THE MOILING OI?EOO?crA:N. MONDAY, MAT 14, 1900.
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)BTI,AD, 3IOXPAY, MAY 14, 1900
TJntll now, it has been supposed that
Daly, Fusion nominee for Congress
the First district, was too consclen-
ious a citizen and too intelligent a
banker to subscribe to the free coin
age of silver. Many have been dis
posed to view his candidacy with equa-
llmity under the impression that he
mid be depended upon, if elected, to
stand for honest finance and to resist
repudiation proposals. His declaration
kf prlnc'ples, given in an Interview In
yesterday's issue of The Oregonlan,
shows, however, that any such hope
kt unconcern must be abandoned. Dr.
)aly is for free coinage of silver at 16
1 by the United States alone. If the
Jryanltes carry the Fifty-seventh Con-
feres?, he will join hands with Tillman
md Altgeld to send us to the silver
aasis. No man who has the hardihood
lo talk free silver at this late day
should be trusted to represent Oregon
fcn Congress. No man who has any In
terest In stable business conditions.
aid values for crops and wages, confi-
lence for capital and steady employ-
lent fcr labor can afford to vote for
)r. Paly. The First district should
-elect Representative Tongue by 5000
lajcrity.
The exposure of tariff exactions at
Manila, made in our Philippine corre
spondence a week ago, is followed up
this nurning iith a description of the
concessionaire abuse there, which Is, if
josslble, een more monstrous and
fatal to trade than the extortionate du-
les levied under the mixed Spanish and
Jlnglcy tariff regime. These revela
tions are simi ly awful, and The Ore-
jonian is assured of their exact truth.
Kgaln we would enjoin upon the busl-
iess ontrmunltlts of the Pacific Coast
e necessity of bringing these facts to
attention of potent commercial
id political influences at the East.
Congress or the Administration
in do In the matter is uncertain, but
rfcat Is absolutely certain is that nbth-
wlll be done until Influential public
inion is enlightened as-to the true
iture of the burdens under which
lerican trade i ith the Philippines is
now staggering Marked copies of this
aaper should be sent to every person
at influence who is Interested in the
fcxtension of American trade In the
prtent.
In another column will be found a
Statistical comparison of local condl-
lons Jn 18SG and today. The hard times
lif 1S96 wculd continue, the Bryanltes
assured us, unless we took 16 to 1. But
re tool: the gold standard, and the
choice must stand or fall by the rec
ord. That record shows that the de
posits in Portland's National banks
have increased in the four years by
liearly $3,000 000, a gain of more than
0 per cent. Postofllce receipts have
increased 42 per cent. Bank clearings
for three months have Increased by
IS.i30.COO. Eprybody knows the In-
lireaso in population has been in noth
ing nearly so large a proportion. The
mderlable fact is that the condition
lif our people has improved. Perhaps
t "will be safest to let the gold standard
ilone. Perhaps the Bryanltes didn't
Imow what they were talking about.
?erhaps they don't know now. Pep-
laps the safest way to treat their
rophecies and their proposals Is to
kvold them.
i-Ssn"or Buen Camino, the member of
e Fillrlno cabinet who has come out
an advocate of American sover-
rgnty, has simply taken the oosition
issumed long ago by the most intelli
gent cf the mestizo class in Manila.
amino has belonged to the conservn-
vo class of the insurrectionary lead-
rs, and has always been considered
ne of the ablest and most sensible
if those constituting the FIliDino fiov-
'rnment. His classification of the
iresent hostile forces as "bandits who
ontinue depredations in the name of
dependence," must give a shock to
hose Americana who view them
hrough rcse-tinted glasses and can
imly see patriots struggling for llbem-
jtet Camino, being a Filipino himself.
kn intelligent man and a leader In the
isurrectionary government, ought to
o.ol to what status the movement has
reduced and the character and
'es cf the men who are carrying
guerrilla warfare, murderinc
fceable men who do not hanDen to
fee with them, and plundering both
nd and foe alike. If Camino can
e his plundered countrymen to
furn csrtfnst these bandits and aid the
Americans to suppress them, the reign
)t terror may soon be ended and the
iople be permitted to settle down in
security to the pursuits of peace.
The demand of the Filipinos for the
eclusion of friare from the admlnls-
itlon of the parishes Is one of more
sportance and difficulty than appears
the surface. This has been one of
greatest grievances of the natives
. -one that has been made prominent
every at'empt at negotiations for
sace. To the extent of depriving the
liars of a'l civil power, the demand
easily be complied with and doubt
will be. but our regard for rellg-
Fmk toleration and freedom of indlvid-
fcl movement would prevent the full
itlficatlon of the Filipinos' deslros.
ley want the friars absolutely ex-
tuded from their churches. If the
Catholic Church authorities should con
tinue the friars In charge of churches
throughout the provinces, it Is not clear
how the civil government could prevent
it. On the contrary, it -would be the
duty of the Government to protect
them in the exercise of this right, and
prevent violence to their persons and
property.
