THE .MORXIXPr OUEGONUX. THURSDAY, APRIIi 28, 1910.
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rOKTLANO, Tlmt.SIAY, APRIL 28, 1910.
tID CON'STITUTIOX TISXBI AN'1 TRUE.
"Could a railroad or other great
business corporation be run success
fully in this slipshod manner?" asks
the "Please Read" pamphlet of the
U'Ren oligarchy, in an argument ask
ing voters to enact the U'Ren measure
as a cure-all for present extravagances
of government.
Certainly not, nor would all the
people elect the officers, if govern
ment were conducted like a business
corporation. The managers would be
appointed with view solely to their
fitness and would hold office during
the reriod of their fitness. There
would ho no recall nor proportional
representation nor initiative and refer
endum, nor one-man-one-vote rule of
Buff rage
It boots nothing to make this kind
pf comparison. Popular government
cannot be judged on a commercial
basis, because in no event cart it be
conducted that way. The people
Would be unwilling for it to be so
conducted. Obviously government Is
the most wasteful of human agencies,
a Jr does popular government lessei
the economic waste, much os it may
have achieved in other directions.
The new U'Ren project puts the
state government under a Governor
whose autocratic powers- would ex
feed the Kaiser's in local administra
tion; tinder people's inspectors of gov
ernment, who in some way are to be the
perfection of human kind, free from
personal bias and from ambitions of
aggrandizement; and under a "busi
ness manager," whose chief qualifica
tion to manage business, of course,
will be his facility in shaking hands
and making speeches. The Governor
s to appoint sheriffs and district
'attorneys; to sit in the Legis
lature, and to name the head of
ficers of the State that are now
fleeted by the people. County legis
lators are to be subject to the State
wide electorate as to recall. They are
to hold office six years, in accordance
with propotional representation, and
lo meet annually. A Marion County
Jury Is to have authority ta say
whether any act has been passed by
."undue influence" and to order the
'act suspended pending referendum of
the people. AH this improvement and
much more are contained in the "U'Ren
programme, bills for which are to be
submitted to electors of the State for
enactment under the Initiative next
November.
t Frequent mention of this pro
gramme is proper, in spite of Its ab
surdity and the prospect of its prob
able rejection at the hands of the
voters, in order that -electors may
liot neglect to inform themselves
about this plan for their pretended
betterment.
. Though professing to let .the people
think for and rule themselves, the
sponsors of this radical overturning
of the State constitution, to the nura
ijer of nineteen sijners, advocate a
fjto&s plan of Government, with Im
mense possibilities of boss rule, and
moreover, undertake to boss the peo
ple into accepting it. Local county
government would be subject to the
supreme -authority of the Governor,
and County representation in ' the
Legislature to the recall authority of
the State electorate.
Voters of Oregon will do well to
cling to the remnants of their old
constitution. They are tried and
true.
TOO 311X11 POWER.
The railroad till is causing as much
trouble in the House as it caused in
the Senate. From present indications,
there will be very little of the original
measure left if it ever gets through
Congress. The measure is one of the
most important and far-reaching
pieces of legislation ever before Con
gress, for it contains certain provisions
which, if enacted into law, would place
in the hands of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, rate-making power
that would be perilous alike to rail
toads and to shippers. Section 9 of
the bill, the special feature for which
Senator Cummins fought so valiantly
in the .Senate, Is especially dangerous.
Under the provisions of this section if
It became a law the Commission would
Jiave authority to pass upon any filed
Schedule affecting any ra,to or any
Classification, before it takes effect, and
to suspend its talcing effect, pending
a hearing and decision, for sixty 'days
beyond the time at which it would
otherwise go into effect. As thirty
flays' notice must be given on all
schedules filed by the railroads ""bef ore
they are effective, this new provision
Vou'd1 give ninety days within which
(She Commission could order in any
fate it saw fit to make. v
. In effect, it would give the Commis
sion power to determine for any in
terstate railroad Its schedules of rates
?nd classifications, If it chose to exer
ise it within ninety- days oX the tiling
of the schedule. The absurdity as well
as the danger of placing such unlim
ited power in the hands of a few men
can. be understood when it is noted
that the making of new cchetrules and
classifications, even by the most ex
pert railroad men, is an operation at
nil times attended by the chance that
hey will not stand the lire of a prac
tical test and will need changes to
tneet requirements and conditions that
t-annot be thoroughly understood in
f dvance. Experience of the Commis
sion has fully demonstrated that it is
frnly when a rate is actually in effect
lnd Its working can be observed that
Jts merits can be determined.
! The Interstate Commerce Commis
sion, siritng as a court and hearing
videnco as to the effect of freight
rates and classification, has accom
plished some excellent results. The
same body, acting as experts formulat
ing rates and classifications, without
any practical tests of their merits,
would hardly prove satisfactory either
to shipper or railroads. Aside from
this, it is apparent from the number
of cases now pending that the Com
mission has its time well taken up
without the addition of any extraordi
nary duties, such as are provided In
section 9 of the amended bill.
