FORTUm OKF.QOS.
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Fecond-CIaJ" Matter.
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PORTLAXU. FKIIAi. DEC. 1. ISO-
DEMOCRATIC PONDKRINOS.
The leading Democrats of the coun
try seem to be in what the Yankee
woman called "a state of mind" over
their party. Mr. Bryan Is not the only
one of them 'ha Is exercising his in-
licet to solve the "mystery" of 1908.
The sapient Pat McCarren. of New
York, has also applied himself to th"e
problem with startling results. In his
opinion the reason why the Democrats
were defeated In 190S and on divers
previous occasions is to be found In
the fact that they were on the wrong
Me. By wrong side the eminent po
litical philosopher means, of course,
the defe.tced side. Hence his expla
nation amounts to saying that the
Democrats were defeaxed because they
were defoa-ed, which to terse. If not
lucid. Mr. .McCarren's remedy for the
prolonged misfortunes of his party is
to get tn th- right side. This looks
alluring, but when one tries to think
how it is to be done, difficulties pre
sent themselves. Tlw "right," or suc
cessful, side has already been pre
empted by the Republicans, and It
would look a little odd to see two
great parties both fighting valiaiuly
I'or identically the same principles.
Just why the votwrs should forsake
the Republican party, which Is admit
tedly on the right side now. In order
to reward the. Democrats for a belated
conversion is not apparent from Mr.
McCarren 's re-mark.-. The truth is,
however, that Uhe profound Tammany
statesman is a. trifle in error in the
matter of his facts. A little recur
rence to history must convince any
body that the Democrats have not al
ways been on he wrong side. It is
nearer to the Diark to any that they
have been on all possible sides of
every question that has come up for
the last three-rti:irUTS of a century.
Their superabundant calamities arise
not from their choosing w rong princi
ples, but from their having no stable
principles. So far as secession was
concerned, some Democrats were for
it and some agalnft it. the majority,
however, it is onlyfair to say, being in
favor of it. which, as far as It goes,
does Indeed justify Mr McCarren's po
sition. It has been much the same
way with the tariff. Kven in theory
the Democratic party !has held no firm
views on tbe subject. In a nebulous
way it Is understood that they are for
free trade, or at least for a revenue
tariff, but when they had control of
the (ioverniTvent it turned out that this
was an error. The Wilson tariff which
they made was in some respects more
high-handed than the Republican
measure which tt displaced. It fairly
reeked with indefensible protection to
conscienceless robbers. Individual
Democrats, w hen tt comes to the tariff,
are in the same boat as their party.
Few of them know where they stand
and no two stand in the same place.
You will find extreme protectionists in
the Democratic party and extreme
free-traders also, as well as thin anil
hazy advocates of all possible degrees
of protectionism.
If we turn to the money question we
shall encounter the same state of
things. Neither the Dermocratic party
nor individual Democrats have any
uniform views upon finance or the
standard of money. During the free
silver mania half stood for gold and
half for silver. Now that currency re
form has become a pressing Issue, what
has the Democratic party to say about
It? Nothing, li the party has ever con
sidered the question, it has been in
profound secrecy. The great reforms
of the present day are all Republican
measures. The regulation of corpora
tions, the control of freight rates, the
postal savings banks, the general ex
tension of the postal service, the en
actment of humane laws for the pro
tection of workingmen, the abolition
of child labor, are each and every one
of them Republican measures. They
have been put forward by a Republi
can President and enacted, so far as
they hate been enacted at all, by a
Republican Congress. To tell the whole
truth, humane and progressive legisla
tion seems to be fatally opposed to the
genius of the Democratic party, since
in those state like Georgia, and South
Carolina, where their control is com
plete, the laws are still medievally
barbarous.
The trouble with the Democratic
party is that It is a mendicant organi
zation utterly destitute of ascertain
able principles and existing- solely to
beg the voters for office. No wonder
that the voters prefer to give the of
fices to somebody else. It is idle for
Mr. JlcCarran to ascribe the continued
Democratic disasters to Bryan or to
radicalism. He is gTandly mistaken
In saying that the voters are opposed
to radical measures. They electod
Mr. Taft because of his open and re
peated promises to stand by all the
radicalism of the Roosevelt policies.
The voters are determined to have a
progressive government up to the ne
cessities of the age and they reject the
Democratic patry because, it has noth
ing worth while- to offer either In the
ory or practice. No "revamping" of
the party will suffice to cure this dis
ease. In fact, one may well doubt
whether anything whatever will cure
it. In the opinion of many sage phy
sicians It is mortal. Every possible
modern policy which the Democrats
are likely to adopt has already been
spoken for by the Republicans. They
cannot go frankly into 'extreme radi
calism without losing half their mem
bers. What, then, is the forlorn party
to do except peacefully expire? Why
cumbereth it the ground?
The Isthmian Canal Commission has
issued a statement in which it is an
nounced that the sinking of the rock
toe at the Gatun dam site was expect
ed, and that there is accordingly no
occasion for alarm over the accident.
The explanation, so far as It goes, may
allay the fears of the public over pos
sible serious trouble with the canal
work. It Is hardly reassuring, how
ever, to learn that the accident was
expected. The practical engineer who
Is expecting an accident of that nature
usually takes steps to prevent it. The
admission that the accident was ex
pected would seem to offer grounds for
an investigation which might be con
tinued until It was determined how
many more similar accidents are ex
pected to happen. If there are many
more of these danger spots "expected"
to give way. the engineers who are
doing the 'expecting" should at least
get the workmen into a place of safety
before their expectations are realized.
BANK GUARANTEE IN OREGON?
Although Oregon rejected Bryan
and his particular Ism bank guaran
tee bv nearly 25.000 votes and the
Nation rejected them by 1.244.494, a
member of the Oregon Legislature for
Multnomah County will offer a bill for
bank guarantee, patterned after the
law of Oklahoma. It is not surprising
that this bill comes from a member of
a Republican element that used to be
allied with Bryan and this year op
posed the nomination of Taft and all
along has been more or less in ac
cord with Bryan's notions.
Bank guarantee is a scheme to com
pel honest bankers to make good the
damage done by dishonest and inca
pable ones. It Is un-American in
principle thus to tax legitimate busi
ness, and the system, 1f put Into oper
ation, will not permanently endure.
All this was fought out at length IB
the late Presidential campaign, and
the American people declared over
whelming opposition to the plan. So
did the voters of Oregon.
Expert examination of banks and
publicity of their accounts are the
pressing needs In this state. They
should be enacted at the coming ses
sion of the Legislature. This and con
trol, of water rights are probably the
only subjects that need attention of
the lawmaking body. If a bank ex
aminer, qualified by experience in
stead of by politics, could be secured,
that would go farther than any other
reform to safeguard deposits. Such
an examiner should be vested, of
course, with adequate authority. The
present law dpes rrot meet the emer
gency. One of the truest predictions
of Banker Ross, of the defunct Title
Guarantee & Trust Company, was that
the framers of the law would look,
back on their achievement with any
thing but pride. The law in his case
did not protect the public, nor has ic
been the means of meting out pun
ishment to him.
A BKNEVOLKNT MONOPOLY.
One of the richest corporations In
the country, and probably the stingi
est, is the Pullman Palace Car Com
pany. Interstate Commerce Commis
sioner Lane has turned a fleeting ray
of light on some of its methods, and
the truths disclosed are far too pre
cious to be permitted to sink into ob
livion. What could be more instruc
tive than the fact that this huge and
wealthy monopoly pays its porters 125
a month, barely enough to meet their
board bills? Whatever the wretehsd
employes get for their wives and chil
dren must come from tips. The Pull
man manager testified that tips are
given only by selfish travelers who de
sire some special service, but every
body who has suffered on a sleeping
car knows better.
Tips, are given partly because the
public realizes that Pullman porters
are miserably underpaid, but chiefly
because the person who gives no tip
gets no attention. The company im
pudently plots to make the good-natured
public pay its employes and it
suoceeds wonderfully well. Speaking
of the purgatorial upper berths. Man
ager Dean testified that for his part he
preferred them. It Is a great pity that
he cannot be Imprisoned in one and
kept there until he resolves never to
toll any more such stories. Tt would
not be a bad plan to pen the whole
Pullman Company In a set of upper
berths. We can think of no more ef
fectual way to bring their misdeeds
home to them. The miserable fact Is
that no one rides in an upper berth
who can possibly avoid it, and those
who can't avoid It pay what they have
to pay for the horrible privilege. A
reduction of rates for upper berths
would not make them sell better, as
experience has shown. Those who
travel In Pullmans can usually afford
to pay for good accommodations and
will not prefer an uncomfortable
berth merely because It Is cheap. If
they accept an upper berth it is under
virtual compulsion, and they pay what
they must.
It would be entertaining to have
some competent authority look into
the affairs of this flourishing monop
oly a little. How- much money does it
make annually, say in Oregon? How
much tax does It pay? How much
does it contribute to charity? How
much did it give to the San Francisco
earthquake sufferers? The last ques
tion is easily answered. The Pullman
Company was conspicuous on that oc
casion for giving not one penny.
PfRE WATER FOR SHIPS.
The old complaint of the inability
of ships in port to secure a supply of
pure water is again heard. The prin
cipal difficulty seems to be In failure
to supply the docks with Bull Run
water, only a few mains being laid to
the docks. As a means of fire pro
tection for the docks, as well as for
the purpose of supplying the ships
with fresh water, these mains should
be extended. As matters now stand,
nearly all of the foreign ships visiting
the port are obliged to take their
water supply while in port from the
river, and. when leaving most of them
All their tanks while towing or steam
ing down the Columbia. Quite nat
urally the water taken aboard in the
Columbia River Is much nearer pure
than that which is pumped out of the
river in front of the city. It would
eem, however, with the abundance of
Bull Run water with which Portland
is supplied, there should be no neces
sity for any foreign-bound ships going
out of the river with tanks filled with
either Columbia or Willamette River
water.
The total amount of water re
quired ' by the entire fleet leav
ing here yearly would not very
much exceed that which is sprin
kled on the lawns of two or three
yards in the Summer season. If we
could, without increased expense to
the ship, offer this pure Bull Run
water In place of that which is now
contaminated by sewage, it would be a
big advertisement for the port. The
Chamber of Commerce has, at an ex
pense of several hundred dollars per
year, taken the ballast away from the
ships free of charge, and the rail
roads have paid bar pilotage amount
ing to about $20,000 per year for the
purpose of attracting shipping to the
port, and the results show that the
expenditure was warranted. Now if
the city will relax a trifle and make
the ships a present of a supply of the
purest and finest water that can be
found anywhere in the world, we shall
reap benefits out of all proportion to
the cost of the service. There are but
few ports in the world where the ves
sels receive water free of charge, and
there are no other ports 'where water
of the quality of the Portland supply
Is obtainable at any price.
JAPAN ON SHIP bTHMDIKS.
The Oregonian, printed at one of
the most prominent tide-water ports
of the Pacific, has exceptional facili
ties for studying the practical effects
of the Japanese ship-subsidy system.
Quite naturally the closer the range
at which the grafting system is
viewed, the worse it appears. This
paper recently noted with some satis
faction that the Japanese people were
beginning to understand the nature of
the bunco game that had been worked
on them by the big shipping compa
nies and that with this understanding
had come a determination to cut off
at least a portion of the graft. The
Oregonian's comment was extensively
copied through the Eastern states,
among other papers using It, being the
Albany ( X. Y.) Argus. In a letter
to the editor of the Argus, Mr. John
Penton, managing editor of the Cleve
land Iron Trade Review, protested
against the article, alleging that this
paper had "deliberately misrepresent
ed" the matter, and it was "deceiving
you and deceiving several other
American newspapers."
Mr. Penton, in his eagerness to
"boost" for the shipping bunco game,
which is experiencing great difficulty
In getting a foot-hold in America,
made a number of wild statements,
among them that "The Japanese gov
ernment and Its people believe that
the ship subsidy expenditures have
been the wisest, most profitable, and
most indispensible of all the expendi
tures of the empire." This extrava
gant statement was followed by an
other that "the truth Is that there is
not one single policy of the empire
which the Japanese statesmen and
their people so overwhelmingly ap
prove as this of national aid to mari
time enterprise" In order that iMr.
Penton, as well as the rest of the anti
subsidy pack which yelps whenever an
anti-subsidy brick Is thrown In their
midst, may understand fully the Japa
nese attitude on the subsidy matter,
The Oregonian in another column
prints some Interesting comment from
the Toyo Asahl, formerly one of the
most Influential papers in Japan and
in he past a very enthusiastic sup
porter of the ship subsidy.
Accompanying this comment, which
Is reproduced from the New York
Japanese-American Weekly, the prin
cipal organ of the Japanese people
In the United States, appears further
unfavorable comment on the subsidy
from the Yokohama Chamber of
Commerce Journal, which also in the
past was a very warm supporter of
the subsidy system. Both of these
authorities practically admit that the
scheme has been a failure. The Toyo
Asahi finds that despite the enormous
subsidy paid out for years, "none of
the navigation companies has yet at
tained the state, of free full-grown ac
tivity" and "not only that, but In
recent years they are showing still
greater dependence on the govern
ment." In other words, the Japanese
subsidy bog. having only his fore feet
and his snout in the subsidy trough,
is insisting that he be permitted to get
in all over.
The Toyo Asahi quite truthfully re
marks that "as the pres.-nt system
works, the companies profit by the in
crease of the number of ships with
out developing their automatic power
of work" and us a result "the mere in
crease of tonnage does not therefore
prove the real development of ship
ping business "in the country." . The
Japanese paper also finds that "at the
present rate of aid given, the rapid
growth of tonnage will result in the
enormous increase of subsidies far be
yond the financial capacity of the Na
tion." If the suggestions of the
Chamber of Commerce regarding the
raising of the tonnage and speed limit
are followed. It will eliminate from
subsidy aid more than four-fifths of
all the vessels now operated under
the Japanese flag. Mr. Penton, being
so admirably well poste'd on Japanese
shipping matters, should take this up
at once with the Toyo Asahl, the Japanese-American
Commercial Weekly
and the Yokohama Chamber of Com
merce. The authorities mentioned are
apparently in ignorance of what is for
their best interests.
TURKEY'S STRANUJ5 REFORM.
