Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 1908)
TITE MORXIXG OREGONIAN, T1TTJRSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1908. 8 Entered at Poniard. Oregon. Postortlca aa Second-Claa Matter. bobacriplloD Kalre InrarUMr 1b Advance. Br Mall) Dally. Sunday Included, ona year. w 1:1. Sunday included, si montha.... J Li!y. Sunday Included, three rnontna. l)liy. Sunday Included, ona month l)ai;y without Sunday, one year Ualiy. without Sunday, a'.x montha..... uz' laily. without Sunday, thrie months., l i l'aily. without Sunday, ona month Sunday, one year Z ii.t Sunday and Weekly, ona year ou (By Carrier. rat:v. Sunday Included, ona year...... Daily. Sunday Imluded. ona month How o Krmlt Send postofflca money ordr. eipreas order or personal check on yuur local bank. Stamps, coin or currency a.e at the Kua.-r'i risk. Give postofliee ad dress In full. Including- county and state. Iotage Kutra 10 to 14 pages. 1 rent: 1J to -s i.Lg. 2 cents: 30 to 44 pages. 4 centn: 4i to 0 pagea. 4 cents. Foreign post age double ratea Kattrrn Uainrs Office The S. C. Beck wMh Kneelal Agency M York, rooma 48 0 Tribune but. cling. Chicago, rooma 610-&12 Tribune building. PORTLAND, THURSDAY. AIG. . l0. THE SOCIALIST'S DREAM. "It is the system that is wrong," the Socialist orator and Publicist tells us. "We are not fighting individuals; we make war lor our deliverance from the system." What Is meant by "the system"? "Unequal division of property, private ownership of Jand and ma chinery, direction of industry by In dividual or corporate ownership, de nial to workmen of the results pro duced by their labor, and wage Slav try." It has a formidable appearance, stated thus; but what is offered as a remedy? "Appropriation by the states of all the land and all the means of production, and distribution, and award by the state to each and every person of the full fruits of his labor." Then," said an orator on the street, last night, "the women on Snob Hill will no longer go shopping In their carriages, while our wives and daugh ters have to work In Mother Hub bard's." But It Is not the sole pur pose of socialism to compel the women to change pluces. This is merely an Illustration. The state Is to be the manager, the director, the employer and the pay master. John Spargo, a recognized uuthority, thus presents the pro gramme: "Socialism means that all those things upon which the people in common depend shall by the people In common be owned and adminis ttred. It means that the tools of em ployment shall belong to their ere ctors and users; that all production shall be for the direct use of the pro ducers: that the making of goods for prollt shall come to an end: that we shall all be workers together; and that opportunities shall be open and eijual to all men." Is it a practical or practicable pro gramme? Would all opportunities then be open and equal to all men? Not unless all differences of ability, of capacity and of talent were abol ished; for the world has long been accustomed to the belief, gained from experience, that some men can do things that others can't. When the making of goods for profit shall come to an end, of course the growing of crops for profit will some to an end also; for the state will be the owner as well as the tiller of the land. In this fine programme who Is to do the rough work and the dirty work? We shall probably put our Jewelers to the plough and our bank ers sweeping the streets and to cart ing oft the garbage. You may depend the philosophers of the system, lyho preach in the public places, or exploit the system through the socialist prints, will never do any of these use ful and necessary things. Not all the power of the new Ideal state could compel them. If they would work, now, they would make more than ever they could get under their Ideal system. The existing system, with which they declare themselves at war. Is the fruit of universal human experience. In all countries and all times. It Is a necessary consequence of man's po sition on the earth. It has grown up under his effort, through ages, to adjust himself to his situation and en vironment. Some changes have been made In details, due to advancing science and to Improvement of meth ods;' but the conditions are substan tially the 6ame as under first civiliza tions. The main difference between present conditions and those of ear lier civilizations has arisen from abandonment of slavery or slave labor. Kvon this has been only a rtcent change. Yet the socialist state would mean a retvrn merely to slav ery, and to the most rigorous system o' slavery the world has ever seen, for it would be an attempt to en fcrce universal compulsory labor, un der direction of the state, leaving no hope to the Individual of escape from it, or of betterment of his condition In it. It goes so violently against good sense and common judgment that it Is really an idle thing to talk about. "But the existing system is wrong, and socialism Is a protest against the system." The root of this wrong system is In the fundamental con dition In which man was placed on the earth. