10
THE MORNING- OREGOXIAN, . WEDNESDAY, MAY' . 25, . 1910.
PORTLAND, OREOOS. .
Entered at Portland. Oreson, Postoftiee u
Sconil-ClMi Matter. "
subscription Rates Invariably la AdnUM.
.. (BY MAIL).
Daily, Sunday included, one year 18.00
aly. Sunday Included, alx month. ... 4 2
f!y' f undy Included, three months.. 2.25
Dally. Sunday Included, one month 15
Dally, without Sunday, one year B.0O
Da y. without Sunday. six month. -S5
Dslly, without Sunday, three months.. 1.75
Pally without Sunday, one month 0
Weekly, one year 1.60
Sunday, one year S-60
bunday and weekly, one year I. SO
(Br Carrier).
l "y- Sunday Included, one year B OO
Dally. Sunday Included, one month 75
to Kenilt Send Postoftiee money
x"Ttl order or personal check on
our local bank. Stamps, coin or currency
are at the sender's risk. Give nostoftlee ad
orees In full. Including county and state.
l"ste Kates 10 to 14 pages. 1 cent; 15
In . pa"e"- a cents; 30 to 40 paces. S cants;
0 pag-es, 4 cents. Foreign postage
iouble rate.
-ifi Bnslness Of Hoe The S. C Beek
,iltL bpeolal Agency Jiew York, rooms 4S
Sio Tribune building. Chicago, rooms 510
B12 Tribune building. "
PORTLAND. WEDNESDAY, MAY 25. 1910.
SPANISH WAR BURDENS.
History will probably record Amer
ica's war on Spain as an unjustified at
tack of a strong: nation upon a weak
one. It will also mark down some of
the penalties of retribution that are
already appearing: a burden in the
Philippines, another in Cuba, a heavily
growing: load of taxation for far-flung:
naval defenses and serious responsi
bilities in new spheres of international
rivalry.
These responsibilities were subjects
of debate last Monday in the United
States Senate, when that body was
considering: the naval budget, which
Amounts . to 1184,000,000. Senator
Heyburn, of Idaho, inserted the re
mark in the debate that the people of
the United States did not want war,
but were driven into it by their "rul
ers." But America was precipitated into
the war by the excited condition of the
public mind and the rivalry of parties
following; the destruction of the battle--ship
Maine. The declaration of war
by Congress was not the work of "rul
ers"; on the contrary, heads of the
Government endeavored to avert con
flict. President. McKinley used all the
influence of his Administration to
prevent war; for many weeks he with
stood popular clamor and Jingoism in
Congress. But destruction of the
Maine, supposedly by Spaniards at
Havana, produced a wrath in Amer
ica that overwhelmed his opposition;
Democrats in Congress, thinking to
gain party advantage for themselves
by declaration of war, urged hostilities,
and Republicans, fearing to be out
done in avenging a supposed outrage
upon the Nation, assumed to take the
lead. Thus the declaration of war was
adopted almost unanimously. ,
This would have been a very dan
gerous step for the United States, had
Spain been a strong power. But per
haps in that case the United States
would not have rushed pell-mell into
war. Tet rivalry of political groups
for advantage of war and easy victory
brought humiliation of France by the
Germans in their latest conflict and
loss of territory and treasure and na
tional rank. Precipitous haste of po
litical factions in France to be first in
conquering Germany brought France
to the dust beneath the superior power
of the nation assailed. The conquered
belligerent may never regain its for
mer place at the head of European
affairs. This is the price France paid
Tor an unjustified war.
Had Spain been a power the equal
of Great Britain, the outcome . of
America's precipitate declaration of
-ar might have been very much differ
ent and the competition of Republican,
and Democratic parties for the favor
of the excited populace and for spoils
of a war of aggrandizement might
have laid low the pride of this re
public. It exposed the Nation to this
'anger when President Clevelani in
his second Administration defied Great
Britain with his Venezuelan ulti
matum, in response to hysterical pop
ular excitement. Prime Minister Sal
isbury is said to have desired to take
President Cleveland's message as an
Insult and a cause for war, but to have
been overridden by Queen "Victoria.
The danger of war at that time be
tween America and Britain was grave,
and it is probable that the exposure
of Canada to American attack was all
that dissuaded Britain from conflict.
Decrepit Spain went down before
the superior naval equipment of the
United States. Its own naval force
Ras. meager, and its leading men re
alized from the first that it could not
cope with America's. Spain' sent out
a small squadron to certain doom, yet
It had to do this in order to make a
show of fight and to preserve ancient
Signify and pride.
Some persons imagined the United
States had an interest in Cuba superior
to that of Spain or the rest of the
world, and that therefore this country
was Justified in intervening' between
Spaniards and Cuban rebels and eject
ing the Spaniards. But this sentiment
would probably not have been strong
enough to control the American Gov
ernment had it not been strengthened
by the Maine disaster and the sup
posed responsibility of the Spaniards
therefor. Now that the Mainj is
likely to be raised, perhaps it will be
discovered that its destruction was not
caused by the Spaniards, but by inter
nal explosion, such as has occurred on
other war vessels.
The United States is certainly paying
dearly for its conquest of Spain. Per
haps future benefits will compensate,
but that is to be proved. Meanwhile,
it foots the bills for costly establish
ments for Navy 'and Army in the Phil
ippines, and soon must foot another
intervention bilJ in Cuba.
SETTLERS ARE J.OT "UIOGESHEIMS."
Mr. Louis W. Hill, head of newly
projected railroads in Oregon, observes
that this state needs for its upbuild
ing and for traffic of his lines settlers
and homebuilders on the public do
main that is, return of Pinchptized
"conservation" areas to homestead
entry, at $2.50 an acre, in accordance
with law. This is the well-founded
opinion of a railroad man for whom
Eastern Oregon has long waited with
vast areas of conserved wilderness.
Now that the railroad-maker has
come and pointed out the requisite of
progress, faddists of conservation set
up a tirade and call Hr. Hill a "Gug
genheim." But this is not the opin
ion of the Eastern Oregon country nor
of persons elsewhere, who have
learned from the history of their
country that the pioneers of the Na
tion's progress everywhere have been
homesteaders on cheap Government
land.
Conservation theorists turn their
aces against the record of their
country. They deny people of the Far
West and newcomers who are joining
them, the opportunities that have made
all the older states strong and great.
They have reserved one-thira-of Ore
gon and 350,000 square' miles of
land in the far West from homi
builders. This area, is nearly twice
that of France or Germany or Spain.
It Is three times that of Great Britain
or Italy and half again as large as
Austria-Hungary- It is one-eighth
the surface of continental United
States. The policy that locks up
such a vast region from pioneer set
tlement marks one of the most mon
umental blunders of present-day
statