Morning Oregonian., July 21, 1909, Page 8, Image 8

THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1909.
rOBTUND. OREGON.
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POKTLAXD. WEDNESDAY. JfLY SI. 1909.
TO RECAST OF THE CONSEQ.CEJJCE.
President Taft started with a propo
sition of an Inheritance tax. He ex
pressed the opinion that if duties on
Imports, and the excise taxes that we
call Internal revenue, did not supply
sufficient resources for the treasury,
then a tax on Inheritances might be
employed to make up the deficit. Ap
parently he iras at that time unaware
that the states, or the greater number
of them, already had set in motion the
Inheritance tax, as a source of state
revenues. But becoming later aware
of this fact, he abandoned the sug
gestion of an inheritance tax and
adopted tax on corporations Instead.
All understand that the President
of the United States, same as the rest
of us. must do what he can. In cir
cumstances as they develop. Now an
Income tax a tax on Incomes Is an
Ideal method of raising revenue. It
requires those to pay who are able
to pay. Of course, however, like any
other method of taxation It may be
abused. In his letter of acceptance
Mr. Taft said that If more revenue
were necessary than the ordinary
sources would supply, an Income tax
could be devised, which would not be
open to objection on constitutional
grounds, yet would furnish the ad
ditional revenue required. This opin
ion seems to have been reconsidered
later and reversed. But we are not
disposed to urge what Is called "con
. listency" in these matters. The point
of view changes, and the conclusion
changes with it.
The President's thought then was a
tax on inheritances. This, too, he has
leen reason to abandon; and now his
thought Is a tax on corporations a
tax on all who are using the corpor
ition as an Instrument of business
rivate corporations and public corpor
ttions alike. Most of the corporations
af the country are In no way affected
by a public interest. They have no
privileges, no concessions, from the
public. They are aggregations of
imaU capitals, employing this method
of doing business. A man hasn't cap
Vtil enough to do business on his own
personal account. He unites with
others, puts in his small or moderate
sum, and the total makes a capital
sufficient for the business. . Why
should the United States lay a tax on
these, and at the same time exempt
from taxation the individual or part
nership alongside, carrying on prob
ably the very same business? This Is
unequal taxation. It Is Indefensible
let President Taft say what he may
of It. Advantage Is taken of the hue
and cry against corporations, to make
attack on a most necessary method of
doing business the method of doing
very large part of the ordinary busi
ness of the country. It Is most unfair.
Besides, these corporations, doing
business within a state, have their
authorization wholly from state law.
The state authorizes them to do busi
ness In this corporate form. Has the
General Government the right and
constitutional power to single them out
for taxation? Their status has been
created by the states, not by the Na
tional Government, for facilitation of
business and Industry; and it Is an old
rule of federal Jurisprudence that the
valid Instrumentalities of the state
governments cannot be taxed by the
National Government. It is a recipro
cal principle moreover; for the states
cannot tax the means and instruments
employed by the National Government,
for the purposes It has In view.
Senator Bourne, It Is announced,
has urged President Taft. when he
comes to Portland, to speak In defense
of the corporation tax. The President
may or may not do so. His opinions,
though subject to criticism, will be re
ceived with respect. Bourne Is merely
a devotee of toadyism. His opinions
are entitled to no respect whatever;
nor do they receive It.
There is no ground, no possible
ground, on which the corporation tax
can be defended. The National Gov
ernment, in this scheme of taxation, is
dealing with artificialities. It is in
terfering with the levying tribute on
agencies. Instruments or methods au
thorized by the states for purposes of
their own. Of course. If the National
.Government can tax these. It may de
stroy them; for within the unlimited
right to tax lies the power to destroy.
As to publication or "exposure" of
the business of corporations that
may be enforced by the state, for the
corporations are Its creatures, but It
Is not a right of the National Govern
ment. As to corporations whose prop-
erty and business Is in many states, or
In more states than one. there might
be the right to tax, under the grant
of power to regulate commerce be
tween the states; but how about the
multitude of ordinary corporations
authorized by the states and carrying
on only a local business? May the
General Government lay a tax on the
corporation of the City of Portland?
But. it may be said the municipal cor
poration Is admittedly an instrumen
tality of the state government, and
the National Government, therefore,
can't tax It. Then is not the private
business corporation also to be con
sidered as "an Instrumentality or
means employed by the state for the
better ordering of the activities and
relations of men 1n their Individual
character?"
The country '"'ill not object to a tax
on Individual incomes; for that will
be a fair method, equal for all. But
the corporation tax will turn the
stockholders in corporations. - small
and great, against the party respon
sible for It. and against the Adminis
tration that urges it. The tax Is not
equal and fair.
fifty thousand men are needed In
the harvest fields of the West, ac
cording to a Washington dispatch, and
cfflclala of the Department of Com-
w '
merce and Labor are endeavoring to
induce the railroads to transport some
of the penniless aliens now arriving
In New York to localities where their
services are needed. It is not alone
In the big crops and urgent demand for
labor that we have positive assurance
of the return of good times. Further
evidence Is found In numerous strikes
throughout the country. It is onl,
when times are good and work Is
plentiful that men take the chance of
loas that always attendant on any
strike. Now with war chests bursting
with funds, quite a number of organ
izations are out for higher wages.
