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PORTLAND. SATURDAY, OCT. 18, 190.
MTW YORK'S MCSICIP.VL CONTEST.
The triangular contest for the May
oralty of New York presents features
of very general Interest. Whether
Hearst's candidacy will help or hinder
Gaynor. the candidate of Tammany.
Is a point much In dispute. But the
strong probability Is that Gaynor will
be elected. Bannard, the Republican
candidate. Is no stronger thnn his
rartv: and many Republicans will vote
for Gaynor on "personal liberty"
grounds. Gaynor Is making his can
vass chiefly on the argument that gov
ernment ought not to interfere with
the liberty of the citizen. He urges
liberal construction of the laws, par
ticularly the Sunday observance laws";
which means al.no that the rigid reg
ulations for restriction of the sale of
liquors should be relaxed. This will
carry" an Immense body of voters In the
metropolis, regardless of party names.
But Gaynor also has the support of
Immense numbers whose main idea of
the functlmi of municipal government
Is, In the first place, good and efficient
business administration. Both de
scriptions of voters those who want
'liberal construction" and those who
think chietly about "business" will
vote largely for the candidate who has
the peculiar though not unusual qual
ity of satisfying both these classes.
But Gaynor, though a man or &dii
lty snd character, is but a figure-head
for Tammany. Yet he is a man of pro
nounced Independence and strong per
sonality. Tammany wanted a more
pliant man, but was constrained by
the exigency of the present time to ac
cept Gaynor. Yet he will be no tool
of Tammany, In office. He Is merely
a flgure-head for the tlection. Tam
many has taken care to nominate for
the other municipal offices, through
out, Its own creatures, head men of the
organization or dummies who will fol
low orders. Tammany, as a writer
Trtio analyzes the present situation In
the metropolis, well says, is after "le
gitimate graft," after the contracts,
the spending of the tremendous bud
get, the pickings and plums. It swal
lowed Gaynor because It had to, but
It took care to cripple him in advance,
to reduce him to Impotence. He would
rage and talk, perhaps, but the board
of estimates would silently outvote
him, and. with all his real, there could
be no question of "delivering the
goods."
It was a shrewd game to nominate
Gaynor; end almost certainly he will
win. Tammany, in fact, doesn't want
him. but ho will "pull Tammany
through, on the main chance." Its
own agents, through the boards, will
control all the details of administra
tion; for Gaynor's associates on the
ticket are Tammany's selections, from
first to last. The City of New York
wants "liberal construction of the
laws"; and is not much concerned
about the enormous yearly budget or
about the taxes necessary to support it.
For New York has command of the
business of the country; everybody
'goes to New York and pays the price,
and the city recoups from all America.
There will be a limit, probably, but it
Is not yet, nor is it likely to be reached
for many a year. Not till the exploi
tation of America approaches comple
tion will the prodigious extravagance
of the metropolis receive a check; nor
will there be much chance of political
or economical reform till pressure of
positive need shall begin to enforce it.
The same will be true in all our larger
cities, though not In the same degree
as in New York, which stands at the
head of all things in the Western
Hemisphere. Cities that have large
resources will always be as extrava
gant as they can possibly be; and their
politics, under general suffrage, will
always be based on the economic,
financial and industrial conditions that
prevail in them, each and all. The
leaders In politics will continually
press for expenditure of public money
to the limit which they suppose will
be supported, and they will expect
riches for themselves by the passing of
the money through their own hands.
Every magnate of Tammany becomes
enormously rich; yet none of them has
or ever had any business but politics.
PROSPEROUS KINO COTTON.
The cotton market, after hysterical
strength for a few days, yesterday set
tled back a few points, and it Is still a
matter of doubt whether there was any
real cause for so great an advance as
fntinwH t h hulllnh Government re
port. The crop of this great staple is
a short one, very lew estimates
in. it in Atenn of 11. BOO. 000 bales.
while some authorities have it as low
as 10,000.000 bales. Even at tne
higher figure, pretty full prices are
warranted, as estimates of English ex
perts place the world's requirements at
IX, 600.000 bales. This Is a substantial
Increase in the requirements since the
iiai hnri rrfin of cotton In this coun
try, but It is questionable whether the
advancing; prices win not curtail tne
ennHtimntlnn.
Cotton Is a commodity for which the
whole world supplies a demand, just as
it does for wheat. The latter, how
ever, is of vital necessity for the very
.,i.t',N of mankind, while with cot
ton there is more elasticity to the de
mand. If the price soars too nign. tne
that would have been discarded
when cotton was cheap will be made to
last another year. There is anouier
(.,. to ha considered before the
cotton speculators force the price too
high, and that Is tne carry-over
from the 1908 crop, which amounted
to more than IS. 500, 000 bales, or about
nnn nnn bales mora than the maxi
mum requirements that would be made
on this country. The short crop of
10 thus staru oft witn tne oig carry
over to help out in supplying the de-
mand. and there is in addition a large
crop in Egypt to be reckoned with, and
India has a crop far above the aver
age. New Orleans papers say that the
Southern planters as a rule are selling
freely, the price already quoted being
sufficiently high to return a handsome
protit on the crop. This would seem
to be a very wise policy, and If they
can clean up the total yield, even at
present prices, it will leave the market
clear for good prices next year, some
thing that would be hardly possible
if they held the present crop off the
market and should then be caught by
a break in prices later in the season.
