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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1900)
--vfx.-'c ""t V"""2 iieiai'fiu-jsr v THE MORNING OKEQONIAN, - MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1900.. WISDOM OF CONFUCIUS PHILOSOPHER'S IDEA OP PRESET LIFE AXD LIFE BEYOXD. Philosophy of the Oriental Still Wields n Mlchty Influence in the Reliclous "World. Inscribed upon the pace of history are to be found the names of many of the world's greatest and most. Illustrious men men famed of wisdom, knowledge and virtue but In the estimation of millions jot all nations and dimes there is not one upon that roll of honor whose fame In this respect surpasses if it takta rank with that of Confucius, cas the Chi cago Chronicle. To ast numbers the sage of China Is the ideal sage of the world. Unappre ciated while living, except by a lew, the name of Confucius la today revered and worshiped by a greater number of the earth's Inhabitants than is that of any other being who has ever lived. To a thinking mind, therefore, the question na turally suggc&ts itself, wherein lies the cause of this? Why this intense.' devoted, unequaled veneration one may almost say adoration for the name of this quiet, un obtrusive scholar and man? A name which has come down to us through all the ages, and which now, after, 2400 years have rolled by, stands out as the pole star among the world's moral and Intellectual luminaries. There must be cause for this. IX can not be accidental. History does not keep on recording, century after cen tury, the names of mediocre men. In at tempting to discover the secret of this nearly worldwide homage one must almost exclusively retort to the teachings and sayings of the man himself, very little outside regarding him having come down to us. Here, however, many think is to be found not only the solution of this problem, and the secret of his fame, but the material as well for forming a Judg ment respecting the man. Confucius was "born SI years before the Christian era, or 24 JO jears ago. His par entage, though respectable, was not dis tinguished for honor, wealth or position. His father was a soldier in the service of the government, and was noted for brav ery. The son. when not teaching, was occupied much of the time In the employ of the Empire, first as storekeeper, and j subsequently in more prominent positions. under the government his abilities and faithfulness were appreciated, and later in life his counsel and advice were eager ly sought by his superiors in authority. "While legendary tales are told of marvel ous "happenings at his birth, the same as in the case, of the birth of every other cage who has ever lived, no claim of inspiration has ever been made for his teachings either by his disciples or admir ers. He made no claim to be gifted above other men. He was plain Confucius plain Kun-foo-tze or Chung-ne; a man repre sented to be of excessive modesty, making no profession of perfection, but .constant ly lamenting his shortcomings and want of ability. He was an earnest scholar, "constantly striving after the good and to know the truth." The wisdom and insight of which he waspossesed were the same, he claimed, as all could possess by al lowing their natures, through virtue, to unfold, and by keeping close to the laws of their being, differing, possibly in de gree, but not in the nature or manner of acquiring. His character is represented to have been one of exceeding humility. His great knowledge and learning, coupled with the consciousness of how little be knew In view of the vast volume of truth which he conceived lay bejond. which he could neither see nor catch a glimpse of. made it so. He is represented to have been a great lover of antiquity, and claimed to have been largely in its. debt "With all of his great learning he seems to .have lived much in the past. He Is rep resented to have been a strict observer of the ceremonies of his time, and of the relcs of propriety as Instituted in the country In which he lived; to such an ex tent that he may be said to have been almost a "stickler," een to the point of punctiliousness. Philosopher, Not ErcotUtlc. Confucius is said to have had "no fore gone conclusions, no arbitrary predeter minations, no obstinacy, no egotism." His great strength and power, it must he ad mitted, lay where lay those of our own "Washington, and where lie the strength and power of the highest type of all true greatness. In the moral element. White he is not accredited with having been the founder of any institution of learning, like Aristotle or Plato, he Is accredited with having upon the roll of his school as high as SOW students at a time. Appreciated by both scholars and disciples while living, to the mass of his countrymen he was practically unknown. This he is raid to have felt keenly. Just before hU death he is said to have repined that: "Of all the princes of the empire there was not one who would -adopt his principles or obey his lessons," but before two centuries had passed he had "become the Idol of all China, and today his name is revered by more than one-third of the population of the globe. Dr. Liege, considered to be his best Eng lish biographer or historian, tells us that "In China today, where education is wide ly diffused, and where the schoolmaster is no more abroad, it Is Confucius in all the schools who is taught"; that "all who receive the slightest tincture of learn ing receive it at the fountain of this man." and that "In the Empire of China Confu cius is the one man by whom all possible personal excellence is exemplified and by whom all possible lessons of social virtue and political wisdom are taught." Confu cius did not claim to be a maker of knowl edge. He did not profess to be a dis coverer even only a transmitter. But while he disavows any pretension to au thenticity in this respect, posterity dis credits his protest and ascribes It to mod esty and humility of character, for the rea son that the names of none of those from whom he claims to have drawn his knowl edge and wisdom has come down to us. while his own today, after nearly SOD years, is a bright