THEIR PLATFORM A MERC PRE
TEXT. The "Citizens" Legislative nominees
have promulgated a platform. It pro
fesses to enunciate the principles they
represent, and to define the Issues upon
which they stand for election. It does
neither. It. is a distinct avoidance of
the real policies and projects for which
these gentlemen have banded together
a pitiful and cowardly evasion in Its
failure to set forth the adventure
upon which they have Joined their
fortunes. Their actual platform Is de
feat for the Republican party; their
reason being that it is the Republi
can party, and that its candidates were
regularly nominated by the recognized
party machinery. Certain Democrats
have therefore made a combination
with certain disgruntled Republicans
for what is to them the common good
the common personal good.
The platform is deliclously ingenu
ous. It makes for eighteen several
candidates twelve Democrats and five
or six bolting Republicans tho solemn
avowal that they are "entirely un
pledged" for any candidate for Sen
ator, and in casting their vote will
not be "Influenced by any selfish con
sideration," but "will vote for such
person as individually, in our opinion,
will best represent the interests of
Oregon." That is, they declare that
they have no politics, and will cast
their whole eighteen votes for a Demo
crat, or a Republican, or a Populist,
as to each respective voter seems de
sirable from his own Independent and
unbiased standpoint. They are to be
influenced by no considerations of Na
tional policy or National welfare
whatever. The great questions upon
which parties divide and the destiny of
the country hinges are of no moment.
They will try to pick out the man who
can exercise the longest pull In behalf
of Oregon. If he Is a Democrat, all
right; If he is a Republican, so be It;
if he Is a Populist, let It go at that. No
matter. This is wholly a state ques
tion. It is none of the Nation's busi
ness whom we send to Washington to
take part In its councils. And it is
none of the Republican party's busi
ness, nor the Democratic, nor the Pop
ulist. All this is shabby dissembling, cheap
and diaphanous pretense. We all
know better. We know that the al
leged Republicans on the ticket are
under the most binding obligation, ex
press or implied, to vote for that Sen
atorial candidate upon whom the
choice of the Mltchell-McBride ma
chine falls. It may be McBrlde. It
may be Mitchell. It may "be a Silver
Democrat, In the not impossible event
that there is a Democratic Legislature
or that these five or six "Republicans"
hold the oalance of power in the Legis
lature, between Democrats who are
Democrats, and Republicans who are
Republicans. Why should they not
vote for a Democrat? They say that
the politics of a Senatorial candidate
is no matter. The Democrats on the
Fusion ticket will vote for a Democrat
If there Is a chance to elect him; or. If
there Is not, they will, under the per
suasive Mltchell-McBride influence,
vote for a Republican; that is to say,
a Mitchell Republican.
This poor, tottering excuse for a plat
form has made the discovery that a
suffering public is in vital need of three
things, viz: (1) A primary law, (2) a
new method of collecting taxes, and (3)
a new city charter. The first all parties
favor; the second is simply a question
of procedure, wherein the practice of
every state widely differs, and there Is
a conflict of expert opinion as to what
Is best; and the last we have always
with us. We have needed a new char
ter every two years, and have usually
secured it. Doubtless we can get an
other next Winter from an obliging
Legislature, whatever party is in con
trol. The taxpayers are doing pretty
well in matters that most concern them
just now, and are not lying awake
at nights trying to devise some novel
and untried scheme to change the sys
tem. We are doing reasonably well,
too, In our progress toward primary re
form. It requires a wide stretch of the
Imagination to fancy that a Democratic
Legislature will make haste to engraft
primary election reform upon the stat
utes, or that a Republican Legislature
will give It any more quickly because
a lot of nondescript politicians, who
have no party, propose to enact a law
by which a party shall regulate Its own
affairs and determine Its own contests
and select Its own candidates. The
things which these quasi-Mltchell-Mc-Brlde
nominees, masquerading as "Citi
zens," declare to be issues are not is
sues. They are giving the public no
concern. They are scarcely In the pub
lic mind.
THE SAXMOX OUTLOOK.
According to the report of the Har
riman expedition to investigate the
fisheries of Alaska, from which ex
tracts are given elsewhere, the end of
salmon-packing In that country Is al
most in sight. The greed of packers
has practically exterminated Uie fish
in many localities, and no efforts are
being made to prevent it or to renew
the supply through artificial propaga
tion. The outlook is that the great
Alaska pack will dwindle to almost
nothing In a few years.
In contrast with this Is the wonder
ful Increase of the pack on Puget
Sound, where new canneries are build
ing, and where the state is providing
for a permanent supply of fish through
maintenance of hatcheries for that
purpose. On the Columbia River also
the promise of an Increased pack of
the best quality of fish is good. No
less than seven hatcheries are main
tained on the waters of this stream by
Oregon, Washington and the United
States, which will this j'ear put into
the water from 3ft.000.000 to 50.006.000
young salmon. We are already reap
ing the benefit of the work done by
hatcheries on the Columbia on a much
smaller scale in former years, and
wheu the effect of the more extensive
work of last year, and the still greater
output of this and future seasons, is
felt, as It will be in lf2 and continu
ously thereafter. Uie salmon-fiehlng in
dustry on the Colombia will advance
materially in the quantity and value of
41r output.
The superior quality of 'Columbia
River saliacn Iuls always given it a
special standing nd quotation In the
market. The dew-?r 1 fr klpmen.s to
distant markets J-j. a fresh state, and
for cold storage for local use and ship
ment during close seasons, has so in
creased of late as to make prices rule
higher this season than ever before.
