THE 5IOHKING OKEGONIAN, FREDA'S', SEPTEMBER 1, 1903.
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PORTLAND, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1905
THE PHTLirriXES AND THE STAND
PATTERS. At the banquet given in his honor in
Manila, August 11, Secretary Taft,
speaking for the President, made a
number of important statements con
cerning the Intentions of the Adminis
tration toward the Philippines. There
are two parties in this country, he
pointed out, who, if they had their way,
would treat the islands very differently
from Mr. Roosevelt's purpose. The Im
perialists would use them as a steo-
Dlne-Rtnnp tn th omnlro nf fVio "V3oolf1o.
inp gTirt.imnar fl eta trniiifi ri . ,i - .
them; while the President and his party
would do neither. Their policy, as
6tated by Secretary Taft, Is summed up
In the propositions to prepare the peo
ple of the Islands for self-government,
and to govern the Philippines for the
Filipinos. Both propositions are. unon
the face, extremely benevolent; but it
io nut jmeiy mui ivir. J. ail intended to
mane them particularly definite In
meaning. If such was his intention, he
did not succeed.
The Secretary says, in fact, that the
form of self-government will be left to
future generations to determine. He
means, very likely, that time alone can
decide whether the Philippines may
better become an Independent nation or
a state In the Union. The expression
seir-government" Is conveniently am
biguous, and may signify either condi
tion. The idea of the islands ever being
admitted as a state has been pretty
generally flouted, though for reasons
Vhich cannot stand analysis. Their dis
tance from Washington Is an objection
more apparent than real. Practieallv.
under modern conditions, it Js not so
great as mat irom Boston to Savan
nah when the Union was organized
and, so far as transmission of intelll
gence is concerned, it is less than that
from New York to Washington before
tne days or electricity.
The fact that the PhilloDines ar in
habited by people of the Malay race.
wmcn is too unlike our own for Intr
marriage and those common sympathies
tnat make nations homogeneous and
enduring this fact would .be a swlnii
objection 4.o the islands ever 'becoming
a state lr it were certain to remain
always as it is. But, speaking very
wen within bounds, the Phtlirrolnes can
support a population five times as great
as what they now have. The lnhabi
tants In course of time will number
42,000,000. the population Of Janan. in
stead of 8,000,000, and it is -by no means
demonstrated that, when this timi
comes, the majority of them will not
be whites. Considerations of this sort
abundantly Justify Secretary Taft and
ttne President in their use of the ambig
nous word "self-government" in sneak
ing of the future of the Philippines. It
may oe best to make the islands inde
pendent: but it may. on the other hnnH
be "best ultimately to include them In
the Union. The decision, as Mr. Taft
suggests, may wisely ie .left to the
generations to come.
The meaning of his other proposition
to govern the islands, while we retain
them, for the benefit of the Filipinos, is
measurably explicit. It means. a nil
hi? words and deeds proclaim, that he
does not wish to see them governed for
the benefit of our precious American
trusts. Indeed, Mr. Taft has nev
spared his denunciations of the
wretched tariff policy toward the Phil
ippines which the United States Senate
forced upon the country at the bidding
or the sugar and tobacco trusts. And
it ie reported that most of the members
of the party visiting the Islands with
the great Secretary are now of his
opinion about these absurd regulations.
Notwithstanding our ownership of
the Philippine Islands, the money we
have spent there and the lives we have
lost. American goods are admitted upon
no better terms tljan those of foreign
nations. All pay full Dlngiey tariff
rates. The rIHv nretense thaf tho mo
son of this is to rive the islands tht
benefit of the revenue deceives only the
simple-minded. The whole of their Im
"rts from the United States in IKK
amounted to less than 55,000,000, and
upon such a. quantity of goods the du
ties, even at Dingley rates, cut no fig
ure. The only reason for exacting duties-upon
American goods at Philippine
ports is the maniacal fanaticism of the
standpatters for their ridiculous and
tyrannical fetich. They would set -up a
Dingley tariff wall between the states
of the Union If the Constitution did not
forbid. They well Tcnow that free trade
with this country would do more for
the prosperity of the Philippines than
any possible tariff. Mr. Taft, who
knows more about the Islands.ihan the
Senate, and who has the advantage
over that august body of being honest
in his opinions, has said repeatedly that
the tariff seriously hampers their prosperity.
With infinite groanlngs the trusts
permitted their puppets in the Senate
to agree to a reduction of Dingley rateB
by one-quarter upon goods coming to
our ports from the Philippines. The re
sult is that in 1904 our Imports from
the islands were three times our ex
ports to them. This is a beautiful
commercial situation for a nation which
aspires to lead the trade of the world.
The total Imports of the Philippines
scarcely differ from their total exports.
Their trade is remarkably -well balanced
upon the whole. That our share of It is
ridiculously small is the result of our
irrational tariff laws.
CELESTIAL FINANCE.
