6 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 1910. PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland, Oregon. PostofTlce as Second-Class Mattnr. Subscription Rates Invariably In Advance. (BY MAIL. ) Dally. Bundav Included, one year $8 00 Dally. Sunday Included, six months.... 4.25 Daily. Sunday Included, three months.. 2.25 Dally, Sunday included, one month 75 Dally, -without Sunday, one year 6.00 Daily, without Sunday, six months 8.25 Daily, without Sunday, three months... 1.73 Dally, without Sunday, one month OO Weekly, one year l.rto Sunday, one year 2.r0 Bunday and weekly, one year 3.50 (Br Carrier.) Pally, Sunday Included, one year 9.00 Dally, Sunday Included, one month 75 How to Remit Send Postofflce money order, express order or personal check 'on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at the sender's risk. Give postofTice ad dress In full, including- county and state. Postare Rate lO to 14 pages. 1 cent: lfl to 2ft paxes, 2 cents; 30 to 40 pages. II cents; 40 to lilt paices. 4 cents. Foreign postage double rate. Eastern Business OITIce. The S. C. Bcck wlth Special Agency New York, rooms 4H oO Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 510-r12 Tribune building. PORTLAND, MONDAY, JAN. S, 1010. DEMOCRATIC PARTY ASSEMBLY. It need not be forgotten that the Democratic party of Oregon has a fine and effective record In favor of "the assembly." A list of those who at tended the Democratic assembly of 1906 and a considerable portion of the proceedings Is reprinted today. You might suppose from recent utter ances that the wickedness of the as sembly was due wholly to Republican, depravity, directed by the most un scrupulous of gangs and rings; yet lo! here is the record of the proceedings of the Democratic assembly held in Portland in March, 1906, whioji named an entire state ticket. Including Rep resentatives in Congress, which ticket was presented at the primary, ana nominated without a break, right down the line. To-wit: For Governor, George E. Chamberlain; for United States Senator, John M. Gearin; for G. Halley; for Secretary of State, Paul Sroat, of Marion; for State Treasurer, J. D. Matlock, of Lane; for Attorney General, Robert Miller, of Multnomah; for State Printer, J. Scott Taylor, of Klamath; for Superintendent of Pub lic Instruction, E. E. Bragg, of Union; alternate, W. A. Wann, of Linn; Wann was nominated; for Representatives in Congress, First District, C. V. Gal loway, ' of Yamhill; alternate, P. A. Cochran, of Marlon; Galloway wis nominated; Second District, Harvey Graham, of Baker; W. T. Vaughn, of Multnomah;. Graham was nominated There you have the Democratic as sembly and its fruits. .The assembly "suggested" or "recommended" names for all the st,ate offices, and "invited" the persons named to stand as candi dates for the primary. The ticket thus "suggested" was nominated from top to bottom. Say, now! was the. pri mary law eet aside? Was Its sacred chastity violated? Oh! but perhaps it was all right for Democrats to assemble and "suggest" a ticket, and then turn in and nomi nate it throughout; but It will be very wrong for Republicans to do the like. In the one case it was "invitation"; in the other it will be "dictation." The one was a pure patriotic effort, entirely within the Intent of the pri mary law. The other will be the ef fort of "a, ring of discredited politi cians to subvert the law." Now kind ly look over that list of participants In the Democratic assembly, and see If you note anything ringy or bossy about it. Observe whether you' find any "discredited politicians in it." Possibly it will be said that this as sembly didn't meet in the name of the Democratic party nor attempt to "dic tate" a ticket. It did meet expressly in the name of the Democratic party. It put forth a long pronunciamento or platform, beginning with the words: "We, Democrats of Oregon, In mass meeting assembled at Portland this 7th day of March, 1906," etc. Did it "dic tate" a ticket to the party? Well, the ticket it "offered," "suggested" or "in vited," was nominated throughout. What show was there for "free choice in the primary," which it is now feared by our Democratic brethren the Re publican assembly will cut off? The Republican party proposes now to use the. assembly a.- the Democratic party' has used it heretofore, but to put it on a wider ami more represent ative basis. The Democratic assemhly" consisted of self-constituted members, assuming to act In the. nam,e of their party. The Republican assembly, on the contrary, will be wholly represent ative. Selection by the body of the members of the party of a great num ber of delegates, as nearly in propor tion as possible to the Republican vote in each of the counties, is intended. These appointed representatives of their party will suggest, recommend or invite designated men upon whom v the assembly may agree, to become candidates for nomination at the di rect primary election. Some or all of ; them may be opposed at the primary by other Republicans. No "ring" in the Republican party has such power of "dictation" as that possessed by the Democratic assembly which met at Portland and "dictated" a ticket which no group or member of the party was permitted to oppose, but which was put straight through ac- l cording to the programme. It is Just as well to refresh the ) memory of the people of Oregon about tnes-e proceedings, and especially the 3 i memory of those of our Democratic' J brethren who are wont to asseverate, i now in indignant, now in solemn i tones, that if Republicans assemble to J "suggest" or "recommend" candidates, I or to "invite" particular men to be j candidates, they are subverting or de- striving the primary law. On this point the Republican assembly may I as1 well copy and follow to the letter the proceedings of the Democratic as sembly of 1906. Perhaps this might relieve the anxiety of our brethren, and check the flow of their exclama-' tory