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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1901)
THE MORNING CTREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY. APRIL. 24,, 1901. lte rggomco Entered at 'the Fostofilce at Portland, Oregon, as second-class matter. TELEPHONES. Editorial R6oms 106 1 Business Office... 067 REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Mall (postage prepaid). In Advance Dally, -with Sunday, per month $ S3 Daily, Sunday excepted, per year......... 7 50 Dallj, -with Sunday, per year. fl 00 Sunday, per year ......... ............ 2 00 The Weekly, per year ............... 1 30 The Weekly, 3 months ......;.,.:.... CO To City Subscribers Daily, per week, delivered, Sundays excepted.lpc Daily, per week, delnered, Sundays lncluded.20c POSTAGE RATES. "Cnlted States. Canada and Mexico: 20 to 10-page paper.. ...... .............. .lc 10 to 32-page paper.......... ......... .......2c Foreign rates double. News or discussion Intended for publication In The Oregonian should be addressed invaria bly "Editor The Oregonian, not to the name of any Individual. letters relatlns to advertis ing, subscriptions or to any business matter should be addressed simply "The Oregonian." The Oregonian does not buy poems or stories from individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to it without solici tation. Ko stamps should be Inclosed for this purpose. Fuget Sound Bureau Captain A- Thompson, office at 1111 Pacific avenue. Tacoma. Box 933, Tacoma Postofflce. Eastern Business Office 17, -18, 49 and 50 Tribune building. New York City; 4C9 "The Rookery," Chicago; the S. C. Beckwlth special agency. Eastern representative. For sale In San Francisco by J. K. Cooper, 746 Market street, near the Palace Hotel; Gold smith Bros., 236 Sutter street; F. W. Pitts. 100S Market street; Foster & Orear, Ferry news stand. For sale In Xas Angeles by B. F. Gardner, 259 So. Spring street, and Oliver & Haines, 100 So. Spring etreet. For sale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co., 17 Dearborn street. For sale In Omaha by H. C Shears, 105 "N. Sixteenth street, and Barkalow Bros., 1012 Farnam street. For eale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News Co., 77 "W. Second South street. On file In Washington. D. C, with A. W. Dunn, 500 15th N. TV. For sale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrlck, 806-912 Seventh street. TODAY'S WEATHER. Fair, with north westerly winds. ' PORTLAND, -WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24. "THE OREGOX CEXTEXXIAL." If, for the celebration of the year 1905, we should adopt the name THE OREGON CENTENNIAL, we should have a name that has a specific, definite and historical mean ing. There would be simplicity in it and impressive history in it, with local and National significance in combina tion. Nobody would be compelled to stop to ask what it meant. It would mean as much for other states carved out of the great Oregon coun try as for the present State of Oregon. Sub-titles could be made emphasizing the Lewis and Clark expedition, as the leading feature of the general celebra tion. What is needed above all else for this, occasion is a name that will bring to the front the historical significance of the acquisition of Oregon and of the expansion of American empire across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Will not "The Oregon Centennial," as the name for the occasion that signalizes and celebrates this great event in the history of the United States, be as good a name as any, or the best name of all? The Oregonian has no desire to be dog matic, but only suggestive. The idea of an American Pacific exposition may come in also with great propriety, as well as the idea of a gateway opened to the Orient through our position on the Pacific- shore of America. "The Ore gon Centennial" would probably strike the mind of the whole country with as much force as any other name that could be adopted. It would tell its own meaning. It would bring before the general mind the importance of the ac quisition of the vast region that con stituted our first National footing on the Pacific. Going before Congress to ask for support, we should not be obliged to tell what this centennial was. Acquisition of the Oregon country was second in importance, in the history of our National expansion, only to the ac quisition of Louisiana if indeed it can he rated in Importance inferior to that It was by conquest that we took Cali fornia and other territory from Mexico, long after we had occupied Oregon; but the territory of these Northwest States we obtained at a much earlier day by discovery, exploration and settlement. The centennial of this great event is now at hand. Can we do better than to call it "The Oregon Centennial"? This appellation, it Is fairly said, would include everything we desire to bring forward for commemoration. Every thing pertaining to the Oregon country is in it discovery, exploration, expan sion, settlement, making of states, Na tional position on the Pacific, command of the commerce of the Orient The name will tell its story at a glance. Of the multitude of names suggested, The Oregonian, after balancing them all and expressing some preference hitherto for certain ones over others, is inclined now to think that "The Oregon Cen tennial" might perhaps be best of all. The Congress of the United States will pay attention to a great event in our National history. It will not consider a mere exposition. We must get help from Congress on the plea of the Na tional importance of the event we cele brate, and then make the exposition ourselves. EFFECT OF ACCUMULATED SAVIXGS No fact is more momentous in the financial world, no fact goes farther in explanation of many current industrial phenomena, than the accumulation bf savings. This it is which has lowered interest rates, promoted purchases of commodities, tempted corporations to inflation of capital and sent an