Morning Oregonian., February 13, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

THE MOANING OREGOXIAX, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1903.
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rOHTLANT. THURSDAY. FEB. 18, 1908.
A REMARKABLE EXPRESSION.
The New York Independent printed,
on February H, a set of letters which
make Interesting reading for every
body, but particularly for those de
luded Individuals who try to believe
that Mr. Roosevelt's popularity and
influence have waned since the
"panic" struck. The Independent
asked its readers early in January to
stato what they thought were the
chief issues In the Presidential cam
paign, and what candidates best rep
resented them. Answers cams in bv
the wagonload from all parts of the
country. There- are letters from New
York City and State, Washing-ton, Da-
kota, Kansas, Illinois, . everywhere.
From all that it received the Inde
pendent has printed "only a few," but
these "few" 11 1 1 more than eleven of
its pages in fine type. One or two
short ones declare that the principal
issue before the country is prohibi
tion. The writers forget, of course,
that the cause of temperance flour
ishes best .outside of party politics. As
a party tho prohibitionists were al
ways contemptible. As a moral ques
tion divested of partisanship, temper
ance grows in favor all over the coun
try. . There are also two letters from so
cialists who think that Debs or Hay
wood ought to be the next President;
but these agree with the almost unan
imous opinion of the other writers
that the only issue of any consequence
in the campaign is the "restraint of
privilege" and the support of Mr.
Roosevelt's policies of law " enforce
ment. The trust organs in the East,
which pertinaciously shout fhat the
V country is tired of the President and
his attacks nti thlnvlnn ntntnnrnnv
may gain enlightenment from the In
dependent's letters. If they are open
to enlightenment, which is rather
doubtful. From the Pacific Coast,
from the Dakotas, from Kansas, IIH
, nois, Iowa, Ohio, New Tork, , from
every state in the Union, the voice of
the people is precisely the same, the
President's policy is the right one and
no man must be chosen for his suc
cessor who will fall to carry It out
undevlatingly.
The Independent say? editorially
that In its opinion "so comprehensive,
so interesting and so profoundly sig
nfflcant . an expression of popular
opinion has seldom been offered to
the public at one time and in one
place in our whole National history
as is given In these letters." Certain
ly they are a revelation of what the
people of the United States think and
feel at the present time. They prove
that those who expect the plutocratic
oligarchy to ride triumphantly back
into power at the coming Presidential
election are living In a fool's dream
from which they are destined to be
rudely awakened. The day has passed
in this country when the people can
be led by the nose to the shearing
pen. Henceforth, and forever let us
hope, the men who do the work and
create the wealth of the Nation are
going to rule it. and political success
t an be won only by sincere devotion
to the interest of the great public,
The day of .class legislation is almost
over.
Virtually the letters form an un
broken chorus of approval for Mr.
Roosevelt. They are as passionate as
his last great message. was in detesta
tion of dishonest plutocratic govern
ment. They express the same deter
mtnation he did that the reign of the
miscreant millionaires shall cease,
Ono almost imagines them to be an
"echo of that tremendous message, for
in multitudinous variations they ex
press the same aspirations and the
same opinions. Any person who
doubts that Mr. Roosevelt represents
the American people today Just as
completely as he has for the last half
dozen years may correct his error by
reading any page of these letters. AH
over the country Roosevelt is still the
one name to conjure with. Some of
the writer prefer Hughes as h's suc
cessor, some Taft, and a surprisingly
largo number want Ta Follette, but
nobody speaks for a Hughes policy or
for a Taft or La Follette policy. Each
man is preferred by his admirers be
cause they think he would best "carry
on the great work that Roosevelt has
begun."
In face of facts like these it would
be a bold lot of politicians who would
venture to put forth a reactionary
next Summer as the candidate of
either party. A man from Illinois
says "they can t lead us up to uncie
Joe." He is thinking, of course, of a
horse being urged up to something It
loathes. The ministers all over the
country seem to be particularly inim
ical to the reign of privilege and the
rule of the millionaire oligarchs. One
in Iowa, who is a Hughes man, asks:
'Shall- we permit the dead hand' to
dictate the spirit and method of our
legislation?" Another in Montgomery,
X. Y., who Is also for Hughes, says:
The most important issue in the
coming campaign is the continuation
of the policies of President Roosevelt.
