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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1908)
8 THE MORNIXG OREGOXIAJf, WEDNESDAY, 3IAY 27, " 1908. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. (Br MalL) Dslly, Sunday Included, on year $2 Dally. Sunday Included, six months.... 4 25 Dally, Sunday Included, thrae months.. 2 2j Dally, Sunday Included, one month..,. .75 Dally, without Sunday, one year 6.00 Daily, without Sunday, six montha. 8.-5 Pally, without Sunday, three month!.. 1-75 Daily, without Sunday, one month..... 0 Sunday, one year - 50 Weekly, one year (Issued Thursday). ... 1 50 Sunday and weekly, one year 5 BY CARRIER. Dally. Sunday Included, one year. ..... .9.00 Dallr. Sunday Included, one month.... --75 HOW TO REMIT Send postoffice money order, express order or personal check; on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give postoftlce aa dress In full. Including; county and state. POSTAGE RATES. Entered at Portland. Oregon, Postodlce as Second-Class Matter. 10 to 14 Pages .....1 cent 1 to 28 Pages cents 80 to 44 Pages 3 cents to 60 Pages '. cent Foreign postage, double rates. IMPORTANT The postal laws are strict. Newapaiers on which postage la not fully prepaid are not forwarded to destination. EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICE. The 8. C. Beckwlth Special Agency New York, rooms 48-50 Tribune building. Chi cago, room 510-512 Trlbuna building. KEPT ON BALK. Chicago Auditorium Annex: FostoffloS News Co., 178 Dearborn street; Empire News Stand. St. Pan!. Minn. N. Ste. Hula, Commer cial Station ' Colorado Springs. Colo. H. H. Bell. Denver Hamilton A Kendrlck. 806-912 Seventeenth street; Pratt Book 6-tore. 1214 Fifteenth street-. H. P. Hansen. 8. Rice. George Carson. l Kansaa city. Mo. Rleksecker Cigar Co, Ninth and Walnut; Toma News Co. Minneapolis M. . Cavanaugh. 50 South Third. Cincinnati, O. Toms News Co. Cleveland. O. James f-jhaw. SOT Super ior street Washington. T. C. Ebbltt House. 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Fort Worth, Tex. Southwestern N. and A. Agency. Amarilla, Tex. Ttmmons j Pope. San Francisco Foster A Orear: Ferry News Stand; Hotel St. Francis News Stand; 1.. Parent; N- Wheatley; Falrmount Hotel News Stand; Amos News Co.: United News Agency. Eddy street; B. E. Amos, man- auer three wagons; World N. 8.. 2625 A. butter street. Oakland. Cal. W. H. Johnson, Fourteenth and Franklin streets; N. Wheatley; Oakland News Stand; B. E. Amos, manager Ave wagons; Welllngham, E. G. tioldtield. Nov. Louie Follin. Eureka, Cal. Call-Chronicle Agency; Eu reka News Co. POKTLANU, WEDNESDAY. MAY 27, 1908. TWO OF THE AMENDMENTS. . . Were the two articles written by Judge George H. Burnett, of the Third Judicial District of Oregon, published by The Oregonian the first against the proposition designed to. prevent District Attorneys from prosecuting criminals by information and to com pel a resort in. all cases in Circuit Courts to the cumbersome and often inefficient grand Jury system; the sec ond against the proposition commonly known as a measure to increase the number of Judges of the Supreme Court carefully read ana considered by all the electors of the state, it would be safe to say that the number of votes cast for change of the constitu tion in these two particulars would be extremely small. . These articles appeared In the form of letters, one of them .May 19, the other May 26. In the hope of-drawing to them the further attention they deserve, we shall here reproduce, the main and essential portions of both; prefacing them with an earnest re quest that they 'be attentively consid ered. Judge Burnett's position on the bench, his acquaintance with the law and the methods of ' procedure, to gether with his equipoise of Judgment, make him an exceptionally safa coun sellor in matters of this kind. First, we reprint nearly the whole of his ar ticle on the grand Jury amendment, to wit: The champion of the proposed amend ment argue that the first the accused may know of his prosecution by the District Attorney may be his arreet; that he may never be tried, and yet his record Is blackened; that the Information system la a return to the star chamber decrees of Charles 1, etc. All the fulmlnatlona of these gentlemen against prosecutions under In formations tiled by District Attorneya are equably applicable to Indictments by grand Jurlea The grand jury la by law an oath bound secret body. It may Indict whom it pleases. Unless a defendant has been held to answer by some magistrate, the first he lawfully knows of his Indictment la when the Sheriff arrests htm upon & secretly Is sued bench warrant. On the other hand, we sometimes hear from the press that District Attorneys publicly announce their Intention to file Informations against certain alleged of frndera. and there Is no law against thus giving notlcs to the accused of his danger. The grand Jury system increases the "law's delays," which contribute so much "to disgust people generally with court pro cedure. It Is Impossible to empanel a grand jury before the court convenes. No Indict ment can be filed until that body, com posed of men unused to considering legal questions, and wholly unskilled In the ex amination of witnesses, have taken some days to thresh out all tqe petty details of the evidence and decide whether to Indict or not. Meanwhile the business of the court Is often delayed. Many times the other Jurors are compelled to wwlt for days at much inconvenience to themselves and their private .business, while the grand jury prepares business for them. In practice, the aversge grand Jury defers almost entirely to the Judgment of the District Attorney in all prosecutions. He examines the wlt ( ttesses before them. He prepares their in 'dietments. Upon him depends the correct ness of the accusing document and the suc cess of the prosecution. He may never bring It to trial, or he may prosecute It differ ently. In short, the responsibility practi cally rests almost entirely upon him. and there is no good reason why he should not be clothed with the power to transact the business of bis office more efficiently than can possibly be dons under