THE MORNING OBEGCXNIAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1901.
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T'jD.VT'S WEATHER Cloudy, with show-c-s;
southerly winds.
YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem
X'ra,"!rc, 44; minimum temperature, 37; pre
c!,.t2tIon. 0.2? Inch.
PORTLAXD, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25.
INDEED A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Nothing could signalize the change In
this Oregon region in a century more
then this bounteous Christmas. Just
rlr.f ty-six years ago this day Lewis and
Claik were celebrating Christmas at
Firt Clatsop. Such an observance as
tl i?, so far from the world, is past our
feicy to conceive. "We only know that
th" intrepid band of explorers were 4000
rr "cs outside the fringe of civilization,
and that the sentiment which the day
brought with it was locked in an unre
sponsive wilderness. The only element
cf cheer was in their fearless hearts,
f r Nature wore a dismal garb. Pic
ture to yourself the contrast with the
I re sent. Every mountain, every forest
and even the ever-constant rain join in
the spirit of cheerfulness and plenty.
Cut the occasion, poor and gloomy
then, has gained in splendor since, and
in the Armament of the receding past
will be a star of gaining magnitude.
The simpleness of the day is thus de
scribed in Lewis and Clark's journal:
W were awaked at daylight by a discharge
of ib i arms, which was followed by a song from
the men, as a. compliment to ua on the return
cf Christmas, which wo have always bean ac
c Unied to observe as a. day of rejoicing.
Afar breakfast, we divided our remaining
et 3 k of tobacco, which amounted to 11! carrots,
lr.j two parts, one of which wc distributed
n.nong such of the men as make use of It,
malun,? a jrccnt of a handkerchief to the oth
ers. The remainder of tlie day was passed in
K-5d spirits, though there was nothing in our
f tuation to excite much gaiety. The rain con
f.nc J us to the house, and our only luxuries
In honor of the reason were some poor elk, a
few routs and some spoiled pounded fish.
In just four years more the stream
cf time will have flowed a century. To
day, with all its contentment, its bounty
and its fullness, signalizes the richness
of Oregon's resources and the energy of
Us pioneers. We have double cause to
rt joice in this Christmas, from its thrill
cf achievement and its power to darry
f irward our imagination another cen
tury to the days when our children's
children will remember the beginning.
Ninety-six years ago the power of an
empire reposed In the Inertness of a
wilderness. The record of these years
will inspire the devotions of today with
gladness and with hope. Indeed, a
merry Christmas, and also a merry
Christmas to those who will come here
after. The world is big with promise
t' Jay, and wider, perhaps, than you
can see, through the commonplace win
dow of life. But expand your view to
the angle of the past and you will
gather in a measure of the future as
lorg as is the earth and as broad as is
tho sea.
HOW TO IMPROVE RIVERS.
The Seattle Post-Inteliigencer said the
other day that "vast sums of money
have ben sunk In the hopeless at
tempt to improve the Lower Columbia,
In the interest of Portland, while the
upper river was starved." In confuta
tion cf this false assertion The Orego
nlan adduced the Government records
to show that while $3,405,329 has been
srent on the lower river, $4,22S,392 has
been spent on the upper river. The
Pst-Intelligencer's reply to this is to
treat the improvement at the Cascades
1 ;ks, where the Columbia breaks
through the Cascade Range, as belong
lrg to the lower river, and made for
the benefit of Portland. We merely
give this information for the benefit of
cur readers, who are sufficiently in
formed as to its truth or falsity. We
have no words fit to characterize the
Pest-Intelligencer's attitude toward the
Columbia River; we know of no con
siderations that would move it to either
accuracy of knowledge or fairness of
statement.
"What the Post-Intelligencer wants, as
the true and modest friend of the pro
ducers in the Columbia Basin, is river
improvement beginning at the head
waters of the stream and gradually ex
tending down to the mouth. Nothing
sh uld be done at the bar or the mouth
cf the Willamette or the cascades or
the dalles until China steamers are ply
ing freely between Revelstoke and
Priest Rapids. This also is a conten
tion that carries its own explanation
ard comment.
Vn'ntenticnally, we are sure, the Post
Intelligencer farther convicts Itself of
IJIocy or insincerity. It Is red hot for
upper-river Improvement, but as to the
1-wer river, it soeaks of "the HOPE
LESS ATTEMPT to improve the Lower
C lumbia." When the Seattle paper
1 is opened navigation from Portland to
the British Columbia line, how will it
acswer to posterity for the millions thus
wasted on a stream that is unnavigable
f -r 100 miles from the sea?
What the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
really desires Is to prevent the Colum-
bla River and by this term we mean
the Dower Columbia River and tho
mouth of the Columbia River from
being a seaport in rivalry with Puget
Sound.
NAVY CHICKENS HOME TO ROOST.
Maclay is pretty small potatoes en
tirely too small to be made a martyr
of in a great cause. Tet there Is un
deniable picturesqueness in his defiance
of the whole Government, from Presi
dent Roosevelt dawn, and in his ap
peal from. Roosevelt the indignant su
perior to Roosevelt the civil service re
former. "Who could ever have imagined
that the civil service system, which
Roosevelt helped to entrench, would
now be invoked against him In his al
together commendable purpose to rid
the Government of one of the most con
temptible scrubs that ever burdened Its
payrolls and disgraced the hone3t name
of "laborer"?
