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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1900)
' THE MOBNING OEEGONIANi MONDAY. lJUL& 2S, 1900. foz rgflomoit Entered at the Poctofuce at Portland, Oregon, as eecond-class matter. TELEPHONES. Editorial Room....lC8 1 Business Office... .607 REV1SKD SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Mall (postage prepaid). In Advance Dally, with Sunday, per month $OS3 Dally, Sunday excepted, per year T 00 Iahy, with Sunday, per year Sunday, per year 2 The Weekly, per year 1 The Weekly. S months - W To City Subscribers Dally, per week, delivered. Sundays excepted-loc Dally, per week, delivered, Sunday lncluded-SOc POSTAGE RATES. United Stated, Canada and Mexico: 10 to 10-page paper c 10 to 32-page paper c foreign rates double. News or discussion Intended for publication In The Oregonian should he addressed Invariably "Editor The Oregonian." not to the name of any Individual. Lettrra relating to advertising, subscriptions or to any buslnesa matter should be addressed simply "The Oregonian." The Oregonian does not buy poema or stories from lrdlviduals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts pent to It without solicita tion. No stamps should be inclosed for thla purpose. Puget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson, office at 1111 Pacific avenue, Tacoma. Box 853, Tacoma postofflce. Eastern Business Office The Tribune build ing, New York City; "The Rookery," Chicago; the S. C Beckwlth special agency. New York. For sale in San Francisco by J. K. Cooper. 748 Market street, near he Palace hotel, and at Goldsmith Bros., 23C Sutter strert For eaia in Chicago by the P. O. News Co., 217 Dearborn street. TODAY'S "WEATHER Fair and much cooler; southwesterly winds. PORTLAXD, MONDAY, JULY 2, 1000 OUR POLICY AS TO CHINA. We wonder whether our Bryan brethren will raise exclamation against co-operation between the United States and Great Britain to prevent the par tition of China? Neither of these na tions wants to share in the partition; and it would be best for their interests, best for China, best for the peace of the world, if their influence should be ex--erted against' partition. They probably would draw Japan with them, and Ger many might be expected to co-operate. Details of the course to be pursued must depend largely on circumstances; but it would seem to be certain that the Congress and people of the United States will approve the outline of policy announced by Secretary Hay; in sub stance as follows: First The United States will under no cir cumstances join in the partition of China firing the powers. Second The United States will use all its lnfuence, to the utmost extent, short of war with European nation, to prevent dismember ment of the Chinese Empire. Third The United States proposes to have a. veritable settlement of the Chinese troubles, anJ its voice will over bo raised against spolla t3n and in favor of preservation of China's territorial and governmental entity, along the Uses set forth in Secretary Hay's note to the powers, dated July 3. Fourth The United States will not declare war upon China on account of the showing of la-t?, no matter what othor powers may do. Firth The United States, acting Independent ly and for itself, will co-operate with the other powers in restoring order in China, in Vanishing all officials, high or low, found guilty of crimes against human life, and in retting up a stable government that may give guarantees of security of life and property aci freedom of trade. Here is the safe course for the United States. It will keep us out of entan glement with the powers of Europe; for we cannot tell how they may yet divide on the Chinese question, and if we were engaged with them, which of the na tions would be our allies and which would become our enemies. Our pres ent duty is simple. It is now, as hereto fore, to act concurrently with other na tions in opening up communication with Pekin and rescuing the American offi cials, missionaries and other Ameri cans who are in danger; secondly, in af fording all possible protection every where in China to American life and property; thirdly,- in guarding and pro tecting all legitimate American inter ests, and fourthly, in aiding to prevent a spread of the disorders to the other provinces of the empire and a recur rence of such disasters. It is going to te difficult business to use a pro gramme like this for support of a cry of anti-imperialism raised for a merely partisan purpose. TIIE REFORMER'S VIEW. Candidate "Woolley accepts the nomi nation of his party as Prohibition nominee for the Presidency, not as he declares, as a "leader of a forlorn hope," Jbut as "the color-bearer of the next and l-flgreatest forward movement of human ity." This is the reformer's view, what ever the special cause that he cham pions. To the representative of the "Universal Peace Society, the abroga- jrtlon of war, to which sentiment he Is pledged, is always the "next and by far the greatestjttnbvement in human affairs." In the 'estimation of the for eign missionary his course leads all others in importance; the advocate of "woman suffrage is certain that her ! Mclalm represents liberty Itself, and will be the "very next" to receive the Just indorsement of mankind. The White Uibboner is abroad declaring that the abrogation of the social evil, looking to social purity, is the greatest and "next" duty of those who love their fellow men, and so on through the entire list of reforms which well-disposed but im practical individuals champion as of paramount Importance to the welfare and, indeed, to the preservation of the 2iuman race. The mistake of these people is that they utterly fall, or persistently refuse, to take human nature for what it is. They appraise mankind as a whole job lot; so to speak and insist upon levying equal tribute in temperance, in religion, in morality, in conception of political questions, upon all. Govern ment should and must, in their view, run its citizens in similar grooves of thought and of conduct, and