an exclusive grand Jury procedure. Under the information system, the Dis trict Attorney can prepare criminal case for arraignment before court convenes, and often may have them ready for trial at the. opening of court. Under the grand Jury system, there is an Inevitable delay that often leads to postponement of trials to a future term of court a practice always courted hy those who would evsrde Justice. The Information law has worked well ever since Its adoption in 1MW. It has never been abused as these worthy gentlemen affect to fear it will be, nor can It be so shused. In the light of healthy public senti ment. The courts are open at his demand for a speedy trial of any man whom the District Attorney-accuses of crime, and the Innocent defendant may have an early vin dication. On the other hand, the grand Jsry system increases the delays that so delight rogues and their special pleadtng counsel. What virtu there may be in grand Juries is not impaired as our laws now stand, be cause ths courts may empanel grand Juries at any time." The Information law only em powers the public prosecutor to discharge his duty with more speed and efficiency and saves all tne rights that a defendant ever had as against an Indictment returned by a grand Jury. If the amendment had provided for empanelling a grand Jury be fore court convenes, so that its Indlctmenta might be ready at the opening of the term. It would have been more worthy of consid eration: .but In its present form it ought to be rejected. The article on the proposed amend ment for increase of the 'number of Judges of the Supreme Court is longer, yet so closely written that abridg ment is difficult. But, close as it is, it is clear throughout. Note especially the presentation of consequences like ly to follow the change; the confusion it will produce, threatening the sta bility of the entire Judicial fabric of the state; the power it will place In the hands of the Legislature to Involve the Judiciary- in political entangle ments, and the danger it will create of renewal in the Legislature of contests over municipal charters, from which fhere was effort to escape by adoption of an amendment of the constitution two years ago which amendment the one now proposed would go a long way to annul. A valuable part of the article also is the caution it adminis ters against use of the current dispo sition to make changes in the consti- I tution, which would make confusion and disorder, without probable benefit of any kind. Again, The Oregonian begs every elector to give both the articles written by Judge Burnett care ful perusal. The second follows here almost In its entirety, to wit: Since the advent of ths Initiative and referendum, attempts to amend the state constitution seem to have increased In geometrical progression, so that at every successive election we have thrust upon us a greater number of such propositions than ever before. When is the disintegration of constitutional government to cease? . Among numerous others there will be -on the ballot at the coming election proposi tion 304-805. commonly known as a meas ure to Increase the number of Judges of tho Supreme Court. - But as usual the label does not give one a full conception of the results that would follow the adop tion of the measure. It may be that the number of Judges of ths Supreme Court ought to be increased. That view is no doubt entertained by many of those who have been hitherto unable to secure a seat on the bench of that tribunal; but. after all, la It a safe policy to adopt ths pending measure with all the consequences that will ensue? Will not the other results be too dear a price to pay for the questionable benefit of having a larger Supreme Court? Under the constitution as it is. the Judi cial power of the state Is vested in a Su preme Court, Circuit Courts and County Courts, whose Jurisdiction must be defined, limited and regulated by law. in accord ance with the constitution. The pending amendment omits County Courts from the category but does not directly provide any thing in their place. It la left to ths caprice of the Legislative Assembly whether the duties hitherto performed by County Courts shall be imposed upon ths Circuit Courts or not. While at present the Jurisdiction of all courts is regulated by laV. subject to the constitution, in the- new measure the words "In accordance with this constitution" are omitted and there will be no restraint upon the Legislature In the enactment f laws affecting the courts. If it shall be deemed expedient to reward some defeated party standard-bearer Of to provide patronage in the Interest of some political adventurer, there will be the tempting opportunity to make room on the bench under the specious plea of a non-partisan court. The amend ment provides that the Supreme Court shall consist of five Judges until otherwise provided by law, hence: The Legislature may at will Increase or diminish the num ber of Supreme or Circuit Judges. The stability of the Judicial fabric is threatened. The result will be to make the courts an asset In political bargaining. Instead of preserving the independence of the Legis lative, Executive and Judicial Departments of the government, as designed by article III of- the constitution, the Judicial De partment will be absolutely subservient to the other two. When this measure was before the Leg islative -Assembly the design was supposed to be the installation In Oregon of some thing like the Judicial systems of Cali fornia and Washington. There are argu ments both for and against them; but the amendment goes only part way toward that result. It makea it possible, but leaves the completion of the work to the whim of the Legislature. It will be diffi cult for that body to turn out of office all the county Judges and county commission ers In the state and impose their duties on othsr officials. It has been exceedingly rare in the history of the state that the Legislative Assembly has abolished an office. When it has happened the office has usu ally returned in a more virulent form. The result of giving the Legislature com plete control of the courts, as- this amend ment does, will be great