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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 29, 1908)
THE SIOHMSUr OKEUOMAX, FHIDAY, 31 A Y 29, 11)08. (Ufa (Itepman SIB.SCRUTION BATES. INVARIABLY TM ADVANCB. (Br Mail.) rxlly, Sunday included, on year Dally. Sunday Included, six months... I-al.y. Sunday included, three months. Daily, Sunday Included, one monln... Dally, without Sunday, one year Dtujy, without Sunday, six months Dally, without Sunday, three months. Dally, without Sunday, one month.. .- .SO0 . 4 25 . 2.25 . .75 . (1.00 . 3-23 . 1.75 . .80 . 2.50 . 1.50 . 300 .ci.Mu.iv. one year Wcr-kly. one year (Issued Thursday) .Sunday and weekly, one year BY CARREER. Dally. Sunday Included, one year J Daily. Sunday Included, one month T HOW TO REMIT Send postoHlce money order, express order of personal check on your local bank. Btampe, cola or currency are at the sender's risk. Give poitofflce ad dress In rull. Including; county and state. POSTAGE BATES. Entered at Portland, Oregon. Post office as Fecond-Class Matter. . . 10 to 14 Pages 1 to 28 Pages 5 ! 80 to Page to 60 Paces ceaui Foreign postage, double rates. IMPORTANT The postal law are strict. Newspapers on which postage Is not tuuy prepaid are trot forwarded to destination. EASTERN" BUSINESS OFFICE. The B. c. Beckwltb Special Aarency New York, rooms 4S-60 Tribune building, v-ni-eago. rooms 61O-01 J Tribune bulldlno KEPT ON SALE. Chkago Auditorium Annex: FostoBIce frews Co.. 178 Dearborn street; Empire ews 6taad. St. Panl. Mlrm. It. Bta. Itarle, Commer cial Station. Colorado Sin-tugs. Colo. H. H. BelJ. Denver Hamilton Kendrick. 80a-13 Seventeenth street; Pratt Book Store. LSI Fifteenth street: H. f. Hansen. 3. Rice, George Carson. Kajuaa City. Mo. Rlcksecker Cigar Co.. Ninth and Walnut: Yoma Newa Oo. Minneapolis M. Cavanaugh. 60 South Third. Cincinnati, O. Yoma Newa Co. Cleveland. O. Jamea Pushaw. 0T Super ior street. Washing-ton, I. C. Bbbltt House. Four teenth and F streets; Columbia Newa Co. Pittsburg. Pa Fort Pitt Nsws Co. Philadelphia. Pa. Ryan's Theater Ticket Office; Penn Newa Co.; A. P. Kemble. 8735 Lancaster avenue. New York City Rotallng's newa stands. 1 Park How. 88th and Broadway. 424 sno Broadway and Broadway and 2th. Tele- Shone 8374. Single copies delivered; I ones A Co.. Aetor House; Broadway The ater News Stand; Empire News Stand. Ogden. D. L. Boyle) Lovs Bros 114 Twenty-fifth street, Omaha, Barkalow Bros.. Union Station; Uageath Stationery Co.; Kemp & Axenaon. Ies Moines. la. Mose Jacobs. Fresno, CaJ. Tourist News Co. -Sacramento, CaL Sacramento Newa Co S0 K. street: Amos Newa Co. bait Lake. Moon Book A stationery Co Rosenfeld A Hansen: G. W. JewetU P. O. corner; Stelpeck .Bros. Lone Beach. Cal. B. E- Amos. Pasadena. CaL Amoa Newa Co. Bin Illego. B. K. Amos, ban Jose. Emerson. W. Houston, Teg. International Newt Agency. Dallas. Tex. Southwestern News Agent. B44 Main street; also two street wagona Fort Worth, Tex. Southwestern N. and A. Agency. Amarllla, Tex. Tlmmona ft Pops. Nan Francisco Foster 4 Orear: Ferry News Stand; Hotel St. Francis News Stand; L. Parent: N. Wheatley; Fan-mount Hotel News Stand; Amoa News Co.; United News Agency. 14 Eddy street; B. E. Amos, man ager three wagons; "Worlds N. 8., 2625 A. Sutter street. Oakland, Cal. H. Johnson. Fourteenth and Franklin streets;-N. Wheatley; Oakland News Stand; B. E. Amos, manager Ave wagons; Wellmgham, E. G. (liildlleld. Nev. Louie Follln. Eureka, Cal. Call-Chronicle Agency; Eu reka News Co. PORTLAND. FRIDAY. MAY 29. 1908. BALLOT LAWMAKING. In Its last Issue the New York In dependent briefly reviews the situation which confronts the people of Oregon under the direct legislation move ment, and, without attempting; to pass Judgment upon the initiative and ref erendum principle, calls attention to the Importance of the experiment here being put to a test. After remarking mat direct legislation is iiKeiy to prove of high educative value, the Independ ent says that if the scheme shall suc ceed "it will certainly be the beginning of momentous political changes in the United States." While it is gratifying to some persons to know that they are attracting attention all over the country and that perhaps they are marking the beginning of a new epoch In governmental history, yet there are many others who are more impressed with the seriousness of the task before them and who have no time to gratify their vanity. We shall get along bet ter In the end if we think less upon the spectacle we are presenting before the world and more upon the work Immediately before us. As a state we are a sort of high-wire performer, and If we let our thoughts drift for a mo ment to the vast audience watching us with breathless wonder, we are quite likely to take a fall that will bring us sympathy instead of applause, contempt instead of admiration. The Independent says that "so remarkable a body of propositions proceeding from and addressed to a democratic electorate has never before been seen in America." It is almost the lan guage of the circus poster describing the feats of the mid-air contortionist. Let us watch our own movements keep our own balance and let the World of onlookers take care of them selves. We have before us four constitu tional amendments proposed by the last Legislature. One increases the compensation of members of the Leg islature from $3 to $10 a. day, a meas ure for which there was no popular demand and from which no good can be expected. Another proposes an amendment permitting the location of state institutions away from the cap ital, a measure which will tend to per petuation and extension of the old evil of trading on the location of institu tions drawing appropriations from the public treasury. -A third is designed to Increase the number of Supreme Judges from three to five and to per mit Circuit