8
TJTE 3IORXING OREGONIAX. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1908.
PORTLAND. OREGON.
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eubecrrptton Hairs rlacly tm Advanoa
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PORTLAND. TIKSDAV. SEPT. 22, lOOS.
80,921 28,788.
From the registration of the elect
ors of the state It might appear that
Oregon s vote was assured to Taft
The registration, as It stands on th
rolls at the present time for the entire
state Is 80,921 Republican and 28,788
Democratic. Republican majority,
62.133.
Now this registration is fraudulent.
It Is fraud, open, palpable; gross as
a mountain. It simply means that
thousands upon, thousands of Demo
crats In Oregon registered last Spring,
falsely, as Republicans, for the pur
pose of participation as Republican
in the primary, and nominating the
Republican candidates with no inten
lion, however, of voting for them in
the election. It was the leading card
in the play for Chamberlain, and was
invited by a faction of Republicans in
every part of the state, for promotion
of their own objects. Of course It dis
gusted others, and It was repudiated
by them. As a result of the Juggle
Cake was nominated for Senator, and
Chamberlain got a plurality in the
election. A further remit Is that
Legislature nominally Republican by
five or six to one. Is actually Demo
cratic and. expected to elect a Demo
cratic Senator.
now many thousands of men in
Oregon have lied, and sworn to the
lie, to make the registration of the
state read 80.921 Republican. 28,788
Democratic? A great many thousands,
undoubtedly, or Hon. Milt Miller and
his compatriots would not now be en
tnusiastic in their expectations of
carrying the state for Bryan.
We think, however, Taft has
chance of carrying the state, but it is
certain he will not have a plurality
of 52,133 votes. Perjuries recently
have been too common to permit any
judicious observer to make reasonable
calculations.
But the main point here is the fact
that the primary law with Its sacred
"statement," the methods of Its oper
ation and the results thereof, far from
securing an expression of the will of
the people, or establishing the choice
of party in making nominations, goes
diametrically against those principles.
objects and results. In operation,
whatever It may have been in intent.
It Is a scheme of political thimble
rigging, lying, deceit, perjury, fraud,
Jugglery and miscellaneous dishonesty
claiming the sanction of law, and
made loathsome by the pretensions
set up for It In the name of reform.
"Reform!"
Heaven stops the nose at It and the moon
a' Inks!
The bawdy wind that kisses all It meets
Is hushed within the hollow mine of earth
And win not hear It!
TRADE AND T1IK MXRCHANT MARINE.
A San Francisco dispatch announces
that the keynote of the coming Trans
Mississippi Congress will be "trans-
Pacific trade" and "an American mer
chant marine." These are live topics.
and it is well that they are to be dis
cussed here on the shores of the Pa
cific, where actual conditions at close
range can be studied much easier than
theories at long range. The "mer
chant marine" not necessarily under
the American flag bears a close rela
tionship to the trans-Pacific trade.
For nearly two years the bulk of this
trade has been handled by tramp
steamers at rates so low that some of
the owners of the vessels have been
brought to the verge of bankruptcy.
They have handled our exports In the
most economically constructed and
economically operated vessels afloat,
but the stress of competition has been
so great, and the supply of tonnage so
far In excess of the demand, that It
has been simply Impossible for them
to return a profit.
All of which Is perhaps unfortu
nate for the owners, but of course In
creases the profits of the men who
produce and handle the cargoes. It Is
thus quite accurately demonstrated
that cheap transportation is benefi
cial to the trans-Pacific trade, and if
this transportation is to be supplied by
an American merchant marine, we
must have no handicap of original cost
over the ocean carriers with which our
chips must compete. . In other words,
wa must abandon our present absurd
and unbusinesslike policy of forcing
the American shipowner to do busi
ness with a $500,000 American-built
ship in competition with a foreigner
who can secure an equally well-built
vessel of equal capacity for $250,000.
.The Pacific Coast ports at this time
are pretty well cluttered up with
American schooners and barkentlnes
which are unable to enter the foreign
trade except in a small way because
foreign-built vessels, constructed at
much lower cost, can handle "trans
Pacific trade," or any other ocean
trade, at lower rates than can be met
by the American craft, except at a
loss. If the men in charge of thla
Trans-Mississippi Congress wish to
know why the American merchant
marine languishes, they should invite
Mr. Robert Dollar, of San Francisco,
to give some of his personal experi
ences as an owner of both American
and foreign ships.
Expert testimony, such as Mr. Dol
lar is In a position to give, might. If
properly digested by the delegates, re
sult in an appeal to Congress for leg
islation that would result in a mer
chant marine. Not a subsidy-fed,
pampered, weak, nerveless, hothouse
affair, but an active, independent mer
chant marine, that could float on its
own bottom and could on its merits
compete with the ships of other na
tions which are now carrying: the bulk i
of the trans-Pacific trade because
they carry It cheaper than we can
carry It in our own ships. The sub
Ject is an Interesting one. and San
Francisco Is an interesting; point a
which to study it, and, if the dele
;ates get a good understanding; of It,
there will be no further demands for
a ship subsidy from the Trans-Mis
sisslppi Congress.
