Morning Oregonian., February 21, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

8
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1903.
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PORTLAND, FRIDAY, FEB. gt, 1908.
i THE PARTY THAT IS NO PARTY.
The joy of battle gaudium certa
niainis is something to which The
Oregonian has not been insensible;
but the zest is lost when the prognos
'tic holds out no hope of success.
There is no joy In a lost battle, and
as little in a coming battle which you
see is foredoomed to failure, through
the spirltlessness of the forces with
which you are associated. This is
the reason why The Oregonian has
quit the field, in advance. It has seen
the Republican party of Oregon, nom
inally strong, but pusillanimous, fac
tious and worthless In actual contest,
fly too often from the field.
If-The Oregonian enjoyed defeat it
would engage again and make such
effort for party as It has made re
; peatedly In former years, when It sup
' plied argument and exhortation and
exerted Itself on high principle and
l for high purpose, to the utmost. Some
' of thee efforts succeeded. Latterly
;. .they have failed, because through fac-itiona-l
strife and political degeneracy
the objects of party action have been
lost to sight. The new measures, ini
tiative and referendum, and the things
, done under them, the primary law
flnd Statement No. 1, superadded to
other causes of dissolution, have vir
tually completed the disintegration of
the Republican party of Oregon. It
has no bond of union and will not act
together. The new method is wholly
In favor of the minority party; and it
. sorts perfectly with the disposition
,. and Inclination of a class of so-called
Republicans, who long have wanted
and have waited for such an instru
: ment for gratification of their per
' sonal piques, private ambitions and
political resentments. To make seri
ous and earnest and high appeal to
: the Republican party under these con
f ditlons would simply be stupid and
fatuous. Why expect a result in the
absence of the conditions necessary
for Its obfainment? More hopeless
', still, when all the conditions are
; against you.
', But it will be said that Republican
success Is not necessary. That ha
1 been what about one-half the Repub
licans of Oregon have been saying
this long time. It Is a party now ut
terly without , organization, spirit or
purpose. It is fast getting to be what
' the Chicago Times, at the close of the
Civil War, called the Democratic
party "a putrid reminiscence."
T'loase excuse those who, as you may
lind it put in Marmlon, do not take
. Joy in the lost battle, borne down by
' the flying.
THE BINCH OF CANDIDATES.
. Pennslyvania will go to Chicago for
' Knox, Ohio for Taft, Indiana for Falr-
banks, Illinois for Cannon,. Wisconsin
for La Follette, New Tork mostly for
Hughes. But the candidacy of Can-
iton can scarcely be called a serious
' proposition, nor of Fairbanks, nor of
. Knox. though Knox is exceedingly
rthle, and moreover he is right and
sound on all main questions. His pub
lic utterances bear the stamp of real
statesmanship. To the ability and
rharacter ,of Senator Knox President
..Roosevelt has borne high testimony.
; This Is what the President said in one
i of his public addresses in Pennsyl-
vania:
Purlrg the last few years the National Gov
ernment has taken very long strides In the
direction of exercising and securing this ade
l riuate control over the great corporations, and
' It was under the leadership of one of the
i most honored public men In the country, one
. of Pennsylvania' most eminent eons the
present Senator SJid tfien Attorney-General
Knox that the new departure was begun.
Events have moved fast during the last Ave
; ears. and it is curious to look back at the
extreme bitterness which . . many most
(Xcellent conservative people then felt as to
. the action of Mr. Knox and the Admlnts
' tratlnn.
, Knox would, indeed, be a proper
'inan for the Presidential nomination;
but the position of Pennsylvania on
all questions that relate to tariff and
to protection will be an argument
against him. Cannon and Fairbanks
are Impossible, and their states do not
expect to stand by them. But will
their fcrces go to Taft or to Hughes?
It may be taken as settled that Taft
will have more votes in the conven
tion than any other candidate, but no
majority on the first ballot. The
nomination then will depend on such
combinations as may' be made. The
Democratic party, fortunately, has
one candidate the peerless one and
will have no trouble till the election
comes on.
GENERAL STOESSEL.
The death sentence Imposed upon
General Stoessel for surrendering Port
Arthur to the Japanese indicates that
Russia has still a long road to travel
before she becomes truly civilzed. It
Is quite possible that Port Arthur
might have held out a fewdays longer
than it did, but tfie fall was inevitable
and further resistance could have ac
complished nothing worth while. It
would have added to the general sum
of misery caused by that wicked war,
but Russian glory would not have
been brightened. Resistance prolonged
beyond reason indicates that the com
mander' has forgotten humanity and
thinks of nothing but his own. vanity.