and shining light among those of the world's greatest men. Confucius taught that the perfection of being, the perfection of manhood, was the true purpose of life. The seeking after happiness, which Is a prompting of our natures, he considered a result proceed ing from true being and not an end. He taught that the making of the perfect man, the superior man. as he termed it, is the chief end of life, and that this can only be reached through the practice of perfect virtue. Virtue, therefore, with him was the all in all. a necessity to the development of man spiritually. It is the atmosphere, he claimed, in which man's spiritual naturo grows and unfolds, and the only atmosphere In which It can grow and unfold; it Is to the spiritual what food Is to the physical nature that in which it finds nourishment Without It, he thought, man could not unfold spir itually, and with It there was no limit to his unfolding. Confucius believed that while pleasure was to be derived from the gratification of the senses, happiness was only to be found in man's bringing himself Into har mony with the laws of his being !nto harmony with the "will of heaven" and that this can only be attained through the practice of perfect virtue. This attain ment he considered the highest enjoyment of life, the sutnmum bonum of human ex istence, the thing to be prized above all else. To him there was nothing miracu lous or supernatural about this. The law of the unfolding of man's spiritual na ture .was to him as natural as 'the law of the unfolding of the oak from the acorn, a provision of nature. Innate, the same as is the full fruit in the germ of the seed. For this reason, therefore, he would seek virtue, because through It man can become godlike and without it it is as impossible as for the plant or tree to unfold upon an entirely barren rock. In the building up of the superior man. and not In the acquirement of .worldly possession (for their own sake), Con fucius considered, lay the source of man's truest wealth and highest happiness; this latter he considered came from with in, not from without Hence, according to his view, the avenue lay open to the poorest man upon earth to amass true riches and enjoy happiness equally with the man who might be more plentifully supplied with this world's goods: to the hod carrier equally with the man Occupy ing more Important position. 'With him there was no bar to any soul upon earth acquiring as much or as little true wealth and happiness as he or she might aspire to. The triviality of life and the acci dents of existence were, in his view, mat ters of little import, as the following will enow; "With coarse rice to eat, with wa ter to dr'nk and my bended arm for a pillow, I have still Joy-in these things." Groundwork of Truth. Sincerity, faithfulness and truthfulness were the groundwork of all Confucius' teachings. With htm these virtues consti tuted not alone the cornerstone, but the foundation stones in the building up of character. He could listen to nothing which bore the air of insincerity. For rules of the conduct of life and the regu lating of Intercourse between individuals, when asked if there were not one word which would serve as a rule of practice for one's life, he said: "Is not reciproc ity such a word? What you do not like when dona to yourself do not do to oth ers." When asked concerning the prin ciple that injury should be recompensed with kindness, he replied: "With what, then, will you recompense kindness? Rec ompense Injury with Justice and recom pense kindness with kindness." "To love thoso whom men hate and hate those whom men love, this is an outrage to the natural feelings, calamities can not fall to come down on htm who does so. He who recompenses Injury with kind ness Is careful of his person." Speculation upon subjects of which he could know nothing he" considered profit less and a waste of time. He says: "I meddle with neither physics nor meta physics." "I am not troubled to account for the origin of man nor do I seek to know about his hereafter." "I do not speculate upon the creation of things nor upon the end of them." "Extraordinary things and spiritual things I do riot talk about." .V(,U.lU.f, JM. I, KT; Ing. whilo infinity must, from the very ! nature of things, be incomprehensible to j finite mortals, making it beyond their ken to comprehend or realize the existence of an Infinite being, he felt from the per fect wisdom which he saw everywhere manifest throughout the universe that there munt be a supreme overruling power governing in all things, which power ha styled, "The Will of Heaven." To this power he felt profoundly reverent and humbly submissive. ' Upon the subject of a future life Con fuclun was what would be termed today an agnostic, for the reason that he could find nothing upon which to predicate a belief. The future he considered a secret locked from finite mortals. While he did not disbelieve in a future state of exist ence. It was a matter which had not been revealed to him and of which he could havo no knowledge, hence he considered It Idle to speculate respecting it. He was more concerned about the life which had been revealed to him. and this he pro fessed to understand only partially. Ho was content to let the future take care of Itself, entirely resigned to the will of heaven. There were in his days those who thought or felt that they could see farther into futurity than he. With such he did not dispute. "While you do not know about life, how can you know about death?" he asked. And again, "You need not wish to know whether the dead have knowledgo or not. There Is no present urgency upon this point. Hereafter you will know It for yourself." For him death had no terrors. Ho considered death an event In the course of nature, the same as birth and of no greater significance. When asked in regard to death he re plied: "I prefer not speaking." He sold. "The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are being produced, but does heaven say anything?" To those who were desirous of learn ing he was ever ready to assist, but those who manifested no disposition to learn he was impatient