THE MORNING OREGONIAN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1908,
8
PORTLAND. OREGON.
Entered at Portland. Oregon. Poetofnce as
Cecond-Claaa Matter.
toubacriptkm Bales Invariably In Adrance-
(Br Mall.)
Dally. Sunday Included, on rear J
Dally. Sunday Included, six montha.... 4.2;
laiiy. Sunday included, three, montha. Z-2
Dally. Sunday Included, one month. ...
Dally witbout Sunday, oat year...... J 00
Dally, without Sunday, six montha ., 3.25
Daily, without Sunday, three montha.. l-i
Daily, without Sunday, one month t)
Weekly, one year
Bund... An. v . ........ 2-00
bunder and Weekly, one year.
(By Carrier.)
Daily. Sunday Included, ono year s-00
Dally. Sunday Included, one month 75
How to Kerolt Bend poatofflce money
order, express order or personal check on
your local bank. Stamp, coin or currency
are at the aena?ra rlea- Ulve poatoince M
oreas In full, Includlar; county and etate.
Poetsge Rates 10 to 14 paces. 1 cent: 14
to 23 paa-ee, z ceou; u lo pagea, a
eenta: 46 to AO pacea, 4 cents. Foreign yel-
ace oouoie rates
Eastera Baatneas Office The 8. C Beck-
with Special Agency New York, roomo 48
to Tribune bunding. Chicago, rooma 610-alZ
rioone ouuaing.
POBTLAND. THIRKDAY. SEPT. IT, IMS.
PROTECTIVE TARIFF AND PARTIES
In general, the course of the two
parties on the tariff has been the
came In principle if It may be called
a principle. Both have stood for pro
tection; nor is either likely for a long
time yet to discard it. The difference
between them has been mainly this,
that one party has favored protection
of particular classes of commodities,
produced tn certain parts of the coun
try, while the other party has favored
protection of other particular classes
of commodities produced in other
parts of the country. ' This has ap
peared in the legislation first of one
party and then of the other; and If
protection Is an abuse of the tariff
system, this see-saw may be consid
ered as an abuse of protection itself
in the name of protection.
Thus, the nature of things, not ab
stract principles nor academic specu
lations, govern largely the action of
parties and the course of politics,
There are Democratic states that con
tend as strenuously for protection as
any of the Republican states do. For
example, several of our Southern
states fight as hard for retention of
protective duties on sugar, rice and
semi-tropical fruits as the Northern
States along the Eastern Canadian
border contend for protection on hay,
cattle, poultry and lumber. Tou see,
the tariff, as General Hancock sagely
remarked, is mainly a local question.
If the Southern states did not grow
cotton for export they would demand
high protective duties for this great
product, and would get them, too.
Herein lie the reasons why protec
tive tariff is not, nor can be made, a
party question, nor solved by party
action. The, South is making prodigi
ous strides In the manufacture of
iron and steel and of cotton goods.
Tou will not find the Democratic
party, when it comes to revision of
the tariff, consenting to free trade in
these goods, or even to considerable
reduction of the duties. It Is easy
to expose the subterfuge that "in tar
iff legislation the true principle is
best maintained by imposition of such
duties as will equal the difference be
tweeen the cost of production at home
and abroad, together with a reason
able profit to American industries";
but this was as much an argument
for the Wilson tariff, enacted by the
Democratic party, as it is now for
the DIngley tariff enacted by the Re
publican. Bryan affects to denounce
the application of the so-called prin
ciple; but his party cannot get away
from it.
Protective tariff, therefore, is not,
nor can it be, under present condi
tions, a party issue to the extent
many suppose, or affect to believe.
It becomes a party issue only In the
changes to be made, to suit local or
political interests in various localities.
"Whichever party may remain in power,
"protection" will be continued,
following mainly the lines of the Wil
son bill on the one hand or the
Dingley act on the other.
STLTAN Ml'LAI HA KID.
The Interest of the United States in
the Moroccan question is not very
grsat, being confined to our desire
that Americans in the land of the
Moor may be protected and receive
fair treatment. The fact, however,
that this country was a party to the
Algeclras agreement leaves us not
altogether disinterested spectators of
the Important change now taking
place in Moroccan affairs. Paris and
Berlin cables in The Oregonlan state
that Mulai Hafid has promised to
abide by the terms of the Atgeclras
agreement. This is encouraging., for
one of the principal reasons for his
hostility to his defeated Drother Abdul
Aziz was because the latter so readily
acquiesced in the demands of the
powers. As soon as that agreement
was signed, Mulai Hafid went on the
warpath, preached the "holy war"
against the pretenders, and kept up
such a stiff fight that he finally suc
ceeded in driving his brother from the
throne.
But accompanying the news of his
willingness to abide by the terms of
the Algeciras agreement is a Franco
Spanish note to the powers contain
ing a number of new features not
covered in the old agreement. This
note quite clearly points out certain
obligations that must be met by Mulai
Hafid before he will be officially rec
ognized as the successor of Abdul
Aziz, and "affirms the right of France
and Spain to secure the reimburse
ment of expenses incurred in the es
tablishment of order at Casa Bianca
and their decision to reach a mutual
understanding for such reimburse
ment with the Moroccan government."
