Morning Oregonian., December 15, 1908, Page 10, Image 10

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I'tKTUM), TYEMAY. DEC. 15. 1908.
TWO VIEWS Or ItVOrU-E COIKT.
From two pulpits, separated by the
continent, sermons on divorce were
nrucheJ lost Sunday. ' The views of
n.kfrs noon this topic were
wider opart than were the pulpits, be
tno i h i vT !v onnosite or as far as
from polo to pole. One of the speak
era Is a Jewish rabbi of distinction as
a scholar, an orator and a philan
thropist. Dr. Joseph Krauskopf, of
Temple Kenesetii. Philadelphia. He
declared that the divorce courts of
the United States are uplifting rather
than degrading to the Nation, and that
the old world would lose much of Its
moral rottenness if its laws on the
severance of marriage bonds were
more liberal. In support of this start
line proposition Rabbi Krauskopf
said:
When I analyze the causes of unhappy
nmrrlaces. when I rte by whom, for th
rM.t iiart. the divorces are sought, to
w hom they are granted, nnd for what cause.
1 And that two-thirds of the divorces are
rontr 1 to wronged women, that wives una
It more and more Insufferable to eontlnu
voked to husbands who have violated th
sanctity of womanhood and who have pol
luted the purity of the marital tie.
The preacher taking tho opposite
view. Ir. M. A. Matthews, In a ser
mon delivered at the same time from
the pulpit of the First Presbyterian
I'hureh. Seattle, said: e have a con
tinued state of polygamy and it is up
held by law. It is promoted by our
iivorce courts." Dr. Matthews did
not support tl is assertion by argu
ment, but added:
or the saloon and the divorce court, the
divorce court is far the worse. It Is
most dlscracefullv stained Institution. It
does more to undermine the home and to
lankrujt soWety than every saloon In the
I. niled States.
Each of these positions is extreme.
The truth, as far as it can be estab
lished, lies between the two. It Is a
crime against the person which ex
tends to the state through myriads of
miserably born, wretchedly brought
up. or wholly deserted children who,
"born in bitterness and nurtured in
convulsion' 1 ecome a tax upon so
ciety for pure and honorable women
to maintain the relation of wives to
husbands "who have violated the sanc
tity of womanhood and polluted the
purity of the marital tie." No woman
should be required either by priestly
lieiree. legal en.-.ctment or the force
of public opinion to live in the closest
of all relations with" a man who is
besotted with drink, debased in
morals and for whom, because of
th"se conditions, she feels and can but
ft el, a senso of utter loathing. This
statement Is Incontrovertible The at
tempt to controvert it reflects sadly
upon the moral sense of the man who
.-ays the task, and writes him down
a. 4 one who has studied the higher
problems of life with 'so little profit
us to make him unlit to deal from the
pulpit with this most complex and
human of all problems.
"Of the saloon and the divorce
court." according to the Seattle
preacher, the .latter is "by far the
worse." Has he then lived to so little
purpose as not to know that the man
who squanders his earnings in the
s tioon to his own moral and physical
debasement is the most disgusting of
all men. the most Impossible of hus-
b. inds. the most unworthy of fathers?
The saloon, and what It stands for In
moral degradation, domestic Irrespon
sibility and misery and wastefulness of
resources is the basis of three-fourths
of the divorces for which application
is made by wives.
Wisdom lies in the avoidance of ex
tremes, but of tho two extremes pre
sented by thtse si rmons the position
taken by the Jewish rabbi is purer,
more humane, and in closer accord
with the facts of private life and pub
lic observation and experience than
that of the Presbyterian preacher. The
one may be too bold in his statement
of facts and too radical in his sug
gestion of remedy for the evils he
depicts, but the other recklessly trans
poses cause and effect and writes him
eelf down a superficial observer or a
deliberate perverter of facts known to
all Intelligent men and women, when
he declares in effect that divorce does
more to undermine the home and
bimkrupt society than does drunken
liess. 1UIX LINE TO SAN FRANCISCO.
Tiiat the Hill interests would sooner
or later be obliged to establish steam
ship connections between San Fran
cisco and Portland was a foregone
conclusion. While making no definite
announcement. President Hill, of the
Great Northern, Is quoted In San Fran
cisco as stating that, "if conditions
warrant, we will plate two vessels on
the run between Sn Francisco and
Portland. The vessels are 4 00 feet
long, and as line as any in the Coast
trade." With the proviso "if con
ditions warrant." and that Mr. Hill is
speaking authoritatively, there is no
doubt whatever about establishment
of .the line, for conditions certainly
warrant such a project. Not only are
the two steamers of the Harrlman line
txed to their capacity, but there are
half a dozen old freighters and steam
t.hooners in tho trade, and all of them
are handling a large passenger traf
fic in addition to the freight business,
which for the greater part of the time
Is far ia excess of the tonnago avail
able. California Is rapidly increasing her
consumption of Oregon grain, flour
and lumber. The latter business will
of course continue to be handled by
the steam schooners, but the grain
and flour traffic will always be handlod
"iy the railroads under a through rate.
