THE MORNING; OftEGQNIAtf, THTOSDAY, . . AAK.. 10 .1904.
Xotered at the Postofflce at Portland. Ore-
- con. at second-class matter.
REVISED SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
By mail Ccostasre orenald In advance
I Dtlr. with Sunday, per month ?0.S5
iDallr.. Sunday excepted. ier Year... 7.50
iXJelly, with Sunday, per year , 9-00
oBnasr. x-er year.... z.w
The "Weekly, per year 1.50
The Weekly. 3 months , 50
JHy. per week, delivered. Sunday excepted. 15c
ijwy, per weeic. delivered. Sunday includes. uc
POSTAGE RATES. .
10 to 14-page paper lo
Jg to SO-page paper 2c
" to 44-p&ge paper 3c
ewejsa rates double.
The Oregonlan docs not buy poems or
stories from Individuals, and cannot under
take to return any manuscript sept to It
without solicitation. No stamps should be
Inclosed for this purpose.
EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICES.
(The S. C. Beckwlth Snecl&l Agency)
New Tork: Rooms 43-49. Tribune Building.
-oicago: Rooms 510-512. Tribune Building.
KEPT ON SALE.
Cofcatro Auditorium Annex; Postofflce
News Co., 217 Dearborn street.
Denver Julius Black. Hamilton & Hend-
riek; 000-912 Seventeenth St.; Louthan s
Jackson. Fifteenth and Lawrence.
Kansas City Rlcksecker Cigar Co.. Ninth
mad Walnut.
Im Angeles B. F. Gardner. 259 South
-Siring; Oliver & Haines. 203 South Spring.
nd Harry Drapkln.
Minneapolis M. J. Kavanaugh. 50 South
Third; I Heralsbuger. 317 -First Avenue
South.
2few Xorlc City L. Jonas & Co., Astor
House.
Ogdea W. C Alden, Postofflce Cigar Store;
F. R. Godard: W. G. Kind. 114 25th St.; C.
H. Myers.
Omaha Barkalow Bros. 1012 Farnam:
McLaughlin Bros.. 210 South 14th; Megeath
Stationery Co., 1308 Farnam.
Salt Lake Salt Lake News Co., 77 West
Second South St.
St. Louis World's Fair News Co.
Baa Francisco J. K. Cooper Co., 74C Mar
ket, near Palace Hotel; Foster & Oreer.
Ferry News Stand; Goldsmith Bros., 230
Butter; L. E. Lee. Palace Hotel News Stand:
F. W. Pitts, 1008 Market; Frank Scott. 80
Ellis; X. Wheatley, S3 Stevenson.
Washington, D. C. Ed Brlnkman. Fourth
and Pacific Ave N. W.; Ebbltt House News
Stand.
YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem
perature. 42 deg.; minimum. 37. Precipita
tion, 0.37 inch.
TODAY'S WEATHER Occasional rain;
southerly winds.
PORTLAND, -THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1901.
GROWTH OF ORIENTAL FLOUR TRADE.
The Department of Commerce and
Labor Is Inclined to underestimate the
growth and Importance of the flour
trade of the United States with the Ori
ent In a review bf the Monthly Sum
mary of Commerce and Finance, which
will be Issued in a few days, the state
ment Is made that "flour as a factor in
our export trade to the Orient has of
late attracted considerable attention,
but the total Is not large, nor is the
growth rapid." In support of this
statement the Department presents fig
ures for the last fiscal year showing a
total valuation of flour shipments to the
Orient of 57,165,060, which It explains Is
"less than 10 per cent of the total ex
ports of American flour In 1903." A
casual glance at these figures without
- pausing to analyze the conditions which
surround this trade In a new field would
lend to corroborate the statement that
r the, total was not large nor the growth
, rapid, but -When the business Is re-
clewed from its Inception and the com
paratively 'small area where It origi
nated Is considered, it Is not to be won
dered ithat'lt attracts attention, even
I though as yet it amounts to but 10 per
-cent of. our total exports.
To begin with, the entire flour trade
with the Orient is handled by the mill
ers of Oregon, Washington and Califor
nia, and the wheat yield of these three
states is only about 10 per cent of that
of the entire United States. This would
indicate that in proportion to the raw
material on which they had to work the
Pacific Coast millers were at least hold
ing their own with those of the older
settled communities east of the Rocky
Mountains. The total is decidedly large
for the amount of territory where it
originates. There Is another point
which makes It Impossible properly to.
show Its dimensions in the fullness of
their meaning, by comparing the ship
ments with those for the rest of the
country. The Oriental business is of so
recent date that It may truthfully be
termed new business, while the flour
trade from the rest of the United States
had become thoroughly established and
reached large proportions long before
the Pacific Coast millers began seek
ing this new outlet for their product.
These things considered. It will be
understood that the growth has been
rapid and the business large for the
opportunities that were presented. The
growth for the last fiscal year-was the
! greatest in the history of the trade,
i but it will be far exceeded by that of
the current fiscal year. From the be
ginning of the cereal year, July 1, 1903,
to March 1, 1904, the total shipments of
wheat and flour from Oregon, Washing
' ton and Idaho to all ports were 17,251.239
bushels, and of this amount 10,044,661
, bushels went to the Orient as flour.
The growth of the business can be un
derstood when It Is stated that for the
same period in the preceding season
23,901,876 bushels were shipped from the
three states, and of this amount but
5,551,677 bushels went to the Orient as
flour. Even were the comparative fig-
ures less striking in this territory,
1l which virtually controls the Oriental
flour trade, they would have been en
titled to more flattering mention than
was given them by the Department of
Commerce and Labor for another very
important reason.
