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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 1902)
THE MORffING OBEGONIAff, FRIDAY,! DECEMBER 12, 1902. Eatered at the Postofflco at Portland. Oregon, as secoatJ -class matter. REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Br Mall flMM(ri nrraM In irnrMU Daily, with Sunday, per month $ 5 Dally. Sunday excepted, per year. 7 W Dally, with Sunday, per year. 00 Sunday, per year . .. 2 M The Wceky 3 months . .... To aty Subscribers Daily, pr week, delivered. Sunday exeepted.Wc Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday lncluded.20o POSTAGE RATES. .United States. Canada and Mexico: 2? i li-P8 Paper.... - to 28-pace paper - Foreign rates double. News or discussion Intended for publication In The Orejronlan should be addressed Invaria bly "Editor The Orejronlan." not to the name or any Individual. Letters relating to adver tising, subscriptions or to any business matter tfcmjid be addressed dimply "The Oregronlnn." The Orejronlan does not buy poems or stories from IndH-lduals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to It without solici tation. No stamps should be inclosed lor this purpose. Eastern Business Omce. 43. 44. 43. 47. 48. 48 Tribune bulldlntr. New York City: B10-X1-12 Tilbune building. Chicago: the S. C. Beckwlth Special Agency. Eastern representative. For sale in San Franel - L. E. Lee, Pal ace Hotel news stand: Goldsmith Bros.. 236 Sutter street: P. W. Pitts. 1008 Market street: J. K. Cooper Co.. 74G Market street, near the Pulace Hotel: Poster & Orear. Ferry news land; Frank Scott. SO E!lls street, and N. IVheatley. 13 Mission street. For rale In Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner. 59 South Spring street, and Oliver & Haines. 205 South Spring street. For sale In Kansas City. Mo., by r.V:secker CJfrar Co.. Ninth and Walnut streets. For sale in Chicago by the P. O. News Co.. 217 Dearborn street, and Charles MacDonald. 63 "Washington street. For sale In Omaha by Barkalow Bros.. 1612 Farnam street: Megeath Stationery Co.. 1308 Farnam street. For sale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News Co.. 77 "West Second South street. For eale In Minneapolis by R. G. Hearsey & Co.. 24 Third street South. For eale In "Washington. D. C. by the Ebbett House news stand. For sale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrick. 606-012 Seventeenth street: Louthan & Jackson Book & Stationery Co.. Fifteenth and Lawrence street: A. Series. Sixteenth and Curtis streets. TODAY'S "WEATHER Occasional rain; brisk southerly winds. TESTERDAT'S "WEATHER Maximum tem perature. 44; minimum temperature, 37; pre cipitation, 0.1C inch. PORTLAND, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12. There Is not a power south of Mexico that has treated the United States as cavalierly as Venezuela has. Her sub lime Indifference to common interna tional honesty has also been offensively displayed toward every great power of Europe. She contracts debts she has neither the desire nor the ability to pay, and virtually tells Great Britain and Germany that she will do something concerning her obligations when she gets good and ready. The case Is not a fit one for arbitration. It Is one where the offense justifies sharp procedure that will produce. If possible, some compre hension In the South American mind of what is expected of communities with pretensions to national sovereignty. "When President Roosevelt, in his mes sage, adverted to the propriety of ade quate policies in Latin America, and de clared It the duty of each of these petty powers to "discharge its just obligations to foreigners," he laid down a proposi tion that appeals to. the judgment of every open-minded man, and one that Venezuela seems in a fair way to re alize. If Castro would display more spirit In commercial honor and less in broils of all sorts, It would be more to - his credit: and if the Venezuelans would devote to their honest debts some of the money they spend to keep from paying them, civilization would get ahead faster in that benighted quarter of the world. Uncle Sam has been entirely too lenient with the smart-Aleck attitude these Latin powers have freely occupied toward him, largely through a desire to avoid all appearance of aggression. The present episode may serve a useful purpose in showing Venezuela the dif ference between European and Amer ican consideration for .her, and also in tempering the solicitude manifested in Europe, especially in France, for the poor, suffering little Americas at the hands of American cupidity. In spite of all due desire to safeguard the interests of" Portland in the trans port controversy, it must be conceded that the apparent victory of Seattle is very largely due to superior prowess and methods of commercial rivalry which, if not strictly legitimate, are in com mon use. "We take it that the War De partment's advertisement for bids found Seattle neither unwarned nor unpre pared. She had acted with prudence and foresight, possibly with sharp prac tice, while San Francisco and Portland did nothing. There has never been the slightest attempt at secrecy in the mat ter of Secretary Root's earnest purpose to substitute private contracts for the transport system. All the warning was given that the alert business man re quires in the conduct of ordinary com mercial life. It is entirely probable that Mr. J. J. Hill has discussed this matter repeatedly with persons In authority at Washington, and that men like Mr. Frank Waterhouse have let no grass grow under their feet What they did for Seattle somebody else could have done for Portland and for San Fran cisco, but if there Is any record of such vigilance and resolution, it has not been' adduced. It further appears in evidence that the exact requirements of the War Department were better understood at Seattle, but it is not In evidence that that information would not have been available to equal promptness and per sistence from elsewhere. If anybody had taken the trouble to investigate the matter fully at Washington as soon