PORTLAND. OREGON.
Entered at Portland. Or.gon. Po.tofnc. as
Eacund-cltu Matter.
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Ka.Wrif BDln.oiHre The 8. C. Becic--Tr.buT.TulMln.l'''-
Chlc' -5ia
rOBTLAXD, WEDXLSDAT. Af RJI, S8, 1809
MERCHANT MARINE MISTAKES.
Elsewhere The Oregonian prints a
communication from Mr. John A. Pen
ton, of the Merchant Marine League,
an organization maintaining head
quarters at Cleveland, O. The letter
Is given space, not because It presents
any new features that will distinguish
it from former communications of the
league, but because some of the old
arguments appear- in new garb, which
might enable them to escape identi
fication. . .- -
Mr. 4enton asks il The Oregonian
"means that the United States should
embark upon-the free trade polrcy
now occupied by England in order
that wer should have the merchant ma
rine." The contention of The Orego
nian -has always, been that, so long as
American' capital can rtrn 6 per cent
and .better in railroads, and other
forms of internal development, "while
foreign capital is willing to accept 3
per cent and Ies3 in the ocean-carrying
trade, it is better to let the for
eigner carry our business after it
reaches tidewater. At the same time
we b'ay ejal ways, .nrsted that' if we
must have .a merchant marine Me
signedto compete 'with -the foreign
ers it should not be handicapped by
an original cost any greater than that
of the craft with which we must meet
on the ocean. In other words, if all
thereipalndep.o.f-ilie,iwopid. has. access
to the" bargain counters of the" Euro
pean shipyards, our capitalists who
desire to engage in the ocean carry
ing trade should be granted the same
privilege. The trouble with Mr. Pen
ton and his Cleveland, associates is
that they live so far from salt water
tey miss the practical side of the
business, -reveaJed-only by close' range
study. The OrygoiVran has-. never
questioned the. sincerity of these gen
tlemen, but their unfamiliarity witlr
the subject is revealed in every com
munication they send out.
Take, for example, the paragraph
about the Homeward Bound. The ves
sel is still under the American flag,
although under the. new name of Star
of Holland, and she .will .continue, to
fly the American flag"" until it is "pos:-
oiuio xor ner can r ran Cisco owners to
replace her with another "foreign
built vessel at no greater cost than was
incurred in smuggling this vessel in
by aspeclal act of Congress. There
Is another feature of interest in con
nection wii :the Homeward B-oundr
which will pronably be news"to Mr.
Penton. The vessel was originally the
British ship, (not .boat) Zemldar.
About a dozen yea'rs 'ago,' when1 Brit
ish owners were turning from sail to
steam, she was sold to the Germans
and became the German ship Otto
Glldemelster. It should not escape
attention that, when the Germans
wanted the craft, no special act of
Congress or any other kind of gumshoe
'WOPl'WsiweMiry'iri "oroifeV- .to'-briVrg
her under the German flag.
In order to get American register for
the Homeward Bound it was neces
sary partially to wreck her and then
pile up ah enormous repair bill before
the expensive '"special act" "doors
upcueu tor ner. . xne alleged high
price of American labor" cuts no fig
ure with the Homeward Bound while
she is in the foreign trade, 'for labor
.on shipboard is paid the-"going wages"
, of the port of departure, and the flag
cuts no figure. The Oregonian agrees
with Mr. Ponton, that "Americans
have been educated to a higher stand
ard of Hying,'.' etc., and we believe
that they will stick to that standard,
so long as they can hire "hewers of
wood, and drawers of water" and carri
ers of freight at less cost than they
care to engage in such work them
selves. 1 . ; . . .
The Oregonian does
..... j. .1 iu in me 'statement, .that
"American boats ftr, foreign trade
must be built with greater conve
niences . than those , used by foreign
nations." 'Those marvelous British,
German and French express steamers
which cross the Atlantic at .railroad
speed are equipped throughout with
the "last word" in conveniences of
every conceivable nature. The Orego
nlan admits that "we are paying more
-than $200,000,000 (or thereabouts) to
inreigners ior tne carrying of Ameri
can goods." In return for that sum
we get a; service that would probably
cost us at least 2 50,000,000 if we
attempted to handle it by the subsidy
method. In proof of this statement
My: Penton. is referred to the annual
repr.rta.of ' the GUnard line and the
North German Lloyd line Just issued.
"'iThieS6""two"nrreB receive the greater
part of that much vaunted "subsidy"
that England and Germany are said
tv pay their ships. The English sub
vention li for fast -mail steamers, fitted
for. naval 'service, and the German
subsidy is only a payment for mail
services in the Far Eastern trade, the
subsidy -so undesirable that It was re
jected" by the Hamburg-American line.
But. even with their cheap ships, mall
subventions -and all other : forms of
assistance! the North German Lloyd,
. mi rfiiueruig us portion or xne zuu,
000,000 service to American shippers
and travelers, last year was obliged to
-face a deficit of more than 4,201,000,
wnicn was taKen. irom its reserve fund
, and renewals fund, leaving the stock-
"iucia " iniuu i inc in trie snaps
. .of dividends. The Gunard -lines losses
i were smaller, as the. service was cur
tailed throughout the year, but there
were -no - dividends for the stockhold
ers, and $750,000 was withdrawn from
the- insurance fund and the reserve
fund to wipe out the deficit.
