6
THE 3IORXIXG OKEGOXIAX, MONDAY, AfKIX. 4, 1010.
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PORTLAsn, MOXBAV, APRIL 4, 110.
BALLIXGER AND HIS BH'AJIEE.
Secretary Ballinger will make a
mistake if he persists in his announced
Intention to prosecute Collier's" Weekly
for libel. That publication has mis
represented, accused and lied about
him atrociously beyond any sort of
doubt or question. But the country
perfectly understands its motive and
as completely discredits its accusa
tions. It is a muckraker for notoriety,
a seeker of "circulation." to which it
has supposed these persistent attacks
and venomous defamations would open
the readiest way. It has been raking
over every story about Ballinper, both
before and since he came into office,
that malignity could invent or mag
nify. At the beginning the purpose
was (o make a show of journalistic
virtue, by accusation against the Taft
Administration. Ballinger happened
to be selected as the chief object, but
any other members or department
would have served the purpose as well.
From trifling accusation, started mere
ly to attract attention to itself, the
paper has rjroceecled to assail the
man's entire life and character, draw
ing the names of others, notably Judge
Hanford, of the United States Court
at Seattle, into a series of charges that,
of course, are without foundation.
There is a story about a petty law
yer at Seattle, who seems since to
have vanished from public view, who
accused Ballinger of Improper conduct
at the bar, involving infidelity on his
part to the interests of clients, a ship
building firm at Seattle, which, it was
alleged, was ruined by Ballinger's
traitorous conduct. This lawyer, one
J. Ii. Finch, brought the charge against
Ballinger, presenting it not only in
couh, but to the Bar Association of
Seattle. Judge Hanford appointed a
special referee, .who went over the
case In detail, exonerating Ballinger
completely; and the Bar Association,
after a full hearing, did the same.
The details of tie story of this miser
able effort and failure to blacken Bal
linger's name are used by Collier's in
its latest effort perverted, of course,
to suit the purpose. On the showing
It attempts to make. Collier's charges
Ballinger with "an unpardonable
breach of professional honor." Inci
dentally, there is reflection on the
honor of -Judge Hanford, and on the
Bar Association of Seattle. It seems
that this is the matter on which Bal
linger now proposes to employ the law
of libel against his assailant.
At Seattle undoubtedly he would
get a speed- verdict and vindication.
But at New York it would be difficult
to bring the prosecution to an issue.
The case would be worn out by
evasions, demurrers and delays, which
the defense would employ to the ut
most. It would drag along, with
diminishing interest, till forgotten; or.
If Judgment ever should be reached,
it would by that time receive so little
attention as not to be worth the effort,
for the public cannot believe the ac
cusations, and though Ballinger has
been grossly libeled by Collier's, no
verdict or Judgment against the irre
jponsible muckraker would bring him
vindication or any kind of satisfac
tion. Whether one calls it woliish
Journalism or polecat journalism, or
a combination of the two. it can't
reaJly injure; and Judge Ballinger will
matte a mistake, should he "go to
law" about it, either by civil or crimi
nal procedure.
Por an unscrupulous paper, pur
suing such a course, there is no pen
alty except that of public contempt.
Some indication of Collier's indus
trious method in its pursuit of Bal
linger is supplied by the statement be
fore the Congressional committee on
Saturday that an agent of the paper
at Juneau, in search of testimony, had
remarked there that it would be worth
$5000 to $10,000 to a particular wit
ness to go to Washington to testify.
So, to revamp and pervert the Se
attle story must have cost a consider
able sum of money. But publication
of the facts about that matter, includ
ing the results of the examination at
Seattle. Is all that can be needed for
Ballinger's vindication.
THE BICKKT-SHOP KVll..
The Government Saturday made an
extensive raid on the bucket-shops
operating throughout the country. It
is not surprising to note that a num
ber of millionaires were caught in a
drag-net covering such a wide scope
of country. A conveniently-located
bucket-shop running on full time,
when other gambling games are
closed, can in a short time
go a long way towards making
a millionaire out of the man "behind
the table." One of the bucket-shop
operators arrested was a one-armed
gambler who murdered a man at Al
bany. X. Y.. six years ago. and was
acquitted on the grounds of insanity,
and then was discharged from the
nsylum after two months' incarcera
tion. This representative of the bucket
shop industry ventured the opinion
that the raid was "only a play of the
'big fellows' on the Stock Exchange
to divert attention from themselves."
This might be true, yet there -would
still be nothing improper in the at
tempt of the "big fellows'- to call at
tention to the nefarious operations of
the bucket-shop gamblers. The ex
treme difficulty encountered in draw
ing the line- between legitimate and
Illegitimate speculation ii stocks and
train on properly-conducted exchanges
Is well understood. But the very ex
istence of the lawful exchanges de
pends on enforcement of rules that
will prevent crooked trading and mini
kaize the possibilities of working cor
ners or creating unnatural depressions
in prices. The bucket-shop is not
bothered by any such rules nor by
any restrictions such as legitimate
traders insist must be enforced on
the regular exchanges. Tim, the boot
black, brings in his hard-earned $5
and "buys" stocks and grain at the
bucket-shop. The low-salaried clerk
around the corner ."sells" at the same
time. The bucket-shop, having neither
grain nor stocks to sell or buy, merely
crosses the orders, collects the com
mission and watches the market until
the quotations show that the bullish
bootblack or the bearish clerk has
lost the amount of the diminutive
margin.
