Morning Oregonian., June 25, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

THE MORNING OEEGONIAX, THTJjRs'dAY, OTHVE Z3i 1VVS.
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PORTLAND, TIICRSDAT, JUNE 25. 1908.
GROVEK CLEVELAND,
A man who performed services to
his country at a critical time scarcely
excelled by more than two or three of
our Presidents, was Grover Cleveland.
He was the man for a crisis, and he
had at once the intelligence, the pur
pose and the firmness to do his work.
His first term as President won him no
great distinction; it was in his second
term that his opportunity appeared.
He was, indeed, the man to turn a cri
sis in the country's affairs into oppor
tunity to serve it. No man of clearer
vision, in a peculiar crisis, or more
resolute to meet the demands of an
occasion, has ever appeared in our af
fairs. His second election was one of
'the fortunate incidents in the history
of the United States.
President Harrison, whom he suc
ceeded in 1893, was as clear-sighted
and as resolute; but he could not have
done what Cleveland did, because of
the attitude of political parties at the
time. Harrison could not have pre
vented loss of the gold standard, slump
to silver and utter financial "and in
dustrial wreck threatened by the fatu
ous silver policy, to which both par
ties had contributed during nearly
twenty years, but the Democratic more
than the Republican. About one
third of the Republicans in Congress
were silverites, and a strong majority
of the Democrats; but President
Cleveland, by his force of character,
was able to divide his party on the
Question and bring about one-half of
it to support of the gold standard.
Thus, with the help of the greater part
of the Republican minority, repeal of
the act by which immense sums of
silver had been bought for years, and
legal-tender notes issued on the so
called dollars upon a false ratio, was
secured. It divided the Democratic
party, but it laid the groundwork of
recovery from the panic, and saved the
money and credit and business of the
country. Only a man of soundest
Judgment and firmest resolution could
have done such a work. To Grover
Cleveland, for this .act, the country
owes an immense debt. He had the
Judgment and the courage. Under a
storm of obloquy he sold bonds for
gold, to tide over. the crisis, preserving
the credit of the country and Its busi
ness from utter collapse, till the gold
standard was finally affirmed by the
declaration of the country In the elec
tion of 1896. In all our history the
act of no statesman has been more
completely vindicated by results, and
by the recognition of his countrymen,
than that of Grover Cleveland in rid
ding the country of the financial falla
cies that attended the silver flat-money
propaganda.
Many members pf Mr. Cleveland's
party assert that he was only nomi
nally a Democrat. But he was"a Dem
ocrat of the Jacksonlan description.
He was a firm believer in authority
and in National authority, and when
at the head of the Government knew
how to assert It and employ it. Labor
strikes had completely paralyzed the
movement of commerce and mails
through Chicago and other important
centers. Attempts to move trains led
to riots, In which much property and
many lives were destroyed. The men
of the unions and their sympathizers
had, by violence, put a complete em
bargo on travel, on movement of
merchandise and carriage of the
mails; and the embargo was enforced,
day by day, with bloody violence.
Governor Altgeld, of Illinois, who had
been carried into office on the same
wave that bore Cleveland In, would
do nothing, perhaps could do nothing,
to restore order and open the way to
movement, of trains. But President
Cleveland did. Nor was "obstruction"
of the mails the only ground of his
fearless action. He announced through
Attorney-General Olney his determi
nation to overcome, if necessary by
use of all the means and instruments
which the Constitution and laws had
placed In his hands, "all resistance -to
government functions as related to
transportation of the mails, the oper
ation of interstate commerce and the
preservation of the property of the
United States." Governor Altgeld pro
tested; President Cleveland merely
telegraphed him, in substance, to get
out of the way; that he had sent Fed
eral troops to Chicago, upon proof
that "the mails had been obstructed
and that conspiracies existed against
commerce between the states." Fur
ther, "To meet these conditions, which
are clearly within the province of
Federal authority, the presence of
Federal troops in Chicago is deemed
necessary." The contest was short,
sharp and decisive. The "injunction"
that the great labor trust had laid
upon the movements of commerce and
transportation of the mails was "dis
solved" shot to pieces very quickly.
At Sacramento a like conspiracy dis
appeared like mist, before the ap
proach of the Federal troops. No
hold-up of the kind has been attempt
ed since, and precedents were estab
lished which will keep the commerce
and mails moving against any future
effort to obstruct them.
Such was Mr. Cleveland's view of
public duty, and of the requirements,
of public authority. It set a large
section of his party in furious array
against him; and because he was a
Democrat, most Republicans were lit
tle inclined to support him. Yet he
was the man for his time, 'if such
there can ever be, more popular,
however, since he retired from office
than he ever was in it. A man of de
termination, energy, force and Judg
ment he was; open indeed to criti
cism in many matters, yet sure of a
place among the few who have served
best the people of the United States.