confusion In a very Important branch of the government which hitherto has been remarkably free from political entanglements. Again: Only two years ago the people adopted an amendment to the constitution forbidding the Legislative Assembly to enact, amend or repeal any charter or act of Incorporation for any municipality, pity or town and lodging that power in - the legal voters of the cities and towns ex cluslvely. The pending amendment goes a long way to annul the amendment of 1904, by providing anew, as In the original con stitution, that municipal courts may be created to administer the regulations of Incorporated towns and cities Under such provisions there is no telling how many charter contests will be foisted upon the Legislature to Interfere with matters of general Importance. Some relief for -the Supreme Court would be had if the multiplication of Circuit Courts were stopped. True it is that speedy trials of both civil and criminal cases are desirable. The Information law Is a help to that end in criminal actions. As to civil cases, if litigation were more difficult there would be less of It and peo ple generally would get along quite as well. Those who throng the courts with their disputes are but a small part of the population. The very great majority of citlsens go through life to its end and never arpear in court, yet they pay most of the expenses of the courts. Legislation about the courts should not be wholly in the Interest of the contentious litigant who will keep up his fight as long as there la a court to fight in or a dollar to fight for. The ordinary peaceable taxpayer is entitled to some consideration as against the rapid increase of efflcial places There may be at present too much work for three Judges; but rather than Incur the results that win -touow the adoption of the pending amendment, so far as the Supreme Court is eoncerned. we had bet ter get along for a while with the present anomalous makeshift - of deputy Judges, alias commissioners. Finally and generally. We will do well and safely If we vote down every pro posed amendment to our constitution until the Supreme Court of the United States has determined the validity of the already overworked initiative and referendum sys tem which has made this confusion possi ble. HER PRIZE PACKAGE. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, when a few years ago he came into possession of his father's millions, taking prece dence over his elder brother by the terms of his father's will, was con sidered "quite a catch." Of course this estimate referred strictly to his millions and not in any sense to his morals or to any quality of high-grade manhood. The anglers of the four hun dred were out after him with a lure of beauty, grace and feminine accom plishments that was ready to take him. in, and no questions asked. Miss Elsie French was successful in landing him and a marriage that rivaled royalty In splendor and in gifts followed. That was eight years ago last January. During the intervening period she has lived In luxurious Idleness; travel has come to her and taken her wherever she wished to go. A son has been born to her, adding the human touch to her home of otherwise empty mag nificence. To all appearance she has enjoyed every benefit from the mar riage that she bargained for. But somewhere along the line of Idleness and frivolity; of going to and coming from the Old World; and of basking in the magnificence that un earned money buys she seems to have made the discovery that money will not buy marital happiness and that a man without principle in social and domestic life is not a satisfactory man as a husband. The sequel to this dis covery was told a few days ago, when Elsie secured a divorce upon a charge of gross immorality as a climax of several years of neglect on the part of her husband. Yet she seems to have got all in her marriage that she bar gained for at least all that was ad vertised at the bargain counter where she drety her prize package. CONCERNING MEDIUMS. The distinction which some worthy people are attempting to draw be tween "good" and "bad" mediums Is illusory. It is not true that all medi ums 'are deliberately fraudulent, but it is true that none of them can do what they pretend to do. In every case, without a single exception, when a medium has been investigated by competent observers it has been found that his results were unreliable. There is not one atom of evidence in exist ence that the spirits of the dead can communicate with the living. . All those persons who try to make money by offering such pretended communi cations play upon the credulity of the public. ( Mediums do a number of tricks which only careful observers cars de tect. In certain cases they exhibit powers which are different from those of ordinary people. There is little doubt that they avail themselves of some species of thought transference or telepathy to read sealed questions, and so forth. If they would honestly tell the truth about this power, it would be pleasant to see them, exhibit it; but they do not tell the truth. They make a parade of being- under the control of spirits and obtaining In formation from the other world when nothing of the sort occurs. Persons who . have wa,tched the methods of a medium of some note who operates In Pbrtland and else where say that he neglects no device which can excite credulity and con fuse the minds of his audience. His great stunt is to answer sealed ques tions. He seizes an envelope, feels of It and gives offhand some v vague meaningfess answer. Then follows a deluge of words while he opens the envelope and takes a sly peep at the question. ThlB enables him to revise his first vague reply and nine times out of ten the victim is not shrewd enough to see how he has been fooled. He is so eager to behold a miracle that he helps the medium play the trick by merging the second part of the re ply with the first part. Thus the me dium gets the glory of answering the question without reading it, though lie seldom even tries to answer it until he has read it. Sometimes he makes a genuine dash at a sealed question and occasionally he gives an answer that appears to be Impossible without thought transference; but these In stances are rare".