as the bids were called for, all necessary data could doubtless have been secured. If Seattle should be confirmed in her ap parent victory, the outcome would not be an unmixed evil. It will be some thing to see the relentless grasp of San Francisco broken at last. Indirectly, if not directly, every Northern port, route and producing area will benefit by the change. There Is so much to approve in Fish Warden Van Dusen's report, printed yesterday, that we hesitate to point out its very mischievous attitude toward the supreme question of overfishing. Be cause the salmon industry prospers Is no sign that all safeguards can be thrown down, and rigid enforcement, of close seasons is the one thing whose abandonment would nullify all the other possible reforms. No infringement on the present close seasons should be tol erated. The Spring run has Inadequate protection as it is. and the Fall pack of true salmon benefits only the market men and unscrupulous packers at the expense of the Industry's permanence and good fame. We should not strenu ously oppose Mr. Van Dusen's request for state appropriations to build hatch eries if it can be proved necessary; but we are decidedly of the opinion that the state should not be called on unless It can be shown that the salmon industry has reached the limit "of a not burden some license system. It seems fitting, rather, that an industry producing $2,000,009 a year should contribute, if more is needed, more than the paltry 511,000 now realized. Why should not a gillnet, posting a. few hundred dollars and earning $2500 a season, pay $10 a year instead of $2 50? Why should not a seine, earning $5000 to $8000, pay $50 to $60, instead of $25 to $30? Why should not a wheel, earning goodness knows how much, pay $50 to $60, instead of $25? Difficulties at once appear, of course, owing to the low Washington schedules and the tendency of fishermen to take out licenses In the cheaper market; but the canners should be made, if possible, to take this hatchery construction work upon themselves. We incline to sympa thize with the suggestion for abolish ment of the individual license. It prob ably costs as much to collect it as it yields, and the lot of the fisherman Is such as to appeal to all. The Warden's proposals for more drastic penalties and restrictions upon wanton destruction of fish are earnestly to be commended. His desire for raising the licenses Is good as far as it goes, and his department should have whatever money it needs for efficient work. The most Impressive thing v about this report Is something that is cot there namely, the ancient desire of the gillnetter to drive all other branches of the Industry out of business. While the Washington authorities re port the season as a record-breaker, Oregon's Warden Is so pleased with the showing that he offers to prolong the open season materially without menace to the fish. This is sufficiently at war with the historic bogie that traps and wheels were destroying the salmon. It is a curious fact that Mr. Van Dusen has followed the same line of develop ment in this matter that Was observed by the late H. D. McGuire. Close sea sons and hatcheries enough, it appears, will do the wark. Let us grant, for sake of argument, that the anthracite operators In a given district pay for some 100,000 tons, more or less, of dirt which they are unable to sell. This modifies very much the fa miliar contention that the miners suffer by reason of false weights; butMf the disadvantage really lies with the op erators instead of with the miners, is not this, excellent reason for dissatisfaction-with the present arrangement? If the operators will not concede that the miners really believe themselves to be cheated, they must at least admit that the present weighing process enables the miners to maintain a most persistent and disagreeable contention of unfair treatment. In other words, the answer to the miners' complaint on this score simply overshoots the mark. If the weight scale in vogue gives the miners too much pay, then It is satisfactory to neither side, and nothing further Is needed as to its entire unfitness. It will probably be said that no other method is available, and while that may be true, nobody can be expected to believe It, so long as the entire wage system of the anthracite region Is In a condition provocative of little but confusion, mis understanding and cross purposes, with no alleviatory efforts from the mlneown- ers except stubbornness and recrimina tion. It is not In the Interests of peace and prosperity to maintain a system that gives multiplied cause for bitter controversy. Worse yet, It Is bad busi ness policy. We should say that one of the very highest qualifications in a large employer of labor Is the ability to keep his men at work faithfully and cheer fully. Vengeance is comforting but costly. Hot words butter no parsnips, less, Indeed, than fine ones. The Penn sylvania mineowners have yet to learn the value of that enormous resource cheerful and contented labor. CU3IMINS OX RECIPROCITY. With the general tenor of Governor Cummins' masterly speech at Detroit" we are In full accord. His plea for rational as. opposed to hysterical contemplation of the tariff is simply unanswerable. He Is also sound In the position that reciprocity does not fill the bill for tariff revision. The two fields are distinct, not only in origin, but in application. One seeks markets, the other justice, and all the reciprocity treaties ever ne gotiated would probably leave some of the worst features of- the tariff un touched. We think, however, that Governor Cummins exaggerates reciprocity, in its nature, its capacity and its possibility o achievement. To us the desire of cer tain protected manufacturers for exten sion of sales through reciprocity treaties appears no fitter for panegyric than the desire of certain other protected manu facturers to retain the home market mo nopoly through tariff perpetuation. The capacity of the pending treaties for fa cilitating trade is probably overestimat ed by all concerned, and Governor Cum mins should not persuade himself into the idea that they can to any extent whatever mitigate the demand for recti fication of improper schedules. On the whole, It savors something of dishon esty to demand these specific treaties In the name of tariff reform. If there were no other ground upon which to pronounce the reciprocity agi tation a wasted labor. It Is the plainest thing In the world that nothing what ever can come of It. The withdrawal of the treaty with Santo Domingo, at Its own request, leaves the French treaty practically alone as an issue. The ones with Argentina and Bermuda have lapsed, and four of the minor ones have been now withdrawn. 