TIIe'mORXIXG OKEGOXIAX, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, I90S.
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PORTLAND. THURSDAY. SEPT. tt. 1908.
WILMS" TO PLEASE.
Imprewlnn seems to be growing that
Mr. Bryan is losing ground chiefly as
a consequence of his vacillations on
public questions, growing out of his
desire to fall In with every turn or
phase of thought or opinion that
might promise him votes. In 1896
and in 1900 he had definite alms
which he has now completely aban
doned. Taft's criticisms on this sub
ject are 'direct and pungent. Bryan
has a new lot of principles his old
stock having been rejected and is
"wlllln to please."
In a statement made In Philadel
phia, last week he said "I do not
desire the Government ownership of
railways." He had only predicted
that "government ownership will fol
low If the railways prevent regula
tion." This is disingenuous. In August,
1 SOS. Mr. Bryan landed in New York
from his Journey round the world. A
reeeptton was tendered him at Madison-Square
Garden, where (needless
to say) he made a speech. In that
speech (August 30, 1906) he said:
I have reached the conclusion that there
will he nn permanent relief on the railroad
question from discrimination between Indi
viduals and between places, and from ex
tortionate rates, until the railroads are the
property of the Government and operated by
the Government in the Interests of the
people.
This disturbed the Democracy of
New York a great deal. There was
vigorous protest. Mr. Bryan followed
his declaration with this explanatory
statement, designed to meet the ob
jection to centralized power "I favor
the Federal ownership of the trunk
lines only and the state ownership of
all of the rest of the railroads."
Protests from Influential sources
In- his party were vigorous and of long
continuance. Mr. Bryan, to meet
these wrote a letter (April 6, 1907.)
to the Wall Street Journal, In which
he said:
For 14 years after rrfy entrance into Na
tional politics I hoped for effective railroad
legislation and was brought reluctantly to
the belief that Government ownership fur
nished the only satisfactory remedy for the
discrimination, rebates and extortions prac
tised by the railroads and for the corrup
tion which they have brought into politics.
. . . I shall assist as far as I am able
to test regulation nnder as favorable con
ditions as can be created. but. having
reached the conclusion that, in the end.
regulation will be found ineffective. I have
stated that conclusion.
Yet he Is now as little disposed to
press this subject as to Insist further
on free coinage of silver, and even
goes so far as to say: "I do not desire
Government ownership of railways."
Evidently he Is "willln' to please."
SOME EFFECTIVE TRUTHS.
At Cincinnati Mr. Taft used severe
language In speaking of his rival for
J. the Presidency. There may be much
truth but there is little suavity In his
t remark that "Mr. Bryan's history is
I a record of failures from beginning
to end," and if the facts were not
forthcoming to support It Mr. Bryan
," would have just ground for complaint.
Unfortunately for him the facts are
abundant. Of course it is rather un-
fair first to deprive Mr. Bryan of the
J opportunity to administer public af-
fairs and then blame him for not
t haling administered them. He has
always been eager enough In all con-
science to take upon himself duties,
even the weightiest, but his political
5 ' opponents have refused to gratify his
i desire, so that his lack of experience
may In a certain sense be called their
fault and not his; still the lack exists
and. as Mr. Taft well says. In putting
( him Into office the country would be
trying an experiment which is risky.
This want of administrative experl
! ence. we take it, is the first and most
serious failure which Mr. Taft refers
to in Mr. Bryan's career.
', But it is not the only one. Mr.
J ' Bryan. In spite of his studies in eco-
nomlcs and politics, seems never to
' have founl a single principle which he
5 was prepared to abide by through
thick and thin. Mr. Taft puts it that
I for twelve years "he has been hunt-
. ing for an issue upon which to achieve
the Presidency," and that during that
time his record has been one "of re-
pudiation, of negotiation and of run-
ning away from National responsl-
blllties." There, may be one excep
J tlon possibly to Mr. Bryan's uniform
-. habit of taking up an issue, handling
it delicately until he thinks he knows
; what the public will say to it and
then dropping It like a hot poker.
'. That exception, if It Is an exception,
' , Is free silver. To this delusion Mr.
Bryan clung with a grip which was
I tenacious in direct proportion to Its
; folly and he may still cleave to the
forlorn idol. If he does it Is the only
'. god he has not forsaken. How much
; more respectable his position would
tie now had he taken a consistent
! course upon the government owner
'. ship of the railroads.
When Bryan first came back from
! his famous tour around the world he
said with gay nonchalance, that In
his opinion regulation of the railroads
; would not work and the Government
' must ultimately purchase and run
'. them. A very considerable body of
; public opinion agrees with it and if
Mr. Bryan had been a statesman in
stead of a fisher for approbation he
would have stood by his utterance
when It was once out of his mouth.
He would have massed his evidence
and arrayed his facts and tried his
best to bring the majority of his coun
trymen around to his way of thinking.
But that is not Mr Bryan's method.
He made his speech for government
ownership and then waited for the
i echoes. The echoes came back not in
' the dulcet tones which he had antici
pated, but in hoarse rebuke. Scarcely a
single newspaper agreed with him,
and, frightened out of his wits, he
straightway began to hedge, explain
and repudiate. His repudiation has
gradually grown more and more em
phatic until today he actually avers
that he never said what he did at
Castle Garden. This is not the con
duct of a man who is to be trusted.
