8 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, JANUARY , ,8, , 190 Entered at the PottoflScs at Portland.- Oregon, a aecond-class matter. REVISED SUBSCRIPTION BATES. Br mall tpostage prepaid la advance) DaUr. lti! Bun day. per month 2"S DaUy, Sunday excepted, per year. Dally, -with Sunday, per year Sunday, per year - t2 The Weekly, per year ") The Weekly. 3 months - Daily, per week, delivered. Sunday excepted..l&o Dally, per week, delivered. Sunday Included. .soo postage: rates. United States. Canada and Mexico 10 to 14-page paper '"Vt 16 to SO-page paper '""IS, Si to tf-page paper a Foreign rates double. News tor discussion intended for publication la The Oregonlan should be 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 tor this purpose. Eastern Business OSLce, 4J, 44. 45, 47, 4.' 49 Tribune Building. New Torfc City; 610-11-1 Tribune Building. Chicago; the B. & Beckwlta Special Agency, Eastern representative. For sals la New Tork City by I. Jena A Co sews dealers, at the Actor Bouse. For sale la Saa Francisco by JU. B. fe, Palace Hotel news stand; Goldsmith Bros., 238 Cutter street; IT. TV. Pitts. 1003 Market street; J. K. Cooper Co.. 746 Market street, near the Palace Hotel; Foster it Orear. Ferry aws stand; Frank Bcott. 80 Bill street, and N. Whcatley, S3 Stevenson street. For sal In Los Angeles by B. F. Oardner. 369 South Spring street, and OUver A Halne.i. Sdd South Spring street. For sale In St. Louis. Mo., by the World' Fair News Co. For sals la Kansas City, Mo., by Blcksecker Cigar Co.. Ninth and Walnut streets. For sale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co.. 117 Dearborn street: Charles MaeDoaald, 63 Washington street, and the Auditorium Annex news s(aad. For sale In Minneapolis by M. J. Kavanaugh. 60 South Third street; U Begelsbuger, 317 First avenue South. For sale In Omaha by Barkalow 3ro.. 1G1S Fsrnam street; Megeath Stationery Co.. 1305 Famam street; McLaughlin Bros 210 S. Fourteenth street. For sale la Ogden by W. O. Kind. 114 25th street; V. C Alien. Postofflce cigar store; F. JR. Godard and C H. Myers. For sale la Salt Lake by the Salt Lake Nw Co., 77 West Second South street. For sale la Washington. D. C. by the Eb bett House news stand, and Ed. Brlnkxnan. Fourth' and Paclflo avenue, N. W. For sale In Colorado Knrlnca br C A. Bruner. For sale In Denver. Colo., by Hamilton & Kandrlck. 906-912 17th street: Louthaa & Jackson Book & StaUonerr Co.. 15th and Lawrence streets, and Julius "Black. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature, 47; minimum temperature, 37; pre donation. 0. TODAY'S WEATHER Rain; brisk southerly 'winds. PORTLAND, nil DAY, JANUARY 8, 1004. ESPRIT DE CORTS. It is impossible to see how the police committee can condemn Officer Frank lin for his part In the comedy In which he played so feelingly opposite Mrs, "Lulu "Winters Called to the lady's apartments to gain Information con cerning a recent robbery, he found the lady at home, Indisposed, and, in fact, in bed. He thereupon seated himself, so it is alleged, on the side of that use ful and convenient article of furniture, remarked that she was a dear, good woman, and tendered her an osculatory embrace which she was too 111 (so she avers) to resist We undertake to say that Officer Franklin in this epi sode did nothing but live up to the high standard of gallantry set him by his superior officers; and In his fur ther defense we offer this plank from the police committee's platform as enunciated by General Beebe himself: Its object has been to establish and main tain discipline, build up morale, and create an esprit dc corps throughout the force It Is credibly reported that Detective Joe Day, in exemplification of this esprit de corps, once shook his -fist In the face of Chief Hunt, saying: "You blankety old blank, If you tear roe down, I'll tear you down!" It Is also a matter of considerable notoriety that Officer Sloan has repeatedly offered the observation, In the further exempliflca tion of esprit de corps, that Joe Simon will clean up the town at the forthcom lng primaries. More directly in line with the esprit shown by Officer Frank lln are the operations of Officer Roberts in living off the contributions of dive keepers and their victims In the North End. We can see no reason, therefore, for censure of Franklin. Esprit de corps should stand by him as It has already stood by his companions in dls clpllne, morale and gallantry. THE DOLLAR AND THE MAN. There was trouble on the Isthmus of Panama; Americans were In danger and the forces of the United States were promptly sent there to protect them, There Is trouble In Santo Domingo, and warships have hurried there to protect the lives of American citizens. Trouble is brewing In Corea and American ma rines.are already there in force to see that Coreans, Russians or Japanese shall not harm the head of a citizen of the United States. There Is a man in the White House who puts the man before the dollar, They know It on Wall street; they know It on the boards of the anthracite roads and mines. They know it In Northern Securities and In the shipyard trust. They know It at Klshlnef and Beirut, at Bogota and Santo Domingo, in Salt Lake and Charleston, In Manila and Seoul, in the Government printing office and the Postofflce Department and the Land Bureau, In the Republican Na tional Committee and In the Senate of the United States. The only person who has not heard of it and will never hear of It is a cer tain perpotual candidate for everything in sight, who has been howling for some eight years about the dollar being be fore the man. He Is preoccupied with a chase after 550,000 before the woman and with memories of his recent dalli ance with the crowned heads ofEurope. Mr. Bryan's policies would put the man eo far before the dollar that It could never catch up with him. LESS WOOD AND MORE STEEL. It is certainly a reassuring decision the authorities