Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, March 28, 1907, Image 1

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    Jitfiiitif Jji
VOL. . XL VI. NO. 14,447.
PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1907.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
UNCLE SAM
TO PREVENT
BIGJTRIKE
Railroads Invoke Erd
mann Act to Secure
Arbitration.
NEGOTIATIONS HAVE FAILED
Trainmen and Managers Each
Insist on Original
Demands.
STRIKE ORDER TO GO FORTH
Would Tie Up Every Railroad
From Chicago to Coast.
GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN
Blockade of Interstate Commerce
Would HaTe Begun Today but
for Appeal to Long-Dormant
Arbitration Law.'
FIGIRKS ' " IMPEXDrjiO
ROAD STRIKE.
Railroad yafemw Involved 40
Tracks- in mlt r..0OO
Total niirnbt-r mploya 314-000
Employ directly Involved. .. . 50,000
Number trainmen Involved. . . .35,000
Numher conductora involved. .111,000
Annual payroll railroads Involved
ISHO.OOO.OOO
Defense fund, trainmen 8.TT5.000
Defense fund, conductors $350,000
Demands of men Increase 12 per
cent and nine-hour day.
Offer of railroads Average increase
S'.i per cent, ten-hour day.
CHICAGO, March 27. The United States
Government will be asked to intervene to
prevent a strike of the conductors and
trainmen on the Western railroads and.
If the plans of the managers do not mis
larry. the whole matter will be submitted
to arbitration for settlement. Late to
night the general managers gave out a
statement declaring they will demand ar
bitration under the Brdmann act. A
strike of the men would Interfere with
Interstate commerce. The railroad offi
ciate; believe they can prevent a strike
by asking the Government to step' in and
take command of the situation.
The Krdmann act passed in 1S?S pro
vides for the arbitration of labor dif
ferences, where interstate commerce
i involved, by the chairman of the In
terstate Commerce Commission and the
Commissioner of Labor.
The general managers' statement given
out lato tonight follows:
"Late this afternoon the committee of
general managers received an official no
tification of the vote of the conductors
and trainmen, rejecting the last proposi
tion of an increase amounting to ten
and one-half per cent In wages and also
authorizing a strike In rase no settle
ment of the matters at issue could be ef
fected. "The committee, accepting this as a
conclusion ot the negotiations, has no
t'ned Messrs. Garretson and Morrissey,
the leaders of the two labor organiza
tions' Involved, they will demand arbitra
tion under the Erdmann act."
GREATEST STRIKE IN" HISTORY
Each Party Insists on Terms and
Strike Order Impends.
CHICAGO, March 27. (Special.)
Precipitation of the greatest railroad
strike In the history of the country
and one of the most far-reaching labor
disturbances yet experienced seems In
evitable tonight. Negotiations between
the railroad managers and labor rep
resentatives came to an abrupt end
this afternoon and each side to the
controversy announces that Its posi
tion Is Irrevocable. Unless there is a
recession from this attitude on the part
of one side or the other, a strike will
be called which will mean the stopping
of work of S0.000 employes and the
paralysis of forty of the great rail
road systems of the country.
Such a strike would be fraught with
tremendous consequences, coming at a
time when the freight demands on the
railroads are enormous, and when fa
cilities for handling the country's In
land commerce already are deficient.
Because of the immensity of the in.
terests involved, it is hoped a satis
factory adjustment will yet be reached.
Order Strike This Morning.
The strike has been agreed upon al
ready by the railroad employes by
referendum vote. The officers were
authorized to call the men out If the
terms put up to the railroad managers
were not accepted. Determining the
time for the suspension to take effect
is a mere detail and that probably
will be denied tomorrow morning at
a meeting of delegates at the Sher
man House.
Negotiations were abandoned today
after a conference of an hour's length
between the general managers and em
ployes' representatives. The managers
declared frankly and firmly that they
could make no more concessions than
they had previously offered, consider
ing the condition of the stock market
and the general railroad situation.
As a final overture, they proposed ar
bitration. The labor representatives
rejected the offer and the conference
was off.
Managers Must Say Xext Word.
Overtures for peace must now come
from the managers, it Is said? and there
Is but slim hope, apparently, for that
development in the controversy. The
labor men say they will ask for no
further conference, but will be glad to
attend one called by the managers.
Congressman Theodore K. Burton, of
Ohio, Who Will Manage Secretary
Taft'a Ftsrht With Senator l-'or-aker
In Ohio.
should the latter show a disposition to
recede from their position.
