TIIE MORXIXG OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1909.
8
PORTLASTD. OREGON.
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PORTLAN'D. SATURDAY. Al'GUST tl. 1909.
IS PARTY WORTH WHILE?
The San Francisco Bulletin, apostle
f reform. Is deeply chagrined at the
outcome of the recent direct primary
election. "The general result," it de
clares, "is a victory for the special in
terests, and disappointing to enlight
ened citizens. On the Republican
Bide, especially. It has selected the
most unfit. . . . The interests be
hind Fickert (for District Attorney)
conducted one of the best organized
and costliest campaigns ever made In
San Francisco for a candidate. They
must have spent J20.000 to $30,000
to secure yesterday's Pyrrhic vic
tory for a man on whom they rely to
: discontinue the graft prosecutions."
The great bitterness of soul from
' -w hich the Bulletin suffers may be un
derstood when it Is said that It has
long been the special champion of the
graft prosecutions, and it Interprets
the success of Fickert over Heney for
the Republican nomination as a direct
command that there be a change of
policy. The San Francisco Chronicle,
which has a somewhat more moder
ate liking for Mr. Heey than the
Bulletin, has the same opinion of the
primary's meaning so significantly
and carefully expressed that an arti
cle on the election from the Chronicle
Is reprinted elsewhere. It may be
taken for granted that the Chronicle
correctly Interprets San Francisco's
present frame of mind.
But. to the observer of primary
laws and their operation, there were
striking phases of Tuesday's election
aside from the issue over the graft
prosecution that deserve attention.
Three important parties were In the
field the Republican, Democratic and
Vnion Labor; but there seems to have
been and was the greatest possible
confusion among the several parties,
and the least possible effort to restrict
the voter to the ticket of his party.
Democrats voted freely for Republi
can candidates. Republicans for Dem
ocratic. The bars were let down
everywhere; Inquiry as to rarty affil
iations was perfunctory, and partisan
requirements were only nominally en
forced. Tet the spectacle of the elec
tor going where he pleased and voting
for whom he pleased at a party pri
mary was not the most conspicuous
feature of the helter-skelter way of
conducting the election; the candi
dates themselves had only the slightest
regard for party obligation. We find,
for example, that Charles M. Fickert
sought the nomination for District At
torney on all three tickets. So did
Mr. Heney. Mr. Fickert emerged
from the general scramble with the
nominations of the Republican and
Union Labor parties In his hands; Mr.
Heney with the Democratic.
Is Mr. Fickert a Republican or a
Democrat? Is Mr. Heney a Democrat
or a Republican? If Mr. Fickert is a
Republican, and not a Democrat, what
business had he to contest for the
Democratic nomination at a party pri
mary? If Mr. Heney Is a Democrat,
and not a Republican, why should he
be permitted to strive for the Repub
lican nomination? Does Mr. Fickert's
nomination by Republicans make him
a Republican? Does Mr. Heney's nom
ination by the Democrats make him a
Democrat? If it does, then, of course,
neither knew his own politics till the
polls were closed and the votes count
ed, for Fickert might have got the
Democratic nomination only, and
therefore have been officially classi
fied as a Democrat, and Heney the
Republican nomination, and thus in
this easy way have found himself to
be a Republican.
All this emphasizes the disastrous
Juggle by the primary with party and
party names. How can party be main
tained if the methods followed in Cali
fornia. In Oregon, everywhere, shall
be followed? How can party organ
ization be supported or made effective
if the immoral practice of permitting
one man to run for three nominations,
with the expectation of accepting
whichever one he gets, or all of
them, and of permitting the voter
to enter indiscriminately whatever
party booth he may happen at
the time to fancy, shall be fol
lowed? Is It worth while to have
party? Is it worth while to strive
for" anything In government through
party? If it la not, let us abandon the
humbug and pretense In the Oregon
primary law that "political parties are
useful and necessary." and that the
"purpose of this law Is better to se
cure and preserve the rights of polit
ical parties and voluntary political
organizations and of their members
and candidates."
MUST WATT FOB CONGRESS.
What is the real settler or the in
tending settler going to do about lands
In districts that have 'been withdrawn
by the Department of the Interior?
They must wait for further action by
Congress. Secretary Ballinger will not
back down; he will enforce the letter
of the law. In this he has the support
of President Taft. It Is significant
that his policy is approved by a num
ber of highly influential Eastern Jour
nals, quoted In The Oregonlan of . yes
terday. As to water-power sites on the lands
in question, the Interior Department
lacks specific information. The New
York Bvenlng Post of August 12 has
the following from Its Washington
correspondent:
No restorations of withdrawals made un
der Secretary Oarfleld's administration have
taken place since Secretary Ballinger as
sumed office, except some blanket with
drawals made through the Reclamation
Se-Tlce, amounting to some four or Ore hun
dred thousand acres, with the design of se
curing legislation at the last session of
Cci gress respecting water-power sites. It
icas found, upon Investigation, that the Rec
lamation Service bad no data, npoa which
to sustain these withdrawal or Intelligently
to present the question to Congress.
