Morning Oregonian., November 13, 1903, Page 8, Image 8

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THE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER" 13, 1903.
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7
TESTERDATS "WEATHER Maximum tem
perature, 4C; minimum tomperature, 38; pre
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TODAY'S WEATHER Occasional rain;
pcuth to -west winds.
43?ORrLAND, PRIDAY, NOVE5IBER 13.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
The Southern. Pacific seems disposed
to discontinue the transportation- of
Oregon lumber. And the reason would
appear to be that the rate is not satis
factory. Here, certainly, would be a
ready way to explanation of the short
age of cars. If the rate obtainable
were profitable, it may fairly be sup
posed that means would be found to
supply the cars.
But the railway management has not
answered directly, on this point. It
has as yet made no statement. It has
Talsed the rate, and moreover has cut
off or greatly reduced the supply of
cars. In a sort of semi-official way it
is given out that there Is scarcity of
cars, with Intimation that this is the
reason why the road cannot carry the
lumber product of the country adja
cent to its lines.
Of course if the railroad cannot af
ford -to carry lumber at any rate that
the millmen can afford to pay, that
must end It. and the lumber business
roust be given up. But If the trouble
crises merely from lack of cars, it is
quite another thing, and the lack of
cars ought soon to be made good.
Thp lumber interests of Western Ore
cm are deeply affected by this situa
tion, and It Is due to all parties that
the facts be fully understood. A vast
Industry, the most considerable orfe In
the state, has been virtually tied up,
twth immense loss to Individuals and
to the country at large. The question
is, W hat are the actual conditions?
Why rannot the lumber be carried?
Because it will not. pay the road to
carry it? Or because cars are lacking?
The subject is so Important that exact
information ought to be had, so the
facts may be perfectly understood.
"When full formation shall be fur
nished by the railroad management
there will be no disposition to be un
reasonable with It. The Oregonlan
trusts the railroad management will
clear the matter up. It alone has the
information that can satisfy the coun
try as to the real causes lying behind
this disastrous suspension of transpor
4ation. t
DEMOCRATIC WAtt OX PANAMA-
That the Democratic Senators will
-oppose ratification of a canal treaty
with the Republic of Panama is inter
esting, but not Important. They have
3S out of the 90 votes In the Senate
when they are all of one mind; which
ds almost unprecedented. They could
"not win any Republican Senator to
their side unless they were to put forth
-evidences of reason and sanity; which
4s unthinkable.
In the natural circumstances, the
question of the President's authority
under the Spooner act Is a question of
Jaw and impartial interpretation. The
authority possessed by the President
in connection with the canal was con
ferred by what is known as the
Spooner bill, the act of June 28, 1902.
That act empowers the President to
"acquire from the Republic of Colom
bia" perpetual control of a portion of
its territory and the neceaatry rights
connected with this control for the con
struction and maintenance of the ca
nal. The act further directs what the
President should do in case he should
he "unable to obtain for the United
States the control of the necessary ter
ritory of the Republic of Colombia and
the rights mentioned (being the rights
required for construction and mainte
nance) within a reasonable time and
upon reasonable! terms." He must then
proceed to secure the necessary rights
from Nicaragua and Costa Rica and
proceed to the construction of a canal
hy what Is "commonly known as the
Nicaragua route."
The question is whether the "reason
able time" has elapsed or not, and also
whether the President can proceed to
negotiate with Panaml under author
ity given him to negotiate with Colom
bia. The Administration view of the
matter has already been given by Sec
retary Hay, who holds that Panama
inherits all the capacity of Colombia in
the matter, just as Colombia inherits
the status of New Granada under the
treaty of 1S4G. The State Department
is clearly desirous and resolved to pro
ceed with all possible expedition to
negotiate atreaty with Panama.
This Democratic declaration of war
is timely and gratifying. Its salutary
effect will be to wheel Republicans
into line In support of the Administra
tion. Otherwise, some of them would
incline to solicit bribes from the rail
roads to adopt the anti-canal pro
gramme of the Democrats. Otherwise,
some of them who have conspired at
canal postponement all these years
would simulate frenzied Impatience at
the nefarious delay imposed upon us
by Colombia and Panama. As it is,
our lucky President has another issue
made to his hand, on which all the
strenuous blood in the country will
stir to his support. As It is, we may
get the canal before the solar system
is pesolved to its primeval nebula.
A SPECIAL SESSION niTItOBABLE.
Governor Chamberlain's repeated as
surances to The Oregonlan leave no
further room for the hypothesis of his
critics that he Is merely playing poli
tics and intends to call the Legislature
in special session as soon as he has
made his point of discrediting the
members, regardless of the result of
his circular letter to them, asking their
pledges not to consider subjects of leg
islation other than the Phelps tax law.