It Is not the attitude of one who, were
he in the White House, would adopt
a policy which he had deliberately
reasoned out and fight for it to the
end. If Mr. Bryan were President
would he not hesitate, tergiversate and
repudiate exactly as he does when he
is only a candidate? What reason Is
there to expect a total change in his
character from weak pliability to
stern steadfastness?
Even upon the tariff, which ought
to be the backbone of the Democratic
fight this Fall. Mr. Bryan speaks with
reservation. He impresses one as be
ing only half in earnest and ready to
withdraw his remarks at the first hint
of criticism. In his struggle to ap
pear conservative and throw off the
garments of radicalism which he wore
in his earlier years he has become al
most timid. Certainly he Is much too
eager to purchase support by sacrific
ing his principles, if he has any prin
ciples. It is bad for his prospects aviso
that Mr. Bryan does not see his way
to stand vigorously for the postal sav
ings bank law. As Mr. Taft says, this
project has been tried the world over
and has been successful everywhere.
But Mr. Bryan prefers to advocate the
guaranty of deposits, which has not
been tried anywhere except in Okla
homa, and whose ultimate success even
there is still problematic. This choice
of a ticklish experiment In preference
to a measure whose success Is in
dubitable is - characteristic of Mr.
Bryan. He loves the hypothetical, the
alluring, the vague and seems almost
to cherish a dislike for those dovlces
which experience has found to be Irre
fragably safe. To make an effective
campaign Mr. Taft need only continue
to toll the plain truth about his oppo
nent's record exactly as he did at Cin
cinnati. BOfDAf CLOSING AGAIN.
District Attorney Cameron is indig
nant that any one should suspect that
he is invoking the Sunday law against
the bootblack stand, the candy store.
the ice cream stand and various other
harmless and useful occupations at
the Instance of the liquor-sellers.
Naturally. But It may be remarked
that the suspicion is general though
The Oregonian will not say that it is
well-founded. The Oregonian knows
nothing of any friendly relations of the
District Attorney with the liquor
sellers. It only knows that there has
been no public demand for enforce
ment of unnecessary and all-but-forgotten
blue laws, and it can only sur
mise, as a large part of the public sur
mises, that the liquor dealers might
have a strong incentive for endeavor
ing to make the whole Sunday-closing
business odious by putting the public
to great inconvenience or annoyanceS
through its general operation.
No one will find fault with the Dis-
trict Attorney for doing his duty. By
all means let him do his duty. But
what is his duty? If it shall be to
put the bootblacks, cigar dealers and
ice cream, candy and soda water vend
ers out of business, why does he not
put an end to Sunday baseball, close
up The Oaks, stop the streetcars and
call off all manner of Sunday excur
sions, diversions and amusements not
expressly permitted by law? These,
or some of these, are unquestionably
under the ban. If we are to construe
our blue laws literally. If we are
going into the business of compelling
Sunday observance by law, let us
ro into it right, and not make fish of
one trade or occupation and fowl of
another.
Yet perhaps the liquor dealers are
not behind this agitation, and perhaps
they do not approve of the virtuous
determination of the District Attor
ney to make a hvw-observing solitude
out of Portland every seventh day.
The liquor dealers for the most part
are men of sense and discretion and
they know that the public wants the
saloons closed each Sunday, ahd will
always have them closed: and they
know that there is no disposition, or
desire, or purpose on the part of this
community to make terms or a bar
gain with them by which ,the saloon
"lid" may be lifted a single inch. Not
an Inch so far as Sunday is concerned.
Agitation, therefore, is more likely to
be the worse than the better for them.
They would better let the whole sub
ject alone.
A SHORT CROP OF BABIES.
In the public schools of Chicago
there are 7,000 fewer children than
there were two years ago. By "chil
dren" we mean pupils over 7 years
of age and under 14. This fact would
not be surprising if the population of
Chicago had decreased at the same
time, but it has not. It has increased
rapidly and the attendance at the
high schools has about doubled in the
interval of two years. What has be
come of the children? The eager re
former will answer that they have
been- immured In the factories to
slave theier lives away, but that is not
true. At least it may not be true.
Tri number of youths between 14
and 16 years employed In the factories
has largely fallen off. Perhaps cnn
dren have taken their places but not
probably. Illinois has a good child
labor law which Is more or less rigor
ously enforced. We shall not discover
the missing children in the mills.
The truth Is that they have never
been born. Race suicide has been at
work in Chicago and its results are
Ht,at iimr hecomlna' aDDarent. The
crop of babies which ought to pass the
seven-year mark this year is short by
seven thousand in Chicago. Who
.hiii cnmniiM the deficit m human
life the country over? In his new
hk Toe-ether." Robert HerrlcK re-
nonts th nl d warning that the Ital
ians and Huns whom we despise and
fear are the people who win surely
nnMa this country within a few
generations unless the English stock
changes its habits. A race which does
not reproduce Itself Is bound to die
out. This fact does not admit of argu
ment. Robert Herrick attributes our
paucity of children to our boundless
or.Hsm which tolerates no thought of
fh. fnturA and no consideration be
yond the Immediate pleasure of the
individual. Egotism, as ne uses tne
word. Is only another name for indi
vidualism. We have carried the de
structive worship of the Individual so
far that the death of our race will be
its almost certain result. Is it not time
to pause and inquire whether the indi
vidual does not owe something to his
country and his kind as well as to
himself?