GREAT VESSELS AND A GREAT RIVER.
The steamships Falls of Kith and
Cambrian King and the British bark
Andorlnha crossed out of the Colum
bia yesterday carrying 616,576 bushels
of wheat. They were preceded a few
days ago by the steamships Braemont
and Queen Amelia with 402,206 bush
els. The draft of.the big trio sailing
yesterday ranged from 23 feet
Inches to 24 feet 8 - Inches, and all
were taken through from Portland
to the sea without the slightest de
tention.
As an Illustration of the remark
able improvement in the river channel
it Is interesting to note that the five
vessels mentioned, with cargoes of
1,018.782 bushels of wheat, carried
greater tonnage than the combined
September and October, 1888, fleet of
fourteen vessels. The total amount of
the fourteen cargoes of twenty years
ago was 1,014,543 bushels, and it was
necessary to lighter some of this wheat
to Astoria, even the diminutive vessels
of that period being unable to load to
their capacity at Portland. Evidence
of this nature shows quite clearly
what has been accomplished In the
past, and what may be expected in the
future.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASING.
The first ray of sunshine in the for
elgn trade situation for several months
Is noticeable In the August statement
of the Bureau of Statistics, comprising
exports of breadstuffs, meat and dairy
products, food animals, cotton and
mineral oil. These figures show a to
ta nearly $9,000,000 In excess of the
July exports of the same commodities,
and are nearly $3,000,000 greater than
the amount exported in August, 1907.
The showing Is all the more favorable
when it is noted that the value of the
July exports was much smaller than
for the same month In the preceding
four years. Wheat and cotton were
the two great staples responsible for
making August the first month to
show an increase this year. In the
cereal alone exports rose from 5,861,-
066 bushels, valued at $5,268,980, in
August, 1907, to 11,815,605 bushels,
valued at $11,964,691 last month.
The amount of cotton shipped last
month was nearly three times as large
as for August, 1907, but, on account of
the lower prices, the gain in total
value was not so great proportionately.
The August Increase, while quite en
couraging, was Insufficient to make up
much of the .deficit that was caused
by the heavy slump In foreign trade
earlier In the year, and the total ex
ports for the commodities mentioned
for the first eight months of the year
are but $522,455,600, compared with
$555,064,861 for the first eight months
of 1907, although they compare favor
ably with the exports for the same
period in years prior to 1907. Exports
of breadstuffs for the eight months
were the largest on record, reaching a
total of $113,561,150, which was more
than $2,000,000 in excess of the pre
vious record of 1906.
In this feature of the export trade
Portland and the Puget Sound cities
make a very flattering showing, the
value of the breadstuffs exported from
the two North Pacific ports exceeding
$20,660,000, or considerably more than
one-sixth of all that was shipped from
the United States. In wheat alone
these two ports also make a remark
able showing, being credited with 15,-
756,344 bushels out of a total of 54,
082,751 bushels from all American
ports. -In meat and dairy products,
cattle, hogs and sheep and mineral
oils, there was a decrease of several
millions. While an Increase In the ex
ports of manufactured products is
very much desired at this time, it Is
hardly probable that it will be In evi
dence until fears as to the outcome of
the November election have been al- ,
layed. Our cereal crops and the cot
ton crop are so large, however, and
the foreign demand is so heavy, that
it is reasonable to expect that the up
ward move indicated in the August
domestic exports will be maintained.
There is a big crop at high prices, and
it is moving quite rapidly. The Inde
pendence of the American farmer was
never more apparent than in this year
of large crops and high prices follow
ing a severe financial upheaval in the
country.
"BACK TO THE SOIL."
A most hopeful sign of the times is
the eagerness of farmers .to learn
more of their vocation. Time was
when plowing and sowing and gather
ing into barns met all the requjre-
ments of knowledge In farming. The
lucky year" was looked for hopefully
to balance the short crops of unlucky
ears, and severe economy In living,
cheap raiment, lack of all Indulgences
In the way of amusement or entertain
ment, were the only known methods
whereby money could be saved to pay
the taxes and keep up the interest on
the mortgage.
All of this Is happily changed. Agri
culture has grown to the dignity of
vocation that, properly pursued.
gives certain results year after year in
his blessed land of assured climatic
favors. The how, why and wherefore
f agricultural methods that produce
with unerring certainty the results
desired are eagerly and Intelligently
sought. It is thus that representatives
of the State Agricultural College
found attentive audiences at the State
Fair when dairying, the control of in
sect pests, tree grafting, apple pack
ing, the good and bad points In Judg
ing stock and kindred topics were pre
sented. This was a new feature of the
State Fair and one that awakened
great interest. Its popularity was as
sured from the first, and it will no
doubt commend itself to the managers
of the State Fairs of the future. It
extends the instruction which young
men and women receive at the State
Agricultural College to farmers who
have long outlived their school days
and in whose boyhood farming
was simply an Inherited vocation. The
earnest attention given to the topics
treated, by men and women grown
middle-aged and even old on the farm,
plainly attest the need of the instruc-
on given and the open minds with
hlch it Is received. .