by arbi trary decree keep them there. No devi ation from certain well-defined paths is to be tolerated in individuals. Because ; one man cannot take wine with his -dinner wjthout supplementing this rea sonable indulgence by an orgle that ! distresses his family, shocks his friends and absorbs his week's or month's wages, all men must be forbidden to take wine with their meals. - To talk of liberty In conjunction with such, a proposition is nonsense. The crying need of the times is not to curtail but enlarge the sum of personal I responsibility; to inculcate the virtues of self-control and of respect for the iuman body as the temple of life. The wise mother does not supplement the command to her young child "not to go outside the gate" while at play by lock ing the gate, thus making obedience compulsory by means which the boy will easily circumvent as soon as he is able to scale the door-yard fence. The whole scheme of compulsory morality is based upon false premises. There Is no such thing as compulsory temperance except as it is inculcated in the growing mind of the child or is impressed upon the matured under standing of men. In other words, com pulsion in morals must come from within and never can be successfully applied from without. Detestation of the vice of drunkenness is a prime requisite in the reformation of the drunkard. This Is the verdict of all experience, and from it there is no ap peal. Hence he who leads the prohibi tion movement In the name of temper ance reform leads a "forlorn hope," If hope, even with this dreary prefix, It can be called. THE DOOR AJAR FOR ISHMAEL. "When the Democratic party suc- cumbed to socialism, a great light failed in the firmament of time. Fate had been' kinder to it in ideals than in achievements, but for almost the entire organic life of this Nation it has stood for principles and aspirations to which high-minded men of all parties have turned in hope, even when they could not indorse its immediate plans. For almost the entire organic life of this Nation the Democratic party has stood in the thoughtful mind for resistance to encroachment of government upon the individual man's freedom of thought and action. In the balance of antago nistic forces in the political cosmogony it has been the centrifugal, as Its op ponent, Whig or Republican, has been the centripetal tendency. The Nation with the big N, that should do, all things for all men, and regulate all things in all relations of life, was the Democ racy's greatest abomination, a useful and honorable ideal that was specific ally embodied in opposition to govern ment currency, to a "protective" tariff, to a pauperizing pension system, to Federal control of state elections, to Federal participation in transportation and commercial enterprises. The Re publican viewed with alarm a weak central government, the Democrat viewed with alarm a central govern ment strong and meddlesome. All this has passed away. The Kan sas City platform is a candid revela tion of the transformation undergone by the once stalwart custodian of the rights of man against aggrandizement pursuing government. It proposes to set the Federal machinery in operation to spy upon, publish and regulate the affairs of business corporations; to con trol the transportation business of the country, so that no individual or com munity shall get the worst of a bar gain; to restore and maintain "a bi metallic price level"; to take care of silver; to abolish free banking in favor of government banking; to prevent em ployers from reporting undesirable em ployes to one another; to Increase the Federal obligation by creation of a de partment of labor; to improve the arid lands of the West. This imperfect sum mary of the objects the Bryanized Democracy believes the Government should take care of testifies to the vast distance between it and the ancient po sition that the man Is best governed who Is least governed. Well, is the star of historic Democ racy only dimmed by a passing cloud, to reappear in serene effulgence on some brighter scene? The hope is one that should be shared by every man who wishes for his country the best and noblest destiny within its reach. But the signs, it must be owned, are not reassuring. To come at once to the concrete, what consistent champions of the old Democracy are coming back to leadership? Alas! few, perhaps none. The Injury of 1896, which could be passed off as aberration, becomes, in its studied and insistent deliberation, mortal Insult In 1900. Some are return ing to the fold, but others, and the best, are announcing themselves as hence forth Republicans. Those that are re turning have in- that very return of fered irrefragable evidence of suplne ness. The conservatives speak with ex cusable indignation of 16 to 1, but that was a hard hit the prodigals got from the elder brother who said the other day that a consistent leader like Bryan is worth a tribe of "trimmers like Hill and Stevenson." Is very much in the way of reconstructive statecraft to be expected" from men who announce their allegiance to silver today though events have fully demonstrated the iniquity of free coinage and the falsity of every Bryanlte prediction? It really begins to look as if the Re publican party, with its impaired capi tal of heroic memories, with paternal istic notions of its own, with little leaders and platitudinous vap orings of impossible principles, is to be the only refuge of the uncorrupted Democrat. For the roost part his sensations there will be those of the cat in a strange garret. If the tariff issue should ever reform a Presidential campaign on old- lines, he could go home with a clear conscience. But what is more likely, in view of the complete conquest of his party by so cialism, is that he will be compelled to act, however undemonstratlvely, with the Republican party. Aifd if it is to be the abode of the defenders of individ ualism and foes of paternalism, the dwelling must be modified somewhat to accommodate the new boarders. Space must be found for their free trade pic tures