THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1909.
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PORTLAND, MONDAY DEC, , 1909.
EDUCATION AND SELF-DEPENDENCE.
There was a normal school at
' Weston, and this school was one of
three that the Legislature left with
out appropriations for their support.
Great grievance Is held by the Weston
Leader against The Oregonian. be
cause, as the Leader asserts. The Ore
gonian killed the normal schools. Now
we believe The Oregonian is not the
Legislature; and many persons, and
some newspapers, when it suits their
purposes, flout The Oregonian, affect
to scorn it, and say It has no influence,
anyway. As matter of fact, The Ore
gonian is not "an enemy" of Weston,
nor of Ashland, nor of Monmouth.
There is no reason why it should be,
or could be. But It has opposed the
policy of state maintenance of local
high schools here and there, at the. ex
pense of the state their support on
the plea or pretense of necessity of
education of teachers by the state. It
knows no reason why teachers should
not educate themselves for their pro
fession, as persons intending to enter
other professions must do.
Moreover, The Oregonian believes
that this theory of expecting the state
to educate everybody for the whole
duties of life, or for the particular du
ties of life, is a mistake. Further, that
the theory of taxing all the people to
give special education, in any line, to
a few, is an abuse of a general prin
ciple. ' Our special institutions of
learning, maintained by the state, are
of no use to 95 per cent of the popula
tion;, for not 5 per cent can avail
themselves of" advantages that all are
called on to pay for.
Again, The Oregonian believes that
young people should make some ex
ertion for their own education, and that
their parents should realize their re
sponsibility to help; moreover, that
whole responsibility and charge should
not be thrown on the state.
"The Oregonian," says the Weston
paper, "deliberately played Into the
hands of ten or more sectarian schools
of Oregon that have normal depart
ments and were jealous of the state
.schools." Here' Is an admission that
it is not necessary for the state to
support normal schools. The word
"sectarian" is merely a bugbear. None
of these schools teaches the special
tenets of a sect or denomination.
To The Oregonian it makes no dif
ference tChatever what this state or
that state may do in this matter; how
many normal schools or special col
leges this state or that state may
maintain. WereThe Oregonian pubr
lished in another state, its position on
this subject would be the same as Its
position here and now. The theory of
state 'education, as it -believes, is run
ning to excess, or extremes. The in
terest of the Weston paper was not in
the state school as such, but In hav
ing a state school, an advanced school
in Its town, supported by the state, for
the .benefit of the town. It ought to
Jiave put the argument frankly on this
ground.
But we are told that Weston, now
thrown on its own resources, has, and
jmaintains, an excellent public school.
This self-dependence Is the way to ef
I ficiency and Independence, in edu
' cational as in all other affairs,
t No use to roar about "that man
I Scott." He knows, from experience
; how one may obtain some little edu
cation for himself if filling to put
'forth the exertion. Then such per
son Will not lose the habit of self
: dependence, which is more than all.
ANTIQUITY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Governor Shafrdth, of Colorado,, in
a speech in New York a few days ago,
predicted that woman suffrage would
become universal in this1 country. "It
.was In the fountain States, the birth
place of freedom," said he, "that suf
frage was first given to women, and it
cis as sure to extend to every state in
: the "Union as every principle s.f right
.is bound ultimately to triumph." As
'to the initial starting point of the suf
;frage movement in this country, Colo
rado may be entitled to the credit for
,:the early successes scored, but the
.woman suffrage question is almost as
. old as history. No one ever suspected
ancient Rome of being ' much of a
"birthplace of freedom," but woman
suffrage secured quite a foothold there
. more than 2000 years ago.
Indeed, there is now no startling de
parture from the methods of the old
Roman dames, in the tactics now used
by Mrs. Pankhurst and her followers
in England, although, fortunately for
the good name of America, the horse
Whipping of eminent statesmen has
not yet been regarded as necessary for
the good of the cause In this country.
About the time that Julius Caesar was
preparing to go over and straighten out
the political situation in Britain, the
question of "women's rights" took a
strong hold on the Roman women. Led
by one Hortensla, daughter of a fam
ous orator, they formed a flying
wedge, similar to that made by the
London women who stormed the
: House of Parliament, and marched on
the Forum. The history they made is
- strikingly similar to that which was
repeated In London 2000 years later,
"k for, under orders from the triumvers,
they were driven into the street and
'tl.e more obstreperous of their num
bers were thrown into jail? The issue
.in that campaign was taxation without
representation, and the earnestness of
: the women and the severity of the
' treatment given them 'awakened a
sympathy for them that resulted in
v their triumph. ' .
Even that was not the first recog
nition of women's rights, for, more
than .one 'hundred - years (before . the
birth-of Caesar the Roman women
took offense at a matter of dress reg
ulation and. In 195 B.' C marched to
the Forum and started a regular
twentieth century "rough house."
This particular grievance, .which
brought on one of the first militant
suffragist movements, was, however,
an exceptionally cruel one, as it was
directed against a law which' prohib
ited women from wearing garments
of more than one color. The law was
passed while Hannibal and his Cartha
ginian friends were entertainfng the
Romans with numerous blood-letting
contests, and was a 'military measure,
but, as some of -the Instincts of the
female sex have not changed much
since, it is easy to understand that
something worse than a raid on the
House of Parliament would follow at
tempted enforcement of such a law to
day. Solomon was slightly In error in
his statement that there was nothing
new under the sun, but the woman
suffrage movement is not new.
