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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1901)
THE MORXISG GREdOXIAN, FlttDAY. JANUARY 18, 1901. Entered at the PoctoMea at Poritaad. Oregen. as socaaa-cfaae natter. TELEPHONES. Editorial Rooms ICC i Huiom Offiee...GG7 REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Malt (postage prepaid), la Advance trahy. with Sunday, per month $ S3 x'ai v, Sunday exempted, per year 7 SO pai.y with AuimU). pw year a 09 Sunday, per jear 2 69 She Wlr, per year 1 0 Yfce 1Wkl. 3 months 50 To City Subscribers- Dauy per week, delivered, Saaaays excepted. 16c Laio . per week, delivered. Sundays ine1ud.S6e POSTAGE RATBS. United State, Canada and Mextee: 10 to 16-pare paper lc iG to 32 page paper 2c I"jreln rates double. News or discttaeton Intended for publication la The Oresontan should be addressed lnvarla b.y "Editor The Oreconian." sot to th aarae t any Individual. Letters relating to advertls---5 subscriptions or to any business matter e!uu.d be addreaeed stmply "The- Oreconian." The Oregonian does not buy poems or Etoriea from Individuate, and cannot undertake to re turn any manwecripts sent to It without solici tation. No stamps should be lndo6d for this purpose. Xuget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson, cT-e at 1111 Pacific avenue. Tacoma: Box 955. Ta jrnaPoetfficc Eastern Business Office The Tribune build ing New York City; "The Rookery." Chicago: t.ve 8 f Beckwtth special agency, New York. Fur sale in San Francisco by J. K. Cooper. 740 Market street, near the Palace Hotel: GoM it 1 Bros, SM 8utter street: F. W. Pitts, 1008 Market street: Footer & Orear, Ferry N ks stand. For sale in Los Asset by K. F. Gardner, -j3 Bo Spring street, and Oliver &. Haines. 106 S-prrag street. r sale in Chtcaco br the P. O: News Co., -IT Dearborn street. F.,r sale Jn Omaha by H. C. Shears, 105 N. F'x'oenth street, and Barkatew Bros., 1812 Farnam street. Tor sale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lako News C- 77 W. Second South street. Fjr sale in New Qrioaaa by Ernest & Co.. 115 Roval street. On file in Washington X. C, with A. "W. Bu'n, 600 14th N. TV. For sale in Denver. Colo, by Hamilton & K-r irlck. 80S-912 Seventh street. t 1 TjDAY'S WEATHER. Probably rain; south ed winds PORTLAVD, FRIDAY, JANUARY IS. Tf Is the established cuBtom' for the Multnomah members of the Legislature tD busy themselves every session with amendment of the Portland charter for w j entirely different purposes one I ut lie, the other private. They are al wa:s for reform, but they are also c wajs for plunder. That is, they have c!;Jpcts as representatives of the people, an J they have objects as politicians. A I art of their acta are public-spirited and meritorious, another part are self seeking and reprehensible. It Is un r.ecessary to review at length and spe t -fie ally the admirable business expedi ents with which Mr. Simon has been w.nt to enforce economy upon our mu r'Hpal administration, or, on the other hand, to recount the signal and unre mitting zeal with which he has pro wded delectable rewards for his politi cal friends and bitter pills for his pollt-l-al opponents. We have grown to ex k -ct these things from the adroit poli tician Mr. Simon is accounted by both friend and foe. and from the not too high standard of political action he himself maintains. But reformers might reasonably be expected to inaug urate a new departure in these mat ters Halng wrested the Multnomah ry re mentation from Mr., Simon and his fronds, we have the right to expect that his successors will emulate .his virtues and eschew his errors. It Is a trifle disconcerting to And it hinted fr in Salem, therefore, that In the new charter politics will be mixed with re iurm in about the usual Simonian pro pert! n. It Is possible this forecast is Inc. met, or that, the delegation's at tention being called to the matter, Tlans may be altered before comple tion. In particular we invite the dele gatl n's reflective faculties to the walls and denunciation that were wont to re sound through the length and breadth of Multnomah County and in turbulent mass meetings because the diabolical Simon charter was being prepared in secret and might not be ready for ex amination by "the people" a month or ei before the Legislature met. Industrial circles in the United States might, If they were so Inclined, receive Lord Rosebery's tribute to the power of American capital with a glow of self satisfaction. With our acuteness and nterprlse, he says, two or three Amer ican master minds, directing a great corporation or trust, are "almost Irre sistible." The principal difficulty with this doctrine of irresistibility is that while two or three American master minds are moving .Irresistibly to some specific ends, two or three other Amer ican master minds are moving with equal irresistibility la antagonism to the first set Take, for example, the realm of steel, where our operations inenare British Interests so keenly. It Is not monopoly In this country which brings formidableness, for monopoly only enervates and makes careless. But cur steel interests are formidable be cause out of fierce competition here at home are born closest economies and most effective methods of manufacture and cal Here, for example, is the Na tional Tube Company, whose ambition Is belieed to be nothing short of a monopoly of the steel tube Industry. Put the Carnegie Company has S12.W0, C03 that it must do something with; and as the; tube business looks attractive, it will rut the 512.000.000 into & tube plant at Canneaut. O. Meanwhile, the Na tl -ial Tube Company, which has been getting its raw material from the Ca'r r.cjle firm, is about to put $X,OM,00f to ?3 K w.J in blast furnaces and finishing r-..s, in competition with the Carnegie pc r" It would be wholly unneces sary t follow the results of this com. j-etfth i