8
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 27,t 11)07.
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rOKTI.AXI, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27, 1907.
1 RANC11ISE-IIOI.DEK.S AND OTHER
1TBL1C OFFICERS.
A franchise is not a ditch. Neither
in it a collection of gan pipes, nor a
p steam engine, nor a building. To some
this remark may appear superfluous.,
but it is-not. On the contrary, it is
very necess?ary, for many persons, not
iviturally c'tupid, constantly confuse
franchises with the material property
which franchise-holdmv accumulate
and upo in their business.- Just as a
lease 'of land Is not land, so a street
railway franchise is not the railway. It
is not the truck, the riarlit of way, the
power station nor thp cum.
' The t"ri.mliio.i tf o -.. II.. ....
company is the right obtained from the
public to lay tracks on the highways,
to carry paesengers and collect farei
The franchise of -a gas company is not
Its mains, but the right to lay its mains
in the streets, convey gan through them
and charge for it. To lay a gas main
in one"s private property requires no
franchise. A franchise is needed- only
when some individual or corporation
wishes to exercise a portion of the sov
ereign power of the city or state. The
control of the streets is an attribute of
sovereignty. It is a function of gov
ernment. When thie control or any
part of It is handed over to a corpora
tion, then that corporation becomes a
part of the machinery of government.
Sovereign power is delegated to it. It
becomes a public official.
Sovereignty 1s delegated to the Sheriff
when he is elected to his office. Like
wise It is delegated to the Governor of
the state and to a United States Sena
tor when they are legally chosen. Elec
tion "by ballot Is one method of delegat
ing sovereignty to an individual. The
granting of a franchise Is another
method. Many Kings have perpetual
franchises; that is, sovereignty is dele
gated to them in perpetuity, and the
tame is true of many other public offi
cers In Europe. But In this' country we
muke no perpetual delegations of sover
eignty to our President, our legislators,
or even to our Supreme Court Judges.
It is delegated to the Judges during
good behavior, but they cannot trans
mit it to their successors. Therefore it
w not perpetual. None of our elective
officials thinks of claiming a perpetual
franchise. Their terms are all strictly
limited.
But in some cases elective officers, who
held only a temporary franchise, have
"-ti-ied to be&tow perpetual delegations of
5vereign authority upon corporations.
This, of course. Is logically absurd, be
cause no one can grant a greater power
than he himself possesses; but the cor
porations invariably seek to maintain
the validity of such grants. They thus
claim to be holders of public office In
perpetuity. They contend that they
have been made an eternal factor in the
government. This is contrary to our
American theory, which does not admit
that sovereignty can be alienated for
ever from the people, but must be re
turned by them from time to time and
the delegation renewed. We maj- say
of all our officials, the street railway
companies, the gas company, the Sher
iff, the members of the City Council,
that they each hold franchises. One
franchise delegates sovereignty for one
purpose; another for another purpose;
but in principle they are all identical.
The constitution of Oregon expressly
denies that any franchise may be per
petual. The franchises of oil our elec
tive officers are fixed as to duration;
while concerning franchises, or delega
tions of sovereignty to corporations, it
provides that they may be repealed by
' the body that granted them. Thus, no
matter how the grant of a franchise
may read. It cannot be perpetual under
our Constitution; and if the document
mentions no time limit, this merely
makes the franchise Indefinite In dura
tion and it may be repealed at any
time.
The question came before the Oregon
Legislature, whether or not the Port
land Gas Company, which holds one of
these indefinite grants of sovereignty,
ought to receive compensation when It
is repealed. Must we pay our public
officials for relinquishing their offices
when their terms expire? The Sheriff
does not expect pay for yielding his of
fice to his successor. The Governor will
give up his franchise without compen
sation when his term ends. Why not
the gas company? If we must pay our
officials to get rid of them at the end of
their terms, then it is useless to fix the
terms, for they really own their offices
in perpetuity.
.The gas company, let -us remember, is
a public official just as much as the
Governor of the state. Its term expires
when the Legislature says it does. No
definite limit being fixed, the Legisla
ture may set any limit It likes, and
then the term of office of the gaa com
pany ends. Must we pay It for doing
us the favor to go out of office when
Its term Is up? Why not pay the Gov
ernor for the same thing? If we admit
that the gas company owns in perpetu
ity the fraction of sovereignty which
has been delegated to It, we must also
admit that the Governor owns his. In
fact, the Governor has the better claim
to perpetual ownership of his office,
since his title is Indisputable for a fixed
period, while that of the gas "company
is terminable at any moment.
