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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1904)
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Wheat ley, 83 Stevenson; Hotel Francis News Stand. Washington. V. C. Ed Brlnkman, Fourth and Pacific Ave., N. W.; Ebbltt House News Stand. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature, C3 deg.; minimum, 35. Precipitation, none. TODAY'S WEATHER Increasing cloudiness; winds mostly easterly. PORTLAID, FRIDAY, APRIL 8,JLD04. DONT TAMPER WITH THE JUDICIARY. No public official who Is conscious of his own rectitude expects his record to be screened from the full light of pub licity; and it is certain that the charges against Judge Frazer, as they are met by the statements of those familiar with the circumstances, will result in more good to him than harm. It is easy to understand the feeling of op position that would grow out of such impression of fact as Judge Frazer's detractors, we think mistakenly, have entertained; but in view of all the facts no impartial person, It would seem, can -doubt that his course In the matter complained of was not only technically correct, but dictated by the high sense of duty and justice which has estab lished Judge Frazer so firmly in the estimation of attorneys, jurors and liti gants alike, and given him honor in the public mind. This Is a fitting time for us to renew the urgent appeals we have repeatedly made for the renomination of both Judge Frazer and Judge Cleland at the convention next week. The opposition to Judge Frazer Is ill-advised; and if there is any movement against Judge Cleland It can only proceed from parti-, san motives and is even more unworthy still. It is a part of our unwritten law to re-elect our Circuit Judges during good behavior, and any departure from that custom would not only be an In justice to the officials, who have with drawn themselves from the ways and profits of private practice for the pub lie service, but would Involve those responsible for the change In suspicion of improper motives. To tamper with the judiciary would be as unwise polit ically as it would be Inimical to public policy. A MOST DISREPUTABLE RULER. King Leopold, of Belgium, is a mon ster of iniquity, whether viewed in the capacity of a ruler, a father or a do mestic tyrant. In the first role he is oruel in the extreme to the wretched natives of the Congo, over whom he has extended the authority of Belgium; in the second he has proved a veritable monster of Injustice and hatred, while In the last he persecuted'for years, and until her death, with open insult and private oppression, one of the gentlest and most lovable women who has worn the title of Queen In Europe for a century. It will be remembered that at the ' time of the death of Queen Henrietta Maria of Belgium, Leopold treated his oldest daughter, who was at one time Crown Princess of Austria, with the most shameless brutality, virtu ally forbidding her to attend her mother's funeral, while he, as chief mourner, ostentatiously followed the bier of the woman whom he had per secuted and made miserable for years. His youngest daughter, Princess Louise of Coburg, is by his order held prisoner In an insane asylum in Coswig, Saxony, on account of a desperate and Ill-advised effort to escape by elopement from the brutal husband that her 'father's tyranny had imposed upon her. The oldest daughter, known as Princess Stephanie, has preserved, as her mother did before her, a good reputation under exceptionally difficult circumstances, while the younger's morals are a feeble reflex of those of her father. These daughters have lately been forced to bring suit against the corrupt Did mercenary and debauchee, their father, to recover from him the prop ' erty that was left to them under their mother's will, and the claim is being" resisted on the ground that by the mar riage settlement in 1853 the late Queen surrendered her private fortune to her husband. "Whether she did or not, Leo pold acted as though she had done so, for in her will is found the statement that she had never spent a farthing of her own dowry, and it was Impossible to ascertain what disposition was made of it. This scandalous condition of af fairs is aggravated by the fact that Leopold, aside from his royal allow ances. Is many times a millionaire. He is by far the largest stockholder in the company that is growing enormously Mch by the atrocious methods which govern the trade in rubber and ivory in the Congo State. According to late dispatches, the cruelties practiced by his soldiers and emissaries upon the helpless natives are horrible beyond be lief' or expression. These though at tested by missionaries and other vera cious witnesses, are met by the denial of the Belgian government, and go on unchecked. Truly this wealthy and unscrupulous old rascal is doing all he can to make hereditary kingship disreputable. "We have scoundrels in office under a republican form of government.' but in- dividuals of this class cannot be foisted upon us in governmental capacity for life except through atrophy of the pub lic conscience. 