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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1909)
TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 1909. 8 PORTLAND. OBEGOJf. Enter! at Portland. Oregon. Poitofflce Eecond-Class Matter. Subscription Bates Invariably In Ad ilce- (Bjr Mall.) Ially, Pundsv Included, one year raly. Sunday Included, six month 2 . Iaiy. Sunday Included, three months... 2 Dally. Sunday included, one month - Dally, without Sunday, one year o Dally, without Sunday, six months "J 25 Dally, without Sunday, three months.... Dally, without Sunday, one month...... "' Weekly, one year 150 Sunday, one year oO ucday and weekly, one year.......... 50 (By Carrier.) Dally. Sundae Inclnded. -one year 9 00 Daily. Sunday Included, one month.... .75 How to Reanlfc Send . tvnstofflce money Order, express order or personal check on our local bank Stamps, coin or, currency are at the'sender's risk. Give postoffWe ad dress In full. Including county and state. Postage Rate 10 to 14 pages. 1 cent; 16 to 123 pane. 2 centa; 30 to 40 pages. 3 cents; 44 to & pages. 4 cents. Foreign postage double rates. eastern Business Office The S. C. Beck-wl-h Special Agency New York, rooms 48 So Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 510-512 Tribune building. PORTLAND. FRIDAY. ACGCST 13. 1809. THI LIMIT OS LIQUOR LEGISLATION. The present limit of legislation, for restriction of sale and consumption of alcoholic liquors, has been reached In New Jersey. The act Is more drastlo than absolute prohibition; which never hitherto have means been found to enforce. The law of New Jersey has a merit, however. It doesn't throw the whole blame on the seller, but holds to responsibility also the buyer and consumer. The law of New Jersey, enacted at the session of the Legislature that ended recently, bears a high-sounding title, namely "an Act for the Pre vention of Drunkenness." What could be more "catchy"? The title Is a charming one. Now, let us see how "drunkenness Is to be "prevented." The law provides for appointment of a "Board of Protectors" in each municipal subdivision of the state, whose business It is to be to Investi gate the habits and conduct of the citizens within the Jurisdiction, keep a record of the same and refuse to allow the sale of Intoxicants to any person who. In the opinion of the Board, Is a drunkard or might become a drunkard. This, evidently. Is an ad vance on the office of the "censor morum," of Roman antiquity. The New York Tritiune, which has subsided from the vigor of the days of old into a very mild kind of news paper still, however, representing ex cellent Ideas, says: "It is obvious that while this law In theory and . Intent may be most excellent, in practice it Is easily susceptible of gross abuse and, Indeed, is substantially incapably of application " without offense. If the members of the board of protectors were endowed with Infallible discre tions well as unimpeachable Impartial ity, and If they were able to command the entire public confidence In all their acts, they might apply the law to the great benefit of all the community. But being merely human they are con fronted with an Impossible job. Even habitual drunkards resent being pub licly advertised as such and being ex cluded from the privilege or the right of purchasing their favorite beverages at'public houses, which, by the terms of their license are bound to sell to all orderly applicants. But thus to deal with a man who Is not a drunkard at all, but Is merely, in the opinion of two or three of his neighbors, likely to become a drunkard, is certain to .arouse a storm. There are those who believe that any man who uses In toxicating liquors Is likely to become a drunkard, and If a board of pro tectors was composed of such men It might forbid the sale of .liquor to any one In the community." Certainly. But If a community desires enforce ment of prohibition, here is the oppor tunity. Let a board, consisting of the "best" men and the "best" women of each and every community, sit In Judgment on the habits and character of every citizen. Tnls will be "so rice!" Some, however, of the more per verse of our people may not like it. But their feelings or prejudices ought not to be permitted to stand In the way of reform. In our Southern states, more than in others, prohibition during re cent years has been making great progress in the laws, however, rather than in fact. Still, there la a restive feeling. under the restriction: and while it Is thought a great thing to "keep llcker from the nigger." the proposal to Introduce the New Jersey system In the South awak ens apprehensions. The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser says: "To put it In the power of two or three men to say that any citizen of a community is likely to become a drunkard, and thus to empower those two or three men to thus place a stigma upon any cit izen is going a little beyond any freak legislation that has yet been enacted." Again: "The wave of intolerance, fa naticism and law mania sweeps on, and the aggregation of zealots, fanat ics or paid advocates have their way. It Is a strange condition of affairs, but it seems impossible that it can last. Some day reason will resume its sway and people will wonder what evil spirit had possession of them. May a Just and kindly Providence speed the time!" More militant-Is the Norfolk Vir ginian. That earnest journal protests with new vigor against further Intro duction of "Puritan intolerance" In the South. These extreme methods of prohibition, it reminds its fellow coun trymen, are among the "Isms" of New England origin. 