Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, September 08, 1905, Page 8, Image 8

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    THE MORNING- OREGONIAK, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER ; 8, 1905.
entered at the Tostofflee mt Portland, Or.,
aa eccnd-claji matter.
SUBSCRIPTION' RATES.
INVAR1ABLT IN ADVANCE.
(Br Mall or Express.)
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Dally -without Sunday, par year J-JHj
Dally without Sunday. six months...... 8-0
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Dally without Sunday, per month
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BT CARRIER.
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THE "WEEKLY OREGONIAX.
(Issue Every Thursday.)
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PORTLAND, FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 8. 1003
PACTION, AND THE PUBLIC 'WELFARE,
The Oregonian -would be exceeding
glad If the Republicans of Oregon
oould come together and act together.
In harmonious agreement. But It does
not suppose they will; It does not ex
jet them to do so. The cause of the
Irreconcilable difference lies In the
personality and career of John H.
Mitchell, and in the consequences of it.
It Is true that the career of John
H. XUckeil Is ended. He will hold of-
Jc nevermore. Never again will he
go to Che capital, or enter the Capitol.
But he has made Irreconcilable fac
tions, among the people of Oregon.
And not merely among Republicans,
hut among Democrats also. For he al
ways haw had large Democratic sup
port; and by him that party. In scarce
ly leas degree than the Republican, has
been corrupted, through and through.
Ho- has It been done? By appeal to
the seineh instincts of Individuals; by
encouragement f all avarice and all
graft; by helping one and another to
pluck and plunder the public treasury
National, state, county and city,
school district and road district, and
whatever other subdivision there might
be ta all possible ways. The genius
of appealing to men and women on the
side of their selfish and baser natures
has been possessed by Mr. Mitchell, In
a most astonishing degree. He has
had always an almost diabolical In
stinct for that sort of thing. It has
corrupted everything in the Mfe of Ore
gon with whkh it has come In contact
It has ministered to faction, it has
taught those who concern themselves
with politics that their private interest
Is all, and there Is no public weal; It
therefore has degraded politics, has
produced and encouraged faction, has
armed men against each other, and has
made factional divisions that are lr
reconcilable. Men who profess to be
Republicans, who are nominally so.
and who, if this strife could be ellm
Inatcd, doubtless would be truly so,
have been carried by this strife to a
point where they will support no Re
publican ticket not set up in their own
Interest or in that of their faction
They have forgotten principles in
their contention for spoils. The Mitch
ell faction has taught opposite factions
Its own methods and inspired them
with Its own purposes.
Of eourse, the Republican party Is to
be lifted above the career of John H.
Mitchell and its consequences. But it
cannot be done at once. It will take
long time. Deeply tainted by him by
hk appeal to selfish and sordid and
corrupt instincts has the Democratic
party been, too. Twice when Repub
1 leans would not elect him he has been
elected by help and support of Demo
cratic votes in the Legislature. Selfish
and unprincipled gangs in politics al
ways understand each other. Princi
ples, purposes or policies of party, are
nothing to them.
This poison must -be eliminated,
somehow. Riddance of the chief male
factor is the first step. That is accom
piished. But his career these forty
years has made divisions so great, has
so corrupted individuals in large num
bers, has so debased -the body politic.
has rendered It so impossible for men
whov but for this poison or taint.
would act together, to unite In har
xnonlous action, that It seems Improb
able that factions in Oregon can be
reconciled now.
Though the career of Mr. Mitchell is
ended, the evil he has done lives after
him. The evil of his career lies in the
corruption of the whole body politic of
Oregon. Himself is nothing, now. But
through him and through his appeals
to selfish and corrupt natures, the life
of Oregon, has been so deeply tainted
that long time will be required for
complete disinfection and recovery.
Mr. Mitchell has taught every person
of either party in Oregon, over whom
he could have influence, to study pol
itlcs and to -pursue politics, for gain
All principle, all disinterested opinion
has been cast out or exploded, as be
longing to antiquated fashion. On this
system the acleaee of poiitica, m in
Timon's pfaraoc, aac uonafrttd in
"smelling one's particular from the
general weaL" In Oregon, therefore.
we have factions at swords point
against each other; and though the Re
publican party has a. vote of two to
one in the state, each faction In it
would prefer Democratic triumph to
that of its rival. Some time this spirit
will wear Itself out; but It seems to
The Oregonian that before that result
can be reached the Republican party
of Oregon will be compelled to pass
"through many vicissitudes of untried
being."
There is talk of conference and of
conferences, that Republicans rnajf "get
together." But they will not get to
gether so long as Republicans of one
faction would prefer the election of
Democrats to Republicans not of their
own faction. This method of revenge
has proceeded very far already. The
Oregonian Is not a prophet; It is un
willing to assume and play the part
of a croaker; yet it feels bound to say
that, from the present outlook, it do.es
not see how the Republicans of Oregon
are to "get together." Listen to what
men say, and you will find that the
thought of It is scouted. The burrs
and thistles and tares sown so indus
triously during many years seem to be
good yet for other crops how many
cannot now be predicted. Let not The
Oregonian be censured for speaking
plainly. It would do what it could or
can to exorcise the spirit of faction.
