-
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1903.
Watered at the Postofflce at Portland. Oregon,
as second-class matter.
REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
By mall (postage prepaid In advance)
Dally, with Sunday, per month -"S
Dally, Sunday excepted, per year...-.
Dally, with Sunday, per year .... "
Sunday, per year ?)
The Weekly, per year X'J-X
The Weekly, 3 months , rr"
Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday exce xttA..ae.
Dally, per week.-dellvered. Sunday lncluded.-tfw
POSTAGE RATES.
United States. Canada and Mexico
10 to 14-page paper
,le
16 to 80-page paper ;
2 to 44-page paper .- ...
Foreign rates double.
New for discussion Intended for publication
In The Oregonlan should he addressed invari
ably "Editor The Oregonlan," not to the nam
of any individual. Letters relating to adver
tising, subscription, or to any business matter,
should be addressed simply. '.The Oregonlan.
The Oregonlan does not buy poems or stories
from individuals, and cannot undertake to
return any manuscripts sent to it -without so
licitation. No stamps should be inclosed for
this purpose.
Eastern Business Office. 43, 44, 45. 47, 48. 49
Tribune Building. New York City; 610-11-1-Tribune
Building. Chicago; the S. C Beckwlth
Special Agency, Eastern representative.
For sale in New York City by L. Jonas &
Co., news dealers, at the Astor House.
For sale In San Francisco by J. E. Lee,
Palace Hotel news stand; Goldsmith Bros., -30
gutter street; P. W. Pitts. 1008 Market street;
3. X. Cooper Co.. 740 Market street, near the
Palace Hotel: Poster St Orear. Ferry news
litand; Frank Scott, 80 Ellla street, and K.
"Wheatley, 83 Stevenson street..
For sale in Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner,
259 South Spring street, and Oliver & Haines.
505 South Spring atreet.
For eale in Kansas City. Mo., by Ricksedter
Cigar Co.. Ninth and Walnut streets.
For sale in Chicago by the P. O. News Co..
217 Dearborn street: Charles MacDonald, u3
Washington street, and the Auditorium Annex
news stand.
For sale in Minneapolis by 1C -J. Kavanaugh,
DO South Third street.
For sale in Omaha by Barkalow Bros., 1612
Farnam street; Megeath Stationery Co., 1303
Farnam. street; McLaughlin Bros.. , 210 S.
Fourteenth street.
For eale In Ogden by W. G. Kind, 114 25th
street; V. a 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 sal' in Washington. D. C ny the Eb
bett House news stand, and Ed. Bxinkman.
Fourth and Pacific avenue. N. W.
For sale in Colorado Springs by C. A. Bruner.
For salo in Denver. Colo., by Hamilton &
.Kendrick, 906-912 17th street; Louthan &
Jackson Book & Stationery Co., loth ana
Lawrence streets; Jl S. Lowe. 1520 17tn street,
and Julius Black.
TODAY'S WEATHER Cloudy- to partly
cloudy and occasionally, threatening, with
probably light rain at 'intervals; south to
west winds.
YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem
perature, 50 dcg.; minimum temperature, 46
degr.; precipitation, 0.40 inch.
rOBTLAD, MONDAY, DEC. 21, 1003.
A CRISIS IN OREGON'S HISTORY.
Whether or not the State of Oregon
provides the War Department with
right of way for the canal and locks
between the -dalles and Celilo Is appar
ently the most momentous question
which confronts the Legislature con
vening this morning in special session.
To act promptly with an insignificant
appropriation of $100,000, perhaps half
of which will be covered back Into the
State Treasury, will mean the canaL To
adjourn without doing this, means In
definite delay.
It is no answer to say that the War
Department might, could, would or
should secure this right of way for
itself. It will not do so. It seems that
to use money for that purpose would
bring the cost of the canal above the
Harts limit and throw the whole project
back upon Congress. But even if this
is not true, the' fact remains that all
proceedings are blocked, pending dona
tion of the right of way to the Federal
Government by the state. In another
article on this page we have set out
the situation as It is. In an interview
on another page Mr. Moody explains
the situation in detail. We cannot be
lieve that the Legislature will be blind
to the significance of this crisis.
Eastern Oregon asks this appropria
tion. For that reason it should be
passed. Portland asks it, and for that
reason it should be passed. But the
man who from Western Oregon or
Southern Oregon resists this plain move
for the welfare-of the Columbia Basin
goes against the interests of himself
and of his section. The Western Ore
gon man who Imagines that high rail
road rates from Eastern Oregon and I
Washington to the sea benefit Western
Oregon; the man who Imagines that to
build up Puget Sound at the expense of
Portland helps the Willamette Valley
or the Coast counties has a very erro
neous idea of production, consumption
and transportation.
It has been feared that the movement
in favor of the canal and the right of
way had behind it some hostility to the
6tate portage road. Well, let the portage
road stand. If there are any who hope
to defeat the portage through the canal,
let them be disappointed. But If there
are any who hope to defeat the canal
through the portage, let them also be
disappointed. Let both projects stand
and let them, be pushed with every in
strument that can be called Into requi
sition. They who oppose the opening of
the Columbia River have now found a
weapon ready to their hand In the
right-of-way obstacle. The Legislature
can frustrate them by passing this
small appropriation for the right of
way. Let every one who wants the river
opened work for this appropriation. Let
us hear no paltry excuses of economy,
or sectional feeling, or the duty of the
War Department. Let us move straight
forward and get this appropriation and
thus remove the last obstacle' to an open
river, to low rates from the Columbia
Basin to the sea, to the pre-eminence
of Portland as a shipping center and a
great market, and to the rightful
growth of the State of Oregon.
