8
THE 7.I0RXTXG OREGON! ATf. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1908.
t &tc$fmxm
Bt BUCRUPTlON KATES.
INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
(Br Hail.)
Welly. Sunday included, on year 8 00
rlly. Sunday Included, tlx months.... -25
tiaily. Sunday Included, three months. . i-iiS
pally. 6unday Included, one raoaLa. . -7s
pally, without Sunday, one year JO
without Sunday, six months 25
Dally, without Sunday, three months. . 1.73
pally, without Sunday, one month 60
Sunday, one year X-50
Weekly, one year (Issued Thursday)... 1-60
unday and weekly, eao year
BI C.iRKII.K.
Dally. Sunday Included, one year 2
Dally, Sunday Included, one month.... -75
HOW TO REMIT Send poatofflce money
order, eapress order or personal check on
your local bank. Stamps, ooln or currency
re at the sender's risk. Olve poet office ad
reaa la full. Including county and state.
POSTAGE BAIL
Entered at Portland, Orecoa. Poatoffto
a Second-Clasa laatter.
0 to 14 Pases 1 eent
IS to as Paces oenta
0 to 44 Pagc-a centa
to 60 Panes cents
Forelim postaje. double rate a
IMPOKTANT The postal laws ars atrlot
Newspapers on which postace Is not fully
Prepaid are not forwarded to destination.
tASTtBN BUSINESS OMlCli.
The g, o. Hockwith ftpecial Agency New
Tork. rooms 48-00 Tribune building. Chl
aaao. rooms 010-013 Tribune bukldlns.
K.i:iT ON SALE.
Chicago. Auditorium Annex; Fostofflee
News Co.. 17 Dearborn street; Empire
News, Stand.
bfc Paul. Minn. N. St. Marie. Commercial
Elation.
Colorado Sprints, Colo. Bell. H. H.
Denver. Hamilton and Kendrtck. K08-91J
Seventeenth, street; Pratt Book Store. 12
fifteenth street; H. P. Hansen. S. Klce.
tjfcorge Carson.
Kansas City. Mo. Rlrksecker Clrar Co..
Ninth snd Walnut; Yoma Newa Co.
Minneapolis M. J. CaTanaush. 60 South
Third.
t iswlnnatl. O. Toma News Co.
Cleveland, O James Pushaw. SOT Bu-
Verier Mi-eet.
Washington, D. C. Ebbttt House. Penn
sylvania avenue; Columbia Nbwi Co.
. Pittsburg, l'a- Fort Pitt News Co.
Philadelphia, Pa. Ryan's T neater Ticket
Office ; Penn News Co.; Kenible. A. P.. 87.o
Lancaster avenue.
New Tork t'lty Hutallnss newstands. J
Park Row. 3Kth and Uroadway. 4ad and
Broadway and Broadway and 20th, Tele
phone 0.174. Single copies delivered; I
Jones & Co.. Astor house; Broadway The
ater News Stand; Empire News Stand.
Ugden. D. L. Boyle; Low, Bros.. Ill
Twemy-nXlb atxeet.
Omaha. Barkalow Bros.. TJndon 8tation;
Uageath Stationery Co.: Kemp a, Arenaon.
Oea -Moines, la. Mose Jacobs,
r'resno, L'aL Tourist Newa Co.
Sacramento, Cel. Sacramento Newa Co..
4SU K street; Amos Newa Co.
bait Lake. Moon Book A Stationery Co.;
Roaenfeld A Hansen; O. W. Jewelt, P. O.
corner; Stelpeck Bros.
Ling Beach, Cal. B. B. Amos.
Pasadena, CaL Amos News Co.
San Oieso. B. K. Amos.
an Joac. Emerson W.
Houston, Tea. International News Agency.
Dallas. Tex. Southwestern News Agent.
144 Main street; also two street wagons.
ft. Worth. Tex. Southwestern N. and A.
Auency.
Ainurilla. Tex. TImmons A Pope.
Sun Jtrancieco. Forster & Orear; Perry
Ncv. s Stand; Hotel St. Francis News Stand;
I Parent; N. Wheatley; Falrniount Hotel
Nev.4 Stand; Amos News Co.; United News
Agency. 14 Eddy street; B. B. Amos, man
ager three wagona; Worlds N. S.. 2925 A.
buvier Mtreet.
Oakland. CaL Wi H. Johnson, Fourteenth
and Franklin streets; N. Wheatley; Oakland
News Stand; B. ni. Amos, manager nvo
wagons: Welllngham. K. O.
(...l.llielil. Net. Louie Follln.
Eureka, Cal. Call-Chronicle Agency; Eu
reua News Co.
I-ORTLAjrn, TUESDAY. MAIM II 1. 1908.
TIIK TAX AMENDMENT.
Ilu. alnvln.tar n H !1 1 CM nhn Would
throw the entire burden of taxation
on land, arguing that its chief value is
an unearned increment, to which the
present possessors have no right
or tillo In Justice, fall to observe that
Innumerable parcels of land have been
changing owners ever since the first
settlement of the country, many of
them at constantly Increasing values,
and that buyers every day are pur
chasing lands and lots and paying for
them full market value, and in some
rases probably more. Who, in these
cases and they are innumerable has
the unearned increment? And how
re we to get It away from the man
who has it, and do Justice to the man
who paid the money and now has the
land, which is to be taxed to an extent
that would confiscate its income? The
query will apply to farm lands as well
us to city lots.