Believing that the labor leaders
would yield to the compromise pro
posed In preference to throwing 60,000
men- out of employment, the- railroad
managers have made no preparations
far. .a . strike. The labor chiefs' here
say the managers have failed to gauge
correctly the sentiment and temper of
the men. The Railroad Brotherhoods,
on the other hand, arc well fortified
to enter upon a strike. ,
The vote exhibited to trie managers to
day show. that 97 1-2, per cent of the
trainmen and 9.0. per cent of the con
ductors had voted tofstrike.
Railroads Which Will Tic Up.
The roads involved in the controversy
are:- .. t . -
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe coast
lines. '.,
Burlington. " .
Canadian Facie. '
Canadian Northern,
i Chicago & Northwestern.
Chicago & Alton.
Chicago aTGreat Western.
. Cnicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul.
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific.
Chicago. St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha.
Colorado Midland.
Colorado & Southern.
El Paso & Southwestern.
BYisoo System. "
Great Northern. ,
Houston & Texas Central.
Illinois Central. t
Kansas City Southern.
Missouri, Kansas & Texas.
Northern Pacific.
Oregon Short Line.
San Antonio & Aransas Pass.
Southern Pacific Atlantic System.
Texas & Pacific.
Dulutb. Missabe & Northern.
Fort Worth & Denver Cltys.
Frisco in Texas.
Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe.
Houston, Bast & West Texas.
International & Great Northern.
Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault , Ste
Marie.
Missouri Pacific.
Oregon Railway & Navigation Com
pany. St. Louis & Southwestern.-
San Pedro, a-os Angeles &. Salt Lake.
Southern Pacific System.
Wisconsin Central.
Yazoo & Mississippi Valley.
The Canadian Pacific embraces three
systems: Central, Western and Pacific,
and all are Involved in this dispute.
Demands of the Unions.
The modified demands of the men, which
have been rejected by the railways, may
be summarized as follows:
An Increase of 13 per cent over rates in
effect in November, 1906, and aa effective
rule to prevent railways from making a
reduction in crews or an increase in
mileage to offset this increase.
One hundred miles or less, nine hours
or less, to constitute a day's work
local freight and mixed train service on
main lines and branches. One hundred
miles or less, 10 hours or less, to consti
tute a days' work In "ntlper work and
construction train service.
Overtime at pro rata rates for all classes
of workmen.
Offer of the Railroads.
The proposition offered by the railroads.
which was rejected by a vote of the men,
is In substance as follows:
An increase of 10 per cent for con
ductors and brakemen in through and ir
regular freight, local freight and mixed
train service. No reduction of crews or
Increase in mileage to offset this increase,
-One hundred miles or less, ten hours or
less, to constitute a day's work.
Passenger conductors, an Increase of S10
t
I ; s" I
I j ; x Sg--i t
(Concluded on Page 3.)
L
FOR RAILROADS
I interstate Board Invites
Officials.
IS AUTHORIZED BY ROOSEVELT
Will Relax Prosecutions for the
Present.
EXCEPT AGAINST HARRIMAN
Cessation of Anti-Railroad Agitation
Necessary to Prevent Panic.
Will Agree on Laws for
Federal : Control.
WASHINGTON, March 27. (Special.)
A general' 'invitation' has been extended
to railroad officials throughout the
United States by the Interstate Commerce
Commission to come to Washington and
confer with that . body with a view to
deciding on a policy of legislation for
more Governmental control over, the
roads; to save them from the adverse
action of the State Legislatures, and to
restore public confidence in railroad In
vestments. 'The Interstate Commerce Commission
will be glad to see railroad officials from
any section of the country or. from all
parts of the United States," says Com
missioner "Lane, "for the' purpose of dis
cussing with them proposed legislation
for a greater measure of Governmental
control of such a character that it will
not' be injurious to the interests of the
railroads. The whole Interstate Commerce
Commission feels this way."
Temper Rigor of Policy.
The statement practically comes from
President Roosevelt, ' as 'Mr. 'Lane has
conferred with "him every day for the
last fortnight, and he reflects the Presi
dent's views.
The President practically has decided
to temper the rigor of his railroad policy,
and, while It would not be correct ,to say
that Mr. Roosevelt has stopped his cam
paign against the railroads, these corpo
rations will not have such a hard time fn
the immediate future. There will be a
smaller number of prosecutions in the
future, one reason being that the Inter
state Commerce Commission Is utterly
swamped by work, and no new prosecu
tions can be inaugurated.
Rush Case Against Harriinan.