effort to its outcome of close cr jjftji s and perfection of trade meth- Icls whuh will equip our tube inter jects to give Lord Rosebery, some T-.nths hence, fresh cause for alarm. C mention k not only the life of trade. it .s the source of industrial power. The ertabltehment of a bier exnort jcber mill at Astoria, together with & shipyard to be used in butldinir vm. se'-s t carry the product to the markets Of i if "vwrld. is the best piece of news that has recently come from the dtv by be sea. Astoria is more favorablv situated for an enterprise of this kind than is Port Gamble. Port Blakelev. Chemalnus or Moodyville. and yet these ports have been shipping lumber all ever tho known world for the nast Quarter of a century. The lumber busi- rcss f the big mills in the northern pcrts has attracted to Puget Sound ana Rojal Roads big fleets of vessels. frith xvsultant lower freisrht rates on other commodities whenever business dull "With the exception of the I cargoes shipped from this city by the IPaciflc Expert Lumber Company with in the past four years, the Columbia River has not cut much of a figure in the export lumber trade, and the ad vent of a big mill at the mouth of the river will be witnessed with pleasure by every business man In the state. The value of Oregon's lumber output for 1900 was nearly as great as that of her wheat, and, as there are countless millions of feet of fine timber easy of access to Astoria, the new enterprise, as a wealth distributer, will soon be a close second to salmon. Laws denying to railroads the right to pool have the effect of driving them into vast combinations tending in. the direction of a gigantic trust or monop oly. This movement is now taking the form of community of ownership. This, carried to its ligical conclusion, means that one set of men will eventually control all the railroads of the coun try, and the competition- which the anti-pooling regulation was designed; to promote will be dead. Pooling tem pered but did not destroy competition. Common ownership removes absolutely the incentive for competition. "Wise men foresaw this, knowing that under the circumstances fierce strife for traffic would bring rate-cutting that would soon become rulcous. The law's requirement that all rates should be just and reasonable could not make them so, when railroad managers were forbidden to enter into agreement to maintain just and reasonable rates. Human nature and business greed could not be eliminated from the prob lem. The result was secret cutting of rates and a very annoying disturbance in business. Out of this condition comes the movement for community of own ership and harmony of interest as the only available alternative for protection of the caplal Invested In the railroads. This has already made considerable progress, and It is not surprising that President James J. Hill should now be of the opinion that a law to legalize pooling would be a bad thing. Such a law would interfere with the plans for centralization of railroad control, per haps defeat the scheme altogether, and the Idea Is too seductive to the capital ists for them to abandon It easily. Congress should at once authorize rail roads to enter into agreement to main tain just and reasonable rates, and keep something of the spirit of compe tition alive in our vast transportation affairs. A DDBT THAT SHOULD BE PAID. Captain John Mullan has a claim against the State of Oregon that ought to be paid. The amount of the claim is $10,510 S6. It would be fair also to allow interest upon It at the legal rate, which would make considerable addi tion to the amount, isince the money has long been due. This is no trumped-up claim for Im aginary services. Captain Mullan long ago collected from the -United States the sum of $105,408 75, and turned the whole sum Into the treasury of the state. The money was collected under contract between himself and R. P. Earhart, Secretary of the State. The contract was made in direct pursuance and under special authority of law. Captain Mullan was to have for his services 10 per centum of the amount collected. Part of the sum collected by him consisted of Oregon's Indian War claims, to the amount of 570.26S OS, pay ment of which had been "held up" at the Treasury; and the remainder, amounting to 535,140 67, consisted of amounts stopped against the State of Oregon on account of the direct war tax, levied against the state at the time of the Civil War. The authority of the Secretary of Ore gon, under "the laws of the state to make contract for collection of these claims, was clear and undoubted. Captain Mullan pursued with assiduity and judgment the duty with which he was charged. He succeeded in remov ing the objections upon which payment of the Indian War claims had been stopped, and in getting a warrant from the Treasury for payment on this ac count of the sum of $70,268 08; he fol lowed up this success by pushing a claim made by himself on behalf of the State of Oregon for relmbursement on account of the direct war tax, amount ing to $35,140 67, which the accounting officers of the United States had taken out of sums due to the State of Oregon on several various accounts, and he succeeded in getting this claim for re imbursement allowed, and turned the whole sum Into the 'treasury of the state. He could have kept back his percentum of the amount collected, for his own compensation, but he turned the whole of these sums of $105,40S 75 Into the treasury of the state, expect ing to receive payment of his share through Legislative appropriation. But the Legislative Assembly has never taken action, and he has been kept out of his money seventeen years. This neglect has been most unjust. The state has had the benefit of Cap tain Mullan's services; It has received the money, and payment of what Is due him should . be deferred no longer. Surely the state of Oregon Is able, as It should