- For the most part he relies upon befuddling his audience and he generally succeeds. Indeed he could hardly fall, for they are more eager to be fooled than he is to fool them. STRENUOUS INERTIA OF CONGRESS When Congress assembled last De cember it had an opportunity such as occurs to men and parties not more than once or twice in a lifetime. The laws of the country had been out grown by its life. The great corpora tions had developed virtually without control by the sovereign power, fol lowing their own sweet will both as to what they should do and how they should do it, paying no attention to any rlgh-t which interfered with their wishes and hesitating at no wrong which might Increase their profits. At previous sessions of Congress some thing had been done under Mr. Roose velt's insistent urging to subject the corporations to the law, but not very much In comparison to what remained to do. The great problem, of the cur rency was in a tangle and the com plexity of the tangle had just been brought home to everybody by a panic so destructive that it was tragic and so unnecessary that it was farcical. What Mr. -Carnegie calls the "worst banking system in the world" demand ed reconstruction in the light of mod ern economic knowledge. The iniqui ties of the barbarous tariff cried loud ly for death too long delayed. Much of the previous legislation against the trusts had turned out in practice to foster the very evils which-it had been designed to check, while it penalized cruelly the legitimate efforts of labor ing men to better their condition. The Inferior .Federal courts,.j:reatures of Congress, had shown a marked tend ency to make themselves superior not only to the states of the Union, but even to the power to which they owed their existence. The writ of in junction had been pushed to extremes which were novel and dangerdus to liberty. - - . These were some of the problems which to a statesman of constructive power would have presented a noble opportunity for the exercise of his ability. And they were not the only problems. The country desired almost unanimously a system of postal sav ings banks and a parcels post, such as every other civilized nation in the world enjoys. The Atlantic seaboard demanded without a dissenting voice that dared to speak above a crafty whisper the establishment of a Na tional forest reserve to preserve the soil of the farms, the navigation of the rivers and the natural water powers of that region. What effort has Con gress made to solve these problems? What reply has it made to the de mand's of the Nation? It has made no effort. It has given no reply ex cept stupid and obstinate silence. All through the Winter and Spring, Con gress has stood like an Oriental der vish spinning in his tracks, but not advancing an inch. More accurately, it planted Itself like a balky jade in the highway and neither curses nor blows could make It stir. I Congress exists to make laws and It exists for nothing else. Moreover, it is the only source there is of legisla tion for the country at large. When the country needs legislation, there fore, and Congress refuses in pig headed obstinacy to supply it, what are the people to do? There Is little that can be done. Letters may be written to Congressmen and such let ters when they come from hundreds of voters sometimes frighten a mem ber from committing wrong or fool ish actions, but they seldom spur him on to attempt anything- constructive. He can explain that he would have liked to do something, but the lead ers would not permit, and this is true in so many cases that the voters are prone to assume it is always true and forgive the dummy who pretends to represent them. The country can bring some effective pressure to bear upon Congress through the President. This, in fact, is the only method by which any results of consequence have been obtained recently; but when the President's term draws near its close Congressmen take courage to- disre gard his recommendations as they have disregarded Mr. Roosevelt's this session.- - When Congress- has resolved to be idle there is no reliable way to make it work. At best it Is a huge, cum brous machine which moves, when It moves at all, with creaks and groans unspeakable and wastes most of Its energy in friction. The Senate is a comparatively small body but it is so entangled in precedents and rulesof "courtesy" that a single member can hold it inactive as long as be pleases. The House, on the other hand, is so numerous that it is smothered in its own mass. It can act only by com mitting all its initiative to the Speaker and his committees. The simple fact is 'that the legislative power of the United States is vested by custom In Mr. Cannon and lialf a dozen members w"ho happen for one reason and an other to enjoy his confidence. Unfor tunately for the country, Mr. Cannon believes that it is good politics Just now to do nothing. Hence Congress cannot move and none of the legisla tion which Is so' much needed can be obtained. But it is idle to rail at the House for this. In the very nature of things it could hardly do otherwise. It is' Inefficient because it 1b too nu merous, but if it were less numerous it would be even less representative than it Is. . The problem of making Federal representative government work is one of the most perplexing of all those which confront? this gener ation. When the. Constitution was adopted it was -simple enough because then both houses of Congress were small; but every new state and every million added to our population in crease the difficulty. The time seems to be at hand when Congress will be unable to do any business outside of bare routine and precedent. It will be like the brain of an old man which has lost the power to think new thoughts or admit any ideas except those of his far-off youth. Shall the country then cease to develop because Its representative body has become fossilized? ' JUST A FEW POINTERS. The North Bank road is building at Portland the largest wheat ware house in the United States. .Meier & Frank are beginning work on the ten story annex to their