THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAX, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 190S.
Entered at Portland. Oregon. Fostonce
Second-Class Matter.
Subscription Kiitrs in-rarlah'T to Advance.
(By Mall.)
Dally. Sunday Included, one year S 00
Dally, Sunday Included, six months. 4.25
Dally. Sunday Included, three months. 2.25
Daily. Sunday Included, one month.... -i5
Dally without Sunday, one year 6.00
Dally, without Sunday, six months..... S.25
.Dally, without Sunday, three months.. 1.75
Daily, without Sunday, one month..... .SO
tiunday. one year 2.50
Sunday and Weekly, one year DO
(By Carrier.
Dally. Sunday Included, one year 900
Dally. Sunday included, one month 75
How to Remit Send postoffloe money
order, express order or personal oheck on
your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency
are at the senocr's risk. Give postoffice ad
dress in full. Including county and slate.
Postage Kates 10 to 14 pages. 1 cent; 18
to 2b pages. 2 cents; 80 to 44 pages. 3
cents; 4(1 to 60 pages. 4 cents. Forelgu post
age double rates.
Eastern Business Office The S. C. Beck
wlth Special Agency New York, rooms 48
60 Tribune building. Chicaeo. rooms 610-512
Tribune building.
POBTLAND. TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1908.
THE MISSION TO HOT SPRINGS.
Mr. Bourne, the nominal Senator
from Oregon, is at Hot Springs, Va.
But the fact that he Is there is unim
portant. Jt is said, however, that he has
eone there, and is staying there,
for the purpose of getting an
opportunity to make a demand on
Mr. Taft that In case of his election
to the Presidency he will not "attempt
to dictate," will not "use any in
fluence," to bring about the nomina
tion of his successor.
The suggestion of it, or the thought
of it, is an insult both to Mr. Taft and
to Mr. Roosevelt. It Is in accord, how
ever, with Mr. Bourne's personal, fac
tious and insane opposition to Mr.
Taft.
But Mr. Bourne professes to be a
great friend and admirer of Mr.
Roosevelt. He demanded that Mr.
Roosevelt should be a candidate
again. He went so far as to insist,
with incessant iteration, that Mr.
Roosevelt should violate his own
pledge; in plain words, dishonor him
self. Exceedingly unfortunate It Is
that Mr. Bourne has not the moral
perception to see the consequences of
such a position.
It is undoubted that the influence
of Mr. Roosevelt was thrown for Mr.
Taft's nomination. But Mr. Bourne,
a great Roosevelt man Mr. Bourne,
who Insisted that Mr. Roosevelt
should violate his own deliberate and
solemn word as to a renomination for
himself now wishes to fix it as a
stigma upon Mr. Taft, that his own
nomination was assisted by President
Roosevelt!
One might be able, from study of
literatures, ancient and modern, to
find terms proper for characterization
of a course like this; but for the pres
ent The Oregonian will refrain. It is
no guess, however, that if Mr. Bourne
should go to Mr. Taft with his sug
gestion he would And right quick that
he had sailed into "chilling regions of
thick-ribbed ice."
Admit that President Roosevelt was
active and earnest in urging the nom
ination of Mr. Taft. It was largely a
case of self-defense. He had to prove
to the country, against the morally
purblind like Mr. Bourne, that his
own renunciation was sincere.
Could any one have believed it,
even of Mr. Bourne, that a man could
be so obtuse, morally, mentally, po
litically, as to profess to be the spe
cial friend and admirer of Mr. Roose
velt, and yet willing to cast upon him
the opprobrium that would follow
compliance by Mr. Taft with a de
mand that would dishonor both him
and the President?
But, as there are irrational quantities
even in mathematics, which defy all
attempts at solution, or substitution
foi equivalents, so there are irreducible
quantities and qualities in the moral
ities of politics, which must go out on
the dump with the slag, to be trodden
under foot of men.
Mr. Bourne, on his mission to the
Virginia Springs, is putting himself in
the position of Sancho Panza, whose
Ineptitude betrayed him into naming
a halter In the house of a man who
had been hanged.
THK A( Km ALOIS NAVY.
"Stick close to your desks and
never go to sea, and some day you'll
be ruler of the queen's navee." Thus
sang Sir Joseph Porter, K. C. B.. in
the famous "Pinafore," an opera
which most cleverly rebuked the then
existing policy of placing the control
of the British navy In the hands of
bureaucrats, whose sole qualification
for the position was a political pull of
goodly dimensions. Something of a
similar nature seems to be at the bot
tom of the trouble in our own Navy.
Sir Joseph, in a further recital of his
rise to power, stated that while In
Parliament he "always voted at his
party's call, and I never thought of
thinking for myself at all," and. as a
reward for his political fidelity, he be
came "ruler of the queen's navee." In
Secretary Metcalf we have a very fair
American edition of Sir Joseph Por
ter. It is quite natural that, with our
Navy In charge of a man whose sole
eligibility for the position seems to
rest on the fact that he "always voted
at the party's call." there should be
endless discord and clashing among
the subordinates who are supposed to
have some technical knowledge about
building and operating ships.
