Morning Oregonian., January 26, 1909, Page 8, Image 8

THE MORNING? OREGOXIAN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1909.
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POKTLASD. Tl l-IDAI. JAM'AKV S6. 1909.
A TIME TO COXSimtR.
Jhe situation as to taxes In Oregon,
and especially In Pontfc-ind and Multno
mah County, Is a sitctation that must
give all citizens who realize their re
sponsibilities deepest concern.
It Is regarded as certain that the
ratio-tax apportionment system that
has stood for some years will now be
held unconstitutional. This will force
readjustment of the stnte tax. It will
throw on Multnomah a charge more
than $100,000 In excess of that hith
erto calculated. That wouldn't he so
much In Itself: but here are claims for
extravagant things 'of every kind. In
state, county and city; and the claim
ants for "more" are without modera
tion or pity. What is the Legislature
to do with them? What will city and
county do with them? These people
want right now. demand right now.
everything the city and county may
have fifty years from now, and more.
But Portland and Oregon ought to
realize that all things that may be
wanted cannot be had now, or done
now, or provided at once. We don't
get all things we want, nor more than
a small part of the things we want. In
our private lives; nor should we expect
to get them In our public afTalrs.
Failure of our tax system and
necessary change to another will throw
everything Into confusion, with cer
tainty of more burdens on the tax
payer, at every step. The Legislature
therefore may be implored to scru
tinize everything, keep appropriations
within closest possible limits, authorize
no additional expenditures beyond ac
tual necessity, and reject all applica
tions for Increased salaries and more
official places. It is really a crisis in
the affairs of the state, and it would
be most unwise not to understand It
as It is.
If we cannot retrench, at least we
can prevent, and we should prevent,
further excess. It fa' la as a duty not
only on the Legislature, but on munici
pal and county authorities. In every
part of the state. especially on those
of Portland and Multnomah County.
The present Courthouse Is good enough
for years yet to come; the Jails of
city and county are good enough habi
tations for the drunken vagabonds and
petty larceny thieves that fill them.
Citizens and taxpayers are entitled to
mercy.
As to state taxes, the extraordinary
inerease of the assessment in Multno
mah Is bearing fruit. Th. assessed
value of the property of Portland is
more than one-half that of Chicago,
and the per caput taxation twice as
large. Chicago's tax is $11.38 per
caput. That of Portland exceeds $20.
It Is Just as well to look these things
full In the face.
WAIL OF THE (".AMIiU.K.
Somewhat lugubrious are the walls
that are heard from California re
garding the doom of racetrack gamb
ling. The "sport of kings," which In
the hands of blacklegs, crooks and
gamblers has to an overwhelming ex
tent degenerated Into the "sport of
knaves." is receiving the same kind
of a drubbing at Sacramento that was
given it at Albany, N. Y., and New
Orleans. In the San Francisco news
we are told that "The great breeding
farms which have made California fa
mous the world over, will receive a
blow, the racetrack followers assert,
that will sound the death knell to
many of these Institutions." The
breeding farms which made California
famous the world over, were those
which developed harness horses of the
type of Azote. Alix. Searchlight and a
large number of other prominent
world-beaters that were as useless to
the poolroom gamblers and racetrack
touts and hangers-on as the cheap
equine "skates" and "selling-platers"
now used as animated racing machines
are to the true lover of horseflesh.
Poolroom and racetrack gambling
were responsible for the loss to Cali
fornia of the prestige she once en
Joyed as a breeder of kings and queens
of the turf, and that prestige will not
be regained until the ban Is placed tm
poolroom and racetrack gambling on
sure thing races. "There are hun
dreds of poolrooms being conducted
both openly and surreptitiously In this
city and elsewhere." says a San Fran
cisco dispatch, "and their closing
down will add greatly to the Idle popu
lation of the state." The assumption
from this statement would be that this
army of gamblers, touts and hangers
on. had no Intention of engaging In
honest labor. It la difficult to aee
wherein they will Increase the "Idle"
population of the state, for the laziest
Weary Willie that ever carried a to
mato can Is a more useful "worker"
than the "Idlers" that rob the- gullible
fools who wager their money against
races, which in most cases are so ad
mirably arranged beforehand that the
results ore known weforo the horses
leave the paddock.
New York has not suffered by clos
ing racetrack gambling and California
will not suffer by doing likewise. It
may be a trifle severe at the beginning
for some of the parasites who have
for so long lived off the earnings of
their victims, now to be compelled to
cease Idling and go to work: but In the
end It will work out all right. There
will be fewer embezzlers, fewer sui-
I elds, and Innocent women and children
1 will fee spared a world of suffering If
here la no longer an opportunity for
the head of the house to be roobea
by the poolrooms.
-THE MAD PTRSrlT OT WEALTH."
A lot of stuff Is uttered about "the
mad rush for money." This way of
putting the statement 1s misleading.
What is called the mad rush for money
Is simply an energetic desire to do
business. It marks the difference be
tween an inactive and Inefficient man,
and an earnest, energetic and enter
prising one.
