Morning Oregonian., June 13, 1901, Page 6, Image 6

THE MORNING OHEUONIAN, THURSDAY. JUNE 13, 1DU1.
its rsgomcm
Entered at the Postofflce at Portland. Oregon,
as Heccnd-clasi matter.
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TODAY'S WEATHER. Partly cloudy, with
occasional showers; westerly winds.
rORTLAXD, THURSDAY, JUNE 13.
ANALOGOUS CASES..
Philadelphia Is ninety-six miles from
the sea. There is little difference be
tween her distance from the sea and
thai of Portland. But Portland's chan
nel is naturally much better than that
cf Philadelphia, And it now requires
far less expenditure t; make it fit and
to keep It fit for the largest ships. The
Delaware Is but a small river corn
paced with the Columbia. Its volume,
indeed, does not exceed that of the
"Willamette. Great expenditure has
been made, during many years, on the
Delaware River and Bay, yet vessels
come and go at Portland with less diffi
culty than vessels of similar class find
at Philadelphia; -and the future prob
lem at Portland is far less difficult than
at Philadelphia. But the people of
Pennsylvania do not demand that Phil
adelphia shall "abondon her preten
sions to be a seaport." The Philadel
phia Inquirer says that "the natural
outlet of the staters the port of Phil
adelphia and the Delaware River"; that
"the whole State of Pennsylvania Is
interested in the commerce which
passes through this port, and It is but
just and right that the Legislature
should also aid."
Not only is the port of Portland and
the Columbia River the natural outlet
but the actual outlet of the State of
Oregon; and not only of Oregon, but of
the whole of the great basin of the
great river of the West. To say that
Portland cannot be a seaport Is to say
that Philadelphia cannot be a seaport,
nor New Orleans '.a seaport, nor Mon
treal -a seaport, .nor Hamburg a sea
port aH of which in fact are great sea
ports. The National Government is expected
to engage with new vigor In the work
of deepening the channel between Phil
adelphia and the sea. Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, through their delega
tions In Congress, will give the effort
their united support. The City of Phil
adelphia is just now adding $2,000,000
to hr fqrmer h,eavy expenditures in
this direction: All the conditions there
are analogous to those that prevail
here. But though this work on the Co
lumbia 'River is a work In which the
"whole of Oregon is as much concerned
as the whole of Pennsylvania is con
cerned in the work on the Delaware,
yet we shall not demand the direct
aid of the state, as Philadelphia does,
since there are" obstacles, constitutional
and other; but at least we shall expect
that no obstruction will be made to
Portland's own endeavor, or to the ef
fort to obtain National aid for this
necessary Improvement. Vessels of
6000 to 8000 tons now come and go with
ease at Portland. The work will be
continued till the channel will accom
modate the largest vessels that float.
Portland's position Is in every way
better than that of Philadelphia, New
Orleans. Montreal or Hamburg. It is
better to be directly on the sea, as
San Francisco Is, but there are few
such ports. New York Itself had little
favor of nature. Time was when ves
sels of sixteen feet could not get up to
New Tork without waiting for Spring
tides, and such vessels would He for
many days awaiting conditions under
which they might get out.
TJiere is no problem here that may
note more easily solved than the
like pkoblem at most other ports of the
world. In fact, our problem Is half
solved already. From eight to ten feet
have, "been added to the depth of our
channel by the little work thus far
done' upon It The rest may follow, will
follow; for Portland and Oregon will see
that it slialf follow.
RECKLESS WASTE OF TIMBER.
i
The Canadians have never shown
much of an inclination to object to the
duty levied by America on lumber, and
from present Indications the time Is
rapidly approaching when our neigh
bors on the north will rise up and call
us blessed for keeping their lumber out
of our market. ThereMs a wholesale
destruction of forests under way In the
United States which promises to leave
this country treeless within a compara
tively short time. The tlmbermen, who
have seen the forests of Michigan, Wis
consin and Minnesota pass out of ex
istence in but little mqre than a genera
tion, stand aghast at the insignificant
value that Is "placed on timber' In the
Pacific Northwest Sawmill men com
plain bitterly at the excessive prices
demanded for logs, and yet this price
Is but 56 per thousand for the finest
timber in the world.
All over the state huge slabs which
would some day berworth more than Is
now commanded by the logs from
which they are cut are going up in
smoke. e only points at which there
is any attempt at saving the "offal" Is
in the large cities, and even there the
waste Is tremendous. Giant trees, older
than American civilization, are laid low,
and, after a few choice cuts, the upper
part of the trunk and massive branches
are left to cumber the land until the
brush fires of the settlers remove them
forever. The prodigality of nature is
proverbial, but, great as are her re
cuperative powers, it would require the
work of centuries again to build up
such magnificent forests as are now
going down before the ax of the logger
with a "posterity-be-damned" reckless
ness that Is almost criminal.