The cry of the people Is 'No steps
backward.' " The Democrats almost
without exception are for Bryan. One
man wants him for the queer reason
that "he has most of the Christ in
him." A backslidden Republican
wants Hughes for President and
Bryan for Vice-President. We cite
these cranky notions to show how
widely representative the Independ
ent's canvass has been. It includes
everything and everybody, just as
America Itself does, and the consensus
of the multitudinous voices is unmis
takable. The country wants Roose
velt, in the .guise of Taft, Hughes or
Bryan, and nothing but Roosevelt, for
Chief Magistrate for the next four
years.
THE PERIL OF PREDICTION.
Analogy drawn from' the usual ac
tion of political conventions supports
the idea developed in the prediction
of the Washington Post, brought In
The Oregonian's special report of yes
terday, that after the first ballot In
the Republican National Convention
in June the supporters of other can
didates will' begin to unite on some
candidate against Taft, and that
Hughes probably will be that candi
date. The prediction Is that Taft's
whole strength will appear on the first
or second ballot; and then the search
for the man on whom the opposition
may unite will cause the. concehtra
ltorl on Hughes to begin, and then a
scamper that will quickly give him a
majority.
Something like this has been the
usual course; Indeed has been so com
mon that political forecasters doubt
less believe they may depend on re
currence of it, whenever there are
many candidates before a convention.
It. Is believed that Taft will lead, but
that five or six others will have con
siderable strength In the convention
an aggregate strength much exceeding
that declaring for Taft. But the as
sumption that all these delegates, or
nearly all of them, will stand out
against Taft, and concentrate on
somebody else, may not be fulfilled.
It Is possible, indeed; many analogies
might be cited In support of the as
sumption; yet the conditions at this
time are not just like those of any
former time; and men from the West
and South, supporting Fairbanks,
Cannon, Foraker and La Follette
might not prefer Hughes to Taft,
should the contest be narrowed down
to a distinct issue between these two.
General analogies drawn from his
tory and experience, though valuable,
are not always good for specific In
stances, because in every new situa
tion there are elements always which
no one at the time fully understands.
It is possible that "the field" may
unite upon Hughes, 'against Taft; for
New York, New England and Pennsyl
vania have immense power. But
from Pennsylvania westward there
Is Immense power. Control of the
votes of the South will be an impor
tant and probably a decisive factor.
Could It be divided Hughes might
win. Question Is whether the office
holders of the Southern States, who
constitute the party there, will not
send up delegations who will stick for
Taft, as the Administration candidate.
through thick and thin. One of the
continuous anomalies of our politics
Is the fact that states which can give
the Republican party no electoral
votes yet may nominate its candi
dates. That, In fact, was done in
1892. But it didn't, turn out well for
the Republican party.
VICTIM OF RCMOB RECOVERED.
The National Controller of the Cur
rency has authorized the reopening of
the Merchants National Bank in this
city, and that well-known institution
will resume business next week. The
reopening of the bank will cause no
surprise to thousands of people who
were familiar with its financial condi
tion at. the time malicious rumor and
unwarranted apprehension caused a
run which could not be withstood. It
will, however. Surprise several thou
sand "knockers" who were directly to
blame for the closing of the bank's
doors. No other financial Institution
on the Pacific Coast was subjected to
such a strain as was brought to bear
on. the Merchants National by fright
ened depositors, who had, without in
vestigation, accepted as well founded
the wild rumors of the bank's insolv-:
ehcy.
The excellent condition of the bank
was amply demonstrated by the fact
that in the few weeks between the
beginning of the financial stringency
and the date on which It was forced
to. close its doors it paid out nearly 45
per cent of its deposits. This feat
would have been an impossibility with
any but a most conservatively man
aged institution, and it was accom
plished without any attempt being
made to crowd creditors Whose finan
cial needs were being taken care of by
the bank. It is highly gratifying to
learn that such a well-managed insti
tution has not been permanently
Wrecked, and the incident carries with
it a lesson which it would be well for
people to heed in future. When the
late financial stringency was at its
height in Seattle there were occa
sional rumors that some of the weak
er banks might not pull through. The
citizens, however, made special efforts
to smother the weak banks with de
posits, and carried on a systematic
policy of inducing every depositor
who showed signs of fright to leave
his money in the bank.
As a result, not a single bank in Se
attle failed, although the financial
conditions in Seattle were much worse
than in Portland. The difference in
the manner of reception accorded wild
rumors In Seattle and in Portland was
tersely explained by an observer do
ing business in both places. "In Se
attle," said he, "when, there is a rumor
, of a bank's showing signs of weakness,
the people rush to It and deposit
money. In Portland, when a similar
rumor starts, they rush to the bank
and draw it out." This has been a
severe experience not only for thou
sands of depositors who have been
kept in suspense over the outcome,
but to the bank officials who have
worked tirelessly night and day to
bring order out of the chaos into
which it was hurled by Idle rumor.