with and little disposed to aid, as the following will show: "From tho man bringing his bundle of dried fish (a medium of exchange in Confucius' time), upward, for my teaching I have never refused instruction. I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge nor help any one who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one and he cannot from it learn the other -three I do not repeat my lesson." In the matter of government, Confucius considered moral fcrccfl to be more effica cious in the maintaining of order than physical. His theory of how to acquire good government was to start with the individual. "Rectify the Individual." he said, "then this will rectify the, state and the empire." When asked how to do away with thieves, he said: "If you were not yourself covetous; although you should re ward them to do It, they would not steal." Idlcners Confucius could not brook. Life to him was earnest. Time he considered a precious legacy and its constant occupa tion to some good end an Imperative duty. "To be a gamester or a chess player is better than do nothing at nil." he said. In all that Confucius said and did he aimed to be severely logical and so closely did he keep to this aim few of his critics have ever been found to call In question the consistency of his long and eventful life. His religion consisted in constantly striving after perfection, constantly seek ing after the good. "With him everything In nature was governed strictly nnd only by unalterable law. The supernatural and miraculous he could not conceive of. and had no place for. Claims of this nature were to him not only impossible, but they were a contradiction of terms. He be lieved, as heretofore snted, that every thing throughout the entire realm of ere- ' ntlon was planned and ruled by a supreme being. This being ho conceived to be per fect in wisdom, power and foreknowledge, and being thus perfect could make no law which would not be. like himself, perfect and unalterable making anything In the naturo of error or change or mistake or regret or repentance or partiality or an ger or parelon of any kind absolutely be yond the range of possibility, hence ho was unable to conceive of an occasion wherein tho Creator could be called upon to arrest the operation or violate the integrity of one of his own laws, which would be tan tamount to his violating the Integrity' of hla own being. For this reason, therefore, the supernatural and miraculous were to him inconceivable. He could not set the eay-so of any Individual or of any number of individuals In any clime or age against the Integrity of the Creator. Confucius knew nothing of what Is termed original gin. While he considered striving after perfection to be the true purpose of life, he did not consider that it could ever be reached by the finite. Per fection he ascribed to the' infinite alone. He believed development to be the order or law of nature that man was created to develop physically, mentally and spirit ually each essential to the other, but the spiritual the crowning manifestation of alt He did not consider this life probationary, that its purpoe or object Is preparation, upon this plane of existence, for life upon another of which he could know nothing, but that Its purpose Is 'development upon this stage of being In accordance with the laws of our nature. He held that It is the duty of every Individual to cultivate to the utmost lite or her nature upon this line and to -strive constantly after tho perfect Sin was to him the cultivation of one's nature upon the plane of the small, the mean, the selfish, the animal man. This, he considered, might, he due largely. If not mainly, to heredity to the accident of birth or environment or education or Ig norance, -over 'which the Individual may have had no control, and for which he or she might not be accountable. -He be lieved that .every ct In life carried with It Its own compensation, no less Inevit ably In tho spiritual than In the physical world; that the Individual received the penalty for violating a spiritual law at the timet of Its infraction ao unerringly as for violating a physical law. In his view, therefore everyone received reward or punishment at the time of commission for all deeds done, whether good or bad. those living in accordance with the- laws of their being receiving' noble character with con tentment and happiness, and those living upon the plane of the low and the animal, ignoble'charactcr with anxiety and unhap piness. This latter he considered a mis fortune for the reason that by so living, either through will or Ignorance, the in dividual debars himself or herself from the enjoyment of that patrimony Tor which he or ohe was created, and In this way suf fers, in his view, the severest penalty for misdoing whlch-lt Is possible for a human being to experience. To Confucius no more pitiable or de plorable object existed, nor one more de serving of real commiseration, than a hu man being with the human almost entirely obliterated through overindulgence of the animal appetites or passions, or through grasping greed in the acquisition of world ly possessions. Confucius' highest Ideal of the lofty and grand in naturo was the full developed man. such a being as ho conceived the Creator Intended. Why It obould bo so that some are born into BBkvSKt IflvSt " " V4VLSHBBSSSSSKBBSSHBBBSsVLBSSSK SPt rUt - IP-XA-SAT-LA-TALK, THE LAST "W1IIT3IAX. SHE IS SOW OX ennobling surroundings and others into ignoble, some Into enlightened and others Into savage llfo he could not know, neith er did he attempt to speculate regarding it. He was content to know -or to feel that the world Li as the Creator Intended it from tho beginning, and hence is as it should be. To call this in question, he considered, would be to call in question the perfection of the Creator's wUdom in plan-, nlng, the perfection of his power In being able to execute his plans, and the Der fcctlon of his omniscience In being able to see the end from the beginning. Hcnco he did not "murmur against heaven or grumble against men." Knew All Hcll-f. He was conversant with the prevailing religious beliefs