Fortunate Indeed for. the memory of a
number of departed pioneers who had
blazed the trail for civilization In Ore
gon and Washington is the fact that
so creditable a representative of their
class as Colonel B. F. Shaw is still -with
us to resent any aspersions that may be
cast on their acts in connection with the
settlement of the early Indian troubles.
Colonel Shaw, with as brave a band of
pioneer volunteers as ever enlisted In
any cause, not only ended the massa
cres of the white settlers by threshing
the Puget Sound Indians into submis
sion, buf he also brought the Indians
in the Grand Ronde country to terms
and made life and property safe for
settlers in that beautiful valley. The
Medicine Creek treaty, because It re
stricted the domain tif the Indians and
gave the white settlers a chance for
their lives end to develop the"-country,
was naturally distasteful to the Indians,
but It seems passing strange that not
until nearly all of that generation of
pioneers had passed away did any of
the whites discover that "more than
questionable methods" were used in per
fecting the treaty. Colonel Shaw was
not only one of the builders of the com
monwealth of which he Is still an hon
ored member, but from territorial days
down to the present time he has held
high rank In the political councils of
Washington. As an Indian fighter, a
lawmaker or a plain citizen his record
J5 unimpeachable, and a decidedly large
majority of the people of the Pacific
Northwest, whether they came In "pal
ace cars" or. ox carts, will accept with
out question his version of the Medi
cine Creek treaty In preference to that
of the disgruntled descendants of some
of the Indians, even though the latter
be presented by eminent latter-day his
torians. XET REWARDS BE MADE EFFECTIVE.
The effectiveness of an offer of re
ward for the arrest of a criminal de
pends largely upon the certainty tliat
the reward will be promptly paid when
it has been earned. Laws authorizing
such offers of rewards should be so
complete and specific in their terms
that no doubt or controversy shall arise.
Some officer, board or court should be
vested with the power to determine
without delay to whom the reward
should be paid. Provisions should be
made by which those who have per
formed the work shall receive the pay.
An offer of a reward becomes a con
tract when the conditions of t& offer
have been fulfilled, and, as In all other
contracts, there should be no uncertain
ties or inequitable results. ,
In 1902 the State of Oregon offered a
reward for the capture of an escaped
convict A woman accidentally discov
ered his body several days after he had
been murdered by his comrade. The
body was returned to the prison and the
full reward was claimed. Sympathy
for the woman aroused the demand
that she be paid, while both law and
good sense made It plain that she had
not earned the reward. While she had
rendered the state a valuable service
in proving beyond a doubt that Merrill
was dead, she had not "captured" him
within the meaning of the offer of re
ward. A few years ago one tramp robbed an
other while the two were riding together
in a box-car. The robber was later ar
rested and the man who took him into
custody claimed a reward under that
section of the Oregon laws which Is in
tended to reward men who capture
trainrobbers. Technically he had com
plied with the requirement of the law,
for he had arrested a man who had
robbed another upon a train, and yet
he had not fulfilled 'the intent of the
law by capturing a desperado. The
criminal in that instance was said to be
a simple-mlndod boy who was scarcely
accountable for his act.
Recently a hold-up was attempted a
few miles from Portland and an express
messenger shot and disabled one of the
robbers. A few hours later the wound
ed man was discovered and taken Into
custody. The man who discovered him
has claimed, and is entitled to the re
ward which the state has offered for
the arrest of trainrobbers. He who firs
caught sight of the form of the helpless
desperado and first reached his side had
fulfilled the letter of the law; yet who
will deny that it was the heroic messen
ger who did the real, effective work on
that dark and perilous night? Merely
wounding-a robber is not sufficient to
entitle a man to a reward, it is true, for
an arrest and conviction must follow
If the end of the law is to be attained.
The capture of the criminal is the pur
pose of the offer of reward, but It should
not be the rule that he who takes Into
custody has .done all the work and
should receive all Jfae reward.
The foregoing references to specific
cases are not intended as reflections or
criticisms upon any one.. Whoever has
compiled with the terms of an offer Is
entitled to and should receive the re
ward. The instances mentioned serve,
however, to Impress the casual observer
with the Idea that the law upon this
subject needs amendment. The pur
pose is to Induce men to Incur expense,
endure hardship and face danger In or
der to apprehend criminals. If this is
to be accomplished with justice to all,
the law should be so framed that every
man who alds directly and materially
In the capture of a criminal will share
in the reward according to the service
he has rendered.
OPEN RIVER HOW TO GET IT.
Major Langfitt's letter to Governor
Chamberlain several days ago shows
the Oregon Legislature how to bring
about early construction of the Celilo
canaL The National Government will
begin construction just as soon as it ob
tains ground and right -of way free of
cost. Such was the recommendation of
the Board of Government Engineers,
approved by the Chief of Engineers and
the Secretary of War.
Here, then, is the opportunity that
has been long awaited. By an expen
diture of from $50,000 to $100,000 the
State of Oregon can Induce the United!!
States to expend $4,000,000 for the long
sought open river. If the Legislature
of this state could appropriate money
for a more profitable purpose, It has
never yet done so.