There Is also an increasing number of
professional Jawsmiths to be found
on the street corners expounding on
the equality of man, - division of
wealth, etc. Even these nlmble
tongued loafers find slim picking and
are often forced actually to work for
a living when times become so hard
that their victims fall to supply the
funds.
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.
An apologist for the abuses of the
initiative writes: "No special elections
have yet been necessary to undo the
work or to correct the blunders that
were made In voting on legislation at
the regular election." Because all or
nearly all the worst measures have
been beaten; but It as taken many
a hard fight to do it. And many a
hard fight will yet be necessary.
Why, it may be asked, should the
state be kept in continual turmoil and
uproar, to hold 4 check upon this
dangerous system, and often be
plunged Into terror about It as own
ers of property and quiet citizens gen
erally had occasion for alarm when
the effort was made to force the Henry
George theory of property and sys
tem of taxation on the state? People
get tired of being forced to stand
guard eternally against the projects
of - faddists and fanatics. Some of
these projects will at one time or an
other Inevitably slip through. The
system encourages every theorist,
dreamer. sophlster, ignoramus, pro
jector of fallacies and chimeras, to
circulate his "petition" for a "law";
and people usually sign as the short
est way to get rid of the importunity.
Then there must be a fight to
beat it.
rr A..,,n tnAiicrh nstt an AT,
1 IIC iriciciiuuuii nft p. ...... v
jectionable. Is liable to similar abuse.
It w'll suffice to mention tne single in
stant e of the attack on the State Uni
versity, In the effort to starve It out
of existence; which was defeated only
by the heavy ' vote of the single
County of Multnomah, whose steadi
ness and conservatism in the matter of
business and property, and whose de
sire for only rational legislation, are
the main forces that hold the state of
the present day to any connection with
its past, as against the multitudinous
schemes of innovation that start up
out of the new system, like weeds out
of compost.
But if is said, in Justification, that
"our government is based on majority
rule." Yes; but only when the actual
will of the majority Is ascertained,
after deliberation. But this aban
donment of the representative princi
ple gives no proper opportunity for
deliberation, nor even for cursory
examination of a proposed measure;
for the proposition for a "law" Is
started by some whimsical theorist or
group of fad-mongers, who 'present it
In a form to correspond with their er
rant notions, and no opportunity re
mains to amend, improve or correct
it. ' That such a system will occasion
frequent alarms, will "prove a pro
moter of commercial instability and
a menace to business prosperity," is
a most probable consequence. While
the majority of the people should rirle
and -will rule, there Is grave reason
for apprehension about the conse
quences of laws enacted upon a sud
den by uninformed and fickle ma
jorities. The reasonable check is sup
plied by the representative system;
and neither the wit of man nor his
experience through the ages has been
able to divine a better, nor to supply
a substitute.
Though The Oregonian does not ex
pect the Initiative and referendum to
be abandoned wholly. It does expect
considerable modification of them in
time, because such modification will
become absolutely necessary, to relieve
the strain put on our system of gov
ernment by fantastical use of this
dangerous method. For example, the
popular initiative might be restricted
to bills which the legislature, after
debate and consideration, has refused
to pass; and the referendum to par
ticular classes of acts, to be carefully
defined. The present situation can
not be permanent. Experience has
shown already, and will surely show
more and more, that modification is
necessary. The best way. probably
would be through a constitutional con
vention; but further experience with
ka .ont nnransiner method may be
necessary, before this will be conceded.
In the meantime tne initiative juseii.
may be used In tentative efforts for
limitation of the evils to which it has
e-ven rise.
CLOSING THE Ol'EJf DOOR.
"The suggestion of aggression, of
territorial aggrandizement on the part
of Japan so far as China Is concerned,
is as far from th.e truth as it is pos
sible for anyone to go." says Prince
Ito. In discussing the Far Eastern
problem. Prince Ito also expresses
thst riW,-L is hetter under
stood by Japan than by any other
country in the woria. in a sense,
,t -nfrr statesman who Ja
panned Corea. "we have a common
language and common customs ana
from China the best
of a civilization extending back 4000
years." Prince Ito said something of
a similar nature a few years ago, when
he deemed it tne auiy 01 .ain
-oiioi.. ivi-a. nf ant further partici
pation in governing Corea. There is
no questioning the Denei mac japan
v.-. . horror L-nnwlpdee of the possi
bilities for exploitation in China than
any other country, but the rest of the
-m nni nermlt JanaR to burden
itself with the entire responsibility.
