Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1901)
THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAN, MONDAY, FERUI'ARY 18, 1901. te reoraou Entered at the Postofflce at Portland, Oregon. u second-class matter. TELEPHONES. Editorial Rooms loo J Business Office.. ,CC7 REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Br Mall (postage prepaid). In Advance gaily, with Sunday, per month ...$ 65 Dally, Sunday excepted, per sear 7 50 Dally, with Sunday, per year 0 00 Sunday, per year 2 00 The Weekly, per year .. 1 60 The "Weekly. 3 months &0 To City Subscribers Dally, per week. dellvered.5undays excepted.lSe Dally, per week delivered. Sundays lncluded.20c POSTAGE RATES. United States, Canada and Mexico: 10 to 10-page paper......... ..........lc 10 to 32 page paper 2c Foreign rates double. News or discussion Intended for publication In The Oreconlan should be addressed Invaria bly "Editor The Oreconlan," not to the .name of any Individual. Letters relating to advertis ing, subscriptions or to any business matter should be addressed simply "The Oregonlan." The Oreronlan does not buy poems or stories from individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to It without solici tation. No stamps should be Inclosed for this purpose. Puget Sound Rhtow Optnln A. Thompson, omce at 1111 Pacific nvenoe. Tacoma. Box 035. Tncoma Postffice. Eastern Business Omce 17. 43. 49 and 59 Tribune building. New Tork City: 4C9 "The Rookery," Chicago; the S. C-Beckwlth special agency. Eastern representative. For ale In San Francisco by J. K. Cooper. 740 Market street, near the Palace Hotel; Gold smith Broi.. 23(1 Sutter street: F. W. Pitts. 1008 Market street; Foster & Orear, Ferry News stand. For sale In Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner. 259 So. Spring street, and Oliver & Haines. 100 So Sprrng street. For enle in Chlraco by the P. O. News Co., 217 Dparborn street. For alo In Omaha by H C. Shenrs. 105 N. F'xteenth street, and Barkalow Bros.. 1C12 Farnam street. For sale In Salt Lnke by the Salt Lake News Co 77 W Second S-mth street. For sale In New Orleans by Ernest & Co.. 115 Royal street. On Ole In Washington D. C, with A. W. Dunn. 500 lth N W. For sale in Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Krndrlck. O0C-912 Seventh ttreet. TODAY'S WEATHER Occasional rain; pos sibly part hall or sleet; winds mostly south erly. PORTLAXD. MONDAY. FEBRUARY IS So there will have to be a special session of Congress to consider the Cuban question. It is not probable the Cuban Constitution will reach Wash ington before the expiration of the present Congress; and If It should, the time will be too short for considera tion of it. Cuba is going on the as sumption that she ' is to be an inde pendent state. "We promised her inde pendence. It is not to be expected that her constitution will contain any covenants or guarantees for protection of the large Interests of the United States in the welfare or future of the island. Cuba's revolutionary states men could not thus consent to their own obscuration. But what Is special ly necessary to the United States is the recognition by Cuba of our right to supervise the foreign and financial policies of the Cuban Republic; to have the right to Intervene for the protection of American residents and other foreigners in Cuba, and to guard the commercial interests of our people. But under these conditions Cuba would not be a sovereign and independent state. The personnel of the convention that is at work on the constitution is no guaranty of stability in the gov ernment it will create. It represents - mainly the extreme elements of revo lutionary agitation, and it is published as a fact by the newspapers of the Island that there is not one member of the convention who is owner of $1000 of property. There is a Pandora's box of troubles in store for the United States, in our relations with Cuba; and we shall owe it all to stupid dema gogues in our own Congress, who com promised the Nation by needless and foolish resolutions, at the time of the declaration of war with Spain. "When one looks at the vastly in creasing demands upon the property of the state, there need be no wonder that the returns of the Assessors show that it does not Increase, but even de creases In value. In the State of Ore gon there Is no growth of property at all comparable with growth of de mands upon It. In state, county, city and school district it Is the same. In a state of 400,000 inhabitants every thing is demanded that is had in states of 4,000,000. Legislative appro priations run to excess. A public edu cational system is demanded for all children and youth, from the kinder garten to the university everything "free." Then, the "defective classes" those either morally or physically defective must be coddled, at enor mous and increasing cost. Every ef fort is put forth to make state Institu tions of all kinds as extensive and elaborate as possible, even in their esthetic appointments. The inhabit ants of towns and cities, especially those who pay no taxes, or but petty taxes, demand all the conveniences that belong to the richest municipali ties. Politicians encouraee all these demands. The self-styled Indian "War veterans call for state pensions; local ities thinly inhabited demand state high schools, and get them. As a con sequence of these multifarious de mands, there is enormous per capita increase of public expenditure and public taxation. Property, touched with this blast, shrinks up like verd ure under a simoon. It is beyond doubt that the sum of appropriations by the present Legislature will enor mously exceed any previous sum, and provision is to be made by the laws of the present session for vastly larger exactions for the coming years. Let no one be surprised, therefore, at the poor showing property makes on the assessment rolls. Worse, the end is not yet. The "survival of the fittest" should be the answer to the question, "Who shall