to pass a bill forbidding National banks hereafter from lending to their own officers. Meanwhile state and private banks will do as they please. Yet Bryan expects to be elected President by assaults on the National bank system. Thomns H. Tongue on Crater Lake. New York Tribune. Congressman Tongue, of Oregon, says: "The people of Oregon are much interested In having a National Park established at Crater Lake. That locality is quite as wonderful and fully as Interesting to sci entists and tourists as the Yellowstone Park or the Yosemlte. It Is located In the Cascade Range of mountains, about C000 feet above sea level. The Crater Lake re gion Is well situated for a park, but Is un fit for any other purpose, as It contains no agricultural lands and Is far above the limit of cereals. It is well timbered, but the timber Is of no value for lumber. Its rocks are all fresh lava, and contain noth ing whatever of value to the miner. Cra ter Lake is conceded to be ono of the greatest scenic wonders In the United States, if not In the world. There are no settlers within the limits of the pro posed park, which is easily accessible by roads already constructed. The lake itf already regarded as a pleasure resort by Oregonlans, but one of the drawbacks to tourists at present Is the lack of fa cilities for entertainment there." FALSE SUBSIDY PRETENSES Xo Analogy Bctxreen Our Proposals ana British Practice. The petitioners fee subsidies for the shipbuilders never tire of asserting that the policy that will serve to enrich them is the one employed by Great Britain to establish and maintain the supremacy of the mercantile marine. The entire error of this assertion is shown in a most clear and careful article In the current number of the Atlantic Monthly, contributed by Mr. J. W. Root. Mr. Root starts with tho statement "that there are no subsidies or grants of any kind made out of the public funds to shipbuilders." There are large sums paid for the carriage of the malls, but of these It must be said that they are not so large as Is usually thought, that they are expended so as to secure the best mall facilities for the least money, that they exceed only by a small amount the receipts of postage by the Government, and that they are open to competition at frequent intervals and are not so profit able aa to be sought at all eagerly. There are five principal lines having tho mall contracts. The following table shows at a glance the number of miles traversed on each of these lines, the total subsidy and the rate per mile of the annual payment: Miles traversed Subsidy Rate per annum. paid, per mile New Tork 300.000 130.000 & Gd India and China.... 830,000 245.000 Gs Australia 780.000 170.000 4s Gd South Africa 050.000 00.000 Za "West Indies 200.000 80.000 Cs It will be seen that tho total amount on all these five lines Is only 715,000, or $3,575,000, which is barely two-fifths of the sum that our subsidy-seekers wish from the Treasury. Mr. Root also shows that aa to all these lines, except that to South Africa, the payments exceed the receipts for post age only a trifle more than 5500,000. To Postmaster-General Smith, who reports that his department Is compelled to pay some $24,000,000 every year for the carriage of matter which ought under the law to pay higher rates, this deficiency would seem slight indeed. Probably there is more close analogy to our own situation In the cases of East ern and South African routes, where the distances are great and the expenditure larger in proportion to the receipts. Here we find some of the Inevitable evils of subsidies even under condition that may seem to make them necessary. Mr. Root thus states the complaint of tho mer cantile and manufacturing Interests: Tho contention la that the large subsidies paid enable the companies receiving them to form combinations or rings, and beat oft com petitors not so favorably situated, yet willing to work at cheaper rate. This grievance has never extended" to the Atlantic trade, which It too Immense to be dominated by a couple of companies, however powerful, and rates of freight are Invariably regulated by the laws of supply and demand. It Is In the Eastern and South African trades that the dispute Is particularly rife, and here, undoubtedly, tho terms enforced upon hipira are of a despotic nature. The combination, or conference, as it Is more generally termes. fix their rates of freight conditionally upon shippers confining themselves exclusively for a definite period to their lines of steamers. The nominal rate charges Is In excess of the actual, the differ ence being returned as rebate when the term has elapsed. If the conditions have not been in fringed. Thus a shipper Is precluded from tak. Ing advantage of an occasional outsider which may be put upon the berth at a cheap rate, be cause In doing so he would forfeit rebates ex tending perhaps over many months, and amounting to hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds sterling. This last statement throws light on what would be the effect of the big subsidies asked by the particular lines now besieg ing Congress. " AFTER THIRTY-THREE Tt-JARS. Colonel Topping, of Spokane, Meets IIIm Sisters, In Brooklyn. New York Times, March 17. A brother reunited to two sisters after an absence of 33 years was one of the In cidents of Brooklyn life yesterday. The man is Colonel E. S. Topping, of