To do business It is necessary to
have command of money. This means
credit, also. Is it right to push busi
ness or Is It not?
On the one hand we have a lot of
people deploring the existence of
drones and mossbacks among us.
These people ought to be the delight
of all who reclaim against the mad
rush "for money. On the other, we
have active and enterprising men Who
push things, work hard literally day
and night. In the endeavor to obtain
the money or control of the capital
necessary for the undertakings that
the country is waiting for. These, our
preacflers tell us, are monty mad.
It is The Oregonlan's opinion that
the mad rush for money in this coun
try Is not half mad enough. What the
country needs Is more energy, more
Industry, larger accumulations of
wealth; more railroads or means of
building them; more farms, more hogs,
more mills, more lumber; and above
all, more willingness to work. The
country has too many who sit down
and don't care to work or make
money; who are too "tired" to Join In
the mad pursuit of wealth. Do we
want an aristocracy of rags, saintllness
and Indolence? Why didn't we leave
the aborigines In possession of the
country'? There was no mad pursuit
of wealth among them.
It would be well for Oregon if the
mad pursuit of wealth were mad
enough to produce the bacon and but
ter and beans necessary to feed tho
people.
GREATKKT OF PHFSF.NT DAXtiERS.
In Washington, as In Oregon, there
Is a feeling that pledges to "represent
the people," and to "carry out their
.will," are liable to abuse and will al
most certainly lead to abuse. In the
Legislature of Oregon there is a bill
to make It an offence a legal of
fence to take a pledge of tho kind.
In the Legislature of Washington a
like bill has appeared. In both states
the protest Is well founded. It Is
based on no protest against the Idea
or carrying out the will of the people,
which in the long run will surely pro
vail as It must prevail and ought to
prevail. But It Is a protest against the
assumption, first, that some of the
people, calling themselves the people,
have a right to arrogate to themselves
all the discretion of their representa
tives, and to exact pledges on specific
things, which the majority docs not
approve putting the lesser thing
above the greater. Candidates for of
fice are prone to this, for the sake of
getting the votes of persons who put
their own fads above the general Inter
est and welfare of the general body.
It destroys rational and representative
government.
Therefore the bills, in the Legisla
tures of the two states, are well found
ed. The general principle is that If
a man who Is a candidate for any of
fice, say in any school board, or city
council, for the legislature or for
county office or for any position what
ever if-it should' appear that he had
made a pledge to support any person
or to oppose him, or to support any
measure or to oppose It, even on a
contingency that might or might not
arise such person should bo disquali
fied from taking the oath of office.
Now, Indeed, when the abuse of
"pledges" Is made clear, and the con
sequences apparent. Is the time for en
actment of such statutes as have been
proposed in the Legislatures of these
two states.
No section of the people no sec
tion of the people, large or small Is
the people. But small factions banking
on special fads, and potions of various
kinds, that In no way are approved by
the majority, obtain "pledges" from
candidates for office, on condition of
withholding their votes. Then chaos.
The cranky notions of small factions
are thus advanced to the position of
first or important principles; and the
real purposes of the people are thus
defeated. This Is the exact' state of
the case in the matter of the recent
Senatorial election In Oregon. The
objects of the bill before the Legisla
ture of Washington are set forth by
the Seattle Times, In terms that will
apply with equal force to conditions
In Oregon, to wit.:
The bill In aimed directly at the
"pledged" candidate the man who In order
to obtain votes haa aold at teaet a portion
of hie rights aa a representative of his con
stituents, and Is bound on his word of
honor to & certain portion of them Just aa
much aa If he bad Been mroa oy a cor
poration. In the jteneraJ programme of our repub
lican form of government It was intended
that the people should elect their repre
sentatives m the state legislatures and other
legislative bodies within the state and that
these men should act as the representa
tives with no other reatrictiona that those
intsed by honesty, morality and a gen
eral desire to serve the best intereata of
their constituents.
This was tha actual status of affairs until
a few yeara a to when certain elements
among active and progressiva "reformers"
began the use of the ante-election pledge.
This system aa it exists today Is In many
respecta nothlna; more nor lesa than black
mall. Tha candidate for legislative office la
compelled to bind himself to certain meas
ures favored by these "reform" organi
zations, irrespective of whether their worth
appeals to him or t tho majority of his
constituents, under pain of having the
more or less chimerical but always possible
strength of the organization thrown against
his candidacy should he dare to refuse.
It really makes a travesty of repre
sentative government of government
that represents the real will of the
people and destroys It. It la the most
Immoral system ever Invented or em
ployed. It substitutes the will of crazy
factions of the people for the will of
the whole people, and constitutes the
greatest and gravest of all dangers to
the rule of enlightened democracy.
If democracy Is to prevail, and to
make progress. It must reject a. sys
tem that substitutes for the real will
of the people the will of crazy or
thoughtless factions. It must adhere
to the tried, proved and accepted prin
ciples of representative government.