Step by step constitutional reform
has gone forward In Turkey until yes
terday there was an assembly of Par
liament. At each advance the world
has been more surprised, that internal
hatreds and jealousies, of so many
ages' duration,-have been put away by
both the Turks and their subjects.
Many of the subject peoples have suf
fered persecutions at the hands of the
Turks for centuries.
The news dispatches say that all
creeds and races of the empire were
represented in the Legislature. Greks,
Armenians and Bulgarians Christian
races sat side by side with Moslems
from Albania and Syria. Jerusalem
and Mecca were represented, and the
far-off Kurdish and Arab districts of
the Indian Ocean. Such is the new
regime accomplished by the Young
Turk party, an organization of Turk
reformers who built up a secret nT
fluence of free masonry and finally
forced constitutional reforms on the
Sultan In a bloodless revolution. It
was a new thing In Macedonia, the
historic ground of centuries of perse
cution and tyranny and racial strife.
The Turks long ruled unhappy
Macedonia because of the internal
strife of its heterogeneous elements
Greeks, who wanted annexation w'Tth
Greece; Bulgarians, who wanted an
nexation wjth Bulgaria and Servians
who sought juncture with Servia.
Their rivalry worked death and de
struction among the Macedonian peas
ants. Each element hated the others
more than the Turks and all supported
the Turks against each other. Now
we behold the remarkable sight of all
the rivals Armenians, Turks, Jews,
Christians, Mohammedans. Bulgarians,
Greeks and Servians, united with the
reform Turks to share alike In the
new Parliamentary goyernment, irre
spective of race or creed.
How durable this union shall be is
jet to be proved. Each of the suc
cessive reform steps has exceeded the
world's expectations. "In our Parlia
ment," said the reform Minister of the
Interior, "there will be no Turkish,
Armenian, Greek or Jewish deputies:
they will all be Ottoman deputies."
The Turk element is in control of the
Legislature, and that is the guarantee
of peace between the hitherto warring
rivaLs. Should the Turk party lose
control the outcome might be disrup
tion and failure of the constitutional
reform.
Now the question rises whether trie
varied races will understand the new j
regime and conduct themselves with
moderation and self-control. Will
they, in their Ignorance, misinterpret
the change for cessation of Turkish
government? To ward off this dan
ger the Young Turks have been re
sorting to education, particularly in
Macedonia and Albania, where they
have been sending emissaries.
The world has seen several mo
mentous reforms in government this
year. China is moving toward con
stitutional government. The Kaiser
has been curbed by the constitutional
power. Persia feels the movement
and there Is unrest in India. In Tur
key the Young Turks are crying the
hitherto foreign words, "Liberty,
equality, fraternity. Justice." In the
light of history this is truly-a remark
able awakening in Islam.
The new Douma at St. Petersburg
mustered up sufficient courage to send
a message of congratulation to the
new Turkish Parliament, expressing
confidence "that the way chosen by
the young Turks in establishing law
and reconciling all nationalities will
strengthen the state and serve to pro
mote general peace." For the sake of
humanity in general, it is to be hoped
that the new Ottoman Parliament will
meet with a greater degree of success
than was scored by the predecessors
of the present Douma. If the Sultan
in his selection of his Senators and his
constitution was as crafty as the Rus
sian aristocrats who stacked the cards
on the first arid second Doumas, it is
as yet premature to indulge in any
great amount of congratulations( In
Russia the government still retains
power sufficient to block any reform
movement instituted by the Douma,
and incidentally send into perpetual
retirement the reformers.
The trial judge in the Hains mur
der case promoted the cause of justice
and saved a lot of annoyance by for
bidding the mother of T Jenkins Hains
to sit by his side duirng the trial. It
is evident that the attorneys for the
defense had planned to make a play
for sympathy by having the aged
mother shed tears at the proper mo
ment. Their purpose was to interfere
with the regular and orderly prosecu
tion of the case upon its merits. Had
they been successful.- the achievement
would have been a disgrace to the ad
ministration of justice. The mother was
not on trial and was In no way con
nected with the case. Of course sire
is interested in the outcome, but that
interest did not make her a party to
the legal proceedings. Undoubtedly
the son wanted her by his side, just
as every cowardly criminal strives to
call his mother to his aid after he has
involved himself In trouble.
The charges against Chief Campbell,
so far as they have appeared, are triv
ial. There was delay in testing and
accepting certain fire hydrants and the
Fire Chief is to be "fired" unless he
Can show to the satisfaction of Mayor
Lane and his accommodating fire
committee that he is not responsible.
Of course that cannot be done, for
nobody can show the Mayor anything
when he doesn't want to be shown.
Chief Campbell's explanation Is rea
sonably convincing to the public, and
it ought to be to the inquisitors. But
they are out to "get" him. they will
"get" him, we suppose. But the pub
lic ought to know the inside of this
business, just the same.
