8
THE MORXIXG OREGONIAX, SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 190S.
Wilt (Brngmimi
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PORTLAND. SATURDAY. JAN. 4, 1308.
A GREAT POLITICAL, SOLVENT.
There will be no need of nominat
ing Republicans for the) Legislature
this year; no need of electing any.
Statement No. 1, which we learn is to
be a prime favorite, will require every
one of them to vote for a Democrat
for Senator, if the Democratic candi
date should get a plurality on the pop
ular vote, wnat s me use, men, or
having Republican members in the
Legislature? They will be Blmply
absurd. For if the Republican candi
date for the Senate should obtain a
plurality on the popular vote, the
Democrats of the Legislature will
elect him just as well. (Though some
may doubt.) There can be no poli
tics in the Legislature except the elec
tion of the Senator. Democrats, just
as well as Republicans, can vote for
laws to prevent hogs from running at
large. We see no reason why Repub
licans should bother to send any
members to the Legislature.
Perhaps on reflection they will see
it is not necessary. Great progress
has been made in Oregon within the
past few years in political science. It
has been discovered that "there is no
politics" in the election of Governor;
"no politics" in the election of Mayor
of Portland, or of any other town; no
politics In the election of Sheriff, or of
any other county officer. And now,
through the simple expedient of State
ment No. 1, there is no politics in the
election of United States Senator.
Consequently no politics in the elec
tion of members of the Legislature.
A great hlg bunch of us therefore is
relieved from all political effort or
worry. The object is to be rid of
party, and if there is to be a Repub
lican Senator, why we may depend on
the Democrats in the Legislature to
elect him.
Statement No. 1, taken in connec
tion with the primary law, is a polit
ical revelation. It relieves us of all
party effort.
THE MIDDLEMAN.
That the producer and consumer
ought to be brought together, so they
may deal directly with each other
and cut out the middleman, is an old
story. The producer gets little, the
consumer Is heavily overcharged, and
the long line of middlemen that stand
between make profits in most cases
exceeding by far the first values of the
commodities. It is especially so with
many, perhaps most, articles of food.
The New Tork World says that the
milkmen in that city receive eight to
ten cents a quart for milk, which the
farmer produces for two cents a quart
in Summer and four cents a quart in
Winter. Also that an increase of a
few cents a ton in the mining cost of
coal, which was won by the working
men only by the hardships of a great
strike, is made the excuse for putting
three to five times the added Cost on
the retail price of coal, which goes
through the hands' of a succession of
middlemen each of whom puts on the
original added cost, till the poor little
"pail" of coal sold to the poor con
sumer costs many times the original
price. Fruits, meats and vegetables
of most kinds pass from producer to
consumer with similar added charges.
The revolt of tenants in New York
against rents owes no small part of Its
force to the speculative middleman,
who leases houses from their owners
at prices satisfactory to them, and
then sub-lets to tenants, at extortion
ate rates. The foreign-born are the
worst robbers in this way of their own
countrymen.
It is easier to complain about all
these things than to find remedies for
them. Indeed they seem remediless.
Nor is the great city alone subject to
them. Everywhere it is much the
same. The producer who seeks the
market gets little. The consumer,
who must be supplied from day to
day, pays much. At both ends the
people get little for their money. We
may suppose if there could be any
better machinery of distribution it
would have been created and em
ployed long ago. Host of the real
evil is due to the hand-to-mouth man
ner in which the greater number of
the people live. They buy only :
today, or at most for tomorrow. There
are multitudes who cannot do other
wise; yet may who might do other
wise that is, might buy most articles
in quantities will not take the, trou
ble. The middleman is little to be
blamed. His services are In dec .-d,
and he makes all he can; and it sh uld
be remembered that there is Intense
competition among the middlemen
themselves, which is no small guaran
tee against extor on.
REAPING THE WHIRLWIND.
Another town has been attacked by
the night riders and partially burned.
This time it Is Russellville, Ky. A lit
tle while ago it was Hopkinsville, in
the same state. A few days hence it
will be some other town. The night
riders are an organization of tobacco
farmers who take these extreme meas
ures to rescue themselves from the
extortion and tyranny of the tobacco
trust. The trust has robbed them of
the entire profit of their Industry, and
has destroyed 'the market value of
their land. Driven to desperation,
they are trying to recoup themselves
and extirpate the influence of the
trust by violence.
Their deeds are to be condemned
by every person who wishes well to
the country. Nothing can excuse ar
son and murder. Still, It Is to be re
membered that arson, murder and all
the horrors of anarchy are precisely
what we must expect in this country
if the piracy of the trusts goes on un
checked. It is not In the nature of
men of our race to submit to tyranny
and extortion without - resistance.
When the law fails to protect them
they have always united to protect
themselves, and beyond a doubt they
always will. We may blame them.
