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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1909)
PORTLAND, OBEGOX. r ' - Entered . Portland, Oregon. PoitofOo as ccond-Clas Matter. bubecriptloa Kte Invariably In Adnne (By Mil .... Daily, Sunday Included, on year 11.00 Dally, Sunday Included, six months.... Dally, Sunday Included, three monttaa. ..1.2S Dally, Sunday Included, one month.. . . .iS Dilly, without Sunday, one year J Dally, without Sunday. a:x monlhi I.5 Dally, without Sunday, three months.. 1.75 Dally, without Sunday, one month..... . Weekly, one year J-5 Sunday, one year Jo Sunday and Weekly, one year (By Carriers Dally, Sunday Included, one year I 00 Dally. Sunday Included, one month.... a How ts Kemit Send poetofnee money order, express order or personal check on our local bank. Stamp, coin or currency are at Uw sender's risk. Qlve postoftlce ad dress In full. Including county and state. Poetae-e Bates 10 to 14 paces. 1 cent: 1 to 28 paces, 1 cents: JO to 44 panes, t cents; 4 to 40 paces, 4 cents. Forelcn posters double rates. Kastera Baaloefls Office The 8. C Beck Wlth Special Agency New York, rooms 4t (0 Tribune building. Chlcaco. rooms 610-611 Tribune bulldlnc. PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10. 1309. AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY. There are several reasons why American foreign policy can as yet be carcely called a definable thing. One of them la the comparative newness of our relations with the world at large. Till recently we have had little to do with other nations, and could escape entanglements with them; but through the events of the past ten years we have been carried by the course of events into larger relations "with the affairs of the world, and we cannot escape the responsibility in which this change has placed us. A further rea son why we have no definite foreign policy is the divided nature of our sovereignty at home. The states claim sovereignty over many things that re late to or come in contact with foreign policy, and especially with the treat ment of aliens in our midst; and for eign nations can scarcely see why, when they have made treaties with the United States there should be claims of local sovereignty by various states that Ignore or nullity rights guaranteed by treaty with our National Government. Truth is, the situation is a "raw" one. A government of united or divided sovereignty is liable to trouble at home, as our Civil War at tested; and to trouble with other na tions, as we find from the present difficulties with Japan. Whether our country, therefore, can ever have a definable foreign policy or not may be for the present a mat ter of opinion or dispute. Going on in our crude and clumsy way, we may avoid wars, but we certainly shall suf fer in trade. We are constantly in hot water. in our foreign relations at one time with Germany and at this moment with Japan, over the interpretation of the "most favored nation" clause; with Canada about fisheries and seals; with Cuba about her position under our protectorate; with the Japanese over their rights in Hawaii and the Philippines. We make "a race question," as no other nation does, in the matter of Inter course with aliens; and our separate states or some of them push it to the limit. If all this stirs the preju dices of other nations against us and leads to rumors of wars, as our course Is sure to do, then our trade suffers. But then we are very brave and very strong, or think we are; and we must not let considerations like these stop us from "asserting our rights." What an opportunity, moreover, f.r the patri otic crator! But it is apparent that our country cannot have a safe and consistent for eign policy, worth the dignity and place of a great nation in the world of affairs, so long as the states, in the exercise of their claims of sovereignty, are disposed or permitted to inter fere with it. The outcome cannot at present be foretold. But it is certain we have not yet developed a consistent constitutional system. AGRICCLTVRAL MIXING. According to the last report of the Secretary of Agriculture nearly two billion dollars more than all the gold in circulation and in vaults in all the countries on earth will be paid to the American farmer the current year for the products of his land as wrought out by his endeavor. Farmer Wilson, seer of agriculture, Sellghts In painting the picture of rural prosperity, using the more glowing colors in bringing out its gracious outlines. He does not deal with the subject in detail, but presents it as a stupendous whole. The aggregate al most staggers comprehension. During the last ten years, he tells us, th wealth production on the farms of the country has exceeded the fabulous sum of $66, 000.000, 000,'WhIle In 1908 the value of all farm products reached the most extraordinary total in the Na tion's history, $7,778,000,000. This is. Indeed, a tremendous show ing for agriculture, though it must be confessed that there are many farm ers who regard them wistfully, won dering where their share of the profits came in. Without any desire to ques tion the estimates of the Secretary of Agriculture, or to dim by a breath the brightness of the picture of rural affluence that he holds up that all the world may see, the fact Is borne in upon us that it is yet too soon to reckon the farmer as among the widely heralded class known as the "idle rich." In truth, for men who have all the world at their feet as de pendents upon their bounty, and with nearly $8,000,000,000 back of them as the results of a single year's endeavor, farmers generally have not the appear ance of men of wealth still less of men of leisure. According to the esti mate of the New York World, in pass ing upon this report "The American farmer, collectively, is a mighty factor In -world finance, while singly he is ill paid, over-worked, grossly discrimin