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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1908)
THE JIORNING OREGONIAN. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1903. PORTLAND. PRECOX. Entered at Portland, Oregon. Potoflc Cecond-Cl Matter. subscription Kate invariably la Adrano. (By MalL) Dal 1 7, Sunday Included, one year ?'S? Dally. Sunday Included, six month.... Daily. Sunday Included, three month. Dal.y. 6unday Included, on month.... - Daily without Sunday, on year...... J-w Dally, without Sunday. ix month..... - Dally, without Sunday, three month.. J-i-l Dally, without Sunday, one month Weekly, one year Sunday, one year J -j undar and Weekly, one year (By Carrier.) Daily. Sunday Included, one year...... ".00 Dally. Sunday Included, one month. ... Mow to Remit Send potofflo money rder. xnres order or personal check on your local bank. Stamp, coin or currency are at the endcr rlek- Glr postofnce ad 4rea In full, including county and slat. Footage Katre 10 to 14 page. 1 cent: lj to 23 pace. 2 cent; 80 to 44 page, a tent; 4 to 0 pase. 4 cent. Foreign foet ae double rate Eastern Boainee Oftlce The 8. C. Seck wltb Special Agency York, room 4 0 Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 610-613 Tribune bulldlnc. PORTLAND. SATURDAY. BEPT. . 190. IN TILE LOGIC OF THINGS. Taft reminds Bryan that he made his former campaigns on free coinage of silver, yet says not a word about this great principle now. He reminds Bryan that a while ago he declared that every other subject, every other question, before the American people, must be relegated to the background till free coinage of silver should be established. It Irritates the Great Commoner, who is anxious to have all this forgotten; but, forced to take no tice of it, the Peerless One at last t.-stily exclaims: "It is true I favored roe coinage of silver. But so did Mc Kinley." Now this answer has a grain of technical truth in it, yet in substance and effect it is false. McKinley was a member of the House of Representa tives in 1877-78. Bland of Missouri brought forward his bill to authorize free coinage of silver, at the ratio of 16 to 1. At that time the silver dollar, on this ratio, was worth $1.03. That is. on the ratio silver then was worth more than gold. The subject was little understood, except by experts. Mc Kinley at that time voted for free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. It was a foolish vote, since no silver would be coined at such ratio: and It never has been nor ever will be possible to hold silver and gold to gether on that ratio or any. other. But knowledge grew fast. Between 1S78 and 1896 a period of 18 years the proportionate values of silver and gold changed throughout the world. Silver fell In value till it was worth on the ratio less than 60 cents on the dollar. During these eighteen years McKinley saw that the position of silver had changed, throughout the world, and that it had become neces sary to accept gold as the monetary standard. Therefore in 1896 he be came the Republican candidate for the Presidency, on a platform oppos ing free coinage of silver and on affirmation of the gold standard. Bryan, having carried the convention of his party off its feet by his figure of the crown of thorns and cross of gold, became the Democratic candi date, on a platform calling for free coinage at the ratio of 16 to 1. Owing to the changed relations of gold and silver throughout the world, it was supreme folly. The effect would be to change the money standard of the country from gold to silver, with wreck of industry, values and busi ness In the transition. Defeat of Bryan averted the consequence. During the eighteen years, between 1R7S. when McKinley vojed for free coinage of silver, and 1896, "when Bryan was a candidate on a free silver coinage platform, the relations of sil ver and gold throughout the world, and their ratio of value, had under gone cqmplete change. But Bryan, with his accustomed shallowness, re fused to recognize it. McKinley, however, did: though he was slower in doing so as many felt than he should have been; and he tried sorely the patience of many, who understood perfectly that gold and silver had long since and forever parted company on the old ratio and never could be brought together again; that there must be one standard, and in fact there never had been but one In anyt coun try whether it was silver or gold tiut now and henceforth gold alone was to be the money standard of the commercial world, and silver the money for small payments and change only: and moreover, to secure the use of it In this function its coinage must be strictly limited and Its legal tender power restricted to petty pay ments. Bryan never could understand this and doesn't understand It today. The Inference is irresistible that he will always stand for loose ideas of finance, business, money and credits. Every mere babbler on these and kin dred subjects is his supporter. No need therefore to wonder at uneasiness In the domain of industry, business, finance and Investment: or at hesita tion, till after November. Of course then, should Bryan be elected, we shall all survive; but on what basis we shall then have to wait further to see. Than such distrust nothing could be more natural. It lies in the logic of things. MIil'IDED ZEAL. Mayor Lane's announced intention to close the disreputable houses in Port land "and never allow them to reopen while he is In office" is not altogether laudable if it Is sincere. Like many other excellent intentions, it is likely to do more harm than good, but the beautiful spectacle of a mind entirely devoted to the service of morality without regard to mere consequences may well repay us for all the evil which flows from it. The extirpation of the "social evil" in Portland Is to be accomplished, we gather, by "ban