The act of Congress of March 4. 1907. pro
hibits the Inclualon of any additional area
In forest reserves In certain states, and
there have been withdrawn aa administra
tive sites In these states outside of forest
reservea an area of 11.140 acrea No ac
tion in connection with these withdrawals
Is Intended to be taken by the Interior De
partment except to report the same to Con
gress with a view to eliciting such legtsla-
tion aa will permit the department either to
confirm the withdrawals or make restora
tions In cases where the forestry Interests
will not be placed at a disadvantage, as,
according to the view of the department,
they exist as withdrawals without any force
in law.
It would seem that Secretary Ballin
ger Intends to wait, first for exact In
formation from engineers of the re
clamation service, and then for future
legislation. In an interview at Helena,
Thursday, he said:
I realize there are some things In the
law governing the disposition of public
lands which ought to be modified, and aa
soon aa .1 shall have opportunity I shall sug
gest In a report to Congress such changea
aa appear to me to be necessary. In the
meantime the established policy of the In
terior Department will continue.
It will be shown, when the facts are
made known, that, despite the claims of
the restoration of power sites during this
Administration, actually more sites have
been withdrawn during this Administration
than under the former one. and that none
withdrawn under the former Administration
have been "grabbed."
In his recent utterances Mr. PInchot
evidently allowed his zeal to get the
better of his Judgment. Just now he
has hold of the hot end of the poker.
ONE DAY'S FKJGHTKl L, RECORD.
Death's harvest through the agency
of the automobile, as chronicled In
The Oregonian of yesterday, was
frightful. Let this record serve to
teach Portland owners and drivers
the necessity of using ordinary cau
tion in the matter of speed and of
slowing down to a "walk" at turns
where the view Is obstructed in any
way.
On the fatalities of the racing course
at Indianapolis, it is needless to com
ment. When cars are tearing over
the ground at a mile a minute, they
court death. A little rut that would
be negligible at sane speed is not less
dangerous than a broken rail to the
Shasta Limited. Competition ' among
automobile manufacturers lures men
some of them brave, some merely
reckless for big pay, to suicide.
Driving his own car, accompanied
by his wife and babe, a valued citizen
of San Jose, Cal., lost his own life
and theirs because he did not stop and
look to see that the way was clear as
he approached at a right angle the
track of an electric railroad. There
was a collision. Neither motor car
nor railway coach, according to the
report, was moving faster than ordi
narily. The men at the throttle false
ly assumed that an ever-dangerous
situation was a safe situation. Delay
of thirty seconds by the auto car
would have prevented the tragedy.
Most of the time we do things, ra
tionally In Portland. We are con
scious of the danger that attaches to
rapid riding In any form. New motor
cars are put into service daily; street
traffic Is growing larger rapidly; lia
bility to accident increases. The Ore
gonlan again urges all owners and
chauffeurs not to put life and limb In
Jeopardy. "When you don t see your
way clear, slow down.
ON THE INCARNATION.
An Arifrnrinl which The Oregonlan
printed the other day touching upon
tho Biihiect nf the Incarnation has
elicited an interesting letter from a
man named Davison. Since he writes
nn nnner bparlns a hotel advertise
ment, It Is natural to infer that Mr.
Davison is a sojourner in Portland.
Doubtless he comes from some Inland
village where religious scholarship is
as yet somewhat belated, for his let
ter contains many traces of that rude
and unlettered credulity which Is Still
common In remote hamlets, though It
has almost vanished rrom cities, in
AaaA tho Intelligent treatment of the
Incarnation problem which Mr. Davi
son might have, heard rrom almost
any Portland pulpit would probably
have scandalized him. We must re
member that faith in the old heathen
rniHs lingered In secluded villages long
after Christianity had been accepted
In Rome and Alexandria. In the
same way, the rude concepts of Chris
tianity which cultivated people have
outgrown are still cherished In coun
try villages as if they were sacred
revelations instead of ignorant Diun
Iaihi f r Davison. for examDle.
takes Noah and the ark literally, be-
leves In "messages from neaven, ana
ites Enoch as authority upon the ori
gin of our concept of the Almighty.
Enoch. Mr. Davison seems to believe,
was the seventh man in direct descent
from Adam. Do not these facts give
one a picture of his mind? And is
not the picture weird and wonderful?
Should nnvbodv find it difficult to
gauge the caliber of his intelligence.
perhaps this little excerpt irom nis
letter will helD: "In your editorial
you refer to the new religion of Dr.
Charles W. Eliot. Please put me
down as one who scorns the puerile
nonsense of this 'gifted' man." Was
it not Dogberry who was eager to De
cvi-itten down an ass? Surely Mr.
Davison was born an age too late.
Undoubtedly his letter 19 most in
teresting as a human document. Psy
xhnimrifit.o set a. his-h value on cases
like his where a man has been strand
ed on the rock of some untenable
superstition while the current of in
telligent thought has flowed on and
loft him Th beauty of it Is that
such men usually think they are the
only sane and truly pious persons in
the world. Just as a drunkard is apt
to fancy he is particularly sooer iana
vmhnilv olaa tlrvsv. Mr. Davison
clearly supposes himself to be an espe
cial favorite or the iora; it wouia De
hard to guess why, unless It Is be
cause he Is so resolutely ignorant.