THE ESSENCE OT SHIP SUBSIDY.
There Is no doubt whatever that the
United Btates could build up a mer
chant marine by a scheme of subsidies
and subventions. Our national re
sources would enable us to create and
to maintain the greatest merchant fleet
In the world. But the people would
be compelled to pay the taxes neces
sary for its support. a
First, It would cost nearly twice as
much to build the vessels in our coun
try as the like vessels would cost for
building in foreign countries. And then
twice as much, or almost twice as
much, to sail them on the seas. The
system could, however, be supported,
if the subsidies were large enough. The
subsidies, in turn, of necessity, could
be supported by taxation of the people
and the property of the country.
The system would bring big money
and great riches to those in position to
take advantage of it. Shipbuilders
and shipowners would profit mightily
by it. It would make certain rich
richer, with a dizzy rapidity. It would,
moreover, add another great trust to
the number already existing; perhaps
the greatest trust of them all.
American vessels are carrying but
a very small proportion of American
commerce. The reason Is that it Is
not profitable to build and sail Amer
ican ships. Cost of construction and
operation, including wages of seamen,
is too high. Other' nations can build
and sail ships for less money, and
therefore can carry for less money
than we can.
Now the sole question is whether
we ought to tax the country and raise
money to be paid over to American
shipowners, so as to enable them to
compete with foreigners, and especially
to drive them out of the American
trade. This would require a great deal
or money, nrawTi irom ino jt-unn. uj
taxation. Beyond question. It would
make the chief beneficiaries enor
mously rich. But would it cause our
commodities to be carried over seas at
lower rates? Would it raise the rates?
Who, then, would pay the higher rates
but the producer?
The essence of the demand ror sub
sidies lies in the complaint that for
eigners are carrying our goods at rates
too low at rates so low that our own
shipowners cannot compete. Money,
therefore. Is demanded from the Treas
ury In sufficient sums to make tne in
come of our shipowners high enough
to give them a profit. We are not sat
isfied with the low rates the foreigner
offers. He is doing our carrying busi
ness for us at rates much too low for
our good. We have a complaint and
real grievance against htm, therefore;
and we propose to tax ourselves for
sufficient sums to run him out of the
business. But, of course, that tax will
have to be kept up forever, or the in
sidious foreigner wto is doing our
ocean work for us so cheap will get
back right quick Into the business.
On sober reflection, will the people
of the United States conclude and de
cide that ocean carriage of their goods,
as done by foreigners, is too cheap,
and that it ought to be made dearer
to our people by payment of subsidies
to certain opulent citizens of the
United States? This is the essence
of the ship subsidy question.
OLD JOHX BROWN.
Tt will be lust fifty years tonight
since Old John Brown, on October 16,
1859, with some twenty men in nts
band, cantured the United States
arsenal at Harper's Ferry. Estimated
by the standards of worldly policy,
his deed was foolish and the object
he aimed at was insanely abhorrent.
What he desired was to start a mili
tary movement which should sweep
through the South and, to use his own
words, "free the slaves." Where help
w-as to come from to carry out his plan
nr vho was to bring it. he did not
know, but permeated with a flaming
consciousness that he was doing tne
will of God, he expected omnipotent
aid at the critical moment in some
war. Perhans he thought it would
descend from heaven In chariots of
nr. hut it did not come. The mob
of scared militiamen which had sur
rounded the arsenal, shot down his
men as they emerged under a flag of
truce. Brown was captured after he
was almost killed. The Virginia au
thorities kept him In prison twenty
days, clad In the blood-encrusted gar
ments he wore during the battle. Then
they gave him what passed for a trial
and closed his carreer by hanging him.
Without the miraculous intervention
of the Almighty, there was no possi
bility that John Brown's raid could
set on foot a movement that would
free the slaves. He had a number of
sympathizers In the North who ad
mired him, believed in him and were
ready to furnish him with arms and
money, but they were exceptional men
like Thoreau and Wendell Phillips.
The mass of the people were by no
means abolitionists at that time. They
would not submit to promote tne
cruelties of the fugitive slave law, but
neither would they Join In a raid upon
slavery. From every point of view,
John Brown's expedition was fore
doomed to failure. Therefore, it was
foolish, measured by human stand
ards. ,
It was as abhorrent as it was foolish.
He did not wish to lead the freed
slaves out from the South to Canada
or some other land of liberty. His
plan was to break their chains and let
them live as equals among their for
mer masters. He Imagined that he
could do this without exciting a servile
insurrection; but he could not. Had
his raid been supported from the
North and the negroes flocked to his
standard, they would have enacted the
horrors of the Haytain revolution over
again. To this it may be objected that
the negroes were peaceable enough
when they were finally set free. Why
should they have been any more sav
age under John. Brown's banner than
they were when enrolled ss Union
troops? For the obvious reason that
as Union soldiers they were kept under
strict discipline by a force immensely
superior to their own. Nothing lrke
a popular rising of the negroes was
ever encouraged by the Federal au
thorities. But a popular rising was pre.
