THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1901 its rsgomcm. Entereaat"therPostoffice at Portland, Oregon, as second-class matter. TELEPHONES. Editorial Rooms.. ..160 Business Office. ...OCT REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. ' k By Mall (postage prepaid). In Advance Dally with Sunaay,. per month $ So Sally. Sunday excepted, per year 7 50 Dally, with Sunday, per jear 0 00 Sunday, per year 2 00 The Weekly, per year .................... 1 GO The "Weekly. 3 months W To City Subscribers- Dally, per week, delivered, Sundays excepted-loe Sally, per week, delivered, Sundays lncluded.20c POSTAGE RATES. United States, Canada and Mexico: 10 to 16-page paper .....lc X' to 32-page paper......... . .... ....2c Foreign rates double. News or discussion intended for publication In The Oregonlan should bo addressed invaria bly Editor Tho Oregonlan," not to the name of any Individual. Letters relating to advertis ing, subscriptions or to any business mattci should be addressed simply "The Oregonlan." The Oregonlan does not buy poems or stories from individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to It without solici tation. No stamps should be inclosed for this purpose. Puget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson, Jflce at 1111 Pacific avenue, Tacoma. Box 95o, Tacoma Postoffice. Eastern Buslrfess Office, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, Tribune building. New York City; 4C0 "The Rookery," Chicago: the S. C Beckwlth special agency. Eastern representative. For sale la San Francisco by J. K. Cooper, T46 Market street, near the Palace Hotel; Gold smith Bros., 230 Sutter street; F. W. Pitts, jOOS Market street! Foster & Drear, Ferry news ctand. For sale In Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner, 250 So. Spring street, and. Oliver & Haines, -10a So. Spring street. For sale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co., B17 Dearborn street. For Bale in Omaha by Barkalow Bros., 1G12 Farnam street. For sale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News Co., 77 W. Second South street. For sale In Ogden by "W. C. Kind, 504 Twenty-fifth street On file at Buffalo, N. Y in the Oregon ex hibit at the exposition. For sale in Washington, D. C, by the Eb bett House news stand. For sale in Denver, Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrick, 1)06-912 Seventh street. TESTERDATS "WEATHER Maximum tem perature, 70; minimum temperature, C5; no precipitation. TODAY'S "WEATHEn-Falr; northwesterly "winds. PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31. THE PATAIi WEAKNESS. It Is not axiomatic that the value of land In cities has been created by the presence of population; for it Is not the whole truth. It is not axiomatic, therefore, that the owner of the land Is in enjoyment of riches created by others; with the corollary that the pub lic has the right to take the increment to Itself. It Is not axiomatic that the "good will" of an industry or trade in which money-making power resides does not belong to the person under whose tact and application It has been created, but to the public, with whom the trade Is carried on. While It is true that there can be no great values in land where the popula tion is sparse, and that no great indus try or trade can exist where there are but few people to deal with, It still Is true that the Individual factor Is the chief agency in the creation of wealth. The most valuable land Is the land upon which or near which the greatest Improvements have been made. What makes a great street? The buildings, the expenditures for improvements, which call population to the locality where they are made. Individual en ergy has created the greatest part of these values. How, then, can the pub lic be entitled to the Increment? It doubtless Is supposed by many that denial to private persons of prop erty in the increased value that comes to land in the transformation of the country from its primitive barrenness to the complex fertility and lucrative use it attains under an Industrial civ ilization, would leave for division among the landless the chief part of the goods and enjoyments now possessed by the landowners. But that which it Is proposed to take from its possessors never would have existed but for the stimulus which the principle of private property gives to human effort It has been created through the operation of the very principle which it is proposed to destroy, and without this principle it would disappear In a few generations, stripping men of moderate as well as of large possessions .and leaving the race on a common level of condition in finitely below the present one. This Is the fatal weakness of all direct or In direct schemes of state socialism. UNWILLING LABOR. A notable feature of the present stage of the year's industries in this section is the scarcity, for practical purposes, of competent, willing labor. Whether a man has irrigating ditches to dig, fish to handle, wood to haul, grain to x:ut, cows to milk. Winter's fuel to store away, or what not, men who are will ing and ready to do the work cannot be had in full supply. There are men out of work, of course, and a good many of them, but approach them with an offer of work and they begin at once to dic tate terms outside of fair wages that the employer cannot meet and retain the control of his own business. Ac cost a man who is hauling wood from the country and attempt to open nego tiations with him about your Winter's wood, and, after naming the top mar ket price for wood, he will give you to understand that woodhauling is hard work; that there is really nothing In it, and, after closing a contract with him to bring a certain number of cords at his own figures, he drives on, leav ing the would-be purchaser in doubt as to whether he will deliver the wood or not. The wood delivered, try to get a man to store It in shed or basement, and the same unwillingness to work is shown. This condition of affairs ex tends all along the labor