ishing" the women who imake mer chandise of their virtue. Nothing is aid. about what the Mayor will do with the men who make merchandise of their own virtue and that of the women, too. It would be exciting to learn whether they. too. will be ban ished. Banishment is a penalty of which the Oregon code knows nothing, but in the fervent heat of aroused righteousness of course the law is a (natter of little moment. Where does the Mayor purpose to banish these women? Has he control af some uninhabited Island where he :an send and keep them? If he has aot. then all the reform will amount lo will be the Imposition of Port land's vicious population, or a portion f it, upon some other city: though Krhaps the result will be the estab lishment of low resorts Just outside the limits of Portland, where they will be free from all restraint whatever. Exactly how laudable it is for Portland to unload her disreputable women upon other communities we shall not pause to inquire. It is more fascinat ing to examine the silly expectation that they will take up "honest occu pations" when they are driven out of their houses. If these women had ever been taught an "honest occupation" they would not be where they are; and, since they do not know how to make a living in any other way, they will continue to sell their virtue, or else-they must starve. Now and then one of them may succeed in sloughing oft her past and rising to respectable life, but that will never be the rule, from the nature of the case. Councilman Vaughn's threat that, should any persons from the North End invade the Tenth Ward, they would be driven out with shotguns, shows how little he understands the matter. The Tenth Ward, like every other part of the city. Is already In fested with a "North End delegation," though it is of the male sex, and until this delegation Is either banished or extirpated in some other way, the fe males will continue to abide with us in spite of the Mayor and his ten angels of purifying wrath. THAT'S ALL OF IT. Senator Foraker's "statement" Is a complete example of what is known In logic as ignoratio elenchi, or ignoration of the elench a fallacy that consists in ignoring the point at issue. It is one of the forms of begging the question; or again, of confession and avoidance, which consists in admission of the truth of the facts to which such plea is offered as an answer, and allegation of other various matters which it is insisted is a confutation of the main charge. But the subterfuges avail nothing. Mr. Foraker has been in the pay of Standard Oil, a defender of "the inter ests" in the Senate, and an opponent of the various measures and efforts of the Administration to bring them under proper control. Nobody doubts that the great sums of money which he is now known to have received from Standard Oil, account for his laborious efforts In the Senate to pro tect the "constitutional rights" of mo nopolies, and for his lugubrious pre dictions of disaster to the country from efforts to curb them. The briefest kind of statement will brush aside all those elaborate pleas. He put the money in his pocket and stood up for "the interests." That's all of It. IT WOIXD BE MISTAKE.. The Oregonian thinks it would be an error, and believes It would be use less, to attempt rigid enforcement of section 1968 of the statutes, so as to shut up on Sunday all the various little establishments that minister to the convenience and comfort of the public, or to try to prohibit the opera tion of the street railways, or to forbid excursions, picnics, baseball games, and the like. The statute was not in tended for such purposes, and Juries will acquit all who may be arraigned for violation of it. The barber shops are closed by spe cial law, because the working barbers wanted it done. Theaters also have special exemption, secured since the original act was passed. Liquor shops should remain closed, and they will remain closed, because public senti ment demands and will be able to en force it. But we shall not find any r-nnslderable body of citizens demand- Ling the closure of the fruit, news, ci gar, candy and soda water stanas, or forbidding the bootblack to polish your shoes or brush your clothes on Sunday. It will be a mistake to attempt any such sweeping measure, and the effort will fail. And it ought to fail. It is not reasonable. It is an antiquated statute, made for conditions that ex isted forty-five years ago. But even then, in some of its details It was a mistake. Moreover, in these particu lars it always has been ignored, nor can it be enforced now. The effort would be absurd. When the cases that may be brought under the law for rigid enforcement go up to Juries, the exceptions allowed in the statute will be pleaded, and acquittal will follow every time. It never will take the rank of a heinous offense to get your shoes polished, or to buy a banana or cigar on Sunday. CLASSIFYING THE UNEMPLOYED. In the United States we are given a weekly statement showing the number of Idle cars on all of the railroads of the country. In Europe, some of the countries, notably England, make a specialty of statistics showing the number of Idle men. Both of these compilations are valuable as reflec tions of the economic situation, but in this country statistics on the unem ployed can never be as accurate as those covering the number of idle cars. In the case of the cars there are but two reasons for their idleness. One is lack of traffic, and the other is poor condition of the cars. As It is easy to segregate the bad-order cars from those which could be used if there was work for them, it can be deter mined to a certainty Just how many are ldlethrough lack of traffic. Statistics on unemployed labor in this country cannot be as closely tab ulated and segregated as they seem to be in Europe. The United States Com missioner of Labor