TITE 3I0RXING OREGOXIAX, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1909.
. PORTLAND, OREGON. '
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FORTLANB, THTRHDAY, NOV. 1. I909-
BAIXIXGEK AND PTSCHOT.
.All who know Secretary Ballinger
have confidence In his Integrity, and
therefore stand by him. His purpose
Is protection o( the public t interests.
But there are various parties striving
for advantages, and he is attacked
first by one. then by another.
Mr. Ballinger knows the law and he
knows the. usage and practical appli
cation of the law. He -knows' the
theory of the so-called conservation,
too; and he stands for It and upon It as
far as practicable. Mr. Finchot Is a
theorist, merely; and his view of con
servation is that of an enthusiast.
He has. studied foreign methods of
forestry, and he desires to transplant
them to the United States. Since the
public lands that remain are the prop
erty of the United "States, he would
have the Government hold them as
landlord and proprietor, for its own
use; and the water powers also. He
would make a revolutionary change
in the policy of the country, on this
subject. It would apply only to the
newer states and their mountain dis
tricts, for In the older states the re
sources were appropriated, and passed
into private hands, long ago.
Herein the contest, as so often ex
plained by The Oregonlan, is between
state or local interests and the policy
of central administration. We of the
newer states desire the development
and use of the waiter powers and other
natural resources. The Pinchot scheme
would hamper it, delay it, block it."
The Government of the United States
can't do the- work, but will sit down
at the waterfalls, and ask the melo
dious birds, sing their madrigals to
them. '
What should be done? Extinguish
ment of the proprietorship of the
United States over these lands and
waters Is the first necessity. The lands,
carrying riparian rights, should be
old, as always heretofore,- to prior
applicants. Then the states, each for
itself, can deal wijh the water prob-'
lems with the .irrigation and power
problems. We a're drifting off, indeed,
In the other direction; but the irrlga-.
tlon schemes of the General' Govern
ment are but poor recompense for
confiscation of the resources of a state
for promotion of schemes outside of
It. The resources that lie within the
State of Oregon should be controlled
.by the state, for its own development
and use, under local law; or the
states should be abolished alt gether.
and all administration centered at
Washington. Are the water powers
of the states and the industries based
on them -to be controlled by state or
by. National legislation? Put It up to
Oregon, and what will Oregon say?
If the states are to be suppressed and
abolished, so be it. But if they are
still to exist, the policy heretofore
pursued should be adhered to; and
the General Government should -not
be -permitted to undertake the administration-
of the water powers of the
country and of the lands around them.
Every state can take care of this busi
ness for itself. Oregon already has a
stringent law. So have the other,
newer states. Conflict of laws be
tween the states and the National
Government on this subject will be
Intolerable. One or the other must
get out of the field. The Pinchot
policy proposes revolutionary shift of
the dividing line between state and
Federal authority. Ballinger yields' In
so far as he Is directed so to do by
law, but no farther. The present Issue
between them is on this line.
If it be true, as reported, that Pin
chot has written the President, re
questing a decision by the executive
between Ballinger and Pinchot, the
controversy soon will be simplified.
But it will not be closed; for It is not
the business of the United States td
administer the water powers of a state.
r Or WDXlfVtT Viliue tiicj na,c i-itc
United States should sell them. The
states then may subject them to regu
lation and to taxation.
This Forestry Bureau, is becoming
an immense machine; and it enlarges
and swells and grows. It has a mul
titude of officials, at Washington and
in the various states, and it is becom
ing one of the completest types of our
officialdom. It is costing now, we are
told, no less than 14,000,000 a year;
and its expenditures are in a way to
absorb from the Treasury more than
the value of all the resources it pre
tends to conserve. The United States
should get out of this business, and
leave it to the states-, which desire the
development and whose knowledge of
the conditions will lead the way to
fracfical and -useful results. In the
unorganized territory of Alaska the
laws of the United States may properly
run, for that region possesses no sem
blance of sovereignty, nor scarcely of
autonomy. But the several states are
capable of caring for these interests,
if they are capable of anything. If
not, wipe .them out altogether.
Sir Thomas Lipton expresses a de
sire to make anotrier try for the
America's cup in 1911. The purveyor
of tea to His Royal Majesty Edward
VII is desirous, however, that there be
a change in the rules. He states
that under the present rules he would
stand no chance to win. In view of
the past performances of the numer
ous Shamrocks that have advertised
' Lipton's tea in this country, no one
will be disposed to doubt the truth of
this statement. 'Sir Thomas' does not
specify what changes he wishes to
have made in the rules, but it is .be
lieved that, if the rules would permit
him to have a flying start of a few
miles, or would compel the American
yacht to tow an oyster dredge around
the course, Sir Thomas would be will
ing to take a chance. Sir Thomas is a
game sportsman, but-even his reputa
tion In that line Is mild and easy com
pared with that which he enjoy; as an
THE SPOKANE "MARTVfW." I
Conditions in Spokane resulting
from a clash between labor agitators
with anarchistic tendencies and speech
and the local officers of the- law are to
be deplored. These conditions repre
sent extremes in opinion and action
that admit of no compromise. They
must literally be fought out. While
the ultimate result can readily be fore
seen, the triumph of the forces of the
law will be one merely of outward
seeming: the defeat or the lawbreak
ers will be to the faction they repre
sent, unfortunately large, ' a sort of
armed submission,- combining the es
sence of martyrdom with defiance.