Judges to be vested with probate jurisdiction, while the fourth changes the time of the general elec tion from June to November. Four acts of the Legislature are be foro the people by exercise of the ref erendum. The first gives Sheriffs ex clusive right to the custody of prison ers, with the privilege of boarding them, a measure of slight Importance from any viewpoint. The second at tempts to re-establish the pernicious free-pass system an act of which the legislature should be ashamed. An oihertnakes an appropriation of $100, 000 for the construction of armories i:i different parts of the state. This net has much to commend it, and might be above criticism if It did not serve s a precedent for demands for Innumerable subsequent appropria tions. The university appropriation bill Is the fourth measure before the people as the result of legislative en actment. Public opinion generally commands it. Eleven measures proposed under the initiative present the most difficult problems for the people to solve. The first of these, the equal suffrage amendment. Is easily understood and will be voted upon intelligently. It is worth while to remark that, if once - adopted, this amendment can never be repealed, hence the necessity for care in voting upon it. .Two bills are presented by opposing interests with a view to regulating the taking of salmon in the Columbia, neither of the bills being drawn with a yiew to( fair and reasonable regulation, bus each attempting to serve a selfish interest. Even more vicious than the free-pass law is the proposed amendment giving cities and towns the right to regulate certain evils free from the control of the criminal laws of the state. It is a measure in the interest of "open towns," and will be defeated by an overwhelming majority. Calling it a ."home rule" amendment will deceive very few people. The single-tax amendment is going down to defeat with the disapproval of the votes of two classes of people those who are afraid of it because It is difficult to understand and those who do understand it and realize the injus tice of its provisions. The recall amendment is a legislative contortion as dangerous as H is unnecessary. The same may be said of the proportional representation amendment, which is not definite and complete In its pro visions and leaves too much to the un certainties of subsequent legislation. The act instructing members of the Legislature to vote for the candidate for United States Senator who receives the highest number of the people's votes at the general election will be supported by those citizens who be lieve that a member of one party should be compelled to vote for the candidates of another party, and It will be opposed by all others. The corrupt practices act has a commend able purpose,' but It contains some provisions which seem unnecessar ily strict. The manner In which the Initiative and referendum power has been abused arouses a suspicion that the corrupt practices act would be a ready means in the hands of dishon est persons to take advantage of those who willingly yield to Its requirements. The amendment requiring that all in dictments shall be found by a grand Jury and depriving District Attorneys of the power to file informations aims At an imaginary evil. Prompt prose cution of criminals requires that the present power of District Attorneys in this respect be continued, and the pro posed amendment should be defeated. There -would be no objection to an act requiring that a grand Jury be called at least once a year, or even twice a year. The act creating the county of Hood River from territory now included in Wasco County is a measure which should never have been submitted to a vote of the people at large. Voters In distant parts of the state have no interest in it, can not understand the Issues involved, do not know whether the measure is a wise one or not, and must vote blindly if at all. . - IX THE NAME OF THE PROPHET, FIG Si Now a question arises between Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. ITRen. The question is, which of these statesmen has been the more devoted to, and now is the more devoted to, Statement No. 1. Also, whether Mr. Cake or Mr. Chamberlain, the one or the other, is the sounder and abler advocate of the Holy Statement. Each of these brethren reminds the spectator of the Mohammedan pedlar, vending his goods on the streets of the Holy City, crying out with every step, "In the name of the prophet, figs!" When our politics degenerate to rub bish of this description, there can be no wonder that the plain people, whose rule of action In politics has been high principle, .directed by common sense, confess themselves tired and disgusted. Never before was the possible little ness of politics so manifest. It is fit, of -course, that this littleness should manifest itself through little men. Washington, Hamilton and Jeffer son, Jackson, Lincoln and Roosevelt, have been superseded. , Their ideas, purposes and principles belong to an exploded and antiquated fashion. The Holy Statement, invented in Oregon, Is now all in all. But who is its archon? Who its high priest? ITRen or Cham berlain? Or Bourne, perchance, with Cake as his vicar? The Holy State ment, It seems, Is a Jealous god, whose first command is. "Thou shalt have no other gods' before me." And his priests, it seems, each and all, are de termined as the Turk to bear "no brother near the throne. NAVIGATING TUB AIR, Successful aerial navigation is slow ly but surely coming. The ; contest with the forces -of the air has been steady ana unremlttent since Mont golfier sent up his first balloon, al though the progress made In the past ten years far exceeds that of all the preceding years In which experiments have been conducted. In yesterday's news columns in The Oregonlan ap peared the following: Ghent. May 27. Henry Farnum. the Brit ish aeronaut, today made two flights of 1600 meter in his aeroplane. This Is the great eat distance yet accomplished In a straight Una Columbus, t May ST. Cromwell Dixon, the boy aeronaut, made a successful flight today at the State Fair grounds In his new airship. The wind was very strong, but EHxon seemed to have perfecr- control of his machine, sending it In every direction for an hour. Twenty years . ago news of such demonstrations of the possibilities of aerial navigation would have created a sensation; but combinations of modern science, skill, inventive genius and personal daring have been rapidly leading us up to the grand climax of successful aerial navigation, and we are no longer surprised at the accu mulating evidence tending to show that the conquest of the air is rapidly getting beyond the experimental stage. There are plenty of men In Portland who are not aged patriarchs but who can easily remember when the an nouncement of Iron ships was received with Incredulity. Iron was so much heavier than water that it seemed ri diculous to believe that a craft con structed wholly of metal could be made to float on the water, and actu ally carry cargoes. Until quite re cently there has been a prevailing sen timent of distrust about the ability of Inventors to keep afloat In the air a vehicle or machine which must neces sarily be much heavier than the air in which it is supposed to be handled. The Wright brothers, with their aeroplane experiments, have repeat edly demonstrated that the feat is not an impossibility, and defects disclosed by their experiments have been of a. nature that in no way tended to weaken their confidence in ultimate success. There was enormous loss of life during the period in which the practically unsinkable steel steamship was developing from the cranky iron tanks which superseded the wooden ship because they lasted longer and were nearly,as economical in first cost as the wooden ship. But collision bulkheads, double bottoms and a vast array of electrical appliances to facili tate handling vessels in peril have made life on a modern liner at sea as safe as ashore. , Continued experiments and the ap plication of ever-appearing new appli ances will yet do for the aeronauts what has been done for the navigators of the high seas. Modern science has made the once awe-inspiring predic tion of Mother Shipton appear as commonplace as a prediction of Dem ocratic success in Alabama, and. In view of present developments, it would be venturesome to regard lightly the possibilities for aerial navigation in the near future. Man has drawn forth some great secrets from Nature's storehouse, each new discovery prov ing more wonderful than Its predeces sor, and all seeming so natural and in a measure commonplace, once their part in the great system of economics Is understood. It is foolish to assume that the Bupply has been exhausted and that Inventive genius has no more material on which to work. THE ROSS SENTENCE. The state lost nothing through the operations of Banker Ross; but he Is tcj be punished by a term iji prison and a heavy fine, nevertheless. He should be. So should all his accomplices. If it shall transpire that the state's school money was placed In the vaults of the Title Guarantee & Trust Com pany as Ahe result of a political or other deal, through which there was to be a "rake-off" for the conspira tors, there sTiould be other prosecu tions and other convictions. In other words, let us have all the facts about the relations of State Treasurer Steel and his friend Ross. The State Treas-- urer has never satisfactorily explained, or explained at all. the history of the remarkable transaction, or series of transactions, by which he was led to pour nearly four hundred thousand dollars into the "bank" of his friend and ally a greater sum than was placed by him in all the other banks of the state combined. There is some thing more than a suspicion there is a practical certainty that it was all done as the result of a bargain be tween Ross and Steel. Very well. The duty of the District Attorney is plain. Ross has been convicted on a spe cific charge of unlawful conversion of the public school funds. But in the public mind he has been found guilty on the broader and even more damn ing charge of wrongful misuse as a banker of other people's money. Ross had no conception of the sacred ob ligations of his trust, or, if he had, he had no conscience and no scruples about the continuous and systematic betrayal of that trust. The function of a depositor in his bank was to be the unsuspecting investor in his pri vate schemes. Ross used other peo ples money as his own. The way of the transgressor is hard. ' MAKING A GREATER PORT. The work of the Port of Portland is reflected in a channel to the sea of fully six feet greater depth than was in evidence when that corporation be gan operations. This Increased depth has been the means of attracting larger vessels, with an attendant low ering of freight rates. The Port of. Portland also built a drydock which has been the means of attracting to the port a great deal of shipping that otherwise would -have been diverted to other ports. The success already attained by the organ ization Is a guarantee that, with the enlarged powers which will be given It by the bill which cornea before the people next Monday, the Port will be in a position to handle to the best pos sible advantage the greatly Increased fleet of ships that will come to Port land with completion of the North Bank Railroad. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA JAIL. , It is a curious thing to observe how closely Congress resembles an aborted organ in the human body: It is like the vermiform appendix, for example, which once, long ago, performed a useful office in digestion but is now become nothing better than a danger ous incumbrance. One could not say, of course, that there Is no use for Con gress. There is a great deal that it might do if it would. The trouble is that it won't or can't. Perhaps iner tia and Impotence rule over it in about equal measure. The neglect - of Congress extends even to the municipal affairs of the District of Columbia. This unhappy place has no government except the National Legislature. Its inhabitants live in abject pupilage, without politi cal rights and deprived of the power to do anything for themselves, no mat ter how much they may be despised and neglected. The results seem to be deplorable in every department of their municipal lifebut worst of all in their city prison. This horrible place is known to the public as the Jail of the District of Co lumbia. The National Conference of Charities listened the other day to a description of it, and If half of what they heard is true, it is a scandal and shame to the country. To mention only two or three of its charms, this prison confines BOO convicts in about 1100 cells. They are unable to exer cise by day, for the Jailyard is very small, and at night they cannot have separate beds. Of course the result is vieiousness of the worst description. Worse still, the miserable prisoners are not permitted to work. "Abso lutely without work" is the expression in the account. What Is the purpose of Congress in subjecting human beings to such con ditions? Does it expect to reform them and make useful citizens of them? If it does it will be disappoint ed. Does it desire to kill them by dis ease and vice? If it does, it will suc ceed, But the probability is that Congress cares nothing about this business, any more than it cares about its other duties. What can be done to bring the somnolent body to life? Veterans of the G. A. R. have been detailed as usual to visit the public schools of this district on the day pre ceding Memorial day and give the pu pils lessons in patriotism from the standpoint of the old soldier who has borne arms in defense of his country. The occasion presents a grand oppor tunity to interest if not to Instruct the young, both boys and girls, which it may be hoped will not be made tedious and obscure today by dry platitudes. Every veteran soldier who is entitled to the name has some reminiscence of life in hospital, camp or afield that. told in simple, direct language, will arouse the interest of his restless audi tors. Theoretical patriotism in time of peace is dry stuff. Practical patri otism, embellished with experiences of war time, claims instant attention. It is a story that never grows old. Let the veteran orators of the schools to day forget to be garrulous, give the children something real in the way of incident, and quit when they are through, if they would receive that best and most genuine of all plaudits, the cheers and stamping and hand clapping of an audience composed of eager, bright and attentive children. Whatever criticism may be directed against Evelyn Nesblt Thaw since the pangs of poverty and the blandish ments of Stanford'White dew her into the primrose path, her frightful testl- ony saved the life of Harry Thaw. If that life -was worth anything to his immediate family, they ought to aban don the persecution of the young woman. There has been nothing in the testimony throughout this" iirty case that would indicate that Evelyn forced her way into Harry Thaw's life. On the contrary, it has been proven that Thaw was obliged to make a very aggressive campaign before she con sented to become his wife. The peo ple who are directly responsible for this tragedy, which seems without end; are those who regard the petted and spoiled young murderer without attempting to Instill in his mind the first principles of decent and correct living. Wealth gave opportunity for making a man out of Harry Thaw, but poverty prevented the development of traits which might have made a good woman out of Evelyn Thaw. For such reasons the unfortunate young woman is entitled to better treatment than she Is receiving from her husband's family. The attempt, made upon the initi ative of somebody whose name does not appear, to have repealed the ordi nance that requires lampblack, in quantity sufficient to produce a soft gray tint to be mixed in cement that laid for sidewalks, proved unsuccess ful. Dr. Victoria Hampton and twenty-eight other physicians of this city protested against the repeal, the plea being made on behalf of the eyesight of citizens. This, it was urged, is put to unnecessary strain by the glare of the sun upon the white cement pave ment. One does not need to be a phy sician or an oculist to know that the soft gray tint of the sidewalks that have been laid under this ordinance is restful to the eyes, while the glare of the sun upon clear white cement walks is trying. Why, therefore, should it be necessary to argue this simple mat ter? Why, except perhaps that the introduction of lampblack requires a little extra attention and effort on the part of contractors? When servants turn to masters, they are very apt to become arrogant. ; That District Attorney Manning has made good in his office every one knows. This Is the secret of the ap proval he receives from the multitude who iiave been served by his efforts to straighten out the affairs of the sus pended hanks and to get them their money. It is the secret of his Indorse ment by the Municipal Reform Asso ciation, and by citizens generally who have seen the laws fairly enforced and the evils that had become notorious abated and suppressed. We have heard much during recent years about the needlessness of partisanship in all affairs of a local nature. On this basis the claim in behalf of .Mr. Manning is simply that he has done his duty as a public official, and