holophrasms. There has been no general election for the state since 1906. This year such election will again be held and the Democratic ticket, as heretofore. J will be a product of a conference or assembly of leading politicians of the party. Preparation for it among them, with a view to alliance with Re- publicans, supposed to be "sore,", is going on all the time. A go-as-you-please .primary, very candidate nominating himself, disor ganizes and disintegrates a political i -party, especially the majority party. - The minority party hopes to build J Itself up by this disorganization of its opponents, and so. helps It on all it can. But here In Oregon the minority u party fcr itself anticipates the primary by putting out its candidates before hand and keeping solid Its own ranks. It has no go-as-you-please candidates. That folly It leaves to Its opponent and encourages In its opponents, I hat it may divide and beat them. TIIE ECONOMIC LAW. "Many ingenious reasons," says the New York American, "are offered to explain the high prices of foodstuffs, but the simplest reason is that not enough food is produced." Why not? The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture says: "There are not enough people on the farms producing food, and too many people are going to the towns to be fed." Asked if he had any plan for induc ing people to go to the country to help produce the food, the Secretary answered by quoting James J. Hill, who says "they will go there when they get hungry." The economic laws the only sure one. Though its course may' be checked for a time, it will certainly have its way at last. The Boston Transcript has these Judicious obser vations: "The sweeping away of our forests has been universally deplored. So has the enhanced price of lumber. But the latter Is economic law's way of restoring the forests. The same ia true of coal and water power, and a thousand other things. Through the rising price of leather economic law Issues an invitation to inventors and mechanics to bring forth their substi tute materials; the development along that line is now rapid. While Amer ica may cease to feed the outsldo countries it will be a very long time before it will ask them in any large degree to feed us. Rising prices will in the long run put that incentive be hind the plow-handles." FOOZLED AGAIN. The other day the diligent press bureau of Senator Bourne at Wash ington informed a gasping world that the Senator had made another brilliant coup for the benefit of his pleased constituents. Or, rather, it was announced that he was about to do it.' In the exact language of the press dispatch, the Senator was "con sidering the advisability of attempting to secure legislation to extend the 32A acre homestead law to Oregon. He Is personally favorable to bringing Ore gon within the provisions of the en larged homestead law, but probably will not act until he can .obtain ex pressions of opinion from Oregon homesteaders." Great! Great indeed! . The Oregon Senator, ever alive to the wishes' of the plain people, wants to receive their im perial mandate. Meanwhile he.wi'l do nothing rash. He will take his time while strolling leisurely around the golf links in "considering" the matter with his caddy. It is well. For Congress and the Secretary of the Interior have already anticipated by a year or more any need for the Senator to worry his brain with "considering" anything about the homestead act. The 320-acre dry-farm act was passed by Congress at its last session,' while "Senator Bourne was presumably at Washington. Refer ence to the recent annual report of the Secretary of the Interior will discover the fact that 8,403,200 acres had been set apart in Oregon for entry under this law prior to .November 1, 1909. The Senator's belated purpose to do something .big for the dry-farm home steaders of Oregon is another hand some foozle. IkBSCHX'TES RAILROAD TRUCE. No regret will be felt over cessation of hostilities between the Hill and the Harriman forces now rushing work on the Central Oregon lines. Compe tition of the kind that has been in evidence since the warfare began, about six months ago, is always ex pensive, and in the end the public pays the bills. The reported . truce has apparently been declared without in any way affecting or retarding early completion of both roads. The public is thus assured of a healthy natural competition after the lines shall be completed, and it will at the same time be relieved of the extra burden of expense that a prolonged struggle between the two companies would have entailed. The money wasted on unnecessary construction work, while fighting for strategic points, becomes a part of the cost of the road, and a fixed charge lies against it until the end of time. The public is seldom, if ever, taken into the confidence of the men who formulate and enforce . the railroad policies of the country, but it seems probable that the hostilities in 'the Deschutes were abandoned for the same reason that the proposed con struction of a second line to Puget' Sound was supplanted by a trackage agreement over the line already con structed. The competing forces in both of these projects had shown a determination to reach their respec tive goals, regardless of cost; and, once having reached them, all the money spent in obstructive tactics would have been wasted. The rail roads accordingly accepted the Inev itable with as good a grace as possible. ana undoubtedly saved a number of millions of dollars in each case.. With this cessation of hostilities between the rival forces in the Deschutes, much less difficulty should be encountered In securing the prompt approval by the Government of the location maps not aireaay passed on. Pending this settlement, this ap proval was delayed by the obstructive .ii.-iH.