This wholesale destruction of our for
ests Is not only hastening the time'
when its scarcity will force timber up
to prohibitive prices, but It Is withdraw
ing from the country a protection to its
agricultural interests which will be
sadly needed In the not far distant fu
ture. The vast forests of fir, pine and
spruce act as reservoirs for the storage
of moisture, which is thrown out to the
surrounding dry regions, thus making
tillable large tracts which otherwise
would be worthless. Enter any of the
dense forests of the Pacific Northwest
many days after a period of showers,
and you will find raindrops still linger
ing in the foliage of a plant life that
flourishes only under the protection of
the giant trees. The rough bark of the
tree, the moss attached thereto, and
the spreading branches, all gather up
stores of moisture and retain it. The
presence of icebergs on the ocean Is
made known to mariners long before
they are sighted, by the" effect they
have on the temperature, and in the
same manner the cool forests, with
their stores of moisture, affect the air
and the earth for miles beyond their
confines.
The Government has been much too
generous in disposing of these forests,
and instead of retaining some of them,
has selected Its forest reserves among
mountains, rocks and lava beds, issu
ing in exchange for them forest reserve
scrip, which has been plastered over
heavily timbered land. This timber
land rapidly fell Into the hands of big
syndicates, which can reap enormous
profits without the necessity .of at
tempting to be economical in dispos
ing of theh timber, and they are kill
ing the goose which laid the golden egg
as rapidly as possible. In some coun
tries where civilization Is older than
ours, and in some where it Is not so old,
the government enforces strict laws re
garding the preservation of forest life,
and a man has no more right totally
to denude his land of trees than he has
to change the course of a. river which
may meander through his land. Some
day there will be an awakening to the
necessity of similar measures regarding
forest protection In this country. Un
fortunately, action will probably be de
layed until It will be a case of locking
the stable door a.f ter the horse is stolen.
We have shut Canada out of our lum
ber markets and thus saved her for
ests, but the day Is coming when we
will let her In, and we will pay her
five times as much for her lumber as
we secured for our own when we sold it.
CHURCHES AND FREE MASONRY.
The representatives of influential se
cret orders, including labor unions,
severely criticise the action of the as
sembly of the United Presbyterian
Church at its recent session at Des
Moines, la., which adopted an article
condemning secret societies as "incon
sistent with the genius and spirit of
Christianity," and declaring that those
who "willfully adhere to such associa
tions shall not be received Into church
membership." The debate showed that
the chief opposition was to the order of
Free Masons. "No man can be a good
Mason and at the same time a good
Christian," said cwie of the speakers.
Nevertheless a good many clergymen of
the Unitarian and Episcopal denomi
nations are Masons. The present anath
ema of the United Presbyterians
against Free Masonry is like the papal
bull against the comet. There was a
time in the history of this country
when anti-Masonry was the cry of a
distinct political party from about 1826
to 1840. In September, 1826, William
Morgan, a Royal Arch Mason, was ab
ducted and thought to be murdered by
certain members of the Masonic frater
nity In Batavia, N. Y. That Morgan
was murdered by drowning In Niagara
River the testimony of Thurlow Weed,
to whom the crime was confessed long
after Its commission, leaves no reason
able doubt, but the plot was conceived
and carried Into execution by a few
persons without the consent or appro
bation of any recognized power or au
thority in the order. It is out of all
reason to suppose that the Masonic or
der, which at that time included a ma
jority of the ablest and most Influential
men In the country, had any knowledge
of this desperate proceeding. Morgan,
who was a printer, was murdered be
cause It was learned that he was about
to publish a book divulging the so
called secrets of Free Masonry, and his
disappearance was followed by a. public
excitement In Western New York al
most without parallel in modern his
tory. The excitement entered Into
every walk of life, and in the Spring of
1827 anti-Masonry began to crystallize
into a political party organization. Po
litical demagogues used the antl-Masonlc
excitement to further their own
purpose.
General Jackson and De Witt Clinton
were both high Masons, and the union
of Clinton and Van Buren to support
Jackson was made to appear as another
evidence of Masonic Influence by the
opposition, who seized all the opportu
nities to operate upon the prevalent
public sentiment against Masonry. In
the election of 1828, 33,345 votes were
cast for the anti-Masonic candidate for
Governor. Millard Fillmore, afterwards
President of the United States, was
among the anti-Masons elected to the
Legislature, and among other champi
ons were General James S. Wadsworth,
John C. Spencer, Francis Granger,
William H. Seward and Thurlow Weed,
In 1830 the anti-Masonic party fur
nished a large portion of the 120,000
votes cast for Francis Granger for Gov
ernor, and it was the formidable rem
nant of the antl-Masonlc party that
turned the scale and elected William
H. Seward Governor in 1838 and 1840.
The anti-Masonic party tried to extend
its organization throughout the Union
so as to beat Andrew Jackson, who was
a Free Mason, for President, and it
succeeded in establishing itself as a
strong local party In Vermont, Massa
chusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio. It
tried to force Hen-y Clay, who was a
Free Mason, from the field as a candi
date for President in 1832 by nominating
beforehand William Wirt, of Maryland,
but at the election Wirt received only
the electoral vote of Vermont With
fethe Presidential election of 1832 anti-
Free Masonry ceased to have any life
outside of Western . New York. Like
knW-nothingism, it had no rational
foundation, and naturally enjoyed- but
a brief existence.
The hostility cf the United Presby
terian Church to Masonry of course
does not rest upon the absurd political
creed of the antl-Masonlc party of 1826
1S40, but Is based upon the belief that
Free Masonry represents a society
"bound by oath and'affirmatlcm to se
crecy, which Inculcates a Chrlstless
religion." The Presbyterian Church'
holds that "the entire contents and
bearings of Christianity should be em
phasized in "the pulpit teaching." The
Roman Catholic Church. has always set
Its face resolutely against the order.
