TIIE HORSING OREGOXIAN, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1909.
I
OBTLAM), OREGON.
Portland, Oregon, Poctoffio u
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(Bt MaJL
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inuay. om Tear....... -vw
find ay, six months .2
unday. three mouths. . 1-7 a
r uodav. on mAnLh .f0
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i ekly. co year
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Aung.
ATUBDAY, FEB. t0. 1909.
I THE WIDi TOK SF-A.
l at states, whose Judg-
Y the politics and poli-
lountry, a great deal Is
e days about the direct
the tendency of the de-
"conclusions of the argu-
u.ifavorable to it.
1 1. Is found by experience that the
primary law Is the negation of rep
resentative (government. Therefore,
throughout the country the idea of
the primary law, during the last year
or two, has lost ground. To the great
elates its consequences are becoming
known. They will not have it. Gov
ernor Hughes, of New York, a man
of admirable Ideals, is endeavoring
to push it In his state. But the very
element or body of the people who
have supported him hitherto, and who
re-elected him by strenuous efforts,
at the end of a contest that greatly
reduced his majority, oppose him in
his advocacy of the direct primary.
Such men as President Schurman, of
Cornell University, and James W.
Wadsworth, leader in the Legislature,
who have stood by Governor" Hughes
throughout, oppose him In this, be
ca'io, as they clearly see, it is not a
:nent in the direction of real re-
lirect primary. It Is found.
destroys party and the fun
Idea of representative gov-
Tiunt, sbut eliminates men of char
ter. Independence, distinction and
J ability, who refuse to nominate them
selves for office, or take pledges to
get office. On the other hand, it
An An m a A rr n as n a mVilttnn a ma1 1
ocrlty, and to men of semi-mediocrity,
who never could obtain consideration
under any system that "was represen
tative: for such system though it
may make mistakes is obliged to
consider the standing and worth and
ability and capacity of candidates, in
order to have hope of electing them.
Under the primary system some up
start, whom the great majority of the
.people, including the whole body of
the responsible citizenship, would not
want, may get a meager plurality;
and claiming the nomination, then he
will expect his whole party to vote for
1 i ii . .v. ill . i i . m l
. Jiiru. xui mey win uui uu iu x iiu
V gorge rises at it. It has been tried
1 ' repeatedly in Oregon, as to high offi-
es. Once it was swallowed (when
jrYksrG was a meager majority for
Bourne), but It never will be again.
Of course, the consequence is, and
always will be. the election of the
candidate of the opposite party, whom
the majority doesn't want and whose
principles are oppo3e" to Its own. jet
whom It accepts as the lesser evil.
Under the primary system inferior
men only, from the majority party,
come to the front. No convention
would have nominated Bourne; no
convention would have nominated
Wlthycombe; no convention would
have nominated Cake. Men of some
modicum of brains and Judgment, as
sembled in convention, would have
Inated candidates of representa
tive character. It will be said, of
course, that Furnish, nominated un
der the convention system, was de
feated. Th: . was done by the poli
ticians, in various parts of the state,
whose plans were broken up by the
convention. It was one of the ac
cidents of politics, that disgruntled
and revengeful politicians can some
times produce, but seldom repeat. It
didn't destroy party, nor basis of as-
lated action. Lowell, Geer, and
era, beat Furnish, because they
med to think he had no right to
"I
itt in."
ut the primary system makes a
ditlon of a very different kind. It
ln
tes men to nominate themselves
horn no convention ever would
inate. Men ot mediocrity or De-
low mediocrity, common-place men
who, under 'normal conditions never
would be thought of, nominate them
selves, and through the favor of per
sonal adherents or factions, or ex
penditure of money, manage to get
pluralities. Then, because known to
be unfit, they axe defeated, of course.
l The minority party has no responsl
I hilitv whatever. It has no candidates
1 In the primary, but a clique nominates
it. r-anrlldate for the election, who
get the whole vote of the minority
party, and the votes of the dis
gruntled men of the opposite party,
who are in frame of mind to vote for
the devil himself, aa means of express
ing their disgust.
In Oregon "Statement One" com
pletes the farce. Men who couldn't
possibly get nominations for the
Legislature, from any convention
wherein their merits or demerits
would be weighed, nominate them
selves; and men with the aid of a few
adherents of their own party and the
1 support of the whole strength of the
I opposite party, obtain nomination and
S ection. In our state they expected
Jlome accident to relieve them from
the pledges they tooK to get me po
sition; but that fortune was denied.
They were forced to keep, pledges
that were Inconsiderately made; they
keep them with loathing, and give
utterance to cries of repentance and
despair as they keep them, and even
beg the Senate of the United States
to reverse the action of their own
fnllv Yet next time others, shallow
Vit.d vain as they, will stand ready to
l:ake the same pledges. In the hope of
getting, througn mis mruiuu,
positions for which the representa
tive Judgment of members of their
own party would never name them.
It would not be serious, or so ser
ious, if the system carried Into tho
Legislature, or brought forth for the
leading offices in the state or Na
tional Government, men of high abil
ity ana capacity. But it never will.