Perhaps the lesson will not be en-'
tirely wasted on the community. It
has shown the necessity of a little bet
ter co-operation than has been in evi
dence in the past. The many millions
which have been withdrawn from the
Merchants National and other banks
and locked up in safety deposit vaults,
have been earning nothing for their
owners. This money's retirement from
circulation has caused stagnation in
many lines of business. It has ad
vanced interest rates and bank dis
count rates, and by reason of the bank
failures has materially depreciated
some classes of property in quarters
where even the hoarders and bank
wreckers themselves are interested.
There will be no direct loss to the de
positors by the temporary closing of
the Merchants National; but there has
been an indirect loss to thousands of
people, and the worst feature of It is
that it was so utterly needless that
anything of the kind should have
happened.
( JACK LONG AND THE MOB.
Homage to Jack Long. He killed
four of the mob which sought to
hang him and wounded a dozen more.
It is a pity that he did not kill them
all. They broke into his prison, but
they could not take him, 50 cowards
of them, until they had first felled
him with a club. Then when they had
him-down they tried to drag him to
the tree where he was to be hanged,
but he fought all the way, spattering
the ground with his own blood and
that of the mob, and the pitiable
scoundrels had actually to beat him
to death before they could get the
rope around his neck.
Jack Long was a murderer and
probably he deserved to die, but no
man deserves to die by mob law. A
mob is a magnified coward. It is the
concrete expression of the wolfjshness
in human nature. It is a confession
that we have descended from the
brutes, and not descended very far. It
is always pleasing; to hear or read
that somebody has beaten a mob or
killed some of its members; for no
matter how great a criminal its vic
tim may be,' the mob Itself and every
man in It is worse. Jack Long was
a murderer, but each Individual who
set upon him in his cell was a mur
derer and a coward.
We say when one man is attacked
by two that he does not get fair play.'
What shall we say when one man is
attacked by fifty or five hundred?
Does he get fair play? Mob rule is
the quintessence of Unfairness. How
much manly courage must each of Its
units possess when It takes the whole
fifty to face one poor lone wretch in
a prison cell?
Mobs are vile, devilish, utterly hate
ful. The more civilized a man be
comes the. more he detests them and
all their deeds. No Christian can join
a mob. Every man who takes part in
one becomes a fiend for the time be
ing, nor does he get rid of the taint
of devildom for the rest of his life.
It is a pity that Jack Long did not kill
the whole fifty.
PORTUGAL'S PRECARIOUS POSITION.
The leading newspapers of Portugal
are calling on the new King to pardon
all political prisoners In the country.
It is hardly probable that the juvenile
monarch, or those who are pulling the
strings for him, will agree .to such a
radical departure from the policy of
the "power behind the throne" of his
late father. The more we learn of
that unhappy land the more difficult
seem the problems which confront its
new rulers. If the little King should
grant the request of the newspapers
and release all political prisoners, he
could have no assurance that they
would not immediately begin plotting
to overthrow his government, just as
they plotted against that of his father.
If he fails to grant the request, the
dissatisfied subjects not yet in jail will
undoubtedly continue their fight for a
republican form of government, with
considerably better than even chances
for winning out.
The Portugal of today is not the
P.ortugal that hundreds of years ago
sent out Into tho unknown that won
derful navigator Vasco de Gama,
"who shaped the course before him
by the wake he left behind" and beat
Columbus in a rate to the East Indies.
That was the heroic age for Portugal,
and the spirit of conquest carried her
banner throughout Asia;' but the men
at the helm of the ship of state were
something more than fat gourmands
acting as puppets in the hands of mer
cenary individuals like Franco. Her
glory long ago departed, and unless
relief comes soon from some of her
creditor nations, the flag of a republic
will soon float above the palace where
the throne is tottering. Debt-ridden,
misgoverned and generaly disreputa
ble, Portugal offers an Interesting
study as to the vastness of the burden
that may be placed on humanity be
fore some wild act brings relief.
. The country contains but 34,254
square miles, compared with some
thing m6re- than 96,000 square miles
in Oregon, and, owing to the wild ex
travagance and bad government of
Carlos and his predecessors, it has a
national debt of nearly $900,000,000,
the interest on which must be paid by
a population of only about 5,000,000
people. The 'cost of the royal family
alone for governing this diminutive
kingdom, which is not much larger
than two or three counties in Oregon,
is $567,000 per year, and there is art
additional enormous expense In keep
ing up the army, navy and embassies
throughout the world. Some of this
expense, of course, is borne by the
small colonies which still fly the Por
tuguese flag In the Far East, but the
burden which still falls on the actual
dwellers In Portugal is so oppressive
that it is small wonder that so many
of them are in open revolt and that
the young 'King Is confronted by a
task of monumental proportions.