There are numerous other demands
made on the new Sultan, among them,
that Abdul Aziz and his functionaries
shall receive "honorable treatment"
from the victors, and that debts in
curred by them shall be paid by the
new regime.
Some of these demands are said to
be unfavorable to Germany, notably
that of reimbursement of the Casa
Bianca damages. As France had to
do about all of the fighting and has
for a long time been the "police
force" for the powers in Morocco, it
la hardly probable that Germany win
receive much support in her conten
tion that France and not Morocco
should pay for that police work.
Throughout the fighting that has
been in progress between Mulai and
his brother, there has been a general
disposition on the part of the powers
to remain to a considerable degree im
partial, for Mulai Hand, as his suc
cess proves, has a hold on the Moors
that Is sufficient, were he disposed to
use it, to make no end of trouble for
the "invading infidels." Mulai Hafid
the Sultan and Mulai Hafid the Pre
tender, however, may stand on differ
ent platforms, and, in return for the
undisputed possession of the throne,
he may be willing to make the conces
sions demanded, even though Germany
In the background may wish to see
the demands of France rejected.
THE COLORED MAX'S FRIEND.
Mr. Taft assures the colored peo
ple that his heart beats hard, fast
and long for them and is still in the
right place. All this to a delegation
to inquiring colored gentlemen who
called on the Presidential candidate
at Cincinnati. That's very well, in
deed. . Now cannot some enterprising
campaign manager induce a delega
tion of the Afro-American League to
call on Mr. Bryan and learn where
that good man's heart is? What a
generous and hospitable welcome they
would have. Bryan wants to see
them of course, and to assure them
that the great Democratic party
Btands first, last and always for equal
rights to all, a free ballot and an
honest count.
The strangest feature of this cam
paign is the undoubted defection of
numbers of colored people who are
evidently going to vote for Bryan. No
Democratic President ever can or will
do anything for the colored voter, and
the colored voter knows it. Further,
the Democratic party, if ever in com
plete control of the Government, will
make it more than ever impossible
for the colored people to have the
ballot in the South or social recogn!
tion South or North. The colored
voters know that, too. But some of
them are going to vote for Bryan all
the same, just to show their pique and
resentment against the Republican
party for the nomination of Mr. Taft,
who is unquestionably their friend and
would be, so far as possible, their pro
tector. It's a queer, queer world.
GRAIN PRICES SOARING.
The Chicago wheat market yester
day got well over the dollar line for
the cash article as well as the De
cember and May options. This brings
prices up several cents higher than
at a corresponding period last year,
"with an excellent prospect for con
tlnuation of the same figures or pos
sibly higher ones for the remainder
of the season. As the government
figures place the total 1908 wheat
crop at 667,000,000 bushels, or 32
000,000 bushels .larger than that of
last year, the effect of the present
prices on the general trade situation
will prove highly beneficial. Corn is
sharing in the strength of wheat, and
sold yesterday in the Chicago market
at 10 cents per bushel above last sea
son's figures at a corresponding date.
As a wealth producer, the coarser
gram is even more important than
wheat, for the crop is estimated at 2,
695,000,000 bushels and the price yes
terday was 67 cents per bushel.
While neither of these crops is a rec
ord breaker for size, both are so far
above the ten years' average, and the
price .is so much higher than the av
erage for the past twenty years, that
returns for the two crops will break
all records. As the high prices which
are now quoted in Chicago are but
a reflection of the European strength.
dependence of the foreigners on this
country for bread supplies will In
sure us against any decline of conse
quence before another crop is avail
able next year. Our shipments to
other countries are now averaging
about 6,000,000 bushels per week, in
cluding flour, and, as the average at
tidewater will be something more than
$1 per bushel, it Is clear that wheat
alone is building up a trade balance
abroad which may later prove a very
comforting asset.
With the marketing abroad of the
surplus of this enormous grain crop
and a big cotton crop, this balance
may assume proportions that will
have an Important bearing on money
rates abroad. So long as the Ameri
can money market is as well supplied
with cheap money as it is at this time,
there will be no great incentive to
bring home the pay for this big sur
plus of farm products which we are
selling to the foreigners, and it is not
at all improbable that many millions
will be permitted to stand to our
credit abroad until there is greater
need of it at home than there is at
the present time.
The grain crop of the Pacific North
west, while ranking well up with the
average for the past ten years, is
much smaller than that of last year,
but growers have been favored with
abnormally cheap ocean freights.
This pleasing feature, with a strong
market abroad, will result In net re
turns to the farmers not very much
below those of last year's record-
breaking crop. Aside from these
cheap freights and high prices, the
Oregon and Washington farmers are
better oft" proportionately than those
east of the Rocky mountains, for the
present fairly good crop is following
a record-breaker which left the grow
ers In good shape financially, while
the entire country east of the Rocky
mountains last year had a very poor
wheat crop.
MEMORIALS OF LONG AGO.
