8
THE MORXING OKEGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1907.
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POKTLAN 1, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1807
COURTS AND TUB PRESS.
.Ex-Senator Patterson, of Colorado, is
proprietor of The Times and The
Kooky Mountain News, daily newspa
pers which are published tn Denver.
They are ostensibly conducted In the
Interest of tho people and against the
corporations, which, it has been
charged, control the Legislature and
courts of the state. The election of
1304, bitterly contested between the
I'atterson and the opposing Interests,
started controversies which the State
Supreme Court undertook to decide.
The court was at that time more or
less dominated by the notorious Judge
Uebbert, who has been openly de
nounced by respectable Colorado pa
pers as a servile tool of the corpora
tions. While the cases were pending:
Senator Patterson stated In his dallies
that the court's deliberations were de
flected from the strict course of justice
by corporate influence. For this he was
charged with contempt and fined a
thousand dollars. Upon a writ of error
he carried his- case to the Supreme
Court. of the United States.
The grrbund of his appeal, as we un
derstand It, may be stated in two
clauses. First, he contended that the
alleged contemptuous matter was true.
Second, being true, its publication was
protected by the constitutional guaran
tee of freedom to the press. The de
cision of the Supreme Court, which was
rendered by Justice Holmes, is against
the Senator, although tt is not unani
mous. The second clause Js disposed of
first. By one of those deft wriggles
which lawyers know so well how to
manage. Justice Holmes puts the Con
stitution out of court. That venerable
document is exceedingly convenient
when It happens to coincide with a
Judge's preconceived opinions; when it
does not he is seldom at a loss for a
way to get rid of It. Its sanctity as a
judicial guide is strictly limited by Us
applicability. In this case the Patter
son plea was that the first amendment
Ruarantoes freedom of speech and of
the press, forbidding Congress to
abridge them by law; while the four
teenth amendment declares that no
state shall make, or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or
Immunities of citizens of the United
States or deprive them of life, liberty
or property without due process of law.
Senator Patterson contended that the
Colorado court had deprived him of the
liberty of speech guaranteed In the first
amendment without due process of law.
Justice Holmes indicated that this
might or might not be so; but In either
case it made no difference. The Consti
tution could not Interfere with the priv
ilege of a court to punish contempt.
And if the Senator had told the truth
when he charged that the state court
was subservient to the corporations, so
much the worse for hiin. Mr. Holmes
recurred to the archaic and barbarous
rule, "The- greater the truth the greater
the libel." remarking that, since this
had not been changed by statute so far
as contempt proceedings are concerned,
it Is sti'.l applicable to them. The law
governing newspaper comment on
pending cases is thus clear, and it is
some satisfaction to have at least one
clear rule of law, even If it is grossly
Irrational and tyrannous. Comment on
a pending case is always contempt
whenever the presiding judge says it
is, and he may punish it accordingly.
Of course the Judge who is plaintiff in
such a case Is also the jury, and he can
impose any penalty which his Indigna
tion suggests. This is a comfortable
fituation for the judge.
This decision virtually forbids all
comment upon judicial action or char
acter. Pending cases almost always
pend so long that by the time they are
decided the public has forgotten about
them, the litigants are often dead, and
atiythmg that a newspaper might say
would be pointless. If cases were de
cided promptly the rule would not be
no bad; but comment on a subject
which has lain In oblivion for years
would bo futile. Thus tire courts have
emancipated themselves in a measure
from accountability to the public for
their decisions. It is a step entirely
in harmony with their tendency to set
themselves) apart -from the other de
partments of tho Government and
above them. Newspapers may com
ment on bills pending in Congress; they
may criticise proposed acts of the Pres
ident. But of tne courts nothing in the
way of blame must be said until the
time has passed when It can be ef
fective. The decision, smacks of the antiquated
superstition of divine right. It Is ar
gued that the courts will gather about
themselves a more awe-inspiring dig
nity if they shroud their proceedings in
mystery and darkness. The same feel
ing inspires doctors to, write their pre
scriptions in an unintelligible jargon
with occult symbols. It leads astrolo
gers and palmists to resort to mystic
incantations. Justice. Holmes reasons,
that comment on pending cases might
embarrass the deliberations of a judge.