The United States has for more than
a generation been depending on Euro
pean countries to take Its flour surplus,
and that trade was worked right up to
the limit when the Pacific Coast mill
ers began teaching the Orientals to eat
American flour. Every barrel that
found its way .across the Paclfio to
these new consumers Improved the Eu
ropean market for the shippers who
were shut out of the Orient, but who
had previously felt the competition of
Pacific Coast flour that was shipped
around the Horn in liberal quantities.
The statement that the Oriental flour
trade "is not large nor the growth
rapid" Is one of those half-truths that
nr In some resnects wars thnn wtiini
I misrepresentation.
i -
General Sakharoff, Russian Minister
of "War, states that he finds transpor
itatiori equipment Insufficient on the
Pacific end of the trans-Siberian rail
road, and to remedy the defect he has
ordered 2000 cars and-120 locomotives
. beyond Lake Baikal. Incidentally he
will supply some business for this
equipment by sending to the front a
force which will bring the army on the
shores of the Pacific up to a minimum
of 400,000 men. The trans-Siberian rail
" road is said to be poorly constructed
and poorly operated, but the most care
' les3 kind of operating with 120 extra
i locomotives and 2000 extra cars could
succeed in landing an immense force at
the Pacific Coast terminal In very short
order. And not the weakest point. In
Russia's" reserve power is the fact that
she can' supply the 400,000 men, and as
many more, with no more effort than
will be required to put the additional
rolling stock to work. Russia has been
a little awkward on the sea since the
trouble began, but her work on land
may be of a much more serious nature.
NOT A PROFESSIONAL POLITICIAN.
A long article entitled "Roosevelt, the
Politician," was printed In the New
Tork Sun, following the- death of- Sen
ator Hanna, whose purpose was to
show that President Roosevelt had all
his life been a politician; that when he
met Mr. Hanna first, in 1884, -when
Hanna made his first appearance in
politics at 47 years of age, Roosevelt,
although only 26, had already served
three terms as Republican Assembly
man. The argument of this article was
to show that Mr. Roosevelt has for
twenty-five years been an office-holder
and an actor in every field of practical
politics. His experience is described as
"the result of the closest personal re
lations for -nearly twenty-five years
with most of the great politicians of his
party, from Presidents down to ward
leaders."
This Is true In the sense that Mr.
Roosevelt has always been In politics,
which is greatly to his credit, for In no
field of human action can an honest.
Intelligent, energetic man of unflinch
ing moral courage be of as much ser
vice to his country as to be resolutely
in politics to the end of the advance
ment of the public welfare. AH 'our
eminent Presidents have been "In poll
tics" save those like "Washington, Tay
lor and Grant, who were selected be
cause of their military popularity.
Even Jackson was a most astute and
adroit devotee of politics when he was
not actually in the field fighting the
Creeks and the British. John Qulncy
Adams was in politics from his early
manhood, and Lincoln sought office in
1S32, when he was barely 23 years of
age. In Justice to President Roosevelt
It should be said that while he was
always In politics he was never a pro
fessional politician; never the slave of
a political ring or the serf of a business
corporation. He was always an "Inde
pendent" In his own party, so persist
ently an "independent" that he was sel
dom a member of the dominant faction
of the Republican party.
In 18S4 Roosevelt, an ardent "reform
er," was a delegate at large from New
York to the Republican National Con
vention, where with George William
Curtis and Andrew D. White and seven
others he voted for George F. Edmunds
against "Boss" Piatt, who led the ma
jority of the delegation for Blaine.
Roosevelt always belonged to the "In
dependent," George William Curtis,
antl-Conkllng, anti-Platt fact'ion of the
Republican party in the Empire State.
Roosevelt vigorously supported Curtis
In his opposition to a resolution pledg
ing every delegate to support the nomi
nee of the National Convention. When
the motion was put to make the nom
ination of Blaine unanimous, it did not
receive the votes of these Republican
"Independents" of the New York dele
gation. Mr. Curtis openly advocated
the election of Grover Cleveland, and
certainly Mr Roosevelt did not cham
pion the election of Mr. Blaine. He had
fought against the nomination of ex
Presldent Arthur at Chicago as bit
terly as he had opposed that of Blaine;
he was for Edmunds from first to last,
and was bitterly opposed- to "Boss"
Piatt from that time for fourteen years
up to 1893, when Piatt reluctantly ac
cepted him as a soldier candidate who
could defeat the Democracy for Gov
ernor. At the Republican National Con
vention of 1SS4 Mr. Roosevelt cham
pioned the nomination of John R.
Lynch, a negro delegate from Missis
sippi, as temporary chairman of the
convfintion against Powell Clayton, of
Arkansas. The negro was nominated
by Henry Cabot Lodge and supported
by George William Curtis. Mr. Roose
velt In his speech said:
It te a fitting thing for us to choose to pre
side over this convention one of that race
whose tight to sit within these walls Is due to
the blood and the treasure so lavishly spent
by the founders of the Republican party.
Clayton was a Blaine man, and
Roosevelt, Lodge and Curtis were un
alterably opposed to Blaine, and would
have no political affiliation with "Boss"
Piatt in the convention. Lynch was for
Arthur, but Roosevelt preferred him to
a Blaine man, although, like "Boss"
Piatt, he was hostile to Arthur's nomi
nation. Mr. Roosevelt voted for Mr.
Edmunds to the last, while Mr. Hanna
stuck to John Sherman to the fourth
and last ballot, when the solid forty-six
votes of Ohio went over to Blaine. Mr.
