THE MORNING OREGONTAN, SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 27,' 1902.'
Entered at the Postofflce at Portland. Oregon,
ax tecond-class matter.
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Eastern Business Office. 43. 44. 45, 47. 43, 49
Tribune building. New York City: 610-11-12
Tribune building. Chicago: the S. C. Beckwlth
Special Agency, Eastern representative.
For sale In San Francisco by L. E. Lee. Pal
ice Hotel new stand: Goldsmith Bros.. 236
Sutter street: F. W. Pitts, 100S Market street;
I. K. Cooper Co.. 740 Market street, near the
Palace Hotel: Foster & Orear. Ferry new
stand; Frank Scott, 80 Ellis street, and N.
Wheatley. 813 Mission street.
For sale In Los Ance'es by B. F. Gardner.
259 South Spring street, and Oliver & Haines,
305 South Spring street.
For sale in Kansas City. Mo., by Rlckseckcr
Cigar Co., Ninth and "Walnut streets.
For sale in Chicago by the P. O. News Co..
217 Dearborn street, and Charles MacDonald,
&3 Washington street.
For sale In Omaha by Barkalow Bros.. 1012
Farnam etreet: Megeath Stationery Co.. 1303
Famam street.
For sale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News
Co., 77 "West Second South street.
For sale In Minneapolis by R. G. Hearsey i
Co.. 54 Third street South.
For sale in Washington. D. C, by the Ebbett
House news stand.
For sale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton &
Xendrick. 000-912 Seventeenth street: Louthan
& Jackson Book & Stationery Co.. Fifteenth
and Lawrence streets: A. Series. Sixteenth and
Curtis streets.
TODAY'S WEATHER Showers, with brisk
southwesterly winds, decreasing by afternoon.
TESTERD AT" S WEATHER Maximum tem
perature. 65: minimum temperature. 54; pre
cipitation. 0.01 Inch.
PORTLAND, SATURDAY, SEPT. 27.
AX UNBEC03IING APPEAL.
The appeal of the Boers for financial
aid appears, under all the circum
stances,, out of taste and out of keeping
with the record they have just made In
-warfare. Unquestionably theBoers have
suffered greatly from the war; their
homes are in ruins, their livestock dis
sipated, their -wagons and implements
of farming destroyed. But they have
their land and they have the great sum
a-warded them In the settlement -with
the British. The people are today far ,
tetter off in every material respecL
than were their fathers -when they
"trekked" into the Vaal wilderness.
Under these conditions It would better
become the people to rest upon their
own resources, to seek to make the best
of the situation as they find it, than to
pass the hat about the world.
"We question if money given to the
Boers at this time will do them any real
good. There is commonly not much ad
vantage from that which comes without
effort and through motives of charity;
and the danger Is that any great gift to
the Boer people at this time will dam
age their self-respect and the manly
spirit of self-reliance upon which their
future welfare as a people must de
pend. There is In the terms of the ap
peal made to the United States an un
pleasant note of decadent character; for
it Is not becoming that complaint should
be made of the want of liberality of the
English people. The Boers have, un
questionably, a hard period before them,
for they must painfully rebuild and re
store the terrible losses of the war.
But the task is neither unprecedented
nor hopeless.
The conditions of the Transvaal are
no worse than were those of our own
South after the Civil "War; indeed, they
are vastly better, since the problems
before them are merely material, and
being wholly free from social compli
cations. But there was no appeal to
the charity of the world In behalf of
the people of the South; there was no
dependence upon anything but the will
and spirit of the people In combination
with the resources of their rich but dev
astated country. The South came out
of its distress quickly and completely
because it took its burdens squarely
upon its own shoulders and went man
fully to work. The Boers would do
well to call In their committees of ap
peal and Imitate the example of our
own. Southerners. They may, Indeed,
gain, something in the way of material
help from the hat-passing process, but
they will lose more than they will gain
nothing less, in truth, than the uni
versal respect which their valor in
arms has inspired. It 19 significant that
British papers of discernment acquit
the Boer Generals of any complicity In
this unbecoming appeal, whioh evident
ly proceeds from those who have par
ticipated In the, struggle only from the
safe retirement of European capitals.
ADULT ILLITERACY.
While from the census tables lately
printed the percentage of illiteracy in
the United States seems to be abnor
mally high, it Is gratifying to note that
it is steadily and in some states rapidly,
decreasing among the young. As re
cently noted,. 99.58 per cent of the chil
dren In our own state between the ages
of 10 and 14 years can read and -write.
This promises a decrease in illiterates
of voting age among us a few years
hence that is truly gratifying.
Taken as a whole, there are now
5,885,644 men of voting age In the cities
of the United States, of whom 339,223,
or 6 per cent, are unable to write and
most of whom cannot read. In the
country districts there are 15,248,655 men
old enough to vote, of whom 1,949,274,
or 13 per cent, are Illiterate. The sta
tistics, however, demonstrate that the
immigrants to this country, together
with the negroes in the South, consti
tute the bulk, of adult illiterates, leaving
the native-born white population with
a decided advance in education to Its
credit.
But even with this explanation the
showing Is one to awaken serious reflec
tion among thoughtful citizens. A
large proportion of the illiterates enu
merated in the census possess .the, privi
lege of suffrage, and through its exer
cise wield an influence In public affairs.
