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THE MORNIftG OREGONIAff- MONDAY, MABCH 10, 1902.'
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TODAY'S WEATHER Partly cloudy, with
showers. Southwesterly winds.
YESTERDAY'S WEATHER-Maxlmum tem
perature, 52; minimum temperature, 40; precip
itation, 0.01 Inch.
PORTLAND, MONDAY, MARCH 10.
THE LOCAL SITUATION IX POLITICS.
Such Interest as The Oregonlan has
been showing in our current political
affairs has proceeded from two pur
poses. First, its desire to contribute
what it can to securing best obtainable
results in the public service, both at
home and at "Washington. Second, as a
means to this end. Its desire that errors
which threaten repetition of the defeat
Of the Republican party In Multnomah
County may be avoided.
It is through no Ill-will of any kind
toward Senator Simon for The Orego
nlan has none that it has said that the
Republican party cannot come togeth
er, under Senator Simon's leadership,
with a view to his re-election. Mr.
Simon has been very aggressive in his
political methods; when he has had the
whip hand he has pushed his opponents
hard, and their disposition to retaliate
cannot be thought unnatural. They
have retaliated repeatedly; they did It
two years ago more effectively than at
any other time, and he cannot unite the
party now.
Two years ago, The Oregonlan, fore
seeing defeat, under a narrow regime,
made s:uch effort as it could to Induce
those who had the party organization in
their hands to enlarge the circle and
place the party on a wider basis. The
suggestion was rejected, and defeat en
sued. It had hoped -that a different
course would'be pursued this time. But
evidently in the official circles of the
party there has been no intention of
doing It
It is probably useless to make further
protest, since matters now must take
their course. It Is to be determined In
the primary of Saturday next whether
the organization of the party is to be
continued in the hands of those whose
leadership has been so unsuccessful, or
not The primary election is now, for
the first time, to be held under a state
law, protected by all the forms of law
that pertain to a general election; and
every violation of this primary election
law will be subject to the same penalties
that follow Illegal practices In a gen
eral election. So now it is possible to
ascertain, through a primary, the will
and desire -of a majority of a parts; and
men who stay away from the primary
can no longer have a right to complain
of a reslfrt Which they did nothing to
avert.
A GRAFT THAT FAILED.
There is interesting confirmation of
something said in these columns a few
days back in the suddenly changed at
titude of the Colombian Government re
specting the suggested purchase of the
Panama Canal by the United States.
It will be remembered that when the
sale was first seriously proposed the Co
lombian Government was prompt to de
clare that there were difficulties In the
way, due to the terms of the conces
sion held by the French company. The
effect of this announcement was to turn
the attention of Congress away from
the Panama scheme and to revive In
terest In Nicaragua. Now, all of a sud
den, the Colombians declare their will
ingness to concede such readjustments
as will enable the United States to
make the purchase. All of which being
interpreted means that the Colbmblans,
after the approved Spanish-American
method, were simply trying to work a
graft for themselves; and, seeing that
the game will not work, they now want
to make it easy for the United States
to take hold of the work. Of course,
the Colombians are not such fools as
seriously to wish to prevent the con
struction of the canal. "What they
wanted was a "rake-off" In the form
of bribes. The apparent difficulties in
connection with the Nlcaraguan con
cession are of the same piece. They
'art-not practically serious. Nicaragua
is eager for the canal, and will make
any terms we may demand. But the
Nlcaraguan officials would like to make
a little something out o'f the deal on
the side, so to speak.
The great street railway systems of
Cleveland. O., have been merged. Sen
ator Hanna Is president of the consoli
dated system, which will Include and
control every street-car in the city.
Cleveland's citizens have in times past
been subjected, through street railway
strikes based upon labor grievances,
to much annoyance and not a little
danger to life and property. It may be
floubted whether Senator Hanna is the
man to reconcile the differences of labor
and capital, and thus through this mer
ger, which represents stock to the value
of $21,600,000, give the people of Cleve
land assurance of safe and uninter
rupted transit over their city. Of the
superior equipment of Che road under
the new arrangement there can be no
doubt, and the good will of the public
is assured by the sale of six tickets for
25 cents. This alone, however, will not
suffice to Insure safety and tranquillity
in the street railway service. A mighty
and more or less turbulent host of labor
is to be reckoned with, and upon this
reckoning depends the result. The earn
ing capacity of the vast sum of money
represented by this merger, directed as
It Is. by careful and shrewd financiers,
Is sufficient to insure large returns to
the stockholders and good living wages
to the men who operate the lines. To
Insure the former without strife and in
terruption, it will be necessary to pro
vide for the latter. It remains to be
sen whether the lesson learned at such
great cost by the street railway com
panies of Cleveland a few years ago
has had a salutary effect. If so, a just
,and equitable wage scale as applied to
the operation of cars of the consoli
dated system will show it. If not,
events will show It later on.
THE RIVERS AND HARBORS BILL.