Roosevelt did not leave the Republican
party after the nomination of Blaine in
1SS4, but, like Senator Edmunds, he did
not support Blaine on the stump, and
he has always been on cordial terms
with Grover Cleveland, who always rec
ognized him as a sincere, "conscience"
Republican in distinction from a mere
professional machine politician and
partisan.
In 1886 Roosevelt was nominated for
Mayor of New York City and defeated.
In 1889 he was appointed a member of
the United States Civil Service Com
mission, and resigned to become presi
dent of Mayor Strong's Police Board
Commission in 1895. In 1897 he was ap
pointed Assistant Secretary of the
Navy by President McKinley. His war
record of 1898 forced "Boss" Piatt,
whom he had steadily opposed for four
teen years, to nominate him for Gov
ernor of New York, and in 1900 Piatt
had him nominated for Vice-President,
which is generally regarded as the
burial lot of political ambition.
This record of Roosevelt from 18S2 to
1900 is that of- a man ceaselessly in poli
tics but never a professional politician,
for In all this time he is never seen
striving to be on the strongest side; he
Is always an "Independent," always "a
reformer"; he votes for Edmunds from
first to last In 1884 because he will have
nothing to do with the nomination of
Blaine or Arthur or Sherman; he was
always, with Curtis, the Idealist and
civil service reformer against Conk
llng, and when Conkllng retired he was
as bitterly opposed to his residuary leg
atee, "Boss" Piatt. In all these years
he never was victorious; he was gener
ally joined to the weaker part, and up
to the outbreak of the Spanish War
"Boss" Piatt had the best of him; that
.is, Roosevelt sought no office as a place
hunter, and he could not be nominated
to any office of large public conse
quence because Piatt was the party
"boss" in' the Empire State. Mayor
Strong knew Roosevelt for a sincere
political reformer, no he called him to
the head of his Police Board. With a
three-headed commission reform work
was impossible, so Roosevelt accepted
the Assistant Secretaryship of the
Navy, a position that promised no
chance for public advancement.
Fortunately the Spanish-American
War broke out and Roosevelt saw his
opportunity and seized it. He said:
"Here is a distinction- that I can obtain
without competition or opposition on
the part of 'Boss Piatt and his polit
ical machine; I can offer to fight under
the American flag against Spain; if I
die under it my children will be proud
of me and 'Boss Piatt wllL be glad,
but if I fight victoriously and don't die
under the flag, I will come home in
shape to make 'Boss' Piatt sorry." And
he did; he put up his life for the flag
and did not lose it; he returned home
with the fairly earned laurels of a gal
lant American soldier on his brow, and
before they were withered "Boss" Piatt
had to nominate him for Governor of
New York or lose the state. Then
"Boss" Piatt obtained his nomination
for Vice-President, thinking he had
relegated him to a political burying
ground, but fate willed otherwise and
Roosevelt is President of the United
States by no fault of "Boss" Piatt and
by no intrigue of his own. He has al
ways been in politics, but .he has never
been a professional politician, for the
professional politician does not cham
pion the weaker side, is never "inde
pendent," Is never a "reformer" within
bis own party lines for more than
twenty years, regardless of reward. In
war or in peace, in politics or on the
firing line, Roosevelt has fought for the
public weal, for the honor of the Amer
ican flag, without hope of political re
ward or fear of political punishment.
MERCHANT MARINE AT BARGAIN
PRICES.
The fixture of a sailing ship for new
crop loading at" Portland at a figure
about 5 shillings per ton above the rate
now prevailing hardly seems to warrant
the belief that any marked revival of
rates has set in. The rate paid for this
solitary representative of the new-crop
fleet was 25 shillings, a figure which
certainly cannot admit of much if any
profit to the owners of anything but a
bounty-fed French vessel. A big grain
crop on the Pacific Coast and unnat
ural, distribution of tonnage may cause
temporary strength In the freight mar
ket, but statistics are against high
freights for the present. Builders' re
turns for the year 1903 show that the
output of new merchant vessels in the
United Kingdom alone last year was
1,190,618 tons, while there was still un
der construction In United Kingdom
yards on December 31 875.320 tons. This
latter amount, with the addition of"
only the few vessels that are always
launched, whether the times be good or
bad, will bring the output for 1904 up to
about the same figures as that of last
year.
In the face of this Increase there are
hundreds of idle ships all over the
world and large numbers of others
which are kept moving at no profit or
even a trifling loss in order to prevent
the depreciation caused by lying up
or in the hope of finding a buyer. The
extent to which shipping values have
slumped is shown by. a statement Is
sued by a prominent Arm of brokers In
Liverpool, which says that a 7000-ton
deadweight boat about 360 feet long,
with 9 to 9-knot power, could be built
today for about 39,000, while three
years ago similar vessels were Eold for
60,000. The desire of many shipown
ers to get out of the business Is re
flected in a long list of second-hand
vessels for .sale at bargain prices. This
list of vessels in the hands of a single
firm contains the names of more than
200 steamersranging in length from 300
to 600 feet, and, in carrying capacity
from 2500 tons to 22.000 tons. The samo
firm also has for sale over fifty sailing
vessels, mostly modern-built craft,
whose tired owners have lost faith In a
revival of freights.