Entirely characteristic of Grover
Cleveland was his intromission in
Gret Britain's affair with Vene
zuela, In 1895. It was an affair that
almost threatened war between Great
Britain and the United States. Great
Britain had asserted an old claim to
territory adjoining British Guiana, but
held by Venezuela. It was assumed
by President Cleveland that Great
Britain's attempt to extend her bound
ary line was a violation of the Monroe
Doctrine. Never did Theodore Roose
velt flourish "the big stick" as Grover
Cleveland swung it on this occasion.
But it was much to the credit of Great
Britain that the matter was treated
by her In a quiet manner and the
trouble easily adjusted. It is worth
mention, among other acts in the ca
reer of Grover Cleveland, to show the
country what manner of man he was,
and to remind it that as a "Big Stick
President" even Theodore Roosevelt
will not be without company on the
front seat.
It is strange enough that a man of
such nature should have acted with
the' Democratic party. He had noth
ing in common with it. On the his
torical basis, and on practical admin
istration, he was of Federalist stock
and Inheritance. He was a man of
the people, yet a believer In authority
and in government, and was much
nearer to Washington, Hamilton,
Webster and Lincoln than to Jeffer
son, Buchanan, Jefferson Davis, Hora
tio Seymour, Hendricks and Bryan.
The professions of his life and his ac
tion in office Illustrate the mysteries of
politics.
THE VAJilSHTNG BAR.
Preliminary returns from the latest
survey of the channel at the mouth of
the Columbia River give positive assur
ance of a depth at low water of 26
feet on the bar in a channel at least
3000 feet in width. This announce
ment will not occasion surprise, for
the ease with which vessels of 24 to
25 feet draft have been passing in and
out for many months at all stages of
the tide offered indisputable evidence
of the improved condition of the bar.
With the further extension of the Jetty
the depth will easily be increased to
30 feet or more. The results that
have been attained are naturally very
gratifying to the people of Portland,
for their faith in the ultimate deepen
ing of the channel over the bar- has
never wavered. Channel improvement
at the mouth of the Columbia has
never been a problem that presented
very serious obstacles to engineering
skill. The volume of water that
sweeps out to sea between the Oregon
and Washington shores is so Immense
that there is practically no limit to
the depth of channel that could be
scoured out if the water was confined
to a narrow channel. When shipping
first began coming to the Columbia
River the waters of that stream
sprawled seaward through a number
of channels, none of which, with the
divided forces of the current, con
tained enough water for vessels of
large tonnage. The wonderful possi
bilities for traffic brought shipping to
the river in spite of the obstacles at
Its entrance, and even had nothing
been done to improve the channel, the
business of the river would have
reached large proportions. But the
first Jetty work undertaken at the
mouth of the river demonstrated so
effectually that it was possible to
make the Columbia River a port of en
trance for the largest craft on the Pa
cific that there has been a steady in
crease in the size of the vessels com
ing here, and today more than 95 per
cent of all vessels sailing the high seas
could come to Portland without delay
and without danger of touching bot
tom. When the old Jetty began creeping
seaward, ships were using four separ
ate and distinct channels, their respec
tive availability depending on the
stage of the tide and the direction of
the wind. Today all of the waters
that formerly swept seaward through
the north channel, the souh channel,
the middle channel and the "swash"
channel are . united In one rapidly
deepening channel, which Is scouring
out more rapidly than ever before.
The good work already accomplished
is practically a guarantee that the
completion of the present project will
result in 30 feet or more. This Is a
depth that will place Portland among
the greatest of the deep-water ports of
the world. The river has been for a
long time In condition for handling
vessels of 26 feet draft, and with the
Port of Portland so ably equipped for
channel-building, this depth can be in
creased to meet the demands of the
larger class of vessels that will be at
tracted to the port.
This latest survey of the bar proves
among other things that had Califor
nia misrepresentation failed in pre
venting the battleships coming to
Portland, the largest of the fleet could
have crossed the Columbia bar at high
tide, with nearly ten feet of water
under her keel.
THE PERSIAIT TROUBLE.
Constitutional government for a
people who have not the faintest con
ception of the term has proved a flat
failure in Persia. It has been some
thing more than a year since the
Shah, yielding to popular pressure,
granted a constitution to Persia and
with every evidence of good faith at
tempted to carry out its provisions.
All the world rejoiced, and the Shah
and his people were complimented on
the long stride made in the direction
of modern civilization. But Persia
was ill prepared foe the new order of
government, and almost from its in
ception a condition but little short of
anarchy has prevailed throughout the
country. Being densely ignorant of
the actual meaning of constitutional
government, the political anarchists on
whom It was conferred were dissatis
fied with the prerogatives available
through their own Parliament and at
once began encroaching on the execu
tive and judicial rights of the govern
ment. From the beginning bf the new deal
there have been continual conflicts be
tween the Shah and his Ministers on
one side and Parliament on the other.