The rivers and harbors bill, as it
comes from the hands of the House
committee, calls in the aggregate for
$G0,700,000 more two or three times over
than has ever been appropriated at
any one time for river and harbor work
It goes without saying that it will be
made the target of a vast amount of
criticism. This Is always the case, no
matter what the proposition may be,
and In consideration of the really large
sum provided by the pending bill, the
opposition Is likely to be even more
positive than usual. Many states rep
resented powerfully in Congress have
little or no direct interest in harbor
work; and in the view of all such, the
money provided in the annual rivers
and harbors appropriation Is money-
thrown away given out as a sort of sop
to the states within whose boundaries
it Is spent Every bill has to meet this
unreasonable charge and to combat the
political force of Inland districts, which,
since no direct advantage comes to
them through expenditures on river
and harbor account, affect to see no
reason why money should be spent In
other districts.
Another factor In opposition to the an
nual bill Is the attitude of the great
Atlantic ports, which have no wish to
see a development which may raise up
or aid other and in a sense rival ports.
New York, Boston, Philadelphia and
Baltimore have had liberal treatment
at the hands of the Government but
they are always critical of expenditure
for other parts of the country, aciQ es
pecially for the Pacific Coast whose in
terests they always make light of. The
newspapers of these great cities take
their tone from the local commercial in
terest, and unfailingly take ground
against the annual rivers and harbors
bill as a disreputable scheme of political
plunder.
All these opposing forces may be ex
pected to be unusually positive and act
ive this year, the real magnitude of the
proposition affording them an argument
likely to be heard In many quarters
with serious concern. There will soon
be loud outcry In Congress and else
where, and it Is hardly to be hoped that
the bill as It has come from the com
mittee will go through. It has a gaunt
let of fierce opposition to run, and be
fore It gets to the end It Is likely to be
modified In unnumbered details. At the
last, when the opposing forces have
done their utmost In the way of detailed
elimination, ther.e will be proposals for
a wholesale and proportional cut, af
fecting every Item In the bill.
The relationship of all this to the In
terests of Oregon and Washington in
connection with the pending measure Is
plain enough. There is danger that the
provisions made for river and harbor
development here will be so cut down
as practically to be Ineffective. The
prospect Is serious, because the
amounts apportioned to us are not be
yond actual needs, and any severe
Bhearlng process is likely to leave us
without the means of accomplishing,
especially for the Columbia River,
works of the most .positive urgency.
Plainly, If Oregon and Washington are
to get anything like adequate funds
for river and harbor work this year,
they must give a very Interested and
persistent attention to the progress of
the bill through Its various stages. A
little neglect or a lack of urgency at
some critical time may be fatal. In
times past we have suffered In this way,
and the danger Is always one which
needs to be guarded against There
must be no let-up In the effort at
Washington in behalf of our Interests
as a whole, and particularly In behalf
of the Columbia River. Especially It
will be necessary to put before Congress
In the plainest terms the conditions at
the Columbia bar which call for heavy
expenditure, and to employ all the
forces of argument and persuasion to
the end that the sums provided in the
bill as it stands shall be retained.
FREE SPEECH IX THE PULPIT.
Frederick Stanley Root writes the
New York Sun that the lot of the middle-aged
clergy In all denominations Is
a hard one; that Ian Maclaren's in
quiry, "Should the old minister be
hot?" Is pungently suggestive of de
plorable existing conditions. Congre
gations don't want an old clergyman on
their hands. Furthermore, rich men
alone can preach without fear. No min
ister can speak his honest convictions
at all times with a wife or children
looking -to him for support, for he may
be dependent on the whim or caprice of
a wealthj parishioner for the retention
of his position.
Once out of a parish for any cause
at 45 or 50, It will require an extraordi
nary combination of favoring circum
stances to reinstate that man. The
present system practically rules out
every minister from the pastorate who
Is over 50 or 55. Such a man. It is said,
cannot stay In the profession because
he has reached the dead-line, and he
cannot get out of It because the cleri
cal routine has unfitted him for suc
cessful endeavor in other directions.
No wonder young men are reluctant
to undertake the duties of the ministry
as a life work. Mr. Hall thinks that
the chief reason Is because they per
ceive that at an age when a lawyer
or doctor is most useful and honored
the minister is left to shift, for himself
by a commercially calculating parish.
Men of first-rate pulpit ability and
blameless character will often struggle
long and hopelessly to find a parish
at 50.
Mr. Hall thinks that until able, de
X voted young men of independent means
enter the Christian ministry there will
not be free speech in the pulpit The
New York Evening Post Indorses this
view when it says: "The churches
have a terrible responsibility In this
matter. Who does not remember Pres
byterians coquetting with Jay Gould?
"What Protestant church In this city
would refuse a present .from Piatt to
support a vested choir? "What Catholic
church would turn on Croker, bearing
gifts, with an Indignant 'Thy money
perlah with thee.' The pious Quay
founded a church In Pennsylvania, and,
we do not doubt, would endow a theo
logical seminary. If necessary."
IMPROVE ALDER STREET.