Whea this phase of the subject Is con
sidered, the tables showing adult Illit
eracy, that seems to be Increasing
among the foreign population by reason
of increase in immigration, become truly
formidable. Looking at them In "the
view of a wise public policy, it Is mani
fest that our naturalization laws should
be revised and the qualifications for
suffrage be more strictly prescribed and
enforced. The - easy, slipshod methods
of today, whereby voters are created
from men foreign to our own language
and the spirit of our Institutions, suits
well the purpose of self-seeking polltl-
clans, but there can be little doubt but
they are laying up wrath against a day
of wrath for the future.
TIMELY PROTESTS.
Protests from taxpayers of this city
in regard to street improvements which
they are called upon to pay, while per
haps not stronger or more numerous
this Fall than Is usual at the clqse of
a busy season In street work, have
lately taken shape that will compel
the attention of the city officials and
the investigation of the Board of Public
Works. Instead of utterly Impotent
complaints made after the payment of
the sum assessed upon their property,
protest has,In a number of instances,
been entered prior to payment, accom
panied by a declaration of purpose to
resist payment until contractors are
made to comply with the terms of the
ordinance providing for the Improve
ment and of the contract entered into
for carrying out Its carefully specified
terms.
That street improvement in this city
has long signified a go-as-you-please
undertaking between contractors and
the city, for which abutting property
was compelled to pay by pro rata as
sessment, is a fact too well known .to
challenge or require proof. It Is writ
ten in thoroughfares as full of "chuck
holes" as a country road In any out-of-the-way
district of the state, and It ex
tends literally from one end of the city
to the other, taking in most of the lat
eral streets. All that the taxpayers
usually know about the ma"tter Is that
certain contractors "get the job" and
perform the work practically without
inspection, taking their own time to
complete It; that It Is formally "ac
cepted" by the city, often In a grossly
Incomplete state, whereupon notice Is
served upon them to pay the amount
levied for the alleged "Improvement"
under certain penalties made and pro
vided for delinquency.
As said in the beginning, a change In
this programme has been inaugurated
recently, which, It may be hoped, will
work a benefit to property-owners and
to the public The letter of Mr. L.. J.
Goldsmith to the Board of Public
"Works, published in connection with the
proceedings of that body a few days
ago, is In point. First quoting the ordi
nance for the Improvement of macadam
streets, Mr. Goldsmith boldly states that
the work now In progress cn Qulmby
street Is not being done according to
contract After giving details in sup
port of this statement, he declares that
he will absolutely refuse to pay for the
improvement of this' street, for most of
which he is assessed, "until it Is put
down according to the ordinance."
This Is to the purpose. It commends
Itself not only to justice, but to com
mon sense. Payment of the improve
ment on East Burnslde street Is refused
by a number of the property-owners on
that street for this among other rea
sona Payment should have been re
fused on East Tenth street two years
ago on similar grounds. The screen
ings for top dressing upon this street
were -more than "half dirt" (one of the
counts entered by Mr. Goldsmith In his
indictment against the work now in
progress on Qulmby. street), the mud
being from five to six Inches deep In
the middle of that street on certain
blocks within two months following the
"acceptance" of the street by the City
Superintendent. The first rain has cov
ered portions of East Burnslde street
with mud, showing the same propor
tion of dirt in the "top rock or screen
ing course," as prescribed by ordi
nance, that was applied to this street
but a few weeks ago.
This and similar work is not done In
a corner, but openly and In the boldest
manner. Truly a Street Supervisor
that supervises Is needed, in order
that property-owners may not be used
merely as catspaws to rake street con
tractors chestnuts out of the fire and
that the City of Portland may have
creditable thoroughfares In return for
the money paid out without stint by
its citizens.
There is but one way to get service
of this kind. That way Mr. Goldsmith
has marked out, declaring his Inten
tion to take it As long as property-
holders submit to the process they will
be ground between the upper and
nether millstones, as represented by
contractors on the one hand, naturally
anxious to make the most out of "Jobs"
by covering up boulders In the lower
course of the so-called macadam Im
provement with rocks somewhat
smaller In the second cburse, and top
dressing the whola with "screened rock
that Is half dirt," and by careless. In
attentive, Incompetent or dishonest city
officials on the other, who, if they do
nothing worse, let such work pass with
their approval. These protests are at
least timely. There Is reason to hope
that they may prove of benefit to the
public that demands good streets for the
transaction of its business, and to prop
erty-owners, who pay street Improve
ments heavy enough in all conscience
to secure them.
A QUESTION OP CAUSES.
