Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, August 29, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

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    AUGUST. 29, 190S.
. 1. w
Entered at Portland. Oreion. Foetofnca aa
Fecond-Claas Matter.
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PORTLAND. SATURDAY. AUG. 29. 1008.
WHAT HOKS BRIAN STAN 6 FORT
When the members of the Iroquois
Club, of San Francisco, asked Mr.
Hearst to resign his membership In
that organization they thought they
were discrediting him before the peo
ple of the country. Instead they dis
credited themselves by-calling atten
tion to the fact that Hearst prefers to
stand openly for the political princi
ples in which he says he believes,
while they are willing partly to assert
and partly to conceal their political
beliefs in the hope of getting office.
They are apt pupils of their leader.
The Oregonian is accused of misrep
resentation when It calls attention to
that portion of Mr. Bryan's address of
acceptance in which he declared that
whatever strength he possesses Is due
to the principles and policies for
which he has stood, and that his re
nomlnation has confirmed his faith in
them and strengthened his attachment
for them. It Is asserted by Mr.
Bryan's apologists that another por
tion of his address in which he says
he will be bound by his party platform
is sufficient evidence that he has aban
doned the effort to promote the cause
of free silver and has ceased his an
tagonism to the Republican party's
Philippine policy.
But that is wholly a matter of Inter
pretation. Opinions may reasonably
differ as to what Mr. Bryan really
meant the people to infer from his
language. In 1896 Mr. Bryan de
clared that the silver question was the
paramount issue, that prosperity could
not be restored without re-establishment
of the double standard, and that
no question Is settled until It Is settled
right. . His whole soul was wrapped
up in the silver issue. Now he de
clares that his attachment to that
principle has been strengthened. No
one who heard him talk in 1896 sup
posed that it would be possible to
make him a stronger believer In free
silver than he was then. But he says
he is. And we are expected to accept
the dictum of one portion of his fol
lowers that he did not mean what he
said because, in another portion of his
address, he said- that he would be
bound not only by what his party
platform contained, but also by what
It omitted. But who knows at just
what moment Mr. Bryan had has fin
gers crossed? Was he giving the peo
ple a "fill" when he declared his in
creased attachment to the policies
which gave him all the strength he
possesses or when he said he would be
bound by what his party platform
omitted? If he was really In earnest
and sincere, why couldn't he have
said, "Gentlemen, I have abandoned
free silver and have come to the con
clusion that I was wrong when I said
that the Republican Philippine policy
was a crime against liberty."
If Mr. Bryan has abandoned the Is
sues which he declared to be para
mount in 1S96 and 1900, It would not
have taken twenty words to say so.
There was no need to make two vague
and conflicting assertions which left
every man free to place upon his lan
guage an interpretation different from
that given it by his neighbor. The
voter who believes that Mr. Bryan's
attachment to free silver and antl-im-perialism
has been strengthened is
called a liar by the one who believes
that Bryan will be bound by what his
party platform omits, and vice versa.
Why should a man who poses as a
statesman use language which permits
such radically different interpreta
tions, and which, however interpreted,
cannot be reconciled In its assertions?
Instead of asking Mr. Hearst to ten
der his resignation, the Iroquois Club
should have called upon Mr. Bryan
for an explanation of his address of
acceptance. Then, perhaps, it would
have been found that Mr. Hearst is
really a good Democrat and there
would have been no need to call for
his resignation.
RUBBER.
Possibly the next editions of the big
dictionaries will clothe the verb "rub
ber" with the respectability of a place
in their columns, and lift it from
slangdom. It deserves all It can get,
for It is one of the expressive words
of the American language. We. use
the patriotic adjective advisedly, for
our cousins- beyond the pond have not
the keenness of perception needed to
encompass its powerful meaning.
Originating In contempt of one who
would twist his neck in turning the
head to gaze at something not in
tended to be gazed at, he was called
a "rubberneck" because of the elas
ticity of connection between head and
shoulder. Tour true Britisher would
never have thought of the proper
word. "Giraffe" would be more to his
hand, and that would have been
slander of a deserving beast, you
know.
The "rubber" is of all classes, but
of one sex. The reason is obvious.
There is nothing about the male sex
worth "rubbering," but on the other
hand there Is much. Most of the
"rubbers" can be found any clear day
on a street corner Just after the
sprinkling wagon has passed. They
are so easily identified they need no
description here. They are contempt
ible, of course, yet they are human,
after all.
Some of them are found In the
early morning. Notably the man of
business, who comes down before 8
o'clock and takes away from the boys
of the store their Job of washing the
sidewalk with the hose. "The hose"
ah, yes. He has his eye on the hose.
There you have the connection. The
hose Is rubber and he "rubbers" the
hose.
Some humorist whose name should
go down to fame has told of the only
case on record of a female "rubber."
It was during the memorable journey
from Sodom. "Pa." said Mr. Lot's
young son, "Ma is turning to rubber."
"I'll fool you," snapped ma, and she
turned to salt.
