8
THE 310KMSW -OKJiUO.VIAX, TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1907.
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PORTLAND, TCKSHAY, APRIL 30, 11)07
LIGHT FOR A MUDDY MIND.
After announcing his intention to ask
t "few suuare deal questions," J. E.
Hosmer, of Silverton, in a letter pub
lished elsewhere in this issue, pro
pounds such a multitude of interroga
tories that it is difficult to determine
where to begin in answering them.
Though the temptation is strong to dis
miss lie subject with only a repetition
of the old saying: concerning the kind of
men -who can ak questions, tho letter
will be given Berious consideration be
cause of the seriousness of the problems
which Mr. Homiier evades by devoting
space to questions rather than expres
sions of his own opinions. Our Silver
ton friend, of atheistic and socialistic
tendencies, suggests that, at the trial of
Moyer and; Haywood, the prospective
jurors will be asked whether th-ey voted
for Roosevelt, whether they are Repub
licans'. whether they expect to vote for
him again, and whether they think
Roosevelt lias goodi Judgment as to the
kind of citizens who are desirable. As
suming that these queslions will bo an
swered in the affirmative, Mr. Hos
iner wants to know whether such jurors
would not he prejudiced.
The Oregonian does not think any
such queslions ought to be or will be
asked, or. if asked, that the trial judge
will permit them to bo answered. A
proper series of questions would be:
Have you heard )r read Mr. Roosevelt's
opinion of these defendants? Did that
opinion cause you to form an opinion as
to their character, and would your opin
ion of their character prevent you from
trying this case fairly and arriving at
a verdict according to the law and the
evidence? A man can be an admirer
of Roosevelt, can believe Moyer and
Haywood tone undesirable citizens, and
still ran sit tn impartial judgment upon
their cose involving the question
whether they did or did not murder
Governor Steunenberg. Hundreds of
men are ncquttted of crimes every year
though the juries are abundantly satis
fied that they- are undesirable citizens.
A jury has Its attention directed to one
particular charge and the evidence that
. supports that charge.
"Are men to be considered innocent
until proven guilty," asks Mr. Hosmer,
who would convey thereby the impres
sion that Moyer and Haywood have
been presumed guilty. That depends
upon what you mean by innocent and
how broad you wish to make the pre
sumption. Moyer and Haywood are to
be considered innocent of the charge of
murdering Governor Steunenberg until
they are proven guilty. Whether they
are to be considered innocent as new
born babes, free of all guile, guilty of
no acts inconsistent with good citizen
ship, will depend upon what their rec
ord has been in general. If Harry K.
Thaw were charged with the murder of
Steunenberg, The Oregonian would not
presume him very innocent nor consider
lilm a desirable citizen. It would pre
sume him Innocent of that particular
act, and proceed, to say what it thought
about his character in genera). That is
precisely what President Roosevelt has
done with regard to Moyer and Hay
wood. This plea of "presumed! to be inno
cent" 1s one set up by guilty men so
frequently that it has come to be the
rauie of presumption against those who
rest their defense upon It. It is a pre
sumption that the law raises in order to
placrv the burden of proof upon the
prosecution. It is the right of every
accused man to stand upon that de
fense, but If he Is in fact innocent he
would better depend upon his innocence
rather than the presumption, and call
for the production of evidence. Mr.
-Hosmer wants this presumption to be
as broad as all creation. Carried to its
logical end. his application of the pre
sumption would forbid a sheriff to ac
cuse a suspected man until he had been
proven gulltv. Under such an Inter
pretation of the presumption, the police
have no right to direct their investiga
tlon particularly to any one class of
persons when, a crimehas been commit
ted and the indications point to that
class as likely to contain the criminal
The guilty man, not the Innocent, wor
ries for fear some of the presumptions
in his favor will be Infringed upon.
Other uucstions asked by Mr. Hosmer
will bo considered more briefly. "Is
our Teddy-the-Wonderful infalli
ble?" No, and because you expect him
to be infallible you magnify any errors
he may commit. However, he is con
sidered by the American people less
fallible than other American citizens.
'Under present conditions is it desirable
to raise boys for. a larger army and:
navy?" No, not for that particular
purpose. It is desirable to raise them
because they bring Joy to a home, be
cause they Rive father and mother
something to live for besides selfishness
and pleasure, because they are a source
of pride and comfort in old age even if
they draw their last breath upon the
field of battle in defense of the honor
of their country's flag.