Jine. Of course, there are exceptions to the fact thus stated, but the exceptions are not numerous enough to supply the earnest demand for willing, cheerful workers. A vast army of men are too busy look ing after and haggling over their "rights" to have any time left for the consideration of their duties and privi leges as self-sustaining factors in the community. The willing laborer, self respecting, self-sustaining, ready, is an honor and blessing to the world; the halting, half-hearted laborer, always afraid that he will do too much, and to whom no wage Is an equivalent for his grudged endeavor, is a- drawback upon industry and an element of discord in the world to the full extent of his in fluence. SO OLD THAT IT IS NEW. ReTerence has been very generally made to Mr. P. A. Winston's article la the July Atlantic as containing some thing new in 'the statement that mo nopolies and trade combinations, com monly called "trusts," were known In the sixteenth century. As a matter of fact, this statement contains nothing new, unless it be that the trust itself is'so old -that It is' new. It merely re vives inquiry, and this Inquiry is soon answered by the production of data which prove the antiquity of the trust and throw strong searchlights upon its history. Details only In these matters have been forgotten. The fact itself is as old as the years. It may be said to be the memory of these organizations and their exactions that established the constitutional and political revolt against monopoly In trade. It Is strange, therefore, that the trust should be regarded and represented as a new and original development of modern commercial life. Mr. Winston draws from the history of these old-time monopolies the as sumption that all such combinations are destined to collapse. It is plain that they cannot retain their exclusive control of the markets unless they can have some extraneous force more pow erful than any yet devised for chok ing off competition. As In the olden time, so also In the last quarter of a century, it has been shown that, though by the perversion of honest legislation to their purposes, they might succeed for a time in shutting rivals out of business, a loss of that lever speedily brought trade down to the competitive basis. Mr. Winston's article revives the fact that the most stringent legis lation, municipal and imperial, was en acted against these monopolies of old. It Js also recorded thatS these legisla tive efforts failed simply from lack of enforcement. The time came, neverthe less, when they collapsed. The inference from the historical re search of this writer Is that the trust movement In due time will fall of its own weight. The remedial operation has already been applied to many of the smaller combinations, and unless commercial and industrial history fal sifies its record, which may reasonably be held to be most unlikely, the whole vast machine will In due time adjust itself to the requirements of open, act ive competition In business. RIVER NAVIGATION IMPORTANT. No city can hope to be truly great without communication by sea to sup plement its railroad service. Chicago, which is blessed with overland trans portation, is sending vessels by the long route down the lakes and the St. Lawrence, and wants her canal from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi wid ened and deepened for large ves sels. Baltimore and Philadelphia keep a jealous eye on water communi cation. In New York the Merchants' Association has made a special business of urging deep channels to the sea. The Mississippi Valley prides itself that "vessels drawing twenty-six feet are 'passing through the jetties below New Orleans," and is pressing the Government to increase the depth to thirty or thirty-five feet through the Southwest Pass. "The Mississippi Val ley," says the St Louis Globe-Democrat, "is the greatest waterway of North America, and its significance In the foreign commerce of the continent is certain to grow." Second in impor tance among North American rivers is the Columbia, which Portland and its tributary dountry demand shall be opened to free navigation. The most conspicuous example of prosperity when river navigation was free, and of decay when river improve ment was -neglected, is furnished by the historical cities of Nantes and Or leans, on the Loire; in France. Con ditions on the Loire are the subject of a recent report by Joseph I. Brit tain, United States Consul at Nantes. In the days of flat-bottom boats an im mense amount of commerce was car ried on the river from Nantes to Or leans, and vessels of deeper draft went as far as Nantes. After the building of the Orleans Railway, which paral lels the Lolref interest in river work waned, and shifting sands soon ren dered navigation above Nantes im practicable. This deprived the people of the Upper Loire of cheap freight rates. The river from Nantes to the sea, a distance of thirty-five miles, was neglected, making it impossible for vessels, except those of shallow draft, to reach that city. One of the practi cal results of the abandonment of water navigation and of placing entire de pendence upon the railroad was the commercial development of St Nazalre and Paimboeuf. at the mouth of the Loire, and the decline of Nantes as a great shipping port. The business interests of the Loire region, realizing the seriousness of the situation, started a movement which resulted in the construction of a mari time canal from Pellerin to Migron, near Paimboeuf, a distance of twelve miles. This canal cuts off a shallow bend In the river. It was completed In 1892, and has a depth of 19.7 feet of water, corresponding with the depth of the river from St. Nazalre to the canal and from Pellerin to Nantes. Its con struction has proved to be of great commercial value to Nantes. The canal was opened In September, 1892, and six vessels passed through It that year. Since then the number of ves sels has steadily Increased each year. In 1900. 