But, it is argued, the company has
made a physical Investment on the
strength of Its franchise; and that this
Investment will be deteriorated by the
repeal of its sovereignty. Therefore
this deterioration ought to be made
good.
Is this true? Oftentimes a Senator
buys or builds a palace when he goes to
Washington, and in this palace he ex
pects to live and exercise his franchise,
or official power, for many years. But
a rude fate interferes. He is deprived
of his office. His mansion is worth less
than it was when he bought it. Must
the people make good his loss? They
should if it is right to pay the gas
company for the repeal of Its franchise.
Public officials who make Investments
upon the prospect of continued power
do so at their own risk. Just as the
Senator knows that he may fail of re
election, io the gas company knew all
the time that Its franchise might be
revoked.
The people do not contract to keep
their officials in power forever nor to
insure their investments. The people of
Oregon did not contract with the hold
ers of the gas franchises in Portland
to Insure their investment. Yet by
passing the Coffey bill the Legislature
would not have Impaired that Invest
ment. The City Council of Portland
would have granted' a new limited fran
chise to take its place. Franchise and
plant are wholly distinct, though by a
clever trick they were confused by the
gas lobby in the State Capitol until
several Senators were made to believe
that revocation of franchise an intan
gible thing, but a function of sover
eignty meant confiscation of physical.
property the plant and pipes. The
trick Is plainly isible from this fact
the Hodson amendment to the Coffey
bill, which amendment compelled the
City of Portland to pay the gas com
pany for relinquishing the old fran
chise, did not require the city to pay
for or purchase the physical properties
of the company. Those properties were
still to be owned by the company after
the unlimited franchise was revoked.
How absurd, therefore, that the people
of Portland should pay money for that
old franchise, given away free by the
people of Oregon, fifty yeara ago, and
used ever since,, to line the pockets of
Its possessors with gold at the expense
of the public.
NO PROTECTION FOR HALMOX. '
For protection of the ealmnn industry
of the Columbia River, the Oregon Leg
islature did little or nothing, nor will
the Washington Legislature do more.
since remedial laws must be enacted
concurrently in the two states.
The closed Suriday and the shorter
fishing seasons in April and August
both were killed In the Oregon Senate,
though agreed to by joint committees
of the two houses from the Legislatures
of the two states.
For two years more, then, the salmon
hatcheries of the Columbia River are
to be almost idle, as during the last
three years, or until there shall be laws
to save breeding salmon from the
greedy clutches of men who cannot oth
erwise be held from Immediate profit
for the sake of the future good of the
industry. 1
Once more the fisheries have legislat
ed for themselves and again have done
nothing or worse. It has been said fre
quently that the fisheries will not be
protected until they have been almost
destroyed, or until other interests of
the two states shall take the-matter out
of their hands and legislate in a sensi
ble manner. Must this turn out true?
Again The Oregonian points out that
the plight of the Industry comes from
the catching of too many salmon and
the escape of too few for breeding. We
shall see If two yeans more will teach
the lesson.
ANOTHER TRUST VICTORY.
Filipino hopes for fair treatment on
tariff matters were dispelled by the
United States Senate Monday. By a
vote of 46 to 11 the amendment reduc
ing the tariff on sugar, tobacco and
rice was tabled, and the dusky inhabi
tants of our Pacific dependencies were
thus made to realize to the fulleet ex
tent the blessings conferred on them
by American freedom. It has been
shown repeatedly that the entire sugar,
rice and tobacco output of the Philip
pines is insignificant in comparison
with the amount consumed in the
United States, and that half . dozen
other countries in which America has
no eueh interest as In the Philippines
are now supplying much of this home
demand.
It is an Iniquitous- and unfair policy
all along the line that compels the
American people to pay higher prices
for commodities than foreign consum
ers are obliged to pay for the same
goods, but the worst feature of this
policy is shown when it Is applied to
the Phiflppines, a country In which it is
our solemn duty to encourage develop
ment of all legitimate enterprises. We
forced ouf authority and our laws on
them, and, having done so, the very
least we can do is to permit them to
develop their crude industries to the
best possible advantages. The Ameri
can camel Is already staggering under
a load of tariff Iniquities, which will
bear the Increase In weight of but few
straws. The numerical strength in the
Senate of opposition to fair treatment
for the Philippines indicates that a
smashing defeat at the polls is needed
to bring about this much-needed re
form. The trusts for years have been work
ing the old threadbare argument that
a high tariff must be maintained for
the protection of the American work
ingman. The fact that this system en
ables the trusts to sell In foreign mar
kets at lower prices than they exact
in this country every article that Is
affected by the tariff is gradually be
coming understood by the workingman
as well as by their trust employers.