'The Southerners of today are taking up with the wornout fads and heresies of New England as greedily as the belles of a far Western mining town snatch at the fashions which played out in New York four years sooner. We are running mad over experiments which have not even the recommendation of being new,, which have been tried by our neigh bors and found altogether wanting in either pleasantness or profit to soul or body. Whafs.the matter? Are we so abjectly vanquished that we must accept the political standards which ourformerconquerors are abandoning? And cover our social deformities with their cast-off clothing?" This follows: The New England of today has reacted from social fanaticism as It did earlier from religious Intolerance, and of all the isms It cherished and propagated a half century alncs only that of commercialism retains Its hold on the popular mind. Negrophillim Is no longer epidemic: a sporadic case her and there but serves as a reminder of worse days Free-lovlsm had its little day. as did communism, and died of lis own corruption-- Prohibition likewise won vic tories on paper and planted Its flag oyer legislative strongholds and imprinted its watchwords on statute books; but that. too. Is now a dead letter along with a aocdly bunch of other sumptuary lawa and even In ' Jklalne, the com and gray of Neal" Dow, the Interdict against the. traffic In alcohol Is aa openly and universally disregarded as though It had no existence. ' Perhaps there isn't much in this, but "Interesting reading." But It's In teresting reading, sure enough. We believe, however, that perfect sobriety never can be enforced by simple meth odseven by the Xew" Jersey plan. The way to do It is to command and decree the destruction of all the fruits and products of the earth from which alcoholic liquors may be brewed -or distilled. Alcohol is a product of fer mentation or distillation of vegetable products. The sure way will be to pro hibit the cultivation or growth of every thing from which alcohol may be de veloped. Prohibition, therefore. In its ultimate, must include wheat, oats, majze, barley, rice, grapes,, apples, peaches and potatoes: and then, unfor tunately, there is wood alcohol which the prohibitionists would, however, say was best of all because it will kill quickest, ""his is a troublesome busi ness. PREJUDGING HIS CASE? Of course It is absurd for the at torney of Insurance . Commissioner Schively to assume or declare that certain State Senators are disqualified from acting as Judges In his trial be cause they had previously voted to abolish his office. Schively has no vested right to his office, nor has any other officeholder. If a Legislature sees fit to abolish any office, it must be assumed that it Is acting for the public benefit, and there can be and should be no appeal. If the right of an Individual to office shall be held to be superior to the right of the public, either to maintain or do away with such an office, whichever it pleases to do, we shall indeed be at the mercy of the office-holding class, and there would be no end to exploitation of the public by the job-hunters and Job holders. Schively has with extraordinary ten acity resisted every effort either to dismiss or to Impeach him. He did not want to be disgraced by summary removal or rather by having his Job taken away from him because he claimed he was "entitled to a trial." But now, when it is proposed to try him, he pleads for time "and denies the right of his Judges to proceed, because many of them have "prejudged" his case. .How Is It possible to avoid prejudging the case of any criminal who fights Inch by inch, by every tech nical art and device known to re sourceful and adroit lawyers, the or derly procedure of the law 7 is me Schively defense following the meth nri. an Accused Derson conscious of his own virtue and innocence, or of one who fears nothing so much as com plete investigation and Impartial trial ? . GOVERNMENT IRRIGATION POLICY. In these times when paternalistic theory is rampantly for extension of governmental functions" over the proper realms of private and personal endeavor. It is refreshing to see offi cers like Secretary Ballinger holding steadfastly to the old landmarks and resisting the new-fangled doctrines. irrintinn work belongs properly to the category of private effort; the Gov ernment, however, ror gooa reoiu seven years ago began an extensive Irrigation plan. The purpose was and is yet not to absorb as many Irrigation projects as possible, but to prove by actual tests the success of irrigation on an extensive scale, sov as tlx inspire private capital with courage In this worthy endeavor. The public projects were to be undertaken with ultimate financial success always In view; no project was to be begun unless it ap peared to the Secretary of the Interior practical and advisable from a mone tary viewpoint and the .expenditures from the land fund were to be re turned to that fund by payments of the settlers who entered the irrigated land. Every project had that ultimate end In view, so that each might be an example to private capital as a successful finan cial investment and point the way. This purpose of the Government is plain in the reclamation act of 1902 and has been plain in all the projects that have been taken up. Yet a lot of persons have imagined that 'the Government has launched Itself on a scheme of wholesale irrigation; of sup planting private enterprise and of tak ing up every possible project, without regard to- its practicability as a finan cial investment. This Is far from the truth. The Government could not have launched itself oh' the reclamation policy if that had been the object. Criticism of Sec retary Ballinger from persons whose pet schemes have not been taken up will avail little. There is not public money enough for every field that In vites the Government; besides It Is not the Government's policy, that there should .be. Additional funds could be advantageously expended.