-. , In the face of thr-se actual condi
tions' and with the foreigners Satisfied
-with" a 3 "per cent"' return on their in-
restments, a SIS, 00 0,000 per year sub
sidy would not amount to much, espe
cially if we were handicapped with
more costly vessels than those used
by our competitors in the creation of
these annual deficits. ' ,
- TARIKF KOWSEJfSE. - -
'The observations on the tariff of the
erudite and disinterested Mr. Aldrich
titillate most delectably the imagina
tion of one who is disposed to delve
in the fertile fields of economic
thought. It is a constant source of
wpnder .how a man who has been at
the head and fount of "revenue legisla
tion as many years as this learned
Trojan could have escaped so com
pletely from the acquirement of any
vestige ofaccurate information about
the laws of finance-and wnir4a rn
of his retorts to Mr. Bailey displays
an Innocence of all sophistication
which a cherub might have envied.
"Mr. Aldrich retorted that while
Bailey was -ready to keep the foreign
lifcborer from our shores. We was "not
averse to allowing the product of this
cheap labor' to. come, intocompetition
with the product of American work
ingmen." Evidentlv Mr -aihiHov,
never heard of the astonishing fact
mat me products" of the" American
worklngmen have invaded the realms
.of cheap; European labor 'and are un
derselling the pauper workman in his
own home. If our labor can send its
products to Europe and there sell them
for less than the rpauper has to de
mand, need he fearHbTe-competltion of
pauper -'products '-which must be
shipped across the ocean and pay the'
freight? - . ' "
Mr. Bailey Is right about this matter
and Mr. Aldrich is wrong. It is not
the competition of pauper-made goods
which- the American ..workman -has to
dread. He can," with 'his -skill and in
telligence, make goods cheaper than
the pauper can: What. he has- to. drekd
is the competition of the pauper him
self, who invades the country- and.
beats down the rate of wages and the
standard of living. Every man at all
familiar with the facts knows that the
tariff- rs not the cause ".of high "wages.'
On the contrary, high wages are the
cause of the tariff, or one of its causes.
Wages are neither raised nor lowered""
by import duties, but the purchasing
power of wages is most disastrously af
fected by them. . .The tariff diminishes
the purchasing. power of every; dollar
earned in ihis country. . It pretends,
among other :thlngs, to-protecf corn to
the extent of 5 cents a bushel, but this
pretense is humbug. What it really
does to corn is to cut in halt the
amount of manufactured goods for
which each "bushel can be-traded. Per
haps, however, Mr. Aldrich does not
mean to deceive anybody when he
talks nonsense about the tariff, and as
a matter of fact he doesn't deceive
very many people.
EDUCATION IX ECONOMICS - NEEPED.
- Much of the cotarnspt in the news
papers and magazines' regarding the
Spokane rate case displays a remark
able ignorance of the actual .economic
principles involved in the controversy.
It Is noticeable that the greatest mis
Information on the subject Is displayed
by writers from Interior points, where
opportunities for studying the actual
effect of water competition are less fa
vorable than at tidewater. For exam
ple, we-find; the- Spokane rate case discussed-1n-the
ftallroad Age Gazette by
J. H. Johnston, 'traffic manager of the
Oklahoma Traffic Association. If Ok
lahoma were near enough to salt water
to feel the effect of water competition,
Mr. Johnston would have a clearer
Idea tf tne matter than rs reflected in
. his laaguage.-.-w-.hich follows: - - .- -
What Incentive would there be for a rail
way to use Its best efforts to build up a Kreit
commercial metropolis upon the M.acoart when
It has continually to fight for it. share of tin
tua.nea. with water carrc-e? Often It has to
take the business at rate. Inadequate to pay
the cost of service, while at the same time
maintaining a policy of ratemaklng to other
wise well-located points In the Interior which
discourages their doing any great amount of
business and prohibits . them from attaining
any commercial importance.
r Mr; Johnston" cbrtecUy'assumes that
water competition will be much more
acute when the Panama Canal is fin
ished than it is now, and concludes
that, "it would seem. to an ordinary
business man that the sensible thing
for the railwaj's to do would be to encourage-the
building up of strong in
terior jobbing points over which they
can retain control and to which they
can always maintain such rates as will
be at least compensatory."
This kind of argument is all founded
on the erroneous assumption that
water competition is not .very formida
ble, and- that the railroads' would get
the business- to . tidewater even at
higher rates than are' charged to in
terior points that in the past have had
to stand the through rate plus the
local rate back from the coast. Water
competition is so powerful a factor' in
the making of terminal rates that, un
less its raws are met by the railroads,
they . will secure none.of the business.
An attempt of the railroads to build up
strong interior Jobbing points would
:mean the abandonment .of their lines
from these interior points to. tidewater
for any business except the passenger
traffic, which at the best shows but
very little profit. After this case is
tried out in the courts the newspapers
and the magazines, water competition
will still be . regulating the rates and
the railroads will be meeting it. Noth
ing but a ship canal will place Spo
kane and other interior points in a po
sition entitling them to terminal rates.
PUNISHMENT THAT FITSTHE CRIME.