To a mind truly regenerate, no task
is more delectable than to deduce a
lesson for the good of others from the
career of a man wholly consecrated to
unworldliness. How much better It
would "be for the young could they read
such life histories in the dally press
Instead of the biographies of criminals
and lewd characters so frequently pre
sented. The financial transactions, es
pecially, of men truly devout are rarely
without some wholesome and Inspiring
message. We might speak of these
transactions as "celestial finance" in
contradistinction to those sad vagaries
of blinded devotees of Mammon which
an edifying author has characterized as
"frenzied finance."
A few touching anecdotes gleaned
from the long and luminous career of
All Ben Boozle, a distinguished capi
talist of Mecca, will Illustrate what is
meant by celestial finance. One of
All's friends, "beiirg about to die. sent
for the great money king and intrusted
to him two pots of gold, one holding
442,100 pieces, the other 159,414. "Pay
thyself whatsoever I am Indebted to
thee and stop the usury theron," said
he that was dying, "and husband well
the remainder for my brethren, and no
accounting shalt thou make' till we
meet in Paradise."
So AH Ben Boozle took the lesser pot
and set it on his shelf. And at the end
of seven years he took it down, and lo!
64.466 of the gold pieces had vanished
away; whereat the holy All did greatly
marvel. Also he set on the same shelf
the other pot wherefrom he that was
dead had bidden to pay the debt and
stop the usury. But the usury did not
stop. It went on and on and on, and
evermore the number of pieces in the
pot grew less. Whereat again the
blessedgA.il marveled exceedingly.
unis painetic taie, lamous in unenrai
literature, ilustrates what is meant by
celestial finance. A wicked man, thus
Intrusted with gold, would have emp
tied ooth pots forthwith into his own
Iron chest. The pious All did nothing
of the sort. He emptied' them gradu
ally. Thus under the severest tempta
tion.
"Strong in the strength that God sup
plies," the good man bids defiance to
the Adversary. The robber ravishes
the widow's substance with force and
violence: the celestial financier akes It
gently, so gently that oftentimes she
knows not of her loss. The wicked
man "steals; the celestial financier takes
contributions for the Lord's work. The
unregenerate gloat over their dollars
by day and dream of them by night;
the celestial financier handles his dross
with averted gaze and at nightfall he
hastens to leave It. "Adieu, vain world,
I'm going "home," he sings, turning
eagerly to his Bible and his prayers.
"Why can we not all be igood? There
Is no "get-rich-quick" scheme in the
world to compare with It.
JIM HAM AND JIM HILL.
The volubility and ease with which
James Hamilton Lewis, the political
wonder of Seattle, Chicago and way
stations, could handle statistics of all
kinds have made him famous. He was
at his best, perhaps, when describing
In dollars and cents the delinquencies
of the party which happened to be out
of accord with his political views, but
he was also good at remembering the
exact amount of money offered by
would-be bribers, the amount he earned
in stevedoring, etc., etc The accuracy
of this scintillating genius in handling
"figgers" has been the cause of much
newspaper comment, and heretofore
Mr. Lewis has shone alone in his glory
in this particular field. But a new star
has arisen in the statistical firmament,
and the Corporation Counsel of the City
of Chicago must look to his laurels.
Mr. James J. Hill, president of the
Great Northern Railway, is the latest
contestant for honors in the careless
handling of figures, ;and from appear
ances he has Jim Ham faded from his
customary bright pink to a pale and
sickly white. Mr. Hill is a big man.
he owns a big railroad, and his steam
ships are brdaTdandlong.and deep, and
quite naturally we must expect big
stories when, he speaks. In his Dead
wood speech to the farmers at Grand
Forks, N. D., Wednesday, however, he
fairly outdid himself, as note the fol
lowing:
The State of North Dakota could sot raise
grraln enough to bake ten biscuits per capita
for the Inhabitants of China. New. ten bis
cuits would be short for a year's supply, and
I don't know that you could raise enough
grain you certainly don't raise enough grain
to uaKe two biscuits, per capita.
The Government reports credit North
Dakota with a crop of 77,000,000 bushels
of wheat this year, "but this may not
be realized. The iast good crop har
vested in the state was something over
60,000,000 bushels. Sixty million bush
els of North Dakota wheat will make
about 14,000,000 -barrels of flour, and this
amount, properly handled, would be
sufficient to make approximately 28.
000,000,000 biscuits of commercial size.
Allowing the two biscuits .per capita
mentioned by Mr. -Hill, it Is quite dear
that the apportionment would reach
14,000,000,000 "Inhabitants of China.'
And yet the census-taker who was last
over the ground could only find a pop
ulatlon of 325,000,000 In the entire Chi
nese Empire, including the suburbs and
some of the back yards.
Of course there is a possibility that
Mr. Hill -was figuring on much larger
biscuits than thoEe which are In com
mon use throughout-the world, but he
should have been more "clear on that
point. Jim Ham was always prepared
to qualify his statements whenever his
attention was called to errors of a few
million or billion in his "Aggers," and,
unless Jim Hill is really endeavoring to
crowd Jim Ham out of a field In which
the latter has1 always been long and
strong, we may expect a correction,
either of the figures on the wheat-producing
capacity of North Dakota or the
size of the biscuits in common use
among the inhabitants of China.
