8
THE MORNIXG OREGOXIAJf, WEDNESDAY, 3IAY 27, " 1908.
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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.