It is this class of "trading" that has
brought much unmerited odium on
the legitimate exchanges where every
contract for future delivery" or ac
ceptance of a commodity is guaran
teed by a responsible organization that
exists for the purpose of facilitating
trade, and not for the promotion of
gambling among bootblacks and clerks
who can ill afford to lose the money.
If the "big fellows" on the legitimate
exchanges can get rid of the bucket
shops, they will have accomplished a
service of no small proportions.
PRIMER LKSSONS IN BANKING.
A bank is an establishment wherein
trusting persons deposit money for
safekeeping and wherefrom worthy
persons borrow on safe security and
at rates of interest which the public
has learned to regard as proper.
Bankers are men who conduct such
an establishment.
A speculator is a man who puts out
money on chance games; plays for
high stakes, and sometimes "realizes"
but oftener does not; resorts to
schemes of "high finance" and "get-rich-quick;"
converts himself into
dummy corporations and plays what
not other smart tricks that may be
criminal if he lose, yet honorable if
he win.
The banker and the speculator have
their fit places, and the public and
the law regard them charitably when
they fail in their proper spheres. But
when. the banker turns speculator or
the speculator turns banker, the devil
usually exacts his toll.
A man who receives the trust of the
public as a banker and employs that
trust as a get-rich-quick operator is
a worse enemy of society than the
thief that comes In the night. He
spreads more disaster and woe and
ruin. Though he would scorn to rob
the money vaults at night, yet he
makes off 'With the stores of toil and
saving, which are entrusted to his
care, in a manner that leaves worse
effect.
A speculator who poses as a banker
may be a person who would not play
false, yet he would win through wrong
methods. His trusting depositors take
all the chances of loss and he takes
all the chances such is the way it
oftenest works out of gain.
The bankers who made improper
use of the public trust in Portland,
and failed, belonged to the get-rich-quick
class of speculators. Their
banks were "trust" companies but
only for receiving money. For
scattering money, they were some
thing else. One of the promoters
has just escaped prison at the hands
of a jury that tacked on to its verdict
a scalding rebuke for his "guilty
knowledge and participation in unlaw
ful and dishonest acts" in connection
with the affairs of an insolvent bank;
another, some time ago, was convicted
for misappropriation of State school
money.
When a man uses money, in specu
lation with the full knowledge of the
owners thereof, he acts within the
codes both of law and of moral con
duct. But when he diverts their
money from safo and legitimate uses,
without their knowledge or consent,
he becomes a "conlidence man," one
who obtains money under false pre
tenses, not the more respectable be
cause his gloves cover manicured
fingers.
It is to be hoped that men in the
banking business will be more strict
hereafter In conforming with the
codes of honesty and decency.
PORTLAND NOT COMPLAINING.
The work of the Port of Portland
is so very unsatisfactory to the As
torian (newspaper) that it devotes
much space to criticism and complaint.
It is almost distressing to note the
lugubrious fears that the Astorian
(newspaper) expresses for the future
of Portland, unless we suspend our
attempts to engage in shipping at this
point and move our business down
to Astoria. "Year by year," asserts
the Astorian, "the Columbia grain
fleet is diminishing, and what Is left
of It is being gradually deflected to
Puget Sound, thanks to the anti-Astoria
feeling swaying the Portlander
generally."
Let us see to what extent this busi
ness is being "deflected to Puget
Sound." We have before us Bulletin
No. S of the Department of Commerce
and Labor, giving the wheat exports
of the United States for the eight
months of the current cereal year,
which began July 1, 1909. Exports
for the United States for this period
were 28, 000. 000 bushels less than for
the same period last year, and 44,000,
000 bushels less than for the same
period in the season of 1907-1908.
Every port of importance in the
United States showed a decrease, but
the Astorian will learn with regret
that the decrease in the Portland ship
ments, was smaller than that of any
other prominent port in the United
States. Puget Sound Is mentioned by
the Astorian as the port to which
Portland's grain business has been
turned. The official document men
tioned presents the figures for Port
land and Puget Sound for the past
three years.
For the first eight months of the
season of 1907-1908, Puget Sound
shipped 12.153.093 bushels, and Port
land 9.97S.5S4 bushels of wheat, Port
land's share of the business thus be
ing 45 per cent, while the Puget.Sound
ports secured 55 per cent.