-a ui ine two roaas ana also b-, objections raised by people unfamiliar with the situation, but who were un aer tne erroneous Impression that the ngnis or tne uescnutes were being Jeopardized by construction of the roads on the locations selected With no further clashing between the two roads, the only 'possible excuse for withholding Government permission to proceed with the plans as now out lined would 'be the objections of a few ineoretical conservationists who fear That the line might interfere with some power sites along the stream. Astne interior Department has al ready approved the west-bank loca tion, no logical reason can be ad vanced for refusing to approve a slm liar location on the east bank. The activity of the construction forces on the two lines, and the enormous sums or money that are being expended in rushing the work tend to confirm the general belief that the two enterprises are of greater magnitude than has yet been admitted. One and perhaps both of these lines may be Intended to form a new trans portation link between Oregon ind ainornia. There is at stake the de velopment of the largest area of rich timber and farm land that remains without railroad facilities anywhere in the United States. Any ruling of the Government that would tend to retard the construction of these roads through the Deschutes Canyon would injure thousands of set tlers without offering any counter ad vantages. The adverse criticism which has been heaped on Secretary Ballln ger by .the uninformed muckrakers should not and probably will not in fluence him in doing what Is right by the people of Oregon in hastening the opening of the great Central Oregon empire. CUTTING OFF OUR OWN NOSE. The Government is preparing to levy a fine of J182.000 against a big Hamburg-American liner, which is approaching the California shores I with 660 tourists who left New York several months ago on a tour of the world. During the Winter season, when business is dull on the Atlantic, these big liners offer very attractive inducements to travelers who seek the maximum of comfort and the mini mum of expense. They are permitted to land at "coastwise" ports in every other country on earth but ours. We are great believers in protection, however, and must make an example of this ship, that has had the audacity to carry passengers between New York and San Francisco via the Mediter ranean, Suez Canal, Singapore, China, Japan and other countries. The fine is of sufficient propor tions to prevent any company from repeating the offense, and American travelers desiring an economical trip around the world can wait until the ship-subsidy bill passes, and we run our foreign competitors off the ocean. AN .ASTORIA MISUNDKRSTANDrNG. Elsewhere The Oregonian prints a communication from T. O. Trullin ger, of Astoria. The questions asked by Mr. Trull inger have been answered so often in these columns that an apol ogy is perhaps due our readers for again discussing them. Mr. Trullinger begins wltha. statement "entirely at variance with the facts. Astoria can not "ship lumber or salmon to the in terior points anywhere in the Inland Empire as cheaply as Seattle can." Nor is it true that "commodities of any kind can be shipped to Astoria from the Inland Empire as cheaply as to Seattle." The local rate between Portland and Astoria is added in every case. There is perhaps some excuse for Mr. Trullinger's opinion that Portland should get a lesser rate than the Sound" from certain, territory; but, so long as the railroads maintain tracks, stations and other equipment between the Inland Empire and Seattle, they will meet the Portland rate, no matter how low that rate may be. Northern Pacific officials, however, will not ad mit that the downhill haul to Port land is anything more than an equali zation of the advantage of cheap fuel enjoyed by the lines to Puget Sound. The O. R. & N. is In direct competi tion with the Northern roads at a number of points in the Inland Em pire. Large milling concerns on Pu get Sound,' with extensive warehouse systems at these competitive points. can thus force the O. R. & N. either to haul their wheat to Puget Sound, or not get any of the business. The rule works both ways, and it will probably be news to Mr. Trullinger to learn that, prior to completion of the North Bank road, in a single year more than 1,000,000 bushels of wheat has been hauled over the Cascade Mountains through Tacoma to Portland. . As explained in the Interstate Com merce Commission decision, no com parison can toe .made between a point where there is business and one where there is none. If Astoria would build mills and elevators as important as those on Puget Sound, and establish warehouses and elevators at interior points where the two rail systems con tended for freight, it would have some excuse for asking the same rate as is granted other points which have those facilities, although it would still be necessary- to demonstrate where any advantage would accrue to the pro ducer or the consumer of the freight involved. Mr. , Trullinger's knowledge of the tramp steamer traffic is' somewhat vague and uncertain. The -shipowner does not pay the expense of dredging between Portland and Astoria any more than he pays the cost of the much more expensive river improve ment work between Astoria- and the sea. It costs him, in the shape of fixed charges, pilotage, crew wages, etc., from 5 cents to 10 cents per ton to move freight over the 100-mile stretch of water between Portland and As toria. Wrhat Portland has spent In Improving the river does not concern the shipowner any more than It would concern the railroad that might carry the freight by rail to Astoria. Portland's expenditures for river work are In the same class as her ex penditures for streets, water works and other municipal improvements. With an assessed valuation of more than J200.000.000 and a Jobbing trade of $250,000,000 per year, there has never been any objection to the com paratively small amount spent to keep our river in shape for handling not only outward-bound but inward-bound ships. Of course, if we forced the railroads