Truly there is much to learn that
as not written in me requirements
of early farming In Oregon. The pests
ntroduced by commerce have come to
nest and prey upon the products of ,
our fields and orchards; the virgin
soli, long cropped to a single product
which would bear slow transportation
to far markets, has been exhausted of
Its fertility and become stingy in its
yield; civilization has made more ex
acting demands upon the quality of
products year after year. To counter
act these drawbacks and conditions
the science of agriculture has arisen
and, fostered by the Government, Na
tional and state, has become a sure
help In time of need. "Back to the
soli" is the slogan of this science, and
It Is meeting response, far and wide.
A BIT OF SAGE ADVICE.
The Oregonlan tries to act as nearly
as may be like a perfect gentleman
when It Is approached upon delicate
subjects by a real lady. For that rea
son the following Inquiry from "E. J."
is not relegated to an obscurely un
worthy corner of the paper but is
shoved Into as brilliant an illumina
tion as possible. "The writer," begins
the virtuously inquisitive "E. J.," "is
a married woman and while out in the
evening with a party of lady friends
and their husbands was invited to en
ter one of the prominent grills of the
city to partake of liquid refreshments.
Was it wrong to accept the Invitation
under the circumstances?"
A good deal depends upon the num
ber of husbands each lady friend had
along. If she had no more than three
or four we can see nothing prima
facie wrong about the adventure; but
if any member of the gay party had
as many as six husbands with her it
seems to us -decidedly risque lo
"E. J.," to have gone into a grill in
such company. It is impossible to
give a definite answer to deep and Im
portant questions of this sort withou
knowing all the particulars of the af
fair. For example, how can we say
whether it was wicked or not to enter
the grill for liquid refreshments when
nothing is told us about the refresh
ments themselves? If these ladles
and their multitudinous husbands par
took of whisky one must know the
brand, the age of the beverage and
whether it was polluted with water or
not before the moral quality of their
conduct becomes determinable. If
champagne was chosen for the liquid
refreshment one can declare offhand
that if it was made of vinegar, lime
and sugar then it was not only wicked
to drink it but Bcar.dalous even to be
seen where it was kept. If it was the
true vintage of the sunny plains of
France, we must have further Infor
mation before venturing an opinion.
In conclusion we are disposed to
add, merely as a counsel of perfection
that when a real lady goes Into
saloon to take a drink she usually
brings at least one of her own hus
bands along. No matter If she Is
chaperoned by several of the husbands
of her lady friends she does not feel
socially secure without some nearer
and dearer protector.
CHOLERA I RUSSIA.
If new proof were needed of the in
capacity of the Russian autocracy to
govern it would be furnished In super
abundance by the epidemic of cholera
which rages from the Caspian Sea to
St. Petersburg. Cholera is a disease
which originates in filth and thrives
upon superstition and ignorance. The
civilized world long since outgrew the
panic terror which it once inspired
whenever it appeared. Rational quar
antine, decent habits of life and soap
plentifully used deprive cholera of
most of its power to slay, but in Rus
sia the officials are too busy grafting
to set up a quarantine. The disease
entered the country last Summer from
the region of the Caspian, where the
people are too holy to wash them
selves or their food and where cholera
Is therefore endemic.
While the Russian officials were
diligently robbing and' torturing the
populace the pestilence worked Its
way unhindered up the Volga, a great
artery of commerce, to the heart of
the Empire. Everything was pre
pared to make it welcome. The
wretched peasants are so ill-fed that
their power of resistance is slight. The
grain that should nourish' them is ex
ported to pay the gambling debts of
their rulers. There Is probably not
a peasant's house lh any Russian Mir
village from the Caspian to St. Peters
burg as clean as an American cow
barn. Their food is not only insuffi
dent but It is filthy. St. Petersburg
comes nearer than any other city of
the empire to being civilized, but even
there we read that th habits of the
people are Incredibly foul and the
markets reeking with putrid offal.
The so-called hospitals of Russia, con
trolled by ignorant priests, are simply
breeding beds of cholera. In one of
them, for example, 300 patients were
served by three bath tubs.
Such being the facts there is no
mystery whatever about the spread of
cholera in Russia and Its virulence.
Every circumstance Invites a pesti
lence and the pestilence has accepted
the Invitation. If it were not cholera
It would be something else. Instead
of honestly facing the facts, however,
and fighting the pestilence with good
food and cleanliness, the Russian
priests have begun to gibber and
chatter about it. God has sent it to
punish the people for their sins, they
say, and they are trying to stay the
pestilence by prayer. One can imagine
the silly creatures parading up and
down the streets with their holy Im
ages borne aloft and muttering In
cantations as they go. But prayer
never yet stayed one epidemic and a
good mop Is worth a million elkons
when it comes to fighting the cholera.