We do blame them unqualifiedly; but
at the same time we recognize that
they are obeying the primary Instincts
of human nature. The justice which
the law fails to give them they are
seeking by wild and savage methods.
This is only a beginning. Unless the
power of the trusts Is broken we shall
see similar outrages all over the- coun
try. Wrong- begets wrong. Injustice
under the forms of law begets riot and
murder in defiance of law.
Commenting on the deeds of the
night riders, a Southern paper says:
The one remedy for their outrages is
to strike with greater force; to strike
hard and strike home. No organiza
tion is as strong as the state. The
state will vindloate Its authority
against all who defy It." This seems
to ring true. ' It has a manly, courage
ous sound. And yet there is a better
remedy than to shoot down these
wronged and plundered farmers. It
is to do them justice by putting the
law into effect against the trust. Why
should there be law to slaughter the
wronged, but l one to protect him
from the spoiler? It sounds bold to
say "there is no organization as strong
as the state," but in fact the tobacco
trust is stronger than the State of
Kentucky. It is stronger than the
United States Government. At any
rate, it controls both governments as
far as its purposes r- auire. If these
Kentucky farmers had not been har
ried and plundered to the last extrem
ity that human nature can endure,
does anybody imagine for a moment
that they would be banded together to
burn and murder? When men are
desperate they will do desperate
deeds. Th3 remedy for the troubles is
to remove the causes that have driven
the peaceful Kentucky farmers to de
spair. Those who have committed
crimes should, of course, be punished;
but to seek to repress their raids by
force while the maddening Injustice
continues will 1. ve a smoldering fire
in their hearts which is certain to
break out again and again, and al
ways with greater destruction.
MTXX, COMPETITION BE RESTORED?
The Government is about to pro
ceed against the Union Pacific and.
Southern Pacific for dissolution of the
merger under which they are being
operated, an for restoration of the
competition which prevailed before
the Union Pacific bought Southern
Pacific stock. It is also stated t:.at
the courts will be asked to break up
the combine under which the two rail
roads are alleged to operate their
steamships. The proceedings will -be
watched with much interest through
out the United States, for, if the Har
riman system is found to be in conflict
with the law by merging its proper
ties, a precedent will be established
which might logically result in di
vorce of connecting or "merged" lines
all over the United States.
The Southern Pacific and the Union
Pacific are parallel lines, although
they, are several hundred miles apart;
and each road serves many hundreds
of miles of territory that cannot be
Berved by the other. This is not the
case with some of the paralleling
roads that are merged in other parts
of the country, the most notable case
being the Michigan Central and the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern,
both of which are controlled by the
New York Central, which owns large
blocks of stock in both roads. These
roads have an eastern - terminus at
Buffalo, and, coming west, parallel
each other on opposite sides of Lake
Erie, and, after passing that body of
water, cross the states of Michigan
and Indiana into Illinois never more
than sixty miles ap:.rt, and at Elkhart,
Ind. and Niles, Mich., coming within
less than twenty miles of each other.
The rates on these two roads are
not fixed by any healthy competition
between them.but by the New York
Central, which owns more than $60,
000,000 worth of stock in both roads.
The Pacific Coast, and especially Ore
gon, has suffered much at the hands
of the Harriman -system, but it is not
at all clear where relief is coming
from dissolution of the merger. If
Mr. Harriman is compelled to sell his
holdings in one or the other - the
roads, he will nt rurally dispose of
them to people whom he can trust.
There will be more officials to support
and the . economies of consolidation
will be lost.
The steamship service of the Harri
man lines out of Portland is about as
bad as it well ould be, but there is
no assurance that it would be im
proved by Harriman's maintaining
separate organization for the union
Pacific and th i Southern Pacific.
From this distance it would seem that
the Government might have tried out
the parallel line issua nearer home
with better chances of success. The
dear public that pays the bills will
hardly profit by a change which at tjie
best will only make Mr. Harriman
proprietor of the -Union Pacific and
the Southern Pacific as separate prop
erties, instead of proprietor of the
Union Pacific, which owns the South
ern Pacific.
NATIONAL, BANK CONDITIONS.
The Controller of the Currency, in
the statement of the condition of Na
tional banks, makes a sensible, un
biased explanation of last year's
troubles. He says that "the conditions
which made this crisis possible are the
accumulated . composite results of
many years of business. The whole
world has been overtrading and ex
panding, and nowhere has it been
more rampant than in the United
States." That this condition has
given way to a condition radically Im
proved Is quite clearly set forth in
the Controller's detailed statement.
which shows that in no state In the
Union do the National banks fail to
return an excess tf reserves above the
15 per cent requirements. The figures
for the country as a whole are so ex
ceedingly flattering that they are In
clined to cause surprise that there
could have been so much excitement a
few weeks ago with so little cause
for it
The statement shows that the re
sources of 6625 National banks in the
country were $194,109,924 greater on
December 3, 1907,' than they were on
November 12, 1906, with an increase
of $219,291,798 in loans and discounts
for the same period. , These - banks
held on December 3 deposits reaching
the enormous total of $4,176,878,717,
and their resources, including more
than $1,400,00,000 in cash and Gov
ernment bonds, reached a grand total
of $8,408,000,000. The report is a
flattering one and it will Co much to
hasten restoration of confidence. The
public has been pretty well informed
regarding the causes of the recent up
heaval, and the effect was so far
reaching that there is small likelihood
of a recurrence of the trouble for
many years.