312 vessels passed through, an In crease of forty over 1899, and of 105 over- 1898. The port tonnage Increased from 543,221 tons in 1890 to 1,000,000 tons in 1900. Last year the tonnage of Nan tes and its subports amounted to 2,243, 049 tons. Nantes has taken on new life since 1892. Numerous large manufactur ing establishments have been erected, Including extensive chemical works, paper mills, phosphate works, flour mills and shipbuilding yards. Several miles of new tramway lines have been built, and many new streets opened. The improved condition of Nantes re sulting from, so sirfall a work as a marl time canal has awakened deeper and more extended interest in the further opening of the Loire. 'This interest has become national, and now the cutting of the channel to a depth of twenty six feet from Nantes to St. Nazalre has been determined upon. The cost of this improvement is estimated at $4,250,000. Surveys of the Loire have recently been made from Nantes to Or leans. 180 miles above the mouth, with a view to deepening the channel. The estimated cost of this work is $26,000. 000. A deep channel to Orleans would establish connections with canals ex tending to more distant parts of France. The deepening of the chan nel as far as Angers, forty-five miles above Nantes and eighty miles above the mouth, to a depth of 19.7 feet das been practically determined upon, and the improvement of the remainder of the river "will doubtless follow. The lesson which Nantes, Orleans, London, Liverpool, Hamburg and Bre men in isurppe, ana unicago, imw York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Bal timore and Portland In the New World, are teaching is that no city is too far inland to have deep-water communica tion, provided it has the commerce to utilize that navigation. The cities named have the commerce, else they would not be centers of finance and population, and the more commerce they get the more use they; make of their water lines. A city on a river that can be made to bear seagoing ves sels must either deepen the river so that ocean ships can load and unload at Its wharves, or give up hope of being a great commercial port. The deeper the channel, the greater the city. MONEY MAKES THE WARHORSE GO John C. Schwab, professor of politi cal economy In Yale University, has just published a financial and Indus trial history of the South during the Civil War. The wealth of the South consisted chiefly of lands and slaves. Its industries were almost exclusively agricultural. Mines and manufactures hardly existed. Its means of transpor tation were far behind those of the North. The North Included nearly two thirds of the population of the Union, and its industrial and manufacturing resources; its transportation system, In short, all its resources, were far su perior to those of the South, and were the fundamental cause of the final over throw of the Confederate Government. The South at the outset was obliged to make strenuous efforts Jo secure a domestic supply of salt; it established cotton mills and shoe factories. There was never any real scarcity of food products; for the reason that cotton was largely displaced by wheat, corn and fodder. The destruction of railway lines of transportation created at times a condition of transient military scarc ity. In the development of railways the South was far behind the North, and the railroads of the North were better built and equipped, and more efficiently operated. There were no trunk lines at the South. To the 51,256 total railroad mileage of the United -States In 1861 the states of the Confederacy contrib uted but 9283, or less than 30 per cent. This figure was soon Teduced by the in roads of the Union Armies to about 6000. .or one-fifth of the country's aggre gate railroad mileage. These railroads were so overworked that they deteri orated rapidly, and could not be kept In repair. At the outbreak of the war the South was without any arms factories; but within six months a number had been equipped under the auspices and control .of the Confederate Government, the leading small arms factory being at Columbus, Ga. Heavy ordnance and cartridges were manufactured at Au gusta and Columbus, Ga., but almost all the ordnance of domestic manufac ture was made at the Tredegar works, of Richmond. Nails were about the only article of iron, other than war materials, produced during the war. At the outset of the contest no powder factories existed in the Confederacy, but by the Autumn of 1861 thefe were powder factories In South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and other states. Saltpeter was scarce, but by August 1, 1862, 200,000 pounds had been produced to swell the much larger Imported supplies. Professor Schwab points out that the blockade was the most effective mili tary weapon of the North, as It forced upon the South an economic isolation which compelled her to revert to earlier Industrial forms. The blockade, acting In conjunction with the inflated cur rency, deranged prices and led to vio lent speculation, which contributed to the social, and. political disintegration of the South during the period of seces sion. Coercive measures were applied to carry out financial expedients. The capital at the South, as represented by coin in circulation, was quickly ab sorbed by the early loans of the Con federate Government. Trust funds and the investments of educational and sim ilar Institutions were generally turned Into Government securities and the capital they represented swept away, as were most of the savings of the com munity. The accumulated wealth of the past was consumed and not re placed, and the effect of this wholesale destruction of capital is still seen in the impoverishment of the South. Mr. Schwab thinks that the methods employed by the Confederate Govern ment to bring about this transfer of capital were vicious and Ineffective. Taxes were neglected, and dependence was placed upon paper money Issues, a policy which immensely increased the difficulty of securing the necessary sup plies for the