THE PLEASURES OF HOPE.
It is: pleasing to observe that Mr.
Harrtenan, ever alive to the transporta
tion needs of the great West, has or
dered a large number of new passenger
coaches at a cost of $10,000 each, for use
on his "system west of Ogden." No
doubt they are needed. It will be a
grateful change to wearied eyes to be
able to rest on the nice green uphol
stered chairs of the new cars; and our
gratitude swells up within our bosoms
.to Mr. Harrlman for giving his per
sonal attention as no doubt he has to
the decoration of the new coaches.
Green is a fine color. Doubtless Mr.
Harrlman first saw It in our eyes when
he was last out in Oregon, and It oc
curred to him that It would "be too oad
to allow a color scheme for which 'all
Oregon has long been noted to go to
waste. Let us all hope that some, day
we may see those splendid new green
coaches, and perhaps ride In them. We
feel sure that we may, if we can con
tent ourselves long enough in the old
familiar red-plush coaches to ride far
away from Oregon, where the verdant
coaches will in due time be found.
But we need be in no hurry. What
we want in Oregon Is not so much new
cars on old roads as any old cars on
new roads. Mr. Harrlman Is "going to
build" a new line from Drain to Coos
Bay. He is "going to build" from
Shanlko to Bend. He Is "going to
build" from Elgin to the Wallowa Val
ley. He Is "going to build" from Natron
clear across Eastern Oregon to Ontario.
He is "going to build" a brand-new
tunnel through the Slsklyous. The
pleasures of anticipation are often a
more satisfying thing than the certain
ties of realization. At any rate, we
have had a long and exclusive feast of
the former. Mr. Harrlman Is vet the
greatest "going-to-build" railroad king
of his day.
REMOVING THE WHITEWASH.
Secretary Bonaparte seems to have
knocked off considerable of the white
wash which the court of inquiry ap
plied in its report on the Bennington
disaster. .Beneath this glossed surface
the blows of the Secretary have ex
posed some raw work which no ex-
planatlon will fully explain. It is a
sad commentary on the discipline main
tained, and the Judgment, or rather
lack of judgment, displayed on board
the unfortunate vessel, that there
was nothing to commend in connection
with the disaster but the action of the
officers and crew after the accident oc
curred. This remarkable verdict of the
Secretary of War Is so utterly at
variance with the usual procedure In
such cases that Its effect, must be start
ling on the gilt-laced mariners and en
gineers who generally claim such su
periority over the practical, hard-headed
machinists occupying similar positions
in the merchant marine service.
It is also a healthy sign which argues
for something better In the future.
There can be but one captain on a ship.
and but one commander on a cruiser.
In that individual centers the responsi
bility for safe handling and navigation
of the vessel. If the Bennington, with
her ancient boilers, was unsafe, or her
engine-room was In the hands of in
competent men, it was the duty of the
commander to have informed himself
regarding them and to have taken the
precautions 'necessary to prevent trou
ble. Secretary Bonaparte seems to
have recognized this fact, and accord
ingly objects to all blame for the la
mentable tragedy being passed on to
some comparatively obscure water-
tender or assistant engineer, who may
have neglected his duty and paid for
the neglect with his life.
The men on deck and In the engine-
room on Uncle Sam's ships are not sup
posed to discuss the condition of the
vessels on which. they are sailing, but
the condition of the Bennington's boil
ers after their fourteen years' service
with all kinds of water was so notori
ously bad that It was impossible to pre
vent stories of the true condition of the
leaky boilers reaching the ears of
friends of the men on board. Com
mander Young, in charge of the vessel,
and Ensign Wade, in charge of the engine-room,
at the time of the disaster,
are to be court-isartialed. and for the
good of the service it is to be hoped
that the court-martial will be fully as
rigid and stern as the letter of the Sec
retary which criticises the findings of
the court of inquiry.
In the merchant marine a leaky
boiler or a leaky ship cannot go limping
from port to port endangering the lives
of those on bqard. The local inspectors
in the districts where she touches have
power to compel the owners to put her
In a seaworthy condition long before
she reaches a stage where life is imper
iled. It is also impossible to secure
sailors, engineers and firemen with
which to man such a vessel. In the
Navy the officers and crew of a vessel
are not at liberty to exercise their in
dividual judgment and to go ashore
whenever they are convinced that life
is no longer safe aboard the vessel. In
ordering a court-martial of the com
mander of the Bennington, Secretary
Bonaparte offers a rebuke to the court
of inquiry which cannot fail to Impress
not only the men behind the guns and
in the coal oins on warships, out also
the general public
THIEVES IN COLLEGE.