These topheavy stocks, with so much'
more tonnage on the ways, may pre
vent a revival In freight rates this year,
but it Is not improbable that the de
mand will get within hailing distance
of the supply wthin the next twelve
months, for while building will come to
a halt, the growth of the carrying trade
will continue. Almost exactly similar
conditions prevailed In 1896, when the
Germans and Norwegians began hunt
ing the ship-brokers' bargain counters
in Liverpool and bought everything
that was offered at ridiculously low
prices. Entire fleets of the finest Brit
ish sailing vessels afloat passed under
the German flag at that time, and when
the revival in freights set in a year
later the far-sighted Germans, with
their cheap ships, made more money
per registered ton than the British had
ever been able to get out of the busi
ness. The Norwegians met with sim
ilar success, and even the Americans
picked up a few of .these bargains, al
though they were not permitted to give
the vessels American registry, and It Is
not improbable that the same buyers
already have their eyes on this big fleet
that ls.rfow wearing the "For Sale"
sign.
Of course everything that the Ger
mans, and Norwegians pick up at those
low prices will immediately fly the flags
of those countries, which are so rapidly
gaining In prestige on. the hgh seas.
The unfortunate American, however,
plugging along under antiquated navi
gation laws which only hamper and re
strict the growth of the merchant ma
rine under the Stars and Stripes, can
not very well avail himself of these
bargains, except In the underhanded
and un-American method of registering
them under an alien flag. And still the
Fryes, Littleflelds, Griscoms et al. won
der why our merchant marine does not
grow as rapidly as that of some of the
foreign countries.
GENERAL GRANT NOT TO BLAME.
The Rev. C. E. Cllne, In a letter to
The Oregonlan of the 6th Inst, explains
General Grant's action in the matter of
the expulsion of fugitive slaves from
camp In December, 1861, by saying that
"Grant was a Democrat" This is not
the explanation. General Grant, writ
ing to his father at the outbreak of the
war, expressed his conviction and his
satisfaction that the war just opened
would Inevitably destroy slavery. Grant
was a soldier and was guided in his
action not by, his sympathies, but by
the precedent action of the Government
and the military authorities. General
Scott wrote General McDowell July 16,
1861, that President Lincoln had asked
him the question, "Would It not be well
to allow owners to bring back 'slaves
who have crossed the Potomac with the
Union Army?" General "Jim" Lane, of
Kansas, in an official communication
said: "My brigade Is not here to Inter
fere with the institution of slavery,,
either as negro-catchers or negro
thieves." Lane was a radical Republi
can, but his words are In line with
those of Grant.
General Fremont August 30, 1861, Is
sued a proclamation declaring Missouri
slaves free, but his act was declared In
valid by President Lincoln. Governor
John A. Andrew wrote the Secretary
of War- December 7, 1861, protesting
against the arrest of fugitive slaves by
the military order of General Charles
P. Stone, In whose camp they were
found.' General McClellan sustained
the action of General Stone, and also
the action of General Hooker, of his
army, in the return of fugitive slaves.
General Halleck, Grant's superior offi
cer at St. Louis, had Issued an order
prohibiting negroes from coming within
the lines of his command and exclud
ing those already under the protection
of his army. On December 7, 1861, a
resolution was offered In the House of
Representatives respectfully requesting
the President to recall this order of
General Halleck, but it was tabled by a
vote of-78 to 64. In May, 1862, Presi
dent Lincoln, when General Hunter is
sued a proclamation of emancipation
in South Carolina, declared his- order
void and notified him that slavery was
a subject upon which military men had
no right to issue orders. '
General Grant as a soldier had no
choice 'In December. 1861, but to obey
the order of his immediate military
superior, General Halleck, and "exclude
negroes from the protection of his, com
mand and prohibit them from coming
within the lines of his command."
General Grant had always been opposed
to slavery, as his letter In April, 1861,
to his father plainly sets forth. Lin
coln hated slavery from his youth up,
but he did not allow his hate for It to
affect his action as President, He is
sued his great proclamation purely as a
military measure, after turning down
Fremont in December, 1S61. and Hunter
In May, 1862. Lincoln subordinated his
private sentiments to his constitutional
oath to preserve the Union, and Grant
subordinated his private sentiments to
his obligation of military obedience tq
the o'-flcial order of his superior, Gen
eral Halleck, who then commanded tha
Department of the West General
"Jim" Lane, Republican, obeyed this
order as Implicitly as did Grant,
The transfer of Minister John Barrett
from the Argentine Republic to Pan
ama may be welcome to Mr. Barrett,
but if the sanitary conditions of Pan
ama are correctly described,. Mr. Bar
rett will hardly enjoy the change.
Buenos Ayres Is a great city of over
840,000 inhabitants, with a large num
ber of highly intelligent foreigners,
English, permans, Italians and Span
ish; the climate is far better than that
of Panama, which cannot be made a
place of healthful residence for an in
telligent American for many years to
come. Until the Panama Canal Is com
pleted, say ten years hence, Panama
will be about as odious a place to live
in as can be found between Patagonia
and Alaska. The isthmian fever i3
fatal to many Europeans, and alto
gether Mr. Barrett Is not likely to enjoy
the change.
If Russia's Vladivostok squadron be
Indeed outside the harbor, the vessels
are in perilous case, and It will be sur
prising if any of them enter a Russian
harbor again, In view of the fact that
the Japanese can' meet them with a su
perior force in whatever direction they
seek to escape.- The Rurlk and the
Rossia are powerful cruisers, but they
are slow and somewhat antiquated.
The Rurlk is noted as being the vessel
that set the pace for the building of big
cruisers by other nations. It was de
signed as a commerce destroyer of suffi
cient fighting capabilities to destroy
any hostile cruisers that might be used
In convoying merchant vessels. Great
Britain -built the Powerful and the Ter
rible as. a "reply" to the Rurlk, and
France also built a number of similar
cruisers.