and .faiths cherished in other parts of the world respecting the Creator, and while he was disinclined to speculate upon questions about which he could know nothing, and which he consid ered beyond the comprehension of finite being, he could not but look upon many of those beliefs as crude, puny and childish. Especially go did he consider those in .which the great author and architect of the Immensity of creation which he saw around, about and above him embracing worlds upon worlds of which .there can be no end, and in comparison with which ours is but a speck is portrayed: as appearing In person upon this llttlo planet, walking hither and thither up and down thereon, holding familiar Intercourse with certain of its Inhabitants and fraternizing upon an equal plane in the little temporal affairs and -concerns f their existence. Tfiere be liefs seemed to him not only lacking In in telligence and dignity, but tending to be little and degrade rather than elevate the Creator In the minds of mankind. Equally 60 did he consider those beliefs which as cribe to this "being" the authorship of cer tain written communications to certain in dividuals or peoples at different periods in the world's history and in different parts of the world, communications in which the Creator Is represented to have repented of past nctlon lmplvtng. as It necessarily must, disappointment upon his part over the miscarriage of his plans thus not only impugning the perfection of his wisdom in planning, but the perfection ofhls fore knowledge as well in not being able to foresee, when made, the full operation of thoso plans communications In which the Creator Is represented as being moved to anger and companion by finite being, thai impugning his character for unchange ablcness; communications In which the Qrcator is represented as selecting a cer tain few. of the earth's inhabitants to bo objects of his special favor and regard with whom he covenanti to bestow bless ings and protection to the exclusion of the remainder of the human race, thus Im pugning his character for Impartiality inl Justice. Airthese beliefs were. to'JUsTnlnd not only too small and too puerile to bo neia or the great creator of the Universe by intelligent beings, but unworthy. In his conception, to be cherished respecting a supreme being. At the ripe age of It, Confucius passed away, dying calmly and peacefully without a regret or a murmur, entirely resigned to the will of heaven. Max Muller. In speaking of this man In 1ST2. after describing him as ""one 6f the most remarkable men In the history cf the human race." and after quoting from the topics Confucius made the basis of hla teaching. "Letters. Ethics. Devotion of Soul and Truthfulness." says: "If we read his biography we can hardly understand how a man whose life wns devoted to cuch tranquil pursuits, and whcee death scarce ly produced a ripple on the smooth and si lent surface of the Eastern world, could have left the Impress of his mind upon millions and millions of human beings an Impress which even now, nfter 1423 year?. Is clearly discernible In the -character of the largest empire In the world." While Confucius was not appreciated by tho mass "of his countrymen -while living ho was venerated In an cxtraordlnary.degrec by his pupils and disciples, os the follow ing eulogiums will show. Upon a chief of one of the states of the empire jiheaklng derisively of him and claiming to be his superior, one of his disciples replied: "It 's. no use doing so. Confucius can not be -evtlcd. The talent an.d virtues of. other -nen nre as hillocks and mounds, which an be stepped over. Confucius Is the sun or moon which It Is not possible to'etep over. Although a man may wish to cut .himself off from th'e sage, what harm can "he do to the sun or moon? Ho only showr that he does not know hla capacity." And again another- describes him in the fol lowing Impressive style customary among the ancients of the East: "Since there wtro living men until now, there nevet was another Confucius. He may be com pared to heaven and earth In their sup porting and containing: he may be com pared to the four seasons In their niter rating progress and to tho sun and moon in their successive shining. Quick In np prehenslon, clear in discernment, of far , reaching- Intellect and all-embracing knowledge, he was fitted to exercise rule; magnanimous, generous, benign and mild, i he- was fitted to exercise forbearance: im pulsive, energetic firm and enduring, he was fitted to maintain a .firm hold; self adjusted, grave, never swerving from the mean and correct, he was fitted to com mand reverence: accomplished, distinctive, concentratlve. anil searching, he was fitted to exercise discrimination. All-embracing 1 and vast, he wefl like the heaven: deep nnd active as a fountain, he was like llie1 nbyss: therefore his fame overspread the middle kingdom and extends to all bar- SURVIVING PUPIL OP DR. SIAnCUS THE UMATILLA RESERVATION. barous tribes. Wherever ships and car riages reach, wherever the strength of man penetrates, wherever the heavens over shadow and the earth sustains, wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever frost and dew fall, all who have breath and blood unfelgnedly honor and love him, thence It Is said he is the equal of heav en." "Wide Aplinrlanta. The following are a few enly among the. many of Confucius' sayings and aphor isms: "In the book of poetry are 200 pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced In that ono sentence have no depraved thoughts." "Fine word3 and Insinuating appearance aro seldom associated with true virtue." "To be able to practice five things every where under the heaven constitutes per fect virtue gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, kindness and earnestness." "Hold faithfulness, truthfulness and sin cerity as first principles." "Is ho not a map of complete virtue who feels no discomposure though men may tako no note of him only the sage Is equal to' this." "Perfect virtue U, In retirement, to be redately grave: In Its management of busi ness, reverently attentive: In Intercourse with others, to be