"We can learn from this episode that
civil service rules are an awkward
substitute for something they most em
phatically are not. The object of civil
service reform Is to get good men In
office; but In practlve It is Inadequate
to that end. It protects faithful serv
ants from being thrown out by spoils
men, it Is true; but It also protects un
profitable servants from the reach of
outraged superiors. It Is almost as
necessary for the civil service to get
worthless persons out as to get useful
ones in. Whenever we get efficient and
honest heads of departments, the civil
service law will be a stronghold of
abuses and mischief. The moment we
have a fearless and conscientious Sec
retary, that moment it becomes im
perative that he have free rein, not
only to get good men in, but to get bad
men out. He would protect the effi
cient and cast out the worthless.
"Civil service" protects both.
Another trouble with the civil service
rules disclosed by the case of Maclay
Is that men often earn discharge In
ways that do not at all concern their
official duties. The Collector of the Port
of New York has just been removed
for reasons which the President re
fused to make public He was fiercely
assailed at first by civil service reform
ers, but when Mr. Carl Schurz told
them there were cases where removal
was necessary, but reasons could not
be given, and that he knew the Collec
torshlp case to be one of them, the re
formers apologized and approved the
President's course. Maclay ought to be
"fired" on general principles, and If
the civil service law stands in the way,
it is to that extent mischievous. The
law Is a brake on spoilsmen's plans, but
It is also an obstacle to salutary disci
pline. Peremptory dismissal has been
found available In Maclay's case; but
it is an exception that cannot become
the rule.
But in none of these things lies the
true lesson of the Maclay episode. The
truth is he should have been "fired"
long ago. The Navy Department cuts
a very unenviable figure In keeping him
in office all these months while his of
fense was known, and sacrificing him
now for no other purpose than to allay
If possible the storm of popular dis
content for which it is Itself largely
responsible. The department was not
anxious to protect the reputation of
Schley, but It is anxious to protect Its
own dignity and peace of mind. All the
Inconvenience and humiliation it is now
called upon to undergo .and all the vio
lent struggles It Is making to extricate
Itself are but the legitimate fruits of
Its own error in listening to the Samp
sonian cabal and suffering Maclay's
outrageous aspersions upon Schley to
go unrebuked.
ST. NICHOLAS IX VERSE.
Away back In the first quarter of the
nineteenth century, when possibly the
Santa Claus myth was more cunningly
presented than now. Professor Moore,
of Troy, N. Y., though not a poet by
profession, wrote some verses that
caused the eyes of thousands of chil
dren to twinkle and their hearts to beat
faster with expectation. The first few
lines
'Twas the night before Christmas,
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring.
Not even a mousq
made young and old agog with curi
osity. The author Is said to have
thought little of the production him
self, not intending it for publication.
He gave, however, a copy of the verses
to a school teacher, who sent them to
the Troy Sentinel, in which paper they
appeared anonymously, though with a
laudatory Introduction by the editor,
December 23, 1S23. Thus "The Night
Before Christmas" was launched upon
the wide sea of juvenile fancy and won
der. It scored a prompt success, and
was extensively copied. It has since
been printed In almost every civilized
land and In many languages, and is
still quoted wherever Christmas Is ob
served as a children's festival In tender
memory of the Christ child. Professor
Moore is said to have been greatly
vexed at the publication and to have
put a slight estimate upon the quality
of the verses, which, If true, Illustrates
again the fact that the popular Judg
ment is not always in accord with that
of an author In regard to his own work.
Professor Moore may have written
many other works of merit, but he never
wrote anything else that took such a
hold on tho hearts of the people. Thou
sands of men and women grown gray,
and other thousands who have long
since passed beyond the sound of Christ
mas bells, have listened in their child
hood with bated breath and awesome
delight for the
Prancing and pawing of each little hoof
At the hour in which good St. Nicholas
was supposed to be abroad, with his
Miniature slelch and eight tiny reindeer.
And now, nearly four-score years after
the Christmas time In which the en
chanting verses first saw the light, hun
dreds of thousands of children listen
spellbound to the jingling recital which
represents St. Nicholas on his rounds
on Christmas eve. with "a sleigh full
of toys" to be snugly bestowed In the
Christmas stockings.
Much of the bloom has been brushed
from Christmas joys of the old-fashioned
sort by the eager commercial en
terprise that has entered into the Christ
mas problem. Gift-giving has come to
be something of a mania in these later
years. In the great competition for
business rival houses have offered with
purchases gifts of dolls and whistles,
balls, pictures, mittens and what not,
forestalling the purpose of parents and
friends In many little surprises planned
and helping to produce a surfeit which
detracts from the value of all gifts.
Christmas-tree decorations fill shop
windows with gorgeous. color and quaint
device for days before the little tree is
to be lighted In the parlor, or big tree
In the church or town hall. There is
little' that Is new to sight when the
doors are thrown open, revealing the
lighted tree. St. Nicholas Is no longer
an awe-Inspiring myth, In whom chil
dren Implicitly believe. But still the
quaint story of his coming, told so long
ago. In captivating rhyme, agog with
the music of bells, makes "merry Christ
mas" in hundreds of thousands of
hearts at Chrlstmastlde In every Chris
tian land.
