Morning Oregonian., November 30, 1908, Page 6, Image 6

THE 3I0RXING OREGONIAN, 3IOPAY. NOVEMBER 30. 19Q3.
PORTLAND. PRECOX.
Eat.red at Portland. Oregon. PMrtolIIc. a.
Eeond-C'.M Matter. .
Bubsertpttan Rate. Invsrtably Ul Adrnnre.
By UHl)
IIty. Bundar Included. OM Jfh;-" ' ' 2
Dillr! Bund.y included. """'?;' Z
ESS: uc udS: lr "nh
Dally, sunnay inri.m . --
Dally, without Sundsy. one
Dally without Sunday.
billy without Sunday. three ";'"
D.ilv. without Sunday, one month...
Weekly, one year
Sunday, one year
Sunday and Weekly, one year
iBy carner.j
Dallr. Sunday lnriud-d. one year....
niiV. Sunday included, one rnonta. .
B 00
1.7J
v.v
2 v
3.30
9 An
.75
How to Remit Send poetofflce "V"1"
erJVrT express order or P"' ?
rour local bank. Stamps, coin or currency
ire at the sendee, nak. C.lv -. P"'"
cress In full. Including county and state.
Poets Rater 10 to 14 . 1 n,:,l
to 2 pJVe.. i cents: 3 to 44 pce. i cents
4 ,nPfi? page.. 4 centa Foreign pastas,
double rate.
Ea-.tern Business Office The S. C
wtts Special A-cncyN. w lrk. rc.on s 4
60 Tribune building, Chicago, rooms 510-41J
Tribune bill ding. L
Portland. MOiAT. not. 30. mo.
MVMC1ML PROBLEMS.
A few days ago K. W. Mulkey.
President, and L. J. Goldsmith. Secre
tary of the Taxpayers- Lea Hue. pub
lished a statement of the Indebtedness
of the City of Portland, together with
the annual interest charge, and a fur
ther statement of the amount of city
bonds authorized but not yrt tas
The two together amount to $1-.41,-500.
with annual Interest charge of
$5&3 250; of -which Interest sum $38.
250 is payable by direct taxation, and
the remainder by water rates and
minor sources of Income, as use of
the bridges bv the canines and re
ceipt from use of the drydock.
It is now proposed to add to the
Indebtedness other bonds to the
amount of J2.000.000 for a bridge
over the Willamette below the struc
ture known as the steel bridge, and
J 000.000 more for an electric light
plant. These additions would carry
the total of bonded debt up to $16.
741.500. and would add $200,000 to
the annual interest charge cost of
maintenance by the city not included.
It is a situation that must be looked
fairly in the face.
An annual interest charge of nearly
JSOO.000 to be exact. $783.250 is
a thought that may well cause the
owner of property to stop and con
sider, and give the city as a corpor
ate entitv pause. The Orogoniaii will
not indulge uny gloomy forebodings
about the consequences. The matter
Bhould come home to every owner of
property and to every taxpayer of
the city as If it were his own personal
and private business: for indeed it is.
For the obligations of the city are
the debts of those who own property
end do business in it.
Many have feared that already the
city had gone too far into debt; and
we believe there can be no doubt that
a mistake was made when the charge
for Interest on the new water bonds
authorized last June was laid upon
the property of the city instead of
upon the water rates. This ought to
be resubmitted and corrected. There
would le a better market for these
honds of $3,000,000, and more equita
ble distribution of the charges upon
the people of the city. For the city is
going into debt so far that it requires
use of all sources of revenue; and
water rates everywhere are the means
used for support of the city's water
supply.
The question of bridges over the
river presses and a mistake was made
here. too. for tolls sufficient to oper
ate the bridges and keep them in re
pair ought to have been required
from the first. It is too lute now, no
doubt, to repair this error; and yet
it would be not at all surprising if the
pressure of circumstances should yet
make it necessary. There is a limit
beyond which property will not bear
direct taxation, and users of the
bridges as well as users of water
should pay for what they get.
But there must be bridges, and
the present policy cannot now be
Interrupted. The bridge at Madison
street must be rebuilt; and no one
denies the need of the proposed
bridge below the steel bridge. This
will be a very expensive structure;
and It will be a mistake to figure on
less than two millions for it. But,
greatiy needed as it is. many will de
liberate whether it should be under
taken now. Rebuilding of the Madi
son bridge is not likely to be a press
ing matter soon although the bonds
have been voted for it unless the
city and streetcar company can come
to an agreement upon the sum the
litter is to pay for use of it; for the
l-nds can't be sold while this dispute
remains unsettled. Buyers will shun
Ihem.
Is t'te city to undertake the con
struction and operation of an elec
tric light plant? This will call for a
bond Issue of not less than two mil
lions. Question is whether the charge
of this d-'bt and the necessary costs
of operation and maintenance will
give the city cheaper light than that
now oiTert d. It Is open to much
doabt. What cities are buying light
at a less rate man 5. a montn lor
ea.'h are lamp? What cities are sup
plying themselves with light at less
cost? This is a study in economics,
not an exercise in declamation. From
the well-known fact that any service
ronducteil by the public costs more
than when in private hands, there is
need rf great care and caution In this
business. Kvcry city should, indeed,
ptipply Itself with water: but it by no
means follows that it can as well or
us economically supply other wants.