Of interest, not only to all Oddfel-
inn, Kut tn all survivors of the immi
gration of 1852 who crossed the
plains to the Oregon country in tnat
year is a weather-beaten pine board
that was lately found on a high bluff
overlooking Snake River, on th6 old
Oregon trail, seven miles from Twin
Falls, Idaho. Dimly traced upon this
board the headboard of a grave the
location of which could not be deter
mined are the three links, symboli
cal of Oddfellowship. The name, "H.
S. Webb," and the words, "Died Au
gust 13. 1852." complete the brief
story. Beyond this.
Neither love nor hope, nor Joy nor fear
Has left one trace or record near.
The finding of this rude headstone
will recall to memory many a grave
made by the wayside and left to the
silence and loneliness of the desert
and its obliterating sands in that fate
ful year. Ignorance of the dangers
that beset the journey across the great
plains at that time, infested as they
were by wandering bands of warlike
t n rii u no atnnri thpaa Immigrants in
the stead of courage. No man would
have undertaken the journey with a
helpless and defenseless family under
such conditions had he realized the
awful responsibility of the undertak
ing. But ignorance could not stand
in the stead of knowledge when dis
ease overtook the Immigrant. Hence
the wayfarers dropped out of the
marching ranks by scores and were
given uncoffined sepulture by the
dreary wayside. " Each grave was
marked, as was that of H. S. Webb,
by a simple headboard of pine, in
which name and date were rudely
cut. Future identification was notM
thought of when this headboard was
placed. It was a simple tribute of
love and memory, left to the storms
and sands of the desert and by them
soon obliterated.
Yet, after all, these frail memorials
were, only less ephemeral', than were
the elaborately engraved slabs - of
sandstone set up, in old Trinity church
yard in a long-past generation. En
vironed by civilization, carefully pro
tected through the years from de
facement by sacrilegious hands, these
slabs are slowly yielding to the gnaw
ing tooth of time, even as did the
pine headboards left at the graves of
those who fell by the wayside on the
great plains, nearly three score
years ago.
That portion of our people whose
thoughts turn backward in review,
and especially those among us
who left graves by the way
side as we marched westward
in the- advance ranks of civilization,
will follow with interest the efforts of
Boise Lodge, I. O. O. F., to learn
something of the life and endeavor of
H. S. Webb, whose name and affilia
tion with the order have been re
called by a weatherbeaten board left
sacred to his memory in the wilder
ness fifty-six years ago.
THE PASSENGER AGENTS.
The members of the American As
sociation of Traveling Passenger
Agents, who have been holding their
annual convention at Seattle, will ar
rive in Portland this morning for a
two days' visit, and Portland people
individually and collectively, should
make it a point to see that every pos
sible courtesy is extended them. This
is a duty that Portland owes for past
services, for it is pretty well under
stood that no small share of the
credit for securing a heavy outside at
tendance at the Lewis and Clark Ex
position is due to the traveling pas
senger agents. These men represent
every portion of the United States
where railroads run, and, through the
very nature of their calling, they
make a more thorough canvass of the
country than it is possible for any
other railroad men to make.
The splendid campaign conducted
by these men in the interest of the
Lewis and Clark Exposition brought
forth excellent results, notwithstand
ing the fact that but comparatively
few of them had ever visited Port
land. Now that they are here and
can. see for themselves the attractions
which this city offers for settlers
bound west, they will in future be bet
ter equipped than ever for presenting
its advantages to those with whom
their business brings them in con
tact. Special rates for colonists and
tourists have within the past . few
years greatly encouraged passenger
travel from all parts of the United
States, and the west is drawing its
full share of this new business. As
the traveling passenger agent is the
man who rounds up the greater part
of the business, quite naturally he is
in position very greatly to influence
the routing of travelers. Their visit
and personal inspection of the city
and surrounding territory will not
only satisfy them that the good things
they have already said about Port
land have been warranted, but will
present to theni new features of this
city and state, which will be of mutual
extends to the visitors a
most cordial welcome, hopes they will
like the place, and that they will come
again and remain longer next time.
A DEPLORABLE Sl'RVITAL.
Theological hatred dies hard. It
seems strange at first thought that the
passions kindled in England three or
four hundred years ago, when "Bloody
Mary" burned the Protestants at
Smithfield and Elizabeth in her turn
harried the Catholics, should still be
capable? of bursting into flame; but
they are. The announcement that the
Church of Rome would hold an Inter
national Eucharistic Congress in Lon
don awakened the old sectarian feud
in thousands of Britons, and the
spirit which formerly forbade a legate
of the Pope to enter England and
made it unlawful for children to go to
Catholic schools, or for a papist to ac
quire land or hoi office or attend the
universities, again broke forth. More
than fifty different Protestant asso
ciations, according to the information
of the New York Sun, sought to pre
vent the reception of the Pope's legate
by King Edward and petitioned the
Home Secretary to forbid the prom
ised procession of the congress
through the streets of London. In the
mind of Protestant England there
seems to be an ingrained dread of
Catholic domination, which has made
the progress of civilized legislation
upon religious matters very tedious
and which is ready to take violent
alarm whenever the church of Rome
shows signs of returning power.