DEMOCRATIC VIEW IJl INWAXA.
Xote that the flower of the Demo
cratic party in Indiana rejects, for
the election of successor to United
States Senator Beveridge, what is
called in Oregon the "people's choice."'
The brethren think the party candi
date in Indiana should be nominated,
not by direct primaries, but by con
vention. Democrats of Oregon shout for
Statement No. 1 and people's choice
5md direct primaries and rail at Re
publicans for planning to hold a con
vention. They declare convention in
this state will undo the people's will
and the people's primaries, whereas,
in truth, it will correct shortcomings
of the primaries, without invalidating
them in the least degree.
But primaries without advisory
convention are disrupters of the party
that uses them. That is why Demo
crats of Oregon Insist that Republi
cans should not have convention and
it is also why Democrats of Indiana
refuse to dispense with convention.
In the two states there is further dif
ference than this... however, because
in Indiana the convention choice for
United States Senator will not be sub
mitted to the approval of the people
In the primaries as will be done in
Oregon.
Opposed to direct primary, for nom
ination of United States Senator stand
the heads of the Democratic party in
the hoosier state Governor Marshall,
United States Senator Shively, Na
tional Committeeman Lamb who by
the way is candidate to succeed Bev
eridge and State Chairman Jackson.
Then Bryan last week declared him
self in favor of nominating Che party's
candidate by convention.
On the alleged side of the people
stands Tom Taggart, the notorious ex
boss, whose misdeeds have made the
Democratic party grievous trouble in
the past and who has been the most
disreputable boss in the boundaries
of his State.
The Democratic powers ol Indiana
know that the direct primary method
of nominating a candidate for the seat
of Beveridge, would expose them to
the cut-throat politics of both their
Democratic enemies and their Repub
lican rivals. They think- they can
control the election In their state and
will not risk failure through disorgan
ization and nomination of a candidate
from whom the majority of their
party would revolt.
TRIBUTE TO AN AMERICAN.
Perhaps Mr. Watterson is placing
undue stress upon the wonderful per
sonality of the returning hunter who
is now receiving homage from the
mightiest rulers on earth. No one
questions Colonel Roosevelt's ability as
a politician, and there is of course evi
dence of a studied attempt for the
spectacular in all of his movements.
A less forceful American might not
hapre attracted the same attention in
the old world capitals that is now
being shown our militant ex-leader,
but it should be remembered that this
country today looms larger in the
world's current history than ever be
fore. The United States is no longer
the puny nation which a few genera
tions ago was so lightly regarded in.
European capitals that Franklin, Jef
ferson and Jay who were sent abroad
were slighted and slurred in the very
capitals which are now showering
royal honors on Roosevelt.
It has taken time to heal the wounds
caused by the American revolution,
but most of them have vanished, so
that a representative American abroad
today, is today received in a manner
in keeping with the prestige of his
great country. There is hardly a vil
lage or hamlet in all Europe, that has
not sent some representative to the
"States," and directly or Indirectly,
there have been wafted back to the
old country marvelous reports as to
the overwhelming greatness of this
new world. No other country on earth
has built railroads or perfected in
dustrial enterprises on such a colossal
scale as is in evidence In the United
States. In no other country have so
many immigrants who came over in
the steerage risen to seats with the
mighty In finance, politics and other
callings.
Mr. Watterson. in his various warn
ings against imperialism, with Colonel
Roosevelt in the role of dictator, has
not fully explained how much of the
credit for this Back-f rom-Elba parade
is due to the fame and prestige of the
United States, and how much to the
personality of Colonel Roosevelt. It
should not be forgotten that Mr. Bry
an, the frequently defeated candidate
for the presidency, has also been re
ceived in royal state by some of the
greatest of the earth's rulers. This
simply because he was an American
citizen of note. The honors shown
Roosevelt are not so much greater
than those shown Bryan than the rela
tive positions of the two men should
warrant.
HIDDEN TREASURE.
There is material for a good novel
of the old-fashioned sort in the way
the Moss heirs discovered the treasure
which their avaricious grandmother
hid before she passed to a presumably
better world than this. The gran Ism,
a student of Columbia, by the merest
chance stumbled against the base of a
statue while he was prowling around
the house seeking the concealed valu
ables, and, happening to touch . secret
spring as he fell, he disclosed the lurk
ing place of part of the inheritance.
No doubt the rest of it lies :n nooks
and corners and will be found In
course of time, '
The search for it and the gradual
discovery of the treasure would muke
as pretty a plot as a romancer cauld
wish, though it has been rather over
worked already. One writer brought
his heroine to dire straits and then
made her tear off the cushion from
her last rocking chair to pawn for
food. It ripped open and out foil a
stream of gold hidden there by a
stingy grandfather fifty years befors.
Of course the beautiful girl not only
had a good supper that night, but she
was duly married the next day.