All conditions of water supply are
different from those of other munici
pal utilities. Supply of light Is in the
class of stre.-t railways operated by
the public. If the City of Portland
should undertake any of thee things
tbeyond water supply) knowledge of
the mistake will be accompanied by
the regret that the schemes were
undertaken.
These remarks are not intended as
doleful croakings or as gloomy pre
dictions, but ts suggestive, monitory,
cautionary. A municipal debt of $16.
Ot'O.000. requiring Interest payment ot
three-quarters of a million a year,
cannot be thought of by k city
no larger than Portland without seri
ous apprehension: for cities as well
as Individuals, before running into
debt, should think of payday.
The building and successful launch
ing of the rine steel steamer H. B.
Kennedy, which took the water in this
city Saturday, was an event of more
than ordinary importance, not only
for the builders, but for Portland.
The contract for the building of t.his
steamer was secured by the Willam
ette Iron Works, of this city, in com
petition with the builders of other cit
ies, some of them with more preten
tious plants, and the enterprise- of (Jia
local firm In capturing the. business is
commendable In the extreme. There
are very few industries In wnicn iauor
Is more largely represented in the fin
ished product than in the building of
metal steamers and their machinery.
As the greater part of this labor is
skilled and commands good wages,
the advantage to .the community is
obvious. Mr. Corbett has made an ex
cellent beginning with his new plant.
The Kennedy afloat will be a great ad
vertisement for Portland as well as
for the yard at which the craft was
built.
-OW ENFORCE THE LAW!
Neither surface nor o'erhead nor
underground lines of movement can
work too fast, in the interest of Jus
tice, when it comes to the duty of rail
roading scoundrels like Finch to the
gallows. Mob law. employed in some
parts of the country, will not do at all.
It onlv makes matters worse.
This wretch ought to be hanged by
due process of law within three
weeks, or less. It is criminal weak
ness to palter with such crimes. The
courts are in no way disposed to pal
ter with them. Juries should not:
say. rather. Juries must not.
i i ,An.thiA Thn defense of "In-
sanity," of "temporary aberration, of
"moral Irresponsibility, nas uru ic-.-mitted
by juries to exceed the limit.
It encourages homicidal maiignit .
fsmhn of the letral profession
also have a duty here. To press tech
nical defenses, on the ground of ln-
: nv rnnml -weakness. In such
rnui ij i ' '
cases, doe no honor to their profes
sion, but tend t Dring it. nuu
pute.
t. i mA -at tin rhA s-allows and
to hang murderers. There has been
too little of this downright way of
dealing with murderers. There is a
lot of these creatures who need the
gallows as an object-lesson. j
ECONOMIC WASTE OF WAR.
With all India in a state of grave
unrest, and unemployed men by thou
sands parading the streets of all Brit
ish cities, with the Oriental question
not entirely settled, and with Ger
manv making faces across the border,
the position of England Just at this
time is not hilariously enviable. Eng
land has some tirst-class enemies scat
tered throughout the world who
would not be drawn Into any clash
which now seems among the possibil
ities, but through hatred of the Brit
ish and British policies might rejoice
in the trouble which may ensue. But
if Great Britain's worst enemies would
make a brief study of the economic
risks attached to a European war or
to an Indian rebellion, there would
be much hesitancy about approving
the policy of the countries which
might invite trouble.
A stiff, old-fashioned war between
some of the European nations, of
course, would advance prices on
breadstuffs, bacon, beef and other ra
tions which America might have to
sell to the contestants, but in the end
this country would be the loser to a
greater extent than could be offset by
the Immediate profit. War destroys
wealth in a thousand forms, and the
economic system of the world Is af
fected by this destruction and by the
slow process of replenishing and re
building from that destruction. The
surface scars left by the Russia-Japan
conflict have been healed, but the
enormous waste of wealh has not
been fully replenished, and today the
effort of replenishing that waste is
felt throughout the world. For
months America has been selling cot
ton, corn, wheat and a vast amount
of other products to Europe, and the
natural supposition would be that our
friends across the Atlantic were in
debted to us to the extent of some
hundreds of millions.
But the rapid rise in sterling ex
change indicates quite clearly that not
only has Europe "settled up all of its
indebtedness, but that there is so
much of a balance against the United
States that gold exports are not im
probable. This situation, to a greater
extent than to any other cause. Is
traceable to the unsettled political sit
uation and to the demands for money
that Russia finds it necessary to make
in order to repair the war damage.
Paris has been piling up gold for the
$250,000,000 Russian loan, and Lon
don Is preparing to finance a similar
amount in connection with the Irish
land act.
These demands, present and pros
pective, have forced the foreigners to
indulge in extensive liquidation of
American securities. If we can keep
up our exports and hold down ex
change rates. England may accumu
late the funds needed for immediate
loans without the International finan
cial equilibrium's being disturbed. If,
however, there is any serious disturb
ance which calls for the rapid accu
mulation of the sinews of war, Ameri
can financiers might be called on to
absorb such large quantities of Amer
ican securities that a stringency would
be caused in this country. The philo
sophical remark tHat "War is hell" is,
to a degree, as thoroughly appreciated
by those who do not directly partici
pate as by those who handle the guns.
