THE MORNING OREGOXiAN, FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1908.
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PORTLAND. FRIDAY. JILY 17. 1908.
MR. HOBSON'J HORRORS.
Little that was done at the National
convention at Denver was satisfac
tory to Mr. Hearst. It is very doubt
ful if a political party so notorious
for the blunders it has made could
do anything that would satisfy even
a less exacting man than Hearst. Of
course the greatest "sin of omission"
at Denver was failure of the Demo
crat to nominate Mr. Hearst, al
though his candidacy wa's not even
taken out of the cold-storage tanks
where it was placed four years ago.
But Mr. Hearst is also disturbed and
grieved over the "merry ha-ha" that
was given Mr. Richmond Pearson
Hobson when he was endeavoring, in
bursts of oratory, to explain that
nothing but the immediate construc
tion of about 300 battleships could
prevent the Japanese from crossing
the Pacific and placing the chain
of the conqueror around the necks of
the great American people. "These
are grave matters," says Mr. Hearst's
paper, and their presentation by Mr.
Hobson entitled them to something
better than "the jeers of politicians."
Mr. Hearst also concludes that "until
we are ready to maintain a fleet in
those waters, and a fleet that no na
tion would care to attack, war clouds
will continue to gather, and there will
be little security for the people of the
western coast line."
There is, of course, not a single
eood reason for withdrawing this
fleet from the Pacific and sending It
back to the Atlantic, and some time
In the future these ships or their suc
cessors will be obliged to come romp
ing back to the Pacific to guard our
Interests. And yet there is much
buncombe in the wild statements
made by Mr. Hobson regarding any
immediate danger of a Japanese inva
sion. The "bully of the Far East"
is securely anchored on his own side
of the Pacific by a debt of such fear
ful proportions that it has become
the wonder of the financial world.
Japan's "budget" Is now more than
1300,000,000 per year, of which more
than JiOO.OOO.OOO is required for
naval and military purposes. This
sum would not seem so enormous to
a country in which the population en
joyed good incomes, but Japan, ac
cording to her own statistics, does not
earn more than $1S per year per cap
ita, or for the entire nation about
$900,000,000. It will thus be seen that
the "peril" from which Mr. Hobson is
getting ready to flee is already levying
on the people for onethird of their
total income.
The United States has an annual
income of $222 per cap?, or for the
80,000,000 people about $17, 760. 000,
000. Before invading the United
States Japan will, of course, be
obliged greatly to increase this bur
den on the people, and there are al
ready signs that the breaking point is
nearly reached and revolt at home
will ensue. Admitting, however, that
the patriotic Japanese would devote
their entire earnings for a year to
the cause of fighting the United
States, by levying on our people the
same tax per capita in proportion to
the earning power which Is now lev
ied against the Japanese, we would
have the tidy little sum of $1,920,000,
000 per year with which to meet the
emergency. Aside from these sinews
of war, the Japanese would necessar
ily make arrangements for a fight
instead of a foot race such as devel
oped out of their war with Russia.
WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
A strike of mild proportions was
in progress at Fort Stevens for sev
eral days, a number of employes on
the jetty demanding a half holiday on
Saturday afternoon with full pay, or.
In lieu thereof, overtime was de
manded for work performed on Sat
urday afternoon. The Government,
In nearly all cases where labor is em
ployed, probably gets less remunera
tion in labor for the wages paid
than would be secured by any
private Individual or corporation:
but. as there is nothing in the
Constitution which provides for
the presentation to employes of half
a day's pay without some equivalent
being rendered, the demands of the
strikers at Fort Stevens were reject
ed, and the strike was broken by its
own weight.
. Tho fort Stevens strike 'is quite
similar to one Inaugurated a few
weeks ago in a Portland shipyard,
where the men walked out because
the proprietor refused to pay a higher
scale of wages for work performed on
craft owned by the Port of Portland
than was paid for similar , work on
vessels owned by private individuals
and corporations. As a precedent for
their demands, the striking shipyard
employes had the fact that in the past
the Port of Portland had been paying
higher wages for labor on Its vessels
than were paid by other repair yards.
The sentiment that results in such ex
travagant and unreasonable demands
is due to a popular belief among the
unthinking that the Government na
tional, state, county or city is a pa
ternal institution. This hallucination
has been extensively exploited and
commented on by a certain class of
political agitators, until in some quar
ters It has been accepted as perfectly
reasonable and fair.
Yet the Government, directly or
through it? employing and disbursing
officers, has no more- right to pay a
laborer for work which he does not
perform than a "straw" boss would
have to pad the payroll of his em
ployer and pay men for a full day
when they had worked but half a day.
The Port of Portland is supported by
taxation on the property of a portion
of Multnomah County. Any saving
effected in expenditures lessens the
amount of taxes to be levied for its
support, and accordingly it is the
taxpayers who collectively constitute
the "government" in this case; and
they were being mulcted for wages
50 cents per day higher than would
be charged the individual taxpayer
for the same class of work. Every
thing that is worth having In this
world costs something either in cash
or in effort.
