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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 27, 1907)
8 THE 3I0RMXG OKEGOXIAN, SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1907. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. E7IN VARIABLY IN ADVANCE. By Mall.) rUy, Pund&y sncludml. on yar. . . .$8-00 bally. Sunday Included, sir months.... 4-2 pally. Sunday Included, three months.. .23 PalJy, Sunday Included. one month.... .T3 Daily, without Sunday, one year....... 6.00 Dally, without Sunday, ix months..... .2S Dally, without Sunday, threa montha.. I TS Xaily. without Sunday, one month.... Eunday, on year ........ -5V Weekly, one year (lasued Thursday) 150 Eunday and Weekly, one year BT CAKKXF.R. Dully. Sunday Included, on. year Ially, Sunday Included, one month 75 HOW TO REMIT Send poatoffice money order, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stampe, coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give poetoBlce au dreaa In lull. Including; county and state. POSTAGE RATES. Entered at Portland, Oregon. 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TILE INITIATIVE AND RKFERENDDMC. lu the course of his speech at the Jefferson birthday dinner in Brooklyn Mr. Bryan expressed) himself rather pointedly in favor of tho initiative and referendum. 'His remarks have deeply stirred the breasts of many Kastern pa pers which, somewhat grotesquely, call themsolvcB Democratic. The New York Times In particular is painfully agi tated. Its grief carries this staid and utately journal to the point of misquot ing the brisk Nebraskan in editorial comment. Bryan said: "If yoV do not believe in the right of the people to sovern themselves, I will drive you out of the Democratic party." The. Times makes him Say: "If you differ with me In respect to the Initiative and refer endum. I will drive you out of the Democratic party," which Is something not exactly the same. The initiative and referendum are devices of .which the people in the course of centuries have made more or less use in attempt ing to govern themselves, but they are not the only ones; and a man may asily object to them without denying the right of popular self-government. The Times does object to the initia tive and referendum, which, with- the singular Indifference of the metropoli tan mind to fact, it lumps together as if tliey were one and tho same thing. The initiative is the process whercby the people propose laws to be voted upon. The referendum is an appeal to the people for ultimate decision upon a measure which has been initiated elsewhere, either in the Legislature or in a constitutional convention or In a City Council. The Times thinks they are the same thing, and bitterly con demns them without taking'the trouble to llnd out what they are. What efTect is such condemnation likely to have upon Informed and thoughtful voters? "The initiative and referendum," says the Times, "has a deathless charm for raw minds. It is the last support of frayed and outworn political reputa tions. It has in every land been re jected by the founders of political insti tutions." Such talk as this may be convincing to the dull provincialism of New York, but what possible. Influ ence can it have in the rest of the country, where everybody knows that each separate statement Is inaccurate? Of course It will influence nobody. It will only deepen the amused con tempt which people outside New York feel for the opinions of the v all-street politicians and their organs. .These opinions are never disinterested. They are often astonishingly Ignorant. The fact that Wall street influence backs an idea is sufficient to excite suspi cion against it among the masses of the people, and Justly so; for Wall street is careful of Its own interests solely and indifferent to those of every body and everything else. The Times is not opposed to Mr. Bryan because his doctrines would Injure the Nation at large, tout only because they would in terfere with stock gambling and cor porate domination. For precisely the same reason It opposes Mr. Roosevelt. Oi1e contemplates with a shudder the unhappy position or that newspaper were Bryan to De nominated by one party and Roosevelt by the other. It would be like the Scotchman who was certain only of his own salvation while he believed all the rest of the world was to be damned. Would the Times found a new party and nominate a candidate of its own in that dire con tingency? Or course Its choice would be supernally wise, but it is terrible to think how lonely the candidate would be on election day. The referendum has been a part of our political machinery from the be ginning of the Government. The Con etitution of the United - States was adopted by a referendum. So were the state constitutions. In a somewhat awkward and expensive form it is a Tegular rule of British political proced ure. as it is in