Oregon may labor through the courts,
state and Federal, to condemn ground
for the portage; It may Invest $165,000
in that enterprise, and yet, when done,
it may find the portage of no utility,
since Three-Mlle Rapids, leading up to
the lower terminus of the road, would
not be navigable. The state does not
provide means for removing the ob
structions in these rapids. The work
devolves reasonably upon the National
Government The United States Is "ready
to perform that duty. Its plans Include
removal of the obstructions. And it
doubtless would make Three-Mlle Rap
ids navigable whenever It began con
struction of the canal, inasmuch as
that Is naturally the first thing to be
done.
The Legislature, by appropriating the
required $50,000 or $100,000, would insure
the earliest possible completion of the
waterway. The War Department has
means to begin the Improvement It
need not wait for further Congressional
action before -starting the work. Once
begun, the improvement wouM continue
as all other National work authorized
goes forward, namely, by Congressional
appropriations as the improvement
would advance. It Is believed by the
engineers that the canal could be fin
ished within four or five years.
Without the appropriation by the Ore
gon Legislature the opening of the Co
lumbia may be deferred indefinitely.
Nor need such action by the Legislature
jeopardize the portage road. That road
will serve its purpose while the" canal is
building. Portland by Its own energy
kept -open its highway to the sea, and
now the National Government helps the
more willingly.' Oregon by the same
energy can open its highway to the
sea.
BELL TO RESTRICT TRADE.
The bill extending to the Philippines
the coastwise navigation laws Of the
United States could most truthfully and
appropriately be termed a "bill for the
restriction of trade between the United
States and the Philippines." No coun
try on earth ever increased Its business
by restricting Its transportation facili
ties either by land or sea, and the
United, States will be a distinct loser'lf
the iniquitous proviso In the act of
March 2, 1902, is operative, or if the f
Frye bill on the same lines becomes a , venlence. We should say that this pre
law. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Bentation of the case against the metric
ever on the alert to boost along the
cause of the millionaire shipowners i at
the expense of the producers and ship
pers, comments as follows on the Frye
bill: f
Tho bill will encounter strenuous opposi
tion from those Atlantic ports -which prefer
to seo the product of the Philippines carried
led In American ships through the ports on
tho Pacifls. The products of tho Philippines
can ba laid down as cheaply to the consum
ers of this country through Pacific ports,
carried across the ocean in American ships,
as they can through Atlantic ports, carried
In foreign ships. There Is an abundanco of
tonnage already available on tho Pacific
Coast to handle this entire trade cheaply
and adequately.
It is not exactly clear where Atlantic
ports. Pacific ports or Gulf ports have
anything expept a common interest in
securing abundant and cheap transpor
tation facilities for doing business with
our new possessions In the Far East If
as the Post-Intelligencer confidently as
serts "the products of the Philippines
can be laid down as cheaply to the con
sumers of this country through1 Pacific
ports, carried across the ocean in Amer
ican ships, as they can through Atlan
tic ports, carried in foreign ships," the
American ships will get the business.
Everything else being equal, the Ameri
can importer, whether he dwells in New
York, Seattle or Portland, will give the
American Bhlp the preference, and If,
as the Post-Intelflgencer says, there are
plenty of American ships to handle the
business, the protection of the coast
wise law is unnecessary. Unfortunate
ly the Seattle paper's theory is not in
accordance with the facts. There are
not enough American ships to handle
the trade of the Philippines to the best
advantage, and by giving the American
ships a monopoly trade would suffer, as
it always does when monopolists secure
absolute control of a transportation line
route.
Competition has been the life of trade
since the beginning of commercial his
tory, and there can be no competition
where a monopoly Is created. Ameri
can shippers to. the Philippines are, by
reason of the numerous foreign steam
ers In that trade, securing the lowest
freight rate ever made out of Pacific
Coast ports. These low rates are due to
the fact that English, German, Jap
anese, Danish, Austrian and American
ships are engaged in the traffic. Does
the P.-I. believe for a moment that
rates would be so low and the corre
sponding benefits for the Philippine pro
ducer and American consumer so large.
If all of these ships except those flying
the American flag were prohibited from
plying In that trade? It Is contrary to
all established laws of trade to expect
that limiting the facilities for transpor
tation will do otherwise than hamper
trade.
In reply to the statement that there
Is an Insufficient number of American
vessels to handle the trade, the P.-L
will probably supply the statistics show
ing American tonnage of dimensions
sufficient to carry the imports and ex
ports between the United States and
the Philippines. By forcing the shippers
on both sides of the Pacific to supply
full cargoes all the time, 'the American
ships might handle tjie business In its
present dimensions, but the business is
growing, and Importers do not wish to
be hampered by insufficient transporta
tion and Infrequent service. Thousands
of tons of Philippine products now leave
the Islands In small lots on foreign
steamers which call while bound from
China and Japan, and pick up 500 tons
to 1000 tons to finish off a cargo. This
gives the shippers a service which In
frequency could never be approached
by an "all-American" line.
The average" American Is an Intensely
loyal Individual to his flag, and would
like again to see it on .the high seas as
prominently as It was before Internal
development proved more remunerative,
than seafaring and retired It The aver
age American, however. Is not a mil
lionaire shipowner, but Instead Is a con
sumer, an Importer or an exporter. As
such, he declines to enter Into any
U scheme which would Increase the drain
on -his cash-box In order that the profits
of a few millionaire shipowners might
be Increased. The extension of the
coastwise navigation laws to the Phil
ippines would be the greatest restriction
we could place on our growing trade In
that direction.
The attitude taken by the Society of
Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
at its recent meeting In New York to
ward the bill In Congress for the com
pulsory use of the metric system Is very
pronounced, a resolution against It hav
ing been adopted by a vote of 40 to 11.