army and weakened the social structure of the South, because the farmers were unwilling to send their products to Richmond, lest it should be impressed at unremuneratlve prices. The Confederate Congress re fused to impose the war taxation pro posed by Secretary Memmlnger, but enacted paper-money delusions. But one war tax was laid, and but part of thai collected. The Southern people spent their blood like water with splen did courage, and they came out of the war completely Impoverished, but they did not pay taxes for their cause as the North did to maintain the Union. Pub lic opinion at the North forced our Con gress to levy war taxes with a heavy hand, but the Southern statesmen, strangely enough, were afraid to ask a people that were equal to every other sacrifice to pay war taxe3. While this wretched financial policy of the South was of course a contrib uting cause of defeat, nevertheless Mr. Schwab thinks that no statesman could "have devised means of carrying on the war without recourse to such arbitrary and disturbing fiscal devices. The marvel is that the Confederate States, in spite of the mistaken financial policy of their government, maintained them selves so long. No cause in history ever-evoked more devoted loyalty, and that cause was supported at a cost greater than that of any similar con flict, for the Southerners' sacrifice far exceeded that of the Revolutionary patriots; for the South lost everything in its effort to protract the war and avoid Its inevitable conclusion. Some thing might have been saved from the wreck If the Confederate Government had adopted other fiscal measures, and It Is possible that, had It been sustained by a sound system of finance resting on war- taxation. It might have worn out the persistence of the North and patched up a lame, illusory and tran sient peace, for the furious pace of the war had reduced the North to such a financial strait that if victory in the last great campaign had not perched upon its banner, peace of some sort would have been born out of its mone tary exhaustion- Money was necessary to make the warhorse go,, and money was no longer forthcoming In event of defeat Tariff differences .existing between the United States, and Russlp. are re garded with much -concern by mer chants of Moscow. Wholesale firms of that city have for some years past im ported large quantities of agricultural machines and Implements, from this country, but the Importation of these articles has almost entirely ceased within recent months. Trade Is recip rocal, and trade restrictions are retro active. The Moscow district the cen ter of the great Russian livestock and wool Industry annually exports goods to the value of 8,000,000 rubles ($4,120,000) to the United States. These consist mainly of wool, hides, pelts and some manufactured articles. A falling off In Importations of agricultural machinery from the United States on account of tariff differences foreshadows the fall ing off of exportatlons of Russian stock products to this country, and herein lies the cause of the uneasiness of Mos cow merchants. The time has gone by when a nation can live to itself alone. Transportation facilities have been too much elaborated for this. The recipro city spirit is world-wide, and the more quickly governments revise their trade relations to correspond with its require ments the better for all concerned. Anent the discussion of church hymns and "doggerel,' it Is recalled that the English Wesleyans some time ago "took steps looking, to the revision of their hymnal. Finding the task a difficult one, ifwas suggested, as an aid to the editors, that the Wesleyan constituency be polled after a fashion, members be ing asked to vote for their favorite hymns. The Methodist Times com mented editorially upon the contest, saying that the "rage for hymns of the Moody and Sankey type has evapor ated, judging by the returns;" The ten hymns gaining the most votes were, first "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," and the following, in the, order named: "Jesus, Lover of My Soul"; "Oh. for a Thousand Tongues to Sing"; "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me"; "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty"; "Abide With Me"; "Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear"; "Come Ye That Love the Lord," and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." It Is plain from this test that religious fervor still finds expression in old-fashioned church hymns, however the op'inlons of people may differ in regard to their poetic fire and literary yalue. The political faction that, for lack of a better or more suitable name, called itself or.was called by its leaders the "Social Democratic" party, finds itself in the condition of "a house di vided against itself." It will not stand long, of course. Begotten In anarchis tic ideas, nurtured by sophistry, led by demagogy, its dismemberment Is but a question of a very short time. With a parricidal ingratitude painful to behold, Eugene V. Debs has been cast over board from the ship that he constructed and vainly tried to steer. George D. Herron. late of Grinnell, la., is his fit ting successor, as the popular Idol of a party that makes bold war to the extent of its feeble ability against the established customs of civilized society. Bom amid the clamor of a great and senseless strike, fed upon discontent and cradled in mischief, the party of Debs and" Herron will soon pass on, leaving decency and order to marvel that it had even a brief career in a limited field of political effort in the United States. It may be hoped that Dr. Koch's opin ion that human beings are not subject to infection from bovine or porcine tu berculosis will not cause health officers to be less wary In 'meat and, milk In spection or encpurage unscrupulous persons to foist upon the market meat and milk from diseased animals. While it may be presumed that Dr. Koch has good reasons for his opinion, it does not seem possible that articles