Representative Humphrey, of Se
attle, Is endeavoring to have the Pa
cific railway mail district divided, the
northern section to Include Oregon,
Washington, Montana, Northern Idaho
and Alaska, with headquarters at Se
attle. Portland wquld, of course, be
the natural location for headquarters
in case the change is made, but it is
In keeping with the Seattle spirit for
that city to make an effort to secure
the prize. In view of the avidity with
which Seattle makes a grab at any
thing the Government has to give out,
it Is somewhat surprising that an ef
fort is not made to have the new
Portland postoffice located at Seattle.
A movement is on foot in Seattle to
organize the restaurant and hotel
keepers for the purpose of keeping
down' prices during the forthcoming
fair. It is stated that there will be no
advance over the present schedule of
prices. When the economical East
erners begin arriving and glance over
the present schedules of prices at the
Seattle eating-houses, they will feel
grateful indeed that no advance has
been made.
Ranchers at Madras, on Agency
Plains, fifty miles from the terminus
of the Columbia Southern Railroad,
are sinking a deep well with the ex
pectation of striking oil at no great
depth. Whenever they discover oil
they will shortly thereafter discover
the railroad for which they long have
sought. But they will get the railroad
In time, whether they find oil or not.
Now- comes a doctor, apparently
seeking notoriety,' who declares that
there are 1,000.000 opium-users In
this country. That would be one out
of every 90 persons, men, women and
children. If the doctor meant by this
that 1,000.000 persons use the drug as
such, he Is certainly a fit candidate for
membership in a club where a short
and ugly word is used.
So far that Allx-Gelderland affair
appears to be a nice, genteel, ladylike
little war. Everybody will approve of
a naval engagement where no blood
is spilled and nobody is hurt. But
wait till Castro finishes his engage
ment with those European surgeons.
In order that politicians in Oregon
may realize the sore distress of their
brethren in the State or Washington,
let them imagine Oregon's Governor
so sick that they could not reach him.
Since election, every paper in the
United States has informed Mr. Bryan
that the labor vote cannot be deliv
ered. A waste of effort. He knows
it, without being told.
Just because Santa C'laus does his
shopping early 1s no reason why any
body should go sneaking through
drawers and dark closets to find out
what's in store.
Bonl's law-yer says Anna could find
nobody worse than Sagan. But thafs
what everybody said when she found
Boni.
Since Bonl has withdrawn his de
mand for an allowance from the Gould
estate, it is evident that he is willing
to starve to death.
The persons' who receive the Christ
mas presents want them bought early.
It is not yet too late to be early.
This cold weather and shortage of
rain should start the weather growlers
again.
FROM JAPAN'S STANDPOINT.
How the Ship Subidy Is negarded By
Trade Journals.
The New York Japanese-American
Commercial Weekly, in its issue of De
cember E. under the heading "Navi
gation Subsidies," prints the following:
Ha the object of the jrovernmenfs gem
eroue nbldle to the navigation business
been realised? aska the Toyo Asahl. The
Journal answers the question in the nega
tive, looked nt merely from the increase
of tonnave a tenfold advance has been
made during the last decade. Superficial
observers may take this as a sisn of suc
cessful working of the protective system.
To the paper, protection has failed in Its
ohiect of Klvina tue business full develop-
ment for an Independent existence. Nona
of the navigation companies nas yet at
tained the state of free full-grown activity.
With the aids that total the large sum of
five million and odd thousands yen. the JC.
V. K., for Instance, has not been able to
pav more dividend than 12 per cent on its
paid up capital of 22.000.noo yen. The O.
S. K. with the paid up capital amounting
lo lft.000.000 yen and favored with aids to
the amount of 1,400.000 yen can pay but
6 per cent and that by. an extensive re
plenishing from the reserve fund. The
Toro Klsen Is not an exception to th
general rule with the navigation companies
of the country that they can stand merely
bv the protecting hand of the government.
Not only that but in recent years they are
showing still greater dependence on the
government.
From this viewpoint, then. the paper
finds official aid utterily failing of Its ob
ject. As the present system yirks. the
companies profit by the increase of the
number of ships without developing thoir
automatic power of work. The mere In
crease of tonnage does not therefore prove
the real development of shipping business
in the country. At the present role of aid
given, the rapid growth of tonnage will
result in the enormous Increase of sub
sidies far bevond the financial capacity of
the nation. The need of the time limit
should be taken advantage of for making a
radical change In the protection policy.
On the same topic, the Yokohama
Chamber of Commerce Journal of Oc
tober 25. has the following:
The Department ol Communications Is
now engaged In the consideration of mat
ters relating to the shipping Industry In
Japan Suggestions were recently invited
from private shipowners and other partle.
