Morning Oregonian., February 27, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

, n , ' V MOTCXiyQ OREGOXIAy, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1903.
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J"ORTI.ANI. THCRKDAV, FEB. it, 1908.
WII.U FIGURES EXAMINED.
Somebody, urging the new tax sys
tfin proposed by initiative amend
ment, says the farming population of
Oregon, numbering only 100,000, now
pays about BO per cent of the taxes.
w hile the city population, . number
ing 560,000, pays only 40 per cent.
Also, that an acre of land in the City
of Portland has a land value of a strip
of farming land, at $50 an acre, one
, mile wide, reaching from Portland to
C'urvallis $3,200,000. All these fig
ures, needless to say, are loose and
unvoritiahle in short, ridiculously in
error.
Kor, first, the farming population of
Oregon, instead of being less than
one-slKth of the yity population, is
actually much in excess of it. Not
Irss than two-thirds of the people of
Oregon live in the country; not more
than one-third In the cities. The esti
mated population of the state (650
000 is undoubtedly too large. But
let that pass.
The assessed value of the property
or the state is $380,000,000. That of
Portland alone is one-third of the.
whole. Add that of other cities, and
you will fiiul at least ahhthtT one
third. The result Is that the figures
purporting to show the assessed values
of cities and of country, In. com
parison or contrast with each other
should be reversed; that is to say, 60
per cent for the cities and 40 per cen
lor the country lands. Included in the
' latter are the vast bodies of timber
lands, now assessed for the first time
at something like their actual value
yet not high enough.
If there is any single acre in Port
land that has a land value of $3,200.
000, many residents of the city who
have lived here a while, and are curi
ous to know, would be glad to be told
whore it is. There is no one acre of
land in Portland, with all buildings
upou it and you may select the most
costly buildings in Portland worth
such a sum, or would fetch such a
sum.
City property in Oregon is assessed
at just about its actual value. It Is
especially so fn Portland whose as
sessment alone Is almost 40 per cent of
that of the entire state. In most of
the counties a fair assessment has
been made of farm and timber lands,
(gradually the counties have been com
ing up with their valuations; but there
are still some laggards.
Not till within recent years, how
ever, has there been anything like
equitable adjustment of values be
tween different parts of the state.
Through all former times each county
was keeping down Its assessment for
the purpose of shirking Its proportion
of the state tax. But the new method
of the state tax has done away with
this, and the counties have been
bringing up their valuations and totals,
till now there is little ground of com
plaint of Inequality between the coun
ties, or between city property and
country lands. Our laws always were
about-right; but till recently local
public opinion compelled the Assessors
to construe them so as to make for
each county a light state tax. That
method never will be resumed, since
the "reason for It ceased some years
ago. For the proposed change, through
initiative amendment, no valid reason
exists.' It would Introduce unequal
and unjust taxation, which would
"bear with equal hardship on country
and city property. No species of In
equality, or Injustice can conduce to
the general welfare, but must be In
jurious to all.
Property-owners on Young's River,
near Astoria, have signed a contract
for construction of a five-mile dike
which Vill reclaim a. large area of the
richest land In Clatsop County. An
other Astoria enterprise, reported In
.yesterday's pregoriian, waa tbe orgaa-
Ization of a company to reclaim sev-
.. . ' II J, J
erai inousana acres 01 tiuemu
Tongue Point for warehouse and rail
road terminal purposes. For the
present, at least, there Is an element of
uncertainty regarding the - profits of
the Tongue Point scheme, but there Is
not the slightest" degree of uncer
tainty about the profits that will be
reaped from reclamation of the
Young's Bay tldelands. The demand
for railroad terminals has never been
so extensive and far-reaching as the
deman'd for dairy products, vegetables
and other commodities . that will be
produced on the reclaimed tideland in
record-breaking quantities.
INDEPENDENT WHEAT WAREHOUSES.
The decision of Judge Wolverton in
the suit of the Northwest Warehouse
Company against the O. R. & N. Co.
will undoubtedly result in an Improved
system of warehousing and shipping
grain at Interior points. An O. R. &
N. official, quoted in yesterday's Ore
gonian, explained what should be the
attitude of the road when he said: "Aft
wheat looks alike to us, and we will I
haul for one just as soon as for an
other." There has naturally been
some difficulty in adhering to this pol
icy so long as the control of the" ware
houses was in charge, of large wheat
perators who might naturally be ex
pected to give preference to their own
shipments over" those of competing
buyers.