Five bulls have been directed against it
by name, viz., in 1738, 1751, 1821, 1826,
1864, and the latest and strongest of all
by Pope Leo XIII, who holds that the
present crusade against the schools of
the church orders In France is largely
inspired by the Free Masons. An emi
nent Catholic priest writes the New
York Sun a long letter in explanation
of the reasons of Catholic opposltldn to
the order of Free Masons. This oppo
sition Is based upon the fact that Free
Masonry professes by means of sym
bolical language and certain ceremonies
of initiation and promotion to lay down
a code of morality founded on the
brotherhood of humanity only. The
war against the Catholic Church in Ger
many had no more bitter supporters
than Free Masonry; the promoters of
the anti-Catholic legislation were
nearly all Free Masons. In France
and Belgium the lodges have specially
commanded their members to assist the
league whose purpose is to bring about
the complete secularization of the pri
mary public schools. English-speaking
Free Masons, this priest concedes,
usually disown for their order any alms
but those of a social and mutual benefit
society, but "Catholics see that indlffer
entism in religion is one of the neces
sary results of English-speaking Ma
sonry at Its best," and he concludes his
explanation of the hostility of the Cath
olic Church by saying:
The Catholic Church renounces Free Masonry
as essentially opposed to the belief in the per
sonality of God. whose name In the Masonic
rituals veils the doctrine of blind force only
governing the universe; as also essentially eub
verslve of legitimate authority, by professing
to furnlch man an all-sufllclent guide and thus
helping to make him Independent of the
church, and because by Its ever where ridi
culing rank and authority it tends. In spite of
ita protests of loyalty, to bring all government
Into contempt.
A STUDY IN PERCENTAGE.
An Astoria paper, caught in a delib
erate misstatement of facts regarding
wheat prices In Portland and San Fran
cisco, endeavors to withdraw Its head
from the pillory in the following awk
ward manner:
In a lame effort to reply to the statement
made In this paper that wheat is worth $2
more a ton at San Francisco .than at Portland,
The Oregonlan today quotes the market prices
in both Cities. To begin with, these reports
are "cooked" -to suit the convenience of the N
gentlemen who are operating on the Coast.
The statement of the Dally News Is based on
this fact: Last year the O. R. & N. Co.'s
steamers hauled from Portland to San Francisco
about 100,000 tons of wheat, which was loaded
on foreign-bound ships at San Francisco. The
O. R. & N. charged $2 DO a ton for carrying
that wheat to San Francisco. Of necessity
then, wheat is worth $2 50 more at San Fran
cisco than at Portland, all market reports to
the contrary notwithstanding.
To begin with, the reports men
tioned are not "cooked." They are
based on Liverpool quotations, which
rule the world's markets, and every
wheat producer can figure out to the
fraction of a cent the value of the cereal
at tidewater on the Pacific Coast. Cal
ifornia cargoes were quoted in Liver
pool yesterday at 29s 3d to 29s 6d, and
Walla Walla cargoes at 29s to 29s 3d.
Ships were offering yesterday at 41s 6d
for Portland, San Francisco or Tacoma
loading. Five steamships have been.
chartered for wheat loading this season
at 40 shillings, and the charterer has
the option of loading them at Portland,
San Francisco or Puget Sound, at ex
actly the same rate In either port.
Under such circumstances, the neces
sity for the "gentlemen who are oper
ating on the Coast" to "cook" reports
is not very plain.
The assertion that the reports are
not correct, however, is almost too
ridiculous to be considered. They are
the reports that are sent all over the
world, and are considered as valuable
and accurate In Liverpool as the Liver
pool quotations are considered in Port
land, San Francisco and Puget Sound
ports. The Oregonlan proved by fig
ures of unquestionable accuracy that
wheat was not worth $2 per ton more
In San Francisco than at Portland, and
that there was not a scintilla of truth
in the assertion of the Astoria paper.
Now as to the amount of wheat takeri
to San Francisco by the steamers.
The report of the San Francisco Pro
duce Exchange, under date of June 8,
gives the "receipts of wheat from Ore
gon and Washington by water" as fol
lows: Wheat,) Wheat,
Month. centalsij Month. cental.
June, 1900 3,507January. 1001 .... 3,41)2
July S.OHiF'ebruary 650
August 5,720Marcn None
September 2.178April None
October 8,742May 00
November 1.0651
December None) Total 33,830
This shows that the combined water
shipments of Portland and Puget, Sound
to San Francisco for the past year were
1510 long tons. The figures are not seg
regated in the report of the Produce
Exchange, but, admitting that Portland
shipped two-thirds of the amount, we
have the enormous amount of 1000 tons
shiDPed to San Francisco in a year.
Not a bush'el of this was shipped to San
Francisco for export, however, but was
used for mixing, for seed and for other
purposes where the amount needed was
insignificant.
The statement of the Astoria paper
regarding wheat prices was an even 100
per cent falsehood. The statement re
garding the amount of wheat shipped
to San Francisco was only 99 per cent
falsehood and l.per cent truth. This
Is an Improvement In the moral tone
of the Astoria sheet which Bhould not
escape attention.