of food contaminated by the deadly bacillus of tuberculosis of any type can be taken Into the human stomach with Impunity. The very suggestion Is disgusting and nauseating. It would have been well If th,e fact, If it is a fact had been guarded by science, since it belongs to the type of knowledge- that Is a dan gerous thing to the careless and un scrupulous. The dirigible airship, having long been a dream.' seems about to become a reality. The Brazilian aeronaut, M. Santos-Dumont. seems about to capture the toeutsch prize offered for this achievement, this being the sum of 100,000 francs. When so staid and con servative a journal as the New York Independent expresses the belief, In view of recent experiments In Paris, that the question of a steerable balloon with an airship appendage has practi cally been solved, it is time for the In credulous to study the matter, with a view to revising their opinions if the facts in the case justify. An exposition, exclusively scientific, for accident, sanitary and llfesaving service. Is to be held at Frankfort, Ger many, October 5 to 21, Inclusive. The chief aij will be to benefit those en gaged in Industrial pursuits, and to this end visits of workingmen will be arranged. The general public can have no Interest-In this beyond an intelligent desire that those who serve It In scien tific, sanitary and preservative ways may be profited by the suggestions, demonstrations and Instruction for which the exposition Is designed. The fact that this city does not own an ambulance more suitable, or any vehicle for conveying to the hospital an ill' or Injured person, than the police patrol wagon, Is a matter that should no longer be permitted to discredit our citizens. The people pay taxes enough to meet all the necessary requirements of a municipal government if the money were judiciously applied. It is not against the taxpayers, therefore, but against those who manipulate their bounty, that this gross and unfeeling negligence Is chargeable. It will be well for Mr. Morgan and President Schwab to end the steel strike soon in the best way they can. Other Wise the boa.st as to how the superior acumen of the trust was to end alMabor difficulties will look funny. The joke Is already assuming the proportions of the one perpetrated on "community of in terest" by the corner in Northern Pa cific. The great strike in the steel works is not yet settled. But it seems to be in a fair way of settlement. What union labor is contending for Is the right to organize in certain mills. If this right shall be gained, the main object of the strike will be gained. .The socialists are treating Debs as a celebrated convention of Pennsylvania Democrats, treated Bryan pronounce him a peerless leader and then give his "principles" the go-by. Croker is coming home for the Fall campaign. He must have seen the mugwump editorials calling for his abdication. LESSON OF THE PROCLAMATION New York "Evening Post. The Porto Rican intrigue of 1900 also served to uncover the essentially selfish and inhuman principle which lies colled in the doctrine of protection. The reve lation was, no dcrabt. a surprise to Presi dent' McKInley himself. He is a kindly man, and to his overflowing benevolence it appeared the most natural thing In the world, as well as a "plain duty," to grant the Porto RIcans a free market for their products. But he did not reckon with the spirit of inveterate selfishness and greed which, under the name of protection he himself had done so much to foster and make insolent.. He appealed to humanity. But the men who had learned of him that no argument was worth while which did not reach the pocket, snapped their fin gers at his recommendation of free trade. As they openly boasted, they swarmed Jo the 'White House and "read the riot act" to the President, whom they compelled to retreat ignomlniously and in shame faced silence from his own brave words. He must have realized then, If never be fore, what a dangerous thing it is to give to one class the right to tax their fellow citizens for their own profit. Such a priv ilege, swollen by long .exercise into a sense of vested right, would stop at no extreme of cruelty and oppression, Mr. McKInley then saw, to preserve its money-making "power intact And it was only the uprising of an angry people, amazed at such an effrontery of selfish ness, which frightened the tariff benefi ciaries Into agreeeing to relax their clutch to the extent that we see it) done today. Nor can we leave this subject without saying that the Porto Rican legislation is a supremo illustration of President? Mc KInley's method. Secretary Long has been praising him. recently for his won derful success In "getting along with Congress." In this respect, the Secretary said, and with a grave face, so far as the reporters depose. McKInley was greater than Washington or Lincoln. 'Mr. Long left it an open question, apparently, whether Washington had not more per sonal courage, or Lincoln a more pene trating intellect and a greater gift of winged speech, but In the art of "getting along with Congress" McKInley over topped them both. The Porto Rico case shows how the thing is 4one. Take a moral position, urge Congress in the most explicit and moving terms to come to it, but if it will not what then? Say, "Here I stand, God help me. I can do no other"? No, only keep still, allow your self to be driven by Congress, offer not one word of explanation or justification, and prepare some more moral sentiments to be in a like manner abandoned when the time comes. TURNING THE TABLES. Fred the Walter's Effective Retort to n Jocose Customer. New York Tribune. "Fred," the German waiter, was serv ing beer to half a dozen customers at a round table, when he stepped on the tail of the cafe cat and nearly dropped a tray of foaming steins. In his anger he made a kick at the animal, and, missing her, hurled a few choice German swear words at her as she slunk away to her litter of kittens4 under the bar. "I thought all Germans were