Morning Oregonian., July 07, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

TIIE MORNING OREGOXIAX, TTTESDAY, JULY 7, 1908.
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PORTL.AI, TCESDAV. JULY 1. 1908.
LIBERTY.
It may seem ungracious to take ex
ception to anything in Mr. W. G.
Eliot's sermon of last Sunday as re
ported in The Oregonian. The dis
course was of. a tone so lofiy and its
thought was so powerful and true that
perhaps one ought to have overlooked
the sentence which we are about to
quote. Before quoting it, however, it
may be well enough to refer to Mr.
Eliot's incidental remark that "our
Kepubllc is an experiment." This is
certainly true, but it is no more true
of the United States than of every gov
ernment in the world. They are all
experiments and most of them failures.
"While our government has existed we
have made few changes in its form
and no essential ones. In the mean
time pretty nearly every other nation
In the world has radically altered its
constitution. Franco, England, Nor
way, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Germany,
Persia, all these countries and many
others have either adopted new consti
tutions or profoundly moditied their
old ones since 1789. Some of them
have changed their forms of govern
ment more than once; but we have
gone staidly ahead in the same line,
turning neither to the right nor the
left. If our government is an experi
ment, what shall we say of the others?
It Is true also that most of the
changes which the nations of the
world have made in their constitu
tions since 17S9 have been In the di
rection of greater civil and religious
liberty. This is true eminently of Eng
land, Germany, Prance and Italy, and
with every increase of liberty they
have grown In power and influence.
Not one of these nations is decadent.
The onlv two Eurone.in nations which
are markedly decadent are Austria
and Spain, in both of which liberty has
made little or no progress within a
century or two. Now for our quota
tion from Mr. Eliot's sermon:
But the great trouble has been that people
have been so weak and selnsh that they
have abused their freedom. For this rea
son many a nation has perished. History
Is strewn with the wrecks of people who had
liberty, but so little character and obedi
ence to the culls of liberty that outward
freedom was inward bondage.
It would be most Instructive if Mr.
Eliot would cite some example of a
nation which has perished through the
abuse of freedom. He says history is
strewn with them, so it must be easy
to cite at least a single Instance. He
may choose his example from either
ancient or modern history. It will
be equally pleasing In either case. So
far as common knowledge goes, the
only modern nation that has perished
from any cause whatever !s Poland,
and the downfall of poor, old Sarmatia
whs certainly not through the abuse
of freedom. When Poland was parti
tioned her people had no liberty what
ever In the modern sense. All of
them but the quarrelsome nobles were
serfs, though we must also except a few
Jews who were traders. Almost every
other modern nation that can be
named has been steadily Increasing in
population and power for the last cen
tury, and their liberty has been colnct
dently broadening. The wrecks of
which Mr. Eliot finds so many must
have occurred in ancient times.
But when one reviews the course of
ancient history he will not be able to
light upon an account of any nation
which perished through the abuse of
liberty. There used to be a supersti
tion that such had been the fate of
Athens until Grote put an end to it.
As a matter of fact, free Athens and
oligarchic Sparta lost their autonomy
within a few years one of the other.
Both of them fell into the omnivorous
maw of Macedon, which was itself de
voured by Rome. Later on Rome was
destroyed by the barbarians. There
are few or no wrecks of modern na
tions, but plenty of ancient ones. They
have perished from many causes, but
it would be extremely ditllcult to show
that the abuse of liberty has been even
a contributing cause in a single in
stance. The abuse of oligarchic and
monarchical power has frequently un
dermined the strength of nations. The
greed of plutocrats, as in Rome, has
perhaps done still more harm, taking
history as a whole. But wherever lib
erty in the modern sense has ever
existed, it seems to have acted pretty
uniformly as a conservative force and
has often stayed the destruction which
Kings and aristocrats would have
brought on by their misconduct.
There is a sort . of maxim among
orators and novel writers that the re
puhlle Is a singularly unstable form of
government; that it is peculiarly sub
ject to tumult and lawlessness: and
that free institutions are uniformly
shortlived. The truth is that republics
have lasted as long as monarchies, or
longer upon the average. They have
been, as a rule, more orderly than
neighboring kingdoms and have ex
perienced fewer changes. Hitherto all
governments have perished sooner or
later, though modern history affords
little reason to believe that there Is
any lav.- which makes it necessary.
Even Spain has taken a new lease of
life. The Italian medieval republics
were peaceful and prosperous, while all
the world around them was at strife.
The same was true of the Hanse towns
and in a notable degree of Holland.
Most of the advances which the world
has accomplished In law, literature,
philosophy and science have been
made by peoples who were freer than
their neighbors. Is it not time that
we ceased to speak of liberty as if it
were a destructive force and began to
acknowledge its enormous creative and
conservative power?
