Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, March 08, 1909, Page 8, Image 8

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    rOMLASD, OBEGON.
Enured .t Portland, Oraon. Postofllc as
Eeccnd-dasa Uatur.
subscription Bate Invariably la Advance.
(By Mall.
pally, Sunday Included, on year $8.00
JJaUy, Sunday, included, aix months.... 4.15
Jjally. Sunday Included, three months. ..1.25
Ijaljy. Sunday included, one month 78
Cany, without Sunday, ou year 0.00
Ia y, without Sunday, six months .2S
Iaily, without Sunday, three months.. 1.75
pally, without Sunday, one monla. .... .00
Weekly, one year 1.50
Sunday, one year 2 AO
fcunday and Weekly, one year S.50
IBy Carrier.)
r!y, Sunday Included, one year...... i.0
Sally, Sunday included, one month.... .75
How to Remit Send poatofnee money
rder, express order or personal check on
wt Danau Hiampi, coin or currency
we at the sender's risk. Give postofnc ad
dress In full. Including county and state.
I Postage Kates 10 to It pases. 1 cent: 18
I to 28 pages, 2 cents; SO to ii paces. 1 cents;
to 60 nnva A font Vnr-alrwn ......
double rates.
Astern Business OfDce The 8. C. Beck
5.SpeclaJ Aeency New Tork. rooms 48-
0 Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 610-61
Tribune building.
r0HTX.4JtD, MONDAY, MARCH 8. 1909.
(iOVERXOR Oil actdjo GOVXKXOR?
During the past week many people
svnd newspapers have referred to F.
W. Benson as "Acting Governor," upon
the assumption that he Is Secretary of
Btate and Acting Governor. Under
the decisions of our Supreme Court,
however, Benson Is not merely Acting
Governor, but is Governor in fact. Just
as much, as ho would be If he had been
elected to the office. He dra-ws the
salaries of both offices and signs doc--umenta
as Governor, not as Acting
Governor. There may be some doubt
about the correctness of the decision
of the Supreme Court, but the opinion
of the court prevails, nevertheless.
Section 8, of article 5, of the con
stitution provides that "in case of the
removal of the Governor from office,
or of his death, resignation, or In
ability to perform the duties of the
office, the same shall devolve on the
Secretary of State; and in case of the
removal from office, death, resigna
tion or Inability, both of the Governor
and Secretary of State, the President
of the Senate shall act as Governor
until disability be removed or a Gov
ernor be elected."
When Secretary of State Chadwlck
assumed the duties of Chief Executive
In 1877, upon the resignation of Gov
ernor Grover, a suit was brought to
test the question whether he was Gov
ernor in fact or merely acting Gov
ernor by virtue of his office as Secre
tary of State. The decision of the
question depended chiefly upon the
meaning of the words "the same" In
the section above quoted. Chadwlck
contended that the words "the same"
related back to the word "office" and
that it was the office that devolved on
him. His opponents asserted that the
words "the same" referred to the
duties, and that it was the duties that
devolved on him, so that he was not
Governor, but merely performed the
duties of Governor. The Supreme
Court held that it was the office and
rot the duties that devolved and that,
therefore, he would continue to be
Governor even after his term as Sec
retary of State had expired by limi
tation. Anyone who will examine the lan
guage of the section of the constitu
tion will see that there was some
reason for the contention that It was
the duties and not the office that
should devolve upon the Secretary of
. State. In ordinary use of the words
we do not say that an office devolves
cn a man, but it is a very common
expression to say that certain duties
devolve upon one. To devolve upon
Is to fall upon, and duties being con
sidered as burdens would be con
sidered as falling upon one who must
perform them. In its opinion the
court supported its Interpretation by
reading the sentence thus: "In case
of the removal of the Governor from
office, the same shall devolve on the
Secretary of State," and then con
cluding that It is the office that de
volves. .The court expresses the opin
ion that the duties of the office cannot
be separated from the office and that
one wjio performs the duties becomes
an Incumbent of the office, but, as we
shall see, the court's opinion is not
consistent with the entire section.
It will be observed that the section
provides that, in case of the Governor's
inability to perform the duties of the
office, the same shall devolve, etc.
This might very easily he a temporary
disability; for instance, a fever bring
ing on delirium. If, in such a case,
something devolved upon the Secre
tary of State, would it be the duties
or the office, and, if the office, would
we have two Governors at once?
Would we not, rather, have a Gover
nor and an Acting Governor?
This presentation of the subject Is
not designed as an effort to overturn
the construction that the court has
given the constitution in this respect.
That would be impossible, even if the
court was wrong in Its conclusions, for
the question is one admitting of doubt
end the court would not reverse itself
where doubt exists. But since so many
people and newspapers have called
Secretary of State Benson "Acting
Governor," it is thought not amiss to
ehow that they have good grounds for
so regarding him. They are in error
however, for Benson la Governor!
with all ther powers of a Governor. Ho
can resign the office of Secretary of
State, appoint his successor to that
office and then resign the Governor
ship and let his successor become Gov
ernor. That successor could resign
the office of Secretary of State, ap
point a new Secretary and then step
out of the Governorship end let the
third Secretary of Stat step in. And
the President .of the Senate would
have to stand by and see both a Gov
ernor and a Secretary of Stat resign
from office without his Tiaving an op
portunity to "act as Governor." as the
constitution says he shall.