THE VITALITY OP ITS SPIRIT.
It Is but historical truth to say that
what we call Christianity, whether in
the Protestant or Catholic church, has
periodically cast Its superficial skin. No
intelligent man of clear understanding
will maintain that the practical Chris
tianity of our time Is Identical with
that of Luther or Calvin, or
so stern and upright a pope
as Julius II. The spirit is more hu
mane in both churches. Faith in eter
nal punishment and in the verbal In
spiration of the Bible is no longer en
tertained by many communicants of or
thodox Protestant churches. Neverthe
less, what we might fairly call belief in
the spirit of Christianity as distin
guished from the letter of Its record
was never more manifest than it is to
day. The ablest and most eloquent
preacher of the Unitarian church, the
Rev. Dr. Chadwick, while he does not
profess to believe In the supernatural
divinity of Jesus, while he does not
believe In the verbal Inspiration of the
Bible, confesses that "the spirit of Jesus
emerges clear and bright from out the
clouds and vapors that Invest every
particular of his career."
The spirit of Jesus was a spirit of
human .brotherhood, of peace and of
good-will to men, of compassion for all
suffering and sinful folk, and "of deep
Inwardness, demanding that the motive
should be as unselfish as the act, the
thought of the heart as pure as the ex
ternal life." This Is the essence of pure
Christianity as exemplified by Jesus,
and the man that walks steadily by this
light Is to this devout Unitarian a
Christian, no matter what religious or
sectarian name Jie bears Presbyterian,
Baptist, Roman Catholic, Jew, Moham
medan, Buddhist, or what you will.
President Eliot, of Harvard University,
confesses that the belief In the literal
Infallibility of the Bible has been shak
en, If not demolished, by the so-called
"higher biblical criticism." The place
of the old faith Is largely filled by the
new sociology based on the gospel doc
trine of love to God and love to man.
This sociology seeks the Improvement
of environment, the rectification of vice
breeding conditions. It Is doctrine de
fined by the phrase, "No man liveth to
himself, and no man dleth to himself."
Replying to the natural inquiry what
effect will the change In public opinion
about Revelation have on the estimate
which the next two or three genera
tions will place on the character and
life of Jesus of Nazareth, President
Eliot says:
Lot no man fear that reverence and love of
Jesus will diminish as time goes on. Tho
pathos and heroism of his life and death will
be vastly heightened when he Is relieved of all
supernatural attributes and rowers. . . . Tho
more completely progesslve liberalism detects
and rejects the misunderstandings and super
stitions with which the oral tradition and
written record concerning the life of Jesus
were Inevitably corrupted, the more will love
and reverence grow for the splendors of truth
LiyTL.7lch!:tel.0l J"! 1
umwawowio lUl, iiato CilUUU 1IU1U liiU ttiaitttlCi
and teachings of this Jewish youth.
. Dr. Chadwick and Dr. Eliot, ap Uni
tarians, do not go farther than that
very able thinker and profound, agnos
tic, Huxley, does when he describes
what he calls "the bright side of Chris
tianity"; its justice and its pity for hu
man frailty; its helpfulness to the ex
tremity of self-sacrifice; its ethical pur
ity and nobility; concedes the Impor
tance of the Christian faith as a factor
in human history, and concludes by
saying that "If that faith should prove
Incompatible with our knowledge or
necessary want of knowledge, some
other hypothesis of men's hopes genu
ine enough and worthy enough to re
place It will arise." These able men
all agree that while so-called Christian
ity may again and again cast Its su
perficial skin. Its essential spirit will
survive. To that always has been due
its extraordinary vitality, for that Is
its most genuine title to immortality.
What Is wanted in this world is not
more churches, but more absolute Imi
tation of Christ In the dally walk and
talk of this world. We do not want
that form of socialism that is the In
sidious foe of marriage and the family
unit, but we do want "Individualism
that is Instinct with the spirit which
made Jesus curse the Infernal Inhu
manity of man that makes thousands
of women mourn; the Infernal greed
and selfishness that make It difficult
for forlorn women to do right. Society
will never be redeemed from its worst
abuses by that form of socialism that
stands for ultimate communism; It will
be saved by an increase of that spirit
which made Christ considerate to the
Magdalen, but blasting in his denuncia
tion of those who devour widows'
houses, whose selfishness and greed
multiplies Magdalens by making the
problem of subsistence difficult to solve
decently in a great city.
No artificial machinery, no new sys
tem, will reform the selfish, greedy
heart of man. Nothing but the Increas
ing universality of the imitation of
Christ In human action will help hu
manity out of its hole. The spirit of
Catherine of Sienna, of St. Francis
d'AssisI, of John Howard, of Elizabeth
Fry, of Dorothea Dlx, Is the spirit that
has softeied the hearts of statesmen
and lawgivers and enlarged the circle
of humane civilization. The prisoner,
the pauper, the lunatic, the slave, owe
the amelioration of their situation, their
sufferings and their condition to the
enactment of the gospel of Christ.
The death of Mrs. D. G. Croly, widely
known In current literature as "Jennie
June," closes the record of a singularly
busy life. Mrs. Croly lived emphatical
ly for her day and generation, and upon
these, day after day, for nearly half a
century, she left the marks of cheer
fulness and helpful endeavor. Her con
nection with the New York press prob
ably dates farther back than of any
other woman whose life extended Into
the twentieth century. It Is not too
much to say that thousands of letters
have fallen from her pen, and each has
possessed a peculiar Interest In the wide
and diversified realm of woman's life.