Almost sixty years ago, when a
number of Catholic bishops were ap
pointed to various more or less hypo
thetical British sees, there was a great
outcry as if the Pope had sent another
armada to destroy the liberties of the
island. The only real ground for
alarm was in some slight advancqs
which Catholicism had made' in the
Oxford set and elsewhere, principally
because of the irreligious sloth of the
established church itself. Only lately
there have been various church con
ferences of world-wide membership in
London, one of the Congregationalists,
one of the Anglican churches, and so
on, none of them exciting the slightest
apprehension; but when. the Church
tf Rome sent her papal legate, her six
cardinals, including our own astute
Gibbons, and a great multitude of
bishops, archbishops and distin
guished laymen, then Protestant Al
bion began to gasp and tremble. The
fact is that thousands of Englishmen
believe implicitly that Rome still
claims the religious and temporal sov
ereignty of the whole world and only
bides her time until the opportunity
arrives to make good her preten
sions. "She Is beautifully lamb-like
now in the season of her adversity,"
these bigots argue, "but wait till some
thing happens to give Rome command
of the secular arm again and then
you will see." To these susceptible
imaginations Saint ' Bartholomew's
Day, the fires at Smithfield and Alva's
butcheries in the Low Countries are
an ever-present vision which no rea
soning can clear away.
Consequently the Catholic faith has
had a comparatively unpleasant time
in England ever since the reformation
decidedly triumphed under Elizabeth
and the Episcopalian rite was estab
lished by law. The consummate folly
of the Stuart Kings made matters
worse for the church which they de
sired to favor. Openly or secretly
Catholics, they did their best to de
press the legalized Protestant rite and
exalt the forbidden faith of Rome.
The horrors of the reformation were
too near to make such a course any
thing better than madness. It re
sulted in the final expulsion of the
Stuarts in the person of James, the
brother of the partly imbecile Charles
II, the establishment of the Protestant
succession by" impregnable statutes
and a fury of Intolerance toward the
Catholics. The House of Hanover to
which belonged George III, execrated
in the American colonies, fully shared
the antipathy of its British subjects
to the Church of Rome. When Pitt
was Minister for the first time under
this phlegmatic bigot, he wished to
pass a Catholic emancipation act, and
could have done so but for the intoler
ant opposition of the King, and when
George III permitted Pitt again to be
come Minister in 1804 it was only on
condition that he should drop the
Catholic question. Emancipation had
to wait until 1829, when it was rather
forced upon England by her Irish trib
ulation, and even then it provoked the
celebrated Gordon riots of which
Dickens makes so much in "Barnaby
Rudge."
Something had been gained for tol
erance before that time, however. The
Saville act, passed in 1778, repealed
the prohibition upon land ownership
by Catholics and permitted them to
send their children to their own
schools as well as to read mass. This
was 180 years ago, and one would
think that in all that time sectarian
fear and bigotry had had sufficient op
portunity to expire; but it has only
been smoldering. The word "mass" is
still ominous of terrible things to
your English Protestant, and to see.
the host carried In triumph through
the streets of London is something
which he cannot stomach. So the Brit
ish and Catholic authorities put their
wise heads together and effected a
compromise: The procession, marched
on Sunday, according to the plan, but
the host was not borne. The wily
King had an engagement to attend a
horse race, and so could not receive
the legate, vastly to his regret. Thus
an open breach of the peace was
avoided. In one respect at least Amef
lean civilization is ahead of the Brit
ish. We can behold all the churches
otejebrate their rites with as much
pomp as they like and it does not dis
turb our equanimity in the least de
gree. Some simply enjoy the show.
Others make the occasion a religious
festival; but nobody thinks of being
frightened.
The Chicago report that Harriman
had secured control of the Chicago
and Northwestern Railroad, while
lacking confirmation, is not improb
able not because the Wall street
wizard seems to be getting a strangle
hold on most of the railroads of the
country but because the Northwest
ern would be particularly valuable to
the Harriman system as a connecting
length east of Omaha. It is pointed
out in the Chicago dispatch that the
Northwestern under Harriman own
ership could not . be regarded as a
merged parallel road, but this seems
uncertain when it is remembered that
the Government has ignored dozens of
paralleling merged roads near the Na
tional capital, and came out to the
west to declare the Southern and Un
ion Pacific as "parallel and compet
ing lines" and therefore not legally
entitled to merge under one owner
ship. If Mr. Harriman has secured
control of the Northwestern his own
ership will hardly be very firmly as
serted until there Is less discrimina
tion shown In the prosecution of
merged railroads.
"Extravagance of the Government"
is a theme of the Bryan politicians
and press, and of Bryan himself. But
should Bryan and his party win, and
should the appropriations that the
many and various sections of the
country want, need, have been ac
customed to and must have, be cut
off, there will be hell-to-pay; mind
you that.
Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler, nomi
nated by the Democrats for Gover
nor of New York, is the young man
the identical young gentleman who
last year fancied he heard a loud call
from the country at large for him
to become President of the United
States. He is a young man with
money and distinguished' ancestry;
but his hearing 1b bad.
The New York Democrats are much
worried that the "reform promises of
Governor Hughes on ' which he was
elected have not been kept." That's
really delicious. But what would the
Democratic platform have had to say
about those Hughes reforms if Hughes
had not been renominated?