01 wnicn mere are jei no alarming symptoms. There is. In deed, nothing to justify the suspicion that any other civilized government on the face of the globe would maintain in a savage land a native army of canni bal soldiers, forced into service by the most abhorrent cruelties, for the pur pose of securing for its benefit valuable articles of commerce. Yet this Is one of the many revolting charges that an American missionary for seven years resident In the Congo "Free State" brings against King Leopold of Bel gium In connection with his dealings with the natives. Facts bearing upon the subject have been presented to the English and American governments, with a request tlTat the situation in the Congo State be investigated. But Leo pold, accustomed to hold his way by "divine right," simply scoffs at inves tigation and instructs his ministers to deny or ignore the charges. The di rect succession of his house will fortu nately be broken by his death an event that. In the interest of decency and humanity, has been long overdue. THE DISAPPEARING SAILING SHIP. The amount of grain tonnage en route and listed for Portland and Puget Sound Is the smallest that has been re corded at a corresponding period in many years. Rates are down far below the average of recent years, and yet exporters refuse to charter for new-season business. This Is another of the signs of the times which point to the retirement of the sailing ship from long distance ocean routes, and the substi tution of the steamer. In the old days of higher rates, before the , modern tramp steamer had appeared, it became necessary for exporters to begin char tering grain ships for new-season busi ness very early in the year. The slow moving sailing vessels were so long in going from one port to another that It was frequently necessary to charter a ship eight and ten months before she was actually needed. In recent years nearly all of the Im provement In construction In steamers has been with a view to reducing the cost of operation, and so successful have the efforts of builders proven that the modern tramp can now carry freight at a rate nearly as low as that made by the sailer. This fact enables exporters greatly to lessen the element of chance in the chartering business by waiting several months longer than was formerly necessary before taking up tonnage for new-crop loading. This ad ditional time enables them to make a more accurate forecast on the amount of tonnage that will be needed, and pre vents an oversupply being secured when there is a short grain crop. It Is possi ble that higher rates than are now de manded for forward loading may pre vail when the crop Is ready to move, but there will be no shortage of steam tonnage. This rapid substitution of the steamer for the sailing vessel Is going on all over the world, and the self-propelling carrier is forcing Its way into fields which but a few years ago were regard ed as the special preserves of the sailer. This passing of the sailing vessel is treated quite extensively In the last Issue of the Literary Digest in a trans lation of an article written for the Re vue Sclentifique by M. Daniel Ballet This eminent authority assures us that the substitution of motive power for sail Is going forward so rapidly that the day Is coming when the long-distance sailer will .practically disappear. The only exceptions to this changed condi tion are noted In the case of France, where an Increased number of sailers have come into existence by reason of the bounty, and in Norway, where a great many wooden ships have been built for use In the lumber trade. For the latter business the cheap wooden vessel, built right where the cargo grows, will always stand in pretty high favor, and the Pacific Northwest has an exceptionally good opportunity for building these craft and supplying them with business after they are built. There are some very fine specimens of these home-built wooden lumber carriers in this port at the present time, notable among them being the schooner Henry K. Hall, with -a. capacity of over 1,600,000 feet. Modern wooden vessels of this rig are proving so economical in operation and comparatively cheap to build that It will be difficult for steam ers to displace them. Carriers of the Hall type get around with a crew of about a dozen men, and frequently make passages as far away as South Africa, Australia and South America. The sailer in our grain trade may be replaced by the steamer which moves more rapidly, carries more cargo and can be operated remarkably cheap, but for the lumber trade, except around the Horn, our own wooden vessels will hold a prominent place for many years. The shipbuilders of Oregon and "Washington have repeatedly demon strated their ability to turn out as good seagoing craft as can be constructed anywhere. No finer specimen of the American ship ever floated than the ship Western Shore, which was built at Coos Bay and made a succession of re markable passages around the Horn to Liverpool, and the numerous schooners, barks and barkentines which followed her on the stocks at Coos Bayy all gave equally good accounts of themselves. The yards at Gray's Harbor and on Puget Sound have also contributed a large number of fine vessels to the available tonnage under the American flag on the Pacific, and will continue to add to the available supply of lumber tonnage for many years after the steamer has driven the sailer out of other trades. The need of a local sanitarium for consumptives has been frequently shown In this community by the fruit less attempts of persons afflicted with this disease to find relief from their sufferings by exhausting and disap pointing trips to Colorado, California and Arizona. It is now known that life In the open air Is the great specific for this disease, and that this treatment may be secured at home, wherever that Is, quite as effectively and much more comfortably and economically than by going away. The consumptive at home, welcome and made comfortable as far as possible by loving eare. Is in a con dition that calls for sympathy. But the consumptive battling with ex haustion on a Tallway train, or having reached his destination, finding every door shut against him through dread of his presence In the house, and finally being