By storing in these warehouses, the
owner of the wheat has in a manner
placed his grain in the charge of the
warehousemen, and it was through
recognition of the authority of the,
warehousemen over grain for which
he had given receipt that the railroad
company compelled Intending ship
pers to order cars through the ware
housemen. The decision of Judge
Wolverton will have a tendency to en
courage the building and operation of
independent warehouses along the rail
roads. While it may be questionable
where such a result will contribute to
economy of handling thelfcrop. it will
relieve the railroad company ,of the
charges of favoritism which quite nat
urally have cropped out In connection
with the unsatisfactory car service of
last year. '
It will also place the independent
buyer, aside from a possible Increased
cost for warehousing, on even, terms
with the warehousemen, who are now
in the grain business. As the system
of warehousing and shipping is exactly
the ame in bpth Puget Sound and
Portland territory, the ruling of Judge
Wolverton will have no effect on the
distribution of wheat from the two
ports.
Ol'R "TVLAND WATERWAYS.
The President has transmitted the
preliminary report . of the Inland
Waterways Commission to Congress
with a . characteristic message which
ought to awaken'our legislators to the
full Importance of the subject and spur
them on to take up the great task
which the report outlines. The chances
afe, However, that nothing will be
done. Congress delights more just now
in frantic spousing for political effect
than, in plana for the National good.,
It will grant a dozen millions In pen
sions as a virtual bribe for votes, but
when the question of Improving the
waterways of the country comes VP
the members are pinched with sudden
penuriousness. The National Water
ways Commission was appointed by
the President about a year ago at the'
solicitation of a great many commer
cial bodies in the Valley of the Mis
sissippi who had become impressed
with the danger and folly of permit
ting the rivers of the country to de
generate' Into strings of sandbars in
terspersed with lagoons.
A commission" of nine members was
appointed, Mr. Gifford Pinchot being
one of them. Senator Newlands, of
Nevada, was also a member. The
commission held a great many meet
ings and made Investigations as thor
ough as their means permitted, but of
course all -that they did is merely pre
liminary, to .the real undertaking of In
land waterway improvement. The
task is" so extensive that it staggers
the irnagination, and it will require the
expenditure of a very large sum of
money. But Americans are used to
great tasks, though hitherto we have
undertaken them blindly and without
adequate forethought. Instead of con
serving our National resources for the
public we have handed them over to
monopolies, as the President says in
his message of transmission. Instead
of using (hem with a prudent outlook
on the future we have acted as If there
were no such thing as a future and as
It we owed no duty whatever to com
ing generations.
With our National resources we have
acted much as the famous- Mrs. Tubbs
did with her legacy of $100. It was
left to the good widow in the depth of
Winter, when her woodpile was gone
and her larder was empty; but, Instead
of spending the money for food and
fuel, she gave $20 for a silk dress and
the remaining $80 for a parlor organ.
With our deposits of jCoal, petroleum
and Iron, as well as with our forests,
we have been purchasing silk dresses
and parlor organs, not for ourselves,
but for our millionaire monopolists,
and now, when the day of our dire ne
cessity draws nigh, we are almost be
reft of the very bases of prosperity.
The President laments this premature
exhaustion of the natural resources of
the country. He bewails the fact that
we have spent them like prodigals and
must now either subsist on husks or
go to foreign nations for supplies. But
he omits to say that for many years
we have put a premium on destruc
tion by the prohibitive tariff which en
couraged the exploitation of our own
resources and kept out those from
other countries.
The President and the commission
unite in urging that the development
of waterways with the attendant water
power will tend to put off the evil day
when we shall be without coal, iron or
timber; but the repeal of some of the
exorbitant Dlngley rates and the ad
mission of supplies from abroad would
help materially toward the same de
Birable end. Still, the Waterways
ought to be developed, no matter If it
costs a great deal to do it. The cost
will be represented by the value of
permanent improvements If the work
Is done scientifically. It may even
show a profit Immediately for It Is es
timated that the electric power pro
duced will be worth more than the
whole" expense of Improving the rivers
and building the necessary dams and
locks. It Is the opinion of the Presi
dent and the commission, that this
power should not be frittered away in
grants to monopolists who. would use
it as a moans of oppression, but that
it should be preserved as public prop
erty and leased to private corporations
lor limited periods oaly. The com'
mission Justly makes a great deal of
this electric power 'which river Im
provement will develop, and private
interests. seem to be aware also of its
value, for there are already half a
dozen grabs for a share of It awaiting
the easy sanction of Congress.