have made, in substitut ing steel as far as possible for wood in the new Morrison-street bridge. It is in line with the universal demand' for less wood ln theater construction. The increased congestion of people In our cities, whether in assemblies or in tran sit from place to place, brings forcibly before the mind the pressing necessity of more protection from lire and from struotural weakness. Conscientious and resolute municipal authorities will not be willing In the fu ture to stop far short of the demand that & theater shall contain nothing that is combustible. A "fireproof" theater, as It is, contains highly Inflammable scen ery.'gas tanks, ropes, curtains, wooden sets and painted walls. Construction of the building itself,, of course, Is easily compassed with iron, steel, stone, brick, tiling and concrete. Tungstate of soda or other chemicals will render scenery, ropes, costumes, furniture, etc., If not proof against fire, at least Incapable of bursting into flames -and spreading: the combustion. Even the stage, which it is thought must be of wood, can be made similarly slow-burning. The floors, carpets and seats are susceptible of like treatment. The extent to "which incombustible materials have already taken the place of wood Is very great. Tall buOdlngs In our large cities are commonly con structed of stone, steel and tile, as The Oregonlan building is, so that there Is practically nothing,. io .burn, Tet the danger in an office building is nothing to the danger on a bridge, on a steamer or in a theater. It Is- clear that with all the preparations that can be used to make wood "uninflammable, the decrease In Its use already certain to ensue will help to solve the problem of existence after the forests have all disappeared. REIGN OF THE FURNISHED KOOJI. It is saldrthat 10,000 men in the City of New York go to dinner every'even- lQo wiu mm tresses, uu rate uierc would be in Portland some 1000 men similarly situated. The proportion of single to married men Is less In New York City than in Portland. On this we are not left to conjecture. There are 20 single to 16 married men In New York. There are 20 single to 15 married men in Portland. This is for men over 25 years old. In New York there are 27,000 married men under 25. There are probably 2700 in Portland. The census of 1900 shows that Port land contained at that time 53,000 males and 37,000 females. There are not enough women, to be sure, but as only 14,000 of them are married, the mascu line excuse of Insufficient supply would not avail. Of these 53,000 males, 35,000 are over 25 years of age. The ages of married men In Portland are not given In the census, but if we assume that 2700 of the whole 17,000 married men in Portland are under 25, the percentage of married to single over 25 Is brought down to a ratio of 15 to 20, as we have said. Portland contains something like 40,- 000 men over 21 years of age, and of these only 17,000 all told are married The small birth rate of the city Is thus in a measure accounted for. It is easy to say that young men are growing wild and young women prefer lndepend ent employment and good clothes to the burdens of motherhood, This Is true. but It does not solve the problem or suggest a remedy. One reason, of course. Is laxness of home training, ar- other is decline of religious conviction, A powerful agency In the abatertent of matrimony and decline of birth rate Is coeducation. It is of no use to plead that coeducation confers better educa tional results. Perhaps It does. But what 1b certain is that It tears down the veil of mystery and romance and ideal ity with which each sex was once en veloped to the other's eyes. Close con tact brushes away the glamor from Dulclnea as well as from Lancelot. The human frailties that separation once concealed are now thrust upon atten tion. Romance has gone and with it that blind infatuation with which Na ture was wont to lure us on and people the globe apace. Whatever the cause, the results are here. The woman In "Sapho" who said she would rather be a man's mistress than his wife was the prototype of an Increasing number of American girls, Her followers dwell In furnished apart ments, whose generous allowance for rents Is1 transforming half the halkln Portland . into rooming-places and sprinkling apartment-houses over town thicker than saloons. THE BLESSINGS OF WAR. The PeterklnB who prod the bulls and bears in the cotton and wheat markets do not stop to inquire "What good came of It?" when war Is raging by cable and grapevine wire. The good, so far as they are Immediately con cerned, Is very apparent, espe cially at this time of year. Exhil arating news of the character which makes the speculative blood flow faster Is usually scarce at this season of the year. The jaws of the chlnchbug, which work overtime whenever the Chi cago Board of Trade farmers are "long" on wheat, are frozen together, and the Hessian fly flies not, and neither does It light, for it is sleeping under the snowdrifts which enshroud the wheat plant. It may awake later ln the sea son and collaborate with the farmer ln creating the ''poorest wheat crop we have had ln forty years," but for the immediate present the fly and the- bug are having no more effect on the wheat market than they are on the police pro tection tariff. Even , the weather is against the promoter of market news of the poor-crop scare variety, for it is too wet for a drouth and too dry for tho rust, even if" the season were far enough along for these contingencies to be of any consequence as price fac tors. Even cotton was In a fair way to drift along on Its merits. The bullish report of the deceased but unburied statistical bureau of the Department of Agriculture had worked out like all similar reports, the reaction had fol lowed, and for a few days the only signs of the boll-evil or other detri mental features were where the spec ulators had become "balled up" by tak ing the Government report seriously. The reaction had followed, and In the utter absence of anything but legiti mate factors in the situation, prices were adjusting themselves tQ a busi ness basis. This prospect for anything like commercial ennui was distressing to the tollers of the pit and curb. What better, then. In the way of a New Year's present could a kindly fate offer than, a real, live, "up-to-date war scare, which has set the speculative blood tingling, brought glad visions of dollar wheat to the farmer, and of cheaper cotton breeches to the laborer? Nor dp the expected benefits of an expected war end here. An airy-fairy pipe dreamer connected with a Minneapolis bureau for the distribution of stories and news of a lurid hue noted that the prospective war ln the Far East had resulted In some of the Pacific Coast millers booking large orders for flour shipment to the Orient, "If from Port land, why not from Minneapolis?" said the dreamer, as he smoked up prepara tory to eliminating the 2000-mlle raill haul between the two cities, and land ing the Minnesota product f. o. b. ship c. L f . included on an even basis with Oregon and Washington product Out of the haze that curled up from this pipe came a story that a Minneapolis firm had booked an order for 100,000 barrels of flour for shipment to Hong Kong. llke much else that happens ln this world, this was important if true, and a great many reliable Eastern pa pers were led to believe that It was true- Accordingly, we And In a paper i of such unquestionable reliability as the St. Paul Pioneer. Press the follow ing editorial comment on the pipe dreamer's vision: The opening of this new .market for Min nesota. Cour has had the -effect, so It Is said by experts on the Minneapolis Board of Trade, of raising the price of. wheat about cents: a bushel. It has created such a de mand for wheat at Minneapolis that the millers are scouring- the "wheat regions of the trans-Hlsslssippl Southwest for the sup plies they cannot get nearer home. The re ceipt of an order of such .magnitude by ' milling city In the heart of the continent Is a fact of portentous significance. Nothing but a war scare would have ever permitted that story to .pass mus ter as It has, and If the "experts of the Minneapolis Board of Trade" succeeded In raising prices' of wheat 7 cents per bushel they should pension for life the dreamer who started the story. ""War's not all a blessing," but it is highly pro ductive of highly colored stories and highly priced wheat. Meanwhile, all of the flour, wheat and similar supplies that are needed in the Far East will be supplied by Portland, Puget Sound and San Francisco, without the cost Of a 2000-mile rail haul being added. DECLARATION OF WAR. In ancient times, and even in the Middle Ages, war was formally de clared by sending of a herald. The Persians sent such a messenger to Ath ens and Sparta. Rome made formal declaration of war, and the practice of the Middle Ages survived into' the nine teenth century. Before the Invention of the telegraph and the construction of the railroad, ample notice was given not only to the enemy, but also to the neutral states engaged in commerce with the belligerents. It is now no longer customary to send the enemy formal announcement, but notice Is given neutral states, and the citizens of governments about to engage ln war are notified by their own governments. The need of such declaration no longer exists, owing to the telegraph and other modern Inventions. The power of de claring war rests in the United States with Congress. In our practice the United States has engaged in warlike operations sometimes in advance of and without any formal declaration. A naval war without formal declaration existed between the United States and France under the administration of President John Adams, when Commo dore Truxton captured two French frig ates In the West Indies. Our war with Mexico began without any formal declaration of. war on either side. In May, 1846, General Taylor, who had advanced Into the disputed Texan territory between the Neuces River and the Rto Grande, was at tacked by a Mexican army under Gen eral Arista. Two battles, Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, were fought Arista was defeated and driven across the Rio Grande. On the receipt of this news President Polk asked Congress to declare war against Mexico. Congress passed resolutions recognizing the fact that a state of hostilities existed and appropriating a large sum of money for the support of such military operations as the action of Mexico might oblige the United States to undertake. The declaration of war of Great Britain against the colonies was proclaimed ln the fight at Lexington and Concord and the battle of Bunker Hill, and the Dec laration of Independence was the ac ceptance of the gage of battle by the colonies. The declaration of war on part of the Southern Confederacy was the firing on Sumter, and the accept ance of this declaration of war was Lincoln's proclamation of April 15, 1861, calling for t5,000 volunteers. A state of war on the part of the se ceding states had, of-course, exited from the time of their secession. South Carolina, on its secession. In December, I860, took possession of all the United States forts, when Major Anderson re tired from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sum ter, and when the cotton states seceded, in January, 1861. all the United Stated forts were seized by the orders of the Governors of the seceding states. But the Southern Confederacy was not or ganized until February 9, 186L and Its first official declaration of war against the United States was a demand for the surrender of Fort Sumter, followed by a bombardment when that demand was refused. In the matter of the great wars of the nineteenth century England for mally declared war against Napoleon In May, 1803, but the Continental