There is nothing in the situation
that warrants belief that the reign of
the youngster who was called to the
throne by his father's death will be as
protracted as that or his father, and,
if he desires a long and peaceful life,
it might be well for him to make the
best deal possible and .turn the coun
try over to the people for a republic.
The Smoot bill to increase the size
of homesteads from 160 to 320 acres
of land may seem somewhat strange
at this time, when public lands are
rapidly becoming scarcer. The old
donation land claim, which gave early
settlers In a new country more land
than they actually needed for agricul
tural purposes, was cut down In size
as applicants increased in number, but
it is doubtful If there are many 320
acre homestead locations available to
day that are equal in value to the
160-acre tracts that were open to set
tlement twenty years ago. There are
several million acres of public land
still available for settlement, but the
most of it is of a character which
would make it difficult for a settler
to produce as much on 320 acres ps
his predecessors of a score of years
ago could secure from a tract half the
size.
The Twelfth District Court of New
York has decided that a hotel man
agement is justified in refusing -to ad
mit a woman, or women, unaccompa
nied by a man, to the privileges of its
service after 6 o'clock P. M: The
rule is one that may . readily work,
and indeed has often worked, great
hardship upon women traveling alone
and reaching the city on delayed
trains. Enforced without discretion,
it beoomes at times oppressive a
despotic exercise of power that is un
generous and un-American to the last
degree. The case recently decided in
support of the rule was brought by
Mrs. Harriet Stanton Blatch', a daugh
ter of - the Jate Judge and Elizabeth
Cady Stanton of honored name and
fame. Mrs. Blatch and a woman
companion, unaccompanied by a man,
were refused service In the Hoffman
House on the 12th of July of last year
because they presented themselves for
dinner after 6 o'clock. The court has
decided that the Hoffman House cor
poration was within its rights in re
fusing this service for ' the reason
stated. One is at a loss to. decide
whether this decision is an insult to
the male guests of that celebrated
hostelry or to dignified, self-respecting
American womanhood. An effort
will be made to secure a reversal of
this verdict on appeal to a higher
court.
No man will be or can be nominat
ed for Senator, under the primary
law, whom the Republican masses
will support, with unanimity, at the
polls. The reason is that the Consti
tution of the United States provides
and requires that Senators shall be
elected by the Legislature. The -Republican
candidate for the Legisla
ture who subscribes to Statement No.
1 simply pledges himself to vote for a
Democrat for the Senate. To the re
sult. The Oregonian does not object.
It may be best to have a Democratic
Senator. But let us know exactly
what we are doing, and not expect one
thing and yet by the course we take
make it inevitable that we shall get
another.
Count Hadik is out with an em
phatic denial of his engagement to
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbllt. Unfortu
nately for the Count, the lady scored
first by getting In her dental several
weeks ahead of that of the Count.
There is an old couplet which de
clares: At the devil's booth are all things sold;
Each ounce of dross coats Its ounce of gold.
This suggests the thought that Mrs.
Vanderbllt, having knowledge of
finance superior to that possessed by
some of, the younger members- of the
tribe, may have decided to withhold
her patronage from the "devil's
booth" until such a time as gold was
In less demand at home.
Following the example of Davy
Crockett's famous coon, the Sultan of
Turkey has "come down" from his
exalted perch "because he had to." A
St. Petersburg cable announces that
Turkish troops have been withdrawn
from Persian territory to the west of
Tabriz, and, as a more conciliatory
spirit is shown at Constantinople, the
threatened dispatch of Russian tro'ops
from the interior to the Caucasus has
for the present been abandoned. As
a bluffer who has more abject "re
treats" to his discredit than any other
monarch on earth, the Sultan enjoys a
unique distinction.
Senator Rayner, of Maryland, de
livers a long speech In which he says
he agrees with President Roosevelt In
all he says about the malefactors of
great wealth and their methods of
plundering, but totally differs from
the President in the remedies recom
mended for cure of the evils. He
adds much censure of the President
for the Inadequacy of the remedies he
has suggested, but offers no remedies
of his own. However, this is about
as useful and effective as the talk of
the average Senator.
The Senate-has passed a bill appro
priating 350,000 for participation by
the United States in an international
exposition to be held at Tokio in 1912.