Nothing but the superior quality of the
fish, thus giving it a higher rating In
the market, enables packers to pay
the ruling prices, which are much
higher than elsewhere. With a great
Increase in the number of fish running
in the river, such as the extensive
work of the hatcheries may reasonably
be expected to produce in the next
three or four years, the price of fresh
fish on the Columbia Is likely so to be
reduced to the packers as to permit
them to compete with inferior salmon
from other localities at the same mar
ket price.
When that time comes the Columbia
River will again taka the lead In the
quantity of its pack It held ip former
years, while still retaining the reputa
tion for superior quality it has never
surrendered.
AMERICAN MARIXERS' HANDICAP.
The advantages of the British, Ger
mans, Italians, French or most any
other nation on earth that is engaged
in the maritime business over the
United States, is strikingly illustrated
In the case of the lolani, sunk in col
lision off the California coast a few
days ago. The lolani Is not exactly
an American bark, but as there Is no
longer a Hawaiian Government, she
was In a sense under the protection of
the American flag. The Hawaiian
Islands are very short on tonnage with
which to move their sugar crop, and
the loss of even a single vessel at the
present time Is severely felt. This loss
affects not only the sugar-growers and
fruit-shippers of the Hawaiian Islands,
but it also adds to the expense and
hampers the trade of the men who are
shipping lumber, hay, oats, flour and
other Pacific Coast products to the
islands.
"Look at the maritime greatness of
England; witness the marvelous
growth of Germany's merchant ma
rine," cry the advocates of the shipping-subsidy
graft, endeavoring by an
entirely false line of reasoning to con
vey the impression that subsidies have
been the great factor in giving these
countries the maritime prestige they
now enjoy. Let us take Great Britain,
for instance. Her fleets "have fed the
seas for a thousand years," and she
certainly knows something about the
business. Had the lolani still been fly
ing the British flag, and met her fate
while carrying cargo from one of the
dependencies of that country, would
the loss of the ship have any per
ceptible effect on the general car
rying trade of the island from which
she was proceeding? Would her Brit
ish owner be obliged to sit In idleness
until the overcrowded yards of the
shipbuilding trust could turn out an
other vessel to take her place a year
or two hence? Well, hardly. He would
collect his Insurance, take the money
and go out Into the open market and
buy the first craft he found that was
suitable for the place of the lost ves
sel, no matter what flag she was sail
ing under. By this method there would
be no disarrangement of business, the
products of the farmer, planter, lum
berman and manufacturer would move
unhampered-to the world's markets,
and the prestige of the flag would be
maintained.
The absorption of the Hawaiian
Islands by the United States has left
quite a fleet of ships without a flag,
and a bill is now before Congress ask
ing that this fleet be Americanized
along with tho rest of the Hawaiian
appurtenances. In the memorial to
Congress, the owners of these ships
state that the trade of the Islands
will suffer greatly If American regis
try is not given these ships. This may
be true in fact, is true but why
should the Hawaiian producer be per
mitted to have his products carried to
market in foreign-built free ships,
while this privilege Is denied the Amer
ican farmer? This is a question which
Chief Promoter Smith, of the shipping-subsidy
graft, has not discussed
very fully in the syndicate stuff which
he is sending out to the newspapers to
run in big type, top column, next pure
reading matter.
TAKING SCHOOLS OUT OF POLITICS.
The New Tork Legislature recently
enacted a bill, which has just become a
law by the signature of the Governor,
taking schools out of politics. There are
employed today In New Tork City
school-teachers enough to make eleven
army regiments. Hitherto, by reason
of their absolute dependence on the
Board of Education and the other
board, which appropriates salaries, the
teachers have been obliged to submit to
whatever political pressure these
boards saw fit to exert, even to the
extent of appearing to oppose measures
which the Legislature was asked to
adopt for their relief from dependence
upon political Influences. The 11,000
school-teachers of New York City, It is
estimated, can control from 13,000 to
20,000 votes, and this political power
both parties have not hesitated to se
cure through adroit handling of the
Board of Education and the subordi
nate boards, and especially through
pressure brought to bear upon the
teachers and their friends. These
teachers have received from the city
in salaries about $12,000,000 annually,
and It Is through the boards that had
control of the appropriation for salaries
that these teachers havo been made to
feel their absolute dependence and sub
jection to the ruling political party. It
has In the past sometimes cost a
teacher his place to say a word In op
position to the methods of the Board
of Education, the Controller or the
board that appropriated the public
money.
But the friends of consistent and
complete civil service reform finally
took up the cause of the teachers and
urged the enactment of legislation
which would make them as Independent
of the appointing power, so far as sal
aries are concerned or permanence of
employment, as are the subordinate
employes In the city government. The
bill providing for this enlarged reform
In the civil service was bitterly op
posed by the city government, by the
Board of Education, by the Board of
Appropriation, and by the Controller,
upon various pretexts, but the real
ground of opposition was the fact that
If the bill became a law It would ab
solutely remove the 11.000 teachers,
with all thir family and social influ
ence, from under the thumb of polit
ical pressure. Fortunately for the fate
of this most important enlargement of
reform In the civil service, the Superin
tendent of Schools, Mr. Maxwell, de
spite the fact that his own appointment
is subject to the control cf the Board
-cf Education, supported the bill as not
only jast, but expedient, and It was due
to his earnest advocacy that Governor
Roosevelt was finally persuaded to
sign it.