- however, where small private projects later may obstruct those of larger possibilities. This is a matter that will have to be looked after when there shall be larger means to dispose of It. Mr. Ballinger clearly set forth the attitude of the Government In his speech In Spokane last Wednesday, be fore the National Irrigation Congress. He remarked that the reclamation service has been quite successful In drawing private capital into Irrigation enterprises by the example of its suc cess. Said he: While tn Government has invested over 15O.00O.00O In Irrigation Nworks, many times that amount has been Invested since the passage of the reclamation act by private enterprise, and It is saf to say thai a large portion of these private Investments have resulted from Government example and encouragement, and let me say here that It has not been and Is not the policy of the National Government !n the admlsls tratlon of this act to hinder or Interfere with the Investment of private capital In the construction of Irrigation works, but rather to lend It encouragement. This is particularly true in reference to Irrigation under the Carey act In the va rious states. 1 am not a believer in the Government entering Into competition with legitimate private enterprise. Its functions under the reclamation act are not of this character, and I am sure that when private enterprise has done what It can. there will still be thousands upon thousands of acres of public lands reclalmable only by Government aid. - The -Western States should, therefore, be very Jealous of the perpetuity of the re clamation fund and of Its constant increase. The charge that the present adminis tration of the Interior Department is relinquishing water power sites, for the benefit of corporations and speculators voiced by ex-Governor Pardee of California Mr. Ballinger did not deem worthy of reply in the convention and when that noisy personage began his harangue.Mr. Ballinger left the hall. Where is the Government letting go of water power sites, for the benefit of greedy srrabbers? Pardee is a discredit ed noise-maker, once elected Governor In his state, by the accident of a small plurality and next time repudiated. Ever since, his claim to notoriety has been the fact that he once happened to be Governor of California. Pardee's talk Is the kind that has been credited to Pinchot and been a source of al leged unpleasantness between him and Ballinger. If Pinchot h to continue a great man he will have to cut out the company of Pardee. In our own state the Government has not surrendered to grabbers of water power. But a short time ago, there was loud popular protest against the Interior Department's alleged re fusal to let go of water power sites so that a railroad might run up the Des chutes. The matter seems to have been adjusted satisfactorily, so far as that difficulty went, and the Govern ment's interests have been amply pro tected. A coterie of land "reformers" has been endeavoring to run the Govern ment's policy, with occasional success. Futile land-fraud prosecutions, whole sale withdrawals of land . from entry and stoppage-of land office business have been incidents of fhelr success. Secretary Ballinger seems to be filling a long-felt want in reforming the re formers. Further, he is holding the Government to its duty in irrigation work, against an influence that Is striving to supplant private Irrigation with a socialistic programme. IT 19 A NATURAL APPREHENSION. The Napoleonic scare In England Is one hundred years old, and more. It Is survival of this scare, chiefly, that awakens apprehension about the growth of the German navy. But there are other incidents. It la to her Insular position that England owes her preser vation; for could continental armies have reached her there would be no British Empire; there would have been no development of English Insti tutions or spread of the English lan guage throughout the world; no United States of America. But besides the Napoleonic fright there were many preceding events of similar kind; hence sequences of his tory, all tending to bind the British judgment to the idea that the only defense of the British Empire is a navy strong enough to command the sea against all comers. The Romans, so far as we know, were the first In vaders of Britain. Then, after four or five centuries the Angles and Jutes and Saxons. Later the Danes, and later still the French Normans. Then for five centuries there was no alarm ing attempt till that of the Spanish Armada of 15 88. This was the catas trophe to Spain that broke her power, much the same as tle Russian cam paign of 1812 broke the power of Na poleon. But during the whole career of Napoleon England was in mortal terror, for her very existence. There was reason. This dread, supported by that of the former experience, of 2000 years, makes England, head and heart of the British Empire, whose offshoots and colonies and insular and continental possessions are scattered throughout the world, nervous, extremely nervous, at the mere suggestion that any power night become strong enough to attack her successfully at sea. Victory over her navy and entrance of a foreign army Into London would destroy the British Empire and change the whole course of human history. Hence the British government Is renewing and In creasing its efforts, in construction of vessels of war. THE LABOR DIFFERENTIAL. This year, for the first time in the history of the port, practically every bushel of wheat In Portland territory is available for shipment from Tacoma at no greater charge for transportation than from Portland. The recent traf fic agreement by which the Harriman lines gain access to Puget Sound en ables Portland exporters, if they so desire, to demand delivery of grain at Tacoma in preference to Portland. The Portland exporters are unwilling to handle this business from Tacoma if it is possible to handle it at Portland. This city through the Port of Port land Commission has expended about $2,000,000 in deepening the river