Many people really believe that the
Lord has a predilection for dense ig
norance and expect to win their way
to heaven by avoiding all intelligent
Information about such subjects as
the Bible, the life of Jesus and the
doctrines which Jesus really taught.
Knowledge about these matters, they
say, would undermine their faith.
The fact is that they have no real
faith at all, but only a blind credulity.
What a pretty compliment men like
Mr. Davison pay the Creator?
But Mr. Davison's letter Is interest
ing for another reason besides Its ex
hibition of unintelligent credulity. He
says In two or three places that he Is
expecting the second coming of Christ
to happen before long. He "believes
in the incarnated Christ, and also in
his speedy coming to Judge the world."
Again, he believes "he is coming to
destroy his enemies and all those
whose only claim Is that they have
done good works." It Is easy enough
to see who the "enemies" are whom
this meek Christian thinks the Savior
Is coming to destroy. They are those
who are so wicked as to differ from
him on questions of theology. Perhaps
he does not mean to be malignant,
but if he would confess the truth he
would have to own to a fiendish relish
in the prospect of everybody going to
hell who does not agree with him.
But as to the second coming of
Christ: How does Mr. Davison know
it is to be "speedy"? The first follow
ers of Jesus looked for his return to
Judge the world within their own life
times. Undoubtedly this expectation
sustained them through the terrible
hardships they had to endure, but they
were disappointed. He did not come.
Does Mr. Davison think he knows
more about It than the men did who
actually lived and talked with Jesus?
If they could blunder In regard to the
second coming, how can he be so cer
tain he has not blundered? Has he
forgotten how many, many times the
second coming has been foretold by
persons far better Informed and more
Intelligent than himself, and how
every prediction has failed? But It Is
characteristic of the unlettered credu
lity which conceitedly calls Itself faith
to claim that It possesses knowledge
which has been denied .to everybody
else. The less a man knows about re
ligion the more he is apt to boast of
knowing. If you ask him how he
found it all out, he' will say the Lord
told him. He forgets that the chances
are ten to one it was not the Lord.
SHORT ROCTB TO ROCKIES.
The Northern Pacific has com
menced construction work on the Mis
soula cut-oft between Missoula, Mont.,
and Kooskla, Idaho. At the latter
point connection will be made with
the Northern Pacific's Clearwater
branch for Lewiston. This, with the
recently acquired Snake River line be
tween Riparla and Pasco, and a joint
ownership agreement' with Harriman
for the line between Riparia and
Lewiston, will give the Hill line a
shorter route and easier grades to the
East than are enjoyed by any of the
northern lines. The fierce rivalry now
existing between the two great systems
quite naturally suggests the thought
that extreme difficulty will be found in
making that short stretch of single
track between Riparla and Lewiston
handle a service that will be satisfac
tory to both of the contending rail
road companies. The new route, be
ing a low-grade, short-mileage route,
will no doubt attract much business
to the Hill line.
The Harriman interest in the Ri-paria-Lewiston
line has up to the pres
ent time been of a local nature, and,
even with participation in the Clear
water grain traffic, the Harriman traffic
over the line will be small in compari
son with that which will be handled
by the Northern Pacific using the line
as part of its through route. To the
average layman it would seem that
the problem of. operating this short
link between Lewiston and Riparla to
the mutual satisfaction of both of the
contending parties would require a
higher degree of diplomacy and finesse
than could well be expected in such
ardent warriors as the employes of
the respective systems have proved
to be.
It Is not at all Improbable that the
solution .of this problem will be con
struction of a new line by the North
ern Pacific down the south bank of
Snake River. This would givethe Hill
road full control over the shortest and
best-located route between the Rocky
Mountains and the Pacific Coast, inde
pendent of any alliances with the com
pany which has proved such an ag
gressive competitor. As a local prop
osition the south bank road would
hardly pick up much business that
would originate along the route, but aa
a portion of the Hill water-level route
from Portland to the Rocky Mountain
it would be of the highest Importance.
KILLING PHTAIPTTN-E TRADE.
The Treasury Department has held
that the low rates named In the Phil
ippine tariff bill apply only upon direct
shlnmenta between the Islands and the
United States. No transfer of ship
ments at Chinese, Japanese and other
Asiatic ports to other vessels Will be
permitted under the new schedule.
Looking at past Philippine policies,
this ruling is what might have been
expected. The policy of our Govern
ment in persistently placing every kind
of a barrier in the way of Philippine
trade is so well known and under
stood that It seemed inconceivable that
we were to be permitted to enjoy the
unrestricted trade witn me .rniuppines
i which hoth the islands and the
United States are entitled. A Wash
ington dispatch conveying the news or
the Treasury Department ruling In
fnrms us that "the decision is far-
reaching, and those in a position to
know declare tnat tne new ruling win
result in establishment of direct
steamship connection between this
country and the Philippines, as in no
other way can shippers get the benefit
of the new rates."
rn this noint the wish may have
been father of the thought, for there
has for ven.rs been a steady and per
sistent effort on the part of a few
shipowners -to eliminate all competi
tion In the carrying trade Detween mo
PhiitnninaA n nn this pountrv. The new
tariff bill opened up great possibilities
for increased traae witn our isiana ue-
nendencies. and the Treasury Depart
ment T-ulins-. If It shall be upheld, will
nullify about all of the advantages
which we nave gainea uirougn tavor
able legislation. At the present time
there are scores of small vessels trad
ing hotween the PhlliDDines and the
adjacent Chinese ports. These vessels
gather up small consignments of
freight on the islands and discharge It
at the nearest ports wnere tne regular
over-sea liners can pick It up to ad
vantage. By this method the Philip
pine shipper and his foreign customer
are enabled to ship with a frequency
on4 a 1Unatph that would be imDOSSi-
ble unless there was a dally steamer
plying between the lsianas ana xne
United States.