France. Only the other day the German Emperor made use of it. When his Parliament differed from his colonial policy he referred the mat ter'to the peoplo and they sustained him. Instead of being rejected by tho founders of modem political institu tions. thA referendum has been adopted with more or less completeness by them all. Every civilized nation, ex cept Russia, refers all questions of fundamental Importance to the voters for- ultimate decision. Nor la It other wise with the Initiative. In our Na tional affairs the Initiative works pain fully and with cumbersome Impedi ments, but it is there none the less. For example, we may cite the slow -but certain triumph of the popular election of Senators. This Is the initiative, hampered but unmistakable, and there are few to deny that it would, be better for the country could the process go more directly to -Its end. What Mr. Bryan wishes is the same unimpeded Initiative and referendum in National affairs which Oregon. Dakota, Okla homa and other states enjoy in local matters. Whether he Is right or wrong: is a question to be decided1 by experi ence, investigation and serious argu ment. The' idea will not be accepted merely because Mr. Bryan desires It; It will not be rejected because the or gans of the interests see fit to ridi cule it. . , The initiative and referendum are still in the statU3 of experiments. They are steps in the groping progress of the people toward genuine self-government and they. may ie "blunders; Time will tolL . But thus far where . the experi ment has been triedi it haa worked well upon the whole, though not entirely without discouraging . features. More over, the idea Is far from decrepit. On the contrary, it is one of the most vital in present-day politics. The trend of popular political aspiration throughout the Nation is toward' measures identi cal in principle with the Initiative and referendum. In other words, the tend ency la toward government by the peo ple without intermediaries. How to accomplish this desirable end is a ques tion of method merely. The end itself will never be abandoned, and if one path fails to reach it. some other and better one will bo chosen. A DAN IK I COME TO JUDGMENT. What will the lawyers say to Judge Hebbard's latest exploit? When in a previous debauch he exposed himself and the law to ridicule, some comment was ventured upon the disgraceful ex hibition and we were assured by a legal correspondent that the San Francisco bar h:id begun proceedings looking to his expulsion. The proceedings must have looked very far Indeed, for he has not been expelled, and, so far as one can discern, he holds up his head with the best of his professional brethren. Drunk or, sober, ho sits serene on tho bench and dispenses what passes for Justice to his fellow-citizens. -. The latest report is that he invaded the District Attorney's office in a drunken rag and was kicked out. IS not this contempt of court? Can such an assault upon the majesty of the law be passed over without penalty? Must not this kick tie construed as comment upon a pending case, namely, the case of Decency vs. Judge Hebbard? And havinifr .made such comment, certainly Mr. Langdon is liable to a fine. The courts must be respected, even when they are drunk. Why do not the lawyers of San Fran cisco proceed to abate the nuisance of Judge Hebbard? Are they afraid of him? It is reported that he is a1 bad man with a gun, especially when in his cups; out surely ; among the lawyers of San Francisco there must be some body who has courage enough, not to speak of self-respect, to try to bring tho Judicial dignitary to book. But per haps it Is not fear that restrains them. Perhaps in the . eyes of the lawyers there's such divinity doth hedge a drunken Judge put in office by a graft ing boss that they revere him. If that is the case, we admire their capacity for reverence, though we do not envy it. But is it not true that Judge Heb bard might still continue to adorn the bench even if tho tar association should expel him? Taken for all in all. he is an interesting and Instructive fig ure and a quaint commentary upon our system of justice. NO IX)NCER A POI-mCAL TICK-rP. Tho merit system has at length been installed in the consular service of the United States. This service, after a long struggle to maintain it as a polit ical dependency, subject entirely to Congressional and official interest, was by a law enacted In April of last year established as a graded service and thereby subjected to the principles em bodied In the civil service act of 1883. Following the purpose of this law, va cancies In. the office of Consul above the lowest class are hereafter to be filled by promotion from the lower grades of the service according to the ability dis played and the efficiency Shown in the service. The lowest grade is to be filled by promotion of Vice and Deputy