MB. TAFT AND THE FRIARS.
The Appeal to Reason for Septem
ber 12 devotes pretty nearly the whole
of its precious area to berating Mr. Taft
for making a peaceable arrangement
with the Philippine friars about their
lands. That these men of prayer had
acquired much real estate by methods
which savored somewhat of guile no
body pretends to deny, but their title
was legal and Mr. Taft was In no po
sition to dispute it. Seeing the "evil
which so much land lying In mort
main caused to the country, he took
measures to transfer the title to the
Government and thence to small peas
ant holders, much after the fashion
of the British government In Ireland
of late years. Of course this cost some
money. The Appeal to Reason thinks
that this money was worse than
wasted. In its opinion Mr. Taft should
have confiscated the title of the friars
and turned the land directly over to
the peasants.'
Had he done so it Is by no means
certain that any money would have
been saved, since the friars, being as
shrewd as most people, would have
carried their cause into court and
probably won it. But there are other
grounds for justifying Mr. Taft. His
measures were directed to the perma
nent extirpation of an old ground of
contention in the Islands and the
establishment of permanent peace
among all classes of the population.
To accomplish this end he had to
take Into consideration many circum
stances. The habits of the people, their
religious preconceptions, their ways of
doing business all entered as factors
In the case. Besides that he had to
consider the opinion of the civilized
world, which would hardly have tol
erated on outright plunder of the
church. Certainly American opinion
would have been strongly against such
a proceeding as we can see from the
attitude of the public toward recent
action of a simitar character In
France. The United States has sel
dom been Inclined to take much ad
vantage of Its conquests In a financial
way. We have generally been willing
first to conquer our possesions and
then pay for them, and in the Phll
II pines there .was every reason why
this honorable precedent .should have
been followed.
" MI DDLEMEV8 PROFITS.
Those farmers who are organizing
co-operative associations for the more
satisfactory marketing of their prod
uct will do well to remember that in
these days of specialization the pro
duction and the marketing of crops
are two separate and distinct occupa
tions. This does not mean that produc
ers cannot successfully market their
crops without the aid of the much
eendemned middleman, but rather
that they cannot do so unless some of
their number understand marketing
or they secure the services of some
one who does. To produce a crop on
the farm and deliver it to the local
buyer requires one kind of knowledge
and skill. To get It into the hands
of the retail dealer and the consumer
buyer requires one kind of knowledge
and ability. It is safe to say that the
man who has been trained in the mar
keting of goods would fail as often if
he ventured into the field of produc
tion as the trained producer would If
he undertook the work of marketing.
In the marketing of commercial
products, such as grain, hops, apples,
prunes, canned fruits, etc., there are
many steps and proceedings which are
simple enough to the man familiar
with them, but Intricate and compli
cated to the novice. If every West
ern seller had an anxious buyer await
ing him in the East with money in his
hand ready to pay for the goods, there
would be nothing difficult about mar
keting any kind of crop. But buyers
are seldom. If ever, in such an atti
tude. In the first place, they usually
make buying contracts before the
goods are shipped, and even before
they have "been produced. For that
reason it is necessary for them to
know something of the character and
responsibility of the sellers with whom
they are to deal. They must know
whether they can rely upon the seller
to deliver the goods, for they in turn
must make gelling contracts. They
must know whether the seller can be
depended upon to deliver goods of
prescribed quality. A buyer prefers
to deal with an old-established firm,
and is not likely to deal with a new
concern, except In a small way.
But, even if the Eastern buyer Is
anxious, he does not stand ready to
pay cash. He wants an opportunity
to examine the goods, and then thirty,
sixty or ninety days in which to remit.
And this is where knowledge on the
part of the seller becomes important.
The Western seller must know that
the firm contracting with him will
accept goods when delivered accord
ing to agreement, and that he can and
will pay the money. The seller not
only must know the market now exist
ing for the products he has to dispose
of, but he must have the ability to find
new markets. He must be a fairly
good Judge of market conditions and
know when to divert goods from one
market to another when to sell and
when not to sell. Of course all men
make mistakes in this particular, but
the man who errs too frequently has
a short existence in the business world.
Those who err the least are they who
have built up a business slowly and
have learned the various steps by ex
perience. Farmers can very likely market
their crops without patronizing that
class of dealers known as "middle
men," but they cannot avoid all or a
major part of the toll the middleman
has been wont to collect. . Some one
must pay the telegraph bills, and they
are not small. Some one must main
tain an office and office force. Some
one must pay the cost of advertising.