powers of Europe in the Napoleonic wars seem not seldom to have dispensed with any formal declaration of war, as ln the great campaigns of 1805, 1806, 1807 and 1S09. The United States formally declared war against Great.Brltaln ln 1812. Eng land made formal declaration of war against Russia In 1854, and France against Austria in 1859. France made formal declaration of war against Prus sia and her allies In 1870, but Prussia's war against Austria ln 1866 really began with the Invasion of Holsteln by Prus sla and her subsequent summons to Hanover, Saxony and Cassel to reduce their armies to a .peace footing and' join the new German confederation proposed by Prussia. A formal declaration of war followed their refusal, but war had substantially begun against Austria be. fore this date. These fapts show that a nation may or may not declare Its hos tile intention by a formal declaration of war. It seems to. be a matter solely of discretion and necessity. Where the -warlike purpose seems to be an open secret, formal declaration Is not given, In the case of war between France and Germany, formal declaration of war was made as a matter of interna tional prdprlety, since Paris contained 50,000 Germans In its population and was one of the great cosmopolitan cities of the world. Great Britain's habit seems always to have been to make formal declaration of war, but It has not been the invariable practice of the Continental powers of Europe. Ip the case of Japan and Russia It is quite probable that some unexpected military collision may take- place which may" be followed by formal declaration of war, just as General Taylor and the Mexican -General Arista tumbled Into each other and fought two battles ln three days before war had been de clared by either Mexico orthe United States. The North American Indians sometimes made formal announcement that they were about to take, the war path, and it is an Interesting fact that formal declarations of war seem to have been the rule among the great nations of antiquity, while the practice of for mal declaration of war has come to be. lightly regarded by the enlightened powers of Continental Europe. The Boer ultimatum was a declaration of war, followed by Invasion within twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances reads like a bit of grim humor, since it was a case of word with a blowi A strong protest is -going up from grain dealers all over the country against the passage ot the bill proyld- ins for National grain Inspection at ter- j minal markets. It Is -not exactly clear ht hnflta -ha rioiHvori from I this lt ftm,T,f tn TmlRt a. husl- ness which is conducted on radically , . . , J,., - jiiiv I umwwiv i different countries. Every additional Item of cost, whether It be for freight, Insurance, inspection or any other ser- 1 vice, falls on the grower in the end, and the business that can be transacted with the smallest amount of official friction will yield the best returns. Good wheat will always sell for more money than poor wheat, and even the official grading of the Government will not make an" Inferior article sell for as high a fleure as can be secured for I somethlng better. We have a good 11- I lustration of the grain-Inspection farce j ln our neighboring state, where the owners of wheat purchased at interior ... , . .. nr.A n I w-uiu nluiUui jujpreuuu : w accept compulsory inspection and pay the attendant expense when the wheat reaches tidewater. No inspection law, 1 state or National, can depreciate the 1 value of good' wheat or increase the j value of poor wheat. The Chamber qf Commerce Is deserv ing of great .credit for the effort It Is making to prevent a relmpositlon of the duty on coal. Our representatives at Washington have been urged by the local organization to use their efforts to prevent the duty going into effect again on January 15. and, as the members are ln a position fully to understand the matter, tneir request wiiicarry more than ordinary.-. weight lH e imlsslon j of coal duty free lari year was Hhe I means of irlvlnc i'aclfic Coast grain I shippers the largest supply of grain I tonnage that has ever been available. As a result rates on outward cargoes were the lowest on record, and all of the saving over former freight rates went -Into the pockets of the producers. Jt was thus proven that the removal of the daty benefited two classes, the producers who needed a plentiful sup ply of tonnage to make freights cheap, and tli; consumers, who eV enable to secure cheaper fuel supplies. It Is now denied that the Grand Trunk Railroad will make Us Western terminus at Port Simpson. The report which was given out to this effect a few- weeks ago has undoubtedly caused such an advance in "town lots ln Port Simpson that the railroad company did not care to go where property was so valuable. There Is also a possibility that the railroad managers will not take the general public, Including 'the land speculators, Into their-confidence when they finally stake out their Pacific Coast terminus. . There have been In stances ln the past where the aforesaid public not only refused to give thanks for the Information, but actually turned around and "cinched" the unconscious benefactor. The ordinance requiring theater ticket scalpers to pay a license Is in line with sound policy. The evil of specula- tion ln theater seats Is universal in our cities, and Portland can hardly expect to escape. Probably the patrons will have to pay the'license Indirectly ln the long run, but it.ls worth something to have the. business In responsible hands. In case of unusual extortion, some body's name will be on an official rec ord at the CltyHall and can be applied to The best policeman in all such mat- ters Is publicity. We know the' man ager, we must also "know the specu lator. Let us have no anonymous or mysterious skulking behind some In scrutable personality ln the back ground. We have