Interested In the maritime business on
varluus points In regard to the navigation
encouragement law and the law relating
to the granting of subsidies. The sugges
tions received have been carefully studied
by the government authorities and the
broad principles outlined comprise the fol
lowing: The lowering of the rale of sub
sidles for encouraging shipbuilding and
navigation: the abolition of the graduated
Increase in subsidies in proportion to the
Increase In tonnage: the decrease of a
graduated scale In proportion to the In
crease of speed: the shortening the age
limit of the vessels enjoying subsdles: the
raising of t;.e minimum tonnage of sub
sidised vessels to 2000 or 2r,00 tons and the
minimum speed to 1.1 knot per -hour: and
a restriction on the total tonnage of es
s!s receivmg a- subsidy. It Is stated that
the present system, inaugurated about li
year ago. not only proves inadequate to
meet the altered conditions of the mari
time enterprise In this country, but the
continued Increase in money expended in
subsidies requires revision.
SHIP SUBSIDIES VXXECESSARY.
All fnele Sin Xeedi la n Chance at
The World's) Borgraln Counter.
Tacoma Tribune.
Editors throughout tlie country are
shrieking for or against ship subsidies,
on the text that the American flag is be
ing driven off of the ocean. John Pen
ton, managing editor of the Iron Trade
Review, having an obvious commercial
interest In subsidies, has dared to cross
swords with The Oregonian, with the re
sult that Editor Penton s arguments were
sliced into thin strings, then fricasseed
for The Oregonian. for once at least, was
Indubitably right. It maintained that the
American flag was not being driven off
of the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese,
who maintain the subsidy system, and
that there are 10 vessels of other nation
alities crossing the Pacific for every one
flvlng the flag of the Rising Sun.
Eastern newspapers have taken a keen
Interest in the editorial auei oeiwem i
Oregonian and Penton and the laurel Is
bestowed upon the Oregon newspaper.
The Oregonian is right. Subsidies are
unwise, unjust and unnecessary. One
thing only must be done to gain for the
United States maritime supremacy, and
that Its to change the law to allow Old
Glory to be floated from the masthead of
every American vessel, regardless of
where it was built. The present law for
bids the flag being floated from any ves.
sel other than on American-built craft,
which costs twice as much to build as it
would in a foreign yard.
Americans are the best navigators and
engineers and saiiprs in the world. This
Is everywhere conceded. They are the
shrewdest traders, no one will venture
to deny. All that is needed Is' to give
Americans the privilege utilized by the
Japanese, of buying or building vessels
wherever they can be obtained the cheap
estin the market of the world. There
is a universal bargain counter, from
which the Americans alone are excluded.
This is unfair. The supremacy of our
mercantile marine depends upon chang
ing this absurd law. If Congress -will give
the necessary relief, great shipyards will
be established on PugeUSound and in ev
ery great port In the United States, for
wherever ships are owned these estab
lishments are needed for reconstruction
and repair. In this development Tacoma
and Seattle would have their large share
of prosperity. The AVashington delega
tion in Congress should be urged to study
this question and to propose a solution.
Bnormous commercial expansion in
South America and the Orient Impera
tively require the United States to get
Into the game. In the conquest that must
follow Americans can sweep the com
bined fleets of their competitors from the
Subsidies would make a few more mil
lionaires, that's all. and when prosperity
slackened or, panic came this country
would have to cut the tow-line and force
the mercantile marine to float upon Us
own merits, or sink. Japan is just now
about to do this very thing, finding itself
unable to continue the subsidies.
Mr. Bryan's Texna Plantation.
Kansas City Star.
V. J. Bryan te now a Texas landowner.
He bought 160 acres from Conway & Hoyt.
for which he paid the cash, and closed a
contract to have 40 acres of it cleared
once and planted in oranges, figs and
pecan trees. The land is a portion of the
tract bought from the Oblate fathers,
who located a mission on It more than 60
years ago. It is a very rich body of land
and Is about seven miles from the town
of Hidalgo and three miles from the
Hidalgo branch of the St. Louis. Browns
ville &. Mexican Railway. It fronts on
the great irrigation canal recently con
structed, and for beauty of location It
cannot be surpassed.
In addition to the land bought by Mr.
Bryan. Mrs. James B. Wells, of Browns
vilie, presented to Mrs. Bryan a desir
able lot at Point Isabel, on which the
Bryans have promised to build a Win
ter home.
Oregon Should ot Antasronise Taft.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Oregon's vote of 62,630 for Taft to 3S.049
for Bryan harmonizes with its Legisla
ture that is Republican by four to one.
but Is not in keeping with the idea that
a Democratic United States Senator
should be elected tp antagonize' the poli
cies of the Republican party and the Taft
administration.
Tlielr Sole Use.
Washington Herald.
"There are two words that I feel sorry
for."
"And they are?"
"Blithering and egregious. Nobody ever
uses 'em except to call some one an Idiot
or an ass."
Honors Even.
New York Sun.
Mrs. Knicker Did you carry away a sil
ver souvenir?
Mrs. Bocker Yes, so did the waiter.
CITY CRAFT AND Tl'BERCl LOSIS
Two Former Portlsnd Men Speak nt
Xrw York Health Exhibit.
Extract from New York Times. Dec. 8.