has been investi gating European methods for treat ment of the unemployed, and finds that the idle classes are grouped under three general heads, which include the employable, the unemployable and the vagrants and incorrigibles, who will not work except as a last resort. The employable might be likened to the idle car in good order, for they are Idle only because there is nothing for them to do. The unemployable are In the same position as the bad-order car, for they are idle by reason of some physical or mental defect which is such as to keep them permanently out of the ranks that can be depended on when labor is needed. The third class are those! who are unwilling to work except on special occasions, and accordingly cannot be depended on as a fixed available supply. But. while these three general classes may account for all of the un employed labor in most of the Euro pean countries, the classification Is en tirely inadequate for this country. Take our own community. A stroll through the plaza blocks or the North End. where idle men congregate, will reveal dozens of men, each with a different reason for being idle. To cjasslfy them for statistical purposes would necessitate placing each in a separate group. As this Idle floating population was in evidence in all of our big cities in the height of our pros perity, last year, and for many years preceding, . it is obvious that its nu merical strength can hardly reflect with any degree of accuracy the true economic situation as regards labor. We can determine how many idle cars are available for service, but we can not determine how many actual "work ers there are in a given number of idle men. The growing popularity of the teachings of Jack London and Upton Sinclair, whose heroes were mostly brakebeam riders and henroost rob bers, will increase this difficulty, for the belief that the world owes every man a living causes large numbers to wait for the world to come around and pay it. The European plan for group ing and classifying the unemployed and keeping in statistical shape rec ords thereon has advantages in ad mitting of an equitable distribution of aid, but there are so many groups or classes among our unemployed that it will hardly fit the case 'in this coun try. There is an Immense economic waste in idle men, as in idle cars, but they cannot be classified, nor can they be put to work, even, when the em ployment Is obtainable, unless they are so disposed. PORTLAND A PREFERRED PORT. The owners of tramp steamers, feel ing to an extreme degree the stress of hard times in the ocean carrying trade, have temporarily at least right ed a wrong that has been Inflicted on Portland for many years. This wrong has been the retention of a differen tial of five shillings per ton against Portland and in favor of San Fran cisco long after there was the slightest valid reason for there being any dif ference whatever in rates. This week Portland exporters, chartered two steamers lying in San Francisco Bay to come North at rates from Is 3d per ton to 2s 6d per ton less than the rate paid for San Fracisco loading. This advantage given Portlanders in the way of a lower rate noes not necessar ily imply that there should be any premium exacted from San Francisco, but In view of the long existing differ ential against Portland, the trans action shows a dispositior. on the part of shipowners no longer to penalize Portland because cargoes are more plentiful here than at San Francisco. The International Sailingship Own ers' Association, which for many years was responsible for this unjust dis crimination against Portland, can probably see in the present low rates accepted by steamers, the handwriting on the wall for their "trust," which has been held together pretty firmly for the past five years. With steamers taking grain cargoes from Portland to Europe at 2Ss 9d to 25 shillings, there is a good deal of absurdity in attempt ing to maintain rates on ancient sail ing ships at 27s 6d, which is the mini mum rate permitted by the trust. Prior to the appearance of the tramp steamers in large numbers, the sailing ships fixed the rates on practically all of the Pacific Coast business bound round the Horn to Europe. But the union with its fixed arbitrary rates has hy its own action, lost the power to fix rates and meet competition at figures warranted by supply and de mand, and as -a result union ships in large numbers can be found lying idle in every port on the Pacific Coast, while the business is being handled by the tramp steamers. The acknowledgment by the steam ship owners that Portland is a more satisfactory port for steamers than San Francisco is a valuable tribute to the improvemert and economies which have been accomplished in this port. There is still room for improvement, notably in lessening the heavy bar pilotage fees, and In still further deep ening the channel to the sea so that a larger class of vessels can reach our docks without waiting for tides. All of this will be accomplished in good time, however, and now that the port Is again on even terms with all other Coast ports in the matter of freight rates, we will be In a position to handle more business than ever. DEFENDING HASKELL. Califqrnlan Bell opines that if he were Governor Haskell he would "sue President Roosevelt for a nice large sum for criminal libel." In the opinion of The Oregonian he would do nothing of the sort. Men do not go into court with libel suits when the facts against them are as clear as they are against Governor Haskell. The chances are that in his letter of reply to the Presi dent Mr. Haskell made the best he could of his case, and the best was pretty bad. The letter was a weak, flippant, evasive retort to a serious accusation. Mr. Roosevelt had not "denounced" Governor Haskell, as Mr. Bell incorrectly puts it; on the con trary he had filed