It would be glad to do something, if
it could, for substitution of public in
terest for private Interest in politics,
and to recall men from pursuit of pri
vate interest through faction to a sense
of public duty and to use. of proper
means of enforcing It, through legit
imate party action. But It confesses
that at this time it has not much ex
pectation or much faith. The springs
of political action have been too deeply
corrupted and polluted. It will take
time to purge and burn the corruptions
away. Meantime let us understand
ourselves and the situation. Nothing
can be gained by blinking the facts.
The Oregonian, having no purposes
whatever beyond a desire for the pub
lic welfare, and believing the Repub
lican party the best Instrumentality
through which the public welfare may
be secured, would be glad to aid it how
it may. And surely it is a time for
plain speech. And faithful are the
wounds of a friend.
"A TRUE FRIEND OF THE nOP
G BOVVER."
. A man who elgns himself "A True Friend
et the Hopgrower" sends out a long letter
rem Portland In which he denounces the
Oregonian as a hired organ of the "bulls."
areerts that there will be an unusually heavy
crop nearly everywhere la the world this year,
predicts that prices are going to be extreme
ly low, and advises every man who hae hops
to let them ro at once. This anonymous
writer Is probably not a philanthropist who
Is spending his money for the benefit of the
farmers. More likely he la some fellow who
Is trying to serve his own ends. His com
munication Is Interesting but net convincing.
North Yakima Republic
This anonymous correspondent Is not
a "true friend of the hopgrower." He
is a vigilant and unscrupulous enemy
of the hopgrower. His sole purpose Is
to break down the market, no matter
how he does It. He has sold "short,"
and he must mulct the hopgrower or be
himself ruined. The Oregonian does
not worry about the charge that It Is
the organ of the "bulls." It certainly
Is not the organ of the "bears." The
hop producers want to see better prices.
and The Oregonian is with them there;
but it will not deceive or mislead them,
or Itself, nor will it permit them to be
deceived or misled by lying circular
letters, "bear" buyers or hop gam
blers.
The Oregonian does not know wheth
er the hop market is going higher or
lower; but it is quite certain that It
would have been weaker and lower
than it Is today if The Oregonian's
attitude had been other than it is.
THE CHINESE BOYCOTT.
The Chinese boycott is a serious
matter and Is rapidly spreading." "The
Chinese boycott Is not a serious matter
and has been effectually checked."
These statements are fair samples of
the conflicting and contradicting re
ports that are coming out of the Far
East regarding the trade trouble that
has long been brewing. Meanwhile the
Pacific Coast millers are busy cancel
ing orders for flour which was con
tracted for prior to the open display
of hostilities. Last year the wheat
market in the Pacific Northwest was
booming In response to a very strong
demand from China lor American
flour. This year the business to date
in proportion to the size of the crop Is
the smallest since the inception of the
Oriental trade. These are facts that
cannot be denied or explained away,
and It is not at all clear to the Amer
ican millers how the Chinese govern
ment can dec'iare the boycott off In
case the people are disposed to keep
It In force.
"One man can lead a pony to the
brink, but twenty thousand cannot
make him drink." The imperial edict
commanding the Viceroys to Instruct
their people to refrain from boycotting
American goods can hardly be made
effective if the people show a prefer
ence for some other brands. A late
Issue of the Liverpool Corn Trade News
reported the purchase of 1,000,000 bush
els of wheat of the 1905 crop in the vi
cinity of Alberta, N. W. T., to be milled
at Canadian mills and shipped as flour
to China by way of Vancouver. B. C.
There is no good reason why this flour
should not be fully as satisfactory as
the American article, and if the China
man prefers It and the price is right,
not even an imperial edict will cause
him to show a preference for the Amer
ican article. A preference of thl3 na
ture can hardly be termed a boycott,
and would not be an offense which was
punishable.
There is nothing in the situation
which tends to show that the Viceroys
or the head of the Chinese government
were directly implicated in bringing on
the boycott. It is accordingly difficult
to understand where they can have an
extraordinary amount of Influence dn
crushing it. The grievance which was
responsible for the feeling that has
been created was not of rapid growth,
and for that reason It will not be
quickly silenced. News travels slowly
in ancient, ignorant China, and while
the efforts of the government may re
ceive some consideration in the more
enlightened regions lying along the
coast, in the more remote portions of
the empire it will be many months
after the boycott Is declared off before
the news will reach the people. These
are the conditions that will prevent
even the immediate resumption of
friendly relations 'from saving all of
the trade that we have been years in
building up.