Kxtremes beget extremes. In this
h mon who went to Jail In a
flaunting spirit of heroism as disturb
ers of the peace ana inciters iu ""
..tA tr. mkc ft sDectacular play.
with themselves in the role of grand
champions of the right or rree t"-k-
. !,,r,a have been burdened
with the stories of self-inflicted star
vation. . ...
v nrinMnlA Involving the legiti
mate rights of the workingman is in
volved in the contention. It Is in
conceivable that men who proceed in
an orderly, self-respecting manner to
earn their livelihood by the work for
which they have fitted themselves, or
work which they have cnosen ana o
. nmiiri find themselves in
the wretched plight of these vaunting
advocates of the rights of labor. It
can hardly be doubted that two-thirda
of the entire number involved would,
if not swayed by evil counsels, De will
ing workers and orderly citizens.
". A TRIE'PHIlulSTHROFIST.
fhorioa x- Crittenton. who -died in
San Francisco Tuesday, was a mijlion
aire and a philanthropist. He was not
the kind of millionaire vho piled up
his millions by legalized robbery and
jobbery, nor the kind of a philanthro
pist who with great-ostentation makes
indiscriminate gifts of libraries of
..i.ir,-a hie value, or Dlaces immense
sums at the disposal of scientific or
educational institutions, vveosicr uc
a iv ,i-nrH n hi lan thropist as "one
who loves mankind and seeks to 'pro
mote the .good of others." Mr. Crit
tenton measured up well to this
standard. Among all other American
millionaires it Is doubtful if there are
anv oth'er two, or perhaps ten, who
... - I 114-..
have accomplisnea as muca m iwc
in. 9i miserv as has been accom
plished through his efforts.
The millions of Mr. Crittenton were
uh in hnMrMnir homes for. unfortu
nate girls. They were also used In
sending agents out into tne nignas
back from the
jaws of hell hundreds and thousands
of girls who had Incautiously arntea
tried border into
the land leading to despair and death.
t-v. n.- .--i.T-C near In hrinerinsr these poor
girls back where they could lead clean,
wholesome lives, ana again Decome
useful members of society.
Free libraries planted broadcast are
excellent vehicles for the display of
wealth and the enormous college en
dowments of some 'of our trust-made
millionaires are in their way Denenciau
But for real, tangible relief for hearts
that are breaking, and for the -saving
of young girls not yet steepea in sin,
rniKantnnhnmfl Is worth more to
humanity than all of the Carnegie li
braries that could he duiii ana en
dowed. '
THE SUGAR SCANDAL
The millions of consumers who for
years have paid heavy tribute to tne
tniat hvA iindoubtedlv thougtit
that the -prices were sufficiently exor-
bltant to satlsry tne rapacity ui mat
tariff-protected octopus. Developments
now coming to light in the sugar scan
dal In New York show quite clearly
that t,he trust's long arm of graft has
for more than' twenty years been lift
j fmm thn TTnlted States
1 11 ft iiiuin.j . . . . . ..
Treasury. No trick that would add to
the wealth of the trust was too smaii
or shady' and rio thieving scheme too
big. It will probably be an impossi
bility to determine the full amount
stolen from the Government, but from
the length of time the dishonest work
has been going on and the tremendous
volume of business handled It is be
lieved that the total will approximate
J30.000.000.
Washington dispatches state that
twenty-two weighers in -the New York
Custom-House are under suspicion of
being implicated in the colossal
frauds. But the scheme was too big
and the sum involved" too great to be
handled by twenty-two weighers, or
many times that number. There were
"higher-ups" in that case, without
whose aid the sugar trust, the great
est thief 'of the age. coold not have
systematically robbed the Treasury for
so many years. The principal method
of stealing was simple In the extreme.
Cargoes were weighed and under
weighed. Refusal of the ocean car
riers to stand in on the graft forced
the trust to pay freight on the actual
weight, but the duty was paid always
on the under weight. By this method
the trust stole from 5 per cent to' 10
per cent of the duty on every cargo. .
The rapidity with which these steal
ings ran into vast sums can be under
stood when it Is' stated that on a sin
gle steamer entering from Java, near
the close of the Cleveland Administra
tion, 1130,000 In duties was stolen, and
on freight alone on the cargo the trust
colon mum than would have
been justified by the weight on which
duty was paid. Before this system of
stealing had been perfected into the
fine art it seemed to be, when the
first disclosures were made, the trust
had made frequent attempts to de
fraud the carriers by claiming a
shrinkage of 2 to 3 per cent. They
were so far successful that, after icon
siderable squabbling, the carriers
agreed to a discount of 1 per cent, an
amount much In excess, of the actual
loss suffered. ...
This graft w-as all worked at the
port of New York, and it Is easy to
understand the impossibility of. the In
dependent refineries at Bostojt or
Philadelphia, or in fact in any other
port, meeting competition of this na
ture. Prior to the beginning of these
frauds Philadelphia was receiving U
per cent of the sugar entering 'the
United States, but duripg the past
eleven years, when the trust has prof
ited most by the frauds, Philadelphia
has secured but 19 per cent of the
business, the trust naturally routing all
of its imports through New York.