Another author had the money con
cealed in the bedpost. The hero was
of robust figure, and It sometimes
happened that the bed fell down with
him in the night. When his fortunes
were reduced to the lowest ebb and
the lady of his love was about to for
sake him because of his penury, tite
bed most luckily collapsed, splitting
open the hollow post and revealing the
fortune he needed.
If Grandma Moss hid any of her
jewels in the bedpost it is to be hoped
that young Beverly Kator is heavy
enough to bring the structure down to
the floor at the right moment. A good
way to find concealed wealth is to
consult some person who is intimate
with spirits. In this way a widow who
was a friend of Swedenborg gained
possession of important papers which
her husband had left concealed when
he died. The great religionist applied
to the ghosts and was told exactly
where to look.
The business of finding hidden
treasure is one that will flourish par
ticularly well when e become more
skillful In communicating with the in
habitants of the other world. Seeing
how long the earth has been inhabited,
it stands to reason that one could find
money almost anywhere if he knew
exactly how to search for it.
nn-ORTAXCE OF COTTON CROP.
Heavy damage to the cotton crop
3f Southern States from cold will
mean a loss whose effects will be felt
more or less throughout the Nation.
While the price market of the staple
Tuesday did not react to the reports
of disastrous crop damage of the day
before, still the situation is anything
but satisfactory. Owing to high
price of raw cotton, the manufactured
product has been forced above the
normal consuming market, and half
the spindles of thd South have been
Idle and also 20 or 25 per cent of the
spindles of New England.
American cotton as the chief article
of Southern prosperity and of National
export has very important bearing on
the world's market. Our Southern
States produce normally more 'than
two-thirds the' world's yield, and
half of the crop is exported, in unman
ufactured condition.
Among agricultural products Amer
ican cotton ranks in value with wheat
and hay, after corn. The Bureau of
the Census shows the value of the
cotton crop to have ranged in the last
few years between $650,000,000 and
$721,000,000. The total value of corn
has ranged from one billion dollars
to more than a billion and a half, and
wheat between $500,000,000 and
$600,000,000. Reports of heaviest
damage to the cotton crop come from
the largest producing states Ala
bama, Mississippi, Georgia, South
Carolina and Tennessee, which five of
the thirteen cotton-producing states
yield about half the total.
It will be seen that the activities
based on cotton production and export
and manufacture are of very consider
able importance and that their indi
rect bearing on other conditions of the
Nation's prosperity are of large mo
ment. It is the growth of ' cotton
manufacture in the South that has
contributed to make there an en
larging demand for protective tariff
and therefore to exert new influence
in National politics.
THE CENSUS IN SEATTLE.
A letter from Seattle, printed by
The Oregonian today, declares that,
even after the most strenuous effort
to boom and boost the census there,
"It looks as if Seattle will have hard
work to show even 225,000 popula
tion." Exactly. It will have hard
work, because there are not over
225,000 people in Seattle. Any count
that runs higher than the very liberal
figure of 225,000 will be a sheer gift
of the census enumerators and volun
teer counters.
Some time ago The Oregonian de
clared that Seattle would show barely
more than 200,000, and asked the
people there and here to stick a pin
in that statement. The reason for
that assertion is that all proper tests
of the city's population viz. the reg
istered vote and the school census
justified no' greater expectation, on
the most generus calculation.
Now, of course, we don't believe
that there Is any great scheme for a
bogus return In Seattle. It is in
credible. The town cannot afford to
do it, and won't do it, for It has honest
citizens and decent people, just as
Portland has. That is the reason that
there will be no count there above
225,000 and it is likely to be less
since it will be on its face obvious and
demonstrable fraud. There will be
no need, or desire, perhaps, to inves
tigate too closel;- any figure up to
225,000. v
WASTE IN RECLAMATION SERVICE.
Disclosures that have been made in
recent months show a most amazing
succession of blunders in the Govern
ment Reclamation Service blunders
that are extremely costly and that
have piled up an enormous debt
against the Reclamation Bureau.
Some of these blunders are in a meas
ure excusable on account of the new
ness of the vast schemes of irrigation
which were of necessity pushed for
ward without precedent or experi
ence as guides. But that there has also
been serious lack or lapse of judg
ment in ordering some of these very
expensive projects is all too apparent.
"The first few years of any Irrigated
community," as stated by Director F.
H. Newell; of the Reclamation Serv
ice, "are necessarily those of more or
less disappointment." While this is
often true, it does not excuse the fact
that millions of dollars in Government
funds have been sunk in uncompleted
irrigation projects scattered over a
wide area and regardless of the fact
that in some instances the sites of
reservoirs were so poorly chosen that
there has not' been available water to
fill them, though some of t'.iem h;tve
stood on arid sites for years, absolutely
useless for the purpose for which they
were at great expense constructed.
Secretary Ballinger denounces the
common policy of irrigating tracts
which contain practically no public
lands. Quoting from his report:
I do not believe that the reclamation act
ever contemplated irrigating purely private
lands, unless the tract served contained a
large proportion of public lands.