For no man who respects himself will
nominate himself and push hla own j
candidacy by the means which this
system requires. Of that there has
been abundant demonstration. The
men best fitted to serve the state and
to bring honor to it, while bringing
honor also to themselves, never will
engage In this dirty scramble. Be
sides, you get Legislatures whose
members are responsible neither to
party nor. to the state. The tie of
party being cast off, there is no re
sponsibility on that side. Never ex
pecting to return to the Legislature,
there is in them no sense of respon
sibility to the state. And the tax
payers of the state, in the log roll of
the session are sold or traded out of
their boots. Under restraints of the
party system there never could have
been such profligacy in the Legislature,
such excesses In the appropriation
bills, such Creation of additional and
useless offices and increase of salaries
of offices heretofore existing, as are
witnessed now. The primary law and
Statement One have dissolved the ma
jority party In the state and have done
this business. The minority party is
responsible for nothing, but gets what
political advantage Is derivable from
the situation.
If direct primary and direct legis
lation are so excellent, why retain any
pretense of a representative system
Why have an elective legislative
body? The very fact that we have
a legislative body and continue it is
confession that representatives of the
people, chosen by them from knowl
edge of their worth as citizens, are
better qualified for judgment as to
public measures than the whole body,
who cannot give time to examination
and study of the various problems,
an 1 have no means of doing so.
Tl.ero Is a reaction all over the
country against the system, as ex
emplified in Oregon. The Instance or
example we afford Is enough. Our
state seems to be undergoing crucifix
ion for redemption of all the rest.
The first Legislature of Oregon
elected under rigid enforcement of the
primary law and Ctatement One, has
been an immense success In one dl
dectIon namely, prodigality of ex
penditure, which will make every
body's taxes next year much higher
even than last. The faces of the tax
payers all over the state, as they leave
the office of the tax collector, are a
study. Next year they will be even
longer.
om shrill voices.
The elegant Harry Chatfield Taylor,
besides writing a life of Mollere which
nobody could read, has recently con
ferred another favor upon the Ameri
can people. He has permitted George
Riddle, of Boston, to. expound his
views of the American voice In the
sumptuous Taylor parlors not so very
many miles from Mr. Armour's stock
yards. Our voices, Mr. Riddle con
tends, are too shrill and too screechy.
All of us, men and women, are evolv
ing into high sopranos, much to our
physical and moral loss. Besides that,
the process is wrecking what minds
we originally had. Mr. Riddle sagely
and truly says that high pitch does
not necessarily mean force. A man
may shriek insistently without con
vincing his hearers. In fact, his shrill
tone will weary them, while if he had
pitched his voice lower he might have
converted them.
Everybody has listened to orators
who thought they were laying great
emphasis on what they said, but were
in fact merely rasping upon the sensi
bilities of the audience. It is a weak
ness to scream when a low tone could
be heard as well and would be more
agreeable. We all know the fascina
tion of a smooth, gentle and yet pow
erful voice. It is one of the great
est as well as one of the rarest charms
the orator can possess. Women shriek
more than men do among us, yet we
all do it. Henry James had a series
of articles in the Delineator not long
ago in which he set forth our vocal
faults convincingly, and gave excellent
counsel to the young which appar
ently none of them heeded. Perhaps
there is something in tho climate of
the United States which causes us all
to speak shrilly and orate in screams.
What can it be?
PORTLAND STILL GAINING.
Bulletin No. 7, Series 1906-1909, is
sued by the Department of Commerce
and Labor, was received in this city
yesterday. ' This bulletin, issued
monthly by the Government, con
tains the last est statistics on exports
of domestic breadstuff from the
principal customs districts of the
United States. It Is especially Interest
ing to the Pacific Northwest where
breadstuffs form such a large propor
tion of the tonnage that goes foreign
from Portland and Puget Sound. The
current number of this bulletin makes
a showing which every friend of the
Columbia River will feel pardonable
pride. In January wheat shipments
no other port in the United States, ex
cept New York, made as good a show
ing as Portland, and for the seven
months ending January 31, New
Tork, Philadelphia, ' Baltimore and
Galveston only shipped more than was
sent out from Portland. For the
seven months this city has exported
more than one-tenth of all the wheat
sent out of the United States.
At the farmers' convention at Spo
kane, a few days ago an attempt was
made by some enemies of the Colum
bia River to discredit the prestige of
the port by misleading statements In
tended to convey the impression that
Portland was losing ground in the
shipping business, while Puget Sound
was gaining. In refutation of this
attack, these latest official figures of
the Government are of striking sig
nificance. Thy give the seven
months' wheat shipments from Port
land as 5,961,275 bushels, compared
with 7,698,793 bushels for the same
period last season, a decrease of 22
per cent, while the crop was 33 per
cent smaller than its predecessor.
From Puget Sound, the Government
figures for the seven months are 4,
090,086 bushels, compared with 9,
626.689 bushels for the same period
last season, a decrease of 57 per
cent. Fof the same period, Portland
exported eight times as much barley
as was sent out of the Puget Sound
ports, exports of this cereal from
Portland being greater than from any
other port except San Francisco.