It seems sufficiently clear that the
Governor means what he says. If he
gets the pledges, he will call the ses
sion. If he doesn't, he won't
George Chamberlain is not a tyro -in
politics. His discernment and capacity
are attested by a formidable list of
victories on the Democratic ticket in
a Republican state. One secret of his
success lies In his passion for deter
mining the views of that large portion
of voters who are without direct con
nection with official life and with party
organizations and who are for that
reason inadequately reflected in the
.representations which officials and po
liticians make through the public
prints.
In the present crisis, if we under
stand Governor Chamberlain's position
correctly, he has satisfied himself that
the great unorganized body of taxpay
ers are in considerable majority un
favorable or at least not activelyiavor
able to the proposed special session.
He does not pretend to deny or to
doubt that all office-holders are solici
tous for the presence of plenty of
money In the treasury, and that fiscal
administrators in counties and cities
are seriously disturbed concerning the
status of public obligations to bond
holders, teachers, police and fire pro
tection, etc.
But he thinks these embarrassments
can be solved somehow; that few if
any office-holders will resign their
places through fear of losing their pay
or" because of any discount upon their
vouchers; that any places so vacated
will be speedily filled by eager appli
cants. Over against these embarrass
ments he sets the undeniable cost of
the session and the pregnant possibili
ties of unforeseen difficulties and mis
chief to which the session might read
ily glvesrlse. On this balancing of con
siderations he hesitates, and as a de
termining factor he asks the Legisla
ture to reduce the chance of trouble to
the minimum by the pledge he has
proposed. And there, evidently, he
stands firm.
Undoubtedly the Governor is "play
ing politics." So are those who seek
stir up Republican partisan feeling
alnst him. Undoubtedly he seeks to
absolve himself from any blame In case
the session is discredited by its subse
quent record. And just so those who
complain at his action are displeased
at his display of political forethought.
If he thinks, however, that the pledge
will really remove his responsibility,
and if his critics suppose so, they are
In error. The Legislature was respon
sible for the mischievously Imperfect
Phelps law; and the pledge the Gov
ernor proposes would measurably
atone for that offense and serve as
hostage against a new one.
And yet, even if the pledge is given,
it does not exonerate the Governor
from his responsibility for the extra
session. He is just as free then as be
fore to call It or leave it alone. The
Governor is also responsible for the
Phelps law, and he has no better or
worse excuse than the Legislature's in
the press of business. Neither the Gov
ernbr northe Legislature can shoulder
off its own peculiar share in the Phelps
blunder or the possible offenses of the
extra session. Perhaps that is why he
stands so determinedly by his bond.
And he is apparently backed up by so
many members of the Legislature that
as matters stand the special session
seems improbable.
MUItrilY A GOOD POLITICIAN. '
For some Republican papers to try,
as they are trying, to rob Murphy of
the credit of his victory in the New
York election is a waste of words. Af
ter all is said and done, a great con
test of this sort is a political battle.
Voters have, their motives, and there
are conditions of personal popularity,
private gruages, accidents or illness
and weather to be reckoned with; but
the victory is to that political camp,
general, aids and staff, who apprehend
these conditions accurately and handle
them skillfully. It is a game, won by
the wisest moves on the board, the
most masterly playing of the hands.
It was a great stroke of Murphy's
to remove the fight from the field
of non-partisanship, where fusion
had won before, to the field of parti
sanship, where Republican success was
hopeless. This change of venue, to
vary the simile, was accomplished by
the fusion rejection of Grout and
Fornes after Tammany "had indorsed
them; and it is simply a question
whether we give the credit for this
stroke to the Republican leaders who
forced that rejection upon the fusion
managers, or to Murphy himself, who
ordered the Indorsement. The greater
credit, we assume, "is Murphy's, who
must have calculated that the rejec
tion would follow the Indorsement
It matters not how great or little is
the Republican discernment in this
matter; for the fact remains that In
the bold and hazardous play he made
Mr. Murphy displayed political" talent
of a high order; and his generalship Is
not In the least Impugned by the
charges that he has risen from lowly
origin; that he is secretive, cold-blooded,
egotistic, imperturbable. These are
often the concomitants and frequently
the earmarks of greatness. New York
Is a Democratic city, and the Democrat
who can goad' the Republican leaders
into giving the Mayoralty election a
partisan cast has rendered his party
the highest possible service.
Mr. Murphy's rise to eminence is dis
tasteful to many because at the outset
of his career he was a "bartender."
So far as this distaste is based upon
antipathy to the liquor business as a
calling, we do not quarrel with It. But
we suspect that In many minds there Is
confusion here with a too common and
wholly indefensible disposition to set a
man down as inferior because of the
humbleness of his early handiwork.
The morality and reputabillty of liquor
selling aside, the question Is not
whether Mr. Murphy began life as a
rich distiller or a poor bartender, but
whether he was a good bartender. His
advancement is presumptive evidence
that he was faithful, and that his
power in large place grew out. of his
fidelity In small place.