army of speculators to every kind of investment brokers. An interesting incident of this general movement 'is 'the "migration of note brokerage from New York to the interior. New York's decline In note broker age is due to two causes. The first is that New York merchants have been making money rapidly, liquidating their merchandise accounts and therefore borrowing less money. The second and more far-reaching cause is that interior banks, also accumulating heavy bal ances, have been able to carry large deposits with their New York corre spondents, and at the same time find themselves with accumulated resources for which they can find no more prof itable use than holding at home .the commercial paper that used to be re dlscounted in New York. Here is an indirect source of activity in stocks. The "rise of extensive com mercial brokerage in Chicago, St Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, Denver, Detroit St Paul and Minneapolis, with the en- 1 trance of Eastern brokers Into these fields, and with the incidental decline in' rates of discount, has thrown New York investment institutions into the security market. - High deposits in New York and narrowing of the discount field have created 'additional demand in the stock market and In the market for investment securities. Reduction in interest rates is of de cided benefit to industry and trade in many aspects; but as much cannot be said for the fever of speculation that grows out of swollen savings pressing upon investment markets: Overcapital ization Involves f creed and disastrous liquidation some day, and that means panic and for many ruin. Multiplica tion of farms, factories and stores, rail roads and steamships, is a legitimate form of relief from the congestion of idle capital; but its application Is lim ited. It is only in the subjugation of the waste places of the earth and in uplift of the backward peoples to higher capacity of production and con sumption, that the stupendous surplus of Western civilization can be profit ably utilized. POTEXT AGENCIES FOR PEACE. How many policy-holders in the New York Life Insurance Company will hope for peace between Great Britain and Russia, since that company has sub scribed several millions of the new British war loan? Not many, proba bly, but if they fully realized the proper relations of things, they might very properly become active allies of the peace society. If the New York Life puts $15,000,000 into British consols, and in a war Russia should defeat Japan and Great Britain In Asia and France should destroy the Channel squadrons and the Continental allies should oc cupy London, it would make a great deal of difference to the New York Life and would probably make a good deal of difference to Its policy-holders. But the indirect owners of the $50, 000,000 of American money going into this British loan have representatives who will take care of their interests in this and in other matters. The finan cial agencies for the various trust funds that are put into the loan know well enough the danger that war Involves to such securities, and their influence is certain to be on the side of peace. How easily our great strikes have been set tled of late, some of them even before they were declared, since financiers in stead, of mere operators 'have-been in supreme control of industrial consolida tions! An expert on railroad financiering de clared at the time of railroad failures a few years ago that the cause of those failures was Inefficient management. The officers knew how to operate, but they didn't know how to run the busi ness end of a great corporation so as to make both ends meet This is a diffi culty we are not likely to witness soon again. Combinations have been made so that a railroad system now Is an affair of such magnitude as to require first-class financial talent to look after it and stockholders are growing wise enough to Insist that their money shall be handled by financiers who know their business. These great masters of finance want peace peace between capital and labor, peace between rival aggregations of wealth and power, peace between na tions. This war loan hasdepressed the price of consols to 95, a warning the financial world will not fall to heed. Great wars are rendered a little lesst likely with every great loan floated. The savings of the world are drawn up in armies that rulers can no longer afford to defy. NEW EXGLAXD AXD OLD ENGLAND. Arnold White, an English pessimist asserts that there has been a physical degeneration of the inhabitants of the British Isles during the past 100 years. Of 11,000 men who offered themselves In the Manchester district for military service In the Boer War, 8000 were re jected, and of 3000 men accepted only 1200 attained the moderate standard of chest measurement and muscular power which the military authorities required. These figures are not a fair standard of the average English physique, however, for the men examined were doubtless large mill operatives, who presented the inferior kind of physique that would be expected from a century of factory life which embraced men, women and chil dren. Among the English middle class and the aristocracy, it is said, the Eng lish women are taller, stronger and in every respect of finer physique than they were fifty years ago, and, if this be true it is not likely the English phy sique has deteriorated where it has been well fed, well housed and not impaired by the confinement of factory life. You cannot expect that English mill oper atives would be as sturdy in physique asNtheir grandfathers who were agri cultural laborers and shepherds. Prob ably the Englishman who is a fisher man, a sailor, an artisan or a stevedore has quite as good a physique as his grandfather. Yet Old England has lost something of its finest stock by emigration, just as New England has lost Its best physi cal stock by emigration of Its hardiest, strongest and boldest young men to tho West and the