be willing, to pay its just debts; and It owes no debt more Justly than It owes this one. OBTAIXMEXT OF "COXSEXT." "It may be," said Senator Teller, "that the Army of 100,000 men is not required to put down insurrectionists and anarchists in the Philippines, but those at home," This demagogy was a feature of Teller's tirade against the Army bill. Now certainly, if our an archists and Insurrectionists at home do make disturbance, we shall want a force to put them down. We have al ways done this, and we must continue to do It Again, said Teller: "I am not In fa vor of giving up the islands. I want to hold them because I think that would bo. better for the Filipinos, and that the islands will be valuable to us. If, however, we can hold them only by force, there is no consideration, finan cial, commercial or any other, that will justify us In retaining them." Now, in regard to holding them by force, let It be said, frankly, that there Is no other way. No country, jio gov ernment, holds anything except by force. "Were force withdrawn there would always be active dlssidqnts, in surrectionists and seceders, enough to create a revolution. "Consent of the governed" is a fine principle, no doubt; but it is got only by force. In every case there doubtless will be a lot of twaddle, but to this complexion it must come at last Exhaust their power of resistance, and you get consent of- the governed. This was the way the United States got consent of the governed in; the Confederate States. It will get con sent of the governed In the Philippines in the same way. In the acquisition of territory or the holding of territory we never have troubled ourselves about consent of the governed. We have simply required consent, and have enforced it After conquest and subjugation, consent of the governed presents few difficul ties. It comes as It came in Poland; It comes as It came In our Confederate States. Jefferson himself, putative author of the phrase, "consent of the governed," didn't think of applying it to Ihe Span ish and French residents of Louisiana. They protested, but hewas deaf. Again, the people of ' Florida were not con sulted when that territory was taken over by the United States. Nor, later, were those qf California and New Mexico. The doctrine of consent of the gov erned Is merely a revolutionary phrase, and as such well enough. If the revo lution succeeds, It Is vindicated; if the revolution falls, it becomes a poor ex pression, mere parrotry. Unless backed by force to make it- effective, It has no meaning. Senator Teller wouldn't hold the Phil ippines without their consent Whip them completely, crush their power of resistance, and we shall have their con sent Within a few years they will wonder why they ever resisted, as the late Confederate States wonde'r now. A PCIHTAX ItEXAISSAXCE. The Rev. John H. Wohl, a Presby terian minister, recently lost his life In a shooting affray with Hon. S. D. Stokes, lawyer and politician, at Will iamson, W. Va. The altercation which led to the fight grew out of a very vlo letit and sensational sermon preached by the Rev. Wohl against dancing, in which, not content with consigning all devotees of dancing to hell Are In this world, the preacher said that "the white light and glare of the ballroom are the shrouds of manly probity and wom anly purity." Naturally, decent people who choose to attend a public dancing party don't enjoy having their wives and daughters consigned to hell from the pulpit and described as the pros pective children of impurity. It Is not remarkable that the Rev. Wohl was peremptorily "called down" for his ex travagant abuse of respectable women who saw fit to dance In public, and it is not remarkable that, after firing the first shot, he found that his cloth did not protect him. It Is an Interesting' historical fact that the great New Eng land theologian, Jonathdn Edwards, was forced to resign his charge at Northampton, Mass., because of the In dignation excited by a sermon against frivolous social recreations which he preached from his pulpit. The Congregational Church of New England 150 years ago, when Edwards was In his prime, was a very con- servativ.e body, but It could not endure the frightful anathemas and bitter Invective fulminated by Edwards against many sorts of social recre ation. So the greatest mind that New England has produced had to step down and out of a pulpit he had occu pied for many years. If average hu man nature would not tolerate such in tolerant, extravagant abuse in the day of Jonathan Edwards, it certainly could not be expected to submit to it meekly at the opening of the twentieth century. There is something In the lurid lan guage employed by the Rev. Wohl that strongly recalls the diction of Jonathan Edwards in those famous sermons in which he pictures the fiery waves of hell rolling up from the bottomless pit bearing on their crest the hapless sin ners in full sight of their sainted moth ers peering over the crystal wall of heaven. The resemblance Is so strong that it Inspires the suspicion that the Revt Mr. Wohl, being something of a sensational preacher of the ' Talmage quality, was weak enough to attempt by Imitation a kind of Puritan renais sance of the obsolete hell-fire pulpit dis course of Jonathan Edwards. It is but just to his memory to say that his reproduction of the great theo logian's vivid picture of the kingdom of lost souls was executed with remark able fidelity, but while the intolerance and eloquent extravagance of Jonathan Edwards cost him nothing but his pul pit, the foolish temerity of the West Virginia parson has cost him his life. He was probably vain of his powers as a sensational orator, and selected his theme chiefly because a "hell-fire" denunciation of dancing would at tract a large audience In a small coun try community, and would afford him a' line opportunity to exhibit his elo quence. His