Tinker the new ruling, the only
method by which the tariff advantages
can be secured Is to ship In a direct
ctoamor thus fnrcine a service that
will be both infrequent and expensive.
This, of course, will work a hardship
on the American purcnaser ana tne
DhUtnnlna nrftflllCPr both Of Whom
A mil j.'i." r ,
are Interested in widening the mar
ket for Philippine products in this
rnnnirv. Tt will also tend to make It
very much easier and more satisfac
tory for the Filipinos to handle, witn
other countries, all of their business
thot can he thrown that way. It Is a
matter of the utmost indifference to
the European importer wnetner nis
consignments of Philippine products
make part of the voyage in a Chinese
Junk and the remainder In any old
tramp steamer that comes along, or
whether thev are shipped direct from
the islands in a British steamer.
Thus, being less particular ana less
desirous of fostering a shipping trust,
the foreigner Is a preferred customer
and gets much better freight rates
than his American competitor, who,
as a preliminary to encouraging trade,
arranged to have the means of trans
portation so limited that the service
can hardly fail to cost twice as much
as it costs the foreigner. Congress re
cently appropriated $100,000 to be
used in Investigating foreign trade con
ditions and discovering means by
which our foreign trade could be In
creased. So long as the Government
Insists on throttling the over-sea trade
that is vainly endeavoring to come to
us, the necessity for spending money
to secure trade that apparently does
not want to come here is not clear.
M. D. Wisdom, who died In this city
Thursday, was one of those very use
ful citizens who have a specialty,
sometimes miscalled a hobby. "Mike"
Wisdom knew more about the live
stock industry In all of Its branches
than any man in the state, and his un
tiring efforts in promoting the Indus
try, Improving the breeds and widen
ing the field, played no Inconsiderable
part in adding millions to the tangible
wealth of Oregon. As a horseman who
believed in horse racing for the sport
it afforded and for its value In encour
aging the breeding industry, and wha
was ever -opposed to making a gam
bling tool out of the noblest of the
brute creation, Mr. Wisdom leaves an
enviable record. There is much truth
In the old saw about all kinds of men
being needed to make up a world, and
M. D. Wisdom was certainly one of
the kind that was needed In his spe
cial line. Aside from his prominence
in livestock circles, Mr. Wisdom was
well known In political life and took
a prominent part in any movement for
the general good of the public. He
will be missed.
One of the simplest and most health
ful of outdoor recreations is swim
ming. In a land where water is as
plentiful as It Is In Oregon there
should be more of an effort on the part
of parents to instruct their children In
the simple art. Every year there is a
long list of drowning accidents In the
city and state, and, in a very large per
centage of the cases loss of life would
not have occurred had the victim
known how to swim. The report of
Superintendent Longfellow, of the
United States Volunteer Lifesaving
Service, for the month of June shows
an awful total of 1126 lives lost in
drowning accidents, while in May there
were 621 fatalities from the same
cause. Some of these accidents may
have been unavoidable, but, as most of
the victims were children, inability to
swim or keep afloat in the water was
responsible for most of the tragedies.
"The stock market," says a New
York dispatch, "will be surprised next
week to find that It has been misled
by foreign cables regarding the condi
tion of Mr. Harriman's health." No
doubt; but all this leaves us in painful
uncertainty as to whether he is siok or
well. However, there Is not the slight
est question about the stock market's
being misled.
The big Cunarder Mauretanla has
taken another record away from her
sister. ship, the Lusitania, by reducing
the "short-course" time across the At
lantic to i days, 14 hours and 38 min
utes. This ought to satisfy the hur
ried passengers who waited a week In
Liverpool and London in order to get
across the ocean on a fast steamship.
Naturally, there was great Joy In
France when two aeroplanes ap
proaching each other at a high rate
of speed failed to collide, one grace
fully flying over the other. The at
mosphere will soon be crowded with
machines, though It Is not danger of
collisions up above that will keep most
of us on terra firma.
A midnight automobile ride has
yielded five more victims In Seattle.
When the theater Is over and supper
at a high-priced Seattle restaurant is
drunk and eaten, next thing is a joy
ride over the tideflata. The Seattle
authorities ought to equip their auto
mobiles with life preservers.
President Taft will be in Portland
all day Sunday, October 3, and it has
been arranged by the local committee
that he shall be let alone. But possi
bly Senator Bourne may have plans
for that day. The Senator should be
left free, of course, to escort the Pres
ident to church.