Pacific Coast. The finest physical development in the British Isles has always been found in Ireland, where the population has diminished" nearly one-half since 1S40. Probably the strongest portion of the Irish peo ple emigrated to the United States, Can ada and Australia. Ninety per cent of the finest athletes In America are to day of Irish stock. Nothing "has re placed the loss of this splendid peas antry, so of course Ireland cannot fur nish So many men of stalwart physique as she could In 1798, when the" average physical strength of the Irish peasant was so remarkable that could the re bellion of that year have been decided by fists and clubs instead of cannon and musketry, there would not have been an English soldier left alive In the Island. The Irish physique at home to day has not deteriorated individually, but the enormous emigration from 1845 to 1850 has reduced the population to nearly half Its former numbers, and doubtless hundreds of the finest young peasants go to America at the first op portunity. New England has suffered a similar drain of her finest physique since the flood of emigration began to set strong ly to the West The first wave from New England halted in the splendid, fertile counties of Western New York, but with the extension of railroads the New England exodus did not stop short of the great prairie states of the Middle West, and even before the gold excite ment had drawn attention to Califor nia the wave of emigration had reached Oregon. So great lias been this exodus from New England of her strongest and boldest blood that the native population of New England Is not maintaining its numerical strength. Here are some fig ures for two years In Massachusetts, as, given by the Springfield Republican, which show that the deaths among the native population exceed the births from native parentage, while the nat ural Increase in the population is fur nished by people of foreign birth: Native Foreign Births. Deaths. Births. Deaths. 1899 22,409 34,310 34.23S 12,934 1890 2C.0S4 31,003 31,422 11,508 The vital statistics of Connecticut for the last year make a similar showing. The drain from Old England doubtless lowers her standard of physique below that of the eighteenth century, because the losses are not made good by Imml gration of a desirable quality, as they have been In New England. The dom ination of the New England Yankee is doomed; but his place will be taken by two very sturdy and prolific stocks the French Cana'dian and the Irish. The Irish population of Boston, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence and the other great cities of Massachusetts is of excellent quality. The French Canadians, who have settled largely in the manufactur ing towns, are not only a very hardy race, but are sober, thrifty people. The second generation of Irish and French make good citizens, and New England ideas and institutions are in no danger 6f suffering outrage at" their hands. A considerable number of Italians and Swedes today are setted in New Eng land, and Boston has a large German population; but the dominant forces in New England that will make good the flight and the fading out of the New England Yankee will be those contrib uted by the Irish and French Canadian immigration. If they have not all the Yankee's cardinal virtues, they lack some of his vices of Puritan foundation. STATEHOOD FOR CUBA. Senator Morgan proposes, as a means of saving our interests there and also satisfying Cuba, to offer her statehood. He thinks that this would avoid the ignominy of the Piatt amendment, glve us the sovereignty we want, please the Cubans, and settle at once the difficult problem of annexation. We should say, if certain basic principles of discussion in this country are correct, the state hood proposal is Insupportable. .Cuba wishes to be free, and freedom, we are taught, is compatible only with isolation. To be a part of the United States is not to be free at all, but sub ject. Liberty as it exists under Ameri can sovereignty Is a thing to be spurned and resisted, even at the price of chains and death. These things are well un derstood at Boston and Lincoln and Kansas City. Curious Mr. Morgan has never heard of them. If Cuba becomes a state, she cannot organize an army, nor maintain a navy, nor negotiate treaties with foreign pow ers, nor enact tariffs, nor coin money. She can never claim the right to with draw from the Union, for underthe un written Constitution enacted through four years of war secession is unlawful. To accept .statehood would be for Cuba to bow her head under the yoke of per petual vassalage. We cannot see, in short, what differ ence it makes with the argument of either Cuban prFilipino irreconcllables In the New York' Evening Post or the Anti-Imperialist, what status 'Cuba or the Philippines assume under the Gov ernment of the United States. What t,hey want Is freedom, and freedom means political Independence. The ob jection is to extraneous sovereignty. Under statehood, the island inhabitants would be obliged to swear allegiance to a distant government, to forego the privilege of bearing arms In behalf of their country's liberty, to abandon for all time the dream of seeing it lift its head among the nations of the earth, as Emmett put the case for Ireland. If there were an insurrection against peace and order, bluecoats under orders from Washington would march along their streets and perhaps shoot down their relatives and neighbors. Tax gatherers sent out from Washington would lay hold of their substance. Ap pointees of the United States would stop shipments arriving at their ports, exact customs dues, enforce quarantine and punish Irregularities with an Iron hand. These are the indignities Cuba would exchange for her freedom. It is nothing to the purpose that under precisely these arrangements people in Massa chusetts and Oregon have made shift to survive, lo, these many years. Free dom is simply freedom, and it Is be yond the