The business was "deflected to Puget
Sound" to such an extent that the
corresponding eight months of the
season of 190S-09 showed exports of
4.361,966 bushels from Puget Sound
and 6.240,875 bushels from Portland,
this city handling 59 per cent of the
business, while Puget Sound handled
41 per cent. A poor crop in Portland
territory and a large crop in Puget
Sound territory cut down the business
of the current season, but, according
to the Government figures, the ship
ments to March 1 were 3.254.269
bushels from Puget Sound and 4.S67,
196 bushels from Portland. The per
centage ("deflections" included) han
dled in Portland was thus 60 per cent
compared with 40 per cent from Puget
Sound. These facts, of course, .were
as easily ascertained in Astoria as in
Portland, but facts have seldom en
tered into an Astoria view of Port
land's trade.
It will not be news to the Astorians,
but The Oregonian will again repeat
that the cost of maintaining a tug
and pilot service on the river and bar
is a matter of small concern to the
people who are paying the bills. The
Port of Portland was organized for
the purpose of protecting the shipping
business of this city. One very notice
able result of its assumption of the
tug and pilot service is shown in the
keenest activity for work that the in
dependent pilots have engaged In since
they ran opposition to the late Cap
tain Flavel nearly thirty years ago.
The bar pilotage service, since the
Port of Portland entered the field, is
the best In the history of the port,
and pilots who were indifferent about
going outside the heads to meet ves
sels under the old regime are now
"making hurried trips to California, to
Puget Sound and to British Columbia.
For this Improved service the Port of
Portland is entitled to all of the credit,
although It Is not securing all of the
pilotage fees. The latter loss, how
ever, in comparison with the interests
at stake, is a mere bagatelle, and,
despite the gloomy forebodings from
the Astorian, is not troubling anyone
in Portland.
A STRAW.
Portland building permits for Fri
day and Saturday were $91,756 com
pared with $65,140 for the first two
days of March. Bank clearings for
the first two days of this month were
$4,084,571, which was $1,003,301 in
excess of the clearings for the first
two days in March.
Two days, of course, is hardly suffi
cient time in which to determine the
course of the month's business, - but it
is much more agreeable to note gains
of more than 3 3 1-3 per cent in these
important commercial factors than it
would be to chronicle a decrease even
for the first two days.
Portland bank clearings for the
month of March showed a gain of
$10,345,151 over those of March, 1909,
the increase being 29 per cent. Seat
tle's gain for the month was $10,720,
000, but the percentage of increase
over March, 190 9, was but 2 3 per cent.
If April maintains the strong stride at
which the start was made, more bank
clearings and building permit records
will fall as the month closes.
TELLING THE PEOPLE.
Now of course a railroad, or two
railroads, into Central Oregon is a
great thing for Oregon; but it cannot
be a great thing for the railroads un
less that vast territory supplies traffic.
There can be no traffic without in
dustry and there will be no industry
without people. The people will come
certainly, if it appears to them that
it is worth their while; but it cannot
be taken for granted that they will
know unless they are told.
Telling the people about the ad
vantages and opportunities of a given
section or state which the Great
Northern Itailroad, or anv of Its allied
lines, penetrates has been from the
first a fixed Hill policy.. The state of
Oregon is now to- receive the benefit
of a Nation-wide scheme of advertis
ing undertaken by the Great Northern,
under the personal direction of Louis
W. Hill. All the immense machinery of
that great system is to be used to bring
Immigration of the home-building
class to this country. It is good news
that Louis W. Hill is to come person
ally to Oregon this Summer to under
take this work. - It will be thoroughly
done.
We suppose, of course, the Harrlman
system will not be behind its mighty
competitor in advertising Oregon. The
time has gone by when the manage
ment of that road has any motive or
reason for keeping quiet about Oregon.
EARTH BURIAL AND CREMATION.
Rev. Alexander Irvine, of the Fifth
avenue Church of the Ascension, New
York, advocates strongly the crema
tion of the dead. He arraigns ceme
teries as uhsightly, unsanitary and for
bidding, and says that the large areas
now given to them might well be
turned over to real estate men and
converted Into building lots. "While
this minister is correct in his conten
tion in favor of cremation as the sani
tary, safe and clean method of dis
posal of the human body after death,
he blocks In the beginning any re
form he might otherwise forward In
this line by his proposal to turn ceme
tery lots into building lots.
Earth burial may be stopped in
cemeteries like Greenwood and Mount
Auburn as a sanitary measure but
public opinion will not sanction the
conversion of burial places hallowed
by grief, made sacred by custom and
maintained as beauty spots by wealth,
into sites for homes and business
houses until burials have ceased there
in for one or two generations at least.
A well-kept cemetery Is neither un
sightly nor forbidding, but the most
carefully kept one among them would
doubtless prove to be unsanitary if ex
cavated to any extent for building pur
poses. It is -recalled In this connec
tion that a frightful epidemic followed
the digging of a section of Regent's
Canal, London, through an old grave
yard a statement that is at once a
strdng argument in favor of cremation
and permitting an old cemetery to re
main undisturbed.
WHOM OREGON DELIGHTS TO HONOR.