In the report of Tuesday's meeting of
the Board of Public Works there Is
large opportunity for study by the
Charter Commission's subcommittee on
streets, highways and Toads. Amohi
the matters which came up for action
and which the board could not meet
and dispose of were: A petition one
year old for Improving Second street,
every property-owner willing and anx
ious to pay his assessment advertise
ments published, contracts let, and yet
there Is a deadlock for which no one
seems to be held responsible; disclosure
by the City Engineer that it will be Im
possible to repair streets paved with
wooden blocks; faulty bids and letting
of contracts for repairing three elevated
roadways about to fall to pieces; uncer
tainty about forcing street-car compa
nies to pay their share of an improve
ment; a too rapidly decreasing repair
fund; divided opinion as to whether the
city or abutting property must pay for
a certain Tepalr, and overshadowing
every movement toward removing pres
ent entanglements is the recent decis
ion of the Federal Court throwing doubt
on the equltableness of Portland's law
assessing property tot street Improve
ments., The subcommittee has a very
Important work before It. If Its mem
bers have the wisdom to frame provis
ions which shall solve, presentproblems,
they are within the way of getting
their names into theelty's future Hall
of Fame.
The Oregonlan has received the fol
lowing letter from a man who has
fallen into a strange error:
Portland, June 12. (To the Editor.) In your
editorial yesterday mornlnsr on P. H. D'Arcy's
address to the graduating class of the college
of law of Willamette University, did you not
make as big a blunder as D'Arcy jilmself?
You place In your list of great advocates and
Jurists the name of Stowell. Was not Stowell
the brother of Elden. and a purely literary
man? Is It not & fact that he was not only
never called to the bar, but that he never even
studied law? XERXES.
William Scott. Baron Stowell, was a
brother of Lord Eldon. and he was one
of the ablest and most accomplished
of English Judges. He joined the Mid
dle Temple In 1762, obtained his degree
of bachelor of civil law In 1772, began
the systematic study of the law in 1776,
and commenced practice in the eccle
siastical courts. In 1788 he was made
Judge of the Consistory Court and Advocate-General,
and In 1798 became
Judge of the High Court of Admiralty.
After a life of distinguished judicial
service he retired In 1821; he was a
man of great Judicial mind, and his de
cisions form the basis of maritime law
In this couhtry. On questions of Inter
national law and en the history of the
marriage law, Lord Stowell stands In
the very first rank of English jurists.
Thomas Noon TalfoUrd, a famous Eng
lish lawyer, includes In his essays one
on "Lord Eldon and Lord Stowell," In
which these two great jurists are con
trasted. Virginia also has a convention called
to revise the state constitution, and Is
doubtless composed wholly of Demo
crats, as the state election law places
the election machinery wholly In the
hands of the Democrats, and they have
undoubtedly used their power to make
sure of a very large party majority In
the convention. The chief object of the
convention is to disfranchise the col
ored voters on the plea of elevating the
suffrage by eliminating the Ignorant
and corrupt element. The ballot will
be taken from the ignorant colored
voter, but will be saved to the white
man, however Ignorant and corrupt he
mayt be, by some .such" device as the
notorious ''grandfather" clause, which
originated in Louisiana and has been
adopted in North Carolina. When the
work of disfranchising the colored voter
is completed in Virginia, there will
then be six states" In the South which
disfranchise their colored voters bycon
stltutlonal provision. These six states
are entitled to twenty-three Represent
atives in Congress for the colored pop
ulation out of the total number of fifty
one given them by the recent appor
tionment The white Democrats not
only claim the right to disfranchise the
colored man, but also to have repre
sentation for him in Congress and the
Electoral College.
The Oregonlan has often spoken in
high terms of the writings of Hon.
Hannls Taylor, of Alabama, who was
Minister to Spain during the second ad
ministration of President Cleveland.
His books on the origin and growth of
the English constitution, and on in
ternational law, are of highest credit.
They add new laurels to American au
thorship. It is now announced that the
University of Dublin has Invited Mr.
Taylor to be present, June 27, to receive
in person the degree of doctor of laws,
which that seat of earning has voted
to confer upon him. Such an honor
from that university, one of the most
famous in the world, and one not prod
igal -oMts compliments, is an honor In
deed. There could be, let us say, no
better introduction to the study of our
own constitutional history than Mr.
Taylor's work on the constitutional his
tory of England. His exposition of the
truth that ours is but an outgrowth or
offshoot of England's is most interest
ing and valuable.
We are fast getting the consent of
the governed in the Philippine Islands.
Somewhat troublesome it has been to
get it, but we are getting It In the
same way we got the consent of; the
governed in our Confederate States.
Great Britain has a pretty tough job
of similar kind, in South Africa. Such
undertakings present difficulties, It Is
true; but they are necessary to the
progress of the world and the better
ment of mankind. The result proved
that the Confederate States were mis
taken in their assumption that the war
on them was a war upon the rights of
freedom and self-government. In their
similar assumption the Filipinos and
the Boers have committed a similar
mistake. Their full "consent" will be
obtained, after their power of resistance
shall have been exhausted; and then
they will see their error, as our South
ern States see it today. No "rights" In
this world are absolute. For "there
are others," always.