In the grand total value of all
breadstuffs, Portland also made a re
markable showing In the face of the
short wheat crop. The value total for
the seven months ending with Jan
uary, this year, was $7,578,817, com
pared with $9,636,240 for the same
period last year, a decrease of 21.3
per cent. The value of all breadstuffs
exported from Puget Sound for the
seven months declined from $13,570,
930 last season to $7,134,808 for the
same period this season, a decrease of
47 par cent. The heavy gains that
Portland has made over Puget Sound
ports are due to elimination of the
differential which was formerly levied
against this port. As that differential
will never be re-established, this port
will continue to show gains, not only
for the remainder of this season, but
throughout next season, when we shall
have the assistance of the new North
Bank road in drawing wheat to this
port.
PRESIDENTS AND THE PRIMARY.
Tho New York Independent en
deavors, In a review of the movement
for direct nomination and election of
United States Senators, to show that
it is Justifiable to avoid the plain man
date of the Federal Constitution in
this important duty, since the people
have themselves established a clear
precedent by the ingenious manner in
which they have made the electoral
college a merely nominal institution
and themselves now elect the Presi
dent. Says the Independent:
The Constitution provide! a definite way
for the election of a President. Tt states
must choose electors. Just as they choose
members of tho Legislatures. These electors
at nunnnspfl to use their wisest inde-
Dendent iudnmrnt in the choice of a Prest
dent. But they do not, for there have been
both an Indirect and a direct nomination
of President. The parties, unrecognized In
the Constitution, have, by their own ma
chinery, selected candidates. Then the peo
Die. bv direct nomination, though not nom
inallv such, vote for the contlidate they
choose, while on paper it is a vote Toi
electors. The electors are pledged, tied
to vote, when they come toK-ather, to do
just as they have been directed to do by
the people. They have no choice. They
are supernumerary and useless, and con
tinue to meet solely because it is In th
Constitution that they must. We have ro
around the Constitution, and the people
choose instead of the electors.
But the so-called popular nomina
tion and electio- of Senators through
the direct primary Is on an entirely
different basis, and has no parallel in
the electoral college. In the one case
the candidate Is self-nominated. He
has no call from the party or the peo
pie to run for Senator. He calls him
self. Others call themselves. There
is no opportunity for selection by the
people except as between these self
named candidates. There is no alter
native. If we had' candidates for the
Presidency of the United States Invit
ing themselves to run before a' Na
tional primary using the machinery
of the primary on their own initiative
to gain and possess that great place
we should see the direct primary nom
Ination of Senators extended to the
Presidency of the United States. Do
the people want that kind of Presi
dent?
Now we have a "boss-made" PresI
dent. We always have had. He is
nominated by a convention of one of
the great parties a boss-ridden, poll
ticlan-infested, steam-roller conven
tion. The delegates to this convention
are named in the several state con
ventions In the abhorred and detest
ed state conventions. The people
have . no alternative but to vote for
these candidates, and to elect one of
them. Is the electoral college re
duced and degraded in its function
through this method any more than
th.6 people are? They ratify what
some political convention has done,
Just as the electoral college ratifies
what the people do. What is the dif
ference? And the electors always
vote for the candidate of their party.
never for another.
THE RETURN OF THE FLEET.
The great war fleet has circumnavi
gated the globe and now it is coming
home again covered with glory. The
sailors have danced with the girls in
a hundred ports and the officers have
been banqueted in a hundred halls.
The ships have touched at Japan and
China. They have visited Australia
and the isles of the Southern seas
They have gone through the Red Sea
and the Suez Canal. They haVe
anchored at Gibraltar and yesterday
they were only a few hundred miles
from home. The sailors have seen the
world and the world has seen them,
and the lesson of It all Is thoroughly
wholesome. In spite of the critics.
who see no good in anything that sa
vors of warlike display, the voyage
has not been for the purpose of stir
ring up strife. Its message has been
peaceful. It has dispelled ignorance.
It has taught the world much concern-
ng tho resources and the spirit of the
United States. It has shown that we
are a strong nation, able to defend our
rights, but by no means arrogant in as
serting them, and that our resources
are superabundant. If we can spend
the millions necessary to send out this
great armada on a pleasure trip
around the world, how much more
we must have In reserve at home.
In this voyage the United States has
been calling on Its neighbors in Eu
rope, Asia and Africa, to say nothing
of Australia. The call has been made
with a certain pomp, to be sure, but
what fine lady fails to put on her best
a ay when she goes a-vlsitlng? There
is a time for pomp, as there is for most
other things. Nations, like men, are
respected a good deal for what they
can show. Hidden merits are useful,
but they are not likely to call out
much consideration unless they are
advertised by something that every
body can see. The peoples of the Old.
World learned more about the United
States during the Spanish War than
they had in the preceding hundred
years. Travelers on the Continent
are received in a very different spirit
from that which they encountered
twent years ago. Victorious arms
win the reverence of the world and
displays of power such as the fleet has
made in the great seaports of the na
tions have the sam effect as victories.
