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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1909)
8 THE MORNING OREGOXIAX, SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1909. rORTI-AXn. OKEOON. Entered at rorttand. Oregon. Postofllc. as Eacond-Clasa Matter, subscription Kates Invariably In (Br Mall.) 5 ,T" 5undaJ' Included, one year 18.00 E?a' f"day Included, ili month. 4.25 a .' funday Included, three month... 2.25 Da y. Sunday Included, one month 75 JJai y. without Sunday, one year 6.00 la y. without Sunday, alx months 8.2S ' TJ i w!'hout Sunday, three months... 1.75 "Y; without Sunday, one month 60 Vveekly. one year l.sn fcunaay. one year 2 SO Sunday and weekly, one year 3 SO - fBy Carrier) KJ Sunday Included, one year 8 00 untly. Sunday Inrluded. one month... ,T5 -,rYow to Remit Send poutofnce money eraer, ex pres. order or personal checlc oa your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency Jf the tender's risk. Give po.tofflce ad "rs " lull. Including county and stata. ,F"f"" Kates 10 to 1 pages. I cent; 10 to 28 pages. 2 cents; 80 to 41 pases. S cents; o to 60 pases. cents. Foreign postage double rates E"" Office The s. C- Beck- In 6- Special Agency New York, rooms 48 BO Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 010-512 Tribune building. PORTLAND, SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1H09. THE IJilTIATTVK ABUSE!. The vast number of difficult and contradictory propositions before the electors Is a demonstration of the in expediency of the initiative system. The system should be greatly modified, If it is to remain. Better, even, it would be to drop it altogether and return to the rational, long-tried and long-approved representative system. But while we have it, and so long as we have it. we should use it with best possible "judgment, which, upon most of the propositions submitted can be best and most safely exercised by vot ing "No." First, as to the proposed charter itself. Its objections to it The Ore gonian has heretofore stated. "Vote No. Second, as to the proposed munici pal light plant. Operation of light plants by cities is a costly and waste ful method. Vote No. .... Third, as to the proposed excise act. It would place most unreason able restrictions on the liquor trade and on hotels and restaurants, and make it Impossible to keep a decent saloon, and extremely difficult if not Impossible to obtain any kind of liquors, even for most decent, private and proper use. Vote No. As to the proposed Gothenburg plan, also No. Fourth, as to AVillamette bridges. It Is proposed to transfer the fund pro vided for the bridge at Madison street to a bridge at Market street, and to double the amount of bonds. This scheme evidently has little approval. Vote No. The same as to the proposed bridge at Sherman street, which doubt less will be built sometime, but can wait yet awhile. The proposed bridge northward, at or in the vicinity of Broadway, is really urgent now. On this proposition vote Yes. Fifth, as to payment of Interest and principal of the new water bonds out of the water fund, instead of by gen eral taxation. This proposition should be adopted. It is just and right that water rates should be paid. Vote Yes. One simple measure is the proposal to amend the city charter so as to enable the Council to provide for a woman's auxiliary for the Police De partment. The city has reached a stage of growth that seems to make this necessary; but the present charter does not permit the Council to take the necessary action. This is a plain and simple proposition, upon which The Oregonlan would say, vote Yes A cremation plant, for consumption of garbage, has also become a neces sity. The sum required for this pur pose is estimated at $150,000, which it is proposed to meet by sale of bonds This The Oregonlan hitherto has over looked. Vote Yes. There is a multitude of other meas ures, more or less at variance with the proposed charter and with each other. The short way with them, in general, will be to vote No. The Cltv Treasurer, the City Attorney and other officials ask for larger salaries. Yet the salaries were attractive at the time they were candidates for the offices. Vote No. The Oregonlan has hesitated to of fer any direct advice on the various proposition,, realizing that objection a 5, I", Ua th3t U was acti"S in a dictatorial spirit. It entirely dis claims such purpose or idea; yet so many persons have requested it to of fer some kind of statement which might direct their own inquiries as to th ,mportant f the propositions, that it presents now this short sum mary in addition to or explanation of the more extended remarks made dur- f tnk,.Pa't mnth n varis features of this excessive use rather say abuse -of the initiative. Not one voter in one hundred will read the heavy book rerullyC?Jln"n StUdv t mi15 ' thSe Wh It ' mSt carefully cannot pos sibly agree with each other as to the meaning, and the consequences that would follow adoption. Indeed it Is aoCWCealtLCertai? that " --'could resolve the puzzle, even for himself alone. Such a system is nothing fess than an abomination; and the straight markings of "No" that will be found on masses of ballots when they come to be counted will oe an eloquent reT elation of the Judgment of the public stances, as The Oregonlan believes 11 S7 f the PrPsiUons ought to be adopted. It has indicated those it deems of most importance THE TfOMEBUlX-RERS i.'arg? number f 'Persons in Port land and in the suburbs-"have been in-rin 3 build,n ""uses on ft" H,, I1"6"' Plan" Th"sands of these little homes are not yet fully paid for. nr T f .Ur PSOple 13 r can be fern. d,eePl" ,,ntere6ted the prob lems of municipal government, debt and taxation, than these persons who homes bUShlnS their 'pendent tt. feopIe- """hen they stop to think of it. will not wish the city to ZZ bnded debt be-nJ aual fu " y serIou3 reverse would fall