The fundamental principle of the bill
Is that it takes away the power of dis
crimination from the board that appro
priates public money, and leaves that
board with nothing but clerical respon
sibility. The state, through the Legis
lature, takes the responsibility, fixes
the rate and gives the Board of Ap
propriation no other duty than to set
apart from the total tax or aggregate
sum available for public purposes 4
mills on the dollar, and the whole sum
thus raised Is to be turned over to the
Board of Education for salary pay
ments. The amount for th,is year will
be about $14,000,000, making an aver
age payment for the 11,000 teachers of
from 51200 to 51400 a year, but the law
compels the Board of Education to add
each year a certain Increment, so that
after a given time of service It will be
possible for a male teacher to earn as
much as ?24C0 a year, or, if he be a prin
cipal or assistant, as much as $3000 a
year. No teacher is to receive less
than $700.
This Is a long step forward In true
civil service reform, for hereafter,
through this law, the 11.000 teachers of
New York City are not only sure of
their pay the day it becomes due. but
know exactly what that pay Is to be
and how much It will be Increased each
year until the maximum Is reached.
Heretofore, In some of the boroughs,
the teachers were compelled to go with
out salaries for six months, because of
quarrels between the different boards;
and in other boroughs salaries were
held up two and three months, a very
great hardship, of course, to the teach
ers and their dependent families. No
more hopeful step in true civil service
reform legislation has been taken by
the great State of New York in recent
years, and the passage of the bill In
face of most powerful opposition from
the politicians of both parties, and Its
approval by the Governor, are cheer
ing signs of broader and higher poli
tics. Wharton Barker, the nominee of the
MIddle-of-the-Road Populists for Pres
ident, comes of stock of excellent abil
ity in business with a flaw of political
eccentricity In It. The grandfather of
Wharton Barker was Jacob Barker, a
man of distinguished ability In busi
ness, who was the intimate friend and
financial adviser of President Madison
in the war of 1S12-14. He was Instru
mental in raising the war loan of $10,
000,000, In which he and his friends In
vested $3,000,000. He sustained severe
business reverses In 1S19; was Indicted
for Insurance fraud In 1834, but defend
ed himself so ably that tho indictment
was quashed. He went to New Or
leans, where he rapidly rose to the
front rank of business men, and ac
quired another large fortune, which,
however, he lost through the breaking
out of the Civil War. At New Orleans,
when nearly CO years of age, he studied
law and was admitted to the bar. His
political radicalism was shown by the
fact that, while living in New Orleans,
In a slave state, from 1S35 to 1861, he
was an ardent anti-slavery man. an
agent of the "Under Ground Railroad."
He died in 1871 nt the great age of 92.
It will be seen from this description of
his famous grandfather that Wharton
Barker's curious mixture of business
talent and political eccentricity is an
hereditary trait. Mr. Barker was for
merly an independent Republican, an
advocate of civil service reform legis
lation, a warm supporter of Garfield,
and as early as 1S84 favored his Inti
mate friend, Benjamin Harrison, for
President. In 18S1 Mr. Barker headed
the Independent Republican revolt
which resulted In the election of Pattl
son, a Democrat, as Governor of Penn
sylvania He is a "blmetallst" and
something of a socialist. He belongs to
the same tribe f men of business abil
ity but erratic politics that was once
brilliantly represented by George Fran
cis Train In the days of his intellectual
coherence.
After some years of freedom from
trichinae, during which, presumably,
people have cooked their pork before
eating it, and kept their hogs from
eating animal refuse, a case of trich
inae poisoning Is reported from Baker
City. Medical science scored In the
case by saving the lives of the two
children who partook of raw or insuf
ficiently cooked ham an advance over
the time when every patient attacked
by this most disgusting disease suc
cumbed to Its ravages. A distinctly
preventable disease, it Is to the credit
of our civilization that cases of trich
inae are so exceedingly rare.
The Interest in the soldiers' monu
ment, as shown by the sale of the sou
venir buttons, is extremely gratifying.
Memorial day will soon be here, and
for the first time Oregon will decorate
the graves of her new soldier dead at
the same time flowers are laid upon the
well-remembered graves of those of the
old soldiers. It would be a fitting trib
ute if every one wore on that day one
of these memorial buttons. If this
were done throughout the state, the
fund would be Increased sufficiently to
Insure the speedy erection of a splen
did monument to Oregon's soldier dead.
Tanner Is not to be Mason's colleague
in the Senate Illinois has much to be
thankful for. Soon Mason will cease to
be Cullom's colleague. Then the obli
gation of gratitude will be doubled.
Hanna pays high tribute to the sta
bility of the Administration and the
statesmanship of McKlnley. Right.
Both have survived the burden of
Hanna.
Everybody should wear a monument
button on Memorial day.
Captain of tlxe Orejron.
New York Times.