'Our affairs with Cuba fall Into a class by themselves, and the connection of Newfoundland's con vention with the general topic is very re mote. Remains the treaty with France, and to this and this alone must be ap plied the Iowa man's appeals, as well as the declaration for reciprocity in the President's message. It Is practically Impossible to get this French treaty ratified. Sincere tariff reformers can support it but half-heartedly, as it is little better than a high-tariff wolf in fair-tariff sheep's clothing. Influential interests in New England and on the Pacific Coast oppose it bitterly. This leaves it without other ardent support than the manufacturers who hope to benefit by It, and they are greatly out numbered by those manufacturers who turn as pale at the name reciprocity as they do at the suggestion of tariff pecca bility. If the French treaty, then, is doomed, what is the use of Governor Cummins, or any other man, talking about reci procity? Well, there Is this use, that every speech for reciprocity has some educational effect, however small, upon the people, In the .direction of sound economics., TO advocate reciprocity is to advocate tariff changes, albeit cir cuitous and prompted by private Inter ests. Every reciprocity treaty negoti ated,, reported, debated, tends by some thing to disturb the ostrich-like eecur- Ity of those who wish to "let the tariff alone" now and through all eternity. Reciprocity has done a great work and has work yet to do, though no treaty may ever be ratified. It has brought new forces into action on. the side of honest tariff schedules. DOMESTIC SCIENCE. Among the educational efforts that have been, evolved from the .minds and energies of practical women in this city, aided financially by practical men, is the School of Domestic Science. Indeed, though thi9 school has been but recently established, it takes rank In usefulness and -purpose with the older of the prac tical philanthropies to ' which, without crippling their usefulness by a too free handed charity, a generous public con tributes from time to time. It may be assumed that no thoughtful housekeeper In this city will question the need of a school In which girls and young women can receive training in domestic science, or lhat particular branch of this science which deals with cookery. Persons do not naturally, sim ply because they are born to be women, know how to cook and keep house. Ac cepting the affirmative of this proposi tion as proven, girls from the middle or working class are turned out to domestic service without any special equipment beyond that which they have picked ud. perhaps In homes without appliances for cooking and housekeeping according to modern methods. Housekeepers hire these girls to do their work only to awaken to the fact that they cannot do It satisfactorily. Disappointment follows and a clash ensues. The problem of do mestic, service is declared to be without possible solution, and the experience of another sorely tried housewife is ad duced in proof of the assumption. Much inconvenience and annoyance as mistresses of homes and families suffer from t,his state of affairs, the girls themselves are the real objects of sym pathy. The worker who understands what In required In return for the wages that he or she receives, and who is con scientiously willing and practically ca pable of performing the service, has absolute control of the labor situation aa far as he or she Is concerned. The In dependence of the farmer's vocation is proverbial, though, generally speaking, the farmer's wife Is the most hoDeless drudge on earth. But this independence is not greater than that of the skilled laborer, especlaly if such laborer is a woman well versed In the arts of domes tic science. The best homes In the land seek her services. She occupies or may occupy comfortable quarters in one of them, become indispensable to the com fort of the Inmates and receive good wages. To be sure, there are houses that are not homes, and mistresses de void of the graces of patience, sympa- tny ana dignity, without which woman hood is a coarse or petty sham. But there are enough homes In which kind ness and consideration reign to give em ployment to an army of young women who (having been taught) know how fo do cooking and general housework. inousands of such homes in every city of the land are In need of conmetent service in these lines of distinctively woman's work." Those who maintain them are able and willing to pay ade quate wages for such service. This Is one of the vocations in which the supply is never equal to the demand. To sav that the supply cannot be brought up to the demand is folly. Certainly this can not be done by meeting Ignorance in the domestic field with railing and arraign ing unwise because untaught workers as exasperatingly Incompetent. The rem edy, as for every other form of ignor ance In the field of labor, lies In proper instruction given systematically and with practical demonstrations. This the School of Domestic Science has under taken to do, and if it does not succeed it will be because the public, and espe cially that portion of it that is more im mediately in touch with the science of home-making, is indifferent to the ad vantages that are to be derived from such instruction. NOT OUR QUARREL. W. Hampton Smith thinks the quarrel of Venezuela Is "our quarrel and that we should stand by Venezuela," It Is not our