be the candidate? It is not fairly a question of aspiration at all, for an Imbecile might ask for the earth or a seraph's halo to play with. The best men that can be obtained and elected should be in all places of public trust. Retire the incompetent, put the stal wart mind to the fr6nt, and promote no man on the stupid theory that he wants to be promoted. It Is but a stupid theory of politics that period ically puts sleek and smug mediocrity in power, that makes a bargain and sale, booty and beauty mess of poll tics. The average voter knows the difference between mere aspiration and ability, between a silly, tail-expanding peacock and a sun-scanning eagle. There is no need of the lantern of Diogenes to discover the proportions of a capable man, but It takes a searchlight of great power to make out the fog-built political phantoms who think an office converts the engl- neer and evangelist of a petty faction Into a statesman. The public business needs men who do not find it necessary to offer affidavits as to their own per sonal ability and worth. The public business" ought to be entrusted to a man of conspicuous character, despite the whimpering protest of illustrious obscurities who think they are In the direct line of promotion and ought to have something because It is "their turn." It is nobody's turn. It Is always the turn of men of eminence for abil ity and worth that have lifted them Into the rank of conspicuous citizens. The people need candidates whose fame is not a matter of dim tradition, and whose honorable history there is no need to establish by affidavits. Give us the eagle, who is capable of vigor ous flight, rather than the peacock who is onto' capable at regular inter val of spreading his tail In honor of himself, and asking God to bless the state the peacock has already blessed. The disaster that has befallen sixty five men In the Cumberland coal mine, on Vancouver Island, is but a repeti tion of like events that have from time to time shocked the' community since coal mining became a great industry and coal the most important of the commercial products of the world. Disasters of this nature differ in de gree, but not in kind. Imprisoned men, possibly alive, probably dead, In . a subterranean cavern, the only open ing to which "belches forth redound ing smoke and ruddy flame"; an ex cited throng vainly striving to devise means of relief for the hapless prison ers; frantic women and horror-stricken children wailing at the pit's mouth, and finally cages loaded with intrepid rescuers .descending into the forbidding depths to return with human forms, blackened and distorted out of all semblance to the men that they repre sented a few hours before these are the features .of colliery disaster wher ever It occurs. The one consoling fact In connection with a calamity of this character is that death comes soon, if not Instantly, to the victims of the ex plosion of coal gas In these confined Inner chambers. Less fortunate, In a way, are the contingent sufferers from the disaster the wretched wives and mothers and the appalled children of the men sent so quickly to their doom. To the credit of corporate philanthropy be It said, substantial assistance, often of the best because of the self helpful order, is almost universally given by employing companies to the families of miners who perish in this way. So far as developed, there Is no cause for this explosion' that was in any way avoidable. It is simply the old story. The deadly element which men fancy they control, for the mo ment burst all barriers, and human life and human energy went down be fore Its power. Frequent happenings have not deprived such incidents of their horror, nor has the ingenuity of man, though reducing their liability a hundredfold, been able to prevail wholly against them. TI1E AMERICAN SALOON. The career of Carrie Nation has at least done this good, that It has set people thinking about the saloon, and that is something hardly anybody ever does. "We have a great deal of parti san declamation about the saloon, on both sides, but no thought. Now, un prejudiced and careful thought about the American saloon as an Institution will reveal the disastrous confusion which has hitherto prevented the sa loon's friends and enemies from find ing any common ground to argue from. Temperance advocates confuse the saloon with drinking, and there fore when they propose to abolish liquor as a means of eradicating the saloon evils, they encounter an obsta cle which is practically Insurmount able. Very similar is the error of the opposition, which, In defending the In dividual's right to legitimate use of alcohol, mistakenly concludes that this Involves also defense of the saloon, which does not at all follow. No less a historian, philosopher and moralist than Mr. "W. E. H. Lecky calls alcohol "the comforter of the na tions," and when we think of Its use in the family life of Asia and Conti nental Europe, or of Its use among the temperate Scotch and cultivated Irish, we all Incline to agree with him. But Its employment in the American saloon, while "comfort" may be its in cident, results In a combination of dis comfort, misery and disgrace that make us wish Mr. Lecky had modified his definition. The abuse of liquors, obviously, no crusade against saloons can do away; for as It Is, many per sons drink themselves to death who never go Into a saloon. Yet if the sa loon could be abolished, it Is certain the abuse of liquors would be very materially lessened. It is a mistake to suppose that the moving force be hind liquor selling is a Satanic desire to destroy men's souls and bodies. Its'' object is purely commercial, and. the Government recognizes the trade in al cohol as legitimate, along with that in other articles of commerce. But liquors of all sorts can be obtained and used to whatever extent is neces sary without the practice of guzzling at a bar or a free lunch, or playing games for drinks. If they