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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1901)
THE MORNING .OEEQONJAN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1901, iw v&e&nwt Entered at the Postoffice at Portland, Oregon, as second-class' matter. BEYISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Mail (postage prepaid), la Advance Daily, with Sunday, per month ......$ S3 Dally, Sunday excepted, per year......... 7 50 Dally, with Sunday, per year........ 0 00 Sunday, per year ......................... 2 00 The Weekly, per year................ 1 50 The Weekly, 3 months 00 To City Subscribers Dally, per "week, delivered, Sundays exceptefl-lSc Dally, per week, delivered, Sundays lncluded.20c POSTAGE RATES. United States. Canada and Mexico: 10 to 18-page paper..... ....... ....... .tic 1G to 32-page paper.. .................... ...2c Foreign rates double. Nows or discussion Intended for publication in The Oregonlan should be addressed invaria bly 'Editor The Oregonlan," not to the name vt any individual. Letters relating to advertis ing, subscriptions or to any business matter 6bould be addressed simply "The Oregonlan." Eastern Business Office 13, 44, 45, 47. 48. 49 Tribune building. New York City; 460 "The BooUery," Chicago; the S. C. Beckwith special agency. Eastern representative. ForaIe In San Francisco by L. E. Lee, Pal ace Hotel news stand; Goldsmith Bros., 236 Sutter street; P. W. Pitts, 100S Market street; J. K. Cooper Co., 740 Market street, near the Palace Hotel; Foster & Orear, Ferry news stand. For sale In Los Angeles hy B. F. -Gardner, 259 So. Spring street, and Oliver & Haines, 103 So. Spring street. For sale In Chicago hy the P. O. News .Co.. 217 Dearborn .street Fpr sale In Omaha by Barkalow Bros., 1C12 Farnam trect. j For sale In -Salt Iake bythe Salt Lake News ""'Co.r 77-W- Second ;South ej-reet. For"sal6 fcTOgficn-by "W. C. Kind. 204 Twenty-filth street, and by C. H. Myers. For sale in Kansas City. Mo., by Fred Hutchinson. O04 Wyandotte street. On file at Buffalo. N. Y-, In the Oregon ex hibit at the exposition. For sale In Washington, D. C, by the Ebbett House news stand. For- sale In Denver, Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrick, 906-912 Seventh street. TODAY'S WEATHER Fair, with northwest erly Minds. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature, 71; minimum temperature, 53; pre cipitation, none. .PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1G. ALL ABOUT THE LOOP. "Every one with adequate cognizance of the theory held by Admiral Schley's accusers knows that the Brooklyn made her celebrated loop at Santiago for two separate and distinct reasons: First, Schley was scared and was running away, from the Spaniards; second, he was so excited lie dlda't know what he was doing. Being in both of these conflicting states of mind at the same time, he afforded his enemies, whom the Santiago victory overwhelmed with confusion, two grounds of accusation which they have worked with zeal and assiduity. But at the court of inquiry on Mon day -the mystery of the loop was un raveled, by the man who made it. He tells how he did ,lt, and why. That man is Captain Cook, of the Brooklyn, who gave the orders himself, who knew they were being -obeyed, who accomplished by it just what he wanted to, who ad hered to the evolution in spite of other suggestions, who saw the Texas and reassured an Inquirer to the effect that lie knew what he was doing. Cap'tain Cook went on the Brooklyn December 1, 1896. At the time of the battle, therefore, he had been on her 18 months, he knew what she could do and now to handle her. He knew the radius she took to turn in. he knew she was the best ship he ever saw to an swer to a turning helm. "When the Spanish ships came out of the harbor they made south for the open space between the Brooklyn and the Texas. The Brooklyn at first headed north, but when Captain Cook saw them heading for escape between himself and the Texas he put helm aport and closed in on the opening. Then the Spaniards veered to the west. "What should Cap tain Cook do? He was already under a port helm, headed about east by this time, and describing rapidly a circle from left to right. Should he reverse the helm, lose his motion and take a chance of being rammed by the "Viz caya, or complete Ills evolution from left to right till he had brought up abreast of the Spaniards in their west ward flight? He decided instantly, be cause he knew his ship. He kept his helm aport, and when his evolution was completed he found himself with the Vizcaya on his starboard bow, the Oquendo abeam and the Colon next. He was then in advance of the Ameri can snips, which were in a cloud of smoke, and while all three, of the Span lards directed their fire at the Brooklyn, the white nose of the Oregon only, un der full steam and all her boilers on, pierced through the dark behind and t the rest is history. -. "When the Brooklyn was turning Schley spoke up to ask If the helm was hard aport, and Cook's confirmatory answer was that It was. Somebody sug gested that the starboard engine be reversed, but Cook said no, it would only check the ship's motion and im pede the evolution. Hodgson came up and asked him if he saw the Texas, and turned away reassured when Cook told Mm that he did. The Texas was 400 yards away when he passed her bow. There was co blanketing lire, no get ting between other ships of the squad ron and the fleeing enemy, and the only chance of it would have been incurred if the Brooklyn had been turned to port Instead of starboard when the Spaniards headed west. There is the story of the loop. There is the fact about Schley's cowardice and confusion, and so history will set it down. It relegates to the lumber room of irrelevance and imagination the damns that Admiral Schley may or may not have spoken on the Brooklyn's bridge, and the fears of the reporters on the Texas that the Brooklyn- would ram- them. It is unfortunate, evidently, that the Government didn't call Cap tain Cook before so laborious an effort had been made to Involve the "loop" In mystery and Innuendo. Yet doubtless the counsel knew their business. "What was farthest from their thought was to do Justice to "the accused." A SILLY COMPARISON. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a pa per very friendly to the great trusts and much disposed to defend them, attempts the argumentum ad hominem in this way: The Oregonlan Is a great newspaper. It is a valuable property. In a way, It Is the Car negie or Oregon journalism. It was built up by the labor of men working for wages. Other newspapers, paying the same wage to labor, have lost thousands of dollars for their pro jectors. The Oregonlan's success, let ns ad mit, was due to the sagacity with which its business affairs were handled. Nevertheless, according to the theory which It preaches. It was the product of labor, of wage-earners. Is not its value, the fortune which it is supposed to be worthy as much toll unlawfully withheld from labor as the surplus which Carnegie now enjoys, "obtained under precisely similar con ditions In another industrial pursuit? The Oregonlan is a small property. It hag- served the public as well as it could, without any profit worth men tion to its owners. Whatever it has earned it has given back to the com munity, augmented by their personal labor. If others have not been able to publish newspapers here the simple ex planation is that they have been un willing to undergo the unremitting drudgery, without reward. The Oregonlan has at all times paid full prices for labor, and habitually more than those who have attempted to compete with it. Nor, since its own ers have not made fortunes, nor spent money in luxurious living, have they oppressed those who have done business with It Therefore The Oregonlan has not on the one hand withheld any sur plus from labor, nor taken any surplus on the other from customers. Carnegie has done both, to an enormous extent.' Hence his prodigious wealth. The vast combinations known as the trusts are doing these things all the time. Pro test against them is reasonable, neces sary, right. Enormous protective duties were laid on iron and steel. The Government lent its powerful aid to the exploiter and to the manufacturer. Carnegie was the one man in position to take highest ad vantage of the opportunity as to iron and steel. Competition was virtually ishut out, and the market was prac tically illimitable. Carnegie "worked" it to the utmost. But no man can ac cumulate the Inconceivable sum of two hundred million dollars without fright ful injustice to vast numbers of people worklngmen and consumers. It is ridiculous to attempt "compari sons between things not comparable at all. REMEMBER YOUR BLESSINGS. Sweet, from afar, is the noise of bat tle, and entertaining In the extreme may be the labors of political conflict to those who are not compelled to min gle in the blood and mud of the arena. They are having it in New York, hot and heavy. Listen to the roar of the Sun's 13-inch shells as they reach for the Harveyized armor of one Edward M. Shepard, nominee of Tammany and its allies for Mayor: What haa led Mr. Shepard to thus sink him self In this unspeakable degradation? Simply that he Itches for office. He wants to be Mayor, and he cares not how his desire Is gratified. He is willing to sell himself for the little public notice that such a place would give him and the brief authority that It would confer. What shall be said of a man who, like him, is willing to forget his past loyalty to principle, forfeit the good opinion of his old friends and of every honest man, and stain his name with shame? This must be said, that in the past he has been a political hypocrite and that now he is a political scoundrel. Three thousand miles from New York City Mr. Shepard is known and recog nized as a most estimable gentleman, an Oberlin student, a civil service re former, a useful crank on forestry, a vigorous and successful prosecutor of election frauds, an Episcopalian, mem ber of church clubs, trustee and regent of philanthropic institutions, author of writings on history, literature and eco nomics. Nowhere else, probably, but in New York would the dire necessity be recognized of attributing to Mr. Shep ard, because he aspires to be Mayor, "unspeakable degradation," to find him willing "to stain his name with shame," to brand him "a political scoundrel." Nowhere but In New York. There the thing -is serious, and far be it from the Sun to shrink from so belligerent a duty, however painful. It will not be outdone in partisan vehemence, though it overshoot the mark and create sym pathy for its victim. "Vituperation is not an enviable ac complishment under ordinary circum stances, but In the hour of strenuous conflict nothing so much endears the leader to his followers. In olden time the warrior used to stand up before an admiring audience and tell his foe's wickedness boldly to his face and vaunt his own prowess and high character. In some such way now we love to imbue our candidates with every virtue known to history and song, while ascribing to the enemy all the sins In the deca logue. Think what the Democrats were in 1900 foes of common honesty, law, order and decency, associates of an archists and assassins! Recall the In human Republicans, reeking with inno cent blood and conspiring for the over throw of morality through the dishon esty of protective tariffs! The New York campaign may well remind us how thankful we should be for the providential blessing of political vaca tions. Happy the man whose means permit him to journey like the cuckoo -round the .globe, companion of the off year! , FOG SIGNALS NEEDED. "Full speed ahead until you strike the kelp, and then full speed astern," was the general order said to have been given by the superintendent of a large Alaska steamship line to his captains regarding the operation of vessels in a fog. These orders seem almost too sweeping for the safety of the public, but were promulgated in response to the general desire to get through on schedule time. A few of the many wrecks that have occurred on Alaskan routes have been caused by following such Instructions too closely, and a number of disasters have resulted from steamers drifting on rocks under