Vital statistics, elaborately compiled
and published, show that the average
of life in Paris is but 31 years, whllo
in the rural and village communities
of France the average is 36 years. The
average in the United States, urban and
rural, is somewhat above that of
France. The question of the causes
contributing to this difference in the
average life of urban and rural com
munities is one that ha9 lately been
earnestly discussed. The consensus of
opinion Is that crowding with Us un
sanitary conditions Is the first great
cause of the relatively short term of life
in the cltlea Following this, In the es-.
timation of many, is noise, with the un
rest and the nerve shock and strain
which It induces. Deaths from acci
dent. It is assumed, account for some
of the difference between city and coun
try averages, but doctors have lately
been looking for other causes, as these
do not rationally account for the great
discrepancy. Many think that the chief
cause Is In the poisonous gases that per
vade the air of crowded cities, jimper
ceptibly, perhaps, but constantly. In
the medical journals the chief place, as
a menace to health and longevity in
cities, Is given to leakage of illuminat
ing gaa The light companies admit
large losses from their mains, which, of
course, they are anxious to check but
seem to be powerless to do so. Since
the introduction of so-called "water
gas," the journals say such leakage Is
particularly detrimental to health, as
the percentage of carbon monoxide is
high. It is well known that a very
small quantity of gas In a room exer
cises a very depressing effectupon per
sons inhaling It. There is a theory,
very well sustained in probability, that
asphalt "and other impervious pavements
compel leakage from gas mains to find
vent through cellar walls and into sew
ers, while imperfect plumbing permits
its further escape into houses. So well
establlshed is this theory that physi
cians attribute the symptoms of de
ranged nerves, weakened digestive pow
ers, disordered circulation, etc., largely
to the presence of carbon monoxide In
dwellings and offices.
This statement of the case Is support
ed by pretty good evidence, but the rem
edy Is not at hand. No doubt some
thing 'may be done, as doubtless also
much has been done Ih the -more pro
gressive cities, by greater care In lay
ing gas mains and Insisting that these
shall, be of better quality than formerly.
Sanitary plumbing is another force to
which sanitarians look for relief.
Though wise and conclusive in theory,
every one who has ' ordered the con
struction of a building, of modern de
sign and equipment knows how diffi
cult It is, even with the help of an
Ironclad city ordinance, to secure
plumbing that may justly come under
,the head of scientific or sanitary.
It Is gratifying, however, to note that
with all of the dangers that now menace
human life, man's average length of
years has risen quite perceptibly in the
past half century. That which the har
nessing of steam and electricity to the
wants and purposes of mankind has
done to promote death by accident, the
study of sanitary laws and the enforce
ment of sanitary regulations have more
than counterbalanced. It is the great
difference between urban and rural
conditions as shown by vital statistics
that have set scientists to investigating
causes that thereby the average of hu
man life In cities may be raised. When
an effect is so pronounced, the cause
cannot be deeply hidden.
A LUCKY VISIONARY.
The late W. S, Stratton, of Cripple
Creek, was noted for nothing In life
save his eccentricity and hit" lucky find
of a very rich mine. His will was as
eccentric as his life; he left his son but
$50,000 on condition that he should not
try and break the will, which devotes
all of Stratton's fourteen millions of
dollars, save another small bequest to
a nephew and niece, to the foundation
of a hospital. The will Is eccentric, be
cause if the son was fit to be trusted
with 550.000 he was "fit to be his father's
heir to a larger extent, and the bribe
of 550,000 offered him to persuade him
not to break the will is as mean In
thought as a husband making his wife
hia heir on condition that she does not
marry again. If the widow Is a worthy
woman, she deserves -to be the hus
band's heir, and if her husband loved
her well enough to trust her with his
money he ought to trust her to seek
her. own happiness and not try to force
her to remain single by leaving her his
money on conditions that might some
day force her to make a great sacrifice
and hold his memory in contempt.
Stratton's youth In Jeffersonvllle,
Ind., is reported to have been so un
amlable that he left a bad name behind
him when he came West In 1872. He
was a good carpenter and found plenty
of work at Colorado Springs, where he
caught the "gold fever" and worked at
his trade nineteen years before he
"struck It rich" and became Millionaire
Stratton. He was known for years as
"Crazy" Stratton. For ten years Strat
ton dropped every dollar he could earn
into the bottomless pit pf various min
ing ventures. His wife waited patiently
on his pursuit of gold for several years,,
but finally grew disgusted with his fre
quent absences and her own privations
and served notice on him that the, next
time he went away, leaving her to her
own resources, and returned ragged and.
impecunious, she would leave "him. She
kept her word and obtained a divorce.
The wife thought the carpenter's trade
good enough, and was not greatly anx
ious to be a rich woman, but she want
ed her husband's society and compan
ionship a reasonable part of the time,
and she was right In leaving him.
There was a case in New England
where man and wife separated because
the husband cared more about the pur
suit of field botany than he did about
his wife, and she resented his long ab
sences and obtained a divorce and di
vision of the property. When Stratton's
earnings were expended he sought part
nership with a man who would grub
stake him. He led this kind of life
from 1872 to 1891, when he found the
Independence mine. By 1894 he was
worth $60,000, and in 1898 he had sold
a controlling Interest In the mine for
510,000,000 to an English company. He
has survived his rise from poverty to
wealth about eight years. One use he
made of It was to buy a hotel In order
to discharge an employe who had of
fended him, the mark of a very mean,
narrow-minded man, and his diversion
of his money from his son to charitable
purposes Is a 'mark of mental narrow
ness or premature senile decay. Of
course, the wealth that this eccentric
creature stumbled onto after nineteen
years' quest Implies no more capacity
than If an Illiterate, stupid man should
buy a lottery ticket and draw the first
prize. The mine he discovered and the
wealth obtained from It Impart no more
intellectual glory to Stratton than the
discovery of the silver mines of Potosi,
in Peru, did to the Indian hunter who
first accidentally unearthed them.