Fraud in the Army supply services,
by many long suspected, has at length
come to light in San Francisco, and an
Investigation by the grand jury prom
ises sensational developments. Thus
far only the matters of clothing and
forage are Involved. It Is hoped that
the Investigation may reach Into the
methods of the transport service also,
for It is widely believed that im
proper -motives have governed the
award of much of that business, and
it 1b said the Improprieties may be
traced to officers In hierh station.
The order of the War Department de-'
fining hazing and announcing a penalty
for tie practice at West Point Academy
was long overdue. But it is reasonably
explicit in terms, and will doubtless be
beneficial to the academy. The abuses
at that institution have long called for
vigorous measures for suppression. The
(Naval Academy at Annapolis might
lalso be benefited by the same kind of
an order.
From the disposition to meddle with
laws already" good enough, the State of
Washington has been put to the ex
pense and trouble of another session
of the Legislature. It Is a disposition
that ""costs every state great Inconven
iences' and great sums of money. When
will the lesson be learned that to In
novate Is not to. reform? We may sup
pose never. $
The call for a third term for McKin
ley, by Hanna, Grosvenor and the rest,
gave McKinley an excellent chance to
make an ostentatious declination. No
art could have arranged It better.
BAKER -WILL- SUPPORT PORTLAND
Baker City Democrat, June 11.
Baker City wants It understood by Ore
gon that Baker stands emphatically for
the improvement of the Columbia and
Snake Rivers, so that navigation can be
opened from the sea to the head of navi
gation. The forthcoming visit of the river
and harbor committee of Congress to Ore
gon, and the inspection by its members
of the Columbia and Snake Rivers, means
.much to the entire Inland Empire. The
building of a canal around the Celllo
Rapids Is the only feasible method of
opening navigation to the interior, and
the plans for this work, already submit
ted by the United States' engineers, fulJy
cover the necessities of the case, and
should be adopted by Congress. In addi
tion to this, more work Is necessary, to
"be done in the channel of the Columbia
between Portland and Astoria, and more
work is necessary at the mouth of the
river in order to keep a sufficient depth
of water to permit the larger vessels now
engaged in the Oriental trade to pass In
and out of the lower harbor freely at all
stages of water, at high or low tide.
The water sheds of the Cascade Range
of mountains and the Blue Mountains
are so formed as to make a confluence
of nature's highways, which carry the
stream of traffic to Portland and the
mouth of the Columbia. The Columbia is
the greatest fresh-water harbor on the
American Continent, and is today doing
more business than the other harbors on
the Pacific Coast with the possible ex
ception of San Francisco, in some partic
ular lines of trhde. Why should not Con
gress .preserve the natural highway of
tha people?
The Inland Empire is not interested in
Astoria's fight against Portland on what
some of its business men and newspapers
are pleased to call the "common-point
rate" question, and the effort of Astoria
to drive Portland out of business as a
shipping port. All the Inland Empire
cares about Is the transportation rate to
the ocean Vessel which carries our prod
ucts to the foreign market. It is this
rate that comes out of the pocket of the
producer, and the only known leveler of
rail rates is water competition. Open the
great waterways which are Oregon's rich
Inheritance from Mother Nature, and the
inland farmer can always figure on a
square deal. The present management of
Oregon's home railroad, the O. R. & N
has been broad-minded and liberal to a de
gree that has called forth the support of
the people, and It Is preparing for better
things In the future by reducing the cost
of transportation by expending millions
of dollars in straightening out Its track,
reducing grades and laying the heaviest
steel rails, so that In the future one en
gine can do the work of two. and two
cars can be hauled where but one can
now be handled. This great work will
be finished this year.
Portland is 110 miles nearer the Inland
Empire than Is Astoria, and Portland Is
our natural seaport. The Inland Empire
stands pat for Portland and the mainte
nance of an open channel between fhat
point and the sea. The general Govern
ment will not have to spend an extrava
gant sum, in addition to what Portland
Is doing herself, to keep this channel
open. Today the largest vessels and
steamers that ever passed over the Co
lumbia River bar are loading cargoes for
the Orient and Europe. These vessels
carry as large cargoes as pass out of any
Pacific Coast, port, and the Inland Empire
will stand by the last gun to see that Its
natural outlet is maintained. Given an
open river from Lewiston to the sea, and
nothing cm retard the progress of he
Inland Emnire. the greatest territory n
the United States. The Baker City Cham
ber of Commerce will send a committee
to Portland to Join with the Chambers of
Commerce of Portland, Lewiston. Spo
kane and other cities in entertaining the
river and harbor committee of Congress.
FillpInoB Xot Cittxena.
Chicago Tribune.
The United States Supreme Court hns
adjourned until October without deciding
the case it had in hand involving the le
gality of the collection of a duty on sroods
Imported from the Philippines. It Is not
certain what the court will hold finallv.
It may hold that there was no power to
collect the duties after the ratification of
the treaty f neare.and prior to the enact
ment of the Philippine legislation of this
year, vesting military, civil, and judicial
powers necessary to govern the Philip
pines in such persons as the President
mav direct. It may be of the opinion
that that legislation does not authorize
the collection of customs duties on Phil
ippine imports. It may decide that the
state of Insurrection which existed in
the Islands put them In a category by
themselves.
The presumption is that If a majority of
the Judges are of the opinion that the
collection of duties on imports from the
Philippines is unlawful at this time they
would have j?aid so. That would have
necessitated the calling rf a special eslon
of Congress to enact tariff legislation for
the Philippines, but would have prevented
the collection for months to come of du
ties which would have to be refunded.