Spo kane, Wash ; his sisters are Mrs. Agnes Stitcs and Mrs. Lydia Worth, the latter a widow, who live together on Hanson Place. Colonel Topping was comparatively poor when he left New York for the far West in 1S66. For some years he was a scout with General Custer and General Crook, and passed through many a hard Indian campaign. Then ho went prospecting, and today Is one of the rich men of the State of Washington. He is temporarily staying at the Murray Hill Hotel. "I don't feel much like talking," he said, last evening, "for my sisters have about hugged the life out of me. They did not expect me, and tho meeting has made me a very happy man. I am glad to bo In New York again, but how the place has changed! Why, I could not get my bearings In Wall street this morning until I saw the familiar apire of old Trinity Church." Talking of affairs in the West, Colonel Topping said: "I was in Oregon recently, and the .peo ple wero almost crazy there over alleged Important gold discoveries at Sumpter, in the Blue Mountain Range of Northeastern Oregon. Tho place Is said to be richer than Cape Nomo In gold deposits. A few weeks ago the population was 400; now It is 3500, and it is predicted there will be nearly 100,000 there before the close of this year. " "I was a great believer In tho Bryan policy of 16 to 1. I am so no longer, and I find I can make very fair profits selling silver at 57 cents an ounce. It Is my can did opinion that Bryan will not carry a single state on the Pacific Coast. The sil ver question Is dead there, beyond all hopes of resurrection. Moreover, I be lieve that SO per cent of the people In the Pacific States aro heartily In favor of President McKlnley's expansion policy, as applied to the Philippines." THE PRESIDENT WARNED. A Leading- Religious Journal on tlxe Puerto Rlcan Isme. The Outlook. In such a time as this tho people need and desire a leader; one who has time and opportunity to study the specific questions Involved in our new National policy, and one In whose judgment and courage they can trust. The President is the natural leader of those who be lieve In expansion and do not believe In Imperialism. But the people cannot follow a Presi dent who does not lead; and they can not escape the impression that he is him self following some one else. He at first. In a public message, urged free trade with Puerto Rico; ho now, in private in terviews, urges a tariff between ua and Puerto Rico. Why? This is the ques tion which tho people are asking, which the President's best friends and warm est supporters are asking, and to which he ought to give an answer as public and as authoritative as his original message. This Is not a question for compromise. If it be true that tho President has not changed his mind but only his policy, and has reluctantly become an advocate of a 15 per cent tariff In order to unite his party, he has made a most serious polit ical mistake. Questions of method are always subjects pf compromise; questions of principle are not. It Is the widespread and growing suspicion that this tariff Is levied not In the interests of Puerto Rico, but In the Interests of the United States, which is arousing the conscience of the American people against the Puerto Rlcan tariff. That suspicion is fast becoming a conviction. By his change of policy, unaccompanied by any. public statement cfJtusj3ons, on a question which, though not financially of great importance, rigntly seems to tha American people fundamental In principle, the President has subjected himself to the suspicion of compromising those principles of justice and hoerty which are far dearer to the people than any conceivable trade advantages. It Is not too late for the Senate to retrieve his error; but If It is not retrieved, If by tho action of the Senate the Republican par ty, despite the protests of some of its strongest men and nearly all Its strong est journals, commits Itself to a policy of levying taxation for our apparent ben efit against tho protests of an unrepre sented dependency, the possible conse quences to the party it Is not easy to forecast. The strength of the President has consisted in this, that he has repre sented the conscience and judgment of the American people. If he allows himself to be separated from the people, though on but a single issue, his strength would depart from him, as It did from Antaeus when Hercules lifted him from the earth. e THE XAVT AN EXAMPLE. The Kind of Pnblic Service Needed In the Philippines. New York Commercial Advertiser. President Schurman's outline of the kind of service that we need for the Philippines should be made the basis" of our new colonial service, for It sums up the requirements in a way as complete as it Is terso: Th victory of our Commodore and our Cap tains made us responsible for the Philippines. Tho vastneas of that responsibility la enough to appal us. As I ponder over It I seem to see a solution in a small body of American officials, carefully selected and highly trained, with a permanent tenure of office and promotion for merit, who shall be animated by the spirit of our naval Captains. You hear nothing, or al most nothing, of politics In the Navy. Since our navy entered tho waters of the Philippines there has not been an. instance of an officer abusing his power to oppress, Injure or ill treat the natives. Tho Navy Is, I think, our