This does not apply to the Harrlman
merger, as that case will be pushed. The
President has become convinced that, un
less there is a cessation of the agita
tion against the railroads, the country
will be visited by a disastrous industrial
panic.
If the railroad officials can give the
CONFER
1
I
Commission any information as to the
real trouble and suggests, remedy agree
able to all, it will be accepted. Neither
the President nor the Commission will
pledge themselves in advance to adopt
the plan agreed upon by the railroads,
but some real progress will be made
when some agreement is reached.
GOXFEKFfrVCE AT WHITE HOUSE
t
II
President and Advisers Consider
yijew Bill for Federal Control.
. WASHINGTON, March 27. An impor
tant conference was held at the White
House at which the. railroad situation was
discussed. Present were Secretary of the
Treasury Cortelyou, Secretary of the In
terior Garfield. Assistant Secretary of
State Bacon, Chairman Knapp and Spe
cial Counsel B. F. Kellogg, of the Inter
state Commerce Commission, and all the
members' of that Commission except
Messrs. Prouty and Cockreil, who are out
of the city. The conference lasted two
and a half hours.
Marvin Hughltt, president of the Chi
cago & Northwestern Railroad, arrived In
Washington tonight and will call at the
SenRtor J. B. Foraker, of Ohio, Who
ChnllenireB His Opponents to Open
Fljctat fn primaries on rresidenoy
and Senat-orship.
White House tomorrow to discuss the
railroad situation with the President.
A'fter the conference adjourned it was
stated that the meeting was called to
outline a scheme to be presented to the
next' Congress for the Federal regulation
of railroads. The plan prepared by Jacob
H. SchifT for remedying the railroad sit
uation, which has attracted a great deal
of attention, was not taken up at the con
ference. - J -
Jtr. K-llng.r, who" ,has ' cTafge""ol'"th
Hrriman investlgatitln,. denied ttiat this
q,ustion- was brought -up at the confer
ence." ' - - -
Old Kxpresa Messenger Dies. .
gAN FRANCISCO. - March 27. Charles
B. Parks, a shotgun messenger for the
Wells Fargo Express Company, and a
pony express rider through Utah, Idaho
and Montana in the early '50s, has Just
died here. He had had many thrilling
experiences. In one engagement with
road agenta he was hit by more than 20
bullets. He came to this city nearly 60
years ago.
Explosion on French Warship.
CHERBOURG, France. March 27. An
explosion occurred today on board the
tornedo boat No. 147. Two men were se
verely scalded.
1 - ys:?
ff , Af
t ; - u 1
i " " I
t
LET MR. TAFT TAKE ON SOME ONE OF HIS
HONORED FAMILY
1
SMIRCHED
Pitiful Confession of
Dying Grafter.
SANDERSON ADMITS TRUTH
Supervisor Unloads Guilt Be
. fore Grand Jury.
MOST POPULAR OF BOARD
Grand Jury Learns Whole Story of
Telephone Franchise Graft From
Bankers and Promoters.
Schmitz Remains Defiant,
SAN -FRANCISCO, March 27. (Special.)
"Yes, it's all true, all of It; it's horri
ble, horrible. It began In January a
year ago. I never deliberately tried to
get a bribe, but I have taken what was
oftcred me.
"I don't know how it happened. The
money Just came.
"First there was the money from the
fight promoters. I rereived J500 for my
vote. I also received J760 from Ruef for
my vote on the gas rate. When the trol
ley franchise question came up, I be
lieved the evorhead trolley a necessity
ns an emergency measure. Afterwards
Jim Gallagher gave me J4000, and I took
it.
"My chief regret is the sorrow it has
all brought my aged mother. She doesn't
realize exactly how things stand, nor
does she know how 111 I am. "I don't ex
pect to live long, and I want to make
a clean breast of the whole thing before
I die." From the confession of Super-.
visor" Sanderson. . .
Kase Conscience Before Death. '
Wasted in body from the dread scourge
of consumption, his voice faltering and
his eyes dimmed with tears. Supervisor
W. W. Sanderson took the wftnesa stand
today and poured- forth for the attentive
ears of the grand jury ili full details of
the boodllng operations In which he had
engaged. )
Sanderson is witf-.ln the shadow of
death. His face is larntn, Ms complex
ion ghostlike and ttils body frail and
weak. It has been hia one wish that
he might live to 'ease his conscience:
that he might make such amends for
his wrong-doing as lay In his power.
As he emerged frotn -the jury-room his
face lighted up with eudden joy, his body
grew in strength an'd he walked almost
with a skip to the group of newspaper
men without and greeted them cordially.