There are a few sentences in the opin
ion of the majority of the court in the
Dowhs case which evidently refer to' the
Philippines, or rather to their Inhabitant.
It Is an answer to those nervous individ
uals who asserted that the acquisition
of the Islands made their inhabitants,
or their children at least, citizens of the
United Stetes. The worklngmen were
told that nothing could prevent millions
of these Malay "citizens" from coming
ito this country and taking the bread out
'of their mouths. A good deal was said
about the admission of Phillnolne states,
represented In Congress by Filipino Sen
ators and Representatives.
The Supreme Court says:
Wd are also of opinion that power to acquire
territory by treaty implies not only the power
trt govern such territory, but to prescribe upon
what -terms the United States will receive ita
inhabitants, and what their statu v rhall be In
what Chief Justl-e Marshall frmed the "Amer
ican Empire." There seems to be no middle
ground between this, position and the doctrine
that If their Inhabitants do. not become. Imme
diately upon annexation, citizens of the United
States, their children, thereafter born, whether
savages or civilized, are such, and entitled to
all the rights, privileges and Immunities of
citizens.
The treaty with Spain provides that the
civil rights and political status of the na
tive Inhabitants of the territories ceded to
the United States shall be determined by
Congress. The Supreme Court tii'l not at
tempt so to construe the Constitution as
to make these native Inhabitants citizens
offhand. It will leave to Congress the de
termination of their political status.
Rostnndt Academician.
Brooklyn Eagle. 4
The election of 'Edmond Rostand to
the French Academy for having written
two plays is a notable instance of the
modernizing influences that have affect
ed even France. .Hitherto the eligible
for the Academy was a spectacular per
son who had done, or thought he had
done, great things for the art or letters
of his land. He enjoyed the high opinion
of a school, albeit he was not infrequent
ly a fossil before he got his seat and his
suit and his order. The last election shows
that It has become possible to enter the
Academy by virtue of a single chef
d'oeuvre, for Rostand is not likely to
write another "Cyrano." And the effect
of this may be as healthy as that of ad
mitting only the people who have writ
ten several important works, none of
them, however, so popular or Influential
on the tastes of the community as the
one. masterpiece. It is almost a misfor
tune when a single success Induces an
author, or a musician, or" a painter, to
keep on repeating It while Ids vogue re
mains. Better take time, and produce
but half a dozen good things Jn a life
than to fill libraries with mere words,
cabinets with scores thai are mere notes,
galleries with mere canvas. "Rostand
has nothing more to work for. He has
money; 'he has all the honors; therefore,
he can take life easy and proceed at his
leisure, allowing nothing to leave his
hands that Is not as perfect as he knows
how to make it.
THE CANTEEN AND THE SABBATH
New Tork Times. l
To anybody who regards the question of
the Army canteen as one to be deaji. with
according to the teachings of experience
and from the polm of view of practical
expediency, the action of the Army sur
geons at their convention last week In St.
Paul will be entirely conclusive. These
doctors are expert witnesses ok the high
est .class. As to the physical results of
the two systems, their authority Is even
superior to that of the line officers of
the Army. When they unanimously recom
mend the restoration of the canteen. In
the interests of "temperance, morality
and sanitation," there is nothing more
to be said. The case Is closed for every
body who considers it from a human ana
secular point of view, '
The other view is that expressed by a
correspondent of ours who said last week
that the sale of liquor "IS a crime against
God and man." Whoever Is capable of
taking this proposition as applicable to
and decisive of Jhe controversy about the
canteen is of course inaccessible to
reason on this subject. He will op
pose the restoration of the can
teen, even though pvery officer In the
Army, which alone the question concerns,
favors it, and even though the with
drawal of it should be proved to have con.
verted every enlisted man Into a drunkard
or a physical wreck, as the Army sur
geons assure us it has had a distinct ten
dency to do. But when there Is no op
position left to the canteen except that
of such fanaticism. It Is not to be sup
posed that Congress will hesitate to undo
its mistaken and mischievous action and
to leave the Army to be regulated upon
this point of "morality, discipline and
sanitation," as upon other such points,
by Its own officers, who have both the
competency and the responsibility for Its
regulation.,
What permission to the Army to enable
enlisted men to buy beer Inside Army
posts is to one class of fanatics, Sunday
traveling is to another. A Mr. Have
meyer declared on Sunday that whoso
traveled by steam or trolley on "the Sab
bath" "violated the laws of God and
man." It is gratifying to note that h
was thereupon denounced from the body
of his congregation by a hearer who
called upon him to repent and stop his
desecration of the real Sabbath. Accord
ing to this objector, the real Sabbath is
Saturday, and there Is a strong historical
case to be made for that view. It was
the same view expressed by a worldling
in the Long Parliament, or possibly
"Barebonfis," who moved as an amend
'ment to a bill for enforcing a better ob
servance of "the Sabbath, commonly
called Sunday," that It should be de
scribed as Saturday, commonly called
Sunday. But the Inappreclatlve assem
bly put him In Jail, as doubtless the
Methodist In Yonkers would have been
glad to do with his Impertinently pertinent
critic.