These forforn priests cut a hideous
figure but they are dangerous also,
for they keep the populace ignorant
of -what really ought to be done and
induce the afflicted to trust to means
which cannot possibly help. Hence
the disease will probably take its own
course In Russia and it becomes
doubly difficult for her civilized neigh
bors to quarantine against It. The in
habitants are utterly Ignorant of the
danger to themselves and to others
from their habits and for this igno
rance they may thank their priests.
Russia menaces the world now both
as a hotbed of revolution and as a
breeding ground of pestilence. Each
condition is directly attributable to
her wretched government. The Rus
sian people are as Intelligent and
capable as any In the world and they
would take an honorable place among
the nations If they only had decent
rules. As they have not, they must
submit to military torture, to starva
tion and pestilence while the rest of
mankind looks upon their country as
a plague spot both moral and physical.
Still, however we may deplore the
tvranny and superstition which deliver
the Russian people wholesale to the
pestilence, we need not be particularly
alarmed for ourselves. Population
which are cleanly and well fed are 1
no great danger from the cholera, but
it is well to remember that the more
sanitary we make our surroundings
the safer we are. Quarantine alone is
but a poor defender when there are
filth and decay to play the traitor
within the walls.
There is valid objection to the pur
chase of a house built for a private
residence for public purposes. In this
view the purchase of the C. E. Smith
homestead In South Portland for the
purpose of transforming it into
county hospital is unwise. Sultabl
sites for a hospital building are not
wanting and there is little doubt but
one could be secured and a building
sufficiently commodious to meet all de
mands for some years to come
constructed thereon at a cost but
little, if any, in excess of that which
will be required to purchase and
transform this private dwelling into
hospital. Any one who has had expe
rlence In remodeling an old house will
coincide with this view. Multnomah
County needs a new hospital, but It
should have a building for that pur
pose constructed from the ground up
in accordance -with modern plans for
such institutions. Patchwork In car
pentry, plumbing, lighting, heating,
drainage, etc., is both expensive and
unsatisfactory.
Nevada has the unenviable dlstinc
tion of being the only state In the
Union in which open gambling Is tol
erated. With a view to ridding the
state of such disastrous notoriety,
special election will be held next
month for the purpose of attempting
to legislate the evil out of existence.
A news dispatch from Reno says that
the stringency of the laws In other
parts of the country has resulted In
driving to Nevada nearly every proml
nent gambler in the country. Thl
might be a good time to apply the
Jack-rabblt-drlve plan to the gam
biers. Having them all In a corral in
Nevada offers a good opportunity for
getting rid of them. It might not be
good policy to knock them in the
head, but as an alternative for that
plan they might be herded together
and forced to live off each other. The
world Is too busy Just now to be both
ered with parasites, and they should
be removed, and the removal will be
simplified by getting them all in
bunch.
a
A modest touring car with a party
of six pleasure-seekers, while proceed
Ing at a leisurely pace in Watsonville,
Cal., Sunday, collided with a telegraph
pole, wrecking the machine and injur
Ing all of the occupants. On the same
day a Los Angeles auto-maniac drove
his machine 100 miles in three hours
and thirty-five minutes over the "most
dangerous course in the country" and
escaped uninjured. The expression
fool for luck" Is not uncommon, and
It seems to be based on some tangible
evidence.
With Spring wheat yielding forty
bushels per acre In Washington
County, it would appear that some of
the "Valley wheat" fields were not yet
doomed to extinction. Even at forty
bushels per acre and the price close
to $1 per bushel, the wheat crop Is
hardly as good a wealth producer as
fruit and dairy products, but in some
respects it is easier to produce, and if
the yield reported and present prices
were assured, there would be a big
output of wheat from the Willamette
Valley for an indefinite period.
A tavern is being built on the Zig
zag River, near the toll gate on the
Mount Hood wagon road. It would
have been a welcome sight to the
Immigrants of the ox-team era who
crossed and recrossed the Zigzag in the
late October days a half a century
and more ago, as they struggled on
toward the "settlements." Like most
other things In this life, a tavern at
that place comes after the real need
for it Is past.
"Print the names! print the names!
shouted the Democrats scofflngly when
there was complaint that hundreds of
Democrats had registered as Repub
licans for the dishonest - purpose of
directing the action of the Republi
can primaries. The names have been
printed for Portland. There is the
record. Who can dispute it?
The registry lists are now open
again, and you will not see the new
registrations favor the Republicans as
three or four or five to one. The lists
will be more nearly even. Further
need Is none of that fraudulent pro
ceeding and perjury to support. The
game, for this year, has been played.
Six games in a row is a good enough
record for any ball team. The Beavers
frequently play like a ball team. T3ut
how often do the rooters and bugs
make a noise like boosting for the
home team?
The Pemocratic ideal of a real
Democrat In Oregon is of a self
sacrificing citizen who is willing to go
to the extent of perjury in order to
make trouble at a Republican pri
mary. Everybody on the Republican side
appears to be anxious to nave u
known that Chairman Hitchcock is
running this campaign. Then some
body is running it?
