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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1903)
THE MOKNING OREGONIAN, FKIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1903. 6 Entered at the Pestofflce at Portland. Oregon as second-class matter. REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By Matt (postage prepaid. In advance) Daily, with Sunday, per month Dally. Sunday excepted, per year w Dally, with Sunday, per year JJ Sunday, per year r rr Tho "Weekly, per year 1 i The JVetdtly, 3 months 60 To City Subscribers . . Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday exceP'i?: Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday lncludedoc POSTAGE RATES. United States. Canada and Mexico: 30 to 14-page paper.......... '""", 14 to 28-pagre paper M Foreign rates double. New or discussion Intended for publication In The Oregonian should be addressed Invaria bly "Editor The Oreponian." not to the name of ay Individual. Letters relating to adver tising, eubacrlption or to any business matter ehould be addrewsed simply "The Oregonian. Eastern Business Office. 4S. 44. 45. 47. 48. 49 Tribune building. New York City; 510-11-1-Trlbune building:. Chicago: the S. C Beckwlth Special Afcency. Eastern representative. 1 For sole In Ban Francisco by L. E. Lee. Pal vce Hotel news stand; Goldsmith Bros.. 23C Sutter street; F. W. Pitts. 100S Market street; J. K. Cooper Co.. 746 Market street, near the Palace Hotel; Foster & Orear. Ferry news .stand: Frank Scott. SO Ellis street, and N. Wheatley. 813 Mission street. For sal In Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner. 250 South Spring etreet. and Oliver & Haines. SOS South Sprinr street. For sale in Kansas City. Mo., by Rlcksecker Clear Co.. Ninth and Walnut streets. Fw sale in Chicago by the P. O. News Co.. 17 Dearborn street, and Charles MacDonald. 63 Washington street. For Nile In Omaha br Barkalow Bros., 1012 Farnam nireet: Mejreath Stationery Co- 1303 Farnam street. For eale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News Co.. 77 "West Second South street. For eale In Washington. D. C. by the Ebbett House news stand. For rale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrlek. 000-912 Seventeenth street; Lou than & Jackeon Book and Stationery Co.. Fifteenth end Lawrence streets; A. Series. Sixteenth and Curtis streets. yield only to the softening Influence of ' time and the return of prosperity to the colonies. Mr. Chamberlain recognizes this fact and has used great discretion in dealing with the Jealousies and re sentments that grew out of it. At the best the lot of the Boers -will be a hard one for several years. A country devas tated by war cannot regain what it has lost quickly, even under the best condi tions. Growth of tills kind cannot be forced, but muse follow due processes of nature and of trade. It may be ex pected that those who suffer the mani fold disabilities of such a situation will become querulous and impatient at the slow progress of restoration. Patience with those who suffer Is a requirement of civilization, under such circum stances, of those who are charged with the responsibility of conquerors. In the discharge of the duty imposed upon him Secretary Chamberlain has ehown patience and prudence. If he has also shown, the British quality of stubbornness and a British ppirlt of re prisal, it is not to be wondered at. Neither is it a matter of surprise that both the British and the Boers? are dis appointed at the best that it has been possible for him to do in the premises. He will, however, accomplish by his visit to South Africa. his first purpose in making it, namely, the desire to learn for himself by personal investigation the condition of affairs in the colonies. TODAY'S WEATHDR Occasional rain; brisk to high southerly winds. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature. 49; minimum temperature, 44; pre cipitation, 0.27 Inch. PORTLAND, FRIDAY, JAXUARY 23. SALARIES ARE "FLATV SOW. In view of the fact that the long and loudly heralded "flat salary" bill has xriade its appearance at Salem, It seems necessary to advert to Article XIII, Section 1, of the constitution of the State of Oregon, to-wlt: The Governor shall receive an annual salary of $1500. The Secretary of State shall receive an annual salary of $lt00. The Treasurer of State shall receive an annual" salary of $800. The Judges of the Supreme Court shall each receive an annual salary of $2000. They shall receive no fees or perquisites whatever for the performance of any duties connected with their respective offices, and the compensation of offi cers, if not fixed by this constitution, shall be provided by law. As regards "flat salaries," therefore. It will be seen that they are already pro vided, if the constitution Is to be obeyed. It is not obeyed, but Its infraction by evasion does not justify its infraction by direct enactment. Five thousand dollars is an unconstitutional salarj whether paid through indirect perqui sites or in flat defiance of the provis ion we have quoted. The members of the Legislature will, of course, inter pret the constitution for themselves, but it Is difficult to see how they can recon cile the "flat salary" bill with the con stitution. The illegal salaries now paid were opposed by The Oregonian thirty and more years ago, when they were first mooted. They are exactly as ille gal now as then. It. is a strange proposal to do in plain defiance of the constitution what has hitherto been done only through indirection and sub terfuge. Efforts have been made, it is true, to explain away this -unequivocal utter ance of the constitution. But this can only be done by assuming that the con stitution fixes oo salaries; for the sal aries flxable by law are only those "not fixed by this constitution." It Is ar gued that if.the people will endure in creased salaries granted indirectly they will endure increased salaries granted, directly; which is a specious balancing between, two ways of doing a wrong act It Is further argued that if uncon Btltutlonal allowances of $4000 to $5000 a year are voted, the illegal perquisites now allowed will be done away. There is no evidence