The legislator must be an Independent
man. representative of the general
will at least of the will of the party
that haa elected him and whose gen
eral principles he professes not
bound by pledges to devotees of
whims, notions, fads and follies. There
haa been plenty of this In Oregon, and
will be lesa hereafter. Candldatea for
office will not. In future, "take
pledges" urged with zeal and folly,
more than with aense. aa they have
been doing for some yeara past. Never
ngain shall we hear the cry of dis
tress and agony that came from the
tricked and trapped members of the
Legislature of Oregon, on a recent
occasion. The lesson Is complete.
THE BE ALB CROSING BILL.
The Beals law, which increases to a
large extent the cost of holding tim
ber land in Isolated regions, can hardly
fall to lower the price of timber in a
large portion of the state. It will also
work a hardship on thousands of poor
but thrifty young men and women who
have taken up timber claims in what
are now Inaccessible portions of the
state. Many of these people are un
able to pay the cost of a cruise at' this
time, and may be obliged to sell their
land at a sacrifice rather than incur
the necessary Indebtedness. The law
will have the effect of hastening the
cutting of timber on lands which are
already accessible, and will denude
the land much more rapidly than
would be the case If the burden of
holding the timber were made less
onerous.
The owners of the .millions of acres
In the Coast Range, being unable to
market their timber, twill, if the law
shall pass, have no recourse but to
get out from under the increased cost
of holding by selling to speculators
who are willing to take a chance on a
repeal of the law or the coming of
transportation which will enable them
speedily to denude the land.
LAST TEAK'S MIROKRSS.
The alluring industry of murder re
ceived something of a check in Oregon
last year, though the reader should not
Jump to the conclusion that It Is
threatened with extinction by any
means. The total number of homi
cides was reduced from 66 In 190" to
62 in 1908, that Is all. The reduction
amounts to Just 7 1-7 per cent. Since
Portland had ten more homicides In
1908 than in 1907. the rest of the state
must have had 14 less. Still the ac
tual number for the rural counties
amounted to twenty-seven, which is far
too many. The fact that the record
outside of Multnomah County Is a lit
tle better than it was two years ago
may be attributed to a decidedly In
creased activity on the part of the
courts. The murderers have been ap
prehended promptly as a rule, and
punctually brought to trial. Nor has
there been undue procrastination In
disposing of the cases. The result may
not always have been what exact Jus
tice demanded, but there was usually
a result of some kind. The crimin
als have not escaped arrest, nor have
their trials been put off from term to
term. Some of the convicted murder
ers have appealed to the Supreme
Court, but that is not the fault of the
trial judge. Upon the whole it is fair'
to give the courts the credltfor tho
encournglng decrease of homicides In
the rural counties of Oregon.
Who, then, should bear the blame
for the discouraging Increase tn Mult
nomah County? Here we had ten more
murders in 1908 than in the preceding
year, an Increase of two-thirds. To
say that the comparative immunity
which murder enjoys here has been
the cause of this Increase would' be
somewhat rash, perhaps; and yet
where murder Is safe we must expect
it to be frequent. Of the twenty-five
persons who committed homicide in
Multnomah County last year, nine have
not been arrested arid probably will
not be. Three others have been ac
quitted, making twelve who have thus
far escaped punishment. The chances
are, therefore, almost exactly even that
a man who kills another will escape
scot free. 'Under severe temptation
an even chance of Impunity strips
crime of Its terrors and causes retri
bution to seem vague and remote. The
maxim that it Is the certainty of pun
ishment and not Its severity which de
ters from crime has been repeated of
ten, but it will bear recalling once
more to the officers of Justice In Port
land. One naturally finds some satisfaction
In the fact that three of Portland's
murderers have been sentenced to be
hanged, but the satisfaction grows a
little wan when it is observed that two
of them have appealed their cases to
the Supreme Court. The difficulty of
trying a criminal strictly In accordance
with the requirements of legal technic
Is so great that the higher tribunals
can too often find grounds for reversal
If they are so disposed, and usually
they Incline to the side of the accused.
When a case has been -appealed the
chances are too much in favor of Its
being either reversed or dismissed, and
that without any regard to the right
Involved, but solely for some little slip
In the procedure. This, of course, adds
to the already even chances of escape
for the murderer and removes another
deterrent to the commission of crime.
It Is Interesting to speculate what will
become of peaceably disposed citizens
In Multnomah County If things go on
as they are now moving. Another In
crease of two-thirds In our murder roll
will bring the number this year up to
more than forty, and of the criminals
we may expect at least twenty to evade
punishment In one way or another. No
civilized communities In the , world
have so many homicides as some
American cities in proportion to the
number of people, except a few places
In Russia and the Inaccessible regions
of Italy. ,
The escape of nine homicides out of
twenty-five without arrest indicates a
certain lack either of alertness or abil
ity In the police department. Admit
ting that we have not police officers
enough to patrol the city properly, and
not enough detectives to pursue and
apprehend criminals, still the paucity
of the force will not account for
everything. There Is clearly some
neglect of duty or some Inability to
understand and perform it. But, after
Imposing all the blame It deserves
upon the police department, the glar
ing truth remains that the probable
cause for our excessive number of
murders Is the expectation of escaping
punishment through legal technicali
ties. The ao-called "unwritten law" In
duces aome homicides which would
never be committed "without Its prom
ised shelter, but not a great many.