There .Is justice.,; righteousness and
possible remedy in the advice recently
given by Justice of the Peace Olson, of
this CitV. to -W'i VPfl nf ' .,1. a
"Thrash your husband soundly every
time ne comes home drunk," was the
stalwart and exceedingly unusual ad
vloo given by this arbiter nf rinm .-,.
difficulties after taking an inventory of
pnysicai power m the contending ele
ments that- sought - adjudication o
their differences In his court.
The man In .this, particular case ap
peared wiyi a pattered countenance
from the natural aperturexif which is.
sued in muffled tones- erlevnna rm.
plaints against his muscular spouse for
having beaten" ' him, when he came
home drunk and primed for domestic
war. Subsequent investigation- of the
home life and surroundins-s " nt tii
couple went to show that the woman
was not blameless, sinceshe herself
was of bibulous habits, while the four
little children- of the bellicose " pair
were foiind'to'he Irt'a stats nf -nitioKiA
neglect, although the rather's monthly
earnings were $150. The woman, how
ever, being the stronger, and he, in this
instance at least, tne drunker, the. hus
band got the worst of a somewhat seri.
ous fistic encounter. ..
This does not militate, h
1 against the wisdom of the' advice, given
THE MORNING ORFGOXIAX, WEDNESDAY;
by Justice Olson to suffering, beaten
wives of drunkards. "Beat him when
he comes home drunk and disorderly,"
said this practical advocate of the
power of force in dealing with a
drunken., domestic tyrant, adding, rue
fully, "I only regret that all wives are
not physically able to cope with
drunken husbands in this manner."
This expression of regret was further
supplemented by the opinion that in
this event prohibition would be un
necessary. There is sound reason in this advice
which stalwart wives of drunken hus
bands would dn well tn annlv r Ka
- " I' 1 J .V 1
domestic problem of keeping the peace 1
wnicn conrronts them as often as pay
day comes round. There is a" strong
personal element of cowardice behind
the "Dutch courage" that causes a
partly intoxicated man - to "rough
house" in his home. Pleadings with
such a man under such circumstances
are In vain, meek submission is worse
than unavailing, since it gives the cow.
ardj-eason to'believe'that the menaced
woman is afraid .of him. Brute force
is the only argument he can under
stand. The browbeaten woman is, un
fortunately, too often unable to apply
this element, in her own and her chil
dren's defense, and the coward has his
way, beating her into trembling, abject
subjection, and terrorizing both her
and their half-starved children Into si
lence. PARTY DISCORD IN PORTLAND.
Why lament party discord in Port
land? Why not rather lament cheap
trash officialdom? Whether party dis
cord has produced-direct primaries or
direct primaries have produced party
discord, it remains that direct pri
maries have bred a class of officehoU
,r that would, not win the approval of
'h" deliberative body of representative
citizens a.convntion, -if one wishes to
call it that. Mr. W. - B. Ayer. who
wrote a letter for yesterday's Orego
nian defending the "system" that has
put such men In possession- of affairs
of government, -would not admit one
out of a hundred of them into the af
fairs of hfs lumber business.
If tho direct primary law forbids as
sembly or- convention, it is wrong and
dares what no despot or tyrant would
nave courage to try. Self-appointed
custodians of the law who put that
meaning into . it are Its -fool friends.
Is it possible they, nave not read-the
history of their country? Can they
have overlooked- the constituvtioil of.
their state, which in article 26. of the
Dill or rights -the same is in every
state constitution and in the National
Constitution, too says: "No law shall
be passed restraining any of the - in
habitants of the state from assembling
together in a peaceful manner to con
sult for their common go6d"?
The direct primary law does not for
bid peaceful -assembly. It could not
dp that if it would. It does not .make
the attempt even by implication. It
say-s simply that all party candidates
tor nomination shall be voted for bv
direct vote. They are all to have eaual
opportunity in that -nominating elec
tion," whether "put up" by a conven
tion, as was Simon, or by a secret con
ference, as'was Rushlight, or by them
selves . and their' particular friends.
The rank and file of the voters have
the "last say" as to who the nominees
shall -be.. Their votes . determine the
matter. They can "turn down" the
CQhvention candidates if - they. wish.
Their vom is the "whole, thine." and
any guardian o . the direct .prtoary law
who -says the result will not be an in
telligent verdict impeaches, his own
sincerity. - - .- .. , .
'"Why, then," "asks" Mr. Ayer, "this
desire to attribute to ths direct pri
mary law the disruption of the Repub
lican party? Is not the real", reason
occasioned by the disuatisfacton of
many members of the party with the
men' who have secured office under
it?" Exactly." As the one-time close
associate and adviser of the most un
popular boss Portland ever had the
boss whose high-handed methods did
more to disrupt the Republican party
than anything else Mr. Ayer will re
alize the causes full well if he will but
think over past history. The primary
law was reaction from the doings of
that boss and of other t bosses. - Mr.
Ayer is right to the extent that the
direct primary did not first produce
party disruption. Factional war and
boss rule did that, and - the
primary, -law . finished the ruin and
is a powerful preventive of reorgani
zation. There can be no certain party
effort under that law, as numerous
elections have proved.. ..The law. lias
abolished the ,old kind ojf bosses, sure,
enough, with ' whom the people, were
disgusted. It " has not, however, re
placed the old-time machine officials
with fit ones. Desirable men rarely
seek office now. They know that a
party nomination has little cohesion
behind It.