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." If this Is a curse every attempt to escape it be comes more truly a curse. It Is no answer to say that some, even many, eat bread who have not earned It; for somebody has earned it. somebody lias accumulated It through industry, trade or business, and passed It on to his descendants; and the state can only exist by careful protection of r'ghts of property, with regulations over its descent to the natural suc cessors. This is universal in human society; it conforms to experience, to nature and to reason. Personal In itiative on the one hand, and protec tion of the rights of property on the other both of which the socialist scheme would destroy are the basis of all civilized states and of all the progress of mankind; and the purpose to destroy them is as chimerical as any dream that ever played in a mad man's brain. Perhaps It Is a fault to give it any serious treatment or con sideration. The farmer whose land Is produc ing a steadily decreasing yield per acre has nothing to be proud of, how ever great the quantity may be. De teriorating productiveness must sooner or later reach the point where expense exceeds the revenue. There is always a promising future for the farm so managed that fertility Increase rather than diminishes from year to year. This desirable condition can be at tained by an Intelligent system of ro tation of crops, and by use of such fertilizers as can be secured by .every farmer. It behooves not nly the In dividual farmer, but the agricultural community as well, to see that the best modern methods of agriculture are pursued. When the Individual farms of a community have become poor and unproductive the whole dis trict assumes an appearance of retro gression and lack of thrift. Local agitation and education are necessary In order to induce the less progressive to adopt the agricultural policies which bring Increasing, instead of de creasing wealth. No one wants to lo cate In a farming district that has failure staring out from every strag gling fence, broken gate, tumbling barn and barren field. All homeseek- ers are attracted by the prosperous appearance of productive fields and well-kept premises. The progressive farming community has a double ad vantage it reaps the larger harvests of well-managed fields and receives the aid of those Investors who seek only thrifty localities in which to pur chase property. Of the farmer who adopts modern methods it may be truly said, "to him who hath shall be Eiven." and of the careless or unpro gresslve, "from him who hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." RKTRAYINO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. There comes from Tacoma a bit of interesting testimony a personal con fession from an itinerant newspaper writer printed on this page toaay, that he, a Democrat, registered as a Republican, for the Oregon primaries. This particular perjurer glories in his dishonest deed. "Everything's fair in lnvo war and nolitics." he cries. Hardly; but the Democrat who wants results, doesn't hesitate to pursue any kind of game, fair or unfair, in Ore gon, to get them. Therefore, hun dreds and even thousands of Demo crats last Spring registered as Re publicans in order to control the Re publican primaries, and name the weakest men that such' candidates might be beaten in the regular elec tion. So Cake was defeated by Cham berlain. But it is now denied by some that Democrats ' voted as Republicans, though it was notorious; it was spoken of constantly; the newspapers were full of it; George H. Thomas, chairman of the Democratic county committee of Multnomah, said he was aghast at the perjury of Democrats, well-known, lifelong Democrats, who registered falsely as Republicans. Did Mr. Thomas know what he was talk ing about? He did, of course, as everybody else knew who took the trouble to Inquire. In one county, Marion, a single citizen reported that rorntrnized on the Republican rolls forty tried and true Democrats. Why were these faithful partisans thus traitorously sneaking into the enemy's camp and enlisting under his flag, if not to betray him? They did be tray him. as the result proved. But how are we going to stop it until men become honest, which, in such a mat ter. Is hopeless to expect; or until the primary law Is amended? A FEW LESSONS FROM JACKSON REID. The observant reader will draw one ominous conclusion at least from the account of the murder of De Mars by the boy Jackson Reld. He cannot fall to perceive that the lessons in immunity for crime which the courts have" been teaching so long and so as siduously have penetrated deep and wide throughout society. In answer to the first question he was asked after the crime, the boy was ready with his specious plea, and it was one which has played a conspicuous part In dozens of farcical murder trials. "I did it in self-defense," he said. "De Mars was after my dog and threatened that he woutd get me after he had done with the dog." Is not this the very language of the crimi nal pettifogger? Jackson must have been a more diligent student of -the court reports than of his school books, and the lessons he has learned are portentous. How many other boys have been pursuing the same course ot instruction? How many lawyers and Judges stop In the midst of those scholastic technicalities which dis courage Justice and foster crime to think of the teaching they are offer ing to school boys? Is it not strange that a boy eleven years old should have at his tongue's end a technical plea In justification of murder? Is it not stranger still that his first thought, when De Mars offended him. should have been to shoot? Is it not strangest of all that the deadly revolver should have been lying within reach of the children, that Jackson's little sister knew ex actly where to find it, and that she obeyed without hesitation when the boy ordered her to go and get it? All this tells us terrible tales of the instruction which the administration of the criminal law has imparted to the rising generation, but it tells tales also of the discipline and nurture of the Reld children. How many times must not Jackson have heard his step-father threaten to shoot some body before the idea of, murder