so that ships can enter and depart with no greater delays than are experienced cn Puget Sound. The Port of Portland In response to the demands of the shipowners, has taken up the work -of supplying pilots free of charge. In every detail of the business, with a single exception, Portland has equal ized charges to conform with those in effect at Tacoma, rfur principal com petitor on Puget Sound. That one handicap against which we have been struggling for years, is an arbitrary and unwarranted differential of from 15 per cent to 25 per. cent more for dock labor than Is paid at Tacoma. Not only has labor demanded from 5 cents to 10 cents more per hour from Portland, but, even at the extra cost in Portland, employers have long been unable to secure the same efficiency that Is shown by the lower-priced la bor on Puget Sound. To be specific, the books of two of the largest ship pers at both Portland and Tacoma, for the year ending June 30, 1909, showed that the cost per ton for the year in handling grain at Tacoma was within a fraction of 10 cents less than for the same work at Portland. This means a saving of about $300 per ship for the exporters, if they do their business on Puget Sound. Not until this season has it been pos sible to ship grain from O. R. & N. points through Tacoma. This year the exporters are in a position to disregard the demands of Portland labor, for they can order their ships to Tacoma and load all of the wheat at that port with greatly increased profit to them selves. Being strictly business men and only human, they may be expected to load the grain- at that point Vinless this labor differential against Portland is removed. It is stated that one more effort will be made to keep the busi ness here by offering the Tacoma wage scale. If this is refused, there will be very little wheat shipping done from Portland this season. This is a very serious matter. It is one which concerns not only the hand ful of men who have been maintaining this labor, differential against the port, and who, of course, can follow the grain to-Puget Sound and handle it -there at the wage scale declined here, but it also concerns every taxpayer in the city. We have removed all dif ferentials laid against the port by nature, and cannot well afford to per mit our prestige to be destroyed by one placed against It by a few waterfront laborers. There has been too much temporizing on this matter in the past, and the issue must be met fairly and fearlessly at this time. The exporters who are making an effort to remove this handicap, which may prove so costly to Portland, should have the united support of every good citizen and taxpayer who has assisted In re moving other differentials from the port. If old Nimrod keeps In communica tion with his disciples on earth, he ought to be proud of a crowd of them who were rusticating at Duncan Springs,- Cal. A forest fire swept over the hills and drove out large numbers of wild animals. The terror-stricken animals Immediately became targets for the hunters, and, according to the news dispatch, "for several hours the hills rang with the crash of musketry as though a pitched battle were in progress, and when the fusillade was over at dusk fourteen fine bucks and a brown bear were numbered among the slain." This kind of sportsman ship must be fully as exciting and in teresting as shooting harmless mon keysj There is still a large streak of the primitive man in evidence when helpless animals are shot down simply to satisfy a lust to kill. Mr. James J. Jeffries, on arrival at Plymouth yesterday, was very much surprised to learn that his alleged rep resentative had signed articles for a fight between Jeffries and Jackson. The white bruiser says that no 'one has authority to make any arrangements in his absence from the country. This news will not be at all surprising. It is much less than a year since Mr. Jeffries began talking about regain ing the lost championship, and it would be contrary to all precedent for a prize-fighter to waive his rights to talk for two or three years before he actually made a match. Still Jeffries' aversion to meeting Johnson promptly, If he intends to meet him at all, will confirm the lurking suspicion that he may be afraid of "Mistah Johnslng." Several newspapers In various parts of the country are distressed about the Lincoln cent. They fear that 'the prac tice of stamping the images of our celebrated men on coins may Issue In "imperialism." But, as the Washing ton Star says, "if the Lincoln cent is a precedent, the American coinage may acquire a historical value which here tofore has been lacking." That Is, the features of our eminent men may thus be preserved for future years, when most other memorials shall have been lost. As for "Imperialism," coin age is no cause of it, but only an In cident of It. With us, the state, not the head of the state, Is the sovereign. Since It is apparent that a retaining wall will have to be built on the south side of Lone Fir Cemetery for the protection of graves along the em bankment, caused by the grading of East Stark street. It would be well for the responsibility - In the case to be fixed and the work begun without de lay. The first Fall rains will make sad havoc with this embankment and later rains will result in washing out many graves along the street line un less this wall is built in season. Health as well as sentiment is a factor in this matter. The building of the wall should not be delayed. Thaw doesn't yet obtain discharge enm ia awinm for the insane. Just as well. Probably he is no more insane than he has been all his lire, nut nis life has been most disreputable, and It was a lucky thing for him that there was the excuse of insanity to protect him from conviction of murder. Even this plea of insanity would not have prevailed but for the proof of the un speakably vile character of the man