ated against in legislation and not nearly so much in need of commissions on social uplift as of simple Justice." One has but to look about him to find Justification of this estimate. "The gold mine on the farm," to yield color must be diligently worked and every saving device known to agricultural mining must be applied to the process of separating the gold from the soil. There is rugged Independence in the process; there is rude plenty all along the way; there is modest competence at the end of the active period of en deavor for every man who, enamored of growing things brings industry, in telligence and patience to agricultural mining. But there is no leisure class among those engaged In this vocation; no idlers who lie In the shade while the process of extracting the gold from the soil goes on. The stupendous figures of Farmer Wilson show in aggregate the value of gold taken from American farms a glittering Jotal of which the Nation may well be proud, but it is simple. truth to say that the .details which go to make up Its aggregate are not alluring to the man Who is looking for an easy Job, or for a mine that even by diligent, in telligent working will yield returns upon which he can retire and live in affluence after a few years. THEY VIOLATE THEIR OWX PRINCIPLE No matter what The Oregonian's opinion, . or any one's opinion, about the general policy of initiative and referendum may be. This system is now the law of the state, and The Oregonlan has a right, and all others have a right, to Insist that they who profess devotion to it as a principle shall obey It, and not turn It down or set it aside, to suit their own conven ience. Therefore objection to passage of bills with a clause to cut off the refer endum is not answered by saying that The Oregonlan is opposed to initiative and referendum policy, and therefore has no right to say anything. It has a right and all others have a right, to hold those who profess so much devotion to "the will of the peo ple" to obedience of their own princi ple; and especially to insist that they should not pass such an act as that to increase the number of members of the Supreme Court, immediately after the people have rejected that very measure by a great majority; and then, to cut oft telr opportunity to reject It again, add the emergency clause, which in all these cases not only Is unnecessary, but In fact utterly false. Or, is not "the will of the people" to be obeyed in any matter, under this system, but in the election of the United States Senator? Does that achievement xhaust the whole duty of obedience on the part of the advo cates of the system to the mandates of the people? SUNDAY OBSERVANCE. Most people agree that it is a good thing all around to have one day of rest in seven. Just which day it should be depends upon circumstances. Clergymen as a class take their day of rest on, Monday. On Sunday their hardest work is done. It is then that they earn their salaries. Where an in dustry must be carried on every day in the week if employes have twenty four hours of continuous rest It must be on some other day than Sunday for at least a part of them. Not all of them can lie off at the same time. In advocating the cessation of all occu pations called "secular," and in par ticular of all amusements, on the first day of the week, clergymen and others assume a posltibn which is not iiiatmnhip from anv noint of view. Theologically they have not a leg to stand on, because the first day or tne week Is not the Sabbath. There is not an Iota of iustlflcation in the Scrip tures for making the first day of the week more sacred than any other nay. Good morals require that persons who must toil throughout six days should be at liberty to devote the seventh to recreation. To sit In idle nnco is Tint mfTlHpnr for their moral welfare. Neither Is i sufficient to go to church and listen to a sermon. What all persons need Is some re rnneratlnir influence, to breathe fresh air, to take part in a lively game of ball or at least witness one, to see an amusing play at the theater, to go off nn an excursion. Those who wish to go to church on Sunday should of course be permitted to do so, but to compel those to go who wish to do something else is not only a grievous Infringement of their liberty but it may result In a positive deterioration . of their physical and moral being. Man Is a creature who cannot thrive without change of scene and occupa tion. The monotony of the weekly routine muBt be decidedly broken on one day out of seven or he will pine. Hence the immeasurable moral value of Sunday baseball games, the Sunday theater and excursions which take peo ple away from the scene of their work Into the healthful air of the country. Economically the advocates of "first day observance" are worso off than they are ethically and theologically. The argument for closing saloons on Sunday Is sound because on that day working people have more opportunity than at any other time to squander their earnings in drink. But if all other recreations are cut oft closing the saloons will not prevent them from drinking. They will simply buy the liquor in Jugs and guzzle it at home. The ministers who say that the Sun day baseball game and Sunday theater are allies of the saloon are seriously misinformed. The saloon has no worse foe than the Sunday baseball game. The man who has passed an afternoon In wholesome recreation in the open oir c-rAt home tired and disposed to Bleep. His body is invigorated and his character elevated. He may pos sibly take a drink or two on the way tinmA if the saloons are open, but he does not sit down and systematically hofmiio himsplf jls he will if he has no outdoor recreation or other hygienic amusement. The part or tne faunaay theater Is similar. -It is a foe to the saloon, not a friend. It induces men, especially young men, to spend their time in good company and