It is generally believed that some of
our commercial rivals have materially
satiated 1 stlrriar up this trouble in
China. This toeing true, we can read
with no great degree of regret that
some of -these rivals are learning with
considerable chagrin that It is not so
easy for a Chinese boycott to affect
American trade without Incidentally
having a bad effect on that of other
countries populated by the "white dev
ils." In the flour trade this is not no
ticeable, but in manufactured cotton
goods there is trouble brewing lor
British and German manufacturers as
well as 'Americans, for the Japanese,
with their cheap labor, can undersell
all other countries and are there on the
ground floor for that particular trade.
UNCERTAIN WHEAT MARKET.
After more than a year of almost ab
solute Independence of the European
wheat market, the United States is
again drifting Into a position where a
foreign outlet for a portion of the 1905
crop is almost a necessity. Not all sec
tions of the United States are blessed
with a record-breaking crop such as
will be harvested in Oregon, "Washing
ton and Idaho, but it Is quite apparent
from the best estimates obtainable that
the crop throughout the United States
Is far enough in excess of that of a
year ago to leave a surplus of upwards
of 150,000,000 bushels for export. Last
year both the American and the Cana
dian crops were poor, and much of the
surplus wheat from Canada found Its
way to market In bond through the
American mills. This year the Cana
dian surplus, along with the American
surplus, must And an outlet In the Eu
ropean market.
In the two countries, which were
practically out of the European
market last year, there Is this
season an exportable surplus of
more than 200,000,000 bushels of
wheat. A statistical showing of this
nature cannot do otherwise than create
a feeling of uncertalnt3' as to the fu
ture of prices for the big crop now
coming on. Simply stated, the problem
is this: If Europe secured more than a
year's supplies from other countries,
at lower than American prices, last
season, will she advance her prices to
permit of the marketing of our 269,000,-OOO-bushel
surplus for which we have
no demand at home? Thus far there
has been nothing in the trend of the
European market to indicate that the
Europeans regarded an advance as
necessary in order to attract supplies.
Crop reports from the other big export
ing countries of the world are some
what conflicting, but there is no con
flict in the weekly statistics, which
would show Russian shipments hang
ing around 4,000,000 bushels per week,
long after that country is supposed to
have "shot her bolt," and when another
harvest is almost available.
Even if this coming Russian crop
should be slightly smaller than Its pre
decessor, there will be no holding for
higher prices, and Russia is In & finan
cial condition that will necessitate a
rapid movement of the surplus, and
from this source alone Europe can
draw heavy supplies. The Argentine is
nearing a critical point In Its crop
year. It Is known that the acreage Is
much larger than that of last year, and
thus far the worst crop news that has
been received regarding It is that lo
custs have caused some trouble. Con
ditions in the smaller exporting coun
tries, which last year helped make up
the deficit caused by the withdrawal
of the United States from the list of
exporting countries, are not dissimilar
from those mentioned.
The rest of the world supplied Europe
with wheat last season at a price below
that which prevailed in this country.
This year we have a surplus sufficient
to enable us to spare from 4.0M.0&Q to
5,000.000 bushels per week for the for
eigners. Will their markets absorb this
amount of American wheat without a
further break in prices, or will the
American farmers part with their hold
ings at such a heavy reduction over
last year's prices as will be made nec
essary if the European market shaB
be selected as a dumping-ground?
These are the questions which are
making the exporters Indifferent about
chartering tonnage or busing more
wheat than they can Immediately turn
over to advantage. It 6eems reason
ably certain that there will not be a
very free marketing of the crop very
early In the season. September wheat
in the Chicago wheat market yester
day was 23 cents per bushel lower than
it was on the same date last year, and
at tidewater points on the Pacific
Coast It was 12 cents lower yesterday
than it was one year ago. This wide
difference in values will undoubtedly
have a tendency to restrict an early
selling movement, and, unless the for
eign market should improve, the turn
of the year will probably find the
American farmers holding more wheat
than ever before at a similar period.
THE REACTION IN JAPAN.
News dispatches from Japan through
out the war -have been vague and mis
leading. Those which now bring the
news of the prevalent dissatisfaction
with the terms of the peace treaty are
hardly more Informing, but they make
two points reasonably clear. The na
tion is bitterly disappointed to lose the
expected Indemnity from Russia. This
Is the gist of what is sincere and spon
taneous in the outcry against the
treaty. Very likely the common people
of Japan exaggerate the effect of their
victories and believe their government
able to force an Indemnity from the
conquered enemy. To them, therefore.
It seems like a pusillanimous betrayal
of the Interests of Nippon to have
yielded the demand. Such a psycho
logical phenomenon is likely to follow
any successful war. The terms of
peace can seldom meet the expectations
of the people, and reaction against the
government Inevitably follows.
The second clear fact Is that the rad
leal party in Japan is making capital
out of the popular discontent for its
own ends. The treaty was concluded
by the conservatives, and, even If they
had obtained an indemnity, the radicals
would not have been satisfied. Such is
the nature of political parties every
where. At the next session of the Jap
anese Parliament the radicals hope to
ride Into power upon the popular dis
content, and they may succeed; but It
would be an error to conceive of such
an event as anything like a revolution.
