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PORTLAND. WEDNESDAY, MAR. IS. 1808.
WAS IT LOST LABOR?
Under the hew system which Oregon
has had the honor to introduce to the
world, it has become unfashionable to
have any political principles. It is
even discreditable. Greater part of
the constitution has been superseded
by initiative and referendum, and the
remainder of it by the "statements"
required in the primary law. We have
learned that nobody who lived beforo
our time ever knew anything. Such
discoveries as those of the multiplica
tion table are antiquated. A few years
ago there was a like effort to repudiate
the value of gold as material for
standard money, but it suffered a set
back at the hands of an insensate peo
ple; but who knows what the Uhren
system might not yet do for delivery
of mankind from the old superstitious
tyranny that rests on the pretensions
of the vfelue of gold?' The hope of
progress is the hope of the world.
We may well pity the Intellectual
weakness of our ancestors, who sup
' posed they were establishing certain
principles of government on a consti
tutional and therefore lasting basis. It
was in the month of August, in the
year of eighteen 'hundred and fifty
seven, that the representatives of the
people of Oregon, duly elected, assem
bled to form a constitution of Oregon.
That appears now to have been mid
summer madness. They labored
through many weeks, and finally on
the eighteenth day of September
(1857 ) . produced an Instrument that
they supposed might be a guide to the
legislation and Jurisprudence of the
state. A vain imagination! The con
stitution they made Is now treated but
a a statute. The time they spent In
producing It was wasted. Initiative
petition now may make anything law
that any group of persons entertaining
chimerical notions of public, and even
of private Interest, may exert them
selves to' bring before the electorate.
Of course it could not have been fore
seen that It would be so abused, or the
proposal would have been beaten by a
mountainous majority.
Some few who made that constitu
tion yet remain, and more who voted
for lta adoption. Not bad men, either;
even If the philosophy and principles
of government entertained by them
were so very irrational, and so unfit
for the sapient theories entertained
by the illumlnatl of the present day.
But It seems that their entire idea of
a written constitution was a mistake.
Initiative petition, with provision for
referendum, is all we want; together
with a primary law containing provis
ions and "statements" for abolition of
political parties and supersedure, in
election of Senators, of the Constitu
tion of the United States.
The time has come, it seems, when
the man who stands for any of the
main ideas and principles on which
our Government, national and state.
was founded, is merely an intellectual
old fogy and fossil, tolerated only
through the pity of those who press
modern claptrap Innovation. Payment
of five to ten cents a name to solicitors
of petitions for initiative and referen
dum Is now the governing law. or at
least the new scheme, for government
of Oregon. It is the scheme for the
fundamental lav, as well as for the
statute; and of every elector the great
eat vigilance will be required to pre
vent these purchased petitions from
becoming not merely the statutes, but
even the fundamental law of the state.
The new method, so perverted, has
virtually abolished all sure principles
of government and law; so that it is
becoming unfashionable, and even
matter of reproach, to talk about hav
ing any political principles, or to urge
men to act together, in party effort,
to preserve anything, or to accomplish
anything. Tet there will be return to
sanity; it may be ere long. Then it
will be conceded that the making of
the old system was not lost labor.
JCIM.E PARKER'S SPLEEN.
What better place is there for tell
ing the truth than a -law academy?
What worse place is there for propa
gating falsehood? Clearly, Judge Al
ton B. Parker saw all the advantages
of his position when he was called
upon to address the law students at
the Philadelphia Academy the other
day, and determined to make the most
of them without regard to fact or con
science. Here is part of what he had
to say about the President:
Indeed no attempt Is made by our purpose
ful and resourceful President to conceal bis
desire and Intention to have the Federal
Government: take possession of powers not
granted to It but reserved to the states and
the people.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth than this statement, and yet
Judge Parker is so soured by disap
pointment and blinded by partisan
rancor that perhaps he thought he was
telling the truth. We ought to put the
most charitable construction we can
upon his motives. Mr. Roosevelt has
never even dreamed of urging the
Federal Government to take possession
of powers not granted to it. He has
urged it to put into full exercise cer
tain powers granted In the Constitu
tion but hitherto left dormant and un
used. He has urged this because In
no other way could the people's rep
resentatives cope with the terrible
menace of plutocratic tyranny.
When Judge Parker speaks against
the President, two facts ought to be
kept in mind, by those who hear ox
read his remarks. One is that he is
embittered by defeat and probably
looks upon Mr. Roosevelt with the
jaundiced eyes of a disappointed rival.
The other, that he Is a paid employe
of those oligarchic plutocrats whom
Mr. Roosevelt has compelled to obey
the law. Like many other loud
voiced advocates of "the interests,"
poor Judge Parker has to do as he Is
told and say what his masters put into
his mouth. But the venal railings of
men like him, whom we know to be
the hired mercenaries of lawless
brigands, are comparatively harmless.