For a text on necessity of street Im
provement we take Alder street at this
time, becausenhere just now is an ef
fort to secure Improvement of Alder
street, which ought to be successful, for
no street needs It more. It Is a promi
nent street of the city, at Fourth street
in a horrible condition, and west of
Sixth street a disgrace to Portland. In
tVm iffn,i in tret tVi (mnrni'flmonf otnrt.
ed. the usual obstacles are found. Some I
objection is made to asphalt, but Alder
Is one of the streets of the city for which
asphalt, and no other material, ought to
be used. West of Fifth no street-car
crosses Alder, and as this street lies
between Morrison and Washington, on
each of which there Is a car line, there
never will be a demand for a car line
upon It
This town might begin to put Its un
sightly streets In order. It needs good
streets not less for the comfort of its
citizens and the profit of the owners of
property than for the desirability of
giving visitors a good impression of It,
and of the thrift and enterprise of its
citizens. Whoever stands in the way
of Improvement of these streets. In the
heart of the city, stands very much
against his own and the public welfare.
Enhancement of property values and of
rents on a street like Alder will far ex
ceed the outlay for the Improvement.
Alder may become the finest east-and-west
street in the city. Everything will
follow a good pavement and good side
walks laid upon It The Improvement
ought to be made this year, not next. All
pipes and sewers and channels for elec
tric communication should be laid down,
so the surface may never be disturbed.
Are we to have a city fit to look at for
the Centennial of 1905? If so, Alder Is
one of the streets that must have at
tention. And there are many more.
But the discussion has special reference
to Alder now. Where abutting property
Is mortgaged there are some obstacles;
but so much the more need for own
ers not mortgaged to unite and make
the conditions required by law for the
improvement Don't let the Improve
ment of Alder street lag or fall.
LOCAL ASPECT OF THE SHIP-SUBSIDY
BILL.
The local freight situation at the pres
ent time throws some light on the work
ings of the ship-subsidy bill, Indicat
ing very clearly where the direct bene
fits of the proposed subsidy would go.
An unsubsldized British vessel has been
chartered to carry wheat to Europe at
25 shillings per ton, a rate less than one
half that paid a little over a year ago.
A number of subsidized French vessels
are in port or near by, seeking business,
but thus far the lowest rate at which
any or them could be secured was 26s
6d. According to the theory of the subsidy-bill
promoters, the Government as
sistance given vessels enables them to
make a lower freight rate than could
be made without It This feature
never gets beyond the theoretical stage,
however, for, as Is now shown In the
local freight market, the subsidized ves
sels are demanding nearly a cent a
bushel more for carrying wheat than is
exacted by the unsubsldized vessels.
The only subsidized merchant vessels
now carrying wheat and other products
out of Oregon and Washington ports fly
the French flag. These vessels carry
American products to the English mar
kets, and touch at a French port just
often enough to maintain thlr eligibil
ity for a subsidy. Even if there were
any benefits accruing to this peculiar
system for the encouragement of ship
ping, the French taxpayer,, who foots
the bill, has riot the remotest opportu
nity of participating In them. Ifthe
subsidy does anything, It becomes a
factor In fixing the rate paid for trans
porting American products to English
markets, neither producer or buyer of
fering anything In return to France for
the aid given shipping by the French
Government
Twenty-five shillings per ton for
wheat from a Pacific Coast port to Eu
rope Is said to be 'lower than the actual
cost of the service, unless the vessel
engaged therein Is fortunate In secur
ing inward cargoes and quick dispatch
at both ends of the route. Yet unaided
by a subsidy of any nature. Pacific
Coast farmers are now sending to mar
ket the last of one of the largest crops
of grain ever produced at a freight rate
nearly. If not actually, below the cost
of operating the ships engaged in the
business. The Pacific Coast farmer
and. In fact, all American farmers are
not at the mercy of any one country
for transportation facilities, for the
wheat fleet from Portland this season
has sailed under the flags of England,
Germany, Norway, France, Italy, Den
mark, Holland and Austria. At Port
land and Puget Sound ports British,
Dutch and French are now lying in
idleness awaiting business, all eager to
carry away the products of Pacific
Coast farms, fields and forests, without
exacting anything like a subsidy, except
the low freight rate fixed not by Gov
ernment bounty, but by the natural law
of supply and demand.
There will be no permanency In a 25s
freight rate from Portland to Europe.
This rate Is the result of an overproduc
tion of tonnage which was rushed out
of the shipyards at a time when world
wide prosperity was taxing transporta
tion facilities to the limit and rates
went skyward In accordance with the
demand. Unsubsldized British vessels
are now carrying freight at lower rates
than will be accepted by subsidized
French vessels, and If the American
ship-subsidy bill becomes a law, rates
will be regulated, not by the American
beneficiaries of the law, but by the
competition of the fleets of the world,
practically all of these fleets operating
on business principles, unaided by sub
sidies. The shipping subsidy bill will
tax millions of producers to enrich a
few shipowners.
It Is said that Princess Henry, who
greatly desired to accompany her hus
band to this country, but was not per
mitted to do so, was greatly opposed
to the press dinner that was given to
the Prince In New York, urging that
the money thus expended be used as
J a nucleus for a "Princ Henry Home"
for the deserving poor of the great city.
She asked the Prince to beg his enter
tainers not to associate his name with
such a senseless and harmful waste of
money. The Princess, as was her
mother, the Grand Duchess of Hesse
Darmstadt, Is devoted to charitable en
deavor along self-helpful lines. Of
course. It was Impossible for Prince
Henry to act upon this suggestion. Men
will give their money for what they
want, and not at the dictation of others.