Beyond the understanding of the or
dinary man of affairs Is the statement
that 300 books were stolen from the
State University library at Berkelej",
Cal., year before last, and that only by
enforcement of strict rules was the
number of losses reduced to 150 last
year. That college students would
steal books from the college library Is
difficult to believe, yet the experience
of every Institution of higher education
proves that such breaches of common
honesty will be committed.
That there will be some men of low
mQral standards among college stu
dents may reasonably be expected.
High Ideals and intellectual power are
not always combined, and very often
we may have either without the other.
It Is indeed surprising, deplorable, that
300 -books should be stolen from a col
lege library In a year, for the thefts-
show not only low ideals in -many Indi
viduals, but loose standards in the stu
dent body. And yet, is not the per
centage of honest men greater among
students than among men not engaged
in intellectual pursuits?
Would there be less than 300 thefts if
the same number of carpenters worked
a year with a many tools as there
were books in the library? Would
blacksmiths, farmers or real estate
agents pilfer less under similar circum
stances? The fact of the matter Is that
in 'the world at large the plain and
practical precepts of the ten command
ments have been, nearly lost In the
maze of modern laws and the homely
"thou shalt not steal" means less than
don't get caught at it"
The International Association of Sail
ing Shipowners Will please 'sit up and
take notice that 'Portland exporters
yesterday ohrartered three large sailing
vessels to load at this port for the
United Kingdom at 25 shillings. This
rate is 2s Sd per ton less than the rate
which the association fixed for Portland
and is Is 3d less than has been paid
for -vessels chartered on Puget Sound.
The supply of tonnage available at the
cut rate was not all exhausted with the
charter of these three ships, but, on the
contrary, more were offering at the
same figure. A free movement of wheat
later Irj. the season may necessitate an
advance In rates, but. when that ad
vance comes, it will be due to the old
law of supply and demand, and not to
any arbitrary fixing of rates by the In
ternational Association of Sailing Shlp-
owners.
Seattle is making a fine showing In
attendance at the Exposition this week,
and, individually and collectively, our
King County neighbors are putting in a
good word for the big show. Since the
beginning of the enterprise, the Seattle
newspapers have been most generous
In their support of the Fair, and no
small portion of the credit for the lib
eral attendance and support it has re
ceived from the Queen City is due to
the publicity given it by the Seattle
newspapers. Seattle, Tacoma, and. In
fact, all of the principal cities of our
neighboring state, have, for this occa
sion at least, forgotten state lines or
commercial rivalry and are pulling loy
ally with Portland to make the Fair a
great success, In which all communities
in the Northwest will share.
Official statements of the business
done the first three months of this year
by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph
Company show little commercial de
mand for the service. There were of
fered by the public 111 messages to be
transmitted to persons at sea, while
1635 were submitted by passengers to
be sent to land. One reason for this
disparity lies in the fact that the public
has not yet accepted the new service as
an established utility. On board ship
the passenger has the apparatus con
stantly before him and tries it as an
experiment. In order to make the busi
ness profitable. It will be necessary,
some way or another, to create a larger
public demand.
In Its September number, the Crafts
man, the leading publication of its class
In this country, devotes eight pages to
"Civic Art in Portland." The article,
written in excellent taste. Is by Frank
Ira White, and deals with what Nature
as well as man has done. Illustrations
of very fine quality Include the bronze
group "Coming of the White Man" In
the City Park, the Skldmore fountain,
the Thompson memorial fountain,
Trinity Episcopal Church, the Forestry
building and the Sacajawea statue in
the Lewis and Clark Exposition
grounds. Both illustration and letter
press will appeal to many people who
value some things higher than material
interests.
The Steel Trust has made formal an
nouncement that the price of steel rails
for 1905 will be maintained at. 523 per
ton in this country. The more fortu
nate purchasers of American steel rails
who dwell In Africa. Egypt and other
countries which enjoy the blessed privi
lege of buying where they can buy the
cheapest will continue to purchase
American steel rails at much lower fig
ures. Our infant industries must be
taken care of, and the trust apparently
feels safe for an Indefinite period, or It
would not be announcing a price which
might naturally be susceptible to tariff
changes when Congress meets again.
According to the report of a New
York police magistrate, about one mar
ried woman in a hundred Is -deserted
yearlj. .In Philadelphia there Is a
larger proportion. It has been shown
that In many cases deserting husbands
move to other cities and commit big
amy. A law passed two years ago in
Pennsylvania making wife desertion a
crime has worked no appreciable re
form. The Philadelphia Press remarks
that nothing will be accomplished until
the registry of marriage Is placed on an
interstate basis and the man who de
serts his wife is followed and dealt
with by the strong arm of the law.
The widows and orphans of Russia
and of Japan are, of course, glad that
the war is over; but the mischief Is
done so far as they are concerned.
However, there may be Russian and
Japanese financiers who make a spe
cialty of looking after widows and or
phans, and sparing them the necessity
of worrying about any property they
may have by taking it away from
them. There are doubtless good men In
Russia and in Japan who never fall to
see that the widows and orphans are
able to lay up their treasures in heaven
They need no treasures In this wicked
world.
