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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1903)
j w ; vT'-'r751" "T" 'TT"''"- !&?? .'pzw sjwr TP13 MORNING ORGOIAN, MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1903. r - i . -- j"vt -w lie rjegxmtan Entered at the Foitoffice &t Portland, Oroea, as second-class matter. REVISES) SUBSCRIPTION RATES. By mall (postage prepaid In advance) Dally, with Sunday. per month 0.S5 Dally, Sunday excepted, per year Dally, with Sunday, per year 0.00 Sunday, per year -0 The Weekly, per year 1-W The Weekly. 5 month. ;0 Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday excepted..l5o Dally, jer week, delivered. Sunday lncluded..20o POSTAGE RATES. United States, Canada and Mexico 10 to 14-page paper - 16 to SO-pace paper ....... ..........2o 2 to 44-page paper 3c Foreign rates double. News for discussion Intended for publication to The Oregonian should be addressed invari ably "Editor The Oregonian," not to the name of any individual. Letters relating to adver tising, subscription, or to any business matter, should be addressed simply, "The Oregonian." The Oregonian does not buy poems or stcrles from Individuals, and cannot undertake to return any manuscripts tent to It without so licitation. Ho stamps should be inclosed for this purpose. Eastern Business Office, 43. U. 43, 47. 48. 4 Tribune Building. New York City; 610-11-12 Tribune Building, Chicago; the S. C Beckwlta Special Agency, Eastern representative. For sale In New Tork City by L. Jonas & Co., news dealers, at the Actor House. For sale In San Francisco by L. E. Iee, Palace Hotel news Btand; Goldsmith Bros.. 236 Sutter street; F. W. Pitta, 1008 Market street; 3. K. Cooper Co.. 746 Market -street, near the Palace Hotel: Foster & Orear, Ferry news stand; Frank Scott. 80 Elite street, and N. Wheatley, S3 Stevenson street. For sale In Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner, 259 South Spring street, and Oliver Jb Haines. 206 South Spring street. For sale in Kansas City, Mo., by Rlcksecker Cigar Co., Ninth and Walnut streets. For eale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co., 217 Dearborn street: Charles MacDonald, 53 Washington street, and the Auditorium Annex news stand. For eale In Minneapolis by M. J. Kavanaugh. 60 South Third street. For sale in Omaha by Barkalow Bros., 1612 Farnftfci street; Mcgeath Stationery Co., 1S0S Femora street: McL&uxhlln Bros.. 210 S. Fourteenth street. For eale In Ogden by W. G. Kind. 114 25th street; V. C. Alden. Postofflce cigar store; F. R. Godard and C. H. Myers. For sale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News Co.. 77 West Second South street. For m.t- in Washington. D. C. by the Eb bett House news stand, and Ed. Brlnkman. Fourth and Pacific avenue. N. W. For sale In Colorado Springs by C. A. Bruner. For sale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton Kendrick. 000-012 17th street: Louthan & Jackson Book A Stationer' Co., . 15th and Lawrence streets; J. S. Lowe. 1520 17 tb street, and Julius Black. TKSTERDATS WEATHER Maximum, tem perature, 47; minimum temperature, 35; pre cipitation, 0. TODAT'S WEATHER Partly cloudy; winds mostly brisk, easterly. PORTLAND, MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1003 - i . - XOSING CONTROL OF WHEAT MARKET. The United States Is a gTeat country and in most cases Is entitled to all of the glory that Is claimed for it In the way of forcing all other nations on earth to pay tribute to us, We grow more wheat than Is produced by any two other countries on the globe, and in the past have been in a position to dom inate to a large extent the prices for wheat in the Liverpool market. This past prestige, however, is somewhat dimmed this season, a fact that is over looked by both farmers and statesmen In this country. Our exports of wheat for the first ten months of the calendar year have declined over 50,000,000 bush els as compared with those for the same period in the preceding year, and the percentage of decrease for the past four months has been heavier' than in any of the previous months of the year. This does not mean that we have not produced a sufficient amount of wheat to enable us to make as good a showing in exports as we made & year ago, or that the foreigners have cut down their consumption of wheat to the extent in dicated by the figures. "What it does mean is that the foreign buyers have secured the additional 50,000,000 bushels from some other country. In an argu ment against tariff reform, Mr. Gros venor, of Ohio, recently ridiculed the idea of retaliation from Great Britain, which he stated "could not live ninety days without purchasing food supplies from the outside. Considering the ar gument he was advancing, the natural Inference which the Ohio man sought to convey 'was that Great Britain could not live 90 days without food supplies from this country. This construction of his remark Is the only one that would give It any bearing on the case in point, and the fallacy of such a statement or inference is shown by the action of the Liverpool and American markets for the past ninety days, a period men tioned by Mr. Grosvenor in his speech. Ninety days ago, "Walla Walla cargoes were selling in Liverpool market at 32s j6d per quarter. Wheat was selling at 80 cents In Chicago, and a few days later dropped to 77 cents per bushel. Yesterday the Liverpool quotation on Walla Walla cargoes were 30s 6d per quarter, while the Chicago market was firm at 82 cents per bushel. Within that ninety days the wheat shipments from the United States have fallen off over 5,000,000 bushels as compared with those of the preceding season for the same period. This shows quite plainly that Great Britain is not only securing plen ty of wheat from other countries, but within a period of ninety days, while the Americans advanced prices from 2 to 5 cents per bushel, the Liverpool market actually declined 6 cents per bushel. This condition of affairs could not exist If Great Britain were depend ent on this country for wheat to the ex tent intimated by Mr. Grosvenor. The total wheat crop of the world last year was 2,988,000.000 bushels, and the