There Is a sound reason why the cap
tain of a ship should go down with
his vessel, but none whatever why a
General should not surrender a for
tress when both resistance and rescue
are hopeless.-
There is probably no Buropean na
tion except Russia which would now
make the mistake of condemning an
unsuccessful General to death, though
many have been foolish and barbar
ous enough to do it in the past. More
than 150 years have elapsed since
England sacrificed Admiral Byng to
popular clamor and a false sense of
national honor, as General Stoessel is
sacrificed today to the vanity of the
Grand Ducal clique in Russia. Byng
would now be punished merely by the
contempt of . his countrymen, though
his offense was incomparably more
flagrant than Stoessel's. He was sent
with a fleet to relieve Minorca from a
French attack in 1756, and, after giv
ing a signal to advance, which his sub
ordinates obeyed, Byng himself kept
out of the action and permitted the
French to gain a victory. Then, with
out further efforts to relieve Minorca,
he sailed back home. Naturally, the
British public was indignant and the
Admiral was shot for cowardice.
We have not been much troubled
with cowardly Generals in America,
but still we have had enough of them
to know the species. After the disas
ter at Ball's Bluff In the beginning of
the Civil War General Charles Pom
eroy Stone was accused of cowardice
or collusion. Suspicion against him
became so strong that he was arrest
ed and kept for some six months in a
military prison, but no formal charges
were ever preferred against him and
he was finally released and restored to
the Union service. The policy of our
Government has invariably been leni
ent toward bad soldiers. Not even
treason has been able to provoke it
to cruelty. Upon the whole, experi
ence seems to prove that leniency is
the best policy In these matters, as it
certainly is the most civilized. If a
man does not do his best from mo
tives of patriotism and honor, the fear
of punishment will not improve his
conduct.
When Russia has advanced some
what in the scale of civilization and
Christianity she will discover a better
way to deal with her Stoessels than
putting them to death.
OCR UNGUARDED ORIENTAL INTER
ESTS. The tenor of Washington dispatches
regarding the Far Eastern question
would indicate that the United States
expects Japanese aggression in- Man
churia to be checked by the great Eu
ropean powers, which have larger
commercial 'interests at stake than
our own. To a certain point this pol
icy may be proper and safe, but there
13 ever the possibility that, in the pro
cess of curbing the rapacity of Japan,
the other powers might at any time
be tempted to divide quietly the spoils
among -themselves without inviting
the United States to participate. All
of the moral support and publicly ex
pressed sympathy that went out from
the United States to Japan during her
struggle with Russia was caused by
the general belief that Japan was ad
ministering to Russia proper disci
pline for her attempt to seize Man
churia. China, then as now, was regarded as
a kind of a protege of all the nations,
and when her interests were placed in
jeopardy, as they were by the Russian
advance on Manchuria, Japan, being
nearest at hand and in the best strate
gic position, naturally fell heir to the
task of placing limitations on Russian
exploitation and spoliation. But, aside
from the remuneration arranged for
by the peace treaty, Japan is not enti
tled to any special privileges in Man
churia, and if the other powers of the
world play fair with the United States
the men of Nippon will not be per
mitted to exercise any greater power
in Manchuria than was permitted the
Russians. The United States is build
ing a canal between the Atlantic and
the Pacific for almost the exclusive
purpose of affording a short route to
the comparatively new trade fields of
the Far East. It would appear a very
foolish and short-sighted policy for
this country to sit back and permit
our commercial rivals to Settle the
matter with Japan.
There is something more than Man
churia involved in the problem, for if
Japan, after making her peace with
England and Germany, should bring
Manchuria under Japanese control,
there would be an admirable prece
dent for the other countries to con
tinue the same policy and plant their
banners above the dragon flag at Pe
kin. That the question is not under
stood at Washington finds ample evi
dence in the statements of "officials
who cannot be quoted but who are in
a position to direct our policies."
These officials, according to Washing
ton dispatches, have satisfied them
selves that our loss of trade with
Japan is due to the prosecution of rail
and steamship lines which made low
rates through to the Far East. Strict
ly speaking, there has been no loss of
trade. Our sales to Japan last year
reached a total of $41,068,508, com
pared with J3M05.978 for the pre
ceding year. This was, of course, a
heavy decrease from the $55,000,000
exports of 1905, but it must be re
membered that tjie abnormal figures
shot up from $31,000,000 in 1904, on
account of the demands of war,
canned beef shipments alone from
this country in 1905 reaching a total
of $1,318,000. Practically everything
in excess of the normal exports were
munitions of war or commodities
which were in demand on account of
the war.
Japan has never purchased any
thing from this country that she could
secure to- better advantage elsewhere,
and she never will. If we are to
share in the growing trade of the Far
East, we must insist on the preserva
tion of China as a neutral market.
This Integrity may be maintained by
the action of other nations, but the
situation will bear close watching by
the United States.