that this would be the case. -If the constitution is to be flouted; if there Is no sacredness to its prescriptions, then the legislature can go on ad libitum increasing the emolu ments of the state officers, on top of a $4000 or $5000 salary, just as it has in the past exceeded the constitutional sal ary of $1500. The only way in this matter is the right way. If men are not satisfied with the constitutional salary, there is bo compulsion on them to seek the of fices. The truth is, they seek the offices in the hope that they can circumvent the constitution. And this does not ap ply to members of one party more than of another. form of freight rates which would be saved if the river were an available agency of competition. How to make It so .is the question. That a portage rail road would do it we do not believe. The remedy is too small In Its capability, too limited in Its availability. While an open river is easily a possi bility, it Is a project practically beyond the resources of the state, unless It could work In conjunction with the Na tional Government. In such partnership and In furtherance of a plan about which there could be no question, the State of Oregon might well afford to give the amount asked for a portage railroad or double that amount. No sum that could be raised without dis tress to the people would be too much to pay for the universal blessing of an open river. But there must be care that any sum so paid shall Ue for an Im provement that will yield relief, and not for a mere makeshift, that will do little or no good and serve to postpone rather than bring nearer the day of deliver ance for the Interior basin. O.TJAY AXD HOAR. The promised dullness of the short session is relieved from time to time by incidents of moment ana slgnlli cance which, are likely to grow more frequent with the approach or adjourn ment Forces are mustering for con flict, especially in the trust and tariff fields, and clashes are to be expected. "With the assistance of the beet-sugar Senators, Quay has succeeded In getting the Republican leaders on the run. It Is easy to sympathize with this assault on their infallibility and omnipotence, though one can but wish the Pennsyl vania boss had enlisted himself In a better causa. No one has done Quay the injustice to attribute his activity on behalf of the omnibus statehood bill to any considerations of public policy". He has girded on his armor and assailed the Senatorial hierarchy because he has mines in New Mexico or because of some equally disinterested motive. Equally Indifferent is Senator Hoars contribution to freedom- of thought. His resentment at Presidential interference easily reaches the dimensions of an epi sode. In a good cause his protest would command general approval, but Its mo tive doubtless rises no higher than petu lant disappointment because the Presi dent prefers the Knox anti-trust plans to Senator Hoar's, while Its effect can hardly be otherwise than to delight and encourage the opponents of all trust legislation. Nothing was to be expected but that President Roosevelt's vigorous method would sooner or later, like President Cleveland's, arouse hostility in his own party. Last eession. we had the in surgents." Now we. have the negro question and the discontent of those' who hoped to divide the whites of tho South; tho protest against the Presi dent's utterances concerning Smoot and the restlessness under his persistent de mands for anti-trust legislation. These elements of unrest are not in the way of improving the general welfare. Their authors are on the wrong tack. Sen ator Hoar is similarly infelicitous' in his protest; for trust legislation will have hard enough sledding as it is, without such impediments as he Is putting In the way. Quay's generalship is masterly and Hoar's Independence is commendable. One can only regret that they are not enlisted In a better cause. "What could the forceful men of the Senate not ac complish if they set themselves to the task of correcting trust and tariff abuses? Quay will never organize a successful revolt to abolish the duties on iron and steel. Hoar will never rise In his seat to rebuke the Senatorial leaders for not pushing an anti-trust law to enactment MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S TASK. "When Secretary Chamberlain decided to spend three months this "Winter, which are the Summer months there, in South Africa, in order that he might obtain at first hand knowledge of the conditions there existing, the British people were well pleased. It had long been evident that the problems of peace In the Transvaal were almost as diffi cult and as expensive to solve as those of war, and, In order to expedite the solution, this visit of the Secretary was planned. General disappointment has, however, resulted at the best arrange ment that he has been able to make In regard to the payment of the expenses of the war. Both the political and industrial situa tions in the Transvaal are unsatisfac tory. The Boer colonies lost $300,000,000 hy the war. The $15,000,000 for relief promised in the treaty . of peace was found to be but a drop in the great sea of their necessities. The representatives of the impoverished, people hoped that the home government would pay ail the cost of the war. To add to the dis satisfaction, the rehabilitation of their farms proceeded all too slowly to meet the urgent demand of their necessities. To meet these complaints and reconcile the situation with the British demand for a stated war contribution. Mr. Chamberlain went over some weeks ago It Is not strange that he has been un able to perform the task to which he set himself. Perplexing as Is tho industrial prob lem, the political problem Is still more so. Mr. Chamberlain has found that the purpose of the home government to treat the Boers fairly Is more .pro nounced than is the desire of the Brit ish in South Africa to recognize Dutch Tights. Race hatred that most unrea soning of all forces, is at the bottom of this. The loyal British distrust the Dutch, and the latter are In a state of internal revolt against their conquerors. This la -an arbitrary: condition that-wlll THE DALLES PORTAGE