Birthdays of two venerable pioneers
last week in Portland revived mem
ories of commonwealth building and
of the men and women who planted
the power of the United States in this
Oregon country. F. X. Matthieu,
pioneer saf 1842, and Ben Simpson, of
1846, each passed the ninety-second
milestone of life's journey.
Here are men whom the younger
generations are proud to think of.
They are types of early pioneers, with
out whose service the whole of the
states of Washington and Idaho and
probably most or all of Oregon would
now be British. Mr. Matthieu came
to Oregon in time to take part in the
American occupation of this country.
While Mr. Simpson arrived just after
the treaty settlement with England in
184 6, still he belonged to the move
ment that, between the years 1842-45
inclusive, occupied this country with
American citizens and planted the
authority of the United States here
forever. Though Mr. Matthieu was
Canadian-born, he sided with the
Americans at Champoeg in 1843, when
Americans by a narrow margin carried
a plan of provisional government
against British opposition.
This was a crucial time in the Pa
cific Coast history of the United
States. Oregon was the Nation's first
outlook on the Pacific. Its settlement
gave the Nation its first idea of Pa
cific Coast possession. California was
acquired in pursuance of this idea and
was occupied and built up largely by
means of the Oregon trail. The Ore
gon settlers that came here up to 184 5
heralded a sequence of events that
annexed to their Nation California,
Alaska. Hawaii and the Philippines.
Oregon is the only land that cost the
Nation nothing to acquire in the way
of war or purchase. It is the only
territory that the United States has
gained through discovery, exploration
and settlement. In the diplomatic
dealings with Britain, leading up to
final acquisition of Oregon, the United
States first asserted the Monroe doc
trine. In the treatment of Oregon's
needs the United States evolved the
system of land laws which has pro
moted the settlement of the west
Mississippi region.
So that Oregon has had lasting in
fluence In the affairs of this Nation.
Two of the men who came of the
critical period and participated in it
are Mr. Matthieu and Mr. Simpson.
There are a few other survivors whose
natal day will also be honored in the
course of the year and of succeeding
years as long as they shall be spared
to receive the tokens of the younger
generations. It is a sentiment worthy
of the best feeling of today's and to
morrow's citizenship.
After a long period of Inactivity,
Portland exporters last week char
tered three ships to load wheat for
Europe. These transactions again re
mind us that under natural conditions
the world's wheat prices are still fixed
in the great consuming markets of
Europe. For several weeks a brisk
home demand and an organized effort
on the part of the farmers to force
prices to unwarranted heights brought
the export trade to a standstill. But
we are unable to consume all of the
wheat remaining in the country, and
in about 90 days the harvesters will
begin work on the 1910 crop. This
has forced the farmers to reduce
prices to a point where business can
again be worked on an export basis.
The long period of idleness In the
market has resulted in many ships
being diverted to other parts of the
world. Even should there be a good
advance in the foreign market, the
greater part' of this advance would
necessarily be taken up by the few
ships still available.
Mrs. Russell Sage, whose benefac
tions always remind the public of her
deceased husband, because they are
so unlike anything he ever did. Is now
arranging to establish a chain of loan
agencies through which poor people
can secure money at the legal rate of
Interest. The plan has been prepared
by the New York state superintendent
of banks, who has been waging bitter
war on the loan-sharks that fatten
from the scanty earnings of the poor.
It would bo a great thing for the
country if this plan should prove so
successful that it would be inaugu
rated in every state in the Union.
There are very few large cities In
which none of these alleged "bankers
and brokers" are engaged in the para
sitical work of extracting usurious toll
from the victims who, in desperation,
are driven into their clutches. Public
sentiment heaps contumely on this
class of leeches, but as yet no suc
cessful method for. putting them out
of business has been evolved.
International conciliation, universal
peace and reduction of armaments
sound well in phrase; but to no ex
tent are they realizable ideas or
ideals. Germany frankty declares that
she must maintain her armaments,
"England the same, France the same;
and we of the United States have no
powerful neighbors, yet there are few
of our own people who would think It
wise or safe to allow our naval arm
ament to decline. Armaments are not
so much for purposes of war but for
guarantees of peace. Bundles of fine
essays emanate from the American
Association for International Concilia
tion, at New York, but there is little
practicability in their suggestions.
Every important nation believes as
surance of peace is in strength of arm
ament that will deter attack. Arma
ment, therefore, is a most necessary
method and instrument of interna
tional conciliation in the present state
of the world's affairs.
Mrs. Emma Samuelson, who fled
from Chicago with a soul-mate and
several thousand dollars, has become
separated from both the affinity and
the money. In the circumstances, she
is probably somethin& ahead, of the
game by the departure of her affinity;
but money costs more than soul
mates, and as the departure of money
and mate was simultaneous, she is
suffering the pangs of remorse. In
asmuch as the woman who "would de
sert her iome and elope with one
affinity might at any time be expected
to repeat the performance with an
other one, it is not clear that Mrs.