If the Hill Interests are not provided
vlth a. steamship line of their own,
they will . experience difficulty In se
curing their share of the grain traffic
that goes to California from Oregon
and "Washington. In 1907 this grain
traffic reached a total of nearly, 200,
000 tons, and this year may exceed
that figure, with the certainty of a
steady increase each year as the grain
acreage Is reduced In California. It Is
thus dear that grain cargoes form an
excellent "base" for cargoes through
out the year. and. with first-class
passenger ships of the size mentioned
by Mr. Hill, there would be no diffi
culty In securing a big passenger traf
fic which would be practically all clear
profit. The freight would pay the
running expenses of the ships.
Two fast steamships with high-class
accommodations would also enable the
Hill lines to divert at least a portion
of the interior passenger travel from
Its present route by way of the South
ern Pacific to the ocean route from
Portland. Without such connections
at Portland, the Hill lines would be
obliged to turn this passenger traffic
over at Portland to the Harrlman
lines. It is of course true that not all
of the passenger travel could be di
verted to the steamer route, but, 'with
I good boats making fast time, a large
percentage of It would take advantage
of the change from rail to steamer.
This would be exceptionally true In
the Summer time, when the ocean trip
between San Francisco and Portland
Is exceedingly pleasant.
WHY WASN'T HAY MOKE CVREFTLT
M. E. Hay Is Lieutenant-Governor-
elevt of the State of Washington.
Naturally, he desires to be Governor
In case of the continued disability of
Governor-elect Cosgrove. Having
such laudable aspirations and the nec
essary qualifications to say . nothing
about the little matter of a majority
of about 50,000 over his nearest oppo
nent In the last election Mr. Hay
ought to have been more careful than
he was when he filed the Itemized ac
count of his campaign expenses. When
that amazing document was printed,
the whole world was" shocked to dis
cover that Mr. Hay had paid certain
sums of money to various newspapers
throughout the state for printing ad
vertisements and other interesting ma
terial in support of his candidacy.
Terrible; terrible: -Mr. Hay. who
ought to have known better, thus vio
lated one sacred provision of tho
sacred Washington.- primary election
law which says that no candidate for
office shall pay any newspaper any
sum for any purpose at any time, or
words to that effect. We cannot won
der, therefore, that the horrified and
amazed people of the state, or a few
of them the few being the same few
who are anxious that Governor Mead
shall hold on to the Job to which ha
wasn't re-elected should get busy in
a laudable effort to bring about the
disqualification of Lieutenant-Gov
ernor Hay. Docsn t the law say that
no candidate for office shall do any
such outrageous thing as pay his hon
est bills to any newspaper? Doesn't
it also say that, if he pays he shall be
disqualified from holding any office
to which he shall have been elected?
Certainly It does. It makes no differ
ence that the same precious law ex
pressly authorizes newspapers to print
political advertisements, and infer-
entially to : : inv for them.
Perlirec . intended by the In
genious at Olympla that the
papers r... . the advertisements.
but the ... its could not pay for
them. That K indeed, what the law
seems to say and to provide. Hence
Lieutenant-Governor Hay's sad pre
dicament. He paid newspaper bills
openly, publicly and honestly Incurred.
Shame on him. Put him out.
A IalsON FROM eiPOKANK.
Spokane in spirit differs from Port
land; other Pacific Coast cities also
differ. For example, take last week's
apple show In the metropolis of East
ern Washington. Though advertised
as a National exhibition it was in fact
purely local, and a very good show it
was, too. Still a National show with
out Oregon apples Is not conceivable.
No general exhibit fronv which the
best products were excluded can be
called complete.
But Spokane supported the show. It
drew to the city comparatively few
strangers; yet the attendance for the
week was 102.762. the lowest day
marking 14,070 and the highest 20,070.
Admissions were paid. The contrast
between this multitude and the crowds
that visited the first exhibit of the
Portland Country Club need not bu
pointed out. It wasn't the apples alone
that impelled the whole town to go to
the show.
From the managerial point of view.
Portland may learn a lesson from the
success of Spokane's apple fair. Other
attractions, mainly spectacular, were
added. Every amusement caterer
knows that spectators like to h
thrilled"; hence balloon ascensions
and athletic feats Involving- real or
Imaginary danger. Spokane furnished
these; Portland can-t afford to ignore
them. However, you can't account for
the big gate money continuouslv for
a week, except on the ground of local
pride and public spirit. We suspect
that Portland Is thoroughly ashamed
of herself for the apathy last Septem
ber and Is ready to make amends at
next year's Pacific National. Livestock
Show.
VICES OROWrXO OCT OF IDLENESS.
The Hains murder trial Is on at
Flushing, Long Island. During Its
progress a detailed account is likely
to be given of the expedients for
amusement in which dissipated men.
wno draw large and easily-earned sal
aries, and flippant, foolish women.
whose chief object in life Is to help
to spend these salaries, are driven in
pursuit of this prime object of their
existence. The murder for which the
Hains brothers were Jointly indicted
was a most deliberate killing of a fel
low man. William Annis. the victim.
was shot by Captain Peter C. Hains in
the presence of his wife as he was
alighting from his boat at the Bayside
Tacht Club last August. His brother,
Thornton Jenkins Hains, now on trial,
is held to be equally guilty as acces
sory before the fact.
The brothers, one an officer in the
Army, stationed with his company at
Fort Hamilton; the other, a young
man about town, led lives of Indolence
mingled with sport The wife of Cap
tain Hains. though the mother of two
young children, is the alleged cause of
the shooting through immoral connec
tion with Annis. The brother is said
to have been the husband's informant
and to have aided and abetted him In
the execution of his vengeful crime.
That there Is abundant material in
this case for a story that will rival In
shocking and disgusting details the
disclosures of the Thaw trial lsmani
fest The defense of the murderer
will be Insanity of the "brain storm"
type, while his brother will plead the
Impossibility of aiding and abetting an
insane man in the execution of his
purpose. If Captain Hains is acquitted
It will be at the expense of proving his
wife and the mother of his children a
wanton who, by her relations with
insane
The whole story and its bloody se
quel, the sorrow and disgrace that It
has brought upon the aged parents of
the murderer and the shame with
whitih it has branded the young wife
Is a pitiful illustration of the vices
that growi out of Idleness and the
wrongs that are visited through them
upon the innocent. Herein lies the pity
of it all.
THE INDKPEX'DEXrS AXNUERSARY.
In the number for December 10,
The Independent makes holiday over
completing Its sixtieth year. Even In
America, the land of youth, this is not
an extremely old age for a paper. The
Baltimore American is older. The
Saturday Evening Post is twice as old.
Still It is something to have lived and
done good for sixty years. That The
Independent has been doing good ever
since it was born. In 184 8, nobody can
deny. It was founded to express the
anti-slavery feeling in the churches. It
has lived to see that feeling reach its
climax in a Civil War, and then to se,e
the war half forgotten by a generation
which has questions to solve more per
plexing than slavery and perhaps more
perilous.
On Its sixtieth birthday the good old
Independent parades with sturdy pride
the pictures of its old-time editors and
writers and the kind words of its
friends. There Is a world of memories
in those pictured faces, page after
page of them, Leonard Bacon's deter
mined countenance, the sensuous,
half-angelic features of Henry Ward
Beecher and his nemesis, Theodore
Tilton are among them. Elizabeth
Barrett Browning wrote for The Inde
pendent in the ancient yesterdays of
Its youth, so did Julia Ward Howe
when she was a girl, and so did grand
old Bishop Gilbert Haven, whose
Mental Philosophy was once the pride
and glory of the Methodist Church
Theodore Roosevelt sends his best
wishes as one of a goodly company,
which Includes Andrew Carnegie and
Booker Washington and W. H. Taft
and dozens of shining names. Here's
wishing The Independent another
sturdy and wholesome sixty years, and
when they come round may' all its
original old subscribers be still alive
and hearty.
ALASKA WHEAT AUA1X.
An effort seems to be under way to
do something new for the notorious
Alaska wheat. The reader will re
member that this wheat was adver
tised some months ago in a rather
discreditable way by certain persons
at Julletta, Idaho. They made the
Incredible statement that It originated
from a single stalk found growing all
by Itself in Alaska and that It would
produce 100 or more bushels to the
acre. Investigation showed that these
claims had no worthy basis. Now the
University of Idaho comes to the aid
of the promoters with an "analysis"
of the wonderful wheat, which seems
on its face to be as scientific as pos
sible but which Insinuates matter far
from scientific. For example, the re
port from the . University of Idaho
states that four heads of the Alaska
wheat taken at random from a box
I contained 508 kernels. This gives 127
Kernels to tne neaci, or more than
twice the yield of ordinary wheat. Of
course the box from which the heads
were taken must have been selected
for the purpose of the count; but the
report leads one to believe that all
was perfectly fair. The actual returns
from Alaska wheat have never yet ex
ceeded those from the usual varieties.
Again the report from the Univer
sity of Idaho lays great stress on the
milling and bread-making qualities of
Alaska wheat; and the promoters
quote the report with much pomp to
the effect that "the new wheat will
make flour and will stand the baking
test." .Now nobody ever dreamed of
disputing this. The thing In dispute
was whether or not the new wheat
would produce 100 bushels to the acre.
The report insidiously and Incorrectly
reiterates the claim that Alaska wheat
is enormously productive and covers
it with a great parade about its mill
ing qualities. Of course the promoters
make as much as they can out of the
report
There is not the slightest fault to
be found with the University of Idaho
for analyzing the Alaska wheat and
publishing the analysis. That Is part
of Its business, since it has an agricul
tural department; but there Is a great
deal of fault to be found with the gen
eral tone of the report and with part
of its contents. Agricultural colleges
are not established for the purpose of
deluding and swindling farmers -or
helping promoters to do so. A proper
report would have thrown the empha
sis upon the objections to the new
wheat, and thus have warned tho
farmers to be cautious about investing
in it. If it has great merits they will
come out in due time without the aid
of the college. Farmers are ready
enough to yield to the swindler's arts
without the help of a universltv
faculty. The relations between the
University of Idaho and the promoters
of Alaska wheat require explanation.
THE. FARMERS' PROSPERITY".