She was originator of a system of cor
respondence that made her nom de
plume n. household word throughout the
land. She entered upon her work at a
period In which even the most kindly
and appreciative of men were disposed
to regard woman's entrance Into any
branch of Journalism an almost ludi
crous experiment. Identified closely
a'nd from the first with the woman's
club Idea and organization, Mrs. Croly's
efforts In recent years have been largely
directed toward the organization and
federation of women's clubs. She was
the organizer of Sorosis over thirty
years ago, of which Alice Cary was the
first president, and at the time of her
death was president of the New York
Woman's Press Club. She was not a
robust woman physically, but the
amount of nervous energy that she
possessed kept her going past three
score and ten years, and active to the
last. She has done little In a literary
way that will live, but her impress upon
her generation, for which she worked
with untiring zeal, well content that
she could amuse, Instruct, sympathize
with and please, was that of. a genial,
womanly woman, whose message to the
world was one of help and Inspiration
In the details which go to make up the
sum of happiness In homes and among
women. The clubwomen of the Nation
may well mourn her death as that of a
personal friend.
William Ellery Chcnning, who died
in his S4th year Monday last, was the
nephew of William Ellery Chaining,
the famous Unitarian preacher, the
most eloquent man that ever adorned
the New England pulpit William El
lery Channlng, whose death is an
nounced, was a man of eccentric life,
but of superior literary talents. He
was born in ISIS, entered Harvard Col
lege, but did not graduate. He went
to Illinois, where he lived alone In a
log cabin for some eighteen months;
was employed for a time on the Cin
cinnati Gazette, returned to Massachu
setts In 1S42, married the giste- of the
famous Margaret Fuller, and lived for
several years in Concord. He contrib
uted considerable prcse and poetry to
the Dial, and his poetic genius was ad
mired by Hawthorne, Emerscn and
Thoreau, with whom he wa3 on terms
of intimate friendship. He served on
the New York Tribune in 1S44-45, and
on the New Bedford Mercury in 1855
56. He. published several volumes of
poems, and some of his verses were of
very high quality of poetic excellence.
Hawthorne took great delight in his so
ciety, for outside his poetic genius he
was a man of fine wit and delightful
humor. He had a streak of natural
born literary eremite In him a trait he
shared In common with bo'th Haw
thorne and Thoreau.
General Shafter, United States Army,
who was retired as Brigadier-General,
was advanced to Major-General after
his retirement by act of Congress. In
justice to General H. C. Mcrrlam, who
was retired without the promotion that
was due his long, able and gallant serv
ice, Congress ought to advance him to
the rank of Major-General. General
Merrlam's fate was made to depend
upon the fulfillment of a promise made
by General Wheaton at the time of his
promotion over General Merriam that
he would voluntarily retire, If need be,
to secure his (Merrlam's) promotion. It
was President McKInley's purpose to
call on General Wheaton to fulfill his
promise and give General Merriam the
vacancy. Two days before his assas
sination President McKInley told Gen
eral MacArthur at Canton that he In
tended to bring about General Mer
rlam's promotion on his return to
Washington. President Roosevelt de
clined, however, to take action in the
matter, so when General Merriam
reached the age limit there was no va
cancy and he was retired without the
promotion that was his due and would
have been his had President McKIn
ley lived to exact of General Wheaton
performance of his promise.
And who ever supposed that Edgar
Stanton Maclay would resign the sine
cure that he holds In the Brooklyn
navy-yard? Not the. President, of
course, who is something of a Judge
of men. Not any one connected with
the Navy Department, In which he
blew a smoldering ember Into a scorch
ing, disastrous flame. Not any Intelli
gent American citizen who has followed
his course as a vilifler of a gallant
naval officer while holding a position as
"laborer" In the Navy Department. Not
anybody, Indeed, with sense enough to
measure the capacity of a malevolent
nature. Fortunately, the Government
Is well booted, and can kick him out,
since he has not the sensibility to take
its hint and go.
The illness of Queen Alexandra Is
most Inopportune, as it disarranges the
preparations for the $1,000,000 Christmas
festivities In progress at the royal resi
dence of Sandrlngham. The Queen Is a
gentle, lovable woman, past middle life,
and the burden of a great responsibility
rests heavily upon her. Her distress
over the condition of the Boer women
and children is that of a conscientious,
large-hearted woman, who feels that
she ought to be, but Js not, able to
ameliorate their wretched state. It is
not improbable that her Illness Is at
least partially adduced by the distressed
state of her mind. Jt this Is true, "her
malady Is beyond the reach of the phy
sician's skill, and, like all worries, In
high life or In low. It will wear Itself
out unless It first wears out Its subject.
Purchase of the Alblna water works
by the city Is to be considered and de
cided simply on business principles. In
the long run will It or will it not be a
good thing for the city to close this
last remaining relic of the old village
group, now absorbed in the City of
Portland? The Oregonian has no doubt
that it will. The purchase will pay for
Itself, without Increase of the water
rates within a very few years. There
will be better water for that part of
the city, without more cost to consum
ers, and there will be a yearly surplus
which will soon extinguish the purchase
price.