Mr. Ayer ' is an a'dvocate' of state
ownership and operation of railroads.
"It would be interesting, to know, how
the state would obtain efficient offi
cials to operate the railroads when it
finds them so seldom for its govern
ment. It might be added that if direct
primaries could be used "by the people
to choose the managers of Portland's
sawmills,, not one of the present man
agers would be at the head of his es
tablishment. '. . -..-''.
CURE OF A CANCER.
The reported cure of a malignant
tumor with radium, at the Flower Hos
pital, in New. York, will probably ex
cite hopes which the 'future will not
confirm. The "malignant tumor" in
question was a sarcoma inclosed in the
abdominal cavity in other words, a
deep-seated -cancer. The radium was
mixed with gelatine and injected here
and there - in - various parts of the
tumor. In a few weeks the sarcoma
cells had all disappeared and noth
ing was left but a mass of scar tissue.
This account chimes with others which
have been given out from time to time
of wonderful things accomplished with
radium for the cure, of cancer, but In
the long run all such reports seem to
be disappointing. " The wonders ' have
.either" beeiv greatly magnified or they
have not happened at all. The sad
truth of the case Is that physicians do
tio't as yet know either the cause or the
cure of cancer. It is almost the only
disease which has thus - far resisted
modern methods of research-, and
which still flourishes -in horrid secur
ity from the ..attacks of science.
Against canceT the only sure resource
is the surgeon's knife, and that Is by
no means always sure.
. Still, If a cancer is taken in time, it
can be removed completely and- the
patient need not fear its return. The
difficulty Is to take it In time! Who
knows the Insidious beginning of a
cancer? How detect it In the initial
stage, before the deadly cells have dis
persed through the body and Infected
all the tissues? It is not impossible.
A cancer usually begins with a hard.
Intractable lump somewhere on the
body. . It is as Innocent as a lamb and
painless, at first. In this state of pris
tine, innocuousness, if the surgeon has
a chance at it. the cancer can be extlr-"
pated. Afterward it is generally too
late. . The lesson of this is pretty obvi
ous. If a person discovers an abnor
mal lump on his body, no matter
where, the best thing he can do is to
hie him forthwith to a competent sur
geon and find out what it means. It
may. mean nothing.- It may mean an
.incipient cancer.- The news that a can
cer Jn the advanced stage has actually
been cured with radium, is, of course,
encouraging, but the probability is that
the case , is highly exceptional. Ulti
mately science will find a cure for this
dread disease, but thus far its only de
pendable resource Is the knife.
A man wljo could not withstand the
temptations of the gaming table
though the necessities of his wife and
seven children hung in the balance,'
has voluntarily become an inmate of
the Seattle city Jail. The support of
the large family, the youngest an In
fant a few weeks old, by this man's
acknowledged weakness will now de
volve upon a girl of 16 and a boy of
13, the two .older- children of the
group. The subtle, overmastering
power of the : gambling passion has
seldom received a more vivid illus
tration than in this case. Think- nf .
ma-n the father of seven children
voluntarily relinquishing the burden of
their support and allowing it to fall
upon. - the slender shoulders of his
young daughter and son, both of whom
should be in school! His unmanly ac
tion ana tne plea of weakness that
accompanied it are pitiful exhibitions
of the degrading influence of the
gambling vice.
There are only a few really great
people like Lydia Pinkham, Jim Jeff
ries or the bald-headed gum manufac
turer who can be easily recognized by
their pictures in the public prlnw.
These few have apparently posed only
Infrequently, for their photos all look
alike. With Mr. Crazy Snake, one of
the recent bidders for public notoriety,
it is different. His first series of "like
nesses" appeared in the daily papers,
and in them he covered a wide range
of characters, running from an inno
cent, Hiawatha-appearing youngster to
a devilish-appearing old fiend. Now
comes the magazine Illustrations, and
they also show that Crazy Snake must
have posed early and often, with a dif
ferent make-up every time he sat for
his photo. "Variety, however, Is the
natural accompaniment of notoriety.
The late Governor Lilley, . of Con
necticut, was one of the few men who
dared to beard the bureaucracy lion in
its den at Washington. While a mem
ber of. Congress he most effectually
stirred up the submarine boat scan
dal, and, while he ran up against
forces which were too strong for him,
he made such a shake-up among the
dry bones and the grafters that the
agitation has not yet entirely ceased.
Governor Lilley was an honest man
and a practical man, and his investi
gation of the shameless manner in
which the Government was being bun
coed by the submarine manufacturers
entitled him to the thanks of all hon
est people. For this service alone. If
for no other, he will not soon be for
gotten in Washington naval circles.
A woman's club of a Chicago suburb
would banish the comic supplement.
iftey say children are Imitative and'
imbibe the spirit" of the fun. These
nice old ladies might revive the Little
Rollo diet of two generations ago,
which has as much comparative vigor
as the modern breakfast food sustains
toward ham and cabbage. The comic
supplements are crude as works of art,
to be sure, yet at times their humor is
keen enough to "get a rise" out of the
most sedate, while the younger gener
ation watches for their coming, and
even the baby of the family cries for
them. The touch of obscenity that
smirched them a while back has been
eliminated. If they have not come to
stay, they are due for a long and gen
erally welcome visit.