Pity somebody all great and power
ful cannot cure the freshness of some
of the twentieth-century "rubbers"
with m little salt.
GUARANTEEING A BANK'S HONESTY.
A Federal guarantee of bank depos
its puts the Government at once Into
the banking business. Do we want
that? If we do, why go at the busi
ness Indirectly by guaranteeing the se
curity of deposits, and as a conse
quence the solvency of the bank and
the honesty and effllcency of the
banker? It will be a senseless ven
ture, certainly, thus to be responsible
for the mistakes and losses of the
bank, and the honesty and efficiency
of Its management, without having a
voice the controlling voice -in Its
conduct. Why, then, not go Into the
business directly, take over all the
banks and run them? How. can the
Government protect itself unless it
does take over the banks. If It shall
go Into the guarantee scheme?
The bank depositor likes to feel
that his money Is safe. But should he
be obliged to exercise no discrimina
tion betweep banks, and to accept no
responsibility for the cousequences of
his own good or bad judgment In se
lecting a good or bad bank? He
would not be, of course, under the
guarantee plan. He could and would
put his money In the bank paying him
the largest Interest on his deposit or
otherwise showing him the greatest
consideration by allowing him the
largest credit, say, in the matter of
loans. But he can sleep all right
nights. His money Is safe, however
unsafe the bank may be.
But why cannot the Government in
sist that all banks shall be conducted
on certain well-defined lines, thus .in
suring their solvency? may be asked.
The Government does that now,
bo tar as National banks are con
cerned; but it guarantees nothing, ex
cept the prosecution of dishonest
bankers. That Is all the Govern
ment should do or Indeed can do, un
less It is willing to go into the bank
ing business, accept deposits, make
loans and investments, and thus dis
place entirely the private banker. The
most effective and practicable guaran
tee of the safety of deposits is rigid
and perfect Inspection and supervis
ion, direct accountability to the law.
and Immediate responsibility to de
positors. The guarantee plan penalizes the
honest banker for the crimes and mis
demeanors of the dishonest banker.
The honest banker will not need to
strive by prudent, conservative and
careful methods to secure the good
will and confidence ofithe public, for
the Government will say to the depos
itor that he may trust one banker
Just a completely as another. Is that
wise or fair, or sound In morals or
policy? That bank will do the most
business, then, that does the most for
its clients, or offers to do the most,
and the bank that safeguards the
money of Its depositors best will do
the least.
AT GERVAIS.
Gervais is a small town on the
Southern Pacific road, about forty
miles south of Portland and in the
midst of a fertile district. While there
are many big holdings, there is much
diversified farming, and though the
town Is shadowed by the combined
state capital and county seat, fourteen
miles distant. It is a shipping station
of no small rank. Everything grows
about Gervais and there are many
special money crops. Just now one
firm Is sending away a ton of ever
green blackberries a day, with an oc
casional spurt to three tons. Pickers
get about 2 cents a pound for the
fruit. That is money from the outside,
clear gain almost. Growing clover
and hulling the seed Is another indus
try that pays, even with a crop one
third short this year. A man with a
head on him has a half-acre In green
peas, that are In demand now when
very few are growing, from which he
has Just gathered over half a ton at
the first picking and will get a ton
more from his vines. He gets S cents
a pound all from the outside and
more clear gain to the community.
Everybody has a hop field around
Gervais, and that means very much
more money; though the price this
year be low. When the tree fruits
are ripe, and when the potatoes and
other crops that grow in the ground
are garnered. Gervais will be again to
the fore with, shipments "foreign."
These are just a few of the items that
make a good country town, and Ger
vais is mentioned because the facts
were at hand. There are many like
It In Oregon and there are many more
that can be made like It If a few men
In each place make the start-
THE POLICE COURT.
Mr. Swett's idea that punishment
should be corrective Instead of vin
dictive is strictly in accord with the
constitution of Oregon and with com
mon sense. It Is true. too. that when
a man Is before the court for the
first time charged with a petty of
fense It is often better to dismiss him
with a reprimand than to Impose a
penalty. Upon .this all students of
penology are agreed. When punish
ment Is Imposed the prisoner is forced
to live in surroundings which do not
tend to make him better. Quite the
contrary. Everything contributes to
make him worse. It is frequently the
case that a person who has no crim
inal disposition acquires a very decid
ed one by his associations when In
Jail for some trivial offense. Those
Who know the Inside facts about re
form schools, the rockplle and other
punitory Institutions of that grade are
well aware that they are as a rule
nurseries of crime. As to fining men
for drunkenness, it is often necessary,
of course. But It should not be for
gotten that If the man has a wife and
children itls they who pay the fine,
either directly or Indirectly. In fact,
the routine practice of the Police
Court amounts to compelling the wife
to bear the burden of her husband's
misdeeds.
When a man Is sent to the rockplle
It is argued by many philanthropists
that -he should be credited with rea
sonable daily wages, and if he has a
family the sum should be turned over
to them when his term expires. In a
recent number of Harper's Monthly
Mr. Howells contended that this prin
ciple ought to be applied to convicts
In the penitentiary..