There is loud Democratic complaint
of course because Taft didn't "repudi
ate" Foraker. What would you call
what happened to Foraker after the
upset?
Those 500 Democrats will all make
neat little explanations as to why they
did it; and no two of them will be
alike. But it matters little. They did it.
The President is running a pretty
efficient publicity campaign himself
under the Oyster Bay date line. But
it bears the White House stamp.
Wilbur Wright made another
world's ae'roplane record yesterday. It
will be observed that nobody went
with him.
Congressman J. Adam Bede might
get even by descending on Danville
and running in Uncle Joe Cannon s
district.
Mr. Bryan spent a whole day Sun
day with David B. Hill and Alton
Parker. All escaped alive.
AS "ISTDEPEIVDENT" LOOK AT IT
Comments an Last Week's Electioa la
the State of Maine.
Best commentaries we have seen
on last week's election in Maine are pre
sented by the New York World and New
York Times. Here is what the World
said:
Mr. Taft would have better cause for
gratification over the result If the Bepub
can National organization had not mada
special efforts to help matters by keeping
National Issues like the tariff to the front
during the campaign. The situation was
known to be shaky weeks ago because of
the strong popular interest In the resubmis
sion of prohibition as urged by the Dfmo
crats. At the same time the enthusiasm of
political seers like Mr. Bryan who are
searching for signs of Democratic victory
In November should be tempered by the cir
cumstance that the Maine Democrats sedu
lously avoided the discussion of National
Questions and stuck with all their might
to the resubmission Issue, which "a large
Republican element waa known to favor.
Some Prohibitionists even had advocated re
submission, because they were convinced
that the people would again vote for pro
' hlbltlon and ao settle the matter for a gen
eration.
So far as the Republicans tried to make
of the Maine election a preliminary test on
National Issues they failed, and by thel
failure the Maine Democratis profited In
carrying out their campaign policy. Th
most significant thing In the election
that In a Republican stronghold where or
gent appeals were made to the partisanship
of the majority a large body of Republican
should have been wltlinr to desert their
party and vote Independently In a purely
state matter, without regard to the effect on
the Presidential election.
Following is the article by the Times,
reprinted entire:
It waa polite and polltlo for Mr. Bryan
to congratulate the Democratic chairman In
Maine on the result of the state election,
and natural that he should be "gratified a
the returns." On the other hand. It was but
prudent for Mr. Taft to remark that he
had predicted the result and that.lt had no
National significance. On the one hand and
the other, these are but the ways of candl
dates, the most dignified of whom always
try to make things look aa bright as pos
sible.
The real significance of the Maine elec
tion, we should say. Is not very great as
bearing on the National election, but what
It has Is not favorable to Mr. Taft. The
Issue of prohibition was practically local,
and the Democrats had a candidate very
popular -wl:h the farmers, so that the de
elded change In the voting was In tho
country districts. How far It was due to the
ntl-prohlbitlon sentiment, and how far to
the clannlshness of the farmers. It Is not
easy to say. The fact remains that Bundry
thousands of rural voters, who have hith
erto stood fast by the Republican party,
voted the Democratic ticket. That may not
show that they will vote for Bryan In No
vember, but It shows that they are not so
enthusiastic over Taft In Maine that they
feel compelled to deny themselves the
luxury of voting against the party on local
Issues. If Ilka conditions prevail In other
states the Republicans would do well to at
tend to them aa promptly and efficiently as
possible.
Looking over the whole field, and noting
such signs of public feeling as there are at
this point In the campaign. It Is reasonable
to say that there Is no evidence of a strong
popular sweep toward Taft, while there Is
evidence that Bryan Is stronger than he has
been In his two preceding campaigns. In
other words, as things now look. Mr. Taft
is safe because he has a very wide margi:
to depend on. and Mr. Bryan's prospects are
not substantially encouraging because he
haa so large a margin to overcome. As for
the local Issues, we think that most sensible
men will not be sorry that the uncompro
mising prohibition policy has received l
setback In the state where It has been the
most firmly Intrenched. Ultimately the spirit
that administered this setback is likely to
be directed toward the general policy of uni
versal Government interference and regula
tion in matters which the Government Is
peculiarly unfitted to manage.
empire: state bosses op- today
Aa They Appear at the Saratoga Con
vention.
From Dispatch to the New York Even
ing Post.
A vast majority of the 1009 delegates
to this convention are veterans of many
political fray. Probably three
fourths of them have attended as many
as a half-dozen state conventions. All
the old leaders are here men who ran
the oolltlcal machine In New York
State before this year's "first voters"
were born. Every man who has
aspired to leadership in the Empire
State in the last quarter of a century
is here, with the exception of Thomas
C Piatt. There are Senator Depew
and ex-Senator Frank Hiscock and his
on. Justice Hiscock, ex-Governor
Odell and ex-Governor Black, Colonel
Dunn, George W. Aldridge, General
Stewart L Woodford, Seth Low, Wil
liam R. Wilcox, Francis Hendricks,
Lou Payn and J. Sloat Fassett
Yet not among them all Is there a
man who measures up to the leaders of
the past as a master of the political
game. Odell might essay such a role if
he would, some say, but it is clear that
he does not see just what advantage
would accrue to him by organizing a
band of bosses, every one of whom
would turn upon him at the first op
portunity. So Odell is quiescent.