been taught that for sophis tical diplomacy the Russian takes the prize; yet an utterance credited to Baron Hayashl at London Is fully abreast or Count Casslnl at his best The Japanese statesman said: I notice that when It Is Russia's turn to reply the Russian and some European pa pers are very pacific, but directly it devolves upon Japan to answer their tone, suddenly becomes pessimistic. This Is very slgnlfl- cant. The fact, of course, Is that it Is Russia's turn to reply now. and the blgsrest hul- labaloo of ten years Is on full blast This also "must be very significant," but to what purport we must leave the wily Oriental mind to estimate. "The company is now capitalized at $25,000,000, but is apparently penniless," reads a Washington dispatch regarding an Alaska railroad company which Is seeking Government aid for the con struction of a railroad from 'Valdes to Tanana. There may be some question about the merits of the scheme, but from the financial showing that has been made there can be no denying the fact that they need the money. It la not quite clear, however, why the com pany stopped adding ciphers when they were capitalizing. It Is just as eatsy for penniless companies to Incorporate for $25,000,000,000 as for the smaller sum. The failure of C. B. Wade at Pendle ton, unlike many such affairs, seems likely to result in sympathy for the principal loser. His misfortune gains In claim on good wishes from the public. In the admirable conduct of himself and wife ln their efforts to deal Justly with creditors. The nanic at the bank, sllcht as It was and speedily as It was al layed, does not reflect much credit upon the depositors. It is strange that any should tremble for the security of funds Intrusted to an Institution at whose re sponsible head stands the name of Levi Ankeny. The receipts at the Portland Custom- House for the year 1903 were $769,333, an average of over $2000 per day for every day in the year. For a number of years the Portland Custom.-House has enjoyed the distinction of being the most profitable to the Government of any on the Pacific Coast, It costing less to collect a dollar ln duty than in any of the other Pacific Coast districts. The returns on expenditures for the year are not yet available, but from the heavy receipts reported 4t Is a certainty that the showing will be fully as satisfac tory as in the past. Pprtland will entertain a large num ber of Influential visitors the coming week. They are certain of cordial wel come from everybody, and there Is no better Initiative than greeting with the National colors. So let the flags be fly ing to the breeze early next Monday morning. He Knew. Columbia Jester. "This," said th lecturer, "is a picture ot the Ipslcua roasidonlan thermomonocly- tus. an animal that has been extinct for over 4000 years." I You re wrong there," saia a man at the end of the room; "there's two o' thlm with lvery bottle ot Coseys wnislty, I8TERR0GATI0N MARK AT HOME New York Sun, -na 3U M lamng wooiuy; wet sny was glaring biliously; the overshoes or j ndS' populam commuters, -u-ir- rlnrnnlnp- aloner stoiiaiv. I wnen thl3 communication from the .City I Qf Home3 drifted Into this office plain- tltvely; I To the Editor of the Sun-Sir: Ja order to settle an argument, -Brill you lunaiy jei us 1 I 1 .w. t w r I Is It wronc for a. wife to ask her husband upon his return home, after several hours' absence, where "he was? 'B- KATZ. Brooklyn, December 29, Not wrong In itself. The moral phi losophers .will grant you that It Is no trending UDon the corns of the aulntes- sentlal, abstract and eternal right to ask that delicate Question; and curiosity Is I Lne mer 01 itnowieage. jl w naiura ",uu w"c suomu bo nneicsuw iu u 1 proajeumgs 01 ner party 01 me secunu 1 nilrt t Wn dteeretlnn should 8tep ln to ranch. a household not composed of . Illuminate seraphim and saints cannot "be conducted upon the plan of absolute and total con- fessions and confidences. Married Man, ln his present state, has an aversion to publishing his diary every day. There must be dark continents, unknown re- 1 gions In the geography of his days and nights, and It is imprudent for a wife to subject him to the time table. Some smack of liberty clings to him from his unregenerate and unmarried period. Is he to come home and report ln full every day or night to his unexpres3lve She? Is he to say, meekly and duly, "at 5:15 I 1 had a Manhattan cocktail with Bill jones. We walked up Broadway, Stopped Lat Eddie's, where we met Jim Robinson and Tom Smith," and so on? I The porches of tho feminine ear are I too delicate to be assailed with such 1 trivial, iona recoras. a oeautuui, irusi- 1 """'"T 4 iiu v e cuiu xiv-up uiabt aim 4sv v 44 tvv the devil to pay ln tho family when that trust is dead. Besides, it is a peculiar ity of Man to object to being questioned. He resents examination. It Is likely to make him gruff and reticent As he Is always led by the nose by his wife If she is even passably intelligent she can afford to humor this little eccentricity. shut up the more tightly and radiate grumplness. The female trust company must keep a proper reserve. In his own hour and time, if he be left to himself, he will be effusive enough about his movements. The Instinct of ancestors probably arboreal ln their habits Is still strong hi him, .and he will chatter after the manner of the Bandar Log; but be easy with him until he has fed. Observe the vayrlns accents of a chant that many men hate to hear: WHERE have you been? Where HAVE you been? Where have YOU been? Where have you BEEN? Never mind. Give It something to eat Perhaps it is tired. You wanted it to come home, didn't you? Well, It has come. Welcome It Suppress the strain of Indignation. The wise woman hath said ln her heart: "AH men are chil dren, and roost men are 'chumps " When the machine has been greased and stoked, perhaps the toy.wlll sing. Mean while; don't monkey with