weakness and vanity have cost him his life, and, even if he had escaped death, his discourse would have wrought nothing but Inexcusable mischief and discord In his church and his community. The dead preacher was probably a clerical demagogue of the sort that denoimce Sunday news papers without discrimination, object to Sunday trains under all circum stances, and pretend to think the world is going rapidly to the devil because divorces are granted on other grounds than adultery. Dancing, whether de cent or Indecent, whether within the family or in the public ballet, Is de scribed by these clerical demagogues as Impure. All nude art, pure or obscene In Intent or expression, Is- stigmatized as immoral. All this holding the decent use of a good thing responsible for the Indecent abust of it is threshing old straw to evil purpose, for it makes society and churches and preachers repulsive to thousands of people who are neither Irreverent nor immoral, but are thor oughly disgusted with this misdirected enthusiasm for non-essentials to the In creasing neglect of the great essentials of human life and conduct. Do we think less of Washington and his wife because they danced decently in public and private and heartily enjoyed It? The evangelists of this abortive Puri tan renaissance are doomed to failure in their stupid effort to revive popular belief In the musty cerements of an cient New England bigotry, austerity, inhumanity, narrowness and injustice with Its stolid proscription of music, dancing, fiction, art and the drama. The people like peace, order and moral decency, but they have no use for this, renaissance of repulsive .Puritanism, with its silly babble and clamor over non-essentials exalted above essentials. There Is good spiritual work enough waiting for helping hands In every com munity, without wasting moral and In tellectual energy In voicing medieval nonsense and seeking to revivify the buried dust of Puritan bigotry and asceticism. It is a ghost that won't walk. Jefferson preferred four-year Presi- dential terms to seven. His argument was that the people had recourse after four years I the President endangered their liberties, whereas If they wanted him longer they could elect him again. Nothing Is more non-Democratic than the proposal to lengthen the tenure. It travesties the doctrine of responsibility to the people, and of popular author ity. Doubtless the change would be beneficial, .but a scion of Democracy can hardly advocate it with consistency. Cornelius L. Alvord, the defaulting note teller of the First National Bank of New York City, who embezzled $690, 000, was sentenced to only thirteen years' imprisonment. When , we remember that for stealing a horse the thief In many states gets from five to ten years, it does seem as if this bank thief re ceived a very light sentence. It is not easy to explain this seeming lenity of the law to the people, who are disposed tQ ascribe it to "Influence" of family and political friends. The truth Is that the infliction of what seems a light sentence In such case Is due to the law and to the discretion It allows the Judge. In moral equity a man who robs a bank by embezzlement of a great sum of money ought to suffer a more severe punishment than a horse thief, but lawmakers and Judges seem to think that It Is more dangerous to society to let a horsethlef off with a light sentence than a bank thief, for the reason, we suppose, that the bank thief will not probably be able to find a fresh opportunity to rob a bank, while a horsethlef can ajways resume his vocation. In the matter of exemplary punishment, thirteen years seems small for stealing nearly $700,000. The deat,h of ex-Governor Mount, of Indiana, is an exceedingly sad event, in view of the fact that he had reached the point in' his life wherein he was ready to retire from Its active duties and pass Jiis remaining days In peace among his own. He was succeeded In the Executive office last Monday, and, having settled all to his satisfaction, would have retired to his farm today with the purpose of dwelling apart from politics for the rest of his life. There Is nothing to regret, however, In the manner of his passing. Life was sweet to him until its latest hour, and he passed away painlessly and without apprehension of danger to himself or sorrow at parting from his family and friends an Ideal ending of, life when the end Is due. Mrs. Barbauld, a gen tle English poetess of a past genera tion, expresses a wish that thousands feel for themselves, but from which they usually recoil for their friends, In the following lines: Life, we've beon Ions tocether. In pleasant and in cloudy weather; 'Tis hard to part when friends are dear, Perhaps 'twill cost a sigh, a tear. Then steal away, give little warning; Choose thine own time, Bid not good night. But In some happier clime Bid me good morning. Ex-Presldent Kruger wisely; hesitates about undertaking the journey to this country. His real friends share his ap prehension in regard to a stormy jour ney and a fruitless errand, and Insist that he remain in the retirement that befits his age and political" condition, while those less wise urge upon him the attempt to secure by personal ef fprt recognition of the Boer cause by the United States Government. For his sake, because he is an old man and already a disappointed man, clinging desperately to a desperate cause, It may be hoped that wise counsels will prevail In this matter and he be left to the fraternal sympathies of the Dutch people, with whom he has found congenial asylum. The truth of the proverb, "He that meddleth with strife that belongeth not to him is like a man that taketh a dog by the ears," finds, or bids fair to find, striking exemplification in our "mix up" in Cuban affairs. The Indica tions at present are that we can neither hold on nor let go of this mongrel creat ure, half Spanish and half