They produce the consequences of war
without its waste and suffering.
More wars arise from ignorance
than from any other cause. The bet
ter the nations know each other the
less they are disposed to quarrel.
Each finding the other strong, be
comes cautious In contention. Ac
quaintance promotes commerce and
commerce weaves bonds of interest
which make war more unlikely every
year. Kipling in his wild manner
raves against the peace which depends
on trade. . He calls it "the peace of
Dives" In scorn, but after all the peace
of Dives is a great deal better than
the war of savage Ignorance and hate.
There may be nobler motives for re
fusing to fight thai, the fear of Injur
ing trade, but there are none more
effectual. Trade grows from mutual
understanding, Just as wars arise from
mutual lack of It. When two nations
know little of each other they are
prone to ascribe every act to the worst
motives, suspicion is rife, each is eager
to get the advantage of the first blow.
No intelligent person in this country
is now inclined to distrust the motives
of England when she advances any
proposal. Nobody is scheming to get
In the first blow, because we all know
that war between the United States
and England is out of the question.
It is impossible not because we are
closely akin. Kindred nations have
fought more bitterly than any others.
We shall never fight England again
for the reason that at last we under
stand the English and they understand
us. To this end the bonds of trade,
the Interchange of citizenship, the
union of families, have all contrib
uted. In the course of time it may
be that we shall become as closely re
lated to many other nations as we are
now to England. The voyage of the
fleet has probably brought that time
measurably nearer. In the mighty
ships with their officers and sailors
the world has seen an epitome of the
United States. From the symbols of
power and the tokens of friendliness
it has deduced the condition of the
country and learned the spirit in
which we are ambitious to use our re.
sources. The fleet went forth in war
like pomp to preach the gospel of
peace. Some will say that it is a
strange way to preach It, but there is
no other so effective. Strong men
who know each other's strength are
not likely to quarrel on trivial pre
texts.
The great Cunarder Mauretanla Is
already fulfilling her mission as an
advertiser for the line whose house
flag she flies. . With the annual tourist
'season fully two month3 off, this im
mense ocean scorcher on her latest
trip to New York broke several rec
ords. Among these new records estab
lished was a day's run of 679 knots,
equivalent to more than 32'i land
miles per hour. What this remarkable
speed means can be understood more
fully when it is stated that if it could
be maintained between Portland and
San Francisco, the trip by water could
be covered In a fraction more than
twenty hours. The Germans have
stated that the big British iyers Mau
retanla and Lusitania are not the
"last word" In high-speed ocean
steamships, but the records made
by these vessels will certainly force
their competitors under the German
flag to develop torpedo-boat speed in
big ocean steamships or else ac
knowledge defeat.
Our Seattle friends who are In Port
land today in the Interest of the
Alaska-Yukon fair should and will
receive a cordial reception. The in
terest of Portland In the succes3 of the
Seattle fair is in degree fully as great
as that of the city which will be held
responsible for the success or failure
of the enterprise. Both Portland and
Seattle will attract large crowds that
will take advantage of the low rates
to the exposition and come West to
see the country. Both cities have a
mutual interest in making the incen
tive for these visits as strong as pos
sible, and by getting together and
talking the matter over in a friendly,
neighborly manner, much good can
be accomplished for both cities, as
well as for the entire territory on
which both are dependent for their
existence.
Oh, well, as to Chamberlain's
man Finzer, what-do-you-call-him
thingumbob, thingummy, sword-bear
er, swashbuckler, adjutant-general
never mind the name; don't worry
about his appointment to office for
life. The next Legislature may undo the
act of the present one. We shall get
'the will of the people" on Mr. Finzer
later. Meantime let him strut in his
epaulettes. Doubtless he Is good as
another as a tin-sword man.' But,
should an emergency occur, don't ex
pect anything of a mere office-holder.
like Mr. Finzer.
Cuba is enacting a law to forbid
and prevent foreigners to hold prop
erty in the Island. Americans, Eng
lish, French, Spanish and Germans
hold property in the Island, valued at
$2,000,000,000. It is the Intent of the
Cubans to push these owners out and
to confiscate their property. You may
expect America's military and naval
forces to go to Cuba again in a short
time. The world will expect us to
discipline the brat and to hold it in
order. But the next time we go to
Cuba, we shall stay there.
In making what it calls "an in
surance department," members of the
Legislature are said to figure a rev
enue to the state of $25,000 to, $30,000
a year above the expenses of the of
fice. How shallow this is! Of course,
these profits, as well as the salaries
for the new officials, will be taken out
of th owners of property who must
insure it. But, any excuse is good
enough, when more offices are to be
created.
The Columbia River Sun is pub
lished at Cathlamet, where the sun
doesn't shine. But that's nothing.
There's a Hillsboro Argus that has
no more than two eyes, same as the
rest of us; and the Lebanon Cri
terion, that by no means sets itself up
as a judge. You see, you must not
be misled by names.
