POKTIJlXD. OREGON.
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rORTLAXD,
ITilDAY. MARCH Z, 1909.
IHB SCOPE OF NATIONAL TAXATION.
It la scarcely possible, upon exami
nation of the Payne tariff bill, to see
Jiow additional revenue Is to be ex
pected from It. Revenue reduction.
rather, appears to be the sure conse
quence. Protection, not revenue, re
mains the controlling motive of the
'bill. On some few commodities the rate
la Increased, not for protection, but
for obtalnment of more revenue; but
It Is uncertain -whether the Increase
will not check Importation and thereby
defeat the Intended purpose. Chairman
Payne has not made It clear how more
revenue from customs la reasonably
to be expected from his bill.
To eke It out by taxation of prop
erty passing- by descent or bequest to
new owners Is apparently the main
hope; but against this proposition
there Is powerful protest, because the
inheritance tax, so-called, has already
been appropriated as a source of rev
enue by a majority of the states, and
a double tax of this nature Is open
to many and grave objections. The
states want the revenue, and need It
as much as the General Government
seeds It; all property Is directly under
Jurisdiction of the state and Is held
under the terms of the state law, and
the General Government possesses al
ready the main sources of Indirect rev
enues, which are most easily collected
or paid, and at the same time are
moat productive, Use of the taxing
power under the dual sovereignty of
our system ought to be studied and
applied, so that clash or contention
may be avoided. That is, the same
objects of taxation ought not to be
selected by both governments. No
less than thirty-six states Oregon
among them now have laws for tax
ation of Inheritances, and others are
disposed to follow. Each branch of
our dual system ought to avoid, as
Jar as possible. Invasion of a field of
taxation already occujpled by the
other. The liquor trade. Indeed, con
stitutes an exception; but It Is because
the liquor trade is an exceptional busi
ness, quite unlike business In any
other "line.
This double taxation and ever In
creasing taxation of property descend
ing by Inheritance might easily be
come confiscatory; and It will become
confiscatory when the capita neces
sary for the work and progress of mod
ern Industrial society shall be Im
paired. The descent of property fnora
ancestors, the confirmation of the
rights of property, passing from an
cestors to descendants, is the surest of
all the bonds of human society. It Is
In accord with the feelings of human
nature, and the state must look to the
conservation of the principle. If the
state la to survive. Taxation of es
tates, passing from ancestors to their
descendants, must not go so far as to
Impair the efficiency of estates that
Is, of the capital they represent nor
are the very greatest estates, of which
some fifty, or one hundred, perhaps,
might be, named swollen plethoric
beyond the modesty of private fortunes
to be taken as examples to which the
theory of distribution through Inher
itance tax, should be applied, or as ex
amples for the property of the coun
try. By far the greater part of the
property of the country Is held in
small amounts; and it must be passed
on unimpaired to natural heirs, or
progress In civilization must be ar
rested, and then cease altogether. Even
graduated taxation. If excessive, or
frequently raised, is Inevitably drawn
from the principal, therefore, from
capital; and no truth of political econ
omy Is more certain than that a heavy
taxation of capital, which starves in
dustry and employment, will fall most
grievously on the poor. Such taxation
discourages accumulation of property
and produces an Insecurity which Is
fatal to Its stability. Our Carnegles
and Rockefellers are few; and such of
them as we have always "have anchors
to windward" In their Investment In
foreign lands. In the ultimate we shall
not get at them. It may be easy to
draw Impressive contrasts 'between the
luxury of the rich and the necessities
of the poor, and to persuade the mass
of men that there can be no harm In
throwing great burdens of exceptional
taxation on a few persons who still
will remain Immeasurably richer than
themselves. Yet the sources of In
dustry may be choked up by the policy.
Small or moderate holdings desire free
play as well as large ones; and though
the fortunes of a few great million
aires make wonderful show In the
world, they form In reality a very In
significant sum. In comparison rwith
small savings and holdings. Moreover,
In the modern time, great necessary
things enji be accomplished only by
capital In large aggregations. Some
enormous fortunes have been made-In
our recent times; but on the other
hand, moderate and small fortunes
have Incalculably multiplied, and in
all countries which are in the stream
of Industrial progress the condition of
the laborer has vastly Improved.
No fallacy la greater than the notion
that the state, by taxation and ex
penditure, can establish equal con
ditions among men. Yet It appears to
be a growing Idea; and nearly all
rerhapa all the prevalent Utopias
take a socialistic form, and point to
an equalization of conditions by means
of taxation.
But everything should be moderate.
Just and reasonable, and must be so,
or it cannot stand the test of time.
It is fit that the passage of property
from ancestors to descendants should
pay a reasonable tax. enforced by the
state; but it Is altogether an erroneous
view to insist that a similar tax should
be superadded by the National Gov
ernment as a means of "equalizing
conditions among men," In accord with
theoretical notions of "social Justice."
We believe, therefore, that taxation
of descent of property should be left
to the states, which can deal with It
according to their own local and pe
culiar conditions, and that the Gen
eral Government should seek, as here
tofore. Its revenues In other fields. It
may find Immense resources in tax
ation of Imports, by proper adjust
ment of duties, with a view to revenue.