This constant Jarring between the
bureau chiefs could not exist If the
man at the head of the Navy Depart
ment possessed some technical knowl
edge of the work that he is supposed
to direct. With a Secretary of the
Navy who knew something about the
business, the man with a new Idea re
garding construction would have an
opportunity to demonstrate Its merits
Instead of having It turned down by a
lot of fossils who cling to ancient
1 lans and methods, for fear that a
change might disclose their own Ig
norance. The Bureau of Ordnance
has plans of its own regarding the
mounting of guns, and. If these plans
do not meet the approval of the
Board of Construction, their adoption
or rejection is not dependent on their
merits, but upon which particular
branch of the Navy has the strongest
pull at the time when a controversy
arises.
Criticism of the new battleship
North Dakota Is the bone of conten
tion at this tim. There will be an
important conference at the Navy War
College at Newport tomorrow, at
which the President will undoubtedly
Tattle some of the departmental dry
bones in an effort to determine who is
to blame for the alleged faulty con
struction and equipment of our ships.
It is not alone in construction and
equipment of the ships that it would
be advantageous to have in charge a
man who knew something about the
subject, but in directing their move
ments a little knowledge would prove
of value. Secretary Metcalf was so
grossly Ignorant of the draft of his
fleet of battleships that in making an
excuse for their not being sent to
Portland- he said that the vessels
were drawing from two feet to four
feet more than they actually were
drawing when they steamed past the
Columbia River en route for Puget
Sound.
Of course the Secretary was in ig
norance of the draft of the vessels,
and it was accordingly an easy matter
for some navigating officer who did
cot want to come to Portland to make
him believe that the ships were too
deep-draft for the Columbia River.
Had the Secretary been at all familiar
with the ships under his supervision,
he would have known that they were
not drawing the measurement "of
water that was reported, and he
would also have known that it was as
safe for them to come to Portland as
it was for them to go to Puget Sound.
If the President, by a rigid investi
gation, succeeds in breaking up this
system of giving to men unfitted for
the work important positions where
special knowledge of the subject is
a necessity, we will Boon note a cessa
tion of these ugly rumors about our
Navy. A hundred-mlllion-dollar Navy
is too great an affair to be intrusted
to a novice.
CONCEALED WEAPON'S.
There was no practical reason why
the murderer and suicide, Conelli,
should not have had a dozen revolvers
concealed about his person as well as
two. Considering the perfect liberty
of carrying concealed weapons which
prevails, he was remarkably temper
ate in the matter. Good observers
in the South attribute the many
crimes of violence which take place
in that section to the habit of "pistol
toting." as they call it. A man who
has a firearm in his pocket is continu
ally tempted to use it, be the provoca
tion what it may. Trifling offenses
which would pass with an oath or a
scowl between unarmed men lead to
bloodshed when the parties are armed.
The law Justly and properly for
bids persons to carry concealed weap
ons, but the ban is a nullity. Every
body who wishes to bear a revolver
hidden about his clothes does so and
apparently there is no way to hinder
him. It is not possible for the police
to arrest every man who passes by
and search him for firearms. If the
carrying of concealed weapons and
the evil that flows from It are ever
stopped it will be through the deter
mination of each individual to obey
the law. The cases when it can be
enforced by the authorities are very
exceptional.
Sensible people know very well that
they are, as a rule, no safer with a
weapon than without one. Even to
keep a revolver at hand in a bedroom
is hardly commendable. The chances
are about even that it will help a
burglar more than It will Intimidate
him. He is quite likely to get hold
of it first. On the street and in dan
gerous places weapons seldom assist
one. An armed man in such localities
is not an atom safer than one who
is known to be without weapons. Per
sons who wish to shoot are usually
too quick for the amateur. But aside
from their futility as a means of de
fense, weapons lead directly to blood
shed when they are carried indiscrim
inately. If they could be confined to
the wise and prudent the case would
not be so bad. But the fact is that
prudent people seldom carry revol
vers, while the vicious and the fools
have them almost always. There is
a great field for some educational
genius here, but while we are waiting
for the development of healthy senti
ment why cannot the sale of mur
derous weapons be somewhat restrict
ed by law?
BRYAN AND WAGES.
Will the wage-working people of
the country, should Mr. Bryan be
elected, obtain higher wages and get
shorter hours as a consequence of his
election? His speeches thus far are
intended to hold out the idea that
these will be the results.
And yet we suppose that if Mr.
Bryan shall be elected, wages and
hours of labor will not be different
from what they are now; and yet
possibly they may be different, for we
remember 1893.
OREGON'S HONBKKFIL CHERRIES.
The Cherry Fair held In Salem last
week was an epoch In the history of
horticulture In Oregon. The distinct
success of the Fair and the high
quality of its exhibits draw attention
tc the fact that the people of Oregon,
and especially of the Williamette Val
ley, do not appreciate In any degree
the remarkable possibilities of our
section in the growing of cherries. We
speak indifferently of our beautiful
and luscious Royal Annes, American
Lamberts, but until some official test
Is made we do not appear to under
stand that In Western Oregon are na
tural climatic and soil conditions
which produce cherries of the highest
quality and of the largest size ever
t-hown to the world. The, Royal Anne
is a native of the south of France and
Is the standard among white cherries.