It is the spectacle of an entire bench
of judges openly showing themselves
subject to the same power, like the
Supreme Court of California, which
makes us realize the present danger to
our liberties arid institutions. Law
yers can talk on the side of crime as
much as the like. We know It Is
their trade. But when a. court pro
claims its alliance with the criminal
rich and shelters their depraved tools
from the law, then we may well besin
to tremble.
EDUCATIONAL HOUSEC LEANING.
By a decisive vote of 16 to 3 the
Chicago Board of Education has out
lawed the Greek-letter "frats" in the
high schools. Beginning with the first
Tuesday in September next, all mem
bers of secret (societies will be sus
pended. This action of the board is
fairly deliberate, since it has been pre
ceded by four years of agitation and
discussion. It is also based upon ade
quate, information, for the board has
collected the opinions of 306 principals
of schools upon the various aspects of
the fraternity problem. In the main
these opinions hold that secret socie
ties in the public high schools are un
desirable for many different reasons.
There seems to be a pretty substantial
agreement among teachers and school
authorities that they ace detrimental
to study, undemocratic, and subversive
of discipline. These charges, which
have been . convincingly established,
are sufficient to condemn the secret
societies. Were there nothing worse
in the background, the action of the
Chicago board would be completely
justified by them.
But there are worse accusations
against the secret societies, much
worse ones. It is more than hinted by
those who have looked into the matted
that they furnish opportunities for
precocious and detestable vice. It
must be that some knowledge of this
darker aspect of the subject has come
to the knowledge of school authorities
and courts. Otherwise we should be
at a loss to understand the unbroken
unanimity with which the fraternities
have been condemned. Officials and
Jurists may be expected to differ upon
a mere question of discipline. Noth
ing less than considerations going to
the 'basis of youthful morality could
have brought them Into such agree
ment as we see regarding secret soci
eties arriong school children. In three
states Indiana, Minnesota and Kan
sas they have been outlawed by leg
islative act. The Supreme Court of
Washington has sustained a drastic
rule of the Seattle directors against
them, and the Illinois Court of Ap
peals has decided that Boards of Edu
cation may take such action against
the fraternities as they see fit. Upon
the whole the outlook for the secret
societies is dark.
These societies are one of the unde
sirable consequences of the increasing
intimacy between the colleges and the
public high schools. The intimacy Is
one of domineering superiority on the
college side and imitative dependence
on the side of the schools. Just as
beys catch up the habits, good and
bad, of grown men whom they happen
to associate with, scholars in the lower
grades imitate the tricks and customs
of those above them. And just as a
habit which is well enough for a man
Is often a vice in a boy, so the secret
societies are but harmless follies in
college, while in the high schools they
are totally noxious. It would have
been bad enough if the higher institu
tions of education had stopped with
dictating what should be taught and
studied in those of lower grade. This
unpardonable exercise of authority
has divorced the public high schools
from practical life, made their curric
ulums visionary and unscientific, and
driven out the great majority of male
youth from the classroom to get their
preparation for life upon the streets. .
,When we remember that the col
leges have done this for the high
schools, and at the same tfVie be
queathed to them a silly rigmarole of
left-oer titles, such' as "freshman,
sophomore. Junior, senior," with the
ceremonies of a premature graduation
day which have even crept down into
the grammar grades, and a lethal leg
acy of formal examinations, one would
have supposed that ' the pernicious
transfer might have ceased. But it
did not. The habit of neglecting study
for peripatetic games had to come also
with traveling musical clubs, meander
ing debating teams and child orators
careering over the country in a blaze
of precocious glory. To cap the cli
max, the colleges bestowed their
Greek-letter fraternities upon the
schools. We may perhaps take com'
fort in . the thought that they can
scarcely have anything worse to give,
but the comfort is rather cold.
The foremost duty now confronting
high school authorities is to get rid of
this impertinent heritage from the col
leges, bag and baggage. There should
be an immediate and thorough-going
declaration of Independence. The
course of study must be regulated to
suit boys and girls and not college fac
ulties. The whole Incongruous para
phernalia of imitative graduations,
oratory, errabund teams, and so on,
should be eliminated and the schools
should take their own course-and hold
to it fearlessly and steadily unless they
would see their usefulness disappear
altogether. But it is well withal to
apply the broom to the biggest evil
first. - Hence we all rejoice to see the
authorities starting in upon the Greek
letter fraternities. When will educa
tional' housecleaning begin in Port
land? .
SOME PORTLAND ATTRACTIONS.