NOW IF IT HAD 1IAPPENKD HERE T
' The troop ship Prairie ran aground
soon after leaving Philadelphia, and
the gunboat Princeton had a similar
experience at Willapa harbor. Both of
the vessels had been dispatched to Nic
aragua, and the delay at this time might
have proved a serious matter. f
The two disasters might have hap
pened in any port In the world,
for whenever ships get out of
the proper channels it is prac
tically certain that they will take
the ground. The " Navy Depart
ment in the past, however, has exer
cised strong discrimination against
some ports in favor of others, and has
In effect blacklisted the Columbia
River for no ' other reason than that
ships would go aground here If they
got out of the channel.
The new system proposed for the
Navy will not prevent such disasters
as have happened to the- Princeton and
the Prairie, but it will, regardless of
the hampering influence of red tape
and precedent, permit warships to en
ter ports where navigation is safe.
COI.D WEATHER AND SUN SPOTS.
The hard-Winter prophet, who saw
the squirrels last Fall laying" in very
large store of cold-weather provender
and sounded a warning to the doubting
world, sees his vindication In the rec
ord of gales and blizzards and floods
and polar snow from. Blast and West.
So does the "sun-spot" man, who ut
tered direful forebodings several weeks
ago, when electrical and magnetic
"storms" and beautiful auroras told of
furious outbursts on our parent star.
Nowcomes a writer asking The Orego
nian whether the theory that upheav
als on the sun Induce sympathetic dis
turbances upon the earth is a credible
one. He says:
PORTLAND. Dec S. (To the Editor.)
Violent storms, tempests and cold weevther
seem to have come upon North America
and the whole Northern Hemisphere, with
unusual severity, and the Winter period
has only Just begun. In a discussion today,'
the remark was made, half Jestingly, that
sun spots may be the cause of this terres
trial trouble. The more I consider the,
matter, the more seriously am I Inclined to
view the sunspot theory. I know there are
many "experts," some of them woefully
hidebound against all new theories of solar
chemistry and physics, who scoff at sun
spots.. But la all stages of knowledge there
have been such , persons, combatting new
Ideas by which knowledge has made
progress. Is the sun-spot hypothesis a plaus
ible explanation of our weather trouble here
on earth? INQUIRER,
This is a question that cannot be
answered with . authority, because the
"experts" disagree or aver that infor
mation is not sufficient to convince.
The only, acknowledged' truth is that
spots on the sun are accompanied by'
electrical and magnetic agitation on
the earth. "Whenever the earth shows
these symptoms, eruptions are detected
'on the solar body. Recently the tele
graph systems of 'America were crip
pled and In some localities put out of
use by these "storms." But how far
weather was affected is unknown, or
whether those conditions were har
bingers of gales and blizzards.
The spots are supposed, by best au
thorities on astronomy, to mark' the
locations of violent eruptions from the
sun's interior or from . beneath the
sun's envelope of luminous gas. These
explosions of very hot matter, or gas,
reach a height of many thousands of
niiles. They are followed by a down
rush of colder matter, to take the
place of that which has been ejected.
The spots are manifest signs of vio
lent activity, and the magnetic needle
on the earth quivers and shifts under
their sway. , Each day shows a varia
tion of the needle. '
Astronomers have found that the
spots have a lower temperature than
the surrounding surface of the sun.
Whether they diminish the quantity" of
heat which the' sun sends out to the
earth is a question not yet determined.
Some scientists of standing have
thought that sun spots have this effect
on' the earth's supply of heat nourish
ment, and have written plausible ar
guments In support of the theory. But
scientific intelligence does not -accept
the theory, because observations have
not been sufficiently wide to establish
the fact. If it is a fact. .. '
This Is a highly Interesting subject
and will, receive the fullest study sci
entists can give it. But observations
of individual men are so short and
such long time Is required to follow out
the contemporary facts of sun spots
and terrestrial effects that knowledge
will' be slowly gained. Still, It is not
an extravagant notion that solar ener
gies influence weather on this globe,
and even crops, and through them the
human race. N
CAUTIOUS FINANCIERING.
The influence of dollar wheat, 15
cent cotton and similar gilt-edged col
lateral is much in evidence in the gen
eral financial situation throughout the
country. Money is so much easier In
the West than It Is in the East that
the lure of 'high Interest rates Is again
drawing it toward New Tork. This
movement .has thus far quite effectively
offset the drain made on the New York
banks for gold -for shipment to Europe
and South America. That New York
has not forgotten the lesson df two
years ago is quite apparent In the cau
tion reflected in the weekly bank state
ment. Week after week there has been
steady loss in cash through gold ex
ports and Subtreasufy operations, but
the New York financiers are not tak
ing chances pn being caught with de
pleted reserves, and are steadily scal
ing down their loans in order to hold
the surplus reserve In safe .proportions.
For the week ending last Saturday
the clearing-house banks of New York
showed a total reserve of J299.872.000,
compared with $376,204,000 on the
same week in the previous year. The
surplus reserve over and above the
legal requirements, was $7,714,000,
compared wlth $20,171,000 a year ago!
