Morning Oregonian., March 13, 1907, Page 8, Image 8

THE MOKMU OREGOXIAX, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1907.
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1'ORTUND, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1807
SOOTHING THE PEOPLE.
Some of our railroad magnates have
seen a great- light. B. F. Yoakum, of
the Rock Island road, says transpor
tation men are "willingto have the su
pervision of the railroads centralized
in the National Government." This is
a startling: change of sentiment. It is
not long, since most of the common
carriers denied the authority of either
the state or General Government to
control them. All assertion of the
power to regulate rates, to forbid re
bates, to prevent conspiracies against
the small shipper, were unconstitu
tional. Mr. Yoakum clearly discerns
something worse than mere regulation,
threatening'ln the political heavens, for
he flees to Federal control as a refuge
from "the hostile legislation in vari
ous states." He also thinks that It
"would restore confidence and give the
people to understand that the railroads
It w(ch 4.1 ,Kki. tha lan-o
' It might have this effect, hut one
would think the best way to make the
people understand that the railroads
wish to obey the laws would be to
obey thorn. There are now about ten
thousand indictments, more or less,
pending against various railroads audi
their officials in the Federal Courts.
, j , .Many ot mem are tor onenses commit
ted witnin tne inst Tew months. New
casvs of rebating come cons;antly to
light. The railroad lobby has been con
sptcuous during the recent sessions of
the State Legislatures everywhere, and
it has been iuite as active as ever
against all legislation intended to put;
' a stop to railroad offenses. The com
panies have shown no disposition to
j cease their efforts to control the courts;
" they continue with sullen resolution to
deny the validity of every law passed
to regulate them, until It has been liti
gated to the last extreme. They still
' ' oppose the adoption of modern safety
ilevices to make the lives of passen
, , gers reasonably safe; and they strenu
ously hold out against humane hours
of labor for their employes, although
they know, like everybody else, that
the fearful record of accidents during
the past year is largely to be attributed
.. to excessive draughts upon the endur-
me of trainmen. Such being the facts
, of the matter, it. really seems that
' fcomethln? move than mere words, no
matter how soothing, would be needed
to convince the people that the rail
roads wish to obey the laws.
There are indications In other quar
ters, also, that the railroad magnates
see troublous times ahead and have
bethought themselves, more or less prudently.-
to forestall them. J. P. llor
san, most famous and successful of
trust promoters, though his activity in
that line Is now somewhat In abeyance,
has visited the President of the United
Stales in the capacity of ambassador
from the raihoads. He urged Mr.
Ituosevclt to admit three or four of
toe more prominent heads of the car
rying companies to a conference, in the
hope that this m'ght "allay the public
-anxiety which threatens to obstruct
.- railroad Investments and construction."
h sir. Morcftu also informed the 'Presi
C dent that his attitude toward corpora
IP tions had "greatly alirmed- the finan
clal. Interest of the country."'
The great truwt-maker uses the word
"anxiety" here in a sense strictly diplo
matic. He mean"; by it the resolution,
which the American people has taken
f and means to keep, that the rall-
" roads shall henceforth serve the busi
r. ness of the country, instead of control
ling it; that they shall break off alli
' ance. with the great trus;s. which has
gone so rar toward destroying competi
tive industry: that they shall no longer
deceive the public "nd rob posterity by
' enormous issues of watered stock: that
' they shall take adequate measures to
f protect the iives of those who ride upon
their trains: that they shall give over
1 once and for all their time-dishonored
practice. of avoiding legal regulation by
wholesale bribery of public officials;
that they shall arrange their tariffs.
f;llme schedules and the construction of
'." new lines with proper reference to the
public convenience.
This is, the "public anxiety" which
Mr. Moignn thinks he can allay by a
few soothing platitudes. Time will
show him his mistake; but it is - a
great step forward that he and the in
terests which he represents should even
think it worth while to use soothing
woris. There waj a time, not so very
long ago, when cur railroad presidents
informed the public that the man who
did not like their arrangements had
the privilege of walking. It is good to
see them in a more rational mood; but
it will be still better when their con
duct begins to prove that the -mood is
sincere.
"Mr. Morgan pointed out that the
financial interests of the country are
greatly alarmed at the altitude of the
Administration toward corporations,
particularly the railroads." They are
easily frightened; so. very easily that
one almost suspects" the intimidating
influence of a bad conscience. What
has Mr. Roosevelt ever said or done
that ought to alarm an honest corpora
tion doing an honest business? What
hostility has he ever manifested toward
any honestly, conducted railroad? He
has fought valiantly to .put an end to
corporate knavery, and this, of course,
alarms the confederated . knaves, but
who else either fears or has reason to
fear the President's blows?