Had Prince Henry declined to accept
the Invitation to an extravagant dinner
given In his honor. It does not follow
that a home for the poor bearing his
name would have been founded with
the 'sum saved, though the object, fully
elaborated, would no doubt prove a very
worthy one. He would simply have de
clined to accept a courtesy without
benefiting the poor by so doing. The
suggestion, however, is stamped by the
kindness and thoughtfuiness that are
leading elements In the characters of
Princess Henry and her sister, the Czar
ina of Russia.
A POIXT WELL TAKEN.
President Roosevelt, though an ardent
advocate of civil service, objects to an
extension jof the law that Includes all
of the clerks now employed In the Cen
sus Office. These employes number
about 700, and the President sees In
their wholesale retention an Injustice
to those who have passed or may pass
the civil service examinations pre
scribed by law. The point appears to
be well taken. There Is distinct Injus
tice In favoring the "Ins" In a case of
this kind to the disadvantage of others
who may prove themselves, upon exam
ination, to be better qualified for the
service. All should be required to take
the examinations, and aspirants should
be rated according to their standing on
the lists. Anything less than this Is
not equity, and nothing more than this
can be asked. The whole contention of
the civil service Idea Is against political
favoritism as opposed to official capa
bility. The bill recently passed in effect
throws the mantle of official favoritism
over a large number of employes who
want to retain their places without fair
and open competition with those whose
rights In the premises are equal to theii
own, and who only ask opportunity to
have their fitness for the work fairly
tested. The President favors the crea
tion of a permanent Census Bureau in
connection with which the bill was
passed, hence, though he disapproves
the clause which retains the clerks now
In the bureau without examination, he
will probably sign It and endeavor to
regulate by executive order the appoint
ments under the bill, so as to avoid the
Injustice which it foreshadows. It Is
worth something to have a President
itakfe cognizance of such a matter, even
though he may not be fully able to mete
out exact justice In the premises.
PARK INTERESTS.
The annual report of the City Park
Commission, summarized In yesterday's
Oregonlan, Is worth careful attention.
We are not doing much In the way of
parks, and In the condition of our
finances It mar not be advisable at this
time to go Into very costly enterprises,
but this Is the time, unquestionably, to
secure the basis for a future park sys
tem. There are tracts of all but waste
land In and about the city which In a
few years will be priceless from the
parking standpoint, and which It will
be impossible to acquire In future at
reasonable outlay. Furthermore, the
demands of the city for fuel are caus
ing the destruction of trees which ought
to be preserved, and which could be
preserved for relatively little money. It
would be wise at this time to secure the
services of seme competent man of the
type of Frederick "Law Olmstead to
create a general park scheme, to be
used as the basis of future operations
and as money may be available. Such
a plan, even though it might be in ad
vance of the ability, and even of the ne
cessities, of the city, would be an amaz
ing stimulus and aid to future develop
ment It Is gratifying to know that there is
now engaged in connection with our
park Interests a commission which feels
the right sort of enthusiasm in its work,
and which safeguards and makes the
most of the little money which we de
vote to park purposes. We fancy it will
be a surprise to most of the citizens of
Portland to learn that Portland spends
relatively less for parks than any other
city of Its pretensions In the country.
The new buildings now under con
struction for the "United States Naval
Academy will constitute, when finished,
the finest marine college home In the
world. The old buildings are practi
cally extensions to old Fort Severn,
where the school was first established
In 1845 by Secretary of the Navy George
Bancroft, and, as patchwork structures
always are, they are and leng have been
wholly unsulted to the purposes of the
school. Besides being sadly lacking In
such modern equipments as are now
considered among the necessities of life,
they are dreary, draughty and uncom
fortable In Winter and Summer. The
new buildings will represent an outlay
of $6,000,000 an expenditure that the
most stringent economist can scarcely
grudge, as It represents the proper hous
ing of the naval students of the United
States for many years. The sentiment
"Nothing Is too good for the Navy"
found patriotic expression at tho close
of the Spanish War, and this magnifi
cent marine college Is, to some extent,
the outgrowth of that expression.
Though since then the Navy has been
to some extent under a cloud, Its glory
has not been dimmed cor Its power of
achievement doubted. The new build
ings will accommodate 600 students, and
the valor and skill nurtured within
their walls will redound to the glory
of the Nation through coming genera
tions. Austria, too, It seems, was our friend
In 1838. The Austrian Government
wished, it Is true, to preserve peace,
but It was as much for the sake of the
United States as for that of Spain. It
would be grieved to think that we would
for a moment at this late day suppose
that we, as a people or a Government,
cherished hard feelings In consequence
of anything that it did at that time.
Thus the international sky Is clear.
"We can well afford, all things consid
ered, to be magnanimous.
A Progressive Railroad.
Hartford Courant
The Pennsylvania Railroad, up to date
In all things. Is now going to put all Its
telegraph wires between New York and
Philadelphia under ground. Recent
storms have rendered the telegraph sys
tem along that route worthless for days
at a tlme.and the company is coming to
what must bo tho final settlement of the
1 difficulty.
NICARAGUA THE BETTER.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
The familiar story of the taking of
Troy vindicated the sagacity of the old
Trojan who feared the Greeks even when
they were bringing gifts.