But It is extremely difficult to reach
such a result, because of the local
selfishness that Insists on a protective,"
or even a prohibitive tariff, for special
Interests In particular districts; and,
moreover, because of Insistence that
commodities of universal consumption,
not produced largely In our own coun
try, should be admitted free, because
the poor consume more of them than
the rich. Analysis of the whole
argument carries It to absurdity, In
every direction; for the true tariff al
ways is a revenue tariff, and Champ
Clark is right In the academic argu
ment that the sole test as to a duty
should be the Inquiry whether It will
be a revenue producer, or not. But
this Is not yet a practical question.
At some future tim-p it may be; but
thus far the argument for protection,
dominates legislation.
A DISGUSTING 6FECTACLK.
A young white woman and a man of
Japan the young woman accompa
nied by her mother are on their way
to Oregon, to enter the marriage re
lation. They say we are "a broad
minded people" in Oregon, and will
not pbject.
The statutes of Oregon may not pre
cisely forbid this marriage, but public
sentiment In Oregon is revolted by It.
Ana the spirit of the statutes. If not
the letter, condemns It.
The statutes are specific In their In
hibition of the intermarriage of white
persons with Chinese, negroes, Indians.
Kanakas and Mongolians. The Japan
ese do not fall directly under any one
of these terms. The statutes were
made at a time when Japan was not
In contact with the world beyond her
self; else, out of question, the Japanese
would have been named also in the
inhibition.
There is no Intention, on the part of
thosewho object to marriage of mem
bers of the white race with Japanese,
to treat the latter with contempt.
They are a people entitled to respect.
But the unsultability of such mar
riages is apparent. The connection is
one that offends decent sensibilities;
and it Is foreseen that the offspring of
such marriages must be placed In our
social system under most serious dis
advantages. We respect the marriage
of Japanese with their own people; but
we do not want, and we think they do
not want, this mongrelizatlon.
Under the laws of Oregon we think
it would be permissible to Issue a mar
riage license to these erratic or mis
guided people. But we wonder what
official can so far overcome his repug
nance as to Issue It; or what person,
authorized by law to solemnize mar
riages, will officiate at the mongrel
ceremony.
The young woman and her mother
are entitled to pity, as well as to con
tempt, for their folly. And, since the
consequences will react upon society to
Its Injury, society has the right of pro
test. This foolish and unnatural pro
ceeding Is one of the consequences of
cultivation of the missionary idea for
"salvation of the heathen," who don't
need at all the kind of "salvation" we
offer them.
The mere suggestion of such a mar
riage creates Infinite disgust. Evi
dently the daughter who entertains it
and t- mother who supports It are
religious and social perverts, who en
Joy the notoriety.
A NORMAL SCHOOL FOR TEACHERS.
A correspondent at Independence
appeals for support of the normal
schools "because there are no high
schools," In most communities. It la
not the business of the state to sup
ply high schools for communities
which are either too poor or too pru
dent to tax themselves for their sup
port. But the normal schools have
been so largely used for general edu
cational purposes by the people of
their several communities' that the
whole system has been discredited and
the state has finally refused outright
to provide funds for their maintenance.
Of course the state supports other
schools "where one can get an educa
tion." Doubtless It will continue to
maintain a State University and a
State Agricultural College; Let the
people who have children whom they
wish to have a "higher education"
send them to Eugene or Corvallis; but
let the state be firm In Its refusal to
give the people of Ashland, or Wes
ton, or Monmouth, an unfair advan
tage over such, pupils by providing
them with such advantages at their
homes.
We should have a normal school,
probably. But let It be a normal
school which shall train teachers, and
no others. The others may be looked
out for elsewhere and otherwise.
AWH'L COST OF PEACE.
Andrew Carnegie has been visibly
Impressed with that "vast, horrible,
sterilizing expenditure" for Dread
noughts which the British Prime Min
ister so recently declared was essen
tial to the national security. The
Ironmaster Is quite vigorous In his de
nunciation of the present system,
which Is leading all of the great na
tions of the earth deeper and deeper
inxo tne mire or naval extravagance;
but he falls to suggest a practicable
remedy. One feature of this alarming
onit Toward bankruptcy through over
indulgence in Dreadnoughts, which
must appeal to all students of political
economy, is the enormous loss to all
of the countries by withdrawal from
all reproductive business of about
110.000.000 for every Dreadnought
built. This money and the effort It
represents are gone forever and are
represented for a few years only by a
floating mass of steel.
As to the ultimate climax that Is
awaiting the end of this system there
can be no doubt. Unless some stray
spark should accidentally fall Into the
European powder magazine and pre
cipitate a fight to a finish within the
next few years, the cost of preserva
tion of peace will become so great
that it will bankrupt both England
and Germany, and all other nations
endeavoring to keep the pace set by
those countries. In the rumored
German naval programme which set
all England by the ears, the Hohen
zollern empire seems to have thrown
down the gauntlet, and England, with
an announced intention of building not
less than six Dreadnoughts per year
until 1912. has as promptly accepted
the challenge.