As the members of the society are the
very class of persons for whose benefit
the "system" Is supposed to be de
signed, their rejection of It is very sig
nificant They seem to take the view that
it Is a hobby chiefly of amateurs who de
sire to exploit themselves as extremely
"scientific" persons, but a hobby which
can only make trouble for practical peo
ple. It is nowhere in universal use, it is
shown not even In France and Ger
many, where the metric system Is sup
posed to be a great blessing. To change
from our own measures to the French
measure Is not only to substitute incon
venient units for convenient units, but
also to cause enormous expense In
changing tools, machinery, etc., to say
nothing of loss on stocks of goods and
the difficulty of repairs. The number
of nations and the people who use the
metric system Is exaggerated by Its
advocates. At the meeting of the so
ciety mentioned, F. A. Halsey, an in
vestigator of the subject said:
It Is an error to totalize the populations of
the nominally metric countries and express
tho sum as representing the portion of the
earth's people who use the metric system.
While Japan is nominally a metric country,
an examination of Its tariff, schedule a
good Index of the systems of weights and
measures actually used In any country
shows only 14 Items stated In metric' units,
the total list being very long and making a
comprehensive document. Turkey tried to
force tho use of tho system In a style char
acteristic of that domain, hut had to give up
the attempt, even tho most drastic measures
falling of material result China is also quoted
as metric, while, like the United States, her
status In this respect Is one of permissive
'' f
use. Janan and Turkev are on the same ha- I
sis. The most remarkable feature of the
subject Is perhaps the slight extent to which
the system la used In spite of government
assistance In many countries. " Whltworth
screw threads are almost universal In the
metric countries. A newly recommended
standard of plpo sizes and threads In Ger
many .specifies Inner and outer diameters In
Inches, but the point, and root diameters of
the threads In millimeters. A folding pocket
rule commonly used In Germany has Its our
edges graduated, one in metric units, the
other three In London, Paris and Rhenish
Inches. There Is now a call In France, after
more than a century of- the metric system,
for more stringent laws compelling people to
use the legal system to a greater extent
than they will if left to suit their own con
venience. The old units persist side by side with
the new, manufacturers and workmen
obstinately consulting their .own con-
system will delay Its adoption indefi
nitely. Five Oriental steamships of an aver
age draft of more than 23 feet, and car
rying cargoes averaging about 7000 tons
eaoh. hftVa cleared frnm -PnrMjiTirl within
. t h,i,,, ,,, ,, , , Ao.
lay except for a brief wait for the tides
at the bar near Tongue Point. Unfor-
tunately there has been some delay at(
the mouth of the river, and until the
dredge Chinook begins operations we
may expect a continuation of this trou
ble. . The actual runs of these mammoth
carriers over the hundred-mile stretch
of river between Portland and Astoria
afford convincing evidence of the good
results that have been accomplished by
the Port of Portland Commission. The
long delays and heavy lighterage bill3
which were so much In evidence when
the old commission began working on
the channel are not yet forgotten, but
the facility with which shipping has
been handled between Portland and
Astoria for the past year proves beyond
all doubt that It will not be a difficult
task to maintain a river channel always
fully adequate for any vessels that can
cross the bar. The time Is coming when
the trade will demand thirty-foot ships,
andwhen It arrives the thirty-foot chan
nel In the river will be ready for the
ships.
Frequent complaint has been made In
the past few months by Eastern finan
cial writers because cash is not flowing
badkfrom the West to the East In the
same ratio that It moved to the West.
The cause most frequently assigned for
this unsatisfactory movement of money,
Is that poorer crops through the Middle
West may have restricted the liquidat
ing powers of the Western borrowers.
This In a measure may be true, but It Is
not Improbable that the higher prices
at which the short crop of cereals Is
selling may" have retarded the flow of
cash. The farmers profits are greater
oil a wheat crop of twenty bushels per
acre at 75 cents per1 bushel than they
are on thlrjty bushels at 50 cents per
bushel, but the receipts and profits of
the railroads and warehousemen who
handle the crop on the Eastern end of
the line are reduced one-third. This
year the farmer has the money that was
sent West and he has returned a much
smaller proportion than usual to the
East for freight, commissions, etc. So
long as poor prices have not accompa
nied a poor crop, the financial situation
might be very much worse, even in the
East. j '
In 1891 the Legislature of Indiana en
acted a corporation tax law for the pur
pose of compelling corporations to pay
a reasonable sum for the privileges con
ferred by the state. In 1894, after the
law had been In effect more than twp
years, the Secretary of State said in
his annual report to the Legislature:
The law regulating the fee charged by the
state for charters granted to corporations.
passed by the General Assembly of 1S01, has
not only been a source of considerable' revenue
to the state, but has met with favor gen
erally, and especially by the corporations
themselves. It has had a tendency to prevent
the formation of corporations for purely specu
lative purposes and the practice of Incorpor
ating with an authorized capital stock largely
In excess of the actual operating capital.
When Oregon's corporation tax law
has been In force for the same length
of time It will undoubtedly receive as
strong an approval as that States that
once adopt the policy of requiring cor
porations to pay for their special privi
leges do not abandon the plan after a
fair trial.