What has made real estate in Port
land valuable? Continual exertion, by
lils owners, to improve their property,
push the growth of the city, establish
lines of communication and transpor
tation, and build up a commercial and
manufacturing center here. These ef
forts, begun sixty years ago, have been
sleailily continued; they have drawn
hither a constantly increasing stream
of people who have Joined in the
work; they have attracted large num
bers who have come because they
could get wages here, and new capi
tal because It could find employment
and make new opportunity here. Hun
dreds, and thousands, of wage-workers
have taken their place among the
owners of real estate, and more are
taking that place every day. They do
pot think their substance should be
cut from under them by a measure
that would cast the whole burden of
taxation on land. Some, indeed, do1
yet hold land out of use and fall to Im
prove It; but the spread of the city in
all directions, and the growth of sub
urban homos, show rapid diminution
of this class. Nor Is It merely in the
district round about' Portland, but it is
In oil parts of tho Oregon country
which now can be reached, or which
there is hope soon of transportation,
that this1 movement goes on. The
population that is doing this work,
either in city or country, is putting
into the land and Its Improvement, or
hHs put in during past years in pur
chase, labor and. taxes, about all that
tho land and improvements are worth,
and in many cases much more. Yet
they are told they are not entitled to
the value. No man who owns a foot
of land or expects ever to own a foot
of land can vote for this confiscatory
proposition.
But the Increase of the value of
property In an owner's hands no
matter what the species of property
U not a curse to society, but on the
contrary a benefit to the community,
a well as to the Individual owner. It
is only through private effort that
property will grow, and neither civili
sation nor government Is possible
without property. It Is, moreover, of
highest Importance to the state that
individuals shall be encouraged to ac
cumulate property; for possession both
pives a kind of Independence and en
forces some degree of responsibility
in the citizen. The man who has
something to lose Is sura to have an
Interest in the welfare of society. All
these people who rail against the un
earned Increment could, at some time
in their lives, have opportunity to ac
quire property which would grow in
value: and the more of such who take
advantage of opportunity, or, better
still, who make opportunity, to obtain
property and have some of the un
earned Increment for themselves, the
better for them and for the country.
K'tv la thi unmrnad tnermanf saIa.
ly In land. Greatest of all the steady
sources of it is in domestic animals,
without which even land. In country
or city, would be comparatively
worthless. Great fortunes, In all ages,
have been made from the smallest
beginnings In cattle, and always will
be; and the progeny of cattle prop
erly cared for, even on rented land as
a beginning, will increase in value and
afford more unearned increment than
five-sixths of the land Itself. But It
requires some intelligence and skill
and purpose, and long perseverance.
Even the output of the poultry of the
country is immense, and the unearned
Increment very large. There must be
unearned increment everywhere, or
wages cannot be paid. All profits in
business are unearned Increment as
much as the growth of value in land.
No man can pay wages unless he has
what the Jargon of the times calls un
earned Increment to pay with.
Land, under our present system,
since land Is always in sight, will be
forced to bear the greater part of the
taxes. It now bears the greater part
of them. Other property, easy of con
cealment, cannot be made to bear as
much tax as it ought; but this is no
reasonwhy it should be wholly ex
empt. Most manufacturing establish
ments are owned by stockholders,
many of them of large wealth. It' is
not apparent why such establishments
should be exempt, nor herds of sheep
and cattle, great or small. The Swift
packing plant will be but a manufac
turing .-establishment; The Oregonian
newspaper the same. Our great com
mercial orchards, too, the profits of
which are the subject of so much
glorification among us, would fall
within the exempted list; that Is, an
orchard that would sell for $500 an
acre would pay merely on the value of
the naked land. But without the land
what would the trees be worth, or the
land without the trees? It is not prob
able this new scheme of taxation will
get much favor, or serve any purpose
except the excellent one of showing by
an additional specific lesson how
greatly the new method of tinkering
constitutions and making laws may be
abused. .
. THE LABOR I1 k it: k kxti a l.
The Chamber of Commerce and the
railroad companies, working In unison,
by the expenditure of several thou
sand dollars and by assuming the bur
den of free pilotage, succeeded about
a year ago in the removal of a freight
differential of 30 cents per ton levied
against this port and in favor of Puget
Sound. The removal of this handicap
was followed by an increase . in the
amount i of grain tonnage headed in
this direction. However, recently
there has been but few ships added
to the list for Portland, while Puget
Sound, for the first time this season,
last week showed a larger amount of
tonnage en rdute than was headed for
Portland. .
Some explanation for this drift of
business away from Portland is found
in the statement of the exporters that
the wages of gralnhandlers at Tacoma
and Seattle are 30 cents per hour, at
Everett 25 cents per hour, while at
Portland the wages are 40 cents per
hour and 60 cents per hour for over
time. As the same exporters are han
dling the business at each of the port3,
it is easy to understand that they will
divert as much wheat as possible to
the ports where It Is handled the
Cheapest. Ten cents per hour straight
time, or 30 cents per hour overtime, is
not a large amount for an Individual
case, but when it is levied against the
port by hundreds of men it becomes
a matter of sufficient importance to
turn away business which properly be
longs here, and which under equal
conditions with Puget Sound ports
would come here.