The British Empire, with Its far-
flung trade possessions. Is, of course,
obliged to maintain a naval force
much greater than Germany actually
needs. For that reason It seems strange
that the latter country should embark
on such a remarkable policy of expan
sion on the seas at a time when Ger
man finances are In such a precarious
state. The Germans are compelled to
maintain costly military service along
the frontier which separates . their
country from Austria, Russia and
France, while England has only to
safeguard her seaports. Germany has
made this "feint" for a lead in the race
at a time of profound peace, and yet
the spirit of militarism has run so high
In that country that the Reichstag Is
now endeavoring to formulate a plan
for providing $10.000,000 new taxes.
Perhaps, after all, an early conflict
of these great powers might in the
long run prove beneficial and econom
ical. The cost of war is so appalling
that it could not last long, and the air
would be cieared. The cost of peace
Is rapidly reaching a point where It
will be so much more than the cost of
war that drastic action must take
place. Incidentally, in noting the situ
ation In Europe, It might be well to
recall Mr. Tawney's statistics, which
showthat 70 per cent of our own ex
penditure, outside of the postal service,
goes to pay for old wars or to gurad
against new ones. . It might be well
for us to devote more money to prun
ing hooks and plowshares and less to
Dreadnoughts.
A PEEPING SKELETON.
When the woman who now calls her
self Mrs. Boyle, was arrested In Cleve
land last Wednesday, she admitted
that she had planned the abduction of
the Whltla boy from, Sharon. Her
words to the officers were, "I am the
one who "planned the whole thing."
Since the boy has now Identified her
as the person who had charge of him
at the apartment-house where he was
detained, there Is no reason to doubt
that at the moment of her capture,
before she had had time to arrange
her thoughts, she told the truth. This
supposition is confirmed by the fact
that the money which Whitla paid for
the return of his son was found on her
person. There is no ground to expect
that any other Individuals besides
Boyle and the woman who passes for
his wife will be Implicated In the
case. The suicide of Mary Delmel,
near the place where the boy was con
fined, may be dismissed as a discon
nected event. She had nothing to do
with the kidnaping. There was not
the faintest need for more accessories
than Boyle. He and the woman were
amply able to plan and carry out the
abduction. Then why Invite others to
participate and thua multiply the
chances of failure and detection?
We may safely conclude, also, that
Whitla has told at least two outright
falsehoods during the progress of the
strange' affair. In the first place, his
story that he placed $10,000 under a
stone In a gorge at Ashtabula for the
abductors to come and remove, 13 In
credible. How were they to tell which
stone, among thousands, he had placed
It under? To be sure, they might have
watched Mm deposit It, but so might
any chance passerby, and If the ab
ductors left It there for hours un
touched, the passerby would not be so
self-controlled. We are speaking from
Whltla's standpoint. His story is that
he placed the $10,000 under a stone,
not knowing that the police were ob
serving him, and left It there for
nours, unprotected. Suppose he had
not found it when he returned; how
would he have known that the abduct
ors had removed It and not some other
person? This is all too romantic and
foolish for belief. Whltla never de
posited any money for the abductors in
the gorge at Ashtabula. There were
multitudes of better and more certain
ways for him to transmit the cash, and
one of them was actually chosen. He
left It In a parcel at a grocery store.
where one of the abductors called and
received it.
It was in connection with this trans
action that Whltla told the second un
mistaKabie falsehood. He said he
visited the grocery at about 2 o'clock
on Monday, meeting a woman, from
whom he learned the terms of the
criminals. Later he declared that he
then gave the woman the money. Now
Mrs. Bernard Hendrickson,- who was
keeping the store at the time and who
has no conceivable motive to He, states
that the money was delivered by her to
a man named Hayes, who called twice
for It. Between the two calls It was
left for him by a man who gave his
name as Williams. This flatly con
tradlets, the account of Whltla. What
really happened Is plain enough. It
had been prearranged by letter that
Whltla should leave th money for
Hayes at the grocery store on Mondav.
He, went to -the store under the alias
of Williams and left it, as he had
agreed, and Hayes, who was, of course,
Boyle, came and got It. This is all
simple enough. Then Boyle delivered
the cash to his principal In the crime,
and the boy was sent to Whltla's hotel
on the streetcar.
So much Is clear as day,' but why
should -Whltla lie about the affair?
Why Invent the awkward fiction about
depositing the money under a stone
at Ashtabula? Evidently to provide
himself with an excuse for fending off
the police at Cleveland. "Your inter
ference balked my first' attempt to
ransom my child. Now hold aloof and
let me manage In my own way." That
was what Whltla desired. He was
willing to pay any price, even the price
or ralsehood. to prevent the police
from gaining any- knowledge of the
parties Interested In the abduction.