under com paratively good influences instead of definitely bad ones. The conventional r.ir That thn theater Is immoral is non sense. The ministers who reiterate it simply prove how little they know of the world they seek to reform, in the main the theater, even the melodrama. is deeply moral. It is an ethical and economic ca lamity of the first rank to close lihi-nrtes. art museums, theaters or other places of Information and proper amusement on Sunday. Every such place should be kept open on faunday even if on other days It were closed. The argument that places of secular resort keep people away from church ia not worth considering. If the churchs cannot compete with libraries. excursions and museums or art. were ia armtiinr wrons- with them and the sooner they find out what It Is and re form It the sooner they will cease to clamor for the law to help them tiiev oueht to helD themselves. John Wesley would not have feared the competition of a baseball game; neither would St. .patricK. xne trutn of the matter is that any minister who has a genuine message to deliver never lacks an audience to listen to it. He ni9 nn laws to herd the multitude into his auditorium. They come of themselves and they come gladly.' There is plenty of time on isunaay ror a sermon of reasonable length and for a game of baseball also. Persons who have lived In rural districts where the Catholic Church Is popular have often seen the young men meet on the green after mass and run races, wrestle and play ball. Why not? What is there ( In religion that Is necessarily opposed to sanity and health of mind and body? The extravagance of Puritan ism, the dire tyranny which the relent less Sabbatarians would Impose upon us, are not Inventions of the Deity but of poor foolish man himself, or of some worse character who Is laboring to lead man astray. A FOPO-8FTRITTJALI8TIC FABRICATION. PORTLAND, Feb. 9. (To the Editor.) We celebrate the birthday of our Illustri ous fellow citizen, the great commoner, Abraham Lincoln, who felt the hand of an assassin when his great work seemed al most accomplished, without living to reap the reward so richly due him. He had foreseen coming event and acted wisely under most trying conditions. Why not emulate his example and heed his warn ing? Here is what he had to say, but a short time before his untimely death. In a letter written to his friend, a Mr. Taylor, of Illinois, after having been often called upon to favor some special interest: It has been a trylnc hour for the republic, hut I see In the future a crisis arising which unnerves me and causes me to tremble lor the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and then the money power of the country will prolong Its reign by working upon the' prejudices of the people, until all wealth la aggregated In a few hands and the republic is destroyed. I feel at this time more anxiety for the safety of my country than even In the midst of war. God grant that my fears may prove groundless. ILLINOIS AN. This statement never was made by Mr. Lincoln, nor any statement like it, "to a Mr. Taylor of Illinois," or to any one else. Its own internal evidence proves that it is Just a plain fake; for the sentiment and language do not belong to Mr. Lincoln's time at all, but, as every one knows who has fol lowed the course of discussion ' and events in our history, to a much later time. NIcolay and Hay. Mr. Lincoln's secretaries, who wrote and published the elaborate Life of Lincoln, in the preparation of which they consulted every speech, statement, letter or other utterance of Lincoln's which they could obtain, and made such use as their subject demanded of all that were verifiable, expressly declared, when this statement began to obtain circulation, that It was a fabrication; and they pointed out, besides, that it was not at all in the line of any thought or discussion that belonged to Lincoln's time. "A Mr. Taylor, of Illinois," now used as sponsor for it. Is, moreover, a recent Invention. When the story was started no name was used to bolster it up. It is believed that the story was first given to the world through a Populist spiritualistic medium, many years after Mr. Lincoln's death, who pretended to have materialized the spirit of the great President and to have received this message from him. But does anybody suppose that "a Mr. Taylor of Illinois," having such a letter from Mr. Lincoln, would not have vindicated his own veracity by publishing in facsimile a document so generally declared fraudulent? It would have been the leading card in the Demo-Popo play, twenty years ago the grandest weapon In their arsenal. . It had een supposed that everybody long ago had ceased to credit this fake, or at least had become ashamed to use it.J WHERE MILL IT ENDf In a very Interesting communication printed In yesterday's Oregonlan, C. K. Henry sounds a warning which ought to be heeded by every one who has the interest of the city or his own pri vate interests at stake. Nothing can, be plainer, nor more certain of fulfill ment, than Mr. Henry's prediction that "the demand for more free bridges, free ferries, a bridge across the Co lumbia, parks In every locality, boule vards, more official positions and In creased salaries, Is certain to check and stop the splendid growth that we are getting." It is, of course, within the range of possibilities that if this wholesale extravagance in making "free" conveniences and necessities on which even as badly governed cities as New York, St. Louis and Pittsburg are forced to charge tolls could be halted now, we might in a few years catch up with these runaway expense bills. Unfortunately, as stated by Mr. Henry, "If they have the right to in crease the taxes from 30 to 60 per cent for one year, what la to prevent them from increasing them in the next year in like manner? The present "uplift" of salaries and all forms of municipal