Marriage at an early age Is sometimes
considered desirable and.sometlmes un
desirable. Whether desirable or not,
early marriages often supply work for
the divorce courts and subjects for re
porters. A recent Instance In Jersey
City is an example. John Allers, aged
19, wanted a divorce from his wife, aged
17, because she spent too much time In
playing with dolls. Mrs. Allers wanted
a divorce from John because he earned
but $6 a week and spent most of that
in cigarettes and shows, to which he
would not take his wife, who had to
console herself with the less exciting
joys of dolls. The divorce was not
granted, possibly because the court did
not consider a fondness for either dolls
or cigarettes sufficient cause to break
up a home.
While the rainfall in Portland has In
a measure beaten the record of ancient
times, when it only required forty days
and forty nights of continuous down
pour to enable the ark to make good
ofling, there are other localities which
are suffering worse than Portland. Cal
ifornia has been flooded for over a
week, with great damage to the crops,
and Pennsylvania Is now to the front
with one of the worst flood stories of
the season. Old Jupiter Pluvlus seems
to have been working overtime In this
vicinity for several weeks, but the
actual damage done thus far has been
Inconsequential in comparison with that
caused by floods "south and east. At
the same time this kind of weather
would not win a prize even with Orego
nians for judges. "
In another column will be found pro
posed rules governing the distribution
of water to settlers on land reclaimed
by Irrigation companies operating un
der the Carey act Since the details of
the management of an irrigation sys
tem determine to a large degree .the
welfare of the settlers, It is of great
importance that the rules adopted shall
be reasonable. Every person Who un
derstands Irrigation problems, or who
Is likely to be interested as a settler on
reclaimed land, should read these rules
and make any suggestion he deems per
tinent In response to the request of the
State Land Board.
There could be no nobler death than
to "die for another. "Greater love hath
no man than this." In the sorrow that
has. fallen upon the friends of Sumner
Smith, the young man who rescued lit
tle Zoe Brown from . the Willamette,
only to meet his owh 'death In the
water, there is consolation In the
knowledge that his end was heroic, and
that in giving his life for another he
earned the highest honor. In contem
plating the untimely death of such a
man in the flower of his youth, pride
must temper grief.
The Russian government expects to
derive an income of $358,500,000 in 1904
from the sale of liquor, which Is a gov
ernment monopoly in most of the prov
inces. In July next the monopoly will
be extended to Eastern Siberia, accord
ing to a report from Commercial Agent
Gruner, at Vladivostok. The more the
Husslans drink the more money the
government will have for- war purposes
and the less fit for war the nation will
be, despite the great "elimination of the
unfit" that must be going on.
SPIRIT OF THE NORTHWEST PRESS
Where's the Bandwagon?
Albany Democrat
The Hermann-Harris fight for nomina
tion as Congressman promises to be a
very hot one. In which Albany will take
a hand. Let the band play.
What Difference Does It Make?
Bend Bulletin.
It Is not much to the credit of the Ore
gon delegation In Cohgres3 that the bill
to straighten out the land tangle In the
Lakevlew district must come from a Wis
consin Representative.
Reformation of a Statesman.
Toledo Leader.
The Salem Statesman's new editor, ex-"
Governor Geer, is making its editorial
page "very readable," to use' an expression
which expresses, even if It Isn't Boston
ese. It seems quite certain that Mr. Geer
has struck his forte, and when he sings a
song of Harmony with a bfg "H" Repub
licans should sit up and take notice. Hav
ing abandoned the political arena as a
principal and engaged In a legitimate and
honorable calling, he is entitled to that
respect and honor merited by every man
who evinces a desire to become useful.
The choir will please sing: "Let the past
be all forgotten; let's be friends and love
again."
A' Pro-Hermann View.
The Dalles Chronicle.
It Is very evident that Mr. Hermann
will have some opposing candidates before
the Republican nominating convention of
the First Congressional District In the
past years of Mr. Hermann's Congres
sional career there was no more earnest
worker for Oregon's interest, and It ap
pears he has lost none of his former ac
tivity. He is simply filling the unexpired
term of Mr. Tongue, and It would seem to
be only fair that he should be given an
other two years. To replace Mr. Her
mann with a new man would not be giving
him an opportunity to demonstrate his ca
pability as a Congressman, and would ap
pear unwise on the part of the people.
But Is the Party Kicking?
Independence Enterprise.
The retention of Booth and Bridges as
Receiver and Register at the Roseburg
Land Office naturally does not leave a
favorable Impression with the public for
the reason their relief was recommended
by Secretary Hitchcock and his reconv
mendations have been followed in other
cases. It Is, no doubt, through the Influ
ence ana persistence of Senator R. A.
Booth, brother of the Receiver, that the
Secretary's recommendation did not pre
vail. The resignation of Receiver Booth
as secretary of the big lumber company
of which Senator Booth Is president, while
Intended for effect has the opposite to
what was intended. The public knows
Receiver Booth Is as much interested In
the lumber company as he ever was. It
Is not fair to make the party carry a load
for Senator Booth It refuses' through the
administration to carry for others.
if, Etc.
Tillamook Headlight
As the local-option measure, proposed
under the initiative and referendum law
and to be voted upon at the election in
June, is bound to meet with strong oppo
sition from liquor dealers, there is not
much likelihood that either of the old par
ties will take tho matter up for the pur
pose of making It a political Issue. It Is
well to leave the measure In the hands of
the voters, and. If, after careful delibera
tion they came to the conclusion that a
local-option law, giving the matter of
saloon license Into the hands of the peo
ple Is a good thing for the state, there is
no reason why it should not be tried.