taught to be respectful to their parents, Fred," said one of the customers, feigning surprise. "Dot's so," replied the waiter. "That's your cat, Isn't It?" aBked the customer. "Ja!" said Fred. "She's a mother, Isn't she?" "Ja!" "Then, if she's yours and a mother, she's your mother, Fred, and you ought to treat her better. I'm ashamed to see you kick and swear at your mother." Fred looked puzzled. He had no ready answer for this old play on words, so he went on stolidly serving beer. Pres ently the jocose customer gave Fred a $1 bill to pay for five drinks at 10 cents each, and rose to go. Fred obsequiously handed him his hat, a new one, saying: "You generally wear a derby, Mr. Brown. Why are you wearing this Fedora to day?" "Oh, it's a pleasant change," was the reply. "Good day!" said Fred, bowing. "There's 50 cents coming to me," said the customer. "I gave It to you," said Fred, "when I handed you the hat" "You did not," said the customer. "It's your hat, is It not?" asked Fred. "And it's a change, as you just told me. Therefore the hat's your change. Good day!" The Unread Books. New York Evening Post All are familiar with lists of "best-selling" books, as also with triumphant ref erences to volumes "most in demand" at public libraries. We are not so often put on the track of the books which do not sell and are not read. The public library of Lincoln, England, has now, however, ventured upon the decided novelty of giv ing out the names of books that "have never left the shelves." It is not so long a list as one might have imagined only 35 out of the 10,53S volumes In the library can boast that the dust upon them has never been disturbed. Works on theology and history naturally lead all the rest in this unenviable distinction, and a treatise or two on sociology, on dyeing, and on the polarization of light, have slept the sleep of the unread. Score one new triumph for fiction, however. Not a single novel, however bad, however stupid, however echoing an 'echo, but has found at least one hope ful though possibly disappointed reader. All told, the showing speaks much for the omnivorous voracity of the reading public. It Is but a small, a Spar tan band, that has "never left the shelves." The Inference Is a fair one that but few moderns have attained to the large and careless neglect of a Dr. Johnson, for whom there were whole classes of books which he said he would "rather praise than read." More Suppression Necessary. Washington Times. We are gratified that Mr. Dong, although he has been tardy in abating the Maclay "historical" nuisance, has found the cour age to do it at last It is a credit to him that he has been able to resist the Influ ence of th2 Sampson ring in the depart ment which is responsible for the indorse ment of the libel. The outrageous vol ume having been suppressed, it would be appropriate for Secretary Long to carry his reform a bit further and suppress the individuals, well known to him, who, with full knowledge of its character, procured Its adoption as a Government text-book. Maclay's offense is a trivial matter com pared with theirs. Opposed to Illiteracy. Galveston News. The News believes that in a land of free schools, illiterates, of whatever color, should be excluded from the polls, from the jury box, from the public offices. There Is no reason why willful Ignorance should not pay some of Its own penalties, and there are many sound arguments In favor of placing a higher value on the privileges of fulL citizenship. This, aside from the danger of turning the public service over to the Ignorance and vice of any commu nity. The Brave, Stupid Boers. Hartford Times, Dem. Steyn escaping from the enemy In his nightshirt In South Africa is a far mere respectable figure than Kruger spending th6 Transvaal money in Holland, The In stinctive obedience which the Boers yield to these obstinate patriarchs is something like the devotion of a dog to a man. It would be touching were it not pitiful. - Complimented by Such Abase. Washington Post. Admiral Schley's most complimentary decoration is the constant attack of the bureau of fabrication. DEMOCRATS AND FILIPINOS. In Event of Democratic Success the Phlllpines Would Not Be Abandoned. Chicago Chronicle, Dem. Some captured correspondence In the Philippines explains the source of the con tinued encouragement which the remain ing Insurgent leaders receive. Tho Filipino "junta" at Hong- Kong sent dispatches to a local guerrilla chief advising him to hang on, as eventual independence was sure. The "Junta" claimed to have information from the United States to the effect that "the anti-imperialistic sentiment" was growing, that the American people were restive under war taxes and that the Dem ocrats would win at the next election. That would mean throwing off the Philip pines and leaving the people to shift for themselves. The best service that can be rendered to the Filipinos still resisting the United States is to dispel this fatal Illusion. There will bo no revolution in American politics which would result In conferring inde pendence on the people of the Philippines. No political change in the United States will cause the least relaxation -in the methods of war directed against the Fili pino factions still In arms against United States authority. If the Democrats should carry the next Presidential election and should elect a majority in both houses of Congress the Philippines would not be abandoned. Fil ipino independence under United States protection would not be realized. The Philippines will be held in some way un der adequate legislation by Congress on the lines of the late decision of th& Fed eral Supreme Court "- This fact might as well be understood first as last. The "junta" is deceived or it is attempting to deceive the Insurgent Fil ipinos. It Is not impossible that the "Junta" is a "graft" sustained by Filipino contributions. Xt will fall when the peoplo of the Philippines understand that the American conquest means nothing less than the perpetual