purview of anti-imperialism to inquire whether any base considera tions of comfort and progress mitigate the abject state of subservience to the distant Government at Washington. All there was in this country of free dom in the anti-imperialist sense passed away with the obsequies of state sov ereignty. NORMAL SCHOOL ABUSES. - Charles R. Skinner, the New York State Superintendent of Instruction, vigorously protests against the amend ment of the revised charter for New York City, which permits the appoint ment as teachers without examination of all graduates of the Normal College who entered on or before February 1, 1898. Mr. Skinner denounces this as "the worst blow ever administered to the educational system of the state." The proof of the incompetence of a large proportion of the students In this college Is shown by the following re sults of the preliminary examination held by the state department 'of public instruction last September for college graduate professional certificates: Freshmen Tried English, 558; passed, 287; failed, 271. Sophomores Tried mathematics, 4D2; passed, 71; failed, 421. Seniors Tried mathematics, 295; passed, CO; failed. 229. This Normal College amendment is an attempt to give graduates of the Nor mal College advantages over all other applicants for teachers' positions, and of course, if it becomes a law, will sad dle hundreds of incompetent teachers upon the schools of New York City. If every graduate of the Normal School were competent, the bill would be an outrage on sound public policy, but the New York Evening Post says that as a matter of fact nearly 15. per cent of each class graduating since 1898 have been found grossly defective in their aca demic work and in their methods of teaching. The Oregonian has always protested against the exemption of Normal School graduates from examination in order to secure licenses to teach as .an utterly unfair discrimination in favor of Nor mal College pupils, since 4t proceeds oh the assumption that every graduate of a Normal School Is thoroughly com petent to teach. O'f course, If they are competent, examination is no hardship, and If they- are not competent, they should not be licensed. Nothing is more absurd than the assumption that the graduate bf a Normal College or any other educational institution is fit to be a teacher. A great many very cheap, shallow, Ignorant folk manage ,to grad uate by hook or by crook from High Schools and colleges of good repute. We have known Harvard College grad uates who were not equal to the pro duction of a fair quality of what pe dants are fond of contemptuously stig matizing as "newspaper English." The press of New York City is de nouncing without' stint the present at tempt to exempt the Normal College graduates of New York City from ex amination, and give them advantages over all others for teachers' positions. There are many graduates of past years who never went Into teaching, 'but are now seeking appointments because of the greatly increased salaries, no matter how much they have deteriorated since graduation. Mount Tabor, Including its crest and its slopes, Is the place of all places round about Portland for a public park. It is near in, easy of access, affords a commanding view, and has an incom parable beauty. The land has been sub divided a gopd deal, yet it Is still within possibility to obtain for the city a tract sufficiently large for a fine public park. A basis is offered In the Smith tract on the summit, now owned by D. P. Thompson, H. C. Leonard and the Green estate. This tract consists of 27 acres. Mr, Thompson has made an offer in writing to donate his one-third of it to the city for a public park, provided the city will acquire the other two thirds. We think Mr. Leonard would be willing to act with liberality in the disposal of his Interest; the one-third belonging to the Green estate would have 'to be purchased from the trustees at a valuation, since there are many heirs, widely r scattered. Favbrable terms, we believe, could be made with owners of certain other tracts adjoin ing. There is no citizen of Portland who would not be glad to see the city come into possession of this ideal place for a park. It would be a graceful thing to concede to those who might he chiefly instrumental in securing it to the city the privilege of naming it. It seems to us 'that the suggestion is a hopeful thing; and we know for a cer tainty that nothing could add so much to the beauty and attraction of Port land, through all future times, as the acquisition of Mount Tabor for a public park. , 1 ' v. General James H. Wilson, In his book on the Celestial Empire, reports that the extent of the Chinese workable coal beds and the quantity of the min eral contained In them vastly exceeds that in any other part of the world. Both the anthracite and the bituminous varieties abound. The coal of Southern Shan SI is not only the finest anthracite, but exists in thick beds of great extent General Wilson says that, even as the increasing cost of coal has lost England her former supremacy in the metal trades to the United States, so "In turn the time will doubtless come when with the exhaustion of the American coal measures the supremacy" in the metal trades will pass on to China, the coal measures and Iron deposits of which are commonly believed to be the most extensive and the most enduring in the world." Very likely this prediction may come true; but long before that day ar rives the Middle Kingdom, in which these enormous coal deposits lie, will be dominated by White men. When the metal-working world of Europe begins to exhaust Its coal deposits it will be sure to get hold of the Chinese coal beds. The Indians of Peru, the Aztecs of Mexico, lost their countries to greedy white men seeking for gold and silver; and the Chinese will surely lose their coal beds to white men when there comes to be a coal famine In the metal working countries of Europe. Europe will develop and