THE FRYING POLICE.
Honest, law-abiding citizens who
desire effective enforcement of the law
must expect to suffer some of the an
noyances and Inconveniences incident
to human frailty. Police officers can
not always recognize an honest man
or woman by appearances, and if mis
takes are made the victim should take
the matter philosophically, provided
the officer has not been unnecessarily
rude. It is safe to say that a police
roan who never makes a mistake
never does anything else, and it is Just
as safe to say that the people are
tired of that class of policemen who
never do anything.
We expect the police, somehow or
other, to put a stop to the carrying of
pistols. Just how they are to do this
uo one has pointed out. In the past
the only effort that has been made
along this line has been merely inci
dental. Whenever a man has been
arrested on another charge and the
original charge falls, he is prosecuted
for carying concealed weapons if any
thing of the kind is found in his pos
session. But this Is no serious or ef
fective method of enforcing the law
against carrying revolvers. The only
promising plan of compelling obedi
ence to this law would be to author
ize the police to search any person
suspected of carrying a concejjed
weapon. But if the police should at
tempt to carry out such a plan, they
would -tackle an honest, peaceaoie,
law-abiding citizen in about -0 per
pptii nf the esses. And then tnera
would be a howl of protest.
We expect the police to drive out
that class of dangerous characters
who prowl about the streets at night
looking for some opportunity to hold
up and rob. or planning to r9b a hDuse
or store. But we also havi the iJea
that the policeman, by some magic
J power, should be able to tell at a
glance whether a late pedestrian .is an
honorable citizen or a desperado. Al
least, if the policeman makes a mis
take and becomes inquisitive about
the name, residence, business and
other pertinent affaire of a- stranger,
the latter becomes at once highly in
dignant. For his error the policeman
must be discharged from the force.
The peace officers are expected to
drive out thct class of men and
women who maintain unlawful rela
tions In convenient rooming-houses,
but if the officer makes a mistake and
asks a respectable couple to give an
account of themselves there is imme
diately a cry of stupid, malicious or
tyrannical interference with private
affairs.
It must be admitted that the power
to search without warrant, to sub
ject to Inquisition without formal
charge having been made, and to pry
into private affairs. Is one easily
abused and readily made the means
of persecution and graft. The exist
ence of such power is particularly un
American. And yet it is difficult to
understand how we are to secure ef
fective protection from the lawless
without submitting to some annoy
ances and inconveniences sucn as
these mentioned.
roBmyivs foreign it-eet.
Misrepresentation of conditions on
the Columbia River, either by the
people of rival ports who seek to
lessen this city's prestige or by Port
land's own people who believe that an
exposure of its shortcomings may
hasten a remed', are alike objection
able and unfair. Considerable public
ity has recently been given a state
ment by a man who thirty years ago
was familiar with conditions then ex
isting on the Columbia River, but who
is apparently in ignorance of the pres
ent situation. In an attempt to belit
tle the commerce of Portland and the
Columbia River the man used the San
Francisco Commercial News statistics
on tonnage figures. By including the
mammoth Harrlman liners In San
Francisco and Mr. Hill's "white ele
phant," the Minnesota, on Puget
Sound, It was demonstrated that the
average tonnage of vessels plying to
and from San Francisco and Puget
Sound ports is greater than that of
the Portland foreign fleet.
These figures were used in an at
tempt to show that Portland is lag
ging in the commercial race, and that
the additional ten feet which Portland
had dredged In the channel to the sea
Is inconsequential. Other figures
from the same newspaper, equally au
thentic, make a radically different
showing. These latter figures Port-
landers might naturally expect would
be used in preference to those which
had so little bearing on actual com
merce. There are two great com
modities, in quantity exceeding all
other exports combined, shipped for
eign from Portland and Puget Sound.
These commodities are grain and lum
ber. From a tonnage standpoint all
other products exported from the Pa
cific Coast are. in comparison, insig
nificant. Let us see how "poor old
Portland" figures in this actual busi
ness transacted.
For the first four months of the
current season, beginning July 1,
Portland dispatched, exclusive of reg
ular liners, thirty grain ships of 61,-
857 tons, an average of 2061 tons net
register per ship. For the same
period the Puget Sound ports dis
patched fifteen grain ships of 30,054
tons, an average of 2004 tons net reg
ister per ship. These figures did not
include in either port the British
steamship Knight of the Thistle, 4286
tons, which loaded two-thirds of her
cargo at Portland and finished at Ta
coma. San Francisco's grain fleet,
exclusive of liners, for the same
period consisted of twenty vessels of
39.991. tons, an average of 1999 tons
net register per ship.
The lumber lleet for the same
period makes, an equally Interesting
showing. During the four months
Portland dispatched foreign with lum
ber twenty-three vessels of 40,106
tons, an average of 1743 tons net reg
ister. The lumber fleet from Puget
Sound for the same period, including
Tacoma, Seattle, Everett. Bellingham.