with crushing weight on those who mieh't ,Paid I"1 fr theIr homs might lose them If the state of the times should throw them out of em fymlnt" IncreMe of taxes, to carry the debts of the city, also would bear hard on them. Persons so situated constitute a very considerable portion of the popula tlon of Portland. They are striving to establish their families. They irf rnT V0' Pple that can least af ford to take chances of the reverse that may come through municipal ex travagance, or excess. The want to pay for their homes and keep them. It is their interest that the public charges shall be moderate and light as possible. MINORITY PRIMARY CANDIDATES. Had Hopkins received a majority of the Republican vote In the primaries of Illinois, he would have been re elected to the Senate. But his vote was much less than a majority. It was a meager plurality of the elec torate. The Legislature, therefore, refused to elect him. Herein is the weakness of the pri mary system. It multiplies contest ants for office; and candidates who re ceive petty pluralities claim the full support of their party, though they have received but a small fraction of the party vote. This will wreck any party, in any state or city especially the party of the majority. After a bitter fight among many candidates for a nomination to an important office, it transcends human nature to expect that the small fraction of the voters, that constitute the candidate's plurality, will be able to enforce their choice upon the majority. It was, In deed, done once In Oregon, but will hardly be successful again. BACKWARDS. TURN BACKWARDS. New ore discoveries, in ledges, are being made In Baker County, and much enthusiasm in particular locali ties, therefore. Prophecies are likely to come true. In 1872 a Representa tive in the Legislature from Baker County was J. B. Onstein. He prophe sied great things for Baker. "Mr. Speaker," he said, "In the county which I have the honor to represent, there is every possibility of wealth and fortune. No man can imagine what wealth is hidden there. Wher ever. I walk in my county' I have an awesome feeling, like that described of old, when the Lord said unto Moses, Take the shoes off thy feet, for there's bullion in them diggin's!' " Onstein was one of the unique, as certainly one of the picturesque, char acters in the Legislature of that day. He soon disappeared, and there is no further record of him. Doubtless he has passed on to the unseen world; but where now does the life-giving earth, in the Homeric phrase, hold him? Rufus Mallory, then living in Sa lem, now in Portland, and practicing law here, was Speaker of the House when Onstein was the member from Baker, and can bear testimony to Onstein's originality and peculiarities. In those early days every now and then, started ud an original ...i such as W. G. T. Vault, Samuel Parker, j-.. Appiegate, Andrew Shuck Neburazaden Coffey, and many more! Rube Rlnus," too, whom few knew by his true name. Onstein belonged to the later group, In which James D. Fay and Isaac Cox were known. In the early time there wasn't much else to notice, and every one who had good Intelligence or keen sense of humor closely observed the peculiar ities of his neighbors. There was a joke that was fastened on Ahio S. Watt, who has just passed away at Portland. Salem then, as now was the seat of government, and Sa lem was the headquarters of the poli ticians of that day. Naturally, there was what was known as the Salem clique. People got to pronouncing it kli-ku, and gave A. S. Watt credit (perhaps unjustly) for the pronuncia tion. There are men yet living who will remember all these things and a thousand more. Among them are George H. Williams, L. F. Grover and Asahel Bush. T. W. Davenport, too and John McCraken. ' THE WASHERWOMAN AND THE T A III FT". The philosophic Mr. Dooley re marked recently in one of his Inspired moments that when women obtained the right of suffrage they would vote a good deal less than men do for the honor of the "gellorlous flag" and a good deal more for cheap provisions and clothing. The tariff articles which tno redoubtable Miss Ida M. Tarbell has been publishing In her recent magazine articles, sustain Mr. Dooley's opinion. There Is no hlfalutin about them. They are as matter of fact as a setting hen. They rudely drag the tar iff question down from the altitudes of rhetoric and transcendental states manship and disclose with unflattering clearness how it makes children go barefoot and compels washerwomen to wear ragged gowns. The prohibitive tariff is the most ingenious and ex tensive device ever contrived for rob bing poor people of their wages and Miss Tarbell explains how the trick is done. She is particularly interested in shoes because everybody has to wear them. m Summer, to be sure, the compulsion comes mainly from vanity From May to November In the cli mate of Oregon shoes are a luxury and an enervating luxury, too. Kverybody would be more robust If he went bare foot. Our ministers would preach bet ter sermons and our Judges render wiser decisions if their feet were un clad like their hands. Still. we must take human nature as it is and in its shoe?' "nrefKenerate state it demands shoes. For this reason the shoe mar ket has no limits. It presents one of those domains, so alluring to the tlT' Sre a Sma11 sum Pilfered from each purchaser amounts to mil lions of dollars in the total. The trusts prefer to make their depredations so minute that no victim will thnk it worth while to complain vigorously - tn;,htVnS rUn that 18 e safe; whir. J Way tney alwais follow when the market is wide enough to permit small pilfering to produced huge income. This is so conspicuous ly the case with the shoe market that at least three monstrous trusts. aWed by the tariff, have taken advan age of It. They, are the leather, the ma chlnery and the thread trusts hn .'8 thC IW latter whlch