Much criticism, deserved and un
deserved, has been showered on Sec
retary of Agriculture Wilson during
his long career at the head of the
Department of Agriculture. The
millers and big wheat farmers of the
country never will forgive him for his
wide exploitation of the worthless
goose wheat and his department will
throughout his term of office retain
Its reputation as an asylum for the
faddist on agricultural topics. But,
for all that, when Secretary "Tama
Jim" takes his pen in hand for the
purpose of producing one of those
famous annual reports, the whole
country sits up and takes notice. The
report for 1908, a synopsis of which
appeared in yesterday's Oregonian, Is
In many respects the most interesting
that has yet appeared. It is needless
to mention that Its most interesting
feature lies in the enormous total
given as the value of the 1908 crop of
farm products In the United States.
The amount breaks all former records
by nearly $300,000,000 and Is placed
at $7,778,000,000.
This wonderful total comes so near
to being "numbers numberless" that
it Is difficult for the human mind to
grasp Us magnitude; but some Idea of
the importance of the industry can be
gained when it is stated that the value
of the farm crops for 1908 was suf
ficient to purchase at par value all of
the stock of every railroad in the
United States and still leave the farm
ers with enough money to build the
Panama Canal. For nearly sixty
years the railroads of the country
have been spending millions in con
struction work. They have stretched
rails from the Atlantic to the Pacific
and from the Great Lakes to the
Gulf. They have bored for miles
through mountains of rock, and tun
neled under rivers, have spent un
numbered millions In steel bridges and
Annls drove her husband
through Jealousy.
j terminals, and in the aggregate have
. a mileage that would extend nearly ten
times around the world.' More than
half a century has been necessary to
complete this staggering Industrial
structure, and it is owned by nearly
1,000,000 stockholders; and yet in a
single year the farmers of this country
have produced' new wealth , equal to
the entire capitalization of all the
railroads of the country. ,v
John D. Rockefeller and all of the
colossal aggregations of "capital with
which he controls the oil output of the
United States cut but an insignificant
figure In comparison with the wealth
of the farmers; for the value of all the
oil extracted from the earth, together
with the total output of gold, silver
and all other minerals last year, was
less than one-fourth the value of the
farm products. In a report so re
plete with interest, it is perhaps dif
ficult to select any special feature "as"
more valuable than another, but it Is
surprising to note that the value of
the poultry and eggs this year will ex
ceed that of the cotton crop or the
wheat crop, although the cotton crop"
Is the largest on record, and wheat has
been selling at abnormally high prices
throughout the year.
There is plenty of evidence of the
great prosperity that has followed a
big crop and big prices, and it is con
fined to no particular locality. In his
report, the Secretary states that "The
farmers .of the poor, mortgage-ridden
Kansas of former days have stuffed
the banks of that state full of money,
have organized banks of their own,
and have sent money to the East to
be Invested." In our own state an il
lustration of this, prosperity was re
cently, noted where the farmers who
had been called to testify as to the
necessity of reducing wheat rates on
the railroad, rode to the hearing in
$5000 and $6000 touring cars. With a
few more years like the one now clos
ing and Its immediate predecessors.
that old adage about the farmer feed
ing the world will be changed to read,
"The farmer owns the v.-orld."
The accident to the Gatun dam has
quite naturally drawn out some un
favorable criticism on the construc
tion plans of the Americans. , A Paris
cable announces that the French
critics, who disagree with the Amer
ican plans, are now predicting complete-failure
of the work. Figaro de
clares that the fatal mistake was made
when the lock system was adopted.
Criticism of this nature may be ex
pected to originate in France to a
greater extent than in any other coun
try, the reason being that France
could never feel any great amount of
pleasure 'over seeing another Nation
gq ahead and make a success of a
project with which the French made
such a total failure. France must not
forget, however, that the Panama
Canal under Its present management,
never has been and never will be the
subject for such graft scandals as
marked its progress or rather lack of
progress under French management.
This feature, backed by American
money, wit1 make a success in spite
of temporary troubles like the break
ing of the Gatun dam.
It is a dull day when the Chicago
wheat market fails to show a price
variation of 2 cents per bushel. Yester
day, In spite of unusually bullish sta
tistics, the movement was downward,
and the May option closed the session
at the bottom with a net loss of more
than a cent since t,he close of last
Saturday. The European markets,
with indifference that has been char
acteristic throughout the season,
closed unchanged since last week. As
the turn of the year is approaching
and there Is heavy chartering for new
crop" wheat from the Argentine, the
crisis In the market cannot be post
poned much longer. Either Europe
is all wrong in refusing to boost prices.
or Chicago is all wrong in forcing
them up to the present extravagant
heights. hichever party is in the
wrong will pay heavily for the mis
take, for the producing market and
the consuming market are at the pres
ent time entirely too far out of line.
The revolt in India has reached a
point where the British are finding it
necessary to arrest and deport the
editors of some of the native papers.
This is a more serious state of affairs
than has existed for many years, and
tends to confirm some of the mildly
alarming reports that have been com
ing out of that country for the past
year. From present appearances, It
would seem that England had more
need of a Kitchener in India than ever
before, and it may be too late for even
the "iron heel" to stamp" out the re
bellion. There is a wide difference in
methods between shooting men from
the mouth of a cannon and ordering
them deported. If the old method
which was so successful in subjugating
India was proper, the new one will
hardly serve the purpose.