And finally, "Is there any redress
save through a new government
deriving its just powers from the con
sent of the governed?" Yes, there is. No
government can ever derive its powers
from the consent of the governed. Its
powers must be given by a majority of
the governed. The minority must be
governed whether it consents or not.
The only way is to appeal to the peo
ple through the ballot box. If you
don't want Mr. Roosevelt for President,
vote for some one else. Whenever the
majority of the people favor a revolu
tion they can get it through the ballot
box and need not resort to the sword.
But whether the advocate of a new
government expects to secure it by the
sword or the ballot, he will find men
necessary, and in order to have more
men he must have more boys, and in
the present order of things boys must
be born, they can't be made. Mr. Hos
mer'a intimation that war may be nec
essary in order to make this a governr
merit of the people is therefore an an
swer in itself to the question whether
it is desirable to raise more boys.
LAWYERS AS REFORMERS.
In a most excellent article published
in The Sunday Oregonian, Circuit Judge
Frazer points out a number of needed
reforms in court procedure, to which
legislative attention should be given.
and then adds that he is "aware that
some of the views herein expressed do
not meet with the approval of lawyers
generally," but he also "thinks that
upon these questions lawyers are not
always the best judges."
In this opinion The Oregonian con
curs. By reason of their training law
yers are great respecters of precedent
and are wedded' to existing customs and
forms. One of the obstacles to reform
1n court procedure has been that In the
legislature the committees on judiciary
and revision of laws are made up en
tirely of lawyers, who oppose practical
ly all measures which look toward inno
vations in practice of law. If these
committees, composed of five members
each, were made up of two of the best
lawyers in each house and three men of
successful experience in other lines of
business, there would be a much better
outlook for reform. Lawyers are need
ed on other committees than these so
that leaving some of thein off the judi
ciary and revision of laws committees
need not deprive them of an opportu
nity to turn their knowledge to useful
account.
PORTLAND'S NON-RESIDENT CITIZENS.
Why is it that the people of Oregon,
as a whole, are better acquainted with
events in Portland than a large element
of the population of this city? If you
have not observed this fact, look out
for it next time you take a journey from
the metropolis.
It will be seen that persons through
out Oregon, and in large part Washing
ton, possess accurate information of the
activities in Portland, of buildings.
street improvements, politics, squab
bles of its citizens in short of every
thing going on. Their knowledge even
exceeds that of many of the best in
formed residents of the city.
Of course, the cause of this is the
close interest which our neighbors take
in the affairs of Portland. They read
the newspapers closely. One needi not
recite abroad the doings in this city,
along a certain Hue, when desiring to
make explanations or to discuss mat
ters pertaining to the metropolis with
persons in the Willamette Valley or
Southern or Eastern Oregon. They
have the information ahead of him.
read in the newspapers.
It is the same way as to affairs of
New York City. Residents of Portland
and the Northwest, follow the doings of
that great metropolis even closer than
many residents of New York. So do
people all over the United States.
Around Chicago, tho same fule holds.
In perhaps lesser degree, similar inter
est in San Francisco affairs is mani
fested all over the Pacific Coast. The
residents of those cities, most of them
being very busy, do not read the news
papers as closely as those dwelling
without their limits, whose life is less
strenuous, or for whom there is more
leisure for reading. The country folk
may be called Portland's non-resident
citizens.
This explains why, when a big deal in
real estate is niado in Portland, the
whole country Tound about knows all
the particulars and locates the precise
spot of the deal; and knows, too, when
a big building is started, or a par
ticular store advertises some especially
good bargain, or Jones and Smith have
a clash, or the policemen talk politics,
or several aspirants are striving for the
office of Mayor, or a pink-oomino bur
glar Is at large and then captured, or
when grand opera comes to town, or
there is a silver thaw or a number of
persons are taken down with an un
usual sickness.
All this exemplifies how the mind of
the surrounding country is centered in
Portland. This city is the center not
only of its trade, but also of its talk and
gossip and interest.
THE NKORO AGAIN.
Two current articles on the negro
question illustrate respectively the
spirit which destroys and that which
creates. One. in the Saturday Evening
Post by Harris Dickson, is a ferocious
assault upon the manhood of the n
groes. It denies to them most of the
qualities of human beings and fiercely
demands that they shall be remanded to
a state of perpetual servitude. The
other article, by Ray Stannard Baker
in the American Magazine for May
shows by facts and photographs what
the negroes of Atlanta have actually
accomplished in the way of self-help.