Some kinds of , comment undoubtedly
would. But if a judge were seeking
nothing but justice and truth It must
help, not hinder, him, , for a. newspaper
to state the truth and point out the
direction of justice. The truth could
-embarrass him only if he were trying
to find some way to evade it. Indfca
tions of justice could not harass him
unless he wished to discover some
plausible pretext for injustice. But the
decision lumps all kinds of comment
together and explicitly asserts that
truth is even more contemptuous than
falsehood. Under cover of it the courts
may retire into a darkness more pro
found than ever and spin their webs of
vexatious abstraction without hin
drance from the common sense of the
practical world. Secrecy is the ally of
corruption and the dearest friend of in
competency. The best work of courts
as well as Legislatures is done in the
open. It fears no fair criticism and de
fies accusation in the strength of con
scious merit. Justice Holmes is in error
when he says that candid comment
would obstruct the administration of
Justice. The only thin It could ob
struct would be that administration of
injustice toward which the intricacies
of the law invariably tend when left
to themselves.
STUDENTS AND PLUG HATS.
After reading of the student riot at
the University of Washington, during
which canes and chairs were used as
weapons and seats in the assembly
room were torn up. the people of Ore
gon will reflect with no small degree
of satisfaction that the students in the
State University at Eugene have aban
doned that sort of amusement, if
amusement it may be called. Class
rushes and other forms of violence
have been known in the University of
Oregon, but more than a year ago the
student-body voted to eschew all such
proceedings and to devote their ener
gies to the more manly and more laud
able enterprise of cleaning- up the cam
pus on class day. It is fortunate that
they did so, for a riot such as that
which took place at the University of
Washington on 'Monday would place
the friends of the University of Oregon
tn a difficult position in their effort to
stay the referendum movement on the
appropriation bill.
The Incident at Seattle serves to call
attention to the more orderly disposi
tion of the students at tho University
of Oregon, for which the management
of the Institution deserves credit. That
students are so deeply interested in
their studies that they have no time
nor inclination for riotous conduct
shows that they have a proper, under
standing of the purposes of an educa
tional Institution and an appreciation of
the opportunities the people have given
them In a university maintained at
public expense. Those students at the
University of Washington who went to
assembly wearing plug hats committed
no serious offense. They merely dis
played a boyish inclination to indulge
in pranks. They had more money than
they could spend in books and board
bills, and could think of nothing better
than plug hats in which to invest It.
Because they chose to wear those hats
to school was no reason why other stu
dents should lose their self-control and
engage In a free-for-all fight. Ignor
ing them would have been far more ef
fective as a rebuke and much more dig
nified. The affair at Seattle also reminds us
that- Washington appropriated some
thing like a million dollars for its State
University at the recent session of the
Legislature, and half a million for its
State College at Pullman. Beside that
appropriation, the authorized expendi
tures for the University of Oregon seem
Insignificant. Tet there are a few peo
ple in Oregon (not many, we are proud
to say) who would hold up the appro
priation for the Oregon school by filing
a referendum petition.
THE "MOTHER OF EVELYN NESBIT.
The woman who has been stigma
tized as the "most unnatural mother in
modern history" the mother of Evelyn
Nesbit Thaw has spoken for the first
time tn her own behalf since the crime
was committed that made the name of
her young daughter a synonym of
shame. Smarting under the caustic
arraignment of Attorney Del mas, quiv
ering under an injustice .which, if we
may believe her detailed statement of
the case, was most bitter and grievous,
wounded at the most vulnerable point
of a woman's nature her maternal love
this woman, known only to the world
as "the mother of Evelyn Nesbit,"
comes before the public with her side of
the story. .
Following, according to her state
ment, the injunction of her daughter
immediately after the killing of Stan
ford "White to "say absolutely nothing,"
this woman has remained silent under
the goad of press and bar and pulpit
for many months. One or two conclu
sions from her statement is inevitable:
The mother of Evelyn Thaw is a most
conspicuous example of mendacity or
she is a martyr to the- vile conditions
in which her daughter was for so many
years surrounded.