LAND-lHAtD JCKTICE.
The decision of the United States Cir
cuit Court at San Francisco, affirming
the judgment of the District Court for
Oregon in the case of Dr. Van Gesner
and M. R. Biggs in the land-fraud
cases is practically the end of this case
and is a complete victory for the prose
cution.' It is apparently decisive, also,
of the case of J. N. .Williamson, for the
same points were raised by all three
defendants. Mr. Williamson, however,
has an appeal pending to the United
States Supreme Court, but since this
Involves only the question whether his
being a Congressman precludes a judg
ment and sentence against him, it does
not affect the case upon its -merits.
The defense based its ease upon tech
nicalities and has lost.
bo far as public opinion is concerned,
the decision of the appellate court has
little effect. ' The people read Uie testi
mony, and knew that the defendants
worked together to acquire Government
lands; that the methods pursued were
unlawful, and that the defendants
knew thc-y were unlawful. Some of the
close friends and admirers of the de
fendants may have induced themselves
to believe that no wrong had been com
mitted, or that, if committed, the Gov
ernment had not been defrauded there
by, but unprejudiced persons enter
tained no doubt as to the purpose and
motive back of the land operations of
Williamson, Gesner and Biggs. There
was sympathy for them in certain
quarters. There was a feeling that
they might escape conviction on tech
nicalities. But a broad view of all the.
circumstances, as brought out In the
evidence, left in the public mind no
room for doubt that the defendants
were morally guilty of an attempt to
pillage the people's heritage.
The prosecution of this case and its
final determination are chiefly import
ant because of the practical establish
ment of the principle of equality be
fore the law. Equality has always
been a principle in American govern
ment, but it existed more in theory
than in practice. Possession of wealth,
political influence or public office has
served to protect men from the-conse-quences
of crimes for which the "com
mon herd" have been promptly prose
cuted. Small offenders have been mer
cilessly brought to account while the
Illegal transactions of larger criminals
have been hushed up and overlooked.
Men of the privileged classes have been
credited with sensibilities too fine to be
shocked by mention of criminal courts
and prison bars. Pelty thieves and
their wives andQhildren were pre
sumed not to have feelings subject to
injury by intervention of the strong
arm of the law. Birth and education
and social attainment gave other human
beings more delicate sensibilities which
it would be cruel to torture by harsh
enforcement of legal requirements.
The p.xisecution of the land-fraud
cases in this state and the enforce
ment of laws of various kinds in al
most every state have wrought a
change in the attitude of Government
toward erstwhile privileged classes. A
square deal and equality have become
something mure than high-sounding
phrases. He who would avoid the pen
alty of a crime must avoid the crime.
He who would shield his family from
the consequences of his evil acts must
keep himself without guilt. The scales
of justice swing to a closer balance
than they ever did before. The word
equality has a new meaning when used
to define the position of citizens before
the law. Because It means equality in
practice as we'l as in theory, and that
there shall be equal rights for all .and
special privileges for none, the "com
mon herd" will have more respect for
law and will yield more cheerful obedi
ence to its mandates.
The mere fact that a fellow-citizen
has been convicted is no occasion for
felicitation or rejoicing. Rather might
the news be the cause for sorrow and
humiliation, especially when the person
adjudged g'lilty has been honored and
trusted by the people of his state. The
only reason for expression of satisfac
tion in the outcome of the land-fraud
cases is that men who were clearly
guilty have been so adjudged, notwith
standing their political, social and per
sonal influence, and the law has been
enforced against offenders regardless of
official power and wealth with which
to employ able attorneys. The theory
of equality has been applied in practice.
IRISH CAR1CATCKE.
The Irish people are entirely justi
fied in the movement they have started
against a common type of caricature
of the Celtic race. In Chicago the An
cient Order of Hibernians has adopted
resolutions asking that the Postmaster-General
bar from the mails postal
card pictures of the alleged typical
Irish-man. While it is not probable
that such an order will be given by
the. Postoftice Department, and could
not safely be given, yet the general
purpose of the movement started in
Chicago is meritorious. The common
caricature of an Irishman, represent
ing him with a face very similar to
that of a baboon, is untrue and unfair.