It is no more discredit to Mayor
Schmitz, of Sart Francisco, that he was
once a "fiddler" than it is mentioned
to Lincoln's discredit that he was a
rail-splitter, that Garfield guided" a
mule along a towpath, that Stanton
worked on a ferry-boat, that Beveridge
supported his widowed mother selling
nbwspapers. " There is a sort of Phari
saical superciliousness abroad which 111
comports with the spirit of American
Democracy. We should be proud, not
ashamed, that in the United States a
man can rise from the most obscure
and untoward surroundings to great
wealth and great power. It is possible
that even a bartender may In time be
come a thing of use and ornament to
society. It Is possible that Mr. Mur
phy may not altogether live up to the
exceedingly bad record the fusion pa
pers have depicted for him as the ruler
of Greater New York.
3IILLIOXS FOR A GREAT mGOTVAY.
All of Ihe money ever expended for
the Improvement of waterways In the
Pacific Northwest dwindles into insig
nificance before the immense sum
which the State of New York has de
cided to spend in deepening and widen
ing the state canals. The cost of this
Improvement will be $101,000,000, a sum
nearly equal to the estimated cost of
the Panama or Nicaragua 'Canal. The
proposition was submitted to the peo
ple and was approved by them at the
recent election by a majority of over
200,000. With the contemplated Im
provements the canal will have a uni
form depth of 12 feet and a width of
122 feet, and will accommodate boats
150 feet long, 25 feet beam and 10 feet
depth of hold, having a cargo capacity
of 1000 tons, or more than four times
as large as the craft now in use. The
only serious fight that was made
against this project was that of the
railroads, which put forth the argu
ment that, even with the improve
ments proposed, the canal would still
be unable to handle freight at as low a
rate as it could be handled by- cars.
New York's grain trade has been
steadily slipping away to the South
ern ports, and it met this argument
with the indisputable fact that the old,
out-of-date canal, while handling but
a small proportion of the traffic as com
pared with former years, still made the
rate by which the railroads were forced
to abide. They also demonstrated that
the new canal would be enabled to
handle freight at a much smaller cost
than the pld one. From this It fol
lowed perforce that the railroads would
make a lower rate to meet th Im
proved form of competition. In fact,
their own admission that they could
haul freight at less cost than It could
be moved by the canal was almost In
effect a notice frpm the railroad men
that rates would be reduced as soon as
the canal began moving freight at
lower rates. -
The New Yorkers confidently expect
to win back the trade they have- lost
to the Southern ports. Their success
in this direction may not be complete,
but the only agency that can prevent
the restoration of the trade which has.
been diverted over other routes is a
further reduction by the lines leading
to other ports. Herein lies an indirect
benefit to the state and the entire Mid
dle West and Northwest which is of
far greater value than the direct ben
efit Involved In the mere cost of the
haul by way of the canal. Every re
duction made by the canal and met by
the Southern routes means an added
value to the millions of tons of prod
ucts that annually go down the Lakes
to the sea; and In comparison with the
enduring results In the way of cheap
transportation which will be accom
plished by this new waterway, the
cost, great as It now seems, will be
small Indeed. Built on proportions now
outlined, the canal will place the
transportation of the products of an
empire forever beyond the reach of a
frust or a monopoly, for right of way
on the canal Is free to any one who
has sufficient capital to control a
canal-boat and a mule.
On a smaller scale and at very mod
erate cost in comparison, the opening
of the Columbia River at The Dalles
has many -points of similarity to the
improvement of New York's great
waterway. Both projects are met' by
the railroads with the statement that
the Improvements can never make the
water route as economical as that by
rail; but in both cases the water route
would regulate the rail charges. "With
the opening of the Columbia above The
Dalles some freight would still be
hauled over the Cascade Mountains,
and with the completion of New York's
waterway some freight tributary to
that waterway will still be drained out
by other routes. The waterway in
both cases, however, would remain the
basis on which freight tariffs were es
tablished, and would be a lasting pro
tection for the producers against cor
porate greed.
The internal taxes Imposed by the
Cuban government to pay Interest on
the big loan to be contracted to pay off
the patriots of the recent rebellion
against Spain are very unpopular, it
seems, and when they took effect on a
recent Sunday dealers refused to buy
the stamps. Cigars and liquors were
not to be had In any quantity in Ha
vana or Santiago. Protests against
the stamp tax are being sent in by
Chambers of Commerce and by indi
vidual wholesale dealers and retailers.
An American at Santiago who fbok
advantage of the general attitude to
sell nearly all his stock of liquors and
cigars Ib much abused by the Cuban
merchants. A strike against the stamp
law is projected among clgarmakers.
Two feelings account for the move
ment Not a few of the dealers hold
the patriots in contempt not having
sympathized with their revolution nor
its results. They do not wish to have
Cuba saddled with debt for the patri
ots' benefit Then, besides, they do not
want any further Increase of taxation.