WHAT ABOUT THB KJETESTJK?
Witnessing the rapid extension of
dry" territory In the United States,
the defenders of the license system
have asked from what source shall be
secured the millions of revenue that
now come from the internal revenue
tax. To this, ex-Governor St. John
of Kansas, a leader of the anti-liquor
movement, replies that the question
of revenue Is not one worth consider
ing that this is a moral question and
money cannot weigh in the balance
against the human misery, crime
degradation and suffering caused by
excessive use of liquor. He would
vote down the liquor traffic and leave
the question of revenue unanswered.
But this is a problem that cannot
be put aside so lightly, for, as prohi
bition extends and revenue diminishes
this phase of the matter will present
difficulties which, must be met. The
question is a practical
! who propose to cut off one source of
tunas xor maintenance of the Govern
ment should not seek to evade the
problem of finding a new source.
Even If it be true that millions of
money will not compensate for the
evils of the liquor traffic, the question
remains, and must be answered, where
are you going to get the money to re
place this that is being turned away
from the public treasury?
The revenue is paid, of course,' not
by the liquor dealer but by the liquor
consumer. . And, as everybody knows,'
a large proportion of the liquor con
sumers are people who pay no prop
erty tax. Their only contribution to
the support of government is paid
when they buy a glass of liquor. If
they stop buying liquor, as the prohi
bitionists would compel them to do,
they will cease contributing even this
much to the maintenance of public
institutions. Will some other way be
found to levy a tax upon this class of
people, or must the additional burden
fall upon property-owners who are
already overtaxed? The question is
not only pertinent, but it is very prop
erly addressed to those who advocate
prohibition of the liquor traffic.
MAKING SEW RECORDS.
The month of March promises to be
even more disastrous for pessimistic
predictions than its predecessor. The
first six days showed real estate
transfers and building permits in
Portland less than $9000 short of the
million-dollar mark, with the usual
number of $1 and J 10 valuations
placed on some of the largest real
estate transfers. There were ninety
one building permits for which the
valuation was given as $153,335, there
being no . permits issued for large
business structures, a number of
which have already been contracted
for and which will appear in the
building statistics later in the month.
Bank clearings averaged more than
$1,250,000 per day, an increase of
about $1,300,000 over the correspond
ing week last year. The Custom
House statistics for the week showed
a total of twenty-two vessels entered
and eighteen cleared, compared with
five entered and twelve cleared for
the same period last year. Many of
these vessels carried mixed cargoes,
but among the principal Items on
their manifests appeared 4,800,000
feet of lumber and more than 100,
000 bushels of wheat for coastwise
ports. There were also cleared for
eign a 100,000-bushel cargo of wheat
and 2,000,000 feet of lumber.
The short crop of wheat and early
movement last Fall have cut down the
foreign wheat and flour export busi
ness, which is usually of good pro
portions at this season of the year;
but at no previous period in the his
tory of the port has Portland handled
as great an ocean tonnage as has been
entering and clearing at this Custom
House since January 1. Rail statis
tics for the week are not available,
but are known to bo much more sat
isfactory than a year ago, when the
lumber trade was practically lifeless,
and all other lines of business were
still feeling the stress of the panic
which was then just subsiding.
AX ECOXOOTC PBOBLRL
It will never be possible to deter
mine the extent of any legitimate re
duction which the portage road has
made In freight rates until all factors
entering into the matter are consid
ered. If the portage road, as alleged,
has effected a reduction of approxi
mately $2.50 per ton on certain classes
of freight, this reduction has been
made possible by the state aid of about
J8.44 per ton. In addition to this
expense, Mr. J. N. Teal has cost the
Chamber of Commerce a stipulated
salary, said to be about $200 per
month. Before we can reduce this
problem to a "cost-of-service" basis,
we must consider this $8.44 per ton
subsidy from the state and also the
salary which Mr. Teal is paid as the
chief promoter of this rainbow-chasing
enterprise.
The fair-minded business man will
demand nothing more than fair play
in any transaction, and in order to de
termine exactly how much of a reduc
tion has been effected, we must put
the railroads on even terms with their
competitors. It is highly probable
that the payment by the state of a
subsidy of $8.44 per ton, and a salary
for some of the officials, would induce
the railroads to make even greater
reductions than have been reported
by Mr. Teal's portage road.
The cost of the service plus a fair
return on the Investment will eventu
ally determine the rate between Port
land and the interior. A state sub
sidy and high salaries for promoters
of boat lines can never be regarded as
having a legitimate place in the cost
of service. For that reason there can
be no comparison between portage
road rates and the present railroad
rates until both carriers are placed
on even terms. There are a few busi
ness principles and economic laws
which cannot be utterly disregarded,
even in the promotion and operation
of a portage railroad.
OFFICE-HOLDING AS A BCSIXESS.
Th complaint is frequently made,
and with plenty of Justification, that
cities, counties and states too often
intrust their affairs to men who have
not made a success of their own busi
ness. As one newspaper has expressed
it, "municipal administration is noth
ing less than commercial administra
tion, with the ledger in millions where
in ordinary business it Is in thousands.