It is an undeniable truth that trials
in the Police Court are seldom con
ducted with that consideration for hu
man feeling which Justice demands.
Although it Is the most tragic of all
our Institutions and reeks with woeful
misery, the Police Court is the jest of
many writers and the frightful char
acters who are gathered there are
made food for mirth. It is like laugh
ter at corpses molderlng In open
graves. If Judge Swett can do any
thing whatever toward making the
Police Court a means of mercy and
reformation, he deserves the gratitude
of everybody and should be encour
aged most heartily.
HARSH MERCY.
A proposed law to reimburse the
owners of diseased cattle which are
destroyed by the state Is under more
or less active debate In Washington.
In favor of It the argument Is made
that the man whose stock is sacrificed
Is often poor and feels the loss se
verely, that the slaughter is made
more for the public benefit than for
his own, and that frequently the dis
ease is communicated to the herd
through no negligence on his part.
The answer seems to be that If the
state were to reimburse the owners
bf the diseased cattle it would cause
them to grow careless and Infection
would go on unchecked. This an
swer is probably sufficient. Nothing
ought to be done which will make
stockowners less careful than they are
about protecting their herds. Even
when the law shows them no mercy
there are always some who will shirk
precautions if they can and stand their
chance of escaping by accident.
The argument that since the state
receives the benefit It should pay for
the cattle destroyed Is not without
weight, but after all It is rather spe
clous. Unless a man's entire herd Is
diseased he benefits more than any
bodv else by the elimination of the in
fected members. If he has waited
without taking remedlali measures
until all his cattle have caught the
disorder, it seems well enough to pun
ish him for his carelessness, which in
such an Instance differs little from
crime. But the contention that In
fection is often communicated to a
herd through no fault of the owner
deserves serious consideration. The
penalty of destruction, though whole
some. Is severe,' and the state cannot
equitably inflict it unless In turn It
gives stockowners all possible protec
tion from the Indifference and sloth of
their neighbors. If a state official
neglects his duty and through his
neglect one Infected animal is permit
ted to poison an entire county, then
the state Is to blame and not the own
ers, and in equity the state should
bear the loss. To make the law a fair
one only such Inspectors should be
chosen as will Impose the penalty with
absolute rigor and Impartiality. Some
have suggested damage suits against
careless inspectors through whose
lack of . vigilance or ill-timed good
nature stockowners have suffered loss,
and the idea has its merits.
BRYAN AND GOLD STANDARD.
The question has been asked of Mr.
Bryan whether or not he will pro
tect the Government gold reserve and
maintain the gold standard in case of
need. It appeared In the Chicago
Record-Herald for the first time, and
seems to have been inspired by a let
ter from an anxious inquirer in Ohio.
In this period of stress and strain,
with a diminishing gold reserve, a
deficit in the Treasury and millions of
doilars interest to pay, what If Mr.
Bryan should conceive the happy
thought of meeting the Government
obligations with silver? What
would happen? The Ohio patriot
thinks there would be a panic of tre
mendous dimensions. If Mr. Bryan
should decide to pay out silver Instead
of gold, everybody who had gold
would chuck it into a hole in the
ground the next night, and when the
radiant dawn appeared we should find
ourselves all of a sudden where Mr.
Bryan wanted to put us long ago, that
Is, on a silver basis. Of course he can
avert all this timorousness and estab
lish our confidence in the future be
yond peradventure by simply saying
that in the contingency described he
will stick to the gold standard though
the heavens fall and all the Rocky
Mountain States vote against him. He
could settle the matter once for all by
a frank and unequivocal statement
and thus foreVer lay the ghost of his
past sins, or the most troublesome of
those numerous ghosts. The task of
laying them all. Is too much perhaps
to ask of him at one time.
It is claimed for him that Mr. Bryan
has already renounced something of
his free-silver predilection. If he has
done so and means to persevere in his
reformed state, what harm would
there be in his coming out openly and
saying that whatever happens he will
maintain the gold standard even If he
has to sell bonds to do it? This would
stultify him somewhat because he de
nounced Mr. Cleveland bitterly for do
ing the same thing, but when a man
is in politics as a business a little stul
tification is not so bad. One gets
used to it by frequent practice, and
certainly Mr.- Bryan has had all the
practice that can be necessary. A Mr.
Freeman, who writes to the Record
Herald on this question, believes that
Mr. Bryan will not dare to come out
openly and promise to maintain the
gold standard at all costs, because It
might lose him the vote of the Rocky
Mountain States.
It Is not likely that the conse
quences would 'be quite so serious. In
fact, the time Is now singularly pro
pitious for Mr. Bryan to put -his foot
down on the silver heresy and stamp
out the last smoldering embers of its
life, because nobody is particularly
excited over It. We rather Imagine
that If he were to make the declara
tion for the gold standard which the
Record-Herald requests it might help
allure to his speckled standard the
wavering loyalty of the mercenary
East, while It would not cost him any
thing of consequence in the West. As
a well-wisher to aspiring merit, The
Oregonian counsels Mr. Bryan to seize
this favorable moment and make a
bold confession of past sin and present
repentence. If it should cost him three
or four states, would not the loss be
well repaid by the consciousness of
the Impregnable record which he
would thus acquire for the next Pres
idential campaign? A man who ex
pects to run for President all his life
must make provision for the far fu
ture as well as for the Immediate
present.