The one article raves after the manner
of Tillman and Vardaman; the other
supplies the calm knowledge which
makes such raving futile-
Some of the facts which Mr. Dickson
cites to prove that the negro cannot
advance are amusing. He says, for
example, that "The Congo native has
not advanced an inch in civilization
from contact with the Portuguese!" He
might have made this much stronger by
adding that he has not advanced half
nn inch by contact with the agents of
King Leopold. What the hoary Bel
gian butcher has been doing for a score
of years the Portuguese have been do
ing for centuries. And yet the negro
has not advanced in civilization under
their rule. Amazing, is it not?
Mr. Dickson adds that the Afro
American voters would speedily revert
to their primitive savagery if the influ
ence of the whites were removed from
them. This may be true. Grant that
it is. The kindly intent of Southern
whites of the Tillman stripe toward the
negroes is shown by their determination
to destroy this influence as completely
as possible. Their wish is to draw an
impassable line between the two races
bo that they shall dwell side by side
without contact. The negro is to be
isolated from the whites toy herding
him in Jim Crow cars, excluding him
from schools and parks and even deny
ing him the -use of public libraries. Ac
cording to Mr. Dickson's statements all
this can have but one purpose and one
effect. That is, to cause the negro to
revert to. cannibalism. Would such a
consummation add to the happiness of
the Southern whites? Would it increase
the value of land In that section?
THE PARKISH PLANS.
Assessor Parrish, of King County,
Washington, has laid down two excel
lent principles for his guidance in fixing
the valuation of taxable property. The
first is that he will assess all property
at its "true value;" the second, that lie
will assess all property whieb has hith
erto evaded taxation. We say that
these principles are excellent, but the
remark is made with reservations.
They are both excellent in theory. In
practice the first one may work great
injustice. It would be manifestly
wrong to assess property in one county
at its true value if the same rule were
not observed in other counties; but this
difficulty is precisely what a state
board of equalization Is created to
avoid. They can raise the valuation
everywhere to correspond with that in
King County and of course, unless they
shirk, their duty, this will be done.
Hence no hardship is likely to arise on
that score. But experience teaches
that when the valuation of taxable
property is raised, our rulers are in
clined at' the same time to raise the
rate. This boxes the taxpayer on both
ears simultaneously and goes rather be
yond the limit of that long-suffering-creature's
patience. The prospect of
having more money than usual to spend
awakens the cupidity of cur officials.
and being for the most part men of
slender judgment and small sense of re
sponsibility their disposition is to ex
tort the last possible penny from their
victims.
One of the fundamental needs in our
revenue system is an annual budget
carefully prepared by an expert. Such
a budget would take note of the neces
sary expenses of the Government, of
the sources of revenue and what each is
likely to produce. Upon these data.
with the actual value of all taxable
property before one It would be possible
to fix an equitable rate of taxation. But
we are for the most part without a bud
get. The expenses of the state or city
are not by any means what a conserva
tive expert would estimate them to be
they are as large as the various logroll
ing interests can make them. The de
mands upon the taxpayer are seldom
fixed with reference to his abilify to
meet them, but almost always by a sort
of conspiracy among a horde of greedy
interests which, are restrained' only by
their mutual selfishness. In well gov
erned communities it is the rule never
to incur a new expense without provid
ing a new source of revenue to meet it,
New sources of revenue are the last
thing .our rulers trouble themselves
about. To their minds their dutv is
done when they have imposed, the bur
den. How to meet it is a matter which
is generally beneath their consideration.
The Qbvious exDedient is of course to
increase the tax rate. To adopt an
other and better one would require
some thought and courage; but think
ing Is too difficult a task for the aver
age legislator while courage is a quality
which is entirely foreign to his nature.
Scientists tell us that a just system of
taxation is something tha;t no human
being has yet invented;; but our actual
system might be made a great deal
more nearly just than it is, and one of
the prime essentials to improve it is
conservative and responsible budget as
. uhms lur me annual levy.
Theoretically it is of no consequence
whether property is assessed at its full
valuo or half its value or ten times its
value. With a rational budge a high
assessment would mean a low tax rate
and a low assessment a high tax rate.
In the end it would come to the same
thing. But as things are now managed
a high assessment leads to a high tax
rate. The reason, apart from the itch
ing palm of the grafter, seems to be
that the high valuation raises expecta
tions of a great revenue. This expec
tation encourages extravagance and.
there being nobody whose business it is
to compare expenditure with income
and hold them down to a reasonable
correspondence, things run wild. But of
a valuation which confessedly undercs
timates property it may be said that it
leads directly to discrimination. When
the rule of "true value" has been aban
doned what standard has the assessor
to follow except his own interest, preju
dice or favoritism? 'He may assess A's
timber land at a cent an acre and B's
at ten dollars If he pleases and for the
most part he does so please. Nor can
the board of equalization remedy the
injustice, for they are quite as destitute
of a standard as the assessor is. Obvi
ously the true value of property Is the
only equitable basis for taxation.