It would seem like a shortsighted
policy for Portland to spend large
sums of money to improve the river
and otherwise equalize conditions to
meet the competition of the Puget
Sound ports if we are to retain a labor
differential that. If continued, will
drive from the port the last vestige of
grain trade that it is not actually nec
essary to handle at this port. All
other conditions in connection with
the handling of grain are equal at the
two ports, and it accordingly is a very
easy matter to understand the dimen
sions of the handicap thus placed
against the port, should a prolonged
attempt be made to continue a higher
scale of wages here than prevails on
Puget Sound.
EFFECT OF RATE CHANGES.
The reduction In freight rates which
It is reported will be ordered by the
Oregon Railroad Commission, whether
It Is challenged by the railroads or
not, may make some important
changes In the commercial map of the
Pacific Northwest. Portland's pres
tige as a distributing center rests on
her admirable location on tidewater,
where the influence of ocean transpor
tation has always been the governing
factor In the making of rail rates.
The Interstate Commerce Commission,
recognizing the futility of regulating
or fixing rail rates where water com
petition was in evidence, has held that
railroads had the right to meet that
competition. This ruling automatic
ally Axes the' rate to interior points
as the sum of the through rate to tide
water, plus the local rate back to the
interior, the ocean carrier fixing the
rate to Portland or other Coast ports
and paying the local rate into the in
terior and the railroads meeting this
rate.
With this for a base, it is quite clear
that any change In the local rate from
the coast port automatically affects
the through rate, as the freight
brought In by ocean would be distrib
uted under the same rate as that
brought In by rail. This system,
which, of course, makes the long haul
cheaper than the short haul, has al
ways been objectionable to the in
terior Jobbing centers, as 'it places
them at a disadvantage in certain ter
ritory where the coast jobbers were
admitted by the through rate based on
the water-haul rate plus the less-than-carload
rates back to the interior. A
reduction of the local rate, bringing
with if automatically, as it must, a re
duction in the through rate, may re
sult in shifting the center at which
water competition is met from the
coast terminals to some Interior point.
For illustration. Baker City, approxi
mately S60 miles from Portland, must
now on a great many commodities pay
the through rate to Portland, plus the
local rate back from this city.
By this process the railroad meets
the competition of the ocean carriers
at Portland. But a reduction of rates
may make it more advantageous for
the railroads to meet the ocean com
petition at Baker City, thus saving the
long haul to Portland and return, and
enabling the road to earn as much j
(whatever the rate may be) by carry-
HIS ireiguu lu xjaa-er iLy as it uuw i
earns by carrying it tbrough to port
land and back to Baker City. What
is true of Baker City is also true of
other inland cities, and a rate reduc
tion would not only enable consumers
to get their goods at a lower cost, but
it would enable Eastern jobbing
houses to establish branches at these j
points. This shifting of the dlstribu- j
tive business from tidewater points to
the interior will undoubtedly , take
place as soon as the Panama Canal is
completed, for it is a certainty that
through rates will then be forced be
low present tariffs.
If the reduction ordered by the
Railroad Commission is respected, it
may prove more advantageous to the
roads to fall into line now and grace
fully accept the inevitable than to wait
until the canal forces them to meet
water competition in the interior in
stead of at' tidewater. - The situation
is fraught with great possibilities. The
enormous earnings of the Harrlman
lines in Oregon offer indisputable evi
dence that rates are too high, and a
reduction must be made. It Is the
far-reaching effect that will follow this
reduction which makes the problem
Interesting In the extreme, and trie
course of the railroads and the Com
mission will be closeiy followed, not
only by the people of Oregon, but of
all other Jobbing centers In the Pacific
Northwest.
A -WORK OF SUPEREROGATION.
Again the question as to what shall
be done with our ex-Presidents has
been brought to the attention of Con
gress. Representative Coudrey, of
Missouri, is sponsoj for a bill now
pending which provides that all ex
Presidents shall become honorary
members of the. United States Senate
for life, and as such members shall re
ceive a compensation of $25,000 per
annum.
The proposal to make a highly priv
ileged class, even if- a small one. In
this country is distinctly un-American.
In this case it is also meddlesome,
since It carries the Idea that it is
necessary to provide for our ex-Presidents
a suggestion that is imperti
nent and entirely foreign to the truth.
Ex-President Cleveland seems to be
fully able to do for himself and his
family, and certainly no one doubts
President Roosevelt's ability to order
his life along lines of successful en
deavor or dignified labor according to
his own choosing. Both of these men
have been highly honored by their fellow-citizens.
They do not need "help"
or direction. Why not treat them
like the honorable, responsible, self
suporting citizens that they are, and
quit trying to "place" them?
BRYAN AND PARILER. ,
The report that Judge Alton B.
Parker will head the Democratic dele
gation from New York City to the Na
tional Convention at Denver is proba
ble enough. That he will oppose Mr.
Bryan's nomination is still more likely.
This prospective adventure of Judge
Parker in the realm of politics is
worth some attention, although the in
terest of his expedition to Denver at
the head of a set of Tammany and
corporation delegates is psychological
rather than political. He cannot pre
vent the nomination of Mr. Bryan, but
he can amuse the public with more of
those displays of his own querulous
ness and arid reactionism which he
has exhibited from time to time since
he was defeated. It maye necessary
to remind readers that Judge Parker
ran for the Presidency in 1904. The
fact is pretty well forgotten by this
time, and comparatively few persons
paid much attention to it during his
campaign, but his stupendous defeat
accounts for much of his sour and bit
ter criticism both of Mr. Roosevelt
and Mr. Bryan since it occurred.