therefore merits re election. A woman who is being followed on the street by an impudent fellow out for prey must not look back to see whether her pursuer is gaining upon her. Otherwise she will presumably ba guilty of luring the fellow on. Such at least is the presumption upon which a man who admitted that he was fol lowing a young woman on the street one evening recently escaped a well deserved sentence of rockbreaking for the city. One would think that the presumption of innocence in such a case as this would be with the fright ened young woman who appealed for protection to the police. Far be it from us to impeach either the intelligence or the grammar of Judge Thomas A. McBrlde; so we merely rise for information. The Judge has written a most instructive and illuminating letter in behalf of the Lower Columbia River fishermen, wherein we find the following: "A salmon only comes into the river to spawn and die. He eats nothing from the- time he reaches the water until he dies." We may be wrorfg, but it strikes us that there is something queer about that "he." Before we indulge in any great lam entation over the fact that the cold weather is interfering with the devel opment of the -Caroline Testout buds, it would be well to consult the news columns of The Oregonlan, which yes terday announced a heavy snow storm in Montana and tornadoes in Okla homa and Kansas. Weather news from other parts of the country tends to prove that Oregon climate and weather are fairly satisfactory. With all due deference to the high position which Dr. Jordan holds in the scientific world, it might be remarked that If his knowledge of salmon is on a parity with his knowledge of the Behrlng Sea sealing controversy, both parties to the salmon war might as well be on their guard lest a gold brick be handed them. Senator Bourne says only Statement No. 1 candidates for the Legislature should be elected. Mr. Cake says only Republicans snould be elected. If Mr. Bourne and Mr. Cake are going to work in harmony in the United States Senate, they ought to begin now. It is quite obvious that the great Methodist Church is prayerfully will ing that the colored brother go off and organize a little church of his own. Why not? He could fix it there so all would be bishops. Mr. Nelson will try again for a rec ord automobile run between Vallejo, Cal., and Portland "when the roads are better." From which we conclude that the scheme Is indefinitely post poned. Undoubtedly the depositors of the late Title Guarantee At Trust Company will be willing to Join in a petition to the Governor that that 800-year Jail sentence be reduced to life. SEES OLD SOITH SPIRIT HERE. j Blame Lark of Education for Himmrr - Inar University Appropriation. EUGENE, Or.. May 27. (To the Edi tor.) Since The Oregonlan has recently published articles on the upbuilding of Oregon, it seems that a few additional facts should be mentioned on the eve of the election the issues of which mean so much to the state. Our resources are very great. Our climate, fine and healthful, soil fertile, markets good, with the, best natural con ditions to be found anywhere for raising certain kinds of fine fruits and building beautiful homes. - Enterprising and progressive people are coming in large numbers to help uej build up the country', and in the natural order of progress wealth- will rapidly in crease. . Let us give new settlers the "glad hand" and welcome them with words of hope and cheer true words which all can speak. Let us encourage the schools and colleges they are 'all needed, and now most of all, the university. With the brightest prospects and rapidly In creasing wealth and population, how amazing to think of the Governor's veto and the opposition in some quarters of the Grange to the university appropria tion. We should be charitable to these men, as their childhood traditions In many cases inclined them more to econ omy than education. In the Southern States, aristocratic people were highly educfted before the Civil War. while education of the com mon people was neglected, and it was even a crime to teach a black man to read and write. This spirit had to be subdued before the South could prosper, and the portion of it transplanted to Oregon must be swept sway. Anything standing In the way of the march of progress, whether It be Governor. Grange, C. H. Walker, or anyone else, must stand aside. How absurd and ridiculous Is the plea of poverty that we are not well able to support a state university! If we had no university, their arguments might be more forcible, but with the splendid Institution already established asking only, reasonable support, mere should be no question. In view of our great and rapidly-In creasing wealth, the sum asked for la very small. A man paying tax on $1000 would be a very poor patriot Indeed if he refused to vote 2 or 3 cents additional to support an established Institution like ours and doing good work. The men op posing seemed to be unaware of the fact that the eyes of the world are watching them. They did not realize that they were a long way behind in the march of progress. The men ana women coming to Oreeon. and others intending to come, are bright. Intelligent and progressive. They cannot understand sucn puiiui economy. Our Governor, was very wise in making a public speech recently In Eugene. He made no attempt to Jus tify that veto, which was against the best interests of the state. Let us give a rousing vote of support to the university. Let us look on the bright side and talk of the beauty and wonderful possibilities in store for the people of Oregon. We will yet see de velopment and wealth in this favored land, beyond the brightest dreams of our pioneer mothers and fathers. JONATHAN JOHNSON. CHOICE FOR IT. S. VICE-PRESIDENT. Guesses "t the Probable Republican and Democratic