It would -be exactly parallel to what we
call a "change of government" In Eng
land, that is the exit of one ministry
and the entrance of another. There is
no reason to expect anything more seri
ous than this from the popular dlscon
tent with which Japan now seems
aflame. Such flames are transient
They soon expire. "We have seen them
In America before now. It is note
worthy that it is not the men who were
with Togo and Oyama who are throw
ing stones and burning buildings in
Toklo. The valor of the long-distance
warrior Is very apt to blaze up Just
after 'peace is declared. How he does
thirst for gore and glory when the dan
ger is all overl It would have taken
a charge of dynamite to start these
blatant rioters toward the seat of war.
but they can now throw stones at old
men and set fire to churches without a
tremor. Let them disport themselves
while they may. Their day is short.
The Oriental liner Numantia will be
placed in the Portland drydpek for
cleaning and painting before she again
crosses the Pacific. In order to secure
this business it was necessary for the
Port of Portland to make a very rad
ical cut In rates. The dock, which had
a fair amount of work when It was
ready for business, has been idle most
of the time lately, and. In order to se
cure business. It Is probably a good
plan to reduce the rates to a point
where shipping will be attracted. A
number of the San Francisco schooners
which docked at Portland when the
dock was first ready for business have
since been placed In the San Francisco
drydocks. Naturally, all of the busi
ness cannot be taken away from the
other docks, but Portland has not been
receiving as much of this work as she
was entitled to, and an increase is due.
even if it must be secured by cutting
rates.
The. steamship Com eric, carrying a
cargo of more than 3,000,000 feet of
lumber, crossed out yesterday, bound
for the Orient. The British bark Pin-
more, with a cargo "of 2,000.000 feet of
lumber on -board, is om her way down
the river, and will sail today for Aus
tralia. These, of course, are small car
goes compared with some that are
cleared by Portland shippers, but in
clearing 5,000,000 feet foreign in two
days and about 1,000.000 feet coastwise
at the same time, not to mention heavy
rail shipments, the Oregon metropolis
has demonstrated to the Hoo Hoos that
they did not miss the greatest lumber
port in the world when they selected.
Portland for the annual meeting of the
order.
This Nation has now afloat or under
way eight battleships of the 16,000-ton
class the Connecticut; Louisiana, Kan
sas, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ver
mont, South Carolina and Michigan.
Of these, the Connecticut, Louisiana
and Minnesota are well advanced.
Their keels were laid in 1903. StiH.
they are smaller than any one of the
eight ships now In commission or un
der construction for the British Navy.
These are of 16,350 tons each. In arma
ment there Is small difference between
ours and the English. Our eight new
sea fighters will outclass any similar
number of any other navy except Great
Britain's.
It Is obvious, has been obvious from
the first, that every man accused in
connection with the land frauds, or In
corruptions therewith, has desired to
avoid the issue, to postpone, to pro
long, to delay, and to escape trial. The
parties accused are all Innocent, of
course. But not one of them is willing
to meet the issue. People who haven't
been "monkeying" with, lands, or dab
bling with the business In Irregular
ways, wouldn't be likely to care when
or where or how they were to be tried.
or who the witnesses or Jurors were.
And the defendants wouldn't be so lia
ble to sickness, either.
The secretary of the Peary Arctic
Club, In Brooklyn, yesterday received
a final message from the explorer, who
is off for the North Pole. In the mes
sage Commander Peary states that lie
is taking twenty-three Esquimaux and
200 dogs to establish a base at Cape Sa
bine, preparatory to his final dash for
the pole. Judging the future by the
past, as Jt relates to polar expeditions,
there is excellent reason for belleing
that in the not far distant future dog
eating will not be confined to the Igor-
rotes. The Esquimaux were probably
taken along to be used softer the dogs
were eaten.
All that has been wanted. Is wanted,
or will be wanted, by the defendants
in the land-fraud cases, is to avoid
trial, to escape trial, to get time
time that may be used one way or an
other, for delay, for obstruction, for
obscuration, for sophistication, of the
subject; for avoidance of the direct is
sue. Through delay some starting-hole
might be found and the main Issue
avoided. But had there been no at
tempt to steal the lands of the United
States, or to make profit through those
who were stealing them, this had been
wholly unnecessary. The direct Issue
would be welcomed.
A movement has been started at the
South for a monument to Father
Abram J. Ryan, the poet-priest of the
Confederacy. His songs afforded spir
itual uplift in victory and in defeat,
and they yet remain among the sweet
est memories of the Lost Cause. Apart
from his soul-stirring poems. Father
Ryan earned the gratitude and love
of the South. As a priest he was a
faithful servant, and as a man he
loved his people without regard to
creed.