If life means anything In this world
beyond superfluous wealth. Stratton's
career was a miserable failure. He lost
the companionship of an excellent wife
and his own life has been very short
since he found his mine. Doubtless the
life he led finding It cost him his health.
His life made him so eccentric in man
ners and tastes that he would not wear
an evening coat and join a dlnn r party.
Somebody would have found his mine
sooner or later the world would not
have lost it, but in his nineteen years
of goldhuntlng which preceded his rich
"find" Stratton lost about all that really
makes life worth living to a sane man.
If he had been a man of the quality of
Mackay his gold mine would have been
a stepping-stone to a n-ew and larger
life, but he was evidently merely a
lucky visionary, and his mental nar
rowness is shown in his stupid will,
which is likely to be broken by com
promise between the contestants' if not
by the cpurta To throw away an. ex
cellent trade, the society of a good wife,
for the chance find of a gold mine does
not Imply a very genial disposition.
When the prize Is won the visionary
finds the wife gone.
Stratton's will indicates that he either
did not trust or love his son or that he
preferred the name and fame of a phil
anthropist of the quality of -Stephen
GIrard to endowing his son and his
kinsmen with the major portion of his
wealth. Altogether there does not seem
to be anything in the life or death of
Stratton that need excite any admira
tion or envy. His gold did not make
him healthy, genial, witty -or wise; he
alienated his wife and he apparently
became estranged' from his son.
If the Janitor of a public school build
ing is not permitted, in the discharge
o'f his duty, to eject. an Impudent, ob
streperous boy from the premises under
hla charge, when the lad will not go
peaceably, the public school property is
likely to suffer more or less damage at
the hands of a most mischievous class.
This lo the view of the matter as ex
pressed by the School Board of this
district In a petition to Governor Geer
asking him to remit the fine Imposed
upon the janitor of the Park School for
forcibly putting a boy off the grounds.
It should ' be granted. Any action the
tendency of which Is to encourage reck
less, resentful, ungoverned boys in the
Idea that they can do as they please
regardleso of duly constituted author
ity. Is wise. The misdemeanors and
crimes that have been committed
by boys in this city during the past
year have been frequent enough and
grave enough to bespeak Indorsement
of any legitimate effort to restrain and
properly punish them.
Prudence Is a good thing at all times,
and especially when It takes an inven
tory of resources for entertainment be
fore inviting a large number of guests
to partake of the hospitality of home or
city. While for reasons of patriotism
and good comradeship It would be a
very fine thing to receive and entertain
the Grand Army of the Republic In an
nual encampment. It Is certainly wise to
consider, before urging a large body of
veterans to come here, whether or not
we can properly provide for their com
fort. To feed and lodge 100,000 people,
or -half that number, for one week, and
provide hall room for the meetings of
the several organizations that come un
der the head of the Grand Army en
campment. Is a task that should not be
undertaken unadvisedly. It is not only
that the expense will be large, but that
our reputation for hospitality and for
facilities to entertain and accommodate
our guests would suffer from our sheer
inability to 'provide for them. The
members of the Grand Army are old
men, who have had their share In
roughing It. In order that they may
enjoy the annual reunion of the organ
ization It is necessary to provide them
with comfortable quarters, good food
and adequate means of getting about
Portland can no doubt do all of this the
year following the Lewis and Clark
fair, but prudent men who understand
the situation think It would not be wise
to attempt it earlier. We will have
learned a lesson In handling crowds by
1S0G. We will also have expanded our
means for taking care of them. No
doubt our citizens generally will ap
prove the view of President F. E.
Beach, of the Portland Board of Trade,
In this matter, for the reasons stated.
The general 'farmers' balance sheet of
the United States for the year 1902 Is
an account of big flgurea According
to Bradstreet, the corn crop of the
country is 2,800,000,000 bushels as com
pared with 1,500,000,000 bushels last year
and an average of 2,000,000,000. The
largest crop previous to that, of the
present year was In 189G, When the rec
ord was 2,284,000,000 bushels. The wheat
crop of the country is estimated by ex
perts at 700,000,000 bushels as against
750,000,000 bushels last year, 522,000,000
for 1900, and. 547,000,000 for 1899. Only
three times in the history of the country
has the record equaled that of the pres
ent year. The cotton output for the
season, after reckoning some backsets,
Is expected to be 12,000,000 bales, as
against an average of 10,500,000 bales
during the past four, years. Other gen
eral crops are In line with this record.
The oat crop, according to the figures
of Mr. William R. Draper, the well
known expert, is the largest we have
ever had, and may amount to fr,om 850,
000,000 to 900,000,000 bushels, and we
shall, doubtless, within two or three
years, be producing an average of
1,000,000,000 bushels of pats per year.
The barley crop Is estimated at about
120,000,000 bushels, as against an aver
age for some' years past of perhaps 70,
000,000. The many conventions and less for
mal meetings of orchardists, stockmen
and other producers this Fall bear wit
ness to the ambition for varied produc
tion and to the disposition to "mix
brains with labor" which has seized the
country. These meetings are .among
the newer manifestations in the Indus
trial life of the country. There was
nothing of the kind In the earlier days
of our agriculture, nothing In fact until
within the past few years, since farm
ing took on new purpose and new skill.