Two years ago the country was ringing
with the praise of Clark's grand work in
tho Oregon. He raced her all the way
from San Francisco to Cuba, without a
break, a wonderful achievement. The
ponderous but delicate 12,003-ton ship, with
tho great rifles, the massive armor, the
50 separate engines, the torpedoes, and
the 500 men. came flying through ihe seas
in storm and calm alike, by day and by
night, her engines throbbing incessant aa
the heart of the one man who impelled
and unified all. It was almost a miracle.
I question If in all the world's navies
another ship could have been .found that
could have done it. The Oregon was a
ouperb vessel, built en honor by the Pa
cific Coast: "but It was not enough to have
a perfect ship. It needed the man who
could get her ready and then Inspire the
10 to the unremitting and terrible labor.
Do you not remember how the officers.
In order to save time and hearten the
weary men, took hold and trundled in coal
with their own hands? Or how it was
the effort of the men not to go on the
sick list from exhaustion? It was good
work, and we knew It then.
At Santiago the Oregon, though not
built for speed, was the racer of the
day, and it was she who really captured
the swift Colon after that heart-breaking
chase of 60 miles, with the men working
in a sealed flrcroom at a temperature j
oi jj. uia we not tninK weu ot moaesi,
brilliant "Charlie" Clark then? Every
body felt that he would receive some spe
cial reward. It was such a matter of
course that no one made It his business
to attend to It.
How has It worked out? His sole re
ward was a leave of absence on reduced
pay. given that he might restore his
health, ruined by his exertions and ex
posure. Just now he Is second In com
mand at the League Island yard. But if
he got nc reward, he did get some pun
ishment. As a result of the promotions
after Manila and of the personnel bill, he
now stands relatively lower on the list
than before the war. He now finds four
men above him whom he used to rank.
It Is a damnable shame.
"Charlie" Clark will never go begging
and whining to Congress to do him Jus
tice; he is too modest and too proud. He
will continue to be the same slmp!e, sweet
hearted man, always jolly and always
beloved, and he will qnlety go on doing
his duty without compalnt until he dies.
But this uncommon man has got some
thing out of It in spite ot fate, some
thing that no forgctfulnees or neglect can
take away. He has "self-approval, which
is the best after all." I quote his own
words about another manr written after
his fine work had been done and when
he lay waiting In cheerful pain for
strength to do more work.
A SUPERFLUOUS OFFICE.
Vice-Presidency the Goal of Ambi
tions Mediocrity.
Chicago Tribune.
When the amendment to the Constitu
tion changing the method of electing the
President and iVIce-President was being
debated la Congress, nearly a century
ago, some persons were In favor of the
abolition of the latter office. Roger Grts
wold and John Randolph agreed that It
was not needed. Perhaps it would have
been better had that "fifth wheel of the
coach" been done away with. On som
occasions the dismal prophecies made
when the Constitutional amendment was
being considered have been realized.
Roger Grlswold said: "The man voted
for as Vice-President will be selected
without any decisive view as to his quali
fications to administer the Government.
Tho momentary views of party may per
haps be promoted, but the permanent in
terests of the country are sacrificed."
John Tyler and Andrew Johnson axe illus
trations of Grlswold's foresight.
"The question will not be asked," sold
Senator White, "Is the candidate for Vice
President capable? Is he honest? But
can he, by his name, by hia connections,
by his wealth, by his local situation, by
his Influence or his Intrigues, best pro
mote the election of a President?" The
office of Vice-President, said another Sen
ator, "would be hawked about at market"
and used as a "gudgeon to catch the vote
of a state." The Democratic nominee for
Vice-President In 1S30 was selected be
cause he had wealth and because he came
from a close state. The Republicans nom
inated Mr. Wheeler In 1S76, and General
Arthur In 1SS0, not because of their pre
eminent abilities, but because they were
citizens of the Important State of New
York.
The Vice-President Is a well-paid pre
siding officer. He remains a dignified fig
urehead throughout his term, except In
the contingency of the President's death.
This is an unpleasant contingency, which
probably never had any Influence with
candidates for Vice-Presidential nomina
tions. The position has become so unim
portant that every second-rate man sees
no Impropriety In his seeking it, especial
ly If he comes from an important state,
and no first-rate man cares to accept It,
and by doing ao probably end his polit
ical career.
It Is not to be wondered at that Gov
omor Roosevelt should be disinclined to
shut himself up for four years In the
Vice-Presidency. They would be four
wasted years of his life. It fa not to be
wondered at that Senator Allison should
prefer to continue being an active, useful
and most influential Senator to surrender
ing Influence and usefulness by becoming
merely tho moderator of the Senate.
Thero is much about the Vice-Presidency
to tempt mediocre men, and an Infinite
number of them have their eyes on the
position. It is becoming exceedingly diffi
cult to find an able, ambitious man who
cares for the place once filled by John
Adams, Jefferson and Calhoun. The office
Is a superfluous one.
A XEEDLESS COMMISSION.
Bnnlness Men Must Runtlc Oriental
Trade for Themselves.
Chicago Tribune.
Thero Is before Congress a bill to au
thorize the President to appoint a com
mission to study commercial and indus
trial conditions In China. Japan and ad
jacent countries In Eastern Asia, to find
out what products of American farms
and workshops may be sold there, and
how they should be manufactured, packed
and shipped. The bill carries an appro
priation of $75,000 to pay the salaries and
traveling expenses of the members of the
commission.