Then came the relapse. He burst Into
tears and leaned upon his physician, who
had accompanied him.
"Yes, yes," he sobbed: "It's all true,
all of It. There's nothing to add." Later
OWN SIZE.
In the dsy Sanderson made the statement
quoted above.
Most Dramatic Incident.
Sanderson's appearance before the grand
Jury was the most dramatic Incident of
the entire graft proceedings. He is the
son of the late W. W. Sanderson, who
served the city loyally and well as Mayor.
He was a leader in the commercial and
social world. No name In San Francisco
was better known or honored more than
that of Sanderson. .
Sanderson Is 40 years of age and has
been in politics for five years. He served
on the Board of Supervisors two. years
ago and at the last election was nomi
nated by three parties the Republican,
Democratic and Union Labor. He was
elected by a large majority. At the very
outset he fell into Ruef's power, and
before the new board had been In harness
20 days Sanderson and his colleagues had
become boodlers. Their first experience
was with the fight trust, from which
every 'member of the board received $500.
In return the fight trust was given a
monopoly of the boxing permits for thi
year.
Today .was one of sensations in . the
graft exposures the testimony of Ferdi-
Ex-Supreme Judge Morgan J.
O'Brien, of New York.' Who Re
Klyned From tile Thaw Lunacy
Commission.
nand Butterfield and others of the United
States Independent Telephone Company,
with which Ruef tried ,to do business.
As a result of testimony presented to.
day It became almost assured that in
dictments would be returned against
(Concluded on Pare 4.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
''Tbe Wentlwr.
YK7STEFtAT'6 Maximum' temperature, 49
degrees: minimum, MO.'
TODAY Showers, 't probably followed "by
fair and warmer weather; westerly wtnaa.
Conference-between Western managers and
trainmen and conductors falls and mana
gers appeal to Government, for. arbitra
tion under Brdmann act to prevent
strike. Pave 1-
Roosevelt Invites railroad men to confer on
new bill for Federal control to stop agi
tation. Pave I-
Illinois manufacturers ask Roosevelt to de
clare policy and allay alarm. Ptge 4.
President Winchell, of Rock. Island, ad
dresses Illinois legislators. Page 4.
Lumber rates from Coast not to be raised.
Pag 4. '
Origin of recent Wall street panic. Page 2.
Graft In San Francisco.
Supervisor Sanderson, sick unto death, con
fesses guilt. Page 1.
Grand Jury' gets much evidence about tele
phone deal. Page 1
Scbmlts demands early trial and vows ven
geance on accusers. Page 1.
Foreign.
France prepares to punish Morocco; Ger
many does not object. Page 4.
Roumanian rebels commit horrible out
rages; aovemment promises land law
reform. Pace S.Anglo-Saxon
prelates state claim to another
cardinal. Page- 3-
R-unstiin reactionary murders Liberal editor.
Page 3.
National.
Officer of negro troops testifies in their de
fense. Page 8.
Polities.
Burton to lead Taft'e fight on Foraker in
Ohio. Page S.
Domestic.
Haskin on veteran editors. Page 1.
Commission ' on lunacy organized In Thaw
case- Page 4.
Grafting land office clerks testify against
. Hermann. Page 3.
Director of . exploitation -at Jamestown Fair
accused of grafting. Page 3.
Sports.
Scandal jcrows out of pntcrtalnment of Port
land oarsmen at Worcester. Page 6.
Pacific Coast.
Two more victims of spinal meningitis at
University of Washington. Page 5.
Board forbids pool-selling at coming State
Fair. Page 6.
Stat universities meet in triangular debate
tonight. Page 5.
Hoquiam boys turn bandits. Page 6.
Portland and Vicinity.
Rival candidates for Councllmen In Sixth
Ward make bitter personal attacks on
each other at political rally. Page 10.
.P. House and wife of ex-State Senator Otto
Schumann elope to California.. Page 11.
Harrlman system will spend $1,000,000 for
steel bridges in Ore iron this year. Page 10.
Tfo hope for cheaper fuel in Portland next
Summer. Page 7-
Divorced couple sue married daughter for
return ot valuable guts, page 11.
Master Fth Warden Van Duaen's enemies
neek his scalp; many after his Job. Page
10.
Chinese Consul Moy Bak Hln fears assas
sination; asks police protection. Page 16.
Y-.M. C A..-Y. W. C A. solicitors must raise
,10.000 more; want S 10,000 today. Page
13.
No dearth of Democratic candidates this
year. Page 10.
Stock company engaged for Empire Theater.