Tar ben treats from the woman's point If view, the point of view of inexorabT common sense. Very-likely most peo! Pie would shake their heads at the statement that the shoe machinery eXv h"8 th work'PS machines every shoe manufacturing shop the country, big and little, and in facT it s not quite but only almost true This mammoth combination, built ud ai0frS,ther lnfant '"'tries bv the tariff leases Its machines but refuses to sell them and since they are indif Pe,nsable to every person who wUes to" put shoes on the market this conclu sion is clear enough. Of course, over and above the legitimate expense of the machines there is a rental which goes to the trust as a trust, a sort of unearned increment or tribute to monopoly Necessarily thU 1, added tothe selling price of shoes and the washerwoman pays her share of It In proportion to her whole Income her share is much larger than the mil lionaire's, but that is the way the tar- Iff worxs in every instance and that why it savors so much sweeter than i Income tax to th mapnntfc is an Thus the shoe machinery trust fat tens on the Plunder of the srhnnlhnv and the shop girl. From this source oDtains tne sumptuous streams of ill. as Mr. Tillman el proceeds, which enable the sharehold ers to aispori tnemseives in $20,000 automobiles And Wcpn an , divorce court busy. The linen thread trust has Its snout in the same trough. This Infant industry is carried on for the most part by foreigners who movea tneir mills across the water to enjoy the benefits of that luiniifni protective system which secures the home market to the native-born Amer ican, xnese roreigners moved in from Scotland, England and Ireland, where they had been doing a flourishing business for a century or two, but the instant their feet trod the shores of freedom they became infants mew ling and Dukinar in their nnr a and had to be fed on tariff pap. The nrsc ming tney aid here was to form a trust, something they never'could do in Great Britain tariff to kill competition. The next irnng -was to put up the price of linen thread. Since this is t Vi f throat with which shoes are sewed, we see now tne washerwoman and the shop Ctrl are Trivilfe--H r hain v,- v. - o v. - i- uu inn automobiles and pay the alimony Judg ments oi anotner set of magnates. Truly to the poor the prohibitive tar iff is a very present help in time of trouble. One Is surprised that they do not njelt down the coins it gives them Into a golden calf and worship It. FAIR TREATMENT FOB RAILROADS. The Oregon Electric Railroad is in a class by itself, when considered either as a transportation or a finan cial enterprise. To begin with, this company in a quiet manner, without any preliminary blare of trumpets or call for aid, bought and paid for Its right of way, its terminal grounds, and built and equipped its road, all in first-class shape. It made possible the maximum development of an unu sually rich country lying between Sa lem and Portland, and has practically created the traffic" which it is now han dling. Land values along this right of way for practically the" entire district have doubled and trebled and even quadrupled since the road began con struction. But, while It is accepted as a matter of course that the owners of property lying along a newly-constructed railroad are entitled to this doubling and trebling and quadrupling of values, the railroad is not expected to show a proportionate increase in value. The semi-public nature of these transportation enterprises fixes their status in the minds of both owners and patrons as entitling them to a remu nerative return on the original Invest ment, clear of depreciation, operating expenses, etc., but to no proportionate share in the rise In adjoining property. Stock jobbery and the legerdemain of high finance have in the past enabled a great many railroads to pile up for the stockholders dividends far in ex cess of what might have been obtained had the roads charged a rate based on the increased value of the territory It developed; but a legitimate business enterprise, such as the Oregon Electric has proved to be, has no such oppor tunity and is entitled to due consider ation from the people it serves. President Moffatt, of the Oregon Electric, In an interview In yesterday's Oregonlan, announced that his com pany's original plans called for the construction of 300 miles of railroad in the Willamette Valley, of which but 70 miles have already been constructed The benefits resulting from the con struction of this first 70 miles are so direct and tangible that It is easy to understand what a remarkable indus trial change would be effected through out the Willamette Valley by comple tion of the remaining mileage planned. But the inference gained from Mr Moffatt's Interview is that cheap money, which is necessary In railroad building, is somewhat in fear of ad verse legislation, thus retarding the building of the additional mileage needed in - the Valley. "In railroad construction, encouragement and not obstacles are needed from the Legisla ture," says Mr. Moffatt. He further objected to any proposed levy of a 2 per cent tax on the gross income of railroads as being Inimical to railroad construction. Mr. Moffatt's views on the subject are interesting, and as Oregon is very much in need of more railroads built and operated on the same liberal, independent policy which has characterized the Oregon Electric due care should be exercised in mak ing the way as easy as possible for all legitimate transportation enterprises that wish to come in and aid in the development of our wonderful state. THE ORIGINAL "DKVII, WAGON." The devil wagon is erroneously sup posed to be a creation of recent years. It is a fact, however, that the machine which went under that formidable name in 1868 was a much more fearsome-looking object than is the crud est, most lumbering automobile of to day. Proof of this will be