Inmagnitude nothing approaching
this scandal has been unearthed in the
Government service in many years,
and the affair has gained such promi
nence and caused such widespread In
dignation that the arrest and punish
ment of a few weighers will not sat
isfy the people any more than the in
significant H35.000"fine satisfied them.
TWO YEARS OF DOUUR WHEAT.
Have the days of cheap wheat (and
of course, cheap- bread), paseed for
ever? This query is suggested by the
tenacity with which the premier cereal
hovers above the dollar mark. For
more than two years wheat in the
Chicago market has been selling at
more than $1 per bushel. At times
some of,- the distant options would
show a decline to a few cents under
that magic figure, which was so promi
nently mentioned when the Bryan
campaigners of 1896 sought to hitch
wheat and silver to the same cart. But
there has been no period in the past
two years when $1 per bushel, or bet
ter, has not been quoted for either the
cash article or some of the options.
Perhaps the most singular feature
of this extraordinary market is the
continued strength of the December
option In the Chicago market, th
price ranging from 2 to 3 cents higher
than for the May option, which
should naturally, be higher to the ex
tent of the carrying charges of 2 or 3
cents per bushel. Inability of bujiers
to secure enough wheat for Decem
ber delivery at J1.06 to J1.07 per
busehl is tvidence either that farmers
are holding back stocks to a greater
extent than ever before, or that the
1909 crop, Uke that of 1908, was
greatly overestimated. The shadow of
the Argentine crop is already on the
European market, "and with harvesting
to begin In the northern' portion of
that country within the next' thirty
days, the possible dimensions of the.
crop must be pretty well known in the
foreign markets.
Yet neither reCtord-breaking Russian
shipments nor the promise of a good
yield in the Argentine nor a big crop
in Australia seems to depress the Eu
ropean -market so long as Chicago
maintains prices. This would indicate
that our chief competitors in the
wheatgrowing business had not yet
reached a point where they could sup
ply Europe with all wheat required,
and until tne American aemanu
shrinks sufficiently to reduce prices in
Chicago, there is not much likelihood
of lower prices elsewhere in the world.
BIBLICAL CRITICISM.
The letter published in The Orego-
nian by the Reverend William Hiram
Foulkes on November 16 contains a
passage which, in the interest of truth
and fairness, we shall reprint, for the
sake of a little comment. SpeaJting of
Gypsy. Smith Dr. Foulkes says:
It he Is guilty of clinging to the historic
ity of the B-nnnela. he only shares with his
brethren in a bundled thousand pulpits and
a hundred theological chairs, tne conviction
that while modern criticism, may have
emasculated the gospel to its own present
satisfaction. 4t Is able neither to present a
coherent or a flnal theory as to how much
Is historical, nor to give any better ex-
. i..inn tnf th ,iuinil rffrriHi than the
evangelical one. Modem erlticlsm . needs
to, toe reminded that Reimarus with nls cry
of fraud gave way to Paulus, with his easy
going rationalism; mat r-auiua leu oux on
fore Strauss, with his mxthicaJ theory; that
Baur and his Tubingen school set at naught
Strauss; and that each new critic has eaten
Up his predecessor, while 'the historic gos
pel Is still being effectually preached and
universally believed.
-In these remarks -Dr. Foulkes ex
hibits, without apparent hesitation,
that contempt for scholarship which
is one of the worst faults of the Amer
ican pulpit . and one of the prime
causes of its weakness. Contented
ignorance is the state of mind which
he displays and praises. -He rejoices
in the thought that scholars have not
yet settled what parts of the gospels
are truth and what fiction. Evidently
he must suppose that error is Just
as effective for "salvatfcm" as a truth.
If he did not he would delight in the
efforts of scholars to sift the fiction
from the fact In the New Testament,
fnstead of deriding their labors and
misrepresenting their results. The
charge we made against the illiterate
peripatetic evangelists that they scorn
the facts of history and the truths of
science migh,t be extended to Dr.
Foulkes himself, without much injus
tice, if one may judge from the spirit
of this letter.
Modern criticism has not' "emascu
lated" the ' gospel or tried to do so,
unless it Is "emasculation" to winnow
out spurious passages like the last
nine verses of Mark. Does it neces
sarily weaken the message of sajva
tion to free it from sectarian glosses
and 'obtain it in the form given by
Jesus? Scholarly investigation seeks
te go behind Interpolations, mistrans
lations, wrong dates and false tradi
tions, and discover' what Jesus really
said and did. It strives to tear away
the hedge of myth and ignorant inven
tion which has too long obscured the
personality of the Son of Man. Much
more loyally than any illiterate ranter,
modern criticism obeys the mandate
"Back to Jesus," b'ut it seeks the real
Jesus, not the spurious and incredible
figment , of the churchly imagination.
The "historicity"- of the gospels, or at
any rate of the synoptics, is not ques
tioned by any scholar of standing.
