THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAN, MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1909.
fORTUND, OREGON.
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PORTLAND, MONDAY. JA.MAKI W.
DORR VS. TIIXMAN.
It doesn't appear how Bryan
Dorr, who declares his Intention to
sue Senator Tillman for libel, can ex
pect to obtain for his suit standing in
court unless the Senator will waive
his privilege, answer the complaint,
and let the trial proceed. This, most
certainly, he will not do.
Dorr's story Is very direct. Much
of It is confirmed by Tillman himself.
It does not appear that Tillman had
any right to denounce Dorr as a liar
and swindler, since Dorr knew well
that Tillman had been trying to obtain
land under terms of the Coos Bay
Wagon Road grant and therefore he
took opportunity to recommend the
like investment to his own customers
or clients, using Tillman's name In
connection with the matter as an in
ducement to them. It was done,
plainly, for "advertising purposes."
But what had Tillman actually
done? He had wired Reeder & Wat
kins, at Marshfield. Oregon, as fol
lows: "Win. E. Lee, my agent, will
see you about land. I want nine
quarters reserved; will forward appli
cations and money at once. Members
of my family are entrymen. Letter
follows." The letter that followed
was written from Chicago, Oct. 20,
1907. After quoting telegram as
above, it proceeded: "I write now to
say that I wired Mr. Lee, who resides
at Moscow, Idaho, to go at once to
Marshfield and see you about the
land, to locate qrs. for the seven
members of my family who are of
age, and one for my private secretary.
J. B. Knight, whom I desire to let
into the deal. Of course he wants a
qr. for himself."' "He" In the last
sentence doubtless refers to Lee. Thus,
as to the nine quarter sections for
which Tillman had telegraphed. -
Dorr, as a land broker, used his
knowledge of Tillman's action to
recommend his own undertaking, and
freely advertised what Tillman was
doing. It was a publicity that Tillman
did not desire; hence he had the
hardihood to deny - in the Senate
Chamber that he had "undertaken"
to obtain any land and Incidentally
he declared that Dorr was a liar and
a swindler; whereupon the postal
authorities seized Dorr's mail, his
customers quit him and many of his
former friends fell away from him.
There was. Indeed, bitterness for
Dorr. But the Injury to him would
appear to be Irreparable. Tillman
can Ignore his actions at law.
But Tillman, clearly, is In the
Foraker class, or worse. During the
period that had lapsed between his
"application" his own word for the
land, and the occasion when he rose
in the Senate to denounce Dorr, some
incident or series of events had oc
curred to change his mind. Possibly
It had occurred to him that it didn't
look well for a Senator of the United
States to be advertised in such way:
so he made the extraordinary denial
that he had bought any land, had
made application for, or undertaken
to buy any. From two points of ob
jection he never will be able to clear
himself, namely, that it will not do
for a man In his position to attempt
to make personal gain in transactions
in which any Interest of the Govern
ment or of the public Is concerned,
and that untruthful statement In the
Senate is not only an offense against
that body but against the moral sense
of the country-
But perhaps Mr. Dorr can got
Senator Tillman into court on some
thing Mr. Tillman has said outside
the Senate or published in tho news
papers. It is not probable, however,
that anything further will follow, be
yond such lasting annoyance as will
come to Mr. Tillman through continu
ous reminder by Dorr and others of
an affair for which Tillman doubtless
would be glad to have the oblivion
that Foraker needs in the matter of
his transactions with Standard "Oil.
ONE CNAVAILABI.E RESOURCE.
State Game Warden Stevenson
makes an interesting report for the
year 1908, following It with a long
list of recommendations, among which
is included one that requests enact
ment of a law making all violations
of the game law punishable by impris
onment. Mr. Stevenson concludes
that, unless some such drastic punish
ment Is provided, "no distant day will
' witness the great State of Oregon bar
ren of one native resource that to all
of us Is now a matter of pride." The
game supply of the state is to a con
siderable extent a matter of pride
with "all of us." but as a "native re-
source" It la available to only a "few
of us" who have the time, money and
inclination to hunt. Mr. Stevenson's
recommendations regarding close sea
sons and the number of birds and
: animals that can be killed in a day
and a week seem to be reasonable
and entitled to consideration.
In regard to ducks. It might be said,
however, that "all of us" who do not
' hunt would not object to a shorten
ing of the season and the granting of
permission to hunters to sell their
birds. In the long list of arrests and
prosecutions which are mentioned In
the Game Warden's report there ap
pears not a single casj of violation of
the law against selling ducks. Yet it
Is a fact well known and understood
that thousands of ducks are sold every
season. This is a feature of the law
. that should be repealed and permis
sion given the hunters to sell their
ducks without being forced to resort
to subterfuge and falsehood In order
to get rid of them.