High wages are desirable, but the
protective tariff has never protected
wages to the same extent that It has
"protected" the manufacturers of the
commodities which the wage-earner is
forced to buy. Every article of im
portance used by the wage-earner, for
food or raiment, is steadily advancing
in price In this .country and lowering
in price in the foreign markets.
There has been some advance in
wages in this country, but It has not
been at all proportionate to the ad
vance In the commodities for which
the money must be spent. The foreign
workmen today in many branches of
industry can buy more with his small
wages than the American can purchase
with his high wages. If It is the tariff
that causes high wages, it is also the
tariff that Increases the cost of living,
thus reducing the purchasing power of
the high wages. The trusts, grown rich
and powerful, are arrogant, and, as
shown hy the vote in the Senate, are
still firmly Intrenched, but the day Is
coming when the wage-earner, whose
vote has been such a powerful factor in
the perpetuation of the iniquitous sys
tem under which we now labor, will
take a broader view and there will be a
reversal of policy that will sweep into
obscurity the prominent standpatters
who are now professing fear of compe
tition from the insignificant, poverty
stricken Philippines.
WIT.I. MR. HARRIMAN EXPLAIN?
Before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission closes Its investigation of his
esoteric experiments In railroading, Mr.
Harriman will probably seek an oppor
tunity to explain away that inanlpula
tion of Union and Southern Pacific div
idends which Is said to have put $10,
000.000 into his pocket in the course of
a day or two last August. The public
was Ingeniously led to believe that the
dividends had been passed by the di
rectors. The stock fell. Mr. Harriman
and his friends bought copiously of the
declining shares. At the psychological
moment the news came out that, in
stead of passing the dividends, the di
rectors had declared one of 10 per cent
on Union Pacific and 5 per cent on
Southern Pacific. Both were extraor
dinarily large. The stocks flew upward
and Mr. Harriman and his favored co-
operators sold at the top notch what
they had bought at the lowest. This
is the tale which it is hoped, for the
sake of his good name, that Mr. Harri
man will take an early opportunity to
disprove.
If the tale is true, as it probably is,
this maneuver Is an excellent example
of that sort of "thrtft and industry"
by which our economic magnates
transfer other people's property to their
own possession. It is the sort of "pro
ductive energy" which has brought the
great wealth of the country into the
hands of a small part of the popula
tion. It is one of those "magnificent
enterprises" which Chancellor Day so
much admires, and which enable Mr.
Harriman and Mr. Rockefeller to en
dow education without expense to
themselves. It was not quite so out
rageously cruel as the employment of
peon labor on Mr. Ryan's new railroad
in the South, but it was cruel enough
to break hearts and wreck hornet?.
Surely our benevolent railroad despot
will seek an occasion to explain it.
THE PANAMA RESIGNATIONS.
Chief Engineer Stevens, of the Pan
ama Canal, has followed In the foot
steps of ex-Chief Engineer Wallace by
tendering his resignation from a posi
tion of great importance, but appar
ently one of overwhelming responsibil
ity. It will be remembered that Mr.
Wallace was roundly scored by the Ad
ministration and the people for aban
donment of the great work before it
had hardly begun. In view of the
praise that was showered on Mr. Ste
vens when he accepted the charge. It
will now be Interesting to note the
spirit in which his desertion of the
cause will be received. It Is a matter
of regret that these frequent changes
occur, for the moral effect -ys well as
the actual loss of time is bad for the
project.
It would seem that a little more sta
bility in the "management and methods
followed on the canal would vastly im
prove the situation. A man of the rep
utation of either Wallace or Stevena
very rarely assumes a position of such
great Importance without having some
intention of seeing the work through.
It is thus clear that when, after a fen
weeks' trial, he abandons -the task,
there must be something objectionable
or difficult which did not Appear on the
surface when the position was accept
ed. Perhaps It is politics, that bane of
all legitimate business-like efforts. Cer
tain it is that politics cuts a big figure
when, et a sacrifice of vast sums of
money, the purchase of canal supplies
was limited to American products.