The sentimentality which gives force
to the unwritten law easily rebels
when It Is called upon too frequently.
The main hope of the person who de
liberately plans to commit murder
and weighs the chances of impunity Is
the minute complications of legal pro
cedure. He trusts the lawyers to break
the spirit of the law by Insisting upon
its forms and bring him off clear of
punishment. The fact that the law
yers can do this and are willing to
do It for money Is one of the crying
evils of our time. How much better is
It from an ethical point of view to sell
Immunity to a murderer who Is known
to be guilty than to hire an assassin
to commit murder?
Great Britain, with eoal mines hav
Ing a aurface area of but 12,000 square
miles, last rear mined 207,895,968 tons
of coal, of which 75,675,000 tons were
exported, the receipts from this Indus
try being one of the most potent fac
tors in the trade of the empire. The I
possibilities for development in Amer
ican coal mines are striking In com
parison, for West Virginia, which has
only recently begun development of
the Industry on a large scale, has 62,
000 miles of surface area of cool-bearing
lands and the output last year was
53,000.000 tons. The output of-the
British Isles Is still holding up to rec
ord proportions, but, as It is fbeing
mined on deepening levels, the cost
steadily Increases and makes it more
difficult for the British collieries to
meet the competition of those more
favorably situated In other parts of
the world.
William E. Curtis, analyzing the
opposition In Congress and. before
Congress, to the postal savings bank
bill, explains that it springs from sev
eral sources. First, narrow-minded
managers of state and local banks,
who fear they will lose their deposit
ors; second, from the savings banks
already established, who fear their de
positors will transfer their accounts;
third, from people who think the Gov
ernment ought not to go Into the bank
ing business, and, finally, from the
members of the Currency Commission,
who believe that the enactment of a
law establishing postal savings banks
at this time will Interfere with a gen
eral reform of the currency system.
Several Senators and Representatives
have added to their other objections
the remark that the measure should
be avoided because it Is another step
toward paternalism.
The assessed value of property In the
State of Illinois, for purposes of taxa
tion, in the year 1903, was $1,261,034,
437. The property of Oregon is as
sessed for taxation at $598,000,000, or
nearly one-half that of Illinois. Valu
ations In Illinois have been kept down,
as a means of holding down public
expenditures; in Oregon they have
been raised as a means of increasing
them. In actual values the property
of Oregon Is not more than one-twentieth
part that of Illinois. Every per
son who owns property In Oregon is
being devoured by tax-eaters: and they
all clamor for "more." Illinois has
ten times the population of Oregon,
and twenty times the wealth: yet her
valuation for taxes Is but little more
than one-half ours. We shall sit up
here and take notice, pretty soon.
On the Atlantic passenger steamers
they don't keep the whistles blowing
and the foghorns roaring during foggy
and dark hours of morning, because
the noise would disturb the gentle
creatures, break their sleep, of which
they stand in need after the arduous
social scenes of the night, and, more
over, it might create alarm among the
ladies; so they drive right ahead
willing to please. Now if these people,
who want unbroken rest, and don't
like steam whistles and foghorns,
would get into the peaceful vales of
Crook County, or of Yamhill, and tend
the sheep and milk the cows and hoe
the potatoes, they could lead a quiet
and ideal life, undisturbed by beastly
noises.
"Fervet opus," wrote Vergil about
the work that the Trojan hero saw
when he landed at Carthage, and be
held the rapid rise of buildings of the
city. "The work proceeds brlr.kly,
glows, burns." The expression exactly
describes what is doing on the great
building for the Meier & Frank Com
pany, as seen from The Oregonlan's
windows. No other work In Portland
was ever pushed with tqual energy and
Skill. .
It will be wise to wait a month or
two before holding obsequies on fruit
trees thought to have been killed by
cold weather. Nature has a wonder
ful way of 'healing and recuperating,
and the warm days of Spring will show
how well she works. If some outer
limbs were frozen and are dead, It may
be Nature's way to Jog the man who la
afraid to prune.
Senator Chamberlain la In favor of
protection of the products of Oregon
wool, lumber, hops, etc. No longer,
therefore shall we have speeches from
the Democratic orators and essays
from the Democratic newspapers of
Oregon on "the iniquities of protec
tion."
The man who seeks the glory of sui
cide without the possible dangers
which It may entail In the next world
should ring the bell before he swallows
the poison. It Is a pity that A. Zan
noy could not have lived to profit by
the obvious lesson of his experience.
Suppose, after all, it were discov
ered that the Maine was blown up
from the Inside? Nothing much would
hnnnen "Remember the Maine" could
easily be altered to "Forget the Maine,"
and a few blushes would finish the
tale.
Whenever a controversy Is submit
ted to arbitration a majority of the
arbitrators may decide the dispute.