Some unnamed professor of something,
of whom nothing more definite is al
leged than that he is a "Harvard man,"
has been addressing a teachers Insti
tute In New Jersey. In Itself this is not
a combination of persons or events that
would attract much attention, but the
Harvard man Is said to have lamented
that the translators of the Bible were
so unforturiate as to live before the
phrases'marble hearf'and "glad hand"
had .been evolved. He pointed out that
the story of the prodigal son, although
intelligibly told In the authorized ver
sion, was entirely lacking In the graphic
touches that he would have added with
the aid of the "glad hand" and he
"marble heart" The Harvard man
should not repine. Let him retranslate
the Bible, and see whether the public
will give him the "glad hand" or the
"marble heart"
One by one the old branches of the
National tree are lopped off, and there
Is but little protest Yet when the sug
gestion is made that the old office of
Justice of the Peace be abolished there
must be some lovers of the old order to
raise their voices against such mutila
tion. What makes the matter worse
Is that the proposal comes from Now
Jersey, a state that has given us a by
word In "Jersey justice," an allusion,
no doubt, to the services of the very
squires that so-called progress would
crush out of existence. The eagle,
wounded by an arrow feathered from
its own pinions, could feel, no worse
than the old Justices over this heart
less suggestion.
London Is said to have a variation of
"How old is Ann?" It Is "How old were
Robin and Richard?" and the prbblem
is thus metrically set out:
Said Robin to Richard: "If ever I come
To the age you are now, brother mine.
Our ages, united, will mount to a sum
Of years making ninety and nine."
Said Richard: "That's certain, and If It be
fair
For us to look forward so far,
I then shall bo double the age that you were
When I was the age that you are."
It Is a dangerous thing to keep a dog
for the protection of one's property, in
view of a recent decision in Rhode Isl
and. A man attempted to climb upon a
cart, and was attacked by the dog left
to watch for just such persons. It was
held that the dog's owner was liable for
damages to any person traveling on the
highway or outside the dog's inclosure
that might be bitten.
SPIRIT OF THE NORTHWEST PRESS
. Probably No. More Than That.
Olympla Recorder.
An able-bodied reform wave In Seattle
would reduce the present population by at
least 50 per cent.
Not the Reason That Was Given.
Albany Independent.
Mr. Hermann wanted Mr. Booth re
tained, and therefore he was dropped from
the office of register at Koseburg. See?
Remarkable Clemency to Subscribers
Hood River Glacier.
The senior editor of the Glacier Is grand
father for the first time In his life. It
Is .expected he will be obeyed and re
spected accordingly. There will be no
advance In the price of subscription. Ad
vertising rates will remain the same for
the present. "It's a cold day when we
get left"
Morrow's Wonderful Climate.
Woodburn Independent
The numerous friends of John Kennedy
n?rtli1 Vihvd Kaon aitTrtrferl owrl wotP
to have seen him skipping around irrt. J
gon. Eastern Oregon, like a young boy.
He walked miles every day, and last
Sunday he chased a jack-rabbit for three
miles, and caught It This speaks well
for the wonderful progress of one who
was so recently an Invalid.
Accurate Focus on Eddy Law.
Eugene Register.
The mining men are up In arms against
the Eddy corporation tax law, on the
ground that It Injures Oregon's min
ing Interests. We believe the law, as it
stands, is a preventive of wild-cat min
ing, and In the long run will give Ore
gon the reputation of being a field where
legitimate mining prevails and where In
vestors are not to be flim-flammed by hot
air schemes.
Way of the Independent Line.
McMlnnvllle Reporter.
The department has disapproved the re
port of Major Langfltt recommending an
appropriation of J2S.000 for the construc
tion of a collapsable dam at the Yamhill
River locks to make the river continuous
ly open to navigation. The contention Is
that the expenditure Is not justified by the
commerce on the river. Neither will the
commerce justify an appropriation as long
as the steamboat trust controls the river.
Orginal Joke by Eleanor.
Hood River Glacier.
The little daughter of Mrs. Ralph Sav
age was born In tho South, where they
have none but artificial Ice. During tho
late cold snap. Mrs. Savage put out a
tin cup with water.-In, It to freeze for
the little one. In -the morning Mrs. Sav
age gave little Eleanor a bit of the Ice
to eat After crunching a mouthful of
It, she looked up and said: "This Is the
first time I ever ate wild Ice, Isn't It,
mamma?" Mamma said yes, and col
lapsed. The Force of Reputation.
Lakevlew Herald.
Dick KIngsley was In Lakevlew from
his West Side ranch last Saturday. Dick
was telling some of his friends about his
digging post holes on his ranch since tho
rain, and that the ground was wet down
deeper than he dug. His story Is prob
ably true, with the one exception that he
had been digging post holes. It will re
quire corroborative evidence to convince
Dick's acquaintances that he exerted
himself to that extent
Good for a Christmas Dinner.
Harrisburg Bulletin.
Some one with a dastardly intent ad
vised H. F. Bruce, representing the Ad
vance Thresher Company, last week at
Albany, to steer clear of the hotel here
dnd Mr. Bruce says that he would have
undoubtedly done so If It had been possi
ble under his arrangement of business so
he stayed over night with the gentleman
ly and accommodating landlord, Mr. Shi3
ler, of the Harrisburg Hotel, and found
the fare and bedding much better than
the average of hotels along the line and
that In the future he will make It a point
to patronize this excellent hotel when at
all possible.
High Life in Wheeler County.
Spray Courier.
A. H. Akin made two good shots last
week. Ho was out by Table Rock and
jumped two very large lynx and killed
one while the mate made good his escape.