department store, and Olds, Wortman & King are plan ning one to cover an entire block. Work on the largest packing-house plant west of Chicago Is steadily pro gressing. Another National bank has been added to Portland's list of finan- cju iiisiiLuiiuiis. .liio largest, cummer- ciai ciud in tne united states nas moved into its own magnificently fur nished building. The O. R. & N. has Issued orders to rush work on the Wallowa branch of the road. Wheat Is selling very close to the dollar mark and another record-breaking crop is rapidly getting into a state of absolute safety. Hood River has just begun marketing a hundred-carload crop of strawberries, etc., etc. ' These are Just a few of the reasons why Portlanders smile even when they read the baseball score. COSTTNO EST OCR OWN. One by one the long-neglected and wonderfully rich regions which are I naturally tributary to Portland are be ing provided with railroad transpor tation facilities. The fact that It was under very cloudy financial skies that the year 190S was ushered in Is in a large measure forgotten when - we pause to consider that no previous year In the history of Portland can show such a large extent of new terri tory brought into communication with this city as will be shown when the re turns are all in for the year. . The latest enterprise to be taken up and carried to completion is the neglected Wallowa' extension of the Elgin branch of the O. R. & N. Co. The Wallowa country has been famous for Its fine natural resources since the earliest history of the state; but, de spite its great richness, it has re mained in a comparatively undeveloped state long after localities farther from tidewater were opened up by transpor tation lines. It is difficult to overesti mate the amount of traffic that will pour out of that great valley, now that the railroad will make It possible to market Its products to advantage. This extension is perhaps less im portant than the. Snake River line which, has Just been completed be tween Riparia and Lewiston, but the latter brings in touch with Portland a region which has for a number of years had some advantages in the way of transportation, while the Wallowa country Is to a large extent new and undeveloped. As a trunk line drain lng traffic from a number of laterals reaching as far east as Spokane, the North Bank road is perhaps the most important of any of the railroad enter prises that will be completed this year but with it, as with the Xiewiston ex tension, a portion of the traffic will be produced in1 regions that s for years have enjoyed transportation facilities terminating at Puget Sound ports. So far as Portland is concerned, practi cally all- of the traffic that comes out over the North Bank road, or over the Lewiston-Riparia line, will be new business. In the Wallowa country, as in Cen tral Oregon, Tillamook and the Coos Bay country, there win be immediate development of a vast amount of new business. Out of tlese regions will flow a traffic of surprising proportions which could never come into existence without transportation to aid it. This Immense volume of new business. which will be created by the new rail road extensions, is all tributary . to Portland. A small portion of It lies in what is known as competitive ter ritory, but, with the advantage of a water-level grade from that territory to Portland, evefi this small portion. which Is on fighting ground, will nat urally gravitate to this city. Another important line which will be completed this year is the Idaho Northern, a thty-mlle road which leads out from the Coeur d'Alene branch of tlfe O. R. & N. Co. Into the wonderfully rich mining city of Mar ray, Idaho. This road will open up a rich mining country which is directly tsibutary-to this city, and which under the existing handicap of a long wagon haul through the mountains has al ready become famous for the extent of its deposits of -both low and high grade ore. When we consider what Portland has accomplished with but a single line of railroad that has a wo fully"'insufflcient number of feeders, it is difficult to overestimate the growth that will follow the coming of the new lines and the opening up of long-neg lected regions fully as rich as, and some of tm richer than, any that have yet been provided with railroad facilities. Traffic at last seems to be recognizing the line of least resist ance, and Portland is bound to profit by the recognition. "Schoolhouses in Portland are fire- traps, and if they once caught fire they would burn like tinder, regard less of the absence of hydrants, and many children would burn to death in them." So says Mayor Lane.' The strength of Mayor Lane is in. extrava gant (and silly) statement. Port land's schoolhouses are- more safe from fire than nine-tenths of the buildings of the city. The Mayor should not propagate needless alarm. Of course every building is liable to destruction by fire. Portland, how ever, has had school buildings these sixty years, and not a life has been lost in One of them. But we have all the time been improving our school house architecture, and are still im proving it. Never, however, shall we get schoolhouses not destructible by fire. Yet there is no need of such extravagant statements as those made by Mayor Lane. The excuse for him if any excuse is that a man of his temperament can deal only in extrav aganza. Why advertise the school houses of Portland, as "flretraps"? They are much more "safe and sane" than the Mayor. The shipbuilding strike in Great Britain is ended and 250,000 men in volved have returned to work at the reduced wages against which they struck. They apparently recognized the logic of the old axiom that "half a loaf is better than no loaf," and they as well as thousands of others will be gainers thereby. Low wages are to be deplored, but low wages have many points of advantage over no wages. Whenever a wave of depression sweeps over the country and halts business. It becomes necessary to make some con cessions in order again to get the ma chinery in motion. Low wages mean low-priced ships, and low-priced ships mean low freight rates, which in turn mean Increased profits for the produc