Consuls who won their places in the service by passing required examina tions, or by the appointment of candi dates who have satisfactorily passed the examination prescribed by the State Department. The first examination under the law of 1906 was recently held in Washing ton, i The examining board consists of an officer of the State Department des ignated by the President, the Chief of the Consular Bureau and the Chief Examiner of the Civil Service Commis sion. There is an oral examination to determine the character, disposition, address, manners, health, personal ap pearance, Teadiness. judgment, discre tion, accuracy of Information, resource fulness and business capacity of candi dates. The written examination In eludes one modern language other than English; the natural. Industrial and commercial resources of the United States; political economy; the elements of International, commercial and mari time law; American history, govern ment and Institutions; the modern his tory of Europe, Latin-America and the Far East; geography and arithmetic. This list of qualifications seems for midable, but the requirements are not more than an intelligent and efficient discharge of the duties of the consular service demand. That this service has been outrage ously bungled under the political spoils system Is a fact that has long been acknowledged. That It has often brought discomfiture to the Nation Is well known. That it has retarded where it should have expanded our commercial growth is beyond dispute. Under it practically all of the consul ates were held by persons named by Senators, the appointments being made for reasons purely personal and polit ical In payment of political debts or to silence the clamor of kinsmen or of "old friends of the family." The won der is not that the consular service was inefficient under this method of selec tion, but that it did not bring open dis grace upon the Nation. The country says the Outlook." needs more fully to comprehend this reform, adding: When it does, three results should .follow. First, the right kind of candidates should be forthcoming. Secondly, they ' ehould be ens-bled to make proper preparation. Finally, before the end of the present administration the -new system should be so thoroughly ea- -tablished In popular regard that no succeed ing administration would dare to overturn it. There Is clearly in this reform encour agement for intelligent. ambitious young men to qualify themselves for a service under the Government that is at once permanent, honorable and profitable. TRE BLACKMAILER. A special to the Chicago Record-Herald says that the death of the late Ga lusha A. Grow, of Pennsylvania, was hastened by worry over blackmailing schemes worked by a woman in his town. If it Is true and can be shown that such was the case, the guilty per son should be given the maximum pun ishment provided by law. A man of spotless public life, against whose pri vate character no word of reproach had ever been uttered, Grow enjoyed the ut most confidence and admiration of the people of his state. . Blackmail levied by attacking a man's character is a heinous crime in any circumstances, but when aimed at a man of upright char acter it becomes doubly atrocious. The man who hts lived a decent life has a greater dread of charges of immorality than has a man who is guilty of ques tionable conduct. 'He is for that rea son more susceptible to the crafty schemes of the blackmailer. For their own protection, all decent men owe It to themselves to see that every blackmailer be brought to Justice and punished without mercy. The robber who holds up a citizen, clubs him on the head and takes his money, in flicts a physical' Injury from which he may quite likely recover. The black mailer who fajsely charges a man with transgression inflicts an Injury Which forever destroys his peace of mind and perhaps makes him an outcast from social circles of which he has been an honored member. WHEN MAY COCRTS BE CRITICISED? While criticising The Oregonian for asserting the right. of a newspaper to comment upon a case pending in the courts, Mr. S.. B. Huston in his letter In another column of this Issue himself comments upon the Moyer-Haywood case still pending in Idaho, and criti cises the courts for their decision in one phase of that case. (He has exer cised the right he denies to the news papers. Quite likely he will say that the controversy upon which he com mented has terminated; but that is not true. He says Mover and Haywood were kidnaped and taken to Idaho, and. since the Jurisdiction of a court is a question that can always be raised, that question may still be up for discus sion before the case is ended. In any event,, the case Is still pending and Mr. Huston assorts . the belief that the courts of Idaho have no right to try the defendants. If that is not commenting upon a pending case, we would