The beast weighed SO pounds and his skin
Is four feet eight Inches long. Tho next
day he saw a monster bird light In his
field, and taking his gun, crept out and
made a center shot. The bird was of the
goose species, web feet and bill similar to
the goose, but tho size was monstrous.
The wings from Up to tip measured seven
feet five Inches. When standing up the
bird stood over five feet in height and
when dressed, weighed 19 pounds. Ono
pound of beautiful feathers were plucked
from the bird.
Better Call in The Hague Tribunal.
Deschutes Echo.
The Oregonlan prints In full the Bend
Bulletin's first article on the organ epi
sode. Whether the Bulletin has an ar
rangement with the Oregonlan to reprint
its attacks on this community we do not
know, but circumstances seem to point
that way. The Bulletin man had to eat
mud when he published Judge Brock's
letter tho following week, but he had
furnished copy for Tho Oregonlan, and
could safely beat a retreat no matter
how ludicrous. The Bulletin man has
two hobbies, one is libeling some one, and
the other Is talking about character. The
bulldozing methods used by both papers
towards citizens of this place have caused
more amusement than anger.
Trolley Lines Needed.
Newberg Graphic.
A system of elpctric lines running out
from Portland would do more in the way
of developing the resources of the Wil
lamette "Valley than anything else that
can be named. Such a system -will come
sooner or later and the people can sit
back and wait for it to be pushed onto
them or they can hasten the day of Its
coming by getting together and taking
steps toward making their wants known
to men who have money to put into such
enterprises. Newberg ought to combine
with all the other West Side towns and lay
plans for a war of agitation along this
Une. Continued talk straight from the
shoulder. In season and out of season, will
bring the desired results and we ought
not to wait a day to begin It
Aids to Good Conduct.
Arlington Appeal.
As this issue goes to press we hear from
various sources the rumor that certain
public spirited men in this town, aided
by one of -our preachers are putting every
effort forward to organize a Y. M. and Y.
W. C. A. Thank God for it. For while we
personally are not so constituted as to ad
vise humanity to emulate our example,
yet one who Is a father can't go around
town after dark and see and hear the
"rising generation" swear and use obscen
ity without bemoaning the fact that our
boys have nowhere to go to but the streets
and saloons. The Appeal is not given to
sermonizing, it is too busy for that, be
sides there are other papers exlstant
that can only do that kind of business
(through boiler plates.) But it does wish
the enterprise a hearty godspeed, and
takes this means of asking Its customers
to "put their shoulders to the wheel" and
help along the good work for the broadest
klhd of political economy is to provide
things educational and Instructive. Libra
ries and gymnasiums are infinitely more
satisfying and easily supported than peni
tentiaries. And new that the right idea
Viae Antarort ntn the rvnn1e. and the thins:
will be managed according to the right J
standard, let's help It along. I
BRYAN ON ENGLISH ORATORS.
Baltimore Sun.
Hon. William J. Bryan, has been draw
ing striking pen portraits of the most
distinguished publicists and orators In
England. Mr. Biyan la recognized In
his native land as a speaker and debater
of exceptional attainments. He combines
eloquence, wit and logic to an unusual
degree in his oratorical efforts. His
views on the oratory of English states
men have therefore a more than ordinary
Interest, for he speaks as an expert on
this subject Mr. Bryan finds much to ad
mire in the former Colonial Secretary of
Groat Britain. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain,
whom he pronounces "a man who would
rank high in any land." Mr. Chamber
lain Is a type of the educated business
man In public life. He Is a graduate of
one cf the great English universities, a
wealthy manufacturer, and has a thorough
knowledge of economics and of social
questions. He has In tho last few years
been a Radical, a Liberal and an ultra -Imperialist
His success as a public speak
er Is due largtfy to the fact that he has
the courage of Is convictions and Is well
Informed on any subject which he may
discuss. His language is pithy, foreceful
and alt times colloquial. His oratory Is
of the harpshootlng order. He thinks
straight and usually hits the mark. He
may be caustical at times, but he is al
ways clear and strong. Mr. Bryan repre
sents him as "an antagonist who would
not fear to meet the best on any plat
form." That Is an accurate description
of Mr. Chamberlain. He has absolute
confidence In himself, and as a debater
Is not afraid to break a lance with the
strongest Intellects In the land of John
Bull.
Mr. Bryan not only heard Mr. Chamber
lain debate revolutionary changes In the
fiscal sypstera. of Great Britain, but he
also attended a meeting at which Lord
RoscLery, the Liberal-Imperialist orator,
made a brilliant reply to the Birmingham
statesman. Lord Rosebery represents
the aristocrat In politics, yet he enjoys
almost unbounded popularity In England.
He Is the Idol of a large section of Brit
ish Liberals and has the respect and ad
miration of his political adversaries. There
Is a striking contrast between the Lib
eral nobleman and the Tory commoner.
The latter is grimly In earnest all the
time. Statesmanship Is a business with
him and he takes politics very seriously.
Lord Rosebery, on the other hand, seems
to regard statesmanship as a diversion.
Like Mr. Chamberlain, he Is a man of
great wealth and la not In politics for
what he can make out of It In the way
of sordid gain. He likes the excitement
of party strife because of the recreation
It affords him. In his case It Is a sort of
Intellectual sport The strong point In his
oratory Is Irony, of which he la master.
He excels In banter and raillery. In his
speech In the Surrey Theater in London
he held Mr. Chamberlain up to derision.