THE MORXIXG
cisely the thing which John Brown In
tended to cause. He expected that It
would be held under discipline and
confined to the single object of secur
ing freedom; but how could he, a law
less Invader, have disciplined his tu
multuous troops? How could he have
restrained them from that orgy of
bloodshed to which their half-savage
nature would have urged them? There
is no Instance in history where slaves
have risen against their masters with
out wreaking horrors upon them which
language Is Inadequate to discribe, and
the Southern negroes would have done
the same thing if John Brown had
set them free. A nation of slavehold
ers continually dances on the crust of
the inferno and the crust is thin. The
Southerners knew this. They had been
seriously quaking at the specter of ser
vile insurrection for half a century.
That is the reason why John Brown
raid, futile and Insignificant as it was,
frightened them into a panic of. sav
age ferocity. They slew his men and
hanged him, not. for what he had done,
but for . what their guilty imagina
tion told them he might have done.
But nobody who wishes to under
stand John Brown or truly estimate
the value of his work will think of
measuring him by human standards.
He belongs with the prophets and
martyrs. His failure was of the spe
cies which eternity transmits into
shining success and his folly was of
the same kind as Savonarola's and
Winkelried's and that of all the fools
who have thrown themselves away
that God may work his will upon the
world. His raid and the piteous cruel
ty of his mock trial appealed to the
imagination of the North as no mili
tary success could have done. His
weird. Hebraic figure was instantly
enveloped In lyric myth. He stood as
the type of the hero that dares and
dies for freedom. His battered old
body lay moldering in the grave, but
his unconquerable soul marched on. In
the light of his martyr glory the ne
gro became transfigured to the pas
sionate youth of the North Into a be
ing half holy because of his woes.
Abolitionism became suddenly merged
in the Bacred cause of the Union and
the wraith of Old John Brown stalked
side by side with the loved image of
Lincoln at the head of the boys in
blue on every battlefield of the Re
bellion. A strange, unaccountable,
savage old man. his raid belongs
among the treasures of our history
and his memory belongs to the human
race.
THK FOOL AND THE PISTOL.
Two Jocular persons held up an ac
quaintance on Portland Heights, early
yesterday, and took his money and
valuables from him. When arrested
they declared It was a Joke. It ap
pears to have been a remarkably good
one, since the Jokers are having a lot
of trouble keeping out of Jail. A year
or two since there was another humor
ist In South Portland who waylaid a
policeman for fun. The policeman,
being without a proper sense of hu
mor, promptly drew his pistol and shot
the Joker to death. It was all very de
plorable, but no possible blame could
attach to the officer, and he was ex
onerated. The young men In t he Portland
Heights affair took the risk of having
their playful scheme misunderstood by
their intended victim, who might have
shot them, as the policeman did, or
who might have resisted and himself
have been shot. Pointing a pistol,
loaded or unloaded, at another Is grave
business. Often it goes off, and the
results are tragic. Of course these
young men who essayed the role of
highwaymen for the humor of It
planned to take away their friend's
money and valuables, and then to re
turn them, and all have a laugh to
gether over the merry lark; but the
frightened victim spoiled the fun by
turning and running. Later the Jok
ers were apprehended by the police at
the pistol's point; a tragedy again be
ing narrowly averted when one of the
young gentlemen failed to throw up
his hands promptly.
It Is good luck only that prevented
one or more homicides from this stu
pid and inexcusable prank. Yet there
are always fools to be reckoned with.
The combination of fool and pistol has
thousands of victims to Its credit. We
cannot get rid of the fool, but we ought
to do away with the pistol. Why is
any one but an officer of the law per
mitted to carry or have a revolver?
MAKING NEW RECORDS.
Although three holidays interfered
with business, the records for real es
tate transfers and building permits for
the first half of October make a satis
factory showing, the former exceeding
11,300,000, while more than $1,100,000
worth of building permits was Issued.
This showing was made with the usual
number of large deals going on the
records at valuations of from 31 to
1100 each, one of the latter Involving
an actual valuation of more than II,
300,000, although it appears in the of
ficial records at the modest figure of
1100. These figures are far in excess
of the same period last year, and make
It almost a certainty that the total for
the month will break all previous rec
ords for the month of October.
Figures for the full half month for
Seattle are not yet at hand, nut tne
Seattle Daily Bulletin gives the totals
to and including October 12 as 1672,
597 for real estate transfers and $632,
830 for building permits. Portland
real estate transfers - for the same
period were $1,052,826, and building
permits for the twelve days were $929,-
950. This remarkable showing In
Portland has been made without any
especially big deals, and a true state
ment of the value of real estate trans
ferred by the deeds placed on record
would undoubtedly show a valuation
running far In excess of $3,000,000.
The remainder of the month prom
ises equal activity, and the $1,000,000
deal which was closed in the North
End Thursday will be followed by a
number of other big transfers now
pending. The big crops and high
prices at which they are being mar
keted, together with the large amount
of money brought Into the country by
Eastern investors, have resulted in a
larger available supply of Investment
funds than has ever before been In evi
dence In the Pacific Northwest.
Neither the rise In the bank rate nor
the decline In stocks will have any ap
preciable effect on a region that is cre
ating new wealth as rapidly as it is be
ing created In Portland territory.