Our assessors and equalizing boards
show the same tendency as the rail
roads to discriminate in favor of large
property owners. "To him that hath
shall be given and) from him that hath
not shall be taken away even that he
hath" is their motto. As a rule the
man who owns little property pays a
much higher rate of taxes than he who
owns a great deal. In this there is no
trace of justice. Whether the valua
tion is high or low it should be uniform
for all property of the same kind; and
there can be no question that the prin
ciple of assessing at the true value
tends to eliminate discrimination while
a low assessment encourages it by mak
ing it facile, clearly the proper meth
od is to shun deceit in the matter, set
the value down on the tax rolls as it 1
In the market and then limit the levy
by applying sense and honesty to the
business. If necessary the law should
establish a maximum above which the
tax rate may not rise. This would en
courage our legislators to seek out new
sources of revenue when they incur
new expense. Mr. Parrish's proposal
to let no property escape the levy is
simple Justice, but It is so contrary to
the rule ordinarily observed that It
strikes everybody as a great novelty. If
he carries out his Idea one may expect
to see the taxdodgers appealing to the
courts on the ground that it is unconsti
tutional to compel them to pay their
fair share of the public expenses; and
the courts may sustain their contention.
One never knows what tricks the law
may play when it is a question of
favoring the big property owner at the
expense of the little one.
That British Columbia, and hence the
Dominion of Canada In general, must
take the same view of the Japanese im
migration question as does the United
States is inevitable. Efforts of Japan
ese laborers to gain admission to this
country through British Columbia are
therefore not likely to receive even
passive encouragement from that prov
ince for any considerable time. What
ever interest the United States has in
excluding Japanese labor is shared by
Canada, though the impoytance of the
matter may not be so apparent at the
present time to the British Columbians.
However, the authorities across the line
are giving the subject careful attention
and it is certain that in its effort to
solve the problem the United States will
have the sympathy of Canada. What
ever difficulties in this particular this
country may encounter will eventually
be experienced by the Dominion.
That the Foraker-Taft fight in Ohio
may endanger the success of the Re
publican ticket in the next National
election is asserted by Leslie's Weekly,
which paper shows that the state is so
evenly divided politically that Benja
min Harrison, a native son, carried it
by only 1000 in 1892, McKinley, also a
native son, carried it by onJy 61,000 in
1896, and 69,000 in 1900- Though Roose
velt carried it by 225,000 in 1904, his vote
is no indication of party strength for
John M. Pattison, Democrat, was elect
ed Governor by 42,000. Prom 1869 to
1S97 Ohio had one Democrat in the Unit
ed States -Senate and) sometimes both
the Senators from that state were Dem
ocrats. Family rows may make Ohio
doubtful.
No half way measures go with old
China when she sets out to discipline
her subjects or to make them circum
spect by compulsion- Secrecy, in the
transmission of telegraph dispatches in
the empire is to be insured) in future by
the decapitation of any official who re
veals the contents of any important
message in transit; the ordinary mes
sage of commerce thus revealed will
subject the offender to 10 years in pris
on, while half that term of involuntary
servitude is provided for the person who
knows of the infraction of this law but
neglects or refuses to report the matter.
It is not probable that many secrets
will drop from telegraph wires in China
after this.
An important convention both from
a humane and an economic standpoint-
is that which will be held in Washing
ton, May 6 to 8, of the National Asso
ciation for the study and prevention of
tuberculosis. The progress of the cam-
paign against this malady- in the United
States will be sketched by the executive
secretary of the association; the com
pulsory notification and registration of
tuberculosis patients will be discussed
and a number of addresses on 'the best
means of dealing with the disease will
be given. The subject is one that at
tracts much attention and one in which
thousands of individuals in the country
feel a pathetic interest.
The American Shorthorn Breeders'
Association is trying a case for the ex
pulsion of two of its members who are
charged with fraudulently registering
animals. A charge of that kind should
be vigorously yet Justly prosecuted.
Breeders' associations are governed by
their own rules, and not by state laws.