Why, then, ahould not a three-fourths
majority of a Jury find a verdict In any
cause tried before them upon the evi
dence? Under our Justly celebrated method
of assessing at par, Multnomah must
pay the state $100,000 more than its
proportionate share of state taxes.
That ought to make everybody feel
better.
President-elect Taft finds It neces
sary to go .-to Panama again to look
after the canal, since there is no way
to bring the canal here. But don't
worry. The canal will be built.
Any party that has leaders, or any
party whose able men take an Interest
In public affairs. Is "boss-ridden." P.
S. No patent or copyright on this
statement. The fact Is very old.
Portland l!lks who propose to stir
things up In Los Angeles next July,
need to provide themselves with In
formation concerning midsummer
temperature in that region.
Has it ever occurred to Senator
Bailey how much preferable to a play
ground board a little playground grass
would be?
If the worth of our state government
Is measured by Its cost, it must be be
Improving a good deal faster than ap
pearances Indicate.
The Republic-Florida Incident takes
wireless telegraphy entirely out of the
tey-class. It la the greatest modern
marvel. '
COMPARISON OF RECORDS,
Dr. Wheeler Hakes Answer to Certain
Criticisms.
PORTLAND, Jan. 25. (To the Ed
itor.) In an article published in your
paper of June 22, Mr. Rushlight Is re
ported as saying "I know that Dr.
Wheeler's quarantine methods were
poor." and to substantiate his state
ment related a telephone conversation
which he had with Dr. Wheeler. Now,
if Mr. Rushlight will refresh his mem
ory he will remember that I did not
send one man with a Gatling gun, but
that the Chief of Police, by my re
quest, did send two policemen, one to
guard his unruly neighbor by day and
the other by night, in order to prevent
him from further spreading the small
pox. In order to convince Mr. Rushlight
and. the public generally that the re
sults of my methods were good, I am
compelled to make comparison of the
vear 1908, during which I served 11
months, with the year 1908. We are
told that the administration of the
Health Department for 1908 was ex
cellent; that the death rate was lower
than ever before; that there was less
sickness among the children; that the
City of Portland got Just what It paid
for, etc., etc.
In order to show the results I will
take the preventable transmissible dis
eases which most occupy the attention
of the Health Office, viz., diphtheria,
scarlet fever, typhoid fever and small
pox. Diphtheria.
190o. 190S.
January 19 2
February 1 4''
March 19 4
April U
Slav 1" o2
June 18 .
July 7 21
August 11 IS
September ln
October -" ?
November 15 :,8
Iecember 27 29
Total IBS 4-13
Difference
Scarlet Fever.
1908. 190S.
January o 13
February 1 1-
March 3 II
April 7 12
Mav 1.1 in
June S
Julv I K
Aifrust 1 "
September 2 1
Oi-toher 8 8
November 10 IS
December 2 1ft
Total "8 US
Difference 80
Typhoid Fever.
1908. lOOt.
January 1 4u
February 1- 13
Varh
April 0 31
May 6 lei
June 8 3
July 8
Ausust 19 39
September 13 43
October 30 33
November 9 24
December lo lo
Total 135 24T
Difference It
Ivmnlloox.
1908. 190S.
January 1 13
February , 8 8
March 11
April 5 i'l
May 6 Sn
Juno
July . 1 .
AuRiiat
cVllember 4
October 2l!
November .. 2
December -1
Total , 33 21HI
Difference 2o8
These statistics show an Increase
of these diseases ln 1908 over 1906,
which will scarcely be accounted for by
increase in population; more than twice
as many cases of diphtheria and scar
let fever and nine times as many of
smallpox.
As to the year 1907: I left the Health
Office July 9, so that, practically
speaking, I served the first half and
my successor the second half of that
year. Following Is the number of cases
of the above-mentioned diseases oc
curring during these two periods:
Diphtheria .
First half l'-J
Second half 237
Difference .....,. 122
Scarlet fever -
First half 54
Second half "
Difference .. S
Typhoid fever
First half 6J
Second halt 143
Difference 1
Smallpox
First halt ?3
Second half -
Difference 12
It will be observed that all of these
diseases were very materially less dur
ing my term.
Now. as quarantine and fumigation
enter very largely as preventive meas
ures in diphtheria, scarlet fever and
smallpox, by a comparison of the
records of 1900-7-8 it will be readily
seen that my methods produced good
results and were not poor, as has been
stated. Respectfully,
C. H. WHEELER.
An I'nhnppy Lot.
Beaver State Herald. Gresham, Mult
nomah County.