.
Lawyer Israel Is rapidly convincing
the public that his client. Schively, has
much to conceal. Israel Is an acute
criminal lawyer of much reputation.
Is there any significance In Schively's
hiring that kind?
"Five years from now," says the
rv.ioa Trihnne. "Chicago will be
come the greatest Summer resort in
America." What will have become of
all the rest? Earthquake, flood, fam
ine or fire?
It was not all geography, by any
means, that made Dr. Kerr president
nr ha oasnHRtlnn of agricultural col
leges. The Corvallis school has a
recognized standing for efficiency and
results.
Perhaps hazing as a college sport
will never be abolished; still. Uncle
Som hos established a precedent at
wt Point that may make sopho
mores elsewhere sit up and take notice.
With all manner of people In the
.. ... . . i, .1 1 1 Kot
city, it is just as wen iu ucw.i.c
on another man's game or drink with
a newly-made acquaintance, no mat-
ter now sucitiuie no mc.,
Automobiles are breaking things at
Indianapolis. Yesterday it was the
record; the day before, their necks.
It is time for the other brakes.
Tt was about time for Condon to
come to the front with a murder in a
saloon. Gilliam County is not dry
enough yet.
- Seattle has had 2,000,000 admissions
to the A.-Y.-P. Fair, ana expects
4.000,000. It's up to the 2,000,000 to
go again.
.iHdonnA thus far nroduoed.
the muckrakers will have mighty hard
work making 'copy out ui oiciaij
Ballinger.
Taken far and by, this hasn't been a
very profitable season for burglars,
thugs and safecrackers in Portland.
Let It be made part of his epitaph
that "Mike" Wisdom was an honest
and square horseman.
Tk. Tronic Theater bv anv other
name may smell just as sweet.
SAlf FRANCISCO SOBERS DOWN.
One Interpretation of the Recent Stir
ring: Primary Election.
San Francisco Chronicle.
The success of Mr. Crocker in be
coming the Republican candidate for
Mayor is very gratifying to all who
have material interests in San Fran
cisco and realize what is essential to
the prosperity of the city. The contest
in the Republican party over the head
of the municipal ticket was but to a
very small degree a question of men.
Nobody disputed the Integrity of Mr.
Crocker or Mr. Mauzy or doubted their
ability to transact the business of the
Mayor's office. The Crocker ticket has
been understood as standing for a di
version of the public mind from its
quarrels with the public service cor
porations and from the prosecution of
the graft eases, and leaving all those
matters to be disposed of by the proper
authorities in a judicial spirit. In re
gard to the graft cases the Mayor has
little or no official duty, but he should
be very Influential in settling the dis
putes with tu6 public service corpora
tions. And it is more Important, both
to the corporations and the city, that
these controversies should be settled
than for either side to triumph over
the other. -Mr. Mauzy, however, what
ever his personal virtues, was support
ed by all elements which desire to
maintain the campaign of abuse of all
who do not bow to Its will and to keep
In the foreground as official' repre
sentatives of the people men whose of
ficial conduct will be 'guided by per
sonal hatreds.
It is necessary to speak plainly. The
press of this city cannot properly with
hold from its readers all knowledge
of the way in which we are regarded
by the outside world. Our people
should know that San Francisco Is con
sidered by those who have money to
invest as a place so distracted by in
ternal dissensions and so completely
dominated by tumultuous passions as
to be not only disagreeable for peace
able men but positively unsafe as a
place for Investment. Our vital prob
lems are not the punishment of graft
or triumph in our controversies with
the public service corporations. The
real thing which we are up against is
the preservation of the commercial,
financial and industrial supremacy of
San Francisco on the Pacific Coast of
America. And we shall not do that if
we do not suppress our detestable per
sonal hatreds, direct public attention to
the problems of construction and pro
gresslon. and leave the settlement of
our public service controversies to rea
sonable men elected for that purpose,
and the prosecution of criminal cases
to officials who will proceed in a reso
lute but Judicial spirit. So long as we
try criminal cases in the newspapers,
put detectives on the trail of every
man summoned for jury duty, and pil
lory In the press every Juryman whose
verdict is not In accord with the de
mands of passion, San Francisco will be
shunned. This city cannot prosper ex
cept by an Influx of new capital, new
brains and new enterprise. All those
elements are going to the cities to the
north and the south of us. They are
not coming here. Not a dollar of new
cepital is being Invested here except in
the way of mortgage on our property.
Whether there shall be a change will
depend wholly on the civic atmosphere
which we create. And that, in the
opinion of the world, will depend main
ly on the result of the primary and gen
eral elections.
ONE WAY TO BEAT REPUBLICANS
In Omnha, Too, Democrats Switch Their
Party Allegiance.
Tacoma Ledger.