In estimating forestry work in the
United States the railroads are not
lightly to be considered. The Penn
sylvania. Company's forestry depart-
ment recently finished its annual
Spring planting with a total of 625,000
trees set out. This makes about two
and a half million trees planted by the
company since It adopted the policy bf
making provision for its own future
needs in the way of ties and timber.
No doubt there are Oregonians who
read this paragraph who will live to
see railroads in Western Oregon doing
precisely what the Pennsylvania has
done. -Harriman will be " wise to go
into timber culture in Eastern Oregon
in anticipation of needs twenty or
thirty years hence. The present Is
also a good time to plant shrubbery
by way of making station grounds
along his various lines more attractive.
A fair start has been made In this di
rection, but there is room for larger
ornamentation.
BROTHER CHARLES AND Pt BIJCITY.
Mr. Bryan doesn't want and doesn't
expect that his party in any circum
stances will look "elsewhere than Ne
braska" for a candidate. He bluffs
and roars and threatens that he won't
play unless, the Denver platform shall
contain a plank declaring for publicity
of campaign expenses. Certainly it
will have such a plank. The Repub
lican platform is silent on the subject
and that la reason enough for the
Democrats to demand in trumpet tones
enactment of a law requiring candi
dates to tell how much they expend
in their campaigns. We shall all be in
terested extremely on learning Just
how much the present campaign is
costing Mr. Bryan, though we shall
probably never know, for no law that
could possibly be devised could require
him to declare how much money he
has paid out in the past four years
running for President, how much can
vassing for the Commoner, and how
much advertising himself for his lec
ture tours. No one will say that all
these expenses are not legitimate; nor
can apy one say what is business, what
is political, and what is merely per
sonal. But there is no special signifi
cance in the fact that the Republican
platform says nothing about campaign
expense publicity, so far as Mr. Taft
is concerned. It is known that he
favors enactment of such a measure
by Congress for he has said so; and
it is probable that he will take occa
sion to reaffirm his attitude in his let
ter of acceptance. Probably Mr. Taft,
too, will not care to set an example
for all future candidates for President
by publishing his entire outlay In de
tail, though there is no reason to
think that he would suffer any greater
embarrassment than Mr. Bryan in the
same circumstances. Mr. Taft is a man
of modest means and income, and has
spent little. But Brother Charles is
rich and has spent a great deal in
organizing and conducting a campaign
for Brother William. How is the pub
licity law .going to reach Brother
Charles?
UR'51'ONSIBnjTY FOR RAILROAD
WRECKS.
Julius Kruttschnitt, director of
maintenance and operation of the
Union Pacific and Southern Pacific
railway systems, in Appleton's for July
contributes' a very Interesting article
on "The Public's Responsibility for
Railway Accidents." By a striking co
incidence, almost simultaneously with
the appearance of Mr. Kruttschnitt's
article, comes a fearful corroboration
of the accuracy of his theories and de
ductions in the fatal Southern Pacific
wreck at Oakland. In a discussion
of the Interstate Commerce Commis
sion report, Mr. Kruttschnitt, by seg
regating the trespassers and others
killed and wounded through their own
carelessness around stations; on tracks
and in shops, finds that in 1907 there
were 1S16 deaths and 17,962 injuries
resulting from collisions, derailments,
trainwrecks and other rail accidents.
From the detailed reports on these ac
cidents Mr. Kruttschnitt concludes
that "nearly if not quite all of these
deaths and injuries might have been
prevented by the exercise of ordinary
care on the part of the victims."
Mr. Kruttschnitt also found that in
many of the cases the accidents
occurred as a "result of heedless
or culpable disregard of safety
appliances." although the appli
ances had been provided by the
railroads at a cost of approximate
ly $125,000,000. These views are cor
roborated by the Interstate Commerce
Commission, which reports that in the
past five years about 75 per cent of the
train accidents and fatalities were due
to disobedience of rules and negligence
of employes. Strikingly pertinent, in
view of the Oakland disaster, is a quo?
tatlon made by Mr. Kruttschnitt from
an article in the Atlantic Monthly in
which J. O. Fagan, a railroad signal
man, presents the following conclu
sion: Nevertheless, In spite of many appear
ances to the contrary, the problem of the
efficient and safe running of trains is a
very simple one. Fundamentally it Is not
a question of rules or safety devices, but
of personal conduct and habits of thought.
Now as It seems to me, the all-important
facts In these cases do not relate to the
nature of the rules, nor even to their non
enforcement, but to the downright neglect
of railroad men (employes) to do as they
are told.