The little brown men are to be kept
at home. The Japanese government,
realizing the trouble that is likely to
accrue by reason of unlimited or even
restricted emigration to the United
States, has taken the initiative in the
matter, and the subjects, of the- Mi
kado will henceforth be kept at home.
This is in accordance with the prov
erb, that applies alike to all men and
nations, viz.: "The prudent man fore
seeth the evil and hideth himself, but
the simple pass on and are punished."
The Young Women's Christian As
sociation, of Portland, takes posses
sion of its commodious new building,
exceedingly well equipped for its work.
As an organization it is of immense
advantage to the class to whose Inter
ests it is devoted, and is well worthy
of the effort and cost of Its mainte
nance. Those California cracker-makers
will find it Just a little difficult to run
the entire cracker business without
taking into account the capabilities
and resources of one Herman Witten
berg, of Portland, who knows a thing
or two about the business himself and
governs himself accordingly.
Mr. Bryan refuses to say whether
he Is a candidate for Senator from
Nebraska. "No one can say what
might happen," he remarks. All we
know Is what has happened with
Bryai. as a candidate.
The mistake Lieutenant-Governor
Hay made over in Washington, was in
paying those newspaper bills. Why
didn't he lie about it, and say he didn't
pay? Then the law couldn't, or
wouldn't, reach him. ' ,
This is murderers' week in Portland.
Three trials scheduled at the Court
house. The date for hangman's week.
If it comes, will be duly announced.
Well, there's room on the ocean and
In the river for another steamship
line between Portland and San Francisco.
TAKE THE TARIFF FROM POLITICS
Why Shouldn't Nation " Hnndle It asj a
Boslaess Matter?
Boston Herald.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That the tariff is a business matter;
That tariff-making in this country is
and long has been a political matter;
That the 4000 articles on the schedules
cannot fairly, equitably. Justly be dealt
with in five weeks, or five months, or in
the lifetime of one Congress;
That Congress is not the proper body
to probe, weigh, balance, adjust the in
tricate parts of this vast problem, be
cause but few of Its members .have the
experience, knowledge and ability to do
this Important work;
That a permanent body, a tariff com
mission, should be created by Congress,
having for its sole and constant duty the
study of tariff questions, the adjustment
of tariff schedules; the commission to be
absolutely nonpartisan, and authorized
to obtain the assistance of any and all
experts that It may require;
That, as the taxing power- is vested In
Congress, this commission should from
time to time report to Congress recom
mending certain tariff legislation, for by
this means Congress would be able to act
more Intelligently than now, would be re
lieved from the interested pressure which
is always directed upon It, and that it
would then have time for better consld
eration of the subject than It can other
wise possibly give;
That as the country has a patent office
which is permanent and of enormous im
portance to the Industries of the country
so it should have a tariff office;
That there is no more reason why Con
grass should be expected to handle the
vast details of a tariff than there would
be for it to examine every application for
that other form of protection which is
given by a patent; that it is as irrational
to ask Congress to design the details of a
tariff as it would be to ask It to design a
battleship or a 12-inch gun;
That during the present session of the
sixtieth Congress an act should be passed
creating a permanent tariff commission;
i nar. only Dy the aid of such a commis
sion and such a tariff office will it ever
be possible for the country to make a
scientific tariff which will In all cases
give adequate protection without undue
privilege.
iN.rrsTicrc to "snoRTi" myers.
Nearlectrd by Influrntlnl Newspapers,
W hfle I.ensj Worthy Man I Touted.
UNION, Or., Dec. 12. (To the Editor.)
win you kindly drop Abruzzi? It is
getting . to be not only monotonous but
almost nauseating. It would seem that
the limit had been reached when Abruzzi
might with perfect propriety be cut out
and laid in the shade.
If you' will be kind enough to tell me
what Abruzzi has done for the better
ment of the race that he is entitled to
so much space in one of the greatest, if
not the very greatest, daily newspapers
on the Pacific Coast, you will confer a
great favor.
iitivv, sume years ago we nad one
Shorty Myers. He was almost 5 feet
tall. With square shoulders and ample
whiskers of a pinkish nue. who contrib
uted somewhat to the sanitary condition
of this city by going from one saloon
to another flushing cuspldores.
subsequently, however, he has been
out on the range, and it Is said by what
seems to.be good authority that he has
raised several head of good beef cat
tle, which undoubtedly is vastly more
man Abruzzi has ever done for the bet
terment of the race, I don't think he
has ever raised a single hill of po
tatoes.
But I have never seen Shorty Myers'
name in J he Oregonian.
In all candor I ask. whv not? I
peat, why not, if he is the better man,
which he undoubtedly Is?
W. F. DAVIS.
"WHISKY, TOBACCO AND INSANITY
Abolition of the Two Will In the Find,
Eradicate the Third.
FOREST GROVE. Or..1 Dec. 14. (To
tne Editor.) 1 do not agree with Dr.
Owen Adair's ideas about bringing about
a reform of the Insane criminal classes
by Oregon's Legislature enacting a law
to sterilize them. It would only Incum
ber the statute books of Oregon with
one more useless and foolish law. She
refers to Finch, the assassin, and Thom
son, of Seattle. The former was
orinKer. tne latter a cigarette user.