The Eastern newspapers which op
pose Mr. Bryan upbraid him with hav
ing brought disaster upon the hosts
of militant Democracy, but both of
Mr. Bryan's defeats lumped together
would fall far short of equaling Judge
Parker's one in completeness and ig
nominy. No candidate in recent times
has been so emphatically rejected by
the people, and for reasons so excel
lent. The plain truth is that Judge
Alton B. Parker's political debacle was
one of tho most fortunate events that
ever happened for this country. Nur
tured in servility to the corporate in
terests and mlllionalrepirates of Wall
street, he would have directed the
power of the Presidency for their ex
clusive benefit. The great National
policies of Mr. Roosevelt were then In
their infancy. Approved by the peo
ple from the beginning, still they had
not yet conquered the interests ad
verse to them In Congress, where the
amiable and somewhat flaccid tradi
tions of the McKinley Administration
still guided legislation in respect to
the corporations and trusts. One term
of Judge Parker would have seated
the oligarchy of wealth so firmly in
the saddle that it could have been
ousted only with extreme difficulty,
and perhaps not at all. One may
Imagine, not without some semblance
of truth, that had Judge Parker
served as President something like the
Oligarchy which Jack London de
scribes in "The Iron Heel" might have
gained control of the Government ant!
kept it for generations. All this was
happily averted by his defeat and we
now look upon London's books as an
extravagant flight of fancy, terribly
real as its descriptions might have
been had Mr. Roosevelt not been
elected.
Since his stunning defeat by the in
telligence of the American electorate
Judge Parker has. kept himself more
or less visibly before the public by a
number of reactionary speeches. In
one of them, which was delivered
while the rate bill was under discus
sion, he asserted that no such legis
lation was necessary. All the power
needed to regulate the railroads was
included, he averred. In the rules of
the common law, which he went on
to laud as the perfection of reason
and the acme of human wisdom. We
have nothing to urge against the com
mon law. It was the slow growth of a
barbarous age and its procedure was
one of such incredible ferocity that
the English Judges had to mitigate it
by a set of Ingenious subterfuges en
tirely outside the law. Such gleams
of humanity as it displayed among its
barbarous maxims were plundered
without credit from the civil law of
Rome. This common law has now
been radically modified by civilized
legislation in England, but Judge Par
ker, with the genuine zest of a reac
tionary for what Is ancient, outworn
and barbarous, harks back to it and
belauds it.
There are three reasons why Judge
Parker detests Mr. Bryan. In the first
place, he is consumed with envy at
the sight of the Nebraskan's popular
ity. Himself perhaps the most un
popular man who ever ran for high
office in this Republic, it is gall and
wormwood to him to behold the in
flexible loyalty, the unswerving devo
tion, the tireless fealty of Mr. Bryan's
friends, who are numbered by the
million. Again, Judge Parker honest
ly opposes all that Mr. Bryan stands
for.p Shallow In his judgment, unsta
ble in his purposes, and somewhat of
a demagogue withal Mr. Bryan may
be, but for all that he stands for the
forward movement in American civili
zation. He is for liberty, justice and '
the equality of all men before the law.
On the other hand. Judge Par
ker stands for special privilege. In
durated to servility toward the unscru
pulous men and corporations that he
has been bred to adulate, he sees no
justice except in that which increases
their power and he scorns equality' be
fore the law because it curtails their
revenues by cuttin" off the right to
plunder. In the third place. Judge
Parker Is opposed to Mr. Bryan be
cause the men he serves are opposed
to him; and they hate him for those
high and manly qualities which are
the ground of his potent influence
with a great body of ' the American
electorate.
The ready revolver in a somewhat
unusual role played the star part in a
tragedy on a Seattle slreetear yester
day. A disinterested passenger on the
car Interfered in a row between a con
ductor and a motorman. This to a
certain point is commendable, ,as the
assaulted man was no longer young
and could not protect himself" from his
powerful assailant. But, unfortunate
ly for all hands, the passenger was one
of those individuals, who habitually
carry a revolver for "protection," and
in the excitement of the moment he
pulled the gun and began-shooting at
the belligerent motorman, who soon
fell dead. Of course he Is awfully
sorry, and perhaps always will be, but
that will not remove the blood from
his hands. Incidentally it might - be
stated that it will not prevent the next
fool from doing likewise so long as
firearms are at the command of every
irresponsible individual who has the
price.
The Immigration Department is
making an active campaign in the
East against the undesirable bomb
throwers and other criminals .who
have become unduly promiscuous in
attempting to institute reforms in this
country. With the deportation of a
few thousand of these criminals, and
stricter requirements of citizenship
from the new immigrants, the TJ. S. A.
may yet be a safe place of residence
for an American citizen.
The constitution of this state guar
antees the indicted officers of the Title
Guarantee & Trust Company a trial
"without delay." Why don't they in
sist upon their constitutional right?
Why should they permit a doubt to
exist as to their Innocence when the
fundamental law of the state secures
them the right to have the facts pre
sented under oath in open court?
An" Ogden dispatch announces that
orders have been issued for the re
sumption of work on the grade for the
Harrlman line down the Snake River
from Huntington to Lewiston. Per
haps after work is under way or com
pleted in every other portion of the
country which is already served by a
road a beginning will be made in the
Central Oregon territory.