Every theater-goer of middle age or
over learned with regret of the pass
ing of Tony Pastor the other day. He
pioneered the variety show In Amer
ica, now developed into a colossal
combination of commercialism and
more or less art under the French
title vaudeville. Pastor dates back
sixty years. He was circus acrobat,
clown, dancer and ballad singer.
When he began to manage a theater
folk didn't consider variety shows re
spectable; genteel women didn't at
tend. Still he drew profitable audi
ences of men and steadily Improved
the quality and the atmosphere of
performances. It was Pastor who dis
covered and exploited Lillian Russell,
Nat Goodwin, Denman Thompson,
May Irwin, "Old Hoss" Hoey and
Evans, Maggie Cline and scores of
others who became stars In "straight"
drama or "top-notchers" In specialties.
He did not succeed in getting into the
theater trust, but went to the wall.
His curtain rang down on a man
broken In fortune and spirit. He will
be remembered with affection by the
theatrical fraternity, for he was ever
kind and charitable.
In London a newly organized Bread
and Food Reform League is Just now
finishing a Summer campaign. It3
principal purpose Is to teach how food
should be prepared and to urge the
claims of such neglected staples as
oatmeal, wheatmeal, barley, rice,
maize, peas, beans, lentils, nuts, fresh
and dried fruits and green roots and
vegetables. Under prevailing high
prices for meats and fowls, the wage
earner tn Portland, as well as In Lon
don, must learn to like less expensive
but equally wholesome food. The
sedentary man can thrive physically
if he never eats the flesh of animals.
All cereals are cheap and wholesome.
Provide several varieties, cook them
well, serve with rich milk and you
have, particularly for children, an
ideal diet. It Is monotony In food
that creates dislike. In the highly
Important part that fresh vegetables
cut In our cuisine, Portland Is espe
cially favored. The frugal man who
earns as little as $16 a week may ac
quire a full lot and a sanitary house
In any one of a dozen East Side su
burbs and grow his own succulent
food. Unfortunately our best fruit is
In such demand at the East, that the
local price la prohibitive for the aver
age breadwinner; still there are other
Oregon apples besides the Yellow
Newtown, the Spitzenberg and the
Oakley that plain folk enjoy.
New York, always theater mad, is
Just now enjoying a new thrill new
play, new author, new plot, new name,
"The Devil," and new sensation of the
same piece at two theaters, each ver
sion differing widely from the other
and the men playing the name part
as far apart In their conception as
the poles. "The Devil" was imported
from Hungary; one translation was
made for Henry W. Savage, the other
for David BelascQ. Franz Molnar, a
young newspaper man of Budapest,
created "The Devil," who In this dis
puted play is a polished, well-educated,
witty villain whose mission Is
to go about among happy people, sow
the seeds of jealousy and cultivate
them until they bear the fruit of mis
ery and separation.. Iago is the veri
est tyro compared with Mr. Molnar's
satanic majesty, who Is a universal
disruptionist. All things warp at his
touch. At last he stands victorious
amid the havoc he has wrought and
then fades away into the nothingness
whence he came. Simultaneous pro
duction of "The Devil" at two high
class playhouses gives the critics un
usual opportunity for brilliant work,
which incidentally furnishes the larg
est publicity.
Cherrygrowers at La Grande dried
a large portion of their fruit this year,
and expect to have no difficulty In
marketing It. This is an enterprise
that should be systematically promot
ed. There Is now no established mar
ket for a considerable quantity of
dried cherries, for the reason that It
has been the practice to can cherries
Instead of drying them. But the dry
ing process should be the cheaper, not
only because of the saving of cans, but
also because of the smaller freight
charges in getting the fruit to- market.
But if there is to be built up a steady
market for dried cherries, there must
be care in putting up a good quality of
fruit and effort must be made to in
form the people of the merits of this
fruit when cured instead of canned.
If the cherry orchards that have been
planted In the last two years come to
bearing. It will be difficult to harvest
and pack the crop unless drying be
resorted to.
Under the statute of limitations a
man or woman gains title to land by"
ten years adverse possession under
claim of right. That is the rule of
law In such an unimportant matter
as title to property. How much longer
than sixteen years, then, should a
woman be required to live with a man
who claims her as his wife before she
will be safe from the danger of his
denying his marriage to her? It is
the open and notorious possession un
der claim of right that gives title to
property. Should not open and pub
lic declaration of marriage relation
be sufficient evidence to establish that
relation after sixteen years? Or is
the right of a married person of so
much less consequence than the right
of a person In possession of property?
A good place to experiment with the
recall is In counties where the Asses
sor falls to assess corporation prop
erty upon the same basis of valuation
that he assesses property 'owned by
individuals.