But in its native home it is not the
Koyal Anne of the Willamette Valley,
where it is grown 1 inches in
diameter and supreme in quality. Yet
the Royal Anne has been surpassed in
the estimation of connoisseurs by the
Wing, the Lambert, the Hoskins and
several other varieties, all of which
have been originated In the Willam
ette Valley. Here, in their native
home, these varieties have excelled
the products of all ages, and empha
size the claim that Oregon Is unsur
passed in this tempting line of horti
culture. However, excellent as these
varieties seem to be, we have not been
able to introduce them to the markets
of New York and Chicago. The Juici
ness, the very luscious quality that
endears these fruits to us, has hither
to been their undoing, robbing them
of their carrying quality for distant
shipments.
Experiments to obviate this tender
ness in our cherries and berries have
been in progress for some time, and
it is now thought that the difficulty
will be overcome by cooling the fruit
before it is put into refrigeration. It
is planned to load cars with cherries
and run them into cooling stations,
allowing them to stand a few hours,
or until the temperature of the fruit
drops gradually to the proper point,
and then to ice the cars in the ordi
nary manner of refrigerating. It is
thought that by this plan cherries,
loganberries and all other tender
fruits will carry in perfect condition
to New York. Thus far these experi
ments indicate the solution of the
tender cherry difficulty.
Yamhill County Is at present the
acknowledged champion cherry-growing
section of the world. If she is to
retain her supremacy, she should be
the first to establish one of these cool
ing stations. Salem will surely estab
lish one In the near future, and other
sections will soon follow. If the rich
markets of New York and Chicago
could be shown the cherries of Ore
gon, 'fruits grown In the highest per
fection ever known, sensations would
follow, and prices would not depend
on the whims of cannerymen and
their combinations.
PORTLAND'S BIG DEBT.
Now that Portland is about to add
heavily to its debt for a new pipe line'
from Bull Run, parks,, public docks, a
new Madison bridge and fire mains. It
is pertinent to figure the cost in in
creased taxes. When the new luxuries
shall be paid for, the public debt of
Portland will amount to between
$12,000,000 and $13,000,000 and property-owners
will pay $500,000 a year
interest. This debt will include near
ly $3,000,000 bonds for the existing
water system which will be in
creased to $6,000,000 for the new pipe
line; and also $1,500,000 for the Port
of Portland.
Portland is a large city and ranks
well in wealth with cities of Its size.
But it cannot be gainsaid that $12,
000,000 debt will be a heavy burden.
It is not too much to say- that few
voters stopped to think what the in
creased debt would be and that many
did not care. There will be hard
thinking by taxpayers hereafter, as
they go to the Courthouse yearly to
pay the $500,000 interest.
The heaviest part of the new load
will be the $120,000 yearly interest,
plus as much more perhaps for sink
ing fund, for the $3,000,000 pipe line.
This toad is put on property-owners,
whereas it should be borne by water
consumers. It is the universal rule in
municipalities that such cost shall be
paid by the users of water. The de
parture from this rule in Portland
was accomplished chiefly by single
tax vagaries. The public opposition
to this method is Indicated by the
close margin of 400 votes, by which
the charter amendment embodying it
carried in the election in June, 1907.
Had the public realized the meaning
of the amendment, as they are begin
ning to realize now, it would probably
have been beaten.
It is not too late to change back the
method to that which has been in
force in Portland, in the past. It has
been fair to water consumers and
property-owners. It is in force in
practically every important city. In
the city election next June a suit
able amendment can be enacted, to
take effect before the new debt shall
be saddled irrevocably on taxpayers.
The public debt of Portland wiil be
stupendous even with the load thus
divided. This city has rushed into
debt with a careless air of "somebody
will pay; we'll not worry." Somebody
will pay, sure enough. It will be an
army of taxpayers and the cost will
be an increase of between one-third
and one-half in city taxes.
A WOBBLING HOBBY.
The three-cent-fare-municipal-own-ership
hobby which Mayor Tom
Johnson, of Cleveland, has been rid
ing for a good many years seems to
have become "winded" in the home
stretch, and is about to expire before
it reaches the wire. A Cleveland dis
patch in yesterday's Oregonian says
that the Ohio city has had three
months' experience under the new
law, and two of the three months
have shown a heavy deficit. The
operating expenses have been running
from $40,000 to $50,000 above the
earnings, and the deficit will be fur
ther increased after July 2 8, when
free transfers are to be given. Under
the present arrangement, the com
pany charges one cent for transfers,
and on some of the routes a three
cent fare in reality requires an addi
tional four cents in transfers before
the trip is ended. With this additional
revenue cut off. the deficit, which in
May reached $54,916, will be greatly
Increased.