a slow bell at times, where full speed would have carried them clear of the danger. Lack of fog signals, lighthouses and other safeguards to which mariners are entitled has been the main cause of the greater part of the disasters which have occurred in the north since the rush for the gold fields swelled the marine traffic into big proportions. The "wreck of the steamship Ha Ting on the coast of "Vancouver Island is the natural re sult of attempting to navigate a dan gerous stretch of unmarked water in a thick fog. It does not appear from the testimony at hand that the master showed any lack of judgment or de parted from the recognized rules re garding handling a vessel in the fog. In nearly every other part of the world where traffic Is as heavy as it is on the Alaska route the government has pro vided fog signals and lighthouses along the most dangerous part of the routes of steamers. In failing to provide these signals on the Alaska route both the Canadian and the American Govern ments have been strangely derelict in a duty which they -owe to the people traveling under their flags. The path of the mariner to the Alas kan ports is beset, even in clear weath er, with hidden rocks and treacherous currents, which at all times make navi gation difficult and perplexing. At night, when even the natural landmarks are hidden by darkness and fog, it becomes largely a matter of luck whether or not a vessel will get through safely. The marine underwriters have been so hard hit by the Alaska disasters that it would probably have been to their financial advantage to have main tained a private system of signals and light stations in the far north. Peo ple inclined to censure the navigator in charge of the Ha Ting and other ves sels which have met a similar fate might insist on . a vessel anchoring during a fog which shut out landmarks in a dangerous locaUty. As fogs pre vail for the greater part of the time in certain seasons on the northern routes, this would be almost as Imprac ticable as keeping off the ocean when ever It is rough. The public insists on rapid transit, and they will not travel on a line that does not take some chances in order to get them through, on time. Had the master of the Ha Ting anchored and waited for the fog to lift,, a protest would have gone up from his impa tient passengers, and his employers would have noticed the effect in a di version of the traffic to lines which en deavored to put their steamers through on a schedule in accordance with the requirements of the public. The isola tion of Alaska, and the attendant eagerness of travelers to make the best possible time in getting back to civ ilization have probably Induced steam ship masters tomake greater efforts to keep on schedule time than they other wise would care to make. Plans have been formulated for a system of lights and fog signals along these routes, and their early establishment may prevent a catastrophe of much greater magni tude than that of the Ha Ting or some of the other victims where the losses were confined to marine property. COFFEE NEEDS NO DUTY. Senator Burrows, of Michigan, whose Napoleonic intellect and Washington ian patriotism have been repeatedly recognized in these columns, is out with a "new suggestion that is fully abreast of his former exploits in constitutional interpretation and gold-silver flnance. He wants a duty on coffee, and he says that with it "we can save the 552,000,000 annually expended abroad for this -product." The Senator is a co-religionist of your Uncle Jimmy Wilson, who believes that the United States should produce everything it consumes, and yet push stupendous sales abroad at the point of the bayo net and the Dingley bill. A more en gaging or impossible dream was never indulged by Edgar Allan Poe or Jules Verne. "Why should we have a" duty on cof fee? We don't need the revenue, there is too much revenue now. We don't want to discourage trade with South America, Arabia or the East Indies, they trade with Europe too much now. No better way not to promote trade with Brazil could be devised than to cut off our imports from there. The central thought of the "Buffalo speech" is that if we want to sell we must buy, and this conception is directly contra vened by the coffee proposal. One thing we could do with a duty on coffee is to build up a coffee trust and enhance prices to the consumer. We take it that a few "more infant in dustries like the steel trust are just about what the American people are not looking for. A tariff on coffee would simply add the amount of the duty to the price of coffee, and every family in the land would feel the bur den. What we want is lower duties and cheaper goods for the masses. The only good reason for a duty on coffee is the fact that tea is taxed while coffee comes in free; but the way to remedy this injustice is to abolish the Iniquitous tariff on tea. TAXES AND TAX-SHIRKERS. The State Supreme Court has decided in the suit of the Title Guarantee & Trust Company vs. Caleb A. Aylsworth that when an assessment is absolutely void on account of the omission of some prerequisite of a good assessment, there is no necessity for making any tender of any taxes due, and no penalty can be collected. The Supreme Court in its decision refers to the statute which re quires the Assessor to put down in sep arate columns 1. The names of the taxable persons in the county. 2. A description ot each tract or parcel of land to be taxed. 