'If Tom Piatt were In the saddle we
wouldn't present such a sad spectacle,"
growled one "leader" who had an active
hand in dethroning that one-time boss.
Of course, Tim Woodruff is the last
man any one would look to for the sort
of leadership that is demanded.
Certainly Woodruff presents the most
ludicrous picture of them all. Fassett
nd Payne and Hendricks and Barnes
have the courage of their convictions,
at least so far as talk is concerned.
Dunn and Aldridge and "Ben" Wilcox
are willing to be counted for Hughes,
realizing as they do there Is no other
course open to them. But woodruft
its uneasily on the fence; it hurts
him, and he squirms and makes faces.
but that is all. When he does get off
the fence, as he must sooner or later,
the chances are that it will not be of
is own volition. He will be pushed
r he will fall.
Thus, with no candidate to oppose
the Governor in sight, kicking and
screaming like so many naughty
schoolboys, the "patroons" are being
ragged slowly but surely to the In
evitable.
Wanta Insurance Asratnst Airships.
Winsted Dispatch to New York World.
Jacob Weiner, a farmer of Nepaug,
came here to buy fire Insurance. He
insisted on there being a flying-ma-
hlne clause In the policy, saying he
had read how Orville Wright had per
fected his aeroplane, and he thought
there was aa much danger of a flying
machine striking and wrecking his
building as lightning if aeronautics keep
pace with the development of auto
mobiles. The farmer wanted a five-year policy.
but when informed by Justice James
Smith, the Insurance agent, that he was
head of the Insurance companies.
hlch have not yet begun to insure
against loss by flying machines, he said
dejectedly:
Insure my buildings for one year
nly. Perhaps the companies will be
p to date by the time my policy ex
pires"
Silver Spoon In Shark's Interior.
Hartford (Conn.) Dispatch.
In the body of a shark caught by flsh-
rmen on a line neir new London,
Conn., was found a heavy silver soup
spoon four inches long on which was
engraved "Pequot House."
J BIG EXGIXES ARE VIEWED
Railroadmen Witness Test or Giant
Locomotives.
j Herrlman superintendents of motive
power, who are in session in this city,
returned Sunday night from Lester,
Wash., where they went to see the North
ern Pacific's Mailett compound locomo
tives In action on the steep grades of the
Cascade Range. William Evans, of Port
land, representing the Baldwin Locomo
tive Works, accompanied them.
The party left Portland in a special
train Friday night. Breakfast was taken
at Tacoma Saturday morning, and a trol
ley ride was given the party about the
city by Manager Dlmlck, of the Tacoma
Railway & Power Company, who also.
took the superintendents for a ride ou
to American Lake. Luncheon was given
the railroaders by A. A. Hilton at the
Union Club.
The special train was taken to Lester
after luncheon, where the visitors were
received by Messrs. Moir and Crosby, of
the Northern Pacific and were taken
over the mountains on a large Mailett
compound engine. The work of these
big roadsters was watched with interest
by the motive power superintendents.
Two of the big fellows, weighing 316.000
pounds on the drivers, were found to do
as much work and consume less fuel as
three of the old type formerly in use on
the steep mountain grades. Helper en
gines have been done away with on the
grades out of Lester. On the track run
nlng up the mountain side for 14 mites,
where there Is a grade of 2.2 per cent,
two Mailett compounds and a Mikado locomotive-hooked
onto a trainload of 1800
tons and carried it up the grade at I
rate of ten miles an hour.
Upon the return to Tacoma, the su
perlntendents went on to Seattle and
were given a trolley ride about, the city
dv superintendent Kempster, of the Beat
tie traction lines. The return trip from
Seattle to Portland was made In record
time, leaving Seattle at 11 o'clock Sunday
forenoon and reaching Portland at
o'clock that afternoon. The run from
Goble to Portland was made In 45 mln
utes. bixty-seven miles an hour was
made with ease on the trip down from
the Sound. Even better time would have
been made but for a half-hour's delay at
Kalama. The train was made up of five
private cars, brought here by the super
intendents, and a baggage coach.
Those making the trip were:
First Section Mr. Crosby, general mas
ter mechanic Northern Pacific; Mr.
Bruce, master mechanic. Northern Pacif
ic, Tacoma; Mr. Fuller, superintendent
of motive power, Union Pacific and wife,
Omaha; Mr. Dalley, chief draftsman,
Union Pacific, and wife, Omaha; Mr.