Let us hope that It will be unneces
sary to make much larger appropria
tions for another kind of an exhibi
tion in Japan at an earlier date than
1912.
The claims made by the friends of
the various candidates for the Presi
dency make' it reasonably certain
that the number of votes at the Re
publican convention will be several
hundred less than are now being con
fidently counted by the expert fore
casters of the final result.
The "richest pay streak ever struck
in Alaska" has again been discovered.
Like Its long list of predecessors, It
was discovered in time to start the
Spring steamship novement off in
good shape.
Tacoma enjoys the distinction of
being the only city on the Pacific
Coast where you can get your hair cut
for 15 cents. Tacoma people are now
getting their hair cut.
It Is certain that Banker Morse will
demand a speedy trial until he Is ar
raigned. New York, Portland or San
Francisco, the nature of bankwreck
ers is the same.
These solem, soveren reformers ot
to be more curteous' to the alfabet,
cbnsidering the awtum cam pain. The
new words look gastly.
Miss Ashford and ex-Senator H.
Gassaway. Davis are to be congratu
lated, particularly the disappointed
groom-to-be.
We really fear that the La Follette
boom, about to be launched in Seat
tle, will get stuck 'on the ways, as in
Oregon.
ABUSES IX MARGIN GAMBLING
President Roosevelt's Tilt -With "the
f Interests" of Wall Street.
Springfield Republican, Ind.
President Roosevelt has had one firm
friend In Wall street through all the
trouble, and in hitting his enemies
there with- the suggestion that the
mails and wires be closed to the use of
"the grosser forms of gambling in se
curities and commodities," he necessar
ilyperhaps regretfully had to hit the
friend also. This is Henry Clews, the
banker and broker of about two and a
half generations of experience in Wall
street, who is guilty of accepting and
executing orders to buy and sell stocks
"on margin." He is still loyal to the
President in the matter of corporation
control, but is disposed to challenge
him to do his worst in respect to "mar
gin gambling," or the business which
to some extent at least occupies Mr.
Clews in his business hours. But first
Mr. Clews volunteers to mend his ways
nominally. He will no longer permit
his customers to use the word "margin"
in their orders. They must order stocks
"on credit" Instead, putting up 10 per
cent in cash as before, or whatever
the margin may be, and letting the
stocks bought stand, as before also,
in security for the balance of money
involved in the transaction. And he
"defies" President Roosevelt to prevent
him from buying and selling stocks
"on credit."
This Is rather neatly done. The word
"credit" Is well chosen, for it represents
the character of the transaction in
question better than the word "mar
gin." This Is all that legitimate and
honest brokerage houses do, which
transact a so-called margin business
they buy and Bell on the credit of the
customer, but provide for themselves
the ample protection of a cash payment
for a certain proportion of the trans
action, holding the stocks bought as
security- for what has been lent the
customer. Some brokerage houses do
no margin business, but those who
patronize such houc? may proceed es
sentially as in the other case paying
for their stocks outright, and then tak
ing the eame to a bank and obtaining a
loan on a note secured by the stock as
collateral'.
ASK INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Necessary for Adjustment of the
Equities of Bough ten Marrlnsres.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican.
Exasperating possibilities are now In
volved in these international marriages.
America's growing interest in the situa
tion, however, is due mainly to the con
tinued success of European noblemen,
usually worse than bankrupts, In swoop
ing down and carrying off American
heiresses. There appears to be no way of
stopping the sport, and, in view of the in
evitable percentage of divorces that suc
ceed the marriages, , the international di
vorce question begins to loom up. There
are various points that might be consid
ered in bringing about a full recognition
of mutual rights. It is a question, for
example, whether the American girls who
marry noble lords should, in justice, be
deprived of their dearly purchased titles
and coronets when a foreign court grants
them divorces or annuls their marriages.
The Countess Castellane became Mme.
Gould; the Countess of Yarmouth became
plain Miss Thaw again. What of our
National honor? Is not this an outrage?
Did not good American dollars pay for
the title? Does the money come back
when the girl returns shorn of her crest
and tiara? Alas! No! Now. if the United
States should exert its powerful influence
in an International conference on the mar
riage and divorce question, deadly wrongs
of this infuriating character might be
righted.
The abominable discrimination, too,
against our men oldi and young, which has
so long distressed us, might be swept
away. The American girls enjoy all the
advantages) such as they are. No mere
man among us can marry Into a foreign
nobility and get a title. If the money mo
tive were potent regardless of sex, and
could get into action in the case of our
American millionaires, we might enjoy the
great pleasure of seeing our young Croe
suses go abroad and, merely by marrying
a forelgn'lady, acquire for spot cash the
title of earl, marquis or duke. As mat
ters stand, however, an American man .3
doomed to an endless perdition of social
inferiority. And even the American girls
are up against foreign divorce laws that
offer no fatr return for the cash invest
ment. Sometime, perhaps, ail these mat
ters of moment will receive proper atten
tion and rhe National dignity in the In
ternational matrimonial market be suita
bly sustained.