Increased vigilance, or some other
unaccounted-for reason, is holding
down the fire loss of this country to
much smaller proportions than in for
mer years. According to the New York
Journal of Commerce records, the fire
loss of the United States for the nine
months ending October 1 this year was
$161,099,950, compared with $185,-
OREGOXIAS, SATURDAY,
375,300 In the same period last year,
and J167,406,050 for the same nine
months in 1907. During the month of
September there were 238 fires report
ed, in which the loss was over 110,000
each, the total for the month being
J15.043.000, a decrease from both July
and August figures. It may seem a
trifle strange to regard a fire loss which
averages $500,000 per day as making a
good showing, but this country Is still
very careless with matches and other
flremakers, and we are far behind the
rest of the world in our precautions
against this great annual loss.
A notable event Is the death of Will
lam H. Barnhart, a resident of Oregon
since 1850, and very widely known in
the early affairs of the territory and
state. He was born !n Toronto, Can
ada. May 20, 1827. Coming to Oregon
at the age of 23, his mental activity
quickly made htm known. He was
clerk to James W. Nejmith when that
riistino-uished ritizen was superintend
ent of Indian affairs for Oregon; and
later Xesmith. when elected to the
United Slates Senate, caused Barnhart
to be appointed Indian agent at Uma
tilla. H held this position many
years, and discharged Its duties with
intelligence and fidelity. Later he
came to Portland, where ho had since
resided. His wife, who survives mm,
was one of the daughters of the well
Vnntvn f'amnbell family, of Oregon
City and Portland. The only son of
Mr. Barnhart and wife died some
months ago. The Barnharts, though
natives of Canada, came of New York
ancestry, and Barnhart Island, In the
St. Lawrence River, granted to tne
grandfather of William H. Barnhart,
bears and doubtless always will bear
the fa.mllv name. In early times Air.
Barnhart was known throughout Ore
gon as a facile writer and pungent
wit, and indeed was noted ror inese
Qualities as long as he took an active
Interest Jn public affairs.
One of the shallow admirers of Mr.
Bryan, through the editorial columns
of his newspaper, makes these state
ments: Although Bryan came as a private cltiean.
The Oregonian had not the courtesy or
decency to treat him fairly. He 1. mis
quoted in interview, vinnvu m
and minimize 1 In new. colunna. tei ot.,,
vl.lt waa a contlnuou. ovation and he
evoked ten time, the enthu.iaam that the
President of the United State, bad evolied
a few day. before.
Mr. Bryan was neither misquoted,
vilified nor minimized by The Orego
nian. It gave a fair and Just report
and estimate of the man, as it always
has done. As to the "enthusiasm" for
him in Oregon, note these figures of
the growing majorities against him.
viz:
1M - - .-'
1UOO ST',?,
1D38 -4.481
But of course, Mr. Bryan can get
"ovations." So can any entertaining
performer and saltlmbanco.
wtna hnreo rnM and actresses are
given as the cause of the downfall of
the brilliant California lawyer wno
killed himself after an unsuccessful at
tempt to rob an Illinois bank. Any one
of these first aids to a rast (ire, 11 roi
IowhI to the limit, will drive a man
adown the primrose path In jigstep
time, but It should not De iorgoiien
Vwi , ,hara la nn la.w com nellin j? a man
to drink wine, play the races or run
after actresses. The real cause 01 tne
rftetrDccinir nrl n f what migrht have
been a brilliant career of the dead
bankrobber was a weakness or cnarac
ter which the man apparently never
tried to strengthen. It Is easier to
drift with the tide than to swim
arrotnat tt hut thA drifters are soon
carried beyond all hope of resoue,
while the strong swimmers are rewara
ed with life and all that goes with It.
Too Wn-shlneton State Fish Commis
sioner estimates the value of the 1909
pack of fish in the Evergreen State at
$11,000,000. The salmon industry, in
At-ttrtn tr'rtthor resources of the
Pacific Northwest, is of less importance
.than it was a lew years ago. r,,
dairvine and other Industries
have come to the front so rapidly that
they are now placing more millions in
circulation than were realized from the
salmon industry in. Its palmiest days,
vwirthnica mv Industry that will
bring in returns of $11,000,000 per year
Is a very big asset, or wnicn any state
might well be proud, and every possi
ble effort should be made to perpetu
ate the Industry.
Reno, Nev., apparently Jealous of,
the lingering stay on the front page of
the news of the National game at De
troit and Pittsburg, now comes to the
front with a story of another "National
game" that ie being played at Carson
City. The names of the batteries In
the Carson City game are not given,
but it Is being played for table stakes.
It Is announced that one of the players
lost $23,700. It Is said that $1200
in money is being used in the game.
This would indicate that K was a much
stronger game than that in which the
late Colonel Tom Ochiltree lost $25,
000, "of which $2 was real money."
There is a suspicion that Mr. Barrlll
made that affidavit against Dr. Cook
because the doctor had forgotten to
pay him for services rendered. "A
mere oversight," says the doctor. It Is
to be hoped that those two Eskimos
were paid In full.
Next time Dr. Cook starts out to
loonvoe a Tnl or climb a mountain.
he will take along a brass band and a
corps of newspaper correspondents
It would be a noble assignment for Al
fred Henry Lewis.
Now they say that the statute of
limitations may prevent prosecution or
officers of the bankrupt Oregon Trust.