like to know what it Is. If a man may com ment upon one feature of a case, why may he not comment upon every fea ture of it, and criticise the court at every step in the proceedings? In Mr. Huston's expressed opinion, the Idaho courts have no right whatever to the custody of Mover and Haywood, hence every subsequent step in the proceed ings must be unlawful and! wrong, and his criticism stands against anything and everything that may hereafter bo done toward their trial and conviction or acquittal. In addition to thus flagrantly violat ing the rule he has himself laid down. Mr. Huston otherwise shows the weak ness of his position and gives support to the arguments The Oregonian has advanced in behalf of liberty of speech and freedom of the press. This paper took exceptions to the decision of the United States Supreme Court in which it was held that a stricture upon the court is none the less contempt because it is true, and that the court has an inherent right to punish as contempt any premature statement or argument concerning a pending case. This paper asserted the right of the people and the press to discuss at any time any ques tion pending before the executive, leg islatlve or judicial departments of our Government. Mr. Huston differs, and declares that the people must main tain silence until the court has spoken. Yet he adds that the Supreme Court's recent decision in the case of Moyer and Haywood to the effect that kid naping is lawful If done by the officials of the state is ona for which I have been unable to find) any excuse. If it be admitted that the kidnaping question had terminated, what is to be gained, Mr. Huston, by your express ing such an opinion now? It is frivo lous to criticise a court decision after it has been rendered, as frivolous as to try a man after he has been hanged. If that decision is, as you say, without excuse, much more is it without rea son. . If It is without reason it is wrong. and if it Is wrong it is a monstrous wrong. It is no trivial matter, for it involves a principle of life and liberty upon which this country was founded. You remained silent when your voice or your pen might have done some good; and now you express the opinion that the view of the Supreme Court is "without excuse." The decision of the court. If It is to stand throughout the Moyer-Haywood trial, not only deter mines the law of that particular case. but it establishes a precedent which will remain law for all time. Why, then, make criticism after the decision has been rendered and hold it improper to discuss candidly a case while it is pending? This paper has not advocated intimi dation of a court. To quote from the article to which. Mr. Huston takes ex ceptions: "Some kinds of comment un doubtedly would embarrass the delib erations of a Judge, but the (Supreme Court decision lumps all kinds of com ment together and! explicitly asserts that truth is even more contemptuous than falsehood." And again: "Justice Holmes Is in error when he says that candid comment would obstruct the administration of Justice. The only thing it could obstruct would be that administration of injustice toward which the intricacies of the law invaria bly tend wherkjeft to themselves." The Oregonian held that since courts exer cise a sort of legislative power, ques tions pending before them should be open to discussion Just as much as questions pending before the Legisla ture. And Mr. Huston furnishes argu ment for that contention. In Its de cision In the Moyer case the court evi dently declared that to be law which was not before known to be law. To that extent it legislated. If Mr. Hus ton feels the necessity of criticising the decision in such strong language now, he simply shows the necessity for can did comment before a decision has been Tendered. The weakness of Mr. Huston's posi tion is shown in several other parts of his letter, for he assumes some things The Oregonian did not say and bases his reasoning upon the assumptions. This paper has not advocated going pri vately to L judeTe and discussing a case with him, nor threatening- to hold a judge up to ridicule. Neither has it advocated a policy of publicly discuss ing the pros and cons of every case that is presented- What it has asserted is the constitutional right of every American .citizen to discuss any ques tion at any time, such persons to be re sponsible, of course, for the truth of what they say. This paper upholds the right of labor unions or anybody else to comment candidly upon the Moyer-tHaywood case, now or hereafter. but it Joins with President Roosevelt in denouncing their declaration that 'Death cannot, will not and shall not claim ear brothers." Whether death shall claim them should depend upon the law and the evidence, and candid discussion of either or. both 'will help rather than hinder the cause of Justice. The man who continually forces