Just why he wished to keep everything
'as dark as possible of course one can
only guess, but another exclamation
of the Boyle woman, when she was ar
rested, furnishes something like a sug
gestion. "There will be trouble for
me and hell In Sharon tomorrow,"
cried the engaging female. Why should
there be hell when the news came out
that she had been arrested? Unless
some clandestine relations existed be
tween her and Whitla, her arrest
would be a cause of Joy rather than
trouble. That some such relations will
come to light sooner pr later seems
fairly certain, both from Whltla's eag
erness to hush up the affair and from
the conduct of his sister. When the
latter learned that Mrs. ' Boyle had
been arrested, her ejaculation. "That
woman again," folio-wed by hysterics
and obstinate silence, was significant
of a skeleton not too well concealed.
Just what the nature of the skele
ton may be. It la difficult to Imagine.
Mrs. Whitla treats Willie as her
own child, though, ' of course,
that proves little. Women will
do anything rather than expose a fam
ily disgrace. If the Boyle woman is
the boy's mother, Whitla has probably
paid her an allowance privately for a
long time. Some emergency like a
projected marriage with Boyle might
r ....... i i
Increase her necessities and lead her
to abduct the boy in order to enforce
her demand for more money from her
former paramour. Whltla would prob
ably resist the blackmailing scheme as
long as he dared, yielding, however, In
the end. Naturally he would seek to
prevent an arrest of the Boyle woman
and the expose which would necessar
ily follow. His asserted fear that the
abductors might murder the boy If
any of their number were prosecuted
need not weigh very heavily. Even
the most abandoned rogues seldom
commit flagrant crimes out of pure re
venge. They would gain nothing what
ever by the murder, while the chance
of detection and punishment would be
serious. Whitla would receive more
sympathy if he would frankly confess
the truth about this affair, and proba
bly his future career would run much
more pleasantly if he could bring him
self to drag out the skeleton from the
closet whence It malignantly peeps,
and give It a public burial.
. Major Francis P. Fremont, son of
the Pathfinder of , a past era and
grandson of Thomas H. Benton, for
thirty years a member of the United
States Senate. ha boon
court-martial In Cuba of lnsubordlna-
..... U vj.oiii iT.Tt; n uum L II (3
Army. The Incident will recall the
distinguished services of his father and
grandfather in their distinctive spheres
in public life, the remembrance of
which will add to the regret that dis
missal from the Army for any cause
Induces. Insubordination : Is a sin
against military rules that cannot be
condoned. It must be' punished, even
though an honored name thereby suf
fers attainder. The Bplrit that -led to
It In this Instance was most likely an
Inheritance, as all the world knows
that pretty Jessie Benton defied the
authority of her stern father In elop
T inn A-nn w i n ri ; 1 - x, 1
ing wicn and marrying John C. Fre
mont, a young man who had yet his
spurs to win, and whom implacable old
Tom Benton held In profound con
tempt.
There are wonderful possibilities for
the Wall-street fakers In the meeting
ai -aso tic Dies of E. H. Harriman and
james J. Hill. If the Union Pacific
magnate should happen to greet the
whiskered sage of the Great Northern
with a glad hand and a pleasant smile.
as he undoubtedly will, stocks of either
road should be bought for a rise. If.
on the contrary, Mr. Harriman's rheu
matic knee should give him a severe
twinge Just as he meets Mr. Hill, the
attendant frown. If not understood,
will cause a severe slump In prices.
Wall street does not sneeze when
either of these famous gentlemen takes
snuff. It simply throws a fit, and buys
or sells stock with all the abandon of
a drunken sailor until there Is forth
coming an official denial of any serious
meaning to the sneeze.
But six out of twenty-five members
of the Seattle Hotel-Keepers' Associ
ation have agreed not to "gouge" vis
itors to the fair with excessively high
prices. With Seattle property well out
or tne business center held at $5000
per front foot, and taxes and rents in
keeping with that price, the hotel-
keepers apparently figure that the fair
will , offer a much-needed opportunity
for getting even. This may not prove
satisfactory to the visitors, but Port
land Is near at hand and the fare Is
low.
Elghty-aix years old today, Hon.'
George H. Williams, pioneer statesman
and Jurist, moves In and out among us,
genial, gracious and happy, showing
How far the gulf stream of our youth may
flow
Into the Arctic region of our lives
when its course is wisely directed.
Mrs. Emery thinks her troubles are
to end at Portland. The California
Idea of Portland appears to be that It
Is a place where a misguided young
woman may marry a Japanese cook
and be happy ever after. Come early.
everyDoay, ana avoid the rush.
Now that it has been finally settled
tnat h lelder Jones is to remain perma
nently In our midst, let us pass to con.
sideration of other momentous ques
tions, ir there are any worthy our un
divided attention.
.Senator Chamberlain is to talk to a
New Jersey Civil Service League Mon
day on "Progressive Legislation."
Much he knows of it. "Progressive
Proselyting" would be more to his
hand.
That Balkan question Is said to bo
"acute" again. Some power or other
must be figuring on ordering a battle
ship. Or, possibly, the Imperial chef
spoiled, the imperial roast.
The estate of the late R. D. Hume
has been appraised at $375,000. Mr.
Hume was rated as considerable of a
millionaire. It is easy to magnify the
wealth of other people.
Two men held up a Pullman car In
a Denver suburb yesterday morning
and compelled the porter to help them.
That was bad work. Porters know
enough already.