on the walls and free banking rugs on the floors. Through their aid at last some worn-out furniture of the place may be bundled off to the attic Through their aid, maybe, we shall get rid of protection, subsidies and spoils, and get fair trade, honest pensions, effi cient civil and consular service, fiscal economy and old-fashioned statesman ship. Only in this way, apparently, if at all, can be preserved the precious seed of manly independence which the old ark of the Democracy has borne across the years. TSI AS AND LI HUXG CHANG. If it shall transpire that IA Hung Chang conspired with Tsl An to bring about the massacre of foreigners in China, it may be safely said that his yellow jacket and three-eyed peacock feather will not save him from the Just wrath of the nations when the time for reckoning comes. The rumor to this effect probably has no graver founda tion in fact than that promulgated by a foreign correspondent working under Instructions to send news, even if he has to make it, who some months ago declared that Li and Tsl were mar ried or soon would be, and would pro ceed to rule the empire after the man ner in which England was ruled dur ing the life of the late Prince Consort That is to say that, though unknown in the Government Xil would direct its policy. Tsl An is still a dowager and appears to be running things at Pekln accord ing to her own remorseless will and the silly romance long since dropped out of that story. Whether the graver po litical significance of the last report will drop away as harmlessly remains to be seen. The story is extremely Improbable .from the simple fact that Li Hung Chang has been abroad, and is far too astute not to profit by the les sons in the power and progress of West ern civilisation which travel presented. If, however, it should prove true that he is or was pledged to the anti-foreign policy of the dowager, this can be ac counted for in his human desire for power, together with an old roan's ca pacity for making a fool of himself when he becomes stricken with the ar dent desire to marry. Tsi An was, if we may believe re ports to that effect, exceedingly come ly, as Chinese maidens go, when she was young. But that was long ago. Still she is probably as handsome as LI, and beauty aside, might well be considered an excellent "catch" by the first statesman of the empire. It would be a matter of rejoicing to the mis sionaries, who are held accountable by many for this outbreak in China, and of profound disgust to the rest of the world If it should prove that a love af fair between two aged Celestials, in volving mutual confidence and a desire to please, was the inciting and guid ing spirit of the most stupendous and far-reaching political outbreak of the age. THE PROBLEM OF THE EMPTY BAG. The municipality is like a family In that some thing3 it must have in order to maintain an organized existence; other things it can do without and still maintain comfort and respecta bility. Among the things that the city must have are fire and police protec tion and a reasonable degree of light for the streets. The name of the things that it may do without, but which In terested individuals insist that it must have, is legion. They are in evidence chiefly In salaries paid right along and in deficits Bummed up at the beginning of each successive administration. It is as Impossible now as it was in the time of Poor Richard to make an empty bag stand upright Hence the scuffle and the strain to procure "filling" for the municipal bag as often as its ap palling emptiness is explored. This filling must come in the shape of taxes, special and regular. If property valuations fall In response to the groans of overburdened taxpayers and the sup ply is thus diminished, the shortage must be made up by reprisal levied upon business In fact, "upon every thing in sight. The blanket is applied and the sweating process begins. It may be said of the new Council that it shows a commendable desire to make equitable adjustment of the spe cial tax levy so clearly necessary, but being given an empty bag to hold a.nd confronted upon every side by demands that must be met and old scores that must be settled from its cavernous depth, it is forced to give its first and most earnest attention to raising money. It will succeed, of course; it has got to succeed, since in no other way can Interest on municipal bonds be met, old accounts with the fire and police deparments be squared and these forces maintained in their present de gree of efficiency. These are among the necessities of municipal housekeeping; additional deputies in the various of fices may be needed to pay divers and sundry political scores, but the proba bilities are that the public will be as well served without them. It is not always in the power of plat form committees, though they sit up all night and dragoon Hawaiian dele gates, to determine the issues of the campaign. It would please Chairman Hanna if the money question were principally discussed, or perhaps pros perity. The Kansas City aggregation preferred neither of these, but staked Its chances on "anti-lmperlallsm" as the "paramount issue." But not politicians shape the Issues, so much as circum stances. That events are conspiring to bring the silver Issue to the front is shown in two utterances, from widely different sources, printed on this page today. The Denver News, ardently Bryan, and the New York Financial Chronicle, uncompromisingly gold standard, agree that the election will have a practical significance on our finances. This is the all-Important point The protestation of Bryanlsm has been that Bryan's election will be powerless to affect the standard of value or the stability of the currency. As my teeth have been broken off and my claws extracted, says the silver fox, you may safely trust me in the hen coop. But the Denver News sets the stamp of disapproval upon this pretty pretense. "The gold standard can be forced off the country by a silver Presi dent" it says, regardless of the com plexion of Congress. There is, unfor