And yet the ability to shake hands and
'Jolly,' rather than to transact busi
ness, determines the selection of men
who are to handle tremendous sums
of other people's money. Deliver us
from the municipal statesman who
has never handled and could not ably
handle more than twenty cents of his
own money."
The point la well made,- even though
It should not be intended to bar the
no n. -taxpayer from a hand in muni
cipal government. While it is proper
that the non-taxpaying class should
have a voice in municipal government,
not only at the ballot box, but in city
councils, yet the question of business
ability should be considered more and
the qualities of the good "mixer" less
in the choice of men to manage city,
county or state government. A few
years ago the statement was published
without contradiction, that a majority
of the Councilmen in one of the im
portant cities of Oregon were men
who had gone through bankruptcy.
This certainjy was not complimentary
to the successful business men of the
city, nor did it speak well for the wis
dom of the voters unless it was their
purpose to plunge their city into bank
ruptcy. Municipal government is not entire
ly a matter of finance. There are prob
THE MOBmG
lems which arise in the regulation of
uuiriy. entirety apart rrom consider
ations of money. But even In these the
Judgment of the successful business
man is more likely to be right than
is that of the man who has made a
failure of everything he has under
taken. The assessment rolls are very
valuable as a source of information
as to business ability, but they, of
course, are not to be consulted or re
lied upon exclusively. Yet the records
of a bankruptcy court are pretty good
evidence. When voters depend more
upon these sources of Information and
give their support less to a "good fel
low," we shall have better and more
economical administration of public
affairs.
TRADE DOLLAK9
Some genius with a strong bent for
discovery found a trade dollar at
North Yakima the other day. Im
mediately an enterprising newspaper
reporter made a "story" to the effect
that this rare North Yakima speci
men was one of the five remaining
trade dollars In the United States.
The mortality among trade dollars
must. Indeed, have been great, since
the total issue by the Government was
35,959,360. This is Just about the
circulation probably of that other ex
tremely valuable relic, the Ulster
County Gazette, containing the ac
count of Washington's death, which
many domestic historians and careful
housewives are Just now digging up
from the bottom of castaway trunks
and other dusty repositories.
What has become of the remaining
35,959,355 trade dollars which the
North Yakima chronicler says have
disappeared? The Oregonian is able
to locate some of them, since a num
ber of letters have lately been re
ceived announcing the interesting
fact that the writers have, each of
them, a trade dollar. One man says
he has tv-o and he Is highly delighted
to know from North Yakima that
there are only three more in exist
ence. He wants $250 each for them.
The Oregonian Is pained to be
obliged to say to him that the trade
dollar is not even worth a dollar. Ex
cept as a souvenir of an outdated coin
age. It has no value whatever apart
from its silver bullion. The act that
"demonetized" silver, in 1873, author
ized the coinage of the trade dollar for
the China and Japan trade. The dol
lar was not legal tender, however,
and that is what is the matter with It
today.
FRIGHTEKDfQ JOHN BULL.
The German Invasion scare is one of
England's haunting specters, which,
like Banquo's ghost, "will not down."
Lord Roberts started the bail rolling
several months ago by calling atten
tion to the woefully Inadequate land
forces that could be mustered by Eng
land. As war wns a hobby with Lord
Roberts and there were no signs of
stocky German soldiers parading the
Strand or Piccadilly. England com
placently decided that it was not yet
time to get scared. The argument
w-hich Lord Roberts advanced caught
the attention of a great many military
men who could grasp the possibilities
for a coup with England, ill prepared
as she is with land forces; but it re
mained for a playwright, Guy de Mau
rier, son of the famous author of
"Trilby," to .set the specter of war to
rattling its bones in jigtime.
The Du Maurier play revealed the
unprotected condition of England in
such a striking manner that cold shiv
ers of fear have been running up and
down John Bull's back since the play
was first placed on the stage. In or
der to give these shivers of fear gen
eral circulation, it is proposed to send
the play out through the country
provinces as a warning to the people
of what might happen. Tho Du Mau
rier play has a force of 150.000 Ger
man troops land on British soil under
cover of a dense fog. Finding not
much resistance in that substratum
of society that lies between golf-playing
aristocracy and starving pauper
Ism, the Germans sweep on to victory.
The comparative ease with which a
handful of Dutch South African bur
ghers stood off the English army for
months has not yet been forgotten by
the people who put up the millions of
pounds for the war debt that resulted,
and there is some excuse for British
misgivings over tho fighting strength
of her present available field forces.
The uneasiness created by' the Du
Maurier play and by Lord Roberts'
gloomy predictions of a German in
vasion are not shared, however, by
the naval arm of British defense.
The Contemporary Review contains
an interesting article signed "Master
Mariner," In which the writer is in
clined to ridicule the proposed Inva
sion by the water route of 150.000
troops, especially when It Is predicted
that such Invasion will come as a
surprise. "Master Mariner" quite log
ically points out that It would be im
possible to press into transport serv
ice and load with troops a sufficient
number of steamers without England
knowing all about the movement even
before the vessels had got away from
the German shores. This would en
able Great Britain's warships to over
haul and harry the fleet while en
route, and spread destruction among
them the while they were attempting
to disembark the invading force.