All through the cross-examination of
Evelyn the merciless Jerome consulted
notes which the public and the Jury
were given to understand were fur
nished by Evelyn's mother for the pur
pose of covering her daughter with con
fusion. This mother now for the first
time declares most positively that she
did not thus supply the District Attor
ney with the data upon which his ques
tions were based. Of the disgraceful
European trip she says that it was a
nightmare to her and wholly without
pleasure; the things that appealed to
Thaw and Evelyn did not appeal to
her; the quarrels said to have taken
place were on account of her protests
at visits they made to various res
taurants. She has for Stanford White
no censure; she believed him to be a
generous, ' disinterested man, and re
posed implicit confidence In him, and
asserts that if Evelyn underwent the
experience with him to which she tes
tified, she did not take her mother into
her confidence.
The statement, of which, we have a
brief synopsis, is six columns in length
and concludes with an expression of
undying love for her wayward daugh
ter and a willingness to receive Evelyn
into her home at any time.
It is but just to give this woman
albeit there are many things she can
not explain away to the satisfaction of
ordinarily decent, prudent people the
full benefit of her protest and denial.
The public is pretty thoroughly con
vinced that she had a willful, ungov
ernable child to deal with; that she was
a woman without decision of character,
pinched by poverty and flattered by the
interest that Stanford White had taken
in her daughter. Her sins of mother
hood, which, notwithstanding her self
defense, were many, may have been
those of folly rather than of shame; of
weakness rather than wickedness ; of
Ignorance rather than knowledge.
WORLD PEACE FAB OFF.
Men at peace with each other usually
are willing to promise to settle their
future unseen troubles amicably. Boys
at play enter such agreements. Men
and Kings and nations have done this
from the earliest records of history.
But when trouble comes there is but
one arbiter, In the case of nations
that of soldiers, ships and economic re
sources. In the case of individuals
within a nation, the supreme welfare
within the political unit causes the sov
ereign power of the people, represented
in government, to step in and arbi
trate and force both parties to peace.
For the harmony of a school the mas
ter Intervenes with his birch and com
pels belligerents to accept his media
tion. It is said that the welfare of all peo
ples, or of the most enlightened group
of them, requires the use of their united
power to quell war between individuals
of the world's society of nations.This
supposes the existence of a social or
ganization spreading beyond the polit
ical and territorial boundaries of Amer
icans, British, French, Germans, Ital
ian and other powerful -peoples a union
that shall nave a judiciary with au
thority to intervene in any dispute be
tween nations and with power to en
force its decrees.
This means the obliteration of na
tional sovereignties. It means the wip
ing out of the political lines between
distinct peoples. While this in the mil
lennium may be accomplished, its reali
zation is too far remote to be consid
ered seriously now. Conflict of race
with race has given the world its ener
gies for progress, put races of power
and intelligence in the lead and made
their ideas foremost in culture, indus
try and art. In this conflict a court
cannot award to an intelligent, pushing
people what its energy demands. A
court 'would stop expansion, since it
always impinges on a neighbor's do
main. But expansion is necessary to
progress. Nations' have been greatest
during the period of their growth and
have retrograded when growth stopped.
Growth brings new forced and ideas to
every people, and without growth there
is decline and stagnation. This has
been the rule from Egypt to America.
It hurts nobody, however, to talk
about universal peace. In the present
sessions of the National Peace Con
gress in New York. It may tend to in
ternational harmonies In various direc
tions. Its aims are worthy, so far as
they regard race conflict as a bane to
the human race and endeavor to pre
vent it. War is the most cruel of all
man's sufferings, and the most unjust
for the vanquished. But conflict is the
rule in all organic nature. An ambi
tious people will not stop to arbitrate
Its trouble with another race. Then
respective 'notions and standards of
right are different. They look at mat
ters, from different sides. Americans
did not arbitrate with the Indians when
taking their lands. They would not
have arbitrated with the Spanish after
the destruction of the Maine. They
will not surrender their national sover
eignty to treat with foreign nations as
they choose, or to fight if they feel
they must. 'Nor will Great Britain.
These two nations have the power to
keep up greats armaments. If others
have not the resources to compete, that
Is their own affair. The American peo
ple will never be concerned by the
heavy burden of armaments on others.
The others can quit arming.
Talk of international peace springs
from humane Instincts. It gives men
opportunity to speak the brotherly feel
ings of mankind and to abhor carnage
of the battlefield. Occasionally vege
tarians get together in a congress to
abhor the carnage of other animals.
All carnage Is horrible. In the millen
nium men may rise above it. But not
yet. In the millennium there will be no
striving nor strife. One people will not
want the land of another people, nor
need it. They will not be made to fight
by clash of ideas for what Is honest or
Just or fair. Right now their ideas on
those matters are widely divergent.