It represents -the Irish people as being
urgly and ignorant. While there are
some members of the Celtic race who
answer such a description, it is no more
fair to picture the race in that aspect
than it would be to represent "Uncle
Sam" as' a hobo. The familiar carica
ture of "John Bull" and "Uncle Sam"
fairly represent the characteristics of
the Englishman and the Yankee. The
picture of "Mr. Dooley," that appears
every Sunday in The Oregonian, would
be a fair representation of an Irish
man, and some such caricature should
be adopted. The Irish cannot hope to
succeed in their opposition to 'prevail
ing caricatures, if they merely make
their campaign one of negation.- Art
ists and newspapers and the reading
public have a right to make use of
some recognized caricature to represent
a class of people, and they' will always
exercise that right. The old and un
true caricature of the Irishman will
continue In use until a better has been
introduced. Let the Irish people show
what caricature they think is fair, and
if it be reasonably true it will gradu
ally gain recognition. It is a question
of survival of the fittest. Give the.
public a "better caricature and it will
supersede the old.
A LOCAL OPTION STATE.
The Legislature of South Carolina
has abolished the state dispensary sys
tem, which, for the past fourteen years,
has controlled, or rather monopolized,
the liquor traffic in that state. .This
result, though hotly contested by Sen
ator Tillman, who was guardian of the
system throughout all of its years, was
practically ordered last Fall at the state
primaries. Hence it is not a surprise,
even to Senator Tillman, though he
kept up his characteristic fusillade
against the abolishment of his pet
Hquor ordinance unremittingly.
This system was modeled somewhat
after the Swedish system of control of
the liquor traffic, and on the side of effi
ciency in regulating this traffic it had
much to commend it. On -the other
hand-, however, there were unbounded
opportunities for graft, and these were
Improved by the unscrupulous, to the
scandal of the state. The system is
thus briefly outlined by the Outlook:
By means of the dispensary, the state itself,
with the exception of a few manufacturers,
was tho sole dealer In liquors within Its own
borders. Officials of the state, with head
quarters at Columbia, bought all the liquors
that could be legally sold In the state, and
from there disposed of them to the various
local branches. These branches retailed the
liquor; they were open during the daytime
only. They were not drlnklng-places, a no
liquor bought of them could be drunk on the
premises. The largre profit to private con
cerns, which is a stimulus to the sale and
therefore to the consumption of liquor, was
thus eliminated. Open saloons were as strict
ly contrary to law as in a prohibition atate,
and In practice were at least quite aa- rare.
Whatever proflta the state reaped were de
voted to education. The profits of the retail
dispensaries were divided between the county
and the town in which tho dispensary was
placed.
The drinking place and the possibili
ties of night carousal and saioon Drawls
were abolished by this system, but the
people of South Carolina became con
vinced that the state dispensary was
a fountain of conniption. Whisky deal
ers found state employes In the dispen
sary "easy," and worked them to the
limit, through commissions that were
valuable. To abate the corruption that
grew upon so favorable a basis, the dis
pensary was brought to an end.
This does not mean, however, that
there will be no more dispensaries in
South Carolina. There are forty-one
counties in the state, and in twenty
live of these there are county dispen
saries. Furthermore, those counties
that vote against the open sale of
liquor will have neither -public dispen
saries nor private saloons. In other
words, says the Outlook, "South Caro
lina has become a strictly local option
state, though it differs from such local
option states as New York and Ver
mont ill limiting the option to that be
tween sale of liquor by the county and
no sale."
The -working of the new system will
be watched critically, in the hope that
it may offer at least a partial solution
of a question that mingles in a perplex
ing way business with morality and
the rights of traffic with individual
prosperity and the happiness and com
fort of the home.
SAFER COUNTY JAILS NEEDED.
Escapes from county jails, by digging
through the walls, have been far too
frequent in this state in the last few-years-
It Is evident that many jails
are entirely unfit for the purpose for
Which they were constructed. Wood
and hrick are not proper materials with
which to build strongholds for the con
finement of criminals, especially when
steel and concrete are no more ex
pensive. Wood was never a proper
material for use in constructing jails,
for the reason that it is a continual
menace to the lives of the inmates.
Many of the county jails are under
neath County Courthouses constructed
of wood. Such an arrangement should
be strictly prohibited by law. No
county has a right to confine its pris
oners in such a death trap. M,any of
the persons in custody are not con
victed, but charged with crime and
awaiting trial. Construction of a fire
proof and saw-proof jail is not difficult
when the use of concrete is so gener
ally understood.
A county jail should be located con
veniently near the Courthouse, but not
under it. A foundation should be made
by excavating several feet in depth and
fining in with concrete, in which steel
bars should be imbedded, thus guard
ing against digging out through the
floors. The walls should be constructed
and safeguarded in this manner, and
even the roof can be constructed of
the same material by carrying parti
tion walls high enough to serve as
supports -for arches. Such a jail need
not have anything inflammable in its
construction. Properly built, it would
last for centuries and could be easily
kept in good sanitary condition. Pris
oners could be kept in sueh a -place
without fear of escapes or danger of
death by burning. The subject is one
that should receive attention in every
county having inadequate jail facili
ties. - ' ,
DELAYING FBVIT DECAY.
Pacific Coast fruitgrowers and pack
ers may be interested in some experi
ments that have been conducted in
England, with a view of lengthening
the time fresh fruits will keep. There
Is some indication of a desire to pur
sue the investigation of the subject in
California, and it would seem to be
an appropriate topic for consideration
at the Oregon Experiment Station. The
experiments in England were conduct
ed with such fruits as strawberries,
plums, cherries and "bananas.- Fruits
used in the. experiments were bought
in the open market and had therefore
become quite ripe, and in some in
stances had begun to decay in small
spots. In a vat, containing ten gallons
of cold water, -was mixed three pints
of formalin. The fruit was immersed
in this mixture for a few moments and
then dipped in a vat of clear, cold
water. The result -aa that the dipped
fruit kept four or five days longer than
that which had not been treated.
The experiment proved that the for
malin treatment will increse the time
fruit may be kept to such an extent
as to insure its reaching the market
in good condition, even though shipped
a considerable distance. The formalin
docs not act as a preservative in the
sense in which that word is usually
employed, but it destroys minute fun-
gus growths which form the begin-1
ings of decay.. It removes the germs !
that would hasten decomposition. Had
the' treatment been glvem the fruit as
soon as it had been gathered- and not
after it had been shipped and placed
on sale, the good effect's would un- j
doubtedly have been more pronounced.
There are' two or three questions upon !
which no light is thrown by the pub
lished reports of the experiments.
Nothing is said as to the effect of the
formalin upon the taste, appearance
or wholesomeness of, the fruit. Pre
sumably the dipping in the formalin
bath removes the fungus growths and
then the dipping in clear water re
moves the formalin. Such would seem
to be a reasonable conclusion. There
is reason to believe that fruit subjected
to such a treatment would be fully as
wholesome as fruit put upon the
market as it came from the garden or
orchard. . In these days of intensified
farming, all kinds of fertilizers are
used in the berry patches. Dipping the
berries In formalin and then in clear
water should improve rather than in
jure their, fitness for food. Neither is
anything said in the reports as to tho
cost of the formalin treatment. This
should not be great, however, for there
is little waste of material.
It was found .that the formalin treat
ment -w;ls injurious to oranges and
lemons, but of very noticeable benefit
to apples, in which fruit Oregon is
particularly interested-. Because of the
extent of Oregon's fruit-growing in
dustry, the whole subject merits care
ful attention, not only along the lines
suggested by the English Experiment
Station .but along new and original
lines which the enterprise of . Yankee
genius should devise.
Students and faculty of Willamette
University very properly declined to
listen 'to any public denial from Wal
lace G. Trill, regarding the plagiarism
which debarred him from the intercol
legiate oratorical contest. The execu
tive committee of the Oratorical Asso
ciation investigated the question and
decided that there was clear evidence
of plagiarism. The published "deadly
parallel" leaves no doubt in the public
mind that the decision of the commit
tee was well founded. Yet Mr. Trill
emphatically protests his innocence.
His denial that he. ever read the Bever
idge speech may be true, but certain it
is that the person who wrote the Trill
oration procured from some source a
number of sentences from the Bever
Idge speech and Incorporated them in
the oration. Somebody plagiarized. If
Mr. Trill did not, he should know who
did. The students of Willamette have
a right to refuse to listen to any state
ment that does not include a full and
fair explanation of the manner In
which they were imposed upon.
The promise of the Cortelyou admin
istration of the Treasury Department,
that there shall be no "leaks" in the
department for the. benefit of favorite
banking and financial interests, is en
couraging, -particularly because the
people believe that the promise will be
fulfilled. Cortelyou is a "square deal"
man in his make-up. He rose from
the ranks and his sympathies are nat
urally with the people rather than with
the financial interests. Those who have
been playing the big games in Wall
street can no longer count on help from
the Treasury Department when they
get themselves into perilous situations.
They Will find that men who persist
in venturing in the whirlpool have no
right to expect the Government to
maintain a lifesaving service? for their
particular benefit. - .
The State of Oregon presents a clean
bill of health to the homeseekers who
are swarming across its borders. At
present there are no epidemics what
ever tn any portion of the state, and in
but two localities are there any cases
of contagious diseases. Smallpox
never quite extinct in any state has
appeared in a mild form in a few cases
at Pendleton, and there Is a famlly
sultering from diphtheria at Irrigon.