utilize China's coal beds; for she cannot afford to wait for China to do so. Pending the report of the Examiner on the actual condition of the affairs of the First National Bank of Vancou ver, criticism of the two men whose lives went out with that of the Institu tion will not be unqualifiedly Harsh. In making false entries on the books of the bank the dead men were guilty of a serious violation of the law, and made themselves liable to severe punishment Bank Examiner Maxwell simply per formed his sworn duty in closing the in stitution. Friends of the unfortunate victims of their own acts are firm in their expressions of belief that the shortage reported was not due to crim inal Intent. If investigation should bear out this theory, censure for what is certainly in the eye of the law a criminal act will be softened by a better knowledge of the trouble for which such awful atonement was -made. Professor Theodore S. Woolsey, a rec ognized authority on international law and the laws of war, shows in an article which we reprint from the Outlook that the methods employed In the capture of Aguinaldo were entirely justifiable, un der the code of war. Fair-minded per sons never have doubted it; nor would our "antis" have questioned the meth ods, had they been employed with suc cess by Aguinaldo in the capture of any of our officers of high rank. They would have taken such achievement on his part as further proof of his Incom parable ability and transcendant fitness to be chief of a great and Independent nation. How would this do for a name? AMERICAN PACIFIC EXPOSITION. - Or this? LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL. Or this? THE OREGON CENTENNIAL. The name selected ought to be short, direct, expressive, historical., To The Oregonian it seems that the choice must He between the above names. The great need, In the front-foot as sessment problem as In all others, Is for a system tha$. will improve every body's property at expense to nobody. Tolstoi's forthcoming novel will es tablish his. claim to a certain degree of sanity. Why shouldn't he profit by his recent extensive free advertising? The1 Colombian rebels will lay down their armspbut RDt, doubtless, out of reach . A'GUINALDO'S CAPTURE Professor Woolsey on the Legal As pects Thereof. From the Outlook. There are two questions involved In the capture of Aguinaldo by General Fun ston which are brdught prominently for ward by much hostile criticism of the methods employed. These are: (1) Were these methods such as are permitted by the rules of civilized warfare? (2) la the contest between certain Filipinos and the United States Government legally and technically war, to be carried on In ac cordance with a definite code or set of rules? The two acts most criticised are, the disguise of the loyal native troops In Filipino uniforms, and smoothing the way for their access to Aguinaldo by false letters, their white leaders being report ed prisoners. Exactly what is Involved in the first of these it is not easy to say. Neither Filipinos nor Macabebes have been supposed to be particular in the matter of uniform. But we will take the facts as reported and as above stated. The convention signed at The Hague In 1S99, and since ratified by the United States, Is the last word on the subject of' land warfare. It Is a treaty binding only the parties to ft as against one another. But it is also the latest and highest standard of conduct in carrying on hostilities. The rules applicable to our inquiry are these. Article XXIII specifically forbids belligerents (b) "to kill or wound treach erously Individuals belonging to the hos tile nation- or army"; also (f) "make Im proper use of a flag of truce, the na tional flag, or the enemy's military en signs or uniforms, as well as the dis tinctive badges or the Geneva conven tion." But article XXIV declares that "ruses of war and the employment of methods necessary to obtain information about the enemy and the country are allowable." The prohibition of treacherous killing does not forbid military ambush, whole sale slaughter by hidden mines, night at tacks and such like; it is simply In tended to forbid assassination, putting a price on an enemy's head, such killing as the "war rebel" is guilty of when, avowedly a non-combatant, he lies in wait for an enemy's stragglers. The use of enemy's uniform to deceive him. This is forbidden also by the Ox ford code of the Institute of Internation al Law. adopted 1SS0, section 8 (d)r and by the Brussels code of 1875 (article 13, F), upon which The Hague rules are based. Lleber's code for the armies of the United States in the field (sections 63, 64) does not exactly forbid the prac tice, but warns those who employ it that they are not entitled to quarter if captured. Deception by forged letters. The cir culation of false news, concealment or fraudulent revelation of movements, put ting forged dispatches into the enemy's; hands, all these are as old as war itself, and have never been forbidden by any rule. They are legitimate "ruses of war." But to break faith, that is an unpardon able sin. Lieber makes this distinction, section 15, when he says military neces sity admits of "such deception as does not Involve the breaking of good faith . . . ;" and section 16 "admits of de ception, but disclaims acts of perfidy." "Were the "United States waging war with a civilized power which was Itself gov erned by similar rules, General Funston would be properly criticised for disguis ing his men In enemy's uniforms, but not for employing forged letters. But, as the facts are, since the Aguinaldo par ty is not a signatory of The Hague con vention, and since the laws of war are only reciprocally binding, there was no obligation on the part of the United States Army to refrain from usinir ene my's uniforms for the enemy's deception When the wider question of the name and nature of the contest Is considered, we are forced to come to much the same conclusion. The