The failure of Engineer Barry, of
the Southern Pacific, to do as he was
told, caused him to run past a signal
that was set against him, and seven
innocent lives were sacrificed not to
railroad greed and avarice and failure
to provide safety appliances, as is
usually charged, but to the careless
ness of one man. Having made a
very clear and convincing explanation
of the causes of the many wrecks, Mr.
Kruttschnitt suggests as a remedy, or
Bf least an alleviation, the co-operation
of the public. He insists that so
long as a penalty is fixed against the
railroads for failure to provide safety
appliances, there should also be a pen
alty for those who fail to use them.
He also contends that the indiscrim
inate abuse of railroad corporations
and their head officials has resulted in
demoralization of employes, destroy
ing their loyalty and efficiency, in the
same manner that discipline in the
Army and Navy would be destroyed if
the, officers, from the commander-in-chief
down, were indiscriminately con
demned and held up to public execra
tion. In proof that this indiscriminate
abuse of the heads of the companies
has bred a spirit of contempt and in
subordination In the ranks of railroad
men. Mr. Kruttschnitt shows that the
"efficiency tests" in December. 1903,
were higher than those for December,
1E07, although many safety appli
ances had been added in the four
years. As un. admirable exposition of
the extent to which the personal equa
tion enters into the grave problem, Mr.
Kruttschnitt's article is cna of Uu
most interesting that has yet appeared,
and that the truth of his assumptions
should be proven by an accident on
his own road almost simultaneously
with the appearance of the article is
remarkable.
XETER M1NI THE CONTITCT10N.
It would be amusing if it were not
disgusting to witness the intellectual
contortions of certain newspapers
which strive to pose as defenders of
the people and yet try to excuse and
uphold the plain violation of the con
stitutional provision regarding salaries
of state officers. When plain reading
and straightforward reasoning leads
directly to the conclusion that the ad
ditional salaries are unconstitutional,
a weak, disjointed, ramshackle argu
ment must be built up for the purpose
of presenting some sort of apparent
defense for the acts of the Legislature
increasing the salaries of state officers
to sums in excess of those fixed by the
makers of the constitution.
That the salaries provided were rea
sonable and that the officers earned
them may be true. If so, this fact
proves nothing except that the consti
tution should have been amended
years ago so as to provide proper com
pensation for the principal officers of
the state. Because a man needs money
does not Justify him in taking It un
lawfully. A man to whom the state
legally owes a thousand dollars has no
right to go to the treasury, break open
the vault and take the money by force.
There is a lawful and proper manner
in which to transact public business,
and if we are to have respect for law
we must observe the prescribed pro
cedure. The constitution says that
certain officers shall receive certain
specified compensation, and shall re
ceive no fees or perquisites whatever.
It also prescribes the manner in
which the constitution may be amend
ed. If the Legislature thought the
Governor, Secretary of State and State
Treasurer were n6t receiving compen
sation enough, it should have submit
ted to the people an amendment in
creasing the amount to be paid. The
Legislature had no power to provide
salaries, except where" the salaries are
not fixed by the constitution. There
was a legal method plainly provided
for changing the compensation of offi
cers and deviation from that method
was as illegal as it would be for each
man who has money due him from the
state to go to the treasury and help
himself. .
The amount of money involved is
not material. If the state is out a
hundred thousand dollars by reason of
the violation of the constitution, that
won't bankrupt the state. It isn't the
only particular in which Legislatures
have voted money out of the treasury
unlawfully. Whether the state ever
gets it back is of no consequence.
Quite likely the state, having paid it
willingly, could not recover it. And so
far as the money is concerned, nobody
cares very much. But much is in
volved in. the establishment of the
principle in question. If a constitu
tion can be violated in one particular
It can be in others. When such a
course has been adopted, where will
it end? If the Legislature can vote
salaries in excess of those prescribed
by the constitution, cannot it allow tax
exemptions in excess of those pre
scribed by the same instrument, and
loan the credit of the state, suspend
the privilege of habeas corpus, deny
freedom of speech and do other things
which the constitution gives it no
power to do? If the Legislature can
read into one section of the constitu
tion something that is not there, why
shall it not as effectually read some
convenient phrase into another sec
tion? The people are not demanding
their money back they are demand
ing observance of law.
SUEZ CANAL BROFITS.
Panama Canal expenditures formed
a liberal percentage of the heavy
deficit reported for the fiscal year
ending June 30, but any deficit
from this source can hardly be
regarded as serious or permanent.
The Panama Canal is an in
vestment, and, as work progresses, it
dally becomes more apparent that it
will prove a profitable one, not alone
for its great strategic value in case
of war, but as a plain business propo
sition. The attitude of the opponents
of the canal at home and abroad is
not unlike that of a great many well
informed peope who would never be
lieve until it was in successful and
profitable operation that the Suez Ca
nal could be made to pay expenses.