The fanciful matter, such as the ac
counts of miracles, does not impair
the credit of what Is really historical
any more In the gospels than It does
in LIvy.- But in conceding a sub
stratum of verifiable truth in the gos
pels, scholars do not accept the In
crustatlons of fable which have sur
rounded and often concealed It. To
say, as Dr. Foulkes does, that "each
new critic has eaten up his predeces
sor" is to employ tho gross language
of defiant illiteracy. Critics differ
among themselves because their
thought is free to .follow 'all the lead
ings of every clew to truth, and nat
urally some clews are deceptive, but,
after all, the crilics do not clash more
harshly than the sects. . )
Far from eating one another up,
they have established a great, struc
ture "of Impregnable knowledge about
the man Jesus and the New Testa
ment, which would not be concealed
from the" public if the pulpit were
more enlightened, or more candid.
For example it has been proved that
the three synoptic gospels are derived
in large part from a common source
which has disappeared completely. It
was not written either in Greek or
pure Hebrew, but in the Aramaic dia
lect, which Jesus spoke. In all likeli
hood it was a terse compilation of
his sayings. . Not one of the synoptic
gospels is the account of an eye-witness,
and certainly the first two were
not written by the men whose names
they bear. These points and hundreds
more of similar - tenor are perfectly
well known in literate circles. They
have been established by criticism
and no scholar dreams of disputing
them; but how much is ever heard
about them from the pulpit? Evan
gelists, nd others, argue that If the
truth were told about these matters
faith would be unsettled. The un
settling ensues because the tnuth is
not toid. The modern church-goer
does not depend entirely upon the pul
pit for his information. He reads
books, and the contrast between the
book and the sermon is so vivid .that
oftentimes his faith does not survive
the shock. - ,
What Is a faith worth which is built
upon- misinformation? Its only safe
guard is a resolute hatred of knowl
edge. It sees its worst enemy in In
vestigation nd trembles in the face
of every new truth that comes to light.
In sober fact fajth of that kind can
riot hold Its own in the modern world
and is rapidly being eliminated. Evan
gelists like Gypsy Smith who possess
singular powers of persuasion may oc
casionally fan the dying ernbera to. a
transient flame, but jiot for long.
Dr. Foulkes errs in saying that the
historic gospel is still being'effectually
preached and universally believed."
The historic gospel -is very seldom
preached. It is replaeed by a sad col
lection of UDhistorlc myths, themost
prominent' being the fall of man and
the blood atonement. How effectual
the preaching of these vain figments Is
may be gathered by listening to the
endless wall from the pulpit that the
multitude has ceased going to church.
Construction of an electric railway
from Oregon City to Silverton through
the fertile Molalla Valley Is said to be
assured within a reasonable length of
time. This railway line will traverse
a section of varied beauty and re
sources. Its development has been-
retarded by lack of adequate transpor
tation facilities. It has been long set
tled, but its 'resources are, relatively
speaking, undeveloped and practlcally
unknown. The good roads movement
has never reached It, and. being with
out railway facilities, large areas of
this region have been isolated even in
a neighborly sense for several months'
each year. An electric line connect
ing it with the larger centers of pop
ulation cannot fall to be the immedi
ate forerunner of the substantial and
profitable development of the districts
of Clackamas and Marion Counties,
through which it'is now seeking right
of way.
Portland's trade with Coos Bay
doubled and trebled within a year af
ter the steamer Alliance began mak
ing regular trips, and It has been
steadily increasing since that time.
two statements now finding profitable
employment on the route. Similar
esults would follow the establishment
of steamship service between this port
and Bandon. An effort is now being
made to bring the rich country along
the Coquille River into direct commu
nication with this city by means of a
steamer line. The entire Coast regian
Is so rich in naturai resources that the
establishment of even an imperfect
transportation service is always fol
lowed by remarkable development.
This is a matter which should and un
doubtedly wjll have the united support
of the Portland business interests.
The excellent recommendation of
character given CrqOk Richardson by
Detectives Day and Carpenter failed to
save that worfhy (bunco) man from
a sixty days' sentence on the rockpile,
although' he Is not serving it. The
incident, however, displayed the tender-hearted
solicitude which some of
our detectives have for the outlaws
who drift into Portland for the pur
pose of tearing off a few easy tricks.
Perhaps if Harvey Dale and some of,
his friends who have temporarily dis
carded their striped clothes had in
duced Mr. Richardson's . detective
friends to go to the front for themk
they would not have been obliged to
leave the city for the city's good.
Occasionally poetic justice is ren
dered in this wicHed world. In West
Virginia the other day a mule was its
humr,in medium, but the result was as
satisfactory as if it had been a Hon or
a steam roller. The mule kicked to
death a man. who w-as so mean his
wife could not live with hirn All the
proprieties of the case seem to have
been fully met. ,
It was a great idea, to be sure-,- to
allow those notorious crooks to re
main in town, if they would promise
"to do no work." Pleasant thing to
have a gang of well-known "strong
mf men etnnrlin? nrniind the streets
with their hands in their own pockets.
- . . . . . .i j i .i i .
Belt or course tneir nanus uiuu t
Vong there, and didn't stay.
The old reproach "more ornamental
than useful" does not apply to Port
land's detectives. Their usefulness is
about-as small as It could possibly be,
but they te , still less ornamental.
When an object possesses neither use
nor beauty it is hard to find a good
reason for retaining it particularly if
it is expensive.
People.who think mankind has out
grown all its. fojlles may chasten their
pride by remembering that there is
a magazine of Astrology published in
Portland and that it has subscribers.