Our navigable waterways are now
under the management of four separ
ate hierarchies of bureaucrats who
naturally pull against each other as
vigorously as possible and try their
best to entangle each other in meshes
of red tape. Of course nothing could
ever be accomplished Jn the way of
systematic Improvements under such
an arrangement. The President and
commission unite in asking" Congress
to round a permanent ooay wnun suau
have efficient control over the .whole
subject and co-ordinate the work of
the separate bureaus. This is essen
tial if anything worth while is to be
done. That something must 'be done,
and without much delay, is pretty clear
to everybody who has taken time to
study the' subject of transportation.
The railroads are Inadequate to trans
port the products of the Interior, and
thgy pannot be mad'e adequate without
an expense many times greater than
is required -to make the waterways
useful. Moreover, Internal navigation
is intimately allied with the subjects
of irrigation, floods, soil preservation
and climate, as well as the supply of
cheap power for Industry. It is time
that onr National neglect of these mat
ters should cease. We have dwelt too
long In a fool's paradise. We must
now go to work systematically to hus
band what is left of our vast endow
ment in mine, soil, forest and river, or
we. shall be left utterly, destitute In a
very few years.
THE "LAST BROWNSVTLI.E FUCKER.
After spending many months gath
ering evidence upon the Brownsville
shooting affray, the Senate committee
on miltary affairs has come to the con
clusion that the accused negro sol
diers were guilty and has so reported.
This disposes of the vexatious business,
one may hope, and shatters the glori
ous halo which Senator Foraker hoped
to wear In his pose as champion of the
colored race. He took up the cause of
the dismissed soldiqrs for no other
purpose than to win delegates in the
South, ' where the Republican vote
comes almost entirely from the ne
groes.. Nor has he altogether missed
his aim. Negro hostility to Taft, in
consequence of the Brownsville affair,
has- nreduced a divided delegation to
the National convention in Florida,
arrd the same thing will probably hap
pen in Georgia. Very likely there will
be divided or contesting delegations
from other Southern States. This is
important because, although the vote
of these states is negligible, still their
delegations count In the, convention
the same as others, and It may very
well turn out that the antipathy of
the .negroes to Taft, i industriously
stimulated by the devoted Mr. For
aker, may block his nomination and
throw the ball to Hughes.
The attitude of the negroes in this
matter is utterly unintelligent. Their
adulation of Foraker Is so senseless
that it nauseates one. He has never
done anything of value for them, and
never would if he were to be President
for a hundred years. His whole soul
Is wrapped up in the prosperity of the
predatory interests and his only use
for the negroes is to fool them. When
they have pulled his chestnuts out of
the fire' he will give them the laugh
which they deserve.
THE FUTURE MARKETS.
The recent upheaval In Wall street
has been so generally, and perhaps :
correctly, charged to stock speculation
that there have appeared In Congress
an unusually large number of bills In
tended to put a stop to all buying of
"futures."' Passage of these bills would
undoubtedly result In removing' the
gambling feature from the trading In
thei various commodities on which fu
tures are now sold. But the result
would be like one of those "success
ful" surgical operations which are al
ways followed by the 'Jeatb. of the pa
tient. Buying and selling futures Mn
wheat, corn, cotton and other agri
cultural products Is a strictly legiti
mate business, for in. no other way
can the immense crops of this country
be marketed to the best advantage.
If, in the process of marketing these
crops, the legitimate transactions in
futures afford opportunities' for gam
blers to buy and sell futures, it Is
hardly fair that the strictly legitimate
business of this nature should be ru
ined In order to get rid of the men
who buy and sell strictly for gambling
purposes. The ' president of the Na
tional Cotton Ginners and Planters'
Association, whose title bears ample
evidence of his commercial probity,"
says that prohibition of speculation in
cotton 'futures would cost' the South
ern States $100,000,000 a year at
least. Similar loss would be suffered
by the producers of other agricultural
products, now extensively handled
through future selling and buying.
Europe supplies the market for near
ly all of the surplus from our agricul
tural products. It requires nearly
three months for a "steam cargo and
five months for a sail cargo of wheat
to reach Europe after It leaves Port
land. ,
If there were no opportunity for
the buyers of this wheat to deal In
futures, they would .not buy It until
It reached their market. There are
now afloat for Europe, from Portland
and Phget Sound, approximately 15,
000,000 bushels of wheat, which, on
account of the heavy decline In prices,
is worth about, 10 cents per bushel
less than when .the foreign buyer
bought it for "future" delivery. The
foreign buyer of these cargoes has
meanwhile sold them In parcels for
"future" delivery to millers who are
forced to look ahead and sell flour for
"future" delivery. There is, of course,
less opportunity for gambling specula
tion in these transactions than on the
Chtcago Board of Trade, but even
there the making of contracts for fu
ture delivery or acceptance is a most
necessary function In the handling of
the ' large grain crop of the United
States. ' '
InsKotton, the necessity for a "fu
ture", market is even more pro
nounced. Nf foreign or even domes
tic manufacturer of cotton goods
could with safety accept a contract
for goods to be shipped three to six
months later, as is frequently neces
sary, unless he could buy cotton at a
stated price for future delivery when
he would need it. There Is less del
mand for a stock market than for
grain markets, but even the latter
has its functions. There are 78,000
stockholders in the Pennsylvania
Railroad, and among this large num
ber it is but natural that there should
be some who are always selling stock.