Dr. Woods Hutchinson and Rabbi
Stephen S. Wise, formerly of Portland,
Or., were speakers at a session of the
American Museum of Natural History,
i connection with the tuberculosis ex
hibit. Dr. Woods Hutchinson declared that
$25,000,000 of the city's money was be
ing wasted every year In graft and
stupid management of the city's affairs
and that for one-fourth of that sum
tuberculosis could be blotted entirely
out of the community.
"And this is no rosy dream, either."
he said, "but a reality. It would cost
about $4,000,000," he continued, "to take
out of the city and care for those who
already have tuberculosis, and about
$2,000,000 more to put Into effect ade
quate measures for the prevention of
the further spread of the disease.
Now, two-thirds of those removed from
the city to a suitable sanitarium and
properly cared for would recover, and
in a comparatively short time be able
to come back and go to work.
"It Is true, however, that unless the
dark rooms of the tenements, the un
sanitary conditlins of the factories, and
the sweatshops were removed, many of
those cured by the stay away from the
city and the treatment would probably
have a relapse Into their former con
dition, for people cannot remain well
living as many of them do.
"What is killing the people of this
city may be stated as overwork, under
feeding, and overcrowding, and two of
these may be included under the one
word underpaid. The admonition, the
message of the church and of medicine
today to the community is not 'Give to
the poor," but 'Don't take so much
away from them.'
"The war against tuberculosis is the
war for human betterment, for pure
air. pure food, pure water, and plenty
of them, and for sanitary and decent
conditions in factories, in workshops,
and tenements."
When Dr. Hutchinson concluded,
Eugene A. Philbln. chairman of the
meeting said that Dr. Hutchinson was
too modest to mention It, but that the
physician had founded the Portland
Sanitarium for the treatment of tuber
culosis cases at Portland. Or., and had
done a great work there in stamping
out the disease. It also developed that
Rabbi. Stephen S. Wise, of the Free
Synagogue, who also made one of the
addresses of the evening, was associat
ed with Dr. Hutchinson in the work
in Oregon. In introducing Rabbi Wise,
Mr. Philbln said:
"Occasionally the community will
drop off to sleep, when some one will
rise and wake it up. I present to you
one who has just done such a thing."
The audience did not seem to need
an amplification of the chairman's re
marks to catch his meaning. At any
rate. Rabbi Wise was vigorously ap
plauded, as he was many times later,
when he severely arraigned the atti
tude of the city and the community
toward the living conditions of certain
members of the community after de
claring that the very existence of
tuberculosis was a sign of moral bank
ruptcy, Rabbi Wise said:
"When $2,000,000 and more can read
ily be obtained for building a new
theater and it becomes necessary for
the city's funds to be drawn upon In
order to make up the paltry sum of
$.10,000 needed for this tuberculosis ex
hibit, then 1 say we are on the verge of
moral bankruptcy.
"Tuberculosis is a social disease and
is rooted in the fundamental lmmoral
tiy of anti-social living."
Dr. Wise said it was a lack of con
science which had lessened the supply
of oxygen, air. sunlight, and other ne
cessities of life and health in the
homes, the shops, and the factories of
New York. He declared that the real
source of all tuberculosis was "the
disease-breeding sweatshops and the
death-dealing tenement houses in
which the poor of this city have to
spend their lives."
"They used to say that my race is
immune from tuberculosis," continued
Rabbi Wise, "but this is no longer
true. My people are now the victims of
this dread disease because ef the un
ventllated factory and the crowded
tenements, the insufficient parks, and
the inadequate recreation centers in
the sections of the city in which they
are forced to live. These and the un
derwage and overwork are the pre
disposing causes of tuberculosis.
"Jacob Schift has wisely insisted
upon the right of the state to segre
gate all advanced cases of tuberculosis,
but we would add that the state has
precedent duties. If the state is to
segregate the advanced cases, it must
prevent the killing overtime and the
underwage of the worker."
This Was Poser for Mother.
New York Times.
Gustave Eberlein, the famous Ger
man sculptor, said the other day in
New York that In beauty of face and
figure the American woman excelled
all others that the American type of
beauty approached almost absolute per
fection. "In Intelligence as well," the sculp
tor resumed, "the American woman ex
eels. But now and then she has the
effect of the Intelligent she is over
positive, she is overconfident. In that
case I like to see her taken down.
"I once met a beautiful and brilliant
American woman on shipboard. She
talked splomiidjy, but she was 'very
positive positive, indeed.
" 'I am a good reader of faces,' she
said one day at luncheon. "On first
sight of a person I form my opinion of
that person's character, and I am never
wrong. I am positively never wrong.'
"'Mother,' her little boy called
shrilly from the other end of the long
table, where Ije sat with his nurse.
"'Well, what Is It. my son?' said
the mother, indulgently.
"And we all turned to hear what the
little fellow had to say.