There are a great many men who
, enjoy the sport of hunting but are
.unable to Indulge) in It without lessen-
lag the expense by Belling some of the
game they kllL The wealthy hunters
are, of course, willing that these men
should be deprived of this pleasure
which they cannot otherwise afford;
but, believing It to be an unfair law
and holding: it in contempt, the hunter
proceeds to break it by secretly selling:
his birds. In the transaction he finds
a willing ally In the purchaser, whom
the law prevents from securing game
except by going after It himself or
begging It from some hunter who
has killed it.
It is quite natural nu cwj
I hunter to present the stay-at-nome
with a few ducks and a few days later
i receive a cash present from the recip
ient Of his ravor. Uy mis luauirei i
has been possible throughout the
season to secure duck dinners at al
most any first-class restaurant In
Portland, with arrest and conviction
practically impossible. The present
law invites this secret violation where
conviction 13 impossible, and It also
deprives a largo number of people
who would not be parties to such a
transaction of the opportunity to en
Joy a game dinner at any price. Un
til ducks are much scarcer than at
present, permission should be given
hunters to sell the birds openly.
LAWS THAT ARB NOT LAWS. .
The voters of Oregon, by a foolish
initiative statute, quite as foolish as
Statement One, have undertaken to
compel every member of the Legisla
ture to vote for the candidate for
the Senate who may have received a
plurality of the popular vote. This
statute was enacted by a large ma
jority last June.
t i ofToftivA. r Is It not? Is it to
be obeyed, or is it not? Is It law, or
is it not?
Tt la not law. It never will bo
K,-d it u a farce. It Is no more
a law and creates no more obligation
than Statement One. Why? Because
both are In direct violation oi mo
Constitution and laws of the United
States. ,
Neither of these absurdities, there
fore, is law, and neither of them is
binding on anybody. . Half the Logis
Kr.im win nrininlv disregard one of
them; all members and all citizens
ought to disregard both.
A MISTAKE AND ITS MEANING.
It was a mistake, as observant peo
ple now know, to abolish the Con
stitution of Oregon. For Oregon now
has no constitution. The remaining
shreds of the thing called the consti
tution may be abolished by any initi
ative statute. In several particulars
this has been accomplished already.
It has gone further. It has attempt
ed overthrow of the method of elect
ing Senators established by the Con
stitution of the United States. It pro
poses to deprive foreigners, regarded
as "undesirable," of the right to hold
property in the State of Oregon. It
is the new method invented In this
state the newest and latest since the
overthrow at Appomattox and the sur
render of the Confederate armies of
nullification of National powers, as
well of the constitutional powers of
the state.
Has the State of Oregon a consti
tutional government, or only the gov
ernment of a temporary and uncon
trolled majority? Clearly now it has
only the latter; since any initiative
statute that the majority of the hour
may approve, may set aside every
thing that remains of constitutional
government. The effort to do this is
incessant.
But. it Is inquired, haven't the peo
ple a right to do what they will? No;
because the people are not the major
ity dealing with the special questions
of today. The people in the long run
will rule; but the majority or mob of
today, excited by some temporary
interest or notion, will not rule. For
the moment. Indeed, it may, but al
ways with disaster. Society Is not
the majority of today, nor any num
ber of voters of the time, told by the
head. It Is an organization and com
pact that Includes the past, the pres
ent and the future. It may pretend to
the idea of the equality of man, but
experience rejects that idea at every
stage. For men are not equal, and
the dogma of the equality of man it
self remains without definition. Neither
science nor experience nor reason
sanctions it; yet we are told that this
unscientific and a priori idea must be
adopted as the paramount force of
American democracy. It will be true
when all men are equal in intellectual
and moral worth, in power, in capa
city; not till then.
Herein lie the reasons why it was
a mistake to abolish the constitution
of Oregon and to substitute for it a
system liable to change by any Initi
ative statute that may be favored at
the moment by a majority, told by
the head. After the experience we
have had and are having with the
system, and shall still have, Oregon,
we believe, will some time return to
the regular and orderly and consti
tutional system; wherein necessary
changes will take place or b. effected,
not by revolutionary methods, but in
the sane and progressive way that ex
perience sanctions. As matters now
are, Oregon, that ought to be con
servative and considerate. Is getting
far out of line with the steady senti
ment and rational purposes of the
people of the United States.
KOCTES TO CENTRAL OREGON.
The Central Oregon extension of the
Harriman system will undoubtedly be
under construction within . a few
months. General Manager O'Brien,
who returned Saturday from a visit
at headquarters, announces that the
company has under consideration
three separate routes for reaching the
new territory. Of these three, the
Deschutes route calls for an estimated
expenditure of $4,600,000. An exten
sion of the Corvallls & Eastern across
th Cascade Mountains from Detroit
could be built for $2,000,000, and the
Columbia Southern could be extended
into the Central Oregon field at a cost
of $900,000. To Portland and that
vast trade field which any of these
lines would open up, it is at this time
a matter of mild indifference which
route Is followed so long as the road
Is speedily constructed and placed in
operation.