de crease in shipments .from the United States since January 1 was more than made up by increased shipments from India, Argentina and Russia alone. American wheat has a good-reputation in the foreign markets, but this reputa tion will not induce the foreigners to pay a premium over the prices at which they can secure supplies elsewhere. If the American farmers continue to hold their wheat, high prices may follow in this country, but the prices abroad will not advance until there is a cessation of the 'present free selling movement by every other country except the United States. Under these conditions Great Britain can go ahead with her retalia tory embargo if she has one in view without feeling any alarm over having her food supplies cut short If wheat soars too high in this country, we shall lose our reputation as the granary of the world, for wheat Is grown only to be sold or consumed. An anonymous gun Captain in the Navy in writing in the Army and Navy Journal suggests a method of remedy ing the desertion evil and of securing an efficient naval reserve, that Is in teresting. In his opinion the real cause of desertion and of failure to re-enlist at expiration of service Is not the pay, the food or the treatment, but the de sire of the men to secure a home for themselves before old age sets In. This failure to re-enlist is a serious loss to the Navy, since It means the substitu tion of raw for trained and skillful men and a heavy expense In producing good marksmen. His suggestion Is that the retirement age for enlisted men must be reduced to one-half of what it Is now, and the men be given positions now held by civilians In Government service, such as the llfesaving and lighthouse service, the revenue service, the cus toms and the Navy magazines and the navy-yards. They could then marry and have homes, but would be where the Government could lay Its hands on them in case their services were needed in war time, where now land-lubbers have to be taken and trained. TIXJZS AND LIES. To fish i3 to prevaricate. The rule Is Invariable. If Izaak Walton .presents an apparent exception, it must be re membered that he was In reality but little of a fisherman, despite the clamor of the fraternity which would push him forward as its chlefest exemplar. Bear ing in mind this well-established and thoroughly understood rule, it is with no common or ordinary degree of inter esthow easily one falls into the very style of the illustrious author, to be con sidered that readers will peruse an ar ticle on "The Mission of Fishing and Fishermen" by Grover Cleveland in the current issue of the Saturday Evening Post. Mr. Cleveland is a fisherman, and he is not an exception to the rule, for does he not, in discussing this very point, declare that the piscatorial broth erhood has adopted as Its unfailing re quirement for honorable standing this. regulation. In essentials truthfulness; in nonessentials reciprocal latitude. It is obvious to every one that this attempt on the part of Mr. Cleveland to present such a rule as the crystalli zation of floating sentiments and moral ideas is a mere subterfuge, and one that vill fail to blind even his warmest personal or political friends. "Recipro cal latitude," Indeed, and in "nonessen tials." If the trifling matters of fish, their size and their numbers, be non essentials, then the fisherman 1b justi fied by this alleged regulation. But such thingB are the essentials, and they are far from the Influence of the truth. It is evident that Mr. Cleveland himself feels the Inherent weakness of his posi tion, for he goes on tVeay: If It is objected that there may be great difficulty and perplexity In determining what are essentials and what nonessentials under this rule, It should be remembered that no human arrangement, especially those Involv ing morals and ethics, can be made to fit all emergencies. Our worthy ex-President is wasting many long words on the ineffectual bolstering of an Indefensible cause. Let him come forth and freely admit, in swathing polysyllables If he will, that the regulation as to "the degree and kind of truthfulness which an honor able standing in the fishing fraternity exacts" is rather "in essentials lati tude; in nonessentials latitude again." Let him admit this, and we will agree with him that "one of the rudiments in the education of a true fisherman is the lesson of patience an admirable vir tue and we will furthermore agree that "In any event, great comfort Is to be found in the absolute certainty that the law of truthfulness will be so admin istered by the brotherhood that no one will ever be permitted to suffer In mind, body, or estate by reason of fishermen's tales." This may all be admitted, and It may even be conceded that if Mr. Cleveland has attempted too much for his fishing friends he has succeeded In laying down a regulation that might be adopted by his political friends and enemies: In essentials truthfulness; In nonessentials reciprocal latitude. KNOWLEDGE OF LIVESTOCK. No department of agricultural college work Is of more Importance than that In which students are taught to judge of the merits of individual horses, cattle and other livestock. This feature of the course of study is being emphasized in many of the Western colleges, and when the new agricultural building was erected at Corvallis two years ago p. room was provided on the ground floor where livestock may be led in and the students given practical demonstrations in this kind of work. In the improve ment of livestock breeding lies one of the most promising opportunities for the development of an Industry which brings to this country many millions of dollars every year in return for ex ports of stock and dairy products. When the range was free there was need enough for improvement in breeding, but now that settlement is driving the cattle and sheep from the plains, still greater advancement is necessary. -There are many men engaged in a moderate way in raising livestock whojof the Department of the Interior is not put too much dependence in pedigree. If it can be shown by a long line of an cestry that an animal comes of good stock, that Is sufficient. It