The location at Portland of the larg
est packing plant west of the Missis
sippi River, together with the applica
tion for a site from another large con
cern, has caused some speculation
among the Seattle papers as to why
such things can be. The Seattle Times
fires pretty wide of the mark when it
says that "because of the prices real
estate brokers in this city, having con
trol of tideland areas suitable for
manufacturing, sites, have in the past
put on property that was obtained
from the state years ago for a paltry
song, two of the largest packing con
cerns in the United States have been
driven against their will to locate vast
plants in Portland." That reads well
for home consumption in Seattle, but
it is hardly In -accordance with the
facts. The big packing firms were not
driven to Portland "against their will,"
nor was it the enormous prices at
which Seattle real estate was held that
caused them to locate in Portland.
To be sure. Swift & Co. obtained in
this city for something like $1,000,000
property which at Seattle tideland
prices would have cost them $120,00"o,
000. But it should be remembered
that Swift & Co. had no serious inten
tion of locating on Puget Sound. Had
they desired to locate a plant there, it
was unnecessary to. go Into the re
stricted tideland district, where prop
erty was held at (not sold for) such
fabulous prices. There were other lo
calities near Seattle where property
could have been secured at more rea
sonable figures. Even from the vicin
ity of Tacoma the business of Puget
Sound could have been handled as ad
vantageously as from Seattle. The
reason that Swift & Co. located in
Portland and the reason that a num
ber of other great concerns, Including
one from Seattle, are seeking further
locations in Portland, is that this city
is the one point on the Pacific Coast
where a packing-house business on a
large scale can be conducted econom
ically. There are many factors contributing
to this admirable situation for such
plants. This city is the largest distrib
uting center in the Pacific Northwest.
It is located at the foot of a water
level route which is now used by three
transcontinental railroads. It is at the
gateway of and is the trading point
for the great Willamette' Valley and
the vast Columbia Basin, two agricul
tural districts which contain a produc
tive area in the aggregate four times
as large as that which is tributary to
Puget Sound. Both in available sup
plies of raw material and In transpor
tation facilities for distributing the
manufactured products and massing
the raw material. Portland offers to
the big packers inducements that are
missing from any location on Puget
Sound. For these reasons the Swift
plant is here, and others will follow.
BALANCE OF TRADE.
The "balance or trade," as the dif
ference Between the exports apd the
Imports of a country is designated, has
always been a favorite topic for the
extreme protectionists. If this bal
ance is against us, we are warned that
the country is on the road to ruin
through permitting such large imports
to enter. If the balance shows in our
favor, it is used to illustrate the ad
vantages of protection. For the, eluci
dation of a theory the "balance of
trade" may be all right in its place;
but close examination of Its working,
not alone in this country, but In Eu
rope, discloses the fact that its advan
tages and disadvantages are misunder
stood or misrepresented. A summary
of the February trade returns shows
that the value of all classes of goods
exported from this country last month
was $85,743,361 more than the value
of the imports for the same period.
This balance of trade was $52,000,-
000 greater than for the same month In
1907. Last month our imports showed
a value $44,000,000 less than for Feb
ruary, 1907. Based on the protection
ist theory, these figures could hardly
fail to show a hilariously prosperous
state of affairs, but the actual condi
tions they reflect are not extravagantly
prosperous. The same theory applied
at the other end of the line would
also show the United Kingdom on the
high road to ruin, but there, as here,
theory is at fault. The people across
the Atlantic have felt to a certain , ex
tent the effect of the panic on this side
of the ocean, but general trade condi
tions in the United Kingdom have
failed to suffer the radical disarrange
ment noticeable in so many lines in
this country. The February excess of
exports over imports averaged $3,000,-
000 per day, but, the protectionist the
ory to the contrary notwithstanding,
It is a question whether the United
States as an exporter or Great Britain
as an importer derived the greatest
benefits from that balance of trade.
A large portion of the balance of
trade was in raw materials, which, ad
mitted duty free into the United King
dom, were worked up into commodi
ties that were shipped, all over the
world at a profit to British capital and
British labor. Some of these millions
also represented the earnings on for
eign capital invested in the United
States, on insurance, banking and
shipping business. In other words.
Great Britain was drawing in wealth
due her from this country. This ad
mission of free raw materials has, of
course, made the United Kingdom the
greatest manufacturing country on
earth, and its present prosperity -could
never continue under anything but a
free-trade policy.
Our decline in Imports, as compared
with those for February, 1907. reflects
a diminished purchasing power in .this
country. Instead of being a cause for
rejoicing, it is as much to be regretted
as is ths decline in the amount of busi
ness American shopkeepers and manu
facturers are doing. Removal of the
tariff, which has created trusts and
trust prices, and establishment of a
fair policy of reciprocity, which would
bring our Imports and exports nearer
an equality,- might not be a bad thing
for the country. Certain it Is that the
much-lauded "balance of trade" is sus
ceptible to a meaning radically differ
ent from the meaning credited to it
by the protectionists.