tunately, reason to fear the News is cor rect If so, the business world will know enough to scent the danger and act accordingly. So much hostile criticism of athletics proceeds from unworthy sources that one is pleased to apprehend in the ac tion at Corvallls last week a motive springing from desire to conserve the cause of true sport The regents of the Agricultural College, who have forbidden students there to participate in inter-colleglate contests, are con vinced that more harm than good, even from an athletic standpoint results from these contests. Feeling runs high, gambling is indulged in, and the fatal blight of professionalism finds fertile soil. Perhaps a way may be found to correct these gatherings without their entire abolition, but meanwhile the Cor vallls school, at least will take no chances. It is earnestly to be hoped that the cause of athletics may be ad vanced by this step, and if support of the measure has proceeded in any quar ter from desire to discredit physical culture among our youth, the desire may meet prompt and decisive disap pointment Opponents of athletics are three In kind those who hate them as Byron hated the waltz, because he couldn't dance; those who are moved to anguish by the sight of human beings in a state of enjoyment and those who denounce college sports as a cover for their passion for the brutalities of the prize-ring. If any such are among the regents of the Corvallls Institution, their Joy should be short-lived. One of the most Inexplicable things in recent journalism is an article in tho Bankers' Magazine encomiastic of Senator Wolcott of Colorado. The Colorado sport's walk and conversation, private and political, are sufficiently well known to need no extended -description. But what shall be said of a reputable and usually trustworthy pub lication, descending to apply to Wolcott such terms as "a man of logical na ture," "energy and ability," "refusal to stultify himself," "a man of such emi nent ability," "an honor to the state," "maintenance of his own convictions," etc.? It would be Interesting to know whether the Bankers' Magazine has ever seen Mr. Wolcott or ever observed the phenomena of his career, or failing in this, whence it has obtained the Information upon which its pen picture is based. A painful surmise, but one that cannot be banished is that the Senator owes his writeup to Influences exerted by some of the great corpora tions he so brilliantly and unscrupu lously serves. Several Bryan papers in Oregon and Washington have complacently printed the statement that "Colonel Thomas, of Cincinnati, has organized a dub, re stricted to Palmer and Buckner voters in 1896, who are pledged to support Bryan and Stevenson this FalL" The number of Clnclnnatians who are en rolled in this club is variously stated one paper getting it up to 3000, and another printing it as low as 353. Un questionably the Bryanltes find the news a pleasing exception to-the reports that come from the country generally. The item has but one fault it is lack ing in truth. Cincinnati did not cast 3000 votes, nor 353, for Palmer and Buckner. Their total vote in Hamilton County of which Cincinnati is the seat was but 191. McKlnley beat Bryan in the county by 15.5S4 votes. A decrease of the majority to 15,393 is hardly worth the Jubilation which the Bryan papers have accorded the prospect The Denver News, now perhaps the leading silver organ, will not have it that Bryan, if elected, could not over throw the gold standard. It says, on the contrary, his election would surely over throw it: It Is not true that be Senate is an impreg nable stronghold of the money ring; It lo not true that the allied silver forces cannot capture the House; it is not true that Mr. Bryan as President would be helpless unless he had Congress with him. By carrying for silver only those states which voted for it in 1890 the gold majority in the Sena to would be re duced to two. The gold standard was forced upon tha country by a gold-standard President in the face of & Congress opposed to It, and it can be forced off the country br a silver Presi dent, even though Congress be opposed to him. The more truth there is in this ut terance, the greater the menace involved in Bryan's election. The tremendous power of the heat upon persons of low vitality is shown in the frightful mortality among young children in New York during the past few days. Forty little bodies awaiting sepulture in the morgue at Bellevue Hospital at one time presented a record of infantile suffering, happily ended, the pathos of which the suffering, not the end makes shuddering appeal to human sympathy. The intensity of heat that has caused wholesale pros trations and many deaths Is not unpre cedented in. the cities, American and European, where they are now re corded, but on the Pacific Coast it i3 practically unknown. It Is to Chairman Hanna's credit that he has incurred the odium of Quay or gans in Philadelphia by his studious ig noring of the Pennsylvania boss. It is evidence, also, that the astute chair man does not regard Quay as the heroic figure and indispensable factor in Na tional politics his friends conceive him. The National committee will be stronger through Quay's absence from it and Mr. Hanna will move up a notch in popular estimation. This is the way the New York World is "supporting Bryan." The extract is from the issue of Tuesday, July 17: Is there not, as the World has said, "a e&rdonio humor, a preposterous paradox in politics, in tho fact that the Democratic party risks its very life and puts in peril tho Integ rity of our free Institutions upon an issue not desired by Democrats and not involved in the election, but forced upon it to please a small and contemptible faction of Silver Re publicans" who, it appears, to add to the grim Irony of the situation, refuse after all to be pleased? Nebraska affords a striking illustra tion of the effective work of Colonel Bryan is building up the Democratic party. Under his capable leadership, hi3 party is so nearly eliminated in his state that it