given in the "prosperity parade" to be held on June 12 in connection with the Queensbbro bridge celebration, when the first auto mobile constructed will be shown side by side with the finest up-to-the-min-.ute machine of the present day The original devil car, in appear ance at least, well deserved the name that has been bestowed upon its great successor in the motor world. It was a carriage drawn by a steel manikin that was fed coal by the riders. Noisy coughing up coal smoke, jerky in Its motion, this car attracted a great deal of attention, and as it puffed along the streets it served to recall the prophecy concerning horseless carriages that was one of the counts In the indict ment of Mother Shipton in the witch craft era of New England. It was pat ented In 1868 by Joseph Eno, of New ark, and later was exhibited in New York, but, though It excited wonder, it never became popular In that city though most of the prominent men "of that time, Including General Grant rode In It. Once, according to the rec ord, it ran away and covered twenty seven miles before it could be stopped It was in a few years relegated to the realm of forgotten things, though care fully preserved by its owner, who is getting ready for the parade men tioned, when it will be raced against an up-to-date auto on Hillsdale ave nue, Jamaica, The evolution or the auto as thus presented can scarcely fail to excite as tonishment even in a wonder-working age.. Clumsy, crude, yet ingenious. It represents the beginning of the horse less carriage experiment in the United States, which has worked such a mira cle in rapid transit In recent years, and by contrast or - comparison with Its smart running mate it will prove Its original right to the title of "devil wagon," to which the awesome modern machine, instinct with the forces of destruction as well as of usefulness and of pleasure, has succeeded. What gibberish it Is to assert, as several of the candidates are doing, and as the organ of one of them (Munly) is most loudly and absurdly doing, that the people who are sup porting Joseph Simon and mean to elect him, are intending a thing that will bring discredit and disaster to the city! Simon cannot be elected without the support of the majority of those who represent the property and business of Portland. He has the support of a great majority of these of the owners of small and of great properties, too. Most observers believe he will receive a majority of all the votes though there are four other candidates for the Mayoralty. In in tellectual equipment he is not inferior to any of them, and if a person had an important business to be entrusted to the Judgment and management of any one of these men who are candi dates, he wouldn't be likely to pass over Joseph Simon, In making the se lection of his agent. His active op ponents mostly are the representatives of the rags and tags and fads of loose thinking and ill-arranged endeavor, of which the body of the people are weary. This also partly accounts for his acknowledged and undoubted strength. The panic among all these Is the surest sign that Simon will be elected. There has been so much In the nat ural conditions in the wheat market to warrant high prices for the old crop that less attention than usual has been paid to the annual stunt of the "crop klllers." With the Patten May deal out of the way, and no particular change In the situation so far as the old crop was concerned. It has become necessary for the gentlemen who de light in a disturbed market to resort to the old methods. "Rust," one of the oldest friends of the crop-killers, played a brief engagement on the boards yesterday, but was not well re ceived, the market closing lower than on the day previous. From this time forward we may expect occasional visits in the market reports from all of our old friends of the bull market. First on the list should be the chinch bug and the aphis, then there is the large and variegated assortment of rusts, any one of which, precipitated on an excited market, is good for a rise of a point or two. If any one be lieves that the excitement of the year Is over in the Chicago wheat pit, he will revise his opinion after the annual crop -killers begin reporting In dead earnest. It Is perhaps an opportune time for Mr. Bryan to come to the surface and, porpoise-like, do a little spouting to at tract attention. So long as the coun try'was slowly and painfully recover ing from the "high jinks" which Wall street inflicted on us during the closing days of 1907, there was not much need for any of the "hark-from-the-tombs" advice from the perpetual Presidential candidate. Now that the country has again struck its prosperity gait and is booming along at a good speed,- Mr. Bryan is on hand with his customary gloomy observations. . This happy fac ulty for continually seeing through a glass darkly is, however, Mr. Bryan's chief stock In trade. If he were to admit that the country was as sound politically, financially and morally as It really is, an excuse for his Infliction on the public would be Impossible to dis cover. Mr. Munly tells the electors that "a vote for Munly is the only effective vote against bossism." Mr. Albee says ditto, for himself. Mr. Kellaher ditto, for himself. Mr. McDaniel ditto, for himself. And the Socialist candidate (what's his name?) ditto, for himself. And there may be others. It is ob served, however, that none of these gentlemen ever was important enough or had force enough to be a boss of anything, or to do any notable thing. Perhaps at this time the people want a man for Mayor who has ability and experience to qualify him for the job. The paroxysmal yawp, that endeav ors to feed its fury by quoting from what The Oregonlan said against Simon In other times and under other conditions, years ago, might as well save Its wind. It is more sensible to deal with affairs of today. No one of the