There Is, however, an economic
feature in the situation that later may
be of considerable interest to both
Portland and the railroad company.
There is a growing tendency through
out the country to limit the earning
capacity of railroads to a fair return
on the original investment, making al
lowances of course for operating ex
penses and depreciation. In a new
country like Central Oregon the effect
of this would be to shut the railroad
out of participation in the enhanced
values 'on all other Industries In the
country reached. The building of the
railroad would doubtless more than
quadruple land values in the territory
which It traverses, but the road, lim
ifoi tn amines based on its actual
cost, could not participate in this ad
vance which would be due solely to
Its own work.
A possible effect of this policy in
the case of Central Oregon might be
construction of the Shaniko exten
sion at a cost less than half of that
estimated for the Corvallls & Eastern
extension, and about one-fifth the es
timated cost of the Deschutes line.
Mr.-Harriman is famous throughout
the world for his abhorrence of grades
on nirvcs. On the Shaniko exten
sion of the system he would probably
be obliged to encounter more of both
than could be found In almost any
nthor rnntn nf similar length In the
state, and the operating and main
tenance expenses would more than off
set the saving effected in original cost
as compared with the economical
the Deschutes River. The
additional cost of the Deschutes line
might for a while bear heavier on tne
raffii. than the less expensively con
structed lines across the Cascades or
beyond Shaniko, but eventually eco
nomical operating expenses would
make the original cost seem msignui-
cant In comparison.
The Deschutes route is tne natural
route from Central Oregon to tlde
icaitr at Portland. Just as the Co
lumbia River route was the natural
highway between roruano ana ma iu
lunH F.mDlrs. Once constructed along
thA easv grades of the Deschutes
River, no other line that might enter
the field could successruny compete
with It In point of economical opera
tion. By selecting either of the
"cheap" routes the Harriman invest
ment would be materially lessened.
mt the rmhllc in the long run would
be a distinct loser in the Increased
cost of operation which it would be
obliged to pay.
FOLLOWING TUB CONSTITUTION.
In his message to the Legislature
Governor Chamberlain urges enact
ment of laws establishing a uniform
system of assessment and taxation, as
the constitution directs shall be done.
In support of this recommendation he
quotes the section of the constitution
requiring such a system, but ho makes
no extended argument in support of
his policy in this regard. None Is
necessary. Argument would be su
Derfiuous. All that Is needed Is a
quotation of the plain language of the
constitution. The policy of following
the constitution never needs an argu
ment in its support; It is violation of
the constitution that calls for long.
Intricate and perplexing discussion.
The Governor's recommendation re
garding observance of the constitu
tional requirement that assessment
and taxation shall be equal meets The
Oregonian's approval. This paper re
grets only that Governor Chamber
lain's desire to follow the constitu
tion In enactment of assessment and
taxation laws does not extend to all
requirements of that fundamental law.
For example: The constitution pro
vides that when the white population
of the state reaches 200,000, the
Legislature may proyide for the elec
tion of Supreme and Circuit Judges
in distinct classes, one of which classes
shall consist of three Justices of the
Supreme Court. This was Just as
plain a provision as a man of intelli
gence could write. It admits of no
doubt as to its meaning. Prior to the
time when the population reached
200,000, Supreme and Circuit Judges
were one class, the Supreme Judges
performing Circuit duty. At that time
there were five and could be seven
Judges. But when the new system
became effective, the old one was
abandoned, and the Supreme Court
became a tribunal presided over by
three Justices. No more; no less. No
extended argument is necessary to
show what the constitution means. All
that is necessary is to quote the sec
tion. It says what. It -means. But
Governor Chamberlain devoted four
pages of his message to a very labored
and unconvincing argument in support
of his theory that the number of
Judges Is not limited to three. He
urged the Legislature to adopt a far
fetched and . Indefensible interpreta
tion of the constitution and to provide
for election of more than three Su
preme Judges. As said before, it re
quires an extended argument to sup
port violation of the constitution.
Again: The constitution of the
state fixes the salaries pf certain state
officers at specified sums per annum.
The language of the section is per
fectly clear and direct. It was writ
ten by men who knew how to say
what they meant. It expressly de
clares that the salaries therein named
are "fixed," which means unchange
able. If It means anything. Yet Gov
ernor Chamberlain has been a party
to the violation of that section of the
constitution ever since he went Into
office, and 1s now drawing a salary In
excess of that "fixed" by the constitu
tion. He made a very extended and
labored argument in his first mes
sage In support of his policy
of evading the constitution .In
this respect. If he had chosen to fol
low and support the constitution, all
he would need to do would be to quote
the section and say: "There it ip,
gentlemen of the Legislature; it needs
no comment from me." But evasion
of the constitution always requires
discussion enough to becloud the
issue.