3. The number of acres and parts of an acre, as near as the same can be ascertained, unless divided Into lots and blocks; and 4. The full cash value of each parcel of lend taxed. The Supreme Court holds that vjio penalty can be awarded where the as sessment is a nullity, and for the same reason it cannot be required that the plaintiff tender payment of taxes equit ably due from him. This decision would seem to fit mis descriptions of property on the assess ment roll, which might generally be said to be void for want of uncertainty, and, if so, it would have an important bearing adverse to the legality of the qurative act passed at the last Legis lative session, and aimed to cure imper fect assessments. The purchaser at a tax sale is a vol unteer taxpayer of delinquent taxes, and under this opinion in case of a bad assessment it is doubtful if he can re cover the money he has paid from the county or any one else. Tax-title buy ers will probably govern themselves accordingly. But, although the description may not be accurate, the actual property in al most every case, if not in every case, is there; and in equity it ought to pay the tax. The present statutes ought to be made stronger on this point. The tax-shirker gets too much considera tion. LIQUOR to MINORS. There are upon our statute books stringent laws with contingent penal ties for violation against selling or giv ing liquor to minors, or harboring minors in or about saloons where in toxicating liquor is sold. Good and comprehensive as these laws are, they are not sufficient in themselves to pre vent the evils at which they strike. As a consequence, two boys, sons of a prominent and worthy citizen of Sa lem, are under arrest, charged with beating and robbing an old man on the road. "The boys had been drinking," is the explanation of this serious out rage. It is, of course, possible to find where they procured the liquor that they drank in this Instance, and this will probably be done. The mistake in this case, and in all cases where boys are plied with drink, was in waiting until serious trouble came of it before taking action against the lawbreakers. The father who per mits one such violation to pass with out vigorously prosecuting the lawless liquor vendor is remiss in his duty, not only to his family, but to the state. Oregon has as good and comprehensive laws, commonly called "temperance laws," as any state in the Union. The lawgivers have done their part. Let parents, and, failing here, the people, do theirs, and the spectacle of) a I drunken boy (only less sad and repul- I slve than that of a drunken, woman) will not disgrace any community In the state. The case is one wherein a father is justified in availing himself of the law, looking not to redress, since the wrong committed" against him, and his cannot be redressed, but to the punish ment to the full limit prescribed of this stealthy debaucher of his boys this "devil's pioneer" who, for the paltry price of a few glasses of whisky, ruth lessly "cuts the fences down of virtue, saps her walls" and opens a smooth way to their moral degradation and death The contention on the Portland water front presents some peculiar aspects. No dissatisfaction Is expressed over wages, which, as a matter of fact, are higher than are paid for most of the skilled labor In other lines. Neither is there any complaint about hours. A man can work all day or only part of a day, as he sees fit. Prom indications the trouble will not be serious, as the wages paid are too alluring to cause men who are seeking work to remain long out of employment. According to the testimony of both sides interested, not a burden has been "added to the employe that has not rested on him for the past four years, and things have worked very smoothly among the long shoremen and stevedores for that period. If the strike Is prolonged, there L will be a loss to the city and to the men who brought on the strike. The first noticeable effect was in evidence yesterday, when a steamer was ordered from the Columbia River to San Fran cisco, and a sailing ship just ready to leave the Orient had her orders changed so that she proceeds to Puget Sound instead of Portland. Organized capital fought organized labor to a standstill in San Francisco, and the steamship Alberta, which sailed from the Columbia yesterday, will be loaded down there by longshoremen who enjoy no greater privileges than those granted both union and nonunion men in Portland. Every ship diverted from this port means a direct loss of from $6000 to $10,000 in disbursements. The wheatgrowers who are not located so that they can ship to Puget Sound will also suffer heavily if the strike attains very large proportions, as there will be no market for wheat where it cannot be handled with dispatch. The ques tion, primarily, is whether the union is strong enough to enforce the demand that union labor only shall be em ployed. It has not, indeed, quite taken that shape yet, in the contention be tween the men and the employers; but that is the actual difference that lies behind the disagreement. In view of the long struggle at San Francisco and the present status there, it seems un likely that the men here will be able to force the employers to take none but union men. The cowboy method of slaughtering wildhorses, whose only offense is that they have to eat, by running them over precipices, as reported in a dispatch from Albuquerque, N. M., causes the humane to shudder. Yet It is mani festly much less cruel than that of rounding J them up on the ranges, forc ing them into cars crowded to their utmost capacity with the panting, frightened, exhausted, thirsty creatures and sending them to be slaughtered after days of suffering to the cannery. Necessity knows no law, and since it is held to be necessary to rid the ranges of wild horses, the plan of running them over a sheer precipice, a large percentage being killed by the fall and the maimed speedily dispatched, Is per haps as humane a method for their dis posal as can be devised. Certainly it is preferable, as far as humanity goes," to shipping them to a cannery for slaughter or transporting them for any purposes to Japan or South Africa. Conditions of famine in a number of densely populated districts of . Russia are simply appalling. Not since the dreadful famine of 1891-92 has the stress been so great or the outlook so gloomy. The government is bestirring itself to prevent wholesale starvation in these districts, but the suffering will be great and the death rate, especially among- children, will necessarily be large. The class of people'affected by famine learn nothing from experience, but continue year after year processes of reproduction out of all proportion to their means or assurance of subsistence. Nature running to excess in one way corrects her blunders at more or less regular