Just suppose some member of Congress
should Introduce into that body a bill
providing that since traveling on Sunday
was "a crime against God and man,"
therefore "commerce between the states"
should cease on that day. What would
be the view taken of that statesman by
his fellow-legislators? Yet there would
be precisely as much sense In n!s propo
sition as in a proposition to continue the
prohibition of the Army canteen after the
overwhelming proof that the canteen is
an agency for the promotion of temper
ance, morality and discipline.
"O My Prophetic Sonl!" Hamlet.
The Oregonlan of yesterday, in its fore
cast of what the Administration toad-eaters
would say about the declination ot
third-term honors by President McKinley,
set this down as the part of the "Pee
Eye" at Seattle:
Again our noble and bcloed President has
spoken and put to shame the envious machina
tions of his defamcra Those who knew Will
iam McKinley did not need to be assured that
in his own time he would speak out upon the
subject ot the third term In no uncertain
voice. Though he Is held In the' highest esti
mation of the people today, he voluntarily puts
aside the thoucht of another term and truly
says his only ambition Is to serve through his
second term to the acceptance of his country
men, whose generous confidence he so deeply
appreciates, and then with them to do his duty
In the ranks of private citizenship. No one
can read those sterling sentiments of exalted
patriotism and fall to realize that William
McKinley la the greatest and only that ever
happened.
And this is what 'that organ of slush
and gush actually said:
It needed but this declaration to crown the
work and complete the record of President Mc
Kinley: to establish forever the place that he
holds in the love and admiration of his coun
trymen. It was not necessary that he should
say a word. No man who knows him ever had
one moment's doubt of his purpose or his
wish. He silences the mischief-maker and the
calumlnator with one telling blow. It Is char
acteristic of the great man who now sits rii the
White House that he should speak thus In
stantly, plainly and confidentially to the peo
ple whom he loves and who both love and un
derstand him.
But The Oregonlan's forecast was not
clairvoyance. Given the conditions, and
anybody can tell what your snob and
flunkey, who flatters, that thrift may fol
low fawning, will say.
Like Ciirlutian Science.
Notes and Queries.
A young woman was ill and the doctor
said she had consumption. As he could
not do her any good they consulted a
herbalist, who said she had no consump
tion about her. It was an "askard egg"
that she had swallowed some time when
drinking cold water. As long as It was an
egg it did no harm, but as she grew it
grew, and the herbalist said that she
would never be well till she got rid ot
It. He advised that she should stand with
her mouth open over a piece of roasting
meat when It began to smell, and said
that the askard would then come out
to get at the meat. But,as soon as thlB
happened she was to shut her mouth di
rectly, or the askard would "laup" back
again. The askard did come out, and tried
to run away; but the mother and daugh
ter pursued it, the one with the poker and
the other with the tongs, and it looked
"right wicked" at them. The narrator
was firmly convinced of the truth of this
stt)ry. having seen the askard In a bottle
of spirits in the herbalist's window. It
was Impossible to convince her that the
story could not be true, because she had
seen the askard.. and there was nothing
more to be said. But her mother had
often thrashed her, when she was a girl,
for drinking cold water out of the pump.
i '
Filipino Ladles Smolce 10-InchCIgar
London Science.
The ladles of 'the Philippines have pro
gressed far beyond the dainty cigarette;
indeed, their cigars, which measure some
sixteen Inches, are not Intended for an
evening's pleasure or an after-dinner
smoke. In the Philippines they prefer
smoking on the installment plan, for these
huge rolls of tobacco, which measure Ave
Inches in circumference, constitute one
week's pleasure for the ladles of Luzon.
To offset the difficulty presented by the
weight, the mouth end is filled with a soft
fibre of tobacco, so that when the cigar
is grasped firmly between the teeth so
great an indention is made that for the re
mainder of the six days' smoke the huge
cigar fits naturally to the mouth, and can
be held without any conscious effort.
It's Different Xow.
Chicago Chronicle.
The two new Senators from Nebraska
have arranged a division of their state
with reference to the distribution of the
Federal patronage, and It Is promised J
that everything will be harmonious.
Sioux City Tribune.
This Is a kind of harmony that depends
to a large extent upon the man who occu.
pies the White House. When Grover
Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison were
there such divisions of the spoils did not
go.
NOTE AND COMMENT. .
Depew proposes; McKinley disposes.
Two terms In the hand are worth threes
in the imagination.
Anyway, the Is-lt-hot-enough-for-you
friend Is not among us.
Hazing Is forbidden at West Point.
Annapolis it Is prohibited.
At
And yet, perhaps, the crown would be
put by reluctantly If offered three times'.
Isn't it about time for Roosevelt's press .
agent to get back from his Spring vaca
tion? As It will make all the shares It sells,
the plow trust ought to be a profitable:
concern.
Chicago Is having record hot weather.
Trust Chicago to start pace-setting early
in the season
A successor to Agulnaldo has been pro
claimed, and General Funston is over
hauling his traveling clothes.
The Salvation Army ought to get Mr..
Morgan to harmonize Us Interests and'
those of the Volunteers of America.
Hon. Perry Heath, for his championship
of the cause of Mark Hannn, has secured
"honorable mntion" for Vice-President.
Perhaps if Mr. Carnegie would brush up
his dialect before offering money to the
canny Scots they would be more likely to .
accept it
Who can accuse Richard Croker of hav
ing established corrupt government n
New York when Sunday golfers are ar
rested there every few days?