There are probably a few cases of ty
phoid in some of the Valley towns, the
water supply of which is taken from
the river, but beyond this the disease
is not prevalent in any community in
the state. The report presented by the
State Board of Health, in which these
facts are established, is both gratify
ing and reassuring.
Some Eastern drummers are taking
up a collection to buy a medal for
Thaw. Better be careful. There was
but one act in Thaw's life which any
one has thought worth commending,
and it remains to be proved whether
this one act was prompted by a lauda
ble motive. When medals are being
distributed there are thousands of
young men. of .exemplary lives, who
mfght -well be remembered before the
distribution gets down the line to
Thaw. Those who admire Thaw might
save their expressions of sympathy
until he has been released from prison
and then invite him and his wife to the
hospitality of their homes. Think it
over.
The Legislature of Pennsylvania has
repealed -the -famous Pennypacker law,
enacted for the purpose of destroying
the liberty of the press in that state.
The law has never been effective in
any particular. It could not. be. How
ever corrupt the politics of Pennsyl
vania may have been, owing to the
carelessness of the voters, yet the peo
ple were -honest at heart and would not
stand for enforcement of a law that
threatened their right to be informed
upon public affairs.
If the trial discloses insanity in the
Roseburg man who slew his cabin
mate for snoring, perhaps his counsel
can establish -the fact that the victim's
snoring caused the insanity.' Here
would be a case of automatic punish
ment. It may be that frenzied finance in
this country comes from "brain storm."
It takes air and water and sells it for
stock. Then Harriman,, for example,
builds railroads with it except In Ore
gon. If the old Marquam Theater is to be
converted into a store, some person or
some syndicate ought to build a play
house equal to Portland's present
needs.
Harriman probably does not think
Roosevelt lacking in ''fixity of pur
pose," in bringing the railroad mag
nates to bay. That's different.
After all. we cannot help thinking
that Senator Beveridge's speech shows
improvement in Trill's oration.
Good morning! Have you filed your
petition for the office you expect in the
June election?
DENY TALES OP MRS. EDDY.
Two Bsnkrni of 'Her Home City Tes
tify to Her Competency.
Concord (N. H.) Wspatch to the -New Tork
Herald. March 5.
Two the leading bankers of Concord.
who. during all the other- storms that
have burst about the head of the aged
leader of the Christian Science Church,
have remained silent, today came out with
emphatic statements to the effect that
Mrs. Eddy to their personal knowledge
is not only competent to manager her
own affairs, but is one of the most re
markable business women they have ever
known. One of them declared that she
is an expert on bonds, and that during
all her business career she has never
made a single losing investment
Corroborating the declarations of the
bankers, her cousin, Henry M. Baker,
ex-Representative and now one of the
leading Republicans of the state, declared
positively that Mrs. Eddy is mentally
alert and physically able to roam about
her house as nimbly as a woman of 50.
He declared that she reads the daily
newspapers, knows all about the sensa
tion created by the suit brought by her
son, and added that she Is far less in
dignant over the affair than are her
friends.
"I iave seen Mrs. Kddy several times
during the last few months," said Mr.
Fernold, president of the National State
Capital Bank, "and 1 am prepared to say
that she is entirely able to manage her
affairs. Of course she is 86 years old,
and consequently is not as strong as a
woman of 50. But she is in no way im
paired mentally, and she is in calm pos
session of her faculties, as Is shown by
this letter."
Mr. Fernold exhibited a four-page letter
in the handwriting of the head of the
Christian Scientist Church, and bearing
her signature.
It was a strong hand with no signs of
unsteadiness. On the contrary, the style
was almost masculine in the firmness with
which each character was formed. The
letter was written by Mrs. Eddy on March
13 and dealt with a financial matter
which she had conducted entirely herself.
"Ever since she came to Concord she
has done business at this bank. Not a
single transaction of a financial nature
has been put through under her signature
that she did not approve of, and I might
say further that not a single investment
with her money has been made that she
did not suggest.
"Mrs. Eddy used her own personal
cheeks for the transactions of matters
of any magnitude. We have checks bear
ing her name dated up to within a few
days ago."
Further statements intended to refute
the allegations of mental incompetency
were furnished by Fred N. Ladd, presi
dent of the I-ioan & Trust Savings Bank
of Concord and one of the leading finan
ciers of the state. He has audited the
accounts of Mrs. Eddy's affairs for sev
eral years.