There are no objections to the licensing
laws of Oregon, but the trouble is county
and city authorities will not enforce the
laws. And even should the local-option
measure pass, we are a little Inclined to
bejieve that it will not bring about any
change In that respect
How About the Portage?
The Dalles Chronlple.
Under these circumstances the import
ance of the early construction of the port
age road Is made very emphatic. If work
could be begun pn this road as soon as
Spring opens it could be constructed In
time to remove the crops of the coming
harvest The difficulty with this Is the
right-of-way which Is still In litigation,
and no one can tell when it will be de
cided. It was a great mistake that this
was not pushed through the courts as
rapidly as possible, for by this time a ver
dict could have been reached of the
amount of damages to which the O. R. &
N. Co. was entitled. As It Is, It seems
that the portage road has been lost sight
of completely, when in reality it Is the
only Immediate and available relief our
producers can reasonably expect It may
be 20 years before the canal and locks are
completed, and In this time the state
road would have saved to the Inland Em
pire hundreds of thousands of dollars
in reduction of freight rates. The portage
road Is our present hope, and let every
effort be made to push the suit in the
courts to a speedy verdict
Danger in Advertising.
Woodburn Independent
"Liberal advertising pays and in some
cases pays too well. The Los Angeles in
cident proven conclusively that it has
been injudicious. That city has told the
world of Its beautiful climate and dwelt
particularly upon the curative qualities of
that superb climate for those afflicted
with tuberculosis. The deplorable result
Is tha Los Angeles- is not only entertain
ing a large number of hawking and spit
ting p'bor, but a sickening spectacle Is
presented to the visitor there, and it is
needless to state that Los Angeles is
thoroughly sick of its job. It sees now,
alas! too late, where It can progress with
out the presence of consumptives, but is
puzzled how to get rid of being the Mecca
of the pulmonary army. Advertising did
It It paid at first, but. like the man
advertising for help during hard times,
the replies -In person never cease. Los
Angeles can point to Arizona and other
localities as-better for consumptives, yet
there are fresh arrivals dally In that city
of the emaciated who "heard tell" of the
wonderful climate of the Southern Cali
fornia city.
Against Local Option.
Grant's Pass Observer.
The liquor Interest of the state Is pre
paring to put up a fight against the pro
posed local-option law which will be
placed before the electors next June for
their decision. There is a proposition to
Issue a series of pamphlets showing the
disadvantage of prohibition to taxpayers,
but it may safely be said that no argu
ment that can be put forth by the dealers
In intoxicants will have any material ef
fect on the vote. The force of argument
Is all the other way. The feature for
moderate and well-meaning men to con
sider Is whether prohibition, if Dut Into
force In local districts, will really pro
hibit AH former experience of local op
tion has shown it to be a failure, and
even harmful to its own cause. The pub
lic Is not prepared for prohibition. It Is
even doubtful if tho Anglo-Saxon or other
Germanic races ever will be prepared to
completely abolish the uso of Intoxicants.
These people have been excessive consumers-
of alcohol for 1000 years, and have
come up from barbarism to be the rulers
of the world; while the temperate Latin
races nave moved backward. Moreover.
before real abolition comes, it must first
be decided that alcohol is not a medicinal
requirement, otherwise prohibitory meas
ures have a tendency to turn drug stores
Into liquor stores. No reasonable person
will dispute the evils of Intoxicants; that
has ceaspd to be the question. The real
question is: Kow can these evils be rem
edied? And In considering this proposi
tion the reasonable i.an Is bound to ad
mit that no real remedy has yet been de
vised, and that all in nil a high tax and
rigorous application of the law promises
the best results under existing conditions.
THE SIMPLER LIFE. : '
New York Tribune.
Mrs. Frederick Harrison, in the current
"Cornhill." makes an appeal for oldtlme
leisure and simplicity that comes across
the rush of life today with a calming
note and charm. Many, wearied by the
tense excitement and rush of progress,
whose higher alms seem to be forgotten
in the novelty of ceaseless acquisition
and new desires, will welcome this protest
as an expression of at least some of their
own moods. As Mrs. Harrison turns the
pages of "old family books . . - kept
with the loving precision of days of leis
ure, bringing with them a savor of the
old world, an aroma of rose leaves and
lavender," a picture of the past to which,
doubtless, distance lends some portion of
Its enchantment rises to her view. And
the sympathetic reader of her "Cornhill"
essay goes with her back to the days of
our grandfathers and grandmothers, the
days of "Evelina," 'The Penny Maga
zine," the "Elegant Extracts; or. Useful
and Entertaining Passages In Prose and
Poetry," the "Glftbooks" and "Annuals,'"
the stories of Lady Blessington and the
novels of Jane Austen. Life In those
days seems to have moved alone In
sheltered and shadowed ways as compared
with the fuller current and electric light
of the present These were the days, also,
when letterwritlng, now a lost art, was a
delight the circulating library, the tele
phone and even the steam railway were
not, and men and women had time to live
and enjoy life, or so It seems to Mrs.
Harrison.