This bill Is said to be the result of
many communications from Boards of
Trade and Chambers of Commerce, urg
ing tho Importance of finding out how
best to develop American commerce In
the markets of the Orient. This is a
praiseworthy object, but tho measure
was criticised sharply when under dis
cussion in the House last week. The fact
was brought out that a year ago $200,COO
was appropriated for the Philadelphia
Commercial Museum, and that of that
sum $70,000 was spent In sending agents
to China to get the Information It is
proposed this commission shall get. Fur
thermore, there Is a bill pending to ap
propriate 5200.000 more for that commer
cial museum, which Is doing a good deal
to foster American trade interests.
If this bill passes, It will be possible
to give some estimable gentlemen pleas
ant employment for a year or more.
Nothing that they may do, however, will
be likely to add much to the volume of
American traffic. No reports they may
maice wm add anytning of value to in
formation being supplied from other quar
ters. A series of special Consular reports
for China and Japan Is to be issued soon.
The American Consuls In Chlnt and
Japan, most of whom have been there
for two or three years, ought to be able
to do better service than a commission
which will have to spend much time In
finding out matters the Consuls have al
ready found out. There are some men
in the field, however, In Eastern Asia
who are able to do better work than
commissioners or Consuls. They are' the
intelligent representatives of some of the
great American manufacturing corpora
tions. They unite technical skill and com
mercial energy.
These concerns which have sent their
agents to Asia, Europe and other parts
of the world are of the opinion that the
way to get business Is to go out and
hunt for It. They do not wait for Con
suls or commissions to tell them what to
do. Those who wait for information from
those sources will be likely to find tne
field prettj- well occupied. The commer
cial Interests of the country will not be
harmed if this commission bill fails, and
the Treasury will be $75,000 better off.
Golnpr Back on 10 to 1.
New York Journal of Commerce.
General Warner was on apostle of the
mystic ratio when Mr. Bryan was still
playing marblea, and his capacity for
talking about free coinage and the woes
inflicted upon the world by the gold
standard were never surpassed by any
man, unless It were Senator Stewart, of
Nevada. The advocates of that ratio are
quite right In assuming that it is the
whole of the silver issue. To depart from
that is to confess that Congress cannot
make one article equal another in value,
and the moment that Is admitted the
whole case of the free-coinage men is
gone. The Issue was originally etatcd
with exceptional clearness by Mr. Jeffer
son, who said that the ratio was a com
mercial question altogether. The sllver
Ites have Instated that It was not a com
mercial question at all; It was a legal
question altogether. And now General
Warner, who was the colleague of the
late Mr. Bland as a champion of the latter
proposition, confesses that it has been
completely defeated.
EFFECT OF PUBLICITY.
Rational Banks She-rr What Might
Be- Boae With Tracts.
New York Times,
The suggestion that the true corrective
for such abuses as may arise in connec
tion with "trusts" lies in a reasonable
publicity enforced by law has been met
by the objection that It Is impracticable
to secure such publicity without invading
private business rights and Injuring cor
porate Interests entitled io protection. We
Invite the attention of those to whom
this objection seems conclusive to the
statements of banks published In our ad
vertising columns. They are very numer
ous, and come not only from our own city
but from other cities In the state and
from those In other states. Most of them
are the statements of National banks, and
are in the form prescribed by law, but
others are either the statements of state
banks or of National banks In a form dif
ferent from that imposed by statute.
In the cases .of these latter It is plain
that the publications made obligatory by
law for other banks are made as a matter
of advantage. They are simply advertise
ments, and contain the truthful accounts
of the condition of the banks which. In
tho opinion of the officers, are calculated
to awaken confidence and increased pros
perity. In other words, these advertise
ments are a proof that publicity of this
extended character Is helpful, and not
harmful to the banks as to which it Is
practiced. It will hardly be denied that
tho business of banks Is at least as deli
cate and as likely to suffer from unwar
ranted Intrusion on the part of the public
as la the business of any other class of
corporations. In the early days of the
National system there was a very strong
prejudice against It on the part of men
engaged in state banking, precisely on
the ground that the provisions of the
Federal law were Inquisitorial and sure,
if complied with, to be Injurious. The Pres
ident of a strong bankinthe interior of this
state remarked of the Federal law: "You
might as well ask me to throw open my
books to all my rivals and have done with
It." And he predicted that the whole sys
tem would fall from tho operation of tho
requirements as to publicity, but he lived
to become the head of a National bank
more successful than his old one.
It Is .true that publicity helps only the
sound concerns, but that Is not exactly
an argument against its application to
"trusts."
WEBSTER DJVIS, ORATOR.
The Blnr of Gesturing Hands and
Chant of Peroration.
Boer sympathizers were disappointed In
the attendance at the recent Webster
Davis pro-Boer meeting In New York. At
the opening thero were fewer than lto
persons by actual count on the main floor,
where there was an admission charge of
50 cents and $1. So the admission fee was
abandoned, and the galleries, which were
pretty closely packed, overflowed Into
tho lower regions, and the houeo was
eventually filled.
The New York Sun. In its report of tho
meeting, says: "Mr. Davis oratorical
methods were remarkable. Beginning In a
low, plaintive, almost walling voice, Mr.