Some one must bear the loss of goods
that spoil before delivery. If the pro
ducer does not pay the "middleman"
for doing this, he must bear the ex
pense himself through an employed
agent. If the middleman has been
making an unconscionable profit, as
has undoubtedly been the case in
many instances, the producer can save
this if he can employ a competent man
to do the marketing for him. It must
be remembered, however, that If there
are middlemen who exact an unrea
sonable profit, there are also managers
who will find a way to pocket some
profits in addition to their salaries.
There are honest middlemen just as
there are honest men who can be em
ployed as managers of co-operative
associations.
All this is not said with, a purpose
to discourage those who are undertak
ing the marketing of their products
through organizations of producers,
but rather with a desire to promote
the ultimate success of such enter
prises. No man Is a friend of farm
ers if he encourages them to plunge
blindly into an occupation of which
they have po practical knowledge. A
word of caution may prove of im
mense value. Co-operative marketing
organizations have succeeded in the
past and will succeed in the future,
but it is safe to say that wherever one
has been a success the credit is due
to a man who understands the busi
ness of marketing and who was faith
ful to his trust.
It Is an old saying that a shoe
maker should stick to his last, and
while this Is true, It does not preclude
him from buying his leather where he
can buy it the cheapest and sell his
shoes where he can get the highest
price. And when, by pursuing such
a policy, he has built up such a large
producing enterprise that he needs a
larger market, the old adage doea not
forbid him to employ a traveling sales.
man. But It would be folly for the
shoemaker himself to go out on the
road as a drummer after he had spent
twenty or thirty years in the occupa
tion of making shoes. He could bet
ter afford to stay at home and super
vise the work of his factory and let
an experienced seller do the market
ing.
Any intelligent farmer can shoe his
horses himself and save the black
smith's bill, hut as a general rule it
would not be good for the horses' feet
nor in the end profitable for the
farmer. In the time he would spend
preparing and putting on the shoes he
could give his potato patch an extra
cultivation and increase the yield
enough to pay the blacksmith's bill
twice over. But, though It would not
pay a farmer to do his own black
smithing. It Is quite possible that it
would pay a community of farme.rs to
hire a blacksmith by the year to shoe
all their horses and keep all their tools
In repair. The fact that this Is not
the common practice Indicates, but
does not prove, that it is not the best
plan. If all the facts were known, it
might appear that in general "middle
men" extort no more from farmers
than blacksmiths do.
There is something more than a
suspicion that Mayor Lane, aided by
his faithful servitor, Tom Greene, is
after the scalp of Fire Chief Camp
bell. It would seem that Mr. Greene
ought to have all that he can
attend to In the Police Depart
ment, which Is in the line of
his particular duty as a member of
the Executive Board; but he is moved,
nevertheless,' to jjo out of his way as
a "private citizen" to pry into the af
fairs of the fire department. There
is a fire committee that is supposed to
look after the fire department, and
does look after it, if the present state
of real efficiency of that department
is evidence; so it would seem that
the Mayor ought to look to the com
mittee for investigation and report on
all matters, and, if they are not forth
coming, or when forthcoming are not
satisfactory, he should discharge the
committee. But this community be
lieves, nevertheless, that Chief Camp
bell is a good man and a capable fire
fighter and he should not be displaced
for any whimsical personal reason or
for any political reason, or "for any
reason except inefficiency or dishon
esty. Colonel Holabird, of San Francisco,
has been sent to Coos Bay by Mr. Har
riman to gather data regarding the
prospective traffic for a railroad. In
coal and lumber Coos Bay can supply
an enormous traffic, and the Harri-
man representative will have no diffi
culty in securing full particulars. The
only feature of the traffic on which
there is any uncertainty is the time in
which it will become available. If the
demand for the two great staples can
not be met by a supply nearer the
market, this traffio will be imme
diately available for the railroad to
Coos Bay. If mills and mines already
in operation are supplying all de
mands, the traffic in these special
commodities will not be immediately
available. And there you are.
The captain who has just lost a fine
ship and witnessed the death by the
wreck of 110 men, will be pardoned for
excitable language, especially when he
believes that his ship and passengers
might have been saved. For that rea
son the public will withhold Judgment
on the tug captains who are now ac
cused by the master of the lost Star
of Bengal with cowardice when the
vessel struck. The Alaskan coast is
a bad place in a storm for either ships
or tugs, and an investigation may not
show the accused tugboat captains In
so unfavorable a light as they now ap
pear. Electric cars running at high speed
meet with the same difficulty that is
experienced by steam cars when they
try to pass on the same track. A
head-on collision near Philadelphia
yesterday resulted in wrecking both
cars and injuring fifty passengers,
some of them fatally. A heavy fog Is
given as the reason for the disaster,
but an investigation will probably
show either that the company was
negligent in not providing diock sig
nals, or the motormen were careless in
disregarding them.
How to carry the state for Bryan
on the registration as it stands is a
puzzle to our perturbed brethren, un
less they concede that the registration
Is false. And for Chamberlain's sake
they have been fighting for the in
tegrity of the registration.
If there had been no false state
ments in the registration, no lying, no
perjury, what show have Bryan's sup
porters in Oregon to carry the state
for him? Yet they say they expect to
carry it. Brethren, is anybody lying?
Has anybody lied ?