There is also a suit in court for
enlargement of the zone in which" the
three-cent fare will be effective. It
will be remembered that in an effort
to make the receipts and disburse
ments approximate, an attempt was
made to reduce wages a few months
ago. This resulted In riot, the de
struction of considerable property,
and no visible reduction in the size of
the deficit. The service was reduced
in an effort to make up for the loss
suffered by the reduction, and some of
the lines were abandoned. This
method of economy was met with
mass meetings, at which the citizens
voiced their .indignation, and made
demand that the referendum be in
voked and the whole subject be gone
over again.
Tom Johnson, the erstwhile Idol of
the labor classes, has brought down
on his own head the wrath of his fol
lowers, because he attempted to make
them stand a portion ' of the cost of
the three-cent fare in the shape of re
duced wages. The end is not yet, but
it Is approaching, and when the final
returns are compiled, and the re
ceivership enters, it is not Improbable
that the fares will be restored, or at
least the municipal ownership fea
tures of the situation will be changed.
The way of the reformer Is not a path
of roses, and Mayor Johnson will do
well to begin looking for a new hobby
before the last expiring breath passes
from the one that has been ridden to
death.
NETW YORK, July 10 Ex-Justice Roger
A. Pryor, of ths fupreme Court, member of
the Confederate State Congress. Confeder
ate General and a life-long Democrat, cele
brated his SOth birthday yesterday. A few
friends called to see him and the large
desk in the library of his home in West
Blxty-nlnth street held two huge bunches
of beautiful flowers. But he spent the day
as he spends most of his time now with
his books and flowers. Associated Press.
Here Is a change from 1858-60.
Pryor was a fire-eating,, pro-slavery
Democrat, of the period antedating
the Civil War. As a member of Con
gress from Virginia he was one of the
most active and bitter of those Who
pushed the South into secession. His
aggressive fury was resisted in de
bate by John F. Potter, of Wisconsin.
Pryor challenged Potter, and the lat
ter named elghteen-inch bowle knives
as weapons; but Pryor'a seconds pro
nounced such combat "barbarous,"
and refused to fight. The affair cre
ated a prodigious uproar throughout
the country. Pryor's course, follow
ing that of Brooks of South Caro
lina, who had beaten Sumner into
insensibility in the Senate Chamber,
and then had challenged Burlingame.
of Massachusetts, who had denounced
the act, was one of the preludes to the
great struggle of arms. After the war
Pryor went to New York, where he
became a leading member of Tam
many. It was needless to say that
he has been "a life-long Democrat."
The American visible supply of
wheat is still gravitating to low levels,
the weekly statistics yesterday show
ing but 13,2.62,000 bushels, compared
with 46,635,000 bushels on the same
date last year. There is also a heavy
decrease in' quantities on passage,
which were 7,000,000 bushels less
than a year ago. Both America and
the Argentine are apparently getting
near the end of their resources for
old-crop shipment, the former ship
ping but 1,482,000 bushels last week,
while the Argentine, which a few
weeks ago was1 shipping more than
6,000,000 bushels par week, has now
dropped down to less than 2,000,000
bushels. Statistically the wheat situ
ation has seldom been stronger at the
opening of the season, but the price is
not advancing very rapidly on account
of the excellent crop prospects in the
Middle West and Southwest.
Now that the price of lumber is
down a little, it would be well for
many of the country school districts
to consider the matter of putting up
new school buildings. While many
of the country districts are already
provided with suitable buildings,
others have old structures, out of
date in plan as well as deteriorated
by age. There is nothing that makes
a community so attractive to home
seekers as good school facilities. The
first question asked by a family seek
ing to purchase land is, "What about
your schools?" A good school build
ing will easily add to the value of the
farm land In the district more than
the cost of the building. Public
schools, like public roads, are a good
investment, aside from the direct use
enjoyed by those who bear the ex
pense. Last Friday The Oregonian said:
"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." In contrast with
previous seasons, it is encouraging to
note that the first fatality in this state
did not occur until Saturday, fully
three days after the season opened.
Next year it may be postponed until
the fourth day, and some time "when
all life's lessons have been learned,"
men may exercise a little caution be
fore they pull the trigger, and there
will be no more of these needless
tragedies.
An Eastern railroad proposes to
post In a public place a report of the
mistakes and shortcomings of its em
ployes. The employes protest. But
is not sauce for the goose sauce for
the gander? Should not the fact be
publicly posted every time a railroad
company fails to provide a seat for
every passenger, every time it makes
an overcharge, every time it delays
shipment of freight and every time it
makes its employes work too many
hours or imposes upon them extra
hazardous duties? Would the railroad
company protest?
Peary is still in touch with civiliza
tion, and is sending ' back messages
reporting progress. It may be early
yet for the innovation, but. if Peary
fails to reach the pole, it is not im
possible that the next man to go after
it in earnest will have his ship equip
ped with wireless. With this appar
ratus, messages could be sent back
from beyond the icepack and the fate
of the missing men would no longer
be In doubt. It would be comforting
on a day like this to receive a few
"Marconlgrams" from up near the
pole.
Mr. Walker, the absconding banker
from Connecticut, has been appre
hended in Mexico and is now on his
way back to the scene of his crime.