gets the politically unim portant office of Attorney-General in a fusion with the Populists, who take the important places on the ticket be cause they have reduced the Democracy almost to a reminiscence. The Oregonian is not afraid of "Im perialism," and it thinks those who are shouting about It are not afraid of it They are merely in want of a campaign cry. Nobody, in fact, believes that through retention of the recently ac quired islands we are in danger of "los ing our liberties," or of "drifting Into an imperial despotism." To be silly and ridiculous, and yet be serious, is a hard matter. This is a bad season in Eastern Wash ington for the hobo. Farmers in the Palouse country are reported to be hir ing not only every available man who comes along, but are watching freight trains to rout the "tourist" from box car and breakbeam with an offer of enticing wages to work in harvest fields and help save the wheat crop. Among prosperity items is the report that "Wheat Chart" Jones' has an offer of $10,000 a year as attorney for a Spo kane corporation. Some of his admirers express doubt that he will desert the plain people for the ranks of plutocracy. "Bryanarchy" is a term coined by J. Sterling Morton, of Nebraska; Presi dent Cleveland's Secretary of Agricul ture. He defines It as the anarchy that Is attempting to do business under the name of Democracy. The Silver Menace. The New York Journal of Commerce follows Professor Loughlln ln-tiot being satisfied that tho Nation Is. by the late currency law, fully protected against dan gers from silver. It calls to mind that tho Senate amended the measure objec tionably when it came to that body from the House. The Journal of Commerce says that: Tho now law in effect makes the United States notes and the Treasury notes gold certificates, but it provides for the substitution of silver certificates for the Treasury notes, and it provides no means for keeping the silver dollars at par In gold. There have been colneo. 90.000.000 silver dollars. Of these 15.O0Q.000 belong to the Government and (37,000,000 are In private hands. The remaining OS,000,000 are stored In the Treasury, and represented by certificates In circulation. Mr. Bryan is pledged to the payment of Government obligations in silver. He would have, as the Treasury now stands, J15.O0O.O0O to begin with. But In the fiscal year 1KJ9 the Government received $666, 49,0(1 In silver certificates, and paid out $71,072,273. It need not have paid out tho certificates; it might have disbursed the dollars. It is true that the recipients might have redeposlted the coin and taken out certificates, but they could get no gold, or notes redeemable In gold, if they demanded them. The Treasury would exercise It option of paying in silver. The redemption department might be redeeming1 United States notes In gold, and even selling bonds for gold to main tain the process, if a sllverite Attorney-General and Secretary of the Treas ury could find no way out of this, but the fiscal department would be refusing gold, and refusing United States notes so long as It had legal tender silver dollars to pay out What do the sdund-money men, who imagine It la perfectly safe to Vote for Mr. Bryan, suppose would be the re sult of1 such a management of the Treas ury? THE BRYAN DOLLAR PERIL. Probable Effect of tbe Election of the Xebraslcnn to the Presidency. Matthew Marshall In New York Sun. Hitherto we have been able to keep at par with gold the 606.000.toO of silver dol lars already coined, because they are re ceived by the Government at par in the payment of customs and public dues. Probably, too, we shall be able to main tain them at par after they reach the volume of 610,000,000, but if by the elec tion of Mr. Bryan with a sllverite Con gress at his back, the mints are to be opened to the coinage of as many more dollars as the silver In the world will permit. It will be Impossible. Tho sur plus production of the world's silver mines, even at the present low price of the metal. Is 150.000,000 ounces a year, ana both Germany and France 'have on hand large stocks of It which they would be quick to exchange for our gold at the ratio of 16 to 1. That we should be swamped with silver, until by the pro cess gold had gone to 200 and over, Is therefore a dead certainty. This result would come the sooner. If, as is probable, a sllverite Administration should enact the issue of silver certifi cates directly against deposits of sliver bullion, without waiting for It to be coined. This measure was proposed In 1S31, and was defeated only by the strenu ous opposition of the financiers of New York and other centers. Its purpose, then, was to secure at once the seignior age on the silver purchased under the Sherman act, and though Its evil ten dency was overrated, it might have dono considerable mischief by the alarm it would have caused. If adopted now. It would be sure to Increase our silver currency as fast as the, Treasury presses could work, and tho suspension of gold payments would follow almost Immediate- My. Herein consists the peril with which the country Is threatened by the Demo cratic party. They propose to reduce, as in the twinkling of an eye, by more than one-half, the value of all contracts for the payment of money not specifically payable In gold. The wages of labor, and the thousands of millions of savings of the industrious and thrifty poor would suffer the same fate as tho accumula tions of the rich. The rich, indeed, would not submit to be despoiled without re sistance. As soon as It became known that on March 4, 1S01, Mr. Bryan would be President, and a Bryanlte Congress could be called together In extra session to pass an unlimited sliver coinage act, even holder of securities liable to be paid In silver would hasten to turn them Into gold at the best price obtainable, and a monetary panic would ensue, more vio lent than any which the country has ever experienced. Reaping the "Whirlwind. Philadelphia North American. England and Germany have been selling rifles, cannon and ammunition to the