"Mr. Goodwin has no grounds for
divorce against me," says Maxine
Elliott. He ought to have, in the fact
that she was lost to all proper sensi
bility when she consented to live for
some years as his wife with a sot like
Goodwin.
Kerosene seems to be penetrating
and permeating as well as persuasive.
Then, too, it is smelly.
Behold how ' great a fire a little
Standard Oil klndlethl
The campaign shows some signs -of
life. Just a few.
WILL Hl'GHES LOSE SEW YOHKt
That la Wall-Street Opinion Condi
ions in Other States.
Raymond's New York Letter to Chicago
Tribune. Sept. 18.
Opinion here in New York City among
the average people on the streets, in the
barber shops and elsewhere Is that
Hughes will be beaten, but Taft and
Sherman will carry the state. It is worth
while remembering the same people here
In New York City Insisted four years ago
Roosevelt would be defeated In New York
because of his personal unpopularity in
Wall street.
Governor Hughes Is likely to be elected
In spite of the personal prejudice against
him of a large class of Republicans and
Democrats here In New York City. He Is
being opposed most strenuously. of
course, by the whole sporting element.
This Includes not only the gamblers
themselves, but the saloon men, men
about town, barbers, small business men.
and that Infinite class which believes that
a city is prosperous only when It Is wide
open. They are all against him, just as
the Wall-street crowd was against
Roosevelt four years ago.
e
It Is a matter of record that Lieutenant-Governor
Chanler, who has been
nominated by the Democrats to run
against Hughes, gave the benefit of his tie
vote to the anti-gambling movement. Ha
Is, however, on the ticket which was put
up by Tammany Hall and the state
Democratic machine and he will unques
tionably get the full Democratlo vote of
the state. On the other hand, Hughes Is
popular with the great mass of the peo
ple, and the reports coming Into head
quarters Indicate he will be elected by a
majority of not less than 50,000, with
the chances this margin may be multi
plied two or three times.
There is not as yet anything to indicate
eny of the New England States Is at all
doubtful so far as the National ticket is
concerned. The prohibition issue in
Maine has been settled. The New Hamp
shire local fight Is a lively one, but It
does not seem to have Involved the Na
tional ticket in any way. The only two
New England States where there are any
doubts as to the result are Connecticut
and Rhode Island.
There is a fair chance .the Democrats
may elect their Governor In Rhode Island.
There Is a muclr-smaller chance the Re
publicans may lose the state t'.cket In
Connectlout
ess
Representative Lilley, the Republican
candidate for Governor, was vociferously
repudiated In the lower house of Congress
at Its last session. Nevertheless, It is
known Lilley has been a vigorous oppo
nent of a number of questionable corpor
ations, and, although he did not make
good on his charges regarding the build
ing of submarine boats, everybody knows
there Is a scandal in regard to their con
struction the true Inwardness of which
has not yet been made public. The best
Information coming to headquarters from
both Connecticut and Rhode fsland is
that they will give their electoral votes
for Taft and Sherman In spite of the
serious fight on the state ticket.
New Jersey Republicans of prominence
with whom I have talked in the last few
days say their state Is reliably and abso
lutely Republican. There will be a fight
in two of the Congressional districts, and
the liquor question has precipitated an
uncertain condition. In no event, they
say, will the electoral vote be given other
than to the Republican candidate. Bryan
Is no stronger in New Jersey than he
was 12 years ago, when McKIniey carried
It by nearly 90,000 votes.
Delaware is still uncertain. The Re
publicans think they are sure to win the
three electoral votes of the state, but Mr.
Bryan Is going Into Delaware on the the
ory that the state Is doubtful. Thus far
the Republicans have no reports which
would Indicate they are In danger of los
ing any of the electoral votes of New
England and the Middle States, and one
has to progress as far away as Maryland
before arriving at a state which Is ad
mitted to be In doubt and which Mr.
Bryan has a fair chance of carrying.
Comment on Maine.
New York Sun.
Maine, hard-headed Maine that used
to be, sits meekly at the feet of Oregon,
or should we say Switzerland? That
abracadabra the Initiative and referen
dum is to save Maine. The voters cried
for it last Monday and they got It,
strange as it looks among the Dlrlgos.
The legislature may be described as
provisional. A law passed by It is not
a law until it is ninety days old. Upon
petition of 10,000 voters within that
time, It can be suspended until sub
mitted to the voters at the next general
election. A petition of 12,000 voters
enables them to offer a law to the leg
islature. If the Legislature won't have
it, the proposed law is returned, un
amended, to the people. If the Legis
lature proposes amendments. It is for
the people to take or leave them or any
of them, as it pleases.
We suppose that It would be easy
enough to get 10,000 or 12,000 voters
In Maine or anywhere else to sign a
petition In favor of the decapitation
and disembowelling of all redheaded
men in the state, or to drown Bert Fer
nald in Portland harbor. Maine has
put an end to representative govern
ment so far as she is concerned. If
the Legislature continues to meet, it
must be out of regard for the feelings
of the hotel and boarding-house keep
ers of Augusta.
This Llnenp Elects Bryan.