be came so familiar to him? What sort of daily conversation must have taken place in the family to make the little children so knowing about "trespass"? Two men peaceably passing their gate were hailed as trespassers by these ex traordinary children and the dog was set upon them. What sort of civi lization is this to be flourishing on the outskirts of Portland? Is the Reid family a group of Ishmaelltes with its hand against every man? What sort of parents are they who permit their children to keep a dog so savage that he tore the clothes of a passerby to rags the other day? What excuse is there for permit ting such a beast to exist in the city? What use had the Reld family for him except, to help In their contentions about "trespass"? It is only people of a certain character who like to possess these savage dogs. Against burglars and so forth they are of no use, since it is the easiest thing in the world to poison them, but in neighborhood quarrels they are ines timable. ' This one has been the oc casion for a murder. Revolvers, snarling dogs, family conversations about crime and defensive court pleas, and a mother who is so concerned about her soul that she overlooks the conduct of her children, how beauti fully all these things harmonize with one another. When Jackson shot De Mars, his mother was attending a meeting of the devotees of "The yVorld'a Advanced Thought." If sh had been home switching him for his precocious quarrelsomeness. It would have been better. Much good her advanced thought has done the boy. Much comfort it will be to her now that he has committed murder. There are a great many other people who, like Mrs. Reld,' spend their time speculating about advanced thought, their souls, God and the future world, when there is plenty in this world of a very material and practical char acter to occupy all their energy if they would attend to it. The most advanced thought we know anything about is the very ancient precept that when a person has undertaken obli gations he ought to fulfill them. This especially applies to mothers or boys We assure all these -women that if they will attend to their children, they need not worry about their souls. The Lord will look after them better than any advanced thought disciples possibly can. THE TlUN OF THE TIDE. There are very few American Indus tries that now fall to reflect some Im provement n the commercial situa tion. On account of the magnitude of its business, the quarterly statement of the steel trust is an exceptionally val uable business barometer. This state ment, which appeared a few days ago showed June earnings of J7, 482, 797, the highest figure reached this year, although quite naturally the compari son with the $15,000,000 profits of June, 1907, is unfavorable. Not only were the June earnings the largest for any month this year, but the earnings for the second quarter of 1908 were more than J2, 000,000 In excess of those of the first quarter. This re covery is, of course, far from phenom enal, when the magnitude of the bust ness is considered, but It shows quite effectually that the turn of the tide has been reached, and there are bet ter times ahead. These earnings represent past condi tions, and It is in the outlook for the future that the most encouraging signs appear. Accompanying the re port Is a statement that the average daily bookings for the first twenty-four days in July are in excess of 26,000 tons per day, an amount equivalent to 75 per cent of the capacity of the mills. This new business was distrib uted over a wide range, covering prac tlcaily all grades of finished steel, with the exception of rails, for which there has been but little improvement In de mand. While the American public can readily understand that there is cause for rejoicing over increased earnings, even for the iniquitous steel trust, it is not at all clear that the re turn of former prosperous conditions would not be hastened if the trust would make still further concessions in the price of steel. Reduction In prices would encour age the demand so that. Instead of working the mills at 75 per cent of the capacity, as now seems an occasion for congratulation, they could be worked up to their full capacity. The prl mary reason for failure of the rail roads to buy rails at this time is their Inability to induce capital to buy rail road securities until It has been defi nitely settled that the good are no longer to be forced to suffer with the bad in the drastic railroad regulation that has been so much in evidence during the past year. There is an other reason, however, and that is the belief that the price of steel rails is susceptible of still further reduction in prices, without impoverishing the philanthropists who dominate the pol icy of the greatest trust on earth. WHERE THE BLAMELESS SUFFER. Several thousand employes of the Canadian Pacific railroad have struck for higher wages and fears are en tertained that the great system will be completely tied up. As a rule, the parties most seriously affected by a strike are the employers and the em ployes. Ths strike is usually precip itated because one side or the other is unwilling to continue on an exist ing basis of labor and remuneration. But no sooner Is the strike declared than its effect is felt throughout a wide field which theoretically has no direct Interest in the controversy. This is especially true of the railroad strike, for the reason that practically all lines of Industry are dependent to a certain extent on the railroads. The public does not directly share in the wages that the Canadian Pacific boilermakers earn, neither does it par ticipate in the dividends earned by