The time necessary in the move
ment would also enable Great Britain
to concentrate what forces she could
muster at the point selected for dis
embarkation, and between the land
forces and the naval forces the Ger
man Invaders would show a very high
death rate. The argument of "Master
Mariner" may be slightly, biased in
favor of the navy as the bulwark of
British safety, but it corroborates the
general belief throughout the world
that the great victories, of the future
will be won on the high seas. A Ger
man invasion of Great Britain Is hard
ly probable so long as Great Britain
maintains her Justly celebrated and
formidable "two-power" standard.
More than BOO automobiles are
owned in Portland, a number sufficient
to make an imposing parade, not to
mention the imposing sum of money
that they represent in first cost and
repairs. With such a large number of
automobllists, the forthcoming exhibi
tion of the new machines in this city
will undoubtedly prove a big success.
The magnitude of the automobile in
dustry was strikingly illustrated at an
auto show recently held in New York,
at which the attendance exceeded
110,000 and the number of motor cars
sold at the meeting was 2227, valued
at $6,763,000. Electric carriages,
business motor wagons, motor cycles
and accessories brought the total sales
for the two weeks in which the show
was in progress up to $7,139,000. It
will be a year or two before the Port
land auto show can give so good an
account of itself as this, but for both
ORE GONIAy. M02TOAY,
pleasure and utility the horseless car
riage is steadily gaining ground in this
city as well as elsewhere.
In view of the number of errors
that have been committed in the en
rolling of bills in the Legislature, it
might be a good idea to require each
clerk to write his or her name on the
margin of each sheet written, as a
means of identification. With the re
sponsibility thus established, there
would be less carelessness. The chief
clerks of enrolling committees, who
are expected to see that bills are cor
rectly copied, should also be required
to place their names upon the bills,
eo that It will be known who had
charge of the work.
Travelers who have "enjoyed" the
ride of 135 miles between Vale and
Burns, in Harney Valley, will be in
terested in the news that automobiles
are to replace the old-time stage,
which was a buckboard drawn by a
series of animals designated horses
by courtesy. The trip consumed two
days, with a lay-over the first night
at the Agency. Under the new sched
ule tho time will be eight hours and
the wayfarer will see only the high
spots, which, all things considered,
will be enough.
Members of the Legislature are try
ing to escape responsibility for de
fects in the laws by saying that errors
were due to carelessness of clerks who
copied the bills. Now let us see what
that leads to. Members of the Legis
lature draw $3 a day, while clerks
draw $5. Would not higher pay for
legislators put incompetents in office
and would not qualifications of clerks
be Improved by reducing the compen
sation to $3 a day?
When a constitutional convention
gets down to the work of remodeling
the constitution, perhaps It would be
well to provide that thirty days after
every regular session of the Legisla
ture a special session shall be held
for the purpose of correcting errors
committed by the regular session. Then
we would not have, the long suspense
over the question whether a special
session shall be called, and the desired
end will be reached Just as surely.
It is to be hoped that It is a mis
take that Vice-President Fairbanks is
going to California to grow up with
the country and raise oranges. Let
him come to Oregon and start a but
termilk ranch. An Oregon dairy
would guarantee a first-class product,
and Fairbanks would give distinction
to the business; so honors would be
even.
Tho Ohio Legislature has appro
priated money for the erection of a
monument in memory of the 170
school children who were burned in
the Collingwood disaster. This Is a
laudable act, provided the Legislature
has also enacted such laws as can aid
in preventing a repetition of such
catastrophes.
Mr. Bryan says he Is surprised that
he got so many votes. But most peo
ple were surprised that he got so few.
LoU of good betting opportunities
were lost because Republicans thought
there was really a raco on between
Taft and Eryan and that the result
might be close.
Almost any one can raid a Chinese
gambling den, but it takes a real po
liceman or detective to break up a
white man's game. To attack a
Chinese does not even require bravery,
while true courage Is necessary to
make war upon the vested rights of a
white man.
Secretary of War Dickinson indig
nantly declares that he Is a Democrat,
although he owns up that he did not
vote for Bryan. If there are to be no
Democrats but Bryan Democrats, it
will be a mighty select party In a few
years more.
Uncle Ike Stephenson's credentials
as Senator from Wisconsin are side
tracked In a snowdrift somewhere on
the way to Washington. But they
will be thawed out in time. Uncle
Ike's sack has a most mellowing in
fluence. The Idaho Legislature declares that
sixty days are too few in which to
enact the required laws. But perhaps
the people think that the trouble is
with too many bills rather than too
few days.
It subtracts somewhat from the
value of Luther Burbank's spineless
cactus to learn that It cannot be grown
outside of a section of Southrrn Cali
fornia, Arizona and a strip along the
Gulf coast. Including Florida.
Four years ago a young Vancouver
man lost his watch in his father's or
chard. Last week some children play
ing found it at the bottom of the or
chard. The watch had run down.
If the pay of city employes Is to bo
raised, the increase should start from
the bottom. The men who "follow
the broom" at night are more entitled
to it than the daylight chair-warmers.
That picture of John Sharp Will
iams may have given everybody a
shock; but think of the strain on the
artist.
Washington has a local option law
that appears to be mutually satisfac
tory to the prohibitionists and the sa
loon forces. It must be a daisy.