That's why they disagree.
' GERMAN RECIPROCITY.
The Emperor William of Germany
has always professed himself a friend
to peace. His consistent desire for
tariff reciprocity with America seems
to indicate that his professions are sin
cere. When the matter was under dis
cussion in Congress more than a year
ago there were not lacking members
who were ready to hurl defiance at Ger
many and "plunge into a tariff war.
Mr. MoCleary was one of them, and his
constituents havo rewarded his eager
ness by retiring him from Congress. He
argued that in such a war we could do
Germany mora harm than she could do
us; therefore let it begin forthwith.
The Emperor took a view more civil
ized and more rational. He avoided
tariff reprisals, though a strong party
in his own country urged them upon
his government; and he granted to this
Nation concessions which Germany
gives to-other countries only under
reciprocity treaties. This he did in the
hope that Congress would have the de
cency to return the favor in kind. He
was disappointed, however, for it had
not.
The concessions, which were limited to
a year; have now been renewed, proba
bly with the expectation that some defi
nite understanding may be reached next
Winter. This is not altogether unreason
able, for sentiment in favor of reci
procity and tariff reform .has been
growing steadily in this country and it
may have made some impression upon
Congressmen, slow as they are to learn.
Unless some reciprocity agreement is
negotiated within another year we may
look for a tariff war, since Germany
is not afraid of us, though her govern
ment is sensible enough to seek to avert
a crisis.
Our National interests are all on the
side of reciprocity. Our trade with Ger
many amounts to J2.000.000 a day, and
we cannot reasonably expect to hold
all the profit of it for ourselves. Some
share must be conceded to the other
party. Commerce can thrive only when
both sides find advantage in it, and un
less Germany (receives fair concessions
from us, the business which she now
gives to America will, of course, ulti
mately go elsewherei
At a recent first-voters' banquet in
Faneuil Hall, Boston, one of the speak
ers submitted ten commandments which
every citizen should obey in his rela
tions to the state and nation. ' The com
mandments were as follows:
I Love thy country, which has re
deemed thee from tyranny and bond
age. II Thou Shalt not worship any political
idols, nor bow down to them, nor serve
them, for their iniquity will be visited
upon thee and thy children unto the
third and fourth generations.
III Thou shall not take the name of pa
triotism in vain, nor use it to hide thy
selAsh motives.
IV Remember the day of election to keep
It holy. . t -
V Honor the sanctity of the ballot, that
the days of the republic may be pro
longed. VI Thou shalt not kill-the spirit of free
dom by neglecting to exercise the pre
rogative of a freeman.
VII Thou shalt not adulterate the purity
ot civic life by entering politics for
gain. - .
VIII Thou shalt not encourage public serv
ants to steal by thy indifference.
IX Thou shalt not let greed for political
rewards bear false witness against thy
patriotism.
X Thou shalt not covet a publio office
which thou art not fit to fill.
The author of these commandments
overlooked the fact that an eleventh
commandment has been added to those
handed down on Mount Sinai: "It you
violate any of these, do not get caught
at it."
Mayor Lane, having called the atten
tion of the City Attorney to the refusal
or neglect of certain public-service cor
porations in this city to file quarterly
reports of their receipts, disbursements
and financial standing as required by
charter, it now remains to be seen
whether these alleged servants but real
owners of the Portland public are or
are not above municipal law. The ques
tion in this connection is not whether
the charter provision that requires
these reports to be submitted is or Is
not a fair and proper requirement; it
is simply whether or. not we have a
class of people doing business in the
city who may with impunity violate a
specific provision of -the city charter.
Mayor Lane, it is said, discovered, or
was early informed of this delinquency
on the part of a number ot public-service
corporations, and at once requested
the City Auditor to call the attention
of these corporations to the fact that
they were not complying with the law.
This Mr. Devlin .did, and there the mat
ter has rested, though but six of the
twenty-itwo corporations responded'
with their quarterly reports.
The Middle West from . Missouri to
Wisconsin is suffering from an April
blizzard, which promises to destroy all
fruits and early vegetables in its path.