PROJECT. It cannot be said that the argument presented to the Legislature In support of The Dalles portage railroad project is entirely convincing as to the practical wisdom of this special project; for, while It makes the fact of grievance clear enough. It does not make it equal ly clear that a portage railroad at The Dalles would cure it The handling of freights over portages, It must be borne in mind, Is a method at best of limited capability for relief, besides being out of date in a traffic sense. And It must also be remembered that very little of the freight originating in the Columbia River Basin is in position to choose lm mediately between river and rail trans portation. ' If, indeed, there were a depend ably open river, it would enforce recast of freight rates everywhere in the Interior to figures calculated upon the low grades and relatively short haul of the Columbia River route; but it is, we think, more than questionable if a portage railroad at The Dalles would prove a sufficiently powerful lever to accomplish tnis result or any thing like it The thing to be feared much to be feared Is that after cost Ing a large sum of money. It would turn out to be practically of little value and an injury rather than a benefit in that its failure would serve to put the whole project of river improvement In contempt In brief, we distrust It as half measure bigger with elements of danger to the interests of the interior basin than of promise of effective relief. But the figures are truly overwhelm. ing as Telated to the advantage of an open river that Is, a river really and dependably open, we quote for Illus tratlon the following comparison of rates between The Dalles and Portland (open river) and The Dalles and Arling ton, where the river is closed: Wheat Arlington to The Dalle?. 54 miles, 11 cents per 100 pounds; The Dalles to Port land. 88 miles, 7J4 cents per 100 pounds. Wool Arlington to Tho Dalles, 54 miles. $1 00 ner 100 Dounds; The Dalles to Portland. SS miles, 25 cents per 100 pounds; Portland Boston, Mass., 3500 miles, $1 per 100 pounds, Cattle, hoes and sheep Arlington to The Dalles, 54 miles, $24 per car; The Dalles Portland. SS miles, $38 per car. The four class xates are: Arlington to The Dalles. 54 miles, 53 cents. 4S4 cents. 42 cents, 38 cents. The Dalles to Portland, SS miles, 25 cents. 20 cents, 18 cents and 15 cents, respectively. showing 150 per cent more lor an equal dls tance. The disparity of these rates tells the story. "Where competition. Is possible the railroads make rates to meet It; where competition is not possible, they put on the screws under the familiar principle all the .traffic will bear. The products of the Interior basin are rated upon the non-competitive basis; and it is unquestionably true that the country, pays an enormous sum- annually: intno OREGON'S POSITION IX CONGRESS. The contention at Washington for the committee places vacated by the death of Mr. Tongue is a reminder that Ore gon's position In the House of Repre ssntatlves, recently very strong, Is bound in one respect to be a weak one for some time tip come. In the course of his long service Mr. Tongue had gained the standing which entitles a member to preference hi the very Im portant matter of committee assign ments, and he had acquired a com manding rank In the committee on riv ers and harbors, and was chairman of the committee on Irrigation and arid lands the two most Important commit tees of the House as related to the spe cial Interests of Oregon. Mr. Moody's committee relations Include member ship of the committee of public lands, mines and mining and Indian affairs- all likewise important in their connec tion with our legislative interests. By the death of Mr. Tongue and the retirement of Mr. Moody these com mittee posts, so Important for our In terests, will be lost to the state, for Mr. "Williamson and whoever shall succeed Mr. Tongue must begin at the bottom of the ladder and.work up into relation ships of legislative Influence. They will, by the unwritten rules of the House, which apply to all new members, be given whatever places may be unae slgned that is, they will have what is left after all the older members have had what they want For a term, at least, unless aided by some special for tune, they must be content with mem bership In committees dealing with neu tral or routine matters anu wnicn give them no opportunity to command fa vors for themselves or the state. Nor will our position In the Senate in the matter of committee posts be as trong for some time as It once was. Upon his return to that body two years ago Mr. Mitchell was not able at once to fall into his old committee' posts. Others had taken them, and, like other men just entering the Senate, he had to be content with what was available. His assignments are not unimportant far from it for they include coast de fenses, interoceinic canal, Pacific Islands and postofflces and postroads. but they are not comparable to the com mittee positions held by Mr. Mitchell at the time of his retirement previous to re-electloa. Time and continuous serv ice alone can gain for a Senator the more commanding assignments, and every man entering the service must begin at the bottom. Mr. Mitchell's committee relations will become rapidly more important from this time on; but the Senator who is to be chosen at the present session of the Legislature will have to build himself up from the bottom. It would be Impossible to exaggerate the practical advantage of effective committee relationships In Congress. It Is, In truth, the key to a hundred doors of legislative influence. It not only gives a man power in connection with subjects directly related with the In terests under his hand, but It puts him In a position wherein, by doing favors for others, he may demand favors In re turn. Say, for example, an Oregon man as chairman of the committee on Irriga tion and arid lands Is asked by a Cali fornia man who is chairman of the com mittee on postal affairs to do eome serv ice for the irrigation Interests of his state; he is able by compliance to estab lish himself In position to ask for a re turn favor when the postal Interests of his state