Now. according to an old saying, "An
ounce of prevention Is worth a' pound
of cure. is It not a fact a large ma
jority of crimes are committed by to
bacco users, especially cigarette smok
ers, beer and whisky drinkers? There-
fore our Oregon Legislature and law
makers of all the states had better pass
a resolution to the Congress of the
United States to adopt a '16th amend
ment prohibiting the manufacture of to
bacco or spirituous liquors, except for
mechanical, medical or experimental
purposes.
It Is not necessary to go into a lengthy
argument about the effect of the chew
ing. smoking and drinking habits of
mankind have' upon the nervous system.
It maddens, deranges and nerves its vic
tim for unreasonable deeds of despera
tion. It matters not as to the parentage
of a child. All come into the world
Innocent and helpless. The best-blooded
without proper care and surroundings
will degenerate. while the so-called
"scrub" with good care will excel.
In conclusion, I would write: If we
want to bring about a genuine reform
and lessen the Inmates of penitentiaries.
asylums, etc., close out the business of
tobacco using and beer and whisky
drinking, lours for better living,
R. W. TRAVER.
No National Holiday.
MERRILL. Or., Dec. 12. (To the Edi
tor.) Have had an argument as to
whether there is such a thing as a Na
tional holiday, made so by National law.
Would be glad to have your opinion on
this question, stating, if there are such,
which they may be. RAU.
This is not a question of opinion, but
of fact. There Is no National holiday.
That Is to say. Congress has never de
clared any day a legal holiday. Thanks
giving is a National holiday only by
annual Presidential proclamation.
Roosevelt's Aneestry.
EUGENE. Or., Dec. 12. (To the Edi
tor.) Will you kindly give the correct
pronunciation of President Roosevelfi's
name? Also what nationality were his
ancestors? J. E. H.
The first syllable Is pronounced the
same as the flower "rose ; then a short
"e," or rather a short pause; then
"velt." You should scarcely sound the
middle syllable.
On his father's side Roosevelt is of
Dutch ancestry; on his mother's, Amer
ican.
. About OOO.OOO.
SOUTH BEND. Wash.. Dec. 10. (To
the Editor.) What was the total Social
ist vote cast at the November election?
C. G. H.
No, S8,r.07 Yes, 38,858.
THE DALLES. Or.. Dec. 12. (To the
Editor.) What was the vote in regard
to woman suffrage last June? E. R.
LIFTS YEIl. ON SOME DIPLOMATS.
Intimate Views on American Prealdenta,
From Mrs. Blalnea New Book.
(Extracts from "tetters of Mrs. James O.
Blaine." to he published soon.
These letters, not intended for pub
lication, reveal Mrs. Blaine as a woman
of keen observation, who wrote with
wit and candor. Some of her letters
throw interesting sidelights on Grant,
Arthur and other statesmen of her day:
"You will hardly believe that you
directed your last letter to Washington,
D. C, and that to thac great and wicked,
corrupt and corruptible city it went be
fore I had the satisfaction of seeing it,
yet such is the truth: and if I had not
fortunately been seized with a fit of
curiosity respecting your dear daddy's
correspondence, it would have gone on
to New York, another city of notorious
depravity, the fame of which may have
reached even your humble ears, before
It would have gladdened my waiting
eyes."
"Friday we had our Presidential din
ner. Oh. how glad I , am to have it
over. Father wanted to defer it until
Emmons came, but I could not let it
overhang so long. The President
(Grant) is so heavy in everything but
feeding there he is very light. He
talked incessantly about himself. I
have ascertain sympathy with him, for
I think him an honest man, and indeed
he feels dreadfully assailed."
'
"I miss Mr. Blaine. I cannot bear the
orderly array of my life. I miss the
envelopes in the gravy, the bespattered
table linen, the uncertainty of the
meals, for you know he always starts
out on his constitutional when he hears
them taking In dinner. I miss his un
varying attention, and as constant neg
lect. When alone with him I am not
my own when others are in. go as
you please is the rule, and the alterna
tion suits me exactly.
-
'You remember, don't you. what Or-
vllle Baker told us about Arthur's two
passions as he heard them discussed
at Sam Ward's dinner In New York?
New coats being one, he having then
already ordered 25 from his tailor since
the new year came in; the other, seem
ing to do things while never putting
his mind or his hands near them."
"Returning from our Sunday walk
yesterday afternoon we met the Presi
dent (Arthur), who looked embarrassed.