Samuelson is not receiving about her
just dues. Whenever there Is an
affinity handy, it is almost a certainty
that a fool and her money will soon be
parted.
Not even in the prairie states can
the record of the Columbia River
water-level haul be broken. The
freight train of 130 cars that rolled
into Vancouver Saturday is probably
without a precedent. ,
Roosevelt still refuses to talk Amer
ican politics. And yet a lot of so
called friends of the people are not
content to let the people rule.
While we are voting for normal
schools in Oregon, there is no reason
why every town that wants one should
not be favored. '
Gifford Pinchot discovered some
thing about the same way as Dr. Cook
did, and both heroes have gone
abroad.
Government weather men are learn
ing to respect old superstitions. They
predicted a. rainy Sunday next after a
sunny Easter.
Montavilla is the best point from
which to view the comet in the early
morn. Grandstand free.
Nonunion men are said to be
profiting by the miners' strike. So,
too, are the middlemen.
Hood River expects to need thou
sands of men to thin its fruit. "That is
optimism sublime.
Happilv for some persons, It will
soon be a year until the next Spring
sowing.
The Festival roses will have all the
tints of this beautiful Spring sunshine.
j LIFE IN THE OREGON COUNTRY.
One More Oreges Product.
"B. C. M-." of Salem, In Sr. Charles
(Minn.) Union.
I verily believe the song, -Let the
women do the work," originated in
Oregon.
Satisfactory Balance
Lebanon Criterion.
During February there were 25 births
in the county 13 girls and 12 boys
and 12 deaths, which is at the very
low rate of about six in 1000.
L-t 'Em Secede.
Grants Pass Pacific Outlook.
Out of the 206 Oregon teachers who
took the - February examinations for
state diplomas and certificates only 50
were successful, and out of these 50,
Josephine County boasts but one. and
Jackson County none. Where is South
ern Oregon "at" in the matter of peda
gogy? The Knock Terrific.
Cottage Grove Leader.
Sloan P. Shutt. the versatile editor of
the Joseph Herald, sent us a copy of his
paper printed on one side only last
week. This was an improvement, but
if Sloan will give his subscribers the
paper hereafter without any printing on
it, they will no doubt be grateful
to him.
- Another Lusty Pioneer.
Corvallis Gazette-Times.
- C. M. Vanderpool, of Wells, has on
his place a winesap apple tree that Is
60 years old. The tree is fully three
and one-half feet in circumference and
is in the most thrifty condition. Last
year the crop was 40 boxes of first
class fruit, besides over 10 bushels of
culls.
Frank's Busy Winter.
Spray Courier.
Frank Cason brought in another lot
of coyote pelts today. Frank has
caught 104 coyotes since November, and
the sheepmen will be greatly- benefited
by his work, and they should see that
he continues his good work. It is safe
to say that Frank has exterminated
more of the pests than any of the hunt
ers employed by the Government.
Yoo'll Have to Hurry.
Condon Times.
James A. Kibbey brought us in a
monster Easter egg on Friday. It was
presented to him by one of his Rhode
Island Red hens, and measures nine
Inches round the long end, and is seven
Inches in circumference; it weighs over
one-quarter of a pound. . If you "doubt
this, come .in and see the phenomenon
before the editor has it boiled for
breakfast.
A Prohibition Tale.
Kansas City Journal.
Jerome Beatty lays the responsibility
for this story on a Hutchinson minister;
It is all about an-Irishman who had
never taken a drink and who was at
tacked by a heavy cold which he found
himself unable to throw off. He visit
ed the family doctor, who advised him
to take a hot toddy before retiring.
O'Reilly demurred on the ground that
he would lose his standing with his
spouse.
"Well, it's either whisky or pneu
monia for yours," said the physic'an.
"If thot's the case, thin," said the
victim of the grip bacl'ill, "Ol guess Ol'll
hov to take the whisky. But how shall
I kape the ould lady fr'm folnding It
out?"
The physician advised him to get the
hot water for the toddy by sending his
shaving mug down to be filled. O'Reilly
thought It a good plan and went home.
The next day the doctor stopped at
bis house to find out how the treatment
was working. He opened the door and
found Mrs. O'Reilly and all her brood
standing in the hall talking together
in hushed tones.
"What's the matter?" Inquired the
man of pills.
"Oh, doctor, doctor,"' sighed Mrs.
O'Reilly, wringing her 'hands. "I'm
afraid Pat's gone crazy entoirely. He's
takln' a shave iv'ry foive minutes!"
A Pemoeratlc Opinion.
Richmond Virginian, Dem.
Mr. Roosevelt Is now in private life.
He holds no office under the Federal
Government. He is a plain citizen
without authority. He has no more to
do with the affairB of government or
with Mr. Taft's Administration than
any other citizen. Yet one would Infer
from reading the reports that Theodore
Roosevelt is the regulator of affairs in
the United States: that he had left mat
ters in the hands of President Taft
during his absence and that now he is
about to return to his domain, the Ad
ministration must report to him what it
has been doing in his absence.