The stock exchange offers facilities for
the sale of such securities, both for
Immediate and future delivery, at
much better prices than could be re
ceived if there was no regular market
at which they could be listed. .
It would be a source of great satisr
faction If the professional gamblers
could be driven out of both the stock
and the grain markets, but none of
the bills thus far introduced for sup
pression of the evil would harm the
gamblers as much as they would harm
the legitimate business interests and
the producers.
Since it became known that at the
coming general election the people
wauld be called upon to vote for or
against to adopt or reject nineteen
bills and constitutional amendments,
there have been many -suggestions
that a constitutional convention
should be held for the purpose of re
vising the old constitution upon
which so many patches have been
placed. , But those who entertain the
convention idea must remember that
Mr. URen has anticipated this move
ment and has placed a barrier In the
way of a convention movemAt. He
had the people adopt an amendment
to the section prescribing the manner
in which the constitution may be
amended, and particularly providing
that no constitutional convention shall
be , held until' the act calling' a con
vention has' been submitted to a vote
of the people and has been approved
by them. Those who would like to
get rid of the initiative and referen
dum through a convention therefore
have two battles to wage. They must
first get the people to approve the
calling of a convention and then get
the people to approve a new constitu
tion with the initiative and referen
dum left out. In other words, Mr.
U'Ren . has doubly safeguarded the
people against themselves, for, under
the old provisions, ho constitution
pould become effective without the In
dorsement of the people.
A few more crimes such as that
committed at Denver may have the ef
fect of awakening the people to a re
alization, that we have been too free In
the admission of Old", World offscour
ings. The ""Black Hand," the "Red
Flag" and other Insignia of the unde
sirables who drift into this country
have no place In America, and the in
creasing host which seemsf to be
marching under these alien banners
should be firmly but quietly told to
move on. "Crimes such as that of last
Sunday," said Father O'Ryan in his
funeral sermon over the body of the
assassinated priest, "are assaults on no
mere individual; they are against you
and me and all of us." The foreign
murderers, who are increasingly bold
In their operations, might do well to
recall what happened in New Orleans
a few years ago. when the Mafia over
stepped the bounds and killed the
Chief of Police."
It is reported from New York that
a son of the inventor of the Maxim
machine gun has perfected a "noise
less" firearm, by which it is possible
for the operator to commit wholesale
murder (in battle or elsewhere) with
out disclosing his presence. The pos
sibilities for criminal work with such
a fearful weapon are such that police
officials are quite naturally demanding
that the manufacture and disposal of
it be safeguarded by law. In the hands
of an officer It would prove a terribly
effective weapon which should never
be permitted to fall Into the hands of
a criminal. While we are withholding
such a firearm from the criminal, it
might be appropriate also to cut off
his supply of any kind of firearms.
With criminals and quick-tempered
individuals deprived of revolvers and
rifles, the country would be spared
hundreds of tragedies.
In the interests of better service the
streetcar company adopted a rule the
other day that cars where they cross
another track shall stop only at the
near crossing. This innovation was
announced and repeated by the Port
land presij motormen called it out to
waiting passengers and signs were
posted at intersecting corners. And
yet many people don't seem to under
stand, otherwise the company wouldn't
pay money for advertising the change
afresh. Which shows that you can't
on the instant break a custom a quar
ter of a century old. '
It is observed that Mr. Bryan com
mends the course and policy of Presi
dent Roosevelt, in general; and yet a
large section of Bryan's party (and
others) say this course and policy have
produced the panic and suspended in
dustry. Now if Mr. Bryan should be
elected and should continue the gen
eral course and policy which Roose
velt has pursued, should we have a
happy country and general prosper
ity? Mayor Lane was not on trial, we are
told. Not before the Jury, indeed; but
before the tribunal of public opinion
he certainly was. The woman got her
deserts; but there cannot be one per
son in all Oregon who deems the con
viction of the woman an exculpation
of the man.
It is said that the Oregon Electric
is carrying 500 passengers a day. The
building of the new line must have
stimulated travel or Mr. Harriman
must be suffering a considerable loss
of business. . Perhaps a little of both.'