The additional .emolument demand
ed by the Port of Portland laborers,
and the half day's time demanded by
the Government employes, were they
granted, would necessarily be paid by
the 'people. Indians, lunatics, con
victs and paupers are the only mem
bers of society on which this toll of
labor or cash is not levied, and even
among them there is an effort to get
some equivalent in the shape of labor
for the expense of "keep." Disillu
sionment of the belief that a Govern
ment job, either local or national,
carries with it special privileges,
might make the positions less desira
ble than they now appear, but it also
might secure better workmen. The
man who is always looking for "a lit
tle the best of it" is seldom worth as
much money as the one who prides
himself on rendering a full -day's
work for a day's pay.
OXALLRfA.
In the letters of Drs. Ricen and
Tilzer, published in The Oregonian
yesterday, there is nothing which
goes goes to show that oxaluria is
not a new disease. These learned
and zealous physicians point out that
something called oxaluria has been
known to medical men ever since
1838, but with that regard for exact
fact which distinguishes their profes
sion they add that it has always been
understood to be "a sympjom. rather
than a disease." The language which
we venture to borrow is Dr. Tilzer's.
A symptom called oxaluria has been
known, then, since 1838, but no disease
of that name. We understand Dr.
Gustav Baar to have said that the late
Medical Congress has discovered a
disease which has also been desig
nated as oxaluria. It may be disa
greeable to have a symptom and a
disease both called by the same title,
but if the Medical Congress has so
ordained we do not see how Dr. Baar
can be blamed. He merely reports
the fact. This does not make him re
sponsible for it. It is possible, of
course, that the ancient authorities
whom Drs. Ricen and Tilzer quote
may be mistaken. Such calamities
have been known to come to pass.
It may be that the good old oxaluria
so long and favorably accepted by the
doctors may have turned out to be a
disease "after all, and not a mere
plebeian symptom. In that case it is
truly sad to think what must happen
to the authorities, Doune and others.
We cannot, of course, undertake to
decide whether the Medical Congress
has given to a new disease the name
of an old symptom or transformed a
hitherto misunderstood symptom into
a disease, but one of the two things
seems to have happened, unless Dr.
Baar has the facts awry. Since he
was present at the congress and Drs.
Ricen and Tilzer were not, it Is fair
to presume that he knows better than
they do what was done there. It
really does look as if these two cour
ageous champions of the antique had
incurred unnecessary risk by disput
ing a statement before they could
know whether it was true or not, and
in discharging toward their colleague
an accusation of ignorance which may
possibly find its mark in their own
vitals.
OVERStTPLY OF SHIPPING.
The Oregonian Is in receipt of John
White's "Seventy-fifth Half-Yearly
Shipping Review." Like the seventy
fourth, and all of its predecessors, it
is the most clear-cut, accurate, con
cise statement of world-wide shipping
conditions that comes to this office.
Mr. White is a London shipbroker
who buys, sells and charters seagoing
craft with strict impartiality as to
the flag under which they were built,
have sailed or will sail in future"; As
he is not a shipowner and does not
buy freight space for his own use, he
i? in an independent position for tak
ing an unbiased view of the situation.
In his report just at hand Mr. White
notes with regret that "a record, un
fortunately on the down grade, has
been established in scarcity of orders,
prices of steamers and rates of
freight."
He also notes that "several large
failures of important old-established
shipbuilders and owners' have oc
curred during the past few months,"
and that "the depression in employ
ment exists with liners as well as with
tramp steamers, and is being seri
ously felt by foreign lines. Rate wars
between liners are always in evidence,
and are apparently the sequence of
oversupply. They are not confined
between German and foreign lines,
but have occurred with German lines
among themselves." As a result of
all this competition, which is giving
American shippers and all other ship
pers plenty of tonnage for all parts
of the world, Mr. White notes that,
while freights were abnormally low
at the commencement of the year,
"they have in former periods been as
low or even lower In one direction,
but they have never before' been so
low at the same time in both direc
tions, out and home, and so wide
spread to practically every trade."
This means that, no matter whether
the American citizen wishes to import
or export goods, he can now have
them carried at the lowest rates on
record, without the necessity of pay
ing tribute in the shape of a ship sub
sidy. Perhaps the most interesting
feature of Mr. White's report is an
extract from a previous report, dated
July 1, 1884, in which he goes into
details regarding the dullness that ex
isted in the shipping business at that
time. The concluding sentence of
that report of twenty-four years ago
states that "freights generally will not
repay expenses, and many owners
have preferred to lay up their vessels
to running them at a loss." From
this it is easy to recall that a quar
ter of a century ago, when, to quote a
favorite phrase, "the sails of the
American ship whitened every sea,"
It was impossible for the cheap-built,
cheap-operated craft of the- foreigners
to make expenses. Is it any wonder
that the American flag has been re
tired from the sea when we consider
that for 24 years there has been so
little profit in the business that at
ever-recurring periods of a few years
shipowners and shipbuilders have be
come bankrupt because ocean freights
were being carried on every trade
route In the world below the cost of
the service?