Undoubtedly the salaries fixed by
the constitution became too low as the
state grew In population and wealth,
and the manner of living changed.
The salaries should have been In
creased, but the change should have
been brought about In a lawful man
ner, by amending the constitution. If
the number of Supreme Judges Is too
small, the constitution should be
amended by Increasing the number.
The people have reserved the right to
amend the constitution and have
never by any possible Implication con
ferred this power 'upon the Legisla
ture. The Legislature may propose
an amendment; It cannot adopt It.
Yet Governor Chamberlain would have
the Legislature enact a law which
would, be to all intents and purposes
an amendment to the constitution.
Quite likely there are a number of
sections of the constitution out of date
and many laws upon the statute-books
which are unwise. . But so long as
they remain In effect The Oregonlan
believes they should be faithfully ob
served, . without any equivocation or
evasion. They . should be obeyed
both In letter and in spirit. While
the difference between a salary of
$1500 and one of $5000 is not great
enough to be felt by the taxpayers,
and though there would be no direct
injury if the Legislature should in
crease the number of Supreme Judges
from three to five, it makes a great
difference whether the leading men of
this state teach, by precept and exam
ple a policy of law violation or one
of law observance. Tne uregoniau
believes and will always urge that the
young people of this state should be
taught to res'pect the law, of which
the constitution is the foundation..
This paper believes that many of the
tariff laws are unjust and morally
wrong, but, it will not counsel any
person to engage in smuggling in or
der to evade the tariff. It believes
that many a murderer Is wrongfully
acquitted because of legal technicali
ties, but it does not advise lynching as
a remedy. To encourage evasion of
the law is to develop a spirit of law
lessness which gradually permeates
the entire social fabric. -
The engineer and conductor of the
Denver & Rio Grande train wrecked
Friday night had been in the employ
of the company for more than twenty
years. This long-continued service
was naturally a guarantee that they
were competent and careful men. Yet
a slight iapso of vigilance by which
they ran nine minutes ahead of their
time order caused a terrible wreck
and snuffed out the lives of more than
a score of people. It is not apparent
from the accounts of the wreck that
the road was provided with the block
signal, but even had it been it might
not have prevented tho carelessness
of the engineer. Not much blame can
be attached to the men "higher up"
In the Denver & Rio Grande when
tviov nlny-ft their deoendence in men
whom they have trusted for more
than twenty years, and no safety sys
tem ever invented can prevent such
criminal carelessness as seems to have
cansed the latest railroad horror.
Prince Ching assures the American
and British ministers that the dis
missal of Yuan Shi Kal will have no
effect on the Chinese policy as regards
the two countries mentioned. This
assurance mav be given in perfectly
good faith, and still there are doubt
ing Thomases who will wonder If the
Foreign Ministers expected Prince
Chins to tell them anything different.
The Chinese have never been noted
for announcing their policies from the
housetops, and, no matter what
changes the new power on and behind
the Chinese throne might have in
view, it would be strictly in accord
with Chinese traditions and general
policy for such changes to be unan
nounced until they became effective.
The Far East is rounding Into promis
ing position for some new sensations
within the next few mouths, and
China may be the storm center.
Is this an apology for Tillman, or
censure of him? It is taken from a
Journal of New York not unfriendly to
him: "We admit that the action
brought by the Senator In pressing
for the release of those lands to the
public was In the common interest,
but we submit that It was neither
delicacy nor discretion in Mr. Tillman
to have his agents at work, so as to
make a good Investment by the pur
chase of a few quarter sections." And
then there was the untruthful denial
in the Senate about it. .
The Montana courts are still en
gaged on a case in which the point at
issue Is the "pot" in a seven-up game
which was played in the early '90s.
After the Supreme Court had taken
four whirls at the orlgliral case, it was
finally decided, but meanwhile the in
terest on the amount had grown to
such a goodly sum that it also was
worth fighting for and the case re
appeared in the Supreme Court at
Helena last week. Montana gamblers
are either hard losers or great welch
ers. Mr. Hearst Is now warmly support
ing President Roosevelt, and Battling
Nelson, emerging from the White
House with an autographed photo of
the head of the Nation, also assures
a- waiting world that the President is
all right. With two such Indorsements
in one week, the President may feel
less hurt over the investigation of his
negro -barber and Mrs. Roosevelt's
messenger.
Our George doesn't want anything
more than to be Governor and Sen
ator, too. Why not? Isn't the whole
scheme of Statement No. 1 to deliver
state and Nation to the Democrats?
That means Oregon's one Democrat,
of course.
Spite of the heavy rain and the fact
that it was Sunday, more people were
stirring in Portland yesterday than
any time during the past twelve days.