It is a most commendable practice, for
It not merely aids the special forms of
production whose Interests are specially
discussed, but It widens the general
horizon xf the producing classes and
contributes to the general social ad
vancement. Nothing attests more truly and pleas
antly the prosperity and the good-will
Incident thereto of an agricultural sec
tion than the local fair or festival at the
close of an abundant harvest season.
The McMIhnvllle fair, of this week, with
Its display of handiwork and agricul
tural products, and the social features
that distinguished It as a festival, was
one of the most successful of its class.
The attendance was large, and neigh
borly good-will was manifested on
every hand. . Such' an occasion fitly
closes the Summer's work and as fitly
Inaugurates the season of gaiety that
makes Winter the festal time of the
year.
An institution well based alike In po
litical economy and humanity is the
state school for the blind at Salem.
The enrollment this year shows no In
crease over that of last a fact that Is
gratifying If it shows also that there 1b
really no Increase from year to year In
the number of unfortunates of this class
in the state. It may be hoped that
this Is true, and that there Is no blind
child or uneducated blind person in the
state- who Is allowed to neglect the op
portunity thus offered to fit himself or
herself for an Independent If restricted
life of industry.
Washington County, having had or
ganized existence between forty and
fifty years, finds itself hampered In se
curing rural free delivery of the malls
in some of' Its more populous sections
because the Government postal agent is
unable to find a map showing the lock'
tlon of its roads. And now the tax
payers are asking themselves what they
have kept County Surveyors in office
and on salary continuously all these
years for.
Mutual Regrret.
Baltimore News.
"My dear man," said the clerical look
Ing Individual, "I regret exceedingly to
see you coming out of that saloon."
Dat's de ticket Guy," replied the In
corrigible. "I stayed de limit o' me cash.
an' den do. bloke behind de bar trun me
out"
SPIRIT OF THE NORTHWEST PRESS
Here's the Trae Spirit.
Eugene Register.
Oregon people, as a clas3, are money
makers, and while the larger Idea of
reaching out for Tnislness through such
channels jas that of the 1905 Fair Is new
to the state, the business Interests as
well as the agricultural and all other In
terests' will not be slow to grasp the Im
portance of giving proper aid toan un
dertaking that Is bound to advertise, the
resources of the state all over the coun
try and add to the population and wealth
of Oregon sufficiently to bring back to us,
with interest, every dollar of outlay neces
sary to give proper assistance to the big
fair. It may be necessary for the state
to give $500,000 to Insure success of what Is
considered the country over as proper
celebration of the most Important event
In the history of the country, and if Ore
gon does the right thing it will Inspire
every other state In the Union to lend
liberal financial aid to the undertaking,
with the result that the fair will be a
grand success in every respect, and this
state will reap the greatest possible bene
fits therefrom. If J500.000 is required half
the sum could be raised on next year's
taxes and the balance the year following,
so that .the burden would fall more lightly
upon the taxpayers. The people of the
state must face this question and they
must do It wisely and well. Let us go
to the limit of what we can safely stand,
then willingly and freely give to the
limit That Is the spirit that will make us
and that will never break us.
Nearly Up, but- Not Quite.
Seattle Post-Intelllgencer.
According to the Postofflce Department
the business of the Presidential postof
flees In Washington Increased at a great
rate during the fiscal year ending June
SO. For that year the receipts of nine
Presidential offices in Washington were
5729,295; as against 5C0S.872 in the previous
year, an Increase of 5121.623. The receipts
of the different offices for the two years
were as follows:
1001.
1002.
$244,222
Seattle $200,621
Tacoma 73 811
8S.370
Spokane 07.510
Everett 10.750
North Taklma 11.233
113.331
22. SOT
12.070
13,073
10.000
20.200
22,102
Olympla 11,094
Vancouver 5.002
Walla. Walla. 17.070
"Whatcom 10.473
F6r the same oerlod the receipts of six
Orejton Presidential offices totaled Hoz,
101. as against 5104.340 In the previous
year, an Increase of 557. i64. Portland
postofllce receipts In 1901 were $223,&4. in
1S02 they had grown to 5258,465, an increase
of 5S4.SS1. It will be noted that tne in
crease in the Seattle office was 52,729 more
than the Portland office, enough to show
that Seattle is, well In the lead of the
Oregon metropolis.
Two Presidential postoIHces in wasn
Ington, Republic and Cosmopolls, and one
In Oregon, Arlington, fall to show an in
crease of receipts.
Bull Sentiment on Hops.
Salem Statesman.
No matter what the -bulls and the
bears In the hop market do or say, the
market Is going to be a strong one. The
consumers of hops the world over will
need more good hops than there are In
the world at the present time, and more
than there will be before another har
vest There will naturally be a scramble
sooner or later for the good hops. It
cannot be avoided. No sort of juggling or
loud or small talk can prevent It. The
growers of Oregon have a lot of good
hops to sell. The growers of Oregon, for
the most part, are sensible men. They
are not Spring chickens In the business,
They have had their eye teeth cut. They
are not going to let go their 'good hops
without receiving good money for them.