Misfortunes never come singly not
even to poor old John. D.- A Spokane
man has' sued the Standard Oil Com
pany .for $27,350 because the Octopus
sold oil that had been adulterated.
I beg your pardon, madam," said
a man who accidentally ran with
some violence against a woman in one
of the corridors of the City Hall; "I
J am not Mayor Lane."
- But, If you had re-elected Mayor,
Williams you wouldn't have had this
Lane-Waymlre affair. Wonderful
things often are done in the name of
reform.
After the decision in the Illinois
Central controversy, we suppose Mrs.
Harriman can't walk on the same side
of the street with Mrs. Stuyvesant
Fish.
It was not Mayor Lane who stopped
gambling in Portland. It was Henry
E. McGinn, who showed Sheriff Word
how to do it.
To the long list of the eminently
infamous there is now added the name
of Guarnaclo.
WASHINGTON'S ENGLISH.
He Wrote in an Hoaert, Homely Way,
But Waa Not a eLHerary "eller."
Life.
The Rev. Dr. Robert S. MacArthur has
been telling his class in "current events"
that George Washington never wrote the
classic "Farewell Address." "Washington
was a man of no literary ability." says
Dr. MacArthur. "There is no sort of
doubt that Alexander Hamilton was the
author of that document."
The late Robert G. Ingersoll once re
marked tltat the character of. Washington
had so suffered In the hands of amiable
biographers that it had come to resemble
a steel engraving. But in recent years a'
process of restoration has been going on.
The- letters, so wofully mutilated by well
meaning editors, have been assembled in
their original form, and' the 14 volumes
collected by Worthington Chauneey Ford
disclose George Washington as he really
was. There they are. In black and wnite
together with the "Farewell Address" ast
amended by, its author, and the draft of
it by Hamilton: and to say that the man
who wrote them had no literary Bkill Is,
to say the least, a rather hazardous
criticism.
Mr. Owen Wister. himself a writer of
some reputation, has recently performed
the service of sketching a tull-Iengtn
portrait of Washington, for which these
very writings are his material. "His own
idea and work." says Mr. .Wister in a
casual reference to the "Farewell Ad
dress," "thouprn it benefited by the criti
cism of Hamilton." The author of this
"Seven Ages of Washington" finds In the
letters abundant evidence of the first
President's command of written English.
He notes that such gifted men as Jeffer
son and Hamilton, when they shook their
heads solemnly over the writings of their
chief, "fell dupe to a very human instinct
they wanted to find something whlcn.
they could do better than he eoidd, and
they picked out his English style." From
his papers, public and private, it is seen
that they were quite mistaken. They
"could spell words better I'.inn Washing
ton, use words better they could not. No
better prose than his was written, when
he took time to it." A letter to Gates
and one to Bryan FalrWbc at the time of
the Infamous Conway Cabal are easily,
available specimens of Washington's em
ployment of language that reaches "the
highest level of expression and dignity."
The discerning reader of these and
other letters will go no further to find
proof of "the same literary proficiency
that is apparent In the "Farewell Ad
dress"; John Jay's testimony to Its
authorship recently cited by a con
tributor to the Baltimore News seems
ecarcely necessary.
After all, to have something to Bay, and
to feel the necessity of saying It, Is the
first prerequisite of eloquent speech.
When the Important thing to be said Is
charged with the ardor of a great soul,
the right words are seldom wanting.
"THE LONDON TIMES."
Some
"Hitch" In the F'roceedlnjca
or
Sale and Tranafer.
New York Herald Special.
Public curiosity as to the future of the
Times newspaper has been revived by a
statement by C. Arthur Pearson that while
it is a fact that he has felt compelled to
notify Messrs. Walter, chief proprietors of
the journal, that he must withdraw from
the arrangement which has been made
with them, it Is not a fact that he has
withdrawn from negotiations with regard
to the future of the Times.
The Daily Chronicle states that the orig
inal Pearson proposal, which is now with
drawn, was an elaborate scheme for the
creation of a great newspaper trust by
whifch not merely the Times but also the
Standard, Evening Standard s.nd Daily
Express were to be controlled by one
limited liability company.
That was the first, outstanding featur
of the scheme. The second was that C
Arthur Pearson was to be appointed man
ager for a period of 20 years. His emolu
ments, adding together his salary, direc
tor s fee and a percentage or the proms,
were limited to a maximum of 10,000
(SoO.OOO) per annum. The capital of the
company was determined at 830,000
($4,250,000).