Naturally the constant jangling be
tween the Shah and his Parliament of
politicians proved highly detrimental
to business. With constitutional gov
ernment a farce, and no concerted
effort at law enforcement possible,
lawlessness has reigned unchecked.
In despair, the better element of the
Persian people appealed to the Shah
for restoration of peace that would
admit of the resumption of business.
There will be general regret among
peace-lovers throughout the world
over the bloody scenes at Teheran this
week, but desDerate cases reauira des
perate remedies, and the situation had
become so strained that decisive ac
tion seemed a necessity.
What Persia needs more than any
thing else at this time is a firm hand
at the head of her affairs and the res
toration of order. Needless brutality
has undoubtedly been practiced by
some of the Shah's troops, and there
has perhaps been more bloodshed
than was necessary, but the Shah
seems to be backed up by the people
and to Ijave gone no farther than the
nature of the trouble demanded. Per
sia and other Asiatic countries will
eventually secure constitutional gov
ernment, but the experiment now ter
minating at Teheran has demonstrated
quite conclusively that the time for in
augurating the new system is not yet
ripe. More harm than good has re
sulted from the experiment, and to
get his country back on a peaceful
basis the' Shah shows a disposition to
swing the mailed fist quite lustily.
A RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.
The AVashington Railroad Commis
sion has just made a decision which is
so sensible that it fairly startles one.
There Is always something refreshing
In the spectacle of pure, unawed In
telligence applied to human affairs. It
Is doubly refreshing to see it applied
In tribunals .of Justice because the
sight is so rare. The decision in
question bears upon the much-controverted
matter of "reasonable rates."
To go back toward the- fountain and
origin of the difficulty, the United,
States Supreme Court has laid It down
as law that railroads are entitled to
earn "reasonable returns" upon their
property. In order to ' enjoy . this
privilege, of course, they must charge'
reasonable rates for carrying passen
gers, and goods. But what are rea
sonable returns? There's the rub.
The question opens a broad and ample
field for legal oratory and judicial
quibbling.
In computing reasonable returns,
what property are the railroads to
take into account? Everything they
own, or merely w-hat they actually
use in transportation? The Washing
ton Commission holds that they may
take into account the property which
they actually use in transportation,
and nothing else. The Northern Pa
cific Railroad owns, among other de
sirable holdings in that state, the Ros
lyn coal mines. These mines have
various values according to circum
stances, like most railroad property.
For taxation they may perhaps be
worth some 30 cents; but as a basis
for computing "reasonable returns"
the company estimates them at $40,
000,000. Hence, if the mines were in
cluded in the property upon which the
road may earn reasonable rates by
carrying passengers and goods, those
rates must be higher than they would
be if the mines were excluded. They
must be enough higher to pay divi
dends upon this additional $40,000,
000. Naturally, therefore, the rail
road lawyers are eager to lump in as
much unproductive mining and other
outside property as they possibly can
in order to force rates to the" highest
possible mark.
The Commission very properly for
bids them to do anything of the sort.
The decision of a Federal Judge which
allowed the New York Gas Trust to
base "reasonable rates" upon an In
flated valuation of stolen franchises
was pretty difficult for the country to
digest; but it would be a great deal
worse to permit a railroad to base
freight and passenger rates upon the
value of its coal mines and timber
lands. Franchises have a certain
connection with gas; but coal and tim
ber ownership have nothing whatever
to 'do with transportation. If the
ownership of coal mines by the com
pany has any effect upon rates it
ought to lower them, ,not to raise
them; for by virtue of possessing the
mines the company can get Its coal
cheaper than It could otherwise, and
therefore its running expenses are less
and it can earn reasonable returns by
charging less.
A large part of the lands, mines and
timber, owned by the railroads, has
been a free gift from the public.
Would it not be monstrous to permit
this gift to be made an -excuse for ex
orbitant rates? If the theory of the.
railroads were correct, then the more
land we give them the more they may
charge for transportation. A little
railroad a few miles long by acquiring
rich mines and forests, as some have
done, would become entitled to raise
its rates to a fabulous figure.
But however Just the decision of the
Commission may appear to be, let
none be so simple as to assume off-
ian.d that it will be sustained by the
courts. The New York Gas Truat ob
tained its franchises partly by free gift
from the city, partly by fraud. And
yet the courts permitted the trust to
capitalize these franchises at an enor
mous figure and then raise the prlce'of
gas high enough to earn dividend
upon them. To predict what the
courts will do In a given contingency
surpasses the powers of the unaided
human intellect. All that one can say
with entire certainty is that technicali
ties will have a great deal to do with
the final decision and justice very lit
tle. The decision of the Interstate Com
merce Commission on the lumber
rate case appears to be a compro
mise affair. In some of the territory
involved the old rate Is restored,
while in other portions of the coun
try the maximum advance of 10 cents
per hundred is refused and a 5-cent
advance permitted. The partial vic-
tory for the Pacific Coast lumbermen
will hardly serve to increase their
business, so long as the South is
flooding much of tne disputed terri
tory with cheap lumber at a time
when the demand has been seriously
curtailed by the financial stringency.