Davis leaped in successive hops, skips and
bounds to such heights of oratorical pas
sion that the audience for a few moments
seemed in doubt Just what It ought to do
about It. Tho speaker threw his head
back until his face was turned straight up
toward the zenith. His hando, held up to
the level of each side of his head, shook
with a curious gesture until they wero
mere blurs-, while his head swung from
side to sldo with a rapidity and force
that It seemed must result In some phys
ical damage.
"Ho began his peroration with the up
lifted face, the fiercely shaking hands
and head of the other Impassioned pas
sages, but as he went on and on It de
veloped Into a sort of general Invocation
and then Into a queer, walling sort o
prayer, prolonged through quivering sen
tence after sentence. Then it became a
sing-song sound of chant, which gradually
took on more and more of rhyme and
rhythm, until it dawned upon the hearers
that Mr. Davis was not reciting verses
to close with, but was singing them to a
tunc. It was not a jolly tune, rather a
melancholy one, but It was a tune clearly
defined and unmistakable. The words
were not understandable.
"At last the orator. In a kind of running
stagger, reached his chah- and collapsed
Into it. hi? face pale and his breast heav
ing. It was oratory, and tho audience
know it, and howled Itself hoarse In ap
proval of Kaneas City's ex-Mayor."
The Unassailable Aristocracy.
New York Tribune.
The modern democratic spirit has done
much for the uplifting of humanity. It
has asserted and made good the oneness
of the race against tho false claims of
kinsreraft and nrlestcraft. It has taught
tho humblest human being to think and
act for himself, and has shown him that
he can make and unmake those who as
pire to rule over him. But even a democ
racy has Its limitations. It cannot make
or unmake a thinker, an Investigator, a
philosopher. It could not by any expres
sion of ODinlon either advance or retard
the work dono by a Spencer, a Darwin, or
a Huxley. The world of truth discovered
by the thinker could not have been dis
covered by popular vote, nor would its
value to mankind be lessened In the
slightest degree by the adverse opinion
of the noDulace. Thrones have crumbled,
mitres have fallen, and privileged orders
of nobility have melted away before the
blazing anger of the people. But one se
rene aristocrat still remains, and always
will remain the thinker, whose mission
it is to tell the truth even to the people.
Educate the Sfegrro.
Chicago Tribune.
In hl3 opening address as presiding of
ficer of the Montgomery conference on the
negro problem, the Hon. Hilary A. Her
bert took the broad and generous ground
that education le the only efficient means
of solving that problem. He said: "To
bring about better relations between the
races we need more education, both of
the whitesand the blacks. Men must be
educated to broader views of the relations
they bear to each other." He also en
thusiastically eulogized the system of
Industrial education ae taught at Tuske
gee by Booker Washington. While he
cKd not believe the negro could be ele
vated to complete equality with the white
man, ho recognized the duty of the whiter
to lift him up and improves him until he
becomes a better laborer, better citizen
and more useful to himself and the
country. This problem, ho said. Is one
which the South must work out, "or God
only can tell what is to become of us."
Mr. Herbert has gone to the very root
of tho question, and if the conference
shall proceed Upon the lines he has laid
down there is hope that the problem may
some day be solved.
Dogdom'x Debt to McKlnley.
St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The dogs, too, are sharing In the bene
fits of McKlnley prosperity. In Milwau
kee, for instance, in the hard times of
1S93-JH. the number of dog licenses, en
titling the beneficiaries thereof to life,
liberty and the pursuit of canine happi
ness without Interference from dog-catchers,
was only about 60CO. For this year
It will probably be over 000. The number
of owners able to pay a license fee Is
thus shown to have increased fully 0
ner cent, with a consequent saving of
3000 docs from slaughter. Probably the
same state of affairs prevails in most of
the dog -world outside of Milwaukee. He
must be an ungrateful dog who will not
bark for the re-election of McKlnley.
NOTE AND .COMMENT. , r,
. It Is not too late to register, but It will
bo Wednesday.
Judge Thomas O'Day Is not a candi
date for 'Vice-President. "
If you have a little- time today, you
might put It In registering.
Portland scorchers havo extended tho
sidewalk ordinance to June 5.
Abdul Hamid Is getting mighty careless
of his standing -with the commercial
agencies.
Bryan can hardly hope to get the'ear
of the worklngmen till he Is elected and
the mills all shut down.
Pennoyer Is not out for anything this
year. He is waiting till the candidates
for seats In the Hall of Fame open thelc
campaigns.
Kansas City has been having some mora
cyclones. The weather man is evidently
determined to test her out thoroughly
before she Is subjected to the strain .ot
a Democratic convention.
"Money talks, you know." said tha
American Ambassador, persuasively.
"Yes," replied Abdul Hamld, "but I be
lieve In a quiet reign." And he put tho
check-book, with which he had been toy
ing suggestively, back Into his lnslds
pocket.
"Dewey was right," said McKlnley,
when ho announced that the office of
President was not diflJcult to fill. "Tha
trouble Is to empty it." And, calling tho
Janitor, he requested him to Inform, tha
4S2 people who wero waiting outside tho
door to see him that he was suffering se
verely with appendicitis, and could see no
one for a week.