On Friday last counsel were heard be
fore the Court of Chancery in support of
the opponents' scheme and it was appar
ently the force and cogency of the,r ar
Ruments, the Dally Chronicle . says, that
led Sir Arthur Pearson to withdraw his
proposition and open new negotiations.
It is an open secret that Mr. Moberly
Bell, manager of the Times, opposed the
scheme. On the other hand, the Dally
Graphic says this morning that the reason
the arrangement has fallen through Is
that the Pearson offer has been outbid by
an American syndicate for whom Mr. Beii
Is the prospective purchaser.
The Graphic adds that meantime there
is ground for believing that a consid
erable section of the Times proprietors
would be sympathetic toward a scheme
of purchase which should be associated
neither with the Pearson management, on
the one hand, nor with the Americana, on
the other. The ideal which this section
has at heart is at once to preserve the
paper for England and see it conducted
not on behalf of any clique, but with due
regard to the independence, fearlessness
and dignity which are traditional with the
Times. v
Snrprlae In the Bryan Une.
Washington (D. C.) Herald.
A few days from now the regular sub
scribers to the Congressional Record will
be surprised to read therein a speech by
William Jennings Bryan. Probably they
will wonder thereat, for Mr. Bryan has
not been in Congress for lo, these many
years. However, the peerless leader is
not without facilities to obtain publicity
In the Journal of statesmanship. When
ever the Hon. "Billy" Sulzer, of New
York, is on the job and he is always
right there with the goods the silver
tongued one need have no fear; he can
break Into the Record as easily as he can
get a "story" printed In the Commoner.
' The other day Sulzer arose in the House,
and, catching the Speaker's eye, said:
"I ask leave to extend a speech by the
Hon. William J. Bryan in the Record."
"Without objection. It Is so ordered,
said "Uncle Joe"; and because It was
Sulzer, and because he has a new wite.
am
the
,nd all the "boys" ere partial to him,
ere wasn't a single dissenting voice.
Bryan's speech will get in the Record,
and the Democrats will probably use it
under a frank the Hon. "Billy" Sulzer s
frank as campaign material.
Offer Thenntelve aa I.lvioB Target.
Washington (D. C.) Dispatch in New York
Sun.
Several days ago an article appeared
in a newspaper announcing that the
Navy Department wanted volunteers to
remain in the turret of the monitor
Florida when that Bhip Is fired at some
time within the next few months to dem
onstrate the explosive power of a new
shell and the resisting strength of the
turret armor. R. A. Tascoe, of Glen
Ridge, N. J., and Daniel-H. Mills, of 207
Berry avenue. Bellevue, Ky.. have writ
ten to the Navy Department offering
their services. The Department has
written letters to these volunteers in
forming them that no human beings will
be placed in the turret of the Florida
during the test, but praising ther cour
age and telling them that the Depart
ment would like to have them enlist In
the Navy.
Eating Capacity Alone Stops Htm.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Mrs. CRirenee P. Monday, of Liberty,
Mo., taking pity on a tramp who asked
for food, seated him at the table and the
knight of the road ate a quart of pre
serves, a pound of butter and a dozen or
two of biscuits.
Fights Truth In Hl Name.
Baltimore News.
Dam Li is the name of a Chinese laun-
J dryman in SU Joseph, Mo.
LAND GRANT SUIT IN SENATE.
Clear Statement of Purpoae of the
Fulton Reo?ution.
Washington Special to New York World,
February 18.
The fact that the Department of Justice
has made all preparations to begin a suit
to enforce, the terms of Government land
grants In Oregon was brought out today
when Senator Fulton, from the- committee
on Judiciary, reported a resolution author
izing the Department to bring such suit
and asked for its' Immediate adoption. The
principal defendant is the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company.
The resolution was generally discussed
by Senators, the only objection urged
against It biing based on ttie idea that
the Attorney-General already is em
powered by law to do all that is sought
bv the resolution. Senator Fulton an
nounced that the Department is ready to
proceed and merely wants the authority
of Congress to meet any possible question
that may be.. raised against the legality of
the proceeding.
Mr. Tillman explained that he had in
troduced the original resolution In view
of what he had learned while on a visit
to the Pacific Coast. He was satisfied
the railroads are withholding from set
tlement lands worth millions of dollars.
The propriety and necessity of passing
such a resolution was questioned by Mr.
Foraker. Senator Nelson said the Su
preme Court had decided that the forfeit
ure of surh ffranta ould be enforced
olthop In tlift .rtnrta nr hv (TonereSS.
"This' resolution," he said, "is merely
an expression that Congress prefers to
have the court take action. Congress
could only declare absolute forfeiture,
but the Court of Equity could say to
the railroads that if they proceeded to
comply with the terms of the grant
their grants would not be forfeited."