All his ambition seems to center in the
social aspect of the situation. Flowers
and wine and food, and slow pacing
with a lady on his arm. and a quota
tion from Thackeray or Dickens, or an
old Joe Millei" told with an uninter-
fered, with particularity, for who would
interrupt or refuse to laugh at a Pres
ident's joke, make up his book of life,
whose leaves are certainly not for he
healing of the Nation."
m m
"I found the ' President (Harrison)
here going over the Samoan dispatches
with your father. He sat all crumpled
tip. his nose, and his Boots, and nis
gloves almost meeting, but lie was ex
amining those dispatches with care and
great intelligence, and though I am
not drawn to him, I cannot refuse him
the homage of respect. I am sorry
that the details of my daily living are
so meagre, but rich or poor, gay or
sober, I am yours, with great affection."
m w m
Writing of a garden party in Eng
land at which she met Queen Victoria:
"The Queen came through the lines of
visitors, so that we had a near view of
her. The Prince of Wales walked with
her, and she used a little cane. It was
not an Impressive sight to see all the
ladies falling backward before this lit
tle and old woman, like waves 'dying
on the seashore. That they should he
willing to do it I found it hard to un
derstand, for the curtseying amounted
to obeisance. Some of the dress was
handsome, and the Jewels were perfect
ly stunning, but the tone of the whole
thing was gloomy, frigid, and totally
unimaginative, tsothlng here has sur
prised me more than the gloomy char
acter of English enjoyment as com
pared with the gayety of home."
LABOR VOTE CAN'T BE DELIVERED.
Last Election's Lenson: Worklngmen
Won't Be Led by Superior Officers.
The Forum. '
One of the most remarkable features
of the election wns the absolute disap
pearance of organized labor as a fac
tor in the contest. Whenever in the
past organized labor has undertaken
to influence political results upon a
small scale, the election returns have
demonstrated ihat either the working
men were not doing what their leaders
publicly urged them to do or else they
were so numerically Insignificant as
not to be a factor In the outcome. Even
with this experience there was some
reason to believe that this year more
cognizance should be taken of the an
tagonistlc attitude of organized lanor
than ever before, especially as presi
dent Gompers, of the American Feiiera
tion of Labor, for the first time in the
history of that organization, was open
lv indorsing Bryan upon the stump.
According to Alfred Henry Lewis, who
gave the subject some consideration
in the ante-election days, the American
Federation of Labor has a membership
of 2.089.000. divided among 27.000 local
unions. 570 city central unions and
117 National and international unions.
The federation has a membership of
387,450 in New York state alone. It is
evident however, that the number of
votes controlled or influenced by Mr.
Gompers was very few. especially when
it is remembered that Air. Tan received
in New York state a plurality as large
as that accorded to Mr. Roosevelt four
years ago.
Much was said, also, ot tne opposi
tion of the laboring vote, to Speaker
Cannon, yec Mr. Cannons name will
remain upon the rolls of the House of
Representatives. The result proves
conclusively that the workingman Is
not subserviently led by his superior
officers and that when he casts his
ballot he exercises the right of Indi
vidual judgment The so-called labor
vote can never again be a bugaboo In a
political campaign. It cannot be de
livered en masse. There may come a
time when workingmen, having genuine
ground for resentment, may vote solid
ly against a party In power, but that
time has not yet arrived. Political
managers will, in the future, exercise
care not to aneniaie tne laoor vote
needlessly and wantonly; and having
done this, will laugh to scorn the pre
tensions of men whose leadership is
more apparent than real.
Oresron's First Sheep.
ROSEBURG. Or., Dec. 14. (To the Edi
tor.) I see by The Oregonian that a pion
eer of 1SD1 brought the first sheep that
ever crossed the plains to Oregon. 1 he
name of the man is given as Donald Mc-
Leod.
Joseph Watt, in 184S, brought a band ot
sheep to Oregon from the Eastern States
to Yamhill County, settling just across
Salt Creek from WTiiteston. Mr. Watt
first crossed the plains in 1843, and went
back in 1817 after his father's family,
which he brought to Oregon the next
year. The ramiiy consisiea ui vt:u
srirls and one .boy. A
I crossed the Dlatns in 1Mb anu was nv-i
ing just one mile from where iir. watt
settled-with his sheep. Ho brought over
100 ewes. A. H. uAKKloU.N.
Data Concerning; Railway syiKes.
KELSO. Wash., Dec. 13. (To the Edi
tor.) Could you give me any data in
regard to the great railroad strikes of
recent years, the causes and numDer ot
men affected, etc.?
WALDU WAKKIS.
Write to the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor. Washington. D. C. Specify
the information, you. wish and you will
receive definite, full and reliable data.
LIFE'S SUNNY SIDE
"W"hy are you always quarreling with
your wife?"
"She is always arguing with me."
"But you need not get angry. Just
explain to her in a gentle tone where
she is wrong."
"But she is never wrong." Opinion.
The bride frowned.
"These tomatoes," she said, "are just
twice as dear as those across the street.
Why is It?"
"Ah, ma'am, these" and the grocer
smiled "these are hand-picked."
She blushea".
"Of course." she said hastily; "I
might have known. Give me a bushel,
please." Harper's Weekly.
The victorious and defeated alike arrt
flocking into Washington for the first
session of the "Roosevelt" Congress.
Yarns humorous and yarns pathetic
were told in a half-dozen hotel cor
ridors tonight. Illustrative of phases of
the recent battle in which the Republic
yet once more was saved.
"Too many Statesmen." said Speaker
Cannon, "rely altogether too much for
their fame on uncouthness-r-laok of
socks, etc. It puts me in mind of a
yong friend of mine who had an out
spoken admiration for frankness. One
day he called on a pretty girl and in the
course of conversation said: "If there
Is one thing I reverence, perfect frank
ness is that tiling."