The Inland Empire, which is in a
fair way to produce a bumper crop of
wheat, has received numerous show
ers in the past, few days, and, as some
complaint of dry weather had ' been
made, the value of this moisture -may
have run into the millions. The grain
crop of the Pacific Northwest, on ac
count of favorable climatic conditions
last Fall, started Into the Snrtne- sea
son in better shape than usual, and
couia nave got along without rain for
a few weeks longer without -serious
damage. At the same time, the rains
were Welcome. and if thv rnma oinno
at proper intervals between now and
narvest time, Oregon, Washington and
Idaho-will make a new. record for big
crops.
After many years of wraiting, Tilla
mook "Is coming out of darkness, is
coming into light," and the railroad
will be something more than a-vision
of the future. The Harriman inter
ests have proceeded so far in construc
tion of the road that bids have been
called for completion of the remaining
section on which work has not been
done." As this last piece of road is less
than thirty miles in length, it is clear
that railroad. connection with the rich
Tillamook country will not be delayed
beyond the present season.
'Wheat advanced more" than 2 cents
per bushel in Chicago yesterday and
Patten is still fishing, "far from the
madding crowd's ignoble strife," and
apparently indifferent alike to th
wails of the bears or the roars of the
bulls.
It is interesting to hear from Sena
tor Bourne that he procured the offer
of the Ambassadorship to Mexico for a
citizen of Oregon, who declined it. But
of course Senator Bourne will see that
some other Oregon citizen gets the job.
. Some of Mayor Lane's admirers urge
his re-election on the ground that we
all know what he is. That's a frank
way of putting it.
Mr. Heney would monopolize the use
of epithets in his trials.- Mr. Heney
is not a pachydermatous biped.
If- -streetcars are in - danger from
speed maniacs, what show for his life
has the pedestrian?
After this, Alphonse and Gaston
must take a back seat for Evans and
Ijlchi. " .
Suppose .that Thirteenth-street car
had . been filled with passengers.
APRIL 28. JL909.
ARGUMENT FOR SHIP SUBSIDY I
All of Which la Suitably Considered
- Klsewbere f This Paper.
CLEVELAND. O.. April 3. (To- the
Editor.) I have been much interested
reading; The Oregonian's editorial article
under date of April 10, bearing the cap
tion "Ship Subsidy Poetry." One point.'
however, .Is not clear to me. You say,
"We want the American ship so free
she can go anywhere on earth, on equal
terms with "her competitors." Tou also
say that the American ship has been so
overloaded with protection that "her
scuppers are awash." intimating that the
cure for the present deplorable merchant
marine is dependent on a change in our
present tariff policy. Did you mean that
the United States should embark upon
the free trade policy, now occupied by
England. In order that we should have
the merchant marine? If the protective
tariff kefps us from having a merchant
marine. I respectfully should like to ask
you in what way this is true? In spite
of free trade and low cost of ship con
struction. England still spends some ten
millions annually in the way of ship sub
sidy to maintain her merchant marine.
There must be an error somewhere in
your reasoning, for both Germany and
France are highly protected tariff coun
tries yet they also maintain the subsidy
system in the building up of their ocean
commerce.
You intimate that free ships would be
the cure, but is that true? A year ago,
by special act of Congress, the "Home
ward Bound." ah English-built boat,
was admitted to American registry to en
gage In foreign trade. The owners of
this boat Intended to fly the American
flag permanently, but a short trial con
vinced them that with the high price of
American labor the experiment would not
be successful, with the result that the
American flag was abandoned and the
boat was registered in Belgium.
It seems to us that your plan for the
building up of an American merchant
marine would mean such a readjustment
of American economic conditions that
labor In the United States would be com
pelled to accept the same wage standard
as that of England. To our mind, it is
very aouDtrul IT the American people de
sire such an economic change. Ameri
cans have been educated to a higher
standard of living than that permitted
to the English. German. French. .Nor
wegian or Japanese sailor, and American
boys could never be persuaded to adopt
the sea as a vocation were they com
pelled to submit to the sea-going con
ditions enforced by foreign ship-owners.
American boats for foreign trade must
be built with greater conveniences than
those used by foreign nations; the food
for sailors must be of a higher standard
and the wages paid are fully 30 to 60
per cent' higher, varying with the dif
ferent nations.
It seems to us that It hardly comes
with good grace from newspaper pub
lishers continually to denounce proposed
subvention legislation as an attack upon
the United States Treasury, when the
newspapers themselves are granted the
highest subsidy authorized by the Amer
ican people, since . newspapers are sus
tained in the mails at a postal loss of
millions of dollars annually. Yet this
loss Is cheerfully borne by the American
people, for it is a wise subsidy.
The American foreign merchant marine
is about the only industry that has never
enjoyed the benefits, of the protection
policy that has given to the nations the
highest standard of individual living enT
Joyed by citizens of any nation. Under
the system of protection, the American
coastwise and lake marine is in the most
flourishing condition. On the other hand,
we ask the American foreign-going ves
sel to go out upon the high seas and
meet the competition of the. nations em
.ploying the cheapest labor.