Mr. Ladd explained that 'Jie is not a
Scientist, but that he felt it his duly to
speak out In favor of Mrs. Eddy. Like
Mr. Fernold, he has. never before made
known that he was one of Mrs. Eddy's
bankers. Concord was surprised to learn
that the two men were familiar with her
affairs.
"Not only is Mrs. Eddy perfectly com
petent to manager her own affairs," said
Mr. Ladd, "but she is a wonderful woman
because of her remarkable grasp of in
tricate financial affairs and her discretion
in making investments. She has never
made an unfortunate investment. Nearly
20 years ago she asked me about bonds
and I told her as much as I could about
them and gave her the names of some
gilt-edged securities. She has acted on
the advice all these years and has never
lost. What the amount of her fortune is
I am not privileged to state, but I do
say that it has been exaggerated.
"Frye. her secretary, has kept an al
most painfully accurate account of every
cent that has passed through his hands.
Why. so careful was he to account for
every penny that we found one time he
was entering items of a penny and two
cents for postage stamps.
"All M.rs. Eddy's receipts from her
copyrights come through Mr. Armstrong,
of Boston, and accompanying these re
ceipts were statements showing just what
had been sold and what received. ' The
statements have been marvels of clear
ness and information. The money has
always been sent direct to Mrs. Eddy,
and she has deposited in bank here until
she desired to invest it in bonds. I might
say here that she never, so far as I know,
and I think I would have known, bought
a single share of stock. She always stuck
to bonds.
"I have not seen Mrs. Eddy myself in
several months, but I have had letters
from her within the last two weeks in
her own handwriting. Her signature to
day, is just as bold and steady as it was
a score of years ago.
"AH these charges will be found to be
baseless when they are properly investi
gated. I have audited her accounts for
several years and am in a position to
know what 1 am speaking about. Instead
of finding that the people in Boston and
Concord have been sapping her income it
will be found that every penny has been
accounted for and that no one but Mrs.
Eddy has reaped a cent."
Blanket Holds Man In Water 12 Honrs.
Berlin Dispatch in Cincinnati Enquirer.
A life-saving blanket which in view of
the recent Sound disaster, where so many
lives were lost by the sinking of the
Larchmont, ought to be of great interest
to Americans, has been tried by the naval
authorities at Kiel.
The blanket is able to float three grown
men for more than 48 hours. It look
and feels exactly like an ordinary woolen
article, has no disagreeable odor and is
the invention of a Danish pilot.
The experiments at Kiel showed that
the blanket could float a solid lump of
iron weighing SO pounds for 48 hours, and
that a belt of the same size as the ordi
nary life-belt, but weighing less than one
pound, would keep a man above water
even after having been soaked in water
for 12 hours.
It is the intention of the Navy Depart
ment to adopt the life-saving blanket on
ail government vessels, and it is also said
that the two great transatlantic steam
ship companies at- Hamburg and Bremen
will adopt the blanket on all passenger
boats.
Burns a Truthful Prophet.
London Chronicle.
Burns, when only beginning to taste the
pleasures of celebrity, prophesied jokingly
that his birthday would one day be
reckoned among the remarkable events in
his country's 'history. In a letter written
to Gavin Hamilton in ITSti he says: '.'For
my own affairs I am In- a fair way of be
coming as eminent as Thomas A. Kempis
or John Bnnyan; and you may expect
henceforth to see my birthday inscribed
among the wonderful events in the oPor
Robin and Aberdeen Almanacks, along
with the Black Monday and the battle of
Bothwell Bridge.','
Two Million Dollars.
W. J. lAmpton. in New Tork World.
A little matter of e"-i.Om.K)0 doesn't amount
to much one way or the other. E. H. Harri
man . Only $2,000,000!
Merely a wisp of hay
T etop up the crack In a window.
To keep the win-d away.
Certainly not worth - counting,
A paltry little um .
That ien't enough to distinguish
A well-to-do from a bum.
Only $2,000,000! ,
. A meaaly. miserable wad
That wouldn't pay for the water
In a good Kentucky tod:
Simply a eian of the spirit
To moisten the thirsty tongue;
Merely a fleeting nothing
More than a smell at the bung.
Onlv $2 ooo.noo:
Home for a thousand or more.
Or clothe for two hundred thousand
Or fc-Ki f-r a million poor
Only $1,000,000! t
Gee! what a little artack,
Wh-n yon come to learn
Of the limitless rarn
Of a Harritnaniac!
POLITICAL POT PIE
Geer, Hofer, Davey and Others Comment on Doings 'of the Legisla
ture and the Doers.