While Oregon farmers and fruitgrowers
do not desire a market for their prod
ucts at such grievous expense to their
neighbors of the Mississippi "Valley,
they will no doubt close with the oppor
tunity to their profit. The prospects
for a good fruit crop in Oregon were
never better at this season of the year,
and, as for potatoes, everybody is going
to plant a- few extra rows in order to
be sure that an increased demand will
not catch them without a full supply.
A young white woman twenty-two
years of age was married in Seattle,
February 1, to a Japanese waiter. Less
than two months later she became
tired, possibly disgusted, and left him,,
and he has appealed to the police to
help him locate and recapture her. The
husband in this case Is entitled to more
sympathy than the wife. Her plight is
in a sense pitiful, since it is the plight
of a fool; his is pitiful because it is the
plight of a well-meaning . simpleton.
The firmest believers in, practical
autocracy, for this country are those
who most strongly oppose it in theory.
The New York Times, which clamors
for "state rights" as an abstraction, de
tests it as a reality applied to railroad
rates and insurance. Nobody, it says,
can hope to counteract "unwise laws
as fast as two-score Legislatures can
enact them." Johnny cried for the red
hot poker, but when he got hold of it
whew!
There are disadvantages In having
persons or things named after one.
Thus, says the Baltimore News when
one reads that Thomas W.' Lawson is
adrift and leaking it might be taken for
a metaphorical allusion to recent events
until reading further it Is found that
the statement referred to a tank barge
bearing that name. The relief that fol
lows this explanation is great and en
ables one to look forward to the May
magazines without apprehension.
Texas millers have been calling their
third-grade flour "bakers' flour." As a
consequence the impression became
general that all bakers use an inferior
gradie of flour and the sale of bakers'
bread suffered. The bakers have adopt
ed resolutions demanding a discontin
uance of the brand, but It will be diffi
cult to overcome the effect of the use
of the term.
Texas has enacted a .law- requiring
that every locomotive be equipped with
an electric headlight of 1500 candle
power. This will require ' an expendi
ture of $150,000 by the Southern Pacific
alone, but, as it is generally acknowl
edged that the electric lights give by
far the best service, there is no dispo
sition to try to avoid fulfillment of the
requirement.
Milwaukee, Wis., has forty-six Alder
men, and the Evening Wisconsin has
ascertained that they pay a total an
nual tax of $486. Eighteen of them pay
no tax at all.. Ten of them pay less
than $3 taxes. It is to- be hoped that
this matter of Investigating the taxpay
lng records of Aldermen won't be
adopted in many cities.
In nina years' operation, during which
time 41,000,000 passengers have been
carried," not an accident has happened
on the line of the Waterloo & City Rail
way Company, known as the "London
Tube." That is a record for which both
the company and the passengers may
well be thankful.
The Wisconsin Legislature is consid
ering a bill which requires the tights
of actresses to extend not less than
four inches below the knees. It has
been amended by changing the word
"below" to "above." We didn't expect
that of Wisconsin.
Hood River scores again. The first
humming-bird of the season was inves
tigating the peach buds Thursday
morning. It's up to Mr. Lownsdale.
Foraker fired the first gun of his
campaign, but thus far there Is noth
ing to indicate that it was loaded.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S DAY DOVE.
Without a Missloa or Leader Its Iseful
nesa la Gone.
'. Salt Lake 'Inter-Mountain.
In Portland The Oregonian asks why
the Democratic party is so weak that it
could muster no more than one-fourth of
the city vote when a strictly party tesue
was in the balance.
And the question need not be confined
to Portland. The same condition exists
all over the country. The Democratic
party has lived its life. No fair man can
question the value of its ancient service,
the usefulness of its men", to the nation.
No reader of the history of the United
States can ignore the good that party has
wrought in the past vastly overbalancing
whatever mistakes its leaders have made.
But the time has come, and any one
with even the slightest perception is able
to see it. when the Democratic party
should end. Its usefulness is gone. Its
leaders are discredited, its fundamental
policies are of a past age and an ancient
condition, and its promises . can not be
kept.
The final test of Its coherence may be
seen in the lack of loyalty evidenced by
the men who direct its counsels, and pro
vide the sinews of war. They are for
their party when they can make most by
that relation, and against it with a per
fectly diabolic frankness when .it is to
r their advantage to "throw" , the masses
of their partisan followers. . This was
shown In 1904, when they named a can
didate for the Presidency with the plain
intention of defeating him, and made that
defeat certain by the manner of naming
him. Parker could no more have been
elected than could Herr Most, or Ben
Tillman. There was no reason why he
should be elected. He had no issue, no
leadership, no following, no management,
no sincerity. And a party without, a
mission, without a leader, without princi
ples and without the confidence ot the
voters, has little excuse for continued
existence.