were so ob tained and used, the world would be the better for it. How far back shall we go before we come to the fundamental difficulty with our American life that sends men to swill In the barroom when they should do their drinking moderately at home? Certainly, the explanation is not in the saloon Itself, however attractive competition has made It; for thousands of drinking men never set foot in one. They are better pro vided for elsewhere. "Why, then, does one man hurry off to a saloon while another stays at home? Shall we not at once confess that we lack In domes ticity? The European does his drink ing with his family, either at home or in a respectable garden. European groups In this country do so. Our German Jews, for example, contribute very little to the support of saloons. but almost without exception " they have wine and beer on iheir tables. Few of our British citizens are ab stainers, yet those of them who fre quent saloons are very rare. Temper ance agitation has alienated its ablest allies because it has made it impo'ssi ble for those to aid it who hate sa loons, but believe In the sane and proper use of alcohol. Reform is apt to miscarry when half of Its forces turn savagely upon the other half. "What we need In this country 13 more homes and fewer boarding houses; fewer saloons and more inno cent cakes and coffee, crackers and T beer at little social family gatherings. The passion for public eating and pub lic drinking is leading us out upon the streets. Men do not appreciate the blessings of domestic joys until they have driven them away. "Women do not understand the supreme import ance of making home attractive until their happiness Is wrecked through some more assiduous woman or some more tempting place of refuge. A com mercial civilization inculcates many virtues, such as honesty, frugality and toleration. But it has grievous temp tations, among which is sacrifice of domesticity to money-getting. Regard for the dollar and display keeps our young people from marrying and our married people from having children. Many a man will be drunk In a saloon tonight and many a woman crying at home who would be happy if they had a house full of children, ' calling for Mamma's comfort when In trouble, waiting eagerly for Papa's return from work. Oh, this gigantic tree of Intemper ance, spreading out over the biggest and richest land under the sun we see its branches in the saloon and the criminal records and the divorce courts, but where is its root? Is It our Imperfect American home, slackly loved and tended, sacrificed to ava rice and vanity and laziness, starved alike of parental affection and disci pline, afraid of childhood's pranks and tears, and then complaining at its losses? They were wise In old Greece who taught that the foundation of the state is the family. "Where a man takes his pleasure, there his character Is largely formed. There his soul Is open to influences of good or ill. There his guards are down, there his environ ment molds him. America needs, as Napoleon said of France, mothers. "With the implements God has fash ioned to their hands, they should never have cause to complain that they have been outgeneraled by the tawdry glare and hollow gayety of the American saloon. ANTHONY HOPE'S SECRET. Portland has already had the pleas ure, under Mr. Hackett's able presen tation, of attesting the success of the dramatization of Anthony Hope's "Prisoner of Zenda." How Is one to explain the hold that this book has upon the affections of the American people? Is it because we have hidden away somewhere a sheepish fondness for the ancient moated castle, with its gloomy dungeon, secret passages and frowning drawbridge? Or Is It the sublime audacity of the story that appeals to one? Certainly, there Is a naive and healthy excitement In pur suing the adventures of a normal, every-day man, who, by some strange concatenation of events, Is transformed Into a sort of gallant, cheerful-tempered Dumas hero, and actually per sonates the King of Rurltanla for three months, In this role winning the love of a royal beauty. There Is something so daringly ab surd about the plot that the very orig inality and recklessness of It was enough to insure success with a novelty-loving public. That the book has held its popularity during six years Is due to the fa.ct, that Mr. Hope really has some gift for story-telling. He hurries the reader along through such a whirl of intrigue and knotty entan glement of love-making as to leave him quite breathless at the last chapter. "What could be more fascinating to the democratic mind of today than such sly fun-making with a pasteboard King? This, more than any grace of style or permanent literary quality. Is the secret of the book's unprecedented success. Anthony Hope has sometimes been called a man of one book, yet this Is not entirely just The sequel to "The Prisoner of Zenda," viz., "Rupert of Hentzau," has already been drama tized with some success. His "Dolly Dialogues" achieved great popularity several years ago among matinee girls and boarding-school maids, for their sunny humor and coquetry. He has written two stories with a ''purpose." "Father Stafford" and "Half a Hero," but it Is not these so much as his romances, "Phroso," "The Heart of Princess Osra," and the rest, that have won him readers. Up to the present time, his work has shown no enduring qualities, and it is probable that 20 years from now it will be quite for gotten. DORX OP STATESMANSHIP RATHER, THAN PHILANTHROPY. The eulogists of Lincoln again this year describe him as "the man dis tinctly raised up by God, who came (o the front and literally burst the chains of the colored man." The act Of emancipation is not Lincoln's peculiar glory. It was not executed by him as a humanitarian act; it was forced upon him as a grim political necessity. No matter who had been elected President by the Republican party in 1860, civil war would have surely followed, and a long