to haul the wheat, to Astoria free, they would be obliged to haul the inward cargo from ships coniing in for wheat at the . same , price. The question of river improvement, does not enter into the matter, for the rea son that the river channel will not be closed, no matter what rates, might be made to Astoria. THE OLD XOG SCHOOL-HOUSE. The old log school-house, like the old stage coach at one time and for long advance guards of civilization in the wilderness has practically disap peared from the Pacific Northwest. But two of these old houses, we are told, remain in service in Washing ton County. Probably not more than that number remain in any county of the Willamette Valley. Rude devices reared by the pioneers of a past era to shelter and provide educational ad vantages for their children in the days when an arithmetic, a copy book and a slate and pencil constituted the in dividual equipment for study for each child, while two or more of the same family shared, in common the reader and spelling book, " these old log school-houses 6erved well their day and purpose. Their architecture was of the most primitive type. Logs cut from : the abounding forest, with due regard to size and symmetry perhaps roughly hewn on one or two sides, but quite as likely left in their natural state; deeply notched by the settlers' ax at the corners where they were laid together; a stick and mud chimney and fireplace half across one end; a roof and door of shakes riven from straight billets of yellow fir at the other; low, square windows along the sides, each set with a . saah and four panes of glass; a . long, sloping shelf running along under the windows with a shelf underneath for slate and books; rude benches in front of these" shelves, a small table on a slightly raised platform at one side of the fireplace, and a chair with raw hide or splint bottom for the teacher this was the old log school-house and its equipment for the comfort of the children of the pioneers as they strove to master the simple rudiments of what was then known as a "com mon school education." Fragrant of the balsam, distilled by the sun and air from the fir trunks of which they were built; well venti lated, since there was no attempt to make the walls tight, or to fit the win dows snugly; the wide fireplace . full of glowing logs during the Winter term and gay with evergreen boughs in the Spring; the birds singing out side, and flitting now and then through the open door in quest of a safe nest ing place; the path that led to the spring, from which the children drank recklessly (the germ theory of disease having not yet been evolved) can any one who ever went to school in one of these primitive log school-houses ever forget it? Harry K. Thaw, who removed the unspeakable Stanford White from this world, has reached the end of his financial tether, and has been offi cially declared a bankrupt. When the almost measuresless sorrow and heartaches which this worthless son of a rich man has caused are consid ered, it seems a great pity that his father had not become a bankrupt and left the young man a legacy of debt Instead of millions. Poverty is not pleasant,.' but it has Certain features which for the development of charac ter arid moral stamina are much su perior to anything that riches have ever produced. Had Fortune decreed that Harry Thaw's days should have been spent in earning instead of spending money, he might today be enjoying his freedom and the respect which decent mankind is always will ing to accord the honest worker. It is well enough to keep in mind that there is to be an election in Port land school district February 2 to de cide on .the issue of $350,000 bon is for a new West Side High School. .Of course no one will say that the West Side should not have a high school equal to the two fine structures on the East Side; yet there are interests op posed to any Improvement even for schools that would, if they could, de feat the project. All who desire to have the West Side properly provided with a high school should govern themselves accordingly on February 2. Russia, Japan, France and Great Britain have declined to assent to the plan of Secretary Knox for "the neu tralization of the Manchurian rail roads. At this writing the plan has not appealed to anyone except Mr. Knox. This fiasco, following so close ly on the affair in which Mr. Knox threatened much, and did .nothing towards punishing Zelaya, mu3t be rather discomfiting to the distin guished Secretary of State. As yet it has not been announced that ex-Miri-ister Crane has extended his regrets. The - Hood River Fruitgrowers' Union, after a successful career of 18 years, has been dissolved, and its af fairs are being wound up. It has been succeeded by a larger and more im portant organization, but it will not soon be forgotten that it was the now defunct organization that first made Hood River famous as a fruit center, and to its wonderful work is due much of the remarkable development of the fruit industry in the Hood River valley. The Albany Democrat thinks Milt Miller, as Democratic candidate for Governor, might "slip in," for "the people are not going to vote for any assembly-dictated candidates." But the Democratic party did vote for their assembly candidates in 1906 without a murmur of protest; and one of them "slipped in." The state Democratic assembly in 1906 didn't "make a ticket" simply Invited men to become candidates That is Just what the Republican as sembly will do this year, and the Re, publican assembly will comply more nearly with the primary law than did the Democratic assembly of 1906. Five Republicans only out of thirty- four interviewed by The Oregonian yesterday opposed the assembly. This would seem to be about the custom ary proportion throughout the state. Three of the' five hold office. Others who hold office favor the assembly. Now what's the "answer? It Is now certain that- the Irish party, known In the returns as Na