Such matter Is consideration for private en
terprise. An Inspection trip made by. the Sen
ate Committee on Irrigation and Rec
lamation of Arid Lands found that in
two projects in New Mexico, for ex
ample the Hondu and the Carlsbad
containing ten thousand and twenty
thousand acres, respectively there
was no public land of any consequence.
Of course, this means that these proj
ects were not engineered for the ben
efit of settlers, but for that of great
private corporations. The engineers
estimated that the Carlsbad project
would cost $400,000. Up to the date
of the committee's investigation $705,
000 has been allotted to this reservoir
and the end is not yet in sight. All
this would not be so bad if the Hondu
River, from which water was to be
taken, furnished a steady flow of wa
ter, but it is a flood stream; that Is
to say, its flow depends entirely upon
rainfall and tlrcre are years together
when this is not sufficient to fill the
reservoir. This magnificent structure
has been completed since 1906, but,
owing to scarcity of water, it has not
been opened to service. "Here, there
fore, we have as one item in "water
wagon waste" $362,000 tied up in a
reservoir which thus far, and as far as
can be seen, is useless. In the mean
time land owners, within the irriga
tion area which it was contemplated
to cover by this project, are under
contract to the Government to repay
the expenditure of $362,000 by a lien
upon their homes. How they are to
cTo this without water to irrigate their
farms is an unsolved problem. They
live in hopes, of course, but of all
hopes that which consults a brazen
sky during season after ' season of
drouth for promise of fruition is the
most trying.
These things are faint indications
of what the Senate investigating .com
mittee on the Reclamation Service
will have to tell of its findings. This
report will without doubt show that
estimates have been greatly exceeded
in the Reclamation Service; that cost
ly mistakes have been made in con
struction and location, and that, be
fore settlers come into possession of
water necessary to render their 'lands
productive, and thus enable them to
Iny off the liens now upon them, it
will be necessary for the Government
to make a still farther large advance
in money.
In a communication from Mr. Ceder
bergh, printed in The Oregonian yes
terday, tho Norwegian consul takes
exception to some Oregonian comment
on the scarcity of sailors. It was sug
gested by The Oregonian that the
present would be a good time for some
of the theoretical reformers, who en
deavor to secure the passage of un
worthy and impracticable sailor legis
lation, to rustle up men for the many
ships now lying idle in port awaiting
crews. When these men importune
the Legislature to change the present
system which is satisfactory to the
shipping interests that know by ex
perience what is best for the port,
they always give out the impression
that it is an easy matter t- secure sail
ors. The present situation offers an
excellent opportunity for Mr. Ceder
bergh to put his theory into practice.
Shipmasters here and at Tacoma will
gladly pay him a much greater fee
than the $10 which he believes would
be .sufficient for the work, if he will
now supply some of these sailor men
who are sadly needed. There may
never be another such-an opportunity
to. demonstrate that men can be se
cured for a $10 fee, when it is im
possible to secure them with a $30 fee.
Portland grain shippers , have de
clined to advance the wages of the
grain handlers. The rate now paid
in Portland is higher- than the
rate paid on Puget Sound, and
any advance would of necessity
increase the handicap against Port
land to such an extent that prac
tically all of t'.ie grain would be ship
ped from Puget Sound. Prior to ex
tension of the Harriman service to Se
attle and Tacoma, this city had what
might be termed a "cinch" on all of
the grain originating in O. R. & N.
territory, and for that reason there
was always businets to be handled at
this port, cv?n with a labor handicap
against us. This year both the Harri
man and tho Hill systems are in a po
sition to deliver wheat on Puget Sound
if the exporters direct its shipment to
the Sound ports. For that reason, a
settlement of the difficulty hinges, not
on the higher cost of living or any
other condition, except meeting of the
competition of the Puget Sound ports.
Another Zeppelin airship has dis
played the imperfections of that type
of vessel by becoming a total wreck
in a storm which blew it away from its
moorings. The disaster is said to fore
shadow the abandonment of this type
of airship, and the substitution of a
non-rigid frame. This will be a se
vere blow to the pride of Zeppelin,
who has long enjoyed the friendship
of Emperor William, but it will not
lessen the fame which will always be
his as one of the first men to awaken
government interest in aerial naviga
tion. Had it not been for the encour
agement given Zeppelin by Emperor
William, it is doubtful whether the
future of the business would appear so
rosy even for the non-rigid balloon
builders. Meanwhile, the aeroplane is
steadily gaining on the lighter-than-air
machine, and may yet render
valueless further experiments with the
latter.
The boys who think it "great fun"
to catch live snakes and put- them in
tho rural letter boxes, near Ridge
field, Wash., are fit subjects for a
reprimand from Uncle Sam that will
frighten them irto a respect for the
dignity of the United States postal
service. Boys cannot be too early
taught to discriminate between harm
ful mischief and harmless fun. There
is no means more efficacious than the
maternal shingle- or the paternal birch
well laid on. :xls method, or some
other equally efl'icaciojis. Is overdue
and should.be applied in this case be
fore serious consequences result
through fright to women and children
who are thus unwittingly brought in
contact with, reptiles that, though
otherwise harmless) might easily cause
fright to be followed by results disas
trous and. even fatal.