civil war would surely have cre ated the same situation as that which reluctantly compelled Lincoln to pro claim emancipation. Many years be fore the Civil War, John Qulncy Adams on the floor of Congress predicted that In event of a civil war between North and South slavery would be sure to perish through the Invocation of the war power's of the Constitution in shape Of a proclamation of emancipation; and Theodore Parker in more than one of his political sermons preached before the war predicted that slavery would continue until it was rolled up like a scroll and destroyed through the collls- Ion of a great civil war. From the very outset of the war the pressure for a proclamation of emanci pation had been very strong. It began first In Butler's declaring fugitive slaves who came within his military lines to be "contraband of war," since they were property belonging to the en emy. Then, In August, 1861, General Fremont Issued a proclamation of emancipation from his department headquarters at St. Louis. This meas ure Lincoln promptly refused to ap prove, and officially repudiated. Then, In May, 1862, General Hunter, In South Carolina, Issued a proclamation which Lincoln also refused to ratify. Lincoln did not "sit down" on these early proc lamations of emancipation because he approved of slavery or because he was doubtful of popular support He was not seeking to play the part of a hu manitarian by seizing upon the first pretext for a proclamation of emanci pation; he was an old-time Henry Clay Whig, who considered the preservation of the Unlbn paramount to the ques tion of the destruction or perpetuation of slavery. He had taken an oath to defend and preserve the Union. If he could do this most effectually by saving slavery, he would save It. If the Union could be restored most quickly by wrecking slavery, he was ready to wreck it. He knew that the Union men of the border states of Maryland, Ken tucky and Missouri were not ready for emancipation the first year of the war, and so he wlsaly checked Fremont's hand in August, 1861. He checked Hun ter again in May, 1862, because the fate of the great aggressive campaign of McClellan against Richmond had not been decided. Had McClellan taken Richmond, as he might have done had he been an able and enterprising com mander, by the first week of June, 1862; had the great army of Halleck, 120,000 strong, pushed forward from Corinth and captured Vlcksburg in June, 1862, as it could easily have done, the war would have ended, and a peace would have been patched which would have preserved slavery. Lincoln knew that under these cir cumstances of victory peace could be made easier without the embarrassment of emancipation, so he held his hand until It w'as clear that the Union Army under McClellan at the East had been hopelessly defeated and ths Union Army under Halleck at the West had been hopelessly dispersed by its com mander. Then he was ready for eman cipation, not as a humanitarian meas ure, for it was not an act of human ity, but a cruel military necessity exe cuted not to rescue the negro from bondage, but to hasten 'the restoration of the Union by weakening the sinews of war of the Confederacy. The glory of Lincoln is not the act of emancipa tion, for that was Inevitable in a pro tracted civil war under any President His glory lies In the conservative states manship which persuaded him to with hold the proclamation of emancipation until he could deliver It at the most favorable opportunity for its highest political and moral effect. He refused to Issue it in July, 1S62, on the heels of a great Union defeat; but issued it in September after the Union victory of Antletam. The proclamation did not take effect until January 1, 1863, by which time the war had made such progress that the Union men of the bor der states had no choice but to cast their lot with Lincoln's Administration. The people were favorable to emanci pation as a military measure long be fore Lincoln was willing to execute It. It was an Inevitable outcome of the great Civil War, but Lincoln's great ness lies In the fact that he held It In leash resolutely until lie found a de sirable opportunity to let It slip with his other dogs of war. There was no hu manltarianism about It; it was as pure ly an act of" statesmanship, a military measure, as Napoleon's Milan or Berlin decrees. The session begins Its last week as It began Its first, with the question at Issue whether the state Is to call to lt3 aid in an Important commercial crisis a man fitted as Mr. Corbett is to rep resent Its commercial Interests with dignity and force at Washington, or to perpetuate the present unsatisfac tory regime. If there is any new com plication, it is that the air is filled with ominous rumors that, rather than accept the choice of the majority, the minority will force an adjournment without an election. They can do this, perhaps, but the responsibility Is a heavy one to shoulder. The people of the state expect an election, and they can less afford a vacancy now than at any previous step in our history. Nor will they go far in sympathy with a minority that Insists the majority shall come to it. Meanwhile, the va rious stalking horses of the Mitchell outfit have done. It would seem, their full measure of service. The announce ment that their chief will himself take the field in the" voting today or to morrow is certainly to be desired true. If Mitchell can make It, let him come In and make It. If he can't, let him get out of the way so somebody can be elected. A superintendent of police In Chi cago, when complaint was made to him recently against gamblers, by a man who had lost money on "the game," made the following answer: So you lost your money gambling, eh? What did you play for If you weren't ready to lose? Then, when you lose, you come around here and "roar." You are Just as much to blamo as the fcllowfl you played with. The superintendent was censured by one of the newspapers