the road; but' every time there is a strike brought about over the unsatisfactory dimensions of the wages or the divi dends, the public suffers and suffers much. In this respect, the present strike of the Canadian Pacific employes prom ises to be a very serious matter. There is an Immense crop of grain ready for harvest and, unless men can be brought into the country by rail, much of It will be lost. The hard-working immigrant - who, after two or three years of work and self-denial. In the new Northwest, Is this year about to harvest his first crop, will with diffi culty understand why he should lose his crop simply through a falling out between the railroad company and its employes over a matter of wages. Herein lies the injustice of the strike, and it is this feature which causes the great public that foots the bill3 and suffers the discomforts, to lose patience with both the employ ers and the labor unions which de clare strikes. The system which pre cipitates such conflicts Is all wrong, for it forces 1,000,000 innocent people to suffer loss and discomfort, while a few hundred Immediately Interested are settling their differences. COLORED SHIRTS. Beware of the colored shirt. Shun the bandana handkerchief. An article in The Literary Digest proclaims that they are traitors to health. Not be cause of the dye stuff in them, al though that has its demerits upon oc casion, but because they are specious devices to conceal dirt. The man who wears a white cuff must keep it spot less. He must change his garment the moment the first speck appears. Otherwise . it becomes an unsightly reproach which publishes to every body his niggardliness or slovenliness. But a colored garment may be worn on and on indefinitely. Its brilliant red'or hydrangea blue can conceal any number of spots. The dirt may ac cumulate upon It until it peels off like the layers of an onion and still the garment will look well. It follows that' a man who wears a pink shirt confesses to all the world that he is unable or unwilling to pay laundry bills. Since cleanliness is next to godliness, ha admits that his religious convictions are precarious. Worst of all, he endangers his health by accommodating colonies of ml crobes. Thus much from The Liter ary Digest. It must not be forgotten, however, that white shirts are not al together Innocuous.- Who has not suffered from pimples and sore places on his neck where the stiff white collar, rubs? The intractable fabric first breaks the skin and then with its starch poisons the wound. More over, collars and bosoms which re semble pieces of plank prevent th skin from doing its duty by the body They keep the perspiration in and fend oft the life-giving breezes. One concludes, therefore, that if a colored shirt indicates a jparsimdhious dlspo fcitlon, a Btarched garment suggests that the wearer values his vain pride above his health. Why not dress for comfort first and show a long way afterward? The white shirt which is free from starch would appear to meet all objections. It is indeed a perfect garment. . All it lacks is beauty. But "Why should our gar ments, made to hide our parents' shame, provoke our pride? Let me b- dressed gay as I will, bugs, worms and bees exceed me still." So sings Dr. "Watts, and to our mind he sings wisely. The "Watson family" Tom, of of Georgia, and Citizen D. M., of Port land are not in strict accord regard lng the possibilities of Bryan's suc cess. Their views, in fact, are as far apart as their respective homes. Tom of Georgia, has difficulty in finding a sufficient number of printable terms in which to express his opinion of the Platte statesman, and predicts defeat so overwhelming that Democracy will no longer be Bryanized, Citizen D. M. returns to Portland with advice to "bet all your money on Bryan to win, and all you can borrow." It is difficult to determine which of these Watsons Is right, but. In all fairness. it must be remembered that Tom is speaking from personal knowledge gained while serving as a running mate, and his words are entitled to consideration. Perhaps it would be safer to split the advice given by Cit izen D. M. and simply bet our money, reserving the "borrowing" power un til after election, when it might be useful in case the. "sure thing" goes astray. The stage settings, the gun work and the principals in that Idaho tragedy, reported in yesterday's news columns, were lurid and realistic enough for anything ever related of the frontier tales of a generation ago. When Dan Carr, the rancher, met the rustlers, ac cording to the Lewiston special, "a fusillade of shots greeted the rancher, but Carr killed Moore at the first shot wounded Rice with a bullet through the neck, and sent a ball through the right arm of Reed." This was not only in accordance with the dime novel tale, but it was also strictly in keeping with the way those things are done In the yellow "mellow-drammer. for Carr was an honest, hard-working rancher, and the bad men who stopped his bullets were cattle rustlers and very undesirable citizens. The West still retains some of its picturesque but deadly features. Another three-cent advance was scored in the Chicago wheat market yesterday, on the strength of bad crop news in the Dakotas and other points where rust is appearing. Foreign news is also of a "bullish" nature, and, until harvesting in this country Is pretty well over in the Spring wheat districts, there will be enough uncer tainty in the situation to prevent very much short selling. Locally, buyers have been making some heavy pur chases at prices far above the market value, all of which is very pleasant for the farmer, but far from profit able for the