But almost from its inception the Suez
Canal has been a money-maker of such
steadily increasing proportions that, to
prevent Its profits exceeding the, maxi
mum permitted by the charter, it has
been necessary to make frequent and
substantial reductions In the tolls.
In 1906 the canal receipts reached
high-water mark at approximately
$22,500,000. Shipping was at high
tide all over the world that year, and
In the slump that followed it was gen
erally expected that the Suez Canal
traffic would suffer: A recent state
ment of the 1907 business, however,
shows that instead of a decline, a new
high record' was set with receipts of
more than $24,000,000, of which more
than $15,000,000 was clear profit.
That the Panama Canal will prove a
powerful competitor of Suez is a cer
tainty, as it will offer a much more
favorable route from the Atlantic to
the Pacific than by the one so long in
use. Aside from the business that the
American canal will draw from its
older competitor, it will also enjoy a
new and steadily Increasing business
of immense proportions.
The greatest timber supply In the
known world lies in the forests of the
Pacific Coast stretching north from
California to Alaska. This is also a
land of wonderful possibilities in 'agri
cultural development, and a few years
hence will be contributing an enor
mous amount of business to be carried
to the Atlantic Coast and to Europe.
This business, with Jhe through traffic
to and from the Orient, which will be
the principal source of revenue for
the canal, will reach a volume that
will yield good returns on the canal in
vestment In a very few years after its
completion. While in a certain degree
the business of the Panama Canal will
be at the expense of the Suez route,
the business, population and wealtb of
the world are Increasing bo rapidly
that it will not be very long before
there is plenty of business for both
the canals. Even at Suez rates, the
Panama Canal will beyond a doubt
prove a profitable enterprise from the
start, and in time it will become as
lucrative an investment as the Suez
Canal has proved to be.
Presid&nl JonnnV Pmith. wIla hx
right of succession holds the same po
sition in the Mormon Church that Mrs.
Eddy by right of appropriation holds
in the Christian Science Church, ad
dressed his followers in Portland Sun
day, night. This ought to make an
opening for Rev. Mr. Lapham,' who
seems to have exhausted his frenzy re
garding Mrs. Eddy. Besides, the Mor
mon religion is older than Eddyism,
and has a number of features .which
are not found in Christian Science.'
There is. of course, a possibility that
the Mormon Church has not yet
caused sufficient defection from some
of the other brands of religion to enti
tle It to the same degree of abuse that
Rev. Mr. Lapham has. showered on
Christian Science. In one respect Mor
monism bears a strong resemblance to
Christian Science. The followers of
both creeds seem to attend to their
own business and accord to their
neighbors the right to worship God
according to the dictates of their own
Individual consciences.
Among the novelties, not to say at
tractions, promised for the heated
term at the East are canned sermons.
Among those who favor pulpit use of
the phonograph is Rev. Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, pastor of All Souls' Church,
who announces his willingness to fur
nish "records" of his sermons to any
church of any denomination that
wants them. He declares: "A pastor
who wishes to take a vacation during
the extreme heated spell of July and
August can regale his congregation'
with these sermons, and I'll guarantee
they will be interesting." Brother
Jones' contemporaries are not likely to
rise up and call him blessed. With
canned sermons, canned music, and
praying machines, a great many men
receiving salaries ranging from $800
to $3000 a year will be thrown out of
employment.
The provincial government at Van
couver and New Westminster, B. C.,
has refused to issue fishing licenses to
Japanese who have not taken out their
naturalization papers. Thus far but
three properly qualified applicants
have appeared, although hundreds of
white men have taken out licenses.
In this discrimination against the sons
of Nippon the Japanese government
has much greater cause for protest
than In anything they have charged up
against the Americans. The British
Columbia fisheries have for years af
forded more remunerative employment
for the Japanese than they could find
anywhere . else on the Pacific Coast,
and, now that they are deprived of
the opportunities they have so long en
joyed, a vigorous protest from their
home government may be expected.
Commander Peary is going out for
the North Pole short of provisions,
owing to his inability to secure $4000
more than has been subscribed, for the
enterprise. This seems a small sum
of money to stand in the way of a
polar expedition that is expected to
use the North Pole as a flagstaff for
the Stars and Stripes. Peary may find
consolation, however, in the fact that
he will not be the first Arctic explorer
who ran out of provisions before find
ing the pole.
There is a Portland man who proud
ly advertises the fact that he takes a
transfer always from a streetcar con
ductor, whether he is going to. use it
or not, for it "acta as a receipt for his
nickel." These conductors must be
watched, to be sure. About once in a
thousand times they make a mistake
by asking for a fare a second time.