periods by killing off the sur plus." The process involves much hu man suffering, but it is nature's way and it will be pursued until man learns that it can be turned aside by reason and not by wailing or by prayer. "The Story of a Great City in a Nut shell" is the title of a 12-mo. book of 200 pages that recites 500 facts about St. Louis, gives an interesting sketch of the city's history and present greatness, and is distributed gratuitously by the Burlington Railroad. While designed to promote the interests of the fair of 1904, this work contains so much useful information compiled with Intelligent discrimination and presented in attract ive form that the advertising feature is forgotten and genuine interest In the historic old city is aroused. St. Louis is a great city, and it is putting forth strenuous effort to make the coming fair representative of the industrial and political ideas embodied in the Louisi ana purchase. It has the spirit and the backing that will insure success to the enterprise. In an article on the recent cup race and the international college races, the London Express says: "England and America, are better friends today than they have ever been since the Declara tion "of Independence." And it further remarks that "nothing has done more to make Britishers and Americans good comrades than friendly contests in sport. Politicians may deride the im portance of mere pastimes, but the playground is the real place to make enduring friendships." There Is much in this, no doubt. For anything that brings intercourse and association among men, and enables them to know each other well, is pretty sure to estab lish points of contact and liking, on which they will be better friends. The evidence of Captain Francis A. Cook before the Schley court of inquiry gave a pleasing variety to the monot ony that has held the boards all these weeks. It was that of a man who knows what he is talking about and whose view of the events, conditions and efforts which culminated in the great naval victory of Santiago is not distorted by jealousy or colored by per sonal spite. Patriotic citizens who have been justly proud of the grand achieve ment of the United States Navy may now begin to renew their pride in its officers. " BRITISH COLUMBIA MINES. . New York Sun. The report of the Minister of Mines of British Columbia, for the year 1900 bears witness to the actual and prospective Im portance of the copper and coal deposits in that province of the Dominion of Can ada. The output of gold, silver ana lead during: the twelvemonth was by no means unsatisfactory, but It Is with the minerals- first named that the prosperity or tne Province seems especially connected. Although British Columbia does not yet count as a factor of prime significance in the supplyof copper to the markets of the world, there Is no. doubt that It pos sesses great capabilities, considered as a future purveyor of that metal. In 19C0 the output of copper from its mines was 9.977.0SO pounds, as against 7,722,591 pounds in 1S9D. and 7,271,678 pounds In 1S9S. It Is true that the Rossland ores seem to be much less rich than they were, their aver age yield of metallic contents during 1900 being no more than 10 pounds per ton against S3 pounds In the preceding twelve month. The result was that, although the quantity of ore shipped Increased by 26 per cent, the production of copper metal In the Rossland district was less than half that in 1S99. There was also a diminution in the shipments from the Nelson district, but this is said to be only temporary. On the other hand, the coast mines showed an Increase of more than 100 per cent In. their yield of metal; and the Boundary Creek district, which figures for the first time In the official report, produced 5,672,177 pounds of copper. A new place to at tract attention is Copper Mountain Camp In the Simllkameen district, where the ore Is said to be of great extent. Then., too, the deposits on "Vancouver Island are still virtually untouched, and they, like the ores of Copper Mountain are assert ed to be far richer In metal than those which have been worked with so much success In the Lake Superior district of the United State's. On the whole, there is good reason to believe that with the in vestment of more capital in the work ot milling, and with the erection of more smelters, British Columbia will attain a leading place among copper producers. It Is well known that coal is found in many parts of T British Columbia. To the west near Fairvlew, in the Okanogan Valley, there are outlying indications ot the mineral at Swan Lake, at Okanogan Falls, up the north fork of the Kettle River and in the Fire Valley and Okan ogan districts afound Wauchope. At the places named the rims of coal basins are cropping out, and boring Is being carried on for the purpose of locating the deeper parts of the deposits. There are similar Indications in the west of the Province, from Princeton in the Simllkameen Val ley to the Stump Lakes,' North Thompson River and Hat Creek. The coal basins in the Hazelton district are said to equal those of the Crow's Nest In quantity and quality. Just now the producing coal fields of British Columbia are those of Vancouver Island and of the Crow's Nest Pass. Although the deposits In the last named area were made accessible only last year through the opening of the Crow's Nest. Pass Railway, the output of coal was 206,803 tons, of which 103,231 tons were used for coke making. In Vancou ver the yield was 1.3S3.376 tons, of which only 47,353 tons were converted Into coke. The Crow's Nest mines are capable of a much greater output that those of Van couver; Indeed, the estimates of some en gineers have placed the quantity of coal within this area at 25,000,000,000 of tons, which would permit a delivery of 70.C00 tons a day for 1000 years. This coal Is said to be better adapted for coking than any other In America, the coke produced possessing high calorific power, and great crushing strength. As for Its steam-producing quality, the Crow's Nest coal Is said to have borne the hard tests applied to It by the British Admiralty, which has agreed to substitute