devil, with out danger to ourselves. Cuba, It Is affirmed, cannot get along without us, and It is dally becoming more and more apparent that we cannot get along with her under present conditions. There are two ways to lessen the fric tion between farmers and city "sports men," and both are up to the latter. To Insure more harmony, the dudes must either stay away from the coun try altogether, or, when shooting, give ,over city airs, wear slouch hats and blue overalls, and dispense with fancy fowling-pieces. The animosity between farmers and dudes is provincial as much as anything else. The despicable cowardice of the French sailors of the Russie last week recalls the dastardllness of the sailors of La Bourgogne off Newfoundland. The French are rapidly earning the merited contempt of the world as sailors and as soldiers. It Is quite evident that 'if France shall ever Invade England, Mercler will have to do It alone. La grippe is nothing if not impartial. President McKinley, Secretary Hay, Admiral Dewey and Secretary Root have shared Us attentions with some thousands of others in Washington since the new year opened, the same ness of the symptoms In all cases prov ing the kinship of humanity under af fliction. The West Point Investigation has come just In time to show us the neces sity of tobasco sauce as an Army ra tion. We ought to make better prog ress how in the Philippines, and also the British In South Africa. Representative Cushman, of Wash ington, does not want the Columbia River opened. He should be called to order by his constituents for discount ing the' products of his state. General MacArthur will deport the obnoxious rebel leaders. Owing to the benevolence of our Constitution, we cannot do that withthelr American allies. An incidental significance of Bryan's newspaper enterprise is its testimony to the confidence assured in the result of the election. Reorganization of the ethics of hazing Is needed about as much as reorganiza tion of the Democratic party. China saw there was danger of the powers' agreeing, and forestalled them by agreeing first STORY OF THE PRESIDIO CANTEEN John R. Rathom In Chicago Times-Herald. The organization which has been most active in the demolition of the Army can teen Is jubilant over having won what it3 Reading organ terms "a grand victory." This description of the result, however, is nut complete. It should have read "a grand victory for the groggeries and the dens of iniquity that the W. C. T. U. has been fighting since Its Inception." This statement of the cose Is fair and Just Not a few of the officers of the Regular Army are advocates of temper ance. A rather extended acquaintance among then- leads me to say that not one will deny that the Army canteen has been the greatest aid to temperance that ever existed in an Army post. The real value of the canteen was Illus trated in a striking manner a little less than two years ago at the Presidio at San Francisco. The story will show bet ter than any argument what the action df fhe Senate and House of Representatives last week Is likely to lead to. The Presidio, lying as It does Just on the outskirts of a large city, has always held out an attraction for the scum of the saloon element of the community. This resulted In the establishment, a few years ago, of eight or nine low grogshops which lined both sides of the road up to within a hundred feet of the entrance to the reservation. Into these dens were brought women, music and every conceivable bait with which the soldiers might be en trapped. The Presidio, however, had long pos sessed a canteen managed with such skill and made so attractive in many clean and wholesome ways that the men did not re spond to the temptations flaunted in front of their faces. The profits of the canteen went to the post library. The saloons gradually languished. At least four of them were abandoned to the rats and spiders. The balance struggled along with the occasional patronage of carters and neighborhood hangers-on, with window smashed, doors falling In and everything about tumbling Into ragged dilapidation and ruin. With the rapid work of forwarding troops to the Philippines regulations at the Presidio were more or less disrupted, and among the changes necessary was the continual removal of post officers to places with regiments bound for Manila, In this way the regular sequence of officers in charge of the canteen was abandoned, and one Lieutenant of a cavalry regiment, who occupied this position for a time, took advantage of conditions to appropriate a large sum from the canteen funds, over $4000 In all. The name of this officer is immaterial. He has suffered heavily for his crime; the distressing circumstance Is only referred to because it is closely connected with what followed. When the defalcations were discovered all business of the canteen was suspend ed pending an Investigation of the books of the officer, who had fled to Mexico. The thousands ol men at the Presidio, de prived of the pure beer and the many Comforts of the canteen, naturally enough drifted out to where they could find some substitute for 'these pleasures. They be gan to Invade the groggeries close to the reservation. The few saloonkeepers left there were quick to note what had hap pened. Within two days two of them had painted up the fronts of their tumble down resorts, decorated them gaudily In side with the National colors and cheap emblems of patriotism and were ready for business. What was the result? Before a week was over one murder had been commit ted and two soldiers had been slugged Into insensibility by hired thugs and robbed of their money. In revenge a mob of over 1200 men left the Presidio grounds one night, drew their guns on the pro prietors of tho resortB, causing, them to flee in terror, and completed their work by smashing to pieces everything within the saloons and burning one of them