It is in the loan item that the extreme
caution of the New York 'bankers is
reflected. The "decrease in this Item
for the week ending Saturday was
$10,578,000, leaving total outstanding
loans of the clearing-house banks $1,
192,793.100, compared with $1,347,
145,300 on the same date a year ago.
Other banks aAd trust companies out
side1 of the- clearing-house institutions
report loans of $1,226,227,000, the de-'
crease b,eing about the same as in the
clearing-house banks. . These figures
would indicate .that the financial Insti
tutions of New York alone had reduced
their ldans In a single year to the ex
tent of $300,000,000.
The effect of this retrenchment, at a
time when business is reported g6od
and crops large throughout the coun
try, is reflected in unusually high
money rates in New York, a city which
In the past has enjoyed the lowest In
terest rates that have prevailed any
where in the country. Five per cent
for sixty-day loans, with' good mer
cantile paper seeking ' buyers at 5
and 5 y per cent, and with call loans
around 5 and 6 per cent, reveals a
much firmer money market than is
found in the West, where the raw ma
terial which produces money is found
in abundance. There is naturally
some uncertainty as to what may hap
pen when Congress convenes ' this
week, and the waiting attitude of the
foreign markets, pending the outcome
of the budget struggle, has some effect
on the New York markets.
This uncertainty, however, Is not as
yet affecting the situation In the West
and South, nor will It affect -these por
tions of the country so long as they
are turning off In record-breaking
amounts commodities for which the
whole world offers a market. Nothing
that Congress can and nothing that
the friends or enemies of the British
budget can So, will to any great extent
block the wheels of Industry In this
country. The land, the source of all
wealth, is producing collateral that can
be negotiated at all times, and, while
dearer money may check speculation
In stocks and perhaps temporarily in
terfere with some new legitimate
schemes that need financing, the turn
of the year will almost certainly bring
with it an easier money market in the
East as well as in the West.
CSE AND CONSERVATION.
The use, as well as the conservation
of our natural resources appeals to
i,and Commissioner Dennett as It ap
pealed to President -Tafl, Secretary
Ballinger and a number of other prac
tical men connected with the present
administration.
Commissioner Dennett, in his annual
report, expresses the opinion 'Hhat
It Is the duty of the Government, either
acting directly or by intrusting it to
individuals, to use these vast forces."
The Land Commissioner also expresses
a disinclination to go beyond the law
in handling the business of his de
partment. He does not assume, like
Mr. 'Plnchof and his fellow faddists,
in experimenting- with a theory, that
it is proper for a Government official
to do Anything not expressly forbidden
by law but, instead, asks for laws
which will the more definitely limit
and define the duties of his office.
Mr. Dennett's report should be well
considered by the muck-rakers. But it
will not be.
THE PARCELS POST.
Few more Important questions are
likely to come before Congress this
Winter than the parcels post. Will
our Government provide the people of
the United States with the same facil
ities for the delivery of goods and lit
erature that the people of other .civi
lized countries enjoy, or will it not?
On Its "face, this question may appear
a little dull. We readily admit that it
appeals to the Intelligence rather than
to the tender emotions, but for all that.
It goes down pretty near to the root
of our Institutions. It raises a number
of auxiliary inquiries, some of which
Congressmen may find it embarrassing
to answer, If the parcels post should be
postponed again. For example, people
will be prompted to ask for what pur
poses the Government exists. Is It to
serve the Interests of half a dozen
express companies, or of the Ameri
can people?
The lack of a parcels post makes cit
izens everywhere dependent on the ex
press for the . delivery of all goods
which are not carried by freight. The
latter Is slow and by no means safe for
valuable articles. Existing conditions
give the express companies a monop
oly, and they do not scruple to take
every possible advantage of it. Their
charges are exorbitant. ' The effect, of
this grievous monopoly is exceedingly
depressing upon-the internal trade of
the country. People who would pur
chase largely,lf delivery by post were
permitted, deprive themselves- of need
ed goods rather than submit to the
extortionate charges of the - express
companies. Worse still, these com
panies maintain no delivery service at
places remote from the railroads where
it Is most needed. . .
With respect to the population not
centered In towns, their attitude is
precisely that of the dog In the manger.
They will not deliver parcels them
selves, and they use every means they
can command to prevent the Govern
ment from doing it. Consequently,
citizens who do not dwell near railroad
stations must, make a long journey,
often over bad roads, for every little
article they purchase. Naturally' they
purchase few things which they can
do without. The parcels post would
immediately add a large percentage to
the Internal commerce Of the country,
just as postal savings banks would call
half a billion dollars out of hiding
within a week aftter they were opened.
The Government's remissness has the
same effect as a direct grant of a mo
nopoly of the delivery of parcels to
the express companies In places with
in easy reach of the railroads. People
living farther away it deprives of any
delivery system whatever.
fThe remissness is all the more
shameful when we see the rural mail
wagons carrying nothing but small
bundles ,of letters and papers. Were'
the carriers permitted to do errands
for country people, as old-fashioned
stagedrlvers used, it would be a uni
versal blessing. Even the right to bring
a bottle of medicine from the drugstore
would oftentimes save a human life.