N.;uffer, superintendent of motive
power, Illinois Central, and wife,
Chicago; Mr. Ryan, superintendent of
motive power, Texas & Northern, and
wife, Houston; Mr. Cade. M. C. B., Texas
& Northern, Houston; Mr. Davlsson, su
perintendent of motive power, San Pedro,
Los Angeles & Salt Lake, and wife, Los
Angeles; Mr. Dunn, superintendent of
motive power, Oregon Short Line, and
wife, Salt Lake; Mr. Fields, superintend
ent O. R. & N., Portland; Mr. Younger,
master mechanic. Southern Pacific, Port
land.
Second Section Mr. Moir, superintend
ent of motive power. Northern Pacific, St.
Paul; Mr. Small, general superintendent
of motive power. Southern Pacific San
Francisco; Mr. Stillman, mechanical en
gineer. Southern Pacific. San Francisco
Mr. Heltzleman, superintendent of mo
tive power. Southern Pacific Sacramento;
Mr. Sheedy, superintendent of motive
power. Southern Pacific, Los Angeles;
Mr. Fltzpatrick, road foreman. Northern
Pacific Tacoma; Mr. Gilman, M. C. B.
Northern Pacific, Tacoma.; Mr. Graham,
superintendent of motive power, O. R. &
N., Portland.
HARRIMAX OFFICES ENLARGED
Ticket and Freight Business in
Single Headquarters.
Marked improvements are being made
In the ticket offices of the Harrlman lines
at Third and Washington streets. The
partition at the rear of the room is be
ing taken out. and the barbershop in the
rear will be occupied by the railroad of
fice. A new counter 40 feet long, said to
be the longest in any ticket office on the
Coast, Is being Installed.
A feature of the changes now being
made Is the combination of freight and
passenger offices in one. Not only will
C. W. Stinger, city ticket agent for the
allied lines, still maintain his headquar
ters In the same office, but H. E. Louns
bury, general agent of the freight depart
ment, will also occupy the room, having
his desk in the rear.
To give room for both divisions of traf
fic, another office on the ground floor of
the Falling building, now occupied by the
Northwestern, will be Included In the
main ticket office, making a very large
room. The freight office to be moved
to Third and Washington is now carrying
on Its business at 102 Third street. When
It moves to the new location, the North
western office will remove to the room
at 102 Third.
It will be several weeks before all these
changes can be brought about, but there
Is a force of carpenters at work remodel.
Ing the Interior of the office to be
changed. Additional clerks will be re
quired when the quarters are enlarged In
accordance with present plans. The In
creasing business handled by Mr. Sting
er's office made It imperative to have
more room.
Freight Service to Salem.
Freight service was inaugurated on
the main line of the Oregon Electric
yesterday between Portland and Salem.
Dally freight trains will run In each
direction hereafter, and will handle any
quantity of freight, either carloads or
less than carloads. Freight service has
not been provided heretofore, on ac
count of the purchase of a large num
ber of freight cars in the East and the
delay In their arrival. They have come
and are being put in service. The com
pany's new freight depot at Water and
Jefferson streets was opened yesterday
and will hereafter receive and dispatch
freight.
G. W. Talbot to Go East.
G. W. Talbot, general manager of the
Oregon Electric Railway, will leave the
city next Monday for a month's visit
in the East. He will attend the annual
convention of the general managers of
the American Street and Interurban
Railways, which meets at Atlantic City,
October 12-16, and will also hold con
ferences with the Moffatt & White in
terests in New York, who control the
Oregon Electric. Prospective Improve
ments and the building of feeder lines
next season will be talked over by Mr.
Talbot while in New York.
Traffic Agents Visitors.
Ernest Carley, manager of the North
western department of the Cunard Steam
ship line, with offices at Minneapolis. F.
Cook, passenger agent for the Colorado
& Southern Railway, at Trinidad, Cal.,
D. B. F. Buckingham, purchasing agent
for the St. Paul road, at Seattle, and
C. W. Mount, general agent at Lewiston
for the O. R. &. N., were outside trans
portation officials who spent yesterday In
Portland on business for their respective
lines.
Railroad President Coming.
B. L Winchell. president of the Rock
Island system, is due to arrive in Port
land today. Mr. Wlnchell's headquar
ters are In Chicago, and he Is on a trip
of Inspection of the Pacific Coast coun
try. He spent yesterday In Seattle and
la on his way south.
I VEHICLE TAX HELD VALID
Judge Gantennein Cites Illinois De
cision as Precedent.-
Constitutionality of the vehicle tax
was upheld by the State Circuit Court
yesterday, and the City Council's right
to pass an ordinance establishing that
assessment was affirmed. A. A. Kad
derly and J. C. Mann, who resisted pay
ment will either have to appeal to
the Supreme Court or stand trial on a
charge of operating delivery vehicles
without the required-licenses.
The case was decided by Judge Gan
tenbeln, who based his decisions on
fldlngs of the Illinois Supreme Court
in similar litigation. The matter was
presented In court in the form of a de
murrer by the city to an application
from Kadderly and Mann for a writ of
habeas corpus. They applied for this
writ following their arrest for viola
tions of the vehicle tax ordinance.