Were people really happier In those
days than now? We do not know, and
doubt very much whether Mrs. Harrison
does. Yet to one looking back from the
breathless present to the leisurely past,
the simplicity of life a hundred years ago
has an undeniable charm. Life then was
expressed in simpler terms. People had
fewer wants and desires. Invention and
discovery had not then become the dili
gent handmaidens to luxury and progress
that they are today. The modern list of
advantages Is a long one, and few, per
haps, were It a matter of choice, would
willingly exchange these for the simpler
life of a century ago. And yet, such is
the contradiction of moods, many will
join with Mrs. Harrison In this protest:
When one hears fathers and mothers talk
of giving tnelr children every advantage, it
might often be reasonably suggested that
they aro giving them every disadvantage. To
acquire simple and cultivated tastes In early
life Is In itself a goodly heritage, and, for
the rest, no humpn wisdom as to marriage
has got beyond the motto on the leaden
casket: "Who chooseth me must give and
hazard all he hath."
It is the old, unchanging problem of
human life, after all, that Is Involved,
It Is as useless, also, to recommend going
back to such an idyllic life as that of
which Mrs. Harrison writes as to recom
mend the man or woman of middle age to
go back to the freedom and Joyousness of
youth. The simpler life of the past to
ward which with backward glance the
present sometimes looks as to some green
embowered Arcadia forever past in th
rush of progress, nevertheless has a com
pelling charm. Perhaps, people a hundred.
years hence will look back to the be
ginning of the twentieth century with a
similar longing for its quietness and
simpler life. That thought, at least is
hopeful, and will also add to the Interest
of life today.
CALIFORNIA'S INTEREST IN FAIR
California Fruit Grower.
Captains Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark were the first Americans who
reached the Pacific Ocean overland. They
headed an expedition sent out by Presi
dent Thomas Jefferson in 1S03, which
reached the mouth of the Columbia River
in 1S05. Portland, in 1S05, will celebrate
the centenary of this National event with
an American-Pacific Exposition and Ori
ental Fair.
The discovery of the great river of the
West by Captain Robert Gray In 1792, and
the expedition of Lewis and Clark in
1S0G-G, added to our National domain a
region equaling in extent the whole of
the states of the Union east of the Mis
sissippi and north of the Ohio -and Poto
mac Rivers. The original "Oregan coun
try" now contains three of the states of
the Union Oregon, Washington and
Idaho and very extensive parts of Mon
tana and Wyoming. It was the acquisi
tion of this region that gave the United
States its first footing on the Pacific
Ocean, and opened the way to our great
continental development In political im
portance the acquisition of the Oregon
country stands among the greatest events
in our National history
Congress has made a substantial ap
propriation to the management of the
fair.
The Lewis and Clark Centennial and
American-Pacific Exposition and Orien
tal Fair, which Is the full and official tl
tie of the Portland exposition, has ex
tended a formal invitation to the State
of California and to the counties of the
state, to make exhibits at the exposition.
Many of the displays made by the state
and the various counties of California at
the World's Fair, St Louis, will be on
exhibition at Portland in 1905. No other
state is more interested in the success of
Oregon and the Pacific Northwest than is
California, for the interests of these com
monwelaths are Identical. Therefore all
loyal Calfornlans will be 'Interested In the
Lewis and Clark Fair, and will endeavor
to assist In making it a signal success,
from inception to finish.
Three Results of Mr. Hanna's Death.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Mr. Heath retires into a state of po
litical seclusion which Is likely to remain
undisturbed. With Mr. Hanna's death also
vanishes any lingering hope of a "vindl
cation" that may have been cherished by
.Major Katnbone. The late Senator was
the head and front of the movement to
clean Rathbone's skirts, and there is no
one to take up the task where he dropped
it. une case ror itathbone unfortunately
became complicated with the case against
General Leonard Wood, and the casting
dawn of Rathbone means now the exalt
ing of the Army doctor to the rank of
Major-General, a slight to the whole Army
which Mr. Hanna felt confident of pre
venting. In the public mind the cases of
Wood and Rathbone have been hopeless
ly confused, though there was no neces
sary connection between them. Each
should have been considered on its own
merits, but the late Senator's uncom
promising loyalty to his friends had made
this practically Impossible. Mr. Hanna
Is dead and both cases fall to the ground.
Wood will be confirmed and Rathbone will
not be vindicated.
On the Prospect of Planting Arts and
Learning in America.
George Berkeley.
The Mace, disgusted at an age and clime
Barren of eTery glorious theme.
In distant lands now waits a better time,
Producing subjects worthy fame;
In happy cUmes, w hero from the genial sun
And virgin earth: such scenes ensue.
The force of art by nature seems outdone.
And fancied beauties by the true;
In happy climes, the seat of innocence,
Where nature guides and virtue rules.
Where1 men shall not Impose, for truth and
sense.
The pedantry of courts and schools. -
There thall be sung another golden age,
The good and great inspiring epic rage,
The -wisest heads and noblest hearts.
Not such as Europe breeds In her decay;
Such as she bred when fresh and young.
When heavenly flame did animate her clay,
3y future poets shall be sung.
Westward the course of empire takes Its
way;
The four first acts already past,
A fifth shall close the drama with the day;
Time's noblest o lap ring- im the last.
'" note and; comjIent '
From Popularity to Oblivion.
Stage;
Skirt.
. Rage. . ti
4 -
Legs, t "
TlKhts '
Pegs!
Frights!!
Goes without saying a Japanese
army corps. t . - . A .
The gist of It all appears to be that
"is oiner ienows aro a bad lot
Doubtless the Vladivostok sduadron
agrees "that there's no place like homeV
The Kansas City star runs a Bible
text every day. It omltK the caption.
Special Correspondenco.' "
A Springfield chorus:
Niggers, dura 'em '
Shoot 'em! Burn 'em!
The Turkish cruiser Mediilba" Is -to
leave Cramp's today for Constanti
nople. C O. D., wo trust
Pendleton golf players object to the
number of dead dogs on the course
Perhaps the Pendletonians have an un
easy feeling that the dogs may have
seen them playing and have died from
laughing.