It Is practically agreed that the series
of events leading to the election of
United States Senator reached a closing
climax Tuesday, when they elected
Governor George E. Chamberlain United
States Senator for a term of six years,
succeeding Charles W. Fulton. Not be
cause we were interested in the success
of ilr. Chamberlain, but because of a
desire to see how a Senator is elected
and an Interest In seeing the popular will
obeyed, the editor visited Salem on last
Tuesday. At exactly 12
o'clock the process of election was taken
up by calling for the report of the can
vassing committee, who reported the bal
lots for persons voted on at the June
election. The clerk then began calling
the names of the Representatives, ar
ranged alphabetically. Each named his
choice, sitting or standing. Applause was
not given those who had lengthy ex
cuses for being coerced Into voting ad
versely to their1 own sentiment. Ths
general feeling seemed to be that the
fellow who had so much to say was a
coward who had taken the pledge, not
because he believed In It, but to secure
his position; who had been surprised
by the outcome of the election and was
now trying to cover his duplicity by
wordy explanations. It was like the
wail of the dammed and was a frank
confession that they did not believe ln
the principle but took the pledge to catch
votes and were now too cowardly to ad
mit it.
Here's a Cat 2S Yeara Old.
New York World.
Edward Malcolm, of State street, Jer
sey City, has Just celebrated the 2Sth
birthday of his cat Grizel. The animal
was originally black, but has grown,
like Its name. Into a sort of nondescript
color, although Its tall stays white.
Grizel has been the mother of hun
dreds of kittens, and, strangely enough,
while the back fence has attractions, she
has never been known to leave the prem
ises. Mr. Malcolm's cat haa lived with
them ever since he bought the house
where hia family lives. 28 years ago. The
animal Is well, and besides gray hairs,
does not show her age.
Thraahes Teacher for Old Whipping.
Baltimore News.
At Richmond, Ind., Robert Gamber
was fined $75 for thrashing William H.
Baldwin. When a pupil of Baldwin 25
years ago Gamber was whipped by the
teacher. He vowed vengeance, and the
other day, meetlDg the aged teacher on
the street at Grensfork, Gamber made
good his threat.
Cleopatra's. Beauty
Iconoclastic Italian Historian Declare. Angnstna Invented the Story In Order
to Ueatroy Woman's Influence ln Governmental Affaira.
Chicago Tribune.
CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt, through
all the centuries since her death, haa
been an enemy of the political advance
ment of her sex.
So declared ln Mandel hall yescer
day Professor Guglielmo Ferrero,
Italy's leading historian, the savant
who exposed the Tammany hall of an
cient Rome, and 'compared Roosevelt
to Caesar and Bryan to Cataline, and
placed upon Horace the badge of wine
agent.
The declaration was riade ln a lec
ture to the students and professors
of the University of Chicago on Antony
and Cleopatra.
The distinguished lecturer, who Is
almost as familiar with the Alexan
dria of pre-Christian times as with
his native Turin, knocked all the ro
mance out of the famuos love affair,
and- intimated that Cleopatra was not
even pretty, but had a visage like that
of "an intractable mother-in-law."
Antony he accused of marrying for
money and power, of being in love
with the country and palaces of the
Egyptian queen rather than with the
queen herself. His downfall was at
tributed, not to the excess of love,
but to selfishness and high treason,
see
As for the woman suffrage, it
wasn't the Cleopatra of history, but
the Cleopatra of historians, who did
so much to prevent the forward move
ment of womankind, for. according to
the professor, the legend that has
stood through 20 centuries as the
truth with regard to the lady of the
Nile was a deliberate falsehood, cir
culated by the victorious Augustus to
inspire in the hearts of men a horror
of woman's dominance in political af-
He pictured the intense virility of
Rome, the Spartan lives its greatest,
richest citizens led, their rudeness and
barbarism, compared with the splen
dor and refinement of Alexandria,
which he described as the Paris of the
ancient world. He quoted the follow
ing from Plutarch as showing the way
In which Cleopatra was made to sym
bolize all this extravagant luxury:
"She was sailing tranquilly along
the Cyndus on a bark with a golden
stern, with sails of purple and oars
of silver, and the dip of the oars was
rhvthmed to the sound of the flutes
blending with the music of lyres. She,
herself, the queen, wondrously clad
as Venus, was lying under an awn
ing, gold embroidered. Boys dressed
as Cupids stood at her side gently
waving fans to refresh her. Her
maidens, every one beautiful and clad
as a Naiad or a Grace, directed the
boat. Both banks of the stream were
sweet with the perfumes burning on
the vessel."
e
But Ferrero Plutarch to the con
trary notwithstanding, says:
"Archaeologists have discovered In
IT IS "L.UDICROUSI"
Under Which Kins, Beionlant Speak
or Die!
Washington (D. C) Post.
The Republican State of Oregon is to
be represented In part for the next six
years by a Democrat, Governor Chamber
lain, who was elected yesterday. The tri
umph of the people Is complete and
ludicrous. Members of the Legislature,
as a condition of election, pledged them
selves to support for Senator the candi
date receiving tho largest popular vote.
The people were forced to choose between
a popular Democrat and a less popular
Republican, ai.d they chose the former.
The majority of the voters, however, are
Republicans, and they elected a Republi
can Legislature and gave Taft a sub
stantial plurality. Now the Republican
Legislature keeps Its pledge and elects a
Democrat to come to Washington to rep
resent a Republican state, to assist in
carrying out Republican policies, and to
support the Taft administration!