to the ground. Fire engines and squads of policemen arrived with all haste, but were "powerless before the superior numbers of the soldiers, who, frenzied by the bad whisky and rum they had found In the dismantled shacks, were acting like ma niacs. A farewell dinner to a popular officer who was about' to start for the Islands had taken most of tho heads of the post down Into the city, and no aid could be secured In the reservation, from the grounds of which 2000 other men of the rank and file stood and watched the pro ceedings. Finally three Captains arrived, went among the rioters and in five min utes had, them all marching peaceably back to camp. At the subsequent court-martial 40 of them were sent to Alcatraz Island for short terms and afterwards dismissed from the service, and three others, who were believed to be ringleaders In the dis turbance, were given sentences ranging from '10 to 13 years. Many of these men were about to start for the Philippines', and it was pitiful to hear their pleas to be sent across' to fight the enemy, pledging their word that If this were granted they would cheerfully serve double sentence af ter the struggle was over. A few days later the canteen was re opened. Every trace of the grogshops has disappeared, and no other saloonkeepers have thought it wise to risk their capital in seeking the trade of the soldiers. The story Illustrates what the canteen means to an Army post, and Incidentally how far the cause of temperance will really be aided by its abandonment Is Mr. Gilchrist Quite Correct? New York Sun. A very curious petition was presented to the United States Senate on the 3d Inst, by Mr. Thurston, of Nebraska; re ferred to the committee on. territories, and ordered to be printed. It bears the signature of Mr. L. W. Gilchrist, of Seat tle, and prays for radical changes in the mining laws of Alaska, declaring that the statutes which govern the location of placer mines there were enacted In 1S72, and ore not adapted to the conditions which now exist The petitioner asserts that thousands of good miners are forced to leave Alaska by the frauds which are committed under the law permitting the location of claims under power of attor ney. In enumerating four "things that prevented the opening of thousands of claims" during the past Summer, Mr. Gilchrist specifies as the fourth count In, his indictment: "Fourth The Judicial cus sedness of the United States Court that landed in Nome July 19, this season." The petitioner concludes his paper by saying: "The fourth Item, the Judicial Court of the Second District Court of Alaska (sic) 1 will take up In another article." What this means we do not know, but It seems as though a Senator of the United States ought to be careful not to procure an In temperate assault of this kind to be printed as a public document unless It is supported by trustworthy specifications. Where Reform Beelns. Chicago Journal. Dr. Emll G. Hicsch, now, as ever, con spicuous for hard-headed, common sense, went to the heart of the problem which confronts Chicago when he said at the real estate men's banquet: "Let us drop spasmodic reform movements, crusades against vice by long-haired men and short-haired women. Let us enter upon a life of civic righteousness that will be devoid of such things as do no real good and accomplish no.thlng lasting." "Civic righteousness" that 13 the need of Chi cago today; a civic righteousness that will compel the man who thinks himself a good citizen to become a good citizen in very truth: thst is a citizen who is in terested in obtaining and securing good government and who realizes that tho only way to obtain and secure good gov ernment is to join his ward club and go, to the primaries as well as to the polls. CARLISLE'S CURIOUS ASSERTION New York Tribune. It has all along been contended that the anti-administration position oh the Con stitutional question was founded on the Dred Scott case. It was been denied as a wicked libel, and Democrats have fallen into the habit In writing and speaking on the subject of quoting Chief Justice Taney's decision with careful omission to Identify the quotation for the public, who rightly discredit that decision as an ex tra judicial deliverance meant to take from the people their liberty of dealing with a political question. Now ex-Secretary Carlisle comes forward with the avowal that the Porto Rlcan-Phllllpplne question is the Dred Scott question over again. He says we have the Dred Scott case "with the negro eliminated." "The negro eliminated 1" What is the Dred Scott case with the negro elim inated? As much a matter of law as the Constitutional expositions of John C. Cal houn or the political extravagancies of John Randolph. With the negro left out, It Is- nothing, for the negro was the sum and substance of it With the main point under consideration eliminated it Is mere dictum. Indeed, even with the .negro left In all its discussions of the Constitution in the territories, which is the essential point now at Issue, were mere dicta. The Supreme Court, considering the appeal of Scott from the courts of Missouri to the Circuit Court of the United States, de cided that he was not a citizen capable of suing In Federal courts If by the law of the slave state In which he was a res ident he was still a slave. Bryce, in "The American Commonwealth," says of the case: This was the point which actually called for decision; but the majority of the court, for there was a dissentient minority, went fur ther, and delivered a variety of dicta on vari ous other points touching the lesal status of negroes and the Constitutional view of slavery. This judgment, since tho language used In It seemed to cut oil the hope of a settlement by the authority of Congress of the then pendlns disputes over slavery and Its extension, did much to precipitate the Civil War. Von Hoist pronounces the decision a political