About the hardest thing in the world
to kill is a good, old-fashioned "super
stition which has not a single fact to
stand on. - ..
New England is the latest region
to discover that it can raise apples
"almost as good" as the Hood River
product. .When New England fruit
brings Hood River prices in Boston
the point will be settled. Until that
timn finvprnor Draper's boast may be
-suspected of carrying more or less
water. - .
A dirigible balloon voyage across the
Atlantic Ocean, following the route of
Columbus, is planned in Germany. Of
course the Spanish win have nothing
to do with it. They have found more
than enough trouble from helr dis
covery of the New World, already.
Captain Amundsen, polar explorer,
has come to America to get a supply,
of pemmlcan like Cook's. It is not
credible, however, that the Captain is
going to follow Cook's course in quest
of another polar dispute. 1
Bourne, they say, is preparing a
statement to show that the Govern
ment is spending from 150,000,000
to $100,000,000 needlessly, every year.
Doubtless true- including the salary of
Senator Bourne.
This is the annual occasion for law
yers to assure the public by display of
"ethics" how good they are. The Bar
Association should meet, oftener than
once a year.
Gus Lowit has been released on
bond. Trust Gus to keep out of jail.
He never was held there yet.
At last Defective Joe Day .has
reached a point where his profanity is
not conclusive evidence.
TUB "BCTI'TIX FROM BLBA,"
An Intereatlna; Sumnpary of Recent
Conjectural Politics.
Springfield XMass.) Republican.
Tntprv pw A. radical. thorouKh-going
Roosevelt man; almost invariably comes f
the declaration that tbe ex-Fresldent win
be back in 1912. He expresses disappoint
ment in Mr. Taft, thinks his Tour a frost,
finds his speeches dull and his actsvhalf
the time controlled by the "interests."
If tt'Vere not .for Giffprd Pinchot, the
Government Forester, "my policies" would
be in Jericho awaiting the trump of doom.
Reaction menaces the Nation, and its
only salvation will be the early return -of
Mr. Roosevelt to power. These sentiments
may often be drawn from the average
iRoosevelter one casually meeta. The
country over, they make a body of opin
ion that disturbs the political atmosphere,
gives fresh encouragemcnteto the Repub-.
lican "insurgent" movement in the West
against Aklrich and Cannon, inspires
fresh attacks upon Secretary Ballinger
and opens a new trail for the muck-raking
magazines. Frantic anti-Roosevelt
papers like the New York Sun see the
tendency and begin to shell the woods,
the Sun, by the way, using Herbert Par
sons and the sugar trust, of which bis
father Is counsel, as the first target. A
"Back From Elba" Club- has been dis
covered already organized among the last
President's intimates, the nucleus being
apparently the defunct tennis cabinet,
whose members for the most part are of
ficially out of work. "Back from Elba"
has a meaning that speaks for Itself like
an electric sign., To be sure, the "100
days" ended at Waterloo, as the anti
Roosevelters are quick to say;' but. In
this case, we are. to understand that a
new meaning is to be read into history.
The "100 days" would last at least eight
years.
The New York Tribune, now selling for
1 cent, asserts on the authority of its
excellent Washington bureau, that on a
certain evening early this week six mem
bers of the Taft LaDlnet met ai ins
house of Attorney-General Wickersham
to discuss the political situation. They
were impressed, it is said, by the circum
stantial evidence showing "the evistence
of a concerted movement to procure the
nomination- of Theodore Rosevelt in
1912." and are prepared to place before
the, President the facts which have come
to their notice. It is the belief of the
Cabinet that the various attacks emanat
ing from Republican sources upon several
members of the Administration are really
directed at the President, In the expec
tation of discrediting him and his meth
ods, although '.'none of President Taft'a
friends entertains for a moment the idea
that the chief fadtor in what they be
lieved to be a concerted movement, Theo.
dore Roosevelt, is party to it, or at this
time would sanction the movement.-' The
ground is being prepared for the triumph
al return of the hero that is all. If a
situation can be created that will compel,
Mr. Roosevelt to assume the party lead
ership again, the plot succeeds, what
ever may be his personal feeling toward
his chosen successor, for we cannot for
get that Mr. Roosevelt carries the spear
that knows -no brother.
Pursuing the subject, the Tribune pro
ia.a tta nTV,rfl an fan into the future as
to suggest -a party struggle in 1912 not
unlike that In 18S0. which followed Gen-
1 ,-q'd tMi rf thA world- An in
teresting forecast, perhaps, but prema
ture. We are not far enougn aown ine
pike. Mr. Taft has been President only
iv,4- mAntha Tho number- of things
which may happen to disconcert the
"Back From Elba" unit) staggers me im
agination. It is not difficult to see how
Mr. Taft may turn the situation to his
own advantage with remarkable effect
and secure extraordinary results from the,
next two or three sessions of Congress, if
he will only recall the method by which
Mr. Roosevelt controlled the last Repub
lican convention, and forced the nomina
tion of Mr. Taft. "If you don't take
Taft, you'll take me," was the threat
constantly uttered By tne last occupant
of the White House in the Spring, of
1908. It clinched the argument, and theo
was nothing more to be said. The steam
roller left nothln of the "allies." and
even Mr. Fairbanks is now somewhere In
i ,n..nnr, riHnt lrwr. to the world.