japan flispiayeo. great iitt-sie m si
ting into Manchuria in advance of any
other nation after the settlement of
the trouble with Russia, and some dif
ficulty was experienced in maKing tne
men of Nippon understand that the
aa. In Chin tvns not to be
upeii vw . ... .-
closed as soon as Japan was safely
over the tnresnoia. eitner me
graphlcal location nor the alleged 4000
years' acquaintance between China
and Japan should give the latter coun
try any advantages In that rich trade
field now on the eve of development In
the rar r.asi. ine umicu clc-- re
cently Joined Great Britain and
Austria-Hungary in notifying China
that they would not recognize the pre
liminary agreement between Russia
and China for the administra
tion of the Russian, railroad, area ,
in China. It was feared- that this
agreement, which was drafted at
Pekin. might enable Russia to extend
its Influence In Manchurlan affairs to
the prejudice of other nations which
should have equal rights in the terri
tory. The great difficulty encountered by
the rest of the world, whose interests
are best served by the maintenance of
the integrity of China, is in making
either Russia or Japan understand
that their geographical location does
not entitle them to special and exclu
sive favors.- Russia explicitly dis
claimed Its Intentions of asking favor
itism by accepting the Portsmouth
treaty, in which "'The Imperial Gov
ernment of Russia declares that it has
no territorial advantages or preferen
tial or exclusive concessions in Man
churia" of such a nature as to impair
the sovereignty of China, or which
are incompatible with the principle of
equal opportunity." And yet the re
cent Pekin agreement, which brought
forth the protest from the United
States, intended to give Russia a pref
erence in railroad operation in Man
, churia, which eventually would have
proved a serious matter for other
countries seeking business in that
field.
Russia has been caught in the act
of trying to steal a march on the rest
of the world and Japan seizes the
opportunity to put forward claims of
relationship for the purpose of secur
ing the guardianship of the rich es
tate. Both Japan and Russia have
had too free a hand in China since the
peace treaty was signed, and It is the
duty of the rest of the powers to see
that their rapacity Is checked. The.
case of Corea Is too recent for Prince
Ito to convince the world that Japan
has no desire for "territorial aggran
dizement" in China, and the attitude
of the Japanese press discloses an in
terest in China's future that bodes no
good for the rest of the world and the
open door.
SECRETARY WILSON'S WEAK DEFENSE.
After waiting until new crop wheat
began pouring into the markets of
the Southwest and even into Chicago
by the train load. Secretary Wilson
comes to the front with an alleged
defense of his remarkable March crop
report. Contrary to the figures shown
by his report of July, he now asserts
that there remained on hand In this
country July 1 a total of 63,000,000
bushels of wheat which, of course, Is
of material aid in covering up the. de
ficiency which otherwise would exist
If his March figures were accepted at
thoiv fnr value. As more than a
month has elapsed since the first of
the new crop wheat appeared in tne
Southwest, and the high prices brought
ft r,r thA market -nore rapidly than
ever before, it is easy to show that the
stocks are accumulating quite rapidly.
In other words, his remarkably small
carry-over has been merged with an
unusually heavy movement, which has
served to meet the demands of the
millers and ease the strain on the sit
uation.
At the time of the appearance of
the March report. The Oregonian dis
claimed knowledge of conditions in
other parts of the country, but stated
plainly that the figures of s.ooo.ouo
bushels which Secretary Wilson
showed in farmers' hands in Oregon,
Washington and Idaho, was about 5,
000,000 bushels In excess of the actual
stocks. For the reason that from no
other locality in the United States is
so large proportion of the wheat crop
shipped out as from Oregon, Wash
ington and Idaho, the conditions for
tracing the crop movement are more
favorable in these three states than in
any other part of the country. Sec
retnrv Wilson gave the 1908 wheat
crop of Oregon, Washington and Idaho
at 63,207,000 bushels. Now, li ne is
sincere in his belief that his figures
are correct, It would silence much un
favorable criticism if he would take up
this particular locality which supplies
from one-fifth to one-sixth of all the
wheat that is exported from the United
States, and give us the details by
which he secures his remarkable
figures on crop and carry-over stocks.
From the 1908 crop there was
shipped in the twelve months, ending
June 30, 26,811,259 bushels. Seed
ni hnmo onn.n m ntlon reaulrements
took care of another 15,000,000
bushels, and there was on hand in an
positions July 1 about 1.000,000 bush
els, making a grand total of 42,811,259
bushels. Deducting the 3,000,000
bushels carry-over from the 1907
crop, one finds the actual out-turn
which can be definitely located is 39,
811.259 bushels, or more than 14,000,
000 bushels less than the' amount re
nnrtori hv Secretary Wilson. In the
face of such indisputable facts as
these, it is particularly aosura in a
Government official to attempt to
.iiKtifv such work as his department
has been guilty of. As an example of
the. utter lack of connaence snown oj
the trade in these reports, both the
September and July options advanced
nearly a cent yesterday in the face of
this latest and most bearish Teport
that has yet come out of the office of
Secretary Wilson.
THE FEDERATION OF EUKOFE. .
Tho nsnlratlon for a federated Eu
rope, visionary as it appears, possesses
vitality enough to call together con
gresses and produce a constant out
flow of literature. The latest federa
tion congress was helcr at Home in a
blaze of enthusiasm, kindled by Prince
c.n-.7.inira an Italian of Spanish
descent. This meeting abandoned the
old notion of uniting tne various na
tions under a constitution with a com
,nn ,-mv nnH treasury. Nothing of
the sort, it is admitted, can be hoped
... . T . TVia oro
tor within a century or iwu. n"
idea of federation looks for results
outside of politics and government.
A gradual union of the nations is be
ing efiected-through the efforts of men
n es-iono for pxamDle. whose work
is common property in all countries.