Brlere, the French farmer who mur
dered five of his children last April near
Chartiers, 1p to be officially decapitated.
Since that Is the way they do these
things In France, a quick and clean Job
will be commended. The wretch who In
a drunken fit exterminates his family
should himself be shuffled off the stage
by legal process, whatever form that
may take, without useless delay.
Yuan Shi Kal will succeed L.I Hung
Chang as Viceroy of Pe Chi 11. From
his name we conceive he is Just the
man for the place. Put him down In
your diary, for you may never hear o"f
him again.
Mrs. Cleveland splits the infinitive in
true Clevelandian style. This is carry
ing wifely devotion to the unjustifiable
extreme.
Roosevelt has given Historian Maclay
enough of a jolt to "knock him off the
Christmas tree."
It Is as hard to make peace between
Argentina and Chile as It Is for them to
get to fighting.
THE SUBSIDY INIQUITY.
Chicago Tribune.
The memorial from the tariff reform
committee of the Reform Club of New
York presented to President Roosevelt on
Wednesday last shows how fortunate it
was that the ship subsidy bill was de
feated In the last Congress. No reasona
ble, discriminating man can feel otherwise
than thankful as he now contemplates the
narrow, happy escape. The subsidy bill
was Iniquitous from beginning to end. It
was conceived and drawn up by a few
shipowners upon whom It would have
conferred enormous and undeserved bene
fits. It was not In the interests of our
commerce, our National defense, our pro
ducers, or ourseamen.
Tho President and Congress should not
be guided by these few shipowners when
the matter comes up for action again this
Winter. It should not be necessary m
the consideration of this matter to send
for Mr. Griscom nor for the directors of
the International Navigation Company, tne
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the
Standard Oil Company, or any other of
the would-be beneficiaries. None of them
should bo called In consultation, for this
is a public matter, and in settling it the
Interests of the people alone should be
considered and not private interests.
The subsidy bill Introduced last year
contemplated a colossal steal from begin
ning to end. It was "born in sin and
conceived In Iniquity." It was promoted
by the men who were to be the chief ben
eficiaries. To what extent they would
have profited had the bill passed at that
time Is shown by the following tables or
percentages of the total subsidies paid
which they would have received:
1. Full subsidy on United States vessels
now running:
Name. Tcr cent
International Navigation Company 34.5
New Tork & Cuba Mall Steamship Com
pany - i.r.
Pacific Mall Steamship Company 7.5
American Mall Steamship Company 5.0
All others (nine)... , 11.5
2. Halt subsidy, on foreign-built vessels
now running:
Name. Tor cent
International Navigation Company S7.7
Atlantic Transport Company 35.9
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company.... 11.1
F. E. Bliss Standard Oil) 7.C
All others (Ilogan & Sons, Grace, United
Fruit Company 7.7
3. Full subsidy on ships building here:
Name. Per cent
International Navigation Company 31. a
Pacific Mall Steamship Company 31.0
Oceanic Steamship Company 15.3
New Tork & Cuba Steamship Company. ...13.5
W. P. Clyde &. Co. 4.
Bolton. Bites & Dallett 7
4. Half subsidy on ships building abroad:
Namo. Per cent
International Navigation Company 49.S
Atlantic Transport Company 38.7
Hogan & Sons .... 8.3
Grace &. Co 3.2
When men have the audacity to intro
duce a bill conferring such extraordinary
benefits on themselves and urge Its pass
age by every means their Ingenuity and
craft can devise, when they drag in mem
bers of -the National Republican commit
tee, distribute circulars and plate matter
broadcast, and even attempt to subsidize
tho press, they should not be tolerated in
any committee-room. They should prompt
ly and emphatically be shown the door.
Neither their advice nor their opinion is
needed. The former Is as dangerous as
the latter Is selfish. They are not disin
terested. They have no concern for the
promotion of National or popular interest.
They are working to increase their pri
vate gains and enrich themselves at the
expense of the Government. They are
lobbyists of the mest unblushing and un
scrupulous sort, and they should be' treat
ed as such, no matter how rich they may
be or how powerful they may think they
are. They should be treated as any other
men would be who should attempt to take
monoy from the public treasury which did
not belong to them and transfer it to
their own pockets.
Revealed Oar 2VatIonnI Resources.
Chicago Record-Herald.
Tho statement of the Internal Revenue
Bureau showing the total receipts from
tho war revenue act has a much wider
and deeper interest than attaches to or
dinary' fiscal statistics. It is pregnant
with meaning to the citizen of the Re
public who contemplates the vast sum,
not as a war fund, but as a striking rev
elation of our National resources in time
of emergency.
The war revenue, or special "stamp
act," to raise money to prosecute the war
against Spain, was approved on June 13,
1S38. Tho gross receipts under the
clauses of that law, which imposed spe
cial taxes on account of the war up to the
time of its modification last March,
amounted to $318,790,501. The receipts
from the collections under the clauses
of the special war measure that were re
tained by the modification of last March
amounted to 52j.toS.132 up to tho first
of tho present month, making a grand
total of 5313.S33.633, contributed by the
American people under the war revenue
act.