The City Marshal of Roseburg does
not consider that his duties lncluda
the slaughtering of impounded dogs.
so he demands $2 for each execution at
which he presides. The dogs hope that
the Council will economize.
A man of 575,000,000 In Fifth avenue has
had 25 bathrooms and a swimming pool
built In hi $5,000,000 palace. For lo years
of his life between 16 arid 31 he did hot
take a bath oftener than once a month.
Evidently, says the New Tork Press, he
Is going to make up for lost time.
A correspondent writes as follows:
LOST UMBRELLA. IVORY HANDLE; LIB-
erai rewara. iienry a. aicuinn, Oregonlan
building.
The above advertisement which ap
peared in the classified ad columns of
Tho Oregonlan, has caused more Dec-
pie to smile than any other Joke which
has been printed for some time. Know
ing Henry McGinn as a politician and
criminal lawyer, the public Is pleas
antly and mirthfully surprised, to learn
that he entertains for mankind such
Unbounded faith and cnnflr!nrn na tn
advertise for a lost umbrella.
'The Jbeauty doctor told a good story
about her hair restorer," said a well
known Akron man to the Times-Democrat,
"but I know a better one. With sev
eral other men I was associated, several
years ago, in the manufacture of a re
storer. We had a fakir selling the remedy
and this was one of his tales:
' 'A woman came to me the other day
for her eighth bottle. She said she lked
the taste of It so well. I was frightefied,
and took her into a private office and' told
her to show me her tongue. She stuck It
out and there was a half Inch of hair on
it To keep from hurting the business we
had to feed her camphor balls all that
Summer to keep the moths out of her
stomach. "
Henri Burdon, a distinguished French
man who is representing the Paris Figaro
in St Petersburg during the war in the
Orient sent out a glowing account of the
fight In which the Russian cruisers Varlag
and Korletz were destroyed. He draws a
picture of the twtf- vessels going out to
destruction with, the bands playing the
Russian national hymn, and compares it
with a fanciful sketch of the slaking of
the Vengeur, all hands at their stations,
shouting "Llbertyl" This is very pretty
writing, but as a matter of fact, the
Vengeur, which took part in the fight
called -by the British "The Glorious First
of June" (1794), was captured by the Brit
ish fleet and was being taken home when
she sank. The men aboard were rescued
by the other vessels of the fleet, but then
It is a pity to spoil a good story.
William J. Bryan Is blamed by a
Kansas City paper for resurrecting thi3
story:
A young man who was at one of the
Baron Rothschild receptions was mak
ing an ass of himself by telling what
he could do, what he had, how. good
his automobiles were and all ' that.
Finally he jumped up and said: T
must show you these cuff buttons I
have just secured. They are made of
of malachite genuine malachite.'
"He went round the room exhibiting
his cuff buttons and explaining that
.they were' malachite.
"When the young man reached Roth
schild he held up the cuff buttons and
said: These are a curiosity. They
are made of malachite.'
"Ts that so?' asked Rothschild.
"Malachite is a handsome stone. I al
ways liked It I have a mantel-piece
of it in the next room."
WEX. J,
OUT OF THE GINGER JAR. :
First Man Tea, TU do any work at all
that's honorable. Second Man Gracious I
Have you got so low as that? Life.
Mrs. Blxby Mother says that she Is going
to die and Join father. "Blxby I wish there
waa some way to give your father warning.
Town Topics.
Uncle Josh X see the stock market was
raided yesterday. Uncle Silas It was, eh?
Well, I thought it was putty near time for
the police to interfere. Puclc
She Tou say you are unlucky at cards?
He Very. "Well, you xriust be lucky at
love, I suppose?" "1 am. I've never been
married." Tonkera Statesman.
Mr. X That girl keeps fidgeting around
all the tima. Why doesn't she keepx still?
His Wife She can't. There's a mirror on
each side of her. Detroit Free Pressl
.Querist Doesn't It worry you a good deal
that so many of your patients die on your
hands? Toung Doctor Worry me? Why
should ltT Think of the experience" I am
getting! Boston Transcript.
"Why, Doctor," protested the indignant fe
male, "you evidently believe that women
haven't any brains." "On the contrary.
AutMAaui. i cyiicu uic Ui. iu- j-.f 4. iiav u
actually seen them at autopsies." Chicago
News. '
Idoj Isn't It a pity some nice young men
cculd not get a glimpse of how we bachelor
girls enjoy .ourselyes?. May Yes; but the
only trouble is. If any nice young men' came
along, we wouldn't remain bachelor girls.
Chicago News.
Patient I feel dopey all dalmfc - I don't
know w"ats de matter wid me. Doctor
Is your occupation sedentary? Patient t
don't ketch onter dat I'm a street-cleaning
contractor, an' Doctor1 Ah! What.you" need.
Is exercise. Philadelphia Press.
Poor Feebles (about to be .operated- on
for appendicitis) Doctor, before- you begin.
I wish you would send and have out' Pastor,
the- Rev. Mr. Harps, come over. Dr. Cut
ter Certainly, $f you wish- It, but ah
"I'd like to be opened with prayer." Life.
Wife Darling, we dined at -the Squataons"
just one week: ago tonight. Do you realize
that we must make our dinner call? Hus
band Suppose we don't Wouldn't they
like It? Wlfer Why. they sever would for
give ue I'm sure they would, sever. ask. lis
again. Husband Good! Tha we woa't
got Srooklya Lift.