Each investigator depends upon every
other and none of them ever thinks of
. i-1 o cpi-rpf nf what he has dis
covered. . There are also a dozen dif-
hnnt international congresses wnicn
meet year after year, cow in Switzer
i i nA in norrnonv or elsewhere, in
which men of all nationalities discuss
subjects of common interest.
Perhaps the most marKea umiying
inei,,ono r,r rhpse numerous meetings
Is in the mutual acquaintance which
they permit. Nations have a great
variety of opposing interests, of
course, but it is not these which inter-
n.o tho ohief rtiffieultr to federation.
The barriers of speech are higher and
thicker than those of interest. What
made it possible for the American col
onies to overcome tneir connicting
trade and territorial embltlons and
..itimntAiv fftrm a federal union was
the supreme fact of their common lan
guage. If all Europe spoKe tne same
tongue, it might in a few decades have
a common government. Inasmuch as
the people speak a great many lan
guages, they will be likely to pay taxes
to numerous rulers for a long time to
come. Still, we must not forget that
In Switzerland people speaking Ital
ian, German and French manage to
dwell in harmony under the same free
institutions.
Federation has already made some
Important If not very conspicuous ad
vances in Europe. The postal union
Is an example of common action which
may be extended ultimately to many
other fields. France, Belgium, Swit
zerland, Italy and Greece have a com
mon coinage; and there are a great
many other beginnings of this sort
from (which an enthusiast may per
haps extract more or less lively hopes.
The spread of the metric system of
weights and measures has done as
much as anything else to bring the
nations of the world together in recent
years. If we except the overwhelming
importance of international invest
ments. When a man wishes to ln
Vest money in a foreign country he
takes pains to learn all he can about
Its government and people. When
his money is once locked up there, he
becomes a friend to that country and
!s forever after opposed to making
war upon It. Nothing promotes peace
so strongly as bonds and loans. Com
merce may in good time bring about
the union for which logic strives in
vain. Another silver cloud upon the
horizon no bigger than a man's hand
Is the "International language." If
such a thing could Be" made to take
hold of popular fancy, it would help
amazingly toward the 'establishment
of permanent peace and concord. Es
peranto is stilL amusing rather than
important, but who shall say what ltj
history is to be? It has a literature
already and thousands of people read
and speak it. Nations whicn are on
the lookout for every advantage in
trade compel their Consuls to learn
Esperanto. We have not yet reached
that point of wisdom, but we may
some time. Upon the whole, the ad
vocates of international federation
can, if they search diligently, find
more .grounds for hope than for dis
couragement; Their dream may come
true some day, thougn they are likely
to wait and watch a long time for it.
The proposed sub-jail for the East
Side would be fully as useful as the
fifth wheel on a wagon, and It would
cost the taxpayers of Portland a great
many "thousand dollars. It will -also
supply positions for a number of men
whose salaries would cost the tax
payers of Portland more thousands of
dollars. The East Side is no more
afflllcted with criminals and drunks
than half a dozen other localities,
some of them farther from the City
Jail than the proposed site on which
taxpayers' money would be dumped
in East Portland. If sub-Jails are to
be erected for the purpose of supply
ing positions for men who otherwise
might have to work for a living, why
not place them where the men who re
quire the services of a Jail are more
plentiful than they are in the respect
able residence districts on the, East
Side? "
Piety and sagacity, it appears, are
rtnwpr less to nrotect an American citi
zen of wealth, from the invasion of his
family circle by the foreigner wltn an
empty title. Even good, long-headed,
old John Wanamaker will be called
upon to submit to the Indignity and
support the burden that follows an
invasion of this chafacter. His grand
daughter, Fernanda, is to marry the
son of Count Heeren, of Paris and
Biarritz an obscure -son of an un
known father whose .chief asset, as
far as known, is a title-in-prospect.
The Senators from Florida Insist
most strenuously on- protection for
their state against the oranges and
pineapples of Cuba, but quite as
strenuously for free trade in hides and
shoes and iron ore. .for which other
states want protection. Senator Cham
berlain, of Oregon, who also professes
to be a Democrat, stands for highest
protective duties on wool, lumber and
h-n nrofliicts of Oregon, but stands
on party principles for free trade in
general. Is the tariff a local question .'
wo trust Seattle will not be touched
In the least with envy and Jealousy
by the Portlanders wno go over tnero
shouting for a population of 500,000
in Portland in 1912.- Both cities will
be so big by 1912 that they can't house
their population; and he who visits
oithor ioHii he like the countryman
who swore he couldn't see the town
there were so many houses.
The festive grocer will be off tomor
row for another long play day. What
,n,imi -Itijipns these purveyors of
table commodities are, to be sure, and
what a habit they have of leaving
thoir customers to shift for them
selves, regardless of Summer visitors
and the exigencies of the fruit-can
ning season!
Mon who teach school, practice
medicine and preach the gospel should
marry before they enter upon the
work of their respective proiessions,
crr,r,fl sensible, "earnest- and vigilant
women. No argument is needed to
support this statement. Its wisdom
is apparent on every nana.