Is there any Justification for the
conclusion that because the game law
was defective. It must have been pre
pared by a lot of geese?
Jim Jeffries will fight Mistah
Johnslng. We shudder to think of the
plight of the whole white race If Jim
should be beaten.
Hetty Green's daughter Is already
dictator over her husband. So Mr.
Wllks finds that he got something else
besides money.
Among the men -of the sixty-first
Congress, Just watch Senator' Borah.
He is young, an ex-Kansan and all
around Western man.
We hope Mr. Henry's mass meeting
of outraged taxpayers will at least be
able to fix the levy for next year.
Cheer up. This March weather will
not keep the cherries from being ripe
in due season.
Still, there might be some work for
the moral squad after Mrs. Waymire's
return.
MARCH 8, 1DOD.
LET STATES CARH FOR EVERYBODY
Honrs Are Short, Pay Good, and Baiy
Times Are Tku Asa urea.
Pilot Rock Record.
It Is a difficult matter to keep down
the growth of grafts already authorized
by a state, let alono prevent their multi
plication, ad infinitum. The building of
public Institutions In different parts of
the state is nothing more nor leas than a
species of graft. If the people did not
rise up in their Indignation against It
every little town In the state would
eventually have soma kind of an Institu
tion, supported at public expense. In
which a few men and women would hold
Jobs at salaries out of all proportion to
the earning capacity in any other field
of labor.
Unless a halt was called we would have
after awhile a larger number of -salaried
men and women than we have of pro
ducers In the state. The state seems to
be a paymaster that everybody likes to
work for. The number of hours Is short,
the pay Is regular and the boss Is not
exacting. In fact, we would all like to
hold some kind of a Job under the state,
and it is not improbable that we shall all
be given the opportunity If the present
paternal bent of the public mind Is not
changed. K the state goes Into the rail
road business, under the eight-hour law.
we should also control the telegraph and
telephone systems and our boya and girls
will all be given a chance to get their
names Inscribed on the state's payroll.
Tho farmers, those that will be left of
them within a few years, will have to
work overtime, but they will not com
plain, because they are used to long
hours and trusting to the elements, and
not the state, for their pay. And yet In
the face of all these evidences of a de
sire on the part of the stato to add to
the burdens of the producers wo are
making an effort to discover wherein the
trouble Ilea In the growing discontent
with country life.
RAPS PAT-AS-TOC-EVTER CARS.
Woman Sara They Cause Her Sex
Macb Discomfort.
PORTLAND. Or, March 7. (To the
Editor.) The streetcar company seems
deaf to women's complaints about tho
pay-aa-you-enter cars. The cars are
undoubtedly suited more to the con
venience of men than of women. A
woman who had two suit-cases left
them on the rear platform of one of
these cars when . she entered. When
she started to get off the car the con
ductor Insisted that she pass through
the side-door exit, although - nobody
was getting- on the entrance platform.
After stepping down on the street, she
had to mount the car again to secure
her two suit-cases all this without
any assistance from him. Women with
a child in their arms, or a parcel or
umbrella are compelled to stand In the
street, oftentimes In the rain and mud.
while others hoard the car. find their
change, pay their fares and (ret their
transfers. These women must mount
the ear without help, lift their children
aboard and while standing and Jostled
by the impatient crowd, find their
purse and money, before they may pass
Inside.
Streetcars ought to be built and run
for the comfort and the convenience of
the public. As there are as manv wo
men as men dependent on the street
cars, why not treat them satisfactorily?
There are complaints from men. how
ever, to the effect that the pay-as-you-enter
cars consume much more time
going to and from their places of busi
ness. Of course, the car company loses
no fares by this method. but why
should it not be the business of the
company to get wide-awake. clear
headed conductors and combine effici
ency with comfort? WOMAN.
MR. BRYAN'S PATH TO OPII.EXfE
lie la Indcr Contract to Lecture KOO
Time for S200 Each Appearance.
"Washington T". C.) Post.
A dispatch from Chleaco relates that
Mr. Hryari Is under contract to deliver
his lectures before F.00 different audiences
the year V.09 and his average compensa
tion is to be J3 an appearance. It must
bo an exaggeration. There Is a limit to
physical endurance. If he shall deliver
his lecture 0 times within 12 months
doubtless he will have broken all records!
though Kdwin Booth Is reputed to have
played "Hamlet" more than 400 times In
a single year, a much bigger Job than
500 lectures by Bryan In a year. Booth,
however, did not travel a mile that year'
whereas Dryan is slated for more thari
20.ono miles this year.
If Uryan delivers his lecture every
"week day," that will bo 31J times, once
a day. tho year but It is very much
of a Sunday lecture, more of a sermon
than a speech, and it Is possible that h
will reach the 500 and his gross receipts
aggregate JIOO.OO). Then there is the Com
moner, that ought to pay at least half
as much more and upward.
In his last public utterance Mr. Bryan
told us that It Is not good for our liber
ties for a Justice of tha United States Su
preme Court to luve an Income salary
of J1S.00O a year: ttiat this opulence would
tempt him to seek evil and perverse as
sociates, whereas a sal.-irv of .- would
keep him In tho straight and narrow
rath, to walk and talk with the cle.-t
the pure, the good, the blameless, the
Scientist Sell, Drain, to Harvard.