We are paying mare than two hundred,
millions to foreigners for. the carrying of
American goods.. . With an expenditure of
ten to fifteen millions a year in aid of
ocean - marine.- more- than- one -hundred
millions, of dollars in freight rates would
oe pain to Americans instead of to the
foreign shipping trust which regulates
ocean prices ' to the disadvantage of the
American producer. A bill appropriating
four or five millions a year for the de
velopment " of linns to South America,
Australia and the Orient would mean' the
immediate investment of thirty millions
in the building of new steamers In Amer-.
lean shipyards. . .
Are we as wise as other nations which
aid their ocean marine, or shall we con
tinue to hold back in fatuous folly, in our
Insistence .that the question shall be re
garded academically? In the meantime
we are .at the mercy commercially of
foreign nations and are handicapped
badly -in a naval sense, because of our
reluctance. .to do the only thing possible
to be done to give the ocean marine a
start by direct subsidy until the lines
have developed sufficient trade to enable
them to stand alone. '
The Merchant Marine League of the
United States Is making a hard flght in
the behalf of the ocean marine and needs
the help of all strong papers. It has
been a source of regret to me that The
Oregonlan, the chief, paper of a great
Pacific Coast state, takes the editorial
position It does. I do not know that this
letter will change your editorial attitude,
but I should like to see a larger measure
of justice shown toward a movement
which means as much for American pros
perity and progress as any question that
now awaits a correct solution by the
Nation.
JOHN PENTON,
Secretary Merchant Marine League of
the United States.
Pralae for a New Oregon Citizen.
Springfield (Mass.) Union.
More than a dozen years ago Fielder
Jones, a tarmer s boy. came to Snrlnc-.
field to play an outfield position on the
team that won the Eastern League cham
pionship; "Farmer" Jones, as he was
cauea, piayea tne game well. In the
field, at bat and on the bases he won
distinction, not only for his cleverness
but for his manly qualities. In his seal
he never forgot to be a gentleman. He
had no bad habits, consequently he ln-
auigea in none or the excesses that hsvo
ruined so many ballplayers. After he leCt
opnngiieia ne rose rapidly until he be
".111 uic Lniiniii aim manager or tne
Chicago Americans, which team, under
his leadership, won the world's cham-
pionsnip. 'throughout his career he re
mained a gentleman, worked unceasingly
for the success of his team and care
fully Invested his savings.
Today he ia at the head of a great
lumber .business. This Spring the owner
of the Chicago Americans offered him a
salary greater than that paid to a mem
ber or tne .President's Cabinet, in other
words, more than $12,000 how much more
is not stated for only six months of
work or play. But tempting as this offer
was, Jones refused it. believing that, by
mrici attention to tne lumber business,
he could do even better. "Farmer"
Jones has set an excellent example to
Daupiayers ana otner athletes.
St. Loula' New 50,000 Free Bath.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Water has been turned Into the swim
ming pool at the new municipal free
natnnouse, sevenui ana Soulard streets,
The house cost 150,000 and will accom
modate about 100 persons. There are
shower baths for nearly 100 and the
swimming pool will accommodate as
many more. It is the second public
bath provided by the city. A third l
! under contract at the entrance to Carr
square, on the Fifteenth and- Wash
streets side. ' Bids have been asked for
a fourth, an open air pool at the foot
or f ranKIln avenue.
Cinder Wrecks Bishop' Eyesight.
' "Washington (D. CV"1 Pot
Protestant Episcopal Bishop Frederick
Burgess, of Long Island, who recently
got a cinder In his right eye on a train,
is said to be in danger of losing the sight
01 tne eye.
HOW THE DIRECT PRIMARY OPERATES
Professor Henry Jonea Ford. Professor of
Politics In Princeton University, In New
"fork Times.
If the direct primary really tended to
establish popular control of public
policy and to promote good govern
ment. It ought not to be difficult to
supply practical evidence of the fact.
To justify the claims made for it, or
der economy and efficiency in govern
ment ought to ensue, and these results
might then be Instanced to silence ob
jection. But, as a matter of fact, we
are constantly met not with evidence
but apology, it is stoutly maintained
that the principle is all right, but it
has so far failed to meet expectations
because of some defect in procedure, or
because of the wickedness of the poli
ticians, or becauses of the suplneness
Of the people.
The system in its present applica-
tion appears to have originated in
Pennsylvania, where It was known as
the Crawford County plan. If it has
tended to purify politics either In
Crawford County or in Pennsylvania,
where it was extensively propagated
before It spread to other states, no sat
isfactory evidence to that effect has
ever been presented. - On the contrary,
confused, corrupt and Irresponsible
politics have apparently been the out
come. The social investigator who wrote
with the nom de plume of Joslah Flint
once made a study of the politics of
Allegheny City, where the Crawford
County plan was established. He re
ported that in the under-world that
city was known as a snug harbor tor
criminals, where they were assured of
the protection of the Police Depart
ment for a consideration, and with the
understanding that they did not prac
tice their industry in the local Juris
diction. Robberies were frequent
throughout Western Pennsylvania and
Eastern Ohio, with Allegheny "City as
the base of operations. Joslah Flint
mentioned a case in which some pro
fessional criminals were caught while
on a job In Eastern Ohio. and
the Chief of Police' of Alle
gheny City appeared In their be
half as a witness to their good char
acter as citizens. A reform organiza
tion convicted a Mayor of taking pub
lic money, and he was sent to prison.