In granting the Potlatch Lumber
Company lower rates from the Spo
kane territory than are given the Pa
cific Coast manufacturers, the com
mission has given the interior manu
facturers, with their cheap stumpage
and cheap labor, a decided advantage
over the Coast manufacturers. If the s
railroads abandon their fight and put
In the rates ordered by the commis
sion, there will be a decided tincrease
in the business out of the Spokane
territory.
Joseph Anderson, who murdered
Engineer Harry Logan on the Fourth
street bridge about a year ago, will
not be hanged tomorrow, a stay of
execution being granted. The case
will now go to the Supreme Court on
appeal, and if this fails, it is stated
that an effort will be made to have
Anderson declared insane. This crim
inal. Liu lazy juu dishonest to work
for an honest living, murdered in cold
blood a hard-working, useful citizen
because the latter failed to'stand and
deliver his possessions to Anderson.
Never in his life, so far as was devel
oped at the trial, has Anderson been a
desirable citizen, and the ease with
which he was convicted of the cow
ardly murder of Logan would indicate
that there was no question of his
guilt. With such disgusting "delays In
making criminals pary the penalty for
their crimes, it is no wonder that hu
man life is held so cheap. Perhaps
if some of the sticklers for technicali
ties by which this gaWows bird has es
caped the fate due him could regard
Anderson in the same light as he ap
pears to Logan's widow, there would
be less of the law's delay.
It is not at all surprising bhat the
nomination of Taft was received with
joy at Manila. The attitude of the
Presidential nominee with regard to
our Far Eastern dependencies has
been thoroughly consistent bX all
times. At everysession .of Congress
since the islands came into our pos
session ' Taft has pleaded for fair
treatment for -the islanders. Having
an Intimate knowledge' of . conditions
in Manila, he' has urged 'a repeal of
the oppressive' tariff laws which
throttle the trade of the islands, and
to his efforts is largely due the suc
cess we have had in postponing the
enforcement of our absurd naviga
tion laws, which were Intended to
place the Philippines in the category
of foreign ports.
Baron Takahashi, who has been In
vestigating the Japanese situation in
the United States and Canada, has
advised his countrymen that they
should cease crowding Into the Coast
cities, but should continue their jour
ney to the agricultural districts of the
Middle West. It might also be ad
vantageous to have them invade the
Eastern cities, in which the press has
so much to . say about the proper
method for handling the Japanese
question. A close-range view of the
obnoxious features of the cheap labor
from the Orient might tend to change
the views of the East on the desirabil
ity of that class of immigrants. The
Japanese problem on the Pacific
Coast is a condition; in the East it is
a theory.
The public career of almost every
important man is due to the fortune
of opportunity. A few like Webster
rise wholly by their talents. Yet even
these must have a field to work in.
Lincoln came to the front through the
effort to resist extension of .slavery.
Grant through the Civil War. Cleve
land because he had been an accepta
ble Mayor of Buffalo, and a peculiar
turn in the politics of New York gave
him opportunity to become Governor
of the state, by a great majority.
This commended him for nomination
to the Presidency. It is opportunity,
usually, that makes the "self-made
man."
An Eastern paper, speaking of "The
Oregon Experiment," says: "The dan
ger in the system is this: That when
the legislators find that the people are
assuming the responsibility for the
laws, they will shirk their own impor
tant share in government and shift the
whole burden onto the public." Why
shouldn't they? Since representative
government is superseded, what is the
use' of 3. Legislature? Besides, a
member of the Legislature is now a
very inferior person, under suspicion,
liable to be checked and reversed; and
naturally he will wish to do little or
nothing. His motto will be, "Trust
the people."
The "results at New Orleans" will
soon be missing from the poolrooms of
the country. The Louisiana State Sen
ate yesterday passed the Locke anti
racetrack gambling bill, which had
previously been passed by the House.
If the reform movement on these lines
continues to spread, it will not be long
before the only people Interested in
horse racing will be the breeders and
those who gather at racetracks to see
speed contests instead of bookmakers'
jobs.
'
If young Walton should ecsape pun
ishment, it might be a good plan to
arrest the policeman whom he shot.
If we are to ' give highwaymen and
murderers full swing, they should not
be interrupted in their work by any
rude policemen. Policemen Nelson
is undoubtedly the man who held up
the Willamette Heights streetcar, and
then shot himself, and he should be
punished.
John D. Rockefeller has announced
that an authorized story of his life
will be printed in a magazine, the first
installment to appear in October.