definite accusations against him which went to the roots of his character as a private Individual and as a public man; and Mr. Has kell's sole defense is to Jeer and jibe as if the whole matter were of but trifling consequence. He seems to be stricken with moral blindness. The same is true of Mr. Bell, who is a man of such prominence in his party that he may be assumed to represent It; and it Is true also of other leading Democrats, including Mr. Bryan him self. They appear to lack the power to discriminate between what is hon orable and what is infamous. In their brains there is no "appercelving nidus," as the psychologists call it, which can properly weigh and con sider a question of disreputable con duct. Therefore Mr. Bell, Instead of refuting the charges against Governor Haskell, or trying to refute them, treats the affair lightly and flatters himself with the hope that the Presi dent's accusations will make votes for Bryan. He must cherish a low opin ion of the American voter. Is it cred ible that the news of Governor Has kell being a scamp will "set up a strong tide toward Bryan," as Mr. Bell implies that it will? Does any sane person believe that American citizens will vote for a man because he Is a rascal? We often vote for rascals, but it is always on account of some imagined good quality in them, not because their bad character is proved. The truth is that Mr. Roosevelt has taken the best possible way to make the Republican campaign vital and efficient. Mr. Bryan and his auxil iaries have been permitted to cover themselves with a delusive shimmer of hlghmindness. sincerity and devo tion to the public welfare. Nobody believed that the Nebraskan was very wise but everybody thought he was a man of high ideals. Mr. Roosevelt haa shattered this shimmering mirage. He has shown that the whole Democratic claim to disinterested patriotism is sheer hypocrisy. Instead of working for the public, Mr. Bryan's lieutenants have worked for Standard Oil. Mr. Haskell served the monopoly out of office and continued to serve It in of fice. The induction is well grounded that others of hi3 party may have done the same thing. Nor is this prob ability a whit lessened by Mr. Bryan's conduct. Has he expressed abhor rence for Governor Haskell's treach erous subservience to the Archbold gang? Not he. The instant the President of the United States accused Governor Haskell of corruption Mr. Bryan ought to have put him on his defense and ordered him to clear him self or retire from the National com mittee. We know that this is what Mr. Taft would have done, for he took a similar course in the) Foraker scandal. Mr. Bryan, however, tempor izes. He has let the golden moment of decision slip by and henceforth it is impossible for him to avoid ap pearing, in a certain sense, as Mr. Haskell's partner in disrepute. Nobody would think of saying that he is cor rupt, but he has touched pitch. and It has defiled him. Evidently Mr. Bryan Is not a great tactician. He thinks it nobler to "stand by his friends" than to win a party victory. Would he carry the same principle into the White House? If he were President would he still deem it his highest Buty to "stand by his friends"? In the dilemma which Mr. Roosevelt's letter presented to Mr. Bryan a great man would not have hesitated. He would have said "My first duty" is to the Democratlo party. Mr. Haskell must prove his innocence or give up his position on my committee." What Mr. Bryan really did say was that his first duty was to his friend and that the party must carry the burden of his disgrace. This excessive loyalty to friends makes a man a good fellow, but it does not fit him to be President. It has been heretofore one of the gravest causes of mischief at Washington and there is little reason to expect that Its evil effect would diminish under a Bryan administration. In Chicago the voting of Democrats in the Republican primaries ' has brought about a contest between Re publican candidates for State's Attor ney, which throws light dn an abuse that is not confined to Oregon. The main contest for the nomination was between two candidates, Healy and Wayman. The latter obtained a small plurality. The former contests, and goes into court, alleging that great numbers of Democrats, contrary to the intent of the law, recorded their votes for his rival. He proves it by checking up the nominating petitions; and Judge Cutting declares that all such votes are illegal and must be re jected. It is alleged that thousands of them, were cast for Wayman, and full search is being made for the names, in all the precincts of the city. Of course (as in Oregon) these votes were cast In the primary for Wayman with intent of giving him the nomination, and then of voting against him in the election. It Is the leading mischief and evil of the direct primary every where. Lying between Texas and Arkansas, Oklahoma is a miniature Arkansas Texas. It is the child of the South western element of the Southern Con federacy. Good people they are, but different in all their political feelings and general purposes from the people of the Northern states from the At lantic to the Pacific. Senator Gore unquestionably represents his own sec tion of the sectional South. Our peo plea hear him, respectfully, but there Is the smallest possible correspondence between his views and their own. It is a pity there can be no reciproca tion that men from Northern states, of National views, get no respectful hearing in Senator Gore's state. The Oregonian is asked for Informa tion as to the strength of the Italian navy.. At the end of the year 1907 Italy had four effective battleships and four completing; ten battleships of old types; six armored cruisers and two building; fourteen protected cruis ers; thirteen torpedo gunboats; thir teen destroyers and thirty-four modern torpedo-boats. It is