Cheatlns; at Collesre Examinations.
New York Christian Advocate.
Under Columbia College's new system
of holding examinations, a student was
lately caught in the act of cribbing.
He was detected by one of the proctors
in trying to put a paper up his sleeve.
1"he head of the examining committee
forced him to roll up ills sleeve unttl
the paper came into view. An Instruc
tor in chemistry identified it as a "crib"
and the offender was' ejected from the
room. This new method provides for
an examination of more than 4000 stu
dents in 10 days. Instruction sheets
were printed and distributed more than
a week in advance. We are not in a
position to describe tho method, except
to say that it includes sealed examina
tion papers, separate entrances, ushers,
seat checks, a set of bell signals to
mark every detail of the performance,
and the presence of 16 proctors con
stantly watching the students. Two of
these proctors were stationed in the
running track gallery that overlooks
the gymnasium floor, where the exam
inations are held. The number of cribs
must have been great to bring about
such an extraordinary system of es
pionage. A wretched man who rose to
a high position in the Methodist Epis
copal Church, even to the presidency
of a college, and who was expelled
from the church for gross immorality,
afterward became connected with it Illeg
ally, was frozen, out by publicity and re
ceived by another denomination, which
was made aware of the facts, but re
tained him was brilliant and a most
able student; but as he wished to place
himself surely at the head of his class
he cribbed, and was caught at It. This
is the sort of students that in later
years would steal sermons or other
documents, and It Is well if they are
detected early
Westward the Course of Empire.
St. Louis Globe Democrat,
One branch of the Oklahoma. Legisla
ture has enacted a law to prohibit the
smoking' of cigarettes. Just as the
women of New York are beginning the
cowboys are quitting.
It Might Have Been Worse.
Chicago Newa.
Younc Mrs. Jones a husband had
Who was a perfect noodle
A most unmitigated cad.
To have to say such things is sad.
Bhe also owned her- latest fad
And pretty little poodle.
She called him baby names, 'tis said -
"Urn's p'eclous 'ltty toodle."
Bhe saw that he was bathed and fed
And tucked up In his little bed.
Her husband? No. the highly bred
And sretty little Doodle.
She treated him with much neglect
Upon his wrongs to brood' 11
Be sure to have a bad effect.
Tie' only what you might expect.
The husband ? Yes, that's quite correct.
She'd not neglect the eoodle. -
His life insured, at last he died.
Of course she touched the boodle.
For Quite a while the widow cried.
But presently her tears she dried.
eu.s -jo uonux oaaq oavu, )u.-ru2
sighed.
"1 might have been the toodle."
THE CHRONICLE'S EXPLANATION J
Its Version of the Payment of 910,000
.by Home Telephone Company. (
The San Francisco Call last Sunday
printed an article charging that Dr.
L. Gerstle. a representative of the Home
Telephone Company, had paid to M. H.
De Young, of the Ban Francisco Chron
icle, the sum of J10.000 to advocate grant
of a franchise to the company. Gerstle
had given testimony to that effect, before
the San Francisco grand Jury. The
Chronicle on Monday gave its expla
nation of the transaction, which was in
part as follows:
"The transaction was simply one which
gave the Home Telephone Company space
in the columns of the Chronicle in which
to lay before the people of San Fran
cisco the advantages of a competing tel
ephone line.
"The columns of the Chronicle speak
for themselves on this point. They show
conclusively that the Home Telephone
Company occupied space In the presenta
tion of its claims, which, at the regular
rates charged for reading advertisements,
such as all San Francisco papers pub
lish, would have' cost as much as the
sum contracted for and more, and further,
that during the entire period that the'se
reading advertisements appeared there
was no editorial comment, favorable or
otherwise, and that its pages were open
to the publication of accounts of meetings
in Oakland and elsewhere at which
speakers antagonized the entrance of a
rival to the Pacific States Company
which had a monopoly of the field."
Mr. Gerstle gave the following com
ment: "I am perfectly ready at any time
to justify my own course and that of
the Chronicle, and I am certain that the
contract had no element of irregularity
in it.