A PHYSICIAN'S WARNING.
Dr. E. A. Pierce, superintendent of
the Open-AIr Sanitarium, near this
city, in a recent address before the
annual meeting of the Washington So
ciety for the Prevention of Tubercu
losis, sharply arraigned the legislators
of the states of the Pacific Northwest
for their failure or refusal to make
suitable provision for the establish
ment and maintenance of sanitariums
where tuberculosis patients can be
treated and taken care of. Dr. Pierce
asserts emphatically that 75 per cent
of the cases known as "consumption"
are curable; that it is Impossible to
treat them successfully In homes, and
that poverty adds to the certainty of
fatal results in very many cases. He
combatted with great earnestness the
idea that it is necessary, for cure, of
such cases, for the patients to seek a
higher altitude, and asserted that
there is no place so good for the open
air treatment as the Pacific Coast.
While this latter statement was
probably exaggerated by the earnest
ness of the' moment, it is no doubt
true that there is no locality in which
consumption can be treated to better
advantage, according to the latest
methods of dealing with that insidious
disease, than can readily be found in
the Pacific Coast States. The great
and pitiful mistake that consumptives
make is in going wearily about, en
during the hardship and fatigue of
travel and the privation of poor food
In the effort to "get well." Pure air
the air of the open an abundance
of nourishing and palatable food,
proper exercise, the avoidance of
overexertion, and serenity of mind
these are the remedial agents by
which, according to the estimate of
Dr. Pierce, three-fourths of those who
contract tuberculosis could be restored
to health. It is apparent that no one
needs to leave Oregon, or any other
section of the Pacific Northwest, in
order to avail himself of these reme
dies. Tet, according to the report of
the secretary of the State Board of
Health, one death in ten throughout
Oregon last year was due. to tubercu
losis. The duty of providing means
to fight this scourge a communica
ble, not a hereditary disease, and cur
able if taken In its earlier stages is
apparent. "If not wrestled- with , in
time," declares Dr. Pierce, "consump
tion will depopulate the country." And
when he adds "It would be better to
endow fewer colleges and T. M. C. A.s
and more sanitariums where tubercu
losis patients' could be properly taken
care of," he. makes a statement that
practical humanitarians will indorse,
providing, of course, that it is neces
sary to take from the former Institu
tions in order to provide for the latter.
SENATORS AS LAWYERS.
Most readers are aware that the
criminal code of the United States Is
enjoying the leisurely experience of
revision in the Senate. So long as
the privileges of the conscript fathers
are not infringed upon they give the
business only - perfunctory attention,
permitting it to crawl along sleepily
from day to day; but the -instant a
proposition like Mr. Borah's comes up
nothing could exceed their vigilance.
The junior member from Idaho
wishes to amend the criminal code
and abridge the ancient prerogatives
of the Senators by forbidding them to
practice law for pay. As the statute
stands it is a criminal offense for them
to take fees for any service performed
before the Government departments,
courts-martial and commissions in
causes where the public has an inter
est either direct or indirect. Mr.
Borah desires to extend the prohibi
tion to the civil courts.
Naturally there Is opposition to his
amendment. The right to serve the
corporations in court is only less lu
crative to our dignified and virtuous
Senators than the right to serve them
in Congress, and it is not to be expect
ed that they will give up either one
without an energetic struggle. Not
without reluctance have they fore
gone the privilege of practicing before
the departments. It is recalled that
one distinguished member of the most
powerful legislative body on earth
made a formal contract with his part
ner before he left home for Washing
ton to the purport that the fees which
he should obtain by practicing before
the departments unlawfully should be
his own exclusive perquisites, though
later, in a crisis of the firm's affairs,
the contract was modified with more
or less ingenuity. The scandalous af
fair throws a purple glare over the
motives which guide the Senatorial
mind and indicates a certain neces
sity for legal restraint wherever It
can be imposed without too much dif
ficulty. The reason why Senators ought not
to be permitted to practice before the
departments is plain enough. Their
influence would dominate the individ
ual who had to decide the .cause and
justice would be bought and sold in
every public office. Just as it has been
in the land department. No man
ought to practice law before a judge
whom he is in a position to coerce,
and every member of the Senate can
coerce the department heads if he
chooses. The same is true, though in
less degree, of the courts. Of course
a Senator could not turn a Judge who
disobliged him out of office, but he
could make things very unpleasant for
him and he could deprive the unfor
tunate man of the hope of promotion.
Senatorial courtesy bars from Federal
office every person who has made
hfmself obnoxious to any Senator.
This principle has been established by
the Senate to help fortify the mem
bers' machines in their respective
states. As an application of the
golden rule it is beyond praise, but it
does not encourage independence in
Government officials.