tionalists, will hold the balance cf power in the British Commons. Which of the parties will grant what the Na tionalists ask, for the sake of thilr support on questions of English pol icy? Will either? Ballinger is no mealy-mouth when it comes to retort upon his assailants. His speech' in Wljliamstown, Mass., on Saturday, was brimful of hot stuff. It is just the' kind of speech an able man could make and should make, -when in position to defy traducers. "The more the farmer gets for his products the more prosperity," says the Albany (Oregon Democrat. Now what is the consumer in the city, and the wageworker in general, all in re volt against -high prices, to think of that? Having found it impossible to make bluffs that would keep each other out, the two. railroads up the Deschutes Canyon agree to agree. That is to be expected, since none of Nature's bluffs could keep either railroad out. Trenton, N. J., has a no-seat-no-fare law, and the women prefer to stand rather than to take the men's seats. The law, then, is several ways a boon. Thaw is declared bankrupt. He might as well be released from the asylum, then, since actresses can find nothing further in him worth while. With the Irish holding the balance of power in the next Parliament, there will be something doing. Paddy In the limelight will cut a neat caper. NEWS BY GROUND WIRE. Somewhat Startling Discoveries After the Manner of Sherlock Holmes, People's Press, Portland. . There has come to our ears of late a touching tale that our Jonathan Bourne was going to start a morning paper in Portland. Of this sheet W. S. U'Ren would be the editor. Real money, stamped with the Bourne trademark, was said al ready to be in circulation here; and a much larger opening of "the sack" was said to be only a matter of a few days. In fact, it was reported that Jonathan had hired several refrigerator cars and was even now having them loaded with simoleons for the campaign in the dear old Beaver State. The People's Press at once put its Sher lock Holmes on the trail of this story. Disguised as a Statement One politician, our sleuth took up his stand half way be tween Oregon City and the Portland Labor Press, and put his ear to the ground. Presently he got up and smiled, having tapped a wireless message pass ing between these two points, and came into the office to report. "You may say without fear of contra diction," said he, "that Jonathan Bourne has already dispatched $120,000 to Oregon, to be expended in educating the people as to the great dangers of the assembly plan. This money is in the hands of six committeemen, all appointed by Jona than, after consultation with one man Chamberlain. While it is expected that some of the money will stick to the hands of this sextette of faithful workers, the greatest part will be used to getting out predigested editorial matter for the coun try newspapers of Oregon, and for pay ing for the insertion of this matter under the guise of legitimate copy. "Mr. Bourne does not intend to start a newspaper in Portland, but will rely upon the efforts of the Journal and the Labor Press to spread his Ideas in Mult nomah's metropolis. Elsewhere in the state, however, he is planning the ac quirement of interests in several papers, and 'will shortly require 'good men and true' to take up the editorial responsi bilities of these sheets, and see that only pro-Bourne and pro-Chamberlain matter is published in conspicuous posi tions in these papers. There will be mpre money coming from the East shortly to add to this preliminary $120,000." We received this information with great Joy and Instructed our Sherlock Holmes to remain on the job. still disguised as a Statement One politician. As soon as further information is forthcoming, the readers of the People's Press will be In formed of developments. WATER POWER, SITES. Presentation of Pacta Against Imagin ative Theories. New York Sun. WASHINGTON. Jan. 17. Theoretically water power is the cheapest possible me chanical energy, yet official reports de clare that "water power has not held Its own, but has steadily declined in relative Importance since 1870, when it was 48.2 per cent of the whole (horsepower in the country), whereas for 1905 it was only 11.3 per cent." Reports for the year 1906 show the use in mechanical industries of 1,647,969 horsepower generated by running water. Out of this about 40 per cent was in New England and about 27 per cent in the State of New York. Analysis would in all probability show that the greater part of this is used in mills built many years ago. For various reasons water power is not the first choice as a source of energy in mechanical Industries. For present use, at 'least, a power site Is not eagerly sought by the factory pro prietors. It is possible, though the fact is not clearly established, that some grasping "trust," in anticipation of future conditions in parts, of the country, is "gobbling up" the best and most desira ble power sites. Even if this is true, it may not be an evil. The use of a power site for the development of power is an unprofitable enterprise unless, the power can be sold directly as water power or indirectly as electrical energy. If power Is offered on reasonable terms, the prob able result is mills and factories employ ing hands and paying wages, or light, heat and power for towns and cities. If charges for power are excessive, there will be no sale for the power. The prac tical utilization of a power site requires, usually, a large expenditure of money and a central control. It is even con ceivable that this alleged "water power trust" may be a blessing in, disguise, if such an organization really does exist. It may mean new centers of industry and more wage earners, more business for railroads and more wealth for the Na tion. There are parts of the power site con servation programme which are obvious ly commendable. Such sites have a value, either actual and immediate or potential. If they