Portland and Oregon have been
criticised for the size of the reserves
held by the banks of this state, but
our banks hold - nothing but Oregon
money and our bankers of the legiti
mate type simply sought to protect
their own . depositors. Portland was
the first city on the Pacific Coast to
resume cash payments, and as a re
sult we are again on the up grade,
with most of our troubles behind us.
The Controller's statement shows that
the individual deposits in four' Na
tional banks at Seattle, December 3,
were $19,866,652, compared with $18,-
100,569 in two Portland banks. The
fact that Seattle is net yet on' a cash
basis is not the only indication that
the strain was more severely felt there
than in Portland, for, while her four
National banks showed a decrease of
$200,000 in loans and discounts be
tween August 22 and December 3, the
two National .banks in this city In
creased their loans nearly $400,000.
The strength of the country banks
was, of course, of material assistance
to Portland, and this city and state
emerged from the cloud with flying
colors, and .are once more ready for
anything which the future has in store
for them.
A USE FOR HYPN OTISM.
The almost supernatural wisdom of
our police forces in this part of the
world Is evinced by nothing more de
cisively than by their treatment of the
vagrants who chance to wander within
the limits of their authority. The ap
proved method is for the police of
each city to pass all their vagrants on
to the next city. Thus the unsavory
horde Is kept moving in an unbroken
stream which constantly increases in
volume. The beauty of the method is
admirable. It Is also effective. Con
stant motion, as everybody knows,
keeps water sweet and pure. Why
should it not have the same effect
upon hobos? Take any hobo you
please and keep him moving fast
enough and far enough and he will'
become an exemplary citizen. This
is the theory the police act upon, and
beyond question It Is true. If it is
not true it ought to be, for it naves
our guardians both trouble and
thought. To ask them to take trouble
for the public good were too cruel.
To ask them to think were absurd;
for nobody can think without a bram.
Excellent as the plan of the police
for dealing with hobos appears, never
theless Mayor Lane does not like it.
He has an incendiary notion that each
city ought to deal with its own va
grants instead of sending them on to
the next neighbor. He even goes so
far as to suggest that it would b a
good idea to put them to work, not
merely at the classical rockplle, but
upon a big farm, or perhaps in a
workhouse. One may conjecture that
possibly the thought has entered his
mind of constructing a concrete dock
with cheap vagrant labor, or of using
it to lay out the parkways which th j
city may some time build. In place
of these vain Imaginations, The Ore
gonlan has a more practicable sugges
tion to make, which It is hoped will
receive due consideration at the con
vention of Mayors which Mr. Lane
has ponvoked.
The reader will recall the fact that
in India the Yogis are conversant with
the art of hypnotizing a man so thor
oughly that he can be buried and thr
revived again after he has lain in the
ground for centuries. Knowledge -of
this most useful art is confined in the
Western world to Mrs. Besanc, and
possibly to Mrs. Catherine Tingley, but
no doubt they would Impart it to oth
ers for a -proper consideration. Armed
with this secret, think how promptly,
effectively and -cheaply our police
could deal with the superfluous work
man who had been so indiscreet as
to lose his Job. They would simply
hypnotize him and lay him away on a
shelf, there to pass the -"ays and
months in sweet repose until . the
trusts were ready to employ him
again. This plan is commended to
Mayor Lane and his colleagues. : We
venture the -assertion that, deliberate
as they may, they will light upon
nothing half so effectual, facile and
inexpensive. The world has known
about hypnotism in a vague way for a
long time. Why not make the knowl
edge definite and put it to practical
use? .
"Would any citizen reduce the tariff
in a manner to reduce the wage of
this great army of wage-earners?" in
quired Congressman Fordney in a
speech in which he mentioned the
beneficence of the steel tnisftn giving
employment to 200,000 men. Cer
tainly not, Mr. Fordney. What this
country demands is a reduction of the
tariff that w!"' prevent the Carnegies,
Coreys, Schwabs, and all of the rest of
the enormously rich beneficiaries of
the tariff from securing such great
sums of money to be wasted on Euro
pean castles, American libraries,
chorus ladles and other luxuries. The
wages of the great army of wage-
earners would I e unaffected by a re
duction in the tariff if a few score of
the tariff barons were limited to re
muneration of $l,0t",000 per year.