The Oregonlan today contains news
of the most painful interest to the pro
fesslonal hop bears who had bought
"short" and who have been predicting
that the market for the new crop would
open at 10 to 12 cents. Five hundred
bales were sold at 16 cents. The out
look for better prices is npw favorable.
Buyers and sellers, growers and brew
ere, all who pinned their faith to the
accuracy and completeness of The Ore-
gonian's market reports, now know
that they were not misled.
One Russian newspaper complains
that Roosevelt "butted In." He did. A
lesser man might have permitted the
war to go on to a finish; and then the
Russians would have had reason to
complain that he did not Interfere.
Bishop Potter's sanctified saloon hav
ing closed its doors, the saloon business
will hereafter remain In the hands of
the saloon-keepers. The pulpit's place
Is notoehlnd the bar nor In front.
The Steel Trust announces that the
price of steel rails will be maintained
for 1S06. Well, nobody -was looking or
bargain sales at Mr. Corey's shop.
Evea Emperor Nicholas has cabled a
note of appreciation -to President
Roosevelt. Evidently, the Grand Dukes
weren't around.
0REG0N0ZQNE
The "WiUandetto Meteorite.
(Found near Willamette. Or., and recently
placed on exhibition at the Lewis and Clark
Exposition, where Dr. David T. Day. Hon
orary Commissioner of Mines and Metallurgy,
Is Its custodian.)
I am the maddst meteorite
That ever has meteorited
Out of the infinite leagues of light
Onto the earth benighted.
Out of the infinite awful arc, '
Infinitesimal I a spark
Dropped through the dolorous dreadful
dark, v
And here In Oregon lighted.
Eonp and ages ago I came
From fabulous fields etherle;
Lit with a livid and lustrous flame,
A- globule of metal spheric;
Came with a sudden and sweeping flash.
Fell with a swatting and swiping smash,
Cut in the face of the earth a gash,
Giving old Pluto an earache.
Long I lay In my darkling bed.
The surface ten leagues under:
Grinding of glaciers overhead.
Throbbing of Titan thunder
Finally wearing the world away.
Gave me gllmpos of the light of Day.
Then along came an Oregon Jay,
Dumb with awe and with wonder.
Then was I loaded upon a van
I. from the vasts of vapor.
Dragged about by the midget, Man,
Captive (a curious caper!).
Now in a pen I sit a sight!.
All bereft of my ancient might.
Called "The Willamette Meteorite."
That once was a heavenly taper!
Dr. David T. Day.
His English Was O. K.
"Well, dear, how did you like the play?"
Inquired Mrs. Mustknow, as her husband
returned from the theater.
"It was out of eight."'
"Now, Charles, haven't I often scolded
you for using that horrid slang phrase?"
"But. my own. that Is not slang; it Is
excellent Queen's English."
"Oh. how very contrary you are to
night!" ,
"I repeat, the language I used Is ex
cellent. The play was out of sight. I
sat right behind Mrs. Justwed, and she
had on her new theater hat."
An Invitation.
Now that Strenuous Ted
Has gone down to the bed
Of the sea In a submarine.
He should come to the Fair
And go up in the air
In an over-the-carth machine.
The man who drew No. 13 in the re
cent government land lottery in connec
tion with the opening of the Uintah res
ervation has returned home disgusted
after having Inspected the several thou
sand available claims. He declares that
all the good land was allotted to the In
dians and there is nothing left but preclp
ltoushllls and alkali flats. So we And
No. 13 cursing his luck.
The Illinois commissioners at the Lewis
and Clark Exposition have acquired a
female cur as a house-dog, and they have
named her "Sacajawea." ' To make the
comparison Jibe with history and with
the bronze statue there ought to be
little puppoore.
Dr. Uhlenhuth, a Prussian military
surgeon, has discovered a method wherei
by the presence of horseflesh In sausage
may be detected. That doesn't Interest
us Americans, as our horses are worth
more on the foot than in the sausage,
What we want to know is how to keep
the dog out of the Hamburger.
In Missouri a company of amateur sol
diers composed of girls Is drilling, and
it is said that the girls make excellent
soldiers. Probably they are practicing
the manual of arms, to provide against
the time when, according to Mr. Bodine.
of Chicago, the women will have driven
all the men out of the strenuous occupa
tions; or maybe It is just because the
dear girls can't resist the inclination to
have arms around them.
ROBERTUS LOVE.
SOUTHERNPENSIONS.
Correction of a "Widespread Mlsap
prehension on the Subject.
Nashville American.
The Memphis Commercial-Appeal
having made the remarkable statement
that "there is hardly a dollar of Civil
War pensions spent In the South." the
"Knoxvllle Journal, edited by an ex-
penslon agent at Knoxville, an office
through which several millions of pen
slon money Is paid every year, gives
figures showing that for the fiscal year
ending. June 30, 1904, the sum of $26,-
035,37 1 was paid to pensioners In
Southern States, including over $7,000,
600 for Missouri. Kentucky pensions
are paid from Louisville, and those In
Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland
from Washington. All other Southern
States are paid from Knoxville. Last
year Tennessee pensioners received
J2.313.000: Alabama. 5585.000; Arkan
sas. $1,631,000; Florida, 5553.000; Geor
gla, 5530.000; Louisiana JSSl.OOOT Mis
slsslppl. 5656,000; North .Carolina. 5266.