quarrel at all; It is none of our business whether or not Great Britain and Germany have acted with Indecent haste in their methods employed to make Venezuela pay her debts unless they proceed to the extremity of seiz ing the territory of Venezuela. Then, under the Monroe Doctrine, we should Interfere. President Cleveland demand ed of Great Britain that she arbitrate the boundary question with Venezuela, because that was a matter that involved the acquisition of territory, and under the Monroe Doctrine the United States had at least tfie technical right of In terference under the Monroe Doctrine. But the question of the methods which Great Britain employs to collect her debts has nothing to do with the Monroe Doctrine unless an attempt is made to acquire territory to satisfy the claim. The action of Great Britain in bull dozing a small, weak power is no more reprehensible than the action of our Government under President Harrison toward Chile, when we should have had war but for the efforts of Secretary Blaine to alleviate the situation. Our Government was Justified In Its action, for Chile was backward in making apol ogy and reparation for the assault upon our seamen by a Valparaiso mob, but the disparity between the military power and, financial resources" of the United States and those of Chile, then fresh from a civil war, was quite as dis proportionate as the difference between the power of Great sBrltain and that of Venezuela. The powers of Europe can collect their debts of Venezuela without any violation of the Monroe Doctrine, so long as they do not seize and appro prlate its territory. We could, If we felt strong enough, send a fleet to Europe, seize the Turkish Custom-Houses on the Mediterranean In order to coerce the Sultan into payment of our American claims. It is no more our business whether Great Britain's methods are. "marked by indecent and selfish haste" than it was Great Britain's business whether we were too peremptory with Chile. So far as The Hague tribunal Is con cerned, it only considers International disputes which may be presented by the consent of all the parties in interest It is purely a voluntary agreement. If Great Britain, Germany and Venezuela should agree to refer their claims to The Hague tribunal, as did the United States and Mexico in the matter of the so called "Pious fund," that tribunal would sit in judgment; but you cannot force these powers to a hearing before the in ternational tribunal any more than you could force Great Britain to arbitrate the controversy out of which grew the Boer War. The Hague tribunal merely facilitates an Immediate recourse to ar bitration for international differences if the interested parties are willing to arbi trate. The United States qualified its signature to The Hague treaty of arbi tration by the following declaration: Nothing: contained in this convention shall be so .construed as to require the United States. o America to depart from its traditional policy of. not Intruding upon. Interfering "with, or en tangling Itself in thn nnllttrnl niiovttnnq nr In. ternal administration of any foreign state; nor shall anything contained In said convention be so construed as to reaulre the relinquishment oy me united .States of America of Its tradi tional attitude toward purely -American ques tions. ' " This Is a plain announcement that while the United States will not Inter fere with the Internal administration of foreign powers, the United States will continue to uphold the Monroe Doctrine, which, prohibits further European ex pansion on the American Continent Ar ticle 27 of this treaty says: "The signa tory powers may consider it their duty to call attention to the existence of the permanent court to any of their friends between whom a conflict is threatening, which must always be regarded as a tender of good offices." The United State's, Germany and France are among the powers signatory to this treaty, while Venezuela is not, but there is no possible way by which, the judgment of this international tribunal could be ob tained except It be Invoked by the agree ment of Great Britain and Germany with Venezuela. The United States can not fairly demand a hearing before any court of arbitration for this quarrel ex cept the Monroe Doctrine be violated by the occupation of territory on this conti nent by a foreign power. In that case theUnited States would simply be main; talnlng her traditional attitude under the Monroe Doctrine regarding foreign expansion of territory on this continent. It would not be an attempt to deny the right of foreign powers to coerce Vene zuela Into paylnj? its debts. The arbi tration of the Venezuela boundary ques tion was not demanded or obtained by us upon any other ground save the sin gle one that It Involved a question of possible territorial expansion by a for eign power on this continent In con tempt of the Monroe Doctrine1. The con sent of Great Britain to arbitrate this question on this ground of appeal Im plied no consent on her wart to arbitrate all matters of dispute hereafter with Venezuela. We have never pretended that we had any right to demand arbi tration in matters whicH concern the In ternal government and financial obliga tions of Venezuela. Outside the Monroe Doctrine we do not Interfere. ' The New Hampshire constitutional convention, now in session at Concord, will consider, among other Important questions, a proposed reduction in the membership of the' lower house of the Legislature. The New Hampshire House of Representative's averages about 400 members, while the Senate has but 24 members.. As the state has but 411,583 population, there is one Representative to nearly each 1000 of population. Any town or ward of a city in New Hamp shire having 600 population Is entitled to one representative In the lower house of the Legislature, and another Repre sentative for each 1200 additional popu lation. Towns having less than 600 pop ulation are given representation for such time as their population Is proportionate to 600. The City of Manchester, with 50,000 population, has 49 