But it Is not permitted. They have no
such right, because' this invaluable
boon to the citizens would perhaps
Interfere with-the sacred monopoly of
the express companies. The happiness,
the comfort, the very lives of citizens
are of no consequence compared with
the profits of these privileged favorites.
Is It any wonder that taxpayers ask
what the Government Is for? "
The complaint that the rural deliv
ery service does not pay expenses is
wholly irrational. In" the first place,
there are a great many immensely
beneficial public services which do not
and ought not to be expected to pay
expenses. The Army Is one. The
courts are another.. The public schools.
are a third. It is as foolish to -decry
the postofflce for not yielding a profit
as to decry the schools for the same
reason. Indeed, it is doubly foolish
because, with commonsense manage
ment, the postofflce would yield a
profit. Especially is this true of the
rural delivery department. To see the
officials bewailing their deficit while
they send their mail cart-up and down
the roads empty, reminds one of the
conduct of a half-witted child.
There Is not a rural- route in the
United States where the parcels deliv
ery business would not pay the ex
penses If the carriers, were permitted
to take charge of It. But no, it must
not be done. The express companies
forbid. Incited, by the express trust
the country storekeepers also clamor
againsfthe parcels post, but their out
cry is too insanfe to be taken ser
iously. -Without rural delivery of 'par
cels, the doom of the country store
keeper is sealed past recall. What has
begun to happen to him in Kansas will
happen everywhere. The electric car
and the automobile will whirl the
country purchasers past his door, to
the city and no howl that he can make
to s Congress will stop "them. In the
end, grass will grow before his steps
and the roof will Jfcave In on his head.
If he would help to obtain the parcels
post, people would buy of him by mall
and "telephone, and he might keep out
of the poorhouse. Since he forces
them to make a Journey ' for every
spool of thread they need, they get
even by going a little farther and buy
ing their thread and other supplies
In town. The country merchant may
learn a useful lesson from the dead
stores In the Kansas villages. Lack of
the parcels post has killed them.
It appears , from statements pub
lished by The Manufacturers' Record
(Baltimore) that the United States
Steel Corporation already has $50,000,
000 invested in Alabama, and Is push
ing improvements upon Its plants at
enormous rate. It is shown that the
corporation is now handling large
part of its export trade in steel rails
through its Alabama establishments,
and is now filling an order for 110,000,
tons of Birmingham rails through
Southern ports to Brazil and Argen'
tina. Developments like these are said
to be building up protectionist senti
ment rapidly in the South. It is prob
ably true; and it accounts for-the fact
that so many Democratic members of
Congress from that section "stand in"
with Northern protectionists, when they
deem It necessary for. the Interests of
the steel, sugar, rice and cotton-manufacturing
industries of their own dis
tricts. Such facts show further why
that party can't stand up to its prom
ise of tariff for revenue only.
The Duke of Abruzzl is reported to
be contemplating another visit to this
country. According to a Chicago dis
patch, he will again -offer his hand,
heart, title, etc.,- to Miss Katherine
Elkins. It will be remembered that a
former engagement between Abruzzl
and Miss Elkins was broken off be
cause the King of Italy objected to the
rank, or ' rather lack of rank, of the
lady. Shortly afterwards Pa Elkins,
in rummaging around the old trunk in
the attic, found documents showing
that the Elkins family was also of
royal birth, and that there had been
royal titles hanging on the Elkins
family tree centuries ago while the
Abruzzl family was accumulating
wealth with -a handorgan and a sore
eyed monkey. This naturally makes
a difference, and the eligibility of Miss
Elkins to an Italian title will no longer
be- questioned. Her money had pre
viously been considered "well adapted
to the use of royalty.
A time-honored example of the acme
of boldness in petty crime was the
alleged theft of a red-hot stove. The
stove Incident, however, whether ac
tual 'or otherwise, has been outdone
by a Portland thief who, on Saturday
night, attempted to steal a gold tooth
from the mouth of a sleeping man.
The incident happened In a North End
saloon, and the explanation of the vlcT
tlm that "I had several drinks and fell
asleep while sitting on a chair in the
rear of the room," alone makes it pos
sible to accept the story as an actual
occurrence.
A writer In the Spectator (London)
shows that, taking the elec.tors.te as It
was in 1908, England and Wales return
one member for every 12,240 electors;
Scotland one for. every 10,595; Ireland
one for every 6725. "It is curious,"
he says, "to observe how Radicals who
never tire of talking about the rights
of the people avoid -making any al
lusion to the over-representation of
Ireland."
Colorado takes the lead this year In
the production of sugar beets. The
total value of this crop the present
year was $7, 500,00 j, an increase cf
$1,000,000 over the total of last year.
The sugar beet matures early, hence
was probably but of the ground and
safely housed before the early bliz
zard broke over the Rocky Mountain
States.
Representative B. F. Jones will be
named Receiver at Roseburg by his
patron, Senator Bourne; Thus, ' in
spite of direct primaries. Statement
One, corrupt practice laws and hypo
critical assumptions of political virtue,
the old method of recompensing mem
bers of the Legislature for their vote
for United States Senator continues.