ers who ship the freight as well as the consumers who buy It. Our entire economic system is so delicately ad justed that there must be a certain amount of burden v borne and work performed by each part of the Intri cate machinery. Once stopped. It can not be started. For the thousandth time it Is assert ed that "triumph of Statement No. means that the people will have kept in their hands the right and power of the direct election of United States Senators." - Not so at all. It simply will mean- that brassy men, of one party and another, will have the right and power to nominate themselves, and that the only choice of the people will -be between them: It may be as serted, with certainty, that no major ity of the people of Oregon wants either Cake r Chamberlain. But these men have nominated themselves. and now the people have no choice but to vote for one or the other, or not vote at all. "Choice of the people" through this method Is the most ab solute humbug. In the primary it was Just as it will be in the election no choice about It but merely Hob- son's choice. Fittest men do not nom inate themselves. "I urge," says Senator Bourne, "all believers in the election of Senators by- direct vote of the people to support loyally and vote' only for Statement No. 1 legislative subscribers." Out of seventy-five Republican candidates for the Oregon Legislature, thirty-five, or thereabouts, have subscribed to State ment No. 1. Forty Republican candi dates . have not. Senator Bourne, therefore, is using his voice and Influ ence to defeat these forty, and send to Salem forty Democrats. That's the kind of Republican Senator Bourne is. Governor Chamberlain advertises that he is the man who has dona most for Statement No. 1. That may or may not be so. But the Governor ought to know that there is a large body of electors in Oregon not anxious to vote for the man who has don most for Statement No. 1. But per haps Mr. URen is the man. To public business, or to anything of least Importance To the Interests of CTregon,' Senator Bourne has not thus far paid more than the least at tention. He has been occupied wholly with his own schemes of personal pol itics. Here we have the first fruits of the new system and of Statement No. 1. Wool now is quoted in Umatilla County at 10-13. Disappointed grow ers are saying they got 20 cents last year. Apostles of protection are hint ing that the decline is due to the fear of the election of a free-trader to the Senate from Oregon. But there may be reason to suspect other causes. A Columbia County Coroner's Jury thinks there was "not sufficient cau tion shown" by the father who shot and killed his little son, mistaking him for a crane. It has that aspect, in deed; and sufficient vigor and indig nation are not shown by the Jury In characterizing the terrible blunder. Brother Brougher has been invited to Oklahoma - at double his present salary, but hints that he would pre fer to stay at Portland.. A lot of things might be said on both sides of the good brother's dilemma; but we yield the floor to Brother Brougher's trustees. Salem saloons decline to open their fronts so that the outside world may see everything, but want the fronts closed. The public may eventually agree to that, and see that fronts and backs and everything else about Sa lem saloons are 'closed, and remain closed. , " ''-' " Mr. Taft and Mr. Bryan are both agreed that there shall be appropriate Congressional legislation for publica tion of all campaign expenses by can didates. But there Is to be nothing ex-post facto about such legislation, mind. ... . Now that Thaw is hopelessly insane and Indefinitely out. of her way, Mrs. Thaw considerately withdraws her suit for divorce. From the standpoint of Evelyn, it Is tough to havo to live -with Just one man. What's this? . Senator Bourns doing nothing for Oregon? . Why, aren't we going to get the mosquito fleet? The clothing war being on, there Is no excuse for any man's going naked. NEW PRESIDENT OF .WILLAMETTE 1 Appreciation of Dr. Flotcner Homan, About to Gntde the Salem University. EUGENE. Or.. Mar 25.- (To the Ed itor.) The Oregonian of last Saturday makes brief mention of the recent elec tion of Rev. Fletcher Homan to the presidency of the Willamette University at Salem,.' Oregon, with the added an nouncement that "Very little is known here of Dr. Homan." It affords me mors pleasure than I can express in words to say to the people of the Pacific Coast that I have been personally acquainted with Dr. Homan all his life. His father was my close personal friend for almost 30 years. His parents were both devoted Christians, atjd both were strong, forceful characters. - Dr. Homan is a graduate of Simpson University, at In dianola, Iowa, and is now president of that university. He is also a graduate of the Garrett Biblical Institute, and later attended Johns Hopkins Univer sity for two years. He is now about 38 years ef age. and is said to be one of the ablest educators arid administra tors of the present day. I shall express the hope that my humfile tribute to his worth and splendid abilities may find its way into every Christian home on the Pacific Coast. Dr. Homan Is now In the prime of life, with a keen intellect, a pure heart and a clean soul, and is quite secure in the affection and admiration of all who have been associated with him in the. dally routine of his exalted and exact ing profession. Nor is it at all difficult to account for hUs success as an educa tor or his power as a popular pulpit orator. His evident sincerity and earn estness, his commanding presence, the boldness of hta utterances, the flow of his unanswerable and profound reason ing, his wealth of illustrations, all welded together, give to hira as a pop ular pulpit orator a charm indescrib able, t Dr. Homan comes from a dauntless race. He comes from that sturdy mid dle olass that has performed almost all of the important work of our American world, the class that has furnished in dustry its captains, liberty its soldiers, and civilization its statesmen. -He be longs to that .class whose steady and sure advancement marks the true prog ress of the human race. His early lot was that