Bot Bosses Ised to Foraet. Too.
Woodburn Independent.
Those who trust to the proverbial
poor memory of the voters may get
fooled. Next year the direct primary
may bring many surprises.
I.neky Washington County.
Hillsboro Argus.
Out of a population of nearly 20.000
Washington County has but 10 Inmates
at the county poor farm. There are,
however, three or four more are gett
ing county aid, in sums less than they
would cost the county, were they at
the county farm.
Editor Dnvey'a Pointed Question.
Salem Statesman.
The members of the Salem grange
of the Patrons of rjusbandry commend
the vetoes of Governor Chamberlain
and condemn the Legislature for extra
vagance. Iet us see about the record
and make a comparison. The gover
nor has vastly Increased the expenses
of his own office above the cost of the
same of flee under his immediate pre
decessor, adding some IS600 a year
thereto, while the Legislature cut down
the expenses of this session about
$7000 below last session and saved
$7000 more in one item of printing ex
pense the calandar. Now, which is
the better : record for taxpayers? Of
course, the Democratic members of the
grange could not see-such items as
these.
A Hunch for Salem.
Pendleton East Oregonian.
' After serving as the capital of Califor
nia for i6 years, the ancient and anti
quated town of Sacramento has been
shorn of her honors, and Berkeley, a
modern city, located in a more healthful
and convenient section of the state, will
hereafter wear the title and honArs of
the capital city of the Golden state.
The way in which the capitals of the
Western states were located, reminds the
reader of that old saying that "the bar
rel was built around the bung hole."
At the beginning the bung hole was all
there was to the barrel and often there
was not much choice in the selection of
the particular place where the bung hole
was to be located.
In the early days when settlement was
sparse and population was light, the capi
tal cities naturally went to the early cen
ters of population, and as the states grew
these old centers were submerged by the
vital progress.
Olympia, Salem, Sacramanto. Cheyenne,
all located on the extreme-edges of their
states, are examples of this condition
which must be met some day.
Oregon Restored In Washington
Corvallis Times.
Oregon is again on the map in the
House of Representatives at Washington.
The state was blotted out of that body
by the exigencies of timber land frauds
a year or more ago and has since been
unrepresented. It is true that Mr. Her
mann has retained his seat and drawn
his salary, but that has been all. He
was hopeless so far as legislation was
concerned, because his influence, with in
dictments' hanging over him, was gone.
Bven as his term expired he was unable
to be in Congress to attend to any duty
because he had to be in court to answer
as a defendant. Even worse, his col
league has been for nearly a year con
victed and condemned by the courts and
under sentence to go to jail.
It has all been a humiliating spectacle
for Oregon and her people. The sorry
rcputation that has been given the state
by the frailties and faults of its Congres
sional delegation has belied the people of
Oregon, whose standard of moral citizen
ship is probably higher than that of most
states. Now that the stigma we have
been under is in part removed by the
advent of two new Representatives in
Congress, it is well once more to recall
that Mr. -Hermann was elected to the
position by resort to partisanship in the
face of full and convincing information
that he ought not to be elected. A little
more independent voting at the time
would have saved the state a stigma that
will be slow to be forgotten.
Editor Hofer Whacks Kdltor Geer.
Editor Geer of the Pendleton Tribune
wrote a long article on the Oregon dele
gation in Congress and omitted the name
of Fulton altogether. This is what Edi
tor Hofer, of the Salem Journal, says of
it:
"It could not have escaped the observa
tion of ex-Governor ' Geer, otherwise
known among admiring friends as the
tall sycamore of the Waldo Hills, and
called by a Salem undertaker in a county
campaign, Timothy Ticklebreeehes Tow
Shirt, that Senator Charles W. Fulton
has developed into some pumpkins in the
National Congresses. He had the nerve
and ability to take a fall out of the dar
ling of the Eastern politicians, Senator
Beveridge, and refrained not to puncture
the armor of the redoubtable Secretary
Hitchcock full of holes. He was even
able to knock the tar out of Senator
Aldrich's Standard Oil amendment to the
denatured alcohol bill in the interest of
the farmers. Now as the ardent cham
pion of the farmers the tall ex-Governor
should not have overlooked this perform
ance of the senior Senator. To say noth
ing of the matter, that Senator Fulton,
almost unaided and alone on the delega
tion the past six months has been able,
with the feeble co-operation of Congress
man Hermann, who Geer says is a white
chip, to pull out nearly $4,000,00) for the
rivers and harbors of Oregon, his name
should be omitted from a "complete dele
gation." We merely make this suggestion
NOTCHES
'.T '.v-VSrrtaaBnaaaiaaai r ,W . .'h" tJS'jfAT ' ,:T1SM t r. A' A I V'
OF OREGON - EDITORS
in the interest of harmony aid in order
that Senator Fulton and his friends may
not feel aggrieved at being overlooked
in a count of the influential Oregon poli
tical assets.