Mr. Chamberlain is what Americans would
call a "calamity howler." He asserts that
the industries of Great Britain will be
ruined it not protected by a high tariff
from, foreign competition. Lord Rose
bery, as reported In the London Chroni
cle, made these keen thrusts at the Bir
mingham. Jeremiah:
Mr. Chamberlain has proved to his own
satisfaction our own ruin over and over
again. Wo are beginning to feel quite com
placent In the contemplation of our own
catastrophes. We are blinding our eyes to
all facts and to all figures, and we enjoy the
spectacle of universal desolation. I remem
ber an old friend of mine who was of a pes
simistic disposition not, perhaps, so pessim
istic as Mr. Chamberlain, but he was no
doubt of a pessimistic disposition and wish
ing to express to me the highest possible
praise of a mutual friend, ho said, "So-and-so
Is a most sensible man. lie despairs of
everything." And I am inclined to think
that the historian of the future will be able
to describe, in the spirit of the anecdote. Mr.
Chamberlain as a most sensible man. as at
the present moment he despairs of every
thing, and we dre to despair of everything if
we listen to tho lamentations of this modern
Jeremiah. We aro hurried from gloomy
prospect to gloomy prospect, all lurid with,
thunder and lightning and catastrophe. We
are told at one stnge, "You are absolutely
ruined," and at another stage, "You are not
ruined, but you soon will be." Every art
Is used to raise our apprehensions. Tin plates
are ratUed In the wings to produce the stage
thunder that Is necessary the whole scene Is
comfortable blackness, and these gentlemen
have settled down like so many Jobs to be
wail our fates. The worst Is that there
comes some cheerful face peeping up from this
scene of devastation, and saying, "I am very
much obliged to you for your sympathy, but
after all we are doing extremely well."
Lord Rosebery kept up thl3 effective
bantering in a speech whlcn would fill
several columns. Ho was serious just
long enough to show that Mr. Chamber
lain's jeremiad was not justified in num
erous particulars by the Government's
trade reports. Then he would drop into
irony or humor and evoke peals of laugh
ter from his audience at the expense of
the apostle of calamity, with an occasion
al thrust at the Prime Minister, tho
Right Hon. Arthur James Balfour. It Is
to bo regretted that Mr. Bryan did not
have an opportunity to hear Mr. Balfour
in ono of his delightful philosophical
speeches. Tho Prime Minister is one of
tho most skillful political controversial
ists In England. So subtle Is his intellect,
so adroitly does he balance himself be
tween conflicting opinions, that after read
ing one of his speeches it Is next to im
possible to tell "where he Is at" Yet ho
is a master of fence and a very versatile
and cultured man. In theological contro
versy there are few bishops of the Es
tablished Church who can hold their own
with him. He has written books In
which he proved to his entire satisfaction
that there was ground for a reasonable
faith and ground for a. reasonable doubt.
He Is a large-minded man with a propen
sity for Intellectual speculation. On tho
"calamity" question he Is as noncommit
tal as on other subjects of controversy.
"Mr. Chamberlain,'! said Lord Rosebery.
"tells us that wo are all ruined. Mr.
Balfour tells us that we aro extremely
prosperous, but that we shall soon be
ruined. I am inclined to think that if
we adopt the remedies of the first we
shall soon fulfil the prophecies of tho
second." It would be Interesting to have
Mr. Bryan's opinion of Mr. Balfour, who
is, all In all, the most many-sided states
man in King Edward's realm, and is ac
counted a very dangerous antagonist in
debate by the readiest speakers in tho
House of Commons.
Speech Saved From the Flood.
New York Sun
Mr. Curtis, of Kansas, a new member of
the committee on ways and means, did
not make a speech on the Cuban reci
procity bill, although he had a tariff
speech ready for use.
"I want to save It" he said, "for a gen
eral tariff debate, should one occur. I
think a good deal of that speech, for it
was incidentally the means of saving the
one book of my library that escaped from
the ravages of the flood that swept over
Topeka last Summer.
"I was reading on the subject and had
me second volume of Colton's 'Life of
ciay' in hand. I laid It upon a tin box,
resting on the top of the bookcases, and
when the waters flooded the house every
thing but that went
"How it escaped I don't know. It Is the
sole renc of a library that I had been
gathering slnco 1879, when I began the
study of the law."
Terror-Stricken.
Washington Star.
He could thunder hU opinions
When upon the stump he went;
To rebuke the ruthless minions
Of a glorious Government.
He'd face a crowd unruly
And he'd tell 'cm what he thought.
And he met all dangers coolly.
As an honest person ought.
But his wife once gave a party
At least he called It that.
His manners once so hearty
Straightway, grew subdued and flat.
For chatter In -a small way
His talents were so. few
That he trembled In the hallway
And he Just said, "Howdy do!"
NOTE AND COMMENT,
New York la acquiring the bridge habit
Henceforth Max Nordau should b
more Interested In degenerates than ever.
All that Colombia has to do Is to. knock
the chip off.
Mr. Rhlnehart, of Seattle, must join St
John Dlx in the ranks of discredited fi
nanciers. Now that Paris Is to suffer from a great
strike of bakers, what are we to do for
our French bread?
The death of a prizefighter Is reported,
and marks the gradual descent from the
stories of the football season.
When Russia tries to raise another loan
In Paris, she will discover that you can't
always get face value for sentiment.
The Courier-Journal weeps over the rape
of Colombia. Senator Morgan talks of
a Caesarean operation. 'Trhere seems to bo
a mistake somewhere.
There was a. tyoung man in Domingo,
Went there as a humorous gringo.