Worcester. Mass.. Cor. Philadelphia
Ledsrer.
Professor Joseph de Berrott. of Clark
T niversity noted as a mathematician,
has sold his brain to Harvard University
tor ,1000. He will retain them for the
present, however, and during the rest or
his natural life. The professor has been
the wonder of the university since lie
went there nearly 20 years afo. He had
provoked no end of comment and
curiosity by reason of hts long brown
hair worn Buffalo Bill style, only more
f H1 unconventional appearance and
his womenllke flowing tresses were the
subject of much speculation.
The professor Is exclusive and a recluse
He was born f-i years ago in Brittany'
Prance.
Aula With Chnrrk Froat.
Baltimore News.
A specially constructed electrlo
evangelistic auto Is being built nt a
cost of $5000 for the Cincinnati Mis
sionary Society. The auto win be in
charge of Miss Anna Artrlght of
Toungstown. O.. and will be fitted up
like a church front, with a pulpit for
the evangelist, an organ and a place
for the regular choir of 20 workers and
the cornetiat.
Train Stopped for nerrrmia'a Hat.
Baltimore News.
A conductor on the Evansviile and
Terre Haute railroad. In Indiana, Is so
obliging that the other day, when a
clergyman's hat fell out of a window, he
stopped the train and recovered the hat.
Courtship of 28 Years Brings Doubt.
Philadelphia Record.
Miss "Rebecca Metz testified In court at
Sunbury, Penn., that after William Mels
berger had courted her 2S years and re
fused to pop tha question directly, she
began to doubt him. and decided to sue
him for flQ.000 damages.
Grerfca of Long Ago Wore Corsets.
Baltimore News.
The discovery has just been made In
Paris that the Greeks 2000 years ago
wore corsets and other articles of mod
ern feminine dress.
ALL ENGLAND STIRRED OVER A PLAY
Remarkable Dram. That Eipnei AVIth Startling Reality the Cnpre-
paretlae of Great Britain to Kcpel a Foreign Invasion.
Literary "Digest.
The play ."An Englishman's Home,"
now running In London, has created a
tremendous sensation which is attributed
less to Ha dramatic value than to its
grip on British patriotism. It represents
what might happen if the prediction of
Lord Roberts were to come true, and
England were to be suddenly Invaded.
Tho picture Is so realistic as. in the words
of Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, "to read
a terrible lesson to British unprepared
ncss." The play represents a British
household Whoite. mim)pr lm A
to frivolous pursuits, ridiculing the efforts
to raise an efficient army. Suddenly they
wake to find the house surrounded by In
vading troops, their feeble defense Is
overcome, and the head of the house Is
shot for defending his own home. This
vivid picture of the possibilities of In
vasion has seemingly "got on tho nerves"
of the British amazingly. It Is ranked
by somo with the great plays and books
that have roused nations to noble and
heroic deeds. In speaking cf the Invaders
pictured In the drama every bodv Is
wh!spcrtng-"Oermany." The London
Times represents those who see the play
as asking: "Is this what Lord Roberts
means when he talks about the danger
of Invasion? Is It a fact that, if an
enemy were suddenly to land, he ard we
should behave like this?" It Soes on:
"Till they went to the play, they had
read with langulj Interest some letters
and articles In the papers.-and a few of
them had Kon.' so far as to send a small
subscription to the National Service
League. But while some had Inclined to
side with Lord Roberts, friends at homo
probably reminded them that the War
Office thought 3!fferently. . . . A plain,
literal presentation of tho facts of what
a raid might mean has a surprising effect
not so much on the nerves as on the con
science. It may be ever so crude, ever
so open to criticism, but It hits the
mark."
-T PiaT may he,p to flU ,n the ranks
or the Territorial Army, thinks the Lon
don Daily Chronicle, which continues -
"In one respect this play cannot fall
to do good, and that la In Its biting sa
tire on the absorption of so many of our
peoplo In athletics. This obsession of
of athleticism drew the anger of Mr
ltudyard Klpllnar. whose outburst against
the 'flanncled fools' and -muddied oafs'
created a momentary sensation a few
years ago. Mr. Kipling's criticism was
somewhat misdirected. Cricket and foot
ball offer the means of a fine discipline
in many manly qualities, and the cric
keter and the footballer do derive some
solid advantages In physique and charac
ter from the combats In which they en
gage. The same cannot be said of the
vast crowds or spectators who watch
their exploits."
"An Englishman's Home" presents sa
tire" and "reality" and "psychology " ac
cording to Austin Harrison. It not only
has "blown a greut bomb Into the na-
ROOSEVELT AND KAHMEBS' WIVES
Humor and Sympathy of the ri-Prf.l-dent
Officially Disclosed.
If anyone doubts that ex-President
Roosevelt has a sense of humor, aa well
as sympathy for the plain people, let him
read the special messago to Congress
which accompanied the report of the
Country Lire Commission. His letter to
tho Iowa woman who cooked a good din
ner under a most heavy domestic load,
published yesrerday, shows the one. trait
The other is evidenced by "Appendix A,"
subjoined. It was printed in tlie largest
type used by the Government In official
documents and had a place In the pamph
let in advance of the Commission's re
port. Here Is "Appendix A":
One of tie mt Illuminating and Inci
dentally one of ta most Interesting and
amusing series of answer sent to tho
CrmmlMlon was from a former In Missouri.