Baker County (irtn Its Pork.
Baker City Herald. ,
Baker County is satisfied with what it
received from the last Legislature, con
sidering the fact that it was remem
bered as well. If not better, as any oilier
county in the state. This bald state
ment does not appear to be well founded
on its face, but it is borne out by cold,
hard facts.
It is true that Multnomah County ap
parently got some large appropriations
through the Legislature, but in many in
stances these were measures which pro
vided that the people of that county
alone, and not the people of the State
of Oregon, should pay the bills. This was
the case of the Port of Portland, bill,
which apparently carried a large appro
priation. The fact about this 'bill is. that
it practically provides a tax upon the
people of the three coast counties bene
fited and does not affect the people of
other sections of the state.
Of course Marion County secured more
and larger appropriations than did Baker,
and Lane County fared well. Both of
these counties received money for stato
institutions, however, and that cannot
be counted as going directly to the peo
ple of the communities named.
There is no ground for a ktck in Baker
County on far as its treatment by the
Legislature is concerned, and the only
complaint which can be made here wiln
justice is that the veto ax of the Gover
nor fell upon some legislation which
should have been approved. His slaugh
ter of the Johnson road appropriation bill
was one of these instances.
tieer's Slse-l'p of the Lawmakers.
Pendleton Tribune.
Since the adjournment of the Legis
lature a valley paper has had much to
say in the course of its severe condemna
tion of a great part of the work of tho
last Legislature concerning a "machine"
that controlled its actions in most cases,
especially in matters which it did not
approve.
Like all legislative bodies there was
much to criticise adversely from the
standpoint of somebody, for every meas
ure that received any considerable sup
port had friends, of course, who approved
it. It is perhaps not going too far to
say that some good men honestly favored
every measure which was proposed in
the Legislature. That two men sincerely
differ upon any given proposition is not
Indisputable evidence that either is a
rogue or a fool.
But. while this is true it would be diffi
cult for any critic definitely to name tlte
men who composed a Republican machine
in the last Legislature. The writer was
a spectator at most of its sessions and
saw no evidence of a Republican ma
chine. Neither did anybody else. There
was never a time in Oregon nor any
other state when there was such an un
mistakable absence of a machine In the
Republican ranks as now.
Indeed there is a suspicion that the
trouble with the Republican party in Ore
gon at the present time is its lack of
an efficient organization. While the direct
primary law is a good measure and cal
culated to destroy the pernicious effect
of "bosslsm," there is danger under its
workings of a lack of that "cohesion"
which is necessary in any undertaking
in politics, business or religion before the
desired results are attained.
The underlying principle of the direct
primary system as set forth by its ad
vocates is the power it gives to t-he people
to nominate candidates entirely independ
ent of the scheming by professional poli
ticians. Every member of-the last Legis
lature. was so nominated. There was no
organized effort to accomplish any par
ticular object before the nominations were
made that cannot always be a part of
the direct primarj' system.
But, aside from that, taking the House
in the last Legislature, there has never
been a session in Oregon where' either
house indicated sueh a freedom from a
cut-and-dried programme that Included a
general purpose to work in harmony on
general lines as characterized the one
lately adjourned.
The very men who seemed bound to
gether in support of any one measure
would be found divided on the next. The
organization which elected Mr. Davey sel
dom voted together on any measure in
deed, if it ever did. It was a session
when It appeared to be every man for
himself, and the compact which was oc
casionally formed to secure the passage
of .some bill, as is alwaj's done in any
legislative body and always will, would
go to pieces in the consideration of the
next. There was no machine.
There was at times a seeming under
standing in the Senate where certain
members voted together, but it always
included Democrats whose participation
destroyed the opportunity to charge the
existence of a Republican machine.
- In many ways the result of the work
of the last Legislature was disappointing,
but the sum of its shortcomings is in
cluded in its failure to provide more reve
nue for the state treasury. The total
amount of its appropriations was too
large, but if laws had beett passed in
creasing the income of the state treasury
its record would have been in most in
stances quite commendable. c
But the talk of a Republican machine
that dominated the actions of either house
is absurd. There was some combinations
that should not have existed, as is the
case in all lawmaking bodies but they
were not in the slightest degree political
I r character.
From tli Nw York World.
vV