"Yes,' said the girl, 'then I'll at
once grasp the opportunity to tell you
to shave off your moustache before
you eat another soft-boiled egg.'"
Exchange.
A notable visitor at the National
Capital is' John T. .Heard, who repre
sented a Missouri district in the IIouso
for ten years. Heard looks so much
like Speaker Cannon that he is fre
quently tiken for "Uncle Joe." Heard
was telling the. Speaker how during
the recent . campa ign he was greatly
embarrassed by being mistaken for
Cannon. The latter, stlice his "reform,"
has chosen to look for his unpopulari
ty in some sections of the country as
a joke.
"Did they treat you very roughly?"
ho asked.
"No," repller Heard. "They didn't
lay violent hands on me; but I'll be
switched if they didn't give me a
durned lot of worry for a time." Ex
change. When Vice-President-elect James
Sherman entered the new Willard. he
wandered about for some time before
anyone recognized him. A Senator,
whose name can be given on demand,
noticing Mr. Sherman, .turned to a
newspaper correspondent and whis
pered behind his hand: "Look at Sher
man. He's lonely and unidentified as
though he had already been inaugu
rated." Exchange.
e
Bradley Martin, Jr., who had mar
ried Miss I'hipps, of Pittsburg, has a
dry humor that has been likened to
Mark Twain's. On his visit to Amer
ica the young man went to Niagara
for the first time.
He wes accompanied on his tour by
a Harvard instructor who admires na
ture profoundly. The Instructor hoped
to see Mr. Martin Impressed, almost
overcome, by Niagara's grandeur. The
young man. for a Joke, was determined
to disappoint his friend.
Their first view of the falls was hy
moonlight The great water was beau
tiful under the pale light of the moon,
and the air was filled with deep, sweet
music. Mr. Martin really was moved,
hut he yawned, lighted a cigarette, and
said :
"Let's be going."
Ills poor friend was thunderstruck
at such lndlfferenre.
"Why," he cried, "where are your
eyes? Aren't you amazed? Aren't you
impressed? Aren't you transported?"
"Of course not." said Mr. Martin.
"What is there here to make such a
fuss about?"
"Look." cried the Harvard man. "look
how the mighty river pours Into that
deep abyss."
"Well," said Mr. Martin, "what is
there to prevent it?" Washington (D.
C.) HerRld.
"How camo you here, my man?" said
the lady who was distributing tracts
In tho prvsdn to convict No. 41.144. "I
was brought here by my convictions,
ma'am," replied the man behind the
bars. Chicago Daily News.
"Have you made any effort to ex
plain your wealth to the public?" "No."
answeerd Mr. Dustin Stax. "I have to
keep some things a secret. I'm afraid
I might tempt somebody to dabble in
high finance." Washington Star.
Wife "You must give 'cousin Kate,
something for Christmas, dear. Tt Isn't
the value of tho thing, you know, but
the thought." ' Husband "Umph! I
guess it will be just as well If Cousin
Kate doesn't know too much abotit the
thought that will go with it." Life.
"What is your daughter doing now.
Mrs. Dagney?" "She's working down
town in an office." "I suppose slit
must get pretty good wages." "Yes.
but it's awful hard work. When she
came home last night she was all wore
out havin' copied more than 30 let
ters on a heliotrope." Chicago Record
Herald. "The finest political speech I ever
heard," said a Pittsburg man. "was
made by a German farmer up in Berks
County. Pennsylvania. .
"There was a meeting in a. country
schoolhouse and after the speeches a
leading German was called on for a
few remarks. He said: 'Fellow citizens-
Wo haf hert d' chin music, yes!
Und d' time has now come ven ve must
all git togedder and roll up such a
Democratig majority in Berks r'oum7'
that it vill roll und roll und roll undtl
it rolls all ofer Berks Coundy, all ofcr
d' State of ' Pennsylvania, all ofer the
United States, vlll roll across d' ocean
... -i,.a,n vtetorla.. vera
and vm roit up w
she is sitting on her throne, ana ..e
vill say: "Good gracious: v.-j.
cratig majority Berks Coundy dit roll
upe Saturday Evening Post.
It was on a lonely road in the Ten-
nesseee mountains. A weary rider was
slowly making his way up the steep
mountain side, pausing now and then
to rise in his stirrups and look about
in search of some sign ot civilization.
Suddenly a turn of the road brought
him face to face with a lank, sallow-
faced mountaineer, scaten upon . iue
end or tne srnjtKe lt-m c w .!.,
bounded a poor little farm which had
found lodgment on the mountainside.
The rider paused. "Can you tell me
how far it is to Big Stone Gap?" he
inquired.
The moutaineer's lips moved in an
swer, but no sound reached the rider's
ears. He moved over nearer to the
fence and repeated the question. This
time he could barely distinguish a
whispered word or two in tho farmer 3
answer.
"What's the matter with you? he In
quired, dismounting and walking over
to the fence where the old man sat
"Can't you talk?"
The old man looked pityingly at
his questioner for a moment, and then
climbing down from his seat on the
rail, he walked up to the traveller and.
putting his grizzled face close to his
ear. whispered hoarsely:
'Vis, I kin talk, but the fact is. stran
ger, land is so poor in these parts that
I kain't even raise my voice." Tit-Bits.