of the city for thls answer. Now, we think no fault should be found with the statement In itself; but this Is not quite all of It Contemptible as the fellow Is who "hunts the game," loses his money and then "roars" or "squeals," yet society cannot accept the censure of this in dividual as a finality. It has a proper Interest in stopping the abuse; and it may use the testimony of one party or the other, or of both, as It may see fit, as a means toward abatement. Use Is made of confessions of partlc Ipes crimlnls, in prosecution of all offenses or abatement of all evils. It seems that the bill for Improve ment of Soda Springs, Linn County, so as to make it a Summer resort, has gone through one branch of the Legis lature. Now let an amendment be added requiring the state to pay for transportation of the people to and from the springs, and we shall ap proach a realization of the idea of Mr. Bryan, one of whose complaints ut tered last year was that the wives of rich men could go to Summer resorts, while the wives of poor men couldn't Rich men's wives, however, often have costly jewelry, and poor men's wives haven't But perhaps some way will be devised to correct this inequality also. If mirrors and saloon fixtures could feel Mrs. Nation's punishment, her hatchet might strike nearer the evil. If she should demolish drinkers, there would probably be no more drinking. But If Inanimate objects are not an thropomorphous they are just as well demolished, because that Is their nat ural state. Monmouth citizens are fighting vice vigorously. A moral crusade seems to be quite as essential in the growth of a city as a county-seat squabble. The Filipinos, are welcoming the Taft Peace Commission. It begins to look as if there are a liberty-loving people. If It were not for the Oregon State Printer, there might be no limit to legislation. Mark Twain favors consent of the governed. That is why he was a Confederate, ' PESSIMISTIC EX-PRESIDENTS. In the current number of Puck there Is a cartoon In which Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison are represented In the attitude of remonstrance and expostula tion with William McKInley for the course he Is pursuing In relation to the Philippine Islands. Yet there Is reminder that Mr. Cleveland, when he was Presi dent, was on the point of forcing us Into war with Great Britain, on account of Venezuela, and that Mr. Harrison, when President, strove for annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. Puck's cartoon empha sizes the fact that either of these per sonages, were he President now, would be controlled by conditions and the course of events, just as McKInley Is. Very many people, the Salt Lake Tribune says, have tried to Invent a business for ex-Presl-dents. Some have suggested that they be made Senators for life. Others have tried to fix a station where they would be advisory. Some would fix them at the head of great universities. Judging by the disposition which our two ex-Presidents seem to possess just now. It looks as though there ought to be a Presiden tial restcure home provided for them, where they could have warm rooms, por ous plasters, trained nurses, soft music and readers to entertain them, with the classics and the other usual means taken to divert the souls of those who are afflicted with melancholy, until their minds are led up into more cheerful and more hopeful channels. The Cleveland of today Is not much like the Cleveland that was ready to declare war In 15 min utes against the greatest power on earth over some snakes and alligators in Vene zuela. And the General Harrison of to day, who is afraid to see our country a world power, who Is dissatisfied with everythlngr In the Philippines, In the West Indies and In the home Government, is not the same Benjamin Harrison, appar ently, that when a boy fought at Peach Tree; not the same that when President and his Secretary of State was 111, steered the country through the troubles caused by the killing of our sailors in Valpa raiso; negotiated a treaty for the acqui sition of the Hawaiian Islands, and showed himself In every lineament a clear-brained, country-loving American, ready to fight at the drop of the hat, if necessary. The new century has started In loaded up with a vast store of dry rot, and certain great men are demon strating the fact that death Is a good thing In the world; that there Is only about so much In a human life, and that only now and then a brain is able to maintain a continuous steadiness until the outside tabernacle falls away from around the soul and leaves a glorified memory. USURPATION BY THE C03I3IITTEE. Effort of Republican National Com mittee to Lobby Skipping: Bill. Chicago Tribune. The functions of a Republican National committee are not defined by law. They are defined by long-established usage, which Is as binding upon cautious and conscientious men as a law would be. When the delegates to a National conven tion select a National committee they do so In order mat there shall be an organi zation to take charge of the ensuing com palgn. When it Is over the duties of the committee are at an end until the season arrives to determine the time and the place for holding the next National con vention. No such convention has ever as signed other duties than these to the Na tional committee selected by it No com mittee before the present one has ever ventured to assume other functions than those laid down by unbroken precedents. The Presidential campaign of 1900, suc cessfully managed by the present Nation al committee. Is over. That committee 13 functus officio until the Winter of 1903. 