Rates of wharfage and dockage in
Portland never have been complained
of as excessive and a irw .lopoly would
have to corner all the wharfage sites
between this city and Astoria; yet the
city, according to some citizens, ought
to add several million dollars to a
bonded municipal debt that already
is within reach of $15,000,000, in order
to buy and build public wharves and
docks. If the project is needed, in or
der to create more offices, at expense
of taxpayers, other arguments can be
adduced to show that it would impose
unnecessary additional burdens.
Cement sewer pipe, though cheaper
than terra cotta pipe and just as good,
is o; posed by the plumbing trust and
The Journal newspaper. However,
the chief owner of the newspaper Is
head of the terra cotta sewer pipe
trust.
When people at last shall see the
comet, they may be ashamed that they
tried to shift to it the blame for some
things that have happened.
By' asserting that quantity of gold
money has raised prices. Mr. Bryan
seems to have put himself in bad on
the tariff issue.
FRANTIC TO SWELL. THE CENSUS.
Seattle 1'uXinji; Forth Amsilng Efforts
to Get More Than a Full Count.
SEATTLE, Wash., April 27. (To the
Editor.) There Is every probability that
the census returns will show an amazing
loss of estimated population for this city.
Instead of the proud boast of 300,000 peo
ple living within the corporate city lim
its. It looks as if Seattle will have hard
work to show even 225,000 population.
There are some conservative men hers
who estimate that if the census be prop
erly taken without Juggling In any way,
the Queen City will prove to have not
over 200,000 in the count.
Never since the first days in the his
tory of this self-boosted town has there
been such an effort put forward to se
cure every single name to add , to the
list. Never since the early days when
old man Yesler sold the first house lot
near Pioneer Square have the people of
Seattle realized that the whole city seems
to be up against a bad condition of
things In every line.
It looks as if the population figures
are going to prove a mighty shrinkage.
This will be a sad blow to the pride of
the ones whose interests demand that Se
attle shall have something to boast about
seven days a week. When It is consid
ered that Seattle has recently annexed
.the neighboring town of Georgetown in
order to swell the census roll, and that,
in spite of this achievement, the count
will probably fall far short of what the
lowest guessers estimated, it will be seen
that there is genuine cause for alarm.
It would seem as if the rather exten
sive collection of enumerators which the
Chamber of Commerce bureau hired could
be depended upon to get around the 14
wards of Seattle and complete the count
within the required two weeks, but such
apepars not to be the case.' as outsiders
see it; the -whole town is well coated
with a crop of appeals for help. -Yes,
literally appeals for assistance. That is
what- the erstwhile proud and haughty
Seattlers have come to.
Every streetcar is bedecked with a
sizeable Bign, Inscribed with this pitiful
appeal in large, black lettersr "Help
Seattle. Be sure you are counted in the
census." The fever to arouse interest in
the big count extends to billboards and
valuable space in newspapers. On top of
a brick block fronting toward the Totem
pole Is a huge sign eight feet high and
40 feet long lettered as tall as a man,
entreating and demanding, persuading
and commanding Seattlers to hustle up
and get counted The Chamber has se
cured several stands around town and
has hired men to attend to these stands,
passing out census blanks and listing
names.
The beauty of all this Is that quite a
few men are being counted several times
over ,and this may be the means of
swelling the total. If a man gets Into
the count by reason of hia wife telling
the regular . U. S. census enumerator at
the house, and he, in his honest desire
to help Seattle, obtains a free listing
blank from one of the downtown Cham
ber of Commerce census bureaus and
counts himself all over again, who cares?
It counts another one for Seattle. In
some instances, well-meaning men have
been enumerated as plain John Smith
when their legal names are probably
John F. Smith, so the mixed count will
tally two Smiths instead of one. With
billboards decorated with piteous appeals,
and streetcars emblazoned with adjura
tions, tops of business blocks surmounted
by frantic commands, 15 free census bu
reaus maintained by the Chamber of
Commerce, agents persistently circulating
about office buildings so as to catch the
so-called John and John F. Smiths a few
times over it surely Indicates that Seattle
is going to be counted. E. K. JONAS.
Will Bryan Unite Republicans f
New York Sun.
Already Democrats are talking of the,
traveler returned, of Bryan with his olea
ginous smile, of 16 to 1, and all the rest
of the short cuts to prosperity and the
higher statesmanship. Upon so slight a
base they build the hysterical structure
of their restoration. It is "Hark away!"
and full flight for the fleshpots.