Says the Pendleton East Oregonian:
"The men who asked for ballots for
the Republican primary said, in ef
fect, that they were Republicans."
Yet a large proportion of them lied.
They voted for Chamberlain, and will
vote for Bryan. ' '
Boss Parsons and Boss Woodruff
voted for Hughes and Boss Barnes
moved to make it unanimous. New
York is famous as the place where
the machine politicians smile when
they take their medicine.
Those German balloons all seem to
be able to stay up in the air unless the
wind blows stiffly or something hap
pens, which It usually does. The Ger
man Wright Brothers have not yet
appeared.
In his appeals for party harmony
Pacificator McHarg is likely to find
that each Oregon Republican faction
will set a noble example of harmony
with itself and no others.
Mr. Bryan invaded New York yes
terday to the extent of fourteen
speeches. One cannot be sure that
it was one too many or nine too few.
Only three more days of this su
perb weather and the State Fair will
have survived the week without rain.
But we anticipate, of course.
A good warm spanking, says a Chi
cago educator, is the best cure-all for
the impudent high school "frats."
Then why don't you 1
ISSUE IX MAINE WAS PROHIBITION
Why the Normal Republics Majority
Was Reduced.
From Raymond's Portland (Me.) Letter
to the Chicago Tribune, Sept. 13.
When the issue as to the resubmis
sion of Prohibition to the people was
forced Into the campaign two years
ago and the Democratic candidate cut
down the Republican majority to less
than. 8000, it was generally assumed
the question would come up this year
and that both parties, without commit
ting themselves as to whether Prohibi
tion was a good thing or not, would in
some way agree on the law, giving the
people a chance to say whether they
approved of the action of their fathers
and grandfathers some 62 years ago,
when Prohibition became a fixed fact
In Maine. The Democrats were openly
in favor of the test two years ago, and
of course, were sure to take the same
ground in the present campaign.
Supposing the Republicans would
back htm up, William T. Haines, of
Waterville, one of the warhorses on the
Republican side, came out openly for
submission of the prohibition law to
the people and announced his candi
dacy before the Republican convention
on that basis. He was immediately
opposed by Bert M. Fernald, of Poland,
who took the other tack. He Insisted
the people were satisfied with the law
as It stood and that a submission of
the law as it stood at a general election
would only open a way for the demon
rum to poke his head once more into
the state.
a a ,
Fernald made his campaign within
the party lines and the result of it was
that Haines was snowed under and his
defeat was so complete his name was
not even presented to the state con
vention. Having settled the matter
within the party lines, the Republicans
assumed that submission of the prohi
bition law was a dead Issue and they
began the present campaign with that
idea constantly in view.
Having come so near winning two
years ago. the Democrats began this
campaign by putting up the strongest
man they have in the party at the
present time. This Is Obadlah Gardner,
of Rockland. He was master of the
State Grange for ten years or more
and is well acquainted with the whole
state.
From the outset Gardner has con
ducted a rattling campaign. Although
a Bryan man himself, he has refused
to pay any attention to National poll
tics in the present campaign, and he is
carrying on the fight so vigorously
the Republicans have been obliged to
meet him on the question of resubmis
sion of the prohibitory law.
Gardner has swept up and down the
state, and everywhere he has gone he
has left traces behind him of the Re
publican disaffection. He is a teetotal
er himself and personally believes in
prohibition If It could be enforced, but
he has charged the Republicans with
cowardice and hypocrisy In refusing to
give the public a ehance to have their
say on a law which concerns the daily
life of every man, woman and child
in the state, and which was passed be
fore a great majority of the voters
were born.
see
To make things worse for the Re
publicans, the Democrats have a better
organization this year than ever before
In their history. If the latter had been
compelled to make the campaign on
National Issues they would have lost
before they started. By stickling close
to the prohibition Issue they have elim
inated Bryan and the National Demo
cratic ticket and In this way may
break down party lines to such an ex
tent as to give their candidate a ma
jority. Although Haines was overwhelming
ly defeated in the Republican factional
fight, there Is no doubt there are many
thousands of Republicans who honestly
believe the prohibition question should
be put up to the people once more.
How. far they will go in voting for a
Democrat even the best judges in Maine
are unable to say.
Some of the dissatisfied Republica'ns
will stay at home next Monday and
then come out in full force at the No
vember election to mark their dissatis
faction with the present party- man
agement. Others will go directly over
to the Democrats on the state issue
and vote for Gardner. Still a third lot
of Maine Republicans, after grumbling
and growling, will in the end go to the
polls and vote -their party ticket as
they have been accustomed to do. It is
safe to say there are enough dissatis
fied Republicans to elect Gardner If
they all voted for him, but it will take
the election, itself to determine how
many of them will make good on their
threats.
Every estimate is that Taft and Sher
man will have a majority in Maine two
or three, times as great as that for
Fernald, the Republican candidate for
Governor, assuming he wins at the
polls next Monday.
"How This World Is Given to Lying-!"
Polk County Observer.