It Is difficult to understand wherein
the substitute for the ship subsidy bill
as Introduced by Representative Jones
Is much of an improvement over the
Frye bill. The discriminating duty Is
in effect a subsidy to be paid to the
American shipowner, as the British and
German shipowners who sail their ships 1
in opposition to both subsidized and
unsubsldized vessels will absorb the
amount of that discriminating duty,
just as they now absorb the advantage
held by the French shipowner In the
way of" a subsidy. Theoretically they
will absorb that differential. Actually
the two nations with such Alarge pro
portion of the world's tonnage will es
tablish the rates and the American
shipowner will meet them and pocket
the 20 per cent discriminating duty.
This will still come out of the producer
and consumer, and the many will pay
the tax for the benefit of the few. The
largest Individual items on the dutiable
Import list of the Paciflc Coast States
are jute, hemp and. grain bags. The
farmers of Oregon, "Washington and
California annually pay vast "sums in
duties on these products, and it is un
just that they should contribute an ad
ditional 10 per cent duty for the pur
pose of giving shipowners a monopoly
of the business.
"The people" demanded that they be
given a chance. They wanted land.
Here, they said, is an immense Na
tional domain. It belongs to the peo
ple. Then each one of "the people"
was allowed to make an entry. He or
she made the entry. But before he or
she made the entry It was thought best
to make arrangements to "realize." To
go and sit down on the land and work
and wait was irksome. So arrange
ment was made beforehand with the
capitalist and timber-land speculator.
The j'cltlzen" entered the land. He or
she got the right to title, and then for
a consideration agreed on beforehand,
passed it to the timber capitalist or
timber syndicate, and took the money.
It is an old story. The business has
been going on these many years. But
just now, somehow, the Land Office
has just found it out Hence all thi3
racket The root of the fraud lay in
disposition of members of Congress to
give "the poor man" or "the ppor
woman" something, out of the super
abundant bounty of the Government
The poor man and the poor woman
would sell out for what they could get
Indeed were supplied with the money
beforehand by the monopolist; and the
consequence is that the title to the
lands that were given to "the people"
turns up In the hands of a few wealthy
men. And we all roar and -howl.
Undoubtedly a prime factor in the
Panama situation is the isolation ' of
the province. The state of the land
communications, the distances and the
topography of the country are such
that with the three or four ships of
the Colombian government destroyed,
captured or bottled up Panama would
be safe from attack. There Is no di
rect highway or railway communica
tion with the Interior of Colombia.
Even Cartagena and Savanilla are ten
or twelve days' journey from Bogota.
Colombia, Including Panama, has an
area of from 450,000 to 500,000 square
miles, or about that of the twelve
states, exclusive of New Jersey and
Delaware, lying east of the Mississippi
and south of the Ohio River and .New
York. But in all this vast region there
are only 350 miles of railroad, exclu
sive of the Panama Railroad, and this
small mileage, instead of forming a
continuous -system, is scattered in
short stretches through eight of the
nine provinces. To get to Bogota from
Savanilla one travels by a short rail
road to Barranquilla, then spends six
days on a river steamboat and makes
the' last four days on horseback or on
foot Since there is no overland route
from Bogota to the isthmus, this long
and tedious Journey to Savanilla from
the capital means that Colombia must
operate on a weak. base.
Attempted independence is not a new
thing with Panama. A glance over the
history of South America shows that
the little province has seceded time and
again. To mention just a few of the
more Important dates, there are-1841,
1857 and 1868. Sometimes for two or
three years at a time Panama has
managed its own affairs in Its own
name without any interference from
Bogota. Moreover, for three decades
prior to 188G Panama enjoyed full pow
ers of local self-government. Whether
or not It considered Itself independent,
whether or not it sent delegates to Bo
gota to participate In such general
government as happened to exist, Pan
ama was locally autonomous. In 1886
the present constitution, with its cen
tralized government, was declared In
force by a convention of delegates in
which Panama had refused to partici
pate. Two other states joined Panama
in protesting against the new constitu
tion as not binding upon them, but In
the course of time all of them came to
recdgnlze It This constitution, how
ever, has been "suspended" most of the
time as a result of the continually re
curring revolutions. It looks as if this
time the ambitious young republic
would actually make a go of it
Possibly our astute and able Con
gressmen, If not manganlmous, will be
more disposed to aid Cuba now that
the Island wears a prosperous air and
Is able tb say, "If you don't choose to
be friendly with me, I can get along
very well without your friendship."
The surplus of $500,000, which General
Wood's government left in the Cuban
treasury on evacuating the island, m has
grown to 54,000,000. The balance of
trade of 522,000,000 against her has been
converted to one of $4,000,000 in her
favor. She has Increased her appropri
ations for public schools to nearly
$4,000,000, and her sugar crop Jias
grown from 300,073" tons in 1S90 to an
estimated product this year of 970,000
tons. "A million and a half of cattfe
are feeding on her hills where five
years ago there were no cattle at all."
She has a rich trade-to offer U3 In re
turn for whatever advantages we may
give her.