strictly sincere." "Virtue Is not left to stand alone; he who practices It will have neighbors." "To be true to the principles of our nature- and the benevolent cxerclso of them to others this and nothing more. "When a man holds fast to virtue with out seeking to enlarge It. and believes In right principles, but without firm sincer ity, what account can be made of his ex istence or nonexistence?" "The superior man is satisfied and com posed: the mean man is alnrays full of dis tress." "What the superior man reeks Is In him self: what tho mean man seeks Is la others." "The superior man has neither anxiety npr fear. When Internal examination dis covers nothing wrong, what Is there to be anxious about what Is there to fear?" "The Fupcrlor man Is disturbed by want of ability: he Is not distressed by men's not knowing him." "Riches adorn a house and virtue adorns tho person the mind Is expanded and the bodv is nt ease." "The way of tho superior man Is three fold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, hc is freo from anxieties: wis?, he Is free from perplexities; bold, he It free from fear." "Tho, sage and the man of perfect vir tue how dare I rank myself with them? It may simply be said of me that I strive to become such without satiety and teach others without wenrtness." "In letters I am. perhaps, equal to other mon. but tho character of the super'or man carrying out in his conduct what ho professes Is what I have not yet at tained to." "I nm not one who was born in the pos session of knowledge: I am one who Is fond of antiquity and earnest In seeking It there." "When ono cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature and exercises them upon tho principle of reciprocity he is not far from tho path." "Have no friends not equal to your self." "Between fricrds frequent reproof makes the friendship distant." "If the scholar be not grave he will not call forth any veneration and his learning will not be solid." "The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not to be deemed a scholar.". "When you know a thing, to hold that you know it. and when you do not know a'thlng. to allow that you do not know It this is knowledge." "When you have faults do not fear to abandon them." "See what a man does, mark his mo tive, examine In what he rests; how cart a man conceal his character?" "What truly Is within will be manifest without" "By nature men -ire nearly alike; by practice, they get wide apait." "A man can enlarge the principles which he follows; thote principles do not enlarge , tho man." "It a man take no thought about what U distant he will find sorrow In tore." "Learning without thougnt to labor lost; thought without learning 1 perilous." "Wealth gotten by Improper wain will take its departure In the same way." "What la th good of bein ready with the tongue? They who meet men with smartness of speech for the most part procure for themselves hatred." "To see what is right and not to do it U want of courage." "Benevolence Is to love all mer-knowledge to know all men." "Ornament is as substance and sub stance is as ornament. The hide of a tiger or leopard stripped of its hair is like the hide of a dog or goat stripped of Its hair." "Do not be desirous of having Vthlngs done quickly. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being dona thor oughly. Do not look at small advan tages." '.'Men of principle are sure to be bold, but those who are bold may not always be men of principle." "The holding of thoughts among uncer tainties Is worse than useless," "The superior man has dignified ease without pride; the mean man has pride without dignified cose." "He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good." "Tho -ways of heaven and earth may be completely declared in one sentence: They are without any doublcness and so they produce things in a manner that Is un fathomable. "I will not be afflicted at men's not knowing mo (personally). I will be af flicted that I do not know men." "I am not concerned that I am not known; I seek to be worthy to bo known." "At 15 I had my mind bent on learning'. At 30 I stood firm. At 40 I had no -doubt. At SO I knew the decreo of heaven. At 60 my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At 70 I could follow what my heart desired without trans gressing what was right." GOOD FOR M'KINLEY. lie Has Recently Made Three Very Good Appointments. New Tork Journal of Commerce. The President has made three admir able appointments in connection with our Dependencies, not including tho Schur man Commission, which consisted of the five best men in the country for the task assigned to them, but whose duties were the collection of information and not the administration of government. The three appointments are General Wood, Governor-General of Cuba; Judge Taft. head of the new Philippine Commission, which has governmental functions, and Mr. Al len, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, who has been appointed Governor-General of Puerto Rico. "Whether our acquisition of the islands shall be Justified and whether our admin istration of them shall be creditable to us depends entirely on the men we send to govern them. There is a good deal in the free and easy way In which we select men to govern ourselves, and in the susceptibility of Presidents to the efforts of politicians to get offices at home or abroad for their own gratification or the payment of their political debts which not unnaturally aroused fears as to the sort of colonial governments we should set up. These fears have been In a great measure allayed by the fine Judgment and the high sense of respon sibility with which the President' has selected governors for Cuba and Puerto Rico and the head of the administrative commission for the Philippines. If the President and his successors shall con tinue to fill the offices In the Dependen cies with such men as those who have been chosen, the American flag will be a blessing to the Inhabitants of tho Islands, and their happiness and prosperity will be an honor to the flag. General Wood very early showed tal ents as an administrator, and for that reason was appointed