The offer of the Panama Canal Com
pany to make the United States a pres
ent of 563,000,000 Is too alluring to jus
tify any confidence In the good faith
characterizing the negotiation. Yet
that is what tho latest offer, taken In
connection with the former one, really
amounts to. A few months ago the
company pretended to think that Its
Panama property was worth $109,000,
000; now It offers to sell It for J40.C0O.
000. It Is true that the latter offer Is
tendered through other representatives,
but that makes no difference.
The new offer by the Panama Com
pany may not have been made for pur
poses of delay, but It Is certain that
Mr. Hutln, late president of the Pana
ma Company, was long ago reported as
saying that if his offer was not accepted
that is, the offer to sell for J1GO.O00.
000 he would Join with the trans-continental
railway lines In an effort to de
feat the construction of any canal. It la
equally evident that the effect of this
new offer. If it have any effect at all,
will be to delay the work. Already pre
dictions are freely made that there will
bo no canal legislation at this session
of Congress. It Is clear enough that the
desire for delay Is Inducing all the
open or secret friends of the trans
continental railroads to give a qualltled
support to the Panama route and then
to Insist that there Is no need of haste
in providing for the beginning- of the
work. If many of these men have their
way tho work may never bo begun.
It cannot be denied that the oppo
nents of the enterprise have scored a
point In getting a unanimous report from
tho Canal Commission setting forth the
advantages of the Panama route.
Nevertheless, It Is easy to exaggerate
the Importance of. that recommendation.
A close examination of tho report dis
closes the fact that the cost of the two
Toutes, after paying the $40,000,000, is
nearly the same. The cost of construc
tion over the Panama route will be $45,
000.000 less, according to the commission,
but this docs not take into account tho
$40,000,009 to be paid the Panama Com
pany, and hence may be misleading on
a casual reading. In another part of the
report, however, It Is shown that the
total cost of tho Nlcaraguan route will
be JflS9,SS4,OS2, and of the Panama route
$1S4,233,35S. Of course, these are not final
figures, but only provisional estimates.
The difference Is not gret enough to
cover probably errors or omissions In
tho estimates or payments that cannot
be foreseen. For practical purposes, we
may say that so far as estimates go, the
two routes are on equality.
This brings us to the question of the
cost of operation. It Is said that the cost
of the Panama route will be less. But
It 13 not a matter of a few dollars one
way or the other In operation In which
the country is chiefly Interested. If
we wish to save money, we shall not
build the canal at all. Operating ex
penses are to be considered, but they
must be considered In connection with
the business to be done and the bene
fits to be received. The proportion of
expenses to receipts Is important; the
exact amount of expenses is not. If it
were, nobody would be willing to do a
large business, for that means large ex
penses. The canal is to bo built for the
benefit of the people, so that the ex
pense of getting to it and getting away
from It Is as legitimate an object of in
quiry as the expense of operation.. The
Commission has not overlooked this con
sideration, but it Is important that the
reader who desires to form a correct
judgment should not overlook It There
are considerations material to this In
quiry that are not expressed in the mere
authenticated calculations, however im
portant these may be.
The greatest advantage pf the, canal
In the time of peace will be In bringing
practically nearer the eastern and west
ern coasts of this country, To get to
California by" way of the Panama route
ships from the east coast using that
roughly to Include the gulf coast, will
have to go 400 miles farther to reach
one end of the canal, and then cover the
distance again to go to San Francisco or
any other domestic port on the Pacific
coast This means about two days' more
time for the fast steamships and much
more for slower vessels. Against this
there will be an estimated difference of
twenty-one hours in passing through one
proposed canal as compared with the
other, which Is not half enough to off
set the difference In distance. As to the
west coast of South America our trade
with it Is of much less importance and
likely to remain so.
YOUR AXTI AXD HIS XOTIOXS.
In contrast with the many discouraging re
ports which are constantly coming from the
Philippines. It Is gratifying news that dis
tinct and valuable progress has already been
made toward tho sanitation and cleansing of
tho City of Manila and the Improvement of
the public health throughout the archipelago.
Like the reforms In Havana, this work- Is be
ing carried on under an officer of the Army
Medical Department In this case Major Louis
M. Maus, who has been appointed Commis
sioner of Public Health of the Philippines.
The first two months of his Incumbency of
this position Major Maus gave to the prepa
ration of proposals for suitable medical and
sanitary laws. Those In regard to the prac
tice of medicine, compulsory acclnatlon and
the establishment of provincial and municipal
boards of health have been placed on the
statuto book by the Philippine Commission
Under the first named, a board for the examina
tion of all persons desirous of practicing In
the Islands Is already In session, and it is
confidently believed that Its work will result
In placing the profession on as high a plane
as It now occupies In any state of the Union.
By hard work tho plague, which again became
serious last Summer, has been nearly. If not
wholly, stamped out partly.. It Is thought, by
means of the rat crusade, which has resulted
In thousands upon thousands of rodent vic
tims Arrangements have also been made for
the establishment of a leper colony on the
Island of Kullon. In the Calamines group, to
which 500 or COO lepers are to be taken be
foij June 1. In Manila Itself more than 3000
houses have been thoroughly cleaned and re
modeled, and this work la to be continued.