is true that "blood will tell," but there are excep tions to the rule, and breeders who haver blindly tried to intensify a strain have sometimes done so to their sorrow. With the best line of ancestry animals with out merit will be produced. While there are men who give too much credit to pedigree, and do not Judge enough of the merits of the Individual animal, there are a much greater number who place no dependence upon either pedi gree or individual merit. These are the farmers who raise scrub stock without making any particular effort to Im prove their breeds. It may almost be said that to them all cows look alike. To them one bull is as good as another. That the number of this class of farm ers is growing less every year Is appar ent to every person who travels through the country districts, and for this change we are Indebted largely to the annual state fair and the Agricultural College. In teaching the student at the Agricultural College how to judge of the merits of livestock, the Instructors not only give the young men a knowl edge that will be of practical use to them if they ever buy, sell, or raise stock, but they also create in the pros pective farmers, business men and me chanics an appreciation of animals of superior merit. And that is something ui tYuiuii tte tuc iu utrcu. .every jutui i ciui icu u. weu-prupuriiuiitju animal from one that is ugly In build. But to be able to make this distinction Is far short of being able to point out the characteristics which indicate a, superior animal or an inferior animal. To the casual observer a cow or a. bull may ba perfect and yet in the eyes of the ex perienced judge be far from worthy of a place in the breeder's stable. Nearly all men, and women, are lov ers of good livestock. In the weU-formed animal there is a beauty that arouses the admiration of every one, but to the trained eye there is an added beauty which the novice does not behold. Through the education of young men at the agricultural colleges of this coun try there will he spread among the peo . pie a. higher appreciation of the merits of good livestock. With this will come a demand for a larger number of su perior animals, breeders will find more encouragement in more profitable sales "and the character of our livestock will be improved. By education the Ideals of the breeder will be raised and great er will be the efforts to bring these Ideals into realization. A reasonable sum of money would be well spent if it wre offered by the State Board of Ag riculture as a premium to the young man who should prove himself to be the best judge of livestock In a contest to he conducted at the annual State Fair. Such a premium has been offered lor three successive years by the Inter national Livestock Exposition at Chica go, with the result that a very desira ble and valuable Interest has been aroused In this branch of agrology. This subject is of particular Interest at this time, in view of the convention of the National Livestock Association which will he held In Portland January 12 to 15. At that convention many sub jects of great importance will be dis cussed, most of them pertaining to leg islation. Those delegates to the conven tion whose relation to the livestock in dustry is that of the breeder will do much to advance their own financial interests if they can add some impetus to the movement for a more general understanding of what constitutes th tha best product of the breeder's science. GETTING OUT OFJELDOKADO. In Australia, a new and rich country, with oceans as buffers between It and the influence of other nations, with a homogeneous population, without bind ing customs or constitution, a great field was offered for experiments in government. And there were not lack ing politicians to make the experiments. Naturally it was in the direction of so cailstlc legislation that the new ven tures tended, since that was the form of government of which the least was known, and it Is In the unexplored country that Eldorado always lies. Unexampled efforts were made to ben efit an& incidentally to obtain the grat itude of the workman. Wage boards were established, compulsory arbitra tion adopted, government industries es tablished, and the Incidence of taxation arranged to benefit colonial Industries. Manhood suffrage Is the rule, and the payment of members has rendered It possible for the choice of the larrikins to take his seat. Thus power is more and more thrown Into the hands of the Socialist Labor party, which has prac tically eliminated the nonunion work Ingman in New South Wales and In Victoria. The party recently sent a deputation to the government asking that wire netting might be Included In the list of state industries, and It in sists that the docks needed by New castle shall be built by the state, despite the fact that private enterprise stands ready to carry out the work and that the borrowing capacity of the country is almost exhausted. In view of this It is reasonable to in quire how the Australian- regards his country. Legislation designed to Im prove the lot of the majority should make the country a happy place of abode, and with genecal prosperity all should be fortunate. One fact Is suffi cient commentary upon the policy of establishing st&to Industries and mak ing labor practically the only thing to be regarded in the country. The excess of immigration over emigration in Aus tralia during the last ten years has been 5000, and this In a new country, the only new country In the world, as Mr. Reld, leader of the opposition, pointed out, that is not attracting population. Australians are steadily leaving their native shores for Canada, South Africa and even the British Isles. Official re ports for the first six months of this year show that 16,327 persons left New South Wales alone for ports outside the commonwealth, this number exceeding that of the Immigrants by 2116. During the ten years from 1891 to 1901 the ex cess of emigrants from Victoria was 112,579, South Australia 18,219, and Tas mania 1948. The excess of Immigrants during the same period Into 'Western Australia was 130,133, Queensland 2i, 221, and New South Wales 9243. Lately New South