Some half dozen persons will strive
for the Republican nomination n the
State of Washington, for the successor
ship to Senator Piles, who will not be
a candidate for re-election. It will be
a hot contest, for a pluraliiy nomina
tion. Now if they had our holy state
ment over there the Democratic candi.
date certainly would be elected.
Now that a second affinity has ap
peared in the Hamilton trial at Olym
pia, the prospects for getting more of
the truth out of affinity No. 1 ought to
improve. Even affinities dislike to
divide the cash of their victims, and
jealousy loosens many ft tongue that
otherwise would "remain silent.
Attorney-General Crawford is "no
smart man." He can't see that one of
.the definitions of three Is five or seven.
You see some men's minds lack 'flexi
bility. - - .....
There are those who think lightly
of a polar exploit and yet regard a
tied-up -car service and ' a mile walk
through the snow a terrible hardship.
A streetcar with sufficient power is
not stalled by a little snow storm, but
it costs more money, i
Snow appears at its best on Mount
Hood oa tha Fourth, o July,
DIRECT PRIMARIES AGAIN.
Comment on Some of Its Developments
and Consequences.
New York Sun, . November 30. - .
- The experience of Indianapolis in the
matter of direct primaries continues to
illuminate the whole subject of this con
temporary effort to achieve- political re
form. Months ago we reprinted from the
leading journals of that town the frank
confession that the municipal direct pri
mary had been a disappointment and a
failure. Both: the ' News and the Star as
serted that 'fne direct primary had not
enlisted candidates of a. desirable charac
ter, had, not materially changed the con
ditions of nomination and had ettailed
an enormous and Indefensible expense
upon both the taxpayers and the candi
dates, an expense which so far as the
taxpayers were concerned was without
material benefit.
In another column we reprint, the re
cent comment of the Indianapolis Star
upon certain significant post-election re
sults flowing from the direct primary:
The statement here made Is that the ex
pense of the primary for the successful
candidate was so great that he was able,
to meet it only by promises to . appoint
his financial backers if elected. The dis
charge of these debts in this fashion at
the present time, moreover, is a scandal
in Indianapolis, and practically impairs
the possibility of a successful municipal
administration.
The whole experience of Indianapolis, as
we have steadfastly Insisted, is valuable
In the extreme in its -bearing upon our
local problem. ;Not that the failure of
direct primaries there - was unique, but
because they have had there the most
favorable trial, and the causes of their
breakdown may, in a sense, be regarded
as constitutional rather than local. The
source of gravest evil, the excessive ex
penditure of money, has already alarmed
some of Governor Hughes' most uncom
promising adherents. Thus the Evening
Post has lately advised the 'Governor to
amend his present bill to meet this evil
an oblique admission that his original
measure was defective In this particular.
Following is the artclcle from the Indian
apolis Star referred to above;
It Is a serious question whether the
adoption of direct primaries has benefited
or injured the situation of municipal pol
itics in the election of a Mayor. The Oity
of Indianapolis now confronts a condition
in which Its Mayor-elect, a poor man. Is
trying to discharge the financial obliga
tions he incurred not so much in the final
election as before the primaries obliga
tions he entered into so as to carry the
various wards for the nomination.
The general public does not understand
so well as do the men who do the prac
tical work In politics the conditions which
confront the man seeking ta. nomination
for Mayor. After he has consulted some
central authority or authorities he is re
ferred to the so-called leaders In the va
rious wards," and these inform him that it
is possible-he can carry their ward, but
money will be required for expenses. From
J400 to 5J000 a ward is the reifulred amount
and the aspirant is made to believe that
he must either raise this money or with
draw from he race. At one stage of his
race Mr. Shank was scared out and with
drew. At a later stage the money was
supplied and he backed In.
Of course this is all wrong and' ought
not to be. Somehow or other we ought to
get the financial element out of our mu
nicipal campaigns. It is in the National
and state campaigns, though growing less
prominent under newspaper crtticlsm, and
It ought to be banished entirely from city
elections. Yet it is a question whether
the direct primary has not increased
rather than diminished the facilities of
ward bosses to hold up the prospective
nominee. ' .
THE OFtflCE-HOIiDING ARMY. '
Grand Progress Towards the Socialistic
Millennium. -
New York v. orld.
The number of Federal office-holders
and employes now exceeds by many
thousands the total population of the
State of "Vermont. According to the
new Government blue book the total
is 370,065, an Increase of 64.000 In two
years. Since 1907 the new -recruits-to
the great army pf Federal office-holders
engaged in uplifting the general
welfare outnumber the Regular Army.
Secretary Ballingers report shows
that there were 946,194 names on the
pension roll at the end of the fiscal
year. Adding the number of pensioners
to the number of office-holders and we
find a grind army of 1.316,259 drawing
Its support in whole or in part from the
United States Treasury.
And how many city, county and state
employes are there in all? The coming
census should take note of the great
progress that Is made In the 'business
of serving the people. In New York
City alone there are about 60,000 on the
payroll, or one office-holder to every
ten voters that do not hold office. Pos
sibly this percentage will not hold
good for the entire country; but poli
ticians are pretty much alike every
where and provide all the Jobs that
the traffic will " bear. Counties and
states vie with cities In making sure
that a sufficient number of patriots
are engaged in the public service to
keep the work from being burdensome
to anybody except the taxpayer.