Officer .Kay Is said to have been
raided by the grand Jury; hence his
resignation. And the grand Jury didn't
ask for any marriage certificate, either.
Castro has started for "Venezuela to
start a revolution. Surest sign Is his
change of demeanor. He now talks
loudly for publication.
With Harriman and Hill at Paso
Robles for their health, the pulse ' of
the Western country should become
active.
Senator Chamberlain introduced his
1 first bills yesterday. They Increase
pensions and grant new ones. "You
bet."
Although an unnatural mother, Mrs.
Emery, after a time, will probably be
a typical mother-in-law. Though late.
After the election of Mayor of Port
land the candidates can look forward
to Governor, year following.
Too bad the next generation has
nothing to say In advance about the
folly of the Emery girl.
Rain Is still 5 Vt inches short of the
average for this day of the year. But
never fear.
Even If those City Park lions were
at home in Africa, they might fare no
better.
What la all this talk about difficulty
of finding a Mayor of Portland?
"FAKE" ROOD RIVER APPLES SOLD
Certain Growers Palm Off Substitutes
to Get Increased Prices.
NEW YORK. March 20. (To the
Editor.) The Oregonlan will no doubt
appreciate the Importance of the ac
companying clipping, .taken from "The
Fruitman's Guide." We consider the
misbranding of packages of fruit one
of the most serious menaces to the
fruit trade, and hope that The Ore
gonlan will be able to give this matter
proper editorial mention, as we are
very anxious to have this abuse
shopped, and we are doing all in our
power with that object In view.
STEINHARDT & KELLY.
The frultman's Guide. New York.
Speaking of the box apple trade In
general and the Hood River. Oregon,
fruit In particular, Joseph H. Steln
hardt. of Stelnhardt & Kelly said to
a Guide man:
"This has been a very peculiar sea
son and our method or selling the bulk
of our stock as fast as It arrived, to
to the trade at a fair advanco over our
original purchase price, meeting as It
did with ready response, by the whole
sale trade, to whom exclusively we ap
pealed In the disnos&I nt OUT- ntftflr
we consider to have been the proper-
method harvesting the crop this
Of course FTrn- -bIts. o- i
In a class by them Splvp.q TVipv -wAT-sn
;
class by themselves. Thev were
never packed as well as this season,
when they were packed under the di
rect supervision of the directors of the
Apple Growers' Union. It was the first
season for the union label and the re
sult Justified the extra expense and
labor naturally attached to such a
large undertaking.
uur entire deal with th TTnnri -Riv
er Apple Growers' Union was one of
the plear-ln test business experiences
we have ever had. But we regret to
report that Inferior aonlcs from the
Paclflo Northwest have In some cases
been palmed off as the famous NTTnnH
River article. A label declaring that
the fruit contained in ta certain box
had been inspected and nacked bv a
concern which claimed a Hood River
address naturally gave the buyer the
idea that the fruit was Hood River
fruit, when In reality It was but very
Inferior fruit raised in districts hun
dreds of miles from that celebrated
valley. Legal efforts were started to
have this concern indicted for using
fraudulent and misleading labels In de-
nance or tne Pure Food Law. Wiser
councils, however, prevailed that the
matter be allowed to drop for the pres
ent, to be taken up another season If
this offense against common decency
should again be undertaken.
Especially injurious was this fake
package to the Hood River fruit and
good name on the European market.
where the buyers are not as' well ac
quainted with American geography as
they are here Thousands of boxes
were there catalogued and sold as Hood
River which never saw that celebrated
valley, and the consequence was that
when the- real Hood Rivers were of
fered they could not be disposed of,
excepting at prices which showed con
siderable losses to the exporters.
"These concerns, cleverly hiding
themselves behind these fraudulent
labels, giving people the impression
that the fruit was Inspected, packed
and shipped from that celebrated val
ley, hurt the growers of the valley a
great deal and It will take several
seasons of strenuous work and adver
tising to obliterate this false Impres
sion. "No doubt, by the time another sea
son comes around both the domestic
and foreign buyers wil be 'on to' these
palpable frauds."
WHY THE NEWSPAPER EXISTS
Answer to n Reader Who Complains
That Geodneis Is Net Sof- ,
nclently Praised.
Chicago Inter-Ocean.
There is more good thrn bad In tl.e
world. True, thank heaven! A thou
sand times more thank heaven again!
But that is the very reason a newspa
per Is as it Is.
Is It a newspaper's business to print
a list of happy homes every day? Or
of honest men? Or of loyal wives? Or
of decent husbands? Or of patriotic
citizens? Or of faithful preachers?
Or of good office-holders?
We should say not. - Such a news
paper would have a hundred pages a
day and no readers.
It Is Just because the vast majority
of the people are decent and worthy
that the flagrantly Indecent or un
worthy man is or makes news which
it is the business of a newspaper to
print.
If a newspaper were to print the
rule and Ignore the exception. It would
cease to be a newspaper and become a
catalogue or city directory or patent-
office report, or perhaps even all these
miseries in one.