The City Council has passed the Ben
nett box ordinance, with Its grammat
ical absurdities and verbal complexi
ties. The attention of the Council had
been called by The Oregonian to the
contradictory phraseology of the first
section, but it proceeded nevertheless
to enact an ordinance which nobody
can understand and nobody will ob
serve. That Is obviously what the
Council wants.
It is not clear why the Japanese
should attack Mr. -Harriman. He never
promised to build any railroads In
Japan. As for Mr. Schwerin, there is
certainly nothing wrong -with his
steamship service between San Fran
cisco and Japan.
Is it possible that the situation
among Republicans of Oregon is such
as that described by the great epic
poet of "Paradise Lost"?
For never can true reconcilement grow
Where wounds of deadlr bate have pierced
eo deep.
"The Senate." says Senator Culber
son, "will deliberate slowly and care
fully on the railroad rate question."
The Senate Is anxious to make no mis
takes no mistakes that the railroads
will complain about.
Biggs, though sick, was brought Into
court yes'terday. But undoubtedly he
Is sick sick of the whole business; yet
perhaps not so sick as Attorney Ben
nett thought he was.
State pride alone could prompt the
LoulsvJUe Times to make this remark:
"If X. Wltte had been-a Kentuckian
he would have been a magnificent
poker-player."
OREGON OZONE
v Idaho.
I'd go and hoe, the growing corn.
If Idaho;
I'd hoe till dusk from early mom.
If Idaho;
But. since such work Is hard for men.
And women like to work, why, then.
Let Idaho.
Crown Princess Cecilia of Germany has
set a new fashion by carrying a gold
headed cane. American girls are advised
to wait until Princess Alice gets home
and gives them the cue before they adopt
this innovation.
Out at the Exposition they have on dis
play a new-fangled clock that shows the
hour and the minute In large letters on
sheets of celluloid that flop over every
minute as Father Time tears oft another
60 seconds. Suppose a man should come
home in the gray of the morning, after
having spent the night In a policy shop,
and should sec the figures i-11 staring
him In the face. "Wouldn't he be Inclined,
in the abaont-mlndedness Induced by the
night out, to wait for the 44 before going
to bed?
After we read this from the New York
Evening Mall we should be able to under
stand September better: "There are lean,
predatory powers lurking below the hor
izon of September the long slant of the
equinoctial storm, the denuding rain, the
robber noreaster. the shrewish frost and
the ruffian cold that pierces through rich
draperies and chills the marrow of the
bones." There are other counts in the
Indictment, but these will suffice to give
a lucid understanding of the month.
The hero of a new story Is named Im
monsley. That name should take im
mensely. Big Bugs Accounted For.
Mr. Alder I never saw so many big
bugs In town as there were last night.
They were flying around- everywhere.
Where do you suppose they all come
from?
Mr. Stark Oh, I reckon the society peo
ple have returned from the seashore.
The Metrical Surgeon.
Poet "What do you think of my new
poem, published yesterday?
Reader Well, to be perfectly candid, it
looks a trifle lame to me.
Poet Of course: the printer amputated
two or three of its feet.
The Whole Damme Family.
Among the Nebraskans registered at the
Portland Exposition on August 16 to 13
were: Mrs. Caroline Damme, J. H.
Damme. Emma Damme and Willie
Damme, of Talmage, and Emma Damme,
of Cook. Nebraska City News.
Tho Disappearing Bed.
Latest of space-saving devices is a dis
appearing bed. invented by a Los Angeles
builder of fiat houses. It is set forth
that this bed is not a folder, but always
keeps the horizontal position, ready for
business. It occupies a hole In the wall
when not occupied itself. When the bed
Is in demand, the flat dweller simply lifts
up a secret flap in the wainscoting, pulls
the aleping frame out Into the room, rolls
It to any point desired and goes to sleep.
The advantages of the disappearing bed
are visible to the naked eye. If company
comes before the bed Is made up, the
housewife can Just make the objection
able artiele disappear. If the baby cries
too vigorously, the husband and father
can roll the bed Into its wall pocket and
shut off the noise. It Is to be hoped that
this Los Angeles genius will Invent the
disappearing coal-hod, the disappearing"
broom and the disappearing constant
guest. The disappearing umbrella was
Invented many years ago.
Highest Salaried Man Hero.
Richard S. Graves, of St- Joseph, Mo.,
Is spending a month In Portland. Mr.
Graves as bis name indicates Is a mem
ber of the American Press Humorists. He
also looks grave and solemn, which is
In keeping with his- calling. When he
is not doing other things he writes Jokes
and funny stories, and he confesses to
having been guilty of magazine poetry.
The chief distinction of Mr. Graves, how
ever, lies In the fact that he Is legally
entitled to the largest salary ever en
joyed by any man on earth. Mr. Graves
is secretary of the Metropolitan Police
Board of St. Joseph, in his off moments,
and according to a statute passed oy the
Missouri Legislature he Is entitled to
draw a salary of n,2CO,000 a year for his
services. Being a patriot, he accepts
only about $1200 from that source just
enough to purchase stamps for his mag.
azlne poetry business. It Is charged by
enemies of Secretary Graves that the In
tention of the lawmakers was to fix his
salary at 51200 a year, but that the state
printer raised It by adding three
"naughts" In the statute as published,
just because the Incumbent of the office
was a humorist and therefore probably
In need of the money to keep up appear
ances. But this theory will not hold.