him self upon tho attention of the people by discussing every petty question that comes up, wheQier in court or out of court, is a public nuisance. He gener ally has no influence whatever either with the court or the people. Whether a man or a newspaper should express its opinions upon a subject involves a question of discretion, but it. should never Involve a question of right. The assertion that members of the marine . or military service of the United States are ejected from libraries or places of amusement merely because they wear uniforms is ridiculous. No one could have a purpose in excluding them for such a reason. It too often happens, that men who wear uniforms make themselves offensive because they have a feeling of superiority. A few shallow-pated and conceited men in this way create a prejudice against others of their class who are modest, gentle manly and dignified. Those who are a credit to their calling suffer from the actions of those who have no proper ap preciation of the elements of good man ners. To the proprietor of a theater the money of a soldier is as good as that of any other person, and if a rule has been established discriminating against them it must have been becauso their conduct in a large number of cases has made such action necessary. Among the lessons that Germany learned from the Russo-Japanese War Is that of rendering as inconspicuous a3 possible the field guns, gun carriages and ammunition wagons of her artillery service. This entire field equipment will be, by the Emperor's order, painted a dull gray a color or tint that is in distinguishable from the dust of the roadside and from other features of a barren landscape. England made, her soldiers conspicuous targets -for ene mies' guns for generations by the regu lation "red coat." The great game of war is played on a more scientific basis than that in these days of khaki uni forms, gray guns and ships of the line painted In time of war a color that blends with that of the sea. The frequency with which the golden weddings of Oregon pioneers are being celebrated tells the story of a common wealth not old, to be sure, but the be ginnings of which have passed into his tory. Not less than half a score of couples who were married in Oregon have celebrated their golden weddings since "the first " of the present year. About each, anniversary cluster happy memories of half a hundred years ago a period wherein our "yet young state was younger yet." and! then, as now, looked -forward hopefully to the future and backward gratefully toward the past. ' If Rhode Island, Wisconsin and some other states would urge their dead locked Legislatures to pass direct pri mary laws and call a special election Immediately, the Senatorial contests could be settled without further delay and with satisfaction to the people. And in the meantime the Legislatures could give attention to 'business. If the Official Exposition Hymn is a sample of the effect of government ownorship In literature, we join with Mr. Bryan in repudiating the heresy. Surely it is the most woodon, specimen of sacred poetry ever written, and that is saying a good deal, for hymnology abounds in triumphs of dullness. County Assessors are now finishing up their field work. It might be well for farmers to appoint committees to investigate the question whether public-service corporations have been as sessed upon the same basis as rural property-owners. The Texas anti-pass law provides. among other things, that "no public of ficer shall hold passes unless he be an employe of a railroad." There was a time when such an exception might be applicable to members of the Portland City Council. Ambassador Bryce has at least dem onstrated his proneness to form opin ions upon scanty information. He says Chicago is- destined to be the most beautiful city in America. But he has never seen Portlandl The labor leaders who assert that confidence In Roosevelt is misplaced might do well to pick out the names of a few public men who have given them more faithful public service. "Give us green bug, boll weevil and locusts, and we can survive, but from over-much legislation who shall deliver us," exclaims a Texas paper. Perhaps you need the referendum- If butter prices do go down a little, it will be no more than fair. These plutocratic farmers have heen getting Klondike prices out of the poor city man for quite a while. Fourth of July Is two months and a week distant. It is to be'supposedi Mr. Daniel McAlIen, who has just recovered from a severe spell of sickness, has a calendar. : The price of lemons has gone up. That is no reason to believe that a smaller number of lemons will be hand, ed to candidates at the primaries. . The man who wants to sue Heney for libel would better be sure he is In a state where the truth Is not admit ted as a defense. Grover Cleveland might Institute an investigation