The enormous sum realized under the
special war revenue act, in addition to the
sum yielded by the Impost duties and the
ordinary internal revenue taxes, is Im
pressive In its suggestion of National
strength as measured by the financial re
sources of the people. Even more Im
pressive was the case and celerity with
which this vast sum was raised. Not
withstanding the controversies as to who
should pay tne tax under certain ambig
uous clauses, the money was collected
without any disturbance to industrial
conditions and was a burden to no one.
There was, in fact, no serious protest
against It In any quarter.
"With one magnificent patriotic Impulse,
the American people poured over $3.
000.000 In the National Treasurj'i in ad
dition to other taxes, for the prosecution
of "a war for humanity" without com
plaint and without feeling any additional
tax burden. The United States, in fact,
drove Spain once the proud mistress of
the seas from the estern Hemisphere
without a ripple in her financial market
and without imposing any perceptible
burden upon the people.
The Penny Postage.
Scrantcn Truth.
The substantial reforms Introduced in
the Postofflce Department by Postmaster
General Charles Emory Smith should
have their logical result In making hla
name as famous In connection with the
mail service of this country as is that
of Rowland Hill with the British system.
In eradicating from the department
the cumbersome and dishonest species of
"second-class matter," which exploits It
self at the expense of the legitimate
work of the Postofflce, and at an enor
mous cost, Postmaster-General Smith has
undoubtedly cleared the way for a penny
postage. So long as the Postofflce De
partment was used as a freight-carrying
concern, and this freight was handled at
a barely nominal cost, it was impossible
to make any progress along legitimate
lines. The great problem to be solved, un
der such conditions, was merely one of
ways and means and how to realize a
sufficient amount to pay the expenses ot
the department x
It 13 needless to say that this would be
a continuing problem and one constantly
increasing In complexity were It not that
Mr. Smith had called a halt on the gross
abuses perpetrated against the system by
persons who took advantage of the lax
regulations which have prevailed for years
in its direction and management.
The change from the present rate of 2
cents to 1 cent for letter postage Is not by
any means as radical as that effected In
1SS9. when, in accordance with Rowland
Hill's recommendations, Parliament
passed an act for the penny rate In Eng
land, which went Into effect on January
10. 1SI0.
With the restoration of the postofflce to
Its legitimate functions, genuine reform
and substantial progress, for the public
good, are possible, and In what he has
already accomplished Postmaster-General
Smith has cleared the way for other
things, among which it is not too much to
hope penny postage for letters may be Included.
AMUSEMENTS.
Although crowds and crowds of people
were busy buying Christmas presents last
night, another crowd took the evening
off and spent It in enjoying Primrose and
Dockstadcr's Minstrels, which opened a
brief engagement at the Marquam. and
made the hit of the season, so far as
minstrelsy goes. The show thi3 year In
addition to being of average strength in
first part and olio has three star feat
ures. Lew Dockstader, who is a whole
entertainment In himself, George Prim
rose's beautiful scenic picture which he
calls "The Sunny South." and Ollle Young
and brother, whose "turn" is without
question the best thing of Its kind ever
seen on a Portland stage.
Tho first part has been, newly mounted,
the setting being particularly elaborate,
and something of a departure from the
old style line-up. The coal black faces of
everyone on the stage, the somber full
dress and the gaudy backing made a very
impressive picture, the most imposing, in
fact, which has been seen here with a
minstrel show. Dockstader, of course,
was the star among the entertainers,
making a hit with whatever he said and
did, and he said and did a good many
funny things, beside singing a song or
two that made a hit. He appeared later
on in the olio, and related several stories
which were good in exact proportion to
their difference from the ordinary mono
logue. Dockstader has always something
new to tell, and the way he tells It brings
his hearers out of their seats every time.
Neil O'Brien was another comedian who
know3 how to sing a song, and the un
qualified approval that greeted his ef
forts was fully deserved.
The hoop-rolling, tossing and Juggling
of the Young brothers called the atten
tion of the audience to the fact that they
were wonders, and before they concluded
It was agreed that they were not only
wonders, but wonders of the seven-day
variety. Primrose's dancing and that of
the clever Foley twins, who are his di
minutive doubles, so pleased the house
that It would hardly get enough of them,
and was a fitting conclusion- to the beau
tiful succession of pictures that formed"
"The Sunny South." The remaining olio
features were all strong, and each was
accorded a rousing reception. The pro
gramme will be repeated this aftornoon
and evening.
MATINEES TODAY.
Clirlntmnj". Attraction
at All
the
Theater.
Primrose and Dockstader's Minstrels
will play at the Marquam both this af
ternoon and evening, and the advance
sale indicates packed houses at both per
formances. The football teams will be
guests of Manager Hcillg in boxes in
the evening.
"At the Old Cross Roads." a pretty
Southern drama, will be the bill at Cor
dray's, and will be found well worth see
ing. The company is good, and the
play is elaborately mounted.
At the Baker Ben Hendricks will play
his famous "Ole Olson," which has de
lighted crowds at the Baker all the
week.
C03IIXG ATTRACTIONS.
"Fogrg' Ferry."
Tho sale of seats ror "Fogg's Ferry"
will open this morning at 10 o'clock. Nest
Friday and Saturday nights this beauti
ful play will be presented at the Mar
quam Grand Theater, with a popular
matinee Saturday at 2:15 o'clock.