expenditure has all been ac complished so easily that it Is perfectly natural to expect an even stronger dose two years hence. There will be other Constables and other District At torneys after more deputies, and all, of course, must have higher salaries. There will be additional superintend ents of superintendents for tv.e Port of Portland, and in a thousand directions there will open up avenues for In creased expenditure. And yet the worm sometimes turns. At present the burden is falling on the people who own a little property, but it is too great a burden to rest long with this class alone. The non taxpayer who enjoys free ferries, free bridges and Innumerable parks, all made "free" by the hard-earned money of the taxpayers, will in the end be called on for his share of this ex penditure, and as so . much of the money has been wasted, it will fall doubly heavy In the shape of increased rents, living expenses and lower sal aries. On with the dance, but don't forget that there is a hereafter. THE COMMISSION ON COUNTRY LIFE. President Roosevelt never said a truer thing than this, which is to be found fn his message transmitting to Congress the report of the Commis sion on Country Life, that farmers might give their lives more desirability. dignity and profit if they chose. City life improves faster than life on the farm, said the President, simply be cause people in town take more thought for their own welfare. We hear constantly of cities striving for better charters, better streets, better social conditions. How much do we hear from the country of similar efforts? Not very much, though the good roads movement has now at tained a certain strength. What the farmers lack, as the commission truly says, is co-operation. They have not yet learned to do business as a united body, while those of whom they buy and to whom they sell are closely organized. With the farmer It Is al most always still the sad old story of the isolated Individual trying to hold his own against a great organization and failing. , The directions along which rural life admits of uplift are Innumerable. The elementary problems of light and wa ter have not been solved on most farms, thovfgh there are good and cheap systems of lighting farm houses and supplying them with pure water. Manv eountrv dwellings are not even drained. AVhen we pass into the broader domain of social life what do we find but the everlasting, dismal dance? The country schools have of late been trying to forward matters by encouraging debates, and the way peo ple flock to hear them proves that only leadership Is needed to introduce better conditions; but the average County Superintendent of Schools frowns on debates because to his fancy they interfere with high marks in the year and examinations. Did insanity ever invent anything to surpass this In folly? Of course at the bottom of the rural social problem lies the prob lem of good roads. Shall we ever solve it? France has. So has' England. Cannot America do as well as these countries? ' F. P. Baumgartner, for nearly ten years local agent of the Gray Steam ship Company, has resigned. A great many other steamship agents have also resigned during the long period of service which Mr. Baumgartner has had In this city. But through all that decade, there has not appeared in Portland any other steamship man who has earned for himself the last ing gratitude which the business com munity of Portland owes Mr. Baum gartner for his discovery of the Coos Bay trade. San Francisco, with the prestige which decades of possession had given her was enjoying a mo nopoly of that valuable trade when Mr. Baumgartner began working it up for Portland. In season and out of season this steamship agent working on a salary, which "was assured whether trade was good or bad, con tinued to urge the Portland merchants to cultivate the new and rich Southern Oregon trade field and by incessant labor at both ends of the line eventu ally succeeded in bringing a large amount of the business to Portland. It might be a good plan to subsidize Mr. Baumgartner and turn him loose on the Alaska trade. The proposed law compelling steam ship owners to equip all of their passenger-carrying ocean vessels with wireless telegraph apparatus, should pass without opposition. There is not an ocean route of any consequence in the known world which has not at some time since steamships began traversing the seas been the scene of a disaster attended with great loss of life. In a very large percentage of these fatalities most of the victims would have been saved had the ves sels been equipped with "wireless." The practical demonstration of the value of the service was so plain on the Republic that there should be little or no objection, even from the own ers, about installing this modern miracle-worker on every passenger ship that goes to sea. The "Merry Widow" hat is, we are told, to be superseded this Spring by the "peanut lid," the "Russian tonk" and the "frenzied finance" each of them much smaller than their imme diate predecessor In the realm of wo man's headgear. If our Senator Far rell had had the proper tip he would have been saved the mighty mental effort from which the ten-inch hat-pin bill was evolved, the state the expense of printing the bill and the Legislature the valuable time spent in considering and passing upon it. Eagerness to serve the nubile at a vital' point will doubtless be considered sufficient ex cuse for what proved to be premature introduction of this bill. Just now Is the time to suggest to Oregon dairymen the idea of writing to friends in a similar line In the East that this is a good country to visit the coming Summer. They will see the Portland Rose Show, the affair at Se attle, get a view of the finest dairy country on earth, with some of the fin est stock ever bred, and "learn how it is that Oregon butterfat brings from 30 cents upward