whom he killed. For the" fourth time, last Saturday, the Georgia Senate voted down the in come tax amendment to the Federal Constitution. The vote was nearly two to one Senator Burwell, voicing the opposition, said that if he could save to Georgia and to other states the right of levying an Income tax instead of surrendering it to the National Gov ernment he would be willing to "retire into political oblivion." If those persons who are shrieking so loudly against "nominations by as sembly" would allow themselves a little respite from shrieking, they would be able to learn right soon that such nominations or suggestions can be but initiatory and tentative acts, subject to acceptance or rejection by the party voters, in the legal primaries. It Is not proposed to "set aside" the primary at all. The contract has been let for double tracking the Northern Pacific between Kalama and Tacoma. Up to a late hour last night,' no attempt had been made by either Porter Brothers, Two hy Brothers or anyone else to inter fere with the work. In this respect, the proposed task Is not at all similar to any other big piece of railroad work now under construction in the Pacific Northwest. Ex-Mayor Lane Is reported from Grants Pass as wearing "a straw hat, ordinary harvesting Jumper and a pair of jean pants that gave him the ap pearance of a genuine farmer." Dr. Wlthycombe, the other farmer candi date for Governor, should make, due note of this uniform when he takes the stump next year In quest of the farm er vote. The writer of one of the "six best sellers" Is lost in the purser of the Tillamook liner Argo, who tells of run ning into a school of smelt a mile long by half a mile wide, packed so solid that gulls and other fowl stood on the fish and gorged until they fell over from sheer inability to devour more. The Flathead lottery began its draw ing yesterday. It was largely attended by "flat-heads" from all over the United States, who were unaware that they could get more for their money by actual purchase of lands in Oregon, Washington and Idaho than they could win at the lottery. Perhaps if the parents of Biddle, the boy burglar, and his child wife, had spanked them, instead of giving their consent to marriage last February, the youth would not be obliged now to break rock for a year at Kelly Butte. The Utah Agricultural College is "flirting" with Professor C. I. Lewis, the horticulturalist of the Corvallis College. Oregon would better keep Professor " Lewis. Hebelongs to the work herej A Lane County man has sixteen children living and cannot readily re call their middle names. If he pos sessed that ability he could qualify for the chair of mnemonics at the county seat. " Chief No Shirt, of the Umatillas, is going to Washington on official busi ness, and like the true buck that-he is, will leave Mrs. Sans Brassiere on the reservation. Let no one imagine that those Na tional Undertakers, who are to meet here next month, are not a Jovial lot of fellows. THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE. Direct Prlmarlen aa They Are Viewed In the Various States. Kansas City Journal. When the primary law became opera tive it did away with party effective ness by delegating to candidates almost the entire control of the party organi zation and declarations. Men who could afford to make a canvass of the state were nominated on the Republican ticket and after that they formulated their own platform, which contained anything and everything that might appeal to voters. As most of the planks expressed merely Individual preferences or bids for Democratic or Populisttc support, the rank and file of the or ganization had to swallow all sorts of anti-Republican declarations. A Delusion. Boston Herald. Eastern States, including Massachu setts, can have the benefit of the Kan sas experiment. Before they indulge In the folly of direct primaries, the vot ers can go. to their party caucuses and elect representative .delegates to the conventions.. The vital flaw In the con vention system is not in the conven tions, but in the caucuses, and the utter neglect of duty there by the great ma jority, of voters. Wherever party or ganization is essential or desirable in political action the representative con vention Is the most simple and accurate means of exerting popular power. Governor Hushes' Model. ' Albany Evening Journal. The Kansas City Journal says that the thinking element of both the Re publican and Democratic parties con cede that the primary in Kansas Is working unsatisfactorily. "About the only ones who are still enthusiastic for the primary fetich," it says, "are the politicians who hold office under an ad ministration early committed to the system." The law was forced upon the state by a seml-Popullstio Legislature without due consideration or specific authority from the people. One - of the complaints against the direct primary law In Kansas Is its sap ping of party effectiveness. After those who could afford it made the canvass and secured places on the party ticket they formulated their own platform, as they were permitted to do under the law. They put In everything that might attract voters, and it Is said that most of the planks were appeals to Populis tlo support. Through the direct pri mary law the Republicans were com pelled to swallow all sorts of anti Republican declarations if they desired to BUpport their party candidates. It will be remembered that Governor Hughes looked to the Kansas law for some of the Ideas embodied In the Hin-man-Grcen bill which the Legislature of this state defeated last Winter and upon which the Governor is preparing to- "appeal to the people." That plat form feature appeals to the direct pri mary advocates lh this state. It was rrom a beneficiary of the Kansas law that Governor Hughes secured one of his strongest indorsements last Winter. Improper Control of Elections Is