There was also politics In the wave of
protest over the employment of Chinese
on the canal work.
It Is even hinted that politics has ap
peared In the scramble for the contract
for constructing the canal. Hard-headed
business men of the Wallace and
Stevens type have contempt for either
red tape or politics, and so long as the
canal work was in a measure involved
In one or the other of these factors it
could not well have been other than
distasteful to the"rk: " Judged by the
past, the next engineer in charge will
have work cut out sufficient to tax his
talents to their utmost.
IIEUI'S GREAT FORTUNE.
According to a late inventory, filed
In the Probate Court by the executors
of the estate of the late Marshall Field,
of Chicago, his estate is worth between
$90,000,000 and $100,000,000. Doubt as to
the exact value arises from the fact that
the Inventory places no exact value upon
the real estate that comprises about
one-fourth of the whole and gives only
the face or par value of the stocks and
bonds. On the basis of the current
quotations of these stocks and bonds
it Is believed that the estimate of $100,
000,000 is not extravagant.
Marshall Field may almost be said to
be the father of the modern department
store. It is true that the basis of the
department store was the country or
village store, where merchandise of all
grades, from soft soap and dairy butter
to nails and silk, hardware and calico,
was kept for sale. But the strictly
classified and methodically conducted
department store, culminating in the
great establishment of Marshall Field
and others only less enormous in extent
and in the volume of business trans
acted, was a growth the magnitude of
which must have astonished Field him
self. There Is a difference in opinion con
cerning the benefits which the public
and the wider business world have de
rived from the evolution of the depart
ment store and the practical extinction
of the small stocks of merchandise
even In a restricted or special line; but
there is no mistake that the department
store has proved a big factor not only In
rolling up Individual fortunes, but also
In giving employment to' a multitude
of men and women. The result of the
effort of Marshall Field Is told In nine
figures, the contemplation of which
causes wonder; if the correlative results
could be told, the presentment would
be far more astonishing, as it would
show myriads of homes established and
supported, a multitude of children edu
cated, schools and churches maintained
and the basis of more than one modest
competence laid from the increment
that grew out of the first endeavor.
Harmony among the railroad-builders
seems to be fully as pronounced up
in Canada and British Columbia as it
is along the north bank of the Colum
bia River or on the tidelands of Puget
Sound. The Grand Trunk Pacific,
which Is invading the field of the Cana
dian Pacific, has met with opposition
since its Inception, and has had to fight
its way to the Pacific. The latest Illus
tration of hostility toward, the new road
Is shown In the refusal of the provincial
government in British Columbia to
sanction the grant of the Dominion
Government giving the Grand Trunk
right of way across the Metlakahtla
Indian reservation. The Grand Trunk
was apparently stronger than the Ca
nadian Pacific at Ottawa, but finds con
ditions reversed on the west end of the
line.
Governor Chamberlain, after weigh
ing carefully the arguments made on
either side, decided to veto House bill
No. S67, which permitted the indiscrim
inate slaughter of Oregon birds urged
in the alleged interest of horticulture
and did so in a brief and pointed mes
sage. The veto, s stated, was in re
sponse to a strong protest against the
bill from men and women all over the
state, many of whom are engaged in
horticulture, agriculture and gardening.
Intelligent representatives of the two
last-named industries recognize the
birds as their friends and coadjutors,
while the horticulturist can reasonably
protect himself during the relatively
brief season in which robins and other
birds eat fruit, by planting enough for
the birds as well as for the market.
The headquarters of the grain-bag
trust, referred to in yesterday's Orego
nian, is at Calcutta, India, and the lo
cal distributors of the grain bags are
as much at the mercy of the trust as
are the farmers who use them. The
elevator system for handling the grain
without bags will work well so far as it
effects grain used for milling and home
consumption. Pending the completion
of the Panama Canal, export grain
must still be shipped in bags. The
vexed question will be settled as soon
as the rapidly increasing demand for
milling and home consumption reaches
proportions where it can take care of
all the grain produced. The Calcutta
bag trust will then seek other markets
for its output.
Pacific Coast news regarding the
movements of the Japanese is inclined
to cause perplexity as to what the little
brown men are actually trying to do.
For example, we find In yesterday's
dispatches from San Francisco that
they are pouring into this country by
hundreds, while a Seattle dispatch notes
the departure tf a large number who
are returning to the land of their birth
to enter the army. Japan might save
the passage money by "swapping" lots.