Graves drives a 52WO automobile, owned
by himself. He won It In a raffle but
what of that? 'An automobile won by
anyiother means would smell as rank.
' ROBERTUS LOVE.
The House of Commons.
Frederic Harrison In the Posltlvlst.
It Is commonplace today that the House
of Commons Is degraded. It has lost its
authority and its prestige. It has suffered
Itself, year after year, to be bamboozled,
deceived, hoodwinked. It has voted away
enormous sums without adequate Inquiry
or guarantees for their return. It has al
lowed huge peculations to 'be made under
Its very nose, and it has colluded with
the official efforts to screen criminals.
It plays into the bands of ministers who
for years are carrying on a game of
equivocation, evasion, or, to speak plain
ly, of falsehood.
Can this moral rot In the constitution
of the House be stopped? Tho evil of it Is
that there Is nothing accidental or tem
porary In It. The new rules have made
the House more tho creature of ministers,
havo made it easier to silence minorities
and to evade questions, but that was the
deliberate action of tha majority, which
cares for nothing if Its own side can win.
The change of days and hours makes the
House more convenient for amusement.
More and more has it become a rich
man's club, a sort of Raneleagh for the
smart set. and, indeed, for the shabby
set.- It is a club with all the social hab
its of a club, with the coterie rows, good
fellowship, casual ways of a pretty mixed
club. Clubs take lenient views of the
moral qualities of clubable fellows, who
can only play bridge and amuse the smoking-room.
The House of Commons does
not do Its duty, does not want to do its
duty, and does not care how long min
isters may wriggle and maneuver," so long
as they will stave off the dissolution.
When the majority have got to that state
of hardened selfishness, it is not easy to
find a remedy for that which it carries in
the bones. Whether a nw house and a
new speaker can cure it ramalna to be
seen. .
.
LETTERS ON TOPICS OF INTEREST
Demand for Cheaper Fares on the Portland Consolidated The Nuisance of
Street Railway Breakdowns How to Prevent Disease Codling
Moth Is Double Brooded Sprinkling the Streets.
(To the Editor.) In Cleveland, and some
other cities In the East, the demand has
been made, and granted, that streetcar
fares should be put down for the benefit
of working men and working women, dur
ing the hours, morning and night, when
they ride to and from work. In Portland,
where the streetcar company has free
use of the streets, and pays practically
no taxes, it is in order for the working
men to demand that between the hours
of 6 and S:30 A. M., and between the
hours of 3 and 6:30 P. M., the rates should
be put down to 2 cents without transfer
and 3 cents with transfer. This would
be a boon to the working people, and
would be only fair to the company.
The service that the company renders
to working people morning and night Is
of the poorest character. They have
to occupy standing room and hang on to
straps; the service Is generally slow dur
ing the rush hours because of the lack
of power, and It would be only fair that
a lower price should be charged during
those hours.
. Would it not be a good thing for the
labor unions to take this matter up?
Such a movement would receive public
support, and if properly pressed would
surely win. LABORER.
HOW THE PUBLIC LOSES MONEY
All Because Hallway Monopoly Is
Short of Power.
PORTLAND, Or., Sept. 7. (To the Ed
itor. The public Is long-suffering, and
not disposed to kick at small or infre
quent Inconvenience. But the Portland
Consolidated Railway Company Is so of
ten short of power, much to the detriment
of Its customers, that one cannot refrain
from protesting.
A large part of the population of this
city is" aware of the fact that on Sat
urday last, owing to some defect In the
management of the street railway com
pany, about 25,000 people lost an average
of one hour each In getting to and from
their homes. Assuming that their time
was worth 30 cents an hour, here Is a
loss of $7500. because of the niggardliness
or bad management of the company's af
fairs. There were thousands of people
at the Fair grounds that could not get
home for hours, because the power had
given out, and the cars had largely come
to a standstill. It was reported that a
belt broke, or something of that sort at
the powerhouse. Surely such a company
would have an extra belt or two for an
emergency, regardless of what It costs.
Lost night the Mount Tabor line of
cars took an hour to make the trip that
ordinarily should take half that time.
This is becoming so common an occur
rence that one wonders what the "first
families" have done with the J6.C0O.000
they have received; or If they have al
ready turned over the works to the new
people, ono wonders what sort of manage
ment they are giving us?
INQUIRER.
KEEP STREETS CLEAR OF DUST
Call for the City to Do Its Duty to
Its Residents and to Visitors.
PORTLAND, Sept. 7. (To the Editor.)