buyers. The Inability of the call board to be of any advantage in Portland, Is shown by the pur chase by Portland buyers of more than 1,000,000 bushels of wheat In the past ten days, while not a single bushel has been bought or sold on the board. The decision to exclude cocaine from the mails shows that the Post office Department abounds in good in tentions. Its wisdom is not so evi dent. Efforts to make the postoffice a general censor of morals and man ners never have succeeded very well in other countries and are not likely to fare much better here. The fool and his drug will come together in spite of all impediments. Meantime, the postoffice seems to be acquiring a habit of meddlesomeness which ia as bad as cocaine. . Most of the exempt property in Ore gon belongs to individuals or socle ties which are abundantly able to pay taxes upon it. Moreover, it enjoys the protection of the law precisely the same as other property. In all fair ness, either the farmer and .small householder should enjoy a reason able exemption or the property now exempt should be taxed. The law should have no favorites. The perfect airship must carry "a liE-VitnlnE- rod- So much we learn from Count Zeppelin's mishap. Around the airship of the balloon type dangers multiply faster . than Ingenuity can resolve them. The simple truth seems to be that the practicable vehicle for tr-ovcroino- thA air must evolve from Professor Langley's aeroplane and not from the balloon. A Chicago woman, devotee' of the "higher thought." says she has fallen heir to a $20,000,000 estate In Scot land. That is, she thinks she has. The higher thought works wpriders. There is no need, of course, for Governor Chamberlain to be nervous about the Legislature. That's a mere formality. Hasn't he been "elected Senator by the people? Count Zeppelin solved the problem of aerial navigation, and then his ship blew up. Those balloons are all right if they don't explode or something else doesn't happen. Mr. Harriman objects to all refer ences to Oregon as "my (meaning "his") territory. Can he mean that It belongs to Mr. Hill? That Guild's Lake murder came about as usual, through the circum stance of having a loaded pistol handy about the house. We shall all be glad to welcome those pay-as-you-enter cars. But we hope we won't have to pay when we can't enter., NEW SCHEME3 FOB COOLING FRUITS Then Our Cherries May Be Served Freah to New Yorlc. Sew York Times. Salem, Oregon, has Just held a cherry fair, at which were exhibited the cher ries of the Willamette Valley, cherries one and three-eighths Inches In diame ter, ripe, luscious, endeared to the Ore gonians by a Juiciness that has pre vented their successful shipment East. Of cherries of the Pacific Slope we taste only the drier varieties. The Royal Anne, which is the standard French white cherry, has attained to a melting perfection in the Willamette Valley, while the American Bing, Lambert and Hosklns cherries are even more highly prized by the connoisseurs of Yamhill County. The Portland Oregonian, how ever, predicts that the choice Pacific cherries, loganberries and other tender fruits, may soon delight the palates of Manhattan gourmets. The fruit will be cooled before it is put into refrigeration for shipment. Cooling stations are to be built at points from Oregon to Lower Califor nia, into which loaded cars will be run, after which, the temperature being promptly reduced to the right point, the cars will be packed with ice and start ed Eastward. By the old way the tem perature of perishable fruits plucked In the hot sunshine and 'immediately dispatched had not fallen sufficiently before the Journey across the continent was half over. The preliminary cool ing plan will allow picking fruits at a riper stage, and will reduce the wast age during transportation 3000 miles to their best market. JOHN SMITH AND PARCELS POST ShowlaK How This Nation Ia In the Grip of the Express Trust. New York World. John Smith, of New York, can now send parcels-post packages to any point in Bolivia or Peru for 12 cents a pound, a watchful government having made, a new treaty. The distance being approximately 4000 miles and the routes slow, circuitous and difficult the rate is a bargain, but as Smith probably knows not a soul in Peru or Bolivia It is of little use to htm. Mrs. Smith is in Asbury Park, N. J., for the Summer. The distance Is an easy thiry-flve miles, wholly within the United States and much travelled, but Smith cannot mail her a five-pound package of Summer novels at any price whatever. He must employ a private monoply and pay the rate fixed by It for this very profitable interstate ser vice. It does no good for Smith person ally to get warm under the collar at this absurd condition of things. But If Brown, Jones, Robinson and all the rest of them work together they may vet impress on Congress a sense of 'shame that the United States lags far behind the world in mall facilities. When We FIht In the Air. Philadelphia Press. It was only two years ajter Trafalgar was fought that Fulton sailed up the Hudson In his steamboat. In a very short time men-of-war that were pro pelled by galls were put out of commis sion by the steamers. About midway between Fulton's day and our own two lronclade met in bat t,'e In Hampton Roads, and the deatH knell of all wooden warships was sounded at that hour. One little iron sheathed monitor could sink all of Nel son's fleet. Since the first Monitor and the Merri mac had their memorable fight there has been such a rapid advance in the way of size, armor and guns that one Dreadnought today could whip a dozen first-class battleships of a decaU ago. But the only thing