are in question. It detracts something from the dignities of legisla tion that results are obtained by pro cesses of this sort; but it Is a fact that relations of reciprocal service count for much in Congress, as elsewhere, and It Is well to be in connections where the conditions may be made to count for state advantage. In the next Congress Oregon will have two members of the House and one member of the Senate 'In tho list of "freshmen," with everything to learn and with thefr rank to establish. In some important committees, more espe cially In the House, where hitherto we have had direct and personal represen tation, we shall have none. Most un fortunately of all, we shall have no rep resentation in the rivers and harbors committee. It Is to be regretted, but it can't be helped; and we must make the best of the situation as we find it President is certain. And it Is not to be doubted that, if a way were open to deny him admission and send him packing back to Utah, as was done in the case of a polygamous Congressman elect from the same state two years ago, the Senate would be glad to employ It But the conditions in the two- cases are radically different Roberts, the reject ed Congressman, was an open and shameless polygamist boasting of his three wives, and the moral sentiment of the country protested against him for specific cause. Smoot so it is declared, while devotedly a Mormon and a dig nitary of the church. Is not a polygamist and Is not therefore In such character as to be dealt with as an unclean beast with whom civilized and self-respecting men may decline to hold relations. If he Is declined admission to the Senate, It will be -not upon the ground of ob jectionable social character, but of his religious character; and the Senate can hardly afford to commit Itself upon 6uch a question In opposition to the spirit and letter of. the American system. It Is questionable If harm rather than good was not done by the rejection of the polygamist Roberts. It made him a hero with his own people, and promoted In them an attitude toward the Gov ernment which Is very much to be de plored, since It adds to rather than di minishes the difficulties of the Mormon problem. Statistics compiled by the Interstate Commerce Commission for the three months ending September 30, 1902, show that the number of persons killed In train accidents in that time was 263, while 2613 were Injured. Other kinds of accidents, including those sustained by employes while at work, by passengers getting on and 'off cars, etc., bring the total number of casualties In the rail way service of the country- during that period up to 12,007! of which number 845 lost their lives. Large as this number Is, It Is small when compared with the vast army of railroad employes and the Immense number of passengers carried. The traffic during the three months covered was, on very many of the rail roads, heavier than ever before. Many new men, wholly unused to the serv ice, were of necessity employed In train and yard work. Individual care lessness and recklessness added their usual quota to the sum of disaster, and no doubt long hours and overfatigue added their quota. Large as the cas ualty list was, we may well marvel that It was not, all things considered, larger even while we censure the inattention to duty that led to the collisions and derailments, the effects of which were so disastrous to human life and limb. There is very little reassuring in this recrudescence of "Venezuelan hostilities unless it be the fresh protests of Ger mans against German offenslveness. "Whatever plans of a Greater Germany may be entertained at Berlin in connec tion with German residents in South America, they are rendered more abor tive by every shell that goes screeching landward from German guns in the Caribbean Sea. The diplomatic under takings of Mr. Bowen are obviously im periled, and Germany herself is In a fair way to defeat the purposes contem plated In Von Sternberg's amiable ad dress to the American people. Perhaps the chief diplomatic bearing of the situ ation will prove to be the fresh Impetus given to British discontent with the Anglo-German alliance. This, of course, Is water on our wheel. It Is humiliat ing, of course, to be impeded in our good offices toward poor, little Venezu ela; but there Is some consolation in ex pressions of renewed British sympathy and In the spectacle of Germany's stamping out all desire of South Amer ica to do business with her. EDUCATION AND NEGRO PROBLEM Chicago Tribune. The reception which was given a few nights ago in Philadelphia. by the Ameri can Academy of Political and Social Sci ence to the Southern education board, which is striving to develop public sen timent in favor of education in the South, and to the general education board, which stands prepared to furnish financial as sistance to Southern communities which are not able to maintain a public school system, was made specially Interesting by the expression of views upon the question of education In that section by prominent educators and friends of education from the South. The most prominent of these speakers was Edwin A. Alderman, president of Tulane University at New Orleans, now regarded as one of the most Important educational Institutions in the South by reason of the exceptionally large gifts which have ben made to it in the last two or three years, which have enabled it to approximate to tho standards of the first-class universities In the North. In tho course of President Alderman's ad dress, the subject of which was. "Sec tionalism and Nationalism In Education," he said that the negro question was only ...e problem of "determining how a back ward race of a divergent ethnic type and In a different plane of development shall become a part of National life for the Na tional g6od." Upon this question ho elo quently said: "Slavery put him (the negro) under the bottom and held him there. Reconstruction put him on top and held him there. God knows neither plan worked. There is but one thing in this world to do with a human being, and that la to give him a. chance. Can he be made fit for our life? The problem of the stronger is to find the