compelled to return home to die, Is an object of deepest pity. The death of a person under these conditions Is much less a matter of grief to his fam ily and friends than was his pitifully desperate attempt to find relief in change of climate. A sad example of this bitter quest and its oruel terml- -THE MORNING nation was shown In the death from consumption at the Union Depot In this city a few days ago of a young: woman of Seattle, who had been to Colorado in search of health, and who, returning unrelieved, died soon after being car ried from one train to "await the de parture of another. The time will come, and certainly it cannot come too soon, when near our centers of population outdoor retreats will be provided for those who have not passed the curable stage of consumption and homes for the homeless In advanced stages. Med ical knowledge and practical philan thropy go hand in hand in this work. MIRACLES OF INDIAN IRRIGATION. The possibilities of Irrigation in a wild desert land are clearly demon strated by the results of government work that has been undertaken in the north of India. Ten years ago the des ert of Rechna Doab bad not a single inhabitant Today 800,000 persons are living in comfortable homes upon what was a desolate region, but is now pro ducing enormous crops of sugar cane, rice, cotton, tobacco and other crops suited to that latitude. Famine has given place to plenty; people who were crowded Into unhealthful quarters In cities have been placed in pleasant surroundings, and land that formerly contributed nothing to the Industrial wealth of the country is sending forth Its abundance. "What has been done In Rechna Doab by the aid of water from Chenab River will yet be accomplished In Crook and Malheur and all Eastern Oregon when the waters of the Deschutes and Snake and other streams have been turned upon the thirsty soil. In the soil of Rechna Doab were all the elements necessary for the production of the crops that have been mentioned, but moisture was lacking. Experience has proven that the soil of Eastern Oregon will respond with bountiful crops that find a ready market If the one element be supplied water. Sugar cane, rice and tobacco may not be counted among our products, but alfalfa, the best stock food yet discovered. Is here grown In Its perfection. If no more profitable crop should be produced, this one will add wealth to our state from every acre upon which water shall be turned. The livestock industry Is pass ing from the period when an abun dance of free range can be had, and hereafter more dependence must be placed upon feed grown upon culti vated land. The reclamation of the desert of Rechna Doab was undertaken by the government of India primarily as a means of furnishing employment to thousands of starving men and women during a season of famine. Finding it self under the necessity of furnishing food to these unemployed poor, the government set them at work on the canals and ditches of a great Irrigation system, and paid them wages which would enable them to live until the return of more prosperous times. The result surpassed the most sanguine hopes of the engineers, for 2,000,000 acres have already been made produc tive and. 3,000,000 acres more will be added to tills area of fertile land in the next few years. According to statis tics presented by "William E. Curtis, a special correspondent for the Chicago Record-Herald, the value of the crop produced in 1902 was $16,845,000 upon land which it cost only half that sum to reclaim. The net profit of the gov ernment for that year upon Its Invest ment was 14 per cent, and ,thls upon an enterprise which was undertaken for the purpose of keeping the people from starving. There are in Eastern Oregon several Irrigation projects which have met the approval of Government engineers, and the people of that and every other sec tion of the state entertain the hope that some one of the enterprises will soon be undertaken. Great though the Initial cost may seem, It Is small compared with the value of the land when water has been turned upon It No difficulty whatever will be present ed In finding settlers who will repay the cost of constructing the Irrigation system. Under the favorable circum stances which the Government has found to exist, there can be no chance of failure or loss. To the commercial Interests of the state the Irrigation systems proposed by the Government and by private corporations operating under the Carey act are of vast Im portance. The reclamation of these great arid plains will be followed by the building of prosperous towns, the development of manufacturing enter nrises and the Increase of desirable population. Every addition to the Irrl- gated area means the production of more crops, the raising and fattening of more livestock, the sale and ship ment of more products and the pur chase of more supplies. The Inland Empire will not know its full power so long as a cubic foot of water flows Idly down through arid wastes to join the Columbia in its ceaseless course. Investigatlons made by Coroner Du gan In Philadelphia have revealed an astonishing ss'stem of "baby farms," where Infants were sold, exchanged or borrowed with as little fuss as If they were kittens, and were killed, In many Instances, with less compunction on the part of the murderers than the or dinary person would feel in drowning a superfluous puppy. It Is believed that one man was at the head of the nefarious business, occupying a posi tion much the same as Al Adams did with regard to the policy shops of New York. In the establishments that formed the system babies were mur dered apparently on a wholesale scale. Others were lent to women desirous of using