This, of course, would be insufficient
to buy many castles and chorus ladies,
but both such investments are un
American and should not be encour
aged. Sometime "when all life's lessons
have been learned," the quartermas
ter's department of the United States
Government may be conducted on
something ' approaching a business
basis, and there will be stoppage of
the wasteful expenditures which are
apparently necessary to satisfy the
exactions of red tape.- The latest sac
rifice to this revered system of paying
the expenses of a sortie all round
Robin Hood's barn, instead of econ
omizing by taking advantage of the
short cut and light cost, is the dis
patch of the Fourteenth Infantry to
the Philippines .by way of San Fran
cisco, Instead of by transport from
Portland. This ridiculous practice
will be continued as long as San Fran
cisco maintains her grip on the quar
termaster's department, and that grip
will not be loosened until" Portland
enters a protest of sufficient force to
rattle some of the departmental dry
bones.
During the calendar year. 1907
there were built In the United States
1066 vessels of 502,608 tons register,
an increase of more than 25 per cent
in tonnage over the record for 1906.
Most of this building was done on the
Great Lakes, and some of the craft
have already found their way round
the Horn into profitable trades on the
Pacific Coast. The Lake-built boats
are less desirable for deep-sea traffic
than those built expressly for that
purpose, but until the Government
permits our shipowners to buy the
best we " can get for the money, we
shall be obliged to worry along with
25 per cent annual increases to our
home-built fleet.
John D. Rockefeller has applied an
other poultice to his "swollen fortune"
and an additional $2,196,000 of his
"predatory wealth" has passed into
the hands of Chicago University. It
is positively distressing to witness the
manner In which Morgan, Rockefeller
et al. are suffering for their sins, as
rents advance and wages decline.
Last year Rockefeller contributed
$3,000,000 to his pet luxury, and to be
obliged to reduce the figure to a beg
garly $2,196,000 is an open confession
that the blow of the big stick went
home. -
There can be no Philippine tariff
legislation because the sugar trust ob
jects; no parcels post legislation be
cause the express trust objects, and
no tariff revision because all the trusts
object. The outlook for a ship sub
sidy bill Is bright, however, because
the trusts do not object. The powers
that be in Washington are sowing the
wind and they will reap the whirlwind
in due season unless they "about face"
on some of the greatest questions be
fore the American people today.
Dr. Nicholas Senn, of Chicago, who
died this week, was regarded by his
fellows as the most skillful surgeon In
the land. It is a question now in the
profession whether first' place shall be
accorded to Dr. Arthur Dean Bevan,
who began his career in Portland as
marine surgeon, or to Dr. John B.
Murphy, Inventor of the anastomosis
button, familiarly called the "Mur
phy" button, so usefr! In abdominal
surgery.
The astonishing doctrine comes
from Judge Hunt, of Montana, that
the right to labor is a God-given right
and can't be taken away from any
man by a labor union. The man who
proclaims this revolutionary doctrine
is a Federal Judge and may air his In
solence, since the voters can't get at
him.
To be rolled in the gutter and spat
upon was insufficient insult to warrant
Castellane's cousin issuing a challenge
to fight a duel, and it accordingly be
came necessary to appeal to the law
for satisfaction. Some of the antics
of the French are puzzling to civilized
people. i
There are some parents in Portland
and elsewhere who might well re
solve this year not to spare the rod
and spoil the child. Such a resolution
faithfully kept would diminish the
number of cases before the' Juvenile
Court.
After two years' marriage to Eng
lish Earl Yarmouth, the Countess, his
wife, formerly Miss Thaw, wants a
divorce. She "will appeal to the writ
ten law, on the ground of insanity, no
doubt.
Who, one week ago, so optimistic
as to conceive- of the sudden change
from shadow to sunshine in two local
banks and with it a most cheering
view of the future?
In the Earl of Yarmouth's case the
excuse was accidental. Following the
rule In these marriages with rich
American girls, separation or divorce
was inevitable.
Congress won't remove the Philip
pine tariff because the sugar trust
won't let 'em. That doesn't appear
to be a very good reason, yet it is.
Now that the courts are running
again, no duped depositor would ex
change places with the men who
wrongfully used their money.
Ex-Governor Geer was not chair
man of the reception committee to
meet Congressman Kl'' when he
came to Pendleton.
The curious part of it all is that
everybody believes Orchard's story is
true, yet no Jury (in Idaho) will con
vict. "
Individual women are numerous
enough now to found an American
Society of Divorced Noblemen's Wives.
. Puter will soon be out of Jail, with
the rest of the land-fraud defendants.
WHAT CARES FOR EX-PRESIDEXTSf
Suitable and Adequate Provision
Should Be Made, Say Cleveland.