political connection of the archipelago with the United States under such laws as Congress may provide. They are with us for good or for evil, as time shall determine, and It is mostly for them to say whether It shall be for their good. They should cut loose from the "junta" and work out their own welfare. $ Hobson's Fortunate Failure. New York Times. If Admiral Sampson had had the mis fortune to be hated and pursued by enemies as malevolent as the enemies of Schley they could easily have made out of the sinking of the Merrlmac in the channel of Santiago Harbor a case Im measurably stronger against him than the manipulators of the "loop" incident have ever been able to make against Schley. Was not Sampson sent out to destroy Cervera's fleet? In order to de stroy him was it not necessary to get at him? But the sinking -of the Merrlmac was Intended to close the harbor, so that Cervera could not get out nor Sampson get In. There would then have been no battle, no danger. How easily a knavish mind could on such a basis rormuiate charges of cowardice against Admiral Sampson, a brave, capable, and skillful commander! The truth Is that the Mer rlmac business was nothing worse than a bad blunder. Had Hobson succeeded in sinking tne vessel athwart the chan nel, as was planned, he would have brought on the worst disaster of the war. For It was the destruction of the Spanish fleet that enabled Shatter's troops to compel the surrender of the town. Our military preparations, made under Alger, of shameful memory, wese so defective and we came so perilously near to failure In that undertaking that it Is most unpleasant to dwell upon the possibilities that might have confronted us if Cervera had not succeeded in pass ing by the sunken Merrlmac to his doom. 0 Good Faith nt Lniit. Chicago Inter Ocean, Rep. The President's proclamation of free trade with Porto Rico, in view of the history behind It, might well have read as follows: Whereas, I declared In my message of De cember 4. 1890. that "our plain duty Is to abolish all customs tariffs between the United States and Porto BIco. and give her products free access to our markets;" and. Whereas, Congress was diverted from this purpose by the Oxnard-Myrlck beet-sugar lob by, and coerced Into enacting an unjust tariff law to the Injury of Porto Rico: and Whereas, It was made clear that the Amer ican peoplo were opposed to this discrimination against the Island recently annexed; and Whereas. The Porto RIcans have compiled with the conditions Imposed by tho Foraker law, I do hereby, with great relief and satisfac tion, announce that, after many vexatious de lays, "our plain duty" has been performed, and all customs tariffs between the United States and Porto Pico are abolished. As it Is, however, the President an nounces, with simple dignity, that Porto Rico hereafter wilUbe In our own customs system and on the same commercial foot ing as are our other territories. Thus has Justice been done. Thus has the pledge of the United States Government to the Porto RIcans been kept rather late, to be sure, but yet kept at last. Offends His Prosaic Soul. PORTLAND, July 30. (To the Editor.) In last Sunday's Oregonlan you printed on the editorial page a column headed "Hymns That Are Not Doggerel." The first two lines of the second stanza of the first poem entitled "The Trinity" are as follows: Holy, holy, holy I all the saints adore thee. Casting down their golden crowns around tho glassy sea. If these two lines, and especially the latter one, are not doggerel, then I do not know what constitutes doggerel. I should characterize these lines as absurd, tri fling and silly, which is even worse than plain, ordinary doggerel. Why the saints, If they have golden crowns, should cast them down around the glassy sea, if there be any such thing as a glassy sea, is not explained In this alleged hymn. Some people In this life are unfortunate enough to have glass eyes, but why a sea should be of glass, and why thean gels In adoring the Almighty should do so by casting down their crowns around an Imitation sea Is not shown. It may be good rhyme, but It does not appeal to one's reason or common sense. PRESBYTERIAN. Pass Around Those Islands. Providence (R. I.) Journal. The suggestion that Hawaii be an nexed to California has brought out the further suggestion that Guam be added to Rhode Island. Why not? We should still be the smallest member of the Union, and nobody could perpetrate again the ancient jokes about walking around the state before breakfast or hal loing across from Massachusetts to Con necticut The Government might hand over an island or a group of islands to each state, and so settle once and for all the administrative status of our new pos sessions. I t With Mary. Frank L. Stanton In Atlanta Constitution. I. Life had been goln the lonesomest way All the world seemln' so dreary. But the meadows wuz smllln' as If with the May As I come from campmeetln' with Mary! All the wort' beamln with lovo an with light. Hills lookln green' an' the streams flashla bright, Birds In the branches a-slngln' Jest right As I come from campmeetln' with Mary! II. What did I care for the world an Its gold She at mr side, like a fairy? Love had Jest all that his arms cared to hold As I come from campmeetln' with Mary! The green o' the world an the blue o the skies. Joy for life's Borrow an' songs for Its sighs, A kiss from her lips, an the love In her eyes As I come from campmeetln' with Mary I , NOTE AND COMMENT. . ) There's plenty of good flsh in the Columbia River. If there is no wind, the Constitution 13 a very fast boat With a pay roll of ;i00,000 a day, Astoria has forgotten all about the common point. The English have adopted the shirt waist It's so blooming American, yo know. Maclay probably now wishes he had de voted hl3 attention solely to Richmond Pearson Hobson. The threat of a coal strike came at a time of year when its only effect was to draw forth smiles of derision. If there are any Admirals in the United States