Senators can and do bully Judges
and pervert Justice, but that is not
the strongest reason why they should
be prohibited from practicing law
while they are In office, though it Is
strong enough. The simple fact is
that Congressmen are trustees of the
public welfare and they cannot devote
their time to a law practice or any
other exacting employment without
betraying their trust. The idea that
the business of legislation Is a mere
diversion which can be performed at
odd moments when nothing more im
portant Is on hand is false and perni
cious. . Lawmaking for the United
States is an occupation weighty
enough to consume the whole of any
man's time and energy Ifhe does his
duty; and the fact that so many Con
gressmen do not do their .duty.acr
counts for the great body of crude
and Ignorant legislation under which
we suffer.
But this Is not the worst of the
matter. It stands to reason that a
Congressman who devotes his time
and Intelligence to the service of cor
porations in the courtroom cannot in
stantly change the whole trend and
character of his thought as soon as he
enters the halls of legislation. What
he Is in court, that will he also be in
Congress. If he Is the paid attorney
of a corporation In one place, he will
be the same in the other. It flies In
the face of all reason and experience
to expect anything else. When a man
goes to Congress It ought to be for his
country's service, and not to build up
a private law practice. Certainly it
ought not to be for the purpose of
serving In court those corporations
whose activity is directed against all
equitable control. In the United
States Senate today the beef trust,
smelter trust, express . trust, poWder
trust. Standard Oil trust and many
others have their notorious represent
atives. If these representatives are
permitted not only to direct legisla
tion for the interest of their princi
pals, but also to domineer over the
courts, where shall the plain citizen go
for justice when he is in controversy
with a powerful corporation?
For a Senator to practice law Is not
a mere "breach of taste," as Mr. Tel
ler delicately put it. It Is wrong, as
Mr. Borah declared, and everybody
ought to commend his courage for
stating the fact plainly. Mr. Mc
Laurin', of Mississippi, thought that
every member "ceased to be a lawyer
when he entered the Senate," but the
fact is that many of them only, begin
to be lawyers then. The practice and
fees -which they could never get before-come
to them readily enough as
soon as they are able to reinforce
their ability as men with their influ
ence as Congressmen. Mr. Bailey is
a sufficient example of what the prac
tice of law brings even the ablest Sen
ator to. Those who cannot live with
out the fees ought to stay-at home,
or if they are already in the Senate
they should follow Mr. Spooners ex
ample and resign. For shame's sake,
if for no other reason, the Senate
ought to adopt Mr. Borah's amendment.
The victory of Mr. Harriman over
Stuyvesant Fish in the Illinois Cen
tral squabble is complete. The main
point at issue was the right of Mr.
Harrlman's Union Pacific road to own
stock in the Illinois Central. As the
Union Pacific under its charter had
been given that right "by the courts, it
is now held that Mr. Harriman had a
right to vote the stock at the annual
meeting of the Illinois Central. The
controversy between the big railroad
men is said to have had its beginning
In a social row between the female
members of the respective families.
While the Pacific Coast, particularly
the Northwest, is not overflowing with
love for Mr. Harriman, he has had
more or less of its sympathy in the
fight just ended, because it was
through Union Pacific ownership of
the Illinois Central that it was possi
ble for the cotton of the South to be
brought west to trans-Pacific steam
ers on this Coast. Portland has not
shared heavily in the business, but
the cars bound west with cotton have
swollen the supply available for lum
ber bound east.
Lewis M. Parrlsh. whose death oc
curred Wednesday at his home on the
East Side, was for many years active
in the real estate transactions of the
city. His venerable figure and serene,
benevolent face carried assurance of a
kind and cheerful nature to all with
whom he came in contact, and these,
in the course of a long life, the greater
part of which was spent in Portland,
constituted a multitude. As church
man, business man and neighbor, Mr.
Parrlsh was without reproach. In
the narrower circle of domestic life
he was kind and. affectionate. A good
and worthy citizen, he went his quiet
way among us for half a century. His
upright life is his best eulogy.
A practical charity was that which
took charge of Ms. J. W. Glttlngs,
widow of a policeman who was shot
and killed in Alblna last December,
gave her shelter and care through a
crisis of maternity, lifted the debt
from her little home and fitted it up
comfortably for the occupancy of her
self aAd little children. This Is, in
deed, missionary work, though it is
without the regular evangelical stamp
and far-away reach. If it bears the
gracious fruitage of a comfortable
home in which children are reared to
uiiright, useful lives, it will prove an
investment of great value in the com
munity. A strange fish, unlike anything that
has ever before been described, has
been picked up on the beach at Sea
side. The find, of course, bears no
resemblance to a sea serpent, but
from the description it bears a strong
resemblance to the "beastles" de
scribed by a man who has tarried too
long at the juice of the corn.