"O wad Kvme power the glftle gle us" to
Induce the city to keep sprinkling tne
streets of the rushing car lines as long
as the weather Is dry- Why go by tne
calendar only and promptly begin to
"sheer oft" soon as September gets well
Into line? We on the lines of the whirl
ing cars especially need the watercars,
and to cease the sprinkling with the first
days of Autumn, no matter how dry and
dusty. Is too much like our village days
when the street lights were not turned
on If the moon was at full, no matter
how cloudy and dismal tho night. Let us
keep. pace with the age, no matter what
time of the year or time of the moon.
I have reason to know that the Port
land Consolidated Railway will cheerfully
bear Its share of sprinkling expenses on
Its lines, and it remains for the city to
act, and not let our Fair go out In a
smother of dust all over the city.
L. C. O.
DOUBLE-BROODED MOTH.
A Fru It-Grower Makes Announce
ment of Important Discovery.
VANCOUVER. Wash., Sept. 6. (To the
Editor.) As It may not be known to all'
fruitgrowers that the codling moth Is
double-brooded In the Northwest, we wish
to call their attention to the fact that the
second brood of larvae Is working on the
apples at the present time. Go Into any
unsprayed orchard where tne apples are
Infected by the vcodllng moth, and you
can see the work of both broods. Those
NEWS FROMJABBITVILLE.
Irrlgon Irrigator.
Dan Skedansky has got a pretty
good Summer Job, considering he has
a wooden leg. He has taken the con
tract to drive the town hogs over to
Wilier Creek once each week and let
them stand in the water a hour or
two to soak up, for the weathar has
been so hot It has warped all of the
Rabbltville hog3 so that they leak
their swill out about as fast as they
swaller It.
Your correspondent came pretty
near scrapping with Rastus Splnoodle
last Thursday afternoon. He was a
witness on a little case down to 'Squire
Slnchera's, and me beln' In there re
marked I would bet 2? that 'Rastus
couldn't tell the truth once In four
times put under oath and allowed to
choose his own subiects. Wo fixed It
by my. say In' I'd 'pologize In this
week's paper. So I 'pologize. I admit
I was wrong. But I'll bet 3J against
30 cents he can't do it 2 times out of
the 4.
For a nice mint Julep, a Tom Collins
or a high ball, or a nice clean shave
or a hair cut or anything in the gro
cery, hardware, dry goods or milllney
line, call at the City Drug Store. Also
drugs for sale.
Our barber Is In the hosplttle over to
Pendleton. He was shavln a sheep
herder last Sunday and his razer
slipped and ampltated about a Inch
off the sheepherder's noze. Then the
flte begun. The barber got walked on
and stomped on and sot on and pound
ed till ho was pretty near dead. So.
we had to take up a collection and
send him oft to have him patched upp,
for he was too fur gone for a country
doctor, like Dock Standpat, to tackle.
He will, we fear, recover, but he will
never again be what might be called
a handsome man.
Admired tho Baby.
Atchison Globe.
A preacher to be popular has to admire
plain and pretty babies alike, and an
Atchison preacher who is fussy about be
ing truthful has this way of handling the
plain babies: He says If you take the lit
tle red, squirming baby from Its proud
mother, hold it out at some distance from
you, and. looking at it smilingly, say In
a hearty tone, "Well, this is a baby," the
mother will be perfectly satisfied.
Light TVaist GJrve Bees a Chance.
Newark (N. J.) News.
While strolling the river bank at Edge
water, N. J., Miss Elgar Sheets stepped
into a nest of bumblebees. Her frantic
screams as the bees got in their work
brought a crowd to her aid. She was ter
ribly stung in many places, a light waist
affording the insects a chance to get at
her neck and shoulders-
having black or moldy holes In them
show the work of the first brood. This
first brood of worms had left the apples
some weeks since, gone through the dif
ferent changes In Its life, and are now
full-grown moths, laying eggs for the sec
ond or present brood. The second brood
begins hatching In this locality the lat
ter part of August, and continues well
into September. The worms already
hatched are still small, and are gnawing
heir way toward the core of the apple.
They are more numerous than the first
brood and destroy many more apples.
For the destruction of the present brood
two or three sprayings are necessary; the
first spraying as soon as the worms make
their appearance, and the second and
third at Intervals of 12 or 14 days.
The first brood hatches in June and
July. Three sprayings are required for
this brood. Our rule Is to watch for the
first worms of each brood and then begin
the work of spraying.
J. H. GODDARD.
HOW TO AVOID EPIDEMICS
Best "Way is to Look Carefully After
' Sanitation.
PORTLAND, Sept: 7. (To the Editor.)
We have yellow fever in the South, Eu
rope has a touch of cholera, and plague
shows itself here and there. Are epi
demics and diseases in general avoidable,
or do they come by chance, and must we
endure them whenever they please to
visit us? These are fair questions that
ought to have satisfactory answers.