Referring to the poverty of Jefferson
when he left the Presidency as a blow to
National pride, Grover Cleveland, writ
ing in the Youth's Companion of January
2, under the title "Our People and Their
ex-Presidents," , argues that definite and
generous provision should be made for the
maintenance of Chief Magistrates at the
expiration of their terms. He deals with
the subject at length and explains that he
feels he can do so without his sincerity
being questioned, since he is beyond the
need of aid from the public reasury.
"The condition is by no means met,"
Mr. Cleveland writes, "by the meager and
spasmodic relief occasionally furnished
under the guise of a military pension or
some other pretext, nor would it be best
met by making compensation dependent
upon the discharge of senatorial or other
official duty. Our people ought to make
definite and decorous provision for all
cases alike, based on motives of justice
and fairness, and adequate to the situa
tion." .
Mr. Cleveland describes the limitations
that hie former high office place on a re
tired President in his choice of occupa
tions and means of livelihood, and how
popular conception of him as a repository
of National dignity enforce, a scale of
living that may not be within his private
meAns.
"There is a sort of vague, but none the
less Imperative, feeling abroad in the land
that one who has occupied the great of
fice of President holds in trust for his fel
low citizens a certain dignity which, in his
conduct and manner of life, he is bound
to protect against loss or deterioration.
Obedience to this obligation prescribes for
him only such work as in popular judg
ment Is not undignified. This suggests
without argument a reciprocal connection
between the curtailment of opportunities
and a reasonable obligation of indemnifi
cation." -
One division of the Cleveland article is
devoted to the "Occupations of an ex
President'1 and in It the former President
reveals the multiplicity of things which
persons endeavor to bring to the atten
tion of the retired statesman and the
class of affairs he is asked to engage in.
-
"He is deluged with books," the writer
says, . "most of them Indifferent or posi
tively worthless, and these he "Is ex
pected to read ana commend for adver
tising purposes. He is made a target
for all sorts of pecuniary solicitation, em
bracing all sorts of objects, ranging from
large endowment funds and disinterested
offers of fabulously profitable investment
to pathetic and depressing appeals for
the relief of individual distress.
"He is almost daily Importuned to join
In the management of public or semi
public enterprises which profess to be
useful or beneficent or charitable. He is
persistently urged to make addresses on
topics and for purposes that are bewilder
ing, and at times and places that are im
possible. His daily mail furnishes con
clusive evidence that he Is not overlooked
by any class or conation of our people
In any corner of our land, and the visitors
he receives forbid the reflection that he is
only a "melancholy product' of our Gov
ernmental system.
"It is most gratifying to note how the
lives of our ex-Presidents are made grate
ful and bright by the generous attach
ment and spontaneous kindness mani
fested toward them by their fellow countrymen."
TUB EXTRAVAGANCE OF WOMEN
And the Relation of It to Financial
Stringency.
. Chicago Evening Journal.
That women were the chief suffer
ers from the late financial stringency
Is shown by the fact that the decrease
in American demand for diamonds has
caused the De Beers Company to pass
the deferred dividend and to reduce
work in the mines to five days a week.
Very few men wear diamonds. Near
ly all the stones that are purchased
are . Intended for the adornment of
women. If purchases have fallen off,
then women must have procured fewer
Jewels.
This bearing of the temporary hard
times on women is demonstrated by
other things. Shopping in the big
stores, which are all almost exclusive
ly for. women, was reduced for some
weeks. Milliners and dressmakers felt
the effects of the stringency.- Furriers
and even candy stores reported re
duced vbusiness.
Man's wants, even if the man is a
millionaire, are comparatively few.
Even the most extravagant of men
can not spend on his wardrobe any
thing like the, sum his wife thinks
necessary for hers. If it were not for
women, most men would live simply.
There would be . no great establish
ments such as now line WTe boulevards.
Not nearly so many horses, carriages
and automobiles would be purchased.
Jewels would be almost unsalable, and
costly furs would be a drug on the
market.
Woman is the source of most of the
activities of the world. Without her,
life would be much simpler than it Is,
and how much less enjoyable!
Drummer to Lord Mayor.
London Strand.
When Lord Mayor of London Sir Wil
liam Treloar, president of the London
branch of the United Kingdom Com
mercial Travelers' Association, attend
ed the annual dinner of that organiza
tion, he told a atory of his early trav
eling life.
"Forty years ago," he said, "I called
on an upholsterer in Southampton,
whose daughter, a very nice-looking
girl, rang the bell for her father. As
soon, however, as she recognized the
visitor she. gently called up the stairs:
" You needn't come down, pa; it's
only a commercial.'
" "When she returned to- the shop the
girl remarked, with a pleasant smile:
'I took you for a gentleman.'
"I apologized," added the story-teller,
"and expressed my regret that my
appearance should have deceived her.