Port Gamble, Port Ludlow and all
other Puget Sound ports, and also the
Canadian ports of Chemainus, Van
couver and Hastings, consisted of
thirty-nine vessels of 47,757 tons, an
average of 1224 tons net register, or
more than 500 tons net register
smaller than the Portland vessels.
From these figures, which are offi
cial, it is evident that the large sums
of money expended by the Port of
Portland in deepening a channel to
the sea have brought results. Ten
years hence the average size of the
vessels out of all Pacific ports will be
greater than it is today, and with a
continuation of present efforts Port
land will still be able to make a satis
factory showing.
While the big liners plying out of
Puget Sound and San Francisco do
not carry as much freight tonnage
originating on the Coast as is carried
by the Portland liners, they would be
welcome additions to the Portland
fleet. With sufficient appropriations
for a forty-foot channel on the bar
and a thirty-foot channel in the river
to Portland, they would all come to
Portland docks, and every railroad in
the Northwest would hasten to meet
them. Oregon can reduce railroad
freight rates by the method success
fully followed by Washington, which
finds maximum rate laws more eco
nomical than unprofitable steamboat
lines. But it cannot use this method
in deepening the channel to the sea.
Pending the time when the people will
realize the necessity for centering all
efforts on that portion of the river
most in need of work, there Is nothing
to be gained by circulating mislead
ing statistics.
THE BOY WITH A FIRE IXST. .
The story of the' youthful Incendi
ary and his w-orks, that comes to us
from Baker City, is scarcely believ
able, yet it is painfully true. Here we
have a boy of fifteen who, like many
other boys of that restless, inconsider
ate. Irresponsible age, gave his teach
ers much trouble in school. Neces
sarily, he had to be reproved and
punished. There is no record that
either reproof or punishment was se
vere. The probability, indeed. Is that
the discipline was not as severe as
the offenses deserved. However this
may be. this unconquered young mischief-breeder
was Incensed at the
teacher, determined "to get even with
her." and so in the spirit of true an
archistic unreason, set fire to and
burned to the ground the little school
house 1n which she taught.
She was transferred to another
building, and this, too, he burned. By
this time he had developed a sort of
mania for burning buildings a fire
lust and before he was apprehended
the costK- new high-school building,
juet completed and furnished, and the.
Standard Oil Company's tanks in
Baker City were burned by this pre
cocious fire-bug.
Here, indeed. Is a case the disposal
of which will tax the best Judicial
judgment of the state. Had he been
a grown man and been caught in set
ting any one of these costly fires it
would have fared 111 with him, so
thoroughly were the citizens of Baker
City aro"used to the enormity of the
flagrant and frequently repeated
crime of arson in their town. It may
be doubted, indeed, whether the boy
would have been spared had he been
caught setting fire to the fine new
high-school building. But he was not
caught in the act and when calmly
reviewing the spectacular conflagra
tion, caused by the burning of the oil
tanks? his little sister by his side
on the porch of his own home, he
stoutly declared his Innocence.
But the net had been woven around
him and he finally confessed to hav
ing started six fires within the past
five months, involving a loss In ag
gregate of $100,000. Here, we say, is a
moral pervert a boy who developed
a fire lust, which he did not hesitate
to gratify In the simple pleasure that
the indulgence afforded. What shall
be done with him? Send him to the
State Reform School, where he will
boast his success as an Incendiary and
perhaps excite envy and emulation
among his associates? Or to the peni
tentiary, iwhere his association with
hardened criminals will defeat what
ever possibility, yet remains of making
a man of him? He will certainly have
to be restrained of his liberty and sub
jected to stern discipline. The case
la a sorrowful as well as a perplexing
one, involving as It does the ruin of
a life yet in Its morning, a disgraced
home and name, and a yet deeper
shadow of yearning and wretchedness
upon the hearts of those who love
him. Had he been made from early
childhood properly amenable to law,
the law of home and school set up for
the welfare and protection of the
many, he would not now, in all prob
ability, have been face to face with
severe penalty for violating the law
of the state and the rights of the
community. When it becomes neces
sary to inflict punishment upon an
openly and stubbornly rebellious boy
It should be severe enough to make
him hesitate long before he repeats
the offense that called It out. Prob
ably the only criticism that can.be
Justly lodged against the school
teacher of the Baker City lad for the
punishment that aroused in this boy
the spirit of blind retaliation is that
the punishment was too mild.
Here are the appropriations for the
City of Nashville for the ensuing year.
The population of the city is some
what less than that of Portland. Ow
ing t different conditions, the com
parison as to items of expense in the
two cities cannot be accurate; yet it
will interest many here to see the
Nashville budget, to wit:
Department
Street $ S0.4OO.no
Health lit. ooii. no
Waterworks :!,046..
Police 1 1H.21 s.im
fire J-i7.7MS.ili
sprinkling o. Ki.no
Workhouse 7.1S0.O0
Hospital 27.4nii.OO
l.lht 4!1..V0.00
Scavenger 8U.7liO.00
Markethouse a.wm.OO
Public property O.non.no
Sewer 7.000.00
Adv rtistna-. printing and sta
tionery . , 3.000.00
Inteient cn bonds "IM.KS.Itoo
Mlscellantous 3.SOO.O0
Salary 4fi.700.no
l.RW S.O0O.0O
c'arnecle library 1O.n00.0O
binking fund J40.OO0.OO
Abuttinff property ftr.Oi0.00
Street signs l.ono.oo
School 2o0.lf35.00
Total $1,000,608.23
Deposits in the New York banks
and in the trust companies and other
institutions not associated with the
clearing-house banks, for the week
ending Saturday reached the enor
mous total of $2,530,216,000. The
surplus reserve of the clearing-house
banks, while showing a decrease for
the week, was still in excess of $28.