Wales is beginning to share the fate of Victoria. It Is apparent that Australia's experi ments have not yet pointed her to a satisfactory way of harmonizing the interests of her various classes of citi zens. rOPULAB BECAUSE BETTER UN DERSTOOD. The conference between the President, Secretary Hitchcock and the Senators from Oregon is likely to disclose that the dissatisfaction with, the land policy nearly so strong as It was six months ago. By changing his methods and taking the people into his confidence, Secretary Hitchcock has removed the cause for a very large amount of severe criticism andLsome of the former oppo nents of his policy are now his support ers. There has been no change, so far as known, In either the general policy of the department or the views of the people of Oregon regarding land mat ters. There has been a very pronounced change In the Secretary's attitude rel ative to publicity and a corresponding change in the opinion of the people concerning Hitchcock and his purposes. No one In Oregon was more vehement than Governor Chamberlain In denun ciation of what he understood to be the department's forest-reserve policy. One large tract after another had been with drawn from entry with a view to the creation of forest reserves, and so far as the public was informed the reserves might be permanently created at any time under the same plan that has pre vailed In the past. Governor Chamber lain could see In the formation of these reserves the creation of an Immense acreage of "scrip" by means of which syndicates could secure large areas of valuable public lands. The Governor and a large number of citizens of Ore gon raised their voices In protest, with the result that Secretary Hitchcock an nounced in the most positive terms that the reserves would not be permanently created until the lieu land laws had been amended or repealed, so that an unjust exchange system should be no longer continued. Governor Chamber lain expressed his entire satisfaction with this explanation, and the people of the state seem to have no further op position to the forest-reserve policy. A few months ago there was a gen eral suspension of proceedings by which public lands are secured by individuals under the several land laws, and more stringent rules were adopted with a view to preventing the acquisition of title to public land by fraud. This also caused a protest. Some of the new rules seemed to be so stringent as. to make it difficult for even the honest homeseeker to acquire public land. The department has since given Assurance I that tha rights of the bona fids appli cant for public land will not be Inter fered with. The revelation of gross frauds by which Individuals procure land for syndicates, and the disclosure of facts which Indicate that land has .often been acquired In the names of persons who have no existence, have seemed to convince the people that there is seme reason for the adoptlpn of stringent rules. These developments have placed the Secretary of the In terior In better standing with the citi zens of Oregon. The people of this state are as firmly opposed as they ever were to the continuance of the scrip system as it now prevails, and they are deslf- ous that every opportunity be given the bona fide settler to secure a home from the public domain. So long as the de partment pursues a policy such as has been announced by it since the protest went up In Oregon, there will be very little dissatisfaction. Secretary Hitch cock will find that It pays In the end to keep the public Informed concerning the policies he favors in public affairs. An advance within the past month of nearly $1 per ton in ocean freight rates from Portland to the United Kingdom offers further Illustration of the beau ties of the subsidy system. Idle ships by the score are still strung along the Pacific Coast ports all the way from San Diego to Puget - Sound, and yet rates have advanced so that the Oregon producer must pay the shipowner $2500 more for carrying a cargo of wheat to Europe than was demanded for the same service a month ago. The French subsidy has rendered this advance pos sible. When the bounty-earners of France began to experience difficulty In securing cargoes at lis 3d to 12s In San Francisco, and 15s 6d to 16s 3d In Port land, their xjwners ordered them out on the ocean blue, where every mile they sailed placed to the credit of the owner a certain amount of subsidy. They sailed In ballast from Portland and San Fran cisco to Australia, New Caledonia and South America. Some of them started on the 17,000-mile journey around the Horn to France. Others are headed on the long journey to New York. The effect is already noticeable In a material advance In freights. Many of these French ships are owned by British cap italists, and in withdrawing them from the carrying trade they not only earn a bounty by traveling In ballast, but they aid the British ships which are not subsidized to secure higher rates. A concerted movement on the part of the British and French shipowners could result in every French ship afloat being kept on the high seas In ballast earning a subsidy, with the result that rates for the unsubsidized British and German ships would advance to a much higher figure, all of the advance coming out of the producers. Exactly the same "coup" would be possible by American shipowners If they are ever-permitted to loot the United States Treasury with a subsidy bill. This is the subsidy sys tem in practice, not In theory. The recollections of our childhood play us pranks In the matter of considering things "old." This term is significant in many things only within the period of our own experience. This is espe cially true, perhaps, in the matter of tunes and hymns. If, in our childhood, we became familiar with a hymn; If from our cradles its words set to a cer tain tune have been familiar to our ears we take It for granted that It Is old, and the more Impressive It Is, the more aged we are apt to consider It. An ob servant man, speaking upon this sub ject, recalls how one of his earliest in structors used to criticise Carleton, whose "Farm Ballads" were then popu lar, for his reference