1 But it refuses or some of its members refuse to recognize that ract, and Is ac tively engaged in an attempt to Influence in a certain direction the legislation of Congress. It Is not denied that the com mittee Is busied In sending out to country newspapers, throughout the Middle West, prepared editorials and plate news matter the cost of getting up and distributing which is paid out of a campaign fund presumably contributed for entirely dif ferent purposes advocating the passage of the ship subsidy bill. The committee is unwilling to follow public opinion on this subject It seeks to create a public opinion in favor of this subsidy legislation and thereby Influence the action of Con gressmen. This Is a serious and startling departure from the party usaces of nearly half a century. No one has even suggested In the past that the wisdom of the party as represented In both houses of Congress was not competent to decide upon the ac tion of the party concerning measures of legislation as they might arise. It has never occurred to any Republicans that there was need of a supervising or ad visory body to control or Influence the ac tion of the Republican Congressmen. As suredly the delegates to the Republican National Convention did not think they were creating such a body when they se lected the present National committee. They had not the lack of confidence In the party representatives in Congress which would have been Implied In the' designation of the National committee as a Congressional "steering committee." Nor is the Tribune informed that this new policy of the National committee was de termined upon or approved at any meet ing of the full committee or of the Ex ecutive committee. This innovation, for which some mem bers of the National committee are re sponsible, should not be permitted to ripen Into established custom. If permitted, there will be created within the party an oligarchy with powers greater than those which are given to the representa tives of the people In Congress duly elect ed according to law. The Republican Con gressmen should be the first to resent an attempt to establish such an oligarchy. They will do so If they have proper self respect. They cannot afford to Ignore this effort now being made to bring unof ficial, outside pressure to bear upon them by covert appeals to the country newspa pers In their districts. If this procedure on the part of the Na tional committee Is not an attempt to usurp the functions of the legislative de partment of the Government It Is one to usurp the functions of the lobby. It Is difficult at this moment to say which It Is. In either case there Is a manifest and dangerous violation of the unwritten law of the party, which should meet with earnest, prompt and effective rebuke. Three Generation In tke N'avy. There was only one vacancy at large at Annapolis this year for the President, and he has filled It by selecting the younger son of Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfrldge, Jr., with Instructions to report for entrance next May. The young man's grandfather Is Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfrldge, who was retired from active service In 1S66 and Is now nearly 100 years old. He leads the list of retired officers, and the Naval Register shows he was in the Navy in ISIS. His son. Rear Ad miral Selfrldge, Jr., was retired three years ago for age. Still another brother Is Lieutenant-Commander Selfrldge. Sev eral years ago Admiral Selfrldge, Jr., had a son at Annapolis who would now have been a Lieutenant had he remained in the service. No family In the history of the Navy was ever so well represented. SUBSTITUTES FOR SALOONS- St Paul Pioneer Press. The idea that the way to get rid; of the saloon Is to provide substitutes for It which shall be equally attractive to the multitudes who are now drawn to the saloon by other inducements than the mere desire to drink has been frequently advocated, and has resulted In some ex periments to that end which have usually proved abortive. It Is interesting to find that this belief is strongly indorsed as the outcome of a long and painstaking in vestigation conducted In Chicago under the auspices of Royal L. Melendy, and the results of which are embodied In two interesting papers printed In the Am erican Journal of Sociology for November and January last. Probably never before in the history of the temperance agitation has so fair and unprejudiced a presentation been made as In these articles, of the hold which the saloon has upon city populations and o the reasons therefor. The common be lief among that portion of our people who do not patronize the saloon that it exists solely for the purpose of ministering to depraved appetites and passions, and that none patronize It save to be thus min istered to, gets surprisingly shaken in the light of the facts arrayed by Mr. Melen dy. The ministry referred to exists, and no attempt is made to deny the evil there of. But it runs through an Infinite va riety of grades, from tho refined tippling of the first-class 'hotels, with not an un chaste picture on Its walls, to the horri ble coarseness of the dive where the vilest of drinks are dealt out by prosti tutes and panders, and where the scenes of "real life" take the edge off of any lascivious enjoyment which may be found, midway in the scale of saloons, In the contemplation of a degraded "art product." And the saloon, taken at its average, has other and better ministries. But for these other ones it would long ago have ceased to exist, except as an outlaw. The declaration Is made that not more than 50 per cent of the habitual visitors at saloons go there primarily for drink. Quito a number go there who drink only very rarely if at all. Multitudes, es pecially among the Germans and other foreigners, take no more than a glass of beer, and with no more thought of in fringing upon the rules of temperance than when they eat a slice of bread. Whole families of this class spend soclat hours In the saloon, with no thought of contamination In its surroundings. To multitudes of other classes the saloon is tho only resort open for social life. It Is not only "the poor man's club" but "the worWngman'a club." The saloonkeeper furnishes. In numerous cases, rooms where the social organizations of