TOBACCO IN THE COLLEGES.
The Much-Mnllgrnrd Freshman I Xot
a Cigarette Smoker.
New York Times.
Dr. William G. Anderson, director df
the Yale gymnasium, has collected data
which ho presents in the Yale Alumni
Weekly, relative to. the prevalence of
smoking among the first-year men in
the university. His researches were
among the class of 1909, of which 389
members were enrolled, and 148 ad
mitted that they smoked. Interviews
with men disclosed an "unexpected
modesty" in their statements regard
ing their use of tobacco, so that Dr.
Anderson thinks the returns were not
exaggerated. Contrary to general be
lief, freshmen are not as a rule cigar
ette smokers. But seven of the whole
number smoked cigarettes only, while
thirty-five used the pipe exclusively,
and the rest smoked cigarettes only
on tho streets, where the use of pipes
are forbidden under the curious rules
enforced by the upper classmen.
The 1909 man was a pipe and not a
cigarette smoker. He smoked cigar
ettes on the streets because the use of
pipe by him is tabooed. This custom
gives him the reputation of being a
cigarette smoker.
Of the 148' freshmen, smokers, 120
were personally interviewed, and .110
said they were smokers in their pre
paratory schools. Physical examina
tion showed that more than one-half
of them were above the class average
in strength and height; considerably
more than half, however, were below
the average weight and lung capacity,
had reaped the benefits of special ath
letic training, and were football play
ers and gymnasts. Strangely enough,
the non-smokers were more subject to
heart weakness than the smokers, only
13.83 per cent of the latter showing
heart irregularities, while 27.38 per
cent of the former betrayed irritable,
irregular, weak and regurgitative
cardiac symptoms.
Superficially it would seem that
much study affects the heart more ser
iously than the calm indulgence of the
pipe. It is doubtful whether tobacco
is directly responsible for the inferior
scholarship of its users.' As Dr. Ander
son takes pains to remark, the young
smoker "suffers much from associate
evils. '.
Joaquin Miller's Arrow Story.
PORTLAND, April 16. (To the Editor.)
Alluding to the article in last Sunday's
Oregonian, on "Reminiscences of the Poet
of the Sierras," I was witness to a re
markable confirmation of one incident
therein related. While conversing with
the poet in a Tacoma hotel In 1889. I think,
a man approached and introducing him
self as Mr. Kelly, of Hoods Canal, stated
that he had once performed a surgical
operation on the poet. He then related
the story of the arrow through theneck,
and said that he was the one who had cut
off the barb and drawn the shaft out of
the wound. This incident was chronicled
at the time -in the local newspapers and
widely copied. Afterwards it was de
nounced as apocryphal, anl Mr. Miller
wrote me to hunt up Kelly and obtain a
confirmation of the story. I started to do
this, but found that Kelly had seen the
questioning article in some paper and
had already been interviewed by Mr.
Lamont, who was then city editor of the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, but Is now a
professor in Harvard University.
EUGENE SEMPLET
"SkawheKan," Wllh aa Oregon Tinge.
Boston Herald.
"Skowhegan" Is a word of significance
in Maine today, more soothing to many
than was "Mesopotamia" to the good
woman comforted whenever it fell from
the lips of the eloquent preacher.
But Skowhegan has long been dear to
sons of Maine. Artemus Ward was once
in a country .barroom in Oregon where
several persons in a state of strong drink
were boasting respectively of their birth
places. One was born in Mississippi,
where the sun ever shines and the mag
nolias bloom the year round; another was
from Kentucky, the home of Clay, the
state of splendid women and gallant men;
a third was born In Virginia, the birth,
place of statesmen, the state of chlvalrlc
deeds.
"And L" said a yellow-haired and sallow-faced
man, who was not of the
party, and who had been quietly smoking
a short black pipe by the fire "and I
was born in the garden spot of America."
"Where is that?" they said.
"Skeouhegan, Maine!" he replied; ' kin
I sell you a razor-strop?"
John Da Hair Oil and Kr pain
North American.