On arrival at San Francisco he com
plained bitterly at the treatment he
received at the hands of the Mexican
authorities, who, he asserted, should
not have extradited him. Mr.
Walker's feelings were admirably ex
pressed by a poet, who many years
ago observed that:
No rogue e'er felt the halter draw
With good opinion of the law.
The white spirit of peace ought
to kick off her mantle, grab a club
and buy a trip ticket to Albany.-That
city is one of the best in the Willam
ette Valley and haa a Commercial
Club capable of doing it much good.
Yet there is a division of opinion of
its merits that is working harm, and
the worst of it is that it gets Into
print daily in one of the newspapers.
More club work of both kinds Is
needed.
Over in Aberdeen there is wild in
dignation among the City Councilmen
that they are made to pay their way
over a toll bridge. Why should a
City Councilman have to pay any
body for anything? Isn't he a City
Councilman?
Whatever may be said of Murderer
Conelll's scheme to get rid of the
woman and her friend at the same
time. It will be agreed that he did a
job both neat and commendable when
he turned the pistol on himself.
The news that civil war confronts
the Sultan and that seven thousand
soldiers have turned against him is
thrilling, of course; but what a wait
ing world wants to know Is where the
harem stands in this great crisis?
Mr. Bryan makes it clear that he
would rather have ten thousand one
dollar subscriptions than one ten
thousand dollar subscription. Don't
all speak at once.
That Colorado Springs conference of
Republican managers is being duly in
terspersed with automobile rides and
such. That ought to help a lot to win
the campaign.
General Kiefer says it will take a
miracle to elect Bryan. Does the
General really think that one miracle
can do it?
ORIGIN OF STATEMENT NUMBER 1
Editor Geer Says the Late Senator
Mitchell Wsi Ita Amthor.
Pendleton Tribune.
Within the past two years, that is,
since the life of the direct primary law
in Oregon, the inquiry ahas been made
many times as to who was the author
of that section which provides for
Statement No. 1, a feature of the law
which is universally admitted to be out
of place In a statute whose object is to
control nominations for official posi
tions, for the section providing for this
statement does not stop at the ter-
mlnntlnn nt t V. n r t n ( ,,
- aavau,uo.iii,UQ, UU B.H "
of Its other sections, but pursues the !
candidate after his election and seeks I
to control bis official actions after he
Is sworn Into office!
This, as we have said, is out of air
harmony with the declared purpose of
the law, for It Is a "nominating law"
and its operation ceases on the close of
the day of the primary election with
this exception, that section 13, alone of
all its sections, takes up a further
work and undertakes to govern an of
ficer in the performance of his official
duties.
Naturally, therefore. It has been
often the subject of speculation' as to
how this feature of a "nominating law"
found its way into its "midst."
The Tribune has It from unques
tioned authority that the late Senator
Mitchell was himself the author of the
famous Statement No. 1, and prepared
it and succeeded in having it incor
porated as a part of that innovation in
our election laws.
The history of the matter is that the
"holdup" session of 1897 was the result
of a minority of the members of that
body deciding that, since Mitchell's
election was certain to follow its or
ganisation, the only way to carry out
their "paramount Issue" would be to
fail to take the oath of office and thus
render It Impossible . to do atiy sort
of legislative work.
The prime mover as well as the
backbone of this "momentously nervy
scheme was Jonathan Bourne, who had
been elected a member of the House
from Multnomah County as a Mitchell
man, with the understanding that the
Senator would use his influence toward
securing Bourne's election as Speaker
of that body. ' But trouble arose be
tween the compactors to the compact In
the later Summer, when Bourne became
a supporter of Bryan for President,
while Mitchell supported McKinley.
e
This, of course, made trouble, the
promise to boost Bourne for the Speak
ership was considered nil and the am
bitious Representative proceeded to do
business in a way whose results are
well remembered to this day.
But Mitchell was elected again In
1901. A direct primary law was to be
enacted in 1904, and to guard against
any further Indulgence in the Bourne
tactics when his term should expire in
1907, he evolved the feature contained
in section 13, which provides for "bind
ing" members to not only 'support the
candidate for Senator who should re
ceive the highest vote, it being held by
the Senator, and doubtless correctly,
that In a contest before the people he'
would be that man; but the Legislative
candidate was required to say in his
petition for nomination that "if I am
nominated for the office of Senator or
Representative in the Legislature I will
accept the nomination, and, if i am
elected I will qualify as such officer."
Mitchell was elected to the Senate
four times, on two of which occasions
his success was brought about solely
through the aid of Democratic votes.
His insertion of Statement No. 1 was
to provide not only for the certain sup
port of the Democrats, but a method
which would probably force most of
the Republican members to take the
same pledge.
When the time came, however, for
the application of this principle to Ore
gon politics Mitchell's troubles had
overtaken him, and the irony of fate
stands prominently outlined against
the political sky in the fact that Jona
than Bourne himself was the man who
rode into the United States Senate as
his successor, and solely through .the
agency of this specially provided ma
chinery against a repetition of Bourne's
tactics!