"The Home Telephone Company was
preparing to enter the field about the bay
and a -condition existed which made it
neeeesary to explain to the public what
it had to offer in the way of providing a
superior service. In order to do this a
medium of communication had to be se
cured and the Chronicle was selected, be
cause its proprietor, on the occasion of
a visit to Los Angeles, had seen the work
ings of our system and was favorably im
pressed by it.
"As it was necessary to print extended
descriptions of our system and machin
ery, some of which would require a page
or more for their presentation, and as
we wished to have all our arguments be
fore public bodies printed In full, in the
interest of economy we were obliged to
restrict ourselves "to one paper, and we
chose the one which we believed had the
best standing.
"Had we had the slightest desire to
do anything improper we should not have
committed the folly of confining our
advertising to one paper; we should
have divided It and thus secured all
around support: but we were not seeking
anything but space, and as we did not
know how much space we should re
quire, nor at what times, nor in what
quantities, we made a contract for a
lump sum, and I think that we got all
that we contracted for.
"We asked the Chronicle for nothing
that it cculd not with propriety give, and
that Is testified to by ,the fact that as
soon as the matter began to appear it
was so abviousiy advertising that the
representatives of other papers solicited
similar advertisements. I was obliged to
explain that it would be impossible to
increase the expense of duplicating these
descriptions and accounts In the other
papers and assured them all that when
the system was in operation the Home
Telephone Company would prove a lib
eral advertiser, as it would be desirous
of getting the public attention, and this
appeared perfectly satisfactory to them."
DEMOCRATS TO CHANGE FRONT
To Be Less Praise of Roosevelt In Cos.
rress.
Washington Dispatch to Brooklyn Eagle.
Some of the strong Democratic speakers
are to be put to the front in the Senate
and House during the next ,few days to
check the tendency among certain Demo
crats to laud the President and the
Roosevelt policies to the disparagement of
Democratic, principles. The leaders are
much displeased at the Bourke Cockran
speech praising the work of the Presi
dent, which the Republicans are talking
ot having printed for use as a campaign
document.
There are criticisms of Bryan today,
too, for having Indorsed the White House
programme so enthusiastically and falling
to make political capital out of the recent
panic.
As a result of conferences on the part
of Democratic leaders in Congress the at
tention of the country will soon be called
to coi'taln defects in the Roosevelt poli
cies as now administered and pointing out
the platform on which the minority hopes
to win at the coming electron.
Senator Rayner, of Maryland, is prepar
ing a speech In which he will criticise
the President and c.hargo him with a large
share in the responsibility of causing the
panic. John Sharp Williams' speech was
intended to offset Coekran's speech of the
day before, which is regarded by Williams
as damaging to the Democratic cause.
Charity for Chancellor nay!
Lincoln (Neb.) State Journal.
Let us put ourselves in the place of
Chancellor Day and be easy with him.
We have all seen a criminal in the dork
earnestly def ended by wife or child or
parent. Theso know him on his better
side. They cannot believe the evil told of
him, a guardian who has been kind to
them. If he committed the act. they
know H was under great provocation or
because of a weakness for which he is to
be pitied rather than condemned. How
they hate the witnesses against him and
the prosecuting attorney! Chancellor
Day has for many years known Standard
Oil on its softest side. As a benefactor
of his university It has stood by him in
the relation of father to son. . His every
filial instinct rebels at the harsh attacks
of a President upon his benefactors, and
a love that is perhaps genuine, although
its original source was self-interest, blinds
him to their misdeeds. Remembering
this we can see how a Presidential decla
ration that rings like a call to freedom
to our ears could appeal to Chancellor
Day as "the raving of a disordered mind."
'His view cannot be changed, and of
course nothing that he says can in the
circumstances have any weight with any
body else. The chancellor is interesting
rather than important. We can afford
to overlook him.
A FEW SQUIBS.
"Your son's studying medicine. Isn't he?"
"Yes." "Army or Navy command?" Life.
patience I have taken a great dislike
to those new neighbors of ours. Patrice
What's the matter phonograph or chick
ens? Yonkera Statesman.
Loanstein I got a turrlble bad coldt In
my head. Isaacs Vhy don't you take some
things for It? Loanstein (absent-mindedly)
How much vill you glf me? Puck.
"Of course," said the tourist, "you know
all about the antidotes for snake bite?"
"Certainly." replied the explorer. "Well,
when a snake bites you what's the first
thing you do?" "Yell." Philadelphia Press.
Ephralm Washington Parson Brown has
opened an Intelligence office. He done get
you a Job for two dollars. Andrew Jackson
Ah's not gwine to take a Job fur two dollars.
Ah can get 'married fur one. Judge.