candidates opposing Simon ever was important enough to have anv thlng either for or against him. To quote from The Oregonian of former years is the expedient of Bourbonism that forgets nothing and learns noth ing. Now, indeed, are the prophets of evil happy. The long-deferred flood in the Columbia and Its tributaries is In sight and rapidly bearing down upon us. Its "weltering walls" are rising rapidly all along the line, fore boding submergence to lowland crops and city wharves. A waste of water, truly, since this mighty volume that Is now madly rushing to the sea wlU within two months, be sadly needed to moisten the thirsty lands from whenci it is drained. A reform saloon measure prepared and promoted through an alliance be tween Al Crofton, late manager of the wholesale liquor dealers, and E. S. J McAllister, late attorney for the Anti Saloon League (observe the "late" in both Instances), will not exactly strike the public as being the last word on this subject. Seattle ought to equip her auto mobiles with wings. This flying from bridges with nothing to buoy up the machine is exhilarating, but danger ous. A city which consists mainly of chasms and abysses should take her pleasures with proper safeguards. Now you Just wait and see Demo cratic Senators from the Southern States, where cotton manufacture is becoming an important industry, stand in with Aldrich to maintain the tariff on cotton goods. Spokane has again. indicted Schively. The Washington Legislature will have to hurry up with that impeachment or Spokane may put Schively In jail. Since Mr. James J. Hill had nothing to tell the Spokane grand jury, he cheerfully obeyed the summons to ap pear before them. TAKE CHIP OFF OUR SHOl'LDER. Ore-son's Reprrsentatl-ra at the Seattle Fair Should Be Leas Combative. PORTLAND, June 4. (To the Edi tor.) Noting your editorial in this morning's Oregonian, headed "More Trouble at Seattle." following as It does the various news stories of the disagreements between the manage ment of the Fair and thnsn-lr, ,..- of the Oregon building, are you quite ure in you are In possession of all the facts in this matter? I have Just returned from a visit to Seattle, and I am very strongly of the opinion that our renresontativc going around with a chip on each oHouiaer, and conducting an, extremely careful search for trouble. I believe it is admitted that every state except Ore gon was willing to nermlt th booths to be located as the fair manage ment desired, and if this Is true, does it not put us In a rather unenviable light? Why wasn't the Oregon building Illuminated to conform to the general scheme? As you say, these Incidents are most unforunate, and it seems to me before criticising the fair manage ment further, we had better be quite sure that we are not the parties at certainly Is not an edifying spec tacle to the Eastern visitors, and to other exhibitors to see these petty quarrels between neighboring states, and It seems to me we can well afford to take a broad view of the situation and even take a little the worst of it, if necessary, rather than get the repu tation of being narrow minded, and keeping our attention fixed on the fly on the barn door Instead of on the barn door itself. If I am correctly Informed, the Ore gon exhibit is one of the most back ward on the grounds in spite of the fact that we advertised months ago that our building was completed. Why is the exhibit not ready? C F. SWIGERT. ONLY 16 CIVIl, WAR OFFICERS LEFT Regular Army Contains That Many On the Active Lint. W. B. Curtis in Chicago Record-Herald. The new Army Register for 1909 has Just been Issued and shows that only 17 officers upon the active list of the Army were engaged In the Civil War. They are as follows: MaJ-Gen. John F. Weston Nov. IS. 1909 BrlB.-Gen. George B. Davis Feb. 4. 1911 Brlg.-Gen. Earl D. Thomas Jan. . 1911 Brlg.-Gen. Charles Morton March 18. 1910 Brlg.-Gen. Charles t,. Hodges. March 13. 1911 Brlg.-Gen. Daniel H. Brush May 9. 1913 ?r -iSen- Wm- L- Marshall June 11, 1910 Col. Edgar S. Dudley June 14. 1909 Col. Edw. E. Tvood (Professor) .Sept. 17, 1910 S " ?wen TJl reet 6ePt- 1909 Col. John L. Clem Auk: 15 1915 Col. James M. Allison Sept." 4 1912 l.leut.-Col Wm w. Robinson. April 21. 1910 MaJ. C. W. Walkley (chaplain) .May 26 1909 MaJ. Eugene O. Fechet March 14 1910 Capt. Daniel W. Arnold. ... . Sept. 11, llll At the end of the current year the num ber of veterans in the regular Army will be reduced to 12; at the end of 1910 It will be reduced to eight; at the end of 1911 it will be reduced to four; and after 1912 the only veteran of the Civil War on the active list of the Army will be "Little Johnny Clem, the drummer boy of Shl loh," who was carried on the back of the color-sergeant at the head of the troops In a terrific charge, which has been de scribed In every history of the Civil War It would be difficult for those who have the. pleasure of meeting Colonel Clem to day to realize that he was ever carried on anybody's shoulders, but, having been horn in August, 1861, he was then only 12 years old, and has gained a good deal In weight since. Colonel Clem was one of the youngest and perhaps the youngest soldier In the union Army. He was mustered in as a musician in the Twenty-second Michigan Infantry, May 1, 1863, and served through the war. In the organization of the Army he was made a Second Lieutenant in the Twenty-fourth Infantry when he was only 20 years old, was transferred to the Quartermaster's Department in 1882. and reached his present rank of Colonel and Assistant Quartermaster-General August 15, 1903. Wall of a Sensitive Newcomer. PORTLAND, June 2 (To the Ed itor.) Portland has again demon strated her extreme enthusiasm, her deep feeling, her intense patriotism. And again was I glad that I am not of Portland. The occasion of the above-mentioned demonstration was the Memorial day parade. I viewed this from the win