mostly upward all the time, too. It is not necessary to press them to stay In this country. That part of the Invitation will regu late itself. President Jordan's remark that the anti-Jap agitators are making Califor nia ridiculous comes late in the day. To save California from being ridicu lous a great part of her political and social history for the lost decade must be canceled. Mrs. Lemp, Jr., suing for divorce from the St. Louis brewer, testifies he taught her to smoke cigarettes before marriage. The . Inference Is natural that he also taught her other things she should not have been taught. Representative McKlnney appears to be on the right track. If it can be arranged that the Legislature be abol ished by the initiative and the initia tive by. the Legislature, there ought to be left nothing to be desired. Over in Multnomah Addition the early bird got the pie instead of the worm, though after all it Is not stated what the pies are made of and he may get the worm, too. Thus ancient truth holds its own. It Is rigidly insisted that the lucky persons who have been invited to that great New Orleans Taft banquet must wear a spiketa.il coat, a white tie and a silk hat. That will be a banquet wprth Beeing. The Ministerial Association Is per-, vaded by a fragrant spirit of charity, forbearance and- brotherly love. Dr. Cllne was not sat down upon, he was only chastened for his soul's good. McFadden, McBirney, Mcintosh and four more Idaho legislators of the right sort have a bill to make March 17 a legal holiday in that state. More power to them. The Washington Legislature agrees that the anti-racetrack law shall not go into effect until June 11, 1909. Just think of the harvest of suckers meantime! It might do no harm and much good if Dr. Brougher were to suggest to these "backcapping" and quarreling ministers to act as Jesus would. The uplift report of the Commission on Country Life seems to have pretty much followed the plans of the Pa trons of Husbandry. Just as a suggestion: If the Mayor really desires a chief of police who can find gambling in the city, why not appoint Mr. Wills? Japan is entirely Indifferent to what Nevada does, and says so. Japan proves her claim to great enlighten ment. ' A HUNTER IN HIS DEFENSE. Discusses From Hl Standpoint, Duck Shootlnsj In Willamette VaUey. GASTON, Or.. Feb. 8. (To the Editor.) Noticing a communication In today's Oregonlan from W. L. Finley in which he asserts that a certain class of hunters are using every effort to pass an out rageous bill allowing the shooting of ducks during February, I would state that I am one of those hunters and should like to state our position on said bill. It Is a well-known fact that duck shooting In the Willamette Valley Is all done on overflowed lands and that these lands do not overflow until the Fall rains, which occur generally In Novem ber. In our locality, we never see any ducks before November 15 and as our shooting consists mostly of bluebill and canvasback, our best shooting comes in January and February. On the Co lumbia, the shooting is earlier and is generally over by February 1. Mr. Finley Is in error when he states that birds mate in February. Unlike the teal, mallard and sprig, such birds never raise their young In our latitude. I have invited Mr. Finley several times to come out here, so that I could convince him of that fact, but for some reason he will never come. I have been a resident of Oregon for SO years and have always been an active sportsman and have had at heart the preservation of fish and game. I think that all shooters will agree with me that ducks have been more plentiful last year than they were for years, also that if It were not for the feed and care that the Columbia River shooters give their ducks, we would not have one bird where we ' now have 20. They would all go South early In the sea son. With all due respect to Mr. Finley I would ask him if it destroys more birds to kill a hen bird in February than if it was killed. In January? I am a member of the Oregon Fish & Game Association, the members of which are giving their time and money for the preservation of game in our state and I am positive that none of its members would be guilty of killing a nesting bird. All the valley shooters ask is an even break. J. H. WESCOTT. The .Position of Senator Root. Pittsburg Dispatch. Senator Root's argument before the Legislature of New York was the famil iar one of abiding by the entire theory of the Constitution in its intent of mak ing Senators stand for the states, and his preferred remedy for any legislative corruption was the selection of better legislators. He thought it quite shallow to argue that functions are often taken from one official body and imposed upon another, for the duty of "choosing" Senators is a constitutional one and its change must be effected by regular amendment of that instrument. To permit any one state or several states by some device to elude a provision of the organic law. If upheld before the Civil War, might have vali dated secession or at least provided all the results secession sought. Possibly "coercion" Is too strong an affirmative word for the Influence that realized the Oregon result. But the pledge was given with no Idea of the party misrepresentation It now involves, and while one may smile at the partisan discomfiture, the constitutional question remains. Was there a real "choice" by the Legislature? Many who have come to acceptance of the scheme of popular elections still hesitate "over beginning Its practice until the Constitution be duly amended. Miracle of Lincoln's Literary Style. February Century. Lincoln's style in speech and writing Is the same sort of miracle that gave us the consummate art of Shakespeare, the unoolleged actor; of Burns, the plowman, and of Keats, the apothe cary's apprentice, son of a livery-stable man. It is not easy to analyze a mi racle, but