How about broken pledges at Salem?
Speak up, Meesrs. Bailey, Beach, Free
man, Beutgen, Beveridge, Chapln,
Bayer. Wilson and Farrell. You prom
ised the people at election time to vote
for bills to repeal perpetual franchises,
but in the Legislature you voted for an
amendment to the Coffey bill so as to
grant the Portland Gas Company per
petual right to hold its franchises un
less the people should buy them.
Speak up, gentlemen.
No one feels called upon to enter a
demurrer to the statement of Governor
Vardaman, of Mississippi, that "when
whisky-soaked and addicted to the use
of cocaine and morphine, the negro is
the worst type of fiend." It is, more
over, a fact well known at police head
quarters that when a white man ab
sorbs these drugs in quantity the act
is nof conducive to the development of
angelic qualities in him.
What will be the ultimate effect of
the Rhodes scholarships? . Will they
transform our smaller colleges Into pre
paratory schools for Oxford, the mosi
reactionary and sterile of foreign uni
versities? Oxford is the ancient and
impregnate fortress of plutocratic
toryiem. Mr. Rhodes planned well for
his class in purchasing patronage for
it from democratic America.
E. II. Harriman announces that he
will retire from business next year
when he reaches his 60th birthday. This
ought to make James J. Hill reconsider
his determination to quit, for life would
scarcely be worth living if "Uncle
Jimmy" did not have to spend so much
time and money pushing to one side the
boulders that Mr. Harriman rolls down
on his right of way.
The Interest of $42,000,000 at 5 per cent
is $2,100,000 a year, almost twice as much
as the annual expense of our state gov
ernment. Thus Mr. Rockefeller's edu
walon board exercises double the finan
cial power of the State of Oregon, and
financial power is, at the bottom, the
only power there is. How Is that for
centralization?
Several other gentlemen besides
Messrs. Annand, Sharkey, Masters and
a few more of the City Council have
the support of the gas company in their
political ambitions, the others being
Multnomah legislators who "stood in"
at Salem, like the "solid nine" of the
Council.
Dr. Lyman Abbott is quite right in
saying that trusts are "for the public
good." The trouble about it is that the
good which is "for the public" has
thus far gone to somebody else and
will continue to do so as long as "some
body else," and not the public, controls
the trusts.
Few will lament the death of Senator
Beach's voting-machine bill. As Gov
ernor Chamberlain says, it "smacks of
an effort to legislate in the interest of
one or more establishments with low
priced machines."
Governor Chamberlain has done good
work with h!s veto since the Legisla
ture adjourned. The Legislature seems
never to fail to put thunder In his
hands.
Now that wicked passes are under the
ban, Oregon perhaps contains worthy
gentlemen who think 2-cents-a-miIe
tickets the p'roper thing.
Don't swear at the railroads when
you pay your fare, but at the dear
people and the Legislature.
A DELUGE OF FREAK BILLS.
Weird Le-Klnlatlon CosgreM and State
Lesrlfflaturea Asked to Enact.
New York World.
From time to time weird bills on sub
jects ranging from anti-tipplng to taxing
bachelors have been introduced in Con
gress and in the various State Legis
latures. To round up the most foolish
bills offered for statesmen to ponder upon
the World inspected its correspondents at
prominent capitals to telegraph what each
deliberate body considers its. prize per
formance, and the result follows:
Washington. There are many freak
bills introduced during the session of
Congress, but most of them are intro
duced "by Request." The two prize pieces
of attempted legislation at this session
are the Murphy anti-tipping bill and the
Wharton resolution giving the President
the right to suppress newspapers that
print matter that offends his Ideas of
propriety.
The anti-tipping bill was reported 'out
by the District of Columbia committee as
a joke. Th e Wharton resolution never
will be reported out.
Murphy and Wharton are both first
termers and both have been defeated for
re-election. Murphy is from Missouri.
He came in with the great Roosevelt
wave two years ago. Wharton Is from
the stockyard district in Chicago, and he
also was boosted in by President Roose
velt's popularity.
Topeka, Kan. The Kansas Legislature
this Winter changed the name of George
Denolf to George Bell, but neglected to
change the name of Mrs. Denolf. Mrs.
Denolf made so much trouble for Mr.
Bell that he came back to Topeka to
lobby for a bill to change the name of
his wife.
The original bill was introduced by E.