Who was it that said but now that
the range-finders and the man behind
the great guns of our Navy "could not
shoot"? The scores being made at
Magdalena Bay conclusively refute the
statement of this would-be alarmist.
The report is simple, direct and con
clusive: "All of the ships have been
doing splendid work at the targets."
The Government evidently does not
intend to be a respecter of persons
when it comes to disposing of land
grants to speculators. Should ' the
Oregon & California grant be taken
away from the speculator now holding
it, the land will not be turned over to
the hundreds of speculators who have
filed applications for it.
It doesn't seem to occur to many
people that members of the Legisla
ture have anything to do but elect a
United States Senator. Whether a
man be a signer of Statement No. 1
or not, he should not be sent to Salem
to make laws unless he Is qualified to
perform that duty intelligently.
It must be gratifying to Governor
Chamberlain, General Killfeather, C.
B. S. Wood, Harry Lane and others to
learn that "Fingey" 'Conners and
Tammany Murphy, who control the
Democratio party, are owned by that
distinguished patriot and friend of tAe
plain people, Thomas F. Byan.
April 4,' business at the Fifth-Avenue
Hotel, New Tork, will be discon
tinued. The building will be razed
immediately and a very great office
structure of the modern kind will be
erected on the site. The change marks
the uptown movement of a class of
office business in New York.
Senator Bourne didn't get the worth
of his money when he paid $1000 for
that prize essay. He could have
written a much better one himself;
nay, Indeed, he has written many a
better and talked off many a better to
reporters.
Reliable reports are that hopgrow
ers are cultivating their entire acreage
again this year, notwithstanding the
surplus and low prices last year. Per
haps they are growing hops for their
health.
That , second-elective-term idea
stands about one chance in a thousand
of winning. But if It should prove to
be the victor well, who wouldn't
envy the man who took a "long shot"
at it?
The people of Portland have an in
alienable right to all the Bull Run
water they need now or in future for
domestic purposes. Let those who
would interfere beware.
March promises to make its exit in
a temper different from that which
marked its entrance.
Westward the course of Portland's
department stores takes Its way.
WATTERSON ON PROHIBITION.
"Moral Idiots and Rrd-Noard A nereis,"
He Calls "Dry" Advocates.
(It is worth the while of every reader to
know what manner of flffht the Lonieville
Courier-Journal is raaklnc against prohlhitinn
In Kentucky. Here is one of Mr. Watter
son'a most vehement and Aery articles, under
the heading- "Hate and Fraud Gone Mad.")
The disposition to question the mo
tives of those who are not of our way
of thinking in matters of faith, political
and religious, seems an Inherent failing
of frail humanity. It commonly in
creases in violence in the' proportion that
it has some concrete object to fasten
upon. Thus the newspaper opposing the :
extremism and intolerance of the cheats
and bigots who have, united to Tecreate
Kentucky in the dread image of Maine
and Kansas by constitutional amend
ment, or act of Assembly the bigots be
cause of a mistaken sense of moral duty
and the frauds to trade on and profits by
this is stigmatized as the organ of the
whisky ring, the servant of the beer
trust, the friend of intemperance.
Such denunciations have no terror for
the Courier-Journal. For the proscrlp
tive religionaries who Indulge it we en
tertain the disdain which conscious rec
titude must always feel toward the fa
natical and the ignorant. For the red
nosed political angels who are out for
votes and office, we have only defiance
and scorn. For the foul bird of alleged
newspaper plumage, who dnties his nest
to make favor with the others, we shall
deal out the measure of contempt and
disgust which the jackal equally with
the buzzard and the maggot Inspires.
The would-be Mohammedans of Geor
gia are beginning to have a taste of the
real scoundrellsm of the political fabric
they have lately set up. To keep "Ilcker
from the nigger," they have abolished
liberty. In Maine thc have had 60 years
of this. Pharisaism, smuggling, extor
tion, adulteration, political wire-pulling,
bulldozing and corruption no diminution
of the drink habitconstitutes the snm
total. To tljis complexion would religious
hysteria and political vllllany reduce
Kentucky.
e - e
The Courier-Journsl interposes three
clear, conclusive, unequivocal objections:
first, that prohibition does not prohibit;
second, that It corrupts whatever it
touches: third, that it is not only an in
vasion of private rights with respect to
drink, but is the forerunner of every
manner of tyranny and oppression with
respect to all rights, done under tho sanc
tion of law and In the name of God and
Morality. .
Time out of mind, the whole world
over, sumptuary attempts to legislate re
ligion and morality Into tbe masses of
the people have had the same story to
tell ; begun In bigotry to . end in crime.
We do not need the great Haeckel to
tell us that "Intolerance has never been
known to advance the cause of truth,"
nor Boyd Winchester, philosopher and
scholar that he is and Democrat to the
marrow of his bones that "persecution
aids rather than hinders proscribed doc
trines." because that truism is a part of
the general truth that legislation often
does indirectly the . reverse, of what it
directly aims to do. It is diffcult, if not
impossible, to enforce laws designed to
make one class of citizens order their
lives in the way that another class thinks
would be best for them. Laws forbidding
a man to drink urge him to drink in de
fiance of law. If for no other reason than
to show his independence i "forbidden
fruits" have a proverbial 'fascination,
whilst the proverb tells ua that "Stolen
waters are sweet and bread eaten In
secret is pleasant." In short, the more
trouble law makes It for a man to gratify
his desire for drink, the harder he usually
strives to get it.
e e e
Just so long as persons crave, need or
desire stimulants, just so long will they,
as experience proves, attain their object,
lawfully and honestly If they can, but if
not, then illegally and dishonestly, at the
expense of every remaining principle of
manhood. Every people have believed
themselves capable and entitled to de
termine what they shall eat, drink and
wear. This instinct of self-government is
strong in every man's heart and he re
volts inevitably against intrusion upon
his right of private judgment and selfT
controL More than a century ago Adam
Smith denounced as "the highest im
pertinence and presumption, in Kings and
Ministers, to pretend to watch over the
economy of private people, and to re
strain them by sumptuary laws." Yet,
here in Kentucky, a riff-raff of moral
idiots , and red-nosed angels propose to
change the laws both of political econ
omy and nature.