000; Texas. 51.233,000. These are the
states paid from Knoxville. Virginia
pensioners received 51.286,000; West
Virginia, 51.769.000; Maryland, 51.696,
000. and Kentucky. 54.056.000.
Nearly all of this large sum goes t to
Civil War pensioners. The 15 states
named recetvo nearly one-sixth of the
entire amount disbursed for pensions
In the United States. Frequently South
ern newspapers which ought to know
better assert that only a small frac
tion of the vast sums paid In pensions
comes to the South. Tennessee alone
receives more than Is required to run
the state government. Including all its
institutions. Not all Southern pen
sioners are natives of the South. Many
have moved Into the South from other
sections.
Weather Reports Save Money.
Country Life In America.
In spite of the standing Jokes about the
weather man It is probable that for every
dollar spent on the Weather Bureau. 510
arc saved. At the time of the Mississippi
flood of 1S37, 515.0CO.COO worth of livestock
and other property was saved as a result
of warnings Issued a week ahead. Signals,
displayed for a single hurricane have de
tained in port vessels valued, with their
cargoes, at 520,000,000. Th6 West Indian
stations, established in 1SS3. inform us of
hurricanes as soon as they begin. The
course of the hurricane that caused the
Galveston flood was charted for a week
before it struck our shores for hurri
canes move slowly. Eighty-five per cent
of the forecasts now corse true, and by
the aid of rural free delivery 25,000,000
forecast cards were distributed last year
to farmers, many of whom could not have
had them Ave years ago.v
A Cat With Nine Lives.
Tacolt Corr. Vancouver Chronicle.
A' large cougar with eight kittens
was discovered about a mile and a half
from town and within 150 yards of the
rallroud track.
LETTERS ON CURRENT TOPICS
Attorney Bennett Explains His Participation ia Tkat Poker Gaine Chairraaa
Beetke en Graft and Irrigation The AB.Uad High School
A Few Remarks on Adam aad Eve.
THE DALLES. Or., Aug. Sl.-(To the
Editor.) A good deal of notoriety has
been given to the fact of myself and
others having been engaged in & game of
cards at a private room in one of the
Portland hotels, some days ago. I have
never been a professional gambler, and I
hope I never may be, but nearly all my
life I have occasionally played cards
among gentlemen for small stakes, for
amusement. I do not attempt to Justify
this as exactly ethically right. Still I
have never thought there was. under the
circumstances, any really great or serious
wrong In the habit.
In this particular case It goes without
saying that there were no such consid
erable sums won or lost by any one, as
has been reported, and I think it may be
safely assumed from the persons engaged
that no one had any other object than to
amuse a passing: hour. Certainly that
was my only object.
I did not understand that the public
officials were attempting to interfere with
social card playing of this kind in a
private room. On the contrary, I was
Informed that card playing in a similar
way was permitted at nearly all the clubs
and. Indeed. In many families In the city.
As I have said I did not consider that I
was doing any serious wrong. Still I
realize that others may and no doubt do
look at it differently, and regard the
matter as of a more serious character.
and they may be entirely right.
At any rate If the city officials are de
sirous of Interfering- with that .kind of
card playing. I certainly do not claim any
exemption, and am ready at any time to
appear and satisfy any judgment the
court may see flt to assess against me.
ALFRED S. BENNETT.
GRAFT AND IRRIGATION.
Mr. Boothe Criticises Proceedings at
the Late Congress.
PORTLAND. Aug. 31. (To the Editor.)
The editorial in The Oregonlan August
20 headed "Mr. Hill on the Land
Question" is such a splendid summing up
of the objects to which the Thirteenth
National Irrigation Congress might have
considered with resultant benefits to it
self and tho people of the country, that
I desire to express my very great satis
faction with it. Unfortunately for all
concerned "graft and greed" with char
acteristic effrontery insisted upon making
Its presence felt, and although the papers
and addresses noted on the programme
were of the highest order and contained
a great deal of Information, the com
mittee on resolutions, which was supposed
to reflect the work of the congress, ut
terly falling to grasp the deeper prob
lems, largely frittered Its time away
either wrangling over matters of minor
importance, or on one side pressing for
opportunity to include matters for sel
fish purposes, and on the other side re
slsting.
To those who have follewed the ed
itorials of The Oregonlan it is a source
for congratulation that though the con
gress has adjourned, there yet remains
here a force that will continue to exert
Itself In the Interest of the people of tho
whole United States and keep on resist
ing the grafting propensities of the land
grabber.