In creased. North American Review. The system of direct or primary nom ination of candidates for office involves substantially the same principle as the "Initiative" and Is open to the same objections. . . . This system has been adopted in many of the states, and in practice has led to some results quite different from what its advocates claim for It. It has become apparent that only seekers after office become can didates for nominations the office no longer seeks the man. The system de stroys all party organization. Political policies and principles are entirely lost sight of In the confusion of individual Ideas. It affords no opportunity for consideration of the fitness of candi dates. Each candidate, whether quali fied or not, determines that question for himself. ... . If there are more than two candi dates, as is usually the case, the almost inevitable result Is that the candidate selected is he choice of but a minority. and as the candidates multiply and the range of selection increases a corre spondingly reduced minority may foist upon the party a candidate who may be altogether objectionable to a large ma jority. When the system Is extended over a large territory and Is used for the se lection of candidates for the higher offices it becomes practically impos sible for the mass bf voters to make any intelligent selection, while the op portunities for improper control of elec tions are far greater than under the convention system. The cost of conducting a campaign for the higher offices, even if. the ex penses are conflneM to legitimate pur poses, has proved to be so great that all but very wealthy men and those with powerful machines axe practical ly excluded. These defects and weaknesses are gradually becoming apparent as the system is put in actual' operation, and after a time It will Inevitably be con demned as heartily as It Is now com mended. Prohibition In the South. Here is a paragraph from a correspon dent of Harper's Weekly, who has Jour neyed through many Southern states: On the main line of the Southern railway from Washington to New Orleans there is not a town or city In which a man can buy a glass, -of beer legitimately. But If the train tarries for half an hour almost any where he can refresh himself and take something along to refresh himself again before reaching his destination. From his seat in the Pullman car he can see hundreds of trucks at every way station filled with kegs, cases, demijohns and Jugs; for the shipment of liquor Into the desert la tlse big Industry today. The same traveler, if his name is John Smith, can find a package of any slxe in almost every express office. As most of It is shipped C. O. D.. he can pay. sign and take It- Tbe conditions are far from ideal, but -tne saioon naa oeen votea out by the people or the Legislature without regard to consequences. Meanwhile there Is the usual amount of drinking on the part of those who can afford It and who know how. Seeing the opportunity which would be offered, brewers began to work day and n4sht to supply the demand for near-beer. which Is supposed to contain less than 2 per cent df alcohol. But In the near-beer saloon, almost w-iiiuul cvcpiiun, 1110 rc article Is sold- Practically every dealer has a United States license, and most of them will mix a drink or whisky or serve It straight. The Dry Sea Bath. H. M. S. in New Tork Tribune. Why does she shrink. This maid In pink. And linger at the ocean's brink? . Why did she prink To the last kink. While yet she fears the sea's pale Ink? I'll tip a wink To you. I think. And tell you of bar doubtful blink. I She doesn't slink Lest she should sink She shrinks lor tear her uit will abrink. IX-JUSTICE TO ALL HOMEOWNERS. Another View of the Billboard Nuisance With Direct Application. PORTLAND. Aug. 12. (To the Editor- It is so seldom the opportunity occurs for such fraternal feelings that I must hasten to express my delight that the ruling powers of the city propose to consum mate a reform that I have long had deeply at heart, viz., the suppression of the billboard nuisance. My home is in a part of the city pecu liarly oppressed by the outrage, namely, Holladay avenue, near East First. Along both these streets stretch enormous board avails 18 or 20 feef high and blocks in length. They are covered by flamlns posters, displaying those tricks commonly resorted to to catch the eye of the public and which result in the aggregate to quite an outre and ludicrous, if not a repulsive and degenerate, effect. Enormous geese are represented, spreading their pinions in frantic haste to get to some enterpris ing merchant's place to buy feather beds. Nude females, sometimes quite artistically done, are represented astrido the earth drinking beer, which is recom mended as being the "Home Beer of the Best Families of Portland." Other young females with angelic coun tenances are reaching In beatific vision for Smith & Jones' diamonds, which are said to be more valuable for lnfluenco than ten times their value In a bank deposit. However, this being still but a minor and comparatively insignificant abuse. I ignored it, until the street railway and the paving companies began to use one of these bill boards immediately in the rear of my home, and where there is a return of some 30 feet along Hassalo street, as a privy for their construction gangs. It then occurred to me that these peo ple, having appropriated the streets for their private aggrandizement and charged the costs of constructing the same .to nearby residents, that to add to their liberties In this way was beyond my pa tience. A stream of unchristian-looklnq: fellows passed in and out of this place all day not 100 feet from my back door. I appealed to the Health Office, with the result that, after persistent complaint, and about the time the street work was done, the nuisance was abated by being fenced. I also took