THE MOKNING OREGONIAN, FKIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1903.
6
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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