Governor of San tiago. There he proved the possession of the qualifications of the best type of colonial governor, and he was promoted to be Governor-General of Cuba. In this selection for fitness and promotion for success lies the promise of American honor In the government of the Islands that have fallen to us. In character and temperament and attainments no ohe su perior to Judge Taft and few persons equal to him could have been found In the United States. Assistant Secretary Allen Is a gentleman of education, suc cessful In private and public affairs, entirely free from vulgar self-seeking and possessing a high sense of honor. It Is quite certain that he will perform his duties with a sole regard for the wel fare of the Puerto Rlcans and the honor of the American Government. There Is no danger that he will regard the office to which ho has been appointed as an opportunity for adding to his fortune or promoting the Interests of his friends or advancing anyone's political ambitions. Them are appointments which It would have been cosy for the President to be stow unworthily. There are plenty of politicians around him who would have been glad to get them for themselves or their friends, and who would have been eager to prove that their services in se curing Mr. McKlnley's election entitled, them to this reward. In turning away from these claimants, or men who would hnve been claimants at the slightest in dication that the President was looking about for candidates, and In appointing without regard to political Influence the very best men to these responsible posi tions. President McKlnley has rendered a great public service both to the people of the Islands and to the people of the United States, and he has set a standard of action below which no successor can afford to fall. The Speed of the Steamship. Leslie's Monthly. Twenty-five years ago the Engineer, of London, the recognized authority on all matters pertaining to steamship naviga tion, made the prediction that the cross ing of the Atlantic Ocean by steamship at the speed of 23 miles an hour was one of the things Impossible of accomplishment. At that time the Atlantic had never been crossed by a screw steamer, at as high a speed as 13 miles an hour; the Cunarder Scotia, the last of the big stdewheelers.i never doing better than an average of Wi knots. Therefore the prophecy of the En gineer was not at all a wild one. But to day there arc steamers that have reached the speed of 23 miles an hour, and others are In course of construction which are expected to surpass It The fastest liner of today has done more than an averago of 23 miles. Her enormous engines and powerful propellers, mighty powers of pro pulsion, have forced her through the roughest waters of the Atlantic at an av erage speed of 21 knots, which Is a frac tion over 26 miles In the hour. The dis tance of the Southampton-New York route is SOGO miles, which she covers, on the average. In S days and 17 hours, con siderably over 23 miles an hour for the entire trip: her mighty engines that throbbing, thumping heart down below revolve about SO times per mlrrute. or about C72.000 revolutions to cross the At lantic The Simple Explanation. Chicago Times-Herald. Rep. The market for steel rods, wire and nails has been steadily advanced until the con sumers either could or would not stand doubled prices. They have, therefore, stopped all building, repairing and buying except what was absolutely necessary to protect their property and fences from going to ruin. i Illnhnp Mnllen Dead. ERIE, Pa.. April 22. Right Rev. Bishop Mullen died tonight. He was 82 years of age. ' t Shake Into Tonr shoes AllraaToot-Eu.arowder. It cnr.j pciafol. zort. Ibb. nerroa ftet mad lncnins noila, ftnd lastutlr Uxm tfc Kiss out of corns and bontonm It'a th mtiM romion aucorer or uo a. Alia roc. i mazes turn or nw nwl Mr. . U certain ran for iwMuiit, eallAo and hot,urad. acMns IOC. 417 It TT3DAT 90ia UJ U IVUa Uka ftBOO ttcrN. Hi nail for Ha. In rtatasa. Trial paektf fUSJi. Addrta, AUaa 8. Olnafcd. La lUirTS. I, LESSONS OF THE NAVY MONITORS infAVAII-ABLE XS VERT "WARM CLIMATES. Doable Turrets Wot Altogether De sirable Submarine Boat Holland Portland "Women From Cnba- WASHINGTON, April 16. We are learn ing something every day In naval war fare, and reports which have been received at the Navy Department Indicate very plainly that the monitor type of naval vessel Is not an available craft in the latitudes like Manila and South America. A Captain who commanded one of the monitors at Manila has recently returned, broken down In health. He says that he lived all the while on board his ship in a room where the temperature was 90 de grees. The monitors are so constructed that the quarters of the officers and men aro necessarily very near to the boilers, and there is no opportunity for them to get any benefit of the air that Is stirring. This Captain said that all the officers had to sleep in these hot rooms and thev had to resort to the use "of electric fans in their rooms. The result was that the men were subject to colds running almost into pneumonia, and also that heart troubles were often contracted by the excessive heat. These steel monitors resting in the warm waters like Manila Bay are kept In s. constant beat, oven If the boilers are not going all the time. It is evident that the monitors shold be used for coast de fense vessels or that they should not be put Into commission except when wanted for actual war purposes. It is more than likely that the monitors will be withdrawn from Manila and light-draft vessels sub stituted wherever they are available. The Donble Tnrrets. We have heard a great deal lately about the double turrets of the new battleships. It Is an Interesting fact that Rear-Admiral Hlchbora. chief constructor, who has been right on nearly every question coming be fore the Navy Department, was and Is still very much opposed to the double tur rets, believing that they are largely ex perimental, and will not be satisfactory In time of battle. At the same time ho was overruled, and the double turret!" were adopted for several of the new bat tleships, notably