The late William E. Dodge made no
charitable bequests in his will. He
gave as a reason for the absence of
such bequests that he believed It to be
better to give what one has to give
during life. In his case such gifts were
generous -and were systematically be
stowed. That 'is a good rule to those
who can observe It It avoids law
suits and may block the way to un
pleasant notoriety. Had the late Mr.
Bennett, friend and admirer of W. J.
Bryan, observed this rule. It would
have been better for all concerned, with
the possible exception of the protesting
widow, who may yet defeat the de
'vlsement of 450,000 to the Nebraskan,
which seems to have been made in a
burst of admiration and without due
form of law.
From the story of Ed C. Lewis, as de
tailed by Attorney Watt, it seems that
the police department seeks to make
upn the severity with which It treats
suspects when In custody awaiting trial
what It lacks in ability to apprehend
criminals. This is what may be called
'striking a general average in the busi
ness. Perhaps it is, under all the cir
cumstances, justifiable, but It must be
admitted that it is pretty hard on the
"suspects."
THE HERALD HAS AN OPINION.
New York Herald, Nov. 8.
The die is cast President Roosevelt
has decided to virtually recognize the In
dependent existence of the newRepublic
of Panama.
As patriots, as practical men, Ameri
cans of every shade of opinion should
accept the accomplished fact and support
the government The question whether
Mr. Roosevelt be right or wrong is one
thafconccrns the future. The people at
the polls, perhaps indeed the delegates at
the next Republican convention, will ren
der a verdict on that point and will pro
nounee upon his decision, either indorsing
It as just, prudent and staiesmanijKe or
condemning it as Iniquitous, shortsighted
and reckless.
One fact is indisputable Mr. Roosevelt
has the courage of his convictions. No
more striking contrast with his prede
cessor could be Imagined. The one by
throwing down the reins to a jingo Con
gress, under the influence of a jingo press,
made possible a Spanish-American War,
the other, with excessive self-confidence,
voluntarily accepts the heavy responsibil
ity of a Central American policy that
may yet Involve the United States in for-
I- elgn complications.
For the moment however, the prospect
Is very smiling. England's Interests were
safeguarded when the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty was signed. France has none that
will not benefit from the intervention of
the United States. It Is now a virtual
certainty that the Panama Canal will be
constructed. Thus the French bondhold
ers will receive whatever balance of the
540,000,000 purchase money may be left by
those who organized the new Panama
company purely as a financial speculation.
So far, then, as Europe i3 concerned,
there are no clouds on the horizon for the
United States. But even If there were, it
would be but one more Incentive to the
people to uphold the Government The
birth of a new republic on the Isthmus
does not lessen the engineering difficult
ties of the Panama route for an inter
oceanlc canal, but it materially improves
the political conditions-under which that
route may be secured by the United
States.
As an Independent newspaper, and,
therefore, as one without political preju
dices or obligations, tho Herald frankly
admits that the time has gone by when
controversy about superiority, respective
ly, of tho Panama and Nicaragua routes
could be profitable. Such a controversy,
In fact, Is no longer possible. The latest
uprising on the Isthmus and the attitude
of the "Washington Administration toward
it have at least the merit of settling the
canal question. The waterway Is to be
constructed along the Panama route.
Today then It Is jpf vital importance
that opposition to it should cease. Neither
the New York Times nor Senator Morgan
can undo the events of the last few days
or hope to change the attitude of the .Gov
ernment, now that it is pledged to a cer
tain line of action. The country is at
what may prove to be a turning point in
its history. At such a moment there can
be neither Democrats nor Republicans,
neither supporters of the Panama pro
ject nor advocates of tho Nicaragua route
there are only Americans, and it is the
duty to support the Government, right or
wrong.
Washington's Pleasant Society.
Collier's "Weekly.
Ten years have brought a number of
changes to Washington society. Tho dig
nified old Southerners, who madeup the
residential set have been livened and
freshened, and, if the truth must be told,
sometimes pushed to the rear by an Influx
of rich men, who have built or are build
ing palaces around the circles. In addi
tion to this, there are now for the first
time adequate apartment-houses and ho
tels for the man who desires to spend the
Winter in Washington and live In the
same comfort and luxury he has at home.
The diplomatic society was never more
pleasant than today. There are more Am
bassadors and younger ones, and the atta
chea seem, to be In great demand. Official
society Is predicated always on the Pres
ident, of course. Mr! Roosevelt is the
greatest entertainer at the White House
since the days of President Arthur. In
addition to the state dinners, and his pri
vate house parties, he and Mrs. Roosevelt
have planned for th$ coming Winter a se
ries of brilliant receptions and muslcales,
entirely apart from and in addition to the
New Year's public reception, and the four
great formal affairs where all Washington
goes to shake hands and then rushes away
again, ,glad the ordeal Is over.
The stamp of social prominence, not
worth, perhaps, but prominence, In Wash
ington, is to appear in the "always in
vited" list at the White House. Some
strange people get on this list through
political exigencies, but the real ones get
there, too.