000,000, with more than $384,000,000
cash on hand. On a corresponding
week last year there was a deficit of
$52,989,425 in the surplus reserve ac
count, and the amount of cash on
hand had dwindled to $217,831,400.
These figures have a healthy appear
ance, and the fact that not even the
record-breaking stock speculation and
investment buying has served to get
the surplus reserve down to below the
25 per cent limit is evidence that the
New York financiers are keeping a
stiff rein on the borrowers until after
the hysterical wave of speculation
which followed Mr. Taft's election has
spent its force.
Some of the prohibition hopgrowers
who assisted in voting their respective
districts In the Willamette Valley into
the "dry" column will be interested In
the hop testimony given before the
ways and means committee at Wash
ington. This testimony showed that
very few hops were used in making
beer, only five-eighths, of a pound be
ing necessary for a barrel of the
"suds." This comparatively small
contribution of the Oregon hopgrower
to the alleged cause of Intemperance
will, of course, absolve him from the
blame which might attach if foreign
hops were barred and he was obliged
to supply all that were needed fgr
beer.
Paving companies In Portland have
fought each other by jobs and politics,
but not by price-cutting. Now if the
brick and the Belgian block compa
nies, in their war, will declare off the
price truce, the public will pray that
places be reserved for them in heaven.
The Houston Post "regrets exceed
ingly to learn that Tom Johnson's pn"
vate business has gone so heavily
Democratic." Another victim, says
the Nashville American, of fantastic
theories, vagaries and impracticabili
ties. To escape the consequences of the
statute that "instructs," those who
enacted it now admit that it has no
validity. It was only a part of the
bunco game.
Dr. Clarence True Wilson is mar
ried at last, and now all those girls
will have to look elsewhere.
The farmer whose land Is bordered
by a rock-surfaced highway does not
care how hard it rains.
In the Multnomah County Jail
there are thirteen murderers. It Is
the fault of jurie.
Tag day in Chicago netted a little
over $20,000. Not a great sum for
a big city.
I It will take rain to make some per-
J sons appreciate, the fine, weather.
TESTEXQ DIRECT PRIMARIES.
Illustrations Drawa From ke Eiser
lcBce and Example of Or-earon.
New York Sun.
New Yorkers are or should be much
interested In the way in which, the di
rect primary law Is working in Oregon.
There Is In this state a movement on
foot both for the enactment of a direct
nominations law and as Its sequel stat
utory provision for practically effecting
the popular election of United States
Senators" through the medium ot the
direct primary. Oregon has made a
trial of both this year under circum
stances and wiOi results which have not
appeared so flagrantly elsewhere. In
other states which have the direct pri
mary and make popular choice of United
States Senators through the primary
things have gone more smoothly. There
have been in many of them hints of
defects in the system not wholly com
patible with the necessity of party gov
ernment, but Oregon is the first state
in which they have come out fully de
veloped. Of Oregon it may be said
that it is furnishing a demonstration
of the disadvantages and drawbacks of
the direct primary which may at any
time produce trouble, if not disaster,
wherever It is put Into operation.
Oregon held an election last June, at
which a Republican Legislature was
elected and a Republican delegation
returned to Congress. On joint ballot a
majority of the Legislature, by a
margin of six, was elected on a pledge
to "vote for the candidate for United
States Senator who has received the
highest number of the people's votes
for the position at the general election
next preceding the election ot a Sen
ator without regard to any Individual
preferences." ' At the same time that
this Legislature, with the majority so
pledged, was elected a primary was
held to nominate a candidate for
United States Senator, and. as it turned
out. the man who had "the highest
number of the peoples votes" was the
Governor of the state, George E. Cham
berlain, a Democrat, who had been
previously named In his party primary
for the Senatorial candidacy.
Immediately upon the count of the
returns, which showed that Chamber
lain had a plurality of about 1500 votes,
the Republican organization of the
state be.ran to bestir Itself to encom
pass Chamberlain's defeat In the Legis
lature. The cry was made all over
Oregon that In the party primaries
before the June election Democrats,
who were assured of Chamberlains
nomination in their own primary,
i,-v.ii the ReDubllcan primary and
brought about the nomination of a very
weak man to oppose Chamberlain. As
there Is no doubt that the direct pri
mary permits such a political maneuver
as this the charge which has been made
in Oregon, and has been made in other
states for that matter, must itself be
accepted as an evidence of one defect
of the direct primary without regard
to tho quescion of proof. In the nature
of the case the charge would be hard
to prove, but the self-evident possibll
i.. r He fntth 1r pnouerh. without
proof, to weaken confidence In the
direct primary. Party government can
hardlv survive under such conditions,
anil it is doubtful if Americans are
ready to accept the doctrinaire notion
that our Government can be carried on
without parties.