them to blackmail men. As the houses were scattered over several states, it became a difficult matter to trace an Infant from one to the other, and the soale on which they operated Is shown by the statement of the Coro ner that he believes more than 2000 births occur annually in Philadelphia that are not reported to the authori ties. Coroner Dugan declares that all persons or institutions taking charge of babies should be licensed by the state, and with this conclusion few will differ. Niu Chwang, the outlet of Man churia, has for years been open by treaty. It was ceded to Japan in 1895-6 and retroceded to China through the intervention of Russia, supported by France and Germany. While it Is within the Chinese Empire, It is not and has not been since 1900 under Chi nese administration. Russia occupied It when her troops advanced on Pekln. A Russian official was placed In charge of the customs service, superseding the English official appointed from Pekin. Russian civil and military Governors carried on the administration of the port, and since 1900 the Russian ad ministration has been in full control. Niu Chwang today is as much the sub ject for belligerent operations as any OKEGONIAX FRIDAY, APRIL 3, T.904.. point in Manchuria or Corea, and the Russians are naturally apprehensive that Japan will attempt to land an army in that part of Manchuria which lies west of the Llao River, In the Sheng King Province, which extends along the northern and western coasts of the Gulf of Llao Tung as far south as Shan Hal Kwan. So long as the Japanese remain dominant at sea they can land an army on the western coast of the gulf and find a field of opera tions with which they became familiar In 1894-95, during the late war with China. The Russians evidently expect that Japan will undertake to land troops on this western side of the Llao Tung Peninsula near Niu Chwang, whose occupation would be most de sirable, since It Is by means of the railway running from Shan Hal Kwan to Niu Chwang that the Russian forces In Manchuria draw from China a large part of their food supplies. "Within the last year Canada has gained substantially In population. There has been a large increase In the sale of the public lands and In the growth of agriculture and manufac tures. Canada Is clearly "alive and well, and doing well." She sells to England more than twice as much as she buys from England. The day Is gone, never to return, when England is necessary to Canada. The New Tork Sun is disposed to think that "the Do minion could get along without the mother country quite as well as the mother country could get along without the Dominion." The advantage de rived from the British naval force by Canada 'Is offset by the enormous ad vantage Great Britain gains from har bors and naval stations on Canadian soil at Halifax, Esquimalt and other ports of Canada. On the other hand, Canada sent about 7400 men as her con tingent to the Boer "War, and another 1000 relieved British garrisons from duty In the Dominion. The time has been when England from a purely business point of view would have been glad to let Canada free from all bonds of colonial dependence, but today, while England would not resist any move ment on the part of Canada looking forward to absolute independence, it is probable that she would regard the sev erance of those ties of colonial rela tions as a matter, not merely for sen timental regret, but as a national mis fortune. Denmark exported In the year 1902 a total of 35,967,000 dozens of eggs, val ued at $5,451,000, almost all coming from the small farms of from two to eight acres. The farmers, to the num ber of 33,500. have organized the Co operative Egg Export Association. Each "circle" of the association collects the eggs of Its members and prepares them for shipment to one of eight cen ters. Here the association takes charge of them, and by careful packing and by a guarantee that all the eggs it sells' are fresh, it has built up an Increasing trade that already amounts to more than a million dollars a year. The total cost to the farmer from the time the eggs leave the nests until they are on board the steamer is 1 cents a dozen, and prices In the British market are advancing. Consul Frazer, who re ports on the industry, attributes to co operation the "great commercial ad vantage which Danish eggs have in the British market over the eggs from all other countries." "The finest ode In the English lan guage," Byron called Wolfe's poem on the burial of Sir John Moore, and one of the finest stanzas In that poem pic tured the dead soldier's friends bury ing him "darkly, at dead of night" By tho struggling moonbeam's misty light, And the lantern dimly burning. A writer in the English Illustrated Magazine has now published a writ ten statement made by the chaplain who read the burial service over the body of Sir John Moore, and, as might have been expected, the lines about the lantern and the moonbeam are declared to be misleading, as the funeral was held after dawn. While this cannot tarnish the luster of Wolfe's verses, it is a sad blow to the memory of certain soldiers that clutched the skirts of fame with the declaration that "I held the lantern at the burial of Sir John Moore." No religious exercises of any kind can be held In the public schools of Idaho. This Is the decision of Attorney-General Bagley, of that state, and he quotes plenty of law to sustain it The question Is said to have arisen upon Information that In the Mormon sections of the state Mormon doctrines as expounded by the Book of Mormon were being taught in the public schools. The decision Is an impartial one, and, for reasons that readily sug gest themselves to all