Washington is a dinner-giving city. One
never dines at his own home there, even
down to the humbler circles of society,
unless one Is giving a dinner to bis friends.
Invitations go out weeks ahead,
and the society of Senators and other offi
cials, the diplomats, tho Army and Navy
men, to say nothing of the millionaires
who entertain all these and their wives,
are at great straits to distribute them
selves properly. Each Winter the season
is more brilliant than the one before.
Here Is a Canal Programme.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Senator Morgan has a canal programme.
He says that tho President no longer has
an excuse for not turning to Nicaragua;
that the situation on the isthmus makes
it Impossible for this country to obtain
the right to use tho Panama route within
a reasonable Ime. Therefore, give us the
Nicaragua route.
That Is tho Morgan idea of it; but not
that of the great American public. Here
Is a programme that will suit the people:
Full recognition of tho Panama Repub
lic, j
Prompt negotiations for the canal.
Work to begin Immediately upon ratifi
cation. The new republic wants that canal built,
and that being the case, the delay ought
to be slight
Oldest American Writer.
New York Mall ahd Express.
A New York paper recently referred
editorially to Dr. Samuel Smiles as being
the oldest living author in England, and
to Prof. Marclus Willson, aged 5)0, as be
ing the oldest living American author.
This is not correct One American author
is four years older, and still In active pro
fessional life. He is Charles H. Haswell,
of New York City. He was born In New
York May 22, 1809,. and has just completed
the revision of the 69th edition of his "Me
chanics and Engineers' Pocketbook," first
Issued In 1842. His other books have been
"Mechanics' Tables" (1S54); "Mensuration
and Practical Geometry" (1S56), "Book
keeping" (1S60), "Reminiscences of New
York From 181G to -1S66" and "Reminis
censcs of an Octogenarian" (1S95). Until
some one older is mentioned, the claim is
put forward for Mr. Haswell that he Is
the ranking senior of all American
writers.
The Dying-Christian to His Soul.
Alexander Pope. '
Vital spark of heavenly flame!
Quit, oh quit this mortal frame!
Trembling, hoping, lingering, flying,
Oh. the pain, the bliss of dying!
Cease, fond nature, cease thy strife.
And let me languish Into life!
Hark! they whisper; angels say,
Sister spirit, come away!
"What Is this absorbs me aulte?
Steals my senses, shuts my sight.
Drowns my spirits, draws my breath?
Tell me, my soul, can this be death?
The worM recedes; it disappears!
Heaven opens on my eyes!, my ears
With sounds seraphic ring; " --..,'
Xend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly!
O Grave! where Is thy victory?
O-Death! "where is thy sting?
D0NT BLAME THE FOREIGNER.
New York Evening' Post ,
After every such defeat as the reform
forces have suffered there are plenty of
croakers who think that tfce time has
come to restrict the suffrage. It is the
Italians, or the Greeks, or the East Side
Hebrews who are responsible for our mis
ery, just as a few years ago it was the
Irish who were blamed for every triumph
of Tweed or Croker. "We should lose no
time in putting up the bars, cry the anti
immigration societies. "Without minimiz
ing the dangers which arise from having
undigested foreigners among us. we would
respectfully point out that the greatest
numerical difference between the voters
who registered and those who voted is to
be found In well-t6-dp districts on the up
per "West Side, and that nearly all of the
voters who do not register at all reside
in the prosperous districts. One of the
problems now before the Citizens' Union
and similar organizations is how to get
these native-born Americans to display a
proper Interest In their civic affairs, and
to refrain from subsidizing the forces of
Tammany Hall If they think that their
business affairs demand it. "We know of
very few recently naturalized Italians or
Greeks who send thousand-dollar checks
to Tammany Hall, or control our large
public service corporations and pay over
stockholders' funds to Sullivan or Mur
phy. These privileges are reserved to native-born
Americans, whether in Phila
delphia or New York or Chicago, and no
conceivablo limitation of the suffrage
would affect them. We must also remind
those who fear the purchasable foreign
voter that native Americans of Rhode Isl
and and Delaware yield as easily to a 55
note as any dwellers in our ghetto or
Italian quarter. Should they be dis
franchised?
The Fusion Blunder in New York.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
The Republican state managers, in
cluding the Governor and Senator Piatt,
recognizing the danger, undertook to align
the Reform or Fusion party against
Tammany as a counteracting agent in its
National aspect and the Tammany man
agers were not slow to take advantage
of the Indiscretion. In forming their tick
et they placed upon it Grout and Fornes,
the Controller and President of the Board
of Aldermen, both Democrats and nomi
nees on the Low ftlcket for re-election.