LA GRANDE, Sept. 22. (To the
Editor.) In an editorial In Saturday's
Issue of The Oregonian, In discussing the
New York Herald's forecast of the
Presidential election, you state: "If the
Democrats do not carry New York, they
will almost certainly not elect Bryan."
As shown by the Herald's table, Ore
gon Is placed In the sure Republican col
umn. Conditions are such In this state
that while it may go Republican by not
to exceed 10,000 plurality, yet Bryan may
carry the state. It is not sure Republi
can by any means, and should be placed
In the doubtful column. Transferring
Oregon to the doubtful column of the
Herald's forecast would leave: Repub
licans 202, Democrats 161 or 81 short of
the necessary 242 electoral votes; and
doubtful. 120. as follows:
Colorado 5, Indiana 15, Maryland 8,
Minnesota 11, Montana 3, Nebraska 8,
New York 89, Oregon 4, Utah 3, South
Dakota 4, Wisconsin 13, West Virginia 7.
If Bryan should carry all the doubtful
states except New York, he would have
81 electoral votes to be added to his
sure 161, giving him exactly the neces
sary 22. J. W. KNOWLE3.
32 Fat Mem Weigh 8007 Pounds.
i Merlden (Conn.) Dispatch.
The total weight of the 32 fat men at
the annual barbecue of the Connecticut
Fat Men's Association at Lake Com
pounce was 8007 pounds. The largest
man present was Daniel S. Wadsworth,
of Hartford, the president of the Asso
ciation, who at his last weighing tipped
the scales at 410 pounds. He was re
elected, and James A. Hynes, a Water
bury heavyweight, was made treasurer.
Mlnton A Norton, of Plainvllle begins
his eighth term as secretary.
CLEVELAND'S ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Review of Ilia Remarks on Bryan and
Hla Campaign.
New York Evening Post, Ind.
Richard " Olney's statement on the
issues of the campaign, in this morn
ing's World, is largely based on the ar
gument that the reckless and radical
policies of the Republican party call for
rebuke at the voters' hands in the com
ing election, and for the transfer of ex
ecutive power to the Democrats. On
this proposition, taken alone, we hardly
need say that Mr. Olney's reasoning is
strong. But when he affirms that the
defeat of Mr. Taft and the election' of
Mr. Bryan would "do much toward
bringing to their senses the ultra-radical
elements of both parties." we wholly fail
to follow him. Mr. Olney himself has
no little trouble with the Bryan person
ality, and all that he is able to say re
garding that agile candidate Is in the
nature of apology for radicalism. Of
the candidate's ardent championship of
the Immunity of labor unions from the
legal responsibility incurred by other
people, he remarks: "It is not unthink
able that Mr. Bryan's habits, training
and career have not qualified bim to
wisely estimate the true place and the
vital Importance of the injunction power
as vested in English and American
courts." Of the Government ownership
fad. we are told that Bryan's 116 dec
laration has "the redeeming feature of
demonstrating that Bryan at least has
the courage of his convictions" a state
ment, by the way. which must have been
written before the candidate's effort, a
day or two ago, to get away from his
earlier -position by declaring that he nev
er meant to take it. The gist of the
whole argument, so far as concerns the
Democratic nominee himself, is that cir
cumstances probably will so far chain
him down. In case of his election, that
he ran do no harm in office.
This argument, of which one hears
much from other people than Mr. Olney,
does not impress us. To elect a dan
gerous man to the highest office In the
country because we will somehow, dur
ing the next four years, be able to check
his political activities, is not to apply
the rules of prudence or common sense.
To follow this up. as Mr. Olney does, by
the argument that the country is "pin
ing for rest," and that this is the way
to get It, 1s to make large demands on
popular forgetfulness or credulity. The
simple fact of the situation, known to
all voters by a long and painful experi
ence, is that Bryan Is 'a flighty politi
cian, ready to embrace the wildest of
economic notions when It seems to serve
the purposes of a canvass, and either
intellectually unable to master the prob
lems involved or unwilling to oppose
popular craze which promises to bring
votes. Mr. Olney. a staunch defender
of sound money, has no word to say on
Brvan's past vagaries on the question.
For ourselves, we consider that part of
Bean's history as fundamentally Im
portant. Increased production of gold
may very well have obliterated free-sil-ver-roinage
as a practical Issue in the
nolitics of the day. but it does not oblit
erate the mental qualities which have
led Mr. Bryan into vehement support of
this and nearly every other unsound
money doctrine. With what Mr. Olney
has to say on the desirability of a check
to one-party domination in the United
States, we are cordially In agreement.
There Is, however, some responsibility
incurred by the opposition party, on
occasions of this sort, to propose a safe
and nroDer candidate of their own as
the alternative to such domination.
SUCCESS IN ALFALFA GROWING.
In Western Oregon, the Experimental
Stage Una Long Since Been Passed.
CORVALLI3, Or., Sept. 22. (To the
Editor.) An announcement was maoe
at the close of our recent State Fair
that the National Department of Agri
culture Is about to undertake expert
ments in the growing of alfalfa in
the Willamette Valley. This deciara
tllon is certainly amusing if nothing
more. Perhaps the Department of Ag
riculture has not yet learned that Ore
gon has shaken off her lethargy and
no longer suffers from chronic Inertia
as to hr agricultural interests, nor
has learned that the spirit of agricul
tural Drosrress Is abroad in the land.