And so we became excellent friends."
Jeff Davis Mo. 2.
New York World.
After Jeff Davis has delivered his
maiden speech in the- Senate he met
Senator Lodge in the cloak-room. -
"I wish to congratulate you upon your
speech," said Lodge. "I enjoyed it im
mensely." "Thank you," replied Davis. "I only
wish. Senator Aldrich, that you all
thought as I think."
"You are mistaken in your man. I
am Senator Lodge."
"Oh, I, beg your pardon," retorted
Davis; "but you and Aldrich belong in
the same kettle of catfish."
Let Something; Good Be Bald.
James Whltoonub Riley. -When
over the fame- of friend or foe
The ahadow of the grave shall fall; ln
stead Of -word of blame, or proof of thus and so.
Let comethlng good be eaid.
Forget" not that no reuow-bemg yet
May fall o low but love may lift til
head; ;
Even the cheek of shame with tear is wet.
If something good b said.
No generous heart may vainly turn aside
. In way of sympathy; no soul o dead
But' may awaken strong and glorified.
If something good b said.
And so I charge ye. try the thorny crown.
And by the crocs on which the Saviour
bled,-
And by your own soul's hope of ranown,
Lt something good be said. -
HEARST AD THE lo.VDOJi TIMES.
YeUow Editor I near Wrath of -the
Great English Journal.
Chicago Inter-Ocean.
In some way W. R. Hearst and hie
frisky ways have incurred the ponder
ous wrath of the London Times. Just
how is not very clear to persons who
have more important occupations than
observing Mr. Hearsfs journalistic
gyrations; it, would appear, however,
to have been by accusing England of
egging on Japan to make war on the
United States.
At all events, Mr. Hearst managed
in some way to incur the displeasure of
the London newspaper, and it thun
dered at him in its familiar style. And
strangely enough, instead of placidly
welcoming the thundering, Mr. Hearst
was visibly hurt and angry. What
seems to have angered him especially
was the quotation by the Times, from
a book published six years ago, of a
telegram therein alleged to have been
sent by Mr. Hearst over nine years ago.
"You provide the pictures and I'll
provide the war" is the telegram al
leged to have been sent by Mr. Hearst
to the artist Remington, whom Mr.
Hearst had dispatched to Cuba immed
diately after the destruction of the
Maine. That such a telegram was
sent from the New York Journal of
fice was current gossip at the time.
The story was told with ample circum
stance by James Creelman in a mag
azine article, republished in book form
over six years ago. It cannot be re
called that Mr. Hearst ever attempted
a denial before.
However, Mr. Hearst has now chosen
to be angry over the imputation. In a
letter to the Times he characterizes the
tale of the telegram as being "as ab
surd and outrageous as the famous
Plgott forgeries," and avers that none
of the efforts of the "lineal descendant
of Ananias," who is the Times' corres
pondent in New York, "have been more
frankly false and more ingeniously
Idiotic" than "this clotted nonsense."
The Times retaliates by quoting Sec
retary Root's speech describing Mr.
Hearst as "a dangerous demagogue,"
whose journalistic mud-throwing was
largely responsible for the assassina
tion of William McKinley.
It is a very pretty and amusing
quarrel, whose detail need not detain
us further.
WHO CAJf SUPPLANT BRYANT
N Use (or Any Other Democrat to Try
for the Nomination.
Chicago Tribune.
Jacob supplanted Esau, but who shall
supplant Bryan? There are many Dem
ocrats who who would like to find a man
who could do it, but he is not to be dis
covered this year or next. Four years
hence he may make his appearance.
The Washington Post shudders at the
prospect of another dose1 of Bryan. It
cannot endure the thought that the Dem
ocratic party shall go into the next cam
paign with "Bryan and defeat" on its
flag. Therefore it dilates on the "grow
ing popularity" of Governor Johnson, of
Minnesota, and points out wherein his
candidacy would appeal to '.he voters. It
describes his many virtues and( tells en
thusiastically the story of his useful life.
All these pathetic appeals to "intelli
gent Democrats" to choose a live man as
a candidate instead of a dead duck will
be of no avail. It would be better for
the Post and for the thousands of Dem
ocrats who feel as it does to accept the
inevitable with becoming meekness.
Mr. Bryan has the nomination in his
hands, and he will not let it be taken
from him. There are men in his party
who would like to get it, but they do not
make an effort, for they think it would
be of no use. It appears to them as if
Mr. Bryan, in spite of his two defeats,
has a lien on the nomination. Dem
ocratic papers may appeal to these men
to come out and make a fight to free
the party from Its bondage to Bryan, but
they will not budge.
The Democratic party is stolid and
lethargic. It is prepared to "drift dark
ling down the torrent of its fate." It
cannot free itself of the Bryan habit.