While deprecating delays caused by
open draws, it is well to remember the
river was here before the city and the
river gives the city large part of its
life. Yet a way should be found to
make bridge-tenders use wisdom or
get men who have It and know how
to apply it.
Next Monday the entire State of
Oregon will start in on a two years'
campaign of saving money to pay for
tl.j unprecedented extravagance of a
Legislature that expressed the will of
the people.
Taxfes to be paid next year, on ac
count of the extraordinary expenses
now being incurred or authorized, will
much exceed those of the present
year. But get ready to pay up. -
Before it is everlastingly too late,
the Legislature might pass a bill
by which a taxpayer can offer his
property In payment for taxes and give
his I. O. U. for the difference.
If the adjournment resolution isn't
rescinded there's no telling with this
Legislature Oregon can begin to
draw long breaths late this afternoon.
We will then know the worst.
Cheer up! Don't worry about your
taxes. Next year you won't have any
taxes to pay, for very likely at this
rate, you won't have anything to pay
on.
It is reported there will be an ad
vance of prices in every barber shop
of the state, on account of the long
faces produced by payment of taxes.
No future historian, writing of Ore
gon, will call the Legislature of 1909
a deliberative body.
The taxgatherer is in the land, and
the mourners go about the streets.
POLITICAL. DRIFT IX OBEGOJf.
Needs a Doctor, Too.
Eugene Register.
Until Chamberlain Is sworn in as
United States Senator, a woman, Mrs.
Shelton, will be Oregon's Governess.
With addition of a wet nurse, Oregon's
juvenile political condition ought to be
In a fair way for receptive knowledge
of what constitutes commonsense gov
The Real Oregvn Method.
Rainier Review.
The commander on one of the battle
ships now completing a voyage of the
world was courtmartialed and will be
dismissed from the service for being
intoxicated at a public reception. They
should have followed Oregon's exam
ple and elected him to the United States
Senate.
The Limit.
Roseburg Review.
' This Oregon Legislature is certainly
"the limit." In the face of the posi
tive statement of Judges Hamilton and
Harris that there is no need for another
Circuit Judge in this district and they
know the conditions far better than
anyone else the Senate Immediately
passes a bill providing for one, and it
is said the House will do likewise.
The Great Farce of 1900.
Gervais Star.
The election of Chamberlain to the
United States Senate; a number of
protesting Legislators; a Legislature
without a peer as spenders; the veto
farce of Governor Chamberlain; emer
gency O. K.-ed when the Governor pays
personal debts, and other bad fea
tures are enough to kill the initiative
and referendum. Poor, useless urendo.
Fine Way to Commit Suicide.
Pendleton Tribune.
The State of Oregon Just now wants
capital and is inviting capital to her
doors daily at the expense of main
taining a publicity bureau handling
tons of advertising matter, yet the
Legislators are exerting their influence
to counteract this advertising by in
viting capital to stay away. The pass
age of an act to enable the State of
Oregon to build railroads would be
suicidal to the advancement of this
state.
All Out for Personal Ends.
Woodburn Independent.
Instead of being a dignified, hard
working body, laboring in the interests
of the people of Oregon, the Leglsla- J
the Legislative halls for salary-grabbing
and spewing purposes. Instead
of displaying statesmanlike qualities',
the large majority of the members
have made abominable shows of them
selves in swinging cudgels in purely
personal affairs. . . . With some
members of the Legislature it was any
way to circumvent the Governor, the
real champion (!) of the people, and
burden the people with an extra load
of taxation.
Beware! The Officers Will Get You.
Salem Capital Journal.
The Senate wlll.be asked to pass H.
B. No. 273, that will make it absolute
ly a crime for a man to give a friend
a drink of cider in his own home if
it has tho slightest taint of fermenta
tion in it. How much more of hy
pocrisy and sumptuary legislation will
the people of Oregon endure at the
hands of those who are unwilling to
leave it to the people to decide what
they do want? The original local op
tion law was put through on an en
tire misunderstanding of the subject.
It was not known by the people gen
erally that they were enacting a dras
tic prohibition law.
Giving? Away the People's Money.
Polk County Itemizer.
The Legislature has agreed by con
current resolution to adjourn Satur
day afternoon at 2 o'clock, for which
all taxpayers will be really and truth
fully glad. Today's dispatches state
that this session is even likely to ex
ceed the $4,000,000 expenditure pre
dicted at the beginning of the session.
Their one aim has seemed to be the
creation of entirely useless offices, and
the giving away of the people's money.
From such records as this one just
closing the entire abolition of a state
Legislature would certainly be the best
thing that could happen to Oregon.
Tuesday the House appropriated $1,
739.000 and the Senate $726,000. We
look with dread to tho two days yet
to come, and rather expect they will
reconsider and pass every appropria
tion bill they possibly can.
O resort's Great Senatorial Team.
Keported for .the Dallas Optimist, by Old
Han Bennett.