"We. are ready at a moment's notice
to begin shooting at the targets, to
go out to sea and fight a battle, or to
keep on with the cruise.". This is the
testimony of the commander of the
battle fleet of the United States Navy
that has just doubled Cape Horn and
dropped anchor in Magdalena Bay.
How puerile, in the face of sucli tes
timony, are the criticisrrls recently
passed upon our Navy! How utterly
at variance with the charges of ineffi
ciency and general inadaptability to
the work for which our magnificent
battleships were constructed! . And
how reassuring if reassurance were
needed that this declaration is from
the lips of Rear-Admiral Evans, than
whom no more competent authority on
naval efficiency exists! It would seem
to be in order for alarmists or critics
of the Reuterdahl stamp to "go 'way
back and sit down."
Women who come from foreign
countries to the United States to ply
Immoral' vocations are well toward
the lead In the class of "undesirable
aliens" against whom It is the duty
and has become the purpose and pol
icy of the Government to discriminate.
The deportation of women of this class
1. e., those who within three years
after being admitted to this country
are found to be leading immoral lives
is in the interest of public decency.
For the sturdy, self-supporting alien
and his helpful wife and numerous
progeny there is room and welcome;
for the mischief-breeder, pauper and
evildoer, of either sex, there is
neither. Of this ilk we have already
enough, and to spare; and being essen
tially a generous people, are quite will
ing that foreign nations should keep
their surplus stock of human cattle of
these pernicious breeds.
It is the unexpected that happens
when the March skies pour down over
the Pacific Northwest a volume of
water that endangers or' carries away
bridges, inundates low-lying fields, and
by means of landslides and washouts
interrupts railway traffic. Since, how
ever, it is one of the things against
which foresight could not provide, it
is Just as well that such a storm
comes when it does come as a sur
prise, works its will quickly and
passes. Inconvenience and delay, in
cident to the Interruption of traffic, are
always vexatious. Beyond this the
mischief due to the March freshet, the
crest of which has passed, was not of
a serious nature, and, though unusual,
was not wholly unprecedented in the
wide section visited.
Regret at the announcement of the
contemplated transfer of Colonel
Roessler, of the United States Engi
neers, will be softened by the state
ment that he will probably be succeed
ed by Colonel W. C. Langfitt, who was
formerly in charge of river and har
bor work in this district. In the past
one of the greatest disadvantages suf
fered in this work was the frequent
changes in engineers. It seemed to be
the' policy of the' Government to trans
fer an engineer as soon as he became
sufficiently familiar with local condi
tions to enable him to be useful. The
return of Colonel Langfitt, if he shall
succeed Colonel Roessler, will be wel
comed by all who are familiar with'his
energetic policies regarding river Im
provement. Sir Edgar Vincent, formerly finan
cial adviser of the Khedive of Egypt,
in an interview printed in New Tork
-expresses the opinion that the recent
panic in the United States was of "in
estimable value to the Commercial fu
ture of this country." Helnze, Morse,
Gates, and the rest of the crowd who
were a little slow In getting out from
under will probably receive this cheer
ing comment with the same degree of
pleasure that is felt by' the man with
a boil when he is assured that it is a
fine thing for him. The panic may
have saved the country from a much
harder fall than it sustained, but its
"value"'wlll always be-regarded as a
doubtful quantity by many of the chief
mourners.
Ex-Chief Engineer Stevens is out
with another interview regarding the
Panama Canal in which he expresses
the opinion that the work will be com
pleted by the end of 1914, and that if
necessary, it could be completed two
years earlier. He speaks fn high praise
of Lieutenant-Colonel Goethals, who is
in charge, and states that it will un
doubtedly be completed at a cost fully
$50,000,000 less than the estimated
$300,000,000. This is a much more
pleasing report than the one Mr. Ste
vens made a few days earlier, and
there is a possibility that he may err
in. judgment in predicting commercial
failure for the cannal after it Is com
pleted. Abdul Aziz Is reported to have paid
Mulai Hafid a large sum of money to
withdraw from the country. If Mulai
has an eye to business he can, to use
an expression of the green cloth, "double-shoot
the turn," by making a 'hasty
run for a good vaudeville circuit. He
might not draw as well as Raisuli, but
with Abdul Aziz paying him to leave
and an American vaudeville manager
paying him to come, it would be
worth while.