way; the problem or the backward to use the way.'v President Alderman not only believes that the negro question must be solved by education but he says, unreservedly, that the Scuth Is committed to the edu cation of the negro. Hampton and Tus kegee are experimental stations for the backward raco and Southern colleges and universities are training stations "for the forward race In patience and scien tific Inquiry and sympathy." The old cry of "let us alone" which used to come up from the South he says Is changed. That section does not now wish to be let alone, for "we are one Nation, mem bers of one body." Rarely has a nobler utterance come up from the South than these closing words of President Alder man's address: "We love our self-respect better than gold. Our lips are shut like iron about some things, and we shall not babble over much of our past, Idealized forever to our souls by. woe and fortitude, and deep loyalties, but If your eyes are clear enough to see straight the paths we have trodden, and if your souls are great enough to want to serve, our souls, my brothers, are great enough to want your Gympathy and help, for the glory of the Nation and the good of men. The energy of the South demands to be free, and shall be free, and you shall help us to be free." There are some of the old, unrelenting Bourbons, unforgiving survivors of the war, and scene --unreconstructed Southern newspapers which still oppose the educa tion of the negro oven in the fundamen tals, and bitterly denounce tho Southern and general education boards, though they are composed of leading men In both sec tions, but undoubtedly the higher and more Intelligent sentiment of the South ern people Is reflected in this noteworthy address of President Alderman. EXTORTION IN COAL PRICES. " Kansas City Star. Tt Is certain that the present prices of coal, which are so high In many parts of thp eountrv as to cause great suffering and hardship among tho poor, are brought about by a combination between operators and dealers. There can bo no otner ex planation. The cost of mining coal has not Increased. The plea that the ..Fennsyi vania strike has caused a great shortage in coal, and that the demand has forced the extortionate prices, is not borne out by investigations conducted In many places. The supply Is plentiful enough, but the strike Is used merely as an ex cuse. Even If coal were scarce. Inasmuch as the cost of mining and transporting It has not been Increased, there would be no justification for the Inordinate greed of thoso who have coal to sell. Why are such things possible? Simply because there has been such an extensive combination of those who are Identified with the coal business that it is possible to enforce practically all the exacting policies that an absolute monopoly would observe In robbing the people In selling them a necessity of life. And how is such a combination made possible? By main taining a tariff on coal, thus shutting out foreign competition and protecting tho American operators and dealers In their outrageous practices. If the duty on coal had been remitted when the prices first began to advance, the extortion would have- been checked; and If there had been no duty on coal the extorllon never would have been attempted, for the attempt would have been foredoomed to failure. The coal situation is only one of many instances of licensed plunder. This kind of robbers Is going on. has been going on. to a creater or lesser degree, and has been patiently tolerated by the people because the Imposition has been brought about by such cradual processes that even tne ex treme abuses of tip present time do not arouse the resentment and opposition that the violation of public rights are expected to call forth. The coal robbery ought to furnish at least one Impressive lesson In favor of tariff reform. A large number of bills have been in troduced in the Legislature proposing changes In the laws relating to assess ment and taxation. This Is one portion of our statutes which should be subjeot to as few changes as possible. Just now there is need of additional laws which will throw more of the burden of taxation upon corporations which have almost entirely escaped In the past, but the wisdom of other changes Is doubt ful. The joint committee on assessment and taxation, composed of Senators Booth, Pierce, Mulkey, Holman and Miller and Representatives Phelps, Fisher, Huntley, Reed and Robblns, in cludes a number of men who are known for their exceptional business ability and their conservatism In all public matters. "With a body of such men in a position to retard any Ill-advised legis lation, there Is little danger that the taxation laws will suffer any injurious changes. The possible entrance of Jacob Furth, of Seattle, Into the Senatorial contest at Olyanpla.lre the character of a candidate is one of the interesting suggestions of the hour. Mr. Furth is a banker, a man of large affairs, personally wealthy. In many ways he Is a very strong man, "though, like Mr. Ankeny and every other man whose name figures in the fight, he Is lacking In the traditional "Senatorial" qualities. In ajl that part of the work of the Senate In which busi ness talents and experience count, Mr. Furth would be an efficient man; In the consideration of affairs Involving ac quaintance with the world's history and of the great principles upon which the actions of men and nations depend, he could have no active part Speaking frankly, Mr. Furth's place Is not In the United States Senate, and probably no body knows It better than himself; at the same time he would be a most ef fective agent at the National Capital of the general interests of the State of Washington. The strange thing about the Senatorial practice of Washington Is that little or no mention Is ever, heard of the several men like John B. Allen, Judge Thomas Burke, Judge Henry V. Struve and others, who, If they were In Senatorial service at Washington, could not fall to distinguish the state and es tablish it In universal respect How desperately the old bosses do fight to retain control of the machinery governing the selection of men for offi cial position! In Wisconsin the