If the managers of the association
overlook fraud or close their eyes to
evidence of it, we shall soon lose all
confidence in the records of such organ
izations. It is to be expected that some
fraud will be successfully perpetrated
but no livestock association can afford
to be careless in dealing with suspected
infringements of rules.
Twenty doctors eighteen men and
two women were added to the list of
medical practitioners, or of persons II
censed to practice medicine, by the
graduation of this number of students
from the medical department of the
University of Oregon in this city, last
night. This is a line in which the sup
ply keeps up with the demand, neither
demand nor supply seeming to weaken
before the advance of modern methods
and disciples of healing.. While most
people distrust the efficacy of pills and
potions when in health, they still adhere
to the age-old habit of calling in the
doc.tor when they are sIck.
Foes of the State University are try
ing for signatures in Marion County to
the petition for referendum on. the Uni
versity appropriation. It should be
remembered in Marion, however, that
the Legislature makes appropriations
for expenditure in Salem and that one
or more of them might be held up by
referendum, too. It should be remem
bered also that It might be possible to
do several things under the initiative,
that Marion County might not like.
Dwellers in glass houses are wise not
to throw stones at their neighbors.
A Kentucky lecturer on health de
clares that a man should be ashamed
to show in heaven before he is 70. The
Kansas City Journal notes in behalf of
the modesty of the eex, that compara
lively few men are making any notice
able preparation to do so.
According to an opinion recently ren
dered there is no law in New York to
prevent a woman from drinking all the
liquor she wants. This is a case which
the unwritten law might with great
propriety be made to cover.
If the candidates will pay their bills
as they go along, they will find it easier
In the end. Otherwise' the defeated
ones will suffer the vanes of the man
who was called upon to pay for a "dead
hoss."
Heney says he is coming to Portland
to put Biiiger Hermann in jail. It is
discouraging to remember that Heney
thus far has done pretty much all he
has set out to do.
It takes courage to run for office
these days. There are some characters
who have not the courage and others
who may yet be sorry they have.
An anti-Roosevelt Society or club has
been organized in Georgia. Perhaps it
will kindly permit the President to
serve out his term of office.
At any rate, if the railroads abandon
some of their projected work the farm
ers will find it a little easier to get help
this Summer.
Some of the candidates will not be so
rejoiced to behold their pictures posted
all over the town, after the primaries.
PRESS OI1MO ON MOVER LETTER I
Also a Few Odd Indictment.
North American (Rep.).
President Roosevelt seems not only to
have the courage of his convictions, but
also of a few odd indictments.
Signal Proof of Conviction.
Milwaukee (Wis.) Sentinel (Rep.).
In bluntly refusing to knuckle down
to the demands of this Moyer-Haywood
Conference Mr. Roosevelt has given one
more signal proof of the courage of his
convictions, whether those convictions
happen to be distasteful to organized
wealth or organized labor.
People Like a Ftshter.
Indianapolis News (Ind.).
Our President is a veritable Mark Tap-
ley not that he is only happy when he
is miserable but that he only feels him
self, so to speak, wheri the lighting edge
has just been freshly whetted. Then he
does so thoroughly enjoy himself that he
needs no helper. And likely enough the
people enjoy it also.
Ilurrlmnn Winhea He Hadn't.
New York World, Dem.
President Roosevelt stands by his guns
in the Moyer-Heywood matter, or rather
swings his big stick for another thwack
t men who in his judgment counsel
violence. . Mr. Harrlman, at any rate.
must wish the comparison had never been
made. It will keep his own misdeeds
well advertised.
Better Judgment Larking.
Philadelphia Record, Dem.
An officer of exalted rank should have
greater care, in saying that which might
prejudice juries or impress a court than
body of excited labor unionists. The
net result of the President's action will
be to gie an importance and a character
to the resolutions of the Moyer-Haywood
Association of Chicago which they would
otherwise nave failed to attain.
Enay for the President.
New York Mail, Rep.
How open to retort the friends of
Moyer and Haywood laid themselves
when they objected to the President's
classification of the latter with Harri-
man as ."undesirable citizens" is shown
In Mr. Roosevelt's frank and courageous
letter to a Chicago labor group. It was
easy for the President to refuse the role
of "enemy of labor" " which some of his
critics had assigned him.
Admire. Virility of Answer.
Pittsburg Dispatch (Rep.).
The time-serving, fence-setting and
danger-dodging type of politician is so
familiar it is a positive inspiration to
find a man of the President's straight
forward type. Even those who have most
hotly resented his classification of Moyer
and Haywood with Harriman, and have
condemned his utterance as tending to
prejudice the trial of the accused, must
admire the virility of his answer.