So the man who gets In the way of the
band wasron and attempts to keep the
price down around or below 20 cents a
pound, Is likely to be run over and Jumped
on. ' The price will not stay there. There
Is no use for any grower to get excited
and want unreasonable things. The con
oumers may stay out of the market and
set along with the least possible supply
If there Is such a disposition on the part
of the growers. But neither should any
grower dispose of his hops at the prices
the bears would like to get them for.
Conditions Rather Than Forma.
Rampart Forum.
The newspapers of Southeastern Alaska
arc devoting considerable space to the,
agitation for a territorial form of gov
ernment for Alaska and Indulging In a
wealth of acrimonious comment, for or
against as the various ecribblers are per
sonally Interested In the scheme. Terri
torial government may be a good thing
for that section of Alaska, but we along
the Yukon respectfully dissent; It looks
to us as a case of the cart before the
horse. Let Congress provide sufficient
funds to survey the country and thus
Induce settlers to take up the land,
thereby giving a permanent population.
When this has been done it Is time enough
to agitate for territorial government, or
even statehood. The prosperity of the
coast is dependent on that of the Interior,
and Just as long as the Interior Is neg
lected, Just so long will our population
be floating and migrators'. The shoulders
of the coast people will never be able to
bear the burden of taxation necessary
to properly support a territorial govern
ment without substantial assistance of a
fairly well-settled country back of them.
Demonstrated Its Usefulness.
Albany Herald.
Tho management of the Oregon State
Fair Is to be congratulated on making
that institution a success financially as
well as In the matter of exhibitions of
livestock and agriculture. The large de
ficits of a few yeare ago were a great
detriment to Its success, as people were
of the opinion it was a losing game and
would not attend. The paper of the fair
was at a discount, and exhibitors could
not get tho premiums they won. The
races were In a similar condition. That
day and those conditions now seem past
The fair is a state .Institution and has
demonstrated Its usefulness In the spirit
of friendly emulation' which It has en
gendered for the betterment of stock and
the Improvement In agriculture and horti
culture. Vancouver Sentiment on Drydoclc.
Vancouver Independent.
Business men of Vancouver consider the
attempt of Portland to throttle the enter
prise that has started In our city an un
friencly md unjustified act, and if they
succeed in their endeavor. It will result
In unfriendly relations that will work to
Portland's detriment From a business
standpoint Vancouver Is nothing more
than a suburb of Portland, and any at
tempt on the part of Portland to retard
Vancouver's development will react with
added force on Portland. Vancouver is
now connected by rail with the outside
world, and Is in no manner dependent on
Portland for supplies. A boycott of Port
land wholesale houses might be the result
cf the removal of the drydock enterprise
from Vancouver.
Bread Upon the Waters.
Harrisburg Bulletin.
Tho effort put forth by Portland people
to provide relief for the destitute suf
ferers of the districts where the late for
est fires raged with such dire destruc
tion are commendable beyond utterance
and will be treasured in the hearts of
these needy recipients to remain perpetu
ally. This act of generosity oh the part
of Portland will be like bread cast upon
the waters; its effect will be seen after
many. days.
Raw BInterlal for JJeer.
Aurora Borealls.
The joke Is on Woodburn. A grand
union temperance meeting was to hare
been held there on the 7th, but on ac
count of so many of the temperance peo
ple being- engaged in picking bops- the
meeting was postponed.
NEED OF A TARIFF COMMISSION
St Paul Pioneer Press.
The Democratic campaign text-book,
one of whose slogans Is that the tariff is
the mother of trusts, curiously contains, a
list of industrial combinations which
seems to belle their catchword. The list
Includes 2S7 corporations, but of these
only 168 produce articles coveredNby the
Dlngley tariff law. though 38 others. It is
claimed, enjoy the benefits of Indirect pro
tection. How the remaining SI are to be
cured by a repeal of the tarlffjs hot made
manifest The fact Is that very few of
these so-called trusts are monopolies In
the sense of being able to control the mar
kets or to dictate the prices of their prod
ucts. Very few of them are without vig
orous competitors. Even the steel trust Is
obliged to compete with several Independ
ent companies. Nor has the steel trust
entered Into any combination to raise
prices. On the contrary, the demand for
Its products is so much greater than its
ability to supply them that It might easlly
have greatly advanced prices. Instead of
that it has kept them down to a reason
able and moderate level and maintained
them at that level. Whether it could be
forced to sell Its goods at lower prices If
the duties on steel products were abol
ished, and it was exposed to the full force
of foreign competition. Is doubtful; for
the same extraordinary demand In excess
of the supply which marks the American
market obtains In Great Britain and to a
less extent elsewhere. There seems to be
little doubt that steel fabrics are now
produced in this country at as low costs,
notwithstanding the higher wages paid to
American labor, as In England, if not In
Germany. But these are facts which can
only be determined by experts after a full
Investigation of the facts, and the general
lack of exact knowledge on the subject
Illustrates the need of a commission of
experts to make a thorough Investigation
of the facts and conditions In the case of
every protected Industry.