The facts are, the Oregon Agricultural
College Experiment Station began the
experimental growing of alfalfa In the
Willamette Valley 15 years ago, ana
has demonstrated conclusively that ai
falfa can be successfully grown under
proper cultural methods upon practi
cally all of the well-drained soil of
the valley. For the past eight years
the Experiment Station has been grow
Ing alfalfa on a practical scale. One
field In the past seven years has been
cut 25 times and the 26th crop Is now
ready to be harvested. This alfalfa
has been mainly fed green to tne col
lege dairy herd, but the field has
yielded In the seven years the equlva
lent of over 40 tons of cured hay per
acre.
Not only has the Experiment Station
Dosltlvelv demonstrated tne pracuca
bllity of growing alfalfa in the Wil
lamette Valley, but has also done a
large amount of promotion work.
Through the oo-operatlon of the South
ern Pacific Railroad Company, who
granted free transportation for one
season, the Experiment Statton was
able to ship over 80 tons of alfalfa In
oculated soil free of cost to the nearest
railroad station to the farmer. In all,
during the past five years, the Experi
ment Station has delivered gratuit
ously to the railroad depot at Corval
11s over 120 tons of inoculated soil
which was distributed to 390 farmers.
In addition to this the Station has
distributed considerable seed and the
Southern Pacific Company has like
wise distributed a large quantity of
seed for experimental growing.
The Experiment Station has Issued
two bulletins containing Information
on the growing of alfalfa. These bul
letins aggregated 16,000 copies. The
Southern Pacific Company has also Is
sued two valuable bulletins replete
with practical information on the
growing of alfalfa in the Willamette
Valley, written by Hon. W. W. Cotton.
Thus it will be seen that the Experi
ment Station and the Southern Pacific
Company have done much work for
the introduction of alfalfa into West
ern Oregon.
There is no question as to the suc
cessful growing of alfalfa in the Wil
lamette Valley under the cultural me
thods which have been determined by
these extensive experiments, and fully
described in the bulletins above men
tioned. In fact the crop Is already as
suming commercial proportions; sev
eral individual growers have this sea
son produced from 60 to 100 tons of
alfalfa hay. The experiment Station
has tested practically every variety of
alfalfa known, but so far the common
variety which has been grown on this
Coast for a number of years has given
the best results.
JAMES WITHYCOMBE,
Director Experiment Station.
The Democratic Platform of New York.
New York World, Dem.
It is a platform for the protection
of Wall-street gamblers for the pro
tection of insurance criminals; for the
protection of traction thieves; for the
protection of Ryan-Harriman stock
jobbers; for the protection of rich tax
dodgers; for the protection of preda
tory corporations. It 1b a betrayal of
Democratic principles; it Is a betrayal
of the Democratic party; it Is a be
trayal of the Democratic masses.
Another Delusion of Ratio.
New York Evening Sun.
"Nine-tenths of the Republican farm
ers," says Mr. Bryan, "are with the
Democrats on public questions." Mr.
Bryan must admit that these farmers
have a queer way of showing their
sympathies when they go to the polls.
Those "nine-tenths" look like what
Governor Hughes calls "another delu
sion of ratio-" -v
PERSONAL TRITTMPH OF HUGHES.
Newspaper Comment on Choice of New
York Republicans for Governor.
Boston Herald. Ind.
. What do the wobblng resolutions of
the New Tork Republicans amount to,
anyway? Hughes Is the platform.
Remarkable Personal Triumph.
Baltimore Sun. Dcm-Taft.
The renomination of Governor Hughes
under the elrcumstences and In the face
of the bitter hostility of the leading poli
ticians of his party Is a remarkable per
sonal triumph. It is probable his re
election will be bitterly opposed. The op
position In his own party may be strong
enough to bring about the defeat of the
Governor by forming alliances whi'h
may not Impair the strength of the Re
publican National ticket.
Cltlsenshlp Wins Over Partisanship.
New York Evening Mail. Rep.
The Republican State Convention at
f?aratoga placed Governor Hughes' name
at the head of the state ticket because
it had to do so not because it wanted
to do so. His nomination was a triumph
of citizenship over partisanship: his elec
tion will be the same. His campaign Is
not a Republican party affair: It belongs
to the people. Upon them his election
will depend, precisely as his nomination
did.
The People Ru!e Roaaea Dost,
Chicago Record-Herald. Rep.
Governor Hughes has been renomi-,
nated by the people, and renominated on
his record. Irrespective of the National
significance of his nomination, the peo
ple of New York are to be heartily con
gratulated on the outcome of the long;
and uncertain struggle. The election ofj
Hughes would mean the clinching and!
logical extension of the Hughes policies
as exemplified by the public service act.:
the suppression of racetrack gambllna:.;
the Improved child-labor law. the op-;
position to graft end corruption In every
form.
Hla Own Record Fiirhta for Htm.
Indianapolis Star, Rep.