of the charges of Illegal voting in the insurance company elec tions. It Is to be hoped the physician at PRE SCOTT wmb wmb wmb Uj hmb Mada-id are drawing overtime. Jtailroa-d are essential to the trans portation business of the country but watered stock Is not. TVrhaps that Spanish, stork trill -brine' twins. . - THE COIHTS AND THE PRESS I Lawyer Huston Makes a Few Sugges tion a to Criticisms. PORTLAND, April 25. (To the Ed itor.) Referring to The Oregonlan's editorial criticism upon the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Patterson contempt case. " to which you again referred in your issue of April 22, It seems to me that It should - not go unanswered. I had hoped, however, that someone more able - to answer it properly would undertake the task, but so far no one has seen fit to do so. Hence this letter. To understand the matter thorough ly, perhaps it would be better to re cite the facts. A case was pending before the Supreme Court of the State of Colorado. Senator Patterson, through his newspaper, attacked the Supreme Court and predicted that it would de cide the case in a certain way because it would be to the interests of the corporations to have It so decided, and because, as he alleged, the court was dominated by corporate influences. for this he was fined $1000 for con tempt of court and this decision was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. The court held that, after the case -was decided, a newspa per or an individual was perfectly free to criticize the decision, and that the court was not exempt from such criti cism any more than any one else, but that such articles as were published by Senator Patterson's paper during the pendency of the trial were attempts to. influence the decision of the cause and tended to Interfere with the calm and orderly consideration of the mat ter and therefore constituted contempt of court. With this conclusion The Oregonian finds fault. "It says in substance that this is wrong, that the newspapers ought to be permitted to discuss the case and say how It should be decided and why it should be so decided, dur ing the pendency of the trial; that it ought to have the right-to do this so that the press might see to It that the case was properly decided. Let us ex- I amine this carefully. If a writer might through the columns of The Oregonian advise a court or a jury how a case should be decided In the absence of the parties to the litigation, if he may state certain facts or things which they allege to be facts to the court or jury In the absence of the parties, or make arguments as to why the case should be decided so and so, in the absence of the parties, then may" not any other citizen interview the judge or jury and give, to them his opinion as to how the case should be decided? If the editor of The Oregonian may do this, why may not Hon. George H. Williams or Hon. Joseph .N. Teal, or any other citizen of Portland for that matter, go and say to the judge or the jury in the absence of the parties: I know some facts about this case. I know how this case should be decided and if you do not decide it that way. you are going to be held up to public ridicule"? If one . man may do this, why not another? And then the result of the case would depend in all prob ability upon the question as to who was able to get the most people to go and tell the judge or the jury how the case ought to go. In such a trial the man without money would have a small chance, would he not? The rich man could keep the court busy listening to the opinions from outsiders as to the merits of the case. If this is to be done, why not sim plify matters by empaneling ' a jury and then submitting the question as to how the case should go to a popu lar vote, or by petition and remon strance. Of course if editors of news papers are infallible that would make a difference and they would, of course, nave rights not granted to the ordi nary citizen. Now I do not wish to be understood bs holding the Supreme-Court of the United States, or any other court for that matter, to be above criticism. I have criticized that august tribunal myself at various times. I thought its decision in the income tax case, very unfortunate and Its recent decision in the case of Moyer. Haywood et al. to the effect that kidnaping is lawful, if done by the officials of the state, is one for which I have been unable "to find any excuse.