in discusisng the leadership of Lincoln It is interesting to find cer tain qualities In his literary style that are traits of his character, and thus elements of his leadership. Notwithstanding that the country has been ransacked for every record of his public speech, and every scrap of paper to which he put pen, there has been found from him absolutely nothing dis creditable, and little that can be criti cised in the way of expression. With out the aid of any teacher, he early learned to be moderate and reasonable in statement, so that on -the part of even the obscure young politician there is a complete absence of that kind of public speech which Is described in a passage he loved to quote, where it Is said of the orator that "he mount ed the rostrum, threw back his head, shut his eyes and left the conse quences to God." "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Revised Version, by Richard Carle. Mary (whose other name escapes me) was the owner of an undersized animal of exceeding devotion, whose fleece. ' I may say in passing, was as white as snow. .... It was fixed in the habit of follow ing her, much to her confusion, In the most unaccountable times and places. Frankly, whatever mission Mary un dertook, no matter how trifling, this lamb was sure to decla itself one of the party. The triumph of absurdity came when Mary, dutifully Intent upon her stud ies unconsciously led the lamb to the Institution which had her educational future in hand. This, mark you, was against the rule. It quite upset the dignity of the In stitution, causing unbounded merri ment among Mary's under graduate associates, because to the undeveloped mind it was an unconventional yes, even Incongruous sight to see a lamb at school. ' Gta What It Calls For. Baltimore American. When the United States Government makes a call for money it always gets what it calls for. And that Is Just the difference between the United States Government and the average bill col lector. A Hit, a Palpable HI. Louisville Courier-Journal. And now they are making a great to-do in the Nevada Legislature about barring out the Japanese. But do Japanese, or anybody else, have a de sire to migrate to Nevada? A Safe Forecast. Ohio State Journal. Our forecast for the year Is that there will be a marked falling off In Presidential messages early in March. In Oregon. They are so far ah.ad of Mar.nd Such purity here w. can't nnderstand,. Their primaries are such perfect things. So free from politics, boss and rings, That the Governor here the g''J"" The Governor wants that blissful tate And to his party to dictate This Oregon; w. wants (Don't smile, my cynic friend!) ?he daTof rule machine to end ( ?) eas hi. with a PUblend The Constitution cut. no 1c. & But the primary plan Is there so nice. dui m " In Oregon. Why heed a little thing like that? Why need we know where we are at? v0t oo our own feet we stand pat, am "i But Oregon's? Josh Wink In Baltimore American. Pastry and Poetry. Because you love a poem do. not try To write one; -this assumption do not take. For many have an appetite for pie. Who can not bake. Alonzo Rice In Judge. COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON FOES. Another Pro trot Against the Trans planting; of Black Baas. LAKEWOOD, O., Feb. 6 (To the Ed itor.) I have Just read In The Oregonlan of January 31 the communication of W. Hampton Smith on the eubject of the most dangerous and deadly enemies to the sal mon in the Columbia. He tells the truth In so far as the grave fault of the United States Fish Commission rests. He recites Its senseless and improper action by which it has stocked Oregon's great river with swarms of alien natural enemies, such as black bass, for Instance. The wonder of It all is that such action could have been taken without a word of protest from Oregon's own people until this late hour. It was my privilege and good fortune to be one of the young men who were closely associated with that fine character and real naturalist, S. F. Balrd, when he laid the first stone, so to speak. In the foun dations of the present United States Fish Commission. As the work grew, and be came of National Importance and interest, this question of bringing alien food fishes into the home waters of our country was a topic always under discussion, pro and con. Professor Balrd was big enough and sensible enough then to fully appreciate the proper limitation for the transplanting of alien food fish life. He began very cautiously, with the German carp. But, cautiously as he began, yet long before his death in 18SS, he would have gladly undone all of it. These fish got away from all control in many sections, and were declared nuisances by hundreds of people who addressed complaining letters to him every month. Had Professor Balrd lived, or had It been the good fortune of this United States Fish Commission to have had a chief like him as his successor, who even faintly equalled him, that black bass planting of insatiate destroyers of mil lions of young salmon in the Columbia River would never have been done. txt T-ramntnn Smith tells Orejronlan readers the truth In regard to the United States Fish Commission ana us iiiuremcv ous and ruinous work. But that truth Is only half told, unless the above ie added to his narrative. HENRY W. ELLIOTT. A WIRELESS BALLOON GUIDE. Aerial Craft Apparently Can Be Con. trolled From Distance of Miles. Kansas City Star. Demonstration of one of the greatest achievements thus far reported In aerial locomotion was given when Mark O. An thony, a New York electrical engineer, sent a small, dirigible balloon scudding about through the air by means of trans mitted cower, making It perform an sorts of evolutions and having the air craft at all times under nerfect control. By actual performance he demonstrated for the first time that the long-sougnt-ior secret of propelling airships by wireless