He stated thnt h had a wife ana 11 living
children, ho and his wife betas each 62
years old; and that they owned B20 acres
of land without any mortfrage hanging over
their beads. He had himself done well,
and his views as to whr many of til neigh
bors had done less wan an ontlt'.ed to con
sideration. These views an axpressesd In
terse and vigorous English; they can not
always be quoted tn full. Ha states that
tho farm home In his neighborhood are not
as good as they should b becauee too many
of them are encumbered by mortgages; that
the achools do not train boys and girls satis
factorily for life on the farm, because rhey
Uow them to gat an Idea in their heads that
city life Is better, and that to remedy this
practical forming should bo tausht.
To tho question whether the farmers and
their wive In hie) neighborhood ars satls-fa-trrt!y
organlred. he answers: "Oh, there
Is a uttlo one-horse grange rant in our lo
cality, and every darned one thinks they
aught to be a king." To the question. "Are
the renters of farms In your neighborhood
making a satisfactory living?" he answers:
"N; because they move shout so much hunt
ing a better Job." To the question. "Is
the euppiy 0f fnrm labor In jour neighbor-h-f-l
sat Isfsctrtry V tlio answer is: "No: be
cause the peoji have got.e out of the baby
business:" ar.d when asked as to th remedy,
h anerv. "Olva a r r.fl'n to every mother
who gives b'.rth to aevr-n living boys on
American poll."
To ths question. "Are tho eondlUone sur
rounding hired labor on the fnrm In your
neighborhood mtlractory to tho hired men?"
h answer: Yea. unless hs la a drunken
cuss." addlrg that ha would ilka to blow
u; th stlllhoiLsea and root out whisky and
beer.
To the question "Are the aanltary condi
tions) on tho (arms in your neighborhood aat
lfactory?" ho answers: "No; to careless
about chicken yarda (and tha like) and poorly
covered Welle, la on Well cn neighbor's
farm I counted 7 anakoa la rb "Wall of the
Well, and they used the watter dally, his
wife dead new and h la looking for another."
Jle ends by stating that the mot Important
single thing to be dnne for the betterment of
country life Is "Btod roarte;" but in M
answera he shows very clearly thnt mrt im
Tenant of all is the Individual equation of
the man or woman.
The humor of ti le set of responses must
not blind ua to the shrewd common rrnsa
and good Judgment they display. The man
Is a good cltlsen: bu wife Is a good citizen:
and their views are fundamentally sound.
Very much Information of tha mc-it valuable
kind can be gathered if the Commission la
given the money necessary to enable It to ar
range and classify the Information obtained
from the great mass of similar answers
which they have received. But ther Is one
Iolnt where the testimony Is ss a whole In'
flat contradiction to 'that contained above.
The general feeling Is that the organiza
tions of farmers, the grangers and the like,
have been of the very highest service not
only to the farmers, but to tn farmers'
wives, and that they have, conferred great
social as well as great Industrial advantages.
An excellent little book "ha recently bee
published by Miss Jennie Buell. called "One
Woman a TVork for Farm Women." It is
dedicated "To farm women everywhere." and
Is the story of Mary A. Mayo'a part In
rural soda movements. It Is worth while
to read this Ilttl volume to see how much
the hard-working woman who lives on the
farm can do tor herself when once ns i.
given fjmpit:.?.
tflunal leadership.
a - ...
encouragement and occa-
Finds Treasure Trove I nder. Hearth.
Lexington, Ky.. Dispatch.
While tearing down au old home
tional life, hut a gigantic cobweb off the
rngllsh stage." Henceforth England Is
to have a drama, so Mr. Harrison thinks,
that will stand up along with that of
other European countries. This one piny,
whose authorship after a period of
anonymity la attributed to Major Guy da
Slaurier. "has achieved what the criti
cal hammer and the theatrical anvil of
llr. Bernard Shaw, and all his sparks
and fire and all those of his satellites,
and all power of criticism, have not
hitherto succeeded In accomplishing dur
ing all these years namely, to tear away
tho mask which has so long palsied our
stajre. the mask of unreaMtv ar.d atage
puppet convention."
The play presents a home of an aver
age middle-class English family situated
on the cast coast sport-lovlng. scoffers
at duty. An invading force from the
Klndom of the North suddenly lands on
their lawn, finds not only them, but th.
local militia totally unprepared and unfit
for defense, and knocks the home to
pieces. Incidentally killing several of the
family. A few years ago. a writer In tha
London Sphere declares, "no self-respecting
Enplish audience would have listened
to 'An Englishman's Home." " but he ad
mits that a great deal has harpencd sine
then, such aa "a war which shook us out
of our senses" and "a new scheme of
home d-fense which Is making people
t!-tink if it does not make them serve."