1 1 1 nil -ii ,i ..j .......... -
Admitting that there is grave danger of
Mr. Roosevelt coming hacK in it. n
exceedingly clear that- President Taft may
now use the fear of "restoration" to force
i nnA,.,f,tli,A -o.-lnr nf his DartV to fol-
I LUG 1.1'IH - 1 . .. . .
Llow his own leadership in questions of
---- ' - -
of progressive lawmaking for Congress
. nt An Ha nun a I vv uiuKiainiiio
to consider, mucti or which is
and the, better part of which should be
enacted into law. Mr. Taft ;eeks to ad
vance by legal and constitutional meth
ods, hence he needs the immediate aid of
Congress In making new laws and modi
fying old ones. The question of coal and
. V, niinlin lanrlfl is RTl
water poweis '" !"- i- -
Illustration; for the land laws must be
amended to enable the Federal govern
ment to preserve those resources of the
Nation from monopolization by private
interests. When obstructive or reaction-
.cnattre onH Rpnr esen tatl ve s come
to him and say they cannot support his
programme, let Mr. Tart mump tne u"o
and say: "If you don't give me this,
you'll get Roosevelt as sure as fate, in
1912." ' And that will surely fetch them.
The railroads, the corporations, the "in
terests" generally, will feel the force of
their turn comes to
support or- oppose the Taft -proirramme.
Let Mr. Taft Keep munipiug
and saying: "You'll get Roosevelt," and
his success with Congress in the next
three years may be wonderful- to behold.
The "back from Elba" movement,
therefore, need not fill us with serious
dread, provided that Mr. Taft thumps the
table enough. It Is, however, necessary
for him to abandon somewhat his method
of dealing with Congress.'as illustrated in
the making of the Payne-Aldrlch tariff,
and work upon the fears of that body.
Mr. Taft has the future In his own
keeping. - ..
Reflection of a Bachelor.
TJew York Press.
It Isn't so much that we love life; it's
that wa hate death
A red-headed widow is a very lucky
thing for her first husband.
A pretty girl can have the use of all
the wisdom she needs in tho men she can
canture.
If we put into doing something for our
friends half the time we put into trying
to get even, with our enemies this would
be a grand world.
A. man takes chances in business, the
stock market, horse races, going to the
theater at night in his office, running
for office and dodging bis taxes; all a
woman's chances are on the one thing,
matrimony.
Pointed Pnrnsrraphri.
. - Chicago News.
Some men succeed in spite of them
selves. '
It is usually costly to follow cheap ad-
The more talk It takes to run things
tbe slower they move.
The bravest dentist isn't anxious to
look into the jaws of death.
A woman would rather suspect her hus
band than distrust her preacher.
If a man snores he has a good excuse
for remaining away from church
The Editor'. Humble Request.
. Logan (W. Va.) Democrat.
We have this request to make; When
we die we don't want any of the insur
ance money spent for a crayon portrait
of the deceased. There are plenty of
other ways to squander the money.
Iiove'a Educational Aspect.
Leslie's Weekly.
To love a crood woman is a liberal edu
cation. ' To love a lady of fashion -is. a
commercial education.
MEASLY LOT OF INIQUITOUS REPROBATES
BV, ' ' " 'T-'.-. - r
Republican, "of Oreajo. Are Not Entitled to e RiWhra Attaching to Erery
Other Organisation in Every Otker Country on Earth.' Some Comparison.
Bearing on the Matter of A.cmbly for Conaultatlon.
PORTLAND, Nov. 17. (To the Edi
tor.) What a measly lot of bad men,
indeed, must be those Republicans who
in the past have taken an active part
in the affairs of their party. What un
told Injury to the best interests of the
people -would certainly follow any
gathering of them in one body,, the re
sult of which should be an expression
of their preference for the different
candidates for state offices! Bad, Irre
sponsible, designing and iniquitous
reprobates! For proof of this proba
bility. Indeed, certainty, read any
Democratic paper In the state.
Recently we have been favored wltn a
public' expression by one of our local
men of prominence, and authority on
this subject from a ueraocratic stana
point, in which he kindly grants the
privilege to Republicans from all parts
of the state assembling since "any at-
tack on this general political night
will fall, and ought to fail, because no
man who cares for his freedom of
thought and act will approve an as
sault oh the right of assembly."
Having made this concession even to
those whom he calls the "bosses" of the
Republican party, he proceeds to add
that such an assembly "may properly
meet to decide on a course of political
action and recommend the same tothelr
fellow citizens, but any attempt to pass
beyond mere ' voluntary assemblage
and recommedation and usurp the
power of the voters to nominate, or
any attempt to browbeat the voters
with a ready-made slate, should be re
sented by those of Independent minds.'
But listen to this other statement:
"Certain of the Democrats have met
(as men properly may) and made rec
ommendations or urged members of the
party to become candidates for Demo
cratic nominations, but they have never
pretended to act as delegates or repre
sentatives of others in the. name of the
Democratis party." ,
Here, finally, we have the comprehen
sive analysis of the hitherto compli
cated difference 'twixt tweedledum and
tweedledeo. When Republicans gather
from different sections of the state to
"discuss political actions and ideas" it
is necessarily a concocted scheme to as
sail the public weal, but ..Democrats
may do the same thing "make recom
mendations and urge members of the
party to. become candidates for Demo
cratic nomination" without in any
manner or to any degree departing
from the political straight and narrow
path. ' And they do it. In fact, they
seldom do it in any other way.