electricity has been discovered. Sitting at a small electrical keyboard, such as Is used In sending wireless mes sages, the Inventor ticked off various com binations of dots and dashes, each com bination causing the balloon to perform some particular movement. Sometimes the operator placed his in strument directly under the balloon and again would remove It 200 feet away. Distance had no effect on the control, and the response of the mechanism, which was operated by propellers, was prompt and effective. "With this small apparatus," he said, "I could control the balloon at a distance of 12 or 15 miles, and with a more power ful apparatus the control could be ex tended to almost any distance." Bad National Business Management. Springfield (Mass.) Republican. It Is an amazing fact that the Gov ernment prlntery has been so far dis credited that Congress has embodied In the census bill a provision that the next census may be printed by private establishments, at the discretion of the director of the census, on account of the high cost of printing in the Gov ernment plant. Figures were presented in the House debate showing that the estimate of the Government printer for printing the census were hundreds of thousands of dollars in excess of the estimate of the director of the census, derived, no doubt, from private estab lishments. Usually Congress "stands" for this sort of thing, and the fact is interesting that in this case It revolted against the exactions of its own off spring. A remarkable situation Is reached when a prlntery maintained by the Government has to be avoided by the Government Itself on account of the costliness of its work. The Immortals. Life. Two women were standing recently before some original torsos of gods in an art museum not far from Boston. After gazing at the marbles for some moments one of the women was heard to remark to her companion: "To think that they were once alive!" MISSION WORK IS REVIEWED Methodist Women's Society Elects Mrs. A. B. Clark President. A largely attended and interesting meeting of the women of Portland dis trict of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was held in the parlors of Grace Church yesterday. During the forenoon reports were received from the auxili aries and young people's societies throughout the district and the annual election of officers held, resulting as follows: President. Mrs. A. B. Clark; vice-presidents, wives of ministers of Portland district; corresponding secre tary, Mrs. H. A. Dearborn; recording secretary, Mrs. J. B. Candlish; treasurer, Mrs J P. Newell; secretary of young people's work. Mrs. W4H. Beharrell. In the afternoon the branch day of prayer was observed, when an unusually choice programme was presented. Mrs. S. W. Hamilton spoke with great ear nestness and beauty on "The Presence and Leading of the Holy Spirit"; Mrs. Benjamin Young read a valuable paper on "Christian Giving." and Mrs. M. C. Wire, the branch president, presented the thank-offering for the Laura Cran ston Hall, at Foochow, China. Miss Wooley, of Sunnyside, spoke on "Young People's Work," while special music was rendered by Harold Coffin, of the Moody Institute, Chicago; Mrs. E. 8. Miller, the Misses Tlbbetts and Allen and Rev. and Mrs. J. W. MacDougall. Mrs. J. J. Abbett, the Oregon confer ence secretary, presided over both ses sions, and Mrs. L. C. Dickey, secretary of supplies, supplemented the announce ment of her literature by a touching pre sentation of some phases of foreign mis sionary work, made more interesting to the workers, from the fact that the speaker's brother, Marlon Keys, leaves tonight for China, where he goes as a representative of the Y. M. C. A SPOKANE GETS IDAHO GAME Stato Universities to Meet on Mutual Football Grounds. cnnTT i WW Wash . TVh fl fFtnerlal. Idaho and Washington State Universities will play their 1909 football game in Spokane. The date Is not finally agreed upon, but will be October 30. November 6 or 13. Victor H. Zednick, graduate man ager of athletics of the University of Washington, went to Moscow, Idaho, to day for a three-cornered conference with Managers Herk Smith, of Idaho, and Lloyd Hawley, of Whitman, and It is tentatively understood that Whitman will play Washington in Seattle this Fall. Zednick expects to land a game with Washington State College, SHRIXERS FEAST POTENTATE Al Kader Temple Royally Entertains Edwin I. Alderman.' Yesterday was one of the most Impor tant days In the history of Al Kader Temple, of the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Al Kader Temple has had prominent visitors ut different times in its history, but never before did the Shriners of Portland re ceived an Imperial Potentate. Yesterday's programme consisted of nn automobile ride through the city, a lunch eon at the Commercial Club, an after noon ride in a special car ordered by President Josselvn and a banquet In tho main parlor of the Portland Hotel, under the auspices of Al Kader Temple. It is not too much to say that Al Kader Temple is well known for Its hospitality, and no visitor ever left the, city with so strong a conviction of this fact as has the Imperial Potentate of all tho Shrines of North America. Edwin I. Alderman, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Whatever was done by Al Kader Temple was carried out strictly in an in formal way the telegram of the arrival of the Imperial Potentate having been Strangely delayed. The automobile ride, on both sides on the Willamette River, In spite of the .misty condition of the elements was enjoyed. The luncheon at the Commercial Club wns superb and In keeping with the reputation of that In stitution. The special car rldo to Coun cil Crest, Willamette Heights and Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds, was most de lightful. But the climax of tills great event In the history of Shrlnedom was the banquet last night in the