the working classes, their lodges, unions and dancing clubs, can hold their meetings either at a nominal charge or without any charge whatever. For the bachelor tenants of rows and rows of lodging houses more dreary and cheerless than our prisons In their appointments the saloon affords practically the only place where society and good fellowship may be found; where a man Is welcomed even if ho Is moneyless; where. If he Is out of work, others of his own class stand ready to point out avenues of employment; where news and politics and familiar so cial problems are discussed, and where everybody Is welcome to participate in the discussion. Lastly and this Is one of the most powerful attractions of the saloon nowhere else can a hungry man get so good a meal for 5 cents as In the saloon with Its "free lunch" attachment. If he hasn't a nickel for beer, the lunch Is not forbidden him unless he becomes "too regular" In his attacks thereon. The big brewing companies maintain these lunch counters as a paying attraction to promote their sales of beer; and buying the food In great quantities, and expecting no profit beyond that made on the beer, they are able to set before thho saloon habitue for 5 cents a bill of fore which It is Impossible for any 10-cent restaurant to afford. And then the meal is served amid surroundings so much more com fortable than those of the ordinary oneap restaurant that Its seductions are almost Irrcsirtlble. Not Infrequently music adds Its charms to the meal. Toilet conven iences, free to all comers, such as city authorities should provide but do not also add to the forces which draw men to the saloon. Since it Is shown that only 50 per cent of the frequenters of the saloon go there for drink, the theory Is advanced that If substitutes can be furnished which will as well or better meet the needs of the other 50 per cent, then a long step will be taken for the elimination of the saloon evil. The difficulty is, of course, to con trivo and provide these more attractive substitutes. Mr. Melendy does not be lieve that the saloon will ever be en tirely abolished by substitution, certain ly not by legislation. But says he: Gradually some of the causes of the present evil may be removed. By Improvement In methods of lodging the people, as by model tenement-houses. By Increased facilities for obtaining: cheap and wholesome food, such as Is provided in tha coffee-houses of London. By a ministration by proper authorities to such necessities as public toilet conveniences, labor bureaus, public parks, etc. By a more general recognltian by the churches of their social mission, and by a spread of the movement, already begun by the better elements of the community, to furnish places of recreation and amusement, and the means of social intercourse for the masses. By a more general spread of education edu cation In the trades and professions educa tion that leads to equality of opportunity. There Is nothing Utopian in thesw suggestions. Most of them are In process of being carried out The model tenement-house, cheap food resorts, the min istration to public necessities in public toilet conveniences and public enjoyments In public parks, and the furnishing of places of recreation and amusement, and education in the trades and professions, have all passed beyond the stage of ex periment, but they are all on too small a scale and confined to too few localities to exercise the wide influence on the social problem which would no doubt follow, their general Introduction on a scale commensurate with the evils to be corrected, and on plans suited to the conditions which have to be met But when all has been done that can be done to provide counter attractions to the saloon, Mr. Melendy sees In the re sult only a diminution of its evils. He can see no prospect of Its abolition. The reason Is obvious. The desire for stimu lants If not Inherent In human nature Is well-nigh universal. It has existed In all countries from Immemorial time. The means of gratifying this desire cannot be abolished so long as the desire Itself exists. This Is a fact which must be. rrecognlzed In dealing with the saloon evil, and It Is a fair question whether one of the most efficacious substitutes for the saloon would not be the inclusion of arrangements for the satisfaction of this desire within temperate limits amidst associations nnd surroundings which would do away with temptations to excess and to the evils of Intemper ance. Neither Is this an experiment. In Germany, where beer Is the common bev erage of the people, and indeed all over continental Europe, where light wines are in common use for domestic and social purposes, their intemperate use is rare even when drunk In popular resorts. Trafalgar Hats. The Gentleman's Magazine. The year 1S05 was a memorable one, as on October ZL was fought and gained the battle of Trafalgar, and then, as now, fashion complimented heroes by devising toilets named In their honor. So the glorious Nelson was commemorated by a hat the "Trafalgar" and every woman and child adopted the wondrous structure, which would outdo even the headgear of the present day, for these hats were of enormous width, and breadth, something of the sle of a round table, and so loaded with plumes that the wearers must have looked all hat NOTE AND COMMENT Madrid seems to be bidding for fame as the Wichita of Spain. Another transport is on a reef. How many reefs are there In the Philippines, anyhow. It Is rumored that the only person who was surprised by McBrlde's fluke was Mark Hanna. A Kansas saloon wrecking bee, it would appear. Is a peaceful affair compared to a French wedding. A Southern Oregon man wants to know why we need a legislature when we have an Insane Asylum. It might pay the telegraph company to put up a special wire for the exclusive use of Blnger Hermann. It looks as If General Dewet would be able to accomplish a great deal when he really gets to fighting. Wllhelmina has