The Bryan and Kern campaign fund
has now reached the magnificent total
of $20. Three dollars more ls needed
to guarantee Bryan's election.
Now perhaps the Mongolian pheas
ant wishes the Initiative would be in
voked by the advocates of protection
of game birds.
A good bank insurance law is one
that Insures a dishonest banker a
quick and sure road to the peniten
tiary. The California Republicans want
the tariff revised, except on oranges
and lemons. Is the tariff a local ques
tion? The American Bar Association has
adopted a code of ethics. Now liti
gants will get a square deal.
Mrs. Earle has forgiven her hus
band. "The more you beat 'em, the
better they be."
Wouldn't this new fishery law make
a salmon laugh?
THINKS CRIMINAL LAW FAILED
Lawyer Favor Imposition of Death
Penalty Only In Certain Caeca.
(From an address on "Are our laws respon-
alble for the increase of violent crime.
delivered at Seattle, Wash., before the
American Bar Association, by Frederick
Bansman. of hat city.)
I will suggest some changes in the
laws.
Appeals An appeal should be grant
ed !n criminal cases only when allowed,
and the propriety of it certified upon
specific questions by the Judge allow
ing it. Second, the state should under
various conditions have the right of
one appeal upon error of law after ac
quittal, the defendant meanwhile ad
mitted to bail. Third, every appeal
should be taken within ten days.
Evidence I wouldsuggest total aboli
tion of the hypothetical question.
Insanity A person pleading this de
fense, as It Is not a constitutional right,
should be compelled not only to plead
It formally, but also to file a bill of
particulars of the times, places, cir
cumstances and witnesses to be relied
upon to prove it, and by this bill of
particulars he should be bound. Occa
sionally hardship may occur, but let It
be remembered that Insanity is not a
constitutional defense, that It might
be taken away altogether, that the
state Is continually surprised by testi
mony both true and fraudulent in this
respect, and in this country this sort of
defense has been scandalously abused.
Jurors On the qualification of Jurors
the right of examination should be
greatly reduced. The number of chal
lenges should not, however, be reduced.
As to the confinement of the prison
er after conviction of insanity, or his
acquittal-as insane, all proof of ances
tral Insanity should be excluded, no re
trial of his sanity should be allowed
within five years, and this trial should
occur before a magistrate or examining
board and not a Jury.
Reforma In Punishment.
Death penalty I never thought the
time would come when I should believe
that this might well be abolished, but
I see now in the overwhelming ire
ouencv of aeauittals, that its rigors are
of doubtful use. The spectacle of a
man lighting for his life appeals strong
ly to the sentimental character of our
people, and I must remind you that all
laws must be passed in the spirit of
the race that has to enforce them. At
every murder trial the newspapers and
the public abound In such acclamation
as "He is making a fine fight for his
life."
I am at last compelled to believe
that our people do not, upon the wnoie
believe in capital punishment for mur-
rler errent as it attends robbery or
burglary. In all the other Instances It
eimnlv makes a hero of the oerenaani.
Far better would it be to try for
a while loath though I am to come to
this conclusion the expedient of allow
ing murderers to be punished in some
instances by a confinement as mild as
te,n years, the Jury, however, having the
right to fix the penalty up to lire con
finement. This would, in a measure,
take the Jury into the confidence of the
prosecutor in behalf of public order and,
certainly, would deprive the criminal of
any heroic plight. Against my argu
ment it may be mentioned that in many
states something of this kind is already
permitted, In that the Jury, upon a
trial for murder, may find the defend
ant guilty of lesser offenses and that
thus he is not exposed to hanging. The
answer to this is that, as the statute
authorizes hanging, a sentimental at
titude is created from the beginning,
the state seems to be seeking a life,
and everybody has sympathy for what
may have been done merely In the heat
of passion.
Pennine and Conviction.
It is an old fact in criminal Juris
prudence that acquittals Increase when
penalties appear too severe, and that a
crime can often be made less frequent
by reducing its punishment.
To state It conversely, whenever
there is a steady increase in acquittals,
the first probable cause of it is a pub
lic dislike of the penalty. This Is an
old phenomenon in Jurisprudence. Its
cure was long ago discovered. Don't
Increase, but diminish the penalty.
This experiment I submit to be con
sidered, for you might otherwise in re
ducing the defendant's right of appeal
and some defenses like Insanity, make
him more than ever a martyr in the
eyes of the Jury and his life more
clearly than heretofore an object of
pursuit.
In a word, our criminal trials have
failed both from the lenience of the
Jury and the technicalities of procedure.
The former Is supremely significant be
cause it shows that the people do not
desire to impose the punishment. This
lenity must be accepted. It must be
taken into our-calculations.
For Instance, our Juries certainly do
not favor wife murder. Yet I have
shown you that they often acquit de
fendants in this on grounds of emo
tional Insanity. There Is no other ex
planation than that of mercy. Now, it
would be absurd, with evidence on
every hand of popular mercy towards
murder as an emotional act, to Increase
at present its penalties. It would be
unscientific treatment of the case.