That's fortunate for some people.
Meanwhile they might start another
bank.
Do the Councllmen who insist on
giving the overworked employes in
the City Hall half a day off on Satur
day do the same by the men in their
private employ?
Ex-Minister Crane ought to read up
on the case of the late Professor
Ferrer. Spain has its own way of
dealing with persona who talk too
much.
Chicago comes forward with a story,
of a plot'to assassinate President Taft
and President Diaz at El Paso. But
El Paso denies it. El Paso ought to
know.
Oh. ves. Mr. Bryan trusts the masses.
He has to. But the masses do not trust
him. It makes a great difference how
and by whom the trusting has to be
done.
OCTOBER 16, 1909.
XEWSPAPERS AND THE SABBATH
Courteous Reply to a Conaclentlona
Ml. IVbo Bars the Sunday Iaane.
New York Times.
One of our readers. In a letter printed
today, voices a personal complaint against
the Times, which, though we think it not
well founded, yet deserves respectful con
sideration, both for itself and for the mod
eration and courtesy with which our crit
ic writes. His is the old grievance of the
Sunday paper, and he was moved to ex
press It anew by certain remarks of our
own in regard to the amount and quality
of the text and pictures In last Sunday's
Issue.
The truth of the remarks our corre
spondent does not Impugn; his only re
gret, for himself and others, is that all
these good things should be offered on a
day which he thinks should be wholly de
voted to the consideration of matters dis
tinctly religious. Feeling as he does, he
must, of course, obey his conscience and
refrain from reading this or any other
Sunday paper. We have little hope of
changing his conviction, and not much
desire to do so, but it does seem to us
that he should give some consideration to
the fact that the consciences of many
people, not a few of them perhaps as
truly and deeply religious as himself, are
not offended either by the publication or
the reading of Sunday newspapers.
It may occur to him thaa, as he Is one
of a small minority, compared with the
whole number of (rood citizens, his scru
ples may be excessive. We would be the
last to assert that majorities are always
right and minorities always wrong, but
there la usually a larjte proDaDinty mat
what Is called the consensus of publlo
opinion should not be hastily dismissed as
erroneous. Whether for good or for evil,
strict Sabbatarianism is a steadily and
rapidly waning influence. Nowhere Is
Sunday "kept" ae it was practically ev
erywhere In this country 100 or ECO years
ago. Whoever must may deplore the
change, but he cannot Justity nis lamen
tations with any proof thnt moral-standards
are now lower than they used to be.
As a matter of easily .demonstrable fact
they have risen and are rising.
Perhaps it will help our friend to an
other and kinder view of the Sunday
newspaper If he looks at it, not in con
trast with what he thinks better reading,
but as an alternative to things which he
knows to be. worse. Some minds cannot
find consolation In that for what they do
not approve, but many can. And we
wonder whether our correspondent bars,
or. as he puts it. Is debarred from Mon
day papers, which are made on Sunday,
as well as from those which are only dis
tributed on that day.
MARK TWAIN ON MATRIMONY.
Some Paradoxical Remarks Bnaed on
Ills Daughter a Marriage.
Baltimore American.
There Is no philosopher, ancient or
modern, who handles paradoxical truth
more skillfully than Dr. Samuel L. Clem
ensMark Twain. The matter of fact
which is apparently one way, but which
in its innermost or uttermost' bearings is
really some, other way, is always pic
turesquely portrayed, If not elucidated,
by the creator of Huckleberry Finn. Fol
lowing the marriage of his daughter
Clara on last Wednesday to the young
Ru&nian with the unpronouncable name,
he gave out an interview In his own
whimsical style, at the end of which
the suggestive query was put, "The mar
riage pleases you, Mr. Clemens?"
It was then he began to talk in para
doxes. "Yes,' he said, "fully as much
as any marriage could please me or per
haps any other father-" Then he added:
"There are two or -three tragically sol
emn things In this life, and a happy
marriage Is one of them, for the terrors
of life are all to come." After remark
ing that he always went to a funeral
with a spiritual uplift, thankful that the
dead friend had been set free, he con
tinued: "I am glad of this marriage, and
Mrs. Clemens would bo glad, for she
always had a warm affeotion for Gab
rllowltsch, but all the same it is a trag
edy, since It Is a happy marriage, loaded
to the Plimsoil line with uncertainties."
The commentary on happy marriage
does not. perhaps, elucidate and explain
to the entire satisfaction of those ardent
rouls that are about to be unjted In the
holv bonds. Perhaps those who have
traveled -along the matrimonial route for
some distance will be better able to ap
prehend the paradoxical truth In the
Mark Twain philosophy. A famous writer
of mystic poetry was once asked wiiat a
particular one of his poems meant. He
said that he .didn't know; that If the
poem did not explain itself he could not
explain it. And so, probably, Mark
Twain would not be able to give any
clearer explanation than he has given
of this theory that a happy marriage is
a tragedy.
MAGNITUDE OP BASEBALL.
Its Seriousness Illustrated by the Pres
ent CliamylonMhip Series.
Cleveland.