P. Rochester of Scott County. He said
Denolf wanted a name the neighboring
farmers could remember. When Mrs.
Denolf learned what had been done she
suspected a trick and notified her hus
band that he must go to Topeka and
remain there until he rectified the mis
take. Jefferson City, Mo. In addition to the
bill to tax bachelors, freak bills intro
duced at this session of the Missouri
General Assembly Included Dr. Tubb's
anti-tipplng bill, which passed the House
but was killed in the Senate: Mr. Hous
ton's bill to regulate spendthrifts, to pre
vent them from disposing of the money
they have inherited: the bill by Mr. Car
ter of Clark to prevent, under heavy pen
alty, one person from treating another
In a saloon, and the bill by Mr. Stapl
of Atchison preventing the manufacture
and sale of parlor, or popping, matches
In the state.
A bill by Mr. Barry of Ralls prohibits
swearing tinder penalty of a fine of from
50 cents to $1 for every "cuss" word
uttered. The bill allows a person to say
"darn It."
Another bill prohibits boys from play
ing ball on vacant lots in the country,
and another requires farmers to cut all
the morning glory vines and cockle burrs
from their farms.
. Indianapolis, Ind. The Indiana Legis
lature is ridding the record of- foolish
bills. One, by Representative Pearson of
Lawrence County, prohibits stray geese
and chickens from running through his
premises. Another prohibits Killing
easrles. of which there Is but one in In
diana. Another calls for $501) fine for
walking on the grass in the Statehouse
yard.
Other bills introduced provide for wo
man suffrage, one doe: to a family with
out being taxed, prohibiting football on
Sunday, "doping" horses to deceive pur
chasers, fining children who desert their
parents.
Augusta, Me. The most talked of bill
before the Maine Legislature is one to
allow any person the right to kill any
dog found running at large.
Representative Forrest J. Martin of
Bangor, a dog fancier, has introduced a
hil! the entire text of which Is "A dog
is a domestic animal." If this should
become law it would be necessary for
owners to keep their animals at home
like other domestic animals.
Denver. Colo. The bill in the Colorado
Legislature that took the freak premium
is that Introduced by request by Repre
sentative Albert of Otero County and
labeled "A Bill to Prohibit Football." It
provides a penalty graded according to
the frequency of the offense and amount
of damage to the anatomy of any oppos
ing player. Managers and promoters of
football would be heavy contributors in
fines and the players would be classed as
felons should they do serious damage to
an opponent, and might be held In close
confinement to await the outcome of a
particularly serious case which might
have a fatal termination.
Madison. Wis. Onefreak bill before the
Wisconsin Legislature is to prevent the
sale of antiquated "hen fruit." Its author
explains that he is tired of going to so
called first-class hotels and calling for a
boiled egg for breakfast only to be served
with an article that must have been laid
before the Civil War. He wants all eggs
stamped with the- date of their laying,
wtlh a penalty of a fine of $50 for each
egg not stamped. An amendment has
been offered that all hens be provided
with automatic stamping devices.
Hartford, Conn.-The fool bills In the
Connecticut Legislature include one tax
ing bachelors. One bill provides tor a
bounty on 'coons. Another requires pri
vate detectives to take out a license from
the Controller.
Most of the bool bills in the House- are
referred to the committee on woman
suffrage or to the committee on grave
yards. Boston. Mass. The session of the
Massachusetts Great and General Court
has been up to the average in freak legis
lation introduced. The bill to tax bach
elors, projected by some Wakefield wo
men, has not progressed beyond the committee-room
yet, and Its fate Is doubtful.
A bill for the incorporation of a ceme
tery for pet cats Is fathered by well
knoWn Newton society women, and some
of the legislators take It seriously.
Glvea 100 Cats to a College.
St. Paul Pioneer-Press.
Colorado has been endowed with '100
pedigreed eats by Mayor Henry C. Hall,
of Colorado Springs, Colo. They are all
valuable, declares Mayor Hall, and no
joke is intended, although some of the
friends of the city's chief officer do not
look at it in a sober light. Mayor Hall
wants the cats used for propagation to
keep up the supply, the surplus to be
turned over to uie biological department
of the college for dissection and research
work. Mayor Hall became Interested In
felines several years ago and has added
specimens to his collection until it be
came the largest in the West
whor
Boston Transcript.
Who, when our honeymoon was o'er.
Arrived with packages galore, .
And said she'd stay a month or more?