- Of course the mob will be curious
to get a glimpse of the romantic, rov
ing Romeo, Horace Greeley McKinley,
but" it rather complicates matters to
have him arrive at a time when pub
lic Interest of this kind has its gaze
centered on Judge Gantenbeln's court
room. Oregon's distinguished forester,
Horace Greeley McKinley, has accu
mulated enough foreign material for a
book. It may be profitable for him
to collaborate with Oregon's distin
guished historian, S. A. D. Puter.
Several European gentlemen en
route from Paris to St. Petersburg
in automobiles are making acquaint
ance with American weather that they
are not likely soon to forget.
To resist the, attack on the Oregon
& California land grant, ex-Senator
Spooner 'has been engaged. Harri
man is hollerin loudly for help.
There's no denying the fact that
Japan is leaning heavily if Indeed she
is not shoving hard against that open
door.
oose- l
MR. BRYAN'S NEIGHBORS.
Their Declaration For Theodore noose-
velt.
' Brooklyn Eagle.
Mr. Roosevelt continues to be an in
teresting man. The Republican conven
tion of the county, in which Mr. Bryan
lives in Nebraska, has instructed its
delegates to the state convention to sup
port for members of the National con
vention "only those who will vote for
Mr. Roosevelt's renomlnatlon, first, last
and all the time."
Those Nebraska Republicans intimate
that "the more they see of Mr. Bryan
the - better they like Mr. Roosevelt."
They do not say whether this is due to
contrast or to resemblance, though
Shakespeare said "In Joining contrasts
lleth love's delight." ' By that rule a
National ticket of Roosevelt for Presi
dent and Bryan for Vice-President
should unanimously carry Lincoln
County.
These Nebraskan Republican neighbors
of Mr. Bryan declare that if the National
Republican Convention laid its com
mands on Mr. Roosevelt, he would not
dare disobey them. That Is a new wrin
kle. It is the latest variation played on
the old tune of a third term. It either
Indicates a poverty of Republican Presi
dential material, or a paramountcy of
Rooseveltian qualities that makes him
indispensable. Mr. Roosevelt has mod
estly disclaimed the second Idea, and
Messrs. Hughes, Cannon, Fairbanks, La
Follette, Knox and others can be under
stood as questioning the first Idea
It need only be reiterated that Mr.
Roosevelt Is a very interesting man. HeS
Is not only the first, he is the only
choice of the Republicans of Mr. Bryan's
county, but he Is also the one mortal
antipathy of ex-Governor Black, and the
idol of Senator Bourne, of Oregon, who
believes that the sun rises in the right
Bleeve of the President's coat and sets in
the left.
"WHAT!"
A Pointed Sermon for Young Men and
Women.
Boston Traveler.
Many a young man and woman has lost
a fine chance to get ahead in the world
because of some offensive personal habit
unimportant in itself, but which grated
on the nerves of those with whom they
came into .contact. Such a bad habit to
which many people are addicted is say
ing "What?" without the excuse of hav
ing defective hearing. While such
"what's" are due occasionally to the fact
that the mind of the hearer does not work
quickly enough to grasp the meaning of
the question asked", the "what" in most
instances is the result of a bad habit
which grows worse Vs one grows older.
A etory told by a business man illus
trates this tendency. "He has a son, a
clever boy, who graduated from the high
school last year and did not desire to go
to college, so to teach him business meth
ods and self-reliance he was placed in a
commercial house, the head of which was
a friend of the father. The boy worked
a month, and at home erjjressed himself
as perfectly satisfied with his treatment,
his associations and his work. One night,
however, he came home and told his
father that he had been discharged, and
handed his a note signed, by the head of
the concern, which read:
"Dear : I have told James that we
do not care for his services any longer.
He Is a good, clever and willing boy, but
he has a well-developed case of "What."
"When he has been cured, send him back
to us. because we -like him and we think
he will make good."
If you will stop for a minute and con
sider how many times you say "what"
unnecessarily, when you understand per
fectly what has been said to you, you
must realize what a great waste of time
and patience this Involves, and how espe
cially exasperating it is because so unnec
essary. If you are the father of boys,
teaieh them to be alert and listen to what
Is said, so they will respond at once. If
you are a young man starting out In the
world, accept this as a friendly warning:
there are plenty of other things that you
also want to guard against, but one at a
time. Granting that this is a trifle, re
member that a wise man once said that
trifles make perfection, and perfection is
no trifle.
A Genius Already.
-Washington Star.
At the recent sale, of the superb and
priceless Stanford White collection, Mlsa
Elsie De Wolfe, the actress, told a not inap
propriate architect story.
"A gentleman stopped an architect on the
street," she began.