A Democratic victory this year will be
an injury to the Democratic cause. It will
arrest and sober the Republican contest
ants and realign the party upon the sig
nal of danger; and if the Democrats, in
toxicated by misunderstood successes and
feeling sure of further triumphs because
of rainbows in the sky of smoke which
so gracefully curls or any other imma
terial and evasive thing, should take vic
tory in 1M2 for granted and return to
their old love with his barren platitudes
and prophecies, his manifold croaks and
his misleading admonitions. Republican
feuds will be called in and independence
of action eliminated in the presence of a
common menace.
River and Harbor Reform.
New York Tribune.
The defect of the system of river and
harbor legislation which the two Houses
are now only gradually outgrowing was
that appropriations were looked upon too
much as gratuitirs to be shared among
the states and sections. In order to keep
the balance even much work was au
thorized which had no justification. It
Is time to shake off the traditions of that
system entirely and to look at river and
harbor enterprises as Investments made
with an eye to National rather than
local benefit. If they help the country as
a whole, they are worthy; If their pri
mary purpose is to put Government
money into local circulation, they are a
survival of "roaring Klshiminetas" days
and ought to be barred out under a stat
ute of limitations.
Bryan Again Looking Pert.
" Brooklyn Eagle.
The chances of the Democrats are always
pood. William J. Bryan.
Not always. Frequently, they could not
be Improved upon until a paramount Is
sue comes along, when It is different.
Often they have been most alluring until
the votes were counted and the returns
from Texas showed that state to be more
Texan titan ever. At this particular time
the chances are promising enough, but
Mr. Bryan does not explain for what
Later on, he will. Meanwhile, he would
like to see another William J. elected
President, which is an evidence of pres
ent generosity. Next year he may not bo
so gracious and the year after that well.
If the people should demand, etc
Chief Anions; Amerloana.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican.
The record of Samuel Clemens fs that,
being a true, honest, sincere and faithful
husband, father and friend, he was also
a man of rare genius, which he exercised
with honor in literature and life and so
took rank as one of the chief citizens of
America.
Newssary Qualifications.
Philadelphia Record.
Wigg Guzzler has Joined the Yaho
Yacht Club, and he never sailed a boat
in his life. I wonder what his qualifica
tions are?
Wagg He owns a yachting cap and an
unquenchable thirst.
probably Roosevelt Knew.
Boston Transcript.
And yet people wondered why Roose
velt avoided touching the tariff.
ROYAL. SPADES IX BRIDGE
The Make Reirarued as Retrular and
Honors Counted Accordingly.
- H. W. L. In St- Paul Dispatch.
There seems to be some misunderstand
ing about how to count, as well as when
to make the royal spade trump In bridge.
There was a comprehensive explanation
of the royal spade made in the New York
Sun not long ago, and It seems to me one
could not carefully read that article and
then practice what it teaches without be
coming a convert to the fairness of the
make, as well as to the Increased interest
of the one additional trump to the game.
I say an additional trump make, for an
ordinary j-pade make with a count of two
for a trick and four for simple honors. Is
one thing, or trump and a royal spade
with 10 per trick and 20 for simplehonors
Is another.
Royal spades takes rank next to no
trump, so takes second rank and above
hearts. The rules are Just the same as
1n other trump makes, and either dealer
or dummy can declare royal spades and
either opponent can double. The count
In royal spades Is as follows:
Each trick above six, 10 points.
Simple honors, 20.
Four honors, -40. '
Five honors. 60.
Four honors in one hand. SO.
Four honors in one hand and one in
partner's, 90.
Five honors in one hand, 100.
You see the same rule applies to value
of honors as In other trumps.
This article prefer to states in conclu
sion that while opinions differ as to the
Interest in the new game, the dissenting
voices seem to come entirely from those
who have not tried it, and that many of
the best bridge players in the country
are insisting that there are some things
which are self-evident, and one of these
things is that royal spades was a neces
sity demanded by the anomalous position
of the spade make.
LOW DOWN TRICKS I IV BASEBAI.lt
Bis Mike Donlln Tells How Games
Were Won Before They Began.
New York Sun.
Mike Donlln, sometime heavy hitter
on the Giants, while passing through
town the other day, discoursed on the
psychology of baseball.
"I recall three or four important
games I've -won all by myself." said
Mike, "and in each case I won them
before the game had begun at all. How?
Easy. Just stroll over toward the fence
where the opposing pitcher is warm
ing up before the game starts. Have
a couple of players with you to nip
anything rough before it gets a start.
At the right moment ask the pitcher
what the blank he means by going
around and saying so and so about
Matty and Bugs Raymond and a few
others. The pitcher, of course, gets
sore and swears he never said such a
thing, which he didn't. Then you run
over the names of all the rest of the
New Yorks and quote them as your
authorities. A moment later that pitch
er steps Into the box with his mind
made up to sink the ball into the head
of yourself and every man you've
quoted. The result is he can't pitch at all.
"And there's another thing that ought
to encourage the bush league boys, and
that is when even the best teams some
times need a poor player very much.