John D. Rockefeller's one predominat
ing pessimism in these days is represented
by a bottle of hair oil and a box of pepsin
lozenges, which are to be sold at auction
in the Government's public stores.
They were sent to the "wealthiest man
in the world" by kind-hearted friends
from across the seas.' The hair oil came
from Berlin, the lozenges from Edin
burgh. Mr. Rockefeller viewed them
through the cold, scientific eye of a sec
retary and turned them down.
Mr. Rockefeller declined to use the oil,
because he Is persuaded that nothing can
make his hair grow; he denied himself
the lozenges, which are for digestion, be
cause golf has siven him a power of
assimilating food which is the delight of
his chef.
HAVE WE TOO MICH PROS FERITY- f
Are Too Many Men at Work and Too
Many Children In School t
New York World.
Confiding his inspiration -to Mr. Car
negie's Civic Federation guests, Mr.
August Belmont feels "greatly Im
pressed that the unparalleled develop
ment of our country ;id its prosperity
have, been so extraordinary that it is
undoubtedly time to call a halt, and it
is not wholly undesirable."
That has a familiar soundv Mr.
Schiff, Mr. Hill, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Harrt
man indeed, all Wall street have been
humming the same tune for weeks.
The country is "too prosperous." Is it?
Do any of these gentlemen honestly
belleve that 1
There are too many men at work?
That there are too few men idle?
That too few famine's are In want and
destitution?
That too many children are In school?
That too few are sent out to work
by fathers out of a job?
Tnat too many mothers are comfort
able and happy?
That too few mothers are worrying
where the children's supper is to come
from?
That too many people are saving
money ' and buying homes?
That too many are indulging in the.
little luxuries that make life so much
more worth living?
That mor anxiety, suffering, hunger
and disease would be good for the coun
try? ' .
. This is what "calling a halt" means.
Docs Mr. Belmont or any other man
in his senses honestly think that the
country is too prosperous? We do not
believe It. The country is not half
prosperous enough. The "unparalleled
development" is not unparalleled, and
the National resources ought to be de
veloped immeasurably further than
they are. These are mere common
places which even Mr. Belmont and his
kind would hesitate in private to deny.
These gentlemen do not really mean
that the country . Is too prosperous. Is
not their actual meaning something like
this: "While as a general principle we
prefer prosperity to adversity, still we
should be very glad to see a period" of
financial and industrial depression If it
would rehabilitate corporation, govern
ment, which is rapidly being over
turned?" '
. . What Vivisection Haa Done.
Professor James Rowland Angell In the
World Today.
Owing to the difficulty of making state
ments about biological science readily In
telligible to the general public, we may
forego any effort to indicate the gain to
these sciences from knowledge obtained
by vivisection. But a brief and wholly in
complete catalogue of certain important
medical results may be given. These re
sults could not have been atained other
wise, unless human beings had been the
subect of experiment. This catalogue
overlooks many Important contributions
to veterinary medicine 'with their untold
lessening of animal disease and suffering.
The writer need not comment upon tho
commercial aspect of this part of the
case, involving as it dies the annual sav
ing to owners of livestock of enormous
amounts of money.
An understanding of the nature and
cause of infection has been obtained in
the following diseases and In certain in
stances a remedy has thus been already
discovered: Tuberculosis. diphtheria,
lockjaw, anthrax or splenic fever, (glan
ders, Malta fever, bubonic, plague, various
blood-poisoning diseases, . sleeping sick
ness, typhoid fever, dysentery, etc. i
It is to be hoped that the prevention of
possible abuses in this vlvisectlonal field
will be attempted through the education
and enlightenment of public opinion rath
er than through legislation such as that
which in England has resulted in the
driving of many of her scientists to the
continent to work. Legislation, unless it
be essentially prohibitive of much which
is most essential, can accomplish very
little. 'Moreover, when it falls short of
prohibition, it is likely to be unintelligent
and merely exasperating, like the oft
proposed requirement that animals used
for producing serum for diphtheria . and
vaccine for -smallpox ' shall be anes
thetized. Indiana Man Beats Job's Record.
Columbus (Ind.) Dispatch in New York
American.
The. troubles of Job pale into insignifi
cance besides those of Christopher Yoll
mer. a financial prosperous merchant of
this place. The death of his ten-year-old
son is one of the latest of his mis
fortunes. i.VolImer and his wife were parents of
ten children.