' 'Good morning, Mr. Blank.' the architect
said. "Are you thinking of building again?"
" 'No, said the other. I stopped you to In
quire If you could take my son into your
office as an apprentice. With training I
think he -would some day prove a magnifi
cent architect.'
" 'He has shown some talent. lias, he?'
said the architect a trifle glumly, for he was
disappointed at not getting another con
tract. -
" "Talent! Genius, sir; positive genius.'
" 'What's he done?'
" 'He designed a garden for our Christmas
tree."
" 'Well, what Is there remarkable about
it?' said the architect impatiently.
" Why. sir.' said the other, 'he designed
that garden for $3, and It cost $37.' "
Cannot Change Nature's Logic.
East Oregonian.
If nature has favored Portland as an
export point for the north Pacific Coast,
by giving her a down grade from the
rich wheat fields of the interior, the
Washington Railroad Commission has no
right to question the arrangement. If
Washington railroads cannot haul wheat
as cheaply as the O. R. & N. to tide
water, that is not the O. R, & N.'s fault
and the long-drawn-out effect to make a
river grade railroad and a mountain
grade railroad equal, has ended as it had
been expected by declaring that the Com
mission has no power to change nature's
arrangement of the plan of the North
west. Portland Is the logical gateway
to the Orient and nothing can prevent
her from enjoying this distinction.
Bibulous One Asleep In a Grave.
Freeland- (N. T.) Dispatch to North
' American.
While digging a grave at St. Jerome
Cemetery here, Michael Bosack, who
had been drinking, fell asleep, and, on
account of the cold weather and to
save themselves from worry about his
safety, his companions placed him in
the rough box in the grave and then
screwed the lid on. When the funeral
party arrived later the cemetery em
ployes were busy elswhere. Undertaker
Klrnan directed an assistant to remove
the lid from the rough box." They did
eo. Bosack sat upright and wanted t-o
know what was doing. The mourners
were startled until the real situation
was explained, and interment was then
made.
Mother and Son Die at Same Hoar.
Baltimore News.
Mrs. John Ryan,-of Douglassvllle. N.
T., and her son, Joseph Ryan, of Port
Carbon, Pa., hundreds of miles apart, died
at the same hour.
The Town Cows.
Prank Edwards In the Indianapolis Star
Way down the creek beyond the mill
Is where the town cows stay. '
Jes standln' still there in the shade
Or browsln' 'round the livelong day.
Keepln' cool.
An' chewln' cud
An' ewlshln' flies.
Loafin' 'round there half asleep.
And wanderln' lazy like
Through the water 'long the creek
Jes as they please from mornin plumb
Till mllkln' time.
An' chewln' cud
An' swlshln' files.
An' then they come a nlbblln' 'long
The road an' mootn
Kind o' soft and low, sociable like,
Their bells & clickln' every step,
Wanderln home.
An' chewln' cud
An' awlshln' flies.
WOULD INVOKE REFERENDUM.
If Supreme Court Says Certain Act of
Legislature la Unconstitutional.
MT. VERNON, Wash., Feb. 19. (To
the Editor.) Notwithstanding that the
leading Eastern newspapers are indulg
ing In much editorial levity at the ex
pense of Oregon anent Its various sys
tems of ballot reform, characterizing
Oregon a a "political . experimental
station," in reference to the direct pri
mary, Initiative and referendum, I ven
ture to indorse The Oregonlan's latest
proposition of a referendum on court
decisions, but it should be only appli
cable to Supreme Court decisions de
claring a certain act of the Legislature
unconstitutional.
If the people disapprove of such a
decision, the law is restored. Does any
one doubt that had we a National ref
erendum on the United States Supreme
Court decision declaring the income
tax act of Congress unconstitutional,
the people would have restored it by
an overwhelming majority? It was
only set aside by a bare majority of
5 to 4, and, it is said, would have car
ried but for one of the Justices, who
was originally In favor of it, changing
his mind at the last moment There
was not so much said then about "swol
len fortunes," but recently there is
much discussion among conservative
men who want to check them. An in
come tax would serve as a wholesome
regulative and at the same time pro
vide a handsome source of revenue for
much-needed Improvements In the mat
ter of river and harbor, irrigation, publio
buildings, ejus.
Doubtlem Congress could pass a Con
stitutional law providing for an In
come tax, but Congress appears to be
so excessively conservative that it will
not attempt it. But the "initiative"
would compel it to act, and the "refer
endum" would exercise a wholesome re
straint on the Supreme Court, so that
such laws would not be set aside on
frivolous technicalities. So thia propo
sition of yours is not so absurd as our
political doctrinaires would have us be
lieve. JAMES POWER.
TAFT AND NEWSPAPER MEN.
Public Man Who Hhi Won Admiration
of the Press Guild.