a navy of very considerable strength, ranking next below that of Japan, which is fifth In the list those of Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States ranking greater, In the order named. In the review of the old struggle on the silver question it is an interesting fact that Senator Mitchell of Oregon, In 1878, voted against the Bland bill for free coinage of silver, and voted to sustain the veto of that bill by President Hayes. But this didn't last long. Like so many more, he soon became unable to resist the arguments of the silver mlneowners, and there after acted steadily and consistently with their views. No jury, of course, will convict any proprietor of any fruit stand, or candy store, or drugstore, or bootblack stand, for keeping open on Sunday. Common sense and common Justice must some times be called on to oppose even the law when It is foolish law. Had Standard Oil been disposed to use .the money or some of it that it has been corrupting statesmen with, In payment of its fines, the country would be better disposed both towards Standard Oil and its now disgraced statesmen. District Attorney Cameron,-who has time to enforce obsolete Sunday laws, might better take up the Burkhart case, for exampler What has become of the Burkhart case? What is to be come of it? Governor Haskell, of Oklahoma, doubtless knows what a "four-flusher" is. The language a man uses is de rived from or suits the way of life to which he is accustomed. Senator Foraker now comes through with a 6000-word explanation. It is interesting only as a posthumous contribution to Foraker's other works. After the war is over, the country may take a little time to consider how Mr. Hearst got 'em. But never mind that now. He has 'em. The Oklahoma style'is, when caught with the goods, to abuse the other side. Hence the Haskell outbreak. STORY OP THE BENNETT BEQUEST How Bryan Tried to Get 123,000 From Irregular Legacy. Pocatello (Idaho) Tribune. In Idaho particularly, and in many other sections, the manner in which Mr. Bryait disclosed his methods of earning money will recall to many minds an incident of his career which, perhaps, more forcefully compels the unwelcome conviction that there is a weakness In his character which blinds him to proprieties in the matter of money-getting. It will remembered that, a few years .ago, a .Rhode Island man named Phild S. Bennett visited Idaho for the pur pose of making an examination of a mining property. One Summer after noon, in a four-horse coach, he and his companions left the Idan-ha for a trip Into the interior. All went well until the party reached a hill leading down the Round Valley. There the brakes failed to hold, the coach pushed upon the horses, and the animals broke into a run. The driver, In his frantic efforts to check the speed, threw his weight upon the brake-rod, which snapped; he was thrown off. and the horses dashed, terror-stricken, down the hill. At the bottom there was a turn on which the coach skidded and lurched, and'in the ensuing wreck Mr. Bennett was pinioned against a tree and instantly killed. The death of a man of wealth under such tragic conditions attracted a great deal of attention. This was In creased when It was found that among the papers left at his home was a let ter expressing a desire that Mr. Bryan should be given $2.000 from his es tate. It seems the victim of this Idaho accident had become Infatuated with Mr. Bryan and had determined to do something for him financially. His admiration was purely political, so far as the public could discover, and noth ing was ever unearthed to indicate that the famous Nebraskan had any claim whatever which would entitle him to invade the estate of the widow to collect this irregular legacy. Probably 99 out of every 100 persons thought Mr. Bryan would never lay claim to the money. The public did not dream that a man big enough to stand forth before the country as a peren nial candidate for the Presidency would stoop to asking a widow to divide with him under such circum stances. Those, even, who recognized that, in the pursuit of gain, he was not restrained by that dignity and sense of propriety which should actu ate anyone holding a commanding po sition, did not believe he would make an effort to secure a portion of the Bennett estate. But they were mis taken. He grabbed at the $25,000 far more eagerly than he ever went after his share of the box receipts from any political lecture. Bringing suit for the amount, he carried it through all the courts, and, although he was defeated at every step, he doggedly persisted in the effort to take the money from a widow, and did not desist until the tribunal of last resort had said to hira, "Thou shalt not." BETTING IS EVEN ON CHANLER. Wall Street Offer SSO.OOO That He Car rie New York Over Hughe. New Tork World, Dem. The information comes to The World from a leading member of the New York Stock Exchange that more than $60,000 was offered on the floor of that Institu tion on even terms that Chanler will de feat Hughes in the coming Gubernatorial election. It is estimated that more than $10,000 was actually bet in Wall street privately at this rate. Wall street brokers are predicting that before the campaign progresses much further the odds will be In favor of Mr. Chanler. Immediately after the nomina tions there were bets of 8 to 6 in favor of Hughes, but these offers were ab sorbed so quickly that only a few were made. The Wall street interests were out spoken yesterday in favor of Mr. Chan ter's candidacy. Many brokers who an nounced their Intention of voting for Taft said they would vote for Chanler for Governor. In some quarters Wall street men who have been open In the advocacy of Taft said they were will ing to take the short end of a bet that Chanler will be the means of carrying New York State for Bryan. It is even