The Oregon test of the direct pri
mary, so unhappily begun, is now
reaching its logical consequence in the
organized efforts which are being made
to have the Legislature fail to elect
Chamberlain, if not to elect a Repub
lican, in spite of the pledge of the ma
jority. At this distance such an out
come would appear to be impossible,
even in the harebrained State of Ore
gon. Nevertheless the very openness
of the attempt to defeat Chamberlain
betrays a far from settled public
opinion In Oregon as to the merits of
the direct primary and the process of
electing United States Senators by
popular vote. Chamberlain's plurality
was meager compared with the plural
ity of 25,000 which the state gave Taft
this month, and this comparison is
being extensively used as arguing that
the majority of Oregon voters do not
want a Democrat sent to the Senate.
Obviously the argument should not in
morals or reason affect the validity of
Governor Chamberlain's status before
the Legislature as the candidate which
it must elect to the Senate. What it
does do. tnough. is to show another
weakness of the direct primary as ap
plied to the choice ot Senators.
After all there is no virtue in direct
nominations as such which make then
necessarily superior to indirect nomi
nations. In fact, to the man who is
thoroughly convinced of the worth of
representative institutions, as such a
tremendous Democrat as Jefferson was
convinced, the direct primary must
look something like a dangerous de
parture. MOl-ND BUIIDEBS' RELICS.
Tomb With Sixteen skeletons Unearthed
In Enat St. Louis.
EAST ST. LOUIS. 111., Nov. 24. Hu
man bones believed to have been those
of 16 Mound Builders were found at
Second and St. Clair avenues. East St.
Louis, today by workmen who were
digging an excavation for a hay ware
nouse. Despite efforts to keep the
bones together most of them were car
ried away by persons living near by.
One Skeleton, supposed to be that of a
chief, was standing up In a stone tomb
eight feet high. The skeleton was that
of a man apparently seven feet tall. An
effort was made to remove the skeleton
intact, but it fell to pieces. In the
bottom of the tomb were five pottery
bowls, two flint arrowheads and a
stone hatchet.
Burled under seven feet of earth, near
the base of the tomb, were found the
skeletons of " 16 men, all above the
normal height. They were seated In a
circle. As the ground was cleared away
these skeletons also fell apart.
Can Kill but Not Wound Doe.
Baltimore News.
Cooper Horner, living near Camden,
N. J., w-as fined $20 for wounding a dog
that had killed his chickens. The Court
said If he had killed the dog he could
not have' been punished.
JUST A FEW SQUIBS.
"Wb are women who figure in the press
Items invariably beautiful;- "To offset the
newspaper cuts, I imagine." Puck.
Pe Pnatl I guess I'll have to say good
night Miss Weary If it will help you along
any I'll consider It said. Cleveland Plain
Dealer. There are now 250.000 words In the
English language, but that Isn't any reason
why a Presidential message should contain
them all. Ohio State Journal.
"Not a cent. Get along with you. or I'll
call the police." "Gee!" ejaculated the
mendicant, --dat must be one o' dem vicious
rich. I've read about 'em." Philadelphia
Public Ledger.
"The women's hats are as big as houses
now." "Well, maybe they won't have to
have an entire new structure every year.
Mavbe theyoi be satisfied just to add a
wing." Louisville Courier-Journal.
"Bronson Is one of tha most humble men
I ever saw." "Yes, arrogance seems to be
wholly foreign to bis make-up." "I wonder
whv It is that be always has such a servile
manfier?" "I think It Is because he Is
neither rich enough to get into a trust nor
jwor naouga to belong 4.0-jv 4inJon.'(t judge.
Packer Hake the Moot Meaey On
of it-
Chicago Tribune.
The last schedule of the tariff, which
will be reached by the committee on ways
and means about the end of the month,
is the one which contains the 15 per cent
duty on hides. It will be interesting to
watch the men who appear before the
committee to object to the repeal of the
duty. They will not be the manufac
turers of shoes. They have been against
the duty ever since it was Imposed, 11
years ago. They will not be the farmers
and cattleralsers, for whose alleged bene
fit It was put In the Dlngley tariff law.
The sole beneficiaries have been the pack
ers, and if tho duty were to be retained
it would be to oblige them.
The United States is a considerable ex
porter of leather and shoes. A tax on
imported hides is, in spite of the draw
back provisions, a tax on both those Im
portant industries. The United States
does not produce enough hides to meet
the demand. There are some, particular
ly those best suited for making sole-leather,
which have to be imported. The
leather and shoe industries of this coun
try were built up on a basis of free hides
and have suffered during the last ten
years from lack of It.
The Treasury gets something over
$2,000,000 a year out of hides. The pack
ers may make more than that. Tho men
who raise the cattle get nothing. As far
as they are concerned there is nothing
protective about the duty, although at
tempts have been made to persuade them
that there Is. The Government ought to
be willing to surrender a comparatively
small revenue to gtve free raw materials
to two great Industries and enable the
shoe manufacturers to sell their goods
more cheaply at home and abroad.
Cheaper footwear Is more of an object
than the perpetuation of the unjust profits
of packers.
JUST HOW THE MATTER STANDS
Fur ThU Is a Perfectly Fair and Exact
Statement About It.