Representatives, and Nashua, with 24,000 population, has 20 Representatives. On the other hand, in the State of Connecticut, which retains the system of town representa tion, New Haven, with 108,000 popula tion, and Hartford, with 80,000, have no more representation than some towns with only 200 or 300 population. New Hampshire ought to reduce her clumsy Legislature 'to the dimensions of that of new states like Oregon and Washington. The sunshine of yesterday morning lasted for a short time only, but there were no deaths by freezing and the roses are still blooming In many Port land yarda The tales of snow storms, blizzards and death by freezing beyond the Rockies are enough to cause a shudder- even In this balmy climate. Oregon may still be out on the fringe of civili zation as It is understood In the effete East, but no one will ever freeze to death In any of our cities and towns. It Is difficult, in fact impossible, for a native Oregonlan fully to realize the dis comforts of a Winter In a land where frost and snow reign for four or five months In the year. Perhaps If the na tive Webfoot had a better realization of the suffering that Is endured In Winter over on the Atlantic Slope, he might take more interest in inducing some of the frostbitten Easterners to come West and grow up with the country. In December, 1861, when Spain, France and Great Britain occupied Vera Cruz for the purpose of enforcing the claims of their subjects against Mexico, we did not even make a formal protest. When Corlnto was occupied by a British force In order to compel the payment of a debt by Nicaragua, President Cleveland made no remonstrance, and in face of these precedents we cannot well object to Great Britain's seizure of the port of La Guayra, whose Custom-House is one of the principal sources of revenue for the Caracas government. Great Britain and Germany are doing to Venezuela exactly what France threatened to do to Turkey when she sent an ultimatum concerning 'the payment of her claims and directed her fleet to start for Smyrna, Turkey's principal port on the coast of Asia -Minor. Germany and Great Britain will hold the Venezuelan Custom-Houses until the receipts from them have defrayed their claims, or President Castro makes a satisfactory settlement. There is no ground for ap prehension .that any territorial aggran dizement Is intended. We do not un dertake to guarantee the debts of Vene zuela, but if any European power under the pretext of collecting those debts should attempt to treat Venezuela" as France treated Mexico, we should promptly interfere. Under the present situation we cannot do anything beyond some such tender of good offices be tween friends as Presdent McKlnley offered In the matter of- the British and the Boers. The purchase of large tracts of stand ing timber by the bJg lumber manufac turers Is a comparatively new feature in the lumber Industry In this and our neighboring states,, and marks a new era in the business. The day of the hand logger on any of the big streams of the North Pacific has long gone by, and in most localities the bull team? have been supplanted by the donkey en gine and wire cable, or by logging rail roads equipped with up-to-date rolling sstock. Now the logger himself Is in a fair way to lose his identity, for under the new order of things the sawmill owners will seek to escape the middle man's profit on the raw material and the logging camp will become a part of the mill system and will be operated in con nection with the mills. SPIRIT OF THE NORTHWEST PRESS The Country Saved Again. Eugene- Register. Our country Is safe so long as the farmer boy continues to marry his neigh bora daughter. Love of home environ ment is the safeguard ,of the Nation. Conld Find No Better Man. Eugene Register. The President will appoint John Bar rett Minister to Japan to succeed Minis ter Buck, deceased. Thus Oregon is again bonored and a better man could not have been found for the place. Give Oklahoma a Show. Albany Democrat As Oklahoma with Indian Territory when admitted will have four . Congress men, twice as many as Oregon, it is about time she was given a show. Let Arizona and New Mexico have their rights also, all regardless of politics. President Tickles Wheeler County. Fossil Journal. The part of President Roosevelt's mes sage that Interests Wheeler County most Is its reference to the tariff. Had our sheepmen written that part of the mes sago themselves they could not have made it more to their liking. Nonexistent Chances Not Affected. Canyon City Eagle. It must be admitted that Governor Geer used excellent judgment when he refused to call an extra session of the Legislature- at the demand of a few peo pie of Portland. The Governor by his refusal did not help his chances to be elected United States Senator, for ho never had any chance to be elected to that Important office, but he did for once do something that pleased a large major ity of the people of the state. Activity Killed the Pet Measure. Canyon City Eagle. Through the pernicious activity of some members of the Oregon Woolgrowers' As sociation in matters affecting the future of certain Eastern Oregon counties, they have, unintentionally, of course, killed their pet measure, the scalp bounty scheme. That measure, which was en tirely in the Interest of the sheepmen and which to .some extent served Its purpose, has not a, ghost of a show to be re-enacted at the coming session of the Legislature. Did His Work Well. CorvalHs Gazette. The death of ex-Speaker T. B. Reed will creato wide regret. For lpng he wa3 a public llgure standing In a strong Hgnt. His honesty, his high courage, his quick wit and his strong common sense were his marked characteristics. He did his work well. In this will be found his greatness. History will not mark him as a statesman, even of mediocre degree, but she will record his life as a bright example of what poor American boys may accomplish. Either Fish or Cut Bait. Dallas Times-Mountaineer. Congressman Tongue has had the char acter of every land official In his district washed whiter than