While it is not so stated, there is a
general belief that the matter will not
be prepared by Miss Ida Tarbell, who
has already printed a great many al
leged fact3 regarding Mr. Rockefel
ler's life.
Georgia starts J. Ham Lewis on the
course as Bryan's running mate. Not
impossible. Those whiskers of inter
national fame, streaming like a me
teor to the wind, would put life into
the campaign and add a pleasing vari
ety to the platitudes of the peerless.
Let us have the whiskers of Jim Ham.
A Chesterfield, moreover, on the plat
form. In Fresno, Cal., the other day a
couple of 16"vers, talking over the
phone, refused to get out of the way
so an alarm could be sent in, and by
the time they had got through with
their endearments a whole block near
by had been destroyed by fire.
Tammany is going in force to Den
ver, to try to cut Bilyum Bryan out.
Tammany will go home as chopfallen
a: after its encounter with the crown
of thorns and cross of gold twelve
years ago.
In no other way could Western Ore
gon make so great progress as by sub
division of lands. A time must come
vhen these unused lands may be sold.
Why not sell them now?
Anna Gould should know that any
American ought to have a hard time
getting married if the United States
isn't good enough to get married In.
Senator Fulton Is ahead of Senator
Bourne in at least one respect he
knows a good Summer resort in Ore
gon. ' , '
King Alfonso will soon be equipped
like Roosevelt to denounce race suicide.
MR. TAFT'S PERSONALITY.
Somewhat Eulogistic, From an Inde
pendent Source.
, New York Times, Ind. pem.
A strong and healthy man, ln the
prime of life,, of sound lineage,' of the
best schooling, with a remarkable
range of natural gifts In mind and
character, developed and disciplined by
varied and extensive experience In ex-
acting posts of public and professional
duty, in keen and active sympathy
with the best spirit of his time and his
Nation, Mr. Taft may be said to have
given more and better guarantees of
fitness for the Presidency than any
candidate in our history has been able
to present at the time of his nomina
tion, with the - single exception of
Washington.
These guarantees are not of less in
a sense they are of even greater worth
from the fact that the career of the
candidate has not been one of special
distinction. His ambition has not been
extraordinary. It has lain definitely
within the lines of his profession, and
until a few years since would have been
amply fulfilled by a seat on the bench
of the Supreme Court. ' What he has
done to win the confidence of his coun
trymen and the admiration of adequate
observers In other lands has been done
in the performance of tasks that have
come to him, naturally and inevitably,
each successive one practically because
of the efficiency with which the pre
ceding ones have been accomplished.
If he may be said to have sought dis
tinction, this is the path by which he
has pursued the quest. The only "fat"
office he has held was the Internal
Revenue Collectorshlp that came to
him at 23, which he threw up promptly
to go back to his law practice at one
eighth the Income. Such a choice at
that age was ample proof of what
might be called a passion foi high aims,
If it were not that his devotion seems
to have been unimpassioned, the quiet
and sure outcome of a sensible and
logical mind acting Instinctively on
lofty premises.
A man himself accustomed to con
structive work in the administration of
large business Interests in this city re
cently declared his preference for Mr.
Taft as a Presidential candidate on
the ground that "he is the only man
who has been over the property." It
was a shrewd and sagaciousi judgment.
Think for a moment of the range of
occupations that have made him
familiar with, the -vast "property" he
will, if elected, have to direct. Prose
cuting Attorney in his native state.
Judge of a state court, Solicitor-General
of the United States, Circuit Judge
of the United States, President of the
Philippines Commission, Secretary of
War with the functions of a colonial
secretary, involving some of the most
important and delicate duties of diplo
macy, the adjustment of the friars'
claims in the archipelago, the organi
zation of civil government there, the
rescue of Cuba from civil war, and
with it all the work of general adviser
to the President on some of the most
trying questions of the time. And
meanwhile the active and independent
performance of the duties of a private
citizen in the affairs of his party in
state and Nation.
Obviously this is a very unusual ca
reer, a very remarkable record, yet the
man who has achieved it is not in the
popular sense or in the popular estima
tion a herloc figure. He has few ene
mies, he has many warm .friends, he
cannot be said to have a personal fol
lowing. Men trust him most who know
him best, and the people generally
trust him in proportion as they know
him. But they do not think of him as
a great leader. It is quite possible that
he may serve out one or two terms of
the Presidency with great advantage to
the country and still1 they will not
think of him in this light. But a great
representative of his people, he un
questionably Is and of their best quali
ties, their fidelity, integrity, courage,
fairness. Bound sense, wholesomeness,
and strength. His past gives reason
able assurance of this, which we are
confident the future will confirm and
extend.
IS CHAMBERLAIN REPUBLICAN t
Statement One Legislator Asks If He
Wllf Support That Party.