As the Tammany platform was equally
as pronounced fop-reform, as that of the
Fuslonlsts, they accepted the nomina
tions. This created a storm among the
Republican -element of the fusion party
Which clamored for their expulsion from
their ticket The execution of their de
mand followed and at once- emphasized
the partisan spirit which dominated the
fusion party. This shrewd policy of
Tammany was the true turning point in
the contest and was followed up with
such tact and aggressive force that It
drew to its support many organizations
which had become alienated from It,
until the fusion party had been shorn of
Its. best available Democratic strength.
,
Bishop Potter's Coadjutor.
New York American.
David Hummell Greer, rector of St.
Bartholomew's Church, has been elected
bishop coadjutor by the diocesan conven
tion of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
and has been assigned byBIshop Potter
to all the heavier duties attached to the
office of bishop.
David Hummell Greer, the new bishop
coadjutor bf New York, was born In
Wheeling, W. Va., March 20. 1844. He
was educated at Washington College,
Pennsylvania, and the Protestant Epis
copal Seminary, at Gambler, O.
He received the degree of Doctor of Di
vinity from Brown University and from
Kenyon College. He was ordained in 1S66,
and his first charge was in Clarksburg,
W. Va. He has been rector of St Bar
tholomew's since 1SSS.
Dr. Greer- Is president and director of
the St Bartholomew's Loan Association;
a trustee of the Provident Loan Society,
and a member of the Metropolitan, Rid
ing, University Glee,. City and Patrla
Clubs, and of the Brown University
alumni.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica Now.
New York Times.
It Is the plain interpretation of the
Spooner act .to which we have already
called attention, that the "reasonable
time" within which the President could
come to terms with Colombia expired
with the refusal of Colombia to ratify the
treaty containing those terms within the
period fixed by the treaty itself. The duty
of the President is the plainer nqw that
he ha3 acknowledged formally that Co
lombia has lost the control which she had
already refused to cede to the United
States. The condition on which the act
of 1902 directed that the President should
take up the Nicaragua route Is clearly
fulfilled.
The Perils of Prophecy.
Harper's Weekly (Before Election).
The Ohio Republicans profess to expect
an overwhelming victory on November 3,
but, curiously enough, the Democrats
seem not in the least despondent. . . .
That the Democratic vote will be larger
than it usually is in non-Presidential
years Is probable, not because Mayor
Johnson Is particularly qualified to recon
solidate the Democratic party In his state,
but because there Is a growing feeling of
uneasiness touching the duration of the
prosperity which has been popularly at
tributed to the Dingley tariff and to Re
publican Administration.
r
New York a Democratic City.
New York Tribune.
It is perhaps not unnatural that in the
first disappointment of their failure to
continue good administration In New
York by means of a fusion campaign
some Republicans should impatieatly ex
claim that they have had enough of
fusion and will henceforth make strict
party fights at city elections. They will
think better of it, however, after a little,
for several Reasons. First they can
never win a party fight but merely play
Into the hands of Tammany by attempt
ing one.
The Destruction of Sennacherib.
Lord Byron.
The Assyrian" came down like the wolf on tho
fold.
And his cohorts were gleaming In purple and
gold;
And he sheen of their spears was like stars
on the sea.
When the blue waVo rolls nightly on deep
Galilee.
Like the leaves of the forest when Summer 13
green.
That host with their banners at sunset was
seen;
Like the leaves of tho forest when Autumn
hath blown. .
That host on the morrow lay withered anu
strown.
Fur the Angel of Death spread his wings, on
the bla3t.
And breathed in the face of the foe as he
passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and
child.
And their hearts but once heaved, and forever
"grew sUH.
And there lay the steed with his nostril all
wide.
But through It there rolled not the breath cX
his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the
turf.
And cold as the spray of tho rock-beating surf.
And there lay the rider, distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow and the rust on
bis mall;
And the tents were alt silent, the banners
. alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.
And the widows of Ashur are loud In their
. wall, i
-And the Idols are broke In the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote .by the
sword, -.
Hath mefted like snow In the glance of the
Lord!
v, "V
Oh, the festive umbrella. "
What a Jolly kind of fella."
He Is humble, yet we always hold him,
high.
From the sunshine he protects us.
In the darkness he directs us,
In the rain he does his fcest to keep us dry.
Oh. the steel-ribbed umbrella.
What an acrobatic "fella."
Whether out upon the porch or In the
shed.
Whon the sun shines he is gladder,
Jft'hen It rains he is no sadder,.
For we always find him standing- on his
head. J. J- W.
Her Hat.
"I simply doto 'on birds." said she
Her beauty was alarming
"I think the little things so cute"
Her smile was simply charming.
With Joy I told her that we shared
A pleasant love together
The little songsters of the air,
I love their every feather.
I spoke of how the woodlark sang
His song with gladness brimming
"Oh, that!" said she. "I guess that's right
I like them best as trimming."
The rolling stock won't roll up.
The Governor seems to have rooted con
victions, too. .
Davenport should draw Just as well on
the platform.
Even If Chicago Is a hundred years old
the people have to walk.
The man with a new umbrella has a
touch of Ajax defiance about him.