Kooaevclt'a t'onldon Reasonable.
Louisville Courier-Journal, Dem.
It is because Moyer and Haywood rep
resent a class of citizens who preach
violence and bloodshed that President
Roosevelt considers them "undesirable,"
and his position certainly ought to
sound reasonable to all unprejudiced and
law-abiding persons who have no patience
with inciters of hatred, lawlessness and
destruction, without regard to their pov
erty or wealth, labor affiliations or dwell
ing place.
Put the Country In HI Debt.
New York Evening Post, Ind. -Dem.
When in honest indignation, President
Roosevelt holds up to public scorn those
wicked- chiefs of labor organizations
whose policy is violence. Incitement to
crime, and bloodshed, he puts the whole
country in his debt. Such a frank and
timely deliverance will help to keep
alive that Ideal of Roosevelt which we
all like to cherish. President Roosevelt
never did a finpr thing than his reply, to
tho protesting labor unions.
Shame on Deb Et AI.
Chicago Inter. Ocean, Rep.
There was in Mr. Roosevelt's conduct
no provocation for the crazy vituperation
of Eugene Debs and his ana-rchistic as
sociates. The language of these men dis
graces their American liberty and insults
this American nation. It does not hurt
the President of the United States, but
defames those who use it. The fact
that the President descended into the
arena to bandy words with them is no
excuse whatever for these men. Shame
on them!
Where Mr. Jaxon Get It.
Chicago Evening Post (Rep.).
Honore Jaxon, chairman of the Cook
County Moyer - Haywood Conference,
wrote a letter to Theodore Roosevelt
and hoped to get an answer. Ho has his
answer, and it is all sufficient. If Mr.
Jaxon can find in it a trace of balm
for the soothing of his spirit he has the
searching Instinct of the weasel. Tho
President has written to the point. The
law-abiding will be satisfied with the
position he takes. It seems to be im
pregnable. It Your Another Tone.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican, Dem.
Mr. Roosevelt's letter in reference to his
Moyer-Heywood animadversions would be
better if it were briefer, more temperate,
more dignified, and less given to the
"you're another" tone. But in any case
the President should present some evid
ence, or say he possesses it. when passing
judgment in public against the general
character of these men or any other
private citizens. And it is no time for
him. most of all, to present such a Judg
ment on the eve of or during their trial
on a criminal charge.
The Letter Rings True.
New York Tribune, Rep.
President Roosevelt's letter rings true
and will have the approval of the vast
majority of Americans, to whom plain
speaking is welcome and by whom fear
lessneps in maintaining the right to
criticise evil deeds and evil tendencies
Is still regarded as a cardinal public
virtue. The American people have a
vast respect for a man who is not de
terred from passing censure, if. he thinks
censure is deserved, by the threatened
condemnation of powerful interests which
he runs the risk of offending.
One Crumb' of Comfort.
New York Sun, Rep.
In the entire document the word "lies",
occurs only once; and that in a relation
which deprives the verb of any offensive
significance. "So far as in my power
lies,' says the President, "I shall uphold
Justice." He does not use the word any
where In the sense customary to his
tongue and pen. , This may seem a
precious small credit mark in the case of
a public utterance by a President of the
United States. Nevertheless, the evid
ence of self restraint is encouraging and
ihould be recorded with gratitude.
Open Floodgate of Slush.
Chicago Chronicle. Rep.
The controversy becomes more than a
mere passing incident. It assumes the
proportions of a public calamity. For the
professional blatherskites will continue to
write open letters to the President as
long as there is any possibility of get
ting them printed or answered. The
yellow newspapers will continue to print
them. The American people will thus be
deluged for an indefinite period with so
cialistic fulminations mixed with abuse
of the President and condemnatory of law
and order generally. This Is the real
misfortune of the whole controversy. It
has opened the floodgates of slush.
NO MORE IS MURDER A CRIME
Appears to Be Rapidly Becoming Obso
lete in This Country.
Indianapolis News.
