THE JIORNING OREGONIAN. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1903.
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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