Senator-eiect Chamberlain is able as
well as popular, and in non-political mat
ters he should make a good representa
tive of Oregon. But what will he do on
political questions? Will he Join the Dem
ocratic caucus, do what he can to em
barrass' the Republican administration
and try to defeat the policies which Ore
gon favors? Or will he forego the pleas
ure of being a Democrat, go back on the
Democrats of Oregon, and win favor at
the White House? Under which king,
Bezonlan?
It is said that Governor Chamberlain
already has announced that he la in favor
of a stiff tariff on lumber and wool. This
Is Republican doctrine, but it is easily
assimilated by an Oregon Democrat. The
schedules are local Is
sues. Southern Democrats have shown
how logical It Is for Democrats to sup
port a Republican protective measure as
to certain items. Doubtless the new Sen
ator from Oregon can bo Just as logical.
As a National Democrat, he can demand
a reduction of the tariff to a revenue
basis: and as an Oregon Democrat, he
can Insist that the reduction shall be
made on everything except lumber and
wool.
It goes without saying that the Re
publican members of the Legislature of
Oregon did not of their own free will
"choose" Mr. Chamberlain, and, tnere
fore, It might be held that his election
is not in accordance with the Constitu
tion. But it is hardly likely that the
Senate will question his right to a seat.
The Democrats of the- Senate certainly
will not object to the action of the Oregon
Legislature. If the Republicans should
do so, they would be charged with acting
with partisan motives, and their objec
tion would do them more harm than good.
So Mr. Ohamberialn probably will take
his scat without opposition. But on
which side will he sit?
IT WAS A BKAT," ALL READ.
Both for the Constitution of the United
States and for the Political
Will of Oregon.
The methods of the recent Senatorial
election ln this state did undoubtedly
"beat" both the Constitution of the Unit
ed States and the political sentiment of
the people of Oregon. Says the New York
Sun:
Thosa of ua who believe in the Constitu
tion, ln party government and ln representa
tive government, have ample reason to op
pose a system of choosing Senators which
practically nullifies a provision of the Con
stitution, and aa In Oregon aacriflces tha
majority to the minority.
By tha participation of Democrat In
Republican primaries and of Republicans, ln
Democratic primaries, strange overthrows
may be accomplished. No matter if the real
will of the majority haa been perverted or
overcome by doctoring the "popular" pri
maries: there la something sacred about the
verdicts of those imposing frauds. Sophisti
cation by the boss openly makes ail the
good turn up protesting eyes and bands to
heaven. The same sophistication practised
in tha "popular" Senatorial primary forces
tears of gratitude from their eyes.
We do not care to be dupes of names or
. v. - nnnia Kamhnnvleri In the nama
l 'l sen n " "i --- -- - -----
of "reform" and their own good. Would It
have oeen fair to ino ivepuuiju n.ajun.j
to elect D-Cady Herrlck. for Instance, a
Senator from New York Instead of Root yes-
Exactly a almilar case baa hap
pened ln Oregon.
Landowner Studies Colleite Chlckena.
Albany (N. Y.) Dispatch.
Although Mrs. Olive Brown 8aare, of
Ithaca, N. Y., has a large estate ln the
Catskills, with a retinue of Japanese
servants, she has gone to Cornell College
of Agriculture to study poultry, and
every morning ln company with 60 young
farmer lade, she goes out to the poultry
house to feed the chickens and to study
them.
Belongs to Mythland
Egypt portraits of Cleopatra and have
discovered that in the poetic descrip
tions of Roman historians there was at
least much funcy. In the portraits wo
do not see the delicate grace of a
Venus, nor even tho sensuous beauty
of a marquise de Pompadour, but a
face fleshy and a powerful aquiline
nose, the face of a woman on ln years,
ambitious and imperious, tho visage,
one might say, of an intractable mother-in-law."
Why did Antony marry such a face?
The professor had a ready answer for
this unasked question.
Antony wanted tn carry out the dream
of Caesar, the conquest of Persia. An
tony needed monoy. Cleoputra had
money. Antony annexed tiie treasure of
the Ptolemies by marriage. Then as
King of Eirypt. Professor Ferrero admits,
he became fascinated with Egypt, not
with Egypt's qiieen. 'Die Western bar
barian was overcome by the effete East,
reveled in its luxuries, and at last
dreamed of breaking away from Romo
and beennitnu the head of a pireat East
ern empire. This treason resulted in his
fall.
Not until after his destruction was the
Cleopatra myth invented, and it happened
like tills, according to tho speaker:
"Augustus understood thai before. Italy
he ought to stiind. not as the destroyer
of the popular Antony hut as th- oppo
nent of the effeminacy of Ihu l-iist to
which Antony had sueeumbed. lie must
stand against t lie corruption of Oriental
Ism and for tha virtues of simplicity, se
verity of private habits, rigid monogamy,
the anti-feminine spirit; the purely vlrlU
idea of the state.