revolutionary in the last quarter of a century has been mainly in the way of bigness of chip and caliber of gun. Has the time now arrived when an other new Invention is to annihilate existing navies. Count Zeppelin's flight in his wonderful airship may well cause the profound attention of Europe and elsewhere which it has created. Who can tell In how short a time the first battle is to be fought in air? And who cannot picture the uselessness of floating hulks of Bteel when that day arrives! Japan in South America. New York Tribune. The Japanese overtures to Chile for closer diplomatic and commercial rela tions are a noteworthy sign of the times, indicating the untiring enter prise with which Japan is reaching ouf into all parts ot tne gioDe in ner campaign for mecantlle pre-eminence. She is Inviting Chile, one of the most prosperous and progressive of Sourh American states, to be represented at the Toklo Exposition, and proposes to establish a legation at the Chilean cap ital. Naturally Japanese merchants and students will settle in Chile, and be fore long a Japanese steamship line will connect Yokohama with Valparaiso and Japanese Industries will compete with those of Europe and America in the Chilean market. London Times praises Our Athletes. Boston Post The London Times, among English n a-n' orto nara nnmmpntlnff without Pfln- cor on the Olympic games makes frank admission that in speea ana nirengui the British are far behind the Amer icans. "Thev were as amateurs." says the Times, "as compared with pro fessionals, ine lesson wiiicu mo English writer draws from these facts to that thn mothnrift of tralnlnsr there are antiquated, good enough at home, but insufficient when competing against the world. There Is some- v. , tn tula Tlia AmArlrana are called "businesslike athletes." But it is simply that here the means are Detter adapted to the end, and the spirit of sport is not deteriorated. Pointed Paragraphs. Chicago News. The sliver question Is it 'solid or only plated? Opportunities and shrewd politicians wear rubber shoes. The man who plants a ladder never knows what may come up. It takes the strongest kind o: love to survive the onion test. Too much of the love Cupid hands out is of the cold-storage brand. The child with a mind of its own seldom cares to mind its parents. A progressive man is apt to get nis back up when asked to come down. Where Presidents Are Made. Chicapn Tnter Ocean. Chicago Is the center and metropolis of the region where Presidents are ade. The East contributes campaign. fur nds and votes sometimes, and al- , ays in Pennsylvania to the making f Republican Presidents. The moun ilns and the Pacific Coast contribute .h,,.i.. Rut the Middle West the Mississippi Valley does the hard and sober thinking that moves the Nation to action and manes i-resi- dents. Swarms of Bugs Darken a Town. Baltimore News. Recently at La Crosse, Wis., people were compelled to stay indoors on ac count of swarms of bugs, which were so thick that at times the town was in semi-darkness. Pet Carp Bats Out of Owner's Hand. Trenton N. J.) Dispatch. Otto Evers, a farmer living near New ton. N. J., says he has a pet carp that sits in his lap and eats out of his hand. MR. ALBERT MAKES EXPLANATION Thinks The Oregonla Misunderstood Him, and Says Just What He Meant. SALEM, Or., Aug. 4. (To the Editor.) The temper of your comment on my communication of yesterday In your paper of today indicates an Inexplicable misconception on your part of the tenor and motive of my article. What I wrote was in no sense a criticism of your editorial, but only contrasted the results of the Presidential and Guber natorial elections in the past, referring to the "Kilkenny" conditions In the Re publican party In the East and at home, which led to the election of Governor Chamberlain to the Senate, concluding that the dissensions still exist, Intensi fied by the pending strife between Chairman Cake and Committeeman Williams for the possession of the cam paign sack, would logically lead to the defeat of the Taft ticket here in No vember. I could not have misunderstood you? views in the premises, so plainly indi cated In the conclusion of your edi torial referred to, as well as by your statement in an adjoining column of the same issue: 'Possibly Oregon may be carried for Taft. It is a possibility only," your conclusion being based en the very conditions in the Republican party upon which I based my belief In the probable defeat of Taft, in my com munication. As to your charge, "Mr. Albert makes a misstatement when he says The Ore gonian claims this Is a cock-sure Re publican state," I can only say that I made no such accusation against The Oregonian, but It would stand again nearly all other Republican newspapers in the United States and the jingoes at home. When I said, "How can you consist ently place Oregon In 1908 in the col umn of cock-sure Republican states," I used the pronoun "you" in the general sense In which you frequently use It. The Standard Dictionary says: "'You' is often used indefinitely like 'one' or 'they,' for persons not specified, etc." It was in this sense I used the word In the (to you) objectionable sentence. I again disavow any Intention of accus ing The Oregonian of a belief that Taft will carry this state In November. If you still fear my language may be mis understood by your readers, to your detriment, I hereby publicly express re gret for my poor diction, Imputing the result to my faulty rhetoric and not to any bluntness of acumen on your part. I am not a politician and hav; no knowledge of illegal registration here, nor have I noticed any prosecutions for perjury In Multnomah County for