Verily, politics Is mighty queer.
"FIRST" PARTY MUIR GLACIER
Many Persons Have Made the Jour
ney In Recent Years.
PORTLAND, July i9.(To Editor.)
Noticing the statement of Frank C.
Savage in this morning's Oregonian, that
his party recently "had the honor of being
the first people ever set ashore on Muir
Glacier, in Glacier Bay, Alaska," permit
me to say that 19 years ago this month,
Tyler Woodward, of this city; R. M.
Brewston, of Woodstock; the late ex-Governor
D. P. Thompson, and the writer,
were landed within a stone's throw of the
face of Muir Glacier, then towering 300
feet above the water in the bay, by the
good ship Carona, Captain Carroll; and
after passing with great difficulty over
the moraine on the left margin, we went
far out and onto the highest part of Muir
Glacier, then something worth seeing.
Muir Glacier is now less than one-third
the size it was then and will soon be a
thing of the past. The three gentlemen
above named were the pluckiest, best-informed
traveling companions imaginable.
C. E. CLINB.
Mr. Savage's statement will probably
also be disputed "by some thousands of
others who In the last quarter century
have made the same Journey to the sum
mit or crest of the glacier. All Alaska
excursion steamers for many years pene
trated Glacier Bay, prior to the earth
quake several years ego, and regularly
landed their passengers, who religiously
made the climb to the top of the glacier.
Possibly Mr. Savage meant that his party
was the first since the earthquake.
Mr. Kern's Fllarbtjr Political Faith.
New York Globe and Commercial
Advertiser (Ind.-Rep.)
Kern's political record i as varie
gated as that of his chief. There is
scarce a public question before the
American people which he has not both
opposed and supported. Early in 1896
he was a Gold Democrat. Later In the
same year he was shouting for Bryan
and free silver. He has been against
hauling down the flag in the Philip
pines and for hauling it down. Three
weeks ago he issued a statement in
which he said: "I am not in favor of a
plank declaring against injunctions,
and do not believe the .Democrats will
incorporate such a plank in the plat
form." Now Kern Is particularly
pleased because there Is an injunction
plank. Manifestly a fluttering and
flighty politician of a familiar type.
A NEW ARRANGEMENT.
Divisional Appropriation of the White
Heue.
Hearst's New York American.
In naming John W. Kern for Vice
President the Democrats selected the
personal counsel, the personal friend
and the personal choice of Tom Tag
gart, who dictated his nomination.
In the light of ithis choice Mr. Bryan's
offer to divide the White House with
Kern should he be elected presents
interesting possibilities.
Once in possession of a wing of the
White House. Mr. Kern may want to
divide it with Mr. Taggart, whose
natural Instinct would prompt him to
turn his half of the wing into a gambling-house.
Mr. Bryan, still being in possession
of more room than he needed for his
personal use. might then be disposed
to divide his wing with Thomas F.
Ryan.
Surely anybody good enough to de
liver the vote of Indiana and anybody
good enough to provide a campaign
fund are good enough to live in the
White House.
Kern has worn the Taggart tag since
he has been In politics. Taggart made
him City Attorney of Indianapolis.
Taggart had him twice nominated for
Governor, and in 1904 saw him defeat
ed by more than 90.000 votes.
Kern corralled the delegates for
Taggart at the St. Louis convention
four years ago, and, at Taggart's dic
tation, made a speech extolling Parker.
Serving on the committee on resolu
tions and on the sub-committee on cre
dentials, he made a platform that
suited Belmont and threw from the
convention hall hundreds of legally
elected delegates.
Subsequently he visited Judge Parker
and sought and got Taggart's appoint
ment as National chairman, the most
scandalous appointment made in any
party for many years.
At Taggart's trial for running a
common gambling - house at French
Lick Springs Kern was the lawyer for
the defense. As Mr. Bryan knew of
Kern's subserviency to Taggart when
he permitted Kern to be his Vice-Presidential
candidate, he probably would
see no objection to Taggart's residence
in Kern's half of the White House.
With Ktrn and Taggart In one wing
and Bryan and Ryan In the other, ac
celeration of the National currency
might be taken care of without much
help from the Secretary of the Treas
ury or the National banks.
BACK TO THE CAVE OF ADULLAM
Soclallat-Laborltes Mean 'Well but Are
Wrong In Philosophy.
Philadelphia Inquirer (Rep.) ,
The Soclallst-Laber party cast about
32,000 votes four years ago, and these
represented a lot of dissatisfied peo
ple who thought the country was being
joined by ita rulers and that society
was built on a false basis. There were
more votes cast in 1900, and what tha
number will be this November is prob
lematical, but is not likely to reach a
greater figure than four years ago.
These people are not to be condemned
out of hand nor laughed at. They have
a grievance which seems to them ec
important as to override all other con
siderations In politics.