- S. B. HUSTON. t s Hints Cheirlna; Gum Brigade. North American. Advising young women -what sort of a man not to marry. Miss Belle Kearney, well-known student of sociological prob lems, who lectured at Temple College, said that "drinking and smoking men should be tabooed." Miss Kearney was addressing the Young Woman s Educational Associa tion on "The Moral Evils of Today." She continued. "If girls would insist on sobriety and propriety, men would have to meet their requirements. The American girl sets the Dace for "the whole world, and if she raises her standards and demands one moral code for men and women she will benefit humanity at large." Miss Kearney asked the young, wom en present to think a long time before they married, and to debate seriously upon the qualifications of the man they choose. The Whole Family Had It. Newcastle Chronicle. A queer case of collective temporary mental aberration, of which an entire family were the victims, 'Is reported from Le Mans as having occurred at Bellevil liers, on the border of the Sarthe and the Orne Departments. A family of six per sons had made their midday luncheon on Sunday, and shortly after all abandoned themselves to extraordinary freaks. One woman spent the whole afternoon wash ing her hands, under the delusion that they were dirty: another made her bed on a lumber heap, and two men kept loading a wagon with soil and then em ptying It. Another went to drive imagin ary cows and kept seeing non-existent balloons, while the youngest roamed about with one boot on and the other off. Toward evening all resumed their usual sane composure. The Suburbanite. St, Louis Post-Dispatch. On Monday night he took a rake XTpon his shoulder boldly. And marched upon the train with It, Though oft regarded coldly. He hung It high up In the coach. And when It acted badly And fell upon a lady's head. He listened to her sadly., On Tuesday night he took si hoe To train upon his shoulder. And patriot with-ancient arm Had not gone forward bolder. . He stood it up beside the s?at. And when It toppled weak ly And hit a neighbor on the head. He heard his neighbor meekly. On Wednesday night he took a tpade. The which he shouldered lightly. And though the others frowned on it. The spade smiled at them brightly. He placed It on a pair of hooks. And when It after while went Across the aisle and cut a man. He listened to him silent. On Thursday night he took a box Of young tomato plants. And often did his poor eyes meet The hard and angry glance. He put them firmly In the rack. And when they came down flying And spoiled a fair typewriter's hat. He heard without replying. On Friday night he took a bag Of well-assorted seed To plant his country garden with Against the Summer's . need. He placed it high above the seats. And when it came untied And poured seed down a neighbor's back. He never once replied. On Saturday he rtayed at home And worked his soli with vim. And when the train went by the rest . Looked out and envied him. "Good boy !" they shouted from the train, "Your garden's looking well!" H looked and for the ftrat time spoke lou people go to I" CITY COUNCIL. AND FREE WATER Why Was Not the Wagnon Amendment Submitted. PORTLAND, April 26. (To the Editor.) The City Council should be severely and universally condemned for its atti tude expressed in the rejection of the Wagnon water amendment. The serious question before us is not one -of whether the amendment is good or bad, desirable or undesirable, or whether it contained some feature which the members of the Council, so admitted ly lax in office, so negligent of their duties to the people, failed to discover. The question of serious moment to us is one of attitude. It is high time that public servants who assume to arrogate to themselves the powers of the people, who conspire to reign and neglect to serve, should be rigorously rebuked. The Council members stated, as their reason for the act of rejection, that the amendment contained a method of obtain ing funds for the building of bridges I which the Council was not aware of. Certain members of the Council have also stated that they passed upon the measure, without any knowledge of its contents. This Is an admission of in capacity, and invalidates any claim to act for the public good and if the people are not of those to whom Lincoln re ferred as capable of being "fooled all of the time." these same . gentlemen will meet their political doom at the next op portunity. But let me suppose the amendment to contain the method re ferred to and grant that the Wagnon amendment is. in the opinion of the derelict City Council, undesirable. Do remissness and private opinion pro vide the City Council with power to deprive the people of the constitutional right on initiative petition, to ' declare whether they do or do not approve ot the measure as a law. If they do. all at tempts of the people through tho initia tive and referendum, may be similarly intercepted. What motive had the City Council in forestalling the referendum bv which the people have overwhelm- inely declared their pleasure and their right? Has the City Council grown so great that it regards Itself God of our affairs? Are we pigmies, imbeciles, in fants and Idiots? We are certainly regarded as such by this immaculate, ad mittedly incompetent. City Council. And so, motherlike, and seemingly under pressure of special privilege, it took the people's will out of the people's hands find arrogantly decided in the interest of some one else. But some one feared the will of the people. Who was it? LOUIS BOWERMAN. 