" '., "' Tvno ricu la the London
rhil.y Mall, gives v.s a hint of the kind
of man the "hero" of tha play lsa hero
who quits Urn scene at tho end of th sec
ond act :
"He does not, as all our stags heroes
ws ,T'- knock down fc, an -foreigner
Tt.cD. e!.1"' ot an ordinary mortal
riick.ng off poppy-hcaJs with a stick
Every woman he meets does not lmmel
?n S ,ovo "n1 "'re him. He Is not the
silly dear boy who nets into a thousand
,09t'Jr,,,,"r' "S- taking off his
cap to the gallery, tha soul of honor
the Ideal typ of manhood, the caleadar
of success that we enjoy on the stage
' ,KaVUlCar,,ller whoso knowledge of
football records Is his unique virtue; the
atacluhnt,r,er" R"y afternoon
?' 'u b. matches. eas!.1K his muscles and
vocabulary at tho expense of the profes
sional gentlemen who play for him. In
stead of a marionette show, the nlar
gives ua what all these years we hav.
waited for-th, truth, the ral face of
-Mary Arm and her 'sporting' brothers."
Tm"h., i Zr ",RreJ"'n of tho bitter
Pill that London audience are now gulp
ing down are these:
b,? .0l? ralher who th!nk nothing
hut d abolo. the vulgar football .on. th
limerick son, the daughter who can
chatter about nothing save their broth
er a shop, and cannot evej, bandage a
fnTh",0""?- lh lono youth wh thinks
In khaki and gets generally considered a
fool; the abysmal Insularity, self-complacency,
vacuous garrulity of this famUy
-art, these the elements of successf uldra
ma? et they are. And they are so be
cause the author has a pretty knack of
tn"-Hs,1" ,ruthfu:'y to us through
thosuhUe medium of genuine satire."
rT10,"1 to at Ross f Paint
a nMrrirCUnlr' H S Henley,
a recent purchaser of the Rosa farm
discovered a tin bo, under the hearth'
oo 5h conu"-"d ?2 In cola, 1100 in
Conferedate bills and diamonds wortn
between $2000 and 12500. It la beMeved
Aln WWar h Z". h'dd0n durln
civil War. Forty years ago Nathan
Ross was considered the largest Una
owner In Central Kentucky? So far
u,.,ZnOVl n, npar relatives are now
VARIED COMMENT OX LGOISLAITRD
Alternative! Borrow the Money.
Jefferson Revtow.
It would be much cheaper to borrow the
necessary amount of money thTcl
an extra session.
Dim Prophecy.
Albany Democrat.
ii fr Benson "I!" apecial ses
sion of the Legislature and permit- an
ina."001 i'K,aiat,on hi, S;;nb'.
Placing the Responsibility.
Baker City Herald.
It la np to Governor Umson to call the
special session. On him and him alone
will rest the censure or the praise.
Do the Work, Then Go Rom.
SUlem Statesman.
.,Th legislature will have several defec
tive bills 'o correct. It is to be hoped
that Its labors will be conilned to this
work, and to doing some sort of justice,
to tho normal school matters; not leiv'naT
them all up m the air.
TpT o Avoid More Blunder.
Astorlun.
"We respectfully suscest the appoint
ment of a special commission of able
lawyer end business men to review th
work of the extra session b-rore It go.s
to the execut;ve for flnnl wgjllr.g- el
we Fhn.ll have ftill more bln.-.de-s rt
crippling laches to contend w,th
"! Xo Worse Than the Other
Independence Enterprise.
If files of the newspapers of tho gr.at
Fat of Oregon were scanned careful'iy
for their comments of the do:nr3 of t-
legislature during the many tern-.s of tr
past years. It would prjo-w,:- transr,
teat each session has hn1 th s.-i-re
amount of complaint that this ono has.
W'here V'" Good Itoad Lobby f
Medford Soutnera Or ; ln'.n.
Had the Good Roads Association kept
a large lobby at Salem, wa-kl.ng con
tinuously and persistently, th bill would
have passed. But to spend the mon-'y on
lecturers who have not interest enough
In the work even to lobby for the move
ment when they live at S.ilcci. wastes it.
One Friend of the Normal.
Ontario Opti-iut.
It is stated that the l!er.!iiou;n scl. i I
will be supported until U-. end of
term by voluntary conirihtitiins fre-m
citizrns. A special syj-uvi of The Leg
islature n.111 oo called :i oon:Jcr t
matter nt a l iter date. nr. I th.-- Icsis
lators will.be shirking their duly if ti-.rv
do not see to It that nomo motho' of
providing for thesa schools he l.-cr 1, d
upon.
One Good Act.
Prairie city illr.er.
The late Legislature deserves great
credit for abandoning tho statu r.orrr.-iI
schools altogether to their fate. Ti.es
schools must now stand upon their merits
and their own resources. Tl.ls Is
almost the only cre.litable biisiiit-.-s tl. it
body passed upon. The remainder " 1:
work -was one aggregate rawj cf gr.tft
created. If 20 of the 2- to s la-vs
enacted by them were selected from t';:
mass and the remainder doomed to o-.t
great bonfire to lllumlnete their great
deeds. It would be a blessing to the.
state. But. alas, they have not as yet
completed their destructive work Tl.'v
will meet in special setsi n M.irc i :.
so It Is rumored and thi taxpayer a:-
shivering.
Mr. t ntt III With M bnnplng Cough.
Indianapolis News.
Michael Catt. a farmer, living near
Decker. Ind.. is seriously ill with
whooping cough.
A