It After several hours' absence" the heart should grow fonder. How. could people live together at all If they had to- ve together ail the time? Memorandum to w-v?; Don't too many ques- tlons; too much Interrogation makes the nose turn up. The Beauties of Subsidy. Louisville Courier-Journal. The 'Portland Oregonlan, which. though a Republican newspaper, is not in love with .the system of paying bounties to ships, gives a significant example of how I ll works In practice. It notes that ocean freights there have been advanced a dol lar a ton, so .that It costs $2500 more, to carry a cargo of wheat to Europe. This nA.nc I., ,lf r v. ji ships by the score are strung all along i t - ... v- viic kuai, iuic the Pacific Coast The reason for this is -attributed to the French bounty system. When the bounty fed ships of France found some difficulty ln getting the rates they wanted, they were ordered out on the ocean to sail In ballast where they got under the law a certain amount for every mile traveled. Many of them are owned by British capi talists, and they not only get a bounty for sailing without "cargoes, but they enable Other British ships, not subsidized. to advance rates. Thus there Is a double profit for the ship-owners, and higher 1 rates for the owners of produce that must -?eelt a European market The ships un der the French flag earn so much from the bounty that they are Indifferent as to cargoes. The advocates of bounties ln the. United States pretend that they will help the shippers. But they are careful so to frame their bills that the bounties must be paid whether cargoes are carried or not The Oregonlan shows that the French boun ties actually contribute to put up freight charges. As to Next Year's Election. New York Sun. Opinions of Congressmen and prominent politicians in the states as to the drift of public sentiment concerning candidates and platforms for next year have been published, and they are interesting read ing, but they are not Important The really significant Indication Is that in both parties the mast sagacious and most conservative of the members are giving to the whole subject of next year's election serious attention and more gen erally and earnestly than at any recent period of American politics. The com plaint so often uttered and the most In telligent of the citizenship and the ablest and most Influential ln the affairs of this country outside of politics are neglectful of their political duties was never justl- I fled, and least of all has It any Justlflca Hon now The year which begins on Friday is like ly to see developments which will sur prise many of the political diagnosticians. It will demonstrate that alter all, the American people have not lost their po litical sanity and are not In any danger of losing It for the benefit of political swashbucklers or Incendiaries or social revolutionists. Three months from now a canvass of opinion concerning the political situation will be far more valuable. The Correspondence School. Brooklyn Life. (Vide back pages of all the magazines.) Are you satisfied with your present salary? Why not learn how to charm the gallery" We teach the actor's art by mall With a guarantee that you cannot fail. As Armour & Co. have agreed to take All the raw hams which we can make. Can you play a tune on a nne-tooth comb? We train virtuosi by mall, at home. M. Pat de Reszke. the famed musician, Guarantees each pupil a fine position, As he has a method which we control. Whereby each stick may become a Pole. Poets made by malL How can you be sure That you haven't a .genius for literature? Our Mr. Rellly gives special care To every It prepare. And gives his personal guarantee That one of his poems shall be printed, free. We will make your fortune here and now. Our Finance by Mail will tell you how. . We guarantee the success of each And every pupil that we may teach. As our Mr. Morgan agrees, to take All money that all of our students make. I it mn re sleklr and puny and pale. I we teaci you to lift a horse by mall. I Have you had misfortune? Are you In jail? I w- teach you how to get out by man. j Would you learn, to write these ads? Don't fall I To study our system taugnt py may- PLAY FOR TRUANTS. Chicago Tribune. is wie, qi course, mat m preventing tne truant from developing Into the crim- SlS ".uani. scaooi. jjt. wooqs tiutcninsoa. t a recent article In Contemporary Re- j view, saia mat if he had: to choose be- j Z-v laygrouna wimout a scnooi ana " -pinvnnri ?. .,..ii . .... d uuJdiUlUMbl 1U I Tl t?"'"0.. iue uiiu I as welL as the body, the Judgment as well as the muscles, morals as well as ohysiaue. in our river wards, where nlayjrrouads are a necessity of civilization, the school- - boy nnds no vent for his spirits exceot in tne auDious pleasures of the street and of the alley. It 13 almost Impossible for him to escape becoming a petty tres- passer. The depredations which the coun- try ooy commits innocuously on fields. woous ana streams, uiq meieenm w ara ooy commits viciously on ouuaings. cars tracks Snrmiinrlod n ll .M.. W things which he must not touch, his flights against the bars of hl3 cage land him In court. In the Nineteenth ward hardly any schools have playgrounds. There is cramped playground at the Andrew Jack son school, but the children are not al lowed to use It -because of the loud noises which they emit during the process. At the Skinner school the playground is paved with brick, a curious public ex penditure which betrayed Probation OffU cer Riddle into the unkind remark that he would like to take the contractor to his brick playground and make him test the bricks ln a slide for second base. The Illinois Legislature of 1201 author- ized the Board of Education to condemn hand for playgrounds in connection with schools. In the name of the boy whose body is all a-tlngle for exercise and whose buoyancy of spirits Is now diverted into disorderly conduct, let