It's this way: Pick out a poor player
and send him out to play for an in
ning. After a few minutes the bush
leaguer, following instructions, picks a
quarrel with a star man on the other
Bide. Then the umpire throws them
both out of the game and so you've
weakened the other crowd to the ex
tent of one star man."
CALIFORNIA'S AIGRETTE" LAW
Officers Seize Forbidden Millinery From
a Shop Window.
Los Angeles Examiner.
No longer an unrealized dream of the
reformer, but an actual fact with which
the fashionable milliner must reckon, the
"aigrette law," passed last June by the
California Legislature, will be enforced to
the full extent of the letter.
Los Angeles dealers have had their first
real object lesson on the subject this
week, in the confiscation of an aigrette
trimmed hat In the millinery shop of Mrs;
Coy on West Eighth street. Game War
den W. B. Morgan and Mrs. Harriet W.
Myers, secretary of the state Audubon
Society, discovered the "creation" and
caused it to be removed without the for
mality of a purchase.
Not only is the snowy Heron, the life
of which has been in Jeopardy by reason
of the aigrette's popularity, now to be
protected, but Mrs. Myers has determined
upon a vigorous campaign in the interest
of all California birds that may not law
fully be used for millinery purposes.
Frightened by the confiscation of the
aigrette hat in the Eighth-street store,
and having it brought prominently to
their attention that the penalty for vio
lation of this law is from $2." to $100 fine
with imprisonment, the transgressors
have been asking with bated breath, "Will
they stop women on the street and con
fiscate their hats, or march the wearers
off to the station house, because for
bidden goods are found in their posses
sion?" Everybody's I'rlend.
Baltimore Sun.
It will be many a day before the peo
ple of the United States forget Mark
Twain, the man. Since far back in
the 70's he had been one of our Na
tional celebrities, and perhaps tho
greatest of the clan beaming, expan
sive and kindly: a star at all great
public feasts; the friend of Presidents
and millionaires, or archbishops and
actors, welcome everywhere and al
ways In good humor; a fellow of In
finite jest. As the years passed his
picturesque figure grew more and more
familiar and lovable. Every town of
any pretensions knew him. He was In
ceaseless motion, making a speech here,
taking a degree there, and always
dripping fun. The news that he was
to be present was enough to make a
success of anything, from a bacchanal
of trust magnates to a convocation of
philologists.
How to Be Popular.
Minneapolis Journal.
The way to be popular has been ex
plained by one of the marshmallow maga
zines which Inflates itself with the idea
that It is directing modern life. "When
you shake hands with a man," runs the
recipe, "grasp the hand as though you
were glad to see the owner, look him In
the eye, and give him a smile from your
heart." This is a sure-enough recipe. It
has been used a million times from Alci
blades down to day before yesterday.
It has been worked by some of the
greatest frauds In Christendom to sub
serve their own ends. The man who is
seeking popularity, posing for It. angling
for It, usually doesn't deserve it. Keep
your admiration for men who show you
their real selves, who, when they are
bothered, or worried, or mad, or glad,
make It manifest by appropriate facial
expression, and who are not constantly
standing themselves before the mirror.
Venus, Friend of Comet-Seekers.
Western Oregon Leader.
If you want to see Halley's comet to
the best advantage, get up with the
early worm about 4 A. M. and look to
the east while Venus combs her hair.
This Is the latest astronomical dope.
By May 1 the comet's tail will begin to
assert Itself.
Better Occapatlon.
St. Joseph Gazette.
Now that the baseball season has
opened we may find enough to occupy
our attention without the necessity of
finding fault with our neighbor, who
refuses to conduct himself according to
our Idea as to bow he should.
"PLATITUDES" AS
FIT
TEXTS
Roosevelt Tells Ased Truths Which
Yet Make Novel Sermons.
New York Independent.
What Is more of a platitude than
that murder is wrong and to be con
demned? That is one of Mr. Roose
velt's platitudes. And yet is it a plati
tude always and everywhere? Was it
a platitude In Egypt, where Mr. Roose
velt, in a speech to young Egyptians,
told them that it was a wrong and a
blunder to kill a man they did not
like? Somehow they did not all take
it as a platitude: some of them were
very angry. They knew for he ap
plied the platitude to a late case of
political murder what was their own
sympathy with that murder. Hundreds
and thousands' of them thought that
murder right. To them condemnation
of murder was not a platitude, for
they approved it and lauded the mur
derer as a patriot. Right there, and
to them, face to face, Mr. Roosevelt
uttered what seems to most of us a
platitude, that killing people because
you don't like them is bad policy and
bad morals; and they did not like it,
and 200 of them marched before his
hotel shouting cries meant to show
their disapproval and rejection of hia
platitude, and their approval of politi
cal murder. F'rom our point of view it
was a platitude; but in Egypt it was
no platitude, and we judge it would
not be in certain circles of Great Brit
ain, by the way some people and jour
nals blamed him for speaking his mind
freely on tho matter of murder.