main parlor of the Portland Holel. Tho banquet was presided over by Chief Rabban William H. Galvanl, of Al Kader Temple. Among thosj presens were some who did not attend the ban quet on Monday night, nor the lunch eon at the Commercial Club. There 1a apparently a sort of autocratic power conferred on the presiding officers in tha dominions of Shrinedom and Toastmaster Galvanl exercised those prerogatives with considerable care and much to the satis faction of all members and visitors who attended. AIL those who had occasion to have something to say on the subject of tha great event prior to last evening's ban quet were expected to constitute th audience, while the additional arrivals were expected to furnish the sp'feli maklng. Incidentally the presiding officer. Chief Rabban Galvanl, was called upon, for songs, which, it is asserted, he ex ecuted with much neatness ar.d dispatch. Among the interesting speeches of. tho evening were those of Nohl"S J. E. Werlein, Dr. J. R. Wetherhce, Henry Roe, Sig Sichel, Henry W. Frieze, A. Jj. Tetu. W. R. Mackenzie, Dr. J. K. Loe'-:e, William C. Bristol and others. Tho speech of the evening was, of course, the farewell talk of the Imperial Potentate) to the members of Al Kader Temple. Ha Completely surrendered to the npbility of Oregon. Indeed he offered to help Ore gon cet anything it may want from an Imperial session to an Imperial officer or the Imperial Divan of the Imperial Shrine, and amidst cheers reminded tho Shrlners that angels could do no more. Chief Rabban Galvanl closed the pro gramme by expressing in behalf of Al Kader Temple and every member of that institution absent or present his grate ful acknowledgement of receiving the Im perial Potentate not so much because of his being the Imperial head of the Shrine of North America, but because no such honor could have been conferred upon any one who deserved it any more than Edwin I. Alderman. The banquet broke up with singing "For Ho Is a Jolly Good Fellow," after which automobiles con veyed the party to the Union Depot. ADORV FORESTRY BOMUXO Arrangements Completed for Cole bratlns "Rose-PIantlns Day." Arrangements for Rose Planting Day on Washington's birthday, February 22, were practically completed last night at a meeting' of the committee appointed some time ago for this purpose. It Is? the plan of the committee to hold tha ceremonies In the Forestry building and an effort will be made to obtain the con Bent of the Park Board to have the 100 roses that are to be planted on thht day, set out on the grounds surrounding the building. It is the hope of the entire committee that the Park Board will consent to hav ing the roses planted at the Forestry building, instead of In some one of the city's parkings. Thousands of people who come to Portland during tho yeur. It was pointed out, visit the building made out of Oregon's giant timber and it Is no more than fitting that the rose, the flower that Is helping make Portland famous, should be planted there in pro fusion. While the programme of the day's events has not as yet been completed. It Is the intention of tho committee to have short speeches by tho Governor, Jlayop and other prominent people. It was hoped that Luther Burbank could be present, but he has written Dr. Emmet Drake, chairman of tho committee, that If It Is possible, he will come. In the same letter Mr. Burbank stated that ho would send to the committee one of his newest varieties of roses. This new rosa will be called "Tho Rose of Oregon." It will come direct from Mr. Burbanka Santa Rosa farm. Joaquin Miller, the "poet of the Sier ras," after explaining his reason for not being able to accept the invitation to attend Rose Planting Day, adds, "The rose, like the beautiful woman, speaks for Itself." Tho poet sends two postal cards showing a view of his home up In the hills back of Oakland, and requests that one be given "to the prettiest llttla girl planting a rose, and one to the prettiest big girl." It Is the Intention of the committee to have 50 girls dressed in white and 50 boys to do the planting and if Joaquin Miller can be persuaded, each girl and boy taking part In tho exercises will ho presented with a postal card bearing the poet's autograph as a souvenir. Mr. Drake will write to Mr. Miller at once and request him to send the cards. Bishop Charles Scaddlng has accepted the Invitation of the committee to per form the ceremony of "blessing the roses" and Invitations havo boen sent to officials of the Alaska-Yukon-Facltic Ex position to be special guests on the oc casion. It was decided to hold the ex ercises at 2 o'clock In the afternoon. Those who attended the meeting wore Mrs. John Mlnto, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hoyt, Mrs. Herbert Holman, Mr. and Mrs. George L. Hutchln and J. N. Davis. Proposes Scalp Bounty on Democrat. PORTLAND, Feb. 9. (To the Editor.) I should like to suggest through Tha Oregonlan that while we have so much proposed freak legislation going on in the way of protection to various animals, such as scalp bounty on coyotes, cou gars, etc., and legislation to protect sal mon, why not pass a democratic scalp bounty act to protect what few remain ing Republicans we have In Oregon from going up the Democratic stream to spawn? There will soon be nothing left of the Republican party In Oregon but the label on the can. WILLIAM FROST. Constitution Will Be Stronger. Florida Times-Union. The condemnation of Roosevelt Is the verdlot against machine government the declaration of the people that they do not always love to be humbugged and his fate will be a warning to all who come after. The Constitution will be the stronger because Roosevelt at tacked It; tho Legislature will be the more Independent because he sought to subordinate It, and the executive will henceforth be the weaker becauso Roosevelt has subjected it forever to the charge of usurpation.