He tried to keep cases
On Presidents faces,
Grew dizzy, and now he's a jingo.
The Yale Dally News has been sued for
?10,G00 damages for an alleged libel, and
the amateur journalists who control the
paper's destinies are beginning to wonder
If play isn't too serious at times.
A bal pondre seems to have shaken
Chicago society to Its foundations. It
appears that the valse Is a feature of the
show,, and a number of people, who are
quite familiar with the waltz, were woe
fully tangled up over the new dance.
To appear blooming as the rose upon on?
side of the face, while the -other side
shows traces of the Iron hand of time, is
sufficiently embarrassing to justify the
sufferer in asking for damages. No one
relishes the accusation of being double
faced. Chicago, tho home of thugs and vigi
lantes, union hearse drivers and scab
motormen, tall buildings and low morals,
ward heelers and dlvino healers, winds
and bluffs, blessed with stockyards and '
cursed with a university Chicago, the
queen city of Mid-America.
A writer tells of seeinsr a number of
Indians at Panama, each of them bound
with rawhide lariats, and guarded by a
soldier. "Are those brigands you've
caught?" ho asked tho Colombian officer
In charge.
"No, Senor," was reply, "they are vol
unteers for the army."
The esteemed William E. Curtis is ex
ploring Europe just now, and has suc
ceeded in discovering a number of new
countries, Spain among tho number. It
appears from the letters sent by Mr.
Curtis that thero are several cities in
Spain, and that there are cathedrals of
considerable local repute In some of the
cities. Journalistic enterprise is a won
derful thing.
Senator Tillman, of blessed fame, re
cently delivered a lecture somewhat to
the north of' his own bailiwick. His re
muneration was the net extortionate sum
of $100. and he was paid in a bill of that
denomination. On presenting this at his
bank the Senator discovered that he had
been handed a bogus bill. Possibly tho
committee had come to the same conclu
sion about the lecture he had handed
them.
In Arkansas, it appears, they prefer
fighting for office to running for it, and
the spectacle of two candidates for gov
ernor mixing It In a rough and tumble
Inspires the youth of the state with an
Idea that there is a lot more fun in poll
tics than one would think from merely
readlng speeches. Scrapping Is a good
way of popularizing political campaign
ing, and of encouraging citizens in general
to take an interest in the affairs of gov
ernment "W. B. Yeats, tho English poet, got oft
a good thing when he was at tho Frank
lin Inn for lunch, the other day," said
the literary man of tho Philadelphia
Press. "Of course, he's all for art for
art's sake, but he told of a woman who
once said to Marion Crawford, tho
novelist:
" 'Have you ever written anything that
will live after you havo gone?'
' 'Madame,' Crawford replied, 'what I
am trying to do is to write something that
will enable me to live whllo I am here. "
WEX J.
OUT OF THE GINGER JAR.
She Life Is a lottery. He Sure; and tha
automobile people Just now seem to be taking:
the most chances. Yonkers Statesman.
The difference between salary and Wages Is
precisely the difference between accpUng a
position and getting a Job. Detroit Free Press.
"A man makes a bad bargain," said Uncle
Eben, "when he has to git along wlf half a
consclence In order to double hla money."
Washington Star.
Dinah Ebony Aunty, de papers ay mebby
de black plague will come to dls country.
Aunt Ebony Don't you worry 'bout dat.
honey. It won't show on us. New York
Weekly.
"Hazel came over tonlsht to study with
me," explained Dorothy. "And did you do
much studying?" "Well, we would have If
there hadn't been so much to talk about."
Chicago Post.
"Dabncy has an awful attack of indigestion."
"How did ho get it?" "Ha tried to eat up
all the warmed-over turkey at once, so It
wouldn't come on the table again." Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
"Were you at Miss Xewgirl's coming-out
party?" "Yes, for a little while. But sho
hadn't got more than a third of the way out
when I left. Judging from her dress." Cin
cinnati Times-Star.
"Imitation may be the slncerest flattery."
remarked the shade of the old dramatist, who
had been looking over the book of one of Sar
dou's plays, "but adaptation la not It's plain
stealing." Chicago Tribune.
Mlsa Youngbud Did you enjoy the play?
Miss Elderlelgh Yes. Indeed especially the
third act. Miss Younsbud Oh, yes; that
was the act In which the heroine told how
she Induced her husband to propose. Chicago
Daily News.
Mr. Elder There Is something I want to say
to you, Bessie cr that Is, MIs3 Kuteley. Miss
Kuteley Call me Bessie if you wisn. .Mr.
Elder Oh, may I? Miss Kuteley Of course;
alt old gentlemen call me Bessie. Philadelphia
Ledger.
Mrs. Suddenrlch I never heard no such way
of talkln as you've got Into at boarding
school. Daushter I've learned to speak as
the teachers do. Mrs. Suddenrlch Well, Jus
drop It. Them poverty-stricken hirelings don't
move in our set. New York Weekly.
The speeding trains came together with a
dull, slckenimc thud. A moment later the
happy pair sat facing each other In the corn
field, far away. "Well, what are you crying
for?" asked the man. The lady wept anew.
"It It Is our first fallinz out." she sobbed.
Cincinnati Commercial-Tribune.
"I wish we could discourage those cousins
of yours, thcBlanks." she said, wearily. "The
circumstances are such that we hava to Invite
them to dinner about once In so often, and
they never by any chance decline." "Sup
pose," he said, thoughtfully; "suppose you
cook the dinner for them yourself the next
time." Chicago Post
X
H