PORTLAND. Or.. June 23. Hon. Gov
ernor Chamberlain, Salem, Or.: In your
campaign speeches throughout Oregon
you proclaimed to the people you were
a Roosevelt Democrat, leading the
voters to believe you were sincerely a
Roosevelt man, thereby gaining many
Republican votes. There is no such a
party as Roosevelt Democrats, therefore,
you must be (in keeping with the above
statement) a Roosevelt Republican.
Was this a sincere, truthful statement
upon your part, or was it a deceptive
political statement to catch the popu
lar vote?
There are but two political parties
in the United States Congress. Will
you If the Oregon Legislature elects
you to the United States Senate faith
fully adhere to the above statement,
line up with Roosevelt principles and
the Republican party? I feel we, as
legislators, have a right to ask these
questions, and know from you direct
where you will stand politically in the
Congress of the United States.
L. M. DAVIS.
Direct and Incidental.
The Argonaut (San Francisco).
Oregon has now been under the
direct primary rule for something more
than three years, and already the sys
tem has destroyed all wholesome politi
cal organization and made such chaos
of state politics as completely to de
stroy its responsibility and dignity. In
cidentally it has " eliminated Oregon's
standing and influence in the United
States Senate. Indeed, it has done
wore than this, for it has sent to the
Senate one man who acknowledges no
responsibility to party or to fixed
political principles, and it is in the
way of sending another who directly
and avowedly stands for principles at
odds with the opinions and sentiments
of the state. To this practical nulli
fication of fixed principles and pur
poses in politics have certain quack
doctors of political science brought the
State of Oregon.
A FEW SQUrBS.
A fool and his money are eoon parted, and
If that doesn't Justify the fool to a com
mercial generation, nothing will. Puck.
"Well, the late Congress didn't make much
history." "Naw. Didn't even make good
newspaper copy." Louisville Courier-Journal.
Magistrate So you acknowledge having;
stolen the overcoat? Anything more to say?
Prisoner Yes, Your Honor. I had to have
the sleeves rellned. Punch.
"If you want a plenty of good plums," re
marked the practical horticulturist, "you
have to graft." "Exactly," agreed the prac
tical politician, "so you do." Baltimore
American.
Upton (wtiose office u on 20th floor) Great
Scott! Uncle, you don't mean to say you
have walked all the way up here and the
elevator running? Uncle KuHe Wa'11, 30
years ago I could 'a' run. too. but I ain't
a-racln with no elevators these days!"
Puck. ,
The learned counsel for the defense," said
the plaintiff's attorney, "appears to be afraid
of losing -hie case. Otherwise why lsij't he
ready to go on?" "I've got a good excuse."
replied counsel for the defense. "Nonsense!
Ignorance of the law excU9ea.no one." Phila
delphia Press.
Shepherd (concluding tale of bereavement)
Sae a gled her some o' that wee bottle
that ye left yest're'en, an' she Just sllpplt
awa' at fower o'clock the morn. Doctor
Dear, dear! I'm very sorry to hear that.
Shepherd (thoughtfully) Eh, mon doctor,
tena it a malrey a . dldna.' tak' any o' the
wee bottle masel'l" Punch.
The patient Doc. I can't pay you no
money while I ain't got none, a'ready. Vill
you date It oud In trade? The dentist Well,
I might consider that. What's your busi
ness? The patient I lead a leedle Choiman
band. Ve'll come aroundt und serenade you
effry nighd for a mont', yet. Cleveland
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT.
This Opinion la a General Reflection of
Republican Sentiment of Country.
Chicago Tribune.
The Republican National Convention,
responsive to the will of, the Republi
can party and to the best opinion of
the country, has selected as candidate
for the Presidency the man best
equipped for the office. It has selected
a man of action, whose previous official
experience and tried character qualify
him to enter upon the duties of the
Presidency as few, if any, of his prede
cessors were qualified.
Since he graduated from college he
has hardly been out of public office.
From the time he was appointed As
sistant Prcsecutlng Attorney of Hamil
ton County, Ohio, he has been p. public
servant. He was Solicitor General of
the United States for three years, and
during that time was distinguished
among' the young men in public life for
fairness and courage. He has been a
Judge, and he was a great Judge.
When President McKinley had to se
lect a man t5 solve the great problem
of Initial government in the Philippines
he and leaders of the party, after con
sidering all the strong men within the
command of the party and the Nation,
picked William Howard Taft. For it
was recognized that in him were com
bined courage, initiative, fairness and
diplomacy in the highest degree. In
the Philippines he achieved the un
achievable. In the Philippines he
found chaos and produced orderly
government, and made out of & group
of savage tribes a nation. He has
made himself a place In history aa one
of the great proconsuls the greatest
colonial administrator In the last quar
ter century.
It was Taft who "sat on the lid"
when the President could not be in
Washington. He was not only Secre
tary of War. He was almost another
President. Yet of this difficult service
the country knew little or nothing un
til he had served In' that capacity for a
year or more.