We seem to be fast approaching a. time
when we shall have to consider whether
it is . possible In this country for a man
to commit murder. A few days ago two
men were acquitted by a Virginia jury,
though they had deliberately and know
ingly killed, they having acted so it ap
pears under the "higher law." A little
later a man charged with murder, and
proved to have killed, was acquitted by
a Missouri jury, the unwritten law again
having been invoked. In Indianapolis,
not long ago,' another killer was freed,
his plea having been that he was insane
at the time of his action. It is said that
the woman in Chicago who, a few weeks
ago, killed the man with whom she was
in love, will plead Insanity. In Nebraska,
Frank Brink, who killed his sweetheart,
was found to be insane by & Commission
of Experts. Thereupon the Judge in
structed the jury, which brought In a
verdict of not guilty. The plea of in
sanity has been Interposed in behalf of
a 15-year-old girl who murdered tho baby
which she had been hired to nurse. From
Ohio we get the story of another "brain
storm." One man simply killed another
In the old-fashioned way, but his friends
and lawyers insist that he was the victim
of a brainstorm, and was suffering from
dementia at the time of the shooting
Finally, we have from Maryland tho
interesting story of the acquittal of
woman who killed her sister "because
she was always running after, my hus
band." The theory in this case seems to
have been that the slayer did not even
know what she was doing.
Here are nine cases of killing In which,
the slayers were either acquitted or stand
a good chance of being acquitted when
brought to trial. And yet in every one of
them killing was done. And, no doubt,
in every one of them the killer knew
what he was about. So we think that
people may well inquire whether murder ;
is not an obsolete crime In the United
States. And yet to say that lack of self
control which is about all that a brain
storm amounts to is such insanity as to
be a sufficient defense Is to put a pre
mium on violence of all kinds. It is the
business of men to control themselves,
the law expects and demands it of them.
MEMORIAL DAY EXERCISES.
One Comrade Axlta Thnt Veteran
Confine Visit to Public School.
PORTLAND, April 29. (To the Ed
itor.) The Grand Army of the Re
public has commenced its preparation
for the observation of services at
tending the approaching Memorial Day
one of the most interesting of which
is the visits of veterans to the public
schools on the Friday preceding the
30th of May. Principals and teach
ers prepare their topics for the occa
sion with exercises of a patriotic na
ture that they may greet and honor
the visiting veterans. It lias fre
quently occurred that after making
such preparations some schools have
been disappointed by the failure of
the visitors to make their appearance
as expected, and it may be well to
ascertain the cause of such failure
and its remedy. The order establish
ing this custom stated as the reason
therefor that the public school was
the basis of our liberties and free
government, and directing that posts
of the Grand Army should make de
tails of veterans to visit such schools
on the Friday preceding Memorkil
Day and endeavor to. inculcate in the
minds of tho pupils the principles of
patriotism, loyalty and devotion to our
flag and our country.
With a perhaps laudable ambition
the Grand Army has for several years
gone beyond the intent of the original
order by extending its visits to col
leges. ioademlas. universities, and,
last year, for the first time in this
city, to various denominational
schools, with the result that a greater
number than usual of the public
schools were neglected. The ranks of
the veterans are rapidly thinning and
the situation is this: that with an in
creasing number of public schools and
an annually decreasing number of
veterans to visit them It would seem
that the Grand Army Is making a mis
take in going so far beyond the in
tent of those who instituted the cus
tom.
This writer ventures the opinion
that the Grand Army should hark bacK
to the original order and confine its
details of visiting veterans to the
public schools only. G. E. CAUKIN.
'Tulip Girl." Nickname of Mis Taft.
New York Press.
Although she is not yet a social "bud,"
Miss Helen Taft has been nicknamed
"Tho Tulip Girl." by her close friends.
The title had its origin In her fondness
for a certain style of dressing. Thus
princess gown of pale rose cloth has
yoke of deep yellow lace and a single
red and yellow tulip rests on a dark
green straw hat that crowns her blond
hair. The daughter of the Secretary of
War is almost 17 and will "come out" in
the last Winter of the Roosevelt ad
ministration. She is a classmate of Miss
Kthel Roosevelt in the Cathedral school.
Miss Taft has been in the Orient and
can rattle off Philipino phrases.
BILL TAFT'S
mm
. ':VeJ H'l Vt.1XL'
I
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ROOSEVELT AND S4CARB DEAL
One Citizen Who Think He Hasnt
Given It to Moyer et al.
SILVERTON, Or., April 27. (To the
Editor.) I was very much interested
in an article in The Oregonian April
25, entitled, "Moyer's Friends Join in
Protest," and aside from all political
prejudices, I wish to ask a few "squaro
deal" questions.
When tho trial of Mover is launched.
May(9. would it be fair to allow a
Roosevelt man to sit on the jury? The
attorney for the defense might ask the
juryman: Are you a Republican? Did
you vote for Mr. Roosevelt? Will you
vote for him again if he is nominated
for a third term? Do you think he
has good judgment regarding the kind
of citizens who are desirable? Now. if
the gentlemen of the jury should an
swer in tho affirmative, how could he
be otherwise than prejudiced against -Mr.