snow. He called on Secretary Hitchcock the other day and got a statement from him that none of the officers for whose appointment Mr. Tongue Is responsible Is under suspicion. Will Secretary Hitchcock be good enough now to either give the other Land Office officials In Oregon a clear certificate of character, or make open charges against those upon whom he has cast reflections? Will Cannon Take Off His Collar? Boise Statesman. It has been a habit with Representa tive Cannon to take off his collar when getting into a warm debate In the House. Since he is to be elevated to the position of Speaker, it is to be hoped he will practice reform on himself, as Jt would not look well for the Speaker to tear off the collar from his neck. It has never been charged that he would not -"keep his shirt on," but if he sTiould remove the collar while behind the Speaker's desk the country would feel that there was no telling what might happen if he should really get excited. Wishes It Uad Been More. Pendleton Tribune. Tho transcontinental railroads have contributed $50,000 to the Lewis and Clark Centennial, which seems to be much ap preciated by the Fair directors. Two of them will spend more In the lobbies of Olympla this Winter. The railroads will receive a large share of the profits of such a fair and though cheap rates will be made, $50,000 will be but a drop in the bucket to what they will receive during the Fair and the permanent Increase of traffic that will come to. them through the effects of the Centennial on the develop ment of the West Of course Portland must say thank you, but we of the outside can be discourteous enough to complain because the gift was not $100,000. Fair Assuming Proportions. Eugene Register. The railroads entering Portland have just subscribed $50,000 to the Lewis and Clark Fair fund. This Is a liberal contri bution from that source, and will tend to stimulate Interest In the big enter prise. The Fair is beginning to take on gigantic proportions, and if the general Government Is liberal enough to give us $2,000,000, this added to the $500,000 sub scribed by Portland and others together with $500,000 from, the state will bo a long step In the direction of a fair that will reflect credit upon the Nation. It will aid too in securing several millions from other states Interested in the suc cess of 4he Northwest. Oregon should lend Its united support and approval to the Fair. That will go far toward giving other states sufficient confidence in the undertaking to give it National aid and support Nation Better for His Having: Lived. Whatcom Rovllle. Thomas Bracket Reed has passed away. With his death the Nation lcees one of the foremost characters in its history. At one time In line for the Presidency, he was forced to surrender his ambition, not for tho lack of ability, but because of those peculiar political conditions that arise at times and compel able men to stand aside. Mr.. Reed would have undoubtedly made a good executive and would have served the country faithfully and efficiently. As Speaker of the House of Representatives he worked a wonderful reform In that body, and order and method reigned where chaos had existed. After a long and event ful career Mr. Reed left public life to make his living by the practice of his profession. He was comparatively a poor man when he entered the public service and was in much the same condition when he left It He retired to private life beloved by his fellow man. The Nation Is better for his havlnff lived. Recognition for the Pacific Coast. Ashland Tidings. The President has announced his In tention of appointing John Barrett, form erly of Portland, as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Tokio, Japan, vice the late Alfred E. Buck, of Georgia, who died suddenly at his post last ween, 'me appointment will give credited to the State of Oregon two high members of the diplomatic service, for ex Governor William P. Lord is Envoy Ex traordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United. States at Buenca Ayres, Argentine Republic. Mr. Barrett was) during the last Cleveland Administration, the Minister Resident and ConsulGeneral of the United States at Bancrkok. Slam. and at the present time he Is In the Orient as commissioner or the St Louis Exposi tion. Mr. Barrett has been an active can didate for the post In Pekln. It Is re ported that Senator Hanna and others have filed strong protests against the ap pointment of Mr. Barrett, and If they are effective In bringing about a reconsidera tion of the President's announced inten tions some other Pacific Coast man mav get the Japan plum.. . ' WHAT "IMPERIALISM" MEANS. Chicago Inter Ocean. In the current Issue of the Annals o the American Academy, the Commissioner of Education, Mr. Lindsay, tells what Amer ican "Imperialism" la doing for the educa tion of the people of Porto Rico. Spain left In Porto Rico no school build ings (Owned by the pdbllc. Under American rule 40 public buildings have been erected, 14 more are under constructl6n, and others will be put up as fast as revenues will per mit. There were on June 20, 1902, 874 schools In 601 buildings, with 911 teachers, as against only 538 schools on December 21. JE97, under Spanish rule. There were about 350,000 children of school ase in Porto Rico. In the 53S schools under Spain the enrollment on De cember 31, 1SS7, was 22,265. Children whose parents were able were required to pay fees. As these fees went to the teachers, they were collected. There was no uniform course of study and the teachers were al most wholly untrained. There were but two School Supervisors in the whole island, and their chief, duty was to see that the children knew their catechism. In the S74 schools held during the year 1901-2 there were 40,993 pupils, none of whom had to pay fees. A graded course of study has been adopted, and the best text books and supplies obtainable are furnished. There are 1G Supervisors mak ing monthly visits to every school. Of the 911 teachers, 90 were trained" In American normal schools. A large Normal School has