Pendleton Tribune.
There are at least two dozen Re
publicans In the next Legislature who
will "choose" a United States Senator
to whom they are opposed and whom
they believe will misrepresent the peo
ple of Oregon, and to whose support
they have promised to come for the
admitted reason that withholding that
promise to vote against their own con
victions would not be popular might
result in their defeat.
In other words, every Statement No.
1 Republican In the next legislature
promised to renounce his party affilia
tions on the only political question that
can possibly come before that body, and
vote with the Democrats on the only
political question demanding their at
tention. In order to make tneir election
more certain.
Not one of them but who will frank
ly sav he would prefer to vote for a
Republican United States Senator, but
they have renounced their party allegi
ance for a seat in the Legislature
where, so far as anything aside from
the election of a Senator is concerned,
they had all as well be Democrats.
At the only stage In the proceedings
next Winter when the 25.000 Republic
an majority in Oregon cares a whoop
whether it is represented politically or
not, about two dozen Republican mem
bers will support Bryan policies along
side of Milt Miller and Turner Oliver!
And there are those Republicans so
obtuse as to be unable to see the dif
ference between a situation such as
this and a Democratic Legislature out
right. The Tribune belongs to this
class.
The Help of Brother Charles.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican.
T3.ni.P rha.iAG1 siiooon for tho ex
penses of Mr. Taft's campaign does
not lnciuae ms exiieiiunuie m i
llminary canvass whose object was to
secure the Republican nomination. Mr.
Hitchcock's expenses prior to the Chi
cago convention were believed to be
very large, so that the total sum in
vested by the Cincinnati millionaire
must have been considerably In excess
of $200,000. No one will criticise such
a display of fraternal affection and re
gard. What one of us, worth millions,
would hesitate a moment to pay the
legitimate campaign expenses of a
worthy and able brother, who was
without a fortune, on his way to so
exalted an office as the Presidency?
Mere family pride, if nothing else,
would move one to untie the purse
strings. Yet a sensitive man would be
content with such reward as the con
sciousness of having been useful and
generous would afford him. He would
not make political capital out of his
fraternal service as financial promoter
and promptly seek a place in the Unit
ed States Senate. There will be general
hesitation, consequently. In accepting
current rumors that Charles P. Taft
will now be Senator Foraker's succes
sor. "How Times Have Changed. "
Paris (Ky.) Appeal.
When we were young, people had
colds, soaked their feet in hot water
and got well. Now they have grip,
take quinine and feel sick all Summer.
Then they had sore throat, wrapped a
piece of fat pork in an old sock, tied it
around the neck at night and went to
work the next morning. Now they
have tonsilitis, a surgical operation and
two weeks in the house. Then they
had stomach ache and took castor oil
and recovered. Now they have appen
dicitis, a week in the hospital and six
feet due east and west and four feet
perpendicular. Then they worked, they
labor now. In Uiose days they wore
underclothes, new they wear lingerie.
Then they went to a restaurant, now
they go to a cafe. Then they broke a
leg. now they fracture a limb. People
went crazy then, they have brain
storms now. Politicians paid good
hard cash for support, now they send
Government garden seeds.
Our Merry Andrew.
Brooklyn Eagle.
When the devil was sick, the devil a
monk would be. When Mr. Carnegie was
vounger and poorer, a high protectionist
he would be and was. Now he is older
and richer, a free-trader he would be.
Age and prosperity have had a better
effect on him than illness on the adver
sary of all souls.
THE LOST ONE
New York
OTHER of many children I
M
And some-have been borne in
pain.
But one has gone singing from out my door
"Never to come again.
Content and Ease and Comfort they abide with me day by day:
They smooth my couch and place my chair as dutiful children ma;,
And Success and Power, my strong-Hmbed sons.
Stand ever to clear my way.
And these be the prudent children, the careful children and wise.
There was one and only one with a reckless dream in his ejes.
He who was one with the wind o" the dawn.
And kin to the wood and the skies.
Faithful and fond are my children and they tend me well, In sooth;
Success and Content and Power, good proof is mine of their truth.
But the name of him that I lost was Joy,
Yea, my first-born Joy of Youth.
Well do my children guard me. jealous of this their right;
Carefully, soberly, ever by daylight and candlelight.
But oh. for my prodigal Joy of Youth
SomewJiero-out in- the night- TbdoslJk-fiarriflon. ,
The Bravest Industry In Which Dar
ing; Men Ever Enixasred.'
New Bedford (Mass.) Mercury.
There are some facts in connection with
the announcement that the Arctic whaling
fleet will not sail out of Sun Francisco
this Spring which have not been told.
The reason given, that the catch of tha
Dundee fleet has glutted the market with
bone, may be put aside, for the truth
Is the Dundee fleet had an unsuccessful
season, and the bone is not of a quality
that competes with that taken from the
mammoth bonheads which arc the prizes
of the Arctic fleet. It is true, however,
there is an ample stock of Arctic bone on
hand, and inasmuch as there is no prorit
worth while at a price under V a pound,
and an increased supply would tend to
depress the price, the whaling agents
have no Incentive to fit the ships.