dows of the Lumbermen's building as the soldiers passed down Sixth street, and of all the people within my range of vision not a few, I assure you did one man remove his hat, either to the flag: or to the veterans? No. to their everlasting shame, not one. Ap parently neither the sight of their flag nor the men who defended It moved their castiron sensibilities from their customary complacency. The people of Portland, like the small boy, are inclined to regard the niceties of life as "showing off." They resent the little refinements, little humanities of the East; they are superfluous and superficial in their sight. But it Is the opinion of one new citizen of your city that, until Portland adopts these adorning vir tues, she can never be the great city which she so fondly believes she will become. ANOTHER VETERAN'S DAUGHTER. An Idiot Hoy's Memory. Pall Mall Gazette. At the last meeting of the Vienna Psychological and Neurological So ciety a 10-year-old idiot boy was pre sented who knew the calendar from 1000 to 2000 In every detail. Without a. moment's hesitation he would tell the day of the week at any date men tioned, also the name, day and the date of the movable feasts in any year. He answered Immediately and accurately such questions as "What day was June 14, 1808?" "The name day?" "When Is Ash Wednesday, 1917?" "How long is the carnival In 1924 7" "When Is Easter, 1929?" "When is Ascension day, 1923?" His answers were given without hesitation and were Invariably correct. Curiously enough, his range of memory was bounded sharply by the years 1000 and 2000 A. D. Before the first-named year or after the last he knew nothing of the calendar at all. Baby Adopted by Old-Maid Monkey. Baltimore News. One of the baby monkeys bought for the Druid Hill Park menagerie from the consignment received by Bernheimer Brothers from Captain Kaake, of the Ger man steamer Walkure, in from Calcutta several months ago, has been adopted by Jenny, an old spinster inhabitant of the park cage. Childless herself, this worthy old maid took pity on the homesick little monkey when it was literally thrown out into the world at its tender age, so she put her arms around the baby monkey and fondled him close in her sympathetic bosom, since which time they have been inseparable. Church "With Kindergarten Attached. Wilmington, Del., Dispatch Rev. W. E. Greenfield, pastor of the Silverbrook, Del., Methodist Church, has provided a kindergarten in one of the side rooms of his church where parents' take their children and leave them in charge of nurses. The parents then go into the main room to worship. FOR COSSTITUTIOXAL CONVE.VTION 1 Appeal to Oregon Grangers to Prevent Hasty Legislation. CRAY. Or-. June 4. (To the Editor.) Now that the Grange has declared against a constitutional convention, expressing as reasons "that It -will likely cost J200.000 to adopt a constitution, without submit ting it to the people for adoption, and that it will reject the present Initiative and referendum." I will briefly give my reasons .why we should have a constitu tional convention. Deliberation and discussion are requisite conditions for rational decision. Where etiecuve opposition is an impossibility and men must decide on laws to be en acted Without time few HAllhoratlnn 1 discussion, no rational decision can be given, our present condition is that it is impossible for voters who have never heard of laws nranoKil until t Vi .r-iv. at the polls, to decide with wisdom. tnougn tney are equals of Solon or Solo mon. It is the mnfi finKtn thgt ... V.-m.V.. our legislators into disrepute, and in at- lempung to rectiry the evil we have adopted by direct legislation, compulsory haste in the enactment of laws. By direct legislation we have a regis tration system for voters and allow a portion to vote who have not registered by affidavit of six voters. A citizen can register up to a very brief period before any general election, and it would be impossible for the secre tary of state to mail a copy of proposed laws until the address of the voter reaches his office. Any delay In the mails will cause the voter to get the proposed laws after the election. The voters who have not registered necessar ily will have no copy of laws proposed, and as we have set no limit to the num ber to be proposed, a great many voters will have no opportunity for deliberation. Examine the registration and poll books and see what a large percentage of voters are late In effecting registra tion and vote by being certified to by six freeholders on election day. Unless there is a limit to the number of laws or amendments to the constitu tion that can be proposed, and some other method adopted for circulation of proposed laws, direct legislation will produce more vicious legislation than the representative system. There Is a par tial limit in that system, and I would see a greater limit placed on all kinds of proposed laws. Due deliberation and discussion will be the only way to enact wise laws. The cost of the convention is an in significant sum, if we can cut off a con tinuous or unnecessary outlay, that is now increasing taxation, far In excess of increased ability to pay. We tear that all laws enacted under the Initiative will be repealed and that the initiative and referendum left out of the new Constitution without the people having a chance to vote is an imaginary delusion. Possibly some Granges can tell us where a constitutional convention ever adopted a constitution without re ferring it fo the people for their ratifi cation. I cannot. The referendum is lndissolubly a part of our system of government, and even the Initiative is also a part indirectly. Can anyone cite a single instance where a proper number of votes proposing a law have ever Hnon t-.. t, tempt by any legislative body in our '"'"'Liy Biuco its rounaauon f Practically, we have now in our con stitution what Switzerland