The bees have been busy among the lo
cust blossoms during the past week,
whenever the weather was fit for a self
respecting bee to be abroad, and the hum
ming of the busy workers sounded like a
dynamo running up In the trees. Already,
the brief period of blooming of the lo
custs is about past, and the ground Is
whitened with their blossoms, and In a
few days more the bees will have to turn
their attention to some other source of
honey supply. Fortunately, there is no
lack of such at this- season, and the bees
havo In prospect as rich and bounteous a
harvest as the farmers.
The tiny linnets that prey on the aphis
which Infests rose bushes are very nu
merous about town, and can frequently
be seen In bands of a dozen or more, hard
at work on the rose bushes. When they
need something more substantial than
the juicy aphis they feast on the seeds
of the dandelion, and thus confer another
benefit on the public by helping to retard
the spread of this pest. It is Interesting
to watch them feeding on the dandelion
seed. They come flying along and alight
by a sweep of their wings on the stalk
of tho dandelion. Just below the downy
head, bending it down, and then proceed
tOj seat the seeds at their leisure. They
could not reach the seeds from the ground,
and It would not do to alight on the head
among the seeds, so they seize the stem
on one side, and their weight, trifling as
It Is, brings the head down to where It
can be comfortably despoiled. Every ona
is glad to see these little birds about their
grounds.
It is not an easy thing for any one to
accustom himself to turning out at 4
o'clock In the morning, and especially is
It difficult for a healthy boy, who has
no nerves or other troubles to prevent
him from sleeping like a log. Newspa
pora, however, must be carried out in
the morning, and .boys must get up to
do It, and one of these lads who finds It
absolutely impossible to awaken early
enough has etevised an Ingenious plan
to overcome his sluggishness. On retir
ing he fastens one end of a string to hl3
great toe and casts the other end out of
his bedroom window, with a vial at
tached by way of a handle. Several other
carrier-boys pass the house on their way
down town, and are only too happy to
pull tho string till the owner is awak
ened, of which they are made aware by
hi3 yells of pain. They generally give a
good pull extra to make certain that he
will not lie down and go to sleep again.
Should he do so, the next boy coming
along awakens him again, and if his toa
holds and the string does not slip, he is
very likely to get down town In time to
attend to business. It is said that under
the strain to which it is subjected the too
Is rapidly Increasing in length, and will
soon be long enough to dangle out of tha
window, and a special box-toe shoe will
have to be provided to coll It away In.
Counting- Qunll Before Hatched.
Some wealthy sportsmen of Bridgeport.
Conn., have sent to Kansas for 60 dozen
quail. As soon as the birds arrive they
will be taken out In batches jand. liberated
at various points in the surrounding coun
try. They cost $4 a dozen, and It Is ex
pected that, when liberated, they will b
easily able to maintain themselves.
Quails mate In April and May. Each pair
will produce two broods of 10 or 12 birds
each during the Summer and early Fall.
The Bridgeport men think that about 60
per cent of the young will survive, so
that In the Fall there will be about E00O
quail to kill when the law is off.
PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHERS
Her Reason. "Toa seem to like bis atten
tions. "Why don't you marry him?" "Becausa
I like his attentions." Brooklyn Life.
Pacts In the Cas& "How did he lose his
standing in the comnumltyr" "By getting
drunk and lettlne a train run over his legs."
Chicago Tlmes-Horald.
Hicks No. I don't suppose I am up to your
plane of Intelligence. Fact Is. I have deteri
orated since you first knew me. Wicks Impos
sible! Boston Transcript.
Naturally Mayme (disconsolately) 3Iy in
crease In salary hasn't done me a bit of good.
Marie Dear me. "Why hasn't It? ilayme
(more disconsolately) It baa Just made my
wants Increase. Life.
Impressed. He I have Just returned from &
little railroad trip, and the scenery did ma
good. She Nature was grand, was she? He
Tes; and I have never seen the advertisements
In more gorgeous colors. Harper's Bazar.
Sure Sign. "I am certain that Sue Is en
gaged to Mr. Dinkey," said Miss Klttlsh to
Miss Flypp. "Why. she never mentions him."
'That Is tv bat convinces me. She used to make
all manner of fun of him." Detroit Free Press.
What He Would Fear. I don't think." said
the Observant Boarder, "that I should caro to
propose to a girl addicted to photography."
"And why not?" asked tho Cross-Eyed Board
er. "I should be afraid that she would seiza
the opportunity to develop a negative," Pitts
burg Chronicle-Telegraph.
Humor Lacking. "Ha! ha! It's rich,"
laughed the gay American. "I wonder Just
how many years It will take the British to
settle with the Boers!" "About as many as It
will take the Americans to finish up the Fili
pinos." replied the Briton, soberly. Those
British have absolutely no sense of humor.
Philadelphia North American.
A Battlehcad. Farmer Dunk (catching them)
Ar-har! So you are tryln' to dope with the
hired girl, are ye? His Son Ye'es, sir. Farmer
Dank Wa-aL K you ain't the gol-vummedest
feller for wantin excitnent all the timet
Didn't I let you go to the circus last Summer,
and to your gran'mother's funeral In the Fall,
and didn't you stay up as late as you wanted
to seeln the last eclipse of themoon? What
In the tunkett do ye want, anyhow contlnu!
hooraw r' Pack.
Z