thoughtful per sons, It Is a wise one. The day may come when the Bible will be regarded as history interpolated with tradition and embellished, by poetry. When that time comes it will be read In the pub lic schools without arousing religious antagonism that would be fatal to the usefulness of these grandly democratic institutions. Fraud is punished by the Adminis tration, says Grosvenor, without an nulment of convictions by a Supreme Court, referring tartly to the Demo cratic TUle in Missouri; and Williams at once replies that the statute of limi tations might be invoked, suggesting the counterbalancing case of Perry Heath. All of which Is evidence of quick wit and makes the galleries howl with delight Yet It Is not argument and convinces no one of truth, any more than do the labored speeches of Senators. The death of Mrs. Sarah E. Skinner closes a useful life of four score and four years, nearly one-half of which was lived In this city. It Is not too much to say that the life of Mrs. Skin ner was a gentli-, persistent testimonial from day to day and year to year to the unselfishness and helpfulness of the religious faith that she held, the key note of which Is the brotherhood of man. Serene in this faith, she passed quietly on and out, leaving the record of a noble life behind her. Mr. Rockefeller's gift of 5500,000 to the Johns Hopkins Hospital at Balti more Is a benefaction whose wisdom nobody can call in question. In chan nels of this sort all legitimately ac quired superfluous wealth can be dis posed without impairing anybody's in dependence, promoting pauperism or casting the spell of corporation Influ ence over educational Institutions. Just before Easter the British killed 300 Thibetans. Just before Easter the Dutch killed 541 Achlnese. The strong est battalions seem to be on the side I of the true believer. , THE DEMOCRATIC DILEMMA. Parker in the Tllden Campaign. Saratoga (N. Y.) Sun. In the Tllden campaign of 1S76 Alton B. Parker, then a young and practicing law yer and a partner of Judge August Schoon maker In Kingston, Lister County, took the stump for the Democratic National ticket The editor of the Sun bad the pleasuro of hearing him on more than one occasion, and Mr. Bryan in the palmiest days of his oratory never excited greater enthusiasm or applause. Judge Parker at that time stood squarely and unequiv ocally on the platform on which Tllden ran for President and those of his friends who are privileged to know his rolitlcal opinions can testify that he stands firmly on the same platform today. That plat form was an Idealistic interpretation of Jeffersonlan principles as applied to cur rent public abuse and needs, and It is only necessary to interpret that platform In the light of present political conditions to ascertain, as near as may bo. the case with any man, the political opinions of Judge Parker. The Sun affords the ed itor of the Commoner this hint, with the assurance that it can bo verified by any gray-haired Democrat of this state who remembers the work done In Ulster Coun ty In 1S76, where a majority of 2100 was rolled up for Samuel J. Tllden and the re form platform". Judge Parker's Silence. Springfield (Mass.) Republican. Judge Parker Is not a man who would have no views, or, having them, could not tell one from 'tother. He Is undoubtedly a person of ability and definite opinions. His record on the bench is good. But he persists In refusing to share the alcumu lated wisdom of his mind on the issues of the day with his fellow-citizens, notwith standing that he knows, and every one knows that he knows, and ho knows that every one knows that he knows, that a great political party. Is being urged to make him its Presidential candidate while he does not lift a finger or utter a word In opposition to the movement. If this is the acme of shrewdness, if it is respect ful to the Democratic masses, if it is fair to other candidates for the Democratic nomination, then there is no longer the slightest doubt that the present political situation Is, In its way, the most peculiar In our Presidential annals. Parker and Roosevelt. New York Times. Mr. Roosevelt has been an exceedingly "strenuous" President. Is there any rea son to believe that he would be less stir ring and strenuous If he were by a vote of the people continued in the office which he now holds through a lamentable mis chance? Republicans and Democrats alike have their misgivings about that. One continually hears it said that a new lease of power In his own name would make the President bolder. Whatever else Judge Parker may be or may not be, he certainly Is not 'strenuous." Except In the most stirring times a strenuous Judge would be unthinkable. Perhaps the people of this country would be well content with a quieter Chief Executive, with a President somewhat calmer in speech and action, a President of well-balanced mind, sound and safe in judgment a President who knew the law and profoundly respected it. No Cleveland Delegations. New York Times. Democrats without number still believe that Mr. Cleveland would be the strongest candidate, that perhaps he Is the only Democrat who could be elected. But it is plain that it would be a mistake to send Cleveland delegations to St Louis. Mr. Cleveland's letter precludes an organized effort to nominate him. If he is nomi nated at all It will be because the con vention, after Ineffectual efforts to unite upon another name, turns to him as the candidate imposed upon the party by the force of circumstances. A nomination coming In that way Mr. Cleveland might feel constrained to accept He could not very well decline. Meanwhile any state having a favorite son who is also a sound Democrat