were valueless no "trust" would want them. Any Federal grant of such a site should carry conditions, such as time limit for development and operation and protection against an abuse of mo nopolistic powers, by the grantee, while the laws should make impossible any spoliation of the public, they should, make easily possible the benefits that may be derived from developed water power. "Our Saviors Albany (Or) Herald. In a recent Issue of the Detroit Times appeared the pictures of Senators Jona than Bourne and George E. Chamberlain, with the statement that they were joined together in an effort to deliver the peo pie of Oregon from the .rule of the "gang." Somebody said something to the effect that distance lends enchant ment to the view. The writer of the ar ticle probably knows nothing about con ditions in Oregon. Or it may be that the Detroit Times runs ads on its first page. We know of but one way to judge a man, and that Is by what he has done and by what he is doing now. You can't Judge him by what he may do. Judging from, the past record of Jonathan Bourne and from his record thus far in the United States Senate, we should hardly suspect him of leading a movement to deliver the people of Oregon from the gang. It was a wolf, was it not, that was going to lead little Red Riding Hood out of the woods? We are willing to be delivered "from," but most of us would like to know what we are to be delivered "to." As to Senator Chamberlain, we have nothing to say at present He is a Democrat and owns up to It. Mlmmr Wanted It." New York Sun. We learn from the Nashville Tennessean that the Hon. James Rudolph Garfield, reported to have been the Hon. William Alden Smith's candidate for Chief For ester last week, "is very keen in the race for the Governorship of Ohio." No doubt. "Why." somebody is said to have asked the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt once upon a time, "did you make Garfield Secretary of the Interior?" "Oh," replied that fa mous humorist, "Jimmy wanted it," Poe and Holmes In Court. Washington Star. With Edgar Allan Poe arguing a case before" Oliver Wendell Holmes the clock in the United States Supreme Courtroom seemed to have turned back several de cades today. - But it was so. Oliver Wendell Holmes was on the bench; Edgar Allan Poe was at the bar. Counsellor Poe is a member of the famous Poe family of Baltimore, Justice Holmes' pedigree also Is well known. An Error of Early Days. New York World. In the early days of the republic there was a theory that small salaries would prevent men from seeking office for pe cuniary reward; but it is a theory that this country long ago outgrew. J mall salaries are an Inducement to the wrong kind of men to seek public office and an obstacle in the way of the right kind of men. ASSEMBLY NECESSARY FOR VOTERS Individuals Cant Personally Know All Nominees, Says Salem Lawyer. SALEM. Or., Jan. 23. (To the Editor.) How any man of ordinary intelligence can honestly assert and maintain that the pro posed assembly or convention plan, for the purpose of recommending suitable candi dates for office by the Republicans of Oregon, Is a menace to the direct primary law, is wnat l cannot understand. I am inclined to think that those who maintain that position are not so solicitous for the I welfare of the Republican party as they are for their own personal interests. So far as I have been able to ascertain, there are but two newspapers In the state, claiming to be Republican, that oppose said plan, and one of those was, a few years ago, doing all it could to disrupt and defeat the Republican party, and which paper, although now nominally Re publican, has not been again received into full fellowship and the confidence of the party. The paper referred to may as sume to voice the principles of the Repub lican party, but it is the voice of Jacob, while its haTid is the hand of Esau. If It is the purpose of the direct primary law to prohibit the people from assem bling in a peaceable manner for religious or political consultation, It Is subversive of that liberty which. Jefferson declared to be inalienable and which is guaranteed by the Constitution of Washington, Madi son, Franklin and their compeers. This Is a representative government, not a democracy nor yet an oligarchy. All of the voters within a voting precinct may personally know every candl-x date therein and be eminently qual ified to choose wisely therefrom, and - still be entirely unacquainted with candidates in other precincts within the county and state. Nearly every voter will know of some representative of his party who is better qualified than he to select candidates for county and state of fices, and it is his right and privilege to delegate that man to represent him. In spite of all the restrictions thrown about the voter by the primary law, a large per cent of voters now vote unintelligibly. This is patent to everybody who will Watch the process of voting at any gen eral election. Voters find it necessary not only to inquire of some one in whom they have confidence the choice they should hvake, but they even are ignorant of the politics of the men whose names are on the ticket. For myself, I profess to possess average intelligence and an average knowledge of the politics of the state and the standing of many of the candidates. At the same time, I know of men within the Republi can party who are much better lnTormea concerning both than I am, and whom I prefer to have represent me in Jhe coun cils of the party, because of said superior knowledge. Again, no one man will know all of the candidates for all of tne county offices, to say nothing about the candi dates for state offices. But an assembly of representative men will contain men who do know them and by conferring and discussing their merits will be more lively to select a good ticket than will tne "shotgun" method of the direct primary. After the convention, or the "assembly," if that name" is liked