to "old Orton vllle." Another old new hymn, rela tively speaking, Is "Onward, Christian Soldier," the words of which were writ ten in 1865 by Rev. Sabine Baring Gould. The music which accompanies them was composed by Sir Arthur Sul livan shortly after. Operas by the same composer are still deservedly popular and should long remain so, since they are instinct with the element of per petual youth. A singer with a trem bling, cracked voice may be, properly characterlaed as "old," and her retire ment Insisted upon on this score, but the operas with which the world be came familiar through the medium of her voice are of the quality that years cannot impair. He who stands, how ever. UDon the hither veree of th span of human life, dwelling serenely 1 with memories of childhood and youth, may well be excused If In speaking of hymns familiar to his ears in the Sun day school of his boyhood he accounts them "old," forgetting that years do not make aged things of the spirit. The annual repprt of the Surgeon General of the Army explodes the dan gers of service In the Philippines so far as "venomous bites, stings and wounds" are concerned. In the entire Army there were 535 cases of this sort, with no deaths and only one case so serious as to Incapacitate the patient for .further service. Of these cases as many origi nated in the United States as in the Philippines. With Insanity, of which there were 186 cases, the showing against the Philippines is more serious, but not so much more so. In the United States 62 cases originated and in the Philip pines 114 cases, the rest being scattered among the other outlying possessions. The principal form of mental trouble was melancholia, to which soldiers In distant stations are peculiarly subject. Russia has a railroad, which branches off from the Trans-Caspian line at Merv and leads along the bank of the Mur ghab River for 190 miles to Kushkluskl Post on the Afghan frontier. By this railroad Russia in a few weeks could pour many thousands of troops along the Afghan frontier within eighty miles of Herat. Henry Norman, In his latest book, asserts that this branch road from Merv to the Afghan frontier Is simply a deliberate military measure against Great Britain, and serves only the pur pose of facilitating the invasion of India and placing Herat at the mercy of Rus sia. Possibly this accounts somewhat for the abandonment of the Younghus band expedition. The Lost "Sacred Issue." Washington Post Late tidings have been received In the press gallery of Colonel Blll'Sterrett, of Texas, nB original a character as ever put a Washington dispatch "on the wire." In his day here none could more forcibly discourse In a comfortable corner of the gallery about "the sacred Issue" and "our peerless leader." These now appear to be to him fallen Idols. "Give my best regards to the newspaper boys who know me," writes Bill from Dallas, "and to our Congressmen say that It Is beginning to look as if we are going to be embarrassed by being compelled to abandon the sacred Issue that we forced on the people when we got tangled up on the tariff, because we wanted some of It, and because we did not care to win, any how, as long as we Individually held the offices." SPIRIT OF THE NORTHWEST PRESS The Latest Epidemic. Harrlsburg Bulletin. The whole Northwest seems stricken With a malignant type of football. How ever, the death rate Is held at a law per centage. Amenities of Puget Sound Cities. Olympla Recorder. Seattle Is to build two new school houses. If she would build two more jails and fill them she would be on the high more to respectability. The Airs and the Reality. Woodburn Independent. Portland Is growing a3 it never grew before. From a country town it has taken on metropolitan airs, and is preparing to be in step with a great 1305 Exposition. They're All United. Woodburn Independent, . With his banquet and diplomacy, Sena tor Mitchell has accomplished more in one night for the Lewis and Clark Exposi tion than it would have taken a large body of men to gain In weeks of hard work. Tha Senator's success has called forth a note of admiration for the man from The Morning Oregonian, which speaks in behalf of the whole state. Clark County on Easy Street. Vancouver Columbian. It Is really gratifying to note the steady Improvement going on all over Clark County. In every direction farms are being cleared -and Improved, new houses and barns are being constructed, fences built and a general air of prosperity abundant. And why not? Rleht here is the center df health, plenty and attrac tive climate, big, red apples and pretty girls. You're Right, Brother; Stay With It. Eugene Guard. Th.ere promises to be a bitter fight waged at the coming session of the Legis lature over the appropriation for a por tage road. It Is only once in a long pe riod that an appropriation Is made or a law passed for a purpose that will benefit any considerable number of people in the state, and as soon as one is, a cry for it3 repeal goes up from certain sources the railroads In this instance. Ground fop More Proceedings. Pendleton Tribune. The testimony of witnesses at the Thomson trial reveals some of the prac tices that have been going on for years In the West In making final proofs for homesteads. Dozens of people In Uma tilla County, perhaps, have perjured them selves, as the wires last night say of Sallng and O'Hara, to the loose methods of the land offices, and to others may be attributed equal sin. Not at All Libelous. Deschutes Echo. There Is a rumor going the rounds to the effect that two of our fascinating young women had an altercation In town this veek, but we are short of the par ticulars. It is said, though, that one of the combatants pulled three switches off the other's head and also kicked her In the stom below the belt. No arrests were made, but if this kind of business Is kept up all the parties should be given a "benefit," Infinite Availability of Echo. Tacoma Ledger. The Oregonian presents a puzzle. It asks If the United States gives Panama ?10. 