My advice is as follows: In murder
with robbery or burglary, retain the
death penalty. The people are willing
there to apply it and the culprits, be
ing criminal by habit, require the ter
ror of death. In other cases relax the
penalty.
In a word, my general advice as to
lessening the crime of murder Is, di
minish the penalty, and make the procedure-,
on the other hand, more simple
and severe.
One thing Is certain. We have made
a failure under the ancient penalties.
Gyropter, a New Flying Machine.
. Baltimore Sun.
G. L. O. Davidson, a Scotch engineer,
has Invented a flying machine, called
a "gyropter," which is said to excel
even Wright's aeroplane. It- has no
propeller, but two rotary fans, be
tween and below which the engines are
suspended. The fans produce a down
ward thrust on the air, with the result
of lifting the gyropter. When inclined
a little forward the fans give a hori
zontal motion of flight at high speed.
To guide, there Is a tail operated by a
pendulum, which, through an electric
current, brings the motor into opera
tion automatically. Undesirable tilting
in any direction Is prevented. It Is said,
by the gyroscopic effect of the great
27-foot circular wings. In the event
of an accident to the engines, the low
center of gravity would prevent over
turning and the gyropter would sink
slowly to the earth, the rotary wings
revolving rapidly against the upward
alr-thrUBtcrcated by the descent, hus
checking the fall. The inventor has
ingeniously utilized a familiar toy.
Chorus Girls Threaten Mass Meeting.
New York Press.
May Leslie, a chorus girl appearing
In the "Follies of 1908," Is Indignant
over certain portions of Joseph Medlll
Patterson's "A Little Brother of the
Rl6h." She declared that ahe would
call a mass meeting of the chorus girls
in New York with a view to framing a
stinging denial of some things Mr.
Patterson has said about them.
For Thrashing; a Man, $30.
Baltimore News.
Ascertaining in advance that it
would cost $30 to kick a man, Henry
Seifert, of Bethlehem, Pa., attempted
to thrash a barkeeper who refused to
drink with him, and later attacked
Justice Haust, who fined him $30.
PARISIAN EDITOR INTERVIEWS MR. HARRIMAN
Thinks Railroad Chief la More Than a King Also Chats With President
Roosevelt and Mr. Taft.
STEPHEN LAUZANNE. editor of the
Le Matin newspaper, Paris, France,
who visited this country a short time ago,
has recorded his impressions of us in a
new book, "Instantanes d' Amerique.V
Just published in Paris. He says that
what he has written can be called "a
series of snap-shots by a Journalist."
M. Lauzanne's best and longest talk
was with E. H. Harrlman, the railroad
king, and he also delved Into the affairs
of the Standard Oil. under the chaperon
age of William Rockefeller and John D.
Archbold. Manifestly, M. Lauzanne's
calls on President Roosevelt and Mr. Taft
were of short duration.
"King of American railroads." Is what
M. Lauzanne calls Mr. Harrlman, but
adds that the title is Inadequate. Har
rlman Is more than a king, he says.
"He is, the most prodigious handler of
men and capital of his century," declares
the Parisian editor. "In his Broadway
office I looked long at the map of his
kingdom; it is greater, more permanent,
than those of all the sovereigns of an
cient Europe.
"Mr. Harrlman is just over 60. He is
small and lean, and speaks In a low
voice, but rapidly. His physiognomy is
all in his eyes, which gaze at you from
behind his glasses, stare at you, put you
out of countenance, seeking like two gim
lets to bore into your thoughts."
"Well," he said to me, "have you seen
any of our railroads?"
The Frenchman remarked that he had;
that he had noticed a line running along
the Hudson, poorly built, with elementary
embankments, flimsy wooden bridges,
ugly trestles, yet traversed by splendid
trainB drawn by gigantic locomotives. In
France, he added. It Is the other way;
beautifully constructed railroad lines,
traversed by the most abominable trains
in the world, drawn by antediluvian en
gines, which never In all their career
arrive on time.
Mr. Harrlman smiled caustically and
remarked:
"You are right. Our railroads probably
lack the artistic look; that Is a mat
ter concerning which you have time to
busy yourselves in little countries like
France and England.
"As for us, we shall occupy ourselves
later with the embellishment of our rail
roads; we'll get to that in a century or
two."
"There is one thing, sir, please re
member," continued Mr. Harrlman,
"which, in the eyes of Americans, sur
passes beauty; it's ease. We are a peo
ple who care little whether lire is Deau
tiful. but we demand that it be easy.
Now. the railroad Is foremost purveyor
of ease, the greatest comfort of life.
You just stated that you admired the
multiplicity, speed and comfort of our.
railroads. I would have you know that
they are still in their Infancy. In 20
years from now the population of this
country, now 80.000,000. will reach Zuo,
000,000. Hence, in 20 years we shall
need double the railroads of today cap
able of transporting double as many pas
sengers with double the comfort. Be
fore us we have a formidable task to
accomplish; for each child that is born
we must lay another rail.