But did this man ever offer to pay his
fare If the conductor overlooked him?
Never.
Railroad building In Western Ore
gon . encounters difficulties that will
hardly be met with in some parts of
Eastern Oregon. Over in Washington
County the Oregon Electric is forced
to fight its way across the country,
while in Central Oregon the people are
almost in a fighting mood because they
cannot have a railroad.
Mr. Guffey didn't care to indulge in
expletives and contented himself with
calling Mr. Bryan a "devastating
boss" and a few other choice and
harmless names. Mr. Guffey also
kindly refrained from upbraiding the
great Democratic leader for his failure
to carry Pennslyvania.
The late Alton B. Parker, too, shows
signs of being' caught in the Bryan
maelstrom. The big man in New
York has to come WeBt in order to
find that he is a very small potato in
the National garden patch.
The June Bug is the 'latest aero
drome to sail a kilometer in a straight
line. What we want to see is a flying
machine that doesn't send one to the
dictionary every time she sails a few
good American feet.
So far as the Presidential contest is
concerned, New York gives it out cold
that all is over except the shouting for
Taft. New York is still laboring un
der a delusion that it casts the vote for
the entire Nation.
Brazil protests against Uncle Sam's
interference with her naval pro
gramme and will send her navy where
she pleases. Right. But don't let it,
or her, as the case may be, go near
the water.
The Democrats, of course, don't
want to interfere with the courts, and
propose no attack on them. All they
Intend is to prohibit the courts from
issuing Injunctions in labor cases.
That's all.
Never mifid. Brother Miller, about
that speech nominating Bryan. The
convention couldn't hear it, anyway,
and you have leave to print. All
you've got to do is to find a paper to
print it.
Judge Parker is now ready to He
downrroll over and speak. The judge
is far from home, and has come in
contact with the taming influence of
the great West. But he's a little late.
Temporary Chairman Bell must be
hurried to Denver by any possible
means through flood, fire or any other
opposing element. How can any one
but Bell ring out that keynote?
For a mere oil king, Jim Guffey
wields a trenchant pen himself. The
Democratic party in Pennsylvania isn't
much, but Mr. Guffey is all there is of
it, and he can read and write.
After all, the white man was ao
hotter than ths "i"""
-Ol R HI SBASD."
Clear Indleattom that Woman's Suffrage
West Cause Domestic Trouble. -
Emporia Gazette.
The editor of the Emporia Times is
Mrs. Mary McCreary Parkman. She is a
loyal Democrat and has served two terms
as County Superintendent, elscted by her
party, or parties, as the case may be. Her
husband is Harrison Parkman, Republi
can County Surveyor, and candidate for
renomination. It is one -of the rules of
the Times office that Mr. Parkman's
name shall not appear in the paper. When
a news item requires mention of him, he
appears as "the County Surveyor." This
policy of blacklisting her husband has
caused some comment in the town, and,
in her own defense, Mrs. Parkman ip au
thorized to print the following editorial:
"We have been asked frequently why
we keep our husband on the blacklist in
the Emporia Times. Now. ordinarily,
what we do with our husband is our own
business. And it would seem in all fairness
that if we put up with this man morning,
noon and night we shouldn't have
to be putting htm in the paper all the
time. We and our husband, like all mar
ried people, have our agreements and our
disagreements. We agree on literature,
religion, art, the nebular hypothesis, the
proper method of poking the fire, the
value of breakfast food as a brain builder,
paving,' municipal ownership and the
facts in the Gunneas case. But we dis
agree on politics. We think our husband
has a good deal of sense for a mere man
on lots of subjects; but on politics, he
doean't know much. He is a Republican
a black Republican, a mean black Re
publican, and as such has no claims on
us either as a molder of public, opinion,
a fellow-citizen, or as a wife. We will
cook for our husband; we will mend our
husband's clothing; we will darn and
brush him, and keep him up as our hus
band. But as an officeholder of a vile,
venal and corrupt organization, an emls
say of Wall street and as an oppressor
of the poor, our husband has only our un
speakable contempt. He should thank
his lucky stars that ' we do keep his
name out of the Times.
"We know enough of our husband,
should he attempt to press this matter
too far, to make his vote in this election
little more than scattering. But up to the
present we have said nothing. We have
believed that our duty as a wife had some
claims on, our duty -as an editor. But a
word to the wise should be sufficient, and
if our husband has learned a" lick of sense
from past experiences with us, he will
take a grand immortal tumble to him
self and call off his dogs. This news
paper is a free and untrammeled organ
of special privileges to none and equal
rights to all, and if our husband thinks
he belongs to the privileged classes he Is
mighty badly fooled.