Is-" privileged to instruct its delegates to present his name In the con vention. Colossus of His Party. Nashville American. The fact Is, Cleveland is the Colossus of his party. His very name Is worth a mil lion votes where votes are most needed. View him from every point he stands out among his fellow-Democrats as the pyra mids tower above the sands of Egypt Parker has strength here and there. Gor man has followers. Olney Is well liked in spots. Hearst has friends, paid and other wise. But above them all and overshad owing them all Is tho sage of Princeton, Could he be induced again to take up the leadership he would overwhelm Roosevelt because he stands for sound and conserva tive policies of government as contradis tinguished from radicalism and its attend ant evils. Feeding Swine. New York Evening Post. The signs are, on the whole, gratifying. It is obvious that Southern Democrats are not going to touch the Bryan-Hearst pitch. Delegates from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts will surely be against that combination of dirt and desperation and will be In a posi tion, first of all, to write the Democratic platform. Let that bo. made sound and clear, and both Bryan and Hearst will be ruled out, ipso facto. If they bolt, so much the better. That would furnish the; last needed guaranty that the Democratic party had left off the feeding of swine and had set out for its father's house. Judge Parker at Home. Detroit Free Press. Thero is no strong and influential news paper In New York that treats the Parker candidacy seriously, and with this nega tive support at home the Democrats of tho West must soon ask themselves whether Judge Parker can carry his own state. If he cannot carry New York It is obvious that ho can carry nothing except the solid South, and a French doll nomi nated for President of the United States by a Democratic National Convention could do that Plenty of Candidates. Philadelphia Record. Tho number of Democrats available for the Presidential nomination is Increasing. Among the number Representative Pat terson, of Tennessee, mentioned In House debate on Monday John G. Carlisle, ex Secretary of the Treasury; Representative Williams, of Mississippi, the leader of the Democratic minority in the Houso, and Senator Bailey, of Texas. Any of theso distinguished Democrats would make , a strong candidate. Jackson and Bryan. Chicago Chronicle. No other Democratic candidate for the Presldencj' since Jackson has undertaken to Influence tho choice of his party of a successor, and there Is this difference, be sides some others, between Jackson and Bryan, that the former was elected twice, whilo the latter has been beaten twice. Love Letters. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. My letters! all dead paper, mute and white! And yet they seem alive and quivering Against my tremulous hands which loose the string And let them drop down on my knee tonight. This said he wished to have me In his sight Once, as a friend: this axed a day In Spring To come and touch roy hand ... a simple thing. Yet I wept for it! this ... the paper's light . . . Said, Dear, I love thee; and I sank and quailed As if God's future thundered on my past. This said, I am thine and so its ink has paled With lying at my heart that beat too fast. And thl3 . . . O Love, thy words have 111 availed If, what this said, I dared repeat at last! ..t,ttt nmvrncn,n ? Jiuitiuir-Aiv unnctvoair, Minneapolis Tribune. For a long time we heard nothing but praise of the operation and results of municipal ownership in Great Britain. The experiment was carried very far there. Besides owning what are called public utilities, many British munici palities wont into various trades and industries for the public benefit We are told that service everywhere ha3 improved and the cost to the public has been reduced. Everything was rosy and everything was apaprently plain, except that Important part of expense to mu nicipalities that lies in rapid increase of debt and inevitable depreciation of plant Private enterprise must always make provision for these or come to grief. Many hard-headed persons have sus pected that municipalities would find themselves under tho same necessities. Of later years these suspicions have been confirmed by continual appearance of less favorable reports of the riper results of municipal ownership. Especial ly since a general business depression has overtaken Great Britain with the enormous expense and heavy borrowing of 'the Boer War have we been hearing that the tremendous increase of muni cipal debts was putting an intolerable strain upon British credit. A correspond ent of the Chicago Chronicle is gather ing up evidence on this point In a series of highly interesting letters, which may be read with profit In any city tempted by the alluring experiment of municipal ownership. He says in effect, and his view Is con firmed by statements from eminent bank ers and public men, that the excessive borrowings of municipalities to support public ownership of tramways, gas and water works and varlqus kinds of public trading and Industry, have brought tho nation face to face with a grave finan cial danger. Tho local government debt of Great Britain was Increased In this way from 1S75 to 1301 from less than $500, 000,000 to nearly $1,600,000,000, and now It is approaching $2,(500,000,000. This is putting a grave strain on the financial resources and liquid capital of the country; the more so as the Interest charges are met by taxation rather than earnings, and doubt begins to appear as to the security of the principal. Cities have been careless about keeping up sinking funds, and the Indebtedness of many has been carried far