highest embodiment of love, of honor and devotion to duty for the sake of honor and duty and noth ing else. The absolute Justice of that tribute to the Navy will be universally recognized. It has been a common saying among ad vocates of a colonial system, based upon thoroughgoing civil service reform prin ciples, that the Navy gives us the beat model we have upon which to build. It is the best service we have simply and solely because politics and political In fluences of all kinds have been kept out of It. Doubtless If we could today put our naval officers In charge of our new possessions In the Philippines we should get as satisfactory results as we have secured through such use of bur Army offi cers In Cuba; but we do not need to do that. We can secure as good results by constructing a colonial service on the elementary principles laid down by Presi dent Schurman, fitness with "permanent tenure and promotion for merit," or the invariable rule followed by every rep utable private business in the world. a E ainn'n Mighty Lever. Gunton's Magazine. Taking all tho manufactures of the United States in 18S0, barring some omis sions In reporting horse-power, it Is found that the total horsepower was, in round numbers, G,000,000, equivalent to the labor of 36,000,000 men, while only 4.476.S84 persons were employed, tho supplemental labor having a ratio equivalent to 8 to 1. Horse power used in manufactures equivalent to 36,000.000 men represents a population of lSO.OOO.OOO; in other words, if the products of the manufacturing establishments alone, of the United States In 1830. had been secured by the old hand methods, without the aid of power machinery. It would have required a population of 1S0, 000.C0O, with none left for agriculture, trade, transportation, mining, forestry, the professions, or any other occupations. At the Altnr. : Good Words. Several of Bishop How's stories relate to weddings. Mr. Ibetson, of St. Michael's, Walthamstow, was marrying a couple, when the ring was found to be too tight. A voice from behind exclaimed, "Suck your finger, you fool." Again it Is re lated that the rector of Thornhlll,.near Dewsbury, on one occasion could not get the woman to say "obey" in the marriage service, and he repeated the word, with a strong stress on each syllable, saying, "You must say O-bey." Whereupon the man interfered and said, "Never mind, go on. parson. I'll mak' her say 'O' by and by." a Mr. Sheldon's Bnrden. Milwaukee Sentinel. Mr. Sheldon Is working under a heavier burden than that which prejudice or convention lays upon ordinary editors. His task is to impart an interest to news in which he thinks people ought to be Inter ested. When everybody wants to know the price of Industrials, he must strive to make them still more eager to learn the virtues of prohibition. For a week such a burden may be borne. But only a newspaper written by literary geniuses could bear it for more than a month. o Grow Rapidly. Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph. "This is good growing weather," said Manchester, cheerily, as he paused to ex change a few words with Northside. "I'd like to know what can grow in cold weather like this," growled Northside. "Gas bills and coal bills." l 9 ' HnrxoYrinR- Thonp-ht. Cleveland Plain Dealer. "1 see the Governor of Montana stopped a hanging by telephone." "Heavens! Think what would have hap pened If the girl had said 'Line's busy!' " o P Adapted for the Stage. Chicago Record. "What did that publisher say about your novel?" "Ho said it was too trashy to print, but would probably dramatize all right." i a The 3Iyatery of Life. Detroit Journal. "His life is simply a living death!" 'Yes, he's a living example of the im possibility of living on so small an In come as his!" a The Exnct Fact. Baltimore American. Labor Reformer Do you work by the day? Other Party No, sir; I'm a nightwatch man. B Selling the Pnper. Chicago Tribune. "'Ere's yer Topeky Capital! All about war beln' wicked!" The newsboys. Puerto It lean America, Chicago Times-Herald. My country, 'tis of thee That set Hawaii free, Of thee I sing! I am a slave no more, I've dumped the load I bora And ceased to kneel before A queen or king. Land of the brave and Just, Land of the Sugar trust. How sweet to be Held up outside the gate And made to pay the freight I tell you what. It's great. And tickles me! Land of the equal, where A few contrive to share The good things, what A Joy it Is to be Annexed so I may see The freedom, that's for me And still Is not! Land of the fertile plains, Land of tobacco stains, I fairly gloat Since I, O glory! may Stand 'neath thy flag and pay An extra price today, . T0;JU fl3i. , . NOTE AND COMMENT. Kentucky has a gold and a silver Gov ernor, but the latter has IS chances to ha former's one. Frlck has decided not to sue Carnegie after all. Now Is the time for Washougai to put in an application for a library. In a Kansas City political row 17 shota were fired, and no one was hurt. Kansas. City must bo short on Innocent bystand ers. No, Clementina, the Spring gun Is not used to hunt the Spring poet. Rifled can non are the favorite weapon for that pas- time. Now Switzerland has declined to inter vene in tho Transvaal trouble. But Kruger5 need not lose heart. He has not asked Agulnaldo yet. Queen "Victoria has bought an automo bile. This is a circumstance which will convince