No party organization would have had
the audacity to nominate a man of his
record. The direct primary gave him
his opportunity. ' After serving his
term the ex-convlct' was again a can
didate for Mayor of Allegheny City.
He was a free spender and a good
mixer, and he made a stirring can
vass with the plea "give a man a
chance to show that he can do right."
He was elected by a big majority.
It has been argued that the results
of he Crawford County plan ought not
to weigh against the direct primary
system, because the protection of the
election laws was lacking, and there
was no means of excluding the adher
ents of one party from voting in the
primary of another party. The case of
Oregon has been offered as an instance
of how the system works when sub
ject to proper legal regulation. It is
therefore desirable to examine it in
some detail. : .
The Oregon act of 1904 provided for
joint primaries, conducted : under gen
eral election laws, with an official bal
lot, on which names may be placed by
petition. of 2 per cent, not to exceed
1000 for state or Congressional office
or 500 in other cases.- Names are print
ed In alphabetical order. Candidates
may file 100-word platform and la
words printed on ballot.
A primary election was held April
17, 1908. for party nominations for
these offices: United States Senator,
Representative in Congress, Justice of
the Supreme . Court, Dairy and Food
Commissioner, two . Judges of the Cir
cuit Court in one district, and one
judge in each of two other districts.
Prosecuting Attorney in each judicial
district. State Senator and State Repre
sentative. In addition to these state
and district offices, nominations were
GETTING OFF STREETCARS RIGHT
Every City Needs a Campaign for the
Education of Women.
Worcester Gazette.
The accidents of getting off streetcars
"the wrong way" probably cause the
largest proportion of mishaps and should
be the easiest remedied. This is pecu
liarly a woman's error. One collector of
statistics asserts that the habit Is due to
tight corsets and inability to step and
bend the body llthcly, and asserts that
fashionable women are always more help
less than those poorly dressed.
However this may be, the women's dif
ficulty plainly arises from poor physical
training. Where any boy would know in
stinctively that he must let go the han
dle with his left hand, many grown
women thoughtlessly use their right. The
result is a fall backward, if the car has
not stopped.
To teach Its million or more women
how to alight, the City of Chicago has
opened a systematic campaign. The pres
ident of the city street railway, which
pays 55 per cent of gross receipts to the
city, thought he could save money for
the company and the city by placing
large signs on- cars. Accordingly he
wrote: "Don't get hurt when alighting;
wait till the car stops; always get off
facing forward." In addition, he made
two large pictures, which were spread
on the sides of cars beside the big let
tering. One represents the wrong way
of dismounting, the other the right way.
Besides this, the education has been
carried Into gymnasiums. The physical
culture department of the public high
schools has had apparatus constructed
resembling a streetcar step and a handle.
These platforms are dragged around the
gymnasiums by part of the girls, while
others, under tutelage, practice getting
on and off.
A campaign of this kind need cost but
little. It requires but some public-spirited
citizen or railway officer to set it
going. And where Is the city that does
not need it?
Strawberries at 2.44 a Portion.
New York Dispatch.
Fresh strawberries from the vines is
the latest wrinkle of the Rltz-Carlton
restaurant on board the Hamburg
American liner Kalserln Augusts Victo
ria, which arrived from Hamburg. South-,
ampton and Cherbourg, and they only
cost the modest sum of $2.40 a portion.
Having introduced trout pools, flower
stalls and sun gardens on the Kalserln,
and her sister, the Amerlka, the line
has now gone Into the truck farm and
mall fruit business. The vegetables,
greens -and strawberries are cultivated
on the sun deck.
Bites Pearl tn Oyster Sandwich.
Baltimore News.
Lieutenant of Police John Turiey. of
New York City. In eating an oyster
sandwich last night bit down on a big
pearl. It is said to be worth $150.
made for these county offices: County
Judge. Sheriff, clerk, Recorder. Treas
urer. Assessor. School Superintendent.
Surveyor. Coroner. Commissioner; and
of these precinct offices: Justice : of
the Peace and Constable. Few Demo
cratic candidates came" forward. None
at all for United States Senator. Jus
tice of the Supreme Court. Railroad.
Commissioners, and in only a few dis
tricts were there any candidates for
Judge or Prosecuting Attorney. At
the general election various Demo
cratic. Prohibition and Socallst candi
dates appeared who got on the ballot
by petition. But the primary election,
conducted at public expense, seems
to . have been almost wholly confined
to the Republican Pr.ru-
1 have been unable m nhni
plete returns of the primary elections.
i Pptars mat it. 13 an advantage
to have alphabetical priority. Cake
eieatea Fulton for tho T?n..v.n
nomination for United states Senator,
oeteated Carter and Robert-
ii nauruaa commissioner in the
First District. Bailey defeated Held for
Dairy and Food rnmmicini... -r-v. i
alphabetical advantage seems to be
"l l,1B teaiures of the system.