The mere fact that the articles protect
ed are produced by a so-called trust,
meaning a big corporation formed by the
consolidation of competing companies,
would not justify the abolition or reduc
tion of the duties. If It thereby drove the
Industry to the wall or forced down the
scale of wages of American labor In
or.der to enable It to compete with the
foreigner. These are questions which
cannot be determined off-hand by party
conventions, or even by party majorities
in Congress. Thfey can only be got at In
telligently by a thorough Investigation of
all the circumstances and conditions by
a commission of experts. As there Is no
question about the growing strength of
the popular demand for a revision of the
tariff, and It would be as utterly Impos
sible as It would be Inexpedient for Con
gress to undertake such revision In the
coming short session, the wise thing for
the Republican majorities in both
branches of that body to do during that
session Is to pass a bill empowering the
President to appoint a commission of ex
perts to subject the entire Dlngley tariff
to a searching examination, so as to be
prepared to submit Its report to Congress
at Its next session.
This Is In line with the proposition em
bodied in a recent paper by S. N. D.
North, Chief Statistician of the Depart
ment of Manufactures in the Census Of
fice. He advocates the establishment of
ft permanent tariff commission a purely
business body, which would inquire into
the actual, effects of every rate of duty
upon every Item of imports, its effecta
upon revenue, domestic prices, importa
tions, home production, consumption and
wages, and would analyze the constantly
shifting conditions of Industry at home
and abroad. "Upon the Information thu3
obtained Congress would be In a position
to correct irregularities In the tariff and
remove Incongruities without pulling up
the whole revenue structure by the roots.
"A nation," Mr. North says, "can adjust
Its business to any kind of a tariff. No
nation can stand the killing necessity of
readjusting Us industries to radical
changes In the tariff at frequent inter
vals." It Is only five years ago since the
Dlngley tariff was enacted. It Is too
early to plunge the Industries of the
"country Into the doubt and apprehensions
which would result from any sweeping
revision of the tariff. But It can be modi
fied In some of Its details from year to
year without causing any Injury to Indus
tries or any panic, provided It is done in
telligently and judiciously. And hence the
prime necessity of a commission of ex
perts to examine closely the facts In each
case. That work should be committed to
a body of business men appointed by the
President and not to a political body like
the committee of ways and means, which
Is subjected to too many extraneous Influ
ences to be entirely trustworthy In deal
ing with the details of the tariff.
AUTHORITY FOR EXPANSION.
Charming- Reminiscence of President
John Q,nlncy Adams.
Harper's Weekly.
PASADENA. Cal. (To the Editor of
Harper's Weekly.) In youfc issue of Au
gust 2, mention is made of John Qulncy
Adams' "well-known part" In the genesis
of the Monroe Doctrine. It would seem
that though he was the first to assert
Its claims, he really attributed its pater
nity to the Deity, whose agent he con
sidered himself to be. Witness his speech
In the famous debate on the Oregon ques
tion", February 9, 1846, as printed In the
National Intelligencer of the next day:
"So much had been said and. with so
much ability on the question of title, that
he believed it would be almost a waste of
time in him to say anything more about
It; unless the chairman had on the table
before him a little book that the Speaker
sometimes employed In administering the
solemnity of an oath to members-elect
before they were admitted to seats in that
hall. If that book was there, he could
thank the clerk to read from It what he
considered as the foundation of our title
to Oregon. If he would turn to the 26th,
27th and 2Sth verses of the first chapter
of Genesis, the committee would see what
Mr. A. considered the foundation of the
title of the United States to the Oregon
territory."
The clerk read as follows:
"26. And God said. Let us make man in
our image, after our likeness; and let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon
the earth.'
"27. So God created man In his own
image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them.
"28. And God blessed them, and God said
unto them. 'Be fruitful and multiply,, and
replenish the earth and subdue it; and
have dominion over the fish of the sea
and over the fowl of the air, and over
every living thing that moveth upon the
earth."
"That," said Mr. Adams, "In my judg
ment Is the foundation of our title to
Oregon, and of all the title we have to
any of the territory we possess. It is the
foundation of the title by which you, sir,
occupy that chair, and by which we are
now called upon to occupy Oregon.
- "HOYARD PAYSON ARNOLD."
Concord Hymn. .
(Sun? at the completion of the battle monu
ment April IS. 1836.)
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
By the rude bridge that arched the flood.
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled.
Here once the embattled farmers stood.
And fired the shot heard round the world.
Tho foe lony since In silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the mined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green -bank, by this soft stream,
Wo set today a votive stone.
That memory may their deed redeem.
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free.
Bid Time and Natur gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
NOTE AND COMMENT.
- The Benefits of Travel.
If your nerves are threatened with com
plete prostration,
And you cannot sleep at nights or do
your work.
Here's a mileage dook tnais goou on
every railroad.
And a funny yarn for every hotel
clerk.
Go hike yourself. aDoaru a nrai-ciass
Pullman
Here's a ticket for car 'A' and
lowpr 3:
And while we're waiting here just let me
tell you 1
The funny things I've seen and you will
see.
In these wondrous, far-away and curious
places
The streets are lined on either side with
stores: .
The people surge along upon the side-
AneTlrfgoing in and out they use the
doors:
They take their meals while seated at a
table.
They take their liquor standing at a bar;
The street-cars run upon the tracks pro
vided.
A motorman Is hired to drive the car.
There are elevators in those aistanc
places
That carry human beings up and down;
The people use the voice In conversation.
And every womans covered witn a
cown.