Even those Americans who do not know
a three-base hit from a foul fly and
there are such men must admit. In the
light of the object-lesson which is af
forded lust now in Pittsburg, that Dase
ball Is truly a National Institution, of
National magnitude and National Impor
tance. It means nothing less, when the
demand for seats at a series of ball
games far exceeds the capacity of
grounds where there are accommodations
for 83,000 or 40.000 spectators, taking into
account the extra benches provided. It
is proof of a truly National sport and a
National Interest of no small magnitude,
that over 200 newspaper men are to be
present at those games, to work, not
merely as spectators, ana over iuu teie
graph operators must be kept on duty at
the grounds.
All this, of course, is about to happen.
not in London. New York. Berlin or
Paris. It will take place in a' city of
less than 600,000 inhabitants, with per
haps 300,000 people living outside of the
municipal limits, but within 20 or 30 miles
of the ball park. When such crowds are
assured In Pittsburg and such prepara
tlons are necessary there. It means that
Americans, as a people, take baseball so
seriously that thehy have made it one of
the great Institutions of their country.
, r
Chances for Yonngr Men.
Denver Republican.
Let young men turn to the skilled
trades and they will find remunerative
employment In a field from which the
competition of women will never drive
.them. The handicrafts call for abilities
of a far higher order than those em
ployed in many vocations where the
competition of women is a factor, and
in all the skilled trades there Is a de
mand for high-grade men.
There has been too much disposition
on the part of young American men to
turn away from the trade on the false
assumption that they are less genteel
than certain other forms of employ
ment. It Is a silly notion of which
every vigorous young American should
be ashamed.
The Grinding; of John R. Walsh.
Chicago Tribune.
One last appeal stands between John R.
Walsh and the penalty which Justice Im
poses on those who are traitors to their
trusts and prodigal in the use of the
fruits of others' toll:
The moving finger write, and. having writ.
Moves on. nor U your piety nor wit
Shall lure It back to cancel half a line.
Nor all ywur teara wa.il out a word of It.
Fired with Indomitable courage, and su
pernaturally resourceful, the old tiger of
finance challenges a strange admiration
and sympathy as the mills of God grind
slowly but exceeding fine.
ITnexpected Results.
New York Herald.
Con.lder what the popular eong writer
will do with "igloo!" Syracuse Standard.
And what inspiring food pemmican will
be for the poets! After all. polar ex
ploration does bring results.
ATTACK ON THE CARNEGIE FUND
President Schurman, of Cornell, Flays
Irresponsible Dispensers of Money.
(From the address delivered at the
nual meeting o.- the National A.wm '!
Stale Universities. In Boston, by Jacob Www
6ohurman. president of the association.)
Benefactors die; universities abide. At
least, that has been the case in the past.
But In this age of organization, benefac
tors have learned to perpetuate -themselves
as corporations. And we now have
institutions chartered by act of Congress
to dieburse for educational purposes the
charities of millionaires. The rich philan.
throplst who objectifies himself in such
a benevolent corporation of course names
the trustees, and subsequent vacancies in
the board are filled by co-optation. This
is a new species of corporation, but the
two or three already organized hold large
funds, which are likely to be greatly aug
mented in the future. And there Is no
limit to the number of such corporations
except the limit to the number of per
sons who possess wealth and desire to
distribute it in this fashion.
I cannot but think that these corpora
tions create a new and dangerous situa
tion for the independent and privately en.
'dowed universities. Just in proportion as
these are supported by those benevolent
corporations is their center of gravity
thrown outside themselves. It Is no long
er a case of a rich man giving his money.
going his way (eventually dying), and
leaving the university free to manage its
own affairs. The purse strings are now
controlled by an Immortal power, which
makes it Is business to investigate and
supervise and which lays down conditions
that the university must accept if it is to
receive grants of money. An irrespon
sible, self-perpetuating board, whose busi
ness is to dispense money, necessarily
tends to look at every question from the
pecuniary point of view; It wants Its
monev's worth; it demands Immediate
and tangible results. Will not Its large
powers and enormous influence in rela
tion to the Institutions dependent upon it
tend to develop in it an attitude of patron,
age and a habit of meddling?
The very ambition of eueh a corporation
to reform educationul abuses is Itself a
source of danger. Men are not construct
ed educational reformers by having mil
lions to spend. And. indeed, an Irrespon
sible, self-perpetuating board of this eort
may become a real menace to the best in
terests of the higher education. In the
fancied Interests of capital, or religion, or
of education itself, it may galvanize the
Intellectual life of the Institution it under
takes to foster. A board of this kind
6houid be answerable to the public, like
the regents of a stnte university. Or, bet
ter still, let the millionaire trust the boards
of trustees of colleges and universities and
give them outright the capital he Intends
to devote to educational purposes. 1 be
lieve that in all cases this plan would be
best for education and best for the public
Interest.
I make no exception of the Carnegie
foundation for the advancement of teach
ing, to which Mr. Carnegie has given such
large endowment for the pensioning of pro
fessors in the colleges, technical schools
and universities of the United States and
Canada. And I certainly speak with no
prejudice, ns I regard that endowment as
the best thing any benefactor has ever
done for higher education in America, and
I have myself the honor of being one of
the trustees. But I look with concern and
anxiety on the Influence of such corpora
tions on the free and independent life of
our Institutions of learning and research.
HONEST SUPERVISION OF BANKS.