A newspaper's position is necessarily
optimistic. Optimism Is the essence
of Its very being. If It did not believe
a minister gone wrong, for Instance,
was a surprising person. It would 'not
mention him and his offense.
If It did nr' take It for granted that
most wives and husbands are faithful.
It would not publish divorce cases.
If it did not consider most public
servants honest. It would not -' give a
first-page headline to the exposure of
a dishonest one.
And so on indefinitely.
It Is not the newspaper therefore,
that is In this case the pessimist. The
pessimist In this case Is the man who
assumes that there is space in any or
all newspapers to print a list of the
good persons, places and things about
us.
And thou, O croaker of Antloch, art
the man I
Woman's Pluck Wins n Homestead.
Denver News.
Winning a homestead often Bpells pluck
and hard work and few are willing to
make the effort for it that has gained
Mrs. Mary Owens, a middle-aged widow
160 acres of land upon which she will
soon make final proof. Working as
seamstress in Denver for a number of
years she decided to make a home In
Northern Colorado. All her money went
for a location and a horse and wagon.
With her own hads she built a house.
Each day she drove three miles to secure
drinking water and enough to irrigate her
little garden, from which she harvested
a good crop. Later she dug a well, haul
ing stone five miles, with which, after
digging the well unassisted, she faced It
with stone. She also built a dam ten by
13 feet, putting In her own stone founda
tions, three feet In the ground.
BALLADE OF A BKOKEK FIDDLE.
It hangs against the dingy wall.
The broken fiddle and Its bow.
No more at country dance or ball
Shall flying; music from It flow.
The shadows drift across It slow
When twilight weaves her muffled maze,
"While ghostly dirges murmur low
Dead echoes of the by-gone days.
Not Wintry winds that clanging call.
Nor Spring's delights and orchard glow.
Not summer's June-steeped carnival.
Where myriad blood-red roses blow.
Shall rouse It from Its overthrow.
Or from the past Its vlbrance raise.
Nor bring in dim adagio.
Dead echoes of the bygone day a
What light gavotte, or dying fall
Of sweet and tuneful tremolo.
Shall this mute shell from .out Its thrall
Of sad and sombre ellence show?
Beneath the roses and the snow
The trembling recollection stays.
Faint chords that waver to and fro.
Dead echoes of the bygone days.
ENVOI.
Prince: I. above all others, know
What phantom hand across It plays;
Youth's touch the soul of long ago-
Dead echoes of the bygone davs.
ERNEST M'GAFFKT.
Portland. March 29.
C A3? ADA ASWORLD'S GRANARY.
Wheat Center Shirts When Tutted
st"es Only Feeds Home Market.
Literary Direst.
The centor of gravity In the world's
wheat market shifted when the United
States found that our people consumed
all the wheat raised In our territory, leav
ing none for exportation. Yet even now
this country raises more wheat (64,000,000
bushels) than any other single country In
the world and about 60 times as much as
our neighbor on the north.
Canada, however, is looked upon by
some Italian economists as the coming
bread-giver of the civilized world, al
though at this moment Italy Itself Is pro
ducing nearly twice as much wheat as the
Dominion. According to a writer in the
Minerva (Rome), the help of the Domin
ion in giving bread to the hungry is now
urgently needed. This supreme cereal,
although at present cultivated so widely
and so plentifully, says the Roman week
ly, is beyond the reach of such multi
tudes that "many economists have pub
lished statistics of an alarming charac
ter, as they tend to prove that the human
race increases so fast that it is in danger.
In the near future, of meeting the late
of Count Ugollno." The writer tries to
reassure these alarmists by pointing to
Canada:
"Fortunately the cultivation of wheat
has for the last few years been dnvp!nnrt
I to a phenomenal degree In the fertile and
boundless plains of Western Caniula nnH
the production la all the while Increasing.
The day Is not far distant when Canada,
cultivated with eager Industry by the ro
bust arms of the Immigrants who are
crowding In. will become the granary of
the world, as Egypt was of the Roman
Empire."
These statements are surjDorted bv sta
tistics which show that Canada herself
does not consume a tithe of her wheat
production. Railroads are being built or
projected which will bring her cereals to
xne ports or tne Atlantic and Pacific and
m a few years the Dominion, now tonth
In the list, will reap more grain than any
other single country In the world. This
opinion is further warranted by the fact
that at this present moment Western Can
ada, long abandoned to Indians, half
breeds, cowboys and ranches occupied
without a title, has recently been settled
by sturdy farmers from all lands, Swedes,
Germans, English, and last, but by no
means least, pioneers of experience frtrm
our own West.
SHOTTLD MEND THE LIBERTY BELL
Secret Process for Restoring Bells,
Tones of Which Suffer From Cracks.
Washington (D. C.) Post.
Restore the Liberty Bell! This prop
osition Is to be called to the attention
of Congress within a few days by W.
Johannsen, a citizen of San Francisco,
who has just returned from a six
months' tour of Europe. "While in Ger
many I discovered a firm of bell
founders who have a secret process for
restoring bells, the tone of which has
been destroyed by cracks," said Mr.
Johannsen, at the Raleigh, "and it oc
curs to me that the 'Kreatest bell of
English America" ought to be mended.