We are surely making fair progress
toward the socialistic millennium when
everybody is to work for the Govern
ment and the Government Is. to sup
port everybody.
Lincoln's Tribute to Women. '
I am not accustomed to use the lan
guage of eulogy. I have never studied
the art of paying compliments to
women; but I must say that, if all that
has been said by orators and poets
since the creation of the world in
praise of women were applied to the
women of America, it would not do
them justice for their conduct during
the war. J
Going a Trifle Too Far,
Chicago News.
Dick nearest, I will follow you, to
the end of the earth.
Drusilla wo, you won't either. That
is the North Pole, and you are not go
ing to get me mixed np in any of these
foolish explorer's controversies.
- Xot Advance Information,
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"The trouble is," said the old phil
osopher, "that you can't tell much about
the toughness of a boy's backbone un
til a mass play tries it out. And then
the informaticm may come too late."
Believes He Should Be Conserved.
St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Speaker Cannon acts as though he
thought he was one of the National re
sources that should be conserved.
The Seven Ages.
Harvard Lampoon.
If all the world's a stage
Then all these - Freshmen are but supers
In It.
Thrust from, the vlifgs upon a brilliant
scene
In. seven - divers costumes. Kirst. the Infant.
Mewling and puking at an Adviser's word;
Then the dumb, timid Cub that sips his mug
At melancholy beer nights. Then the Sport,
Friend of the chorus girl, whose Idea of"
Heaven
Is the Touraine. And then the football hero.
Pull of strange oaths and armored like a
knight.
Seeking the bubble Reputation '
Even on the gridiron. Then the sober grind,
"With eyes severe and water wagon mien.
Slave to Probation. The sixth age shifts
Into a. pale and qualmy Pantaloon,
New pipe 'In hand, tobacco pouch on side.
The privilege he coveted, too stro'ng
For his unshaven Up; his breath, comes
quick t
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all.
Shorn of his soul, a would-be Sophomore
Tn second childishness and mere oblivion
Sans wisdom, taste, aau thirst, sans every-tains;-
:.. .. '
TRUTH AS TO CURRENCY REFOR3I
Something Yet to Be Done in Battle
, for Sound Money.
Pacific Banker ti-ortland).
For -40 years The Oregonian news
paper has been sound on finance. Look
ing back at. the economic questions that
have been before ,the people in that
time it has little to regret in the course
It took.. On the question of the re
sumption of specie payments we may be
sure it stood firm where John Sherman
faltered. If the greenback' ragbaby
ever got a harder lambasting than The
Oregonian gave It, it was somewhere
else than on -this Coast. Populism and
Sockless Jerry, with his demand for
"fiat," or printing-press, money were
laughed to effective scorn on Its pages.
And for that scarcely less seductive and
infinitely more dangerous', because more
powerful error, the free coinage of sil
ver. The Oregonian has a record that is
National in its sweep. The fact that
it kept Oregon from going 20.000 for
Bryan is the smallest part of It. It
kept down the majorities on this Coast
for that matchless vote-getting fallacy,
which here had the apparently resist
less argument or encouragement to
home industries and putting a million
men to wo'rk in the four great states
of the Pacific Northwest. But the ef
fect of The Oregonian's influence In the
battle' fori sound money was not con
fined to any state or to any section. Its
argument, made day after day and day
after day. In language so clear, terse
and powerful that even the wayfaring'
man, though a fool, could not but feel
the force of it; was welcomed all over
the country where men were struggling
for the gold standard against heavy
odds.
Now the cjuntry, has before it an
other great monetary question that of
currency reform. And again The Ore
gonian is astonishingly-clear and satis
factory. Not -el.ng,a banker, its editor
still sees th. trouble with our finan
cial system in its practical operation.
And being a general newspaper man, he
also sees the .troublous days ahead be
fore the people will settle the difficul
ties of that system, if they ever do.
Tho Oregonian realizes- and no one can
gainsay It the well-nigh hopeless
task It Is to get "democracy in the
raw" interested In banking or the
problems which confront It. -A recent
editorial from that paper probably ex
presses the exact truth concerning the
central bank and the people. The out
look Is not cheerful. Nevertheless the
editorial may be good for all of us who
are Interested In currency reform.
What The Oregonian says about sys
tems which are good for one country
not being necessarily good for another
Is undoubtedly true. What It says about
the people not understanding the prin
ciples of credit currency "certainly
not yet, nor for a long time tocome"
is also most likely true. But notwith
standing all this, we believe that when
the bankers the experts settle upon
the kind of a system they want and can
make . an argument In support of it
which an Intelligent business man can
understand Just as happened In the free
silver days the time of currency re
form Is close at hand.
PROFITS OP EXPRESS COMPANIES.
Their Rates Now Under Inquiry Before
the Interstate Commission.
Just now. the Interstate Commerce
Commission is engaged on an inquiry
Into the rates levied by the great ex
press companies. The business Is con
trolled by five- big concerns, and the
status of the combination is thus de
scribed in a Washington dispatch:
These five concerns have made exclusive
contracts over 167,000 miles of railway,
almost three-fourths 4f the entire railway
lines of the United States. Their rates
between tho competitive points, "as disclosed
by evidence obtained by the Interstate Comr
merce Commission and a laid before the
Department of Justice, are fixed by a tacit
if not express agreement, and there is a
complete understanding as to the conditions
under which the business shall be received
and bandied.