"Yes, we have before us a formidable
task, but can we accomplish It? Up to
the present' time the obstacles in our
path could be overcome. We had to
deal with two sorts of men capitalists
and salaried employes. I belong to
neither class, or, rather, I belong to
both. I have a duty to perform with
regard to those who have brought me
their money, and another with regard
to those who. bring me their arms. This
double duty Is neither contradictory nor
difficult; if I make capital bear fruit I
also make salaries do likewise. If
revenues diminish, salaries, too, run the
risk of going down. The whole secret
is to maintain relations of good feeling
and equity between those who bring the
power to the money and those who
bring the strength of their muscles. As
I said, this is easy.
"But there is something else not so
easy. Suddenly, in addition to the two
sorts of men whom I have mentioned, a
third power has risen. It is the Govern
ment. It mixes up everything, makes
trouble and confusion everywhere. It
threatens some people, excites others.
It stirs up quarrels In order to have a
pretext for interfering in them. It
brings its fist down on tne irague cness
board where men are moving the pieces
with prudence. ' It makes laws capri
ciously, settles questions to suit. n
fancy. And in the midst of all this dls
Indifferent alike to the interests
of all others, it seeks only Us advan
tage, feels nothing but the necessity oi
advertising Itself.
"Ah mv dear sir. who will ever rid
us of that pernicious thing called the
Government?"
no vou hold the Government respon
sible. Mr. Harrlman, for the recent crisis
In New York and the United states:
asked Mr. Lauzanne.
Whom else could I hold responsmie :
answered the railroad king. "Who was
It that sought to restrict Industry? Who
threatened It? Listen! When you re
strict the industries of a - country by
awkward Government Interference you
frighten people who have Invested capi
tal in those Industries, you make them
more exacting, you diminish returns,
you decrease salaries. Up and down the
social ladder you bring a contradictory
state of nervousness, producing, nrst.
disorder, then panic, then chaos. We
found ourselves Immersed In chaos.
But you got out. didn t you?
'We shall not be out completely until
the inhabitants of this country under
stand that perfect cohesion and absolute
co-ordination Is . necessary bctwetn its
different Industrial factors; until they
demand that laws be made In the In
terests of all. not according to the ad
vantage and caprice of some."
After speaking of less important mat
ters the talk again reverted to rail
roads. 'If only we railroad men." sighed Mr.
Harrlman, "had always been able to get
along together. If only we had not made
agreements for the sole purpose of
breaking, what a lot of trouble would
have been avoided!"
'Won't this trouble reappear? asked
Mr. Lauzanne, "or Is the crisis past for a
long time?"
I don t know, answered Mr. Harrl
man. We are living at a time wnen no
man of good sense will hazard predic
tions. If you had come to see me a year
ago and asked me such a question I
should have answered that I foresaw a
certain decline in business; but never for
an Instant could I have Imagined one
half of what we have seen recently. In
fact, I might have told you that, having
reached the age of 60, I meant to retire;
today, however. I do not know of what
stuff tomorrow will be made; all I know
Is that I have resolved to continue work
ing, to stay at my post until confidence
is completely re-established."
Simplicity, above all. was what struck
Mr. Lauzanne about President Roosevelt
and Mr. Taft
"Three rooms In the first a negro, in
the second two secretaries, in the third
Mr. Taft" thus he describes the offices
of the Secretary of War.
Mr. Taft made remarks to him about
tourists and the like, very much the same
as those ha has made to many others, in
public and private. He said that he
wanted a big navy. After listening care
fully, the French visitor said:
"in short, then, you do not differ in
opinion on any point with Mr. Roosevelt,
and, if you are elected next November,
the policies of Mr. Roosevelt will be
yours?"
That seemed to Taft a bit brusque. His
reply was:
"Mr. Roosevelt is a Republican; so am
L"
A few days later Mr. Lauzanne met Mr.
Taft on a dining-car between Washing
ton and New York. The Frenchman was
extremely shocked because the waiter did
not pay more attention to the distin
guished statesman. He turned to the
head waiter.
"Don't you know who that gentleman
is?" he inquired. "It s Mr. Taft."
"Well," remarked the other, "what of
it?"
His talk with President Roosevelt was
evidently brief. The visitor saw some
tennis racquets In the room, commented
on them and found that one belonged to
the French Ambassador, whom Mr.
Roosevelt called the vice-president of my
Tennis Cabinet. "I regret to say that
today he beat the President." he added.
Then the talk turned on trusts. French
literature, history and the like, without
bringing out anything striking.
"What he said about financiers and mil
lionaires is what all heads of states say,"
comments the Frenchman.
To give a graphic Idea of the President
and convey how he works M. Lauzanne
used the expedient of reproducing prac
tically verbatim whole portions of an
interview with the President, recently
published.
On the subject of the Philippines Mr.
Lauzanne is anything but complimentary
to Americans.
"But," he adds, "every race has Its
characteristics, and the characteristic of
the Anglo-Saxon race Is never to save
anybody free- of charge.
"The natives were soon able to taste
the benefits of the American occupation.