money and take your choice with the betting men at the race tracks. Tom Shaw, a young man who has won a fortune during the last eighteen months and was a spectacular plunger and layer of odds before the anti-betting laws went into effect, bet $6000 even with Henry Harris on Chanler. Harris was also a bookmaker formerly. Robert Angarola. horseowner and a close friend of Joe Cassidy, of Qneens County, made two bets on Chjvnler, one of $5000 and one of $2000, at the pre vailing odds. Just whom he placed his wagers with could not be learned, but it is said that he had $13,000 more to place at the same odds. George Wheelock, ex-chalrman of the Metropolitan Turf Association (the book makers' association), announced that he has $10,000 to bet on Chanler at even money. This statement by Wheelock carried much weight among betting men, for Wheelock for years has made a close study of the political betting and has won a fortune by his ability to pick winning candidates. In politics Wheelock leans toward the Republican side, but he does not permit sentiment to warp his" judg ment in betting on a candidate's chances. 'Worded Meteor Jnt Miner a Boy. Vancouver (B. C.) Dispatch to New York Herald. To be eight feet from the spot where a meteor crashed into the earth was the experience of Willie McKinnon, 14 year old son of Angus McKinnon, of Duncan, Vancouver Islan'd. He was working In his garden about 11:30 and heard a rushing noise, as if a train were passing. As the track was not far away he took little notice of the sound until a moment after he was half shocked by the concussion as the meteor struck the earth, throwing the soil and rock in all directions. The boy says it felt as If (here was a slight earthquake, so great was the tremor. When he saw that something had fallen he went over and found a substance almost perfectly round about ten Inches in diameter. The surface of the meteor was deeply -scored with what resembled hieroglyphics. And They Got 'Em. Polk County Observer. Those worthies of Portland whose names were so ruthlessly dragged out for public inspection by The Oregonian of yesterday's Issue, as "floppers" from the Democratic party, are now probably in an admirable condition to give a cor rect imitation of what the learned pro fessor has called "the physical manifes tations of impotent rage." Certain esteemed periodicals of Democratic per suasion are no doubt in much the same condition. They have been demanding "names, names" ever since the first inti mation of fraud in registration was made three months ago. Now they have got what they demanded. Never was a prayer more unexpectedly or more literally answered. Now gentlemen, what are you going to do with the names you so anxiously and Insistently called for? - Either Wife or Jail Confronts Him. August Block, of Milwaukee, Wis., who was ordered by Judge Nolen a month ago to find a wife or he would lose the custody of his four children, has reported to the court that he has so far failed, and has been given one week more for another, trial. DANGERS IN DIRECT PRIMARY. So Many Defect It May Break Down of It Own Weight. Boston (Mass.) Transcript. So rapidly is the direct primary idea spreading over the country that every Im portant stage in its evolution merits at tention. Washington state has inserted a "second choice'' feature, designated to lessen the liability of the nomination from among many candidates of one who, al though leading numerically, really has relatively slight and unsubstantial sup port. This is an obvious defect of the direct primary system. A convention re quires a majority to nominate. It is con ceivable that, with the division of sup port among as many candidates as care to go into the new-fangled device, one man might come out victorious though he had a small fraction of the total vote cast. Thirteen men, for example, sought the Gubernatorial nomination in Wash ington this week. If A. B and C, for example, are strong candidates for a certain office, popularly recognized as such, while Z, also In the running, is notoriously weak, and per haps a joke, what would be more natural than for the enthusiastic adherents of A to see that if they gave their second choice to B, they might really becontrib uting toward the success of A's actual rival, and so they might throw their votes away on Z. apparently the weakest per son on the list. The requirement that every voter must express a second choice does not prevent his wasi.lng his ballot by bestowing it on a man whose selection would be ridiculous. Suppose A, B and C's adherents, with this aim in view, should vote for Z as their second choice, might not his nomination come to pass without any serious support? Such experiences as these In Washing ton indicate that the direct primary idea Is breaking down of Its own weight. It is to be hoped that states In the East, like Massachusetts, will be able to profit by the pitfalls into which others are falling, without having the experience them selves. Idaho Republicans In their recent state convention boldly rejected the di rect primary proposal as a platform plank, basing their action on the exper ience of their neighbors, and saying that It was a device for "slamming the door in the face of the poor man" who aspires to hold office. DEMOCRATS DESERTED PARTY Went En Masae Into Seattle Republican Camp. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The final summing up of the vote cast by King County In the recent primary election shows the total in the county to have bfen 27,242, Including both the Re publican and the Democratic vote. Of this total the Republicans cast 25, 404, while the Democratic vote was only 1838. In the City of Seattle alone there are more than 40.000 names on the poll books, so that the total vote cast in King Coun ty was approximately 13,000 under the registration of the city. In the city a little more than one-half of the registered vote was cast In the primary, and in other portions of the county the vote was not as large as it should have been, though the exact difference between the registration and the vote cannot be given on account of a lack of data. However, the percentage of the regis tered vote polled In the primary is much larger than early reports indicated. Per haps the newness of the law, and the fact that the hours during which the polls remained open were Inconvenient for many citizens, in Seattle particularly, had much to do with the failure of many citizens to vote. No very definite conclusion as to the probable strength of the Democratic par ty in this county can be drawn from the final summing up of the vote. The small -ness of the Democratic total seems to Indicate that many Democrats voted the Republican ticket: indeed, there seems to be no reason to doubt that Democrats in this county, as well as elsewhere in the state, pursued this policy In direct vio lation of both the letter and the spirit of the primary law.. The practice has raised an issue which the next Legislature will have to deal with when it undertakes to strengthen the weak places In the primary law. Par ty separateness must be maintained in primary elections If the law Is to fully answer the good purposes for which it was enacted. AMERICA WEARING ITS OLD SHOES Significant Economy That Mill In the End Create Era of Prosperity. Springfield (Mass.) Republican. The Government's foreign trade state ment for August, Issued yesterday, is of a reassuring character. It shows a- favor able balance of trade above the average of the season in recent years, as will ap pear in the following comparison of mer chandise figures: Excess of August. Exports. Imports. export. 1908 ..$110,411,714 $01,2n2,14 $19,159,568 1907 .. 127.270.47 1 2.VSOfl.04S 1.464.404 1906 .. 129.801. 4fiS 105.697,015 24.104,453 1905 .. 117,668.115 95.831,158 21.836.957 1904 .. 92.25K.88l 87.737.S68 4.516.013 1903 .. 89.446,457 82.049.262 7,397,195 1902 . . 94.942,310 78.023,281 16.019,029 Exports are not holding up as well as they should under the lower-price con ditions prevailing in the home market. Our industrial combinations are not ex erting themsel-es with great success In raiding the foreign markets. But the lat ter markets also labor' under severe In dustrial depression and have themselves a great surplus of production to dispose of. The point especially to be considered is the import column, which shows a strik ing reduction from a year ago. Exports have fallen off, but imports have dropped to a much greater extent, and put the trade balance far above what it was last year. Here is reflected the fact that the country has taken to wearing Its old shoes, and when that happens, as they say in Europe, the United States Is be ginning to place the world under tribute. Wall street at the moment seems to think badly of such a condition of things, but m the end It will prove to have been the making of another era of prosperity. Ratio of Silver to Gold. Wall Street Journal. The commercial ratio of silver to gold, for the date last given by an official quotation, is 38.08 to 1. At the beginning of 1907 it was 29.67 to 1. The advance meanwhile has been al most continuous from the lower to the higher ratio. This does not look very much as if gold was being depreciated by large output, in terms of silver. The depreciataion is so strong in silver values that one can hardly hqlp re calling the days of "16 to 1" as almost unthinkably remote from the present times. And yet the Presidential cam paign of 1896 was waged vehemently about that very issue. Today the same standard-bearer in the same party is championing not a 60-cent dollar, but the insurance of bank deposits. Will the judgment of the Nation on this new issue not be quite as emphatic against Bryan's favorite issue of 1908 as it was against that of 1896? Why Not Make' It Unanimous ?; PORTLAND, Sept. 25. (To the Edi tor.) Inasmuch as The Oregonian dur ing the past half century has represented the best interests of the state: inasmuch as the Republican State of Oregon Is to ba represented m the United States Sen ate during the next six years by Mr. Chamberlain a Mississippi Democrat; in asmuch as Mr. Bourne has declared, and no doubt still believes, that Mr. Bryan will defeat Mr. Taft; inasmuch as a state delegation In political harmony with the executive of the Nation is conductive to the best interests of the state, would you not now advise an honest Republican a Jackson, Mich., (June 6. 1854) Republi can, to vote for Mr. Bryan in Oregon and "make it unanimous" ? MAC JUHOS. STATE PAPERS ON GRAVE MATTER Tamhill Record. A number of exchanges are scoring Governor Chamberlain for his actions at the regatta at Astoria. One Mary Jane. Smith, of Rainier. Is quoted as saying that the Governor was so in toxicated as to require two men to as slst him. This, if true, Is a disgrace to the State of Oregon, and if not true, some one should be punished severely for lying. Oregon is not In the proper mood just now to tolerate such actions very long If it Is true. Tillamook Headlight. Governor Chamberlain loaded up last week at the Astoria regatta. There is nothing new in the Governor having a genuine "jug" and on public occasions, but the point we want to raise la thlj: Enforce the law against drunkenness and arrest and fine the Governor In the same manner as other common drunks. Why shield one man and put another In the cooler? Polk County Itemizer. The Newberg Graphic take malicious pleasure in reprinting a letter pub lished in The Oregonian about our Gov ernor and commenting on it, and takes other newspapers to task for not doing so. If the newspaper men of Oregon were to tell half of what they know regarding such escapades of prominent officials, there