We propose to fight this crime to the
hitter end. If the good people of Ken
tucky really wish to make Kentucky "as
dry as Maine," which Is not dry at all
if they really wiih to duplicate the pre
posterous conditions already existing in
Georgia If they propose to annihilate
hundreds of millions of dollars expressed
in property values. Industrial values and
tax values and in the twinkling of an
Act of Assembly to change the habits,
traditions and character of a century of
glorious history it Is their right to do so.
But they shall not do so blindly, their
eyes closed to the actual facts. They
shall know whither they are tending and
what they are doing.
We shall give each assailant blow for
blow, meeting fanaticism with facts;
bigotry with reason: prohibition with lo
cal option and horre-rule; pbarasaism,
personal and political, with execration;
the remedy for all ailments of the body
politic. Democracy, Unterrified and Un
dented! Woman's Halrpla Starts Trolley.
Millville (N. J.) Dispatch in New York
World.
A trolley car was stalled midway be
tween Millville and Vineland, and was
only moved by the use of a hairpin lent
by a passenger. The trouble was found
in the air pump. Conductor George
Hund worked in vain for some time,
and as a lust resort borrowed the hair
pin from Miss Mabel Corson, of Mill
ville. It completed the circuit and the
big, heavy car ran on to Vineland with
out trouble.
He Made Good.
Everybody's Magazine.
- "What's become ob dat little chameleon
Mandy had?" Inquired. Rufus.
"Oh, de fool chile done lost him," re
plied Zeke. "She was playln' wlf him
one day, puttin' him on red to see him
turn red, an' on blue to seem him turn
blue, an" on green to see him turn green,
an' so on. Den de fool gal, not satisfied
wlf lettin well enough alone, went an
put him on a plaid, an' de poor little
thing went an" bust himself tryln' to
make good."
Transmutation.
Elizabeth whiting- In tho April Century.
See. dear. I burn upon this April hill
The letters I have treasured for so Ions;.
Tho day runs over with tbe bluebirds"
song;;
The buoyant wind blows delicately chill,
Twisting; the olean, bright namoa that have
their wiu.
On our hearts' record, whirling for a
"" breath .
Gray wraiths of paper whereupon in death
Waver the worda that shake my spirit stiU.
Herein I prove me worthy of your trust,
Leaving our letters not to mold and dust.
Nor, after me, ravished of alien eyee;
But changing them through fire and the
Spring's
wift alchemy into fair, growing things.
So have tho heart's frustrations made mo
wis.
STATE POLITICAL DISCISSION.
Remarks on Chamberlain's Candidacy
for the Senate.
Harney County News.
Governor George E. Chamberlain, twice
elected to the executive chair -by Repub
lican votes, has announced his candidacy
for the United States Senatorship on the
same kind of a "non-partisan" platform
by which he has succeeded in the past.
We do not know exactly what the result
may be. -
While known as a pronounced Democrat
upon every question involving political
identification, he repudiates the Demo
cratic party and comes forth as a "non
partisan" an insult to the mass of his
own party who have bowed with unfail
ing devotion at his feet for several years.
Of course he can bank upon their blind
allegiance almost to a man and he has
that much of an asset to begin with, but
the basis of his real hope of success is
a burning insult to Republicans. It as
sumes that they can be deceived and
hoodwinked into forsaking their party
principles and voting for man who rep
resents the bitterest' prejudices of South
ern Democracy to stand for Oregon in the
highest political office within the gift
of Oregon voters.
How many of the Republicans can
George deceive in his latest move? That
is the serious question. He has behind
him the only political machine in Oregon
today the best organized, the most abject
and servile. Emanating from the execu
tive office in Salem, formulated by the
Governor himself and put In shape by
a force of clerks under pay by the state,
inspired articles will be sent out from
now until the June election to spread dis
content among Republican voters and to
Instil the Idea that Chamberlain's guard
ianship is necessary to protect the peo
ple's interests.
Chamberlain hopes for success through
his declaration of love and respect for
Roosevelt, yet he will support Bryan and
the entire Democratic ticket. He' asks
for non-partisan support, yet he expects
every Democratio vote in the state from
party reasoning. Was there ever such a
mixture of gall, hypocrisy, deception and
chicanery? How will the people treat
it? We hope they will give it the treat
ment it deserves and we believe if the
intelligent Republican newspapers of Ore
gon do their duty, the danger of dem
agogic success will be averted.
Remarks on the New Klsh Warden and
the Reasons for His Appointment.
Daily Astorian.