It for Welsh coal so soon as the completion of a railway should facilitate the transmis sion of It to the Coast. Hitherto Iron has not been reckoned among the mineral treasures of British Columbia. It Is certain, however, that there Is In the Province a plenty of Iron ore of a good class, which may be turned to account one day In an iron-manufacturing Industry, operated In. conjunction with the coal mines of the Crow's Nest Pass. According to the report of a provincial mineralogist, deposits of very good mag netic ore have been discovered recently In the neighborhood of the Albernl Canal. We repeat, however, that, as yet, it Is principally as a purveyor of copper and cqal that British Columbia attracts at tention in the mineral markets of the world. Kernel of the Conflict. Brooklyn Eagle. The high church wing of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Convention has carried Its point. By a vote of 37 against 29 It decided that the canon on marriage should prohibit the remarriage of divorced persons save where the divorce was ob tained for cause existing before the mar riage that Is, where the first marriage was no,, marriage. This Is the position of the Catholic Church, which holds that the marriage tie Is Indissoluble. The canon, however, will not become the law of the church unless it Is adopted by the House of Deputies, the larger and more popular branch of the convention. There is a large minority In the House of Bish ops, as the vote shows, which favors a less' rigid rule. The minority bishops want the church to recognize the right of the innocent party to a divorce, secured for cause arising after marriage, to be come again a husband or a wife. There are scores of such people who do re marry, and scores of guilty parties to di vorce who also remarry, and they are both attendants at Episcopal Churches. In practice these people are not excluded from the society of decent folk. Several notorious cases will occur to the mind at once. They need not be mentioned. And it has been the guilty party to the di vorce who has usually remarried, rather than the Innocent party. But tne senti ment against putting the ban of the church on an Innocent man or woman is strong. The adoption of the canon which the House of Bishops has approved would have to be 'followed by a rule for the dis cipline of those who violate It. The Epis copalian minister may not marry di vorcees under the rule. But the church recognizes as valid marriages performed by clergymen of other sects, and other clergymen do not object to marrying di vorced people whether they are the Inno cent or guilty party. There will need to be no provision for disciplining the clergy, but the laymen and women who violate the canon by marrying again will have to be punished In some way, else the reg ulations of the church will be held in contempt. Many conscientious men believe there is Scriptural warrant for the remarriage of the Innocent party, as they believe there Is authority In the Bible for Pres byterianism, Methodism and Baptism. And some of these men are bishops in the Episcopal Church. And many of them are sitting In the House of Deputies. They want the church to accept their In terpretation, of the Scriptures and relieve the remarried divorcees. The decision which the convention reaches will have a greater effect on the church Itself than on the people against whom the proposed canon is directed. The question at issue is really whether the drift toward Rome shall continue or not. A Precious Snob. Walla Walla Statesman. Young Rockefeller was so impressed with his own importance that he had six detectives and a strong bodyguard to ac company him on, his recent trip to Prov idence to marry the daughter of Senator Aldrich. President Roosevelt, however, still walks and Tides unattended. If young Rockefeller would travel like the ordinary r.ltizen it is doubtful whether anybody would suspect him of being the son of the richest man in America, and he would be in no danger of being molested. But as an affected, supercilious snob traveling with a royal retinue, it would not be sur prising If some disguised crank would take a shot at him. MISSIONARIES AS ASSETS. Louisville Courier-Journal. It would be a mistake to say that while Christian civilization Is making its much boasted progress in so many directions, the barbarians themselves are scoring no advancement. In nothing, perhaps, is this more marked than In their treatment of missionaries. It has not been so long since the chief use which they found for a mlaslonary was to convert him Into fricassee or soup. Whether the quality of the missionary has deteriorated or the taste of the heathen has Improved, there Is little or no de mand now for missionaries as an article of food. China only recently ha3 been taught to place a greater value on missionaries than she was disposed to do that Is, on dead missionaries. While a living missionary is hardly of more value in China than a peck of rice, a dead one. If death resulted from Chinamen, and more especially If the dead missionary was a German, Is known to be the equivalent of many square miles of territory, to be trans ferred from China to the power under which the deceased claimed nationality. China has yet much to learn on the subject of missionaries, and she may learn considerable of It by studying the mis sionary policy of the gentle savages who have kidnaped Miss Stone. These ad vanced barbarians recognize the value of missionaries, both dead and alive, and they recognize it with intelligent discrimi nation. They understand, for Instance, that while a missionary who perhaps would find It difficult to demonstrate his value at more than S3 a week In his own country Is good for many millions of acres of land If killed In some other coun try, the aforesaid land to be surrendered by the heathen power to the Christian yet If adroitly managed, alive he Is worth over 510O.CO0 in cash, to be paid by the citizens of the missionary's country to the citizens of the barbarian country shrewd enough to play him to the limit. This policy Is certainly a great advance over the old method of potting a mis sionary, or