Nominee. Providence, R. I., Tribune. As Vice-President of the United States he (Governor Guild) would enjoy com parative freedom from the strain to which he has been subjected in the office which he now holds and would have ample op portunity to recuperate. In the somewhat peculiar circumstances, the opinion may be ventured that Governor Guild is an ideal candidate. New York Man la Preferred. Nashville, Tenn., Banner. (Dem.) The Democratic party, if it hopes to win, cannot well Ignore the east. The great state of New York, with its 39 electoral votes, is a factor that must be considered. It is not easy to figure out a possible Democratic victory without it, and the logic of the situation from the practical politics point of view calls for a candidate for Vice-President who would be strong in the Empire State. Democrats Like Worfleld, of Maryland. Kansas City Star, Ind. Ex-Governor Warfleld of Maryland is the one active candidate for the Demo cratic nomination for Vice-President. To say the least, the great office of Vice President, fraught with large fixed re sponsibilities and with potential possibili ties, should not go to any man who thinks he is too big for it, for such a man is too small for it. Choice Made at Washing-ton, D. C. Boston Advertiser, Rep. It is probable that the choice of the Vice-Presidential nominee for the Repub licans will be settled at Washington, D. C, rather than at Chicago. To a certain extent it is assumed that the President and Secretary of War will decide upon the second place on the ticket if, as now seems likely, Mr. Taft is to be nomin ated on the first ballot. But the move ment toward Governor Guild, however it results, must be flattering to all Massa chusetts men, because the Btate is hon ored in the honor paid to Its governor. . Gnlld, Murphy or Fairbanks. ' Boston Transcript (Ind.). Franklin Murphy, former Governor of New Jersey and a national committee man, has been indorsed by that state for Vice-President and while not of real Presidential size, should the exigency arise to occasion his promotion, may still be very seriously considered. It is now clear that the 82 votes of Massachusetts, under the lead - of Senators Lodge and Crane, wfll be cast for Governor Guild. Assurance of support, from many parts of the country, which the Governor has per sonally received, he may now properly ask to have made good. The presenta tion speech will doubtless be made by Governor Long. The suggestion that Mr. Fairbanks may be put on the Taft ticket at Chicago points to a return to the precedents Of earlier days. Noisy Present and (inlet Past. London Tit Bits. Pierre Lotl. who has ransacked most parts of the globe In search of impres sions, and whose sketches of Eastern life are among the most delightful things in modern literature, has lately visited Egypt and found disillusion ment In the - land of the Pharaohs. He .tried hard to project himself into the tranquil immemorial past, but the noises of the present kept breaking in upon his meditations. THE JiriEPHAST., The mulephant move forward. And backward. Justr the same. But cannot make much progress As he Is stiff and lame: The beast looks sly and vicious, - Knows many -wicked tricks The elephant grabs with ht trunk. The mule he bites and kicks. , The mule makes strenuous efforts To walk to Chamber Lane. He brays In disappointment And shakes bis tail and mane; The elephant is reaching For every piece of Cake. But lore for "Statement Xumber One" Makes him a fraud and fake. t Shall this Impos'or lure , And bunco oar state. Then leave her at the mercy Of Democratic fate? Beware of monstrous mongrell That shuns all party ties. Which stands for nothing bat' the spoils. Whose speech a pack of lies. A. M. J. F0RAKER AXD THE 'EGRO. The Ohia Senator Pralaea for Hla Sys tem and Hla Leadership. - PORTLAND, May 24. (To the Ed itor.) The fact that the negroes of the country generally are supporting Mr. Foraker and that they are not going to vote for Mr. Taft certainly does not agree with you. Y.ou suffer Indigestion every tune you think of it. Your latest, "Mr. Forak-r's System." the leading ed itorial In Friday morning's issue, in which you declare. "With all his bril liancy and unquestioned aoility, Mr. Foraker has never been able to win the unflinching loyalty of anybody but the negroes, so that his successive elections are never without contest." Is a high tribute to us. Assuming this portion of your article to be a fact, allow tne to assure you that the negroes are proud of him and glad that they have the privilege of keeping so fearless and brilliant a leader, a credit to the State of Ohio. In the United States Senate. You know, then, that we know that the Republican party and the United States Senate do not like Mr. Foraker because he Is our friend. When we think of his retirement to private life we consider largely that he was the advocate of the negroes in the halls of the American Congress when "they had no one to speak for them. The truth of the matter ia that the Republican party does not feel by the negro as it did some years ago. - It is deserting him. The time has come when the negro must look to his friends, whether Re publican. Democrat, Populist, or what not. Now that's the system. We needed Mr. Foraker In the discharge of these soldiers. There were two sides to the matter. In the earl- days of the settlement of this state, when the Northerners and anti-slavery apostles were in the minority, Judge Williams wrote a letter which, when printed, covered one whole side of the Oregon Statesman; In the state convention he led the forces fighting to keep slavery out of Oregon; after the admlsston of this state into the Union, General Lane accused Judge Williams of being an Abolitionist in disguise. It was this sentiment that kept Judge AVilltams from being the first