An Interview In the Omaha Bee with
Tom Flynn, Democratic city chairman
and boss of the Omaha Democracy, Is
an effective argument against the de
mands of certain interests in Washing
ton state who have not ceased to in
sist that the primary law be so
amended that -an elector can vote 8
"scratched" ticket at a nominating elec
tion. The Democrats of Omaha and
other parts of Nebraska evidently prej
pared to support weak Republican can
didates In order to turn in, after the
nominations are made, and give them
a drubbing. Tom Flynn frankly said
this was the planl
"It can readily be seen," said Flynn,
"that It Is to the interest of the Demo
crats to help nominate weak Repub
lican candidates. The weaker the Re
publican candidate the stronger will be
our chances of winning -out. Under
the open primary a registered Demo
crat can vote for Republicans and the
Republicans will not have the say about
their candidates if we want to take a
hand in the nominating business our
selves." This Is as bold an admission of po
litical trickery as Is to be found any
where. Flynn further said that the
Democrats would jump over to the Re
publican side only in cases where the
Republicans had a contest. The Demo
crats carefully arranged matters be
forehand so that there were few con
tests for nominations. This left them
free, under the open primary, which we
hear advocated by some of the "re
formers" in Washington state to pick
out weak Republican candidates.
This is Just what was done in Oregon
by the Democrats, under a somewhat
different plan. In Oregon the Demo
crats fraudulently registered as Repub
licans in order to have a weak Repub
lican put forward in the contest with
Chamberlain, who was the only Demo
cratic candidate. After the Democrats
had beaten Fulton out of the Repub
lican nomination, it was easy sailing
for Chamberlain.
That fellow Flynn, Democratic boss
of Omaha, came right out'and admitted
the Democratic intention to nominate
weak Republican candidates. It's not
against the law evidently In Nebraska.
The open primary or blanket ballot in
vites Just such trickery, and yet It is
seriously put forward as a "reform."
Serom Cures Case of Tetanus.
Boston Dispatch to N. Y. Tribune.
A notable triumph resulted from the
use of anti-tetanus serum in the case
of John Butler, 29 years old, who was
discharged a few days ago from the
Massachusetts General Hospital, and is
now at his home in North Ablngton in
perfect health.
While at work in the latter part of
June Butler stepped on a rusty nail,
which penetrated his foot, and he was
sent to the Massachustts General Hos
pital suffering from tetanus.
The hospital physicians lost no time
in administering the serum, which was
injected in both legs, from the knees to
the hiDS. several times, day.
The treatment was continued for
three weeks, with the patient much of
the time unconscious. At the end of
that period Butler was restored to con
sciousness and felt no ill effects.
AS TO CHRIST'S SECOND COMING
Orthodox View Presented as a Warning
to Present Day Scoffers.
PORTLAND, Aug. 17. (To the Editor.)
In an editorial in last Sunday's Ore
gonian entitled "A New Incarnation."
you tell us of Mrs. Annie Besant's an
nouncement that Christ will soon re
appear. By way of comment you say
"she certainly knows as much about the
future as anybody. How shall we under
stand her phrase? In common with many
Ill-informed persons this gifted woman
takes it for granted evidently that the
churchly figure called Christ once ac
tually walked the earth in human form.
No error could be greater or more easily
demonstrated. The Christ of the
churches never did live, or could have
lived. He is almost purely a figment of
the ecclesiastical imagination and con
tains scarcely any traits of the real Je
sus, the wandering philosopher, the social
reformer, the son of man. . . . The
only incarnation he ever had Is in the
church Itself, which in one sense supplies
a body for this spiritual concept."
You say further, "The older concept
of the deity was borrowed from the
royal state of the Assyrian and Baby
Ionian monarchs. Their most conspicuous
quality was vanity which their subjects
had to gratify with Incessant praise."
Your editorial is very interesting reading,
but contains so much of romance and er
roneous teaching that one wonders at the
erudite editor being so far astray from
the known facts of history.
You affirm that "The older concept of
the deity was borrowed from Oriental
monarchs," men who were vain and re
quired constant praise. This, sir. Is not
only erroneous, but blasphemous. In
your zeal for liberty of thought you
"rush where angels fear to tread." A
boll in a china shop Is sadly out of place.
There are some things too sacred for
profane hands to handle. That concept
is modern, sir. In comparison with the
actual facts. The older concept was anti
diluvlan and was voiced by Enoch, the
seventh from Adam in language like this:
"Behold the Lord cometh." Mrs. BeBanfs
announcement may be based upon such
authority as this and it acquires import
ance in proportion to the amount of pro
phetic authority that goes with it.
You say she knows as much about the
future as anybody. Perhaps she does.
She might know and so might others
know if they would acquaint themselves
with the truths of revelation. The ques
tion is has Mrs. Annie Besant based her
announcement upon prophetic statements
which are found In the Bible?
Many loquacious people just talk and
talk superficially and give opinions on
subjects of grave importance without
having any knowledge on the subject
under discussion. They are like travelers
touring the country who see everything
and know nothing about what they have
seen. Now, 6f what earthly use are opin
ions of men like ourselves, Mr. Editor, or
even opinions of gifted women like Mrs.
Besant on such a subject as the second
coming of Christ? How can we know
anything about such a matter?
It is not a truth of such a nature that
a university curriculum can pronounce
upon. It does not come within the com
pass of human knowledge. The stars
do not reveal It. Geology furnishes fossils
and "has beens" of massive proportions,
but no hint of such a being as Christ is
found In the various strata of the earth
Biology sees no Christ in the ovum of
any creature. It cannot be said of phy
siology that it reveals an evolutionary
process which will finally result in Christ.