No state where a little snow, with
barely freezing weather, knocks peo
ple out as in Oregon. .
Congress is disposed to be hilarious
because it is learned that the Presi
dent's personal barber has been loaned
by the Navy Department and is paid
$1600 per year. Well, nobody from
Congress Is able to hold him long
enough to shave him.
About all the average citizen under
stands of the crisis In China is that it
Is serious enough to get on to the first
pages of the newspapers. The tele
graph editors at least appreciate its
great gravity.
"Were there a secret ballot at Sa
lem, Brother Chamberlain would not
stand much chance. Only question is
whether men have courage to vote
in the open as they really feel in their
secret hearts that they ought to vote.
But Tillman will never get down to
an exact science the fine art of letter
writing as a means ef putting himself
In on a choice Oregon land grab, until
he adds the old familiar "Burn this
letter."
Statement No. Oners appear to be
getting more nervous than ever as the
fateful Tuesday at Salem approaches.
But why? Chamberlain was "elected"
last June.
Just a single Item of $30,000 In the
emergency bill is for automobiles for
President-elect Taft. That's what
comes of having a 325-pound admin
istration. The performance of "Ben Hur"' to
night will have at least 300 auditors
who know the wonderful story by
heart. That ought to help some.
Second week at Salem begins today
and fireworks scheduled for tomorrow.
Yet those daylight fireworks don't al
ways work well.
Raining again, and everybody
happy. This is a perverse world.
Inference Tbart Only Mulea Refuse to
"Yield to Argument. j
ASTORIA. Or., Jan. 17. (To the Edi- ,
tor.) Statement No. 1 Is merely a 1
statement of what the candidate ex- '
pects to do if elected. It Is not a j
pledge which may not be honestly bro-
ken. It is made nine months In ad-
vance and does not make allowance
for accident or changed conditions.
No reasonable man can or does ex- ,
pect another to always abide by a state- ;
ment which would be all right under
certain conditions, but entirely wrong
under other conditions. No one ex
pects a man to abide by a statement
that violates his own principles, makes
him, betray his party and makes a per
jurer of him. It is never a disgrace
to change one's mind. It Is evidence ;
of a well-balanced mind and an hon- i
est man, when one finds he has prom-
ised to do that which he finds Is wrong j
and which he has no right to do to
frankly admit the mistake and then ,
do that which is right. The members
of the Legislature are not acting for
themselves. They are acting for a
great party. They must not allow
petty pride or chagrin to lead them to
not only sacrifice themselves, but their
party and their party . friends. They
must do right.
Under our form of government a
man must be either a party man or an
independent. A party man is to act
with his party. To act with the op
position party makes him a traitor,
and one to be shunned by all men.
When a man wishes to avail himself
of the privilege of -voting In the prl- i
mary or general election ha must go
VAA-A .V, Ma.f-W nU.lr an1 Hv. 1 f H I
u i u i u tun i-j . . j - tv .
age, residence and party affiliations.
He signs his name and alongside of
his signature is a solemn oath, declar
ing all that he states is .true. When
he seeks the nomination from a party
no one may sign his petition without
taking the same oath. When he is
elected he must take another oath
swearing to support the Constitution.
When he runs for office on either
ticket he expects to receive hie party's
vote. If he 13 elected he is expected
to act with and for his party upon
all strictly party matters. It matters
not that many of the opposition party
voted for him. he owes them nothing
from a party standpoint. When men
of the opposition party voted for him
it was well known and a matter of
record that he was not of their party.
He owes them nothing. They were
trying to serve some selfish end when
they voted for a man who was opposed
to them politically.
In the coming Senatorial election the
Republican members of the Legisla
ture are answerable to the Republican
party alone. If any member of that
Legislature was elected by running on
the Republican ticket he is either a
Republican or a perjurer. If any such
man votes against well known Repub
lican principles or for a Democrat for
United States Senator he is not only
a traitor to his party, his party friends
and the men who elected him, but he
is a perjurer. There is not one con
sistent member of the Republican party
in this Nation who expects any man
who was nominated and elected on the
Republican ticket to violate his two
oaths, solemnly taken, for the sake of
allowing himself to abide by a state
ment made without a full realization
of its baneful consequences.
The Republican party of Oregon Is
not 'dead. W. S. ITRen, Governor Cham
berlain and United States Senator Jon
athan Bourne do not represent the Re
publican party or any other party,
and it is well to state this openly for
the benefit of every man who feels that
two solemn oaths should not have the
weight of one thoughtless statement se
cured by trickery and fraud.
J. B. F.,
An Astoria Republican.
ECHOES OF TTTB STORM.
This Issue of the paper is late because
it was so cold our type froze and we had
to wait for It to thaw out before wo
could print. -Canby Tribune.