Oklahoma Has Demonstrated That the
Impossible Can Happen.
Indianapolis Star.
Bitter complaint comes from Okla
homa Populists because the financial
world is disposed to criticise the guar
anteed deposits law for Its apparent
failure upon the first real test, the Co
lumbia Bank and Trust Company hav
ing closed Its doors with, deposits of
nearly $3,000,000, and less than one
tenth of that sum in the guaranty fund
to make the losses good. They reply
that the special assessment levied
against other hanks will supplement
whatever Is lacking In the combined
guaranty fund and assets of the Co
lumbia bank.
But all that the Populists claim
may be cheerfully conceded, and yet a
very severe Indictment be drawn
against this, their panacea for bank
failures. What stands out most promi
nently is that the closed bank must
have been badly mismanaged, and that
the state banking board which ought
to have prevented that mismanagement
did not do so. The bank let Its cash
reserve fall too low, and apparently
accepted large amounts of discounts,
which had no proper place among the
assets of a commercial bank.
That is to say, we have a conclusive
demonstration that what has happened
is exactly what we were assured un
der the guaranteed deposits would
never happen. No bank would fall, be
cause supervision would be perfect.
The supervision has not been perfect,
but exceedingly bad; and It is Impos
sible to doubt that the guaranteed de
posits law has contributed greatly to
that end, becuse It has encouraged the
idea that now we have an omnipotent
preventive of failure. Formerly in
Oklahoma, as now In other places, de
pendance was entirely and absolutely
on prudent banking and honest super
vision, but lately it has been upon this
wonderful law.
Overdoing It.
Everybody's Magazine.
A young Englishman, after he had
been In Devil's Valley for a couple of
months, began to grow thin. Wyoming
cooking did not appeal to him. Be
sides his squeamish appetite, there was
another thing that the natives held
against him his outlandish custom of
taking a bath every morning. One
day his landlady was discussing him
with a friend.
"I tell ye what, Sal," said the visitor,
"he's jest a-walstin' away a-grlevin"
for some gal back East thar."
"Nothin" o' the kind," said the land
lady, contemptuously. "You mark my
words, now that young feller he's
jest a-washin' hisself away."
Wish Is Too Quick for Them.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
There were three at the little table
in a Cleveland cafe, a woman and two
men.
Suddenly the electric lights went out,
and the woman quickly and noise
lessly drew back.
An Instant later there was the smack
of a compound kiss. As the electrio
lights went up, each man was seen to
be smiling complaisantly.
T thought I heard a kiss," said the
woman, "but nobody kissed me."
Then the men suddenly glared at
each other, and flushed and looked
painfully sheepish.
UNMASKED.
New York Time..
It cannot be! Why. all theso year.
I've watcbed him on his way.
H-e's come and aone, each act and word
A. honest a. the day!
To church on Sunday like the rest.
With wife and children kind.
Considerate, a neighbor just.
No better one could nnd!
The tradesmen seem to think he's fair;
No trouble have with bills.
Commuter, like to ride with hlra,
He ne'er neoount. his ilia.
His house and ground, are neat and trim,
HI. home lite', quiet, pure
At least that's how lt'a alwaya seemed.
But now I'm not so ure!
For I've Just read of what he'a don,
A. told by speaker. Blib
His every deed's of darkest dye.
His every word's a lib!
Graft, bigamy, embezzlement.
All crimes which .soul can stain
Tou .ee, he's up for office
la lbs present warm campaign!
PRESBYTERY TO BE PUT ON TRIAL
Foaterlng Heresy Is Charged by Higher
New York Ecclesiastical Body.
New York Herald.
One of the sharpest theological con-
troversles since the trial of the Rev.
Charles A. Briggs. of Cnlon Semi
nary, on charges of heresy threatens
to develop from the action of the New
York Presbytery last Monday in grant
ing permission for the ordination of
the Rev. Archibald Black, one of three
candidates for the pulpit, who upon ex
amination refused to subscribe to cer
tain orthodox views expressed on car
dinal Scriptural doctrines, such as the
story of the Garden of Eden, the Im
maculate Conception and the miracles.
The direct consequence prohnbiy will
be the placing on trial of the New
York Presbytery before tho Synod of
New York, which will hold Its annual
meeting In Johnstown. N. Y., on Octo
ber 19, 20 nnd 21. and tho outcome of
tills proceeding may be a decision pro
hibiting the presbytery from licensing
any more graduates of Cnlon Theolog
ical Seminary, from which Mr. Hlaok
and Georgt A. Fitch and John K. Steen.
tho other candidates accused of heter
odoxy, came up for examlantion.
This situation has been brought
about by a protest made by the Rev.
Walter ft. Buchanan, of the Fourth
Avenue Church; the Rev. Frederick K.
Schearer. the Rev. George I.. Sc.liearer.
the Rev. John Fox. the Rev. Daniel
S. Gregory and the Rev. Henry U.
Elliott.
These clergymen made their first ob
jection to the admission of the three
graduates of Union Seminary when
they were licensed last June, In spite
of their expression of so-oalled heret
ical views. The second was made in
July, when tho presbytery ordained Mr.
Fitch, who soon afterward went to
China as a secretary for the Young
Men's Christian Association. The third
was presented last Monday ti rot o n.
was decided to resort to a more formal
complaint.