-'The way to" break the strike in the
county jail is to import nonunion men.
Santo Domingo has not broken off dip
lomatic relations with the United States.
Joy!
It was tough on the Oregon City farmer
to have a robber hog the proceeds of his
hogs.
A woman jumped from the third story
of a lodging-house to avoid a Seattle
landlady. . y
The Democrats would have had just as
good an Issue If President Roosevelt had
refused to recognize Panama.
Pendletonians want women to take their
hats off In church. But then the women
might as well not go to church.
To trust In law, more than In those that
administer the law, for the prevention of
fraud is to lean upon a broken reed.
Coincident with the recrudescence of
Sherlock Holmes is the resignation of
Scotland Yard's most celebrated detec
tive. Fltzslmmons has taken to bursting
punching bags again. As the date of a
fight approaches the press agent's inven
tion gets worn out.
From the Brooklyn Eagle we learn that
the "renaissance pattern is conspicuous
in the new passementeries." How these
windy days reveal things! '
If the British Free Traders would de
vote their, energies to the introduction of
the American free lunch they would ac
complish more good for the downtrodden
masses, whose welfare they so sedulously
seek.
With Baltimore High School girls mur
derously attacking one of their number
and Topeka college girls bruising one an
other In color rushes, the higher educa
tion of women can be considered Justified.
Soon the reports from centers of female
education will read In this way:
Lottie Longfeet, the popular Vaseline
halfback, added further laurels to her col
lege famej yesterday by defeating Dolly
Dialogue In a hair-pulling contest on the
principal street of the city. "Lanky Lot."
as she Is familiarly and affectionately
called by the racetrack followers, got
away with six bunches of Dolly's hair.
Dorothy Dingbat, who has become un
popular among the girls of Marmalade
University, on account of her affected
manners "So ladylike, don't you know,"
observed "Bill" Van Dyke, the girl-pugl-list-wlt
was ducked in the mill pond yes
terday, and left for dead on the bank. The
students were much disappointed to learn
that she had survived.
There Is a mutiny at Glngerbrandy Col
lege because the faculty has ordered the
girls to discontinue tho practice of appear
ing at dances In their football togs.
In the annual Vaseline-Marmalade boxing
contest "Slippery Sue," of Vaseline, won
the heavy-weight Intercollegiate cham
pionship on a foul. "Whirlwind Kate,"
Marmalade, '07, won the lightweight,,
putting "Pasty-faced Patricia" down and
out with a hook on the Jaw.'
At a class debating contest in Appletart
College last night the, freshmen won,
largely owing to their better use of 'chair
legs. None of the wounded Is likely to
die. WEX. J.
OUT OF THE GINGER JAR.
"Yes en," said the new benodtt. "I've got
a remarkable wife. She can cook and play the
piano with equal facility." "The Idea! Where
did she ever learn to cook a piano?" Phila
delphia Press.
Magistrate Did I undertand you to say -the
prisoner offered resistance when you attempted
to place him under arrest? Policeman None
worth mentioning, 'Tour Honor; only a couple
of dollars. Chicago Dally News.
"You know that man Flipperton, who claims
to read character at a glance?" "yes." "Well,
he swindled me out of 300." "Indeed? I
didn't suppose he ever put his boasted talent
to any practical use." Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"This book," began the agent. "Ain't got
r.o use for It." interrupted the busy merchant.
"Judging from your remark, sir, you are not
aware that this encyclopedia devotes at least
twelve pages to 'Grammer,' "Philadelphia
Press.
"Fine, wasn't It?" exclaimed Cltlman, after
the trombone soloist had finished his star per
formance. "That was really clever, eh?" "Oh,
shucks!" replied Citlman's country cousin. 'He
didn't fool me a little bit. That's oneo-them
trick horns. He didn't really swaller It."
Philadelphia Press.
Neighbor Now that you have succeeded In
glvln' y'r sono and daughters a college edlca
tlon, what are yeh goin' to do next? Mr.
Wayback Wall, I dunno; but I've been think
In' I'd better move out of town so I won't
disgrace em. New York Weekly.
"Well." remarked the new offlce man, pat
ting himself on the chest, "the boss hasn't
found any fault with my work so far."
"No," replied the old bookkeeper, "he told
me he didn't have to And any It was so
evident that there was no need of looking
for it." Cincinnati Times-Star.
"She is a wonderful woman!" said one
member of the theatrical company, as the
vstar responded to a curtain call. "1 should
say so," answered the Jealous rival. "Any
body with as little talent as she has who
could convince so many people she can act
must be clever!" Washington Star.
"O. Aunt Rachel, we are facing the most
terrible alternative you ever heard of!"
"What Is the matter, Becky?" "The jani
tor of the building wants to marry otsr
Amelia. She can't bear tho sight of him
but how can we ever daro to run the risk
of offending him!" Chicago Tribune, I
NOTE AND COMMENT.
The "Biimbershoot."