Our Caesar has been feeding on
strong meat since he left and has be
come more arrogant. If not more great.
Republicans Nearly a Unit.
McMlnnville' News-Reporter.
The assembly proposition continues
to hold a prominent place in the minds
of the people, and Republicans are
much more of a unit upon the question
than any one supposed when It was
first broached. ?rom very few, indeed,
has there been any criticism of the
holding of a state assembly and a large
majority, so far as investigated by the
News-Reporter, are also favorable to
holding a county assembly, not only
for nominating delegates to the state
assembly, but to indorse a set of local
candidates. '
Great Increase In Whistler Values,
Vogue.
Whistler's portrait of his ' mother,
called "Arrangement in Gray and
Black," which it is said the Metropoli
tan Museum could have had for $2250
and which was purchased by the i
French government and is now in the
Luxembourg, would bring considerably
over $100,000 if it were pution sale.
Next to the Freer collection in Detroit,
the most important single Whistler col
lection is that belonging to Richard
Canfield, and from both of these many
examples are shown at the present New
York exhibition.
The Clubblnic of Pinchot.
Eugene Register.
The Register is in receipt of a letter
from Chicago asking us to organize a
"Watch Pinchot Grow" Club .for the
purpose of helping to boom said gentle
man for President, in 1912. Now, what
would Taft and Teddy think of us if we
should indulge in such political mal
feasance? Besides, the "Watch Pinchot
Go" Club,, recently organized at Wash
ington, under President Taft's direc
tion, seems to Tiave the precedence.
A Record Price Pnld for a Print.
New York Cor. Kansas City Star.
About the highest price ever given in
America for a print at public auction
$900 was paid by a New York collector
last night for a dingy colored lithograph
dated 1E2S, showing Wall street at the
corner of Broadway.
No. Assistance Needed.
Princeton Tiger.
As the train neared the city, the col
ored porter approached the Jovial-faced
gentleman, saying, with a smile:
"Shall Ah brash yo' off. sah?"
"No," he replied. "I prefer to get off
in the usual manner."
Substantial Recognition.
Condon Times.
Ten new subscribers since we besan
to make a stand for the assembly. The
sentiment in its favor is growing
stronger every day
WHY EAST AND WEST DIFFER ON CONSERVATION
How the Pinchot Policy DlHcoorafces Settlement and Retard Projtrrewji 1 It
Better to Leave the Country in a Savase State or to Provide Ways by Which
It Can Be Developed and Civilized f
The following: article by Ieslie M. Scott,
printed by the New York. Independent.
March 31. is introduced with the statement
that it is by a member of the at aft of
The Oregonian, and gives an admirable
summary of the Far "Western view of the
great problem of National conservation."
The purpose of this article is to suggest
that the Pinchot conservation idea of
Eastern states antagonizes the Far West
ern idea of that subject.
In the East, Pinchot conservation means
resistance to private greed and corporate
fraud that have sought to despoil and
waste the public domain, at the expense
of the public.
In the Par West. Pinchot conservation
is held to mean obstruction of settlement
and public progress that comes from
opening of new lands.
Far Western states, like Oregon and
"Washington, which contain the largest
forest areas and the largest water
powers in the Vnited States, prefer state
conservation to Pinchot or National con
servation. In the Western mind, purchase of land
from the United States at $1.25 or $2.50
an acre for settlement "is in accord with
the good and lawful policy of the Nation
and should continue.
More than one-fpurth the land of Ore
gon 16,221,000 acres is locked up within
Government forest reserves; also more
than one-fourth the land of AYashinston
12.065,000 acres. The Government holds
other large slices in withdrawals for
water power sites, unopened Indian re
serves and irrigation projects, which lat
ter, especially in Oregon, will be carried
forward, goodness knows when. The
Southern Pacific Railroad holds in Ore
gon, as a big reserve of its own, 2.000,0u0
acres of the finest land In the state,
granted by "Congress in the early 70s,
and refuses to sell. Private and corpor
ate timber land tracts aggregate many
million acres more. Five wagon road
companies in Oregon own immense areas
of Congressional-grant land.
In brief, out of 61,000,0m) acres of land
in Oregon, fully one-half, if not more, is
locked up from settlement and much of
the remaining half is arid, barren and
bleak. Much of the forest reserve land
could be opened to settlement without
wasting timber wealth, for a large part
of it has few or no trees, and other areas,
extending down 1 the base of the moun
tains and into nie valley, will produce
more wealth with cows and potatoes than
with forests. Vast mountain regions are
unfit for farming; fit only for forest.
These conserved will yield the people
timber forever. Pinchot officials say the
law authorizes liomestead settlement on
Government reserve land which is suit
able for agricultural use, but determina
tion of this matter rests with Pinchot
officials, and few admissions into forest
reserve land are desired by settlers,
under conditions that prevail, and very
few are allowed.