better, has com pleted Its work and made Its report, there remains the direct-primary law in full force and vigor to correct any errors it may have made. The primary law is here and it is going to remain. It may be somewhat modified or amended, but it will remain substantially as it is now, and all the conventions and , assemblies that may be convened cannot affect it one particle. Let us have the assembly, and then the primary and the choice of the people will be better and more faithfully expressed than It has been within the last four years. Therefore, let the Republicans hold their precinct, county and state as semblies, and let the "wolf hoWl." D. WEBSTBK- VIRULENCE OP BRITISH POLITICS No Gentle Word Are These, Addressed to Englishmen. It need not to be supposed that Brit ish political contests are conducted al ways with decency, dignity and gravity, free from venomous attacks on polit ical opponents. In our own country we seldom or never have anything quite so virulent as the assaults of the or gans of each of the political parties upon the leading men of the other. Before us is the National Review for January, one of the champions of the Conservative cause. Following, are some of its remarks on the Ministry, and in particular on Asquitli and Lloyd George: They have scarcely a spark of patriotism among them, and are cynically indifferent to the future of these islands, while the word "Empire" never pollutes their lips. They seem resolutely resolved to resort to any falsehoods calculated to catch votes and to save salaries. The Cabinet avowed ly contains several Moderates, who claim the reBpect of decent folk, to which, how ever, they are no longer entitled since their abject surrender to a couple of blatant demagogues, who live only to Injure publio Interests and to advance their own. One Is a hysterical Welsh attorney, with a pos itively Insane hatred of England which finds frequent expression in his Welsh speeches and sermons totally unfit to hold any serious office, whose Chancellorship of the Exchequer has probably cost this un fortunate nation some fzoo.txw, uuu, t. e.. the amount of the French Indemnity to Germany in 1871. The other is a renegade who only became a Radical politician be cause he had failed to become a Unionist Minister. He- devotes his energies to vendetta against all the causes he used to champion. Liberals seem to have adopted as their war-cry, "If at first you don't succeed, lie. He, lie again," and politicians formerly believed incapable of conscious de. vlatlon from accuracy have caught the pre vailing epidemic, feeling presumably that as they came in on an ocean or terminological Inexactitudes, they may as well go out in an orgy of Urea. PA1THFIL READER OF OREGONIAN Corroboration That Colonel Parker Has Read This Paper tor 40 Years. LYLE, Wash., Jan. 23. (To the Editor.) I wish to verify Colonel Frank J. Park er's plight, when without the daily visit of The Oregonian as expressed by him in The Oregonian of last Sunday. Some months ago Colonel Parker came for a week at my homestead on the Klickitat. Mail service at that time was not adjusted on the Goldendale branch. The second day after Colonel Parker's arrival. The Oregonian of that morning did not arrive. The next 24 hours had strenuous moments for me, and the Colonel at times was correspondingly de pressed. The offer of a pipe with a change of tobacco and another attraction did not seem to soothe Colonel Parker's over strung nerves. The following day, Con ductor Harry Wherland, who has a pro clivity to accommodate the fisherman and healthseeker, was Interviewed. Hence, The Oregonian came every day "on the dot" for the Colonel, six hours after leaving the press. Parker was a changed man, and he bore, the marks of old times up in the Walla Walla country when that city was a village and he was the wide-awake editor of the Statesman, hammering away for a transcontinental railroad. Parker, at the time on the Klickitat, related that for the last 40 years ho had daily read The Oregonian, with one interruption back in the Sum mer of 1878, when he was a scout for the late General O. O. Howard, up in the Owyhee country, during the Bannock In dians' outbreak. JOHN G. MADDOCK. There Are Difficulties. New York Sun. The Indianapolis News gives way to unnecessary regret when It sighs that all the efforts for the "purification" of the Indiana Democracy have ended In the supremacy of the Hon. Thomas Taggart. Why kick at Tom? He is one of the nu merous immortal and immutable Demo- cratio principles. ASTORIA MAX WANTS TO KNOW. Asks Some Questions About Common Point, Answered Elsewhere. ASTORIA, Or., Jan. 21. (To the Efll-' tor.) As I have been a subscriber to The Oregonian for the last in. years. I feel at liberty to ask you to explain a few mat ters in regard to the common point rata on wheat from the Inland Empire to As toria that has just been decided by the Interstate Commission. The Commission thought Astoria was discriminated against too much, and so they reduced the discri minative rate of J2 a ton to "JO cents a ton. from Portland to Astoria, which, in fact, leaves 90 cents a ton handicap yet. Per haps this Is fair, but it does not seem so to Astoria, With this handicap As toria cannot expect any business as far as shipping wheat is concerned. Wheat is the only commodity on which the railroads discriminate against As toria. Astoria can ship lumber or sal mon to the interior points anywhere in the Inland Empire as cheap as Seattle can. "and any commodities of any kind can be shipped to Astoria from the In land Empire (except wheat) as cheaply as to Seattle. 