(Think real hard.)
Who made me weary of my life.
Who loved to stir connubial strife',
And always sided with my wife?
(Don't give it up.)
Who confiscated my latchkey,
Sat up till the sma' hours for me;
Who made me use a big, big D?
(Rhymes with "Jaw," yes.)
Who loved to catch me when I "fell,
And such sweet stories used to tell.
Until my life became a well
(The word Isn't nice.)
Who dressed my wife in clothes so gay
And ran nip bills for me to pay.
And minded nothing I did say?
(Yes, that's it.)
Who sniffed my 'baccy" from afar,-
And could not bear a mild cigar.
Who said "What wretches all men are?"
(Heaven bless ber?) , l
NEW YORK CITY FVLI, OF CROOKS
About 10,000 Pickpockets Are There.
New Vaffrant Uw Xeeded.
New York Times.
There are no less than 10,000 crooks
and suspicious characters on the
streets of New Y'ork, according to
Inspector William McLaughlin, Chief
of Detectives. Every night, the In
spector said yesterday, his men bring
In from 40 to 100 of these men who
have police records, and every morn
ing after, said the Inspector, the Mag
istrates set most of them free.
"The situation at the present time is
this," said Inspector McLaughlin.
"The city is overrun with criminals,
and it Is up to the Police Department
to protect the public. My orders to the
men under me are to arrest criminals
on sight, and those orders must be
obeyed. Why, there are probably 10,000
crooks at liberty in this city right
now, and something must be done to
get the better of them.
"There should be some law under
which the Magistrates can hold these
criminals when they are arraigned be
fore them, so that it shall not be neces
sary, as it seems to be, that they shall
be turned loose at once to resume their
depredations on the people of New
York."
Pickpockets particularly. Inspector
McLaughlin said, are operating in
great numbers, and so shrewd are they
that under the present conditions it is
almost impossible to establish a case
that will hold against them when they
are arraigned. Every night his men.
Inspector McLaughlin said, bring in a
score or more of men, nearly all of
whom are discharged the following
morning. Last year, he said, he tried
to have passed at Albany an amend
ment to the vagrant law. which, if in
force, would enable him to hold the
criminals when they are arraigned. In
fluences over which he had no control,
however, had the bill recommitted, and
It never saw the light again.
A similar law is now pending before
the Legislature, but whether it will be
come a law or not Inspector McLaugh
lin would not hazard an opinion.
"It's a new order of crook." said In
spector McLaughlin, in talking of the
pickpocket, "that has arisen in New
Y'ork. The modern pickpockets are
young men largely, and of the hard
ened sort. New York is going to wake
up some day and find out that a law
like the one now pending at Albany
Is absolutely necessary. The pick
pocket of today is not the pickpocket
of the old days. He Is a more daring;
sort of an Individual, and very shrewd.
These gentry generally travel in
bands, and have their business down
to such a fine point that they can pass
stolen goods from hand to hand In such
a manner as to make conviction ex
tremely difficult.
"These men would just as soon break
into a bank as commit a misdemeanor,
and they appear Indifferent to the out
come. They realize, that under the
laws In force they can work with
comparative impunity. Thtt Is why I
am so anxious that a law like the one
now pending shall be passed."
Many Kairer to Wed Him.
New Haven Dlt-patch In New York Sun.
As a result of an advertisement for a
wife. George Moon, a widower, 40 years
old. of Ansonla: has been so overwhelmed
with applicants that he has posted a
"No Wife Wanted" elgn on his front
door.
Every evening for a week Moon has
had from 15 to 30 callers, and he has
received more than '100 letters, most of
them with photographs Inclosed.
One woman came from New York and
insisted on his paying her expenses. He
demurred at first because she was a
negro, but when she pointed out that
his advertisement did not draw the color
line he gave her carfare.
My Prer-lons One.
New York T mes.
My love she Is the fairest,
The sweetest and the rarest!
I would die beneath her frown.
She's the dearest thing In town.
Che's a woman In a thousand
Dollar sown.
How 1 love her who can tell?
I'm enchanted by her spell.
My passion none condemns.
My ardor nothing stems.
She's a woman In ten thousand
Dollar Kami.
That she lives, sweet heaven, I blws;
And I long for her dear "Yes."
How she shines above the mass.
My most fascinating lass.
She's a woamn In a million
Dollar class.