If Governor Johnson or any other man
who would make a good candidate were
to dispute Mr. Bryan's claim to the nomi
nation a sudden extinguisher would be
clapped on his ambition by Mr. Bryan's
followers. The gentleman' from Nebraska
haB made up his mind to run again and
nobody can stop him. He looks on the
nomination as his birthright, and nobody
dares to attempt to supplant him.
The Other Wm. J. Bryan.
New York World.
MA Bryan was born October 10, 1876,
and has not long passed the age of 30,
at which a citizen is entitled to a seat
in the Senate, but in the eight years
since he began hie public and profes
sional career he has attained a success
that rarely comes to men before middle
age. He is tall and athletic, of the
Christy type, with strength of charac
ter written, in his face.
Mr. Bryan first became prominent in
public affairs as solicitor of Duval
County, enforcing jrtrictly the laws re
quiring the saloons to be closed on
Sundays, also the license laws. His
prosecution of the beef and the ice
trusts in Jacksonville made' him very
popular. He ,was euccessful in the
management of Napoleon B. Broward's
campaign in 1904, resulting in the elec
tion of Mr. Broward as Governor. He
is an able lawyer, an eloquent speaker
and fearless) In the performance of
duty. Of ancient Southern ancestry,
he inherits the Democratic faith.
Editor Geer Prediction.
Pendleton Tribune.
Whatever else may happen in Oregon
politics next year. Chamberlain will not
come within 10.000 votes of carrying the
state for United States Senator.
Oblivion.
Iaj the jest about the Julep in the Camphor
Balls at last.
For the Miracle has happened and the olden
days are past:
That which makes Milwaukee thirsty doe
not foam In Tennessee.
And the lid In old Missouri 1 aa tight locked
aa can be;
Oh, the comic paper Colonel and hi cronies
well may sigh.
For the mint Is waving gayly. but th
South is Going PHY.
By the Stlllsirte on the hillside, in Kentucky,
all Is still;
For the only damp refreshment must b dip
ped up from the rill.
No'th Ca'lina's stately ruler gives hi soda
glass a shove
And discusses local option with the South
Ca'llna Gov.
It 1 useless at the fountain to be winkful
of the eye:
For- the Cocktail glass la dusty. and th
South Is Going DRY.
It i Water, Water everywhere, and not
a Drop to drink.
We no longer hear the music of the mellow
crystal clink.
When the Colonel and the Major and the
General and the Jedge
Meat to have a little nip to give their
appetite an edge.
For the Egirnog now is nogles and the rye
- has srone awry
And the Punch Bowl holds Carnation, and
, the South is Going DRY.
All the nightcaps now have tassel and' are
worn upon the head.
Not the nightcaps that were taken when
noboUy went to bed;
And the breeae above the bluegras I aa
solemn as I death.
For it bears no pungent clove-tag on it
odorlflc breath,"
For each man can walk a chalk-llne when
the stars are in the sky
For the fizz-glass now is fizzles and the
South 1 Going DRY.
Lay the- jest about th Julep 'neath the
chestnut tree at last.
There is but one kind of moonshine and the
olden cfeys are past;
For the Water-wagon rumbles thro' th
Southland on Its trip.
And it helps no one to drop off to pick up
the driver's whip.
For the mint bed make a pastur and the
corkscrew hangeth high.
All I sUU along the Stlllslde and the South
1 Going DRY.
Charlotte Observer.
THE. PESSIMIST
It is cheaper to shove than to pay pew
rent.
Should one desire to become immortal,
should he wish to leave his footprints on
the sands of time, let him walk on a
freshly laid walk before the cement has
had time to. set, and he will never be for
gotten. There are times when 4 pet cent is bet
ter than 50 per cent, particularly when
the smaller percentage is per annum and
the larger 50 per cent on the dollar.
Nevertheless, depositors in one of our
late Institutions of finance found It diffi
cult at times to participate in the general
rejoicing that the state's funds were am
ply protected.
A prescription for financial prostration:
Rent a store, a safe, a Receiving Teller
sign, and open a bank. A Paying Teller
sign can be added later if practicable.
Speaking of suckers, there is an old
saying td the effect that, like the poor,
they are always with us.
One reproach that has been leveled, or
rather hurled at all iconoclasts by de
vout believers In orthodox Christian the
ology is: "You take from ais our re
ligion and give us nothing instead." Not
withstanding that iconoclasts have their
uses, their silence in the face of this
grave accusation is reprehensible, indeed.
For example, what would we do these
days without that good old injunction:
"Thou shalt not steal?" The Buddhist
phrase, "I observe the precept to refrain
front taking that which is not mine."
might work in an ordinary pinch, but not
in a financial pinch, so what can common
people ao out stick to the good old reli
gion of our fathers?