000,000, what proportion of the sum Pan ama Is bound to pay Colombia's debtors, and how they are to collect the same, adding the comment, "Echo answers, 'Howr " Most remarkable echo, that It suggests the story of the minister who In a funeral discourse drew a pathetic pic ture of the Journey from the cemetery to the stricken home, and told how the mourners entering the lonely rooms would say, "Where is father?" to which echo would respond, "He is not here." It seems that echo can be trained to make any re mark that suits the occasion. Unequivocal, at Any Rate. Roseburg Plalndealer. The Celllo portage railroad appropria tion should be repealed upon the meet ing of the Legislature In special session and a commission should be elected by a new law of the State of Oregon to as sess damages and condemn the land for the Government canal enterprise and end the squabble. What Is George E. Cham berlain, Governor of Oregon, doing when he stands In with robbing the taxpayers of the entire state to give an advan tage to one corner? Why does he op pose the Government project and cling most tenaciously to the Celllo portage railroad scheme and bawl like a 2-year-old steer when pulled oft from sucking his dam? Fifteen or Twenty Years HeavensI The Dalles Chronicle. There appears to be unanimity of senti ment In the press of Eastern Oregon re garding the importance of constructing the portage around the obstructions in the river above this city. This should be done to afford temporary relief to the producers of the Inland Empire, and at the same time It would furnish an objeat lesson that would demonstrate the effect of competition in reducing freight rates. Of course, the canal and locks will be the permanent Improvement, and will place transportation rates at the minimum. It may be 15 or 20 years after the Govern ment work Is begun before It will be com pleted, and during that time more than the cost of the road would be saved to shippers by Its operation. Every portion of the Northwest is interested In an open river, and the first and most Important movement in this direction will be the construction of the portage road by the state. How Moody Met Them. Dalles Tlmes-Mountalneer. The Roseburg Plalndealer prints a long. Inconclusive and Impotent screed concern ing Mr. Moody, which, with some vicious editorial comment, is reprinted in the anti-Moody organ, the Dalles Chronicle, of this city. The latter paper also de livers itself of another Inexplicit editorial on the same subject These deliverances are full of Insinuations meant to have a libelous effect without Incurring libelous responsibilities. To all of these only one final word Is necessary: Mr. Moody fore bore to defend himself in the newspapers, but reserved his cause for the court In which he was called to appear. He there met his accusers face to face, and sub mitted his whole case, with the result that upon all the evidence on both sides he was completely vindicated by the find ings that he had done nothing wrong, much less criminal. The statement In these articles that he presented any "technical defense" Is as far from the truth as the original charge. On the contrary, Mr. Moody, at the out set waived all technical objections, de manded immediate trial, and, as a matter of fact, all evidence offered by the prose cution even remotely bearing on the case was admitted without objection. More than that, when the prosecution failed to prove even that the Conroy letter was ever In the postofflce, he waived his legal advantage and proved that fact for the prosecution by his own evidence. This aftermath of the case is only of fered by those malignants who were re sponsible for the first attack, and it is not to be expected that they will be convinced, though the proof of Innocence were as strong as proof of holy writ and for the very good reasoji that the proof of Mr. Moody's innocence Is at the Bame time proof of their own condemnation. It was to be expected that the Dalles Chronicle would reprint that column-and-a-holf ar ticle from the Roseburg Plalndealer as sailing Malcolm Moody. The Chronicle's aim as a journal appears to be to assail I the ex-Congressman. FORGETTING THE BIBLE. Kansas City Star. The time seems rapidly passing when writers can use Biblical quotations with out Identifying marks. The day after the municipal election the New York Evening Post remarked that "hell was stirred up from beneath last night. In the worst quarters of this city to welcome the Tam many victory." This reference to the fourteen chapter of Isaiah greatly shocked the Nebraska Independent which sup posed that the sedate New York newspa per had suddenly become profane. It pro tested against such "strenuous" writing in a family journal and the Evening Post was forced to reply: "As religious con gresses say when they telegraph the Pres ident, see Isaiah xiv, 9." There are some quotations which It is possible to use without identifying tags. But their number Is dimlnshlng from year I to year. 11 it is remarked that "their chariots drave heavily," people smile at the typographical error. When the writer says that certain partisans would not be lieve though Ofiz rose from the dead, he Is by no means sure that his readers will understand the reference. There is much uncertainty In the popular mind as to thesource of the quotation: "All that a man hath will he give for his life" a sentiment which is made In Job, but on the devil's authority. Opponents of the President's policy toward Colombia have been likening Panama to Naboth's vineyard, doubtless to the mystification of many persons who have not read re cently about the assimilation plan that was born In the fertile brain of Jezebel. Lists of Biblical questions put to col lege students within the last few years have disclosed amazing Ignorance on things that used to be considered as fundamentals In the training of every young person. vJacob's harsh bargain with Esau, Saul's weird experience with the" Witch of Endor, Daniel In the lions den and the story of the fiery furnace these and other events narrated In the scriptures have been found to be as un familiar to these young American pagans as they are to the South Sea islanders. Now it may be submitted that, all religious- considerations aside, it will be a distinct loss to English .literature if the rich treasure house of biblical allusions be wholly or In part cut off from writers. The Incidents recorded are so varied, the language is so distinctive and so nearly perfect that quotations from the scrip tures are wonderfully adapted to the en richment of any literary work. It may be safely asserted that the time will never come when the most striking bibli cal references will not be generally un derstood. The Twentieth century Frank lin need not fear to fnmrir Ma ,,n try to Joshua at -who, nnmmnr, th sun of Briton and the moon of France stood still. But It seems likely that the essayist of the future will be unable to impart the flavor to his work which his predecessors were able to secure with, their rich allusions to scripture. Disintegration of a Republic. Baltimore Sun. Reports continue to come from, Colom bia of the Impending secession of the States of Cauca and Antioqula for the purpose of casting their lot with Panama. With the canal digging and the great commerce which the cities of Panama and Colon command by reason of their posi tion on the neck of the continent the new Republic of Panama will doubtless be one of the most prosperous portions of South America, At any rate, It will be In a far better plight than Colombia, most of which Is inaccessible and lacks every modern method of transportation. Both Cauca and Antioqula would probably find It to their material advantage to join Panama not only on account of Its com ing prosperity, but because, under the patronage and protection of the United States, it will likely enjoy a more stable government than any of the other South American republics. The secession of these two states .from Colombia would leave that country In a position of insig nificance. The State of Cauca comprises more than' one-half of the entire area of Colombia and occupies the entire Pacific coast of the republic The three States of Panama, Cauca and Antioqula are three-fifths of the Colombian territory, and contain more than half the popula tion. If this secession should take place it might simplify matters for the other six states to secede from Colombia and all of them join Panama. Such a settle ment would transfer the seat of govern ment to Panama, perhaps, and would probably leave the national debt cf Co lombia suspended, like Mahommed's cof fin, between heaven and earth, with' noth ing whatever to rest Upon. But this would not make much difference, as the debt, while formidable in bulk. Is not serious in value. The external debt, -most of which is due to British creditors, amounts . to about $15,000,000. The Internal debt con sists of Issues of paper money which no man can number, being estimated as high as 700,000,000 pesos, worth 3 or 4 cents on the dollar. It has been the practice in Colombia whenever money Is needed to print It or give authority to some bank to print it Nothing could be. more sim ple, nor could there be an easier way to raise public revenues. Their Only Course. St Paul Pioneer Press. What would the Administration's critics have had It do other than It has done? Having been warned that an Insurrection and a revolution were hatching, and being bound by Its treaty obligations to keep the railroad open, would it have not been derelict if It had foiled to have an ample naval force and body of marines near the scene of action to enforce its rules? Why should an exception be made in this case? And when the people, first of Pan ama and then of Colon, rose as one body, imprisoned the representatives of Colom bia and set in motion the wheels of a new government what courso should our Gov ernment have pursued? Should It have permitted the 500 government troops at Colon to cross the isthmus and start act ive warfare when it had always contended that belligerents should not use the rail way? To have done so not only would havo Aeen inconsistent but would have provdked bloodshed, which, as the event shows, could be avoided. And if It had permitted warfare to begin, what purpose would have been served? Either the Pan amesc would In the end have won their in dependence or they would have been brought again under the yoke of Colom bia. In the former case matters would have stood as they stand today, but with the needless sacrifice of hundreds of lives. In the latter case, the United States would be face to face with the shame of having by courses inconsistent with Its previous interpretations of its treaty ob ligationsdeprived of independence a pro gressive and Intelligent people better able to govern themselves than Colombia Is able to govern them. A. Touching "Appele." Harper's Weekly. The following notice Is said to be posted over the almsbox of a certain cathedral door In Northern Italy: "Appele to Char itablcs. The Brothers, so called, of Mercy, asks slender arms for the Hospital. They harbour all kinds of diseases, and have no respect to religion." To His Conscience. Robert Herrlck. Can I not sin, but thou wilt be My private protonotary? Can I not woo thee, jo pass by A short and sweet lnfqulty? I'll cast a mist and cloud upon My delicate transgression. So utter dark, as that no eye Shall ce the hugg'd Impiety. Gifts blind the wise, and bribes do please And wind all other witnesses; And wilt not thou with sold be tied. To lay thy pen and Ink aside. That In the mirk and tongueless night. Wanton I may, and thou not write? It will not be; And therefore, now. For times to come, I'll make this vow From aberrations to live free; I So I'll not fear the judge, or thee. i0TE AND COMMENT. The News in Colorado. (Proofsheet of Victor (Colo.) Record's Article.) The uncalled-for and unwarranted pres ence of the militia in this county is due to an outrage upon American citizenship, and the high-handed conduct of Adjutant General Sherman Bell Is rapidly suppress ing those who would prevent rebellion against the state authorities. It Is a dis grace to Colorado that this tin soldier should be permitted to arrest those op posed to his arbitrary methods. The min ers are the backbone In a rotten and corrupt state, and, while their efforts to obtain justice instead or revenge will not be approved by the sycophantic, they will have