Senator Heyburn said the same con
dition referred to in the resolution ex
ists in all land-grant states, although
only Oregon is referred to in the reso
lution. For 40 tyears the railroads, he
said, had refused to comply with the
terms of these grants. The settler coum
not proceed against the railroads to force
them to comply with the terms or tneir
grants of land because the proceedings
could only be brought by the Government
wh ch gave the grant,
"This Question, he added, "involves
millions of acres of lands worth hundreds
of millions of dollars."
The resolution was placed on the cal
endar under objection by Senator Gal
linger, who thought it could not be dis
posed of at once.
OREGON IS UNDER OBSERVATION.
The New Method Here Cited as a Cau
tionary Example.
"Leaping Before Looking," Is the tltl
of an editorial in the Boston Transcript.
The DSDer ia known for the moderation
and breadth of its views. The article is
devotedmainly to considerations on the
use of the initiative and referendum in
Oregon, where the theory and the method
have been carried further than In any
other of our states. Citing Oregon as
an example, the Transcript remarks that
the method proves of use chiefly among
schemers and visionaries. After a state
ment of the features of the method, as
bresented in Dractice in Oregon, the
Boston palper proceeds:
The state biennial elections in Oregon
occur in Juno for the even years. Prepara
tion is now making for that which, is four
months ahead. But the time has exptrea
when measures under the terms of the initia
tive and referendum can bo filed with tha
Secretary of State. There are 19 ol them
covering; a variety .of Interest. -To Justify
the responsibility that is thus placed upon
the voters it must be assumed that all thesa
matters will ba thoroughly studied ana di
gested in advance. The. proposed measures
are all of them Important and soma of them
radical. For Instance, there Is a proposed
constitutional amendment for a single tax
as the sole method of raisins; future revenue
by taxation. It provides for the exemption
from taxation of all manufacturing estab
lishments and all dwellings and makes the
land carry all tax burdens.
This is placing the cart very much before
the horse. A policy is proposed that what
ever its merits or demerits la almost revolu
tionary In the extent to which It would
make necessary a readjustment of property
values, and this is submitted to the unas
sisted and 'unformed Judgment of the ordi
nary voter. It is plainly to'be seen that this
opens the way, not for an intelligent ex
pression of popular will and Judgment, but
to the projection and possible adoption of
special schemes under the subtle and skilful
manipulation of their promoters. Undor such
conditions, legislation is largely a matter of
leaping before looking.
Gold Camp History Repeats.
New York World.
In another twelvemonth it will be 60
years since the rush of the "Argonauts
of '49."
There is no longer for the United States
a wild Western frontier. The Pacific
Coast Is but four days from the Atlantic.
Cities and towns dot tha great Ameri
can plains thickly and are present in the
very mountains that once were nature's
bar to exploring men. Yet in the news of
today, like a page from the history of
that far-past treasure-hunting period. Is
the story of the new gold camp of Raw
hide, on the soil of Nevada.
The rush to Rawhide began in January.
Already the town has more than JKflO
Deonle. There are four newspapers, In
cluding two dailies, which began pubilca.
tlon this week. Three banks are doing
business. Hotels in tents take guests in
eight-hour shifts.
A touch of ultra-modern is in the cir
cumstance that eight automobile lines
connect Rawhide with the nearest cities.
Otherwise this tale of a town growing
by magic might be one of the
San Juan Haunts Him Still.
Washington (D. C.) Dispatch In New York
World.
Charles TC. Harris, composer of "After
the Ball" and other ballads, was pre
sented to the President and Mrs. Roose
velt at a reception at the White House.
Tl-.hen Mr Harr H WHJI brOUCht UP Mr.
Forester, acting secretary to the Presl
dent, whispered to Mr. Roosevelt, "mai
who wrote 'After the Ball.' "
"Mr. Harris," said the President, warm-
lv. "I am de I am charmed to sec you,
'Sweet Marie' has long been one of my
favorite so"
"After the ball'.'! hissed Forester.
"The bands played 'After the Ball' as
we descended San Juan Hill," ald the
rroMent enlmlv. "And many of the
bravest men in my regiment were often
after the hall. Reciprocally," added Mr.
Roosevelt, smiling his own i.iuminated
smile, "the Spaniards constantly sent
balls after mv men, who never dodged
them."
Alfonso's Horoscope 12 Years Old,
New York Press.