stal warts have been won or forced over to all the reforms urged by Governor La Follette, except that of direct primary nomination of candidates. That Is a blow that would put the old-guard poli ticians out of business and give the people a show In the management of public affairs, therefore on every sort of pretext it Is opposed by a strong faction of the Republican party and It la by no means clear that the Governor's Ideas will be put In the form of a law this Winter, though two state Republi can platforms have explicitly Indorsed them and the voters have twice rati fied them at the polla The bosses die hard, which is a very good reason why there should be no delay about reliev ing them of their heavy duties. On Cheap Living:. Philadelphia Record. Among the communications which some newspapers consider It enterprising and profitable to -publish are such as profess to Instruct the housewives how to live on a certain Inadequate and ridiculous number of pennies a week. Who aro the real authors of these communications, and what are their actual motives we can only conjecture. From the spirit In which they are received by a vast majority of the frugal and experienced housewives, It Is suspected that tho writers are divorce lawyers, and that their purpose is the fomentation of domestic discords which may lead to the divorce courts. For one thing, It Is certain that they are Insincere, It has been proved again and again that they do not recite an actual experience. Nobody ever did or ever could live for more than a weeK on tne lnsignincant sum which they affirm Is ample week In and week out They give prices which are not to be found in any market, and a menu which would exhaust at a single meal the entire week's appropriation. 'The mischief which follows the publlca tlon. of these apparently beneficent letters Is incalculable. The hard-working pro vider for a family who has reduced his dally consumption of cigars from ten to nine for the sake of economy seizes on such published letters with avidity. He believes every word, partly because It is In print and partly because It Is comfort ing to find that the main reason why hl3 salary does not go farther Is extrava gance In tho housekeeping. The wife may have expended brain tissue on the prob lem of keeping downthe cost of the table and other expenses; she may have exer cised genius In getting the most out of her allowance, besides denying herself many necessaries. When she is charged with extravagance ana tnese pernictuus nnri untruthful letters are offered In nroof she feels the Injustice deeply. Nothing can convince the husband that the nrlnted matter Is absurd, nere, men, Is a foundation for mutual anger and perhaps eventual divorce. "That the election of Mormon Apostle 'Smoot to the United States Senate from Utah will displease the Senate as the mere suggestion of it displeased the The list of new committees for the Portland Chamber of Commerce gives promise of effective work by that or ganization In the coming year. And there Is plenty of work to be done. In these prosperous days the tendency Is to neglect many things that have im portant bearing on commercial affairs, but the men identified with the Cham ber of Commerce represent the substan tial and progressive business interests of the town, and they are able and will ing to give this public service. They should receive generous support in these efforts. Marconi is to establish wireless tele graph stations at points on this coast for trans-Paciflp service. Shall we let him ignore the mouth of the Columbia River? There is already a cable to Fort Canby, where a fine location for a Marconi station can be found. This may be worth looking into by- our com mercial bodies. Tho duty and responsibility of pre senting the Lewis and Clark appropria tion bill to the State Senate and secur ing its passage were reposed upon Sen ator Hunt. Just how well, he performed his work Is shown by the practically unanimous vote with which the measure passed the Senate. v A Liquor Lavr Symptom. Boston Herald. It Is stated that In some of the larger towns of Vermont the liquor-selling In terest Is opposing the movement In favor of a license law which Is being agitated in that stato at tho present time. This anomalous condition of affairs can be ac counted for only in one way. The business of these men who oppose a license law Is liquor selling, and, of course, they want It to be aided rather than Injured. The pre sumption In tho case must therefore be that a license law will work injury to them rather ttian aid. There must be further reasoning to tho effect that they can sell more liquor by evading the pres ent prohibition law than by engaging In comDetltlon with others under a license law. There Is thus direct evidence pre sented of what has been often charged. that the enforcement of the prohibitory law Is evaded by bribery of thoso whose duty it la to carry It out or that public feeling Is such that enforcement cannot be accomplished. Perhaps both causes operate; however this may be, the evl dence seems to prove prohibition a failure In the larger towns of Vermont. A Reciprocity Measure. Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph. The bill that Is described as placing coal on the free list Is likely, according to the dispatches irom Washington, to pass without much objection. It Is a Republi can measure, and even the Democrats are likely to vote for It The bill, how ever. Is not a free trade measure, pure and simple, but may be described as an enlightened attempt at reciprocity. As the press dispatches tell It, while the bill may take the form of a rebate or draw back for 90 days, It also will provide for the admission free of duty of coal Im ported into this country from countries granting the same privilege to the United States. This, as It la stated, means Can. ada, and will permit Nova Scotia coal to como into this country free, while coal from tho Alleghenles and westward will go Into Canada free of duty. There are parts of Canada that are a natural mar ket for American coal, and parts of the United States that are a natural market for Canadian coal. The removal of tariffs by both