Such praiseworthy regard for human life brings
out In strong contrast the slaughtering which
goes on In other parts of tho Island. Today's
report that 80 bolomcn In Samar were recently
killed, without Injury to a single American.
Is a striking example of this. New Tork
Evening Post
Certainly; the bolomen are savages,
fighting against sanitation and civiliza
tion. Why .shouldn't they be slaughtered
unless they will submit? Our antts have
lost all semblance of common sense. They
want the rule of savage bolomen and
smallpox and leprosy to continue, In the
name of liberty and humanity. Your antl
Is a person who tires patience.
Prehistoric Cremations.
London Mall.
At the now golf links at Sunnlngdale,
near Windsor, a new tumulus has been
discovered. It Is a circular mound, about
10 feet high and 75 feet In diameter. The
number of cists or urns at present taken
out Is 10. They vary in size and are ex
tremely fragile. More than half of the
mound Is yet to be opened. Two of the
urns were found In an Inverted position.
According to the supposition of archaeol
ogists, they were so placed to preyent the
spirit of the burled from escaping. Two
urns examined contain small calcined
bones. The bodies had therefore been
cremated. The tumulus Is to be thor
oughly Investigated by experts.
4
Mottoes for "Various People.
New York Times.
Cabman's Han'som' Is that han'som' does.
Pickpocket's My heart goes with my hand.
Doctor's All's well that ends well.
Pugilist's Knocking, knocking, who Is there?
Policeman's Far from the maddening crowd.
Lean Man's May my shadow never grow less.
Fat Man's Oh, that this too, too solid flesh
jl, would melt
TRANS-ATLANTIC TRAVEL,
Brooklyn Eagle.
Some estimate of the remarkable devel
opment in the passenger traffic between
Europe and this country may be formed
from the official figures of 101 as com
pared with those for the past few years.
These figures come from the landing office
In New York, and may therefore be ac
cepted without the prejudice which might
attach to statements emanating from
steamship companies. During the year
lately ended the total number of passen
gers brought to our shores was 567,011.
of whom 12S.143 were cabin and 43S.S6S
steerage. The total for 1S00 was 541.343,
while the aggregate for the year preced
ing was 41L177. The basis of normal com
parison exists really between 1901 and 1SS9,
because 1S00 was exposition year In Paris,
and there was consequently an unusual In
crease in all the cabin passenger lists both
to and from Europe: In 1D01 the cabin lists
on the more important lines were smaller
than in 1900, but generally much larger
than in 1S39, while the Increase In totals
for 1901 over 1S00 is explained by the fact
that the steerage traffic experienced a
natural and considerable expansion. The
following table Is worth studying:
Number of
Tear. passages. Cabin. Steerage. Total.
1S07 001 00.032 ll2 0O4 2S2.030
1S03 812 80.5SG 210.051 300.237
1S00 820 107.415 300.702 411.177
1000 S38 137.852 403.491 541.34?
1901 S37 128.143 43S.808 5U7.0U
Of the 19 principal lines engaged In the
Atlantic passenger traffic we may take
the Hamburg-American as an example. It
is choren for the purposes of illustration
because of the numerical importance of
Its fleet and because the size and speed
of its steamships have been Influential
In determining the trend of travel: of the
26S vessels under Its flag, representing the
enormous total of 66S.O0O tons, the largest
and fastest ccme to New York. In 1901
the Hamburg-American boats landed at
this port a total of 93,537 passengers, 'of
whom. 20.977 traveled on cabin tickets nnd
7S.5G0 came in the steerage. In 1200 the
figures for the same line were 23.657 cabin
and 72,245 steerage, an increase In the ag
gregate of 3533, which Is larger than It
seems when the heavy cabin lists of 1TJ00
are taken into account. In 1S99 the Hamburg-American
boats carried to New York
14,334 cabin passengers and 40.59S steerage:
this is a total of but 55.132 as compared
with nearly 96.000 for the succeeding year,
and almost a round 100,000 for 1901. These
figures tell their own story, which Is re
peated in the statistics of other great
lines. They indicate that a desire for
transatlantic travel la constantly Increas
ing, both in this country and in Europe,
which means the development of nclgh
borliness and good feeling between the
Old World and the new. They Indicate, too,
that the annual additions to our perma
nent population due to Immigration arc
steadily mounting toward the record of
1SS1, when Europe sent us no less than
445,150 steerage passengers: this shows that
the advantages of residence and citizen
ship in the United States are appealing
more and more to the working people of
the older world.
Go nnd Get a White Fcnther.
New York Evening Post.
That it may be extremely Important to
have a good father if one aspires to high
judicial ofllce appears to be the lesson of
James P. Piatt's selection by President
Roosevelt as Judge of the United States
District Court for Connecticut. Mr. Piatt
is the son of Senator O. H. Plitt, and
there seems to be a general agreement
that the father of no other candidate for
this position stands anything like so well.
The leading Republican newspaper of the
state, the Hartford Courant, declares thit
"his father is one of the ablest and
strongest men in "Washington." The
Hartford Post, another Republican news
paper, affirms that "James P. Piatt began
life wisely by picking out just the right
sort of a father." The President bears
witness to the truth of this claim. Mr.