Moyer. in view of the fact that Mr.
Roosevelt has said that he (Mr. Moyer)
Is an undesirable citizen?
We have drifted into a condition
that is appalling. Creeds and clans
are making the Goddess of Liberty
weep tears which may turn Into rivers
of blood. Even in our villages Jury
lists are owned by those who govern;
and the ownership Is usually held by a
"dirty dozen" who manipulate things
after the manner of a Hermann. Is
the strength of the Union of such
men. who get and hold wealth and
office, to ruin this great Nation, by de
feating and trampling the principled of
justice and civic righteousness Into
the mire of fraud, of poverty and of
slavery? Are men to be considered in
nocent until proven guilty, or are we
to go back to the barbarous Idea of
past ages? As we move up and down
the scale of commercial prosperity Is
the great evil flood, proceeding from
the "root of all evil." going to put
out the light that our forefathers
lighted at Lexington, at Bunker Hill
and at Valley Forge? If Mr. Roose
velt is, as he should be, a very wise
man, can he be a very good man when
he must know that words uttered
against Mr. Mover would tend strongly
to his conviction, even though Mr.
Moyer be innocent? Moyer. Havwood
and Debs are not yet convicted, and
therefore is not Mr. Roosevelt now to
be considered by an unprejudiced pub
lic as a very undesirable servant of
the common people?
e voted for Mr. Roosevelt, and we
were elated to have prosperltv's ear
pass through out great Republic; but
is it an to terminate in the prosperity
of the 1 per cent of our population
who now own over one-half of our
wealth; and are the "ninety and nine"
to become slave-builders of tho colos
sal pyramid-tombs of our rocky princes
or finance who derive their divine
power from the almighty dollar? Ts
our cowboy pope-of-hlerh-flnance.
Teddie, tho wonderful, Infallible? Does
ho hold the powers of life and death
In his hands? Is lie to sit in judgment
and prejudge kidnaped worklngnien
because they do not teach the war doc
trines of competition to nien. and war
supply doctrine of fecundity to women.
as a cure for race suicide Under pres
ent conditions, is It desirable to raise
hoys for a larger Army and Navy? Are
the Depews and Platts and Alririrhcs
and their moneyed employers desirable
citizens? Do the trusts own all tho
departments of our Government? And.
if so, is there any redress save through
a new Declaration of Independence, a
revolution and a new Government, de
riving its just powers from tho con
sent of the governed?
J. E. TTOSMKll.
Break a sixty-Year-Old Thlrat.
rittsburg Ditspatcii in New York Times.
Sir Robert OransUm of Edinburgh.
Scotland, lins the camel beaten. For 60
years he went without a drink that is,
a drink of anything considered here aa
worth while but now he Is oft the water
wason.
The dedication of the nev Carnegie
Institute, the gift of the people of Pius
burg from his distinguished brother
Highlander, was much, and Sir Robert
Flipped. It was merely a slip, for ono
glass ,of claret was the extent of the
Scotchman's dissipation, but it created
no end of jest among the foreigners and
Americans who aro here for the dedi
cation. With others of the distinguished guests.
Sir Robert Cranston was in the bar of
the Hotel Schenley. when some one pro
posed a toast to the "Laird of Sklho."
Lord Cranston hesitated for a minute,
and then, thinking over the oceans of
mineral waters that he has consumed,
he winked at the bar-tender and re
market!, "A little claret, please."
"I . never had a drink of alcoholic
liquor in my life until now." he said.
"Not even Scotch whisky. While lord
Provost of Edinburgh I had a fine repu
tation as a consumer of what you would
call soft drinks, but when the toast of
Mr. Carnegie was proposed tonight I
broke my 61 years' thirst."
Iady Cranston heard the news before
Sir Robert left the bar. When she saw
him she smiled and remarked:
"I heard all about you; you're becom
ing a terrible inebriate."
Should Select Men Ko on Trial.
New York Globe, Rep.
As a matter of fact, the President, of
course, has no wish to prevent Moyer
and Haywood having a fair trial. - Yet
It is most unfortunate, when efforts are
being made to show labor organizations
the wickedness of assuming that the
courts of Idaho are corrupt and unjust,
for the President to give color to the
charge that he also Is interfering. The
next time the President feels moved to
mention names and point to "types" he
should select men not on trial.
TURN NEXT
?5 l&JMh'X
From the New York Marl.
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