The Portland Journal recently pub
lished a table compiled by the Secre
tary of State, showing the registration
of the various parties In Oregon up to
May 15 of this year, and giving the
Republican registration at 80.921
against the Democrats' 28.788. The
table was published for the purpose of
disproving the claim that many Demo
crats registered as Republicans in the
recent state elections for the purpose
of overthrowing the Republican candi
date and electing Chamberlain. The
figures in this table Indicate something
else which might be mentioned also,
and that other thing Is that It Is con
siderable of a Jump between the Demo
crat 28.000 and the Republican 80.000.
In spite of the fact that Oregon's non
partisan (?) daily is continually having
cold chills up and down its spine as it
tells each day how thin, how awfully
thin and attenuated. Is the margin by
which the big Ohloan may hope to
carry this state.
Having- Tried It Out.
Yakima Republic.
- The direct primary system travels over
the country professing to be a reform
that will enable the people to express
their will. In that respect it Is a hollow
mockery, for the simple but insurmount
able reason that It rules the majority out
of business. The people cannot express
their will through minorities. Just as
soon as they grasp this idea, they are
going to cease to regard the results at
the primaries s binding on them, or even
of special interest. Then our reformers
will give us the blanket ballot, and try
for a while to show us that we don't
need political parties. After that, per
haps we shall come back to our senses.
Sarvtvlna; "Llorn of Confederacy.
Washington (D. C.) Despatch.
Simon Bolivar Buekner, now In his
86th year, has the distinction of being
the only surviving Lieutenant-General
of the Confederacy. General Buekner,
despite his advanced age, is far from
being inactive, and in the last few
months has taken a leading part in the
fight against the lawless Kentucky
"nlghtrlders." who have been destroy
ing tobacco fields and spreading terror
throughout the state.
Bryan's Old "Paramount Issues."
Brooklyn Eagle.
We should like Mr. Bryan to show that
his renunciation of. his refuted proposi
tions is due to his acquired disbelief in
them, and that his renunciation of them
is not merely temporarily suspended, to
be resumed, should he be elected; but he
has not yet made that plain.
LEWIS WILL PROBATED
Larger Part of Valuable Property
Left to Widow.
The will of Leon H. Lewis, disposing
of property estimated to be . worth
$50,000, was admitted to probate In the
County Court yesterday. Lewis died
September 7, leaving a will dated April
12, 1907. It provides that his sisters and
brothers shall receive $2000 each. Six
of his eight nephews and nieces are to
receive $1000 each, both the $2000 and
J1000 bequests to be paid within a year
by Cecelia Lewis, the widow, who Is
named as executrix. The remainder of
the property Is to go to her. At her
death half of her property is to be divid
ed equally among the six brothers and
sisters, after the six nephews and nieces
have received $2500 each, in addition to
the first bequest. The other half of
the property remaining at the widow's
death is to be disposed of by her as
she sees fit.
The brothers and sisters of Mr. Lewis
are: Annie Nathan. Sadie Gregory.
Kate Halbertsadt, Hattie Cook, Bamet
Lewis and Godfrey Lewis, all of San
Francisco. The nieces and nephews re
membered in the will are: Minnie Lewis,
Alice Halberstadt. Florence Newman,
Edward L. Strauss, Lawrence H.
Strauss and Rebecca Rosenthal, the lat
ter of Portland, and the others residing
in San Francisco.
Notes and mortgages held by the es
tate are valued at 117,600; cash, J500,
and the real estate at $31,000. A half
lot on Third street, between Yamhill and
Taylor, is valued at $7500; a quarter
block at Glisan and Eighteenth streets
at $15,000, and 140 acres in Multnomah
County at $,-j0. Levi May, Henry Tau
benhelmer and David L. Stearns have
been appointed by the court as apprais
ers. DISTRICT NOT HELD LIABLE
Not Responsible for Negligence of
School Directors.
Whether or not a school district can
be held responsible for the negligence
of Its directors was the question raised
by a demurrer to the complaint of In-man-Poulsen
& Company against School
District No. 1. In passing upon the
question yesterday morning. Presiding
Judge Gantenbeln, of the Circuit Court,
decided that the district cannot be held
liable.
Under the Oregon law. no lien can be
filed against school buildings. To insure
from loss persons supplying materials to
contractors for school buildings, the
Legislature of 1903 provided that school
directors must require contractors to
give bonds sufficient to cover the price
of the materials. The contract for re
pairing the building !n District No. 12,
which has since been consolidated with
No. 1, was let to J. R. Clark and F. A.
Simpson in August, 1904. Lumber was
purchased from the mill company in the
Fall of 1905, and $335 is alleged to be
still owing on the bill. The board of
directors. O. E. Lent, Henry Chapman
and Ira E. Allen, failed It is alleged, to
require any bond from Clark & Simp
son. JUDGE REFUSES - REQUEST
Defendants In Assessment Case Must
Adopt a New Course.
The attorneys for Nottingham & Com
pany and Joseph Paquet, in the suit
brought against them by the City of
Portland to collect their portion of the
assessment for the filling of East Wash
ington street between East Water and
Grand avenue, asked Judge Bronaugh to
refuse to receive the verdict of the Jury
when it was returned yesterday. This
the Circuit Court Judge refused to do.