The eule justification the express com
panies have for their policy of making ex
clusive contracts with the railroads Is found
in a decision of the Supreme Court of the
Untted Btatcs. Members of the Interstate
Commerce Commission tay there Is no Justi
fication for the agreements which the com
paries apparently have made between each
other 'and which, it is asserted, are in vio
lation of the anti-trust law.
In view of the distribution of a 300 per
cent dividend by he "Welts-Fargo Com
pany It seems laughable to recall that this
concern. In company with other express
companies named, claimed that the net re
sults of the express business are not as
favorable today as- they 'were some years
sro. They alleged that their operating ex
penses have Increased heavily, owingr to the
increased cost of transportation, the ad
Vance in wages to employes and the addi
tional cost of maintaining their equipment.
Longest Tropical Sen Ice In Philippines.
Manila Times.
The Eighteenth Infantry, which ar
rived on the Logan from Camp Keithly.
Mindanao, Is' the first regiment In the
United States Army to complete a third
tour of duty in the Philippines. The.
regiment came first to the Islands with
the famous second expedition, which
sailed from San Francisco June 14, 1898,
and reached Manila Bay July 17, dis
embarking immediately and going Into
tents at Camp Dewey. The regiment
took a very active part with other
troops in the occupation of Manila on
August 13, 1S98. Of the officers who
marched Into Manila, only two are now
with the' regiment.
Bunyan'a Pulpit on Exhibition.
Westminster Gazette, London.
At the present time, when so much
interest is being taken In the proposed
Bunyan memorial window in Westmin
ister Abbey, the library committee of
the Sunday School Union thinks that
many Sunday school teachers will wel
come the opportunity of seeing so in
teresting a relic as the Bunyan pulpit,
which for many years has been in the
possession of the union. It has
therefore decided to have the pplpit on
exhibition in tho libraA-y, at 56 Old
Bailey.
Proverbs of a Neighborhood.
Alice van Leor Carrlck, In Smart Set.
One touch of envy makes a whole
street kin.
It takes all kinds of people to make
a suburb.
Knowledge comes, but culture lingers.
Affluence isn't having more than
your needs; It's having more than your
neighbors.
Passing; Him Along.
Roseburg Review.
Simon Sanors, the feeble-minded
Russian, who was brought here from
Riddle last Wednesday, was sent north
this morning at the expense of the
county; Judge Wqnacott buying him
transportation.
: 1 . i
- I-'ootballwooky.
Denver Republican. . -Twas
killing, and the muddied coves
Did Jab and Jibber on the grid;
All gory were the football groves,
And that halfback, the Kid.
Beware tho Sluggawock, my son.
Tbe forward pass, the oft-jarred spine;
Beware the tacklebob, and run
For good old Umptywine."
- i
He ttook the football In his hand,
Lon time another's life he sought;
And then he rested (couldn't stand)
Till ambulance was brought.
And bandaged up In bed he rocks.
And Sluggawock right from the game
Came lumbering in with fresher knocks.
And left him still more lame.
"Hooroo, hooroo," the whistle blew.
The rooters still kept up their clack.
But March hares danced his system through
And dealt him hack on hack.
'And hast thou slain the Sluggawock? '
Come to my arms, my squeamish boy."
"Kudo, kaaay," the rooters bray'
In. seasoaable Jov
LAND POLICY OF "If EW ZEALAND
Borrovred Millions" tbe Main Source
of Apparent Prosperity..
Letter In the Spectator,. London, Nov. 13.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand. iTo the
Editor.) As a-New Zealander of pver 40
years' standing. I cannot resist the
temptation to express an opinion con
cerning the allusions made in the House
of Commons to the land laws and taxa
tion operations of our Dominion Legisla
ture. I am neither a landowner nor a
capitalist, but., having been born in this
far-off country, of English parents, and
being blessed with a family ;of six chil
dren, I may be permitted to express an
unbiased opinion upon the two subjects
under review., In the first place, .let me
say that the prosperity enjoyed by New
Zealand during the last two - decades is
due In a small measure' indeed to the
"bursting up" land policy which a gov
ernment arrogating to itself tbe name of
"Liberal" was pleased to Introduce. It
is true that certain large estates were
"resumed" by the government with the
assistance of borrowed money, and that
in most cases the increased "number of
settlers placed upon this resumed land
has meant the increased productivity of
the soil. By the same process of reason
ing, had the government borrowed money
and invested It in developing mineral or
other Industries, the output would have
been considerably increased. It must bo
pointed out. however, that whilst, on the
one hand, borrowed money has developed
our land settlement, on the other, mil
lions of acres of virgin soil have been al
lowed to remain untouched. andv much of
the capital borrowed, and upon which
future, generations will be required to"
pay Interest, has been taken out of the
country for reinvestment. Politicians
may regard this as a sound business
proposition. What would be thought,
however, of a London landlord who. with
a view to increasing his turnover, were
to expend millions of money in develop
ing an already profitably occupied area
whilst in the immediate neighborhood lie
held an area which was unoccupied? The
cases, I take it, are parallel. The chief
objective in New Zealand appears to
have been to nationalize the land at any
cost, and thereby create an army of
state serfs who shall be at the beck and
call of the party in power. That this ob
jective has been partially reached is evi
denced by -the fact that many state ten
ants have felt compelled to record their
votes from time to time against their
own convictions, and are now clamoring,
from one end of the dominion to the
other, for the fee simple of their lands,
that they may be relieved of political
control and enabled to utilize their allot
ments to the bet advantage and as they
may deem fit. To aver that the resump
tion of large estates has made for the
permanent prosperity of the doniihion is
to offer an insult to the Intelligence or
every born New Zealander. for at no time
during the- past 20 years has there ben
so much unemployment, so much destitu
tion, as at present. As a matter of fact,
the' prosperity of the Dominion of late
years has been due almost entirely ' to
abnormal markets for primary products
and to the expenditure of borrowed mil
lions. Concerning the system of taxation ob
taining here, the best that can be said
of It Is that It has removed the burden
of taxation from the shoulders of the
merchant and the middleman and placed
It upon those of the man upon tho land.