been built and la supplying trained teachers as rapidly as possible. The mu nicipalities are required to devote 15 per cent of all taxes to education and may. In addition, levy a special school tax on all real and personal property. With all that has been done and can be done with present resources, the reduction of illiteracy is deplorably slow. There are at least 300,000 children who ought to be In school, but not over 50.000 can be ac commodated. To furnish buildings, equip ment and teachers for all would cost $3, 000,000 annually, or 50 per cent more then the Island's total revenue. Mr. Lindsay estimates that $650,000 a year is all Porto Rico can possibly afford to spend. It Is spending $532,000 this year. Porto Rico needs and could profitably spend at least $500,000 more thia year on more American teachers, better equipment, industrial schools, enlargement of normal school, and rural school buildings. The National Government aided the common schools here at home by grants of public lands. That cannot be done In Porto Rico, for there are no public lands. The President, under the discre tion given him by Congress, has already aided the Porto Rico schools, to the amount of $250,000. In order to wipe out illiteracy and thus bring Porto. Rico up to the standards of an American community, It Is evidently necessary that Congress make appropriations to provide the material plant the buildings and equipment. As Mr. Lindsay says: "250,000 children out of school, who should be in school, Is a serious problem and weighs heavily upon the public conscience." "Imperialism" means for us that we must give more than we have been giving to educate and elevate peoples long de nied and oppressed. But it means for those people education and enlightenment and civilization. That Is what American "Imperialism" means to the people of Porto Rico, and that Is what it will con tinue to mean to them, and' to the Fili pinos, and in due time to every child under the American flag. It must mean that, for In these Its chil dren, whether In New York or Porto Rico. whether In Illinois or Luzon, are the future and the safety of the republic. And Yet He Slurried. New Tork American. Th' raison I nlver got marrid was I nlver cud pick a choice. I've th makln lv an exclllint ol' Turk in me, f'r I look on al th' sect as Illigable f'r me hand an I'm on'y resthralned fr'm r-rentln' Lincoln Park f'r a home an' askln them all to clave on'y to me, be me nachral modesty an' th' laws in th' State iv Illi nye. Mr. Dooley on a Bachelor's Life. If a man's done ahnything in his youth that he has' to do pinnance f'r an' th' stations Iv th cross ain't" strong enough, lave him, says I, marry as manny women as he wants, but anny time ye hear iv me bein .dhrawn fr'm th quite miseries iv single life ye may know they have caught me asleep an' chloroformed me. Mr. Dooley on Polygamy. A man In pollytlcs has got to be mar rid. If he ain't marrid where'U he go f'r another kind Iv'throuble? Ye nlver see a big man In pollytlcs that dhrank hard did ye? That's because they're all mar rid! Th temptation's sthrong, but fear Is sthronger. Mr. Dooley on Marriage and Politics. If a man can't show down a bank ac count that wud mak Andrew Carnaygle feel like goln' back to wurruk he might as well make up his mind to remain a gay bachelor. A marrid man can always find wurruk to do. He's got to. Mr. Dooley on Financial Needs In latrlmony. "Above -all things, a woman mustn't marry a janlus. A flure-walker perhaps; a janlus nlver." "Ye know a lot about marredge, but ye was nlver marrid," said Mr. Hennessy. "No," said Mr. Dooley. "No, say I, givin' three cheers. I know about mar redge th' way an asthronomer knows about th stars." Mr. Dooley on the Home Life of Geniuses. Clerkship Abuses Everywhere. New York Evening Post A Legislature without enough "session Jobs" to go even once around among its members is. Indeed, in pitiable el raits. Doubtless the Wisconsin Legislature did not realize when It passed a law reduc ing the clerical force of the Senate and Assembly that this measure would leave some members of the majority party without a rag of patronage. Yet at the very time when constituents aro making life miserable for the members-elect, with their appeals for appointments to some position at the capital, the awful fact is discovered that there are 77 Re publican Assemblymen and only 48 posi tions to be filled. Who are to be the empty-handed 29? The Senators managed things better, and saw to it that there should be at least one clerk or messenger for every Senator to appoint as he saw fit It Is, of course, a trivial consideration that tmder the new law 18 typewriters and copyists will do the work of 35 under the old regime, that the sergeant-at-arms will have only 34 assistants Instead of 55, and that the saving In legislative ex penses will be fully 50 per cent Life's Chnngreful Phases. Shanghai Times. He used to go In sockless-guise, and praise the workingman; He'd weep about poor labor's woes and for the future plan; He'd vow the country eoon would be in awful ruin plied. And that the prosoect was so bad It simply drove him wild. But now he laughs at all those fears; has silk hose for his feet You see, he saw the way to turn A little Deal In wheat. He used to go the country round, and shout predictions dire; As Jonah did at Nineveh, he warned of coming flre; He swore the land was heading In a most de structive path. And sprained his epiglottis with his warning cry of wrath. But now no more hl3 prophecies of trouble seethe and boll Tho world is running very well He turned a Trick In oil. It Is the way with all of us. The world 13 very- dark. "When some one else has found the match that makes the cheering spark; "When some one else Is riding, where we .simply have to walk. It causes culto a lot of thl3 woe-and-destruc- tlon talk. But all the way is rosy, and the combs with honey drlD. "When soma Insider shows us how To profit By a tip. j NOTE AND COMMENT. 