Washington Letter in Springfield Repub
lican. There 1s no man in public life today In
Washington who has so won the personal
respect and admiration of the special
newspaper correspondents as Secretary
Taft. This statement is made without
qualification. Most of these men have
seen administrations and public officials
come and go. They have no reverence
for the mere officeholder, and however
accurate their Judgments may be on other
matters, there Is probably no body of men
quicker to detect the sham and poseur or
more merciless in the ridicule, which,
though it may not always find Its way
into print, is passeV about in common
talk.
Secretary Taft has won the respect of
these men, not by any cheap bid for
favor, but by his frankness and manli
ness. Those who have had an opportu
nity to see him behind the scenes have
had no disillustonments. They have found
a conscientious, frank, and outspoken
public servant, trying to do his duty, and
loyally and uncomplainingly accepting
criticism really due to the acts of others
in the administration. It is doubtful If
any man for years past has won such a
warm personal regard. The question of
the abuse of Federal patronage for Mr.
Taft has on this account been a bitterly
unpleasant one for many men to handle.
For example, one correspondent recently
remarked in talking of the matter: "I am
sick at heart about the whole thing. There
Is no doubt in my mind but that patron
age is being used. But there's old Taft,
the biggest-hearted citizen that ever drew
breath. I don't know what to do." The
only thing to do has seemed to be to tell
what, in the llfrht of as fair Judgment as
one could exercise, has appeared to be the
truth.
Mr. Eddy, n Municipal Asset.
Boston Transcript.
At Concord, N. H., they have been cal
culating just how much Mrs. Eddy's
19 years of residence meant to that city
in financial returns. Estimates vary,
naturally, but this seems to be a fair,
average estimate: The Christian Science
Church (Mrs. Eddy's gift), J225.000: chart
table donations, $25,000; miscellaneous
gifts and contributions, J25.O00; for good
roads, $25,000; Pleasant View estate.
$40,000; household expenditures, $100,000;
Income from special privileges granted to
Concord manufacturers and business
men, $40,000; granite contracts for Chris
tian Science churches obtained because
of Mrs. Eddy's residence, and perhaps
through her Influence, $1,000,000; other
known expenditures, $90,000. The grand
total of this Is $1,570,000. If this be true,
the general lament heard In Concord
when the benefactress moved away to
Newton, Mass., would appear to have
some foundation in pocketbook as well
as In sentiment. Mrs. Eddy proves a
gilt-edged municipal asset.
Wonders Worked hy Rebate Law.
Wall-Street Journal.
Vice-President Brown, of the New Tork
Central, has said in a public address that
the Hepburn law has- released the rail
roads from a helpless condition with re
gard to rebates and preferential rates and
that its value can hardly be overesti
mated, i
Another railroad official of equal rank
with Mr. Brown puts the case in even
more strenuous language, for, referring
to the abolition of rebates, he said the
other day:
"It Is now powiible for a railroad man
to be a traffic manager and a gentleman
at the same time."
If such is the fact, how unfortunate
it is that so many of the railroad men of
the country combined to oppose the pass
age of the rate law. It would have been
much better if they had co-operated in its
passage.
An Amateur's Dilemma.
Toledo Leader.
The villain In the play last Friday
evening had the extreme misfortune to
break the key In attempting to take the
handcuffs off his wrists. Consequently
he slept that night with shackles on.
A FEW SQTjDJS.
Kicker What makes a successful poli
tician? Bocker The ability to tell a band
wagon from a hearse. Judge.
A financier's outing "Where's the boss?"
"In Europe." "Back soon?" "It depends on
his lawyer." Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Lawyer Was your friend an accessory
before the fact? Witness Sure, sor, but
most sorry he wor after the fact, sor.
Baltimore American.
Blobbs See that messenger boy reading
the dime novel. He hasn't moved for an
hour. Slobba What an Ideal chessplayer he
would make Philadelphia Record.
"Ever seen Congress In session?" "No,"
replied Farmer Coboss, "but I know about
how it looks. I hev a hired man who kin
git as busy doln' nuthln' as anything you
ever saw." Louisville Courier-Journal.
The Reporter My dear, I'm going to try
to tell you the story of my great love for
you. I'm afraid I can't find words properly
to express my feeling, but The Society
Editor (interrupting) You may boll it down
to a stickful, George. Brooklyn Life.
That sharp-tong-ued Miss Redpepp has
been sajdng some mighty mean things about
you and'your wife." "What, for Instance?"
"Says, yon picked her up at a bargain coun
ter." "Great Scott, I did! She was the pret
tiest girl that ever atood behind one."