If possible. The crack is growing larger
and larger, and even now there Is ob
jection made to its transportation to
the Portland Rose Festival.
I was Informed that the German
bell-founders have mended historic
bells hundreds of years old In Bavaria.
England, and other countries. There
is a bell In the Island of Fehrman, a
possession of Denmark, that was cast
nearly 1000 years ago. and Its tone has
seen restored so that It rlncrs out as
clear as the first day It was cast- I
was told that it is possible to restore
tne Liberty Bell without movlnjr it
from where it stands, and that It will
then ring In clarion tones as sweet
as when it first 'proclaimed liberty
throughout all the land unto all the
Inhabitants thereof.' It seems to me
this is a proposition worthy the atten
tion or Congress.
The Liberty Bell was brought to this
country from England In 1752 and in
stalled In the Statehouse In Philadel
phia. On Its first trial ringing It
cracked. It was recast In 1753 by a
Philadelphia firm. The bell Is four
feet In diameter at the Hp, and three
Inches thick at the heaviest part. The
crack extends from the Hp to the
crown. An attempt was made to re
store the tone by sawing the crack
wider, but without success.
SUPPORT FOR THE NORMALS.
Argument That the State Should Pro
vide Local High Schools.
INDEPENDENCE, Or., March 25. (To
the Editor.) I noticed an editorial in The
Oregonian of Tuesday, March 23, under
the head of "Where Are the Teachers
This editorial said that the Normal
Schools of Oregon were nothing more
than High Schools. But what can be ex
pected, when there are nq more High
Schools in the state than at present? In
most communities ' there are no High
Schools, but still there are some people
wno want a nigner education. They can
not get Into the higher schools without a
High School course or one equivalent to
it. jviost or those people are not the chil
dren of the rich class and would natural
ly go where they could live the cheapest
and could get the necessary preparation.
Therefore they would go to a Normal
School In a small town rather than to a
High School In a large town.
As to the excess in number of the
total enrollment over the number of grad
uates It Is probably no more In propor
tion. In the Normal Schools, than in any
otner scnool in the state.
The state supports other schools where
one can obtain an education that will not
bring back, to the state at least, near
so much as having teachers to keep up
a good public school system; so why
can't they lend a little support to our
Normal Schools?
J. S. COOPER, JR.
A FEW WORDS FROM THE MAYOR
Says He Didn't Say What The -Oregonlan
Didn't Say He Said.
PORTLAND, March 25. (To the Edi
tor.) A few days ago a statement was
published In The Oregonlan to the effect
that I "had announced that If I became
j a candidate for Mayor It would be upon
uu auLi-DLicct iiwwajr piUXIOrm, OT
that I would "Jolt Josselyn," or some
thing to that effect, and the publication
of this statement, which I neither made
nor authorized to .be made, has afforded
an opportunity for my characterization
as a "political demagogue."
In relation to which I would like to say
that I feel as Mark Twain did about
the smoking of cigarettes when he said
that he did not smoke them for two rea
sons, one being that they were bad for
one's health, and the other that they
brought one into association with persons
who called them "cigareets;" therefore,
I would respectfully request that I be
not forced onto the premises of mine ene
mies. HARRY LANE.
The Oregonlan has contained no state
ment that the Mayor has said that he
would "Jolt Josselyn," nor has It recent
ly called him a "political demagogue," as
he appears to Imply. However, let him
be patient. He may only anticipate.
Professor Baffled by Student Twins.
Kansas City Star.
Four pairs of twins now attending the
"University of Missouri are causing some
confusion. When a professor tries to di
vide his class according to the percent
age required by the grading system he
must put the twins in the same division,
because he cannot tell them apart. One
might do better work than the other,
but which one he cannot tell. When he
begins to recognize one by the seat he
occupies in the room the twins exchange
seats and baffle him.
Life's SunnySide
In the town where Rev. Dr. Emmons
was pastor, lived a physician tinctured
with the grossest form of pantheism.
wno declared that If he ever met Dr.
Emmons he would easily floor him in
argument. One day they met at the
home of a patient. The physician ab
ruptly asked Dr. Emmons:
now old are you, sir?"
The doctor, astonished at his rude
ness, quietly replied, -Sixty-two; may I
as..c,s ' how lorS you have lived?"
. "co tne creation," was the pan
theists reply.
"Ah. I suppose, then, you were In the
garden of Eden with Adam and Eve?"
'I was there, sir."
"Well." said the wily divine, "we all
know there was a third person pres
ent," Nashville Banner.
e
An earnest plea was made bv At
torney Charles Pettljohn to Judge
Prltchard. of thecrimlnal court, for
leniency to a client who had entered
a plea of guilty to larceny. The bur
den of the attorney's argument was
that his client was the father of twins,
and was tempted to the theft in order
to feed the mouths of the infants.
"Your honor, I will say frankly," said
Mr. Pettljohn in closing, "that if I were
the father of twins and needed food for
my family, I would not hesitate to go
out and steal It."
"Mr. Pettljohn. when you are the
father of twins I will consider your
proposition." said Judge Prltchard.