has: "That all laws, decrees and changes in the con stitution must be submitted to the peo ple," and we had It as soon as Switzer land had it, from wherever we borrowed t h ft Inw rer rwnt r initio laws making it still lower than they have Let this state become a large rr.anufac turinar state. poration employs a great many men, and iiiiu ujai it win oecome a notori ous fact, as It is today in Switzerland, that a large -number of voters who would be hostile to a law. may bear to go on record and arouse . opinion by signing an Initiative or referendum list. Their sig natures may be seen and the publicity of their sentiments imperil their means of livelihood. To my friends the Grangers. In con clusion, I want a constitutional conven tion with the hope -that they will give us one that prevents a flood of proposed laws from being introduced, either in the Legislative Assembly or before the peo ple: Comnulsnnr nnhmlqalnTi 1 . i. .. . are not absolutely urgent to the people . , i ,t.i -i . . ii men raimcaiion, ana organization of the Legislature by a vote of the people of the state, by making the presiding officers, state officials, elected by the people of the" state. When the laws are Bent to the people we can still have the secret ballot and no man can know how another votes, if voters do not tell. If some of these Grangers had to live as I did, among the men who worked for corporations before the secret ballot be came a law. they would not even be so proud of our direct-primary law, where a voter is compelled to come up and swear he is a Democrat, Republican or Social ist, before he can take a part in an election. Some one wanted It amended to compel a voter to tell for whom he voted for President. . Intimidation can be used here as it Is In Switzerland today. . J- E. DAVID. Auto Cars in the World's Wilds. Cleveland Plain Dealer. The automobile is of ever-widening use fulness. It used to be associated In the popular mind with asphalt pavements and the .well-beaten paths of civilization, where society has reached the age of ease and customs are settled. The idea must be revised. The automobile of today goes into the wilderness where railroads may never go and penetrates the deserts of Arabia where civilization, once flourish ing, has sunk again to earth. Japan is studying the question of send ing its malls by automobile into distant parts of the empire where trains have not yet penetrated. Bleak, war-crushed Vladivostok tried automobiles a year or two ago. The experiment failed, but no one believes that the chauffeur has been permanently vanquished even there. The United Sfates Consul at Aleppo some miles southeast of Adana, where so many thousands of people have been mas sacred within the past few weeks, writes of a movement to inaugurate an automo bile passenger and freight service over the deserts of that consular district There are no railroads, and the govern ment has granted a concession to & con cern proposing to use automobiles. The outcome of the experiment Is problemati cal, but it augurs well for the motor car that the proposal was even suggested. Mother ot Seven Children Talks. Kansas City Journal. Reflections on race suicide caused Zell Hopkins, of Junction City, to recall the remark made by a woman at whose home a number of people took supper one night down in Sllmimr fmmtw T"V.I , .. . a ucuiar woman, though young in years, is the iiLuiuvr ui oeven emiaren. isaturally the children urn rtti tnti-j hiir ..Inn. . .. j . . ..t. v. uho size. When the "campaigners" went into the uiuan n nousa one oi tnem noticed the bunch of children and said to the woman in a friendly way: "These all yours, or is this a picnic?" "They are all mine," she replied wearily, "and it's no picnic" Harvard's Pet Cockroach Goes. Cambridge (Mass.) Dispatch. Alonzo, the trained cockroach, pride of Holworthy Half, is missing, and there is regret in the hearts of 50 Harvard students. One student taught Alonzo to respond to his whistle and rewarded him with moistened sugar. Other students taught Alonzo various tricks. One was to stand on his hind legs on the edge of an unlighted pipe without falling in. An other taught Alonzo to roll over and die whenever any one said "yale" In a, loud voice. ELECTIOX MATTERS Recall and Initiative Features of Proposed Commission Charter. ' The recall and initiative features of the present city charter, with slight amend ments, are incorporated in the revised charter as proposed by the charter com mission of 15 members. To electors i given the right to propose any measure under the initiative. It is provided that whenever there shall be presented to tha Council a petition signed by a number of voters equal to 15 per cent of the votes cast for all. of the candidates for Mayor at the last preceding general election, asking that an ordinance, to be set forth In the petition, be submitted to a vole of the electors of the city, the Council must suDmit the proposed ordinance to the vote or the electors at the next city election. Any such ordinance, however, shall not be valid unless it comes within the powers granted to the Council, except wnen passed as required for charter amendments. Provision for sDecial recall olectinnn i made in section 30, as amended, as fol lows: 1 " "uiucr oi any elective omce mav t removed at any time by the electors qualified The prooedure to effect the removal ot an Incumbent of an electlye office shall be as follows: A petition signed by electors en- - -" a Butivuor to tne in cumbent sought to be removed, equal In number to at least 25 per centum of the ......... 