countries will shift Canadian coal to a more convenient American market and vice versa, to the advantage of both countries and the loss- of neither. Jieed for Forest Preervntlon. The most heavily-timbered state now is Oregon, next comes California, then Washington. They are each far ahead of any other state. Of the states east of the Rockies, Arkansas has probably more timber than any otner state, tnougn ex act information Is lacking. Following it more or less closoly comes such states as Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota. Wis consln. Maine. Pennsylvania. Texas, North Carolina and Florida. The most valuable tract of timber un der one control comprises over 1,000,000 acres in east Texas, which Is worth up ward of $25,000,000. A syndicate in Kansas City has holdings running over 1.000.000,000 feet, mainly In Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. The largest syndicate In tho country has more than 1,000,000 acres In Washington, on which there are upward of 20,000.000.000 feet of lumber, and Its holdings will very likely cut out double that amount. The strongest argument In favor of tho preservation of timber lands Is the Influ ence they exert upon the health of com munities. The effect of forests upon tem perature conditions has long been recog nized. Tho moisture from the woods makes the general temperature more uni form. Destroying trees Increases river freshets. This destruction and forest fires have also made irrigation necessary on Western lands. Singularly enough, on the Atlantic Coast the forests have gained on the open fields because of emigration from the East to the west. If there is only 43 years' supply of tim ber ahead, it is vitally important that tho National Government and also states nnd cities, should make strenuous efforts to preserve woodlands? They certainly de- servo as much attention as our narDors, rivers and lakes. The National health should not be Imperiled by any short sighted money-making. Lesson, of the Conl Redaction. New York Evening Post Men who. on the common subjects of discussion, use their reasoning faculties freelv. go over at onco to the credulity oi the nursery when It comes to an argument about the tariff. Then their minus close with a click, as did the English bishops when tho conversation turned seriously to theology, -and they run off with the sii llest nhrases. Some of them amount to this: "Oh, of course, everybody under stands that If we should take the duty off dolls' eyes American industry would per ish In a day. We rjereelve also, in current revelations of the protectionist spirit, the tendency of superstition or a false doctrine to grow more Intolerant and extravagant witn tlmp. Von Hoist has showea Deauuiuwy how this worked in the case of slavery in tho South. From being thought a tern nni-nrv pvll It enme to be held as, first. as an economic necessity, then a social advnnto.ee. and finally a divine msiiiu tinn with hie- blessinir to black and white. and against which It was sacrilege and trpnsnn combined to lisp a synaDie. bo wo have seen protectionism grow from tho "Infant-Industry" stage, a policy to h nnninirized for as a passing necessity, until It has become the sacrosanct thing o-a now see It to be regarded. rinis has nil the marks of accelerated folly, and of superstition near the time of being blown away. In this aspect of the matter, the iorcea removal of the coal duties is a most vali nablo example. The tariff has actually been "touched," and the dome of the Onnltol has not fallen In! Duties havo hPn renealed. and Americans yet go forth to their work In the morning. This is a timely and a damaging blow to supersti tious protection. It Is certain to be fol lowed up by others. Reason and justlco will. In the end. prevail; and the protec tlonlsts who now (many of them sincerely, no doubt) "hag themselves with appari tions," will rejoice with the rest or tne country at the lining or tne oia nigni mare. NOTE AND COMMENT. It la all work and no play -learning the piano. Mr. Scattering Is at present receiving good many votes at Olympla, It Is a pity that Dr. Lorena went back homo before tho Colorado Legislature be came dislocated. Spain's anxiety to Interfere In that Mo rocco fight Is probably due to tho fact that It is a one-sided affair. Tht oecuHst- would soon get rich If ha could number among his patrons all tho people who are blind to their own faults. Pattl may mako another farewell tour. So novel an announcement la almost as unexpected aa that of a South American revolution. Reports of burglaries and hold-upa in the San Francisco newspapers prevent them from doing justice to what is going on at Sacramento. Theso Senators who are talking back at Mr. Tillman In the debate over the coal situation have probably had their Ufo- in surance cancelled. There Is going to be a hot time In Parlia ment the London ofall says, but Parlia ment Is too far away to afford any relief to those shivering folks In tho East We have tha satisfaction of knowing, anyway, that even if all thosa threatened bills pass at Salem, we will still have the right to use umbrellas when it rains. Tho Omaha Bee thinks 'that Secretary of th Navy Moody has felt it Incumbent to get Into a runaway accident In order to keep In style with the Administration Stato Senator Hobson declines to ten f o? whom his final vote will be cast but wa havo an Idea that tho successful candi date will be, in part at least, Hobson'a choice. Impndent Cattle Barons. Cleveland Plain Dealer. Aroordlnsr to Senator Millard, of Ne hraska. a Dlan has been arranged to end the range war In the West over the open Government lands. This plan. It appears, is a simple one. It la merely to confirm the cattle barons In their possession w from tho Government They have Inclosed, without a shadow of. right, millions of acres or tne puduc uu Tnnin nnr! have successfully resisted I snme-what feeble effort to oust them, col onel John S. Mosby's revelation of the mnirnitiide of the steal attracted the whole attention, but he was "hushed nn" throurh the Influence of certain West ern Senators ana tne eieps -wuien o recommended to bundle out the squatters neck and heels were never