On account of their being "away attend
ing the Legislature, instead of at home
attending to the family waterworks dur
ing the recent cold spell. Senator Jay
Bowerman's hot-water tank was spilt
wide open. Fossil Journal.
Some knowing ones who sought to avoid
bursting pipes by letting the water run
were rewarded with long icicles hanging
from faucets in the morning and the
water pipes frozen solidly. Hillsboro In
dependent. A frozen waterhaek stove at Dr. Wil
liams' residence exploded Tuesday morn
ing, after having a fire built In it, and
some of the heavy stove doOTS struck Mrs.
Williams, but with "the flat side to," and
fortunately not very great force. Mo
Mlnnville Telephone Register.
Attorney J. D. Slater has a couple of
badly "blistered" fingers which was the
a..it nt a uU in which his hand came
in contact with a frosted wrench a couple
of mornings ago. The wrench wouldn't
let go and the skin was torn from his
fingers. La Grande Star.
It caught many a poor fellow without
undershirt or overcoat. In thin socks or
low shoes, and most everybody was taken
by surprise at the Ice King's sudden in
vasion, and his too long and very unwel
come conquest of our sunshiny' land.
Philomath Review.
i
A kitchen range In the farm residence
of Frank Jackson, six miles beyond
Athena, blew up Wednesday morning,
through sudden thawing of the hot-water
attachment. The stove was literally torn
to fragments, and two house doors were
shattered. Mrs. Jackson was badly burned
and narrowly escaped death. Weston
Leader.
The Leader was Issued Tuesday under
trying conditions Ink frozen, press stuck
and pressman in violent rage, 100 In the
shade, while the mercury was hovering
around zero. We hope It will be another
15 years before the weather clerk goes off
on another Jamboree like this one. Cot
tage Grove Leader.
We don't know Just who the Joke is on.
Mr. Walton, who is stopping at the James
Dennis home, came all the way from New
Brunswick to try Sherman County's mild
Winter climate. And Just see what he
has run up against, viz., almost two feet
of snow and the thermometer touching
the 30-degree-below-zero mark. Grass
Valley Journal.
We have had as bad storms before, and
will again. About 26 years ago we had
three feet of snow, and then oldtomers
remember In 1S87, when the Winter began
on the 2d of February and lasted until
away In March. That was the time we
fed the etraw out of the. beds to the
horses; as to the sheep, they would eat
the springs If they got them. Then you
remember the year when we had the two
Winters. We saw sheepskins that year
head to tail on every fence from the
Burnt Ranch to Canyon City, a distance
of nearly 100 miles. Every Juniper had
its bunch of dead cattle. Condon Times.
The local potato famine has been some
what relieved by the arrival of two large
loads of excellent tubers from Crook
County, which were sold here at reason
able figures. Arrangements are made for
several more loads to follow, and the
probability is the fellows who have cached
their potatoes away In pits awaiting the
chance to cinch the consumer 5 or 6
cents a pound will not only find the
greater portion of their supply water
soaked and spoiled, but will find little de
mand for even the good ones. Harney
County News.
WHAT DOES OREGON REALLY WANT?
fa It Popular Will That Democrat Go to the Senate Why Did Not Demo
cratic Legislators in 1003 Vote for the Republican Aomlnee for Sen
ator Waa Not Geer Then the Popular Choicer
PORTLAND, Jan. IS. (To the Editor.)
It Is stoutly claimed in some quarters that
tho Oregon Legislature, ' Republican by a
three-fourths majority, is about to disem
bowel the Republican party of the state
by choosing a Democratic United States
Senator. There Is time yet for those Re
publicans who contemplate this disastrous
move to think better of the intended
thrust at the party to which they profess
to belong and serve the Interests of those
who elected them, for the reason that
they were not Democrats but Republicans.
That the people of Oregon want a Dem
ocratic United States Senator is one of
the most preposterous absurdities to which
Democratic demagogues have recently put
the force of their combined and unceas
ing cry. That any Republican should lend
his vote to the success of such a consum
mation is unbelievable, since he knows
as well as he understands the difference
between day and night that in overwhelm
ing numbers the Republicans of the state
want a Republican United States Senator.
To say otherwise Is simply to Bcoff a$
the groundwork of common sense and to
proclaim one'e self unfit to represent the
people. i
Regarding this proposed step on the part
of those who still profess loyalty to Re
publican principles and whose constitu
ents In every county are Republicans by
large majorities, there axe several things
which may Just now very appropriately
be said before this bolo-thrust is made at
the very vitals of the Republican party
of Oregon.
It is inconceivable and therefore inde
fensible to claim that the public senti
ment of this state is in favor of the elec
tion of a United States Senator who has
declared himself In accord with the prin
ciples of William J. Bryan and who sup
ported him for President two months ago.
With this fact before him, any member
of the Legislature who votes for Cham
berlain next Tuesday on the plea that he
Is bound by his loyalty to the "will of
the people" should be taken before a
competent commission and examined as
to his sanity.