Professor C. Edward Merrlam. In his
worK on -tne "Direct Primary." says:
"Where there are many offices to be
filled and where there are many aspir
ants for each office It la mni
the leading names possess a distinct
and appreciable advantage. If any
such unfairness is seriously feared it
'ty us ooviatea by providing that the
order of arrangement should rotate.
For example, if there are five candi
dates for Sheriff. A. B, C. D and E. the
order of printing may be changed lit
such a way that the name of each of
these candidates shall appear first an
approximately equal number of times."
A bill for this reform has been in
troduced in the Missouri Legislature,
out If it does equalize the alphabetical
chance of candidates, does it make the
result any more an expression of pub
lic judgment than before'' .
1 T1QnoSta,t.elecllon was hel1 on June
A?f" J .aX beforo me a specimen
Th.ii rJ? ft.Cla.1 ballot used in Salem,
Third IVpc i n f r ia.iAH . ... . .
. ... i-uumj. 11 COtl-
. - names of 64 candidates for
23 offices, and In addition 10 consti
tutional amendments and nine stt,,i.
proposed under the Initiative or the
referendum. The total number of bal
lots cast was 116,614. a majority of
which was 68,308. Chamberlain, the
Democratic candidate for United States
benator, ndminated on petition, defeat
ed Cake, the Republican candidate
nominated by the direct primary, but
Chamberlain received only 52.421 votes
almost 6000 less than a plurality. The
total vote for candidates ranged from
110,262 to 98.617. The total vote cast
on abstract propostiona ranged from
92.937 to 70.726. One. constitutional
amendment was carried by a vote of
41.075 to 40.868 a total of 82 843
showing that 84.306 voters avoided anv
expression of opinion. Was the result
the expression of public choice or pub
IlC no"-choic? It may be contended
that those declining to vote on the
proposition were culpable. But human
responsibility does not extend beyond
human capacity, and a sensible and
conscientious man might well decline
to express an opinion on matters he
does not understand.
OnlT flva n, 1 a ....... .
- - - a j cunsiiiniionai
amendments and' statutes were carried
by an absolute majority. The woman
suffrage-amendment drew out the larg
est vote on propositions of this class,
and it was defeated toy 68.607 to 3S.858.
At the Presidential election in No
vember. 1908. the Republican electoral
ticket received 62.538 votes and carried
the state by a plurality of 24.481. The
Legislature s'mds 74 Republicans to
16 Democrats on Joint ballot. And yet
the system requires the Legislature to
elect to the United States Senate a
Democrat Chamberlain who had re
ceived 52.421 out of 112.364 votes in
the June election.
Those who value elections as a means
of defining public policy and declaring
with decision and effect the will of
the people must regard such results as
at least nugatory. And yet there are
those who point to those results as a
vindication of the direct primary The
case recalls Bonaparte's characteriza
tion of "Idealogues" as people who see
things as they wish them to be and
not as they are.
MAY S IS TO BE LABOR SUXDAV
Opportunity for Cburrhe. and OrKan
laed Workers to Get Together.
Congregationalism
We are glad that a Sunday in May.
the ninth, has this year been selected
as Labor Sunday. The day hitherto.
generally observed has been the first
Sunday In September, preceding the
holiday known as Labor Day. In many
cases pastors had not returned from
their vacations in season to make a
profitable use of the day; but now a
more seasonable Sunday is selected in
accordance with the wish of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor. The de
partment of church and labor in the
Presbyterian Church is promptly in the
field with an excellent order of wor
ship, on the first page of which is a
drawing that locates in close proximity
a- great factory and a church. Mr.
Stelzle's department is ready to ' fur
nish ministers at a small cost these
programmes, and to supply literature
that may help the minister in prepar
ing addresses on such" subjects as The
Early Church and the Working Man,
The Breadwinner and the Soulwlnner
Jesus Christ as a Social Reformer. '
Such an Institution as Labor Sunday,
whenever it comes, does not solve all
the problems in behalf of which it is
set apart; but it does help to call at
tention of the churches to various
phases of the labor movement In this
country, and to consider what more
It may do to prove. that It is the friend
and servant of all classes, that it in
cludes already in Its membership men
who toil with their hands, and that It
has a placa for all who will come, how
ever grimy their hands, hpwever limi
ted their wardrobe. The church and
the organised labor movement In this
country are. we believe, coming closer
together, and we trust that on this
May Sunday, or about that time, spe
cial consideration will be given to sub
jects that have to do with the work
ing man's welfare, his responsibility
for a more efficient church as well as
the church's responsibility for him and
his family.
Bnll Trots Mile Under 2i30.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
Dr. Joseph D. Chaney and John H.
Ross, who have for . the last three years
been training a bull near Waynesboro.
Pa., have issued a challenge to trot th?
bull against any 2:30 horse in this end
of the state for a large stake. Thev
assert that the bull has frequently
trotted a half mile to sulky In l:r2, sr.;!
that he can do the mile in less than 2:3i).
Exalted Modesty.
Now York Sun.
They went up In an aeroplane.
Ho and hi. beauteous bride.
And presently, a. if tn pain.
She somewhat deeply sighed.
"What do you want?" be softly asked.
"What do I want?" with mirth
That fright but very slightly masked.
She said: "I want th. earth 1"