I desire to express my appreciation of
your excellent daily reports of the con
gress, and to congratulate you upon the
strength and tone of your paper, as well
as the magnificent news service which
you are giving your readers.
C. B. BOOTHS.
Chairman Executive Committee.
PrT UP 3IONUMENT TO EVE
Adam Was No Gentleman, and De
serves Nothing, Says Dr. Tenney.
CHICAGO. HI., Aug. 25. (To the Ed
itor.) I read In The Oregonlan of July
23 the following: "Since Mark Twain
has failed in his efforts to Induce Elmira,
N. Y., to build a monument to Adam.
let Portland follow up the Sacajawea
start and build a monument to Eve. It
would please the ladles and make Joaquin
Miller happy.
A monument to Adam, as proposed by
Mark Twain, is a preposterous consid
eration. Adam did nothing for which
his name should be commemorated; but
Portland would cover herself with glory
by building a monument to the great and
much-maligned Eve. at whose door has
been laid the sins of the whole world, and
that, too, by professing Christians and
eminent divines, who. In their efforts to
debase a great and good woman, have
evidently forgotten the golden rule enun
elated by the Master whom they profess
to love and serve.
It is truly said, that Eve first partook
of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and
gave to Adam, who also ate: but In doing
so. she committed no sin. History tuen
esU ID states that Adam was created
and placed In the Garden of ,Eden, and
the command not to partake of the fruit
of the tree of knowledge was given to
him before Eve was created. She seems
to havff known or heard something of
the command, but she must have had her
Information from Adam, and ner expert
ence with that gentleman had been such
that she did not believe a word he said,
She could not accept the statement that
the Lord would create such fine fruit as
she saw growing upon the tree of knowl
edge, and then forbid his children to eat
It. So she gathered and ate, and when
Adam saw that she did not die, he also
ate.
When the Lord came into the garden,
and Adam was skulking behind a tree, ho
called him. and asked him if he had par
taken of the fruit of the tree of knowl
edge, instead of stepping out like a chiv
alrous jrenueman. ana saying. xes,
Lord. I ate of that fruit." he whined out;
"The woman thou gavest me did tempt
me. and I did eat." He seemed Inclined
to blama God for giving him the woman-.
All honor to Eve for her wisdom and
decision. Had she not eaten that fruit
we should not now know how to print
newsoaoers. nor how to read them, and
the great Fair in Portland would never
have been.
Oregon was undoubtedly the site of the
Garden of Eden, and ioniana wui u
tract the attention of the world, and
ereatlv increase the immigration of wise
and thoughtful people by the erection of
a monument to Eve.
DR. RACHEL S. TENNEY,
TAKING IN THE NICKELS.
Petty (Scheme of Street Railway Com
pany at American Inn.
PORTLAND. Aug. 30. (To the Editor.
Havine occasion, with some friends, the
other day, to go out near the American
Inn. on the outside, we took a car, upon
which was the sign, "For the Fair
Gounds and American Inn." Tou may
Imagine our surprise, when wo reached
the corner near the entrance to the Fair
grounds to be Informed that we must
change cars and pay an additional fare.
Not that we cared so much about another
fare, but. to say the least, it was annoy
ing to be humbugged by a proposition that
the trolley lines do not carry out, did n6t
Intend to .carry out. and have no provision
made to carry out. and the only way it
could be carried out would be by transfer
ring from one car to another, which the
company ought to do if it owns the Amer
lean Inn car. I suppose it does, for no
separate company would place a track
one-half mile long, with a single car, with
no legitimate -connection with Its base.
A second event happened to me on my
return. I took a transfer from Washing
ton street to a Fifth-street car. I only
wanted to go three blocks to Yamhill
street- No. 127 car came along and re
fused to stop, motioning to take another
car. I hold that cara are under obliga
tion to stop for passengers, and the pas
senger has a right to determine where he
wishes to go, and not the conductor.
Some one is putting up a brave fight for
the clerks in the' stores. I suggest that a
business men's day be appointed, and they
go to the Fair and see what the National
Cash Register has to suggest in behalf
of the working people. I believe in fair
play and fair treatment for every one.
The street railways have a monopoly
everywhere. Experience shows that mo
nopolies grind evry one and everything
that falls Into the hopper.
W. G. ROBERTS.
HIGH SCHOOL AT ASHLAND
City Spends Nearly $40,000 for New
Building:.
ASHLAND. Or.. Aug. 31. (To the Ed
itor.) Aru editorial In The Oregonlan Of
August 29 again does great injustice to
the Southern Oregon State Normal School
at Ashland in saying that this school,
with Weston, Drain md Monmouth nor
mals, are In fact local high schools- sup
ported by tho money of the people of
the whole state. This writer has nothing
to say as regards the others, for he does
not pretend to have knowledge of the
conditions that surround them, but he
does know that tho statement i3 not cor
rect as far as the school at Ashland is
concerned. There la no more connection
between the local High School of Ash
land and the normal here than there Is
between either aad the State University
or State Agricultural College. Ashland
school district has within the past year
spent nearly 540,000 In building and fur-
nisning a new high school building, prob
ably the finest building of its kind in
Oregon not even excepting Portland. A
few years ago the school district here
built another splendid public school build
ing at a cost of 520,000. Neither of these
buildings Is within less than two miles
of the normal campus and buildings. Ash
land maintains a high school course of
four years, one year having recently been
added to It. and the graduates from this
coupse are admitted to the freshman
classes in the State University and other
schools, and I think it Is safe, to say
that no other high school 'In Oregon
stands higher in efficiency of its work
than does the Ashland High School.