Pritty soon now, owing to the per
fect work of our legislatoors, we will
have a grate teem in the U. S. Sennit
Bourne and Chamberlain. Perhaps no
state ewer, had a grater teem In that
honorabel body. One of em. Mister
Bourne, will be too blzzy attending to
his own bizzlness to do ennythlng for
his feller Oregonians, and Mister Cham
berlain as a demmocrat from a repub
lican state will cut about as much ice
in the sennit as Sim Dipp wood not
quite so mutch, for Sim would take a
drink now and then with his feller
sennitors and thus warm up to em,
wile Mister Chamberlain's well known
temperance proclivities his founded-on-a-rock
prohibition views, whereby
and whereon he spurns the flowing
bowl with a spurn beautiful to behold
such views will make him unpopular
in the sennit.
Makes One's Ginger Rise.
Albany Democrat.
The Democrat remembers only a few
years ago when the Oregon Legisla
ture was severely criticised for going
above $1,000,000 in the amount of ap
propriations, and it was not many years
ago either; but now almost at a jump
the $4,000,000 mark is reached, if not
passed, and the population of the state
has not begun to have increased suffi
ciently to justify It. The Legislature is
simply going beyond the means of the
state in Its extravagance. The people
might just as well make another test
and fight it out. By only a small ma
jority the University of Oregon ap
propriation bill was passed, and it
was a tame affair compared with some
of the appropriations of the present
session. The Legislature has gone too
far. It has been done in the custom
ary trading method. Different coun
ties have pet measures in order to
secure their passage have traded right
and left and by enough of such doings
any old bill has been passed regardless
of Its merits. That Is enough to make
one's ginger rise to the highest heat.
The "Crack" In the Liberty Bell.
SATSOP, Wash.. Feb. IS. (To the Edi
tor.) I see by last Tuesday's Oregonian
that the Liberty Bell at Philadelphia may
not be shipped to the Pacific Coast, on
account of the cracks increasing In it In
circular saws that are cracked, if a hole
is drilled at the end of the crack, the
latter will not spead any further. The
crack in the bell is likely to be caused by
the expansion of the rim by heat and cold,
and If a hole is drilled at the top of the
crack in the bell, the trouble will at once
be stopped. K. FLYTE.
For Five Years Girl Poses as Boy.
Kansas City, Mo., Dispatch.
Mabel Davis, aged IS, who has been
traveling around the country for five
years posing as a boy, was arrested,
charged with burglary and larceny at
St Louis.
WOMFJC FLOCK TO BAD PLAYS.
New York Manager Says Their Patron
ace Makes Indecency Pay.
That powerful theatrical interests
are behind the move to free the
stage from immoral plays was made
plain last night when Marc Klaw,
one of the chiefs of the theatrical
syndicate, and Charles Burnham, presi
dent of the Theater Managers' As
sociation, handled the subject without
gloves at the reception of the En
tertainment Club, held in the Astor
Gallery in the Waldorf-Astoria.
The managers were the guests of
honor, and their talks were the fea
ture of the entertainment which fol
lowed the reception proper. Among
the guests received by Mrs. Roswell
D. Hitchcock and other members of
the club were Sir and Lady Caspar
Purdon Clarke, Mundjl Bey, the Turk
ish consul-general; J. Burton Fox,
George William Chester, Mr. and Mrs.
J. W. Cleveland and the Rev. George
F. Nelson.
In his speech, Mr. Klaw raised much
merriment by saying that "the theater
needs the support of society people,
but it wants them in front of the foot
lights." He then branched into a ser
ious discussion of questionable plays,
saying:
"But where society can do its great
est good to the stage is to turn its
back upon indecent plays. I am not
taking up the question now of the mor
ality of plays. It is a very broad ques
tion as to what plays are moral, im
moral or unmoral. But the question
of decency, it seems to me, ought to be
very easily settled.
"The question and conflict of the
sexes will be a theme for literature
whether it be on the stage or in books
so long as this old world goes round,
but it should be approached, on the
stage at least, with great tact and
discretion. I know the law cannot
reach them, but the managers them
selves and society can do much to sup
press them.
"I also know that we cannot always
serve baby food at the theater, that It
is a place for adults as well as chil
dren, but there is a dividing line be
tween what Is wholesome and what is
harmful, and the manager who does
not recognize this border line is a me
nace to his brother managers as well
as to society.
Mr. Burnham took up tho question
from another angle and proved by box
office figures that suggestive or sen
sational plays are invariably money
makers, whereas the clean and whole
some sometimes starve to death.
"Let but the word be passed about
that some play announced for produc
tion is broad or indelicate, and the
whole town runs wild about it," he
said, "while some play of merit, bright
and entertaining, has a hard struggle
for existence, and nine times out of
ten is laid on the shelf of oblivion.
Not to be ungallant I would say that
the women who make up our audiences
are more to blame for this state of af
fairs than the men. For no play can
exist that is not patronized by the
women. . For they are the leaders of
men, always have been, always will be,
at the theater.
"When the much-abused 'Sappho'
was being presented in this city a gen
tleman came to the box-office and en
deavored to secure seats. Owing to
the tremendous demand he was unable
to do so and finally made the ticket
seller promise to save him two for the
coming week. 'For,' said he, 'my wife
Is making my life unbearable by her
incessant desire to see this play.'