IS THIS THE
) teu you me muse I
-1 WAS LOCHD UPSIU. ,
LAST MONTH! OT&
MET MS UGHT2!!
- ii l K m V ihi
. ,
SMOOT'S FIGHT FOR THE SEXATE
Women and Re4lscious Societies Had
Marked Him to Be Destroyed.
Washington (D. . C.) Dispatch In New
York World.
Reed Smoot was elected to the Senate
by the Legislature of Utah January 21.
1303. The Ministerial Association of that
state and citizens of Salt Lake City tiled
a protest against him January 26. TDK,
five days after his election. Rev. Dr.
Leilach filed a protest February 22. 1903.
declaring that Mr. Smoot was a polyga
mist. This charge was withdrawn.
All the various women's organizations
of the country then took up the tight
against Mr. Smoot. They were assisted
by several religious societies, but the
bulk of the contest fell upon the women.
Ex-Secretary of the Treasury John G.
Carlisle and ex-Representative Robert
W. Taylor were employed to conduct the
case for those protesting against Smoot.
and Senator-elect W. B. Borah, of Idaho.
"vXaldemar Van Cott and Colonel A. S.
Worthington were retained by Mr. Smoot
to defend him.
Hearings were begun before the Senate
committee on privileges and elections Feb
ruary 23. 1904. These continued for many
weeks. Officials and representatives of
the women's organizations were in at
tendance at every session. They filled
the committee-room and occupied the ad
joining corridors. At these hearings 103
witnesses were examined, and the testi
mony covered 3331 printed pages. The
Government expended more than J25.O00
on witness fees. One witness. Charles M.
Owen, who chiefly prepared the case for
the protestants, obtained more than $uxJ
in fees.
A feature of the fight against Smoot
was the presentation of petitions ad
dressed to the committee on privileges
and elections and to individual Senators
More than 2.000.000 people signed these
various petitions. The different women's
organizations sent to the Senate at one
time petitions carrying more than Lonomv)
names. These petitions were packed in
boxes and were presented each dav. Sena
tors from various states taking their turn
Senator Piatt offered petitions from
nearly 200.000 women of New York State
' After the allegation of polygamy had
been dropped the contest against Smoot
was waged on the proposition that as an
apostle of the Mormon Church he had
taken an oath which conflicted with his
obligations as a Senator: that by the
teachings of his church he was now com
mitted to advocating the practice of
polygamy and the contracting of polvg
amous marriages, and that the endowment-house
oath calling for vengeance
on those who had slain the prophets of
the church was equivalent to treason.
It was admitted that Mr. Smoot had but
one wife and lived an exemplary life.
Offera Million Dollars for His Child.
Ashvllle (N. C.) Dispatch in New Y'ork
Sun.
Merrill Peecher Mills, of Detroit, who
has some fame as a yachtsman, and who
is suing his wife for divorce, has ofTered
Jl.Ollfl.OOO If she will surrender to him
their six-year-old child. Cynthia.
Mrs. Mills has rejected the offer, say
ing: "I would rather see Cynthia dead
than for him to have her." In her
counter-suit for divorce she demands
200.000 alimony and the custody of the
child.
The Golden Y cddlnK.
Samuel Hoyt In the Youths' Companion.
Fifty years married. Polly and I:
It was hut yesterday, I ween.
Blnce I had just turned twenty-one.
And Polly was only seventeen.
Two years later, and we were wed.
Polly and I. one Hummer day.
And the bird" all song in the orchard trees
Ana the farmers sang as they made their
hay.
And the village folk made feast for us. '
Polly and me and the damsels spread
Roses and garlands along the way.
And the blue sky was smiling overhead.
Many a rosy path we've trod,
lJol1y snd t. since that blissful day.
Ami many a (horn our feet have pressed.
And treasures dear we have laid away.
And our heads are silvered, as you may see,
But our hands clasp firmer as years go by.
And we breathe our happy vows again.
And the old love looks out from eye to eye.
You call us old. and you wish us joy.
And bring loving tokens, both great and
mal I.
But Poily and I to each other yield
The dearest gift, which Is more than all.
Love without blemish, and faith that's tried
by the crucial flres of sorrow and loss;
And th Joy end mercy of eventide
Requite the pain of the noonday cross.
And again the sun and the smiling sky
Are as fair as on that Summer day
When the birds all sang In the orchard trees
And the farmers sang as they made their
hay.
NEXT REMEDY?
Prom the Chicago Journal.