Three years ago their daughter L'na
fell while at play and sustained an in
jury which made her a cripple for life.
The 'mother has lost both eyes, and the
father one, and a daughter is nearly
blind. Three years ago the latter shot
her sweetheart because she surprised him
in company with another girl.
During the flood of three years ago
Vollmer lost his business, which was
swept away by high water. Their eldest
son, Thomas Vollmer, is in the Indiana
Reformatory, and their second son.
WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE HOPING FOR
From the Denver Times.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SOME TIME IN" 108: "Gentlemen of the con
vention, the Republican party has now passed Into the hands of the Harrimana
and the Rockefeller. With the five-million-dollar corruption fund they have ab
solutely captured the parts". The hope of the nation lies in the .election- of an
"ho neat, fearless man, free from the control of Wall street, and it gives me ci-eat
- pleasure at fhia time to put before you the name of William Jennings Bryan."
TOURISTS' AND
HOMESEEKERS'
EDITION
Reliable information concern
ing the City of Portland and
the State of Oregon will be the
feature of the' special number
to be issued bv The Oregonian
Monday, April 20.
Following' are some of the
topics that will be dealt with in
articles written by the best au
thorities: Oregon and its government.
Oregon as a leader iu legisla
tive reform.
Pioneer days in the Oregon
Country. ...
The homes, churches, schools
and clubs of Portland.
With rod and gun iu Oregon.
Beach and mountain resorts
of Oregon.
The climate of the Pacific
Northwest.
Industries in which Oregon
leads.
A chemist's investigation of
the soils of Oregon.
Land and land prices.
fruits, flowers and vegetables.
The Portland cottage home.
Wages in Oregon.
Oregon the Mecca of the
seeker for health.
The dairy farm in Oregon.
Two pages or more will be da
voted to new photographs of
Oregon scenery.
This edition, profusely illus
trated and replete with statis
tical information for the settler,
will be widely circulated in the
Central West, and throughout
the East, and will be found a
most desirable medium for the
advertiser desirous of reaching
non-residents of the state.
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS
FOR DISTRIBUTION
A portion of the edition will
be circulated among delegates
and others who will attend the
Christian Endeavor and Baptist
Union Conventions, at Seattle
and Spokane, during the com
ing Summer. .
George Vollmer, is in the reform school
for boys. Still another son is in the
home for the feeble-minded. A few weeks
ago Vollmer filed suit against his wife
for divorce.
Twice within the last five years Voll
mer made the race for sheriff of Bar
tholomew County, but was defeated in
both cases.
- V.nin 42 Raw Eggs at One Sitting.
Uniontown dispatch to the Pittsburg
Gazette-Times.
The champion egg eater of Fayette
County is W. K. Knuckles, a miner, who
ate 42 raw eggs at one sitting. In the
store of XV. E. Gans. at Gans Station,
Knuckles was commenting .on his capacity
for eggs, and the merchant offered to pro
vide the eggs. Knuckles had lined his
Interior with 42 of them when Gans pulled
the basket away, declaring Knuckles
would kill himself.
Knuckles Indignantly asserted he could
eat two dozen more without hesitating.
He has offered to bet that he can eat 100
eggs without stopping.
New. Jersey May Tax Whiskers.
Trenton dispatch to the New York Times.
Assemblyman Cornish, of Essex, has in
troduced In the House a bill which pro
vides a tax for wearing the hair on the
face as follows, to be paid to the Tax
Collector yearly:
Ordinary whiskers, J5; side whiskers, JS;
Van Dyke beard, $10; mutton chops, $15:
"billygoat," $50: red whiskers, 30 per cent
extra. The Tax Collector is to receive
25 per cent for collecting the tax. Speaker
Pro Tem. Elvins sent the bill to the com
mittee on fish and game.
The Alienist.
Cleveland Plain . Dealer.
His talk Is of Insanity.
Of torpid brain Inanity,
Of shades of mental vanity.-
And thlnga you see in dreams;
He comments on stability
And cranium virility.
As well as thought sterility.
And lots of kindred themes.
At 'questions hypothetical
He sometimes get splenetlcal.
His manner grows acetlcal
Whenever he explains:
O'er Ills that vex humanity.
Especially insanity.
With skill that, shows his vanity
He juggles words and brains.