"The play was taken off, and during
the weeks that intervened before it was
put on again, he called about every
day to see what the prospect was of
gratifying his wife's curiosity to see
'Sappho.'
"Finally, on the morning of the night
when it was again presented, he called
at the office and most apologetically
said: T am sorry to have given you
all this trouble, but my wife says that
if the police are going to allow the
play to be given, she doesn't care to
see it, as it cannot be so bad as the
papers have said.' Her curiosity had
died out.
"A few years ago we presented at
Wallack's an adequate performance of
'As You Like It' It played to $200 a
night, and some flights as low as $150,
and most of this in the gallery. 'Sap
pho' drew $18,000 a week, and Bociety
paid as high as $15 a seat. One of the
niost popular stars on the stage gave
'Romeo and Juliet' to $200 a night,
while the farce of 'The Cuckoo' played
to $1800 a night.
"Even in the palmy days so affec
tionately referred to by some of our
critics the conditions were similar.
Lester Wallack presented the stand
ard comedies to $300 a night, while
the farce of 'Forbidden Fruit' drew
three times as much. Augustin Daly
gave 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' to
anything but paying patronage, while
the production of the salacious farce
'Pink Dominoes' would make enough
to pay his losses on Shakespeare. The
theater is what you make it, for a
manager, to be successful, must cater
to his audience."
New Wheat Grows In Six Rows.
Winnipeg, Canada, Dispatch.
R. J. Taylor, who lives a few miles
north of Carlyle, Saskatchewan, is In
possession of 40 pounds of a new kind
of wheat which ho hopes will Increase
greatly the yield of the West. The
striking feature of this new variety is
that it grows on the head in six rows
Instead of the usual two.
Not One Death In 43 Years.
Trenton, N. J., Dispatch.
In the family of Robert W. Jaggard
and wife, who have Just celebrated the
42d anniversary of their marriage at
Backwood. N. J., there are eight chil
dren, all married, with 13 grandchil
dren, and there has never been a death
in the family.
Earthquakes, a Flood, and Wagner.
New York Press.
President Fallieres, of France, who
dislikes music, but who is compelled
to attend all benefit performances
which are given at the Opera in Paris,
said recently: "Two more earthquakes
and a flood and I will know all Wag
ner I"
TlileTs Fatness as Innocence.
Rochester, N. Y., Dispatch.
In making a plea for his client, a
lawyer at White Plains, N. Y., produced
a map to show that the said client,
who weighed 250 pounds, could not
have entered an alleyway a few inches
wide because he was too fat
Negrro Can Only Speak Dutch.
Baltimore News.
A negro, unable to speak any lan
guage except Dutch, applied to the
Provident Association in Oklahoma
City for aid for himself and family.
He was born in Holland and came from
that country several weeks ago.
Lincoln.
John Vance Cheney. Atlantlo Monthly.
Earth held to him, the rough-hewn form.
Looming through that unnatural storm.
Hinted the rude, mixed mould
Ere chaos loosed her hold.
A lone, wind-beaten hilltop tree.
His that pathetio majesty;
Forlorn even in his mirth.
His roots deep in the earth.
Earth's is he yet. When from the
The warm isold flows, and hollows All,
The sunllEht shines his fame.
The winds blaze Lincoln's name.
Ay, Earth's he Is: not hers alone.
Blood of our blood, bone of our bone.
Love folded him to rest
Upon a people's breast.
hill
Life's SunnySide
"I reckon you have to watch your pock
etbook, an' overcoat, an' watch, an' so
on, pretty close, don't you?" a Western
visitor to New York asked a friend, a na
tive of that metropolis, as they were
starting out to view the city, and, de
spite the citizen's assurance that no more
than ordinary vigilance was required, the
Westerner proceeded "to keep his eye
skinned," much to his friend's amuse
ment. Presentl3' they entered- a cafe for lunch
eon. The New Yorker wae discoursing
gayly upon the greatness of his native
city, when he observed that the other
had an expression on his face much like
that of a cat watching a mouse-holo.
"What are you watching so closely?"
he inquired.
"Just keepin' an eye on my overcoat,"
the other replied.
The New Yorker laughed.
"Oh, the coat's all right I'm not wor
rying about mine, you see, and they are
hanging together."
"No, they ain't." the Westerner drawled.
"Mines still there, but yours is gone
feller walked out with it 'bout ten min
utes or so ago." Philadelphia Record.
James B. Laughlln, a wealthy collector
of Pittsburg, recently discovered a hoax
in his gallery and compelled a dealer to
refund the $9C00 that had been paid for a
$30 work of art.
Mr. Lauslilin, as this episode shows, te
a connoisseur of no menu ability. At a
recent dinner ho pointed out very bril
liantly the limitations nnd the shallow
ness of "court paintcrp."
"A movement was on foot for the alli
ance of King Charles of 'Wiirtemberg and
the Grand Duchess Olga of Russia. An
emissary of tho Russian court came to
the young King, laid certain proposals be
fore him, and submitted a portrait In oils
of the royal lady.