4v,r nn canaiaates lor tne OTTlce of Mayor cast at tha last preceding- general CITY -.cv.k.v.u, uciusiiuiiiK an eiecutm or a successor of the person sought to bo removed shall be filed with the Auditor, which petition shall contain a general state ment of the grounds for which the removal Is sought. At least 10 days before any petl- 1. circulated each paper shall be filed with the Auditor, with a copy of the same for his fll?s. and the date of such filing indorsed thereon by the Auditor. At the same time there shall be tiled with the Audi tor a list of the persons who ar to cir culate such petitions, giving the true name and address of each, and no other shall be authorized to circulate or make proof of such petitions. The signatures to the peti tion need not all be appended to one paper, but each signer shall add to his signature his place of residence, giving the street, nouse number and precinct number. One ot the signers of each such paper shall make oath before an officer competent to ad minister oaths that the statements made thereon are true as he believes, and that each signature to the paper appended is the genuine signature of the person whose name It purports to be. within 10 days from tl filing of such petition the Cltv Clerk shall examine and from the voters' register ascer tain whether or not such petition Is signed by the requisite number of qualified electors, ana. If necessary, the Council shall allow im,. ex ra t'e'P for that purpose: and he shall attach to said petition his certificate, showing the result of said examination. If by the Clerk's oertiflc.ite the petition is shown to be insufficient. It may be amended within 10 days from the date of said cer tificate. The Clerk shall within 10 davs V?r "uch amendment make like examination ,, """ended petition, and If his certificate !! ,! ;how the same to be insufficient It be turned to t!e person filing the same; without prejudice, however, to the tV ,vLof a,J!ew p,e,ltlo to tle ame effect. If the petition shall be deemed to be suf ?hLenri' th Clerk shall submit the same to n-i.CK2n5n w.,thout delay. If the -petition IhSli 1,0 " to be sufficient, the Council .i ,rder and flx a date for holding the nf e.KCtlon.not le" than 30 day nor than f days from the date of tha C1tks certificate to the Council that a sufficient petition is Bled. wouno" Inat a ml- C2u,nc11. "hail na.ke or cause to be made publication of notice and all arrans-e-r,U, " oldlnK election" S"d fh. ?am,?t ?ail S nlucted. returned and the result thereof declared In all respects as ant SffrC't3r elelons. The successor o? fn ?floar BO "moved shall hold office dur T?e unMI"re? tern ot his predecessor. P " sought to be removed may be a candidate to succeed himself, and unless Shsfnl? otherwise in writing the Clerk w,aH.P.ace h,ls name the official ballot without nomination. In any such removal election the candidate receiving the highest Ah V,tes ."ha" be decfared elect?" At such election If some other person than the Incumbent receives the highest numhV. aLrdSV.the iSbent shaft Thereupon bS flcaHon if v,"" from the oftIce upon quail ncation ot his successor. In case the party S,,Je;eye: the hShest number of votes 1 a" t?luaI1fy within 10 davs after .Tal fblfd-eemedcant. 'Ms" m,ei.h?d of tnoval shall be cumulative and vufeWlaw. th9 toforeeparnod The qualifications of voters in munici pal elections and of candidates for mu nicipal office have not been modified No person is qualified to vote at an election held under the charter who has not been a resident of the city for six months and of the precinct in which he offers to vote for 30 days next preceding the election and . who does not possess the qualifica tions of a legal voter of the State of Oregon. The qualifications of candidat" foi office are prescribed as follows: nfhew0n ls eI,8lble to any elective office vfdidelly' tX.Cpt.as otherwise herein pro I,lV,Kh', 'I18 of hls election is not a citizen of the United States and a resi dent and voter of the City of Portlaand Sd "oVe1 J" l?e Privileges of an 'eScfor c Zr V? ,he constitution nd laws or fho riateof Oregon, and who has not resided In nrec C,',ty . prtland for thr , year. "Jjeit P,rCjdl-nB hls election, or who has not re sided for three year, next preceding him election within the territory embraced wlfh! In the city at the time of such elecUon. Better Yet. From Lif e. "Humph!" says the lady with the extra supply of artificial puffs. "Just listen to this crazy stuff in the woman s department of this magazine: To retain your husband's Interest In you remember the little traits and ways and mannerisms that won his affections. Be coy, be vivacious. Flirt with him.' " "Well," responds the lady with the shiny nose, "that seems - to me to be good advice." "Humph! To retain your husband's interest in you. flirt with somebody else's husband, my dear." THE WISE OF ROSES. " Flowers and frolic and feasting and fun Portland's great festival now is begun' Welcome we gladly all friends to the feast. Guests from the Northland, the South, and the East. Sunshine and Summer with sweetest of sweets, Off'ring of June-time the pleasure com pletes. ' Air-laden perfume which telle of the flow'rs. Happiness hasting the passing of hours. Mating of merriest maidens and men. Tying of knots up to three score and ten Cupid's most busy till June days are o'er Banquets and kisses and roses galore. Rapturous revelry, roses and rhyme. Tell of the grandeur and beauty sub lime. Nature and art blend in brilliant display. Gorgeous in coloring, grand in array. Feast-days of frolic and flowers and fun. Carnival Third of the Roses begun, -Echoes of mirthfulness float on the air. Splendor of royalty reigns everywhere. Wondrous this West, with its weather and wine. Painting the cheek with the breath of the pine: Blossoms, like children in Innocence rare Pure as the morning, as radiantly fair. Shimmering summery sunlight and sheen Smiling and gaiety everywhere seen: Laughter till shades of the eventide creep. Music and melody lulling to sleep. Garlands and gladness and gala-day glee. Proudly we offer these praises to thee Rose City Beautiful peer of the Coast Wine of the roses, we drink, as our toast. Mrs. J. M. C. Miller.