over the method of giving up vast acreD of real estate for the privilege of putting him out of the way. In the practice of this policy the enlightened barbarians, Instead of paying a princi pality for the pleasure of killing a mis sionary, simply abduct the missionary alive, and force his countrymen to pay more than 5100.0CO for the pleasure of see ing him again. Even China, as slow as she Is, will no doubt realize the superiority of this mis sionary policy to her own. though she may not have the enterprise to adopt it. Cer tain It Is that If she had adopted it a year or two ago, and had carried It out as successfully as seems likely In the case of Miss Stone. China, instead of being minus much territory, which she has handed over to the compatriots of slain missionaries, might have collected from these same compatriots enough to go far toward paying the big Indemnities with which she now stands charged. CEMENT WALK VS. SHADE TREE PORTLAND, Oct. lo.-(To the Editor.) You have sounded a timely warning against the sacrifice of the shade tree In the interests of cement walks. Open your columns to an expression of opinion from the public If you care to know hdw com pletely you are in touch with Portland residents on this question. If we cannot have both, I vote that the cement walk must go. But why not have both? Where feasible, lay a six-foot cement walk adjacent to the curb of the street, leav ing against the lot line the entire lawn space now usually left on either side of the walk. This will give plenty of room for shade trees inside of the walk In stead of outside, and the root has ample room to seek moisture and nourishment. Where this Is not feasible by reason of the fact that the walk has been laid, set Into the ground at the edge of the walk a cement wall extending on and one-half to two and one-half feet In the ground. The root cannot break through, but must go down and if It finds Its way under the walk below the wall it Is probably at too great depth to do harm. This has proven practical In Germany and Is worth an ex periment. If all experiments fall, a wooden walk renewed a9 often as neces sary and shade trees are preferable to cement walks and barren streets. Over head wires are an enemy to the shade tree also, and already after 10 years of care and expense, I am asked to mutilate our English and French elms and Norway maples, because It Is said my neighbor's phone does not work so well, or because central's automatic signal does not re spond freely, although just why I should be asked to make the sacrifice instead of- my neighbor or the telephone cVmpany I cannot quite comprehend. , ZERA SNOW. Ills Own Man. Boston Herald. President Roosevelt said at Buffalo, and he has said elsewhere, that he Intended carrying out during his administration the policies of President McKinley. That does rot require him to do in detaK- what Mr. McKinley intended doing. It does not require him to appoint to office every man who comes to him w'ith a represen tation that McKinley promised, or inti mated, that ho would give him a certain office, or some office. The President gave some encouragement to office-seekers to ply him with this argument by some of his early appointments, which were said to be the same that his predecessor pur posed making, and perhaps they were. But this Is a matter quite apart from general policies, a matter regarding which he Is not bound by his declaration, or by any duty, a matter concerning which he will let his Independence be known In good time, or he will have no end of embar rassment. President McKinley himself might have changed his mind before the time for action came. He was by no means unchangeable In his opinions. Pres ident Roosevelt's peace Is dependent on being his own man In all such matters. It Is his duty to satisfy himself, and we think he will do It. The appointment of his subordinates In administration is something for which he will be held re sponsible. B The Most Oppressive of Trusts. Washington (D. C.) Times. The sugar trust Is one of the worst in the world, and they are all bad enough. This one is particularly obnoxious be cause It preys upon everybody who uses sugar, which is practically the entire pop ulation of the country. Its exactions fall with especial severity upon the middle and poor cK sses, with whom sugar Is one of the necessaries of life, and who use very much more of It in proportion, to their means than do the wealthier peo ple. Decadence of Hnnnn's Influence. Albany (N. Y.) Argus. When President McKinley had breathed his last the Hanna boom for President was dead. The Ohio politician, whoso word had been well-nigh law in the Re publican party, nationally, shrank to the proportions of one of 90 United States Senators, and not the greatest one. eith er, unless Senator Lodge's Influence with the new President had been overestimated. A Fair Field, but No Favors. Indianapolis News. We have simply to do for the ocean-carrying trade as the German Government has done by the Hamburg-American line give it freedom and let It alone. Amer ican enterprise needs no .subsidy. It re quires simply an even chance a fair field and no favor. The people ought to set their faces as flint against subsidies. A Damper on Annexation. St. Paul Pioneer Press. Have the sugar-refining companies been lowering the price of sugar in order to lessen the Cuban clamor for annexation? Five and one-tenth cents a pound for the refined article would not appear to be an exhilarating figure Ironx the planter's point of view. NOTE AND COMMENT. General Kitchener reports with the usual accompaniment. Why all this pow-wow about the pur- Ity of milk? It's too thin. Perhaps the brigands will reduce then price after the holiday rush. General Buller seems to be butting ut against a court of Inquiry on his own account. There has been a run on a Buffalo bank. This seems to ba about the only thing which could not be put off there. The glorious- football game now comes forth to make the war in the Transvaal look like a game of drop-the-handker-chief. President Roosevelt will probably have to write the story of that Santiago naal battle himself, and decide the