Chicago Tribune. -
"For goodness sake!" exclaimed mamma,
returning from a shopping trip, "what's
the matter with little Tommy ?' "'TIs a bad
boonvp he got, ma'am, ye know ye told me
I was to let him play upon the pianny an
onct whin he was slldln' on the top of It
he slid too far, ma'am." Philadelphia
Press. , .
POTPOURRI
BT KANCT LED.
THERE! was a young fellow named
Jake
Who called his fiancee a snake
But the snap of her jaw
So filled him with awe
That he fancied he'd made a mistake.
When he was allowed to explain
And the point finally lodged in her brain.
She learned that her charm
Had worked all the harm,
So she colled to his arm once again.
"Did you get a valentine this year, old
man?"
"Sure, it weighed nine pounds."
Drinking ts a system of irrigation for
those who wish to sow the wind..
Summer flirt A harp with many
"strings" that plays nothing but bank
notes.
e e
A new story Is told on "Fighting Bob"
Evans: While visiting In one of the New
Tork towns. Admiral and Mrs.
Evans attended one of the leading Epis
copal churches, entering a pew in which
sat a man and his daughter. Presently
the man pulled out his card and, writing
the following, handed it to the Admiral:
"Pardon me, but I pay $500 for this
pew."
Whereupon. "Fighting Bob" turned
over the card and amiably scribbled:
"You pay too much."
e
Summer Boarder What's become of
the swimming teacher that was here last
season, who wore the 4S medals on his
chest?
Proprietor He's dead. He fell Into the
water one day last Fall and the weight
of the medals sank him.
An unusually temperate man, who was
a model husband and a credit to the com
munity, happened to go out with a friend
one night and inadvertently got drunk.
When he betook himself home he
wondered how he could deceive his wife.
A brilliant idea occurred to him that he
never saw an Intoxicated man reading a
book. That was It. He would enter the
house, pick up a book carelessly, and
thus disarm his wife's suspicion. Getting
into the house with some difficulty, he
seated, himself In a chair and opened a
ponderous volume. Soon his wife ap
peared from her boudoir.
"John, what on earth are you doing?"
she asked.
"Why, my d-d-dear," he said Jauntily,
"I'm rheadtng. Can't you shee?"
"John, you idiot, shut up that valise
Immediately, and go to bed."
Matrimony now has added terrors, as
the wedding anthem "O Promise Me" has
been superseded by "Love Ms and the
World Is Mine."
Mrs. Snob (haughtily) I Just learned
today that your grandfather arrived In
1S20 from Europe, as a steerage pas
senger. Mrs. Got-Rlch-Recently Yes, wasn't 1t
most unfortunate? But what else could
poor grandpapa do with everything in
the way of accommodations engaged
weeks In advance?
A fool and his money are soon mar
rled.
e
Be good and you'll be original.
.
A Scotchman's Prayer.
Oh Lord, we approach thee this mora
in' in the attitude o" prayer, and likewise o'
complaint. When we cam' tae the land
o' Canady, we expected tae find a land
flowln' wl' milk and honey, but Instead o"
that we found a land peopled with un
godly Irish. O Lord, In thy great mercy,
drive them to the uttermost parts
o' Canady; mak' them hewers o' wood and
drawers of water; gie them nae emolu
ments; gie them nae place o' abode. Ne'er
mak' them magistrates or rulers amang
thy people; but If ye hae any favors
two bestow, or any guld land tae gia
awa', gie it tae thine aln, thy peculiar poo
pie the Scotch. Make them a' members
a' parllment, an' magistrates an' rulers
amang thy people. But as for the un
godly Irish, tak' them by the heel an
shake them ower the mouth o' hell, but
dlnna let them fa' in. And a' the glory
shall be thine. Amen.
IN THE MAGAZINE
SECTION OF THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
CITY WHOSE PEOPLE
LIVE IN THE STREETS
It is Callao, the most interesting
port in South America, where just
now several thousand Yankees
whom we know are sojourning.
The article, from a special corre
spondent, tells how most of the
business there is7 transacted from
the backs of mules.
UNCLE SAM TO BUY
MOUNT VERNON
Views of the home of George
Washington, which will be freely
restored and made free to the pub
lic. LOVE AFFAIRS OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON
The Father of His Country was
"thrown down" by. three young
ladies before he married the rich
est widow in Virginia.
HOW TO BECOME A
SUCCESSFUL PALMIST
Full instructions for amateur
work; also for fleecing a gullible
public. By Leone Cass Baer, with
her own illustrations.
THROWING THE LARIAT
Full-page illustration in colors
of a scene not familiar east of the
Rockies.
NOTED TYPES OF A
VANISHING RACE
Series of pictures portraying In
dian life, by J. II. Sharp, Ameri
ca's foremost painter of red men."
ORDER FROM YOUR NEWS
DEALER TODAY