It was different, to be sure, from the
Spanish regime was neither better nor
worse Just something else."
He concludes his book, after some hot
shot for Tammany, with a few remarks
about Presidential campaigns, pointing
out that they are cut-and-drled, person
ally conducted and woefully bossed.
He casts a look Into the immediate fu
ture, prophesies about the coming elec
tion, draws a pen picture of the boister
ous cheering that will sound when the re
turns are in.
"Who will cheer?" he asks and an
swers the question with this sarcastia
bit:
"The American nation, drunk with en
thusiasm, acclaiming the chief elected by
It, of Its own free will!"
FRUIT PESTS IX ORCHARD.
Writer Gives His Unprofitable Experi
ences With Fruit Inspectors.
HUBBARD, Or.. Aug. 27. (To the
Editor.) In last Monday's Issue. In an
editorial entitled. ''Persecuting Their
Friends." It Is stated that "the farmers
of Clackamas County should have given
Fruit Commissioner Reid a gold lov
ing cup for telling them what he did." .
I do not think that we owe Mr. Reid a
tin cup, to say nothing of a golden one.
He admitted that he started out to
make the Clackamas County farmers
mad, and lie was pretty successful.
Nothing hurts like ridicule, and we of
the backwoods are as sensitive of that
as any one else. I have had some lit
tle experience with fruit pests and
have in my orchard now an insect that
has given me more trouble than all
the codlln moth, wooly aphis and dead
spot combined.
Two years ago I sent specimens of
this insect to the experiment station
at Corvallis. and received an answer
to my inquiry in which the professor
said "it was a hard insect to combat."
Upon receiving that response I felt
much like an old friend of mine, who,
whenever a bit of stale gossip or an
old Joke was told him, would invari
ably answer, "Please tell me some
thing I don't know."
I then sent specimens to the Fruit
Inspector at Milwaukie. Or., and In
three short weeks I received an an
swer, saying that lie, the Inspector,
would visit my orchard and examine
and advise. That was two years ago
this month. If a fruit inspector- has
been nearer than three miles of my
orchard. I have failed to find It out.
The insects are with us yet. So much
for my experience, or rather non-ex-perience,
with fruit inspectors.
As to the farmers and frultmen who
are signing petitions for Mr. Lowns
dale's removal because he enforces the
law, they should be in bettor business.
If we were to sign petitions for the re
moval of all officials who do not en
force the laws, we would have very
little time left for anything else at
least that ie my opinion.
J. S. YODER.
TRIBUTE TO COLUMBIA'S SCENERY
Grander Than Hudaon, Rhine or Dan
ube, Says Enthusiastic Visitor.
tidtt x-r At, ITn Mi a Editor.)
Perhaps the most delightful trip ever
i.i,an K,r either thA "care oDnressed" or
the "Idle do-nothing," is the one down the
glorious Columbia Klver on me u. n. ez
-vr Knot t .1 Pottpr. It has been the
good fortune of the writer to have steamed
up the lordly and majestic Hudson and
to have admired ine manMiuunii
lining its sides; to nave saueu uuwu ma
Dhin. ont viewed with Interest the
grand old castles on Its banks, and to
have drifted Idly down the blue Danube
and watched the ever-changing pano
rama of beauty such a trip unfolds: but
for that tvpe of scenic treasure that ap
peals to the true lover of nature, the
trip on the Columbia is far and away
head of them ail.
k- v,a ir-u contributory to the pleas-
t ,., a trir, is ihe uniform cour-
UICB I' oulii .....
tesy of the officers of the T. J. Potter.
The genial skipper. Captain Inman, has a
word of welcome and a hearty handshake
for such as I, a visitor. Dear, refined Mrs.
Fischer, the stewardess, will be ever re
... i in 0-gtnfni remembrance by the
writer, and so throughout the entire roster
of officers courtesy ann consiuiraiiuii,
delightful anticipation of your wants and
complete ana saiisiaciury miiinmcm..
M. P. L.
Talk From "Silent" Grandfather.
Tn.alrd HeKnatch.
M. A. Low. general attorney for the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway
Company, is known as the "silent man."
Mr. Low rarely talks. He is a good
listener, but few there are who have
heard him take the center of the stage
and tell all about It.
Mr. Low has a grandchild, the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert T. Reid.
Some time ago a friend was visiting at
the Low residence. The little grand
daughter was there. She is of that
talkative age. To the visitor she told
pretty nearly everything that it is pos
sible to store in a little girl's head.
Finally the caller said:
"My, but you talk a lot for a little
girl. Who taught you to talk?"
"My grandpa," was tie quick re
sponse. '
Long Drop Does Not Wake Her.
Philadelphia News.
While walking in her sleep. Cells
Kendle, 8 years old, fell down two
flights of stairs, sustaining Injuries
which made necessary her removal to
the Mount Sinai Hospital. Neither the
long fall nor the pain of her Injuries
awakened her, and when received at
the hospital she was still fast asleep.
It was only after a half hour's hard
work that the physician succeeded In
arousing the child.