It is a condition that has always ex
isted and which goes back historically
to the Cave of Adullam. There are
always with us the unfortunate, the
miserable, the people in debt and those
who see little ahead for them under
existing conditions. Their effort to im
prove their situation is not to be
sneered at, but to be treated with
kindness and consideration. The Socialist-Labor
platform Is based on an
tipathy to capitalism of every sort,
which it holds has captured in its own
interest the schools, the church and the
professions. It wants more than Karl
Marx ever demanded. It thinks there
is no property except in labor and that
an equal distribution according to the
amount of labor (by which It seems to
mean largely manual labor) of all the
property in the country Is the only
solution of the many ills that flesh Is
heir to.
This Is not new In theory nor has
there ever lacked a number of honest
men who have thought that this dis
tribution was for the general good. It
Is chimerical, of course, and It Is des
tined to constant failure until the
world is absolutely changed and hu
man nature put on a new basis. But
we must permit people to put forth
their protests, and in the coming cam
paign they will figure only as a little
faction of people who may mean well
but who are wrong in their philosophy.
NOW, SUPPOSE WE HAD A WAR
Would Yon Rather Have' Mr. Taft or
Mr. Bryan President f
New York Times
If it were true that we were going to
have a war with Japan or any other
power, it would come during this or
the next administration. War is not
one of those coming events that cast
their shadows years in advance. If
there were to be a war, does anyone
suppose that the American people
would hesitate in making their choice
between Mr. Taft and Mr. Bryan as
Commander-in-Chief of the National
forces? Neither of them has seen mili
tary services, although we believe
Colonel Bryan got as far as Florida
during our Spanish War, but that
makes no difference. The qualification
is mental and temperamental.
Wars may be averted by wise nego
tiation. Which would be the better
negotiator, Mr. Taft, who has had a
long and arduous experience In .Na
tional affairs, who knows the people of
the Orient, who has visited Japan,
knows its statesmen and its people, is
admired and respected by them, or Mr.
Bryan, who is quite unknown In any
field of negotiation save that of per
sonal and party politics, and whose
convention at Denver adopted a resolu
tion for the exclusion of Asiatic Im
migrants which has given offense at
Toklo?
We think the American people would
have little difficulty In coming to the
conclusion that if there is to be a war
Mr. Taft would be a safer and more
efficient person In the chief post of re
sponsibility than Mr. Bryan.
Undismayed.
New York Times.
He came -up smilln' used to say
He made his fortune that-a-way;
He had hard luck a-plenty, too.
But settled down an' fought her through;
An' every time he got a Jolt
He Jist took on a tighter holt.
Slipped back some when he tried to climb,
But came up smilln' every time.
He came up smlllln' used to git
His shar o' knocks, but he had grit.
An' If they hurt he didn't set
Around th' groe'ry store an' fret.
He Jlst grabbed Fortune by th- hair
An hung on till he got his share.
He had th- grit in him to stay
An' come up smilin' every day.
He Jist gripped hard an' all alone
Like a set bull-pup with a bone.
An' if he got shook loose, why then
He got up an' grabbed holt again;
He didn't have no time, he'd say.
To bother about yesterday.
An' when there was a prise to win
He came up smilln' an' pitched In.
He came up smilln' good fer him!
He had th' grit an' pluck an' vim.
6o he's on Easy street, an' dumed
If I don't think hut luck is earned!
No matter if he lost sometimes.
He's got th' stuff in him that climbs.
An' when his chance was mighty slim.
Ha oama up amtlUV Good fer him!
IN PRONOUNCING "LOS ANGELES'
Twelve Different Win. All Wrong and
Five Are Barbarous.
Charles F. Lummis. City Librarian of
Los Angeles, in the Hartford
(Conn.) Times.
It is a curious predicament when the
very inhabitants of an American city
call its name in no less than 12 differ
ent ways, of which all are wrong and
Ave are barbarous. This unhappy and
probably unique distinction belongs ,to
Los Angeles, Cal. Yet it is old enough
to be known better. It was probably
pronounced for more than a century
before the new immigrations set up so
tall a Tower of Babel.
The commonest and worst atrocity
sounds like "Lost Angia Lees" (as dis
tlngulshed by stress from a presump
tive Seraphina Lees, or Kittle Lees)
flat o. Jelly g, and those flowery beds
of ees upon which philology will never
be carried to the skies. I cannot recall
that any other city in the world is so
blithered, even by its strangest visitors.
Here are three massacres in only four
syllables. There is in Spanish no flat
o; there Is no "Oh, Gee!" and while
there Is our sound of double-e, it Is
written with an 1. It Is upon this spe
cial boggle-pronunciation that the
merry widow mind predicates its sorry
Jest of "City of Lost Angels."
Other pronunciations current even
here besides the "Loss Anjeloss" prac
tically confined to a few unaccllmated
persons are:
Loss ANGIE Less.
Loss ANG-eleez. .
Loss ANG-el-ess.
Loss ANN-Hell -Ees.
Loss ANN-Hell-Ess.
Loss ANN-Hay-Lace.
Loce ANN-Jell-Eez.
Loce ANN-Hay-Lace.
Loce ANG-EL-Eez.