Councilman Menefee to the place, that he might see the extent of the abuse. He brought the matter before the Council. It was referred to Attorney Kavanaugh with instructions to draw such remedial ordinance as could be enforced. Since then I have inter mittently bombarded the attorney's office with data and literature on the subject, and I suppose Mr. Kavanaugh has at last made his report, or has been called on by the Council to do so. I brought the subject before the United East Side Push Clubs, and they ap pointed a committee to take the matter before the Council I am chairman of that committee, and have thought best to con sult with Mr. Kavanaugh, who has the matter officially m hand. I do not see why there should be any difficulty about regulating these bill boards, restricting their use and collect ing more license. When the city can force upon residence property the pay ment for the most expensive kind of street pavement to the extent of $500 or $600 per lot, and then add that much to the tax assessment, and at the same time remove from the street the bridge that makes the street a highway, and constituted the ostensible reason for the expensive pavement, at the same time granting free use of the street to rail ways and vehicles: by the same tokens, it appears they could take a hand in the billboard business. In other words, if the city can penalize innocent and unprofit ing home owners for the benefit of pri vate business, why can they not tax the profiting private business for the main tenance of the streets upon which these people do business? I think this question deserves better study to better results than it has yet obtained. In regard to the opinion of Mr. Gibson and others that the billboard hides un sightly rubbish. I will say that for that very reason and that it hides filth dan gerous to health the billboard should be three feet from the ground. It should not be over nine feet high, should be 12 feet from the sidewalk. On complaint of any adjacent resident any reasonably ob noxious advertisement should be remov able by the order of the Council. The license should be 10 to 12 cents per square foot per annum, which is about one-half the price Foster & Kleiser charge their patrons. This kind of advertising is too cheap. That is the reason -there is so much of It, and it is only reasonable that the public that must put up with the deface ment should receive half the proceeds. Anyway, whether they paid the money or removed the boards the public would benefit J. B. ZIEGLER, Chairman Committee on Billboard Nuis ance, East Side Push Clubs. GETTING TIRED OF BILLBOARDS. Biggest Concern In Honolulu Will TJse Them No More. - SEASIDE, Or., Aug. 10. (To the Edi tor.) It gives me great pleasure to note the stand that The Oregonlan has taken of late on this' billboard nuisance. Let any advocate of billbcards ask any tour ist who has ever visited Germany or Switzerland how readily one notices the absence of these unsightly fences. Dur ing my year's stay in Europe it was such a pleasure to get away from "Chew Jack's Plug" or "Wear Jim's Sox." What would our City Council say if such orna ments were - placed opposite their resi dences? I do not blame the Bill Posting Company at all, for they are no doubt a regular business concern, like any other legitimate business. It is the owners of the property on which these boards are erected who are to blame. Aattached is a clipping taken from a late issue of the Commercial Advocate, of Honolulu, in which Hackfeld & Co., one of the largest mercantile houses, ex press their views. This firm Is the largest advertiser in Hawaii. . EDWARD DEKUM. Billboard advertising in Honolulu seems destined to take a slump In the near future If the discontinuance by H. Hackfeld A Co., Ltd., the largest patron of that style of advertising In the territory, Is to be aocept ed as a straw indicating the direction of the wind. George Rodiek. a director in the com pany and manager of the merchandise de partment of that large establishment, said yesterday; "We have been considering for some time the idea of discontinuing advertising on. bill boards and confining the publicity of the firm to the newspapers. There are several reasons for this departure, one of which is our satisfaction with the results attained through the newspapers. I realise, too, that there Is a growing opposition to out-of-doors publicity, such as billboards. In a locality where Nature has done so much to make everything beautiful. The dissatisfaction has gone so far as to partake of the flavor of a boycott of the goods advertised on dead wails and In every nook and crannie of the town. I cannot say that It has assumed serious proportions and, as far as It con cerns our business, we do not mean that It shall. We believe, however, that if a style of advertising Is objectionable to any por tion of the residents. Its wishes should have serious consideration. "A species of civic pride has awakened In many of the cities on the mainland and It Is being felt here. I believe It has grown with the inroads the bllboarda have been making In the residence section. Mr. Ham burg, for instance, takes a purely aesthetic view of the matter. He opposes any form of advertising which tends to hide a spot that has been made beautiful by Nature or at the hands of man. He has had a fear for some time that he may come down to breakfast any morning and find staring him In the face a billboard inquiry as to whether he had used Pats soap, or advice to try Jones' Food- We will discontinue the use of billboards as advertising mediums on August 1, and may use the money that has been spent In that kind of ouMlclty In newspaper advertising." ' CHRISTIANITY! SPIRIT AND- LETTER Why Its Flrnt Appeal Waa Made to the Jewish Nation Alone. EUGENE. Or.. Aug. 11. (To the Ed itor.) A communication in one of your recent issues raises several questions