tho experts that she Is going to send Albert Edward to South Africa. Twenty-six members of the British Par liament have volunteered for the war, namely: Lord Stanley, Lord Valentla, "Vis count Milton, Lord E. Talbot, Lord H. Beutlnck, Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, Mr. Burdett-Coutts, Sir Samuel Scott, Sir J. Dickson Poynder, Sir Howard Vincent, Mr, Carlile, Mr. Cochrane, Lord Alwyno Comp ton. Mr. Bromley-Davenport, Mr. Douglaa Pennant, Mr. W. R. Greene, Captain A Hill, Mr. Kemp, Mr. H. McCalmont, Mr. Mlldmay, Mr. A. Stanley, Major Wynd-ham-Quin, Captain Bagot, Captain Pirie, Mr. Murray Guthrie and Mr. W. Allen. A pioneer dairyman of Multnomah Coun ty, who, for years, has been furnishing special customers in Portland with full weight rolls of fir3b-class butter, went to visit a Scappoose dairy a few weeks ago and was struck with the square two-pound packages he saw turned out there. His rolls had always been round ones, and his patrons, whenever they weighed them, found them full 32 ounces. Since adopt ing ithe square system they find tho "rolls" are always an ounce short, and so they now understand how the profit Is greater than when the oM-fashioned roll3 were supplied. They thlnft the old, reli able dairyman has become corrupted by modern methods, and they have become resigned to the fact that there's a "graft" in nearly everything nowadays. As for tho dairyman, what a sum of money ha has lost by giving full weht for the past 14 years! Some of the more entertaining costs of conducting the Government of the United States are disclosed In the report of tho Secretary of the Senate of his expendi tures from July 1 to January 31, during only two months of which time was tho Senate In session. Fourteen Senators drew more than 5-100 each In commutation of the stationery and periodicals allowed them at public expense. Among tho pe riodicals ordered on account of Senators were the leading magazines as well as newspapers. More thtvn $200 was spent for engraved card-plates .and visiting cards, nearly ?900 went for telegrams sent by Senators, enough hair brushes were bought to give one to each Senator, with 14 ex ceptions. Cologne, Seidlitz powders, bromo-seltzer and bromo-ci'Jfelne, 1000 two grain quinine pills and 1000 calomel tablets, soda mints, and nearly ?20O worth of the most expensive toilet soaps wero bought. There Is no hair-dye In the list, but there Is brllllantine and dandruff cure, and the purchase of saVve and five gallons of witch-hazel suggests that many of tha Senators are bicyclers. No part of a Sum mer session was covered by this report, or there would have been substantial ex pendltures for mineral wateis. Ice, lemons, sugar and other means of preventing sun stroke. There's a lot o' politicians talkln' business on the street. An they git a heap excited In their actions, when they meet. An they make a. lot o trouble to the copper on the beat. While he paces slow tn solemn here and there. They've a meanln way atxu: 'em that'll make, ou stop an' think. An' they say they're talking weather, which they follow with a wink. An' they'll ask you mighty cordial if you'll come an have a drink. Fur there's politics a-bllln' In the air. They're a-cuesrtn cf each other like a lot o steamboat mates. An' they're usln' lofty language 'bout these here United States, An' they're makln frequent mention of tha great historic dates. An they've got cigars and surplus change to spare. They're a-holdln' public meetln's In suburban parts o' town, They're a-huntln for tho workln'men aa chasln." up an down. Fur to tell 'em of the meetln' an to ask 'em to come 'roun. ' Fur there's politics a-bllin' In tha air. Some of them Is holdln' offlce. and some mora would like to be. An' they're most almighty friendly-when they talks to you an' me. An' no matter what our views are, they aro likely to agree. Fur about these trlflln' matters they don't care. They're a-sayln that the grafters ought to "bo upon the ehelf. That they ain't no use for office when lfa only run fur pelf. Just the same tve can't help thinkln that they want a Job thelrself. Fur there's politics a-bllln' In. the air. Annie Lanric. Jennie Bodge in Lewlston Journal. Across the ea a. fragment. Blown with the spray and mist. Shoreward from rosy distances Where shade and shlnti hold tryst, An old song set In colorings Of gold and amethyst. A ship on the horizon Where misty curtains cling. Lightly to clearer levels Her sails of -violet swing; A schooner nearing the harbor. Listen! The sailors sing: "ilaxwelton braes are bonnle "Where early fa'3 the dew, 'Twas there sweet Annie Laurla Gave me her promise true." Oh! the rainbow lights of boyhool Kindle my skies anew. "ilaxwelton braes are bonnle," How sweet that old retrain. The promises of morning Break Into bloom again. And on the lowly roof I hear The music of the rain. "Maxwelton braes are bonnle,- There's mother at the door. The cattle down the dusKy lane Are coming as of yore. And mounted on the pasture bam I swing and! sing once more. "Maxwelton braes are bonnie." O, bonnle maid of mine. Thro' all the mists of distance. Again the dark eyes shine; The world Is full of muslo, And living seems divine! Across the sea a fragment. Blown with the spray and mist, Shoreward from rosy distances, "Where shade and shine hold tryst, A vision and a memory. In culd and. arnlhi'at. I I