of an humble farmer boy, but over this fact we have no caust) to frieve. Let us rather rejoice that he ad the advantages which fall to the lot of a simple country -boy in a new and free land. Let us rejoice that a life of pampered ease did not lull him into the repose of inconeequentiallty. His youth did not feel the palsying touch of great riches, and the poverty which denied him early advantages gave generous compensations. It Im posed upon him the priceless discipline which fits men Ho be useful. He is no stranger to yio severe struggles, the plain living, and the self-denial which generate -power and make men strong, forceful characters. In time of hard ship, as in time of triumph. Dr. Homan has always been one and the same an unswerving friend and staunch defend er of his friends and his creed. I am not a Methodist or a church member; merely a penitent old sinner. Nevertheless. I bespeak or Dr.. Homan a welcome to the Pacific Coast, com mensurate with 'his distinguished abili ties as an educator and as an able and eloquent pulpit, orator. . . ' W. G. D. MERCER. STATE MUST EDUCATE ITS YOUTH Argumeit That Lack sf This Would Evolve Plutocrat and Proletariat. EUGENE, Or.. May 25. (To C. 8. Halln, Newberg, Or.) In answer to one of the statements made by you in your first letter in The Oregonian, you say that you do not know of any people coming to Oregon to educate their chil dren. Let me say that my parents came to Eugene from South Dakota last July for the express purpose of educating their five . children. They moved West because, the climate was to their liking, and desiring to live in a university town, visited Seattle, Berkeley, Palo Alto and Eugene, with that view In mind. .They settled in Eu gene, because the cost of education and living is less than in the larger centers. This is only one of the many instances of people coming here to live because the University is located here. Tour letter of May 19 would natural ly lead one to believe that you are the advance press agent of a monled aris tocracy, which would result if your plan of abolishing free education is adopted. Tour plan of education is to let only the rich, who can afford to pay for it, receive higher education. The parents who are in medium or poor circumstances, then, cannot afford to educate their children, which will have the following result: The rich will soon have control of alf our Federal, state and municipal offices, all Dlaces of honor and trust will be occupied by litem, an our national and created re sources will be owned and controlled by them and where will the remainder of us be7 Down at the foot of the lad der, hopelessly held down by the on presslon of the educated, monled aris tocracy, their position will be little, if any, better than serfdom. They will De allowed to eke out a bare existence. Do you realize that it is the duty of the state to give to every child the opportunity to develop to his fullest capabilities? Any system which doe not provide for the education of the future citizens of the state must result In establishing an aristocracy of a few and proletariat, below the "Hannv Hooligan" class of London,' England. If mis is wnat you desire, then abolish all free education, take away all chances for the education of the nonr nni children, and in the few remaining edu cational institutions, place a high and prohibitive tuition, and then, indeed, you will have betrayed youf fellowmen mio tne nanas of a merciless aris tocracy. Although we are newcomers in this state, and I have been in the Univer sity' or uregon only this year, this manes my fourth year of college life and, Mr. Hulin, I defy you to find a cleaner and more wholesome college atmosphere than exists at the Univer sity oi Oregon, nor can you find group of young men and .women WHo have higher standards and ideals, and moreover, live up to them. I write thin letter in order that rh people of Oregon may know what new settlers so much desired think of the relation of the state to its University. There are more people In the East who will move West, and If the people of Oregon desire to have these people come to Oregon, they must support and maintain a University whose excellence is second to none in the land. OSCAR FURUSET, 'OS, Associated Students, University of Oregon. . The Ad Homlnem Argsmest - LTLE, Wash., May 24. (To the Editor.) I have been a reader of your paper over 30 years and I must confess that the edi torial "The Ad Homlnem Argument," appearing in The Oregonian of May 16, deals with a vital subject to taxpayers in a more substantial way than I thought the subject could be covered. It Is a fact taxation on real estate, as it is now, drives many of an Investor's dollar In hiding. - The real estate owners cannot avoid taxes; they "catch 'em," unlike the broker and curbstone agitator. Let my native Oregon make no mistake. JOHN G. MAD DOCK. ' Too Little Johnson. - - New Tork Sun. In Alabama, Bryan seems to have prevailed over Johnson by a large ma jority. To begin with, he got the votes of all who had never heard of Johnson, which would alone have insured his victory. CAR-STOPS AT NEAR CROSSINGS Givea .Reasons Showing "Why Present Rule Is Best After All. PORTLAND. May 26. (To the Ed itor.) The Portland Railway, Light & Power Company has seen fit to change the places where the cars are to stop. ith the result that .there is some temporary confusion and Inconvenience to patrons, and it is but natural that at this time the public wishes the old system back again. However, before the City Council takes any rash steps let us consider the benefits of the new plan. In the first place, the majority of persons getting on and off the cars are directly under the eye of the motorman, and there is infinitely less' danger of starting the car when women are stepping, on or off. This In itself would be sufficient reason for the change. The motorman can, under the new system, stop the car with the front steps exactly on the crossings. Under the old system this was infrequently done, because the cars were so long and varied in length so, that it was difficult for the motorman to stop with tae back steps of the car on the cross