Chi nese and teaching them the trade of war for several years, and European engi neers, mechanics and military experts have established arsenals and arms facto ries, built fortifications, installed artil lery and trained the Chinese to do these things for themselves. Commerce has been promoted, and England and Ger many havo made a big profit out of their industrial and military missionary work. It Is not improbable that some enterpris ing American business concerns have turned an honest penny now and then by patriotically supplying the Chinese with cartridges and repeating rifles. That was "business," but it was amaz ing Idiocy and sowing of the wind, and now comes the reaping of the whirlwind, and after all the harm has been done and all the Infamous profit made tbe powers solemnly agree not to sell any more mu nitions of war to the Chinese. They will have to watch their arms and ammuni tion merchants like hawks to make their agrement effective, for the ethics of trade are so fearfully and wonderfully defined that a business man Is not deemed a trea sonable villain for supplying an enemy of his country with war material prior to formal declaration of hostilities. Ap. Eng lish firm In which the .Chamberlain fam ily is heavily Interested sold powder to the Boers up to the opening of war, but it has not been suggested that tho Cham berlains should be hanged. The Inane In n Nutshell. ' New York Financial Chronicle. What we desired to suggest was that the 16-to-l idea as offered to the public today calls for a complete revolution In our currency system without a show of reason for doing It We are thereby con fronted, at a moment of great prosper ity, by the ridiculous proposal to make a change In our monetary arrangements under which, as they now exist we have enjoyed, and are enjoying, a period of prosperity scarcely ever before equaled, and to accept and substitute another sys tem of which tho very best that can bo claimed for It by any one Is that It Is experimental. That is to say, we are celled upon to risk the buoyancy and In dustrial progress now so manifest upon a desperate and blind venture. The real situation is, of course, even worse than that We were speaking of this risk from the standpoint of the silver advo cato enlightened as to our gold currency by tho last two years' experience. From the sound-money status tho free coinage of silver means a wide catastrophe en gulfing for a cycle of years, and until our gold standard Is reinstated, all our Industries. Hence the venture becomes deadly, however viewed, the country be ing in the position of tho victim accept ing the proposal of the sharper, made something after the fashion, "tails I win; heads you lose." ThnnkH, Gentle Critic. Catholic Sentinel. The Sentinel Is radically opposed to Tho Morning Oregonian, so far as its political policy as well as other things as enunciated In Its editorial columns Is concerned, but like thousands of readers of all political faiths it approaches its nows columns without fear of taint or deception. During tho two great conven tions the big dally had Its managing ed itor in attendance as a special represen tative, and his dispatches showed that he had the full confidence of both the Oregon delegations Republican and Dem ocrats a confidence that he did not abuse, every intelligent reader will ad mit The point is this, that honesty Is the best policy In all things, cleanliness Is better than dirt, and when both paper and man can command such confidence from political opponents and others, they are not Immodest If they lay claims to success. Piatt Something Like Gibbon. New York Evening Post "The greatest care is to be taken in the nomination of candidates for the Senate and Assembly." This Is an official announcement as the ukase comes from Piatt himself. He will relieve the various conventions of all needless vexation by naming the candidates for them. Every lesser Republican may go away for a long vacation with a clear conscience, certain that on his return In September, the ticket for which he is to take off his coat and help roll up a big majority, will all have been kindly arranged for him by the boss. There will lurk In some minds, however, a suspicion that the "care" which Piatt is taking in the selec tion of his next Assembly and Senate does not relate strictly to the public ln- terest Of course, it has . now become difficult for Piatt to distinguish between his own Interest and that of the state. Walter Bagehot said' that Gibbon con founded his own personality with that of the Roman Empire; and It would not be strange If Piatt when he takes oath to see that the Republic suffers no harm, thinks he will piously perform his vow If he takes care that he does himself no harm. At any rate, the "care" he Is now exercising In determining the nominees who are to bo named by the respective conventions In due time with great spon taneity and enthusiasm, Is fair warning that he expects a great deal of "political business" to be transacted by the next Legislature. What with the Franchise Tax to be repealed or eviscerated, and other legislation to be provided for be forehand. It Is obvious that he will need a body of picked men. He Is now doing the picking. Support of Bryan. New York World, Dem. In his heart Mr. Bryan doubtless knows that New York cannot be carried for cheap and dishonest money, and that whatever chance the Democrats had to carry it on the issue of Imperialism Is destroyed by tho worse than Imperial bosslsm- of Cro ker In this city and the Tammany taint In the odious Ice trust Taking this view Is It not possible that even on the plane of practical politics, Mr. Bryan may be wise In dismissing with disdain the Idea of trying to carry New York under such circumstances, and In looking for elec toral votes elsewhere? "Was It an Error? San Francisco Wave. At a time when every man, woman and . child In Colorado Springs was In vesting In mining stock and almost every roan, woman and child had been badlv bitten, It happened that a certain ml.v owner and stock manipulator