the board act on una aumgniauun as last as it can, The Case -Against Smoot., Harper'3 Weekly. It Is well known that the accused Sena tor from Utah Is one of the so-called 12 apostles of the Mormon Church. The pro- teat Is signed by 18 citizens of Utah, of whom 14 are Republicans and four Demo crats. It avers that the Mormon hier archy Is Invested with supreme authority the mandates of this authority are an nounced and transmitted by the first president and 12 apostles; that, as matter of faith or belief, thlB body of men has not abandoned polygamy, and that. consequently, it must be held to connive at and encourage polygamus practices. mis protest may seem, at the first glance, to raise a nice question, but we do not believe that the Federal Senate or the 1 umiea oiaies supreme uourt wouia nave 1 mucn aimcuity in deciding it. It should be obvious to all intelligent men that the absolute religious liberty guaranteed by our Constitution would be devoid of prac tlcal significance If the professor of par tlcular beliefs could be held responsible for the translation of those beliefs Into acts by others. How could a Chinese, a Japanese, a Moslem, a Jew, or even an agnostic, be secure ln his citizenship under such an Interpretation of our Fed erai organic law? Tnere is but one rea- sonadie ana endurable construction or the wuguiuvtuii, uiui man a ciaviiai uc iieu. ur mm uiu ieueia at me cmircn to fu-thmHtiM hflVA nhfti,itPiU -whw j t .t.i j vv TI -,i,i , t-jqi , T .i.f Vghest deee durtS mately fatal to the principle of complete toleration In matters of opinion and be lief If the construction of the Constitu tion advocated by many well-meaning persons ln the case of Senator Smoot shpuld be accepted by the Senate and sanctioned by the United States Supreme Court. How the Minister Evened Matters. Philadelphia Telegraph "Cheap men always get It In the neck eod and hard,' observed the big watch- man whrt kMM nlchtJir -trfrrfl In th rtnrfr man who' keeps nightly vigil in the dark and gloomy corridors of the City Hall's seventh floor. Filling up his old briar, and getting It in working order, he continued, as he struck a match: "No, sir: it never pays to be cheap. Now, here's a friend of mine, a watchman in the building, who Just illustrates the point to a big T. Bu lla Is his name, and he decided to get mar ried, just a short time ago. "He led his lady up to the altar, and they were duly made man and wife by the minister. Well, sir, they went down the aisle arm ln arm, Billle quite forget ting to pay the minister his little recom pense. This was all O. K. from Blllie's viewpoint and he had in mind applying the 5 or 510 that usually goes to the man of the word to the expenses of tho honey moon. The minister didn't say a word. but on Billie's return a special assessment was levied on him for pew rent The as sessment was to the tune of $15, and as nobody else was in on the game, Billle had funny thoughts. He Is sorry now that he didn't cough up to the parson. No, sir," repeated the watchman, em- phatlcally, "cheapness- don't pay." Some New Year's Resolutions. New York Sun. Nebuchadnezzar was considering some New Year resolutions. "I would like to swear off chewing,' he remarked, "but under present con ditions it is impossible." Hunting up some more grass, he fin ished his repast Belshazzar observed the writing on the wall. 'T-I think." ho resolved hastily, "af ter January 1 I won!t have any more late suppers." Shortly after, the course of events pnfnrr.ed hla resolution. ' Queen Elizabeth was holding her New Year reception. "I suppose, she remarked playfully. "you have all sworn off the ax. It Is very likely to go to your heads." Noting the forced laughter which fol lowed, she chuckled at her wit Sir Walter Raleigh had imported the first tobacco. "Isn't it magnificent?" he asked. "No," replied the sulky populace, you've Just started another thing to swear off at New Year's." For Washington's Benefit. Spokane Chronicle. A bill that passed the special session of tho Legislature may directly benefit Eastern Washington even more than it will the neighbor state. The bill was one appropriating $100,000 for the purchase of the right of way for a canal around the falls In the Columbia River at The Dalles. This Is a step towards the con struction of a canal which when com pleted will give Eastern Washington water transportation to the Coast for Its wheat and, it Is estimated, will at the same time give her freight rates that will average 4 cents cheaper. Much of this saving should go into the pockets of the farmers throughout the section near Spo kane and Increase the wealth of the people. A rARAJIOUT ISSUE. 3Co crime calls for sterner reprobation than the crime of the corrnptlonlst In pub lic life, and the man who seeks to corrupt him. The bribegiver and the bribetaker are equally guilty. Both alike sin against the primary law of the state's safety. All ques tions of dlaerenco in party poucy sinx into Insignificance when the peojjle ot this coun- try are brought face to lace wun a question Ilka this, which lies at the root of honest and decent srovernment From President Roosevelt's written comment upon Fourth Assistant Postmaster-General BrIstows re- port upon Postofflco Department delinquen cies. NGTE AND. COMMENT, . , More Sentence Sermons. Psalms don't seem half so Impres- f f " " It used to be that most people .went to; church, at least three times when they were baptised, married and bur- led. Nowadays they are not baptised. arc married bv a magistrate and -n-hen " " uiejr um mo) c wCiuau. some curates merely aDanaon their mothers apron strings tor those of a. bishop. A bishop without gaiters must be very dignified to look at all episcopal. The church tenor is often a twofer. Ifs easy enbugh to read the lesson; the trouble Is to heed it. A big fee makes a beautlful brlde. The best preacher reads the Bible with less interest than the morning