In the cities and larger towns we find
huge mercantile structures and wealthy
citizens cheek by Jowl with tho laborin;?
classes in an Impoverished condition:
while in the rural districts, landowners,
fearful of land, mortgage and other
forms of "Liberal" taxation, are curtail
ing expenses or endeavoring to quit their
estates that they may leave the i-ouiurv.
This Is no word-picture, sir; it is fact.
If the lajid and other taxation of tho
mother country is to be based upon the
laws which have obtained In New Zea
land for the past 20 years, then all I can
say is: "God. help the motherland!"
ARTHUR H. VILE.
Wise old Goats.,
Brownsville Times.
Charles Weber tells a peculiar goat
story. He owns five goats. Durln the
high water last week they became" ma
rooned and rb keep from beipg drowned
climbed -a tree, where! thev remained
standing for three days before the
water receded enough to allow them to
land on solid' ground again. The tree,
however, did not stand ert. It was
a large tree that had been cut down
and In falling lodged in another tree,
the top being several feet higher than
the water raised. Mr. Weber thought
his goats would not stand It out. but
they did aid are now as frlsfty as ever.
Building a House.
John Burroughs.
One of the greatest pleasures of life
is to build a - house for one's self.
There Is a peculiar satisfaction even in
planting a tree from which you hope to
eat fruit, or In the shade of which you
hope to repose. But how much greater
the pleasure In planting the roof-tree,
the tree that bears the golden apples
of home and: hospitality, and under the
protection of which you -hope to pass
the remainder of your days.
IWew Book Pictures of McKlaley.
John W. Foster in. "Diplomatic Mem
oirs." In one of my visits to the White
House, in referring to the clamor for
war. President McKlnley said to me
"These people will have a different
view of the question when their sons
are dying in Cuba 'of yellow fever."
Although a gallant soldier during the
Civil War, his kindliness, of heart led
him to look upon the horrors of war
with great aversion.
ZV'earslehted.
Stanfield Standard.
The Port of Portland has a commis
sion composed of incorruptible and ablo
bubinesa men. Recently this commis
sion has taken steps to lease the dry
dock to a close corporation, and it will
probably go through. The result 'will
be high prices for ship repairing and
low wages for doing it. Some of Port
land's business men are as near-sighted
as are village farmers.
Alabama.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
The farmer vote of Alabama fell like
a ton of brick upon the amendment
designed to smash the bill of rights
for the benefit of the fanatic prohibi
tionists. The farmhouses of Alabama,
like the feudal castles of the middle
ages, remain the strongholds of their
owners; not the stamping ground of
prying police and deputy sheriffs and
detectives. -
CtRRKNT SMALL CHANGK.
'She is furiously angry at me." "Why"
"I took her to a, football game." "But why
Is rtia angry?" "I watched, the game."
Houston Poet.
"How much does it cost to get married""
asked the eager youth. "That depends en
tirely on how long you live," repllled tlio
sad-looking man. Philadelphia Record.
"Oh. Gay. you mustn't allow yourself to
be scared by papa'si piercing eye." "I'm
not so much afraid of that. Blfieda. as I am
of his cutting 'no' " Cnicago Tribune.
"Why should we all save our n-vney?"
asked the teacher. "So'a when we get eld
we'll have something to pay alimony with,"
replied, tho small boy. Detroit Free Press.
"Do' reasun." said Uncle Kbcs. "dat some
men walks de floor because of deir debts
is becauw it's warmer an' . mo' eomf'abie
dan gettin' out an' buildln fences .or shovelin'
snow." Washington Star.
Rector "So your son in Ixmdon to to be
married, eh?" Mrs. Carter "Yessir. he I..
and to a lady on the stase. to-i but not to
a horrid, sinful play actrewr. ,He says Bhe'a
a serlo which sounds quite all right, don't
It?" Punch.
"Why so downcast?" "Oh, I saf up with
a sick friend last -night, but my wife refuses
to believe me. Wi-.at would you do?" "Re
fer to the matter to the University of Copen
hagen. You'll get peace for a while, aav-
inaw." Louisville Courier-Journal.