While we have this on our minds, there
are our friends, the Japs, in Vancouver,
B.- C a Jap in Canada Is worth two la
the United States. The Jap is well sup
plied in the matter of religions. He has
two. They vary sufficiently in certain re
gards so that he is never at loss how to
proceed. When he jumps on his white
brother, kicks him in the face, or spills
his heart's blood, he is a Shintolst snd
does it in the name of and for the glory
of his honorable ancestors. At other
times he is a Buddhist and meekly re
cites: "I observe the precept to refrain
from taking life."
The correspondent in Vancouver who
reported the fracas must have been ex
cited, or behind a tree, where he couldn't
see straight, or perhaps he was hit in
the head with a brick and saw stars.
"Their knives flashed in the darkness,"
he wrote. Now, if he had said also, "My
blood congealed in the heat of the con
flict," we could easily forgive him.
Anyway, all thoughtful Americans are
glad that it Is John Bull who will have
to settle this muss. John isn't much on
the fight any more, but he Is older than
Uncle Sam and can put up a much
showier bluff.
Upton Sinclair has started a new novel.
The opening Installment may be found in
the current Issue of the American Maga
zine. Allen Montague (the hero, presum
ably) goes to New York to engage In the
practice of law; also to Invest his modest
fortune, and live a life of comparative
ease. His brother Oliver is already there
and seems to be in touch "with people of
the right sort." He meets the unsophisti
cated Allen at the ferry, escorts him to a
suite of apartments costing $600 a week,'
fills him with meals that range in' price
from tlo to J50 and advises him that, in
New York, to be economical is to he poor,
because one would lose touch with "peo
pie of the right sort."
To enable him to get acquainted with
a few of the right sort, Oliver takes him
to a modest hunting lodge which cost a
million or so, and gives him a touch
of the real thing, as New Yorkers have It.
The discerning reader who follows Sin
clair's latest effort will probably get a
fair idea why people outside of New
York are obliged to pay for ostrich
feathers $20 a feather, and for hen fea
thers XI apiece.
Certain officials in charge of our county
marriage license department allowed
themselves to be quietly humorous when
a colored gentleman from Vancouver,
Wash., made the first? application for . a
license in this present new year. " Had
either of these genial individuals been
present a number of years ago when
William threw 17 Swedes and one bar
tender out of a North End saloon int
the street, one at a time, without assist
ance. It is probable that neither of them
would have felt at all Jocular when the
dusky candidate for matrimony loomed
up before them.
About 15 years ago a gentleman of
color whose name was also Bill arrived
in Portland from New York, Michigan
and way landings. He was six feet four
In his stockings, had two hands, each the
size of a sugar-cured. Government-in
spected ham fastened onto arms a loot
longer than ordinary mortals are favored
with. He was sure-footed and could side
step a swift punch for the solar plexus
easily and gracefully. He didn't attract
much attention in this peaceful and law
abiding burg, because he was peaceable
and law-abiding himself. However, one
night he displeased a barkeep very much.
That autocrat dispenser of liquids, In a
hasty manner peculiar to barkeeps,
reached over the bar and landed on Bill's
head (when Bill wasn't looking) with a
bottle of wine.
"He didn't hurt ma head." said Bill a
day or two later, when telling about It.
"but the bottle broke, an' the wine ran
down into ma eyes an' made me mad,
so I Jes reached over the bar and got
him a-comln' ma way, and then those
Swedes got too close, an " '
"You didn't hurt those Swedes, did
you. Bill?" someone asked.
"Not much, unless' it was that first one
that was comin' back for more Jes as I
was a throwin' the last one out." .
M. B. WELLS.
. TO TIME.
BT HARRY MURPHY.
Thou universal Womb and Tomb. O Time!
Thou ever-living, ever-dying Time!
A Power inexplicable and dread
Art thou. For but a day thou givest us
To gaze upon the unaccustomed light
And blink onr eyes, and then thou
snatchest back
The breath thou gavest. Viewless arms
stretch forth.
With life's first feeble moan, and
beckon to
The husht, unbreathing realms of death.
A vast
Eternal boat hath crossed the gulf of
night
And left no trace. The sovereign and the
Oppressor and oppressed, . the parricide,
The sinless saint, the harnessed soldier,
sage.
And seer, the beautiful, the just, worth,
wrong.
Deified error, excellence unknown.
The glory and the guilt of ages gone
Yea! Gods and creeds, forsaken and for
got; With myriads who did them homage
once
All. all are there. Bourne of almighty
Empires! Sepulcher of vanished worlds!
Gigantic desolation! Universe
Of ruin! O Time, is this the end? The
dream.
The vision rapt are they a lie? The face
Recalled through wavering tears affec
tion's smile
The silenced voice meet we no more
with these?
Love's severed ties be ne'er again united?
The centuries listen. Time!
Thou answerest not!