Few Democrats other than those rec
ommended to the rank and file of the
party as the most fitting men for given
positions by a small assembly of their
party associates have ever presumed to
go before the .Democratic primaries,
The Democratic conception of an "as
sembly" Is that one composed . of
self-chosen Democratic representa
tlves may recommend candidates
for Democratic nominations, and even
"urge" them upon the voters, remain
ing the while unquestionably within
the charmed precincts of the poli
tical saints, but if a gathering of
Republicans should presume to do pre
cisely the same thing, they thereby
enter Into a domain occupied only by
those having dark designs upon good
government and a chronic hatred or
public morals!
But it Is recalled that 2000 years ago
there were those who gathered their
skirts about themselves and thanked
God they were not as others were.
The rule laid down by this modern
sect of specialists Is that all men of all
creeds and beliefs In the social, re
ligious, political and fraternal ' world
may meet freely and discuss, recom
mend, nay, even "urge" selected men
this Is sometimes denominated a slate
when done by Republicans to become
candidates for positions, but the line is
drawn at Republicans availing them
selves of this blessed privilege.
A few dozen Democrats in the state
have decided that the Republicans may
properly meet in an assembly, for the
right of peacable assemblage Is guar
anteed by the Constitution, but beyond
conducting an. old-fashioned Quaker
meeting their definite action must not go.
They must not talk, save in a whisper,
and their whispers must not take the
form of "urging members of the party
to become candidates foj Republican
nominations." Any step in that direc
tion, would be "an assault on the pri
mary law," 'twduld be a "slate," a sort
of snap Judgment by the bosses, but the
Democrats may gather in similar as
semblies and in the name of Thomas
Jefferson "urge" 'men they have se
lected to become candidates for Demo
cratic nominations.
But that's different.
. -
The plain fact is that no organization,
no matter what its purpose, could long
survive if governed under the Interpre
tation of our primary law given by the
Democrats of Oregon when applying it
to the Republican party. No organiza
tion since the beginning of time has even
tried it. Suppose, for instance, the Ma
sonic, traterriity should undertake the
task of pushing the objects of its order
by taking the individual votes of its
members in the different localities of the
state and adding up the sum total at the
headquarters of its grand master? Under
the Democratic construction of the pro
visions of the primary law it is "actually
unlawful for the Republicans to assem
ble anywhere and even express an opin
ion that might gather general cirpula
tlon and reach the voters who had re
mained at home! They may gather but
the public must not be permitted to know
what they said, or thought. Bad, bad
men. '"
But suppose the Masons should never
meet anywhere for any purpose? How
far would they get In the realization of
the purposes -of their great order if they
never held a grand lodge where Its lead
ers could consult, exchange ideas, make
suggestions and. indeed, lay out proposed
fields for new work? Under the Demo
cratic Interpretation of our primary law
the Masonic order would have been in its
grave thousands of years ago if it had
been compelled to work under its pro
visions. Suppose the "assembly" system
should not prevail in the government of
the Methodist Church and its life-giving
red-hot and enthusiastic general confer
ences should be strictly prohibited? Sup
pose.' Its bishops and presiding elders
should never get together on the business
of church government and church work?
Indeed, suppose it had no bishops, pre
siding elders, that is. "bosses," and
everything was left to the votes of the
lay members all over the state, without
conference, consultation or guidance or
any kind? Suppose that great denomi
nation had for 50- years In Oregon been
deprived of the assemblles" in which
Priver, Hines, ' Roberts, Parrlsh, Leslie,
Waller, Lee and their brethren planned
and excuted the magnificent work It
-has accomplished. Or, coming nearer to
present day matters, imagine no confer
ences where the caustic tongue of Brother
Cline had Invaded some cobweb some
where or the more tactful True Wilson
had injected a left-handed adjective sugar-coated
with an alleviating word of
euphomy? But the Methodists believe
in an assembly. So do the Grangers. So
do the Masons and Oddfellows. So do
the Socialists. Likewise the labor organ
izations. In this connection it may he
properly added that so do the Demo
crats of Oregon, as to themselve.s, thf
only exception being in the case of then
opponents, the Republicans, who ate such
very bad men that a rule, must be ap
plied to them which is inoperative as t"
every other organization In every other
country on earth. But In .this cae
"there's a Democratic reason."
Under present conditions the Republi
can organization in Oregon Is rapidly
becoming a mere rope of sand, without
cohesive ingredients or vital strength
successfully to withstand any. serious
test. On account of its lack of opportu
nity for 'consultation in any way what
ever it is fast becoming a plaything in
the hands of a handful of Democrats
who are still endeavoring to supply lis
rules and regulations, the formulation uf
its by-laws and constitution.