Tt seems lmnrobable that Lieuten
ant Sutton committed suicide, and as
improbable that he was murdered.
ni.aA .1.,. c. o rnr ami a scuffle; and in
the scuffle he was killed by discharge
of his own revolver. Ail tne testi
mony points to this conclusion.
rrvo innnirv now on at Annapolis
may not fix the blame for the. death of
young Sutton, but tne disclosures il 13
bringing forth give the public an ex-
il-- itoo os n whv snobbery is so
prevalent in some branches of the
Army and Navy.
if. on awful nltv to find the es
teemed Tacoma newspapers running
down Seattle the way tney ao. e
cannot but think they are misinformed
about Seattle and her prospects.
tv. rooonco nf 6000 Portlanders
at the Seattle fair perhaps reminded
our Elliott Bay friends of the days
when Seattle did not visit the Lewis
and Clark fair. .
. ' . a'o hoon a numher
mere stseuia i " '. -
of other persons near the scene of
Tirscirotfa shooting, from whom ex
planations are due.
The Prlneville Review says Harrl-
man is playing a Diun game in ine
Deschutes Canyon. Mighty high bluffs
there.
it rho traitor 'rlirln't know that the
Thames .at London can float 148 war
ships, he can now leei encouraged.
SPANISH AMERICA.
With Remarks ei Mexico as a Trpe of
the Whole.
Mexico, says a reviewer in the New
York Evening Post, is a puzzle of the
present and a problem of the future.
Of this greatest of the Latin-American
republics, whose history for 40 years
has been so unlike the ordinary course
of Latin-American history, how much
Is Mexico and how much is Diaz? Dis
tance from the equator seems to bring
a greater measure of self-restraint and
energy; Chill and Argentine in the
southern hemisphere furnish a parallel
to Mexico In the northern. But is the
progress of the Mexican people to be
explained only in terms of Diaz and
climate, or are there other factors of
differentiation from the main bulk of
Spanish-America? Much that C. Regi
nald Enoch has to say in his "MexlcQ
Implies no sharp distinction in folk
psychology between the Mexicans and
their neighbors to the south.
Take the matter of language. Latin
exuberance is the hall mark here as
' In Nicaragua or Peru. . "The Mexican
is never at a loss for words. . . .
The prefixing of superlatives Is very
noticeable In ordinary language. Thus
glory Is generally 'Immortal glory."
knowledge 'profound knowledge.' every
person partaking in public affairs, if a
friend of the speaker, is ever 'enlight
ened and patriotic' and his Intelligence
becomes 'vast intelligence." 'Our distin
guished and universally beloved Gov
ernor' would be the customary refer
ence to such a functionary; and 'an era
o glorious progress' would be the only
way of characterizing his administra
tion. Indeed, a glance over a Mexican
book or article or speech seems to show
that the writer has made use of every
elegant and abstruse word in the dic
tionary. In a dissertation upon any
subject he seems called upon to begin
from the very beginning of things,
desde la creaclon del mundo 'from
the beginning of the world," as the
Spanish-American himself sarcastically
says at times." " How" typically Spanish!
And yet not so far removed from our
own platform oratory with its "dis
tinguished speaker," lauding the 'un
paralleled achievements" of the great
est country on earth.
The Mexican character, our author
asserts, is that of a people in the
making:
The fact la stamped on then- physiognomies
even. Let u turn over the pages of any
book Issued In Mexico and observe the por
traits of public men and their blograpniea.
for it will generally be full of these, often
pandering to their vanity. The features are
strongly pronounced, and at tlmea verge upon
the grotesque we mean It In no offensive
spirit. A high Intelligence runs riot and an
Idealism untempered by sobriety and practice
with strong passions and love of show. But
they mark a people, not decadent, but evolv
ing. The Mexicans are at the beginning, not
the end, of their civilization; the rise, not the
fall, of their life. Here Is the material of a
vigorous and prolific race which may be des
tined to bulk largely like the whole of Span
ish America In the future regime of the civ
ilization of the white man.
At present It Is still a somewhat halt
ing civilization. The deBire to raise
themselves to the level of the Euro
pean culture Is a strong driving force
among Spanish-Americans. "This feel
ing gives birth at times to a certain
feverish spirit of construction, and is
.responsible for the existence of rail
ways, but no roads: electric light in
streets without sewers, and pretentious-looking
stucco buildings where
solid stone should have been employed.
Buenos Ayres. Lima, Santiago, Mexico
all bear witness to this tendency. In
more or less degree. And under the
garish electric arc at night, or silhou
etted against the new white stucco wall
of some costly hygenic institution,
or art gallery, or governor's palace,
glaring in the bright sun, stands the
Incongruous figure of the half-naked
and sandalled Indian, Ignorant and poverty-stricken!"
Here the description
would apply quite as well to medieval
Europe with its cathedrals and hovels.
Spain Is largely medi-val Europe, -and
Spanish-America is, to a very consid
erable extent, Spain.
GROWTH RURAL FREE DELIVERY
Twenty Years Ago Thought to Be Vis
ionary, Jiow Costtns; $35,000,000 Year.