so-railed Filipino Republic is but a body of insurgents against the sover eignty of the United States. It has gained no international standing or rights through the recognition of its belliger ency by any power. The United States has never recognized any other status than insurgency by word or by act, by proclamation or blockade, for Instance. Not being a body recognized by interna tional taw, the Insurgents are neither bound by the' obligations nor entitled to the rights of such a body. In fighting them, in turn the United States is riot bound by the rules which are only bind ing reciprocally when the other party observes them also. But humanity can not be lost -sight of, and acts of cruelty will be met by retaliation. The rules wfilch do govern the United States Army, therefore, in Its contest with the Fili pinos, are those which hUmahlty and the fearvof retaliation dictate. Lleber's code was framed during the Civil War. The South had been recognized as a bel ligerent by many foreign powers, and by the North also in applying the laws of blockade, contraband, and search to it and to the neutral. The circumstances were, therefore, altogether different. Yet, even in the war with the South, Lieber did not consider the rules of war neces sarily and wholly applicable. He says, section 152, "When humanity Induces the adoption of the rules of regular war toward rebels, whether the adoption is partial or entire," It does not work f ecog nition of their government. He thus clearly Implied that if the rules of regu lar warfare were adopted in the struggle with the South It was because of human ity, ana that they might be only par tially accorded. If this were true In a civil war with our own people, recog nized as belligerents, how much more is it true In contest with a small body of insurgents whose belligerency has been recognized bv no one. The question Is thus one of ethics and policy, not of law. But to allow the in surgents to assassinate, to put on and off the military character, occasionally to kill prisoners, and to violate the white flag, while at the same time exacting specific observance of the nicest rules of civilized warfare from the Americans, is -not a question of either law or ethics, tut of common sense. The kind treatment of the ihsurgent leader after his capture is proof that in this affair, as in others, humanity gov erned the actions of our Army. Aguinal do's readiness to swear allegiance to the government of his captors, and the great stride made in consequence toward paci-fic-ntioh, aro proofs that military neces sity justified his capture. Contrast the good likely to flow from the hastening of the end of the insurrection' by means of it. with the offense of the - use of enemy's uniforms a stratagem illegal in war only with a lawful bellgerent and you have the measure of the justice of the criticisms of this affair. Spiritual Digestion. Edmund Gosse In the Contemporary Review. When I was young I had the pleasure of knowing a prominent Plymouth broth er, an Intelligent and fanatical old gen tleman, into whose house there strayed an attractive volume, which he forbade his grown-up son and daughter to peruse. A day or two later his children, sudden ly entering his library, found him deep In the study of the said dangerous book, and gently upbraided him with doing what he had expressly told them not to do. He replied with calm good-humor, "Ah, but you see I have a much stronger spir itual digestion than you have." This question of the "spiritual digestion" is one which must always trouble those who are asked to recommend one or an other species of reading to an order of undefined readers. Who shall decide what books are and what are not proper to be read? There are some people who can pasture unpoisoned upon the memoirs of Casanova, and others who are dis turbed by "The Idyls of the King." They tell me that In Minneapolis "Othello" is considered objectionable; our own great aunts thought "Jane Eyre" no book for girls. In the vast complicated garden of literature It Is always difficult toeay where the toxlcologlst comes In, and what distinguishes him from the t purveyor of a salutary moral tonic. AMUSEMENTS. The following communication, which, al though unsigned. Is evidently from Miss Isabel Dawson, of the La Lole Fuller company, will prove of interest to those who attended the Marquam Monday or Tuesday evening: "Tour criticism in this morning's Orego nian of the Loie Fuller company is cer tainly clever. Indeed very clever at least I presume that is your opinion, or you would not have given it. But why, when you sit in an audience to criticise why don't you keep your eyes, and especially your ears open. Oh. pardon me, you may be an elderly gentleman, and a little hard of hearing, and I am speaking of the Im possible. But there really was a deal of applause you did not hear. Probably you were out smoking at the time. As for your making such a criticism as you did about my Fiske imitation, it really shows that you did not appreciate my talent. You didn't seem to understand that it was merely an Imitation of her, and, really, Editor, when I took it up my object was not for one moment to outshine Mrs. Fiske, an actress of today, as could never in the world be expected of a young girl of 18, and with my experience, although when I am Mrs. Flske's age I may reach her position in thq profession. Greater things than that have happened, you know. No doubt you tnought it a clever way of expressing yourself. Never mind, my boy, It is your way of thinking, isn't it? "But as for that uncalled-ror remark about coming out on my own volition, it Is absurd, because, if you were there, you certainly must have heard the ap plause. The audience seemed to enjoy my work if you didn't I am sorry I bored you so; really I am; only next time you attend a ;how be sure to get a front seat, so you can get full benefit of the applause, and not get mixed up as to the Identity of the artists. 