of a nature bearing on Christianity and religion in general forgetting that religion is a matter of faith or emo tion as well as intellect. One of the questions the writer raises Is. why did God, through this son, make his appeal to one nation only, the Jews,, and not boldly to all nations to establish for them his reality and goodness? The fact of there being many nations, and each of a different temperament, habit and civilization, etc., renders such an appeal of fruitless result, as the leader would have had to appear in different forms and attitudes to accommodate them, and thus by an apparent diversity and contradiction to their primitive and ignorant minds would have defeated the great purpose of planting the great re ligion, Christianity. The appeal of the new religion had to be made to an emotional people to get its foundation and starting point. The Jews are essentially a people of faith, or intellect based on the in tuitive perception. Hence the base of Christianity is Hebrew, not Greek. Egyptian or Hindu. The establishment of any new religion, of course, had to be slow, and this requires a basis deeper than that based on any form of philosophy or mysticism. Christianity, unlike all the former religions, aims to satisfy both the practical and theoretical natures of man, aiming to satisfy and build up the moral, mental and physical departments of his nature. As to the argument against tne au thenticity of the scriptures, the mis takes in understanding or Interpreting them have come mainly from not regard ing and viewing it as containing both a spirit and letter, in somewhat the same sense as lawyers argue, or used to do so. to the spirit and letter of our everyday laws, and even the National Constitution. John Marshall, the great Jurist, set tled the question, afterwards settled in toto by Grant at Appomattox, that the Constitution had a spirit or preservative power, as well as a letter or structural power. This is. in fact, the real basis of the two parties which have divided the country since its formation: the Republican representing, in the main, the spirit or life of the Constitution, the Democratic the structure, or form. Similarly the New Testament represents In the main the spirit, the Old Testa ment the fbrm (law) or structure. These principles, in fact, run all through all organic Institutions and. as the Bible forms the basis and starting point for the Caucaslon civilization, this is the only way in wJ'.lch it can be re ceived and applied with satisfactory re sults. CARL S. LAVALLE. South Portland Park. PORTLAND, Aug. 11. (To the Editor.) In The Oregonlan of August 11. In reply to "South Pontland," you ask, "what suitable situation is offered?" In The Oregonlan of July 10 a correspondent says, "The Mayor viewed 20 acres of ground owned by the O. It. & N. Co. on the hills skirting the city on the West Side." "This 20 acres," the paper of another date says, "was offered to the city for $80,000. and:" it is added, "the price being so high it Is very certain that its pur chase will not be made during the pres ent Mayor's term of office." Now. lt is ''South Portland's" contention that this piece of ground is not equaled, let alone excelled, by any other piece in the City of Portland for park purposes. It was the writer's privilege not long ago to go with some friends from Illinois to the summit of that piece of ground. One of the party, after resting a moment to catch his breath, turned his eyes from Mount Hpod's snows' summit, toward the Cascades, Vancouver and on down toward the mouth of the Columbia and exclaimed, "Glorious Oregon: What could be grander than this?" Let us look for a moment at the price said to be the O. R. & N. Co.'s figure $4000 per acre, roughly estimated, would be $500 per lot; $500 per lot overlooking the city and right at her doors! - He knows little of the value of land In and around Portland, who calls that price excessive. Two lots were sold last week but little over a "stone's throw" from the edge of that ground for $3000 per lot. unimproved, lots too, that have no comparison to this ground for beauty. It does certainly seem to be a fact, that there is nothing offered to the city any where, for a park, that is so Ideal as this 20 acres, lying, as It does. Just north of the ger.erous .gift of the Terwll llger Land Company. Another fact should not be overlooked, !f Portland grows in -the next three years as her friends hope she will, our next Mayor could not buy this 20 acres for anything like the pres ent price. SOUTH PORTLAND. The Path of Progress, From Puck. Herr Hendriq Hudson had Just re turned, and wag going up the river to which he had lent his name. He was leaning over the rail with his eye on the fitting landscape when the reporter cornered him. "What do you think of the scenery?" asked the man with the pencil, motion ing to the hills and valleys. "I don't wish to criticise," returned the voyager, "but I believe that In many places the landscape could have been arranged to better set off the advertisements." Then the reporter marveled that the early explorer had so well kept up with the times. IN THE MAGAZINE SECTION OF THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN HOW TO LEARN THE . ART OF SWIMMING Notable timely article by Ar thur Cavill, the world's champion swimmer, now swimming instruc tor of the Multnomah .Amateur Athletic Club. SEATTLE FAIR SEEN WITH A WOMAN'S EYES Unconventional letter from Ma teel Howe, who finds interest in several things that most "visitors do not notice. AMERICAN WORLD-FAMOUS MEDICAL SCIENTISTS ' Some of our distinguished phy sicians and surgeons who will be welcome at the International Con igress at Budapest. KIT CARSON, GREATEST OF FRONTIERSMEN In his series of American heroes, Richard Spillane tells of the cele brated scout, pathfinder and In dian fighter. ORDER EARLY FROM YOUR NEWSDEALER. t