"We think a good bit of our husband,
first and last, and in one way and an
other, but we will permit of no foolish
ness from this Republican County Sur
veyor. HI is a bad lot and we with
hold certain matters in this affair, on
account of the respectability of the
parties concerned."
CANNOT WIN WITHOUT THE EAST
And the Latter Will Give Democracy,
17ader Mr. Bryan, a Black Eye,
Washington (D. C.) Post (Ind.)
If the Democrats at Denver should per
form the expected but by no means
certain and nominate Mr. Bryan, the
ensuing campaign will again formulate
Itself into an issue between the West and
the East. Since the split-up in the Dem
ocratic party which signalized the nomi
nation of Bryan in 1896, there has been
absolutely no chance of that party's
ever recovering its old form in the East
so long as It remains under the leadership
of the Nebraskan. Setting the South out
side the controversy, it must be conceded
that if Mr. Bryan Is to develop any
strength over Parker's showing in 1901
it must be in the states lying beyond the
Ohio River and eastward from the Sier
ras. In other words, if Mr. Bryan is to
give Mr. Taft a hard fight he must do
it in the Middle West. He cannot expect
to gain anything from an appeal to the
eastern states.
To offset that, Mr. Taft may find it
something of a task taxing his powers
to inherit and keep true at his side the
tremendous Roosevelt strength displayed
In 1901 throughout those Middle Western
states. He will retain the East without
a struggle, but his race through the
West may be handicapped, possibly, by
the various happenings at the Chicago
convention. Sympathy is strong with the
labor unions in the West. The anti-ln-Junction
plank in the Republican platform
is not satisfactory to the men whose
votes and voices are allied with labor.
The calm-eyed rancher and the medita
tive miner are likely to speak of the
provisions in that plank as "buncombe."
They will mean It. too, and will be hard
to convince to the contrary. Certain
events of the Chicago convention have
undoubtedly weakened the Republican
array against capitalism. Anti-capitalism
was a popular -malady in the West
The so-called reactionary has a political
status among the plainsmen not greatly
dissimilar to the social status of a horse
thief. He has been at least placated by
the party, mollified to a certain extent,
and the average Westerner would have
preferred seeing him serve a term in lim
bo on general principles. This, of course,
does not apply to the Pacific states,
which are for Taft until the white flag is
flung out.
But Mr. Bryan has been furnished cam
paign ammunition by his opponents, and
he will not hesitate to use it through the
Western country. Most of it. It is true,
is but wet powder and will only explode
with a large noise which will hurt no
body. But it may frighten a few. The
main charge of the Bryanites on he
plains of the Platte and elsewhere will
be an appeal to the West against the
capitalism of the East.
Is Prohibition Wave Receding;?
' Indianapolis News.
Louisiana is noted as the first Southern
state in which the prohibition wave of
the South gave way to high license. Ten
nessee followed suit the other day in a
primary election that declared for local
option. In Louisiana the popular notion
has been expressed by a high license law
which fixes $500 as the minimum for cities
and $200 as the minimum for state liquor
licenses with maximum licenses running
up into the thousands. It is expected
that the law will Increase the state reve
nue $300,000, which is not so greatly to
the point as that in any difference on
treatment of the liquor question high
llcenes is always in order. Whether, a
state may seek ultimate prohibition or
local option meantime there is no reason
why the condition should not be recog
nized while the theory is being settled,
and make the saloons that are pay high
for their existence something that Is in
line with reduction in the quantity of sa
loons and Improvement in their quality.
Liquor la Dry Crook County.
Prineville Review.
Much wine, beer and liquor was pur
chased on the last day, all to be cached
away and ultimately used for medicinal
purposes. An amusing feature of the
day was the receipt by every 'family
and man in town of the catalogue of
a Portland liquor house, which evident
ly, is the first to make a bid for the
Crook County trade. The ministers
even were not spared, and they smile
in manifest appreciation of the joke.
Degrading; the Huckleberry
Moro Observer.
Mountaineers tell us that the huckle
berry crop in the Cascade Range Is
Just Immense this year. It is a pity
that rlean hands cannot be found to
pick this native Oregon delicacy, which
is left almost Wholly annually to scab
by Indians and squaws, who dry them
on sticky blankets from sore-backed
ponies and peddle them out to be eaten
by white folks.
WOULD LET ORIENTALS FN
Washington Socialists Defeat Reso
lution for Exclusion.
SEATTLE, July 6. After a protracted
debate yesterday, the Socialist State Con
vention turned down a resolution declar
ing against Oriental Immigration and com
promised on the basis of disapproving
such Immigration as might be fostered by
the capitalistic classes. The resolution
declaring against any Japanese or Chinese
immigration was beaten by a margin of
four votes.