such cause. I take Issue with you upon the statement: "It is not true that an un trammeled vote deliberately chose Chamberlain for United States Sjna tor." admitting the truth of your state ment that "Republicans refused to be bound by the result," and so bolted their own party nomination. I assume that deliberately voting for Chamber lain some six weeks afterward evi denced the fact that they were un trammeled. J. II. ALBERT. Surd By Miss La Follettr. Chicago dispatch to Kansas City Star. On behalf of Miss Fola LaFollette, daughter of Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin, a motion to set aside the bankruptcy of the Will J. Block Amusement Company was filed In the United States District Court. That she was engaged to play a role In a production that was never staged and as a result of which she failed to receive a weekly salary of $50 is alleged by the daughter of the Wis consin senator. Miss LaFollette avers she was employed for a period of thirty weeks to star in the production. The amusement company not only failed to produce the play but forgot to release Miss LaFollette from her con tract, and the season passed before the young actress was able to obtain other employment There are vague promises of good things in other plays. Miss LaFollette alleges, but none was forthcoming, and the amusement company even went in to bankruptcy without the young woman's knowledge she declares. For all of this. Miss LaFollette asks damages. The Orearon Idea. Tacoma Tribune. Under the direct primary law. The Oregonian laments, Oregon Democrats reKlstered as Republicans, helped to nominate the weakest Republican can didate for the Senate, and in the gen eral election voted for the Democratic candidate. The Oregonian Is correct. The writer of this paragraph did that very thing, believing that the public welfare required it. The Oregonian says that's stuffing the ballot-box. Stuff and nonsense! Everything's fair in love. war and politics. The scheme Is practical and beautifully simple. Wonder If It can't be utilized In Wash ington? Keep quiet about It, ye Demo crats. The Republicans have heard from Oregon and they have their eye on you. Rescued Rabbit Strands an Auto. Eastport, L. I., Despatch. A rabbit whose life he instinctively saved stranded Richard B. TUling hast's automobile and gave him and a Miss Tooker, his companion, a four mile walk. The rabbit Jumped into the path of the machine near Riverside, and caused him to swerve into the woods, thereby imperiling his life and that of Miss Tooker. Disregarding all risk. Mr. Tilllnghast swung the steer ing wheel to the left, carrying the big machine off the embankment and In to the woods. Fortunately the resist ing bushes stopped the car before It upset, and the occupants escaped-without injury. They could not get the car on the road again and had to walk four miles to the nearest hotel- New-Old Remedy to Prevent Iron Rust. Shipping World. It is announced from Blackburn, Lan cashire, that an important discovery has been made which will be of great value to shipping in the preservation of Iron and all other material name to rust ana deterioration by weeping. The substance Is a liquid paint, the principle or wnicn is believed by experts to be an old Ro man secret, which has been lost 4 to the world for 700 years. Publicity Withheld. " Chicago Inter Ocean. What we would like to know is. Why doesn't the Independence League pub lish he name of Its campaign sub scriber, as a matter of justice to the latter? Rural Joys. Chicatro, News. The cattle stand beneath the treei And flKht the files tha livelong day. The meadow lark haa ceaaed to alng. The bobolink haa gone away. The cherries ere they could be canned Were seized by birds aa contraband. The warm nights force the growth of corn. The streams abound with infant trout. The cabbage worm is trying hard To knock the crop of sauerkraut. And where we planted flowers last Spring We cannot find a single thing. rr-. ,. tt -iri from far away Has donned a brassy coat of tan And squeals at little garter snakes. Hoping to bring the only man. The man himself is fighting mad He has hay fever very bad. The mower of the ripened hay While eteering on the starboard tack Ran on a neat of bumble bees And weara a Doultlce on his back. The haying'a almost done at last. Geel How'a the Summer's flying past! KENTUCKY'S BITTER TOBACCO WAR Tfar Years of Barn-Burning, Cro- Destroyln and Personal A'iolence. Chicago Record-Herald. For the last three years organized and unorganized tobacco planters have been at war In Kentucky, with the re sult that there now exists in the state "a condition of affairs that Is almost without parallel In the history of the world," nccording to H. A. Vivian, who has investigated conditions In the region of "night riders" and writes about them In the New York Times. "Disrespect and disregard of law and order prevail; the wanton destruction of property Is a dally occurrence and passes unpunished, Indeed, almost un noticed, save by those Immediately concerned," writes Mr. Vivian. "The taking of human life is alarmingly frequent, and in some sections of the state men and women dread the hours of darkness. "Kentucky's tobacco war Is an old story. The deeds of the so-called 'night riders' have been chronicled from time to time in news dispatches and in magazine articles. The war Is very nearly over. The night riders have about accomplished the end they sought. And yet conditions in the state, despite the earnest protests of her citizens to the contrary, are not Improved, but unquestionably are actu ally more serious than they were some months ago. This Is true not so much because of