enormity, based upon the fact that the decision went beyond the record, and comments ol the delusion that the court- should settle political and moral questions. The historian of the Supreme Court declares that "the real wrongdoing of which the Chief Justice was guilty was in attempting by extra Judicial utter ances to enter upon the settlement of questions purely political, which were be yond the power of Judicial authority." With the sustaining of the plea In abatement the Dred Scott case was set tled and the Justices knew it, but at the suggestion of Mr. Justice Wayne, the majority deliberately went to work to see if they could settle the slavery question. Doubtless the step was taken with good motives, but It was "a political step out side the sphere of the court, and tho de cision, however much it may be quoted as revealing the Constitutional views of the Justices, stands ever condemned as a political deliverance. We cannot Im agine that Mr. Carlisle wants to urge the Supreme Court now to make the same mistake. and try to relieve Congress and tho people, of the political ques tions concerning the extension of our country and the taking In as fellow cit izens with us of millions of a strange race. That would mean that the court should assume the treaty making power, and say that lands are an Integral part of the United States and held In trust for statehood which, according to the Dred Scott opinion. Is all they can be held for when, as a matter of fact, the political 'powers have declined so to annex them. because with their vast barbarian popula tion and distant situation they are ut terly unthinkable as states of the Union. Such an act, instead of helping the' Fil ipinos to independence, as some imagine, would bind them closer to us. Mr. Car lisle has said he cared not for policy, but merely for law. Yet he turns and In the name of law asks the court to follow blindly a purely political deliverance, the giving of which history records as the greatest mistake the court over made. PLEASAXTHIES OF PAIIAGRAPHEUS A Severe Blow. "That will be a popular song," commented the composer's friend. "Is It as bad as that?" groaned the composer. Detroit Free Press. Miss Styles Do you know, I think this oloak must look awful. Miss Ames The Idea' Miss Styles At any rate. It Is Just as comfortable as It can be. Boston Transcript. Thought Better of It. "Might I Inquire whose umbrella that Is you are carrying?" asked Mr. Perrysville of Mr. Westpark. "You might." "Then I won't." Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph. Domestic There's a gentleman wants to see yer on business. Master Well, aik him to take a chair. Domestic He's taking 'em all, and the table, too. He comas from the furni ture shop I Punch. His "Worship (to prisoner who has been up every month for years) Ebenezer Noakes, aren't you ashamed to be seen here so often? "Bless yer Worship, this place Is respectable tersome places where I'm seen." Tit-Bits. Their Future Reward. "I do not see," said Prince Chlng, "where you and I will get any fame out of this." "Tut, tut," replied LI 1 Hung Chang. "Walt until the historical nov elists take up the suoject." isaiumore Amer ican. One Point of Difference. "What's the mat ter with you?" asked the sympathetic friend; "an attack of crip?" "No, this isn't grip. I haven't time to stay at home and send for a doctor. This Is simply a bad cold." "Washing ton Star. monument Place. Indianapolis News. (Read by James Whltcomb Riley In Indianapo lis last week.) A monument for the soldiers I And what will ye build It of,? Can ye build It of marble, or brass, or bronze, Outlasting the soldiers' love? Can ye glorify It with legends As grand as their blood hath writ From the Inmost shrine of this land of thine To the uttermost verge of It? And the answer came: We would build it Out of our hopes mads sure. And out of our purest prayers and tears, And out of our faith securo; We would build It out of the great white truths Their death hath sanctified. And the sculptured forms of the men in arms, And their faces ere they died. And what heroic flj-urcs Can the sculptor carve In stone ?t Can the marble breast be made to bleed And the marble lips to moan? Can the marble brow be fevered? And the marble eyes be graved To look their last as the nag floats past On the country they havo saved? And the answer came: The figures Shall all be fair and brave. And, as befitting, as pure and white As the stars above their grave! The marble lips and breast and brow Whereon the laurel lies. Bequeath us right to guard the flight Of tho old flag In the skies. A monument for the soldiers I Built of a people's love, And blazoned and decked and panoplied With the hearts ye built it of I And see that ye build it stately, In pillar and nlohe and gate, And high In pose as the souls of thosa It would commemorate! 1 ' Invocation. WHIttler. Our fathers' God! From out whose hand The centuries fall like grains of sand. Wo meet today, united, free. And loyal to our land and Thee. To thank Thee for the era dons And trust Thee for the opening one. For art and labor met In truce, , For beauty made the bride of use. We thank Thee; but withal we crave The austere virtues strong- to save The honor proof to place or gold. The manhood never bought or sold! Ob! make Thou, us through centuries long. In peace secure, in Justice strong; Around our gift of freedom draw The safeguards of our righteous law; And. cast In some diviner mold. Let the new cycle sbatao too old. NdTE AND COMMENT. The last ditch is usually the first hole a candidate far United States Senator gets Into. The Boers have -not. yet replied to- the 1 British peace proposals: "This Is. so sud den!" Between kidnapers and Dukes, equaliza tion of riches Is in a fair way to be con summated. Minister Conger is opan to offers to ex change pulpits with any one In a civil ized country. What a