Indianapolis News.
e
Mr. Hammond's face was so ugly as
to be almost grotesque, although no
body ever thought about his looks af
ter hearing him talk.
"If I hadn't known I was one of the
homeliest people In the world I might
have been surprised at a remark made
by old Pomp, the body servant of one
of my Southern friends," he once said.
"I hadn't seen Pomp for 16 years,
and as 1 had grown from a boy to a
man in that time. I did not expect him
to rememoer me; but he said, 'Howdy.
Marse Hammond, sah!' the moment he
caught sight of me.
So you remember me. Pomp.' I said.
'Couldn't nebber forirlt yo' face.
Marse Hammond, sah,' grinned Pomp.
Hit s so kinder comnllcated.' " Youth's
Companion. -
see
The women of an Indiana town
cently organized a literary club, and
for a while everything was lovely.
Alice, asked the husband of one of
the members, upon her return home
from one of the meetings, "what was
the topic under discussion by the club
this afternoon?"
Alice couldn't remember at first: fin
ally, however, she exclaimed:
'Oh, yes; I recollect. We discussed
that brazen-looking woman that's Just
moved in across the street and Long
fellow." New York Sun.
A Southern Congressman- who form
erly practiced law In Mississippi tells
of an amusing case he once tried In
that state. He was then a student In
the office of his uncle, a Colonel Mar
tin, who figured In local politics.
The main figure in the trial was a
lazy darky named Dick Sutton, arrested
at the instance of his wife, who al
leged that he contributed nothing to
her support and refused to work.
During the examination of Sutton
the young lawyer risked:
"Dick, have you any fixed Income?"
Sutton was puzzled by the term.
Counsel explained that the expression
meant a certainty, money paid not for
odd Jobs, but for steady employment;
in other words, a compensation at sta
ted intervals on which one could abso
lutely rely.
Upon the conclusion of counsel s re
marks the darky's face brightened.
I- think I has a fixed income, san,"
said he.
"And what Is this fixed Income?" was
the next question.
"Well, sah," answered Dick, with a
broad grin In the direction of Colonel
Martin, "de Colonel dere allers give
me fo" dollars an' a sack o" flour on
'lection day!" Rochester (N. Y.)
Herald.
e e
"How long have you been married?"
asked the judge.
"Two weeks," replied the lady.
"And you want a divorce so soon?
Why, you haven't given him a chanbe
to show you what kind of a man he is.
You may like him when you come to
know him."
"No, Judge, I shall never like him, no
matter how well I may learn to know
him. He told me that his income was
$5000 a year, and I gave up alimony of
$150 a month to marry him. Now I find .
that his salary is only $40 a week, and
I shall never forgive him never."
Chicago Record-Herald.
e
Doorkeeper (at poor play) Don't you
want to come back?
Victim No! "
Doorkeeper Well, take this pass
check anyway. You can hand It to
some one outside.
Victim My dear fellow, I haven't an
enemy in the world. Kansas City Jour
nal. Crusty Patron Usher, can't you stop
that fool? He Is annoying every one
with his violent applause."
"Usher No. sir. You er see, he is
the author of the play. Exchange.
e
"More things come out in the wash
than we know." observed a well-known
actress, the other day. "I met an old
friend on Fifth avenue the other day
and as we strolled along a drunken
person surveyed my escort's gardenia,
frock coat and cane resentfully. Then
he accosted him.
" 'Ain't you Mr. Blank?' he said.
" 'Yes,' my escort said. 'What of it?"
"'Mr. Blank, of West th street?'
" 'Yes, yes. Who are you?"
" 'Mr. Blank,' said the seedy creature,
laying a hand on my friend's shrinking
shoulder to keep himself from falling,
'I'll tell you who I am. I'm hie the
husband of your washerwoman.'
" "Well, what of that?" said my friend,
scornfully.
"The poor man didn't like the scorn.
" -Huh, you don't know everything,"
he said, darkly.
" 'What don't I know?" demanded mf
friend.
" 'Well, Mr. Blank, you don't know
hlc that I'm wearing one: hie of
your new white shirts.' " Young's
Magazine.
Athlete, 04 Years Old, Issues Dell.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dr. W. L. Munhall, .an evangelist of
Georgetown, Pa., who is 64 years old and
vigorous, issued a challenge to prove that
the man who takes a nip or two is not
the physical equal of the total abstainer.
He agrees to enter a match against any
tippler for a trial of strength at long
distance bicycle riding. Jumping, run
ning, putting the shot or other populai
sport.
One Mnrlllo Palnrlna; Brings (122,000.
Baltimore News.
Murlllo's painting, "Assumption of the
Virgin." was sold at the final session of
the Eugene Fischhof sale at the Fifth
Avenue Art Gallery, in New York, for
$22,000. R. M. Fleishmann, of Philadel
phla, was the purchaser. The total real
ized by the entire sale was $130,520.
Senator Cummins Affects Golf.
Indianapolis News.
Senator Cummins, of Iowa, is a per
sistent golf player and is threatened with
becoming one of the members of the Taft
"golf" Cabinet.