It ia erenerAllv admitted that H. C
McAllister, the new Fish Warden for
Oregon, is a "good fellow"; but, that
lie knows anything of fish, except to eat
it when he wants it, there are none to
acclaim. He has sold tons of canned fish
for the wholesalers whom he has, from
time to time, represented on the "road,"
and this may have been interpreted as a
starter in the accumulation of technical
information as to fish nature, fish cul
ture, hatching, handling and care, but
it does not satisfy this community which
stands first in the great Industry of the
Northwest, as to fishermen, packers,
plants and commerce. What has Mr. Mc
Allister ever done to compel recognition
as an expert in the mysteries of propaga
tion of salmon? Where has he acquired
special training for the responsibility he
has taken over? What intimate knowledge
has he of the practical side or the theo
retical side, of the great business?
There is no doubt about his being a
good fellow and a brilliant representative
of the T. P. A. (and perhaps, some other
P. A.s) hut that he is a typical fish man,
by way of education, experience or-even
chance familiarity, we are forced, at this
writing, to deny.
And denying it, we protest against tbe
imposition placed upon the people of
Oregon for purely political reasons, chief
of which is that Governor Chamberlain
may retain the interest and influence of
the Travelers' Protective Association, the
dominant factor in his earlier campaigns.
Astoria puts up practically three-fifths of
the money that goes to maintain the
hatcheries of Oregon and her people are
peculiarly representatives and influential
in the $5,000,000 industry; she has the right
to protest against the appointment of Mr.
McAlllBter, or any other incompetent. She
has not a single, simple fisherman that
cannot give the new State War-den more
off-hand Information on the things he is
supposed to know about fish (and does
not), than -he can acquire in years
dawdling around a Portland office and
carrying an undeserved and picturesque
title. '
We know, of course, the protest will
go unheeded at the Capitol. Astoria
realizes how non-essential she is to the
Chamberlain "dynasty" save at quadren
nial periods; and knowing it, resents the
removal of Mr. Van Dusen upon the sole
hypothesis that he was not en rapport
wjth the Democratif programme of the
season, and the setting up of a political
"specialist" more in harmony with tho
hour and its opportune demands. The
thing were laughable were it not that
what must come later must be worse
for our people and the huge commercial
Industry she stands for numerically and
financially. There were 15 candidates for
the place of State Fish f'arden, and the
most inept man of the lot was chosen
by the Portland wing of the Commission,
not for what he knew about fish, but for
what he could achieve in the way of
Chamberlain votes next June.
IS THIS MERELY "FREE SPEECH?"
Anarchy With Dynamite Proposed By
New Jersey Paper.
The right of free speech and a free press la
a fundamental right, and really the greatrt
boon of liberty. Real freedom Is impoeolble
without It; but let every one read the follow
ing from the Paterson (X. J.) anarchist pa
per, which President Roosevelt excluded from
the malls, and decide whether articles of thia
description and the speeches of Emma Gold
man, which are very similar, should be pro
tected under the liberty of free press and free
speech: ,
Seventy-five per cent have a knife in
the house which will only cut onions. It
will be a good thing for everybody to
have a gun.
When we are ready, the first thing to
do is to break into the armory and seize
the rifles and ammunition. The next
thing to do is to get hold of the- police
station, and when the police see that
they are not strong enough, the chief of
police will ask for soldiers.
Even at that, the dynamite is easy for
us to get. Twenty-five cents worth will
blow a big iron door down. We don't
want to forget that tho dynamite will
help us to win. Two or three of us can
defy a regiment of soldiers without fear.
Show no sympathy for any soldier, even
if they be the sons of the people.
As soon as we get hold of the police
station it is our victory. The thing Is
to kill the entire force. If not they will
kill us. When we are ready, we must set
fire to three or four houses in different
locations on the outskirts, which will
bring out the lire Department and all
the police. Then we will start a fire in
the center of the city. This will be an
easy tiling to do. as the police and fire
men will be on the outskirts.
Father Gets Something.
Chicago Evening Post.
Among the most satisfactory of the
divertisements of the Abruzzi courtship
is the fact that Father stands a show of
getting something.
Usually the bridal parent in an inter
national alliance is only given the priv
ilege of paying all the bills. But our
good Steve Elkins is authoritatively said
to be slated for high honors by the King
of Italy. He may be made Conte del
Wheeling or Marchesl of West Virginia.
He is sure to be decorated with the
"Order of the Neck Chain."
We rejoioe with Steve. We are glad
that he is going to get something. And
we heartily wish tiiat He did not have to
get part of it in that unfortunate locality
described in ancient geographies as the
exact spot "where the chicken got the
ax." ' v
STUDENT RAPS THE FACULTY
Docrner, Stanford Man. Says Clark
Was Unjust in His Ratings.
SEATTLE. Wash.. March 3rt. (Special.)
William Doemer. captain of the Stan- -
tora university football team of 1?07, is
in the city on his way to Alaska, where
he is to take a position with a mining
company. Doerner would have been grad
uated within six weeks had he not been
suspended as a result of the recent dis
turbances at the University.
Doerner asserts that there was no ques
tion of -drunkenness entering into the sus
pension of the atuuents. and that reports
that have gone out have done tho stu
dents a great Injustice.
"The students' affairs committee." said
Doerner, "'is composed of men who are
out of touch with the students, and the
chairman of the committee. Professor A.