The only remedy for the defendants is
to make a motion to have the verdict
set aside.
The defendants refused to pay their
assessment, asserting that 40 cents a
yard for filling the East Side gulch and
bringing the street to the required level,
was too much. The jury decided that
Nottingham & Company must pay the
citv $2361, and that Paquet must pay
$1184.
Indicted Persons Will Appear.
Of the persons Indicted by the grand
Jury Tuesday night, 12 will be arraigned
before Judge Gantenbeln. in the Circuit
Court, this afternoon at 2 o'clock. They
are: E. G. Adams, charged with ob
taining money on false pretenses in two
instances; Hugh Walthrew, larceny from
a steamboat; Lillie Morse, assault and
battery: P. H. Trigg, assault and bat
tery; Oscar Hanson, statutory offense;
Rose De Cico, assault and battery; H.
A. Collie, assault: Adolph Adler, extor
tion; J. A. Hogan, assault; Chester C.
Holloway. assault with intent to kill;
Joseph Tlckey. assault; James Hill, lar
ceny in a store.
Injured Woman Brings Suit.
Suit against the owners of the Mar
quam building to recover $25,000 for per
sonal injuries sustained in an elevator
accident April 28. has been filed In the
Circuit Court by Mrs. Julia J. Rice. She
was formerly Miss Julia J. Porter. The
complaint charges that although the ele
vator was unfit to be operated, it was
being run, and fell several feet as she
attempted to board it on the seventh
floor. Her foot was broken and the doc
tors' bills were $370. The Oregon Com
pany is named as the owner of the build
ing. Property Goes to Mrs. Peiffer.
Tne will of Anton L. Peiffer was ad
mitted to probate in the County Court
yesterday morning, upon the petition of
the widow. Wtlhelmina Peiffer. All the
property goes to the widow with the
exception of $7. which Is to be divided
among two children and five grandchil
dren. The Peiffer estate Is valued at
$15,000. Including $13.000-stock in the
Peiffer Bros.' Leather Company. Mr.
Peiffer died April 6, 1902. The will was
made December 22, 1900.
Estate's Value at Issue.
Eliza J. Scott and Pearl Scott have
been cited to appear in the County
Court September 18, at 9:30 A. M., to
tell what they know regarding the estate
of Grant Scott. The petition for issu
ance of letters gives the value of the
estate as $300. but John C. Shlllock. the
attorney for John B. Coffey, administra
tor, is of the opinion that it is worth
between $10,000 and $12,000.
Found Guilty of Gambling.
After taking the cases under advisement
Municipal Judge Van Zante has found
guilty the colored members of the Eureka
Social Club who were arrested for gam
bling In a raid a month ago. A fine of
$10 was imposed on each member.
Hobo Steals Students' Clothes.
ALBANY, Or., Sept. 16. (Special.)
Wearing three coats and two pairs of
trousers and carrying two overcoats, a
hobo named Kelly was taken from the
northbound overland at this city this
morning by Officer Catlin. The clothes
are the property of Fred Moullen and
Bill Main, two football heroes of the
University of Oregon. When Catlin
searched the hobo he found the pockets
full of letters addressed to Moullen and
Main. Chief of Police Ries telephoned
to Eugene and ascertained that a cottage
occupied by the two students had been
robbed. Moullen and Main are in the
mountains on a vacation, getting in shape
for the coming season.
j RAILROAD MEX AT OLYMPIA
O. R. & X. Representatives Fight
Washington Valuations.
OLYMPIA, Wash., Sept. 16. (Special.)
The deadly parallel column might have
been used against the O. R. & N. here
this afternoon, for in one corner of the
State House before the State Railroad
Commission, A. C. Spencer, attorney for
that road, was urging that valuations of
the line be increased for rate-making pur
poses, while in the opposite corner on
the same floor before the State Board
of Equalization, J. W. Morrow, the com
pany's land agent, was asking that val
uations of the O. R. & N. be reduced for
taxation purposes.
Before the Railway Commission Mr.
Spencer asked that the findings on right
toZ way valuations in Spokane County be
increaseu aoout zv per cent ana De aoout
doubled for the right of way along the
Snake, "between Riparia and Wallula. He
also asted that the value of O. R. & N.
commercial property in Walla Walla be
reduced about $50,000, an apparent cleri
cal error being pointed out as responsible
for this amount.
This was railroad day before the State
Board of Equalization and the following
h-amv hnrri: T. C nilmnn. of Seattle.
I representing the Great Northern: B. S.
Grosscup, northern Faeinc; w. T. riecK,
Spokane A British Columbia; A. J. Shaw,
Spokane & International; E. M. Hayden,
Tacoma & Eastern: John L. Snapp. Great
Northern, and J. W. Morrow, O. R. & X.
Mr. Gilman presented an argument
which was enlarged upon by Mr. Gross
cup. He proposes a plan which the
board will likely adopt and which will
completely revolutionize equalization of
state values and will shatter to bits In
a measure the proposed adding of $100.