There Is not one Republican Statement
member of either house of the Legislature
but who will freely admit that. If express
ing his own choice for United States Sen
ator, he would not vote for Chamberlain
at all yet he has already taken an oath
to support the Constitution of the United
States, the supreme law of the land, which
plainly says that the State Legislatures
shall "choose" the United States Senators.
There are some things even the people
cannot do under the Constitution of the
United States many things, in fact and
among them is the choosing of a United
States Senator.
This fact Is admitted by every man who
is In favor of an amendment to the Fed
eral Constitution permitting the direct
election of Senators.
The Legislature has as much right to
elect members of Congress as the people
have to elect United States Senators un
der the Federal Constitution as It is as
CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT
Motive and Disposition of Conirreaa In
Its Hostility to Rooaevelt.
In view of the growing hostility of
Congress to the President and the
constant nagging of members In small
matters, the following from the New
York Evening Post, on "the mind and
disposition" of Congress toward him,
is an interesting statement:
All this, however, only throws us
back on the question why Congress
should have been heaping up so In
tense a hatred of the President. Was
it due to Jealousy of. his popularity?
Was It envy of his fameT Was it even
resentment at his dictatorial manners?
None of these things. The truth of
the matter it Is a delicate thing to
Btate, but no one who has any ac
quaintance with Congressmen, no one
who knows Washington, can have any
doubt, what that truth la
It Is, in a word, that Congress does
not believe in President Roosevelt's
moral sincerity. It thinks him hypo
critical. He has lectured it and the
country on truthfulness, yet nine out
of ten Congressmen believe Mr. Roose
velt himself to be habitually untruth
ful. He has posed as a champion of
fair play, yet Congressmen believe him
to fight foul. They picture him as
living In and delighting In an atmos
phere of suspicion, Intrigue and cal
umny. His talk of the square deal they
scoff at as sheer pretense. They say
that he protects favorites, such as Paul
Morton and the Steel Corporation,
while furiously prosecuting his ene
mies or those whom he thinks he can
make political capital by attacking. In
short. Congress is thoroughly convinced
that all the superior moral exhorta
tion which it has had from President
Roosevelt has come from a man who
allows in himself the thing he con
demns in others.
Mind, we do not say that Congress
is right about it. We only state what
It believes to be true. Congressmen
may be deceived, but there can be no
question that this Is what they hon
estly think about the President.
Wife Made Her Huabnnd'a Jude.
Omaha Dispatch to the Philadelphia
Inquirer.
In the Omaha Police Court Mrs.
Frank Frelhab accepted an Invitation
from Judge Crawford to take his place
on the bench while her husband was on
trial on a charge of abusing his wife and
children.
"You may do whatever you please
with this man who has abused you, so
long as you keep within the law," said
Judge Crawford.
Freihab had an attorney, and his trial
proceeded, with his wife acting as police
judge. .
When the witnesses had testified
Judge Crawford held a consultation
with the wife. She decided that Frei
hab should be sentenced to one day's
confinement in jail, the minimum pen
alty. Judge Crawford imposed sentence.
High Art and the Box Office.
St Louis Globe-Democrat.
A $750,000 theater has Just opened
In New York a year ahead of the date
set for the New Theater to be devoted
to high art. But no complaint of riv
alry Is heard. No well-regulated per
son will complain If high art has a
boom. Before the matter can be set
tled the box office must be heard from.
ED
Drawing; a Distinction.
The Commoner.
Minority Leader Champ Clark and
Speaker Joseph Cannon use the same
words, but Mr. Clark uses them with
finer discrimination and not quite so
much profane emphasis.
every member of the Oregon Legislatura
has sworn to support It.
But, dismissing the legal and binding
force of an oath to support the Federal
Constitution if it is to be ignored and
violated it is pertinent to say . that no
man can with a shadow of reason claim
that he is representing the people of Ore
gon when he casts his vote for an antl
Taft man and loyal supporter of Willlimi
J. Bryan to sit in the United States Sen
ate for six years.
Any other plea sets forth a better ex
cuse for voting for Chamberlain than tha
gauzy one that his election would repre
sent the will of the people of Oregon.
The election of a Republican to the
United Slates Senate by this Legislatura
would be hailed with delight by fl per
cent of the Republicans of Oregon, and
the other 1 per cent would scarcely glva
expression to any disappointment that tha
Legislature had refused to send a Bryan
man to the Senate.
Indeed, the particular nature of the ob
jection of 6uch Republicans would maka
Interesting reading the squaring of al
leged Republicanism with outspoken Bry
an ism.