The present stagnation in rates will,
of course, stop construction, and as
the annual toll of the sea reduces the
size of the fleet, there will again come
the equalization which supply and de
mand always bring about. When re
adjustment is effected there will
again be improvement in freight-rates
and some of the far-seeing owners
who have taken advantage of the
present depression to purchase cheap
tonnage will be in a position to profit
by it. As the American citizens are
barred by our silly protection policy
from securing any of this cheap ton
nage, none of it will find its way un
der the American flag, but it will still
be useful in supplying Us with cheap
freight rates. The present world-wide
depression in shipping and shipbuild
ing is a powerful argument against
the policy of ship subsidies.
QUEER NOTIONS OF HOPMEN.
Those hopmen who expect to get
the prohibitionists to indorse their
plan of favoring the sale of beer must
be great humorists. A prohibitionist
would draw the line on cider more
than a week old. There is no doubt
that much of the evil xf , liquor drink
ing would be eliminated by prohibi
tion of the sale of whisky alone, but
where, in the experience of the past,
is there any evidence that warrants
the belief that if saloons were permit
ted to sell beer they would not sell
whisky also?
The prohibition movement did not
gain its force from the consequences
of lawful sale of liquor. Saloon-keepers
sold to minors and to drunken
persons. They permitted women
around their places and ran gambling
games. They linked . their business
with almost every kind of vice and
defied all laws that they did -not like.
A change of attitude on the part of
liquor-sellers is an essential pre-requi-site
to a change of attitude on the
part of the anti-saloon workers. If
the people were satisfied that a beer
saloon would sell nothing but beer,
there might be some chance for the
new plan to receive favorable consid
eration. But under present condi
tions talk of prohibitionists joining
with the brewers is folly.
ANOTHER "BAFFLING" CASE.
The late Godfrey Kunart, of Castle
Rock, Wash., according to the re
ports, was taken suddenly ill a week
ago last Tuesday. He was then .out
fishing with his friend Reinhold
Greenwald, and the two men returned
forthwith to Kunart's home. Arrived
there, he partook of some lemonade
prepared by his wife and Greenwald,
after which he grew worse. He then
asked his wife to send for a. doctor.
She, in turn, asked Greenwald to do
it, but he declined at first, saying a
doctor was not needed. Kunart kept
on begging, however, and finally they
summoned Dr. T. C. Campbell, who
prescribed for the sick man and went
his way. All this happened on Tues
day afternoon, as aforesaid. When
the doctor had gone, Greenwald went
"up town" and returned with some
"wormwood bitters," of which he
gave Kunart a dose. Where he pro
cured the medicine does not seem to
be known. Mrs. Kunart asked for a
taste of it, but Greenwald re
fused because "it had been fixed pur
posely for" her husband. Whether
Dr. Campbell visited Kunart again is
not stated in the account, but the
presumption is that he did not. At
any rate, the sick man died on Fri
day, some three days after his attack.
On Saturday, the next day, the corpse
was "hurriedly burled."
The neighbors at once suspected
that Kunart had been poisoned by
his wife and his friend, but it' is
doubtful if they would have thought
so had they not been prejudiced
against Greenwald. He had been liv
ing in the Kunart family for three
years, and all that time gossip had
been busy with his affairs. He was
said to be improperly intimate with
his host's wife. Such gossip seldom
means much. It attacks the innocent
and the guilty with equal vlciousness.
Usually based entirely on surmise, it
is often true, but more often it is
false. No rational opinion can be
formed of Greenwald's relations with
the Kunart family from the mere fact
that there was talk in the neighbor
hood. Still, the train of events which
ended in Kunart's death had a sinis
ter aspect, and the suspicion which
pursued Greenwald and Mrs. Kunart
supplied a motive for the supposed
crime. Of course the theory was that
he had poisoned his friend in order
to get complete possession of the
woman.
Evidently Dr. Campbell believed
that a crime had been committed,'
since he joined in a call for an in
quest. The Coroner complied, the
body was exhumed and a jury was
summoned, with the usual results.
Nobody ever heard of a Coroner's
jury discovering anything except in
cases of violent crime. Even then it
seldom adds much to the stock of
common knowledge. If the dead man
was killed by a stab in the heart the
jury says so, but nobody is much the
wiser. Perhaps- of all obsolete legal
devices the Coroner's jury comes
nearest to an absurdity. The one
which sat upon Kunart's corpse could
naturally do nothing more than send
his stomach to Portland to be ana
lyzed. The chemist made his exam
ination and found no trace of poison.