'A fireplace A square meal soda crackers. Memory, like conscience, is a hard mas ter. The usual excuse offered a woman a man. The gamblers are In favor of an open Winter. It comes hard, but we must have it anthracite. The altar of friendship Is where one sacrifices his best friend. Venezuela finds that each revolution brings It nearer destruction. It is the old question: Shall we have a Christmas tree or hang .up our stockings? Proverbs are- the conversational staple cf the man who never could find things out for himself. President Castro has a better idea of what a naval demonstration is than he formerly had. There are many different ways of rais ing the wind but the least successful la to blow about oneself. From all reports, there are enough war ships in Venezuelan waters to guard the course for a yacht race. Scientists tell us there are 24,000,000 bac teria in one pound of cherries. This looks bad for the girl with cherry lips. Can anybody explain why the man who prides himself on saying what he thinks never thinks anything pleasant? President Roosevelt may now have plenty of holiday reading In the com ments of the press on his message. No wonder the weather man looks sheepish when he sees the fleecy clouds going In flocks In spite of his efforts. It Is reported that a chorus girls union has been formed. This will give them. It Is supposed, better footing on the stage. Now that gold has been discovered on the streets of Indianapolis the lot of the street contractor will be even more vel vety than before. According to observation, most ot the women are doing their Christmas shop ping this week. Next week they will do their Christmas buying. The gamblers are displaying much pub lic spirit. They think they can pay all the taxes. But of a certainty they must first collect them. From,whom? The New York American asks editorial ly: "Why Is New York doomed to per petual dirt?" The yellow journals seem to be responsible fcr part of this doom. If there are many more stories told of starving miners being put to the door with their families, the public will begin to think that the operators have hearts of anthracite. What Is described as "the best portrait of Martin Luther In existence" has Just been discovered In Wittenberg. Now, how do they know It Is so good a likeness? Possibly it was a speaking likeness. While the East Is wrapped In snow and praying for coal, Portland slumbers peacefully in her valley and demands nothing of heaven but a continuance -f present conditions with, perhaps, a slight improvement In the streets. In Roland B. Mollneux's new book one may read and catch a glimpse of the tor tures this man endured. It it not health ful, it is not a story that will appeal to all, but here and there the unfortunate man strikes a chord In the human heart that does not vibrate often. The" face of death most evidently brought no rest to this man, and the very words seem to flinch from telling the utter truth. Yet, taken as a unit, it displays more vividly than any other modern work the simplic ity of fear. For that It Is valuable, and also for tho testimony it bears to the bravery of the author. It would be most Interesting to know why people are so wild to see the news every morning as soon as they get out of bed. Is It because yesterday's news was bad and they hope for better" today? Is it for comfort? Or for entertainment? Or for Instruction? "Why do more men and women desire to read the record of one suicide than can be induced to listen to the. President's message? Perhaps it Is mere human Interest, the ancient longing for the horizon. Possibly we all of us are peering Into the future, and we read our own course by tho experience of others. Senator SImcn, ot Oregon, Is the only man in the Senate who is shorter than Senator Spooner. The Wisconsin Senator Is Inclined to be touchy about his stature. A short time ago he was sitting reading a hook In his committee-room, when Dr. Heenan. Consul at Odessa, was brought In by a friend for an introduction. Hee nan is a giant, G feet 4 Inches tall and broad across the shoulders. When Sen ator Spooner arose to be presented, Hee nan looked down on him and said: "And this Is Senator Spooner?" "Great Scott!" flared Spooner, "you don't think every United States Senator must be 17 feet tall, do yon?" PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPIIERS. At the Club.-Caller-Is Mr. Winnerton In? Butler-I think he is, sir; but I can't say Ju3t how much, as tho game Is not over.-Baltlmoro American. Mrs. Loveydovey (gushingly-I never express a wish that I do not know Fred will gratify. Mrs. Cutting (sweetly)-That Is where you are clever. Judge. Janltor-You can't occupy this flat. Would Be Tenant-Why not? Wo have only nine dogs. "Oh. all right. I thought you had chil dren." Life. Biggs It strikes me that tho fool-klller Is neglecting his buiness. DIggs He's kept pretty busy. I suppose, but you might send him your address. Chicago Daily News. Dicer They tell me Fred has been playing the races. Knlckleby He thought he was; but It turned out that the fellows at the races were working Fred. Boston Transcript. Teacher Bessie, name one bird that is now extinct. Llttlo Bessie Dick! Teacher Dick? What sort of a bird is that? Little Besste Our canary the cat extlncted him! Puck. Relative You have put up a stove In this room. I see. Hostess (who lives nl a steam heated flat) Yes. that Is so baby won't catch cold when he touches the steam pipes. New York Weekly. "Do you think that the theatrical profession leads to unhappy marriages?" "I have never been able to decide," answered the manager, "whether a stage career leads to divorce or divorce lead3 to a stage career." Washington Star. "I think I know," said the amateur gun ner, after his fifth straight miss, "why thos birds are called 'ducks. " "What's that, sir?" answered the guide. "Because they duck out of the way every time a fellow shoots." Philadelphia Press. The Housing Problem. First Lady They tell me thae Corpyratlon hooses Is to be awfu chape twa room an' kitchen for twelve poun' ten. Bit they're to hae nae bath. Second Lady Nae bath! Ma , an' whit are we to dae wi oor coals? Glasgow Evening Tlmes J