They make brick buildings there of brick
and mortar:
If they want things white they always
use white paint
And many other stories I could tell you
About the cities and their customs
quaint
Their streets are dry and dusty In a dry
spell,
And everything is soaking after rain;
Tho people often eat when they are
hungry
They hunt the station when they want
a train.
The papers carry ads and reading matter.
The children seem much younger than
adults;
I've heard of lawyers speaking in tho
courtroom.
And doctors feeling of their patient3
pulse.
In places you'll see rivers spanned by
bridges,
And hose carts rattling noisily to fires;
The churches have been mostly built for
worship:
A man is always dead when he expires.
But go and . for yourself see all these
wonders.
And get the culture. of a foreign shore.
I'm proud and thankful for my long va
cation I know so much I never knew before.
The north pole, we suppose, Is still
there.
Well, $300,000 is only about $1 a head for
Oregon.
Half a million dollars will hardly bo
missed by the half million loyal Orego
nlans. The grand Ambassadorial merry-go-round
appears to have been started for
the exclusive benefit of the "ins."
The strange rumor comes from Salem
that Governor Geer is piling his own
Winter's wood and saying nothing.
Probably District Attorney Chamber
lain would be willing to invoke any old
week-day closing rule against Reformer
McKay's mouth.
If Mr. Stratton, Jr., doesn't want that
$50,000 he can find other struggling young
gentlemen who are willing to be disinher
ited on the same terms.
Lieutenant Peary says he can reach
the north pole if he had a good ship
and $200,000. Andrew Carnegie's address
Is 5 West Fifty-first street. New York.
Balzac and Dumas once met at a party.
Not a word was exchanged till Balzac on
departing said, as he passed Dumas:
"When I can do nothing else, I shall take
to writing plays." "Begin at once, then,"
was the prompt reply.
A new process for the manufacture of
artificial marble has been patented in Ber
lin. Asbestos, dyeing materials, shellac ana
ashes are pounded Into a stiff mass and
then subjected to high pressure. The prod
uct is surprisingly firm and tough, not
brittle, is very easily worked by means
of tools, can be given a fine polish, and
In appearance cannot be distinguished
from genuine marble.
Numberless are the stories which go to
show that an Englishman finds It almost
Impossible to see an American joke.
George H. Daniels, general passenger
asent of the New York Central, is re
sponsible for a late specimen. It Is of
an American who told an Englishman
that he dreamed he was dead, but the
heat woke him up. "Aw. by Jove." said
John Bull, "you must have tremendous
ly hot weather in your country if it wakes
a fellah out of his sleep."
"An epigram with every drink" la a
luxury New Yorkers enjoy without extra
charge. A German who runs a rath
skeller In Broadway has modernized the
familiar mottoes, such as "In Vino Veri
tas." to bring them within reach of the
uncultured understanding. When you tilt
a stein to the proper angle the eye may
rest on any one of these bits of wisdom:
While beer brings gladness, don't forget that
water only makes you wet.
He who drinks and runs away
Will live to drink another day.
Contentment may be better than money, but
most men are willing to take chances with the
money.
Be merry while you can today;
There may be no tomorrow.
No man Is so bad that he cannot find In beer
a balm for sorrow.
Drink beer and forget your sorrow;
As the thoughts come back
Drink more tomorrow.
PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGUAPHERS
Marie I think there's a flaw In this diamond.
Mary Well, never mind. dear. Maybe It isn't
real, anyway. Detroit Free Press.
'He alms to be an Intellectual actor." "Well.
I should Judge a thinking part would Just suit
him." Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
jU(jge i see that Willie Swcllton has giver
up automobl'.Ing. Fudge When will the fu
neral take place? Baltimore Morning Herald.
"I declare." said Mrs. Lapsling. "to hear
Mr. Kaspus talk you'd think he hadn't a bit. oi
faith In human nature. He's a resular clinic."
Chicago Tribune.
Non-Existent. Cholly I'm shuah I'm not
ovahly uppish, y'know. but I simply cawn't
hobnob with my Inferiors. .Miss Pepprey No,
Indeed, how could you? Philadelphia Press.
"I sw5 they are trying to fish a lot of coa!
out of the Merrlmac River where a coal barg
was sunk 10 years ago." "That's the kind o"
placer mining that pays nowadays." Clevelanc
Plain Dealer.
Mrs. Nomun The Plunk-Smiths, next door,
are having a ton of coal delivered. Tomorrow
morning I must go down and scatter on out
sidewalk some jet trimmings from that blacS
dress of mine. We can't be left out of It thi
way. Chicago Dally News.
"Yes, my dear," said grandma, "when I waj
a girl It was a matter of pride with us to know
how to cook. But you girls of today seem tc
have lost Interest in such domestic arts." "Oh,
no, grandma," replied Ernestine, proudly, "not
altogether. I am sure. Why. I can make three
different kjnds of fudge I" Cincinnati Commercial-Tribune.
Mrs. HIggley Wonder what's the mattei
with the Belchers. I met Mrs. Belcher thl
afternoon, and she wouldn't look at me. Mrs.
Weston Why, haven't you heard? They have
had 10 tons of coal put Into their cellars this
week. Mrs. HIggley Oh, that accounts for It.
I knew something had lifted them up mightily.
Boston Transcript