Lewis E. Stanton, who went to the "White
House the other day In the interest of an
oher candidate, makes this report:
"When I saw President Roosevelt Saturday, he
treated me very nicely. He said: "Sit down
on the lounge. Mr. Stanton," and then, leaning
forward, said: "I think. Mr. Stanton, that
Senator Piatt Is one of tho whitest old men I
ever knew, and I think I shall appoint his
son."
"We have read everything that we could
find regarding the other men who wre
suggested for the position, but we have
found no allusion to fie father of a single
one of them. On the showing thut was
made by the rival candidate's themselves,
It seems clear that any President who
was looking for the son with the
"whitest" father would have been forced
to select James P. Piatt.
Censorious critics, to be sure, might
raise tho point that, with all due defer
ence to fatherhood and Its Indisputable
importance in the life of anybody, the
vital question In the selection of a man
for such a position on the bench is his
own fitness, for the place Whether, for
example, he has risen higher in his pro
fession than the judgeship of a police
court In a small city by the time he has
reached his prime. Fathers sometimes
die before attaining their 75th yeir, and It
Is quite possible that one or more of the
other middle-aged candidates for this
Federal Judgeship may have been a good
deal hampered by the fact that he is an
orphan. However, If Jnmes P. Piatt had
been fatherless, Mr. Roosevelt might well
claim that he was entitled to the ap
pointment on the basis of- his vouchers.
Ex-Governor Waller, the ablest Demo
cratic lawyer in the state, wrote to the
President that he was "confident that, if
Mr. Piatt receives "the appointment, ho
will discharge the duties of the respon
sible office with ability and faithfulness
to the Government." Dean WaylantT of
the Yale Law School, wrote that "by
education, by capacity, and by experience
I believe Mr. Piatt to be well qualified
to fill the position with advantage to the
public Interests and with credit to him
self." Finally, Judjre Townscnd. of the
Di3trlct Court, whose promotion to the
Circuit Court ciusos the vacancy now to
be filled, wrote that "he has the ability
to creditably perform the duties of a
United States District Judge." There
may, of course, be people who will say
that these letters would not have been
written now if James P. Piatt had be
come an orphan 10 years ago, but this
would be to rvflect severely upon ex
Governors, liw school deans, and Fed
eral Judges and a President could not
reasonably be expected to do that
Hard to Tell a Chinaman's Age.
Washington Post.
How old Is a Chinaman? Can you give
a good guess? It Is harder to tell than
the nge of a negro. The Chinaman has'
no beard and his hair Is of a Jet and glossy
blackness, which turns gray only at an
extreme age, when a Cnucauslan head
would be either snow-white or bald. Then,
again, the Chinese have the most perfect
nervous systems of any people In the
world, and do not wrinkle up with age.
They can stand any amount of oplum
smoklng without material injury, that
would send a white man to his grave or an
Insane asylum. So you have little to go
by. A Chinaman will look 30 when he Is
20 and when he Is 50. If you ask him. his
age he will place It at least 10 years ahead,
for he holds old age to be honorable, and
among his people ho will be respected and
looked up to by all his. juniors.
Mr. Gnpe's Physical Strength.
Kansas City Journal.
The first Job Secretary Gage had was as
clerk In a. wholesale- grocery house that
made a specialty of flour. He had to
load the barrels of flour on tho delivery
wagons. He developed great lifting nus
cles, and today probably is as strong as
any other man in public life, unless It
should be Senator Heitfeld, who Is a
giant A few days ago Secretary Gage
was walking down Pennsylvania avenue
with some friends. Two men were load
ing barrels of flour on a wagon. "I used
to do that." said the Secretary. He
stooped and lifted a barrel and placed it
on the wagon, and he did it easily and
expeditiously, to the great astonishment
of the loaders. No one e'se In the party
Jcould 'get a barrel higher than his knees.
NOTE AND COMMENT.
If you couldn't register yesterday, you
can today. "
The Idea of expecting the enforcement
of ordinances before election day!
General Funston's speech will not be
printed as antl-lmperiallst campaign ma
terial. The Meteor has a mast of Oregon pine.
Notice what kind of pine the Seattle pa
pers call it
Not to be outdone by Miss Roosevelt
Queen Alexandra has christened a ship.
But the American girl set the pace.
A Northern Pacific brakeman has killed
a cook. Perhaps the latter was one of
the kind who make gutta-percha pies.
This is not the first time that tho silver-tongued
Simon orator has been forced
to bottle burning thoughts within him.
The Secretary of Agriculture has re
turned to Washington. He will miss a
good many seeds when he comes to take
stock.
The British" Army Is to be reorganized on
the American plan, The War Office seems
to desire that It win a victory" once In
a while.
The Chinese Insurgents continue to ln
surge. The Empress Dowager will pres
ently send for the foreign devils to como
back and keep the peace.
Russia Is eliminating all foreigners from
the public service. A Job of that kind in
this country would create a state of af
fairs where there wouldn't be enough
office-holders to go 'round.
The ability of Prince Henry to be a
good fellow astonishes his friends at
home. But they don't know anything
about the Infection of democracy.
Some men are born with silver tongues,
And voters -gladly throng to hear them;
Some men are born with leather lungs.
And not a voter will go near them.