This merely proved that Kunart had
not been dosed with arsenic or some
such drug. There are plenty of oth
ers which would have killed him and
left no trace. We may therefore dis
miss the Coroner and his jury. They
were entirely futile.
It would be interesting to know
what disease Dr. Campbell "pre
scribed" for when he was at Kunart's
bedside. Did he then think it was a
case of poisoning and administer an
antidote? If he did not think so then,
what drove him tw that conclusion
later? Most poisons produce fairly
well-marked symptoms which edu
cated physicians are able to recognize.
Were there any such symptoms visi
ble in Kunart's case? There must
have been, or else it is impossible to
account for Dr. Campbell's final belief
that it was a case of poisoning. The
fact seems to be that he misinter
preted the symptoms at first and only
saw their true meaning after reflec
tion. This might happen with any
physician, no matter how learned and
competent. Taking Dr. Campbell's
suspicions into account and combin
ing them with the black-looking cir
cumstances of Kunart's mysterious
attack of illness, the lemonade, the
reluctance of his wife and Greenwald
to send for a doctor, the dose of
wormwood bitters which Mrs. Kunart
was forbidden to 'taste, the over-hasty
burial and the questionable relations
between Greenwald and his friend's
family for a long tirrje before the end
came, it certainly seems strange that
the District Attorney should say "We
have no evidence" in this case and set
the suspected persons free.
There is a great "deal of evidence,
though it may not be of a nature that
would convince a jury, and perhaps
there Is little hope that the genuine
facts will ever come out. But they
may. The woman now accuses the
man. Presently he may begin to ac
cuse her. An astute official, such as
District Attorney Hubbell probably is,
will know how to work, and he may
perhaps finally learn the whole truth.
Those who would like to see human
life a little safer than it is will wish
him success.
Mr. Bryan is said to be very much
encouraged over a . telegram from
Walla Walla announcing the election
of a Democratic Mayor in Senator
Ankeny's home city. The Peerless
Leader declared that the Walla Walla
election was significant in showing
the country that the Democrats "have
been justified in their forecast of the
trend of. political sentiment through
out the country." Yet it will not be
safe for Mr. Bryan to place too much
dependence on these forecasts having
permanent value. When he gets his
ear to the ground soon after the ap
pearance of the bleak November days,
he may hear something, from the
State of Washington that may cause
him to wonder how the "trend of po
litical sentiment" in Walla Walla was
mistaken for something real and tan
gible. A great deal of encouragement
was once produced in the East dur
ing a former political contest by Ore
gon advices to the effect that Scio had
gone Democratic.
Active construction work on the
United Railways line to Hillsboro was
commenced again yesterday, and the
line to Linnton will be built immedi
ately. Portland already has transpor
tation facilities between this city and
Hillsboro by way of the West Side
road, and for a considerable distance
south of the city there is fairly good
electric car service. The line to Linn
ton, however, will open up a new ter
ritory, and, as the city has straggled
right along after every new car line
that has been built here, it will prob
ably make a move to the north as
soon as the Hillsboro line is in opera
tion as far as Linnton.
The apple crop of the Hood River
Valley this season is estimated at 400
carloads, and among the growers
some fear is expressed that it cannot
all be marketed at the high range
of prices that has prevailed in the
past. This would, of course, be un
pleasant for the grower, but it might
give some of the unfortunate Orego
nians who know the Hood River ap
ple only by reputation an opportunity
to buy a box without creating a large
hole in a week's salary.
The American athletes, like the
American marksman, will bring back
from Europe the championship in a
number of tests. Sheridan, the
American discus-thrower, found it un
necessary to equal his own record in
order to beat any of the competitors
ht encountered at London yesterday.
A 13-year-old delinquent girl, held
in Spokane as a witness against three
or four young men, "divided her time
between her father and her mother,
who are living apart." The. moral
ought to be plain to many a couple
whose broils are not limited to the
kitchen range.
That Oregon is still a good game
country is shown by the fact that a
number of Portland nlmrods went out
at daylight on the first day- of the
open season and returned with deer
killed within about twenty miles of
this city.
The police of Pittsburg have re
voked permission to the Salvation
Army to use the streets. This is
equivalent to admission of what peo
ple have long held that Pittsburg is
beyond redemption.
Senator Bourne has issued another
of his signed "statements." But for
the indulgence of newspapers in print
ing his written proclamations, who
would ever hear from Mr. Bourne?
The open season for deer opened
Wednesday. The returns on the
hunters who mistake a man for a
deer will probably begin coming in
today or tomorrow.
One of Roosevelt's policies is that
of electing a successor who will carry
out the policies. Senator Bourne
can't see through it.
We are sure that other cherries are
just as good as Hood River's, and as
for apples, we shall consider them an
other time.
"There is," remarks the Seattle
Times, with a rock in each fist, "too
much mudslinging in this Senatorial
campaign."