These same restrictions exist in other
Western states, but the effects are no
where more glaring than in Oregon. Here
Americans organized their first political
community on the Pacific Coat In
Yet in population and growth Oregon is
last of the Pacific Ocean states. - Its ag
gregate area barred from settlement
amounts to 50,000 bquare miles. This ex
ceeds the total area of the State of New
York, or Virginia, or Pennsylvania. It
exceeds the combined areas of Connecti
cut Massachusetts, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware and
New Jersey. It almost equals that of
Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois or Iowa, The
Nation has bestowed vast parcels of Ore
gon on grabbers and selfish corporations;
and now "Pinchotism" steps in to lock up
the rest from the people's uses.
The taming of land requires patient,
hard work and is accompanied by priva
tion and stress bordering on poverty.
This development Oregon and Washing
ton need and demand. Iand laws allew
it, but officials have suspended the laws
in answer to a clamor in' the iiast from
persons who know little and care less
about Far Western efforts for progress
and upbuilding, and imagine conservation
means simply protection of the public do
main from "Fpoliation. Meanwhile,
tens of thousands of the most vigorous
citizens of the Nation of the type that
"saved Oregon and Washington are go
ing to Canada to make homes under the
British flag, on bleak and wind-swept
wastes. This land they obtain by pay
ment of a nominal sum of money the
Canadian government virtually gives it
to them, but they pay a higher price than
any gold is worth, in frontier toil and
suffering. The laws of the United States
also virtually give wild land to settlers
and have done so for generations in all
the states west of the Alleghanies. Eut
settlers paid for it amply in hardships
and so they must still do. Yet a howl
goes up in Eastern states against this
application of the old, law, from persons
who do not understand. Busy officials
think themselves called upon to stop this
settlement of the public domain this
"robbery of the people, they hear it
called.
The real robbery was perpetrated by
land-grabbing syndicates, working under
stupid laws of Congress That law
making body and officials In the National
capital blazed the way to the Nation's
land-fraud scandal. The lieu land law
SHALL BLIND LKAD THE SEElXGf
That, It See inn. In Whnt Is Being Done
In Oregon.
PORTLAND, Or., April 3. (To the
Editor.) "Empire is retained by the
same arts whereby it was won goes
the maxim.
So with everything worth retaining.
Republican institutions and democratic
government are retained by the same
arts whereby they were won, and by
no other way.
A brilliant lawyer of the old school
has written in the preface of a standard
textbook on the common law: "If the
blind lead the blind we are informed
what will be the consequences. But no
one has ventured to predict the 'hideous
ruin and combustion that would ensue,
should the blind undertake to lead
those who see, and should those who
see accept the guidance."
Man in the unit 4s not employing sec-ond-rateminds
and third-class lawyers
to retain his liberties and property
rights under the constitution and laws;
neither is man in the aggregate, which
Is the state, except, perhaps, those who
know not liberty nor the great labor
and thrift by which property is acquired.-
Men must and will continue to
seek guidance in serious matters of
state, as they do In serious matters of
their personal business, for statecraft
is a business and a serious business.
It is true that legislation has been
enacted into laws that seem to mock
the very genius of a free democracy,
but there is no government now or in
the past where the individual has more
freedom and opportunity than in this
republic of ours, and there Is no "offi
cial gazette where right and wrong
can be more forcibly presented with
more variant views than in the daily
press.
It is true that In the transitions from
war to peace, from financial panic and
Industrial depression to public confi
dence and prosperity, and in the pres
ent confusion arising from powerful
combinations of organized wealth and
the unsettled relations between labor
and capital, freaky and loud-mouthed
men of mediocre ability have ridden
into political power, but their tenure
of office has been brief, will be brief;
likewise the nostrums now put forth
by U' Ren and his collaborators have
from time immemorial appeared in one
form or another, to be quickly dis
carded by the common sense of the peo
was an incubator of fraud. Now the re
volt against these abuses has rushed to
the other extreme, to the detriment of.
Far Western states.
The people of Oregon and Washington
think they should have something to say
about control of their forests, lands and
streams. Their efforts have given they
resources most of their value, and, bach
two or three generations utzo. their pa
triotism snatched this country from
Britain to the United States.
Further, they want the resources of then
states administered in accordance with
local needs. In tiie office of the forest
service in Portland is an army of "for-
eigners"-rnling over their lands and for
ests and streams. In oiher words, the
great resources are in the hands of men
who have no abiding interest in the
growth of this Northwest country. They
wish to "hold their jobs.' and to do this
they seek to please their superiors in
Washington by showing how busy they
are preserving the public domain from
"spoliation. But they are men who
keep the stable door locked after the
horse is stolen. Big frauds have taken
vast areas of the public domain, but on
tliis account are settlers to be barred out
Of the remaning land, the laws suspend
ed and a hand system reversed that has
made other states' great and wealthy for
generations past ?