wouldn't be room for any thing else in their papers. It would raise a stench in his own party. Newberg Graphic. If the conduct of an official while mingling with the people is disgrace ful, the publicity of It may "raise a1 stench," but who is responsible for the unpleasant odor? Let the facts be put squarely before the people, and If they want to be represented by this class of men, let the majority rule. It is evident that many voters care very little about the morals of our of ficeholders, but we still believe that there are a majority who do care, and they want to know the truth, and they depend on . the newspapers to a largo1 extent to get it. Hence the responsi bility .of the honest newspapers. Rainier Review. George E. Chamberlain as an individ ual or as a private citizen may have a right to become Intoxicated and to appear publicly in such a condition, but a Governor of the people of the great commonwealth of Oregon he has no such right. It may be said that these are but the sentiments of a Prohibi tionist or a temperance orank, but they are not. Prohibition does not enter into the matter in any way. It is purely a question of the competency and cor rect deportment of a public official. As to the question of competency, no one will attempt to deny that an In toxicated person is Incapacitated to per form ordinary business transactions In a competent manner. Every moment of the life of a man while In a public of fice belongs to the people whom he serves, and the people have a right to demand that at all times he be In a condition to competently discharge the duties of the office. Especially is this true In regard to the office of Gover nor. The position is exactin- in Its re quirements of ability, promptness and decision, for no Governor knows when he will be called upon to exercise the powers of his office for public safety and welfare, and during all the time that such an officer is In a state of in toxication the people are in reality without an executive and without pro tection. The question of the public demeanor of a public servant Is also an impor tant one. Representing, as he docs, the people, when he Is attending public gatherings of any kind, his conduct should be representative of the people of the state and not of himself, and If a man has not power enough of himself to so represent the people, he Is not competent to be the Governor of Ore gon or of any other state, and Gover nor ChamberlRln's condition at the time of the Astoria regatta should, and will undoubtedly, be felt as a public dis grace by the people of the. State of Oregon. Again, Hasn't "Somebody Lied" Washington County News. Governor Chamberlain, United States Senator-elect (?) has given his consent to go on the stump for Bryan and Kern. . This is one of the most decided nonparti san" acts the Governor has as yet partici pated In and one that should be cherished by the Republicans who so generously voted for him In the last June election. Chamberlain, you know. Is absolutely nonpartisan and should be helped by the Republican voters to anything he wants, and when he visits our community again In the Interests of the Bryan and Kern candidacy, why of course the same Re publicans should rally to the great non partisan. .This is a gentle dose and the Chamberlain Republicans are Justly en titled to It, for the Governor will no doubt tell you that the office of the President Is absolutely nonpartisan and there is nothing else left to do but to believe what you hear. Now honestly, isn't this an other case where "somebody lied?" Book and Melon Form Station. Augusta Circle. When Berry Benson boarded his car, homeward bound, he had a big bundle of books and a fine watermelon. His parcels were quite heavy, and he had to have some assistance In getting to his seat. He lives 400 yards from the carllne. Assistance was vouchsafed in getting his possessions from the car. Then he was In a pickle. He could not tote both the books and the water melon. But Mr. Benson Is never halted by a trifle like that. Leaving his mel on by the car track, he carried his books 50 or 75 yards. Depositing them there, where they were in view, he went back for his melon, bringing it Up to the books' station. Then carry ing the books ahead another 76 yards, he established a new base of opera tions, returning to bring his melon to the front. Thus by a succession of moves to new bases he got both melon and books home. And at no time did he have either out of his sight. Out of the Dim Paat. Chicago Tribune. Alexander the Great had Just sub dued Bucephalus. "Anybody can bust a broncho," he said, "but it takes a man to put the snaffles on a big four-legged devil like this one." Being shrewd, politic fellows, the cowboys of that age allowed the Im pression to go out that they were afraid to try to ride the savage beast, and the subservient historians hast ened to confirm that Impression. Smooth Work Win. Nashville American. The man who prospers on the Job And wins the boss' eye I not the one who knuckle down And makes the feathers fly. The one who rise to the top Ascend. In fact, like smoke I he who titters every time The old man cracks a Joke. It is not by the work performed With diligence and care That men who understand arrive At that fine goal called "There," For smoothness is a surer way Than energy by halt The listening- to the bos jokes And knowing when to laugh. The high directing one who tell Men when to coma and go. Who ssy who shall promoted b And who shall stay below. Desires to see the work progress. But still the honor flit. From those who only toil to thos Who understand his wit. And so if you would be the one Who up the ladder glides Be watchful for the boss Jokes And laugh to split your sides. It's easier than lifting hags Or slaving; with a pick. And it I better by a mile Xo bain you turn th trick