ing. - The third reason, and probably the best, is the much better time made with the cars, espeolally at streetcar crossings. Under the old plan, during rush hours, double stops had to be made on the Washington-street run at Sec ond, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets. Now, only one stop is made at each place with a great saving of time and. In addition, it is impossible for a car that has Just crossed the crossing to block cars behind it, for i. is immedi ately pulled out. the stojs occurring only at places where persons are get ting on or off. When Portlanders get accustomed to the new car plan, they win find it a great improvement one tlrat nearly all large cities have adopted, and it is to be hoped that no further effort will again be made to adopt the old system. H. L. TICHERT. Woman's Fortune In Artificial Lake, Denver Republican. The first woman in Northern Colorado to claim the distinction of being a reser voir builder Is Miss Ede Zimmerman, who. with her father and sister, has conducted a hotel in the mountains on the Poudre River. Miss Zimmerman, still in her early '30s. has lived in the mountains Bince a child and has been her father's constant com panion on hunting expeditions. Several years ago, while on one of these trips, her attention was attracted to a fine res ervoir site near Chambers Lake, into which the water from Sheep Creek could easily be diverted and where streams from the snows on the surrounding mountains had made a large pool. Although discouraged in doing so, a few months later she filed upon this land and last Summer, having completed her proof, built a large dam and made a first class reservoir in this natural basin, with a capacity of, several million cubic feet. Not until the reservoir was completed did she make known what was to be done, and her plan of turning the water of the reservoir into the Poudre for the benefit of the valleys below, either directly, or as a -feeder to the big reservoir and power proposition now contemplated on the Pou-e dre. As a result Greeley irrlgationlsts In spected the reservoir and offered Miss Zimmerman $15,000 for an interest in it. Married In a Leafy Tree-Top. Belief on taine (O.) Dispatch. Standing on a platform built in a tree top, 34 feet from the ground, and with a carpet of violets ankle deep, Mrs. Mary E. Holmarfc and Jacob McKee were united in marriage at the Steinberger farm, south of this city. Rev. A. W. Leonard, of Springfield, performed the ceremony. The novelty of the marriage was kept a secret, and even the minister and the four guests knew nothing whatever of the plan. . The lovers rode side by side to the grove on bay horses, with dogwood blos soms marking the way', huge boughs of the flowers being strewn on both sides of the path. " -. . D. O. Steinberger, who built the home in the treetop, is a great lover of outdoor life. Ten years ago he was in the last stages of tuberculosis. Physicians de-' clared he could not live a month. The Idea of outdoor life occurred to him and he built the platform in a treetop in his father's beech grove. Here for years he lived night and day. both Winter and Summer, and now he is in splendid health. So great is his love of Nature that he communicated the "spirit" to other mem bers of his family, and it was to fulfill his wishes that the marriage of his sister to McKee, an Urbana contractor, was consummated in the treetop. - Supposed Corpse Asks tor a Drink. Kansas City Journal. While the relatives and friends of Har vey Skinner, of Kansas City, Kan., were discussing preparations for his wake, thinking he was dead, Skinner roused suddenly and asked his son, who was standing near the bedside, for a drink of water. Naturally the men and wom en in the room were startled when the supposedly dead man came back to life. The son brought ..a glass of water, and Mr. Skinner seemed to grow better. Although low, he was still alive at a late hour last night and the physicians at tending him say he may live for several days. Mr. Skinner has been ill with Brlght s disease for about three weeks, and he apparently died. .-Mrs. Skinner and the eldest son began preparations for the fu neral. About 20 relatives and friends had assembled, and the programme for the night was being discussed at length when Mr. Skinner sat up and called for a drink. Men Vail 11 Stories and Live. Kansas City Star. While washing the walls in the light shaft of the Commerce Bank building. Charles Pepperdlne and L. E. Trout fell from the 13th story to the skylight at the second floor. The ladder on which they were standing before the fall swerved as they moved to lower it to the fourth floor. The men attempted, to catch their balance, but In some way the safety ropes became unfastened and they fell to the skylight. Pepperdine's left leg was broken in two places below the knee. Trout received a broken arm and many bruises. His left leg is believed to be fractured.- The two men fell 150 feet. It is 172 feet from the 16th story to the top of the skylight. They fell from the 13th. or 23 feet below the top of the 15th floor. Tale of Two Remarkable Hens. ' Waterbury Dispatch to New York World. Judge Fred -M. Beasley, of the City Court, has a white Plymouth Rock pullet which has laid two eggs a day for five days, astonishing fanciers hereabouts. The Judge didn't believe his poultry at tendant until, by the trap nest test, he proved her a dual egg producer. The only other hen here which bad a habit of 'laying two eggs in one day oc casionally was owned by Charles Gra ham. The hen died of brain fever, in duced by an almost superhuman knowl edge of things about her. She charmed a black snake into a stupor and killed it, first dragging -out its forked tongue. Not In Portland Harbor. BROWNSVILLE, Or., May 25. (To the Editor.)--Can you give us any in formation in regard 'to the battleship Oregon being in Portland. There is a dispute here aboflt it. One fellow said he was on it In 1897. Will you kindly inform me as to which is right. .- W. J. W. The battleship Oregon never was in Portland harbor. "One fellow" re ferred to above probably has the Ore gon confused with the Charleston Of the Baltimore.