Ir was Taft who organized the ma
chinery which is building the Panama
Canal, who eliminated from the Pan
ama Commission the incompetents and
who there reconciled the quarreling
factions. It was Taft who prevented
bloodshed in Cuba. It was Taft who
readjusted the relations between the
United States and Japan. It was Taft
who carried the message of peace
around the world, so that with the ex
ception of President Roosevelt, he Is
the best-known man in public life the
world over.
It has been said of Taft that he was
a combative altruist. The phrase de
scribes him well. His official state
ments on the Philippines are splendid
tributes to the fine and sane idealism
of his statecraft and to his warm qual
ities as a man. s
And it Is as a man that the American
people will look to him ae their Chief
Kxecutive. He is a citizen whose dem
ocracy is broad, straight, and red
blooded. His sympathetic response to
the people's needs and aspirations will
be unfailing. He has been at one with
them throughout his public life. His
effective seconding of the President's
main policies has been misinterpreted
as mere compliance". It was and is
based on an independent political in
sight into the needs of the times, and
it is proof of his fitness to carry on a
work in which he has freely and fully
shared. The charge of want of inde
pendence is known to be false by every
one Informed on the history of this ad
nUnistration, for it is Taft more than
any other member of the President's
counsel who did ncjt hesitate to state
his difference with his chief, and often
er than others made his difference prevail.
WHAT HARVEST .MEANS IN KANSAS
ShreTrd Suspicion that Oregon Can
Beat This Table-Fare Offered.
Kansas City Journal.
The Kansas wheat harvest will begin
this week. Twenty thousand hands
from outside of the state will be need
ed to handle the crops, and the pay
will be from $2.50 to $3.50 a day with
board and lodging, or "and found," as
the farmers say. The pay is the high
est that is givers) for farm work any
where in the country, but the chief
compensation Is not so much in the
money as In the "and found" part of it.
Those unfortunate people who have
never enjoyed the hospitality dispensed
by a Kansas farmer's household during
harvest times .have yet to learn the
choicest pleasures of gastronomy. To
put it briefly, the farmer's table Is
loaded with the best things to eat that
grow on this earth, served ' "fresh off
the bat," and the more you eat the
better the farmer's wife likes It. Fresh
eggs and crisp bacon such as only
Kansas porkers can produce, fried
Spring chicken in milk gravy, with
chicken potpies as big as a hat, all
the fresh vegetables just now In full
season, flaky pies and berries and
cream, washed down - with foaming
pitchers of sweet milk or buttermilk,
of that .delicious tang only to be
found in a Western country farm
house these are but a few of the arti
cles on the bill of fare during the
Kansas harvest time. No gilded res
taurant in the land can equal It and
such a feast cannot be found outside
Of Kansas.
For the true Joys of life, under soft
Italian skies, with the mysterious
voices of the wide prairie speaking
peace and rest to the human soul, with
a pipe and a pretty girl and the care
free laughter of the college boys play
ing their guitars and mandolins and
singing old college songs for these
delightful things you must go to Kan
sas and experience the "and found" of
the wheat harvest.
Subdivision of Lands.
Roseburg Review.
After many years of fruitless talk
about subdividing the large Individual
land holdings in Douglas County, the
actual work in that line seems at last
to be fairly under way. Credit for the
beginning of this recent action is due
to F. B. Walte, who a few weeks ago
thus placed on the market the beauti
ful Burnett farm at Round Prairie,
10 miles south of here. He already
reports more than half of the tract
sold, thus showing the great demand
for such property. This week the
splendid Booth farm in Garden Valley,
owned by F. E. Alley until a few days
ago, was similarly subdivided by C. D.
Beale, representing Harding & Engen,
the active realty dealers of Aberdeen,
Wash. That this beautiful tract will
be quickly taken up by wideawake pur
chasers is also a foregone conclusion.
A considerable number of these pur
chasers will doubtless come from
Portland, Seattle and other Coast and
Eastern points. Outside people, as
well as those living here, have just
begun to discover the vast possibilities
and advantages offered by Douglas
County soil and climate. When these
and other large tracts of land are sub
divided and planted to orchards, small
fruits and berries, this county will
quickly multiply In wealth and popu
lation. That our country's growth In
the next few years will be something
marvelous Is beyond question, and
property values will Increase until this
will be one of the richest spots in the
state.
It Is Incurable.
New York World, Dem.
The one infallible claim, that the Re
publicans are able to make upon the sup
port of the country is the incurable in
fatuation of the Democrats with Bryan
and Bryanisi
THIS THE SEASON OF GRADUATES
Armed With Sheepskins, They Change
Theories for Stern Realities.
St. Paul Pioneer Press.
This is the season of the graduates.