Such knowledge as that concerning the
re-appearance of Christ is altogether out
side the boundaries of natural science
and philosophy. No man, or even gifted
woman, can possibly tell anything about
it. It is an event of such a nature that
it is Impossible for mankind ever to
know anything about it at all unaided by
divine revelation.
Again, we ask does Mrs. Annie Besant
discover this great truth to the world by
revelation, or Is it merely her own opin
ion? If it is only her own idea, it is of
no earthly value whatever. If it is a
message from heaven, then we welcome
the announcement.
Have vou. sir. any facts that you can
furnish which will enlighten one who be
lieves in the Incarnated Christ, and also
in the speedy coming to judge the world?
In your editorial, you reier to tne new
religion of Dr. Charles W. Eliot. Please
put me down as one who scorns the
puerile nonsense of this - girtea man. i
nrefer to be classed with "many Ill-in
formed persons who take it for granted
that the churchly figure canea LiiriL,
once actually walked the earth." You
might say further that I believe he is
coming to destroy his enemies and all
those whose only claim is that they have
done good works. There are unsetuea
attaching to each one of us.
Some are older than others, but who is
going to absolve us from all our aeois,
if we have no atoning saviour? There Is
no man living that sinneth not, and many
of our sins are of such a nature that
they cannot possihly be undone. There
fore, if we are left to be dealt with on
the principles of pure justice, we shall
be certainly undone.
Let all scoffers and trlflers beware,
for as it was in the days of Noah, they
were busy about their every-day affairs,
yet the threatened flood came and
drowned tho intelligent and beautiful,
young and old who did not enter the ark.
5 S JAMES DAVISON.
BRO. hayterjto'bro. DAVEY.
Minorities Control In Direct Primary,
but Never In Convention.
Dallas Observer.
Frank Davey in Harney County News:
"The Polk County Observer, which la edited
In in able manner by our old friend. J. C.
Hayter. goes into a rather hysterical mood
In discussing the primary law. Among Its
foolish expressions on u
the will of the majority can be overcome by
.. . .. . T.. Iktnlr r that fOOlishneSS.
tne minuriLy. iu--i v. -
Bro. Hayter! You have had your party
nominations in foia Loum; ny
Jority" party ever since Polk was on the
man as a political entity and what did the
nominations nmuuui. i, . ...... -
county was Democratic or Republican? Look
at your list of ofllclala for 20 years. Bro.
Hayter."
v.-. t. i..nn an nevertheless, no
1 111 I tiivTH'iite, "..v.
1 .1 1, nnminatAH for Office
man cuuiu uc -
under the convention system without
a majority vote of the delegates; nor
could any man be elected a delegate
without a majority vote in the precinct
. i m.tnrltv nf voters in
primary, uiiicm n. j -
such primary willed otherwise. Neither
was it possible under the convention
system for any man to gain a nomina
tion who was distasteful to possibly
two-thirds or three-fourths of the vot
ers of his party. unuei nic
revolutionary system, it Is possible for
two such undesirables of opposing
.... . ... .. taii n a m a a rtn
political ianns ik eel m...
the ticket for the same office. Vv hat
choice is left to the voter then? The
Observer desires, not only to repeat
... ,i : j Kiit tn fimnhnsizft
lt HU.ll UVLiiw, " - 1
its every assertion.
Illustrating; the Point.
New York Independent.
The Manchurian railroad question
hMr understood bv an analosry.
to ,f,iu tn allow China to ex
tend the railroad from Pekln into the
nterior of Manchuria, ana insists, in
iplte of China's protest, on running a
ne ir.to that region irom iorea. mi
much the same as It ureat Britain
hould refuse to allow the unitea
!otc tn extend a railroad from New
York into the Mississippi Valley and
should instead Insist upon running a
line from Chicago to Montreal.
Trying to Fool Yourself.
Exchange.
t an't affttrd something: vnti
li uu v " 1 ' - -
crave, try and persuade yourself it is
not good for you.
MORE STREET RAILWAYS NEEDED
West fide of Portland Inadequately
Supplied With Transportation.
PORTLAND, Aug. 20. (To the Ed
itor.) I trust you will pardon the lib
erty of a comparative stranger calling
your attention to a matter which I
have no doubt has at some time or
other been the subject of discussion In
the columns of your paper the matter
of transportation for residents on the
West Side.
A few months ago I came to your
rapidly-growing and pretty city with
the object of making my home here. On
looking around for an available place
to build a moderate-priced residence I
foui.d. In my opinion, the most desir
able place was on the hills on the West
Side, with the single exception that
there were absolutely no transportation
facilities.
A giance at the map of Portland will
show what I regard as a truly remark
able condition. We find that on the
East Side the streetcar lines extend as
far northeast as St. John, six and a
half miles from the center of the city:
Woodlawn, Rose City Park and Mount
Tabor, four miles; while the Mount
Scott line, I believe, goes out a dis
tance of six or seven miles from the
heart of the city (the City Hall). Now.