beyond a safe proportion to the ratable value. In Lon don, which has been more successful than the others In fighting off municipal own ership, the city debt is 14 times the ratable value; In provincial cities it ranges all tho way from 2 times in Glas gow to seven times In Huddersfleld. Many of the enterprises are yielding no profits; there Is doubt of the sound com mercial basis of the reports of those that claim to be profitable; the market for municipal bonds Is falling off, and there Is doubt of the ability of many cities to furnish money for renewals as they be come necessary. If these vaticinations are true, the only conclusion Is that many of the provincial cities of England are facing bankruptcy In a few years as tho result of municipal ownership. In another letter the Chronicle corre spondent dealing with the municipal la bor situation, points out some of the causes by which city debt has been un duly increased and possible profits of municipal enterprises more than absorbed In operation. It appears that the em ployes of various municipal enterprises band themselves together Into something resembling trades unions; or perhaps more resembling the combinations for se curing promotion, increase of salaries and various other favors not uncommon in our Federal service. These combinations take an active part in municipal elec tions, and often decide them one way or tho other. With the expansion of suffrage In Eng land, one may see how such organiza tions may Impose their will, not only on ambitious politicians, but on high-minded men, devoted to the public service. When Increase "of debt for expansion of munici pal ownership, or Increase of cost of op eration for the benefit of employesr is of fered a City Council as the price of keep ing office, such a body may well think surrender a less disaster than turning over the municipality to representatives of those making the demand. One way and another, municipal ownership in Great Britain Is In a bad case. We trust that its conditions will be studied as care fully here as they were when everything seemed to be going well. Obstacles Seen and Appreciated. Salem Statesman. Everybody will admiro the manly battle Tho Orcgonlan has made for the Lewis and Clark Fair appropriation, even to in sisting that the changing phases of the bill's prospects, as it has been trimmed here and there of many of Its desirable points, was really an advantage. Readers have been able to see right along that the reports, though introduced by encouraging headlines, were really unfavorable from day to day. When Congress assisted tho St. Louis Fair by a "loan" of some $4,000, 000, the reports from Washington said that our delegation had "scored a point" by giving way to Sc. Louis, but now the re port from the same source says "the de mands of St Louis were a drawback" and that "as heretofore stated, the new de mands of St. Louis wore vers' much against the Oregon Exposition." But the report "as heretofore stated" did not make any such representation. We were told that the Oregon delegation had really helped tho chances of the Lewis and Clark Fair by being generous to St Louis, though everybody could understand the unlikelihood of such a conclusion. The Oregon delegation as well as the Portland committee have no doubt accomplished all that was possible in tho wa' of securing National assistance, but the prospect has at no time been encouraging, notwith standing the Introduction of brilliant head lines that did not bear out the news items following. It is hoped that Congress may j-et be induced to grant a liberal appro priation for the Exposition, as it is to commemorate an event in our National history of vast consequences. The pluck of the Oregon people In Washington, offi cial and otherwise. Is to be commended and our best wishes go with them. Judge Parker or a Man Like Him. Atlanta (Ga.) Journal. The logic of the Parker "boom" de fends, In brief, upon the facts that Judge Parker Is a conservative man of distin guished record and eminent ability whose candidacy is calculated to harmonize all factions of the party; that ho can carry the pivotal State of New York, without which Democratic hopes must be worth less; that he Is the opposite of the er ratic Mr. Roosevelt who Is feared by the conservative business interests of the country. Whether Judge Parker is the party's nominee or not. some man must bo chosen who combines these essential characteristics. And with tho nomination of that man. whether he be Parker. Olnes. Gorman, McCIellan or Gray, Democratic success Is a joyous probabllits. And just now the drift North and South, seems to be overwhelmingly Parkerward. The Sonnet. William Wordsworth. Scorn not. the sonnet; critic, you have f row ned. Mindless of Its Just honors, with this key Shakespeare unlocked his heart; the mel ody Of this small lute gave ease to Petrarch's wound; t A thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound; With it Camoens soothed an exile's grief; The sonnet glittered a gay myrtle leaf Amid the cypress with which Dante crowned His visionary brow; a glow-worm lamp. It cheered mild Spenser, called from fairy land To struggle through dark ways; and when a damp Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand The thing became a trumpet; whence he blew Soul-animating strains, alas-, too few NOTE AND COMMENT. The "Lead Evangel." "Heathen, rejoice." The bullets sing. "Great and fair Tho gifts wo bring. Peace succeeds , Our leaden rain, Christ and Progress In Its train." Thus the hall With whistling breath; And the heathen Chooses death. Weil, Was She? Aggie Marlon Stutts presented her husbani0 J. G. Stuttr, who is starring in "Was Sac to Blame?" with