'T hope to be able some day, whn I am older and more experienced, to gain your favor as a Mrs. Fiske, and I shall not consider my art finished until I get a criticism from you, because I know It will be such a help to me. Au revolt." IUIhs Chapman's Tarn. PORTLAND. April 23. (To the Editor.) We beg a little space In which to cor rect a statement made in this morning's Issue by a disappointed admirer of Miss Dean. To say the success of "A Bachel or's Romance" was largely due to the artistic work of Miss Dean, is erroneous. "While we recognize her efficient work as Sylvia, that character is not the pedestal upon which the play stands for without the David bf Mr. Neill the play could not stand at all, and while we admire her careful and conscientious treatment of every character assigned her, and readily recognize the improvement in her work over that of last year, we cannot agree with the statement that to her work the success of the "Romance" was largely dtie." There are many women on the stage who can play "Sylvia" equally as well all this without disparagement to Miss Dean, for we, too, admire her, and her Sylvia upon previous engagements of the Neill Company received Its just commen dation. To compare "Under Two Flags" with the "Bachelor's Romance" is like com paring the wild flower of the forest with theNsensltlve plant of the conservatory, and the two plays only prove the versi tiiity of the able Neill Company. To our mind, Miss Chapman's Cigarette was bne of the finest pieces of feminine acting ever seen on the Marquam stage. She reaches the height of genius and we shall hope and expect to see her with greater opportunities In the future. Miss Dean's Princess In the same play was done in her usually fascinating style, and the scene between the two women in the third act was one of the strong situ ations of the play. tMiss Deari's disap pointed admirer must not expect her to receive praise equal to that due Miss Chapman when seen in such characters as Cigarette, for she undoubtedly over shadowed the entire company, not ac cepting the star himself. The disappoint ed one will honestly admit that Miss Dean does not deserve the praise given to Miss Chapman, who can ably portray charac ters that Miss Dean would not dare at tempt. We consider Sunday's criticism very Just AN ADMIRER OF BOTH. He Is Married. A correspondent asks it James Neill, Tt-hn lntplv finished an encasement at the Marquam, Is married, and, if so. If his wife is with the company. Mrs. Neill ap pears under the stage name of Edythe Chapman, and Is the leading lady of the company. COMING ATTRACTIONS. Miss "Walsh's Strongest Play. Miss Blanche Walsh has essayed numer ous roles In her even brief stage career, but apparently none in which she has achieved such a triumph as Is claimed for her in the portrayal of the character of Josephine. Miss Walsh is enacting that part in the adaptation of Entile Ber gerat's play, founded on the romance of Josephine and Napoleon, and titled in English. "More Than Queen." The char acter Is one of great possibilities, and one eminently suited to the dramatic ability and personality of Miss Walsh. The period In history with which the play has to do gives wide scope for gorgeous scenic environment, and Messrs. Stern and Brooks, who present Miss Walsh, have given her a production which Is not only correct in detail but magnificent in its entirety. Miss Walsh is surrounded by a company including William Humphrey, Robert Lowe. Frank Sheridan, Ogden Stevens, Ellis Ryse. Katherlne Clinton, Helen Singer, Elizabeth Mayhew, Kate Powers and Emily, Baker. "More Than Queen' will be the attrac tion at the Marquam Grand April 5, 28 and 27, with a matinee Saturday at 2 P. M. During Miss Walsh's engagement the curtain will rise promptly at S o'clock. The sale of seats opened yesterday (Tues day) morning, and Indications point to crowded houses for the entire engage ment. Florence Roberts nt Corurny's. An attraction of more than usual merit will be that of the Florence Roberts and the Alcazar stock company, under the direction of Belasco & Thrall, at Cor dray's Theater. The engagement Is for two weeks, beginning next Sunday even ing, April 23, presenting the powerful drama, "Sapho," for the opening attrac tion. Florence Roberts Is a young Ameri can actress, whose talent both In emotions and comedy roles has gained the highest recommendation throughout this country. The repertoire to be presented consists of "Sapho." "Carmen." "Camille," a brilliant comedy by Charlotte Thompson, the well known newspaper writer, entitled "A Suit of Sable," and "The Adventures of Nell Cwynne," a version new to this city, and playod only by Miss Roberts. Notes of the Singe. "Betsy Rofs" wa3 produced in Philadel phia with much applause. Some descend ants of the famous maker of the flag were present at the performance. One of the strongest hits of the piece was made by Alice Fischer-Harcourt. "The Prima Donna," the latest musical comedy to be produced in New York, was presented recently with Lulu Glaser in the name part. The critics assert that the play Is lacking in humor, although they are loud In their praises of the singing and costuming. While In Portland, James Neill pur chased by wire Clyde Fitch's play, "Bar bara Freltchie," a charming comedy drama, which resembles Whitter's poem only In its name. Mr. Neill has made arrangements to stage the play elaborate ly, and It will probably be presented dur ing their return engagement here next Fall. NOTE AND COMMENT. The telephone trust will no .doubt be "busy" all the time. Tolstoi must be beginning to suspect that ho Is without honor irr his own couh, try. It would probably be lese majeste to refer to Anarchist Romagnoli as the fobl' killer. General Kitchener has Issued another proclamation. He has to have something to do to kill time. A light vote was polled in Alabama yes terday, the dark vote having been ex eluded from the polls. The English people are said to