And there are other countries where
this is no platitude. It is not in Rus
sia, where great parties believe in mur
der, and they kill as they can get a
chance. Indeed, in our own country
there are thousands and millions who
approve of murder, and in half our
states', nearly, this last year crowds of
people, mobs of them, joined in com
mitting murder, because they have not
been educated up to the platitude.
What is true of the wrong of murder
applies to a multitude of other popular
errors. What could be more of a plati
tude than that bribery and graft are
wrong? And yet we hear of "honest
graft." What attempts have we seen
in Albany and in Pittsburg and in other
cities to shield these evils? That means
that those who defended the wrongs
and thousands defend them have no
sharp twinges of conscience against
these evils. They will condone them,
and would take or give the bribe If
they had the chance. What our whole
public needs 13 to feel the compulsive
truth of such platitudes, and for this
we need to hear them constantly re
peated. Give us more men who will re
peat more ethical platitudes, put mora
emphasis on them, and give us Roose
veltian applications thereof.
MULTITUDES
AT KITE i FLYIXCi
I. oh Angeles Children Exhibit Variety
of Winged Birds.
Los Angeles Herald.
Very plain kites, exceedingly gro
tesque kites, dainty little flyers, and
great unwieldy ones, kites of all col
ors, kites that soared almost out of
sight, and kites that would not
fly at all were seen recently at the
fourth annual kite tournament of tho
Los Angeles city schools. Between
3000 and 4U00 children ran over the hig
field and delighted themselves in the
kite carnival.
The crowd gathered at 2 o'clock with
kites of every imaginable shape, but
lack of breeze prevented the start of
the contest until 3:30 o'clock.
A number of odd conceptions were in
evidence which showed their relation
to some of the craft of the Los An
geles aviation meet. Many new ideas
were brought to light, ideas from which
the oldest aviators might profit. At 4
o'clock the sky was filled with hun
dreds of the silk and paper winged
birds.
Los Angeles is probably the first kite
city in America. For four years she
has been famous for her tournaments.
The new Impetus lent to the amusement
by the city's recent aviation meet has
produced among the children kite mak
ers who are not outclassed by the chil
dren of any nation of the world.
tin Danger In Alaska.
Tacoma Tribune.
To those muckrakers who are fearful
that the "Gugs" will own Alaska and
make a feudal barony out of it, it might
be well enough to call attention to tha
fact that the "Gugs" have spent some
thing like half a billion dollars in tha
preliminaries to tho opening up of tha
Copper lUver country and have not yet
taken a dollar out of it. It will
he time enough for the highbrow
muc-kraker to holler when he is shut out
of Alaska: where there is hardly any
chance that he would ever have even
gone on nn excursion if it hadn't. been
that somebody went ahead and mada
something out of the country more than, .
desert wastes.
Polk and Taft.
Chicago Record-Herald.
From the diary of James K. Polk,
November 2, 1847:
"I am 5- years old today. I havo
now passed through two-thirds of my
Presidential term and most heartily
wish that the remaining third waa
over."
From the ruminations of William IL
Taft, April. 1910:
"I was 52 years old last September. I
have now passed through one-fourth
of my Presidential term and it's me,
too, to poor Polk."
Refleftlous of a Bachelor.
New York Press.
Love letters ate certificates of Imbe
cility. Mighty little comes of trying to do
too much.
Good fellows in the crowd are bad
providers in thv family.
A big family can keep a man out of
most other temptations.
The first thing a man gets over when
he marries a woman is making love to
her.
Homeless Evlalrs.
New York Herald.
The credit system has been abolished,
in Vassal- College restaurant, and girls
will have to eat on the pay-as-you-enter
plan now. This will deprive
many a worthy chocolate eclair of a
good home.
Significant.
Kansas City Star.
The homage shown to Mr. Roosevelt
everywhere in Europe is a reminder that
the simaro deal is a doctrine that is just
as popular in the Old World as In tha
New.
(VBRBST NKWhPAPKR, JESTS.
What did you find particularly shock
ing at that play?" "The people I (a In
the audloncn whom I hnd hitherto recardrd
as sedate and conservative people." Wash
ington Star.
Trills Are you aware of the fact that
there 'may b mtllions of germs on a dol
lar hill? ''Yes. sir. 1 hat's one reason why
I prefor hills of a hlKher denomination."
Chicago Record-Herald.
Village Organist (to new vicar showing
keyboard) We must 'ave summut done to
un, zlr. When I do play the Aniens that
ther note do han? on to "un till T have to
prize "un up wr a zhut knife." Punch.
"Farmers can't pet farm hands no more."
"flo to the crowded cities. Take some
moving: pictures of life on the farm and ex
hibit them." "How can we take movlm?
pictures of life on the farm? We can't
ketch the hired man In motion." I.ouis
ville Courier-Journal.
"You have an enviable collection of post
cards, haven't you?" said the caller, look
ing through the lot. "Why, what's this one
"all blank on one side?" she added. "That?
That's a tiovernment postal card a rara
bird -these days." the owner said, after con
sulting nor catalogue. Buffalo Express.