000.000 of value to railroad assessments
this year. Incidentally, to adopt this plan,
which attorneys ay is absolutely neces
sary, will mean the violation or ignoring
of a part of the new law relating to rail
road assessments in order to keep within
the constitution. The new law, which
gave the Tax Commissioner power to
fix valuations of all operating property
of- railroads, provides that after the val
uations are found they be apportioned
among the counties on a mileage basts
of the actual mileage of each road within
that county, but the law also says rail
road property must be assessed on the
same standard of value as all other prop
erty In the county.
County officers appearing before the
state board have testified that they have
br!ipsui1 nrnnprtv In their miintiea all
J the way from about 30 per cent In Pa
cific County to as high as fun to per
cent in Spokane County. Naturally, if
the state board tries to assess railroads
at 60 per cent, when it comes to appor
tioning the gross assessment on the mile
age basis to Pacific County, It would be
knowingly violating the other provision
that the assessment should be equal to
that of all other property.
Mr. Gi!man and Mr. Grosscup went into
this matter at length, their arguments go
ing to confirm the conclusions the mem
bers of the state board had reached In
conferences held here for several days
past. The board has practically decided
to abandon entirely all the old plana of
classification of property and with every
Item on the entire assessment roll of each
county to make up a table showing, first,
county assessed valuation; next, actual
valuation, and then, proportion of assess
ment. When these are completed and sn
actual finding is made at what percent
age of actual value all property In any
county is assessed, the board will assess
railroad operating property In such
county on the same percentage of the
entire value of the road as the mileage
within such county bears to the entire
mileage of the road. As average assess
ments In the state are actually less than
50 per cent of the real value, this plan
will naturally reduce the Increase In rail
road assessments this year considerably
below the $100,000,000 that had been ex
pected from a 60 per cent valuation.
After these railroad assessments have
been apportioned to the several counties,
the board will then take up the equaliza
tion of values among all of the counties.
Instead of attempting to bring about a
60 per cent valuation, indications are
strongly that the State Board this year
will insist upon an actual compliance
with the Constitution and make the val
uations for state taxes actual full market
value, 100 per cent. Pacific county would
thus be raised 70 per cent, or more than
double, and in fact the gross valuations
in all the state would be more than
doubled. This plan of course would bring
railroad assessments back up away above
$100,000,000 more than last year, but would
also bring up every other bit of property
In the state. Counties like Spokane,
where efforts were made for high assess
ments, would have to pay no more pro
portionate state tax than counties like
Pacific, where valuations were only half
as great.
General taxes of the Btate Vould not
necessarily be Increased, for the rate of
levy for general fund and school fund
could be reduced to a rate that would
bring no more money than a higher rate
under a less gross assessment. The only
Increase in taxes would come In military
and highway funds, which are fixed
levies.
This plan of course will do away with
the old scheme of classification, where,
for instance, the board found last year
that horses In King and Pierce counties
should be valued at an average of $44,
while in some other counties they should
be less, and so on with a different valua
tion in each group of counties.
Gamekeeper Killed Miller.
SAN FRANCISCO. Sept. 16. The sheriff
of Alameda County believes Carl Miller,
a boy who was shot and killed while
hunting on the marshes comprising the
preserve of the Albrae Gun Club last Sun
day, was shot by John Ray, keeper of
the club. Roy Morgan, an assistant, had
confessed that Ray asked for his rifle
when he saw Miller and his two compan
ions in the marsh and Mrs. Ray admitted
that she gave Morgan the weapon. The
sheriff declares that Ray, standing on the'
roof of the clubhouse, fired two shots
and that one of these, at a distance of
over 1.000 yards, penetrated Miller's body.
Ray has been arrested and will probably
be charged with murder.
Arrange Democratic Rally.
SALEM. Or.. Sept. 16. (Special.) Salem
Democrats are making preparations for
a big rally at the time of the visit of
Congressman Bell, of California, who will
speak here September 23. The Jefferson
Ian Club has appointed the following re
ception committee: Tom Wilson, M. P.
Baldwin. W. H. Holmes. E. W. Powers,
D L. Frazier. John Bayne. August Huck
estein. F. W. Stensloff, D. J. Fry, Charles
Liveslay, J. E. Godfrey. W. N. Wood.
Watchman Dies at Post.
SANTA ROSA. Cal.. Sept. 16. As he
was closing his fruit-drying establishment
last evening. W. H. Ragan directed Frank
Duguet. the watchman, to extinguish the
fires. Receiving no reply, he approached
the watchman and found him dead,
standing against the wall with a bag of
apples In his hand. Duguet had been
stricken with heart disease.
Selects Postofflce Site at Albany.
ALBANY. Or., Sept. 16. (Special.)
M K Yoakim, a special agent from
Washington. D. C who is inspecting
postofflce sites in the Pacific Northwest,
is in this city seleetlng a location for
Albany's Federal building. ,He is exam
ining the nine sites which have been of
fered the Government.
Naval Recruits Sent South.
SAN FRANCISCO. Sept. 16. The aux
iliary cruiser Buffalo sailed yesterday
for Panama with a number of enlisted
men from Asiatic stations whose terms
have expired. At Panama the Buffalo
will receive a draft of recruits for ves
sels of the Pacific fleet.
v