1 cannot understand that. Leave Portland out of the discussion al together, as The Oregonian ncently com- . menting on this Issue, said the railroad balked at a 90-cent rate in competition with the river by tramp steamer, which no doubt from your conclusion is true. As Portland is nearer the Inland Em pire, with the advantage of a downhill haul, I always believed it should get a lesser rate than the Sound, but I cannot see why Seattle or the Sound should get a better rate than Astoria. That is one of the questions that I wish you to ex plain. As the Union Pacific, through the O. R. & N. Company, is seeking business from the Inland Empire to the Sound, I under stand that it has made the same -rate from interior points to Seattle as it gives to Portland. It docs not seem tr balK. the O. R. & N. Company much to. hnul wheat down the Columbia River to Van couver, and from there to Seattle, which Is 180 miles, some 70 miles farther than Astoria, which is down-grade all the way. Yet they have to haul up grade to get into tne bound. Strange how the rail roads balk at hauling down towards As toria, but It seems to be a pleasure to go up hill to go to the Sound. You might kindly explain that situation. Now one more little matter. The Ore gonian has always contended that a tramp steamer could carry a cargo of. say, 6000 tons from Portland to Astoria cheaper than the railroad. Your answer to this is like the boy that lived at home, and his parents furnished his board and clothes and paid all his expenses, and the money he earned, of course. vas his own. and naturally would make a good show ing. Otherwise the truth half-told, to say the- least, sometimes is misleading. Suppose you would charge the expenses that Portland has met in dredging the river against the tramp steamer freight, what would the rate be? Or. in other words, which costs most to maintain, the railroad or the river? I am not complaining about the cost of dredging, because Portland has borne it cheerfully. I know The Oregonian in discussing the state portage road at The Dalles, counted all the expenses, and The Oregonian said that they amounted to some $90 a ton. I contend a locomotive can haul 100 cars with 50 tons to the car. or 5000 tons from Portland to Astoria cheaper than the same freight can la handled from Portland to Astoria on a tramp steamer. Or, would a sane man think that it would cost $450u fo continue that 100 cars on to Astoria? If It does, how much would it cost to continue the same 100 cars on to Seattle, which is 70 miles farther, and also an up grade which no locomotive could haul? These are matters which have always been hard for me to understand, and, if you can explain this, you will confer a great favor on me. T. O. TRULUXGEU. DEATH OF AN INDIGENT SOLI1IEH. Case In Point of Veteran Too III to lie Moved In Cars Many .Mil cm. TROUTDALE, Or., Jan. 22. (To the Editor.) Rev. C. E. Cline'a letter in The Oregonian of this dato reads very nicely. But let me tell a true story: Last May an old 6oldier whom I have known for 18 years lay near death in a vacant saloon building. It was a vile smelling place and I "was called in as acting Health Officer of the town of Troutdale. I phoned to Greshani for the nearest physician, who urged the man's removal at once to the hospital. The old soldier was a pauper. He had some prop erty here at one time, and this is his record: Corporal Company C. Regi ment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, pension certificate No. 232641. He wan too sick a man to be taken to the poor farm on the cars on account of the frequent transfers, so I phoned to a wealthy farm er who had an automobile, and. with an attendant, took him to the County Court house. The farmer got in trouble with the people of the building. It seemed they wanted to take the patient on a hayrack to the poor farm, but the farmer object ed, and he then drove the soldier to the poor farm, with his auto. In e. day or so after this the old soldier died and the authorities, knowing he had friends in Troutdale, sent the body to a firm of undertakers in Portland, whose bill was $55. The county was asked to pay it, but a refusal was met with. The money was raised here by subscription. Now I am to be sued for the use of the auto. How about it, Judge Webster? AARON FOX, Ex-Mayor Troutdale, Or. Young Men In House of Commons. Westminster Gazettte. In connection with the question which has arisen as to who ts tho youngest candidate at the present election it may be recalled that in 1613 there was no fewer than 40 gentlemen not more than 20 and some not exceeding lt who had seats in the House of Commons. Hatsell in his "'Precedents" remarks that the" poet Waller, among others, sat in Parlia ment (1622) before he was 17 years of age. A statute of William III makes void the election of any person who is not 21 years of age. but members under age have been occasionally admitted not withstanding the provisions of this act. Charles James Fox was returned and sat at the age of 19, but Chesterfield under simllar circumstances received from the Ministry of the day, whom he had at tacked, a hint that he must withdraw. Collector's Wonderful Purchases. London Globe. Many remarkable stories might be told of Isaac Falcke, whose death has re moved one of the greatest of art col lectors. He was a born connoisseur and in the course of his career made some wonderful finds and, no fewer than three separate collections. At 'one time Mr. Falcke and his brother had more diffi culty in securing packing cases for their Continental finds than in obtaining ob jects of art. A writer in the Times men tions that the finest enamel gold boxes of the Louis XV and XVI epochs wero bought by them by the dozen for their weight in gold, from which was deducted the weight of the enamel on them. Still Imparting Information. Chicago Tribune. Mrs. Chugwater (taking off her glasses and wiping them) Josiah. what docs this paper mean when it talks about the "eternal feminine?" Mr. Chugwater Lillian Russell. I sup pose. Takes too much work to dig out a fact for yourself once In awhile, does it? The Vnterrlfled Improver. New York Sup. First Angel What is the rumpus in the seventh heaven? Second Angel A moral uplifter has broken through the roof trying to find .an, eighth heaven.