A recent issue of the London Times con
tains this suggestive advertisement: "Po
sition as private secretary to an American
or English millionaire required by a no
bleman of good family. Advertiser Is 3"..
doctor Juris, speaks and writes German.
English and French perfectly; hns man
aged a large fortune invested in landed
property arid lndustrfal enterprises for,
several years, and has traveled over many
countries, including the United Statea.
Please address." etc.
The wives of only two Presidents have
died while their husbands were In thut
high office. The first death was that ot
Mrs. John Tyler. She died In September.
1812, and her husband remarried before
the expiration of his term in 1S45. Mrs.
Benjamhn Harrison died In the White
House In October, 1892, a little over four
months before the expiration of her hus
band's term. Four 'Presidents have died
In office, Harrison and Tyler from natural
causes, and Lincoln and Garfield at the
hands of assassins.
A Buffalonlan says that the exposition
city now has nearly 240 hotels, affording
accommodations to more than 40,000 people.
There are about 700 boarding and lodging
houses that can easily take care of 20,000
more. Nearly 000 householders have
opened their homes to the public, provid
ing sleeping room for some 120,000 visitors.
In addition, the exposition authorities
have pitched tents Inside the grounds for
uniformed bodies to the number of 250.
and speculative organizations managing
tent plans will take care of 1000 more. It
Is believed that Buffalo can now provide,
ample entertainment In the shape of ordi
nary bed and board for 220,000 strangers
daily.
Miss Frances L. Carr Is a practical
placer miner, and in following her profes
sion has penetrated into the remote In
terior of South America on three differ
ent occasions, and has also explored
Guatemala and Honduras. By way of
variation last year she visited Alaska and
staked several claims on the Uptcr Yu
kon River. She has traveled 20,000 miles
In the past five years, and only returned
from her third trip to the United States
of Colombia a few months ago. Miss Carr
took lunch on the equator on her last
trip, but said 'it was at a station In -the
Sierra Nevada mountains, and It was in
tensely cold. The altitude was about 16.1W0
feet, and the water she drank was melt
ed snow. She says It Is not an infrequent
thing to run across palatial homes in the
most remote and isolated mountain dis
tricts of Colombia, and In these homes
are to be found pianos, works of art, and
many of the most modern conveniences.
Many such families send their sons to
France, Germany, England and the United
States to be educated.
PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHERS
Another Effect. "You know, practice makes,
perfect." "I know; but It also makes on
tired." Puck.
Church What Is the principal musical In
strument In China the lyre.? Gotham No; I
believe It Is the loot. Yonkers Statesman.
Householder (to suspicious character) What
do you want? Suspicious Character (thought
fully) Well, I dunno; what yer got? Harlem
Life.
Not Entirely. "Is he a criminal lawyer?"
"Well, I should hardly call him a criminal,
though some of his practices come very close
to being felonies." Town and Country.
"Why do you not eat your apple. Tommy?"
"I'm waiting till Johnny Brlggs comes along.
Apples tastes much better when there's aornu
other fellow to watch you eat 'em." Tlt-Blts.
In the Literary Throes. "Was your cluh
paper troublesome. Dorothy?" "Oh. horrible'.
I ransacked eleven books and ate three pounds
of chocolate caramels while I was getting It
up." Detroit Free Press.
Her Idea of It. "Charley, dear," said young
Mrs. Torkins, "I wish you would save up
your money and buy a jacht." "What for?"
"We need so many things for the table. And
winning races seems such a cheap way to get
silverware." Washington Star.
Runs No Personal Risk. "It seems to mn.
worthy of note." commented the. thoughtful
man, "that the fellow who Is sure the old pis
tol Is not loaded Is seldom so sure of It that
he poIntB It at himself when he pulls the trig
ger. If he did there would be little cause for
complaint." Chicago Post.
A Conservative Choice. Miss Rlghstep
'Suise mah bluntness. honey, but why did yo
marry such a homely man? Mrs. Washington
Wa-al, I preferred a homely husband ddt
would stay home an' wring mah clothes radder
dan a handsome nlcgah dat would kite aroun'
an wring mah heart!" Puck.
Honesty Pays. Jim Honesty Is ther best
policy, arter all. Bill How? "Remember that
dog I stole V "Yep." "Well, I tried two hull
days to sell Mm, an no one offered more'n a
dollar. So I went, like a honest man, an guv
him to th ole lady what owned Mm, an she
guv me five dollars." New York Weekly.
Bound to Enjoy Herself. "Now, dear." said
mamma, giving final instructions to Elate, who
is golnr to take tea with a playmate, "when
you are asked If you will have something you
must say, 'Yes. thank you, and If you don't
want It you must say " "Oh, you needn't
bother about that," Elsie interrupted. "I
don't expect to refuse anything." Philadelphia
Press.
Appropriate. The Rev. Dr. Lastly' church
having been partially destroyed by fire, the.
trustees had secured as a temporary hall for
tho use of the congregation the only available
room in that part of the cltyt and It was on
the top floor of a skyscraper. "My friends,"
said the good doctor, rising to give out the
hymn for the morning service on the occasion
of the first meeting in the new quarters, "w
will sing,
"I'm nearer my home In Heaven today
Than ever I've been before." '
-Chicago Tribune.
'