The people of the State of New Tori
own l.ti-41,523 acres of forest reserve in
the Adirondack and the Catskill Moun
tains, according to the last message of
Governor Hughes. The Governor urgva
a project for increasing this total area to
OOMH) acres, and for developing 246,OiKl
horsepower from waters of Hudson
River. This work in New York will be
state conservation. It will be carried on
for lasting benefit of the State of New
York. Local desires and needs will be
conserved along with the resources. The
people of New York, of course, would
not hand this busmen over to the Pin
chot bureau in Washington; they have
their own ideas of how they wish their
resources conserved and what other
things are to be safeguarded along with
them. Resources of Oregon and Wash
ington, and other Western States, how
ever, are managed to suit non-resident
ideas in the National capital. They ara
taxed to pay salaries of a host of offi
cials whose purposes arc elsewhere. The
people of Oregon and Washington, unlike
those of other states, must pay toll for
the use of their own streams and forests
to the people of the United States and a
swarm of high-saluried officials.
Water power is a local utility; it can
not be transmitted long distances; it3
conservation is naturally a local m-atter,
and the laws of the Nation and the
states have always regarded it as a sub
ject solely of state supervision and legisl
ation. The ktws of Oregon and Wash
ington are fully adequate to protect the
public, perhaps more so than those of
New York State are adequate to protect
the public of that commonwealth. Just
think of taxing the people of New York
to pay an army of inspectors .and agents
and conservers in the National capital
to look after the public forests in the
Adirondack and the Catskill Mountains
and the water powers of the Hudson
River!
National control of state resources if.
assumption of authority unauthorized
by the Federal Constitution and viola
tion of the laws and the precedents of
the Nation. This authority is not con
tained in the enumeration of powers con
ferred in the National Government. To
make this doubly sure, two amendments
to the National Constitution specifically
declare: "The enumeration in the Con
stitution of certain rights shall not be
construed to construe or disparage others
retained by the people" ; and "The pow
ers delegated to the United States nor
prohibited by it to the states are reserved
to the states respectively or to the peo
ple." If Pinchot conservation is unconstitu
tional it is also contrary to the statutes
of Congress. Although the public do
main is supposed to be administered ac
cording to the acts of Congress, the For
est Bureau makes rules and regulations
which have all the force of such acts
and even take precedence over them
The laws guarantee every adult citizen
the privilege of acquiring tracts of the
public domain by complying with the
laws', but the Pinchot bureau steps in
and suspends; the acts of Congress. This
is wrong p(licy. The old method should
be restored. Settlement should be en
couraged. It has built up every state in
the Union. Then why not these Western
States? The "people would not lose.
Receipts from land sales have fully In
demnified the Nation already. New
land should be put to uses of wealth
production. Cheap land, sale md use of
lands containing the great resources of
the country have given the Nation its
immense development. The policy has
increased our population by tens of mil
lions and our wealth by hundreds of mil
lions. Yet Pinchot conservation tells ua
now that this was wrong; in substance,
that the country would be better In Its
savage state. We are led to believe that
it vas a mistake to destroy the original
fine timber that stood on the site of the
metropolis of Oregon.
ple, who realized full well, upon calm
reflection, that life, liberty and the pur
suit of happiness are retained by the
same arts whereby they were won.
Hence a return to representative gov
ernment by which the people's rights
have always been preserved, by which
present injustice may he remedied, new
problems met and regulated, and not by
turning over the government and up
setting the wisdom of the ages and ex
perience of mankind by lunacies and
mad caprices of a lot of windy and
scatterbrain Utopians calling them
selves the people, who would blindly
lead those who can see. J. H. M,
The J? a me OM Hoodoo.
Baker City Herald.
If, as Harry Brown states in The
Oregonian, the Republican leaders see
satisfaction in a Democratic Congress,
then the Republican party, is indeed in
a weakened condition. We do not be
lieve any Republican who is earnestly
in favor of Republican principles can
feel that a Democratic victory would
benefit anything or anybody. Democ
racy has ever been a hoodoo to pros
perity and good times.
And the Sphinx Xever Blinked.
New York Sun.
No doubt thousands of worthy people
will differ with us, but from our "point
of view," as John Allen, of Mississippi,
used to say-, the most astounding and"
significant circumstance In connection
with Tartarin's African tour Is found
In the fact that he bristled up to the
Sphinx, looked it straight in the face
for two full minutes and the Sphinx
never so much as blinked.
CIRREXT XEWSPAPKK JESTS.
American into French T.ady fat rail wav
restaurant lpechez, garcon, ou je serai
gauche derriere. Life.
Maud I made Jack propose to mo three
times before I accepted him. Kate y0u
always were a reckless girl. Maud. Boston
Transcript.
"Can you introduce me to any men of
standing?" "Well, I know several floor
walkers and a few members of the traffic
squad." Buffalo Express. ,
"Have you ever thought of going on the
stage?" "Yes. frequently." "What has kept
you from doing so?" "The managers, the
mean things." Chicago Record-Herald.
"I am in the hands of my friends.' said
the political sidestepper. ''Yes." replied
the harsh critic, "and every time your
friends look over their hand!" they gcem im
patient for a new deal." Washington titar.
A
v.