George E Boomer, a newspaper pub
lisher of Prosser, is the Socialist nominee
for Governor. No candidates were nomi
nated for Senator, State Superintendent
of Public Instruction, or Insurance Com
missioner. These places may be filled at
a format meeting of the State Executive
Committee on September 8, which is held
to comply with the direct primary law
and which will merely ratify the ticket
indorsed by the Socialist referendum.
Congressional nominees of the party
are:
Dan Burgess, of Everett, First District;
Em 11 Herman, of Tacoma, Second Dis
trict and M. Warren, of .Spokane, Third
District.
TAKE VOTE" OX HOME RULE
Alaskans to Express Views on Ques
tion of Self-Government.
SEATTLE. Wash., July 6 (Special.)
Alaskans have urged in a circular letter
sent out by a committee of Valdez citi
zens to take a test vote on the question
of home rule when they vote on candi
dates for delegate to Congress on August
8. The printing of ballots in each town
and their distribution to nearby polling
places is recommended by the Valdez
committee.
The acquiescence of election officers In
a plan, tor a separate ballot box to con
tain the home rule votes is anticipated.
All of the candidates for delegate from
the North have gone on record in favor
of home rule and all of' them are cam
paigning in the interest of the self-government
fight.
SPOKAXE SEEKS LOW RATES
Spokane Prepares to Sue Railroads
for Lower Tariffs From East.
SPOKANE. July 6. Suit to secure a
general reduction In freight rates from
Eastern points to the Pacific Coast is in
preparation by attorneys for the Mer
chants Freight Claim Audit Company of
Spokane and is to be filed in the Federal
Court. The plaintiff claims the railways
are charging rates to this Coast which'
are exorbitant and out of proportion to
rates charged for similar haul by East
ern roads.
An appeal to Congress for a law fixing
maximum rates on transcontinental ship
ments Is also proposed by the company.
Chehalls County Give;, $7000.
MONTESANO, Wash.. July 6. (Spe
cial.) The County Commissioners of
Chehalls County appropriated $7000 for
a county building and exhibit at the
A.-Y.-P. Exposition. The commission
ers are to have the general supervision
of the expenditure of the money and it
is understood that should there be a
deficit more money will be appropriated
next year. This with private subscrip
tions will amount to about $13,000.
Made Cripple by Firecracker.
CANYONVILLE, Or., July . When a
playmate saw several large firecrackers
in Royal Carter's pocket here, on the
Fourth, he could not resist the tempta
tion to set the fuses on fire. Royal la
now an invalid. On his leg is a burned
place, larger than a saucer, very deep
and very painful. Young Carter is
aged 13.
. Gets Back His Saloon License.
HILLS BO RO, Or., July 6. (Special.)
The County Board has ordered the pay
ment of $177.80 to William Martin, - the
Gaston saloon-keeper, whose business the
recent prohibition vote at that place put
out of commission July 1, the amount rep
resenting the sum due Martin for cash
advanced for his license.
New Officials Take Office.
HILLSBORO. Or., July 6. (Special.)
The new. officials were sworn in at the
Courthouse this morning. Clerk J. W.
Bailey has temporarily placed E. C. Luce
as his deputy. District Attorney E. B.
Tongue has actively assumed the duties
of his office,- but states that as yet he
has not selected his deputies for Clacka
mas, Clatsop and Columbia Counties.
Lone Democrat 'in Lane.
EUGENE, Or.. July 6. (Special. The
new county officers took up their work
today with no changes in deputies. AH
the old officers had been re-elected, ex
cepting Sheriff Harry Brown, who suc
ceeds Sheriff Fisk. Mr. Brown is the
only Democrat among the officers of Lane
County.
Tacoma Shops Resume Work.
TACOMA, July 6. Blacksmiths and
machinists of the Northern Pacific shops
will resume work on full time of nine
hours tomorrow. Four hundred men are
Immediately affected, though It means
full time for the entire force of 900 men at
the shops.
Picnic Party Into Ditch.
TACOMA, Wash.. July 6. While return
ing to Auburn from a picnic Saturday
night, a wagon containing 22 persons left
the road and tumbled into a 15-foot gulch.
Misses McDanJels. Newsang, Harper and
Luke were severely injured, and all the
others hurt.
XO, XHANK YOU.
OFFICIALS TO BE ARRESTED
Several Greek Laborers Taken at
Reghltto Place.
HILLSBORO. Or.. July . (Special.)
David Reghltto, one of the pioneer onion
growers of the Beaverton section, ,went
before District Attorney Tongue today and
swore to a complaint charging Guy W.