Thousands of, them have told or are
preparing to tell' how to solve the
problems of the Nation and of the In
dividual. Armed with sheepskins, they
are about to be turned loose on the
world to test their theories in the
workshop of stern realities. The car
toonists and paragraphers sharpen
their pencils preparatory to working
off the annual grist of humor at the
expense of the college and high school
seniors who are all prepared to get a
half-Nelson on the questions with
which old fogies have floundered dur
ing generations, and even since the
time of Adam. It is all right. The
humorists mean no offense. The grad
uate joke is in the same category as
that of the mother-in-law. No one be
lieves there is any truth in either,
but they are recognized as a part of
the stock in trade of the funny man.
They are paraded at intervals and the
public has been educated to smile re
spectfully in recognition of venerable
friends concerning whose lineage there
long since has ceased to be any question.
The graduate Joke is an Institution. It
is not humor.
The optimism of those who are leav
ing academic halls to begin the strug
gle of life may be cause for a kindly
smile on the part of more experienced
elders, but there Is no occasion for
jesting. No young man or young
woman ever had too much healthy,
honest enthusiasm. Undoubtedly many
start out with more than they are able
to retain, but they are none the worse
for the surplus. They may find life
much different than they expected. The
dally routine of the task circumstance
and choice assign to the lot of each
may become tedious and not measure
up to the expectations of school days.
But it will be none the more tedious
or more irksome because of the vigor
with which it was undertaken. En
thusiasm is a valuable asset at all
times. When coupled with judgment
and a little experience, it may be de
pended upon to win. The ardor of the
young graduate is cause for congratu
lation and not ridicule, and he or she
must view indulgently the yearly crop
of Jibes, realizing that the jesters
know better and mean no offense.
ODD PSYCHOLOGICAL 3IVSIC GIFT
Blind Tom, Negro Pianist, With Imita
tive Faculty, Defied Technique.
Philadelphia Dispatch.
The death at Hoboken, N. J., of the
well-known character known to the
public as "Blind Tom" has been sev
eral times reported, only to be as fre
quently denied, but it seems that he
has really gone at last and with him
has passed away an extraordinary ex
ample of nature's freakishness which
defies any satisfying explanation.
Thomas Wiggins is the name given in
his burial certificate, but the surname
was ono which the famous pianist
adopted. Ho was born a slave near
Columbus, Ga., about 1850.
In early childhood Tom, who was
born entirely blind and more than half
idiotic, showed himself remarkably
imitative, frequently stealing Into the
house of his master to reproduce on
the pianoforte pieces he had heard
played by others.
In 1861 he became so proficient on
the Instrument that he was taken to
New York and exhibited as a phe
nomenon and later was widely heard in
the United States and Europe. The
remarkable thing about the surprising
negro who has just died consisted in
the circumstance thai he was (able to
accomplish so much by means of a
faculty which was exclusively imita
tive and that he could do without tech
nical training what to others without
technical training is Impossible.
That was the nature and extent of
his achievement. What he heard he
could reproduce on the piano and he
could do so In spite of the difficulties,
often considerable, by which the re
production was attended. That was an
astonishing gift. Its possession in
volves a mystery which there is no
elucidating. But then in the realms of
psychology all Is mystery and the
usual does not seem mysterious only
because it is usual. It Is only what is
out of the ordinary that attracts our
attention and impresses us as belnfr
strange, but the ordinary processes of
the Intelligence can no more be satis
factorily accounted for and convinc
ingly explained than those which are
extraordinary. "Blind Tom" was a
puzzle and a problem, and, rightly
considered, so are we all.
Learning; Time In Jail.
Boston Herald.
Rev. Robert Walker, prison chaplain,
tells of a pathetic Interview which ha
had with a prisoner. The man was a
hardened criminal of the worst type,
and had spent many years in confine
ment. Mr. Walker went to him and asked:
"What have you learned In rrison?"
"That every minute has got 60 sec
onds," replied the man.
Where Bryan Would Win.
Washington 'Post.
The double somersault Mr. . Johnson
threw in a swimming pool the other day
will fade Into Insignificance beside the
fit Mr. Bryan will throw if he falls to
land the nomination.
IN THE MAGAZINE
SECTION OF THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
DON'TS FOR THE
FOURTH IF JULY
Kindly advice to boys who are go
ing to have fun with fireworks on
the National holiday with pictures
of dangerous sport.
THEIR HONORS, OUR
AMERICAN MAYORS
Sidelights on an interesting group
of public men who have won more
than local fame in the conduct of
municipal affairs.
"IT'LL BE A GLORIOUS
FOURTH IF WE LIVE."
So says the hotel clerk, arid lie
proceeds to satirize some of the
follies and absurdities of our cele
brations. FOOD FADS SUPPOSED
TO PROLONG LIFE
Men and women of National repu
tation who have been converted
to vegetarianism and fasting in
the desire to avoid disease.
HIS OWN CELEBRATION
Full-page illustration in colors,
which will appeal to all male
Americans over 5 years of age.
Order early from your newsdealer.