"The story of Aniony and Cleopatra
was created and diffused, not because It
was beautiful and romantic, but because
it served the Interests of Augustus and
his political coterie. It was made an
antl-femtnlstic lesend to emphasize the
danger of following th counsel of women
in political matters or giving them any
siia.ro In the government."
The Iconoclastic historian even knocked
away tho last vo.sLige. of romance, thu
possibility that Cleopatra was In love,
with Antony, by declaring that she mar
ried him because her throne was raailo
insecure by internal disturbances anil slej
needed tho support of the Roman legions.
A representative of tho Tribune asked
Professor Ferrero after the lectura
whether he thought the opposition of Au
gustus to feminine government was war
ranted. "O! You are getting at woman suf
frage," ho answered. "Well, I think men
govern badly enough. I am. opposed to
giving the franchise to women. Of course,
I only speak for Italy, where I know th
conditions, not for America. Historically
It Is a fact that the Influence, of women
In politics grow! in times of peace and
diminishes In times of war. Thus It haa
never made as much headway on the
Continent of Europe as in more Isolated
England. If a period of great wax began
the whole movement might collapse."
HEQUIRIl A MAJORITY TO CHOOSE
One Amendment SiiKsreated to the Pres
ent rrlmary Lnvc.
GASTON, Or., Jan. 21. (To tho Editor.)
Tha direct primary nominating system
ln some form has, without doubt, come
to stay. Judging by the results we have
secured ln nominating candldatee for
some of the most important ofilces," the
present system is not satisfactory. With
a multiplicity of candidates who can be
easily encouraged If they do not offer
voluntarily, a small organized minority
can nominate their candidate with only
a fraction of the party vote. This mi
nority candidate, no matter how objec
tionable he may be, then becomes tha
nominee with whom tha party must stand
or fall. This Is Intolerable and must be
remedied.
Washington has adopted tho plan of
voting for a second choloe where there
are more than two candidates. The ob
jections to this seem to be that it is cum
bersome and slow, and that It also tends
to favor a minority candidate. Where
there are two or throe strong candidates,
the second choice voters of each faction
will go to some minor candidate. Gov
ernor OosgTovo owes his olectlon to this
fact.
It seems to mo a better plan would be
to require a majority vote to nominate all
except local and county officers. Then In
case no one receives a majority on first
ballot, require the two leading candi
dates to compete again at a subsequent
election, held as soon as practicable. The
majority will then nominate and the can
didate can bo said fairly to represent his
party.
True, it will add to the expense of an
already expensive system, but I believe
the results will Justify It. There can,
be no perfect system, but tho present
one Is open to Improvement
W. K. NEWELL.
Irrepressible Connera.
Chicago News.
FIngy Conners, the great Democratic
boss of New York, is an Irrepressible, soul.
Tact e.nd he have nothing ln common. A
few evenings ago ho met Charles Bissell
ln a crowded hotel and pounced upon him
with reckless Joviality.
"Heilo-o-o. Charley!" he cried. "How
the deuce are you, eh? How's Herb?
How's"
Mr. Bissell was worried. He pined for
docorum. At his side was Justice Brewer,
of the United States Supreme Court at
Washington, reserved, silent, dignified.
Mr. Bissell was Inspired to use his majes
tic personality as a quench of Emgy'tj
exuberance.
"Mr. Conners." he snid, "let me present
you to Justice Brewer."
"How's the hesilth?" asked FIngy, giv
ing the hand of tho Judgo a porfunctory
shake. Then, stepping back so as to af
ford more rango to Ids glanca of disap
proval, he looked at Mr. Justice Ilrower
very coldly, and, turning to Mr. Bissell,
eald:
"Say, Charley, I thought I wae onto all
the people you put on tha bench, but I
guess I'm ln wrong somewhere. What
court did you make him Judgo of?"
Their Proteata.
Aberdeen (Wash.) World.
The election by a Republican Leg
islature of a Democrat to represent a
state like Oregon in the United States
Senate, was not without its Interest,
but It finds Its match in the "protests"
and "explanations" which these Legis
lators proffered at the time of the act.
They found their "personal cholco" to
be anybody but Chamberlain, but they
would not break their pledge to tho
people. Not thoy! They regarded that
as binding and they voted in accord
ance with it; but they want the world
to know that their votes did not ex
press their desires. They deplored the
dilemma ln which they had been placed
and they blamed tho perjury and chi
canery and Jugglery of tl.oir Demo
cratic brethren for tho peculiar pre
dicament that confronted them. After
the performance, one of them confiden
tially and sotto voce trusted that tho
"darn fool people" would like their
"medicine."
Turn to Senator aa Husband-Provider.
Washington (D. C.) Post.
Since the threat of a Texas State
Senator to Introduce a bill for the tax
ation of bachelors-, many young women
ln the North and East have written ask
ing him to provide them with husbands.
Democratic Itejolclnj;.
New York World. Dein.
By the election of Governor George
E. Chamberlain, of Oregon, the Demo
cratic party makes a decided acces
sion of political strength.