Many citizens do not register be
cause they have no interest in the pri
maries. But registration at this time
serves for the June election as well
as the Presidential election in Novem
ber. So long as the Thaws were telling
things about Stanford White, the facts
at least served to point a moral; but
there would not be eyen this merit in
stories they might te4I on each other.
In the list of "worldly amusements"
that Methodist young people will es
chew, gossip and shopping seem to
have been overlooked.
The foreign automobiles would prob
ably have made better time If they
had taken the Oregon trail.
Senator Tillman's "uncrowned king"
has the merit of having refused the
crown for a third term.
If you are going to vote in June or
November, why not register before the
books close, April 7T
FREE LAND, FREE LUNCH.
Writer Supplies Another Chapter
Asralnat the Slnicle Tax.
CANBT. Or., March 16. H. D. Wag
lion. Portland Dear Sir: I note your
rather silly effusion addressed to me and
published in last Saturday's Oregonian.
and ypur communication impresses me
that you are bidding for cheap notriety
more than anything else. 1 note your
figures also, and would call your at
tention to an editorial published in the
same issue of The Oregonian.
t At the present time you are no doubt
closeted with an elementary arithmetic
containing the "rudiments of numbers,"
and If you are successful in mastering
the fact that .two and two make four,
you may feel Justified in breaking
into print again. Otherwise, you had
better save your wonderful argumen
tative talent for you might be called
upon to prove that two and two do
not make four, and from the nature
of your arguments on the single tax
I do not doubt that you would under
take the task. Let me suggest that
you and your single tax brethren
adopt for your motto: "Free Land
and Free Lunch." If you get free
lunch, why shouldn't you get free
land? Here Is a strong point for you.
I am aware 'of the fact that Henry
George was a member of the Interna
tional Typographical Union.' but that
is not sufficient reason for me to sup
port the single tax theory. I do not
believe In the theory of taxing land
until it shall become community prop
erty, as you advocate. -This is also
the doctrine of Henry George. The
latter was a great man, so was Ed
ward Bellamy a great man, or he could
not have planned and written his
"Looking Backward," but the things
he presents are things any dreamer
might dream. We are dealing with
conditions in this day and age, and
not with theories. A thousand years
from now the single tax might "be a
good thfing, but that will be a long
time and after you have gone to heaven,
my dear Waggle.
Now, "Waggle boy," study that
arithmetic until you learn to add up
a column of figures, and before you
attempt to deal with a report from
the Secretary of State on the taxable
values of Clackamas countv.
GEORGE W. "DIXON.
HERB'S AN OLD STORY.
Thla Man Denounces Intrinsic Value
and Wants Flat Money.
WOODBURN. Or.. March 13. (To the
Editor.) I have been reading your edi
torials on the subject of finance and have
come to the conclusion that you are lost
in the swamps of the gold standard wild
erness and are chasing that Jack-o-Iantern
called Intrinsic value. You say the error in
our financial system Is the flat notion of
money. That assertion is astounding in
the face of the fact that all legal tender
is flat money. Your $20 gold piece is fiat
money, and you want to take notice that;
when you pay it out, you have used only
the fiat. Intrinsic value cuts no figure
In the transaction. Therefore, the money
question has nothing to do with intrinsic
value, for the simple reason thatrit is a
question of the sovereignty of the Gov
ernment issuing it. And. if the people
were sovereign in power in the United
States we would have Government banks
and plenty of full legal tender green
backs. Good times for the producers
would put them out of reach of this stock
gambling oligarchy called "National bank
system." With the greenback system, no
panics; no loss of "depositors' money in
Government banks, but more certainty. In
business and a higher civilization than
is possible in this "dog eat dog" system
which Is now in vogue.
J. L JOSEPH.
BOGUS REFORM IN LAND TAX
' Proposed Initiative- Meaanre la Return
to Methods of Aborigines.
PORTLAND, March 17. (To the Edi
tor.) No one should be deceived into
voting for the proposed initiative amend
ment to our State Constitution, believing
it to be either needed or wise. The real
purpose is to set aside the elementary
constitutional provision which now binds
our Legislature, and our courts, namely:
that all taxation ought to be equal and
uniform, and place instead thereof a
starter in single taxation of land.
WThen once we have "single tax" of
land in our Constitution, the way will be
clear to levy and collect for all state and
community purposes, a tax equal to the
value of the land, rental or otherwise,
until final socialistic confiscation of all
lands to the public results.
It is an opening wedge to Henry
Georgeism. plain and simple, and to pub
lic absorption of "unearned increment."
and such is the real motive behind it all.
Single tax of land simply means a grad
ual and easy realization of wild and de
structive theories, tbat private ownership
of land ought to be abollshcu, and all
land owned either by the public or In
common. We once ..ad it in practice
when Indians ruled America. Now they
wish to start in to down civilization's
system in all countries and all ages and
return to. that of the Aborigines.