Washington Post
Twenty years ago rural free mall de
livery was regarded as visionary and
impractical, an Iridescent dream, but
the American people now annually pay
$33,000,000 for the service on 40.000
routes. In less than a double decade
In the future, no doubt, there will be
100,000 routes, costing J100.000.000.
The pioneer In Congress of rural
free delivery was a man named PIckler,
a native of Indiana1 and a Representa
tive from South Dakota- His specialty
was pensions, and though his heart was
as plastic to the prompting of good
Impulse as wax, he loved to make
bloody-shirt speeches and strove to
make treason odious. When Tom Reed
failed to deliver the Hon. Pickler's vote
for the repeal of the purchasing clause
of the Sherman stiver law he hurled
at the recalcitrant a mingled sarcasm
and invective drawn from the Book f
Job. But Pickler was a 16-to-ler up
to the elbow and he flew the coop.
When the rural free delivery propo
sition was first seriously considered in
Congress a Representative from Texas,
a Mr. CockrelT, brother of the then Sen
ator of that name from Missouri, made
a notable speech against the innovation,
and his plea was for the Saturday af
ternoon at the crossroads, where the
farmers met to make purchases, re
ceive their mail, and confer one with
another abput matters and things, as
their forbears had done for years and
years. It was a fine speech, and did
much to defeat the proposition that
session. That was the 52d Congress.
BRYAN AS A SENATOR.
A Senatorial campaign would afford
Mr. Bryan a little gentle exercise be
tween the regular races. Washington
Star.
It is also Interesting to contemplate
how much longer the tariff debate
might have been had Mr. Bryan been
a Senator. Washington Times.
The Senate is sucTi a line field for
political controversialists that Colonel
Bryan has decided he ought to be there.
And. besides, a Senatorship is the best
thing within his reach. Kansas City
Journal.
Mr. Bryan's utterances In regard to
those Democrats who have voted con
trary to his views on the tariff disclose
the true 1912 symptoms. Washington
post.
Mr. Bryan's election to the- Senate
might throw light on the sorely vexed
.i n,K,r is tho. rtemocratic
quesuuu ao v . . .-
party's position on the tariff. Louis
ville Times. - -
The Canopener.
Detroit Free Press.
Speaker Cannoa at Valley Forge de
fended the milder forms of profanity
wittily.
"These not irreverent, cu wmui,
i j i ao o snfetv valve. A man.
EHtlU Ji3, a.- " - '
but for them, might do shocking things
smash the piano, scissor the por
tieres." .. ,
Speaker Cannon iigntea a iresu
cigar. .
So many mmg ..
said, Incite man to er let off steam.
, ..in- -ans for instance
ineres .jjcii..- - - ":w
opening these new-fangled cans with
patent openers wa. o-.o """-j" 0 ...e,
lost- , .
.. . n..nit man was lettine off steam
A T- I I . . . w ... .
terribly the other day as he opened one
Of these patent cans. ma n-nc, uiOT
of the noise, called from the next room:
" 'What are you opening that can
with, dear?'
" 'The canopener, ot course, uo re
plied.
-oh ' said she. T thought you were
opening it with, prayer- ,
WANTS BAST OX FLY BREEDERS
Writer Points Out Freooent Source of
the Pest In Portland.
PORTLAND, July 20. CTo the Ed
itor.) Professor Sweetser, of the de
partment of bacteriology of the Uni
versity of Oregon, delivered at Chau
tauqua a few days ago an address in
which he brought out the importance
of eliminating the housefly by attacks
on its breeding places. The fly breeds
and multiplies in filth, so we are told,
and newhere else. The refuse from
kitchens, the filth of stables, human
excreta, decaying organic matter are
not only hatching places for these
pests, but are feeding places as well.
Slies come from these refuse heaps and
reek of filth, their legs and bodies
loaded with disease germs, and all
abominations. Of course, the tidy
housewife guards, in every way pos
sible, against their entrance into the
home, but, as Proressor sweetser ana
other bacteriologists and sanitarians
have shown, immunity from these pests
nnrt snfetv from the diseases that they
carry lie in the eradication of their
breeding places.
Peopie of the residence districts of
this ritv have come to a perfect knowl
edge of these facts and order their
homes ancT surroundings in accordance
therewith, so far as they are able to
do so. There is one point In mis con
nection, however, that is beyond the
r.nnh of tho householder, and of which
the city Board of Health has failed
to take cognizance. There are nouses
being built in every section of the city
upon which a crew of mechanics, num
bering from three to ten men, are more
or less constantly employed from two
to three or four months. Toilet priv
ileges for these men are provided by
digging a shallow vault upon one cor
ner of the lot, usually close to the
kitchen of. the house on the adjoining
lot, and inclosing it with a board
screen. These shallow vaults soon be
come malodorous and disgusting and
attract swarms of flies, which brd
and feed in and around the filth there,
deposited and spread out over the
neighborhood. In spite of the most
vigilant care, some of these files wljl
get into the houses, on the tables, into
tho milk pitchers and upon other food.