Mr. Bryan has not yet announced
his willingness to share the Presi
dent's salary with the Vice-President.
Scarcity of red salmon in the Alaska
pack will no doubt revive the pink
catfish industry in the South.
At any rate. Dr. Baar got the free
advertising. It is quite "ethical" for
brother doctors to be envious.
And Steve Adams, too, isv innocent.
FurtHer call of the roll can be dis
pensed with.
Going to Uw In Pennsylvania.
- Baltimore American.
An Orphans' Court in Pennsylvania
gravely settled an estate of $3. of which
$1.50 was the cost of the settlement. The
six children received portions of six and
five cents, and to the widow was given
17 cents, a trustee being appointed to
prevent reckless extravagance on her
part. It is all well to follow out legal
forms, but- such proceedings as these
come dangerously near turning the maj
esty of the law into a roaring farce.
K Us'i Delay la France-. (
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A Paris judge has been suspended
for three years for not taking precau
tions that would have prevented the
diamond faker, Lemoine. from escaping
They order some things very well in
those French courts.
NATIONAL MEMORIAL HIGHWAY
Alone Route of Old Oregos Trail, la
Sutnceetfon of Professor Young.
EUGENE. Or.. July 15. (To the Edi
tor.) The coming convention on good
roads, to be held in Portland August
11. would seem a most opportune oc
casion for initiating a movement for a
National memorial highway along the
route of the old Oregon trail.
This suggestion, if recognized, would
mean, it is true, an intrusion of senti
ment into the good roads movement.
But surely it has not been forgotten
that the business interests of Portland
and Oregon at large owe their present
buoyancy and prosperity more to the
sentiment that initiated and virtually
secured the Lewis and Clark Exposi
tion than to anything else. Moreover,
the time is just as ripe now for a Na
tional memorial highway movement,
emanating from Oregon, as it was for
the centennial commemoration a few
years ago. Have not both political
parties declared for National aid to
highways, in their National platforms?
The expanding tourist use of the au
tomobile, too. is pressing for just such
a "see-America-first" route as this high
way would afford. And further, the
securing of a National memorial high
way from Kansas City and from Omaha
to Portland, would afford the fittest
initial subject for the policy of co-operation
among the states and with the
National Government. Facility in such
a policy of co-operation, the cause of
the conservation of resources is wait
ing for. and large activity in accord
ance with this policy we must have if
we are to remain in fact a Federal na
tion. But why select the Old Oregon Trail'
for the line of the National highway?
Because it will best serve the future in
bringing the millions of America to
their own home Switzerlands and it
would commemorate fittingly a heroic
past. Read what Captain H. M. Chit
tenden, of the United States Army En
gineers says of the Oregon Trail in pis
"Fur Trade of the west":
As a highway of travel the Oregon Trail is
the most remarkable known to history. Con
sidering the fact that it originated with the
spontaneous use of travelers; that no transit
ever located a foot of It; that no level estab
lished its grades; that no engineer sought
out the fords or built any bridges or surveyed
the mountain passes: that there was no
grading to speak of. nor any attempt at
metalling the roadbed, and the general good
quality of this 2000 miles of highway will
seem most extraordinary. Father De Smet.
who was born in Belgium, the home of good
roads, pronounced the Oregon Trail one of
the finest highways in the world. At the
proper season of the year this was undoubt
edly true. Before the prairies became too dry
the natural turf formed the best roadway for
horses to travel on that probably has ever
been known. It was amply hard to sustain
traffic, yet soft enough to be eaeier to the
feet than even the most perfect asphalt.
Today tho almost uninterrupted irri
gation along the North Platte, the
Sweetwater, the Bear, the Snake, the
Grand Ronde, the Umatilla and the
Hood River makes the long stretch of
the trail country a paradise the Summer
through. The tourist could command
the choicest fresh fruit and viands
throughout the 2000-mile trip. The
Oregon Trail, then. s"hould be selected
for the National Transcontinental high
way because it was the natural trans
continental route, having been selected
because it presented the fewest obsta
cles, and because now through irriga
tion development it abounds in the
richest resources for comfort and pleas
ure. It was the natural highway which
through an almost exclusive use for
American transcontinental travel for
nearly 50 years became a National high
way. How largely its existence con
tributed toward making an American
Pacifi'c Coast possible it would, of
course, be difficult to say. It is, how
ever, not unreasonable to hold that it
was the determining factor. A people
without enough sentiment in their
make-up to be inspired to make a me
morial of it, now when such tremendous
material advantages would result, are
not only fatally prosaic, but also pitia
bly myopic. Oregon owes it to grand
old Ezra Meeker to follow up his pa
triotic achievement in going over the
trail and to take the matter up with
enthusiastic determination. Sections
of a transcontinental highway will soon
be built, but located off this route, and
then it will be forever too late for the
name and fame of Oregon to come to
their own.