matter once for all. That there is not so much in heredity Is shown, by the fact that Monte Carlo Is not in the itinerary of th tour of tlio Duke of Cornwall and York. It probably would not require a Sherlock Holmes to tell by examination, of the White House furniture that the ag.s of some of the residents are under 14. It is too bad that Mark Twain cannot have the assistance of those well-known reformers, Scotty Brigg: and Buck Fan shaw, in his work of raforming New York. In a short time the debt of the country will not be much more than a billion dol lars, or about as much as It co5ts J. P. Morgan to travel from New York to San Francisco. A Pennsylvania Sheriff made a row be cause the street-cars weuld not carry him free. Things are growing serious when an ordinary Sheriff expeets to be treated like a policeman. The "Articles of War," which Is tho official title for the "rutes and regulations for the better government of the navy (either foreign or home), are oftn sub ject to amendments to meet new condi tions. One of the most recent modifica tions of those of the British Navy gov erns the medical examinations of candi dates for enlistment. The restrictiors are made less severe, especially as regards the condition of their teeth. The reason for this Is easily explained, since In theao days of steam and comparatively short cruises in sea work the crews arc not so often compelled to subsist upon (to grind up) "salt junk" and "hard tack" as in the days of the ships of a couple of genera tions ago. Therefore, the question of ab solutely sound teeth, and all of the teeth. Is no of so much importance, now that soft bread, fresh meat or canned meat and vegetables form the major portion of the food at sea. Provided that a man has a sufficient number of teeth and of fair quality in his head for the proper mastica tion of ordinary food, if he Is suitable in other respects, he will not be rejected. Captain. Allan D. McLean, surgeon at the United States Hospital at Muntlnlupa, In the Philippines, writes thus to a friend In Detroit: 'At present the general topic of the day Is, What is Uncle Sam going to do with the new 'white elephant' the 700 school teachers recently sent here he so phllanthroplcally or unknow ingly saddled upon himself. Without tho commissary privileges, their salary of ?73 a month doesn't even keep them in food. They cannot speak Spanish, and never will learn to understand Tagalo. The general Impression Is that It would bo cheaper for Uncle Sam to transport all the Filipinos td the United States to learn the language there than to attempt tho schoolma-am scheme. They have only been here two weeks, and have raised more pow-wow and disturbance than the whole Army did during the palmy days of tho Insurrection. Since leaving the United States about ltO of them have been mar ried, and the remaining 800 are busjing themselves day and night to get Into tho matrimonial band wagon, the wheels oC which never cease turning, even In tho Philippines." FLEASAXTIUES OF PARAGRAPIIERS First O!nce-Boy. Wot's Jimmy cryln' for?. Second Offlce-Boy Hte grandmudders dead, and going ter be burled on a holiday! Tit- Bit3. A Matter for Congratulation. "Did role hunter have any Sue-cant; on his Arctic expedi tion'." "Oh. yes! Ho succeeded in getting back." Puck. Driver Waiter, this chap is very small. Waiter (a raw hand) Yes sir; but you 11 find, it will take a good while, to eat it. Glasgow Evening Times. An Omission. J'Sue declares that she la sin gle from choice," said Miss Kittish. "But did she say whose choice?" asked Miss Frocks. Detroit Free Pre3s. Neighbor! saw the doctor call at your house this morning. Is your father very ill? 1 Bo Not yet. The doctor only come today tor the hrst time. Tit-Bits. What Ought to Be. "But perfect lovers aro so plentiful in books, and so rare elsewhere" "Yes. It's a pity one doesn't go with every engagement ring." Puck. Young Lady Oh. Mr. Green, I don't know what to do with Eflle! She Is so miserable because sh hasn't had her donkey ride. Would you mind giving her a pick-a-back? Punch. Pat. "Where does your new playfellow live, Benny?" asked Mr, Bloobumper. "He Uvea in one of those compartment houses down tha street, papa, exclaimed Benny. Detroit Fret Press. Conclusive Evidence "Is she pretty?" they asked of the young man who was speaking of his fiancee. "Well, I don't want to boast," he replied, "but she always gets a seut on th street car." Baltimore American. Mrs. Knowles. "That Is a beautiful recom mendation you gave to your cook. Of course, she deserved it? Mrs. Milton Of course. Mrs., Kncwles But what do you really think about the girl? I havo written recommendations my self, you know. Boston Transcript. Caught. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed, impa tiently, "we'll be sure to nuea the first act. We've been waiting a good many minutes for .that mother of mine." "Hours, I should saj, he replied, rather tartly. "Ours?" she crkd. joyfully "Oh, George, thla is so sudd nl" Philadelphia Press. 9 The Coolc ftnettlon Solved. "A Tormented Mistress." in London Truth. Owing to the non-payment ot thrtr salaries there was a mutiny and riot among the Pal ace culinary start at Constantinople this week. The Sultan ordered tho payment of their wage and imprisoned several cooks. Times. Of the Sultan and all hte strange doings From season to season I've read; And sometimes my pulse has been quickened. And sometimes hot tears I have ihed. But whatever the ends he has almefi at. B, this or the other decree. Till now. in his plenary powers He has never been envied by me. Eut at last when I read in the papers The cooks In his palace have risen. And that, by an Instant lrade. He has popped three or four into prison When I read ot ihese troublesomo creatures Haled oft to a cell one by one. Why I do fel a ssasm of envy That I can't do what Abdul has done. Ye3, recalling the ways she annojw me. Reviewing each falling and fault Her penchant for putting In pepper Her mania for leaving out salt; I repeat that at last I do envy A might even chef3 have to brook: Yes, I yearn for the power, I adpilt it. To imprison, at will, my plain cook!