M. C. GEORGE.
The Late Profeaaor Bonrne of Yale.
WALLA WALLA. Wash.. March 17.
(To the Editor.) Members of the Oregon
Historical Society who were in the city
during August of the year 1905 remem
ber with interest the visit of Professor
Bourne of Yale University, who attended
the meetings of the historical conference
at the Lewis and Clark Exposition and
delivered one of the principal addresses
in connection with that conference, and
who was afterward elected to an honor
ary membership in the society. His many
university friends in this region have
been pained to learn of his death at New
Haven, Conn., February 24. as the result
of a surgical operation which was per
formed as a last resort in the treatment
of a malady of long standing.
Professor Bourne was considered one of
the most brilliant of the younger men
of the American Historical Association,
and his career could be said to have
hardly begun. He was perhaps best
known in this region as the author of
the essay on "The Whitman Legend"
and of a shorter criticism upon Jonathan
Carver, in whose writings the name Ore
gon first appears in literature. His work
was characterized by extreme care in the
selection of the authorities which he
drew from, as to their genulness and'
natural prejudice. T. C E.
Paralysis Follow Severe Handshake.
Marion (Ind.) Dispatch to the Indiana
' polls News.
A severe handshake given Ira Hinch
man, a barber, of Gas City, by his friend.
Otto Hlldebrand, so paralyzed Hinchman
that he is confined to his bed at the home
of his mother in this elty. The warm
greeting extended Hinchman occurred
February 13 at his barber shop. Hilde
brand grasped Hinehman's hand and re
marked that he had the better grip. So
sudden and forcible was the grasp that
Hinehman's right shoulder was wrenched
out of place. A physician replaced the
shoulder, but being unable to work.
Hinchman started to his mother's home
here, but fell in the street, paralyzed,
and was taken to the house in a wagon.
Massage treatment has been given since
and the patient Is improving, but is still
unable to walk without great effort.
1
Malheur "Way of Doing- Things.
Woodburn Independent.
J. C. Fleming, of Ontario. Or., came
to town in the morning of one day the
latter part of last week, bought the
Frank Grimps farm at $125 per acre, the
Bigger place in East Woodburn at $8700.
a i lot in the Belle Passl cemetery and
leit on the evening train on his return
to Ontario. That's going some- j
NON-RESIDENT LAND OWNERS.
Ex poors Fallnciea of Proposed Single
Tax Meaanre.
EVERETT, Wash., March 16. (To the
Editor.) We non-resident landowners are
unable to protest by vote, but hope that
all non-Improving and speculative holders
of land and town lots, living In Oregon,
will protect their own and our in
terest in a grand assault against the per
nicious idea of exempting improvements
on land from taxation. A few of us here
own considerable land in Oregon and are
investing at low prices and waiting for
a profit. We are reasonably sure that our
investments are right if population in
creases, and If the actual settler the
man with the hoe, the Oregon farmer,
invests his capital and labor, makes the
country to blossom, pays his taxes in
proportion to the value of his improve
ments, incidentally adding a Talue to our
holdings, a value we hope to confiscate
before a system of taxation is adopted
which would exempt the farmer and levy
a heavy toll on us. We can depend on
the newspapers.
The Oregon farmer, tolling under the
heat of a June sun. will not advertise
or pay for editorial work during the cam
paign. We feel we are safe in that the
other "units in society" will surely save
us from the "doctrinaires and corpor
ate interests" that would invade our
preserves and place burdens of govern
ment on the "shirkers" rather than the
workers, relieve the toilers at the expense
of the spoiler, and take taxes off indus
try and on the monopoly of those who
use land and those who hold land idle.
I confide in the efforts of the news
papers and the apathy of the man with
the hoe to prevent such a calamity.
DANIEL N BE SON.
INDIAN WAR VETERANS.
A Proper Appeal fur Increase of Their
Penaiona.
Letter in Cowlitz County News.
In yesterday morning's Oregonian I
notice a pews item entitled "Pensions to
Oregonians." Then follows a list of
names, residents of Oregon, who have
had their pensions increased recently. I
do not begrudge any veteran of any war
in which the United States has been en
gaged, all the Increase in his pension he
can secure. The Government is pretty
tardy about these increases of pensions,
to say the least, but the point I desire
to make at this time Is that not one of
the veterans named Is an Indian war
veteran. The Indian, war veteran gets
$3 per month, no more. Why should not
the Indian war veteran be entitled to an
Increase as other veterans are? Why
discriminate between him and the vet
erans of other wars? He risked his life,
he suffered hardship and privation, he
bore the heat and burden of the day and
the dangers which threaten the soldier
on the field of battle. He was regularly
mustered into the service of Uncle Sam,
and he stands before the country and be
fore the world as one of the veterans of
a war in which his country was engaged.