promised to "obey" as wife but not as queen. It's ten to one she will be queen all tho time. General Buller Is said to be the only Englishman who can account for the British failures In South Africa. China refuses to do any more execut ing. Since she has 400,000,000 people It Is natural she shirks from a big job. Bryan and Wooley can give Mrs. Na tion a few bits of philosophy on the ef ficacy of rear platform speeches. If Mrs. Nation were here she might use her little hatchet on the Senatorial deadlock on Washington's birthday. King Edward may reasonably expect to have a long reign but he certainly does not hope to see the end of the Boer war. Since the country is going so fast to the devil, it is positively treasonable for Cleveland to persist longer in retirement The Ingenlus correspondent can always get a dollar or two by sending an al leged Pat Crowe story to a Chicago paper. A Nebraska statesman has married a Cuban widow with $1,000,000. A little more of this and the Cuban question will settle Itself. There Is going to be an extra session of Congress. However, let us be thank ful that the Legislature's labors will cease with this week. Bryan was Introduced at a Lincoln banquet as the "Next President" Al though he is determined to be a private citizen, he was not insulted. W. K. Vanderbilt has started for the Mediterranean. It is suspected that he will look over the Vatican with a view to buying It for himself and J. P. Morgan. The South African war having created a great demand on the part of toy deal ers for leaden soldiers, a number of Parisians have organized a society to op pose tho manufacture and sale of the martial playthings. "The League Against Leaden Soldiers" Is the name of the new organization, and Emlle Zola Is Its pres ident The circular sent out by the league states that the members desire to combat the prevailing practice of French parents who perpetuate the military spirit which Is so prevalent In the Republic, by buy ing toy soldiers for their children. A Page of the Pipe at Windsor Castle holds a hereditary office which dates back to the time of Charles II. That merry monarch acquired the tobacco habit from some of his Virginia colonists, and required a page, who was paid $500 a year, to keep his smoking apparatus in order. In a moment of generosity His Majesty made the appointment perma nent Until 1755 the honor was held by the Duke of Grafton, who got hard up and sold It to a merchant named Harri son, as yueen victoria cia not smoKe, the office was a sinecure, but the de scendants of Harrison are entitled to the privilege of entering the presence of their sovereign at any time. An Oversight Xoteo- Loulsvllle Couiier-Cournal. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat lately requested 100 MIssourlans to name the 10 greatest persons Identified with the his tory of that state, living persons ex cluded. As a result it gives the follow ing list: Benton, Blair, Sterling Price, Eads, James S. Rollins, Eugene Field, Bates. Doniphan, Bland and Bishop Mar vin. The memory of the present genera tion in Missouri does not seem to extend back to the deeds of Meriwether Lewl3 and William Clark, who made the won derful exploration to the Pacific In 1S04-G and who were both Territorial Governors before Benton or any of the elect went to Missouri. They first made Missouri and the Trans-Mississippi known to the world, and are not only without a public monument In St. Louis to record their great deed, but are to be excluded by the vote announced by the Globe-Democrat from the Missouri Valhalla pro posed as part of the International Ex position of 1503. This Is on a par ,vlth Kentucky's neglect to the memory of George Rogers Clark, her greatest pioneer. PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHER5J Acceptable. She Yes, your poetry sounds pretty, but I haven't the least Idea what It means. He Eureka! Then I may hope to get Into the leading magazines." Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. A Helpmeet Interested Party And so you are married now, Lydla? I hope your hus band Is a good provider? The bride 'Deed he is, missus! He got me three new places to wash last week. Puck. Well meaning, but . Puffer For goodness' sake! What's happened to my meerschaum pipe? Mrs. Puffer Why, dear, I noticed It was getting awfully brown and discolored, so 1 put v a coat of that while enamel paint on It. Philadelphia Press. To Settle the Question "You believe, then, after all, that Shakespeare wrote the plays himself?" She Yes: but to make sure, the first time I come across him in heaven. I'll ask him. "But s'pose he Isn't there?" "Then you can ask him." Brooklyn Life. Extreme Provocation. Murphy Phwy were yez whlppln" yer Molke so har-rud th marn ln'? Hannlgan Ah, the young devil sez f me, sez he, "Poppy," sez he, "git yer plcter tuk. an' I'll slnd wan o' thlm to th takcher, Tr a vallyntlne." Baltimore American. Clara (exhibiting photograph) How do you like It? Hattle It's perfectly lovely. "You think It a good likeness?" "Oh, no; It doesn't look a particle like you, you know; but I wouldn't mind that, Clara, you are not likely to have such luck again. It you sat a thou sand times." Tit-Bits. Mrs. Greene I suppose the Chltlings are awfully stuck up since they got that money from Mrs. Chltllngs uncle? Mrs. Qray Not so much as one might have supposed; but I notice that when they have mincemeat on the table they call It croquettes; It used to bo plain hash. Boston Transcript. A Careless Woman Wife Kenry, can't you let me have some money today? Husband What did you do with that dollar I let you have last week? Wife (good-naturedly) , Well. I had to have a new bonnet, and a heavier wrap, and Willie and Katie needed new shoes, and John had to have a new suit, and Frank a new hat and Caroline needed a new gown, and Mary a pair of gloves, and DavlU an overcoat and and and, really, Henry, I don't remember what I did with tho change. Detroit Journal,