died sud denly. Tho local paper held the press to put In an i,count of his death, headed, "Death Lovus u. Shining Mark," but when It came out the people with whom he had had his business dealings were sur prised and pleated to read, "Death Loves a Mining Shark." Want a Rest. New York Press. A stalwart Republican making pur chases In an uptown dry goods store happened to met Mike, the porter, and the political microbe In the air tempted him to ask: "Mike, how do you feel about the election?" "Bryan, for shrue!" said Mike. "But Mike, are you going to vote for Bryan?" "Shrue I am, sor." "Why, are you going to vote for Bryan, Mike?" Mark tha sage reply: "Oh, begorra, I have had work for four years, an' I want a rest" A Southern Declaration. Memphis Commercial-Appeal, Dem. Tho Democratic party Is not In favor of abandoning territory that came to us as tho legitimate spoils of a war which tho Democratic party forced upon the coun try, or territory that came to us by treaty and purchase which were recommended, ratified and indorsed by Democratic lead ers The Cose Exactly Stated. Richmond Times, Dem. In vain will the Democrats seek to make Imperialism the "paramount Issue." Imperialism, so far as the Republican platform Is concerned, a3 an assumption; free sliver, so far as the Democratic plat form Is concerned, is a positive declara tion. MEX AND WOMEJf. Senator Depew's success as a young lawyer was speedy. In the second bIi months of his practice ho made $000. Professor Vambery, tho celebrated authority on Oriental subjects, has received an invita tion from the Sultan Abdul Harold to pay a. visit to Constantinople. George C Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria, has been ill in London with "neuritis, and has been under treatment by Sir William Gower. He Js rapidly regaining his strength, and expects to leave for the Continent in & fow days. Tho Octogenarian Association of Iowa re cently had a picnic in Union Park. Dcs Moines, which was attended by 60 members. X. A. Bacon, of Dos Moines, the oldest mem ber Of the association, is in his 101st year. J. O. Schmldlapp, of Cincinnati, bos made on offer to the trustees of the Cincinnati Art Museum of $100,000 to build a wing to the museum as a memorial of his wife and daugh ter, who wero killed in a railroad accident last Spring near Kansas City. Captain W. Bado Dl Wismar. the well known explorer, is organizing an expedition to start next month for Franz Josef Land, to seek traces of Andree. and to obtain intelligence of the Duke of Abruzzl. Comello Manzl. the Italian writer and traveler, will accompany tho party. A Kansas City baker, Arcangelo Defeo by name, has brought suit against Mrs. Sila Abbondanetto for $2000 damages for spreading a report that he kneaded his bread with his feet, which Mr. Defeo regards an slanderous. The defendant says that at the trial sho will put in bread with footprints en tt. Professor Max Muller, in a recent Interview, said: "I lost very little time on novels before my illness. Now I delight in them. Not that I read them extensively myself. They are read to me. The old novels are very good. I am never tired of Sir Walter Scott, but mod em Action is mostly Tery poor stuff." Julia Marlowe Indignantly denies tho truth of a paragraph going the rounds of tho press, and which represents her as saying that she Is tired of the goody, goody dramas, and that sho intends to play the "Saphos," tho "Zazas" and the "Becky Sharps." Sho says she is ut terly at a loss to Imagine the source from which this paragraph emanates, as sho is tho last person to give expression to such ideas, and that her intention Is rather to present the higher forms of the classic and poetic drama to enter a field In which sho haa never sought recognition. She assures those interested in her work that her futuro productions will be made with the best hope and highest purpose of tho stage in view. Tbe Village Blaclcnmltb. Henry W. Longfelaiw. Under a spreading chestnut trea The village smithy stands. Tho smith, a mighty man is he. With large and sinewy bands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands. His hair is crisp, and black and long His face Is like the tan: His brow is wet with honest sweat He earns whate'er he can. And looks the whole world in the face For he owes not any man. Week In, week out, from, morn till night. You can hear his bellows blow; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge. With measured beat and slow; Like a sexton ringing the village bell. When the eening sun is low. And'children coming home from school. Look In at tho open door; They love to see tho flaming forge. And hear the bellows roar. And catch the burning sparks that fly Llko chaff from a threshing floor. He goes on Sunday to tho church. And sits among his boyj Ho hears tho parson pray and preach, He hears his daughter's voice. Singing In the village choir. And it makes his heart rejoice. It sounds to him llko her mother's voice. Singing In Paradise! He needs must think of her one more. How In the grave sho lies. And with his hard, rough hand ho wipes, A tear out of hl9 eyes. Tolling rejoicing sorrowing. Onward throurh life he goes; Each morning sees some task begin. Each evening sees It close; Something attempted, something done. Has earned a night's repose. Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught! Thus at tho flaming forge of life Our fortunes must tte wrought; Thus on its soundlns anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought. NOTE AND COMMENT. There will be no danger of an attack; on the Chinese In Tacoma. t Stevenson will seek the bauble reputa tion even In Bryan's mouth. Mr. Hearst's new Chicago paper haa plenty of local color, especially yellow. We do not like this sample of Eastern weather. Let's try some more of our own kind. Anyway, we needn't worry because tha man next door won't shovel the snow oft his walk. No, Muriel, Brussels carpets are not made of Belgian hairs. You have mixed geography and zoology. Somebody was wounded In a duel with Prince Castellane the other day, but it was probably only in his feelings. To bow to sraven images. The Chinese Queen delights. Because, like other women, sho Must have her woman's rites. The men who were mentioned for the "Vice-Presidency are now sleeping In dull, cold obscurity, where no mention of them more must be heard of. So many specimens of bugs, worms, files, etc, supposed to be Insect pests, havo been sent to The Oregonian for Iden tification this season that the young man who has been acting temporarily as bug ologlst Is beginning to see things crawl ing over his copy paper, and although strictly temperate, sometimes Imagines he Is "getting 'em." The last shipment of this kind which has come to hand con sists of a number of handsome and plump worms or caterpillars Inclosed In a small vial, which contained only a homeo pathic dose of air for them, and conse quently they are dead. They are labeled "clover worms," and their well-nourished condition speaks well for the clover they fed on. They are member of the great army of worms now progressing through several sections of the Northwest, and are, therefore, to be designate as army worms. They should make excellent bait for fisherman, but perhaps might not suit the fish. It Is to be hoped that the day of Insect pests of all sorts will soon come to an end. The bicycle has ceased to be a novelty, and has come Into such general use that some prejudiced persons consider It moro In the nature of a nuisance. This, how ever, does not affect the general result as all sorts of people ride it and use It for all kinds of pur poses practicable. Some have bi cycles arranged for carrying heavy loads, some for carrying a woman behind tho rldr or a child before, and they are used for many strange purposes, but an old citizen, who was out In Washington County a few evenings ago, saw a girl scorching about In a pasture on a bicycle and rounding up a herd of cows to drive home, and he thinks that the strangest use he has seen a bicycle put to yet When a boy he says he used to have to drive home the cows every night from a New Hampshire pasture, but he had to race around on foot to get them together, and the perverse brutes were generally scattered all over the pasture, or, if most of them were near the "bars," ono contumacious old beast would be suro to be away at the further end. He used to wish for wlng3 to help him get around after these cows, but he never dreamed of a bicycle. When he first reached this Coast, he was somewhat astonished to see the lamplighters, pig-drivers and newspaper-carriers following their occu pations on horseback, but none of these things struck him as so funny as did the sight of the barefooted farmer's daughter herding cows on a bicycle. When you're kind o gettln tired of tho hot an' dusty town. When tho mercury's a-ralsln an the sun's a- beatin' down. You can shet your eyes and listen for a voico that's in the air. Glvin' you an invitation to git up an' go somewhere. Seems to float on all tho breezes, seems to come from every tree, "Juat forglt the sticky het-up town, an coma away to me." You kin sea them, when you shet your eyes, the shady, woodsy nooks. You can hear the tinklin' music of the purlin mountain brooks. You can hear the birds a-chlrpln when they snuggles down to rest. And the sun, a blaze o glory, paints tho moun tains in the west. An" they all Jlne in together, fur to sing to you on' me, "Leave the hot olo town behind you, an Jus co mo away to me." Or perhaps you'll hear a-beatin on tha ehinln sandy ihore. The drummln' of the ocean, an you'll listen to its roar, Whllo you pee the gleamln breakers throwhV rainbows at the sun. Or curlln' in to strike tho shore, an'smoshin' one by one, An' you listen to their chorus, while you hear the gray oIp sea. Say, "Jus leave tha drled-up town behind, and come away to me." You can hear 'em all about you, voices stngln in tho air. If you shet your eyes an listen, you will know that they are there; From the woods an from tho mountains, from the rive-, from the shore. Comes the whispered invitation, not to stay in town no more; "Don't stay tied up In tho city, throw tho chains off an' be free. For there's nothln that will cheer you till you como away to me." PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAFHERS The Other Variety. Freddie Why does a runaway automobile cut up such capers? Cob wlgger Because, my boy, it hasn't any horse sense. Judge. "I wonder," mused the shoe clerk boarder, "who gets up all those Chinese dispatcheaT" "I think his namo is Wun Heap LI," said tho Cheerful Idiot. Indianapolis Press. Ho Must Be. "Yes, he boosts that ho haa lived nearly 70 years without ever having been inside of a bank." "What is he? A bank director?" Chicago Times-Herald. "Oh, you will fight then?" gleefully cried tho fire-eater; "namo your weapons." "Swords," replied the timid man. "Very good, sir." "At twenty paces." Philadelphia Record. "You look very bored. Bobble. Can't you think of anything to do?" "No. I wish I could. If I could think of something I ought to do, and wasn't doing it, I should feel much better.' 'Punch. Even in Days of Yore. "Where is tho elec trician?" yelled Noah, as he groped his way toward the engine-room. Thus, even In tho days of yore, was there much commotion when the arc lights went out- Brooklyn Life. Something Worse Jonson What do you know about the horrors of war? Bronson I know a lot. Jonson You don't know a thing; you stayed at home. Bronson I know I did, but I had to read tha yellow Journals every day. Detroit Free Press. Strength of Character. "Ho is a man of great strength of character and self-control," "How do you know?" "Ho stopped smoking for two weeks once without referring to tho fact eftener than 18 or 20 times a day." Chicago Evening Post. Tho First Step. "What we want to do," said ono of the benighted nation's wise old men. "Is to get civilized." "I know," an ewered tho chief, "but how shall wo go about It?" "Well, I suppose tha first step is to milt killing people by hand and learn to us m- 1 chlnery." Washington Star.