beon a Federal office Is to a man, who needs the time to lobby for a United States Senator! The recent affair in Kansas ought to boom the sale of that once-popular novel, "The Leavenworth Case." The professors at Stanford University now greet each other with, "Good morn ing; have you resigned?" If diplomacy consists In securing delay, a college In, that science could be profit ably established In Pekin. There Is one consolation about Senator McBrlde's presence in Oregon. He Is not badly missed in Washington. Mr. Bryan said there would be no ad vertisements in the Initial number of the Commoner. How about his own? He who lights and runs away May get chased down and killed seme day. But he who has the nerve to stay "Will get there In the end, like Quay. Now Hawaii is after river and harbor Improvement. It must be admitted that there are some drawbacks to expansion. How many Indian War "Veterans are en titled to appointment on the committee which will go to Washington? Don't all speak at once. The desirability of Guam as a place of exile for Filipinos will bo largely aug mented by restoring Captain Leary to command there. k Carneglo is endowing libraries, painting and arts, things which are entirely non productive. How would It do for him to endow the biggest pumpkin? Congressmen who fall to attract atten tion In Washington always have the re source of achieving fame by drinking a few gallons of patent medicines. Queen Wilhelmina's prospective bride groom, who Is a High Dutchman, must become n Low Dutchman before he mar ries. As he has already descended from a long line of noblemen, he ought not to refuse to make this further drop. Secretary Long advises revival of tho grade of Vice-Admiral and promotion of Sampson. Since the embalmed beef con troversy has been revived; it seems en tirely within propriety to do the same with the Sampson-Schley logomachy. If the professors at Stanford think the old lady Is not running the whole shebang they now have caution to revise their es timate. If they think Leland Stanford was an embezzler they should think again. If Mrs. Stanford insists that twice two are six she cannot be else than right. The Legislature appropriates S2000 for the purpose of sending a delegation of five Indian War Veterans to Washington, to beg Congress for pensions for aurvlvops of our Indian wars. When they get thero they may expect a reception. They prob ably will be told to "keep off the grass." Time was, when, recking naught of war's alarms. The soldier gladly hailed the call to arms. Yet paused, ere starting, v. Ith a moistened eyo To bid his weeping love a sad good-bje. He knew the perils of the erusl war. And sighed to think he ne'er might see her more. But now, the maiden with the aching heart Most keenly feels how bitter 'tis to part. When he who folds her in his fond embrace Confides to her, wth ansulsh-strlcken face, That h has but a few brief moments yet, Ere West Point claims him as a raw cadet. Indeed it is a hard problem the girls of the High School Alumni Association are up against. So many of them are eliglblo for matrimony that the proposal to bar "outside" men Is perfectly awful. It was bad enough to have "outside" girls n their way, but this new scheme is too mean' for anything. It really does look as If something will have to 'be done to decimate the feminine membership of the association so that the rest may have some show. There Is a heroic but effect ive way of accomplishing this. We have four bridges across the Willamette, free ones at that, which the sisters of tho alumnae may use for their self-sacrificing purposes. The attention of the public is called to the pitiable case of the Woodstock As sociation for Keeping Women Standing In Street Cars, an organization formed of clerks, bookkeepers and salesmen who llvo In" the vicinity of that suburb, and who are band'ed together for the' purpose the name Indicates. The cars bound outward In the evening, on which these unfortun ates are compelled to ride, are always crowded with working girls, who, having been on their feet alf day, naturally hurry from their places of employment In the evening to secure seats, that they may enjoy 20. or 30 minutes of the rest they so much need. The association alms to prevent this Interference with Its mem bers' comfort, and achieves a bullseye. The enterprising youths who compose It meet tho cars at the Morrison-street bridge, ride around the loop to Third street, and are already In the seats when the girls arrive. If any member surren ders his seat to ,a woman he la fined 10 cents, an amount which cuts a wide swath in his weekly salary. The advantage of organization is apparent It can be read-' ily seen that no one who could qualify for membership In such a club would have the courage to Irritate a dozen tired" girls by sprawling in his seat when some particularly feeble old woman comes Into the oar and clutches nervously at a strap for support, but united they feel able to withstand any attack. As most of the members at their work sit on stool or loaf over counters, the sitting habit Is Btrong upon them, and It may be guessed that they are loath to shake It off. As a result It Is Impossible for a girl or woman to obtain a seat in one of tho cars patronized by the association unless some workingman or cripple happens to be ahead of a member and has a seat to yield to her.' Yet the association Is . still In need of sympathy, for, for some occult reason, public opinion Is against It, and the members are threat ened with persecution and the forclblo abridgment of their Inalienable right to make hogs of themselves by certain ath letic persons who ride on the cars occa sionally. Against a few worn-out girls their organization Is effective, but It will go to pieces If a man (or boy) Is so hard, hearted as to interfere with its privi leges. Cannot the police step In and pr serve it from bans?