the Kearsarge. which !s the only ship that has thus far made a test of them. Having had a personal op portunity to se the Kearsarge and to go through her turrets. It Is my opinion that the view of Admiral Hlchbom Is well founded. There Is too much machinery connected with the double-turret system. Two 13-lnch guns In one turret, and then Immediately over It two more eight-Inch guns Is too much, and calls for too much machinery In tho way of operating and In the ammunition up-holsts. It has been demonstrated that In case a single thing In the turret should get out of order, four guns would be put out of use Immediate ly. This Is too great a risk, and the naval board has determined not to adopt double turrets for the other battleships now un der construction. The advantage of the double turret system Is that It gave a pow erful armament at both ends of the ship In a more compact form than would have been possible by mounting the eight-Inch guns in other parts of the ship. The tur ret system has been demonstrated as the best for handling heavy guns, as the guns themselves are absolutely protected, and are subject only to the possibilities of dis arrangement of machinery inside. Submarine Donta. Tho Secretary of the Navy has also been compelled to reverse the Naval Board and sustain Admiral Hlchbom In the matter of the Holland submarine 'boat. At the various trials which have taken place pre vious to this winter, many naval officers havo been present There has been a dis agreement as to the advisability of ac cepting the Holland boat as a part of the naval establishment This came up before the Naval Board, and five offlcers sided against Admiral Hlchbom and condemned the boat. The owners of the Holland brought her to Washington and took the naval committees of the Senate and Houss and members of Congress and others to see what she could do. On every trip she demonstrated that she could do Just what was represented, that Is, go beneath the water, stay there, come up at will, dive again, turn and be operated without diffi culty. Success was so apparent and pres sure got so strong that Secretary Long decided to reverse tho former action of the department, and has now come to the conclusion that two boats of this charac ter should be placed In every harbor of Importance as n means of coast defense. The opinion is almost unanimous in favor of the Holland, and many experts say that no warship would dare enter a har bor where this little submarine marvel with her torpedoes is located. Every ship would be certain to risk destruction by the submarine lboat. which Is out of dan ger while it performs its work. Now that It Is accepted by the Government. It Is probable that many Improvements that the inventor has not yet found will be suggested, and It will revolutionize naval construction ns the Monitor did after the Civil War. Whnt the TTollnnd Can Do. The Holland, often called the "Monster War Fish." "Uncle Sam's Devil of the Deep." the naval "Hell Diver," and the like. Is. strictly speaking, a torpedo: but a torpedo controlled In all Its workings by human agency Inside the crnft. instead of being automatic in Its operations. The ordinary torpedo, by an arrangement of springs to counteract the water pressure. is made to go through the water at any depth set for it It has to go In a path fixed for it beforehand. When it has run its course. It comes to the surface or sinks, in accordance with a predetermined plan. The Holland has men Inside It to control It at will, from moment to mo ment, and with additional power to dis charge at will automatic water torpedoes. It can go 1500 miles on the surface with out renewing Its supply of gasoline. It can go fully 40 knots under water without coming to the surface, and there Is enough compressed air In the tanks to supply a crew with fresh air for 30 hours, if the air is not used for any other mimose. such as emptying the submerging tanks. It can dive to a depth of 20 feet In eight seconds. It can stay at sea. under an emergency, for a week. It is M feet I Inches long, 10 feet 3 Inches diameter, and It displaces, when submerged. 75 tons. Its armament Is an expulsion tube and three Whitehead torpedoes. Tiro Oregon Traveler. Mrs. Edyth Toiler Weatherred and Miss Evelyn M. Steel, of Portland. Or., were in Washington last week, and took In the city as a part of a tour they have been making for two or three months. They have been doing the Southern States pret ty thoroughly, visiting New Orleans. Mo bile. Vicksburg. St. Augustine. Pensacola. Tampa and Charleston. Being ladies of an investigating turn of mind, they have seen much of the quaint and curious of those old Southern cities, and talk most entertainingly of the South and of the conditions and customs existing In that section. Mrs. Weatherred has been giv ing especial attent'on everything coming under observation, with a view to writing her impressions. Both ladles had an opportunity to see the capital Just In the early Springtime, and under favorable conditions. Senator Simon acted as a guide, showing them the principal points of Interest In the Capitol building. They also went to the top of the monument, which affords a splendid view of the City of Washington. Arlington and the Poto mac River, and surrounding country: they saw the magnificent Library building, the very best Ir. the world, and visited each of the different departments. Mrs. Weatherred says the two most beautiful sights she has seen were Palm Beach. Fla.. which seemed like heaven, and the new Library building, which was her Idea of the House of Gods. Mrs. Weatherred and Miss Steel will visit New York. Bos ton and other Eastern points before going back to Portland. Mrs. Weatherred ex peats to return to the East during tha Summer, and will possibly go to the Paris exposition. Observations In Cuba. Mrs. Weatherred and Miss Steel did not confine their observations alone to tha United States, but they went over to Ha vana, to see what was of interest in Cuba. "I learned a great deal while in Havana," said Mrs. Weatherred. "and was especial ly Impressed with the conditions that havo been growing up since