We know epidemics are not as disastrous
now as formerly. What is the explana
tion? Is It In medication? No; It is in
sanitation. Conditions have been im
proved. The people of today are better
fed, better clothed and their habits gen
erally are more In accordance with iha
conditions on which health depends than
formerly. We are learning that we breed
what we get, that health and disease are
the products of general laws and condi
tions. It we wisely order our lives we
can have the one, or If not, we must
endure the other. There is no chance or
mystery or Providence about it, but a
plain matter of cause asd effect.
Any disease will appear In any place
where causes are sufficient to produce It.
The same Is true of the individual tlfe.
Health or disease In a given sec'Ion of
country will depend upon conditions
there, such as climate, soli, water and
the personal habits of the people, and
the form a disease will take, whether
yellow fever, cholera, plague, smallpox,
scarlet or typhoid fever, will depend upon
the same conditions, as likewise tho type
or form It may present. These general
conditions apply to individuals as well
as to communities.
With regard to epidemics, and, in fact,
all other diseases, the true Idea Is preven
tion rather than cure. Prevention Is al
most always- possible. Whatever of cure
there Is In the world must be realized
through the action of natural forci?
Medicines are always of doubtful utility
and their failures are as numerous as
the sands on the seashore. On the whole,
they do more harm than good, and so
long as men continue to rely on them
for deliverance from their physical Ills,
so long will they fall to seek for the real
causes of their aches and pains. Sani
tary measures and hygienic appliances
are always useful, and they are potential
in the exact proportion that they are In
telligently and vigorously employed. But
If an epidemic or a disease has been
caused or bred by long continued and
favoring conditions, It is not to be wiped
out or put aside by a wave of the hand,
or the administration of a "remedy."
Flat goes but a little way In this world
of ours, either In finance. In health or In
morals. So much for so much-.do-or-dIe
Is the law and there It stand Immu.JJfte.
Yellow fever cannot- be driven out of
Louisiana at once. Nor can It be sup
pressed, nor "stamped out," nor "fought"
down by the combined forces of the state
and Federal governments, and with the
help of all the medical authorities. It
will have Its run, and will stay there as
long as conditions produce or breed It.
When these are changed, when frosts
come and cooler weather prevails and
the streets are cleaned and the drainage
Improved, then it will disappear, and not
before. Of course it will come back time
and again, whenever conditions call for
it. And so of cholera, plague and all
other diseases. If we do not want them
we must not breed them. Mastery of
disease will come at last, as I believe,
and I have studied the matter long and
carefully, but It will be through a bet
ter understanding of Its nature and sig
nificance and of the causes that pro
duce It than is now current. It Is to aid
the good work of investigation that these
lines are written. LEVI W. MYERS.
HAND FOR CHRISTIANS TO GRASP
Boston Advertiser.
It is instructive, from tho moral point
of view, to note the general tone of com
ment all over the "Christian" world over
the treaty of Portsmouth. Everywhere
the point Is mode that Japan has lost a
great opportunity, and that the result Is
a disappointment, almost beyond under
standing. It is agreed that Russia has
been the smarter, and comes off with the
greatest credit, under the circumstances.
The Japanese "were caught napping."
The Russians "have shown themselves
greater at diplomacy than at war." The
world might be a flock of parrots, to
judge from the sameness of comment.
Yet, It is worth remembering, the Jap
anese who made the treaty are the fore
most among a very remarkable people.
Have the Japanese been overrated? It Is
too late to believe that, for they have
proved their shrewdness and far-sightedness
In too many ways to be put down
for blockheads now. The only other thing
to believe Is that the Japanese not only
preach but practice the highly moral pre
cepts which make up their religion. It
may be a hard thing for the so-called
"Christian- world to understand, but
there docs seem to be something of that
kind In the minds of these "heathen."
The Japanese seem to believe that right
outlasts might; that a good deed Uvea
longer than a bad one. To be sure, that
idea is preached in the churches of Eu
rope and America. But It has never gone
so far as to be adopted in the diplomacy
of Christian nations. Japan gets what
she fought for, and seems to be satisfied
with that. & there a Christian nation
which, after having won such sweeping
victories, would be satisfied with so little?
It will be Interesting to this or the next
generation to see if It be true that a na
tion does not suffer by living up to it3
own religion of right or wrong, when
neglecting a chance to take more than
simple justice and right dealing demand.
Brittannia to Japan.
London Spectator.
Over tha hundred years' gone by
Voices are borne oh the- sea;
"Ye have warred our war, ye have cried ou
cry, '
Ye have conquered, even as we."
Tyranny darkened our Western light
CTwas a hundred years, ago).
When our fathers sailed for-the fateful fight.
And trucfc tfi all-saving blow.
Tyranny grasped at your Island throne.
Darkened your realm of the Sun;
But your signal today has been Nelson's own.
And his word on your warships won.
Te have learned our lore of the glorious seaa,
Ya have proved It pur and true;
But your faithful vigil,, your scora of
God grant thai. w,.lara th oZ yout