A highway along the line of the old
trail would make America's most mag
nificent scenic route. None other has
such a matchless combination of won
ders as Chimney Rock, Independence
Rock. Devil's Gate, the valley of the
Sweetwater, South Pass, Wind River
Mountains. Soda Springs. American
Falls. Shoshone Falls all leading to
the Columbia and- the snow-clad peaks
of the Cascades. "The play-ground of
the world." The National Park would
be of easiest access through a short
detour.
With such a memorial highway on
the line of the old Oregon Trail, Oregon
would be the goal of the National au
tomobile Summer traffic. This great
"see-America-flrst" route would become
the vogue. The froducts of our or
chards and fields would in a few years
find the largest and an unexcelled home
market. The Oregon farmer would
soon have means to build local systems
of highways. The project of a National
memorial highway on the old Oregon
Trail would give eclat to road-building.
The tremendous undertaking of provid
ing Oregon with adequate highways
would, under the spell of a noble and
wise enthusiasm, be most expeditiously
and easily accomplished.
An adequate presentation of this proj
ect to the commercial bodies of St.
Louis, Kansas City and Omaha would
elicit prompt and powerful co-operation
towards securing National aid. Through
the Governors of Kansas. Nebraska,
Wyoming. Utah. Idaho and Washington,
these states would be aroused.-and tho
matter could be rapidly brought to con
summation. Interstate co-operation in
the conservation of resources would find
in this project a congenial alliance.
F. G. YOUNG
Secretary Oregon Historical Society. '
The Time-to-Go-Home Tune.
PORTLAND, July IS. (To the Ed
itor.) I am a stranger in your city,
though a native of Oregon, and wish I
had come back sooner. One thing I
notice on my return, and which rather
goes against the grain, as not being
exactly patriotic, is the rendering of
the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the
close of the performance in several of
the Portland theaters.
I have been taught to stand at "at
tention," with bared head, while that
beloved piece was played. To see the
mad scramble to get out that takes
place when the orchestra starts to play
"The Star-Spangled Banner," one would
Imagine that it was a piece of ragtime.
Would it not be possible for the orches
tra leaders of the theaters to choose
some other piece to signify to the audi
ence that it was time to go home?
D. HENDERSON.
Mrs. Glyn Slaps Padded Shoulders.
Boston Herald.
"I want no American with padded
coat sleeve to play the part of the hero
in my new play." exclaims Mrs. Elinor
Glyn. taking a fair shot at one of the
fpibles of American tailors, the most
fashionable of whom still adhere to the
pernicious habit of padding the sleeves
or shoulders of their coats, whether their
customers have good square shoulders or
not. The sartorial congress, now re
ported in session in New York, might
turn their attention to this weakness
of their profession. Instead of devoting
all their energies to the problems of how
to produce graceful lines for bow-legs
and for excessively protuberant abdo
mens. Padded masculine shoulders are
distinctly bad form.
THE SEW SECRETARY OF WAR
Sketch of General Lake K. Wright,
Democrat an Gx-CMledefate,
F. Heiskell in the Independent.
When President Roosevelt again hon
ored Luke E. Wright, of Tennessee, this
time appointing him Secretary of War.
the average American, reviewing the sev
eral honors that have fallen to this
Southern Democrat and former Confed
erate soldier, sought the "why" in the
case.
General Wright brings to the Cabinet
absolute fearlessness), a remarkable mind,
a keen perception whioh enables him to
strike at the exact psychological moment,
a grasp of the details of conditions in the
Philippine Islands, and of the needs, the
good qualities and the s!-t comings of
the natives; a thorough and intimate
knowledge of the actual warfare and a
good idea of the needs of a modern army,
the esteem of every Army officer who
knows him and many who only know of
him. a sense of justice almost quixotic,
a heart as tender as that of a woman,
and a backbone of steel.
It fell to the lot of General Wright at
15 to-be a soldier, and he was in every
engagement of the Army of Tennessee
except Shiloh. A delayed train kept
him out of this great fight. He thus
saw four years of bruising warfare. His
record sparkles with gallantry, bot it
was after the war that his courage had
the mpst severe test. During the yellow
fever scourge in Memphis. General
Wright led in the fight against the
scourge, against famine, and against the
brutal marauders who dared God's anger
for loot. He was stricken with the fever,
but he cut short the long period of con
valescence the physicians would have re
quired and took up his work again as
soon as he was able to leave his bed.
In 1870. when a demoralised Memphis
was overrun with thugs and with law
lessness. Mr. Wright was asked to rtm for
Attorney-General for the Criminal Court
of Shelby County (Memphis). It was a
position requiring fearlessness and good
judgment, and both of these the candi
date had. He was elected and since has
been called General, as is the custom
in Tennessee.