In his message Chamberlain laya great
stress on the binding force of a popular
vote for Senator, yet six years ago, when
the Republican candidate for Senator had
received 12,000 majority over his Demo
cratic opponent, and Samuel White, chair
man of the State Democratic Committee,
had personally assured the successful can'
didate that, when the vote of the 17 Dem
ocratic members would serve to eloct, they
were forthcoming, since the Democracy
were believers in the principle of dlreol
election of Senators, not one Democratla
member of either house deserted the Dem
ocratio camp, though on several balloti
their support would have elected "tha
people's candidate."
C. E. S. Wood, the Democratic candi
date, also advised the same course, but
through the personal objection of Gover
nor Chamberlain on the ground that tha
defeat of the candidate who had received
the popular vote "would be good Demo
cratic politics," the Democratic support
was withheld.
Now, It is said, there are Republican
members of the Legislature who intend
to fall bodily Into the ways of the Demo
cratic machine, which Is playing "good
Democratic politics," and send an out
spoken Bryan man to the Sonata in ordel
to comply with the sentiment of the peo
ple of Oregonl
It is unbelievable, but one thing Is cer
tain: If this programme shall be carried
out, as The Oregonlan so well said a
day or two ago, there are tens of thou
sands of Republicans who will simply re
fuse further to support such a nullifica
tion of party principles, paralysis of partj
organization and violation of known pub
llo sentiment. The people of Oregon In
overwhelming numbers want a Republican
United States Senator, and no Republican
member of either house of the Legislatura
who votes for Bryanlsm next Tuesday will
ever be renominated for another term In
that body If the Democrats can be kepi
out of the Republican primaries.
PIONEER REPUBLICAN.
AN ESSAT ON GENIUS.
With Remarks on Some of Ita I.lmlta
tlona and Defects.
Great men, says the London Times,
especially those distinguished by ardori
of belief or Intensity of efTort. are
apt to be possessed by such prejudices
and to express them in season and oat
of season; and smaller men are apt to
take a malicious pleasure In the fact,
as If It brought the great nearer to
themselves. Michael Angelo, for in
stance, called Peruglno a bungler; and
It Is pleasant for the modern student
of art to feel that he can see beauties
to which the greatest of artists was
blind. Beethoven thought that Mozari
had degraded his genius upon the im
moral theme of "Don Giovanni;" and
any one now can smile at his irrele
vant prudery. Napoleon talked about
women just as Irrationally as Milton,
and Byron professed to think Pope a
greater poet than Shakepseare. As tot
Dr. Johnson, prejudices throve In his
mind like weeds in a rich soil. Ha
could not keep them even out of hH
dictionary. They were excited by any
pretext, and in a moment could turn
his profound sagacity to folly. So It
was with Ruskln, who wrote like an
angel when he was not provoked to
scream like a child. So It was with
Carlyle, and even with William Morris,
the wisest and most patient of men
where none of his prejudices was con
cerned. Those of us who do not try to ex
plain genius away altogether are apt
to expect too much from it- . . No
man can be always on his guard agalnsl
hi3 own more subtle weaknesses; and
genius, being lavish In the positive
effort of achievement, is apt to forego
the negative efTort of avoidance. Tha
great mind, which has spent all its
powers upon what It loves, betrays Its
weakness In irrational hates. GiviniJ
so much to the world, it resents bit
terly any kind of hindrance to its own
activities. Milton, for instance. Ilka
his own last hero, had a "lot unfortu
nate in nuptial choice;" at least, his
first wife ran away from him; and no
doubt he thought it a bitter injustic.i
that a man born and dedicated to high
poetry should be distracted from his
task by such troubles. It seemed to
him that women were the chief nui
sance in the world, and would continue
to be until they were utterly subject
to men. He generalized from lus own
particular case because he was filled
with a sense of his own high mission
and thought that nothing should Inter
fere with that.
He might be taken as an Instance of
the egotism of genius; but it is not
egotism that absorbs a man In his
work. The man of genius is absorbed,
not in himself, but in somethinfr out
side himself. And this fact distin
guishes him at once from the egotist,
although It may produce many of the
symptoms of egotism. . . . No doubt
men of genius enjoy indulging them
selves In prejudice as a relaxation
from the strain of their serious work.
In that work they have to govern and
discipline their emotions; and when it
is over they are glad to let their emo
tions run free for a while from th
control of reason. But thoy are not
therefore irrational: Indeed, we m.i
be pretty sure that Johnson would
never have abandoned his mind so free
ly to prejudice If he had not all thn
while been secure in his own ""entl..!
sagacity. He could play tricks wltli
himself that less sane men would never
venture on. He would unstring tho
bow because he knew that he could
string it again whenever he chose.
There Is some timidity in the moderate
opinions of average men. from which
s-enlus Is free. Genius is seldom afrnl.l
to reveal all of itself, all its weak
ness and strength, to the world. Ab
sorbed in Its own main work. It cares
little what the world may think of it
minor weaknesses and perversities.