If the Democrats succeed in further
running the Republican party of Oregon
and dictating its course of management,
within ten years there will not even be a
semblance of its autonomy. Its "aura"
will have been gathered to Its fathers,
so to speak, and every Democrat in the
state will be an enthusiastic attendant
upon the funeral wake. By that time.
there being no assemblage of Republi
cans anywhere or at any time, those of
Jackson County, which lies next to Cali- '
fornla, will be as complete strangers to
those of Baker or Malheur as though they
lived in Skowhegan, Me. By that time,
under the present programme of enforc
ing an injunction against two Republi
cans being seen together unlesa they re
frain from referring to matters of party
wishes or purposes, a Republican of Co.
lumbla County, if there should be such,
will be as innocent of acquaintance with
his party brother of Klamath, indeed,
of Lane, if such should then be survivlns,
as if he were sojourning on ' the sunny
uplands of the Ozafks.
And yet, it may be that the Republi
cans of Oregon are now quite ready to
decline any further acquiescence in the
proposition that It may not and should
not exercise the one privilege which Is
the fundamental principle of every or
ganization on earth which hopes to ac
complish results and to be a power in
the field which it pretends to occupy.
.
Boiled down, the only objection urged
against an "assembly" is .that its work
would be harmful to the public good.
StiU further clarified of fustian and hot
air, it is equivalent to saying that the
leaders of, or prominent men in, -the Re
publican party of Oregon are such a lot
of schemers, plunderers and incompetents
that the party can only succeed by keep
ing them segregated by the enactment
and enforcement of a barbed-wire statute
which would say, in substance, that "the
Republican party is all right if its prom
inent men are kept permanently apart lii
such manner that no conference on politi
cal matters may ever be had."
It is presumed that an assembly f
representative Oregon Republicans might
be held at which gathering the five
points of Calvinism or the Origin of
Species could be discussed without arous
ing the hysterical opposition of the Dem
ocrats this might possibly be done but
any reference to the reasons why they
belong to the Republican party, to the
best course for strengthening the organi
zation or effort to consider the merits of
the different aspirants for state and
county offices would be direct evidence
of treason to the state and a covert as
sault upon, our cherished institutions.
And wouldn't you -think a man who
claims to be a Republican would be es
pecially proud of being a member of a
political organization -whose welfare can
only be guaranteed by erecting a legis
lative' wall around each of its leaders so
high that communion, either close or
free, shall be permanently barred?
But that Is the game if the Democrats
are permitted to control the affairs of
their opponents and there may be Re
publicans who will consent to It.
y T. T. GEER.
HAKE CHAUFFEURS GIVE BONOS.
One Remedy SuKireated Which My
Curb Rccklcaa Drivlns;.
PORTLAND, Nov. 17. (To the Editor.)
There haa been fearful destruction of
human life recently in this community
by reckless drivers of aufoniohllc.8, who
are wholly Irresponsible morally, finan
cially and in every way. There has been
a good deal of complaint against the
roadhouses for furnishing liquors to the
Joy-riders, but in my opinion most of the
whisky and other strong drink is pro
cured in the down-town saloons by thesa
people before they start on their mad
drives A man who drinks or who gets
drunk Is certainly not fit to drive or han
dle an automobile on the public roads and
The important question now before the
public is how to prevent the recurrence
of these accidents. I have talked with
members of the License Board and they
tell me that many of these auto drivers
will swear to almost anything to get the
risht to drive an automobile.
I wish to suggest to you what I regard
as a simple and effective remedy, as fol
lows: Let every man who drives an
automobile, whether he owns U or not.
give a bond in the sum of at least $300 to
secure his compliance with the laws and
ordinances governing the running of auto
mobiles. , M
I have talked with a number ef the
most influential men In tho city, who
own autos and they aro all in favor of
such a law. I am told by these men that
they are afraid to go on the streets with
their machines because of the risk of
being smashed up by reckless automobile
drivers. ' ,
CITIZEN OF PORTLAND SINCh, 163.
Taft Merely Himself.
New York Sun.
No one can tejl at this time what the
effect of the grand tour will be upon Mr.
Taft's policies and fortunes. If he has
said the obvious thing on many occasions
it has been said with the. utmost good
nature and without the least affectation.
He has certainly tried hard to he as so
ciable as his predecessor, and has suc
ceeded in being more genial and sympa
thetic. In Mr. Taft's appearance and ad
dress there is nothing acsresslvo and
bumptious, nothing that rasps, .provokes
and aggravates. .
He seems to have made a hit by being
himself. As .his journey ends he owns
that he is weary, and he is of no mind to
set off for Panama during the Winter
perhaps he "will send the Secretary of
War, who is hard as nails himself, and
who also has a heart for any fate.
Virginia Belle'. Wit.
De Leon's "Belles and Beaux."
Two examples of Miss Ould's quickness
I can personally vouch for. Shortly be
fore her marriage she was at a dinner
In Richmond with several lawyers, one of
whom was a noted Munchausen; he was
also a desperate drinker and held long
sessions. He was boasting of one case in
which he had earned a Wl fee and then
spent It on a single spre.. Her table
neighbor asked Miss Ould if she credited
the fctory. Her answer was prompt"!
might doubt the. storied earn, hut he's
all right for tnat animated bust!"
Would Be Tatcn C'nre Of.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
"I fear I am not worthy of you."
"Never mind about that." responded the
young lady with the square jaw. "Be
tween mother and myself. I imagine we
can effect the necessary improvements."