The normal here does an entirely dis
tinct work and is In no way related to
the high school. The students of the
normal come from a wide area of this
section of Oregon and from many coun
ties. FAILURES IN INSURANCE.
Record of Old Lino Companies.
What They Have Done.
PORTLAND. Aug. 30. (To the Editor.)
In The Oregonlan of August 29. in an
article on "Fraternal Insurance Orders."
It 13 stated that "there Is a record of S22
old-line companies organized. Of these
no have disappeared. The annals of fra
ternal Insurance present no such disas
trous tale." I Inclose herewith a list of
1720 fraternal and assessment societies
that have failed and ceased to do business
In the last 25 years, and also a clipping
from the Independent, of New York, on
the subject of old-line failures, and I
should be glad if you would publish the
same In your valuable paper.
EDWARD C. FROST.
The clipping Is:
Old Line Failures For some years many fra
ternal orders and other assessment societies
have persistently circulated a document which
purports' to give a list of the number of old
line failures that have occurred In the several
elates. It Is claimed that "put of 782 Old
line life companies chartered In the United
States, but 58 remain." Challenge the con
cerns publishing- the document for their au
thority for the statement, nonecan slve It.
They simply reprint what others have printed.
assuming- It Is true because It suits their
purpose. The figures, however, are always
Introduced with the assertloa that they "were
complied from the records on file In the In
surance departments of the several states."
There Is, of course, no trustworthy source of
information, and the reader assumes that
the list is correct, because his fraternal paper
says It was compiled, though not stated when
or by whom.
It Is true there have been old line failure.
a score or more, and some of them serious,
but all combined would scarcely make ono
fair-sized company In this day. In a general
way it may be stated that, up to 18S5, there
had never been one-fourth of 782 legal reserve
companies organized, and there has never
been a tenth of that number of actual figures.
Of thoee that have gone out of bustnees.
many never wrote any insurance at all. A
considerable number of the others retired
voluntarily, after reinsuring; their business.
without the loss of a dollar to their policy
holders. The actual failures were all the re
sult of mismanagement, not of a defective
plan. The legal reserve system Is mathe
matically correct, but failure may come
through a corrupt' or Incapable management.
BUILDING A GREAT STATION,
Monumontal Task Ahead of Pennsyl
vania Road in New York City.
Karl Decker in Success.
Within the next Ave years the Pennsyl
vania Railroad station in New York City
and its connecting tunnels will be com
pleted, and the new Grand Central sta
tion will be ready for use a year sooner.
Four city blocks have been razed by
the contractors In charge of the work on
the Pennsylvania station, and the great
traveling steam shovels are at work, each
tearing away a thousand cubic yards of
earth dally, while a hundred, drills here
bore Into the exposed rock and heavy
charges of dynamite rack It into frag
ments. A great excavation, 60 feet deep in
parts, must be dug, and in all 60.000,000
cubic yards of earth and rock will be
carted away before the work of building
the new station can be begun.
The cost of this work will be 550.000,000,
to which must be added the 510.000,000
spent In acquiring real estate. Over in
New Jersey the work of boring the tun
nel, that Is to carry the tracks of the'
Pennsylvania Into New York has been
begun, and a shaft 75 feet deep and 35
feet in diameter has been sunk. From
this point two separate tunnels, a mile
In length, will be bored to the water
front, and thence, under the river bottom,
6000 feet to the suaft on the western shore
of Manhattan Island, where the underland
tunnels will strike, through to the sta
tion. On Long Island the shaft work has
also been begun, and before long the
work of tunneling the East River to meet
the bores from the west will begin. The
station itself will occupy a site of 500x1000
feet, and will be S00 feet in length by 400
feeet in width. Placed 50 feet back from
the building line on all sides, it will givo
the effect of being located in the center
of a great plaza.
Disconcerting-.
Harper's Weskly.
"Now, boys," said the schoolmaster dur
ing an examination in geography, "what
Is the axis of the earth?"
Johnny raised his hand promptly.
"Well, Johnny, how would you describe
ltr
"The axis of the earth." said Johnny
proudly, "is an imaginary line which
passes from one pole to the otner, and
on which the earth revolves."
"Very goodl" exclaimed the teacher.
"Now. could you hang clothes on that
line; Johnny?'
"Yes. sir," was the reply.
"Indeed?" said the examiner, disap
pointed; "and what sort of clothes?"
"Imaginary clothes, sir."