If one looks at the carllnes on the
West Side it will be found that the
carlinos in no case go beyond two and
a half miles, and that only in a single
case, the Willamette Heights car. Only
one other carllne goes out two miles
on the West Side, this is the Council
Crest car. What I hold to be remark
able about this condition is that I
know personally scores of people who
work on the West Side and would be
glad to live on the West Side, but who
are forced by lack of transportation
facilities to leave their places of busi
ness and go for miles out on the East
Side to their homes, with all the trouble
and disadvantages of transferring or
double-transferring, and all the conse
quent loss of time, when Just a short
distance out on tho West Side is some
of the most beautiful residence property
in an almost primitive state of wlld
ness, but absolutely without any means
of getting to the city. In other words,
urider the present almost unnatural
conditions. It is easier for one working
or in business on the West Side to
leave his business and go from three
to seven miles to his home on the East
Side, than it is to go even (in the ma
jority of cases, since the two carllnes
running out two miles on the West
Side do not adequately serve that ter
ritory) two miles out on the West Side.
It seems to me that this is discrim
ination against the West Side, and I
should say that unless some carllnes
are extended on the West Side, the
business center will shift from the
West to the East Side, for every man
who goes to live on the East Side is
certain to do more or less of his trading
on that side as a matter of convenience,
out the probability of a person going
from the West to the East' Side to
purche.se ordinary necessities of life is
very small Indeed.
Is not this matter one in which the
business men of Portland's great West
Side are vitally interested? If the
movement of workers from the Weft
Side to the East Side Is continued, will
it not Inevitably shift the center of
business to tho East Side?
I have talked with several railroad
construction men. and have been in
formed that the matter of building car
lines over and through the hills on
the West Side dots not offer any great
difficulties. I am informed that at
Seattle several carllnes have been con
structed under similar conditions as to
topography and that such lines are a
paying Investment. While I am not
well posted as to this, it seems to be
a matter of simple logic that if the
East Side secures a great preponder
ance of population, it already. I under
stand, having a majority of the popula
tion, the great business center will
shift to that side, to the discomfiture
of the realty owners and business men
of the West Side.
If this is the case, it would seem that
the West Side people would bring pres
sure to bear on the railway companies
either to extend their lines on the
West Side or to some new company to
build c line In that direction, and
thereby keep a portion, at least, of the
population of Portland, which Is so rap
idly Increasing on the West Side.
As a man who works on the West
Side and lives on the East Side, I cer
tainly am willing to boost for a car
line on the West Side several of them
and I have taken the liberty of writ
ing this letter in the hope that the
paper, to which Portland owes so much
in its fight for supremacy in the North
west, might take the matter up in its
columns. There is no ill feeling In this
against the l.ast Side that side Is a
great and Indispensable part of Port
land, and. I feel sure, is destined to be
as great and large as any part of this
great and growing city of destiny, but
while this must be admitted by all
fair-minded men, there is no doubt but
what the West Side should have better
transportation facilities, far better. In
fact than it now has, and I am going
to hope that this matter will be treated
in the columns of your paper in the
able manner and with a thoroughness
that other discriminations and other
matters of importance are handled.
T. L. SAMPSON.
Poor Old China I
New York Post.
It is difficult to arrive at the merits of
the clspute between China and Japan
over the question of the Manchurian rail
way. The Japanese case was first put
before the public, and cast all the blami
on the shilly-shallying of Chinese di
plomacy. But Kipling has told us what
i.-,. mo., v,ict who undertakes to
make the Orient hustle." Chinas reply.
issued later, charges japan wun inium,
more than she was entitled to. under the
. r.A rtonnHlnir nn her "military
lirtlL, anu v. a
and naval superiority." This would seem
to imply that tne mandarins arr
.v. n-aof Antricjin doctrine of the
strong man armed who will neither suffer
nor do injustice. One thing, at least.
Japan has spared us. a:id that is
snuffling pretense that she Is taking what
,tH i,nHr nn nvernnworing sense
of divine guidance. Western Christians.
In their wars of conquest. nae me si-.
advantage over the heathen of being con
scious servants of the Lord, when they
kill and rob.
They said their duty, both to man and God.
Required aucn conauci uit;n tmcu ....j
odd.
Enforced Recreation.
Washington Star.
He was a melancholy man.
Full oft he heaved a sigh.
And sympathetic friends began
To stop and ask him why
Like some poor frightened soul he fled
The haunts of song and Jest.
Quoth he. "Alas! My doctor said
I'vo got to take a rest.
"I've got to travel for the air
Prescribed by learning'a rule
And leave the comfortable chair
Within my office cool.
I've got to take a whirling train
Where, with unhallowed seat
Men struggle for a place In vain;
I've got to take a rest.
"I'm forced to seek some big hotal
And listen to the band
And watch the bathers rush pell moll
Across the blistering sand.
Or hear tho phonographs that play
E'en on the mountain crest.
Where merry villagers are gay.
I've got to take a rest.
"I'm warned to take my buslnefs carei
And give them nil the sack.
Regardleps of the fierce afTalra
1 11 face when I get back.
What wonder that by deepest gloom
My being is oppressed?
Oh. undeserved, relentless doom!
I've got to take a rest!"