The hazard of life and fortune in Arc
tic whaling is out of all proportion to the
wealth it has brought. The fact that tha
great fleet of 00 or more whalers that
once resorted to the Arctic has been
reduced to six or eight, the others having
been ground in the it-niorsele.ss ire floes.
Is impressive. The fit t le. remnant that has
escaped the clutch of the ice daunts at
last the mm who have hitherto looked
upon the hair-breadth escapes and dis
astrous chances as but a part of the day's
work.
Nevertheless, It is probable the ship
would have kept on "throtigh fog to fog,
by luck and log, sailing as Bering sailed."
trusting to him who "clears the grounding
berg and steers the grinding floe." until
the ice had claimed the last snip, had It
not been for the attitude of the United
States Government. As it is, there is very
small chance that any of the fleet of
steam whalers will ever again sail to the
north. Until within a few years it was
truly said: "There's never a law pr God
or man runs north of Fifty-three."
This Is no longer tne case. The revenue
cutter service dispenses law Jn the Arctic
now, and the agents say It is capricious
and arbitrary authority which adds the
last risk and establishes a prohibition
upon the whaling industry there. When
the revenue cutter oflieer overhauled
steamer William Baylies a couple of sea
sons ago and placed Captain Bodflsll
under arrest, ordering him to report at
Nome. October 1. the voyage of the ship
was broken, and the owners and men
lost thousands of dollars, ns It was neces
sary for the ship to leave in the height of
the w iinllng season. From the nature of
the Arctic whaling business It often hap
pens that the crews comprise desperate
and dangerous men. There Is bound to
be continual trouble, and if the revenue
officers can take the Captains out of
their ships upon complaints of r.ich men
and thereby break voyages, the chance is
one no investor will take. The agents do
not expect the masters of their .vessels
shall escape the consequences of misbe
havior, but if they are accused they say
there can be no harm In waiting for the
return of the vessels before making an
arrest. Captain Bodfish, it may be aUdd.
was acquitted of the charges brought
agaibst him.
The whaling nuents say the shore
traders conspire against them, and have
used the missionaries, who are themselves
traders in many cases, to make represen
tations to President Roosevelt, as a re
sult of which the revenue service has been
unduly exacting. Many of the whalers
have engaged in tr-.ding. and have In
censed the shore traders by getting, in
some cases, a m rnopoly of the huslmss.
The methods of tho whalers hav not
been different from thore cf the shore
traders, but a ship can be held to an ac
counting where a detached trader can
not. In some ships trading is forbidden,
the owner taking the ground that tho
time wasted with the natives can be more
profitably employed in whaling; but some
of the men of the ship may carry on a
private enterprise and the owners suffer
vicarious punishment in greater degree
than the actual offendars.
At best, the whaling ventures in the
Arctic are not as profitable as Is generally
assumed. It costs about $20,000 to fit a
vessel for a voyage. - Assuming the ship
escapes the countless perils and takes
three whales, which Is a fair average
-atch or better, this means a revenue of
$30 000 It requires $10,000 to settle the
voyage, and if the Vessel is to be sent
to sea again the $20,000 is required for re
fitting. The whales have been retreating
to the north and east, and it is only un
der the most favorable circumstances a
vessel can chase them to their last stand
and get out before the pack closes In
upon them.
These circumstances. In connection wit 11
the alleged oppression of the Government,
has led the owners to take their profits
and retire from the enterprise. The ves
sels will lay up in the San Francisco
docks, and It is doubtful If they ever
again "hear the floe-pack clear and the
bfast of the old bull whale." It may be
the whalemen may fit out sailing vessels
and make occasional voyages to the
Arctic, but it is safe to predict that the
doom of the steam whaler is sealed.
No steam whalers have been built in
many years, and it Is now admitted they
were a. mistake. They frightened the
whales from the grounds they had fre
auented, and there were other circum
stances that were a drawback The mas
ters of steam vessels aro required to take
out a license, and some of the best whale
men could not meet the requirements, bo
IT happened that the boat-header" sys
tem was introduced. Men of the mer
chant service were placed In command of
the steam whalers In some Instances and
expert whalemen were shipped as boat
headers at a lay above that allowed the
master! of the vessels. The boatheader
was In command of the boats when they
X ed for whales, and at other times
he was an anomalous figure aboard ship
The disasters of turn and W79 destroyed
the vessels by wholesale, the Shenandoah
preyed upon them, and the Ice pack
pTeked them off one by one. To the ev-er-nresent
foes of nature the United States
Government contributed Its menace to
the investment, and so ends another In
cident of the bravest Industry in which
daring men ever engaged.
Bryan Devotee Leaves IHs State.
Washington (D. C.) Dispatch.
Because he had bet that Bryan would
carry the Nation. J. W. Walker, presi
dent of the Denver Musical Protective
Association of Denver, has packed his
household goods, and. with his fam
ily will leave the state at once, to re
main away fdur years. In accordance
with the terms of the bet.
She Drives 900 Mile" to Save Money.
Baltimore News.
In order to save money. Mrs. Mary
Canfield drove alone from Owatonna,
Minn., to Akron, Ohio 900 miles.
Evening MaiL
sprung of my heart and my bram
gladness ana some navC u