Early in his service as a member of
the second Philippine Commission. Gen
eral Wright, arguing that the 'American
people would not countenance the reten
tion of the Islands if an army of 65.000
men was necessary to hold them, pro
posed to organize the Philippine Consta
bulary, to be composed of loyal Filipinos
and officered by American ex-regulars
and ex-volunteers. At first the other
members of the Commission did not take
kindly to the Idea, but they were soon
won over. No so. however, with the
Army. There would be an uprising. The
commanding General pointed to the Se
poy rebellion. And then and there the
commanding General and other officers
nearby heard a neat, concise and acurate
history of the Sepoy rebellion the lesson
of which was that the rebellion proved
the necessity for proper organization and
proper discipline of native troops. Com
missioner Wright was the lecturer. In
the softest voice and with most genial
manner he gave them details of the Se
poy rebellion, for. anticipating Just what
happened, he had read a bit In order to
add to his general knowledge of the
great revolt. He chose fotthls reading
a critical analysis of the causes leading
up to the rebellion. It was written by a
British officer, and there were just 32
volumes 6f it. Shortly thereafter tho
constabulary, -thoroughly organized, was
holding the Islands.
When he was acting Governor of the
Philippine Islands. General Wright was
approached by an editor, the leader of
a new political sect named the Katipunan
party, latterly organized by. ladrones and
murderers. The Katipunans preached
edition. After a courteous greeting from
the Governor, Senor Editor launched
forth into a speech. "We do not repre
sent." said he. "the aristocracy of the
Philippine Islands, but we. members of
the newly organized Katipunan party,
represent the brawn and sinew, the J'
But his speech ended here. The Goberna
dor Civil, who had waited these several
days, was talking. The forefinger of his
right hand was near the nose of Senod ed
itor, and the Senor was backing toward
the swinging doors, through which he
had entered the chamber. "The Amer
icans." said the Governor, "desire in
every way to help the Filipinos. But the
Filipinos must also help. Katipunan
spells murder In the Philippine Islands
now, and you know it. The time is not
arrived for a Katipunan party. And- an
other thing. We have been watching
your antics and reading your paper. BI1
ibid prison's doors swing wide for those
who spread sedition and you have for
some time been dangerously near the
line." Shortly after this, the Katipunan
party faded away.
When Judge Taft was made Secretary
of War. General Wright was made Governor-General
of the Philippine Islands,
the first Governor-General ever appointed
by the United States. When he returned
to Memphis for a brief rest. after more
thantwo years of service in the Islands,
the President of the United States came
there to welcome home this Democrat
and ex-Confederate aniHisr
"made good." When Japan asked for an
moaasaaor instead of a Minister from
America, she also asked that the first
Ambassador be one of ao,-i'
men. and the appointment was given to
v.. .,r,B..i. japan Knew him through
his work in the Philippines, as did all
the Orient, and the appointment pleased
Japan. The latest honor is the Port
folio of War. Ere long the North will
thank the South for giving the Nation
such a man. V
Shipa of Reinforced Concrete, Next.
Consular and Trade Reports.
An Italian correspondent of the London
Times predicts that the use of concrete in
boat building will largely take the place
of iron and steel. He says: "Large boat3
of reinforced concrete have been built
.?y ln thiH eountry. and five of these
of 120 tons and more were in commission
for the Italian Navy. The first of these
boats, a 120-ton barge, wss built In 190
on the plans of Mr. Gabelllni. an Italian
who has given his whole attention to
reinforced concrete, and who for many
yt, Jlf" h.een condl,Ung experiments
with this class of material. This boat,
which was built with double bottom and
of the cellular type, was submitted to
severe tests in the Spezia arsenal, where
a much larger boat built of iron and with
an Iron ram wn H i,.. . "
- - - -- .. . . . KgaifTigx it with-
out producing any considerable damage to
... wmo ana in consequence
of the satisfactory results given by this
first boat, four more of these barges were
ordered on account of the Italian navy."
What the Brakeman Says.
St. Louis Times.
The shades of night -were falling fast
As through the railroad car there passed
A brakeman with a visage red.
Vnd thla Is what he loudly said-"B-r-r
git,.-
His hair was short, his jaw was long,
His lungs were leathery and strong.
And as we sped the landscape o'er.
Once more he gave this awful roar:
"B-r-r gib."
"Oh. say." remarked an ancient Miss.
"And tell ma. please, what town is this?
The brakeman rolled hui honest eye.
Likewise his quid, and made reply:
B-r-r gib."
"I'm bound for Nlles." the drummer said.
"Is this the town that lies sihead?
The brakeman sighed with weary air.
And ones again we heard this blare:
B-r-r gib."
Then up we rose and madly hurled
That brakeman forth into the world.
And as he fell, with anger vain.
We heard again the wild refrain:
B-r-r gib."
Next morn they found him as he lay.
And planted him without delay.
And now-they've got another cuss
Who calls the tpwn and calls It thus:
Bil-s-sjfcghtx."