A few with but a word can reach
The center of an Issue burning.
Alas for those whose every speech
Provokes a swift and sure adjourning!
Bishop Brewster (Episcopal), of Con
necticut tells this story: "Kipling is said
to be not ladylike enough to suit some
of his critics The story that I am to re
late about Kipling and I suppose none of
you have heard it comes to me first
hand, and shows the strong, vigorous
faith which is back of the man's writ
ings. A trained nurse was watching at
the bedside of Mr. Kipling during those
moments when the author was in the
most -critical stage of sickness, and she
noticed that his lips, began to move. She
bent over him thinking he wanted to say
somothing to her, and she heard him ut
ter these words: 'Now I lay me down to
sleep.' that old, familiar prayer of child
hood days. The nurse, realizing that Kip
ling did not require her services, said. In
an apologetic whisper: I beg your par
don, Mr. Kipling. I thought you wanted
something.' '
" 'I do,' faintly observed Kipling; 1
want my heavenly Father. He only can
care for me now.'
"It Is this masculine, robust religious
faith that we see in Kipling's writings,
and it is a faith which the young men
of Yale University may well carry with
them in the performance of their daily
work"
A Chicago man who lives In Goethe
street gets off the car at Schiller street,
two blocks away, because no conductor
can understand his pronunciation of
Goethe. "I had practiced on the pronun
ciation for a week,'' he says, "and I
had the sound of the 'umlaut' down fine.
I sprung it on the conductor the first
evening. He looked at me blankly, and
replied: 'Huh? I "repeated It over once
or twice, and finally a great light broko
over him. 'Oh, yes, you mean Go-the.
Why didn't you say so?' The next even
ing the conductor called It Go-eeth. The
third time up it was Go-e-the. Then there
was a ,raw Irishman In charge of one of
the trains, who spoke of it as Go-tay,
with the accent on the last syllable. One
morning I left an order for my wife at
the grocer's. He looked at me In silence
for a minute after I had given our ad
dress. 'Oh, yes.' he said, "you mean
Oertle street.' The butcher calls it Gaytle,
tho laundryman pronounces it Gay-tuh,
and the man who delivers coal alludes to
it as Goth street. I have a woman friend,
who prides herself on her culture, who
speaks feelingly of Gutter street But the
devoted thoroughfare doesn't really 'get
It In the neck until you hear the janitor
talk. He calls It Goitre."
Letter Drifted for 27 Yean.
Chicago 'Tcihune-.,'
A letter written on' the stationery of the
Metropolitan Hotel, formerly located at
Washington and State streets, and mailed.
In Chicago on November 15, 1S74, was de
livered at the Palmer House yesterday.
The letter was addressed to "Frank Mc
Donald, room 217, Palmer House, Chica
go." The stamp was canceled in the Chi
cago Postofllce on November 15, 1874, and
was delivered from this office on February
21, 1902. 27 years later. Where the letter
has been during all the Intervening years
is a mystery which the clerks al the
Palmer House are attempting to solve. The
Postofllce reople also are mystified. Frank
McDonald is unknown, although there la
a room 247 In the hotel.
PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHERS
Kxcused. Judge Have you formed any prej
udice against the prisoner? Juryman I have
seen some newspaper pictures of him. Judge
You are excused. New York "Weekly.
A Weighty Opinion. Edith What on earth
made you break off the engagement? I thought
you were awfully In love with him. Madge I
was. but Rover couldn't bear him. Brooklyn
Life.
A Rough Game. "Mammy," said Pickaninny
Jim. "Bill Is smackln' Joe agin." "Well."
said the colored woman, "you tell dem chlllen
dat dey's gotter quit playln' 'Nlted States Sen
ate. Dat game's too rough." Washington
Star.
A Criterion. She Jack, I'm afraid this dog
you've given me Isn't a good one. He Not a
good one! Why. what's the matter with him?
She I don't know. I'm sure; but I've had him
a whole month now, and no one has ever tried
to steal him! Punch.
Not a Stage Meal. "Myl" exclaimed the
good-natured housekeeper a3 she watched
Weary AVragglea devour the food, "you cer
tainly do act as If you were hungry." "Act?"
he cried between bites. "Gee whizz, lady,
don't you know de dlfl'rence between actln'
an de real flng?" Philadelphia Press.
Rev. Goodley Do you think you observe the
Sabbath as you should? Jlggaby Well. I usu
ally spend the day quietly at home. Rev.
Goodley Ah! but do yoii never go to church.'
Jlggaby No. However, we havo stalned-glo8
windows In our library, and they afford a fJrt
of church effect while I read my Sunday prPr
Philadelphia Record.
Expense No Bar. Mrs. Grinder My dear,
pardon my frankness, but really I fer your
daughter can never be a social succe?- Mrs.
Yearner Why so. dear? Mrs. Grlnr Well,
she has no no aplomb at all. Mrs. Yearner
Is that all? She shall have one Me and
John will spare no expense with Jlollle. She
Ehall have the best supply of it that can be
had. Chicago Dally News,
. l -vA -wrtiC&K sy. ..r. f
Atf'.'aiiTrfLfiU Hirr, vm"
lkMMtmi&atj .
' i nt nAAr A(--'rTKHlBfe.