Page 12-
Commercial and Marine.
Light fnilt pack predicted in California.
Page IT.
Brief spurt in New York stock market. Page
17.
Wheat market bearish. Page 17.
Board of arbitration takes up demurrage
claim of bark Asia. Page 10.
British bark Jordanhlll loses three men In
rtti ir- T " 'i in- ir r -tt ir
storm at sea. Page 16.
VETERAN
EDITORS
OF UNITED STATES
Colonel McClure Holds
The Banner.
SIXTY YEARS IN THE CHAIR
Pulitzer's Rise From Sexton's
Helper in St. Louis.
SMITH, WHO FOUGHT QUAY
Otis, Great Soldier and Great Edi
tor Felix Agnus. Who Fought
and Fed Rebels Hemphill, '
Opponent of Tillman.
BT FREDERIC J. HAEKI.V.
-WASHINGTON, March 22. (Spe
cial Correspondence.) No one of
the veteran editors of the United States
has had a busier or more interesting:
career than Colonel . Alexander Kelly
McClure. of Pennsylvania. An editor
six years before the death of Henry
Clay, he has known more public men
than almost any other American now
living:. He has Interviewed every Pres
ident of the UnitedT States since the
time of Fillmore, 13 In all. He entered
journalism in 1846 as editor of the
Mifflin Sentinel, and retired from the
chief editorship of the Philadelphia
Times in 1901. He was a member of
the Pittsburg: conference at which the
Republican party was organized, and
was a delegate to . the Republican
National conventions of 1856. 1863 and
J.864. In 1872 he was chairman of the
Pennsylvania, delegation, in the- Lib
eral Republican convention; which nom
inated Greeley. Of. Whig stock- and
himself a good Whig In his youth, he
became a staunch Republican, but his
political views always have been broad.
He has especially devoted himself to
binding up the wounds of the Nation
Inflicted during the four years of Civil
War. His lecture on Lincoln and Da
vis Is a powerful appeal to men of
both sections of the country to under
stand the' men and measures of those
days of strife with charity and to for
get the hatred then engendered.
Pulitzer, Third-Term Prophet.
Joseph Pulltier, owner' and editor of
the New York World, and owner of
the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has done
as much as any other one man to make
the American newspaper what it is to
day. He was born in Hungary 60
years ago, and, when he came to the
United States, located in St. Louis. Ha
was employed as an assistant to the
sexton of a cemetery there, until soma
occasional contributions gained 1 for
him a place on the Westliche Post, a
German dally. This was before he was
21. Ten years later he became the own
er of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, hav
ing, consolidated the Post and Dis
patch. Five years thereafter he bought
the New York World and advanced it
to the front ranks of American Jour
nalism. For years he has been almost blind,
and lias had to depend upon an aman
uensis to read to him. He has been
always fearlessly independent in poli
tics. When elected to Congress he re
signed after having served but a few
months. His characteristic editorials
are long and exhaustive. . It was an
editorial of his - which inspired Mr.
Parker's celebrated "gold telegram"
to the St. Louis convention. After Mr.
Roosevelt's election election by a tre
mendous majority, Mr. Pulitzer at once
predicted that Theodore Roosevelt
would be the first President to serve
three terms, a prophesy which is -giving
certain presidential aspirants no
small amount of uneasiness Just at
this time. . ,
Smith of Philadelphia Press.
Charles Emory Smith, editor of th
Philadelphia Press since 1880, is ono
of the few men who keep alive the
traditions and practices of the oid
rlme personal journalism. A pupil and
disciple of Thurlow Weed, he received
15 years of newspaper training at Al
bany, and then went to Philadelphia.
When he writes an editorial, no ona
needs to be told that "Smith wrote It."
The readers of the Press are familiar
with his style a clear, strong variety
of English,' which admits of no beat
ing about the bush. Mr. Smith baa
always been a Republican and has sup
ported his party In every National Is
sue, although he has often broken
away from the organization in hia own
state. He opposed Quay with much
strength through nearly all of that
gentleman's rule..
Few editors are known by ono par.
tlcular article, but Mr. Smith's edito
rial on the freedom of the press, writ
ten when Governor Pennypacker
signed the press-gag law, is probably
his most famous utterance. It is a.
plea for the freedom of the press which
. niace among the classics of
political science. Mr. Smith was Min
ister to Russia during the latter half
of the Benjamin Harrison Administra
tion, and was Postmaster-General un
der McKinley and Roosevelt. Just be
fore the beginning of the Spanish War
Mr. Smith came to Washington, where
Concluded on Face 3.)