United States Sen ator from this state. Not like Ben Till man, George H. Williams was our friend. les. he was a Democrat. We are putting away that old feeling that all Democrats are bad and all Repub licans good. There were and are some mighty good Democrats. We must sup port our friends that's the "system." The negro's system Is a system of fidel ity. He is loyal to his friends and is go ing to be more so In the future. He has reached the place In his development when he can distinguish the difference between a word and a deed. You taught him. The Republican party si lently affirms that which has been said and done against him. He turns hi back on the party because the party turns its back on him. He won't sup port men who preach one thing and practice another. Put yourself in the other fellow's place for a while; you will see a new light a new era the necessity for "Mr. Foraker's Svstem." HOWARD SPROULL. The only comment that need be made on this interesting letter Is that it be trays throughout the purpose of this man and the particular negro element represented by him, to follow and sup port Foraker in his great scheme'of re venge and retaliation on the Repub lican party for its expected nomination of Secretary Taft as its Presidential nominee. The Foraker leadership will, unless its direction Is changed, carry the negroes Into the Democratic party. which doesn't want them, despises them, denies them the suffrage in the South, and would reduce them again, if ,lt could, to the position of a subject race. This is to be the fruit of the loyalty to its friends of which this cor respondent boastlngly writes. But what kind of loyalty is it to the friend and sponsor for the negro through all his recent history the Re publican party? As this particular negro has forgotten his loyalty to the Republican party, so no doubt will he turn against Foraker when that virtu ous statesman is superseded In his af fections by some more skillful and ef ficlent demagogue. Will that time come when Foraker buries the hatchet and makes a bargain by which he (Foraker) is to keep his job as Senator, and in return is to deliver the negro vote to Taft? Senators With- Long Memories. Washington (D. C.) Herald. Several of the United States Senators are noted for their remarkable memory. Frequently during the course of debate on details of the acts are mentioned. Usual' ly the Senator quoting passages, refers to the record, but there are some who not only can quote correctly the dates, but also much of the subject matter of measures of bygone days. Senator Knox has a wonderfully retentive memory, not only for legislation, but -for poetry and stories. Senator Bacon Is away up on memory, especially on legal points, and Senator Money has not only a great mem ory, but has been a profound reader. He is one of the older Senators who never refers to the Record when making a speech, trusting to bis memory entirely, which always proves correct. He hasn't many more years to serve. He will be succeeded by John Sharp Williams, who, while not as good as Senator Money on memory, is much better in voice and can bs heard much better by the official re porters. He Is little, but loud. Senator Teller remembers a thing or two. and Senator Depew is there, when it comes to remem bering stories. American Fire Losses a Dlagrnec. Philadelphia Record. -One conflagration destroying $4,000, 000 or $5,000,000 worth of property makes a great display in the newspa pers, and yet fire losses aggregating that every week occur in this country year after year. Last year the fire losses were not quite $4,000,000 a week, the year round, but for the past five years the average loss has been $5,000. 000 every" week, a total for five years of $1,500,000,000. That owners of prop erty were partially indemnified by In surance does not affect the fact that the country as a whole suffers this enormous and preventable waste. Most of our building Is a gamble between the owner and the insurance company. The enormous fire losses amount to a National disgrace, for other countries do not experience any such waste. Her Day of Tariff Revision. Puck. There was a pink and blue smell, and listening, she heard a cool noise in the garden, while before her eyes came the delicate perfume of orchids. Daintily she pulled the petals from n cauliflow er and fed them to the silken-furred teakettle which coiled cozlly In her lap. The kettle gave a short yelp of delight, and, looking up, she beheld the man coming toward her. He was lazily puffing at a fragrant Icicle. Then he saw her. and, drawing near, he gently stroked her. fair bent head with a pick-ax. "How natural it all seems," she breathed. Taking off her face, he looked at It tenderly, and answered: "Yes. It Is the day of tariff re vision. Whisky, Canary Bird and a Pigeon. Pittsburg Dispatch. The whisky at Altoona, Pa., is of such a quality that Policeman John Bookberger mistook a canary bird for a pigeon and opened fire on him. Initiative and Referendum Measures ' For the Information of voters there will he 'published on this pace from day to day brlef summaries of the Initiative and ref erendum measures to be submitted to the people at the June election, together with a short statement or the arguments tor and arainst each. The particular measure here discussed is to be voted on only by a part of Multnomah County. ' NUMBER 20. PORT OF PORTLAND BILL "The proposed amendment enlarging the powers of the Port of, Portland comes before the people under the in itiative next. Monday. This measure applies only to that portion of Mult nomah County affected by the original Port of Portland bill, and no property outside of Multnomah County Is sub ject to taxation in conection with the measure. By this measure, the corpor ate powers of the Port of Portland are enlarged so as "to authorize