" 'Mother,' he piped, 'I want to know
what was your opinion, mother, when
you first saw me?' "
Protection's Sole Justification.
Providence Bulletin.
Admitting that protection up to
a certain point, is justified as an em
pirical remedy, tin; fact rei?iains that
its sole justification in economics or
morals Is the plea of necessity, nnd
that when the necessity has passed the
remedy should be abandoned. Of all
the protected interests that have been
thronging to Washington during the
past two weeks none has shown that
it requires the protection it is getting:
while in many cases the need of no
protection at all has been fully demon
strated. . Would Madden a Perfect Lady.
Syracuse Herald.
And now instead of tlia t life and
death struggle between Japan and
America that Mr. Hobson has been pre
dicting comes the news of nn agree
ment between the two countries, which
in effect makes them partners in the
Pacific. Isn't it enough to make a
perfect lady mad?
.ot a Land of Plenty.
Chicago Record-Herald.
Lord Roberts is afraid the German
army may invade England. In view of
the large and increasing number of peo
ple who are unable to get enough to eat
In England, why should the German army
want to go there?
I
Combustion.
Washington Star.
I would not burn my money no
For that would be a shame;
And yet the way my coal bills erow
Seems firstti- much the tame.
SILHOUETTES
BY ARTHt'R A. ORF.ENE.
In a recently-published list of the 10
best books for children, I fall to find
"Three Weeks" or the "Decameron."
Secret society initiates and crimi
nals gets theirs by degrees.
Most women take scandal in prefer
ence to cream with their tea.
I trust I will not be accused of Nature-faking
if I Insist that the stork
is a domestic fowl.
How would It be to lock Messrs.
Roosevelt. Smith and Pulitzer in a
closed room and let them settle their
differences with Esperanto?
m
A freak Chicago lecturer declars
that there are 1,000.000 opium-users in
the United States. That means 1 in
90, including men. women and chil
dren. Uois statement Indicates that
something should be done to stamp
out Chicago's freak lecturers.
"Our George" Chamberlain returned
home Wednesday from wanderings oft,
and It was observed that the precession
of the equinoxes paused in its course,
the sun drove the clouds to back seats
and shone, while the birds sat up and
sang, "Are You Sincere?"
I have observed that many people
commemorate Christmas nnder the Im
pression that it Is the anniversary of
the discovery of baked meats and al
cohol. '
If Inflammation of the conscience
could be cured as easily as appendicitis,
how . comfortable somepeop.le would
be.
. Poetrj- is a sauce poured over stale
ideas to make them palatable.
Justice may be the bread of nations,
as some philosophers aver, but It Is
usually dough for the litigants.
m
Mr. Ilrovtn's Fate.
There Is Mrs. Philander H. Brown,
A society dame of renown:
Whose functions are worthy of note.
She dictates the fashions.
While Brown takes his rations
At a feed-house downtown called "The
Goat."
Indifference is the surest means of
reforming a flirt.
Greatness is comparative and esch
particular variety thrives only In Its
own atmosphere. In a convention of
veteran prizefighters. Tolstoi wouldn't
be one, two, three with John L. Sulli
van. ,
Revolution is the leaven in the hf
of organized society.
The first sigh of love Is the last -gasp
of wisdom. '
We all admire audacity more- than
virtue.
Logic has no lodging-place in -the
imaginative mind.
Duty is the only magistrate whose
decrees are never reversed. They -may
be delayed In execution, but soon or
late Bailiff Retribution comes along
and exacts the penalty.
i
The law of heredity is a cowardly
makeshift, which each succeeding gen
eration uses to blame Its meanness on
the old folks.
He who continually protests and
offers to prove, proves nothing.
Winks Were you ever In a rail
road holdup?
Blinks (seasoned traveler) Ves; I
always go standard Pullman.
IN THE MAGAZINE
SECTION OF THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ON HIS HUMAN SIDE
First of :t series of notable arti
cles by Ida M. Tarbcll. the. well
known historian, illustrated by
photograph f priceless value.
As the lime approaches for Lin
coln's centenary, no biographical
sketches c;in compare with these
in interest for Americans, partic
ularly the youth of the land.
CHRISTMAS TIME
IN BETHLEHEM
Scenes about the cities where
was spent the life of him whose
birth all Christendom celebrates.
SONGS OF THE NATIVITY
Utterances of Prophet. Saint
and Aposlle upon the Child of
Bethlehem.
DREADNOUGHTS FOR
THE WORLD'S FOWERS
Xine nations cieatinff floating
fortresses which make today's best
battleships back numbers.
"IT'S THE OFEN SEASON
ON DINNER SPEECHES"
says the Hotel Clerk, and he
paints a picture of modern ban
quets with ready-made oratory
that every man will recognize at
once.
IS THERE A REAL
SANTA CLAUS?
Full-page illustration in colors
appropriate to the season. ' It is
unconventional, truthful and some
what local.
ORDER EARLY FROM YOUR
NEWSDEALER