It was contended by them that they
already were paying personal property
tax on the vehicles as well as an occu
pation tax. and that to make an ad
ditional levy on their vehicles would
be triple taxation and contrary to the
Constitution.
Judge Gantenbein said that the City
Council received Its authority to pass
such an ordinance from the Legisla
ture and that the action of the Legis
lature In granting such right was
clearly In harmony With the Constitu
tion. He sustained the City's demur
rer and thereby brought the litigation
to an end, unless appeal is taken, which
is not thought likely.
HOTEL-OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE
Acceptance of Valuable for Safe
keeping Slakes Him Liable.
When a hotel-clerk accepts a pock
etbook for safe-keeping the hotel
company is responsible for the con
tents, according to a decision made by
Circuit Judge Cleland yesterday. The
case at Issue was that of Mary E. Clay
against the Merchants hotel. The wo
man is a palmist doing business across
the street from the hotel. She was In
the habit of leaving her purse there
nights. Recently she left her purse,
containing 192, with E. T. Hess, the
night clerk.
Hess threw the money into a drawer
while he attended to a bus-load of new
arrivals and later placed It In the safe.
When the owner called for her money
next day there was but $4.60 left. The
hotel management resisted payment ef
the difference and the matter was
taken into court.
Employing Firm Wins Snlt.
Henrietta Magone's suit to collect
money her son would have earned had
he not been disabled, failed In the Cir
cuit Court yesterday. She asked that
the Portland Manufacturing Company be
compelled to pay her $2000 because her
lft-year-old son lost his left hand while '
working for the company two years ago
and thereby the boy's earning capacity
was cut down. The suit waa decided by
a Jury which was Instructed in favor of
the defendant firm by Judge Morrow.
Seeks Divorce and Her Child.
Mary E. Scott asked the Circuit
Court yesterday for a divorce from
Alvah Scott. They were married No
vember 12, 1S09, at Lancaster, Neb.,
and Scott disappeared in June, 1907,
while they were In Portland. She
asks the custody of their 4-year-old
son, declaring that Scott Is not a fit
person to have charge of him.
Three Prisoners Are Arraigned.
Three arraignments were held In the
Circuit Court yesterday. Charles
Healy, charged with forgery, pleaded
not guilty. Llllle Morris, charged with
assaulting Glen Terry, a boy, pleaded
not guilty and a similar plea was made
by P. H. Triggs. charged with beating
Vernon Knight.
OREGOX SCHEDULE OF BELL
California Congressman Will Not
Speak Here This Campaign.
Congressman Theodore A. Bell, of
California, will not speak In Portland
this campaign, although he will make
three addresses in the state this week.
Last night he addressed the Democrats
at Medford, tonight he will speak at
Eugene and at Salem Wednesday night.
The following night he will be at
Seattle.
But for the fact that Senator Gore,
the blind orator of Oklahoma, Is
scheduled to speak: here Friday night
under the auspices of the Democratic
State Central Committee, arrange
ments probably would have been made
by which the chairman of the Denver
convention would deliver an address
in Portland.
Forest Grove Plans Taft CInb.
W. A. Williams, of Forest Grove, called
at Republican headquarters yesterday
and reported that a Taft Club would be
organized in that city tonight, under the
auspices of the Republican State Central
Committee. The Bourne people quietly
organized such a club in Forest Grove a
few weeks ago, but when the responsibil
ity for Its organisation was discovered
the club was dissolved and Its delegates
to the state convention of Taft clubs were
withdrawn. The club to be formed to
night will be organized by many of the
members of the original club but It will
be affiliated with th3 Republican State
organization, according to Mr. Williams.
John Temple Graves to Speak.
Paullnus McDonald. Who is in charge.
of the Independence party headquar-V
ters In this city, has completed a.r-J
rangements for the meeting to be held!
under the auspices of this political
organization at the Knights of Pythias
Hall next Saturday night. At that'
time John Temple Graves, Independ-.
ence nominee for Vice-President, will
deliver an address. If the hall should
prove insufficiently large to accommo
date the audience, Mr. iraves win
speak from a carriage In the street.
Sunnyside to Have Rally.
Republicans at Sunnyside have ar
ranged for a big rally Thursday night
The principal speaker will be Mayor
George F. Rodgers, of Salem, who has
notified the State Central committee
that he will take the stump for two or
three weeks in the Interest oi lan.
There will be several local speakers
at the Sunnyside meeting.
Democrats Will Hold Meeting.
A loint meeting of Precincts 42 and
43, Sellwood. has been arranged by the
Democrats to be held next Monday
night In Union Hall, Thirteenth and
Tenino streets. A list of the speaners
for this meeting has not been selected
byCounty Chairman Thomas.
' Football Players to Meet.
A special meeting of the general body
of association football players will be
held under the auspices of the Portland
Association Football Club tonight. In
the office of District Attorney Camer
on. The report of the committee of .
seven, appointed to make recommenda
tions covering all the present season's
football problems, will be received, and
any persons Interested in the game are
invited, whether members of last year's
clubs or not