Cognisance of these facts and the
menace that they carry Bhould be taken
by the health authorities to .the end
that these places may be daily disin
fected by the liberal use of chloride
of lime or some other agent that will
destroy their potency as breeding
places and feeding places for files. An
ordinance making it obligatory upon
builders to put chloride of lime in
these vaults at the close of each day's
work would do away with this menace,
or an order from the city Board of
Health to the same effect would pos
sibly be all that is necessary. Cer
tainly these open vaults, with their
disgusting odors and manifold possi
bilities for the dissemination of dis
ease germs, with house flies as car
riers, should not be allowed to fester
through the alternate damps and heats
of Summer, when a little intelligent
care would render them Innocuous.
A.
Kills She-Bear With Ax.
Tillamook Herald.
Hull Johnson, the Pleasant Valley
rancher, had, an adventure with a bear
that nearly cost him his life. He was
coming through some heavy timber,
making his way towards camp, when,
on turning a sharp corner in the trail,
he met one of the largest she-bears
seen in this part of the county, accom
panied by two cubs. He was so close
that he actually stepped on one of the
cubs, which gave a yelp, and before
Johnson could make a move the mother
bear was on top of him clawing and
scratching. Johnson had no weapon
with him except an ax with a broken
handle, and this he unfortunately
dropped when the bear Jumped at him.
He thrust his left arm into the bear's
mouth to protect his throat, and fought
and struggled for some time, with the
two cubs snapping and biting his heels.
In the struggle he kicked one of the
cubs, making it yelp, which distracted
the mother bear's attention. Johnson
tried to get away, but received a cuff
that sent him off ten feet. As he strug
gled to get up his hand touched the
ax blade and he grabbed It, at the
same time wiping the blood from his
face and eyes. Before he had time to
rise the bear gave him another cuff,
tearing the coat' from his arm and side.
Fortunately Johnson did not drop the
ax and, as the bear came for him, he
sidestepped and gave the brute a bad
cut on the Bhoulder. They fought for
some time, when a fortunate blow
caught the bear at the base of the
skull, cutting the spinal cord. The
bear tipped the scales at 611 pounds.
Johnson brought the two cubs home
with hlrn, and, although badly scratched
and bitten, is not seriously injured.
This is the biggest black bear killed
near Tillamook in the past three years.
Freaks of Fate,
Washington Post.
A Democratic House of Representa
tives, with practically solid Republican
opposition," made Colorado a State In
1876. A Democratic House of. Repre
sentatives made the Dakotas, Wyo
ming, Idaho, Utah and Washington
states, and they will save the bacon of
high protection In the present Con
gress. It was in 1861 that David L. Graves,
an "Old Peverll of the Peak" of a man,
found things out of order on his blue
grass farm in Marlon County, Ky. In
a fit of discontent, he sold the place
and took In exchange a large quantity
of whiskey, which the federal au
thorities seized because of some very
disloyal speeches the old fellow de
livered on the streets of Lebanon.
While It was in the custody of the
United States authorities. Congress put
a tax of $2 a gallon on whiskey, not
yet produced, which made that "in
esse" very valuable, and when the
liquor of Graves was returned to him
its worth was increased many fold and
he sold it for a sum that made him
a rich man.
But all the while it was out of his
possession. Graves was vociferous, em
phatic and somewhat profane in his
denunciation of a Government that was
making him rich beyond his dreams,
and, indeed, to his dying day, many
years later, he kept up his denuncia
tion. Fate will not be denied.
ITses, of Alfalfa.
Echo Register.
Alfalfa hay is going into towering
stacks sll over the great fields through
out the Lower Umatilla country. It is
becoming a staple In many ways. First
for stock fed green or dry. Next as a
ground meal, for which product Echo
is famous. Then 1t is being utilized
by the down-trodden tobacco trust to
make smoking tobacco from. One well
known brand with the picture of a
gentleman cow rampant is by U.
S. analysis said to be composed of
60 per cent alfalfa. This Is not the end
of the usefulness of alfalfa, for It Is
said to make good greens when cut
young, to make a nutritious breakfast
food when ground into meal and even
to be - made into bread to advantage.
All a country editor needs is an acre
or two of alfalfa to grow fat, live
happily and die of old age.
Bat Senator Chamberlain Does.
New York Evening Sun.
The Senators and Representatives who
tried to get what they could for their peo
ple and their states while good things
were going in the way of special treat
ment can't fall back on generalities and
nararie their sensitive consciences when
it suits them eo to do later on.
Life's SunnySide
"So you enjoyed Venice," said the
traveler. .
"Yes," answered Mr. Cumrox. "It
was kind of pleasant, for a change,
to be robbed by a gondolier Instead of
a hack-driver." Washington (D. C.)
Star.
Mr. Dickson, a colored barber In a
New England town, was shaving one
of his customers one evening, when
the following conversation occurred
respecting Mr. Dickson's connection
with a colored church in the place:
"I believe you are a member of the
church In Elm street," said the cus
tomer. "No, sah; not at all."
"Why, are you not a member of the
African Church?"
"Not dis year, sah."
"Why did you leave?"
"Well. Ill tell you. sah." said Mr.
Dickson. "It was jus" like dis: I jined
dat ar church in good faith; I give $10
to de preachin' uv de gospel, an de
people 'call me 'Brudder Dixon.' De
second year I only gib $5, an' de church
people call me 'Mr. Dickson." Well,
sah. de third year I gibs nothing to de
preachin," an' after dat dey Jes call
me "Or Nigger Dickson,' and I quit 'em.