R. Clark, who Is responsible - for the
wholesale expulsion, is not fitted to ad
minister his position with the proper
sense of Justice. The men expelled were
punished for parading on the campus and
vlBiting Professor Clark's home to protest
in an orderly manner against a letter he
had made public stating his position to
ward the studentB. The letter stated that
he would not wait until a student had
been guilty of Intoxication before recom
mending his expulsion, but that any stu
dent seen taking a drink would be ex
pelled." STATE BOARD HITS A SXAG
Riparian Owners Make Trouble for
Bpilding Trustees at Salem.
SALEM, Or., March' 30. Special.)
The Board of Trustees of the projei t
ed home for the feeble-minded today
encountered a serious problem involv
ing the law of riparian rights. After
deciding upon a location for the insti
tion and taking options on several
farms which the board purchased, a
deal was made by whtch the state se
cured a deed to a tract of land on
which is located a perpetual spring of
clear, cold water. The flow of water
is barely sufficient for the needs of
the institution. Today two farmers
residing in the vicinity appeared be
fore the board and asserted that the
water from that spring has beecn flow
ing over their lands ever since the
country lias been known by white men,
and probably much longer, and they
want it to continue to flow there "'un
diminished in quantity and unimpaired
in quality," In accordance with the
law of rtparlan rights. As a supply
of pure water is an absolute essential,
the board has a troublesome question
before it. Superintendent Bickers was
instructed to interview J. W. -Carson,
from whom the spring was purchased.
SXEEZES TO DEATH IX HOTEL
Seattle Guest Seized With Parox
ysms, Which Prove ratal. '
SEATTLE, Wash.. 'March 30. (Spe
cial.) Nelse Waldahl, of Colby, Wash.,
sneezed to death in a room at a local
hotel this morning. Before retiring last
night, Waldahl complained of a slight
cold. During the night, the manager of
the house, in the, next room, heard him
coughing and sneezing violently. It con
tinued, and the manager entered Wal
dahl's room, finding him seated on the
bed and sneezing so violently that he
was unable to answer questions. Finally
he managed to ask for a glass of water.
The manager left the room to get the
water, but he had hardly stepped out of
the door when the paroxysms began
again. When Manager Heron returned,
he found Waldahl lying on the bed, shak
ing violently. He died within a few min
utes, and without being able to drink the
water Heron had brought.
CONFESSES RECENT ROBBERY
James Funkbauser Admits Guilt and
Goes to Jail.
OREGON CITY, Or.. March 30. (Spe
cial.) James Funkhauser has confessed
to the robbery of the Williams home at
Clackamas Station Friday night. He was
apprehended by the Multnomah County
authorities the following night while at
tempting a robbery at Fulton. Last night
Mr. and Mrs. Williams and their daughter
positively Identified Funkhauser as the
masked man who held them up Friday
night at the point of a revolver, robbing
them of $5 and stealing a horse that he
abandoned on the county road near Mil
waukie, which was found next morning
by Williams. Funkhauser is known to
Williams as the man who, one month ago,
bought a horse from Williams, making a
deposit of $5, taking the horse on a few
days' trial and falling to return with tbe
animal. Funkhauser will be held to the
April term of the Circuit Court.
KORIXG FOR OIL AT MADRAS
Portland Capitalists Interested In
- Crook County Exploitation.
MADRAS. Or., March 30 (Special.)
Machinery has been ordered for making a
thorough test of the oil prospects In this
section, and the local comnany organized
fop the purpose of prospecting for oil an
nounces that it will begin drilling within
60 days. Tills company Is said to be
hacked by Portland capital, and claims
to have ample funds to sink a number
of wells to a depth of several thousand
feet Leases have been secured on more
than 14."j00 acres of land within a radius
of IB miles of this place, these leases pro
viding for a royalty in case oil is found,
and carrying an option on the land at
prices averaging $100 per acre. The drill
ing machinery was ordered from Brad
ford, Pa.
Stork Spoils Acrobatic Show.
TACOMA, Wash., March 30. Mrs. Elea
nor Florenz. wife of George Florenz, of
an acrobatic company at Pantages The
ater last week, is the mother of a bright
baby girl under peculiar circumstances.
Announcement was made from the stage
Saturday that, owing to an accident, Mrs.
Florenz would not appear. The fact was
that Friday Mrs. Florenz worked aa a
pedestal In an acrobatic act requiring
great strer.Gth and skill, doing the after
noon and the first show at night. At 9
o'clock she left the .theater, and at 2
o'clock Saturday morning was the mother
of a baby girl, which has been named
Eleanor. Tho company will likely cancel
Its dates for two weeks.
Seeking Coal, Near Dallas.
DALLAS, Or., March 30. (Special.)
Hon. W. C. Brown will begin the work
of drilling for coal on his property in
the northern part of this city within a
few days. Several good specimens of
lignite coal have been found in recent
excavations, and the contour of the
land at that place indicates the pres
ence of a large deposit. Mr. Brown is
convinced that the project will pay,
and will lose no time in making the
preliminary excavations for sinking a
shaft.
Probably Jarred Him Some.
SPOKANE Wash., March SO. B. D.
Lynn, who fell from the sixth story of the
Paulson building, is not believed to be
seriously hurt, according to reports from
St. Luke's Hospital. He is only very sore.
Those who ran to his aid after his fall
heard htm say when he got Into a sitting
posture: "Now. wouldn't that frost you?"
Ordinarily a fall of that distance, about
73 feet, would kill a man, but the force of
Lynn's tumble was stopped by three dif
ferent projections.