DEMOCRATIC PRESS ON" BRYAN 1
Many Dissatisfied Wltb Nomination, bot
Some Will Support Rim.
Wilmington (Del.) Every Evening, Pern, i
Democrats now feel that their party
has no real Democratic candidate for
President.
Hopes for Mr. Bryan's Defeat.
Washington (D. C.) Post. Ind.
The Democratic party certainly can
not be wholly Itself until Mr. Bryan is
disposed of. If he is elected, he will
be the party, and can shape it as he
will. If he is defeated the party will
have to get along without him.
Bryan's Appeal to Radicals and Labor.
Baltimore News, Ind. .
The most significant thing in the
proceedings at Denver Is the evidence
that Mr. Bryan Intends to' make his
fight by an appeal to the radical vote,
especially to the radical labor vote.
The real Import of the platform is in
the planks directed at labor, and it
needs no prophet and no son of a
prophet to foretell that the campaign
of the Democracy will be pitched in a
much more radical key than the plat
form. Opportunity of Bryan's Life.
. Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution. Dem.
If the varied and some time diver
gent interest of the Democracy will
unite ln harmonious effort upon the
platform and the man. there Is good
reason to believe that National condi
tions will favor its success.
Its platform builders, while mindful
of just property rights, have construct
ed a safe, sane and conservative safe
guard of the people's interests. It
meets conditions and upon it. notwith
standing past defeats, the opportunity
of Mr. Bryan's life confronts him.
Bryan's Confidence Is Justified.
Brooklyn Citizen, Dem.
With the Democracy solidly on Mr.
Bryan's side, with an exceptionally
strong claim on the confidence of non
partisan reformers, with nothing, as wo
have shown, to fear from any honest
conservative, and with many indica
tions that he will receive much? more
than the usual Democratic share of the
labor vote, he is abundantly justified
in the confidence he has repeatedly ex
pressed, t-hat under his leadership the
Democratic party will be restored to
power in the Nation this year.
Democracy Before a Yawning Ditch.
Charleston (S. C.) News and Courier,
Dem.
We do not know, of course, what
others may do, but as for us and our
house, if the fears which haunt us this
morning shall be realized, we. shall
take the seats reserved for us in the
front row on the right of our Peerless
driver, in spite of the prophecy that "if
the blind lead the blind both shall fall
into the ditch," for is it not writtc in
the gospel according to St. Luke:
"Which of you shall have an ass or an
ox fallen into a pit and will not
straightaway pull him out on the Sab
bath Day.
Bryan, an n Dangerous Enemy.
New York Evening Post, Ind.
. At the very beginning of the Repub
lican campaign, it is the part whether
of frankness or sound generalship to
admit that power of resistance to
Bryan has been much broken by four
years of yielding to him. President
Roosevelt's avowed and deliberate
purpose has been to . head off
Bryan by stealing his issues.
The argument, or threat, which
he has constantly used has been: "If
you do not go halt way rvlth me, you
will have to go the whole way with
Bryan." Weil, we see now what comes
of the plan of fighting a dangerous
enemy by surrendering to him. The
Bryan who was to be extinguished is
exalted higher than. ever.
Bryan Distrusted by Business .Men.
Brooklyn Datly Times (Ind.)
If Mr. Bryan is distrusted, and justly
distrusted, by the business interests of
the country, at least he has been able,
without any of the aids that are usual
ly regarded as essential to the reten- '
tion of political leadership, to maintain
his influence in the party and to break
down the most powerful and combined
opposition. He enters the field with &
strong and- compact force behind him,
with the assured vote of the Demo
cratic states ready to be cast for him
without effort on the part of his sup
porters and with a fair chance of se
curing the electoral votes of some of .
the Western states that have usually
been regarded as safely Republican.
IN THE MAGAZINE
SECTION OF THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
REAL CAMPAIGN HEAD
QUARTERS OF THE G. 0. P;
They will be in the palatial res-,
idence of Candidate Taft's broth
er in a "passed-up" street in Cin
cinnati. CATCHING CRABS
AT ILWACO BEACH
Full-page illustration in colors,
not untimely, from a very fine
photograph by George F. Holman.
UNCLE SAM'S
WILD WEST SHOW
Cavalry drill at Fort Meyer,
where the men who wear uniforms
make Buffalo Bill's performers
look like amateurs, with great pic
tures. ISHORTY M'CABE'S
liU Willi AHT
Being a very unusual experi
ence in the life of Professor Mc
Cabe, wherein he unconsciously
became a benefactor.
THE MYSTERY OP
THE ZINC CASE
Another of Carlton Clarke's
stories, whose action runs from
Chicago to the remotest corner of
the State of Washington. .
TEACHING NORTHERN
NEGROES TO WORK
A second Booker Washington
has begun the establishment of
another Tuskegee Institute in
Ohio.
ORDER EARLY FROM YOUR
NEWSDEALER