the outrages that are being committed from time to time, but be cause of the complacency with which the existing state of things Is regard ed by a community of educated, civil ized people. "To one of unbiased mind who trav els through Kentucky in these days and talks with farmers, tobacco-growers, land-owners, tobacco warehouse men, Phopkcepers, laborers, a slnglo fact is brought home with almost ap palling directness. This fact is that the majority of the people of the state have reached a stage where they seri ously believe and solemnly affirm, though not in so many words, that two wrong? do make a right. Not only are the deeds of the night riders generally condoned, but they are actually ap plauded. The taking of life, while re gretted, has come to be regarded as a necessary Incident In the remarkable fight that has been going on. The In terference with personal liberty Is ap proved. Might is right to the average Kentucklan. and he does not believe that in all cases law and order should prevail so that government may be maintained and communities progress." Reviewing the history of the tobaei-s war, Mr. Vivian says it began early la 1906. when a number of planters, con vinced that the so-called tobacco true through a practical monopoly of tn Industry of manufacturing tobacco, was paying what were termed starva tion prices for the raw material, band ed themselves together and pooled their crops. Of the 190 crop something over 43 per cent was pooled and held in warehouses. In 1907 between 70 and SO per cent of the crop was thus con trolled and in the present year. It is estimated, the amount reached nearly 90 per cent at the time the "night rid ing" began. "Independent" tobacco-growers those who stood out agninst the combination and tried to raise tobacco for the mar ket price, have had their fields prac tically all ruined this year, according to Mr. Vivian. The crop of the growers-in the pool has not been marketi-d In previous years and their land has not been planted to tobacco this year, with the result that the state will not produce one-fifth of its normal crop. Aside from the Immediate results of the "night riders" in destroying fields, burning barns and committing acts of personal violence ranging from mur ders to whippings, Kentucky has been plunged into a state of "public feeling' that Mr. Vivian considers deplorable, and describes in , the following para graphs: "Taking the law into their own hands, (irmly convinced that they were right and could not expect Justice from the usual sources, the night riders, no matter what part of the state they act ed In, sowed a wind and now the whirl wind appears upon the horizon. "'When a large body of men form an organization or several organiza tions for the purpose of disobeying the law, no matter how good their ulti mate purpose may be, the effect Is to show to the lawless element In any community how easily the law may be disobeyed.' This is from Adjutant General Johnson, who is as closely ill touch with the whole situation as any one in Kentucky. 'There has been but one conviction In connection with the night riding; that of Dr. Champion down In Calloway County. It has been Impossible to get convictions. Juries drawn from the body of the state have refused to convict; county officers have refused to do their duty; Judges and court officials have declined to punish.' "General Johnson might have added that the people of the state have re fused to censure; that among the body of the citizens the deeds of the night riders were not regarded as crimes, and that; In some instances, where punish ment threatened an offender, the pub lic outcry of sympathy has been amaz ing. "It will be recalled that In the latter days of the Ku-Klux unpardonable depredations were committed In Its name. So it is with the night riders. Thore was, and still Is, a considerable lawless element In the organizations of tobacco-growers, and necessarily in the night riders. There are headstrong, reckless young men of thoughtless dis positions, as well as a few vicious eharaoters. It Is Invariably so. A love of mischief, too, has played Its part, and the consequence is that all over the state personal feuds have sprung up, hatred has been engendered, the strong, bitter desire for vengeance has been aroused, and men have come to plotting secretly to burn and destroy and sometimes kill with no thought of the tobacco war In their minds, but ever remembering that the night rid ers were successful in defying and evading the law." Soelal Influence of the White House. Detroit Free Press. "There are no lovers like wedded lovers," wrote President Roosevelt In a note to his friend, Miss Kohlsaat, of Chicago, congratulating her on her ap proaching marriage. The phrase Is reminiscent of President Cleveland's eulogy of wedded life as "one grand, sweet song." In these times of divorces and loose views on marriage the attitude of occu pants of the White House M, no doubt. a steadying influence. It seems llk Iv to continue, for Mrs. Taft's recent ut terances on divorce are.an assurance that her husband Is as sound on the, sanctity of marriage as he is upon all public questions, and Mr. Bryan's home life is a model for his fellow-citizens. Pulpit preachments on the divorce evil, editorial comment, and formal ad- Aience mav have some effect in restrain - V ing the drift from old standard?, but at the most they can be little more than formal and con vent'ona!. The happiness that conies with such unions, and Its reflection in the lives and casual remarks and writings of those of conspicuous station, inevitably carry more weight and lnfluencs for good than a thousand dry speeches.