It is a providence that no one yex
(so far as I know) has come to 'Xos
ANGEL Ease." But an Eastern paper,
sitting in judgment on our attempt to
clinch the fit pronunciation, solemnly
and editorially (if this be not tautol
ogy) assured us that the accent of the
chief word must come on Ita second
syllable; and that it is "an-HAIL-ace!"
So it is only a question of time before
some Abner Dean of Angels shall
"raise his point of order, when "
As this city was founded In 1781, and
then christened by a name already an
cient in a language which is one of
law; and as that name has only one
correct pronunciation, it seems to he
time to establish and make official the
due concord of sweet sounds The pop
ular difficulty lies chiefly with the g.
Spanish g before e has no preciee
equivalent In English. It is almost
exactly the German ch In "Buch."
Those who call the name "Ann Hell"
are less outlandish than the "Angle"
people; but they are still far from the
fact.
Quite as bad are those who give the
two e's the "day" sound (which c in
Spanish has only when accented) and
call the last word "ANN-Hay-Lace."
Thl Is Indeed a commonplace of the
two-bit "Spanish-in-24-Lessons" vocab
ularies; but is as offensive to the critic
as the jabber g. Despite notable geo
graphic differences, the e sounds are
lde-ntlcal in "heaven," "hell," and Los
Angeles.
The nearest that can be asked of busy
American population is our hard "g,"
as in "anger" and it's near enough.
For precislonists. It needs only to add"
a certain nasai to the hard g, bringing
it toward the- German ch. The o is
long, and the first word rhymes with
"dose." The e's are almost exactly
like e in "bed" and "yes."
There ia an attempt locally to secure
an official pronunciation of this honor
able name historic to .this city for
more than a century, and of course of
fame long before Portola picked and
named the site, and De Neve founded
this particular pueblo.
The following local Jingle covers the
case reasonably well:
"The lady would remind you, please.
Her name Is not
Lost Angle Lees,
Nor Angle anything whatever.
She hopes her friends will be so clever
To share her fit historic pride
The G shall not be Jellified.
O long, G hard, and rhyme with "yes.'
And all about
Loce Ang-el-ess."
Jos Mr. Bryan, Bryan, Bryan.
Indianapolis Star.
The Lincoln Commoner of July 10
reaches our desk with an unusually In
teresting and attractive array of mat
ter. The front page Is exclusively
given over to the portrait of a familiar
face. Pages 2, 3 and 4 give an inspire,
and not invidious account of a recently
and personally conducted convention at
Denver. Pages 5 and contain a cer
tain presumably immortal document
called a platform, carried out to Den
ver In two satchels. Page 7 elucidates
the tremendous fervor exciie-i at Den
ver by frequent mention of a certain
man s rrme. On other pases, the .lum
bers of which we are unable to give
for lack of s;ace, lmpassloiej eulogies
of the same heroic personage are faith
fully recorded. On the final page ap
pears the address of our hero to the
Pennsjlvanla delegates, punctured at
suitable Interval with "applause" and
great applause." .
By reference to the editorial page
subhead it is disclosed tha". the indi
vidual thus portraitured, eulogized; In
tel preted and applauded is not.e other
than the editor and proprietor of the
paper himself "the Hon. William Jen
nings Bryan." Editorial abandon of
this sort Is seldom equa'cd and nevtr
surpassed even in indlxna.
"To Destroy 'Our Party."'
Th Spectator (Portland).
Our Cousin Jonathan wants Mr. Taft
to announce himself in his succession.
"Taft," whispers Senator "Bourne from
amid the bandages and splints and plaster
casts and other last aids to the injured,
"should declare when his party or elec
torate relives him of service that he will
In no manner attempt to select his suc
cessor other than to give loyal support to
his party's selection."
For a badly wounded man, that ls a
savage utterance. It means that Mr.
Roosevelt did more than give his loyal
support to his party's selection. But it is
not as bitter as our Cousin Jonathan's
further statement that "the means used
to nominate Taft may be potential enough
to destroy our party." Bitter, eh? But
"our party!" What party does our cousin
refer to? Any of the lately deceased
parties to which he belonged, or the party
which elected him to the United States
Senate? He surely cannot be speaking of
the Republican party. Such talk would
be high treason. Still. Senator Bourne
Is hardly responsible for what he says;
some allowance must be made for one
who Is just emerging from the Influence
of an anaesthetic. Probably, it ls the gas
that ls talking.
Expert Advice About Sharks.
PORTLAND, Or., July 20. (To the
Editor.) I see that there is a plague
of sharks off the coast. As a fisher
man, having caught sharks on a single
bowline from the yardarm on ships in
the South Atlantic, in Charleston Har
bor and Galveston Bay. I offer the rem
edy in use there to keep sharks from
biting. It was to heat a common hard
brick redhot, dip it in flapjack batter
and throw it to the shark in sight.
When thie hot bunch is swallowed by
the critter he loses all desire to bite
anyone. This remedy has been tried on
many occasions and It never falls. Or
take a sharp sheath knife1 with a lan
yard looped around the wrist, Jump
overboard when the shark shows him
self, and when he turns over, carve
him. DR. NET CHURCHMAN.
i