Puck.
"He's a careful dentist."
"Yes, he filled my tooth with great
pains." Cornell Widow.
"What! Spend (100 on a bathing
suit?"
"Now, hubby, this Isn't a bathing suit.
This is a beach costume." Exchange.
s
"How would you like to be a merry
widow?" asked the octogenarian.
"Oh, this Is so sudden!" exclaimed
the youthful beauty. Houston Post.
"You persuaded your husband to Join
a glee club?"
"Yes." answered Mrs. Bligglna
"When he starts to sing at home 1
can now advise him not to tire his
voice, and when he sings in the club
I can't hear him." Tit-Bits.
Eve was a little out of sorts.
"It Is Intolerable," she said.
"What is intolerable?" he asked.
She sank upon a stone in sheer des
pair. "JuBt think," she said, "there Is no
other woman's husband with whom I
can make invidious comparisons." St.
LouIb Post-Dispatch.
T wouldn't care to have a 2 gradu-I
atlng gown.'" 1
"But It might get you a husband."
"Well. I'd hate to hsve to dress the
rest of my life on a precedent like
that" Louisville Courier-Journal.
"Do you take this woman for better
or worse?"
"I do, jedge, I do. But I hope we
kin kinder strike an average." Wash
ington Herald.
"When do you expect your wife
home?"
"Most any time now. I understand
one of the neighbors wrote to her yes
terday." Detroit Free Press.
He asked the girl to fly with him
and he pleaded not in vain. Said she
with resolution grim: "Produce your
aeroplane." Kansas City Journal.
ROOSEVELT'S POLITICAL FITIRE.
Ex-Tresldent Would Like to Be Sen
ator, Governor or Congressman.
Washington, D. C. Cor. Brooklyn Eagle.
From an -Intimate friend of Theodore
Roosevelt It is learned that the latter
recently expressed himself on the sub
ject of his future. Tha ex-Presldent In
dicated three political offices ha would
like to fill, and he named them in the
order of preference, as follows: United
States Senator to succeed Chauncey M.
Depew, Governor of New York to suc
ceed Charles H. Hughes, Representative
in Congress to succeed William M. Cocks.
It Is possible that since this statement
Mr Roosevelt may have again changed
his mind regarding the field of activity
he would like to occupy upon his return
to America. There is . little reason to
doubt, however, that his preferences
were actually indicated by the forego
ing. Some of his intimate friends in
Congress have made known his views
and they have been the subject of some
comment. Just before leaving the White
House, Mr. Roosevelt stated that he
would not care to become a United States
Senator. He felt that in this position
he might be called upon to criticise the
official acts of President Taft, and he
would not care to be placed in such a
position. Possibly his opinions on this
point have undergone a change or per
haps he thinks he could discharge his
duties as Senator without unduly criti
cising the present occupant of the White
House.
That Mr. Roosevelt should entertain
ambitions to be elected Governor of New
York again has created more surprise
here than the knowledge that he would
be content to beebme a Representative.
It is known that on several occasions he
has expressed high opinion of the oppor
tunity afforded to an aggressive, capable
member of the House.
"I have the greatest respect for John
Qulncy Adams," he once said to a New
York politician, "because he left tha
Presidency and became a member of the
House. I think he performed a tioble
service to the country in so doing."
Those who have heard the President
express a willingness to become an ordi
nary member of the House have been
wondering whether he had In mind some
thing specific in this connection. One
shrewd Republican ventured the opinion
today that if Mr. Roosevelt had any idea
of becoming elected a member of the
House it would be with a view to becom
ing Speaker. He also said he thought
Roosevelt could wrest the Speakership
from Mr. Cannon or any other candi
date, provided he was eligible for the
office.
Theodore Roosevelt will return to the
United States, according to his present
plans, the latter part of next Summer.
His homecoming will be at a time when
the Fall conventions are being talked of.
It will be Just the time to spring a can
didacy for a political office, if he still
has ambitions along that line.
Profits From Seallons.
Coos Bay News.
The gasoline boat Ranger, besides be
ing used in the gathering of murre eggs
this season, Is also engaged in seallon
hunting on the Port Orford reef. Sealion
hides were the best material to be pro
cured for the manufacture of heavy
belting for machinery; but rubber belt
ing took their place, being sold much
cheaper, and soon there was no demand
for sealion hides. Now, it is said, the
price of rubber belting has advanced
to a figure where the hides can again
be used at a profit, and consequently
there is a demand for them. The hides
of the bulls are now worth from $5 to
8 each, aud. as there is also a market
for the oil and trimmings, the hunting
of seallons, where they abound in num
bers, is a profitable business.
The Reproof Accepted.'
Irrlgon Irrigator.
' The Oregonian shows that our senlot
r. Ano Tnnithan RntirilP. has bCCll
in his 'place in the Senate chamber only
about one-eighth of the time during tne
present session of Congress. The Ore-
i -v,s,,iri ,-omomhpr that Jonathan
was sent there as an exponent of "a
square deal, and tne most or mc onui
fling, cutting and dealing is done behind
closed doors-