The people wanted Governor Hughes,
but they wanted him because he Is the'
man he Is. He had proved, himself to
them, had convinced them by acts rather:
than words that he has the courage and
determination to do the thing he b-;
lieves to be right, no matter what the
opposition, and that he does it because'
It is right and not from a selfish mo-,
tive. Primarily he Is himself responsible;
for his renomination, though he made no
effort to secure the honor and was, la
deed, Indifferent to it.
Mr. Hushes Can Carry the State.
New York Evening Post, Ind.
The renomination of Governor Hughes
must be reckoned as one of the mostj
significant political events of the last
quarter century. It is a sheer triumph!
of naked principle, and as such it must,
mightily strengthen the forces of good
government. Politicians have discovered
that Mr. Hughes is the. one man who;
enjoys such popular confidence that hej
can command the Independent vote, j
carry the state, and by his Immense!
prestige strengthen the National ticket!
not only In New York, but also In the
West
Will Not Fall of Re-EIeotlon.
Brooklyn IVtgle, Ind-Taft.
Those who think that the President
has too earnestly proclaimed his pref
erence for the Governor should not for
get that Mr. Roosevelt Is employed in
gauging public sentiment without regard
to party limitations. The lesson of Mr.
Hughes' campaign two years ago is that
a candidate of courage, sincerity and In
dependence can secure his own election
while the machine-made tail of his ticket
goes down to defeat. We do not believe,
that the Governor will fail of re-election i
this year simply because of the enmities!
he has made in fathfully and fearlessly,
discharging what he held to be his duty1
to the people of the state.
Makes nn IrrealsUhle Appenl.
New York Globe, Rep.
Many are the parallelisms between
the circumstances surrounding the third
Presidential nomination of Grover Cleve
land and the second Gubernatorial nomi
nation of Charles E. Hughes. It may
be freely conceded that in many in
stances Governor Hughes has made mis
takes, but the essential mental and moral
soundness of the man Is acknowledged
even by those incensed against him. He
will steadily grow in popular strength.
Many Republicans, now disgruntled, will
have a change of mind, while to intel
ligent reformers of every class and to
the Independent voters who decide poli
tical campaigns in New York he al
ready makes an Irresistible appeal.
Cultured Chanler Hasn't a Chance.
Baltimore American, Rep.
New York set aside party distinct Ions i
when it made choice of the present Gov-;
ernor. The preponderating issue was!
that of good government. The voters .
demanded a reformer and elected him. i
The undeviating course of Mr. Hughes j
has won the approval of every supporter.'
Tt v.rv tant that the bosses of his own ;
party sought to oust him from power has;
sQlidined tne elements mai -won iur mm,
the election. Mr. Hughes is in no sense I
a politician. He is a public servant of
the highest type. It is difficult to see.
what chance the cultured Chanler, who
lacks the personal force and high Intel
ligence of Mr. Hughes, can have against
the Republican nominee.
Mr. Hughes la Hla Own Man
Washington Star, Ind.-Taft.
T. I.-- Kaon mfiA nlAln that In OfflCO
ir- unsh.. la hla own "inn The state
gets the benefit of his best abilities.
which are or a mgn oraer. ne in ui
of the best specimens of the unbossed
.-..ii. -Tia ,-ntiTitrv has ever known.
He wears his own hat, and does his
own thinking unaer u. jr. uamci,
clean and attractive as he Is, has had
it. , , ..n.. fn Affairs. Tf elected:
he will owe his place to Charles F. Mur-i
phy and Flngy tjonners, ana iucy
. i. - mm in nsqert themselves.
LUC BUI k v. mw. vw ,
The Issue Is Hughes against the Demo
cratic machine. Do the people want an-i
other term oi i-iie mu uuw wiib
a (.hiiTipA with the office of -
Governor probably put into the holding
company oi murpny aim umio, d.
Dvlmr. Haa Vision of Other World.
Newark (N. J.) Dispatch to the New
xura. rices,
rr. i i . , iLTn,..at Van TTnrn In the
1 1 1 k. uaio, juai -
few minutes preceding her death had
a glimpse or a worm io wmun nut
going, where loved ones awaited her.
is the firm belief of members of her
family, who were at ner neaswo
she afterward died in her home.
A few minutes before Mrs. Van Horn
. i . . i h-io-Vitoneri. and. with a
look of recognition, she cried Alice! .
o nt -hlM who died
several years ago. She also murmured
the names or outers wim
most at the moment of dissolution she
spread out her arms and exclaimed:
"Face to face, jesus, my .
i o in Mrs. Van Horn 3
last hours were unusual. On the day
before she died she called her children
to her bedside, and. Tacked with, pain
i trt Knpftlc TiT-nv. for
ana scarcely --
relief. As they were gathered about
her. Still on tneir aueva, cue tuou vua.
'The pain has gone:
.7, v.o moment he did not HD-
r rum --- - ,
pear to suffer and the end came in
peace.
Ia TTila a "Knock" t Consresaf
Louisville Courier-Journal.
Tha American Medical Journal finds
that there is more lockjaw in Illinois
than in any part of the United States.
Although the mortality rate is not ex
ceptionally low in the District if Co
lumbia, there is less lockjaw to popula
tion In Washington than anywhere, es
pecially during the Winter and Spring.
A
1