pa per. Few temperance people are- really quite easy In their minds when they recall the miracle at Cana. The Climbers; A 45-story building is to be erected In New York. - , . Ah. merrily beat my heart. " And youth In my pulse throbbed. - As I left the. noise of the mart And up to 'this office bobbed. ' With pleasure a-tlngle, " " , I hung up my shingle. And waited for patients to part. That was sixty long years ago, ' And. now I am old and sad; v I've gathered ln oodles of doush, . -But I long for my life as a lad. When gay as a throstle With others I'd Jostle. "Wy down on the pavements below. It would take so much of my time ' To descend from the forty-fifth floor. That not since the days of my prime Have I dared to go out of my door, rm an object for pity, Alone In a city. , A lesson to those who 'would climb. A Holy Roller gathers no moss. Whalebone at $15,000 a ton begins to climb after radium. A mayor has been elected ln New As toria. His name is Mudd. Few of us will ask for police protec tion if we must be kissed by the cops. Some Insults cannot be wiped -out. One is to call a man a "perfect gentle- mn.n Rooms for light housekeeping are verr scares at Salem. Salem Journal. How Is the supply of light housekeepers? New York is to have a 45-story building. The Man In the Moon will soon be apply ing for an injunction. "Young Corbett" Is said to be giving up champagne for matrimony. And cham- najrne exhilarates rvm if t loto ,i, I regret Th8 Mozart," of British Colum- I bla. need 15. -Ififlpr" tv T-tTir,r.toi and escaned "into m ti . r. . - . ZZl " " ' Commenting on a phrase In the Presi dent's message the purist Boston Transcript said: "Very unique." O Mr. Roosevelt! On the same page was this sentence; And the awful drain by the outflow of the young and virile of both sexes continues. "Young and virile of both sexes!" O, Transcript! Our Lady of the Snows does not always wear furs and all Western Oregonlans are t b . . , ". I not weD-IOOteO. Ine Toronto. to ..World Ik moved to discourse on general 'and rriTnt taken Impressions In this vein: "Our Iidr of the Snows" is not the onlv place ln the world that suffers from a ma ligned climate. Kngland In general and Lon don ln particular have no less been the victims of the epigrammatist and the phrasemonger. Emerson, ln his English Traits, quotes the re marks of the witty Frenchman, that the metropolis without a fog was like looking up cnimney, and m a- fog like looking down one. Another of the same mercurial race, after six weeks continuous experience of spe cial London weather, wrote a friend in his beloved patrie, and asked him to report whether the sun was still shining, as he had seen nothing of It during his sojourn among the beefsteak and pudding-eaters. "Puir auld Scotland" has not escaped, either, and her misty atmosphere finds no harder critic than the befogged Englishman, One of the super cilious Sassenachs about to ascend a Highland coach ln the midst of sr perfect deluge, already several days old. was genially accosted by the water-proof whip, who opened the conversa tion by remarking affably that they "were bavin a bit shooer an he wadna wonner to see- rain afore nicht." Anyway, Canada never had quite so pungent a criticism as that of the aggrieved Yankee, who wound up his deliver ance with the crushing verdict that Britain had no weather at ail, but only samples. Damp as Astoria occasionally may be, It is far ahead of the part of Scotland where the native was asked by a distin guished visitor, "Does it always rain here?" "No," answered the Inhabitant, "it whiles snaws." WEX. J. OUT OF THE GINGER JAR. "Why is It Willie Is always so quiet when riding In the street cars?" "Why, his pa told him those straps could be detached." Phila delphia Record. Customer I'va found out that the Ballon ol whisky you sold me is doctored. Dealer Um well, you said you wanted it for medical use. New York Weekly. "So .It wasn't a very happy wedding, after all?" '"I should judge not, from what I saw. Not a woman shed a tear during the cere mony." Cincinnati Times-Star. Fogg I'm surprised that Harry's parents should be so strongly opposed to his marriage. Bass-rOh! I don't know. They ara married themselves, you know. Boston Transcript. "His keen gray eye fell upon her finely chiseled Hps and clear-cut brow, while the blood, springing to her cheeks, showed how deep had been the wound which he had in flicted." Chicago Tribune. Mr. Jones Oh. yes; I met Dick Baehellor and told him all about the baby. Mrs. Jones Did he listen patiently? Mr. Jones Very; ro listened so patiently that I was afraid at first he wanted to borrow money. Puck. She what are these magazine guns the papers tell about so often? He-r-Probably lt'3 some gun powerful enough to send a projec tile through the adverUsing portion of the average faagazine. Chicago Daily News. "What are you doing with your hand hn my pockets?" demanded the man who had been gazing ln the shop window. "Why, sir." whined the crook, "der ain't no pockets in-dese trousers, an' me hands are cold." Chicago NeWB. "It seems," said the leader of the rescuing party, "that the Bandits' bound and gagged you In the regular comic-opera style." "Oh I no, they didn't," replied the victim. "The gags they used were entirely new." Chicago News. "Do you mean to say you didn't give that horsethlef a trial by Jury?" "We didn'f dare," answered Broncho Bob. "If anything as unusual as a trial took place, the whole town ud turn out to see It, and some one would be sure to sneak in and steal more horses." Washington Star. "My dear," said the sick man. "you know I ordered a sealskin sacque for you for this Christmas, but in view of my present condi tion I think we had better cancel the order." "But, John." replied the loving wife, "a seal skin sacque wouldn't be inappropriate for me under any circumstances. I've seen any num ber of widows wearing them." Philadelphia Press.