and em power said Port of Portland to estab lish and maintain an efficient towage and pilotage service on the Columbia River bar and upon the Columbia and Willamette Rivers between the corpor ate limits of the Port of Portland and the Bea." To carry into effect the pro visions of the act, the Port of Portland is authorized to Issue .bonds to an amount not to exceed $500,000. and to levy special taxes not exceeding in the aggregate one-twentieth of 1 per cent. With the funds so raised, the Port of Portland Is empowered to purchase or lease tugboats and steam or sail pilot boats necessary In the maintenance of an efficient towage and pilotage service between Portland and the sea. Under I the law as proposed,' the charges for towage and pilotage will be fixed by the Port of Portland Commissioners, and the Commissioners are also empow ered to fix the pilotage rates on steam vessels entering the river. The primary intention of the measure is to enable the commercial Interests of Portland to have full charge of the towage and ' pilotage services for ships entering the Columbia River. The advocates of the- -bill contend that under the proposed method of handling shipping on the bar. it will be possible to remove some of the handicaps which we now suffer in- the way of excessive pilot charges as compared with those " of Pugst Sound. With the pilotage and towage serv ice In direct charge of the people who are most vitally Interested in making Portland an attractive port for ships, it Is believed that the present com plaints over poor service will be stopped and eventually the Improve ment will result in lower freight rates out of Portland and other points along the river. As yet, no opposition to the measure has developed in Portland, al though it Is said to be unfavorably re ceived at Astoria. In effect, it is ex pected to carry out the work which had been planned for the Port of Columbia bill, which was declared unconstitu tional. The principal objection raised against the Port of Columbia bill was on account of Clatsop and Columbia Counties being Included in the district, against the wishes of the Clatsop County people. Columbia County being favorable to the measure. Both Clat sop and Columbia Counties are exempt from taxation under the present bill. The bond issue which is provided for the purposes of carrying out the pro visions of the new bill shall bear not to exceed 6 per cent interest, and one- -tenth of the bonds shall be retired each year. All funds derived from the spe cial tax levied to carry out the work of the Commission, shall go into a spe cial fund, to be known as the "bonded, indebtedness fund," and this fund shall not be transferred to other funds so long as there are outstanding any bonds of the Port of Portland. Voters who are favorable to the measure should vote YES. SENATORS BY PO PILAR ELECTION How the Political Faker Denies the Constitution. Washington Post. The clamor for the election of Unit ed States Senators by popular vote grew out of the charge that certain multimillionaires of the far West had purchased seats in the Senate for so many thousands per of the Legislatures of certain of the new states of that region. It was argued that the people could not be bought however corrupt their representatives in the State Legisla ture and that if the populace were al lowed to name the Senators by direct vote the Senate would become a thor oughly immaculate body of sages and patriots. The scheme has not been In corporated in the Constitution, but through the subterfuge of a party nomination and a party primary, the Constitution has been practically nulli fied in the states where candidates for Senator are named by blanket primary. Well, the thing, in practical operation la eomewhat disappointing. All the lawyers since Sir Edward Coke could not devise a scheme by which a Sena torshlp could be bought with more fa cility than by giving the selection to the people rather than leaving it with the Legislature. Take a great state, and what chance would a poor man have against a rich man with money in both pockets? Headquarters must be established. Clerks must be employed. Documents must be printed. Advertising must be resorted to. The telegraph and the telephone must be utilised. Large ex penditures must be made for postage. Railroad fares, hotel bills, salaries, and expenses of henchmen must be pro vided for. All these things have happened in state primaries for United States Sen ator, whereas under the Constitution as it is and as it should be enforced In -the srlirit as well as the letter the poor man can go to the state capital and show himself to the representatives of the people, thus forcing the rich man, if the thing becomes a matter of purchase, to buy it outright Instead of by indirection. All free government was made to protect minorities. This principle is exquisitely exemplified In the creation of the United States Senate by the fathers and the mode and manner of the election of Senators prescribed in the Constitution. Every time a political faker lays his hands on the Constitution he defilee it. Files Mortgage en 81000 Dog. St. Louis Republic. A novel instrument was filed in the office of Recorder of Deeds Joy. when Mrs. Brock Storts. of 4929 Penrose street, gave a mortgage on her English toy span iel, Ashton Apollo, to secure her note for $75. due in one year at 6 per cent. The mortgage was in favor of Julia C. Klein, who lent Mrs. Storts the money. "The money was borrowed." Mrs. Storts said, "to apply on the purchase price of another spaniel which will arrive from England." Ashton Apollo Is valued at $1000 by his owner. He captured first prizes at the last dog show given In St. Louis, as well as the dog show given in East St. Louis a few weeks ago. Ashton Apollo's pedi gree would cover several sheets of paper. i