be tired . of the war. If they are tired, how must the men who are fighting in it feel? A New York preacher says money Is the devil. It certainly must be admitted that It assists In giving a man a hot time. The correspondents have unearthed a Belgian Count with 50 wives. Such a man can scarcely expect to keep dark at Eas ter time. King Edward has purchased a residence In Wales. He will be able to employ a good deal of his leisure trying to learn how to pronounce Its name. The gentlemen of Linn County, after reading Judge Whitney's letter, doubtless are of the opinion that "such contemptible statements are unworthy of notice." No wonder Aguinaldo wants to come to this country. He is afraid he will be as sassinated by some of the atnlgos in Mtv nlla who are still upholding the patrlbtlc cause for which he once fought. When James Whltcomb Riley and BiUi Nye traveled together giving joint enter tainments the humorist had great fun with the poet. Once, in introducing Riley and himself to an audience, Nye remark z "I will appear first and speak until I gt tired when Mr. Riley will succeed ma and read from his own works until you get tired." Some of the privileges of members of foreign legislative bodies are unlqu. Banish members of Parliament can have a free seat In the Royal Theater at Co penhagen whenever they like. The law makers of Norway receive free medifeu attention and nursing If they Tall 111 dur ing the session. The members of Parlla- A ment have extended this privilege to in clude courses of gymnastics, massage, baths, vlne and dehtal work all gratis. M. Achllle Ylallate, editor-in-chief of. Les Annales des Sciences Politlques. in tends to write an exhaustive biography ef, Richard Croker for the Revue de PurX to which he Is a contributor, and has written to Gustavus Myers, author of "The History of Tammany Hall." for available docluments. M. Vlallate writes" that Mr. Croker's character will be a mat ter of deep Interest to French readers. The historic Burt mansion. In, Abbeville, S. C, which has been offered for sale, was once the scene of a Confederate Cabinet meeting, which was called by Jefferson Davis while a guest of Mr. Burt At that meetihg the career of the Confederacy was virtually ended, and there the great seal of the Confederate Government was seen for the last time. The seal was re ported to have been cast Into a well on the premises, but It has been searched for without avalL A state exposition has just been opened in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Granda do Sul. Brazil. "This city," says a car respondent of the Cleveland Plain Dealer;, "which la one of the most progressive of, South America, with about 50,000 inhab itants, has combined with the state au thorities to make this first Industrial ex hibition a great success. All sections of the Rio Grande have responded very gen erously with produce and manufactured' articles. The opening of the exhibition was graced with the presence of the American Minister, Colonel Bryan, who was dined and feted. A review of the mil itary forces of the state was held in hl3 honor. PLEASANTRIES OF PA1UGIUPHERS Not TIp-to-Date. "What & horse laugh ho has," said Ethel, not unkindly, but dlscrim inatlvely. "Yes." added Blanche. "I wonder why he doesn't get a. horseless laugh." Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph. Pa'a "Way "With Tommy. Tommy I hate to have ma whip me. Jimmy Aw wlmmen aan't hit hard. Tommx That's It; pa thinks she don't halt do It so he alius gives me some, too. Chicago Record-Herald. Two Cures. "Ah 1 Gadsby, howdy? I want to tell you how Christian Science cured m of the grip." "All right, old man I "When you get through I want to tell you how the grip cured me of Christian Science." Puck. Carrie There goes Nell with her flange., They say he fell la love with her at flrt sight. Bessie That's Just like him. He al ways was a funny fellow. They say he liked olives the first time he ever tasted them. Boston Transcript. A New and Fatal Disease. Mrs. Kelly DM yez hear o the felly acrosht the way dytn oC Anglophobta? Mrs. Googan Yez mean hydro phobia! Mrs. Kelly No, I mean Anglophe bla! He wuz cheeria fer King Edward, an' the gang heerd him t Judge. Hair Worn De-col-I-tny. James Barton Adama In Denver Post. As the years keep piling on us, yet we claim that we are youngr And the term "old man" indignantly re sent! "We are active In our motions and are frtaky with the tongue. And a lot of time before the glass la spent. We may think the tricks of toilet make us look dike youngish men, Preparations to prevent us turning gray. But the cat Jumps from the burlap and tho truth's apparent when We begin to wear our hair de-col-l-tay! We may wlrt admiring glances and perchanc a friendly smile From the fair ones whose attention wo would court; They may fa1 to note our ascs as iixey con template our style. And may think us young enough for fllrtlnff sport. But they have no sweet enticements In their store for aged men When the signs of age they cannot hldo away. And they turn us down lnatanter with their Arctic glances when We begin to wear our hair de-col-t-tay! There Is not the least attraction In a nudo and ghastly head. Though 'tis polished till It ahlnes with bril liant sheen. Not a smile Is wasted on It, save the ones soi freely shed O'er the footlights hy -the comic op'ra. queen TIs an exhibition fruitful for the punster's pointed pen That exudes Its sap of fun day after day Oh! they have no heart of merey for tho aging fellow when He beelns to wear his hair de-col-l-tay! We may hide the pale exposure underneath i a flowing wig. But the- hairy fake will never, never win. For the charmlnsr ones soon tumble to the ar tificial rig And salute It with a cold, disdainful grin. All the arts of gross deception cannot glve'ua youth again. To our fate we can but bow In graceful! way. For there's surely no escape from being ranke&t as "has beenn" when We begin to wear our hair de-col-i-Uyt