Church law demands thnt every pro
test be registered on the books of the
clerk of tho presbytery, but it does not
prescribe that tho synod shall take cog
nizance of it In that form. Therefore,
more direct action will be taken when
the synod meets, and the oomplnlnt pre
sented to that body at its regular
meeting must be accorded a heating,
occordiug to the government of the
church.
The synod hns the authority to re
buke the presbytery or to take any
other step it pler-.ses. A notice that
the complaint will ha n,a,lo will be
served on the Rev. Jesse F. Forbes,
pastor of the Adams Memorial Church,
who is clerk of the synnd. within ten
davs. and this will be placed In writ
ing and presented on the floor of the
meeting. ...
It is understood that the dissenters
will be present In force to support
their side of the controversy, and the
proceedings may have a profound ef
fect upon the affairs of the rresbyte
rian Church In this city.
A commission will be appointod by
the synod to hear the case, and the ac
tion will be much In the nature of a
civil court proceeding. It might be de
cided by the voto of the whole synod,
which is made up of delegates, clerical
and lay. from every presbytery In New
York and New England.
Should the decision prove unsatis
factory to the complainants, they will
have recourse to tho general assem
bly the highest court of the church,
which will meet In Atlantic City next
May. In the meantime the presbytery
will hold another meeting Monday to
consider an answer to the protestants.
KINGS OF AMERICAN FINANCE.
Dtasy Estimates of he Ounrtette's
Combined Wenlth. .
Adams' Wall Street Letter to the New
York News Bureau.
All the great fortunes are now in al
liance They cannot now safely move
otherwise than together. Tf tho publlo
will take their stocks the big men will
be happy to receive the money, and the
public can then run the properties. If
the public prefers to keep Its money
the big men will borrow It. and still
further mark up the price of their own
goods In tho stock market.
I estimate the wealth of John p.
Rockefeller at $1,000,000,000; the wealth
of James Stlllman at not far from JnOO.
000,000; J. P. Morgan at between zoo,
000.000 and J300.000.flO0; George F.
Baker at between ,160,000,000 and
1200,000,000, and these today are the
four kings of American finance. Al
though George F. Baker Is one of the
richest men In the United States and
one of the most act.ve in American
finance, he Is one about whom tho
American public hears the least He
is a director In 49 corporations, of
which 13 ure railroads.
England, Germany nnd More Ships.
Chicago Record-Herald.
There are statesmen and Industrial lead
ers 1n England who do not share tho
apprehension as regards German Aealgn
expressed by the group to which Lord
Northcliffa belonus. hut in so far as the
question of "more ships, still more ships
and ever more ships" is concerned, all
controversy is ended in England. The
liberal government has changed Its mind
on the Dreadnought programme and has
"surrendered" to the alarmists. It has
been criticised for this by some ""vocaie.
of economy nnd peace, but it undoubtedly
acted sagaciously and In accordance with
public sentiment. ,
It is unfortunately true that there Is
a good deal of anti-German feeling in
England and a like amount of anti-English,
feeling in Germany. Jingo talk,
press sensationalism, mutual charges of
aggressive Intentions and Jealousy are
responsible for those dangerous feelings,
and It is no easy undertaking to coun
teract them. But one thing is clear to
all observers and travelers of open
minds. The average German disclaims
any Intention of disturbing the - status
jjuo and the averngo Englishman admits
that only actual aggression on Ger
many's part would justify war. Neither
nation trusts the other, neither believes
that the other Is satisfied with existing
conditions, but neither professes a desire
for something possessed by the other.
American Fryln Pan Is Under Ban.
New Y'ork Tribune.
The great American frying pun received
a solar plexus blow from the Monuialr,
N. J.. Board of Education, whon it de
cided to cut that kitchen utensil from
the list of articles to be purchased for
the High School kitchen. Benjamin V.
Hariiman, acting chairman of the hoard,
protested against the inclusion of the
frying pan. He said frying pang meant
chicken croquettes, ham croquettes, and
beef croquettes, and these meant dys
pepsia for the children. Other members
of the board were of the same opinion.
Rand Output of Gold
Gold output of the Transvaal In
August, as estmated by Kaffir houses
in London, was 620,000 ounces fine.
If the above estimate proves correct,
August's Rand gold output was at
almost exactly the same rate as In
July, when 620,794 ounces of gold were
turned out. Comparison of values is
as follows:
Aug. l!t0S.$I3.10.O00 Aug.. l!)OS.$12.4S.VnnO
July, ltu9. l:l.li.VH0 Aug.. 1!K7.
June. l!tO. l::.1"0,0no Aug.. VMH. !"'':'""
May. loi. i:i.2rtl.iOO ' Aim-.. l!io.',. H.lo.i.ooo
Apr, WOO. 12.81M.0OO Aui;., 11101. O.tlo3,v00
Why Shouldn't Aldrlch Ylcldt
Springfield Republican.
It Is tho Republican Des Moines Regis
ter and Leader which offers the ques
tion: Why should President Taft yield to
Senator Aldrich on behalf of party solid
arity, and not Senator Aldrich to Presi
dent Taft? The answer Is expressed in
another question: "Can it be that Mr.
Aldrich Is even more than 'leader of tho
Senate' T"