"King Charles, after a close scrutiny,
said:
" 'This portrait flatters overmuch. Thn
eyes are too large and brilliant, the hair
too abundant, the complexion too flower
like, and the neck and arms too beautiful
altogether."
" 'But, Your Majesty." eald the aston
ished Russian, 'you do not knpw tha
Grand Duchess.'
" 'No,' said the King, 'but I know court
painters.' "Washington Star.
Will H. Hayes, who was chairman of
the Republican Speakers' Bureau during
tho recent campaiffn, dropped into town
the other day and was loafing about tha
lobby of the Claypool Hotel.
"Hello, Hayes," said an acquaintance,
"what's doing in politics?"
"Politics, politics." replied Hayes, "what
do you mean by politics? I've forgotten
the meaning of the word. Fnct is, tha
last election disclosed the fact to me thnt
I am not a politician, but Just a plain
lawyer. And you bet that I'm working at
it." Indianapolis Star.
President-elect Taft tells a good golfing
story. A political friend of his invented a
plan whereby he Kept ins s or a-yrar-um
son from shocking his mamma by repeat
ing swear words and slang, a practice to
which he was rather addicted. Every time
the little fellow used a naughty word tho
father gave him 5 cents on the promise
not to use it again. The friend had great
faith in the power of this system until
one day recently, when he was chatting
with half a dozen guests before dinner.
His home adjoins a golf links, and little
Willie, who had been out walking near
them, with his nurse, burst into tho drawing-room,
his blue eyes dancing with en
thusiasm, his pink cheeks bulging in a
triumphant smilo.
"Oh. papa, papa!" he cried, "I ve Just
heard a new one that's worth a quar
ter." Judge.
A clergyman went to have his teeth
fixed by a dentist. When the work was
done the dentist declined to accept more
than a nominal fee. The parson, in re
turn for this favor. Insisted later on the
dentist accepting a volume of the rev
erend gentleman's own writing. It was a
disquisition on the Psalms, and on the
fly leaf he had Inscribed this appropriate
quotation:
"And my mouth shall show forth thy
praise." Harper's Weekly.
"A dangerous neighborhood you're liv
ing in. Colonel." said a newspaper man
to Charles Edwards, of tha Democratic
Congressional campaign committee, a few
nights ago. In Washington. "Been four
highway robberies there in the past
month. Aren't you afraid that somebody
will hold you up and go through you
some night?"
"Should say not," said the big Texan.
"Why, Ah've got so few means on my
pusson at the present time that the rob
ber who goes through nie will get hisself
in debt." Washington Star.
Costs $20 to Refund 20 Cents.
New York Tribune.
Mary Betts. . of Brooklyn, has left
her mark on the heart and brain of the
sinking fund commission without mean
ing to do anything ot tho kind. Mary
had some sort of an account with the
city, in the settlement of wmcn tne
city failed to pay her within 20 cents
of tho amount due. The 20-cent ac
count has been rattling around like a
very little pea In a very large pod in
tho finance department for the last
three monhs, and Thursday, flying red
tape, red and blue vouchers, seals,
red and black check marks. Initials,
etc., that little bill for 20 cents danced
a cancan, so to speak, on the big ma
hogany table at the session of tho
sinking fund commission.
"How honest we are!" exclaimed the
Mayor, when ho heard the story of the
20 cents duo Mary. "Yes," Bald Deputy
Controller Phillips icily; "yes, we are
very honest, and that's all right, but
it has cost us about $20 worth of time
and red tape to refund that 20 cents."
"Fine system," said the Mayor, look
ing over at tho Controller, who said
nothing.
Cheap Skates nnd Cheap states.
MeMlnnvillo Register.
"Oregon is no longer among the cheap
class states, the present Legislature
having about demonstrated that she Is
a four-million dollar one," remarks the
Knletn Ktntesmiin. Very true, but the
cheap-class skates that comprise her
legislature have also pretty thoroughly
demonstrated their unfitness for anything
else besides increasing salaries after
salaries in spite of objections from tax
payers. SENTENCE SERMONS.
Chicago Tribune.
A soft answer never has a stins: In it
Self-esteem does not develop self-reliance.
Courage Is simply the conquest of our
fears.
Knowledge is power only so far as it is
practiced.
Kicking ceases to help when It becomes a
habit.
Self-depreciation soon ceases If It be not
contradicted.
Tou can complete a good work, but you
can never end It.
Conscience Is simply our sense of moral
social responsibility.
No man bears his burden better by adding
your blame to It.
Life is pretty sure to he trapedy to those
who take it only as a play.
The far-off vision comes half way to those
who follow It faithfully.
Idleness makes tho hours wearily Ions and
the days worfijliy short.
He can never know any deep joy who
can lauKh at the sorrows of another.
The proof of an education lies in a mind - t
so tilled that prejudices Ka!n no root.
The only way to pet all the happiness In
life is to elve for the happiness of all.
The devil is worried by the people who
work for the cood, not by those who worry
over him.