Talbot and Chief Engineer Miller, of the
Oregon Electric, with both trespass and
assault.
Reghltto alleges that on Sunday, July
5, the Oregon Electric crews, under their
charge, went down to the Reghltto place
and, over the protests of himself and
daughter, entered the place and in so en
tering injured the daughter's arm.
An officer went down this afternoon to
arrest all found on the Reghltto premises.
District Attorney Tongue states that he
proposes to enforce the law against the
officials of the road.
Attorneys for the railroad notified Mr.
Talbot last night that several members of
the Greek section crew had been arrested.
Mr. Talbot declares that on the day of the
trouble he was in Hilleboro, but had no
hand in the attempt to force a right of
way through the Reghltto property.
Neither of the officials has been arrested.
FEAR BOND ISSVE INVALID
Attorneys for Chicago Brokers So
Notify Yakima Authorities.
NORTH YAKIMA. Wash., July .
(Special.) On the ground that the
$150,000 bond issue of this city should
have been Issued under the provisions
of chapters 6 or 8 of Bellinger's code.
Instead of under the act of 1891, attor
neys of 12. H. Rollins A Sons, whose
bid for the bonds was accepted, have
written the City Council that they are
afraid the Issue is not valid. The point
la that part of the money Is for paving
work and part for refund and it is
claimed the two issues should have
been separate. The objection is taken
under the decision of the state Supreme
Court In the case of McBride vs. City
of Montesano.
GOES TO PICK FRUIT; DROWNS
Harry Stines, of Doty. Falls Into
Dam In Chehalls River.
CHEHALIS. Wash., July . (Special.)
The death by drowning is reported from
Dryad of Harry Stines, well known at
that place and Doty. Saturday Mr.
Stines left his home at Doty to go berry
picking. That was the last seen of him
by his friends. He did not return and
yesterday his hat was found near
Luedlnghaus Brothers' old dam. about a
mile above Dryad on the Chehalls River.
Search resulted in the finding of the
body of Stines. He had evidently at
tempted to cross the river on the old
dam and had fallen in. Stines was about
80 years old and leaves a wife and one
son.
Mrs. C. B. Blethen.
Mrs. Frances Hall Blethen, wife of
C. B. Blethen, managing editor of the
Seattle Times, died at their home, 500
West Comstock street, Seattle, Sunday
morning, following 34 days' illness
with pneumonia. Mrs. Blethen had
been a resident of Seattle for 17 years,
coming there from Cleveland, O.
Mrs. Blethen leaves her huBband, two
sons, Francis Alden, 4 years old, and
Clarence Brettun, Jr., Hi years old.
One sister, Mrs. Kate Richville, is the
only other surviving relative.
Mrs. Blethen was 32 years old. She
was married seven years ago.
Tragedy May Reunlte-Family.
TACOMA. Wash., July 6. Mrs. Clara
Wiloox' believes the Sherter boy who at
tempted suicide at Pasco is her son. Shai
was left a widow 11 years ago, and her
children were sent to an orphans' home.
Eugene Sherter came here two years ago.i
She had not seen the younger son for 11
years, and had no idea he was with the
elder boy in Pasco, or where he was. The
attempted suicide may result in reuniting
a long-separated family.
Horse and Buggy Stolen.
ALBANY, Or., July 8. (Special.) A
good, horse and new rubber-tired buggy!
belonging to D. Townes. a farmer resid-;
ing near Knox Butte, were stolen from
this city last night. They disappeared
about 10 o'clock from a hitching rack at'
the corner of First and Baker streets, a'
prominent corner. Sheriff Smith is mak
ing an effort today to locate the robber.
Held on Serious Charge.
WOODBURN, Or.. July 6. (Special.)
Brlttain Bennett, of Mount Angel, was!
arrested today and arraigned before Jus-;
tlce Hayes, of this city, on the charge!
of attacking the 10-year old daughter' of!
Peter Zollner. Evidence against the ac-1
cused is strong. He denies the charge.
Firecrackers Cost Fanner House.
GERVAIS. Or., July . (Special.)
The farm home of Samuel W. Jones;
was destroyed by lire on the morning!
of July 6. The fire was caused it is
thought by firecrackers. The loss is
about $3500 and no Insurance.
Thomas Off for Islands.
SAN FRANCISCO. July 6. The Army
transport Thomas sailed today for Manila
via Honolulu and Guam with a full1
cargo of commissary stores. She car-1
rled a number of passengers, including'
several Army and Navy officers and
members of their families. 40 enlisted men'
for the Navy, 8 enlisted men for the
Marine Corps at Manila and 20 marines!
for Guam. On returning to this port the'
Thomas will undergo extensive repairs.
Chicago Jater-Oosaa.