the aid of the meanest lovers of jus tice. (Same article as amended by censor.) The . . . presence of the militia In this county is due to . . . American citizenship, and the high ... conduct of Adjutant-General Sherman Bell Is rap Idly suppressing . . . rebellion against the state authorities. It is a disgrace to Colorado that this . . . soldier should be . . are . . and . . revenge opposed ... The miners in a rotten and corrupt state, their efforts to obtain ... . . will have the aid of the meanest. . . . Hereafter Portland's cops will have" to be up to the mark, If not up to snuff. Langley's buzzard Is to flap again to day, and the poor earth may look out for another bump. Unfortunately for the provisional gov ernment of Santo Domingo It has no canal concession to offer. The more testimony that is taken in the Dunsmulr case, the less regret for the dear departed Alexander remains. Governor Peabody, of Colorado, has de clared officially that Teller County Is In rebellion. The Governor resembles a sea captain who logs as a mutineer every sailor he knocks down. An enthusiastic and figurative real estate man describes a certain town as the brightest diamond in the "Immacu lately spotless" shlrtfront 'of Oregon. My, but the state is getting flashy. It Is not always safe to kick when a news paper makes a description of the gowns at a l P1 niore prominent than Its criticism of ! e Wormance. If It happens to be an old play, and tha sowns are new, then the news paper is only doing Its duty. Seattle Times. Even with a new play it is doubtful whether space that might be devoted to millinery should be sacrificed to art. Berlin, Dec. 5. It Is stated upon high authority that Russia and Japan have come to a final settlement London, Dec. 5. An open rupture be tween Russia and Japan is likely to oc cur at any moment Russia will not agree to the clause giving Japan a free hand In Congoland. Toklo, Dec. 5. Nothing is known of any negotiations here. St Petersburg, Dec. 5. Nor here. One Conklln, of Chehalis, devised a very practical method of retaining the attach ment of his wife. He chained her, grap pled her to his home with hooks of steel. But these bonds of matrimony had no charms for Mrs. Conklln. She chafed un der love's yoke, and applied to the court for relief, which was, for some unknown reason, granted. No evidence was ad duced to show that the woman was not Conklln's wife, and Is a man to be de nied his property rights? While the breezy uplands of Umatilla continue to produce such lawyers as those who defended Asa Thomson, we need not fear for the future of forensic eloquence. Mr. Halley, who towered in lofty flight before stooping upon the worthy Mr. Cun ningham, said, graphically, of that owner of flocks and herds: His whiskers Jumped and fluttered like Jhe sail of a. boat sinking in the Columbia River, when I poked him in the ribs and made him tell the truth. Whiskers havojUn irresistible attraction for most speakers, but seldom has a set of them been so clearly pictured upon the mental retina as those "Jumping and fluttering" appendages of the poked-In-the-rlbs Mr. Cunningham. t Centralla'B city erection Is said to hinge upon the twin questions of loose cows and open saloons. Should the advocates of either privilege lose their contest and the others win, what a one-sided affair It would be. How dismal life would be in pastoral Centralla were the saloons nailed up and the cows roaming the streets; or it the saloons were wide open and the streets cleared of cows. But with cows in the streets and saloon doors flung wide, how glorious a thing were life In tho lum ber town. The Centrallan, whistling mer rily, would wend his morning way to the nearest Joint, have a dram drawn for him by a smiling tapster, and then, with a soothing "so bossy," he would approach the cow upon the sidewalk, mingle a lit tle formaldehydeless milk with his red eye, and have a morning draught that might tempt an Olympian. OUT OF THE GINGER JAR. Tom Miss XiOtvd was In your box party at the theater last night, I heard. Dick Yes. and everbody else within 50 feet of the box heard, too. Philadelphia Press. "Pa," said little Tommy, getting a bright Idea, "I can do something you can't," "What?" demanded pa. "Grow!" replied the youngster. Catholic Standard and Times. Husband What does It matter how plain your clothes are? Beauty, you know, is only kin deep, and Wife And I really would like to make mine sealskin deep Just for once. Cleveland Plain Dealer. Brown Blnklns claims he Isn't the least bit contrary. Green But he always insists on hating his own way. Brown Tes, that's be cause he knows his way Is better than other people's. Kennebec Journal. Bangs Henderson tells me you Invariably give In to your wife in argument with her. BIngs That's all right;, that's diplomacy, you know. It is the only way I manage to havo the last word. Boston Transcript Mrs. Rubbar That busjbody woman next door stood for half an hour In her dining-room today looking Into ours. Mr. Rubbar How do you know, dear? Mrs. Rubbar Why. I hap pened to be In our dining-room watching her. Philadelphia Press. Aster I consider It a ery clever idea. I was thinking of making It Into an ode. Raster Why not a quatrain? Aater Nonsenel That would be too short- Kaster H'm. I don't think any of the editors would consider it so. Philadelphia Press. "What did you buy with that money your uncle left you7" "I bought experience," was tfie rueful reply. "Spend It all for that? "My dear, sir, I never was much on bargain day affairs, and the ordinary price of experi ence Is all that you've got."-CbIcago Post. "But you know," persisted the wife who was trying to work her husband for a. new outfit, "that all women are slaves to fashion. "True, my dear." replied the heartless hus band, "but I'm not the man to ge up money for the purpose of encouraging slavery In any form." Chicago News. Jenklns-What's the matter, old man? Tou look sore. Pheeder-So I am. I wish the Government would exterminate these sparrows that overrun the country. Jenkins How do they bother you? Pheeder They give me in digestion every time I eat "reed birds" at a restaurant Philadelphia Ledger,