a 12-pound baby boy on March S at Lampasas. Tex. X. Y. Dramatis Mirror. Hearst Is trying to sell on a falling mar ket. Alphonso mas' justly term Barcelona abominable. "Another little patch of red" has been splashed on the map. Also on the Thi betan snows. A baby in Philadelphia seems likely to last quicker than the proverbial snowball somewhere else. By declaring so positively against poly gamy the Mormons have meanly deprlvrd tho public of a sensation. It seems odd that the whistling of "Tho Boyno Water" by a boy named Petersen should provoke ructions by tha Willam ette. James J. Pappatheodorkoummountourseo topoulus lives In Chicago. St. Paul Pioneer Press. Not all the Greeks are laconic. Tho Pennsylvania Punch Bowl remarks that some of tho rooms in the new arart-ment-houses aro so small that the tenants have to use condensed milk In their coffee. There seems to bo something appropriate about this dispatch to the New York Sun Middletown. N. Y., April 2. Six water bonds o the village of. Sidney, numbered from 51 to 50. Inclusive, which were stcln from tho Chapln homestead near Joblesvi". have Just been recovered. They were Im bedded In a cako of lee taken from a creek about half a xallo from tha house. The Cits Council should have gone a little further with Its baseball ordinance. Why not establish a regular list of li cense fees or fines, in addition to f'.a chargo of $10 a das" for being allow 1 ta furnish Portland peoplo with ball? Th city might mulct the team $30 for wlrninc a game, $10 for anyone making a d u.I.s play, $100 for shutting- out the lsltlng team, and $1000 for winning the p.nnart. These would be greater discouragements than just $10 a game. Even the efforts of the humorists do nt seem to have impressed upon the worli as large the Important place which baked beans occups In the ts'plcal Boston house hold, says the Philadelphia Press. A true story which comes dlrectls from the Hub Cits illustrates the sacredness In vh.ci tho properly prepared bean is held tl trc. A Boston mamma received an unexp rt ed summons one Saturday after . n which involved her going down town fr several hours. "Mamma must go at ore," she said to her bright little boy of 3 years, "but who will take care of th beans in the oven?" "I know," came the eager and confide-.t reply, "God will!:' The New York Sun points out a new horror In war: "You seem sadf Colonel Kllnkorski" "I am sad, Petroff!" said the reduuLt able warrior, removing traces of tears with a corner of his whiskers. "It Is this war that makes me sad and fearful." "What; you fear the battle?" "No, but I am afraid of the aftermath. Pity me, Petroff! At home I havo n'-i-daughters who are all in soclets. Wvll, just as soon as this war is over, some cn- will start up some dozen societies I.ko 'Daughters of the Japanese War and a'l my Income will be swallowed up to pas my daughters' dues!" At this the strong man broke down and wept A New York dealer in hops sends out the following trade circular. It will fca noticed that he thinks Yakima is ac cented on tho second ss'Hable and Will amette on tho first Alo and porter, ale and porter, made of clear est sparkling wator. Beat of barley, malted finely that's what makes It taste divinely And tho bops, too, sweet as balsam, from Puyallup or Yakima, From Chehalts, or Sneaualmle. or the. Wil lamette, it may be; From the Sacramento Valley, from Sonoma, or Ukiab. From Otsego or Schoharie. Oneonta or Oneida. From tho Valley of the Mohawk, or the Dela ware's headwaters; Picked by Indian squaws and white men. Picked by Chinamen and Dagoes, Picked by farmers' wives and young ones laughing women, merry children! What a Plenic Is their harvest, and at nigh. too. they are hopping. Lightly dancing, gaily prancing, p'raps tha fatal question popping! In the Spring the young man's fancy light! turns to thoughts of Lager That's the stuff for sober people, greatest tem perance drink on record! Fit for angelts, fit for mothers, fit for every day and Sunday; Better far for men than whisky firewater Iss. t In it Cools the blood, and goes muoh farther. So, Instead of rse, we'd rather Sing a hymn to Ice-cold Lager! The hop market is still in a state ar rested development." and there i really r.:. ing new to report. WEX. J. OUT OF THE GINGER JAR. Mrs. Brown Mrs. Smith doesn't sew a s-t.tv . at our Ladles' Aid Society. Mr. Br-.w- -Well, maybe she aids In the goeelp. iKi' t Free Press. 1 Husband In doing j-our shopping, ntj why don't you get all the neceesar first? Wife Oh! somehow they sem important. Detroit Free Press. Hoyt Yes. Lottie Is a dear ereaturt. a. 1 she's a beauty, too; she got her mother j-ou know. White I see; so that's tfcr r" a tho old lady can't see you are really cur j the girl. Boston Transcript. Mr. Chugwater What are you cough S"5 - sneezing about. Mrs. Chugwater tbmj w "x the morning paper) I am not eougbinsr a I sneeslng. I am trying to read thte dis. it "i from Port Arthur. Chicago Tribune "Better Keep away from that jajh'WKe-' cautioned the first bunco steerer. t for?" demanded the other. "I wo-k- ' t--: other fellow lost month." "Well, vi'-a' v ,-x has done, man can do.' "Philadelphia Fr. . Mr. Short Can I believe it you will r a y marry me? Miss Tall Yes. I always maa my own dresses, and, a we are toth . same height, j'ou will come real handy wv a I am cutting and fitting. Xew York Week. I claim that my wife is the worst tr"ut borrower on earth. She3 worrying now f fear the hat she has ordered for Kas -may not be becoming." 'Thufa nothing Mj wife's worrying because we may be board ing at some place next Summer where we . hae a folding bed that t?he can't get under during thunder storms." Chicago Record-Herald. . v