taken. They "Want Their Own County. Fossil Journal. Representative Newt Burgess has Intro duced his bill for the creation of Stock man nmmtv. It is a meritorious measure, whose passage would afford much-needed relief to the people or wasco ana utook Counties living In the territory embraced in the bill. Sherman and Wheeler coun ties are living examples that the small counties do better than the big ones, and It is hardly fair that the people or the Antelope country should have to leave their own county and travel the entire length of another county In order to reach their county seat. rrogreiiN Great and "Wonderful. Sacramento Eee. The Portland Oregonian of the 1st Inst, was a special numoer largely de voted to historical reviews of the develop ment of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest renerally. This publication wag In antlcl nation of the centennial celebration at Portland in 1905 of the Lewis and Clark exploratory expedition. Tho progress of Oregon, as shown In these pages, has been great ana wonneriui. xne state nas just passed through its banner year of pros perlty, and begins 1SQ3 entirely ireo irom debt. What has Senator Vest against tha University of Missouri that he should send them 990 volumes containing the ac cumulated speeches of the United State Concress? Mr. Grip, the Swedish Minister in Wash ington, has gone to Mexico on a dlple-. matic errand, and we venture the hope that he will not cause us trouble with our elghborlng republic by becoming epidemic down there. The New York Board of Education has decided that matrimony among the femi nine teachers Is to be discouraged. They, will allow no work In the schools, conse quently, that Is not the result of strictly maiden efforts. There Is no denylnjr that a town llko Port land. Or., naa pluck and nerve galore in volun teering to entertain the .National iavestocK Association after Kansas City has given them taste of the real thins. Kansas City Star. There Ib no question of Portland's nerve In matters outside of the National Live stock Association, cither. We are willing to have the next Democratic National convention meet here. Mrs. Laura J. Hosier, of Anderson, Ind., has an odd suit on her hands. She gave her brother, George W. Overshlner, a remedy to cure him of the liquor habit The remedy proved effective. Mr. Over- ehlner declares that he did not wish t be cured of the drink habit, was net aware that the cure was being admlnis tcred to him and has sued hla sister fcl $5000 for destroying his thirst J. Plerpont Morgan Is becoming absent- minded. He says that he doesn't know whether or not ho lost a couple of millions In the reorganization of the Louisville & Nashville, and that It is not his habit to charge hla mind with such details. Some of these days J. Plerpont will leave his small change in the pockets of his other trousers, and go down town without money enough to buy a new steamship line. A tall, dark man looking thoughtfully about him at the last White House recep tion attracted considerable attention. His colleagues in the House recognized tho nativo Hawaiian delegate, Robert William. Wilcox. His father was a native of New port, R. I., but his mother was a puro native of the Island of Maul. Mr. Wilcox has been a leader of his people and was sentenced to death for his effort to re store Queen Llliuokaiani. Tne united States Intervened and the sentence wad commuted to 35 years' imprisonment at hard labor and $10,000 fine. The sentenca was afterward commuted by President Dole. Tha figures of the year's output of gold from the South African mines are not yet complete, aa December's total is still to be added, but by striking an average 18 can be found how heavy the loss has been to shareholders In comparison with tha two years before the war broke out In round numbers the year 1S9S produced $73, 000,000 worth of gold, and tho year 1609 about $4,800,000, less the output for the final three months (war breaking out la October), being very small in comparison with the first nine. In 1900 soma few mines worked for three months and then, all stopped entirely, the output for tha year being $6,720,000. The complete closing down lasted 13 months and mining was re sumed In May, 1901. but during the 2D months which have since elapsed (Includ ing this December, which I have averaged). the output has only reached $31,000,000. Had there been no stoppage tho output elnco the war began would probably have been worth at least $254,000,000. so that tho shareholders have had $223,000,000 less gold for the working expenses of their mine3 and for dividends. This Is quite an 'extra" to the $1,200,000,000 the war cost in direct payments to British taxpayers. PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGItAPHEllS "Do you know what I can take for Indiges tion after dinner, doctor?" "Yes; pie." Ton kers Statesman. The Retort Courteous. "Why are you in mourning!" "Oh! for my sins." "I didn't know that you had lost any." Life. Simple Directions. "Do you have much trou ble directing your cooks?" "Oh. not The de pot is only one block down, to the left." Puck. Insurance Agent Now, that you have a wife, don't you think you ought to take out a life policy? Newed Oh. I gues3 not. I don't think she Is going to prove dangerous. Chicago Dally News. A Serious Outlook. "I see there is talk of increasing the Inheritance tax." "Yes," said the rich man's son, "It's setting so a fellow would almost as lief have his father live, don"t you know." Brooklyn Eagle. Like Father, Like Son. Mrs. Flicker John ny, Margaret says you swear like a pirate. Johnny Flicker I suppose she must mean dad. Rather touch on him to call him a pirate, ain't it, ma? Boston Transcript. Too Timorous Adorer. "Sir!" she exclaimed haughtily. "You kissed me. Never dare to look at my face again!" Meekly he turned and left the house." "I'm glad I didn't marry that fool," she gasped, between sobs. New York Sun. "There are few great actors left" said the man who takes a melancholy "view of things. "On the contrary," answered Mr. Stormington Barnes, with a touch of asperity, "great actors are, to my personal knowledge, getting left every season." Washington Star4