Therefore I ask, why in the name of
even-handed justice and common sense
is he not entitled to the same lights un
der the pension laws of the United
States that are accorded the veterans of
other wars? ANDREW LAWS,
Indian War Veteran.
INKUM'S DISCOVERY.
Inkum Stebblns' keen proboscis
Smelt -the smell of putrid graft;
Inkum Stebblns' little muck-rake
Raked the question fore and aft.
Fore and aft he shrewdly raked it.
With a sharp, incisive pen.
Inkum Stebblns raked up- U'Ren,
(With an accent on the 'Ren.)
Tell us, tell us, Inkum Stebbins.
What is this that you have found
Scratching with your little muck-rake
On our graft-infested ground?
" 'Tis Indeed a rara avis,"
Quoth the rabid raker then.
" 'Tis the one and only .U'Ren,
(Please to accent on the 'Ren.)
" 'Tis the sapient creator
Of the double-headed brute.
With the asinine appearance
And the elephant's to boot.
(Do not ask a man .to name it,
For, Indeed, he really can't .
A mere Elephass It may be.
Or a wild Jackassophant)
"He's the champion of the 'peepul,
And the foe ' of the 'machine,
And he strives to make the methods
Of the Legislature clean;
'Let them send not to the Senate
Him who thickest slings his pelf
Though to vindicate the people
I must sacrifice myself.'
"The protection of the masses
Ever is his chiofest care,
Even though his course may doom him
to the Senatorial chair;
He, will save the simple voters
-From the sharks that gather thick,
Though he has. to dig eleven
Hundred bucks to do the trick."
Hail the grand, great-hearted black
smith! Inkum Stebblns bows to you,
Forger of the Otherendum,
And the Imitative, too!
Great protector of the "peepul"
From the wiles of wicked men.
Honor be to noble U'Ren,
(With the accent on the 'Ren.)
Dean Collins In Dallas Observer.
r
Latin America a Good Cnstomer.
Mexican Herald.
Probably there are not 50.000,000 people
south of the Panama Canal, but there
are surely 40.000,000, and if Mexico and
Central America are added the total
population of Latin America will be ap
proximately 63,000,000. who are yearly in
creasing their foreign trade. South of
Panama the bulk of the trade is with
Europe, which has planned for it and
does not bar out with stupid tariffs the
staple South American exports. ' Latin
America is a big customer and all the
time a larger buyer. It is worth study
ing and worth cultivating, and its notable
progress should be better known in the
United States.
A FEW SQUIBS.
"Pa. what's a metrical romance ?" "Well,
this month's gas bill Is one." Cleveland
Leader.
"Sometimes." said Uncle Eben, "I ketches
myse'f Iambastfn' a mule foh doin' purty
much de same as I would do If I .was In de
mule's place." Washington Star.
"Don't you ever get homesick, captain ?"
asked the passenger on the ocean liner.
"No'm; I'm never home long; enough," re
plied the captain. Philadelphia Press.
Under the by-laws of the Press Humorists'
Union a fine of 5 and costs Is Incurred
automatically by anyone who refers to the
Lima salute to the American fleet as a
species of Peruvian bark. Loulrvllls
Courier-Journal.
"How did you and your husband discover
that you were affinities" asked the pretty
young widow. "Heavens! We never did.
We got married in a decent way, neither
of us having any reason not to." Chicago
Record-Herald.
"Do you think you could identify the
burglar?" asked ths detective from City
Hall. "Well, I never saw him," replied the
victim, "but he was a very small man."
"How do you know?" "Haven't I told you
he got into our flat without any trouble?"
Philadelphia Press.
Elyth It Is too bad that" Clara was In
love with Jack when he proposed to me. I
feel .sorry for the poor girl. M&yme why,
she Is in love, with Tom. She never even
cared for Jack. Edyth Oh, dear! I never
would have accepted him had I known that.
Chicago Daily News.
"What sort of telescope do you use for
seeing things on Mars?" Ths eminent as
tronomer, habituated to scanning the heav
ens at magazine .space rates, stayed his
pen but an instant. "I have learned." he re
plied, "not to rely on any telescope. The
beet of them sadly hsmpers the play of the
Imagination." Philadelphia Public Ledger.
SILHOUETTES
BY ARTHUR A. GREENE.
A reformation that does not include
restitution. Is but a poor apology for
reform.
see
This much may be said in favor of
the devil. He gives his followers a
run for their money.
e
The Ballade of the Crying; Voire.