8.1KRYI WHAT IS A DEMOCRAII Several Jiewspnper Wlaeaerea Vainly Endeavor to Solve the Riddle. Milwaukee Sentinel. "What Is a Democrat?". How long is a piece of string? Buffalo -News. 1 - The New York World was making some thing like progress in its inquiry as to what constitutes a Democrat, but the Jefferson dinners have thrown all its fat into the fire again. Toledo Blade. "What is a Democrat?" has received no satisfactory answer. Most people would rather guess on the number of beans in a Jar. Portland -(Me.) Express. A lot of people are trying to answer the question, "What Is a Democrat?" but none of them has really given an answer yet. Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Tho New Tork World keeps right on asking "What Is a Democrat?" just as though It really hoped some day to find somebody who could give the answer. Denver Post. We beg leave to suggest that it would be a good idea to ask President Roose velt to settle this interesting and im portant question, "what is Democ racy?'' No Democrat appears to be able to determine it to the satisfaction of Democrats generally. The confusion was emphasized by the conflicting attitudes ot prominent so-called Democrats at Sat urday's Jefferson day banquets. Troy Press. "What is a Democrat?" The happy medium between a Socialist and an Im perialist. Charleston News and Courier. A Democrat Is a creature that once haunted Wolferts Roost. Wilmington Every Evening. Democrat Is a voter who believes in bard money, home rule and free trade, and does not believe in permitting any side issues to crush out these cardinal ones. - Cleveland Leader. Can It na that nairM 1 TI i 1 1 -n-Ai farl'a DnMt tin- VAn " Ought to Be BrouRht to an Issue. Chicago Chronicle. Charges that certain Western United states Senators have been stealing Gov ernment land ought to be brought to an issue speedily. Left unanswered, such charges strengthen the hands of those who maintain that the entire membership of the Senate is corrupt and dishonest. The best way to disprove the lnsinua tlons ot the Senate's enemies is to go after those Senators who are charged with dishonesty. If they are Innocent, that fact will speedily be demonstrated. If they are guilty, the place for them Is not in the Senate, but in the peniten tiary. Reducing Speed of Trains. Pittsburg Post. Some of the Western railroads are said to have decided upon reducing the speed of passenger trains because of recent legislation. &uch action, while it may be intended as retaliation upon the travel Ing public, ought to result in promoting their safety. The fastest trains might ANY PORT IN THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN TOMORROW TWO STRIKES AND THREE BALLS Full-page illustration in colors of boys at the great game. MAY DAY PLEASURES Beautifully pictured presenta tion of the joys of childhood. THE IDEAL ROADSTER Uncle Sam-'s work in develop ing the perfect carriage he rse. . DEADLY "STEEL FISH" All about 18 new submarine boats to be added to our navy. WILD ANIMALS AS MODELS How painters and sculptors use them in artistic work. SALLY ANN'S EXPERIENCE A little masterpiece of home spun philosophy and humor. DUCHESS IN THE SLUMS Duke of Marlborough's wife (Consuelo Vanderbilt.) joins London's Salration Army. WITH THE G00GAN GIRLS An hour in the studio, discuss ing offers of marriage. BUSTER BROWN AND TIGE These mischief-makers have an adventure in a Chinese laundry. LIFE IN OASIS REPUBLIC Frank G. Carpenter writes from the wilds of Western Sahara. BEULAH'S APPLE PIE A good picnic story for girls by Louise Lexington. The Sunday Oregonian for sale by all newsdealers. well be slowed. down some without harm. If it is proposed, however, to run th trains in uch a way as to embarrass the people generally, -the railroads will soon discover that they have made a. costly mistake, which they will In due time be glad to remedy. TIiIb ia no time for the exhibition ot mere spite upon the part of the railroads, for such an exhibition is certain to only add to the popular senti ment against their abuses. Women Fiisa and Cry Over AVaJls. Austin Dispatch In New York Sun. The annual convention of the Daugh ters of the Texas Republic has broken up in a row, the question at the -bottom ot the disruption being whether the old walls of the Alamo at San Antonio should be torn down and the site converted Into a park. After a parliamentary storm. In which some of the women cried and others shook their Angers at their opponents, the meeting was declared adjourned sine die. No action was taken on the Alamo proposition. IN A STORM From ttim Io'a Angeles Tlrnti ' a , L , ' 'A ?y:-yw'?-r V;:'if,-'iriillviiii ft