Repeated rumors concerning King Al
fonso's death bring to mind his horoscope
nf 12 vears ago. This was said to he
almost as fortunate as Queen Victoria's
snain will become very prosperous un
rior- hl reizn. and he will live to be an
old man. He will enjoy good heaiuj. but
Via liable to weakness of the stomach
liver and intestines; he will also have
some kidney trouble if he does not lead
a temperate life. He will murry early
in life and will be very fortunate In his
marriage. His wife will live to a good
nlrf iec. but he will outlive her. She
may bring him three children, only one
of which may live. He will meet many
accidents, particularly to the head and
face, and is very likely to Ret a scar on
his face that he will carry through life.
His horoscope Is fortunate for overcoming
his enemies both in war and diplomacy."
Darby Raror In Pollte' Society.
New York Times.
Ex-Attorney-General William A. Bar
ber, who represented South Carolina at
the annual dinner of the Southern Society,
told a story about one of the old negroes
in that state. who went into a cutlery
shop to buy a razor. "Do you want a
safety razor?" asked the clerk. The old
darky thought a moment and then said
politely: "No, sah; I wants dis one for
social turpoaes."
VERSE
BY HARRY MURPHY.
THE WOOD.
How pleasant In the solitude
Of dusky wood to stray!
How soothing to the breast imbued
With care to lie where play
The tinkling waters; musing there
To sound of booming bee;
Breathing the fragrance wafting air
In native liberty.
To him among these osier niches ,
A far and fading dream
The city's recent noise Its riches
Its wrongs its envies seem.
Ah! sweet, if time might ever flow
As flows the too brief hour.
And life this only duty know,
To mar no tender flower.
ON THE SHORE.
I stand on the thundering shore,
Where from the mighty deep
With vast, interminable roar
The bursting billows sweep.
Alone, where stretches round
The majesty of Ocean!
Amid a universe of sound
An eternity of motion!
Before this type of Time
What thoughts like oceans roll.
Awful, ineffable, sublime.
Over the voiceless soul!
O Grandeur! Vastness! Power!
I know ye feel ye nowl
In this unutterable hour
An altered man I bow.
O God! a moment here.
An Instant thus to know.
Requites for every fear and tear
Wers pay for a world of woe!
O MIGHTY PqWER.
O Mighty Power! Where dost make Thy
throne?
Art manaioned mid the Icy air of drear
And client polar realms: or on the waste
Of sultry sand where stalks the tawny
tiger;
Or in 'some forest vast and dim and old?
Art Thou enthroned o'er brooding Sum
mer seas;
Or on the lone and curtained mountain
tops,
Where whirling tempests and fleet light
ning have
Their birth? Or sittest Thou sublime
among
The dleta.it crowd of stars, beholding
thence
Thy wondrous works? "Vain thought! To
mark Thy bounds
Who flllest all who art Thyself the
Universe!
THE LONG-LOST DAYS.
How bright a glow
Doth mcm'ry throw
Behind us!
O'er season fair
When never care
Could find us.
The long-lost days
When pictured waya
We wended; 1
A world the prize
Before young eyes
Suspended!
Ah! for an hour
To tread those flower
Grown places!
Oh! days of yore
Might you restore
Lost faces!
A HUMBLE FRIEVD.
O harp of mine, no mighty strain
May swell upon your strings;
For you the lofty flight were vain
You may not mount on wings
Of ecstasy. The busy throng
Your rude and faltering rhyma
Will never heed; to raptured song
They'll turn of bards sublime.
But yet, O humble friend! To me
Your tones are passing dear
How oft you made the moments flee
And drew the chastened tear!
'Let others then out-sound the main,
Or bid Despair rejoice;
Let other harps a world enchain.
So you one breast may voice.
IN THE MAGAZINE
SECTION OF THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
TEACHING HOW TO MAKE
DENATURED ALCOHOL.
The Government will begin at
once the erection of a distillery at
Washington and will take one
student from each state and terri
tory to learn the process.
FATHER OF THE
AMERICAN SKYSCRAPER.
Personality of Daniel H. Burn
ham, who also plans cities. . Archi
tects of skyscrapers generally
hate such structures.
RAILROADS THAT MOUNT
CLOUDS AND GO TO SEA.
Latest iriumphs in man's strug
gle to reach the earth's inaccessi
ble places.
TO THE SUNNY SOUTH
FOR TRAINING.
Five hundred ball players in the
major leagues start next week on
their serious work of preparation.
HOW TO VOTE ON THE
PROPOSED FISH BILLS.
Arguments presenting all
phases of the controversy between
rival interests, together with
advice to disinterested voters.
CUSTOMARY DEPARTMENTS
AND FEATURES. ORDER
EARLY FROM YOUR
NEWSDEALERS.