(After the well-known baseball classic.
some time after.)
Now it looks exceeding rocky for the
"favorite sons" today;
'Most every state's been heard from with
the date three months away;
News that Hushes has carried Brooklyn
and Joe Cannon grabbed Danville.
Doesn't pale the cheek of "Teddy," nor
"fuss up" his fat friend "Bill."
a. straggling few are coming for
LaFollette, Knox, Fairbanks,
But the busy state conventions keep on
tilling up Taft's ranks:
And It looks as if one ballot would take
him kiting through ,
And "the boys" are feeling "bully," and
the sky's a roseate hue.
But the Interests still "figger" while the
"hostiles" still are mad
Although Cortclyou's extinguished and
Foraker's "to the bad;"
Yet there rises up among us a man of
lofty men.
Talking loudly of his mission and the
Great White Light he's seen.
He of all our almost- tatesmen has a
right attractive plan
To accomplish third-term wonders and
beat out tradition's ban;
And his voice still clamors loudly,
bringing cheer to those who fhourn
He's a Senator from somewhere and his
other name is Bourne.
He has solved the knotty problem,
scorning ancient rules of three.
And he still has hopes of getting the
convention to agree
That the way to save the country from
destruction's canker-worms
Is to do a small subtraction, leaving two
"elective terms."
While they tell him at the White House
that "T. R." is surely "sot"
In his firm determination and this
brilliant scheme is rot,
Still this ardent propagandist keeps on
talking through his hat
And again comes back as blithly as the
storied Thomas cat.
Does he think, when legions gather, that
a deadlock will 'Impede
The wheels of nomination and will cause
V a wild stampede
From the crowded Taft enclosure, leav
ing "Bill" and "Ted" to mourn.
To a Senator from somewhere whose
other name Is Bourne?
see
Mrs. George Law, a San Francisco
smart set matron, has employed an agent
at a good salary whose duties are to
prevent the newspapers from giving her
publicity in their society columns. At
least this is the report that comes from
the Bay City. It is probable, however,
that the agent will find his occupation
gone if he performs his duties to the
strict letter. Only burlesque actresses
enjoy well-placed publicity more than
society women.
The hearse or the patrol wagon eventu
ally picks up the fellow who stands on
a corner and waits for Opportunity to
come for him in her victoria.
see
Whatever else they did do, the Saint
Patrick's day paraders did not carry red
flags.
s s
Here's hoping ' that the snakes may
never retake Ireland.
see
To Another Helen.
the same being Her Ladyship, H. J. C.)
0 maid, far come from the Blessed Isles,
Deign to entrance me with your smiles:
1 pray you look on me with those eyes
In whose fathomless depths the mystery
lies; i
Deign to accord me your royal grace
That I may have a courtier's place
In your lovely court and there enjoy
What I' missed by not living in ancient
Troy.
Thus I besought the haughty maid
Approaching her timidly and afraid;
But pretending to me that she had not
heard
She answered me never a single word.
The lady's demeanor was very cold
And regretting much I had been so bold
I left the presence as I was told.
Now this Helen of mine was Just eight
weeks old.
Is it any wonder that she was cold?
ess
I've never known of a so-called Pla
tonic friendship or a friendly political
contest that did not end in a scandal,
ess
My Idea of a mean man is the fel
low who tied a bow of orange ribbon
on Dan McAllen's door knob yesterday.,
ess
The only certain way to make a
patriot of . an American citizen Is to
give him a Job under. the existing ad
ministration. What will presumably be a perfectly
g-r-a-n-d play called "What Women Will
Do" Is headed this way. Among other
things it will probably tefl us that they
will: Say "no" and mean "yes"; graft
all the loose change from their husband's
trousers pockets; fight unnumbered
rounds a la Marquis of Queensbury at
a bargain counter and insist that they
are two fragile to darn the old man's
aocks; buy all the books a good-looking
young agent brings around and then com
plain that the men spend so much money
for cigars; sing "Love Me and the'
World U Mine" in ncar-aoprano voices
after the people in the flat below have
retired and are half dead for sleep; wear
the carcasses of birds of Paradise on their
hats when they attend the meetings of
the Audubon Society; play bridge for bir
stakes and lead a moral reform against
slot-machines; live on one meal a day
In order to economize for sets of sables;
lug tubercular lapdogs around in their
arms and leave the baby at home doped
with soothing syrup to keep them asleep
while they gad; drag their men friends
to grand opera and insist that they en
Joy it when they aren't sure whether it
was Wagner or Charles K. Harris who
wrote "Die Walkure." These are only
a few of the things that women will do.
The dramatist has his wires crossed. He
meant to call his play "What Won't
Women Do?"