Cheops had carved his name on everything
In sight. "Now." boasted he, "posterity will
know me to be the real thing in Egyptian
Kinrs." "Maybe not, sire," said the court
pessimist. "Maybe they'll take you for our
leading five-cent cigar." Louisville Courier
Journal. "When an Assyrian girl takes a husband
she doesn't speak for three days,'' says the
New Haven Journal-Courier. Doubtless the
male population of the country has long
ago ceased to build up false hopes about
that apparently seductive fact, however.
Washington Herald.
VERSE
BY HARRY MURPHY.
MT. HOOD.
Colossal and alone.
In a cloud-curtained zone.
Thou standest superb, supreme:
An herbless steep
A sky-stabbing heap
Where snows undying gleam.
Thy caverned breast .
By ice oppressed
Is passionless grown and cold;
Dead ashes the fire
Whose scoriae Ire
On the world red ruin once rolled.
Thou lookest disdain
.On the hurricane.
Though the sky with battle blaze;
When its maniac strength
Is lapsed at length
Thy summit serene thou wilt raise.
A scorn sublime
Of Fate and Time
Let peoples and states pass on!
Uuscathed, unscarred,
Unmoved, unmarrcd,
Thou wilt stand till the ultimate dawn
Thy pinnacled snow
Is first to show
To earth the coming of day; .
Thou art last to the sight
Of the sun at night, .
Empurpled In his ray.
An altar art thou
Where the soul may bow!
Come ye from your holy place
From monastic cave
From cushioned nave
Come, here, and behold God's face!
VALENTINE.
O come to these arms,
Where life's rude alarms.
Where fortune unkind,
Their way shall ne'er find.
Young hours may fleet,
Visioned-vistas may cheat,
The seasons may change.
And affections grow strange.
But there's constancy here
In this heart aye thine, dear.
In the waste 'tis a tree
Whose shade is for thee;
In a wreck-ridden ocean
'Tis an isle of devotion
Where ever is rest.
O come to .this breast!
'Twill thy happiness cherish
Or with it 'twill perish.
COMPENSATORY TIME.
Pleasure smiled at banquet, while
Sorrow wept above a grave.
Time to Sorrow Pleasure's smile.
Sorrow's tears to Pleasure gave.
LOVE.
Things of mundane birth
Must return to earth;
ffo to realms above.
Heaven-born, goes love.
THE LNUTTERED.
In the silence of the soul
Voiceless are dlvinest strains;
Thoughts beyond the tongue's control
Pine there as in prison chains.
TIME IRONY.
On a crumbled stone.
O'er a weedy plot.
Were these words alone:
"Gone, but not forgot.'
Applause for the Chaplain's Prayrrtt.
" Boston Transcript.
The House of Representatives has set
a useful precedent in applauding the
prayer. In the first place, it was short:
In the-second, it was racy: then, too. It
was a fairly accurate definition of what
the House wants. As a custom there
would be advantages In a general ex
pression of assent on such occasions. Dis
approval of a lengthy petition could be
shown by .respectful silence: approbation
could he expressed as the House ex
pressed it. Now and then a responsive
congregation which sincerely desires to
show Its approval of the minister's utter
ances is reduced to rustling its gloves
and shaking out Its skirts. Repression is
good for the soul, but applause would
help the minister, and now that august
National body has set the pace, why not
go ahead?
Hears Sermon With Broken Arm.
Warren ttjhio) Dispatch.
By a fall on the ice the arm of Mrs.
Savilla Malnnoy, of Warren, Ohio, was
broken, hut she went on to church, and,
after service, had It set and walked
home, over a mile.
IN THE MAGAZINE
SECTION OF THE
SUNDAY OREGONIAN
LINCOLN'S LOG CABIN
HIS MEMORIAL
How the farm on which he was
born was rescued f fom mercenaries
for a National shrine.
PORTLAND ROSE BUSHES
Page of illustrations in color of
gardens that will contribute to the
Rose Festival in June.
GEORGE, JR., AND HIS
LITTLE HATCHET
Full-page illustration in colors
of an old legend with a modern
Portland setting.
OLD JAPAN AND NEW x
IN CONTRAST
Annie Laurie Miller writes of
today's activities at the national
capital.
HUNTING ELEPHANTS
AND LIONS
How the industry is' carried on
in the wilds of Africa, where the
sportsmen pay a heavy license.
MOST PRODUCTIVE
IRRIGATED LANDS
Story of Hermiston and the
Umatilla project, where water will
be turned on within 60 days.
ORDER EARLY FROM YOUR
NEWSDEALER