Navy who have not yet been re viled, let them step to the front If it were not for their dally duty of settling the Chinese indemnity, the Min isters at Pekln might find the time hang ing heavy on their hands. The providential discovery of liquid air Is the only thing that enables General Felix Angus to keep cool during this try ing crisis In the Nation's affairs. President Shaffer has the satisfaction of knowing that by securing an interview with J. P. Morgan he used up about $1,000,000 worth of that gentleman's time. Historian Maclay Is a victim of over production. Had he not written one too many volumes of his history he might still be In a fair way to a peaceful career. One thousand school teachers are go ing to the Philippines to instruct the un taught savage In fhe multiplication table and teach them to recite "The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck." California has not made good Its claims to the title of the Greece of America. The peach, which is largely exported by California, is not exactly the style of Grecian beauty with which statuary has made us familiar. The Emperor of Japan has an allowance of something like J2.C0O.0CO a year to keep up the Imperial establishment He has also a large private fortune, having in- I vested in stocks and a great deal of wealth in land. At the close of the Chinese-Japanese war Parliament voted his majesty 20,000,000 yen, an amount equal to 10.000,000 gold dollars, out of the indem nity paid by the Chinese, as a mark of gratitude for his directing the naval and military operations. A London diamond merchant, while go ing to his office recently, in a fit of ab straction, pulled an old envelope out of his pocket and commenced to tear it up. When ho reached the last section the ter rible fact dawned on him that it was the envelope in which were some 1600 small diamonds valued at $500, and that he had been sowing these broadcast over a public thoroughfare. Some of them have been recovered, but others have never been heard from. The people of Hartford, inspired thereto by tho Times, have contributed $SO0O in token of their appreciation of the simple heroism of Miss Ida L. Hathaway. She was a nurse In the Hartford hospltar, where. In tho line of dutyr she contracted opthalmla from a young child committed to her care, of so serious a character that It led to blindness. Knowledge of the Irremediable fate which had overtaken her only served' to reveal the strength of this young girl's character, for she ac cepted It as ordered of God and without repining. Now a sympathetic community has Insured Miss Hathaway's future sup port. A lltttle Philadelphia boy carried a bas ket into a hospital dispensary the other day. Taking a pet rabbit from tne Bas ket he begged some of the doctors to do what they could to relieve his bunnie from suffering. An examination showed that the rabbit had an abscess In Its right ear. One surgeon held the little animal while another lanced the swelling. After the treatment the rabbit showed every sign of being grateful, while the owner wanted to know if a $5 bill was sufficient to pay for the operation. On being told that there was no charge the grateful little fellow thanked the physicians warm ly, and, putting the rabbit back Into the basket, hurried home. ."One of my best friends," said a law yer, "Is a man who has tried suicide twice. The first time, on an August night, he swallowed a bottle of laudanum, bade his wlfg farewell reproachfully, and lay down in his front yard on t'he grass to die. But he had taken an overdose, and a few days later I visited him in his sick room, and we conversed on general top ics, without any reference to the lauda. num. The second time he was walking with his wife on a cliff that overlooked the sea. 'Now I will end If he exclaimed, and leaped down nearly 60 feet Vo tho beach, only breaking a leg and two ribs. Since then his wife has died, he has re married, and there Is no fear of his try ing suicide again. Naturally, he is sen sitive on the subject I am his best friend, and self-de3truction is a topic that? I and all who knew him well avo.d with him. Indeed, if he is present when this topic is brought up he leaves the room at once." t PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHERS A Rainy Day In an Umbrella Store. Cus tomer I want an umbrella. Dealer Do you want a good one, or one you can lend a. friend? Boston Transcript Offering Her a Bargain. "Lady, won't you kindly give a pore man cents?" "Nine cents? Why don't you ask for a dime and be done with ltr "Oh, no, lady; I know the sex too well. J. wuz onct a married man." Boston Traveler. Lack of Confidence. Assistant Is the mean ing of this poem absolutely Incomprehensible to you? Magazine Editor Absolutely! You're going to accept It. aren't you? "Oh. yes. But I wasn't willing to trust my own Judgment." Llfe. Her Vanity Snubbed. Mrs. Horse Does my hat really look pretty on me? Mr. Horse I have told you so 15 times; now. trot along, and don't be gazing at yourself In every plate window wo come to. Chicago Record-Herald. Logical. Mamma Willie, shut that window screen. You're letting the flies In. Willie Well, you've got to let some of 'em In. Mam ma Why? Willie 'Cause If you don't let 'em In, how are they goln' to get on the fly-paper? Philadelphia Press. Mistaken. "Did you say those folks who Just moved Into the neighborhood were so cialists?" asked the woman who was leaning over the back fence. "Yes," answered tho next-door neighbor. "Well, I suppose you see by this time you are mistaken. We have had four socials since they moved in, and they haven't been to one of them." Washington Star. , An Appreciative Patron. "Did you annoy my predecessor on the bench as much as you have annoyed me?" Inquired the Judge of the frequent offender. "No, Judge,' said tho tough one, "I always thought so much of you that Just as soon as I heard you was elected I made up my mind to give you all my legal business and I've done It." Cleveland Plain v Dealer. -L