the Americans hava occupied the bland. It Is evident tho Cubans are entirely dissatisfied with the management of affairs by the United States. Their idea of independence is to have control of the Island and plunder the people who havo accumulated prop erty, and be unrestrained. Thoy say that the war has been of more benefit to the Spaniards than to tho Cubans, and that the Spaniards, who are now on friend ly terms with the United States, are much better off than when they were under tho cule of Spain. There is lees oppression and the Spaniards have no fear of the customs which deprived them of life and liberty under the Spanish rule. Instead of the Island Improving under the rule of the United States, It seems that it -is going the other way. Capitalists have become discouraged, and, wherever they can. are turning their possessions into cash, and withdrawing it from the island. The determination of the United States to give the Cubans Independence may ac count for this, and the capitalists, no doubt, fear that their properties would bo of little value If the Cubans gained con trol. Tho present uncertain conditions are causing the people to lose money on all Investments they have there, and the people with money will try elsewhere to use It to advantage. There is a gret deal of red tape In Cuba. We have to present certificates and give our personal history, show our vaccination marks, and otherwise be identified before we are per mitted to go about the City of Havana. There Is a deal of 'officialism' which Is very annoying to people visiting Cuba. Now there Is a rigid quarantine in force. We left on the last boat that was allowed to land without going through the usual term of quarantine at sea. Hereafter all persons coming back to the United States must be duly delayed until the health authorities are satisfied that no yellow fever Is aboard." A. AV. DUNN. Strike of Small Cattle Batchers. NEW TORK. April 22. A strike of tho small cattle butchers In the employ of Swift & Co. has been declared. DAILV METEOROLOGICAL REPORT. PORTLAND. April 2, 8 P. M. Maximum temperature. 53; minimum temperature. 42; river reading at 11 A. M.. 10.0 feet; chango In laat 21 hours. .1; total precipitation. 8 P. M. to 8 P. M.. .OS: total preclpltaton from September 1. 1890. 32.C1 Inches; normal pre clpltaton from September 1. 1S00. 40.73; de nclency. S.12; total sunshine April 21. 1000. 1:45; possble sunshine. 13 .32. WEATHER SYNOPSIS. A high pressure area of considerable strength is central off the "Washington Coast. Its presence Insures fair weather In the North Paclnc states for Monday and Tuesday. No rain of consequence has occurred in this dis trict during the last 24 hours. It is slightly cooler than usual In Washington. Oregon and Idaho, and frosts are indicated for these states tonight, warnings of which were Issued Sunday forenoon. WEATHER FORECASTS. Western Oregon Fair; probably light frosts Monday morning; wanner Monday afternoon and Tuesday, northwest winds. Western Washington Fair; probably light frosts Monday morning; warm Monday after noon; northwest winds. Eastern Oregon Fair; sharp frosts Monday morning: warmer Tuesday: northwest winds. Eastern "Washington and Northern Idaho Fair; probably frosts early Monday morning; warmer Tuesday; northwest winds. bouthern Idaho Fair in west 'and light rala or snow in east portion: cooler in west portion with frosts in early morning; west winds. Portland and vicinity Fair; probably light frosts in early morning; warmer Monday after noon and Tuesday: northwest winds. EDWARD A. REALS. Forecast OGlciau AMESEMEXTS. CORDRArS THEATER One week, commencing Sunday e-re. April 22 Matinee Saturday, the Great BARLOW MINSTRELS. BARLOW MINSTRELS. BARLOW MINSTRELS. Management Harry Ward, 40 WHITE ARTISTS 40 2-DRASS IIANDS-2 See the street rarado. Regular prices. Best orchestra scats, BOe; loge seats. 50c and 73c: box seats, SI. Matlara 23c any part of the houe excert loges. AL'CTIOX SALES TODAY. At 72 Seventh street, corner Oak. at 10 A. SL J. T. Wilson, auctioneer. 31EETIXG NOTICES. oregon coar- MANDERY. NO. U KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Special conclave on Monday evening, April 23, 8 o'clock. Import ant business. Full at tendance Is requ-sted. a V. COOPER. En. Com. MARTHA WASHINGTON CHAP- -TT!Tt 'f 11 n P Q T7-r,,1- - meetlng this (Monday) evening at S. M. "hoWATSON. Secretary. HARMONT LODGE. NO. 12. A. F. A A, M. Stated communication this (Monday) 'evening at 7:30 o'clock. Work. By order W. M. A. J MARSHALL. Secretary. 1 DIED. TAYLOR In this city. April 22. WOO. Annls Laurie Hayes Taylor, beloved wife of B. L, Taylor, aged 30 years. 2 months and 14 days. Notice of funeral later. VINCE At the Fanny Paddock Hospital. Ta coma. "Wash.. Sidney, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. John Vlnce. aged IS years and 9 months. Funeral notice later. EDWARD HOLM A.N. Undertaker. 4th and Yamhill mtm. Re-na Stlnson. lndy; assistant. Doth phones No. SOT. J. P. FINLEY Lady Assistant. A SOX. Undertakers. 275 Third st. Tel. O. Floral pieces: cut flowers. Clark Bros. 2S0 Morrison. Iloth phones. 3EW TODAY. MORTGAGE LOANS On ImproYed c!tr and farm property. R. UVING3TONE. 22i Stark L TH0S. SCOTT BROOKE REAL ESTATE LOANS ROOM 10 CONCORD BUILDING. $2700 FOR 2 HOUSES AND LOT 50x100 on 22d. near Kearney. An Immense bargain. C. H. KORELL. 233 Stark St. $3700 FOR 2 OF THE CHOICEST lots. 100x100 feet. In King's Second add., on Kearney st.. near 24th. For an extraordi- nary beat. nne building site It would be hard ta All street improvements made. C II. KORELL. 235 Stark st. Mortgage Loans On improved city property, at lowest rates. Title Guarantee & Trust Co. 7 Chamber of Commerce. IRVINGTON. PRICES OF LOTS REDUCED. The undersigned Is now prepared to bclM houses In Irvtngton. Portland's) most deslrabto suburb, on the Installment plan, whereby ths monthly payments will be ACTUALLY less than rental charged for similar residences. If you cannot call, seed for circular. C. H. PRESCOTT. 12 and 213 Chamber of Commercsw S dEiitifJ -jBJ.t. f. ' -iiitiiiin .ratL-t&S? iAii .o-x-i.: 4.4u.f . .k--i;Vm.i.. '.-... . .. -. tVt jsr