The new "Fogg's Ferry" is a revision
of a famous old comedy-drama in which
Iola Pomeroy, the well-known soubrette
star, will appear in the role made famous
by Minnie Maddcrn- and Lizzie Evans.
A Real Operatic Comedy.
"A Royal Rogue," which will be pre
sented at the Marquam Grand Theater
next Monday, Tuesday. "Wednesday mat-
-L inee and night by Jefferson De Angolis
and company, is a real operatic comedy.
It Is entirely unlike the ordinary musical
comedy, which is generally a farce in
terspersed with oopular songs and melo
dies of the day and music gathered from
every source. "A Royal Rogue" Is a
different proposltionr It Is a good, clean
comedy, with original music throughout.
The music was written to fit every scene
and situation the same as an opera.
Charles Klein, the author of "El Capl
tan" and several other popular comic
operas, wrote the piece, and W. T.
Francis composed the music, and both
have been enthusiastically complimented
upon giving to the public something new
to this generation In the way of enter
tainment. "The IVronpr Mr. Wright."
Harry Beresford will appear at Cord
ray's next weok with his funny comedy.
"Tho Wrong Mr. Wright," which made
the fame of Roland Reed. Mr. Beresford
Is a comedian of reputation and his com
pany is said to be excellent.
"The Irlsu Pawnbrokers."
"The Irish Pawnbrokers," a roaring
farce comedy, featuring Mozle Trumbull,
will appear at tho Baker next week. The
show has been one of the hits of the sea
eon, and it is predicted that it will prove
the banner attraction of tho season.
p
Teatlnjr the Coebel Reward Act.
FRANKFORT, Ky., Dec. 24. Suit was
filed In the Franklin Circuit Court this
afternoon to test the constitutionality of
the'Goebel Reward Commission act of 1900,
appropriating $100,000 for the apprehension
of the murderers of the late William Goe
bel. The suit Is brought in the name of
David M. Culberson, of Leslie County, who
acts as a citizen and taxpayer.
a
The Chrlntmns Ito.ie.
Hugh Macmlllan. In Macmlllan's Magazine.
Unto the cradle of the Wondrous Child
Heaven brought Its star, and man his gold and
myrrh;
But Nature brings each year a living- gift
To halo the divine event: a star
Of earth, that oncS camo from tho East, and
sheds
Its silver radiance round our common homes.
It comes, like him whoso birth It celebrates,
To cheer the Winter of the world, and make
The very tnow to blossom Into life.
When earth has reached Its darkest hour, this
gleam
Of coming dawn appears. We seem to see
Tho snowdrop's mystic presenco on the lawn;
The crocus kindle where Its. light went out;
The copae grow dense with purple haze of buds;
And willows deck their wands with .silken
plumes.
Long mute, tho birds, whene'er they see this
sign.
Take heart to twitter; and the sunbeams palo
Grow warmer as they shine upon Its flowers;
And where It breathes Its subtle fragrance
round.
The very air seems conscious of the Spring.
Last child of tho old year, first of the new
Ghost of tho past, soul ot the future rose
It links the seasona with Its silver clasp.
And blends our memories and hopes in one.
In this pale herald ot the flowery year.
Are sketched the tyres of Illy and of rose.
Which afterward, from Its fair side In death.
Are separated to make tho seasons gay.
From roots of ebon darkness, through the mold.
Spring" up the pure white blossoms, one by one;
Llko human heart, whose roots are dark with
woe.
And yet produce the brightest flowers of
heaven.
Its seeming petals green leaves glorified
Are moonllko made, through the December
gloom.
To light dim insects to their honeyed task.
And so fulfill 'the higher ends of life.
At first, they come up pale and blanched with
cold.
But as the days grow long, a warmer hue.
Like that which deepens In the Summer ros
Or tips the daisy's frill, creeps over them:
As If they blushed. In a white, flowerlcss world.
To And themselves the only blooming things.
Unchanged they last until the seed is ripe.
In which the single life die3 for the race.
And then, their purpose served, they darken
down
Into tho dusky green of common leaves.
Transfiguration strange! A lowly sign
Of him. whose robe and face shone whiter far
Than Hermon's crest, while ot his death he
talked!
That which exalts the flower above Its wont,
Ennobles everything. The priestly dress
Of bautv and of clorv clothes each life
J That yields Itself a sacrifice t5 love,
K0TE AND COMMENT.
Ring out, you chiming, pealing bell?, proclaim
ing far and wide
The love, and Jojr. and happiness. o gladsome
Christmas tide.
Today wo bury hate and woe, forget all cara
and wrons.
And gladly raise both heart and voice to swell
the one great sons:;
Today the happy children troop on light and
tripping feci.
And make a picture ot delight on even' city
street.
Today ihe swelling Christmas hymns are pour-
injr fcrth. on high.
And tell the tale of thankfulness, up yonder
in the sky.
Oh, you -who boro a load ot care through all
the weary year.
And you who found tho winding way was
bleak, and sad. and drear.
And you who spoke a long farewell to these
you loved the best.
And you who longed, and longed in vain, for
one brief day of rest.
Can yon not find some happiness, some bright
and shlnlnjr ray
Of light to cht" r your sad hearts up on this
most joyful day?
Oh! read the stcry written In the faces in tho
tide
Of children passing by your door, and lay your
load aside.
And you who live In happy homes where sorrow
is unknown,
Remember those whose fortune Is less happy
than your own.
A smile, a word, a simple gift, among your
fellow men
May help foms lonely, stornvtoned soul to And
sweet peac squirt.
Know you no sad-facod little child whose hoart
you cannot cheer
By some slight token of the joy or this glad
time of year?
Go forth, seek out the sorrovlivs. awl be a bet
ter man
By sUrewIn;; 'round you on your way what
happiness you can.
For he whore life began this day toak thought
of sorrow, tee.
And walked about to lighten It his b!ewed life
time through.
No mark he made of rich or poor, lie nought
distress and woe.
And spread content and hoppiness anyone both
high and low.
And though your Hsht may burn but low and
feebly beam and dim.
Can you not on this one glad day attempt to
be like him?
Then fare you forth, and as the bolls rlns out
their happy chime.
Strew vlndnets round your path today this
Joyful Christmas time.
Merry Christmas!
And one every year for a long, long time.
This is children's day.
tho 2Gth.
Doctor's day is
The wise and prudent Santa Claus
Who lights the Christina tree.
Will have one hand securely on
A lire alarm box key.
And not a single youngster saw Santa
Claus come down the chimney.
Oh. thoughtfulest mixologist.
To aid us to be merry.
By that most transcendental drink
That's known as Tom and Jerry!
Save about half of them: they will be
just what you need to give your friendo
next year.
Though Christmas brings much happiness,
TIs also fraught with sorrow.
The drum that beats sso loud today '
And turns the neighbor's hair quite gray.
Will bo punctured by tomorow.
It will be at least 4 o'clock before tho
babies will get all the paint gnawed oK
the new jumplng-jacks.
He wants to see the editor,
And see him right away;
He will not have a chair, becauso
Ho really cannot stay.
He's got a little poem which
He says that ho intends
To seo in print on Christmas morn
To please his many friends.
It tells about the holly.
And the berries red that glow.
And also of the pretty girls
Beneath tho mistletoe.
He sees ten other fellows there.
And looks surprised when you
Inform him that each ono of them
Have Christmas poems, too.
A current magazine has a full page ot
pictures of the football squads of Har
vard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Michi
gan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and West
Point. In all, about 150 figures aro
shown. Tho feature of the photographs
that will striko tho average person if
the average person happens to bo intcr-
'ested in the absorbing subject of manly
beauty is that not one of the young col
legians has a mustache or other facial
ornament. What Is the reason? lias tho
mustache gone entirely out of fashion?
That, Is to say, has it disappeared in edu-
cational circles from among those bright
young minds to whom all judicious per
sons look for enlightenment, instruction
and even amusement? Or are we to sup
pose that the absence of hirsute embellish
ment Is merely the hallmark of brawn in
the colleges, and has no real bearing on the
comparatively unimportant question as to
whether one has or has not brains? Pos
sibly we may be simply told by those ob
serv,ant critics of contemporaneous cus
tomsIf there are any that no true foot
ball player wears a mustache on the field
of action. It might be worth while to
Inquire why not, if there was a chance of
getting a satisfactory reply; but there is
not. Every honest and right-thinking
football warrior wears all the hair he can
get to grow on the top of his head, and
none on the front of his face. Some
may think that any person addicted to
the football habit cannot be old enough to
support a mustache: but they may be eas
ily confounded by the announcement of a
recent reliable authority that three of tho
Harvard players In the late Harvard
Yale match were 2S years old. From all
of which It may appear that some people
are never too old to unlearn how to play
football. If they started out in life that
way. Meanwhile, the rest of us will have
to struggle along through the vale of
tears with the proud knowledge that we
never by any mischance will be mistaken
for devotees ot football If we keep on
shaving in part only.
PLEASANTRIES OF PAUAGUAPIIEItS
Not Easy. "My! I think your mother would
be worried If she saw you!" "Well, it's pretty
hard for a hoy to get along without worrying
his mother!" Puck.
"Some chlllun." said Uncle Eben, "is pow'ful
good Jos' befo' Christmas. Jes' de same as
some srown folks Is pow'ful good when dcy's
lookln' foh offlce." Washington Star.
Not Dangerous. Tess It seems she was
taken with Mr. Cadlelgh's Intelligence. Jess
Well, if that's all ghe's taken witn It isn't a
very 6evere attack. Philadelphia I'ress.
Learning Their Ways. "Do you think she
will ever be a great prima donna?" "Looks
like it. Why. she ha3 disappointed the public
by falling to appear several times already."
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. ,
Wife I am going down town this morning
to try and match a piece of silk. Husband
Very well, my dear; I'll ell the cook to save
some dinner for you. and I'll put the children
to bed myself. Tlt-Blts.
He Of course, dear. I'll be back from the
club In tlmo for the opera, but In case It should
turn out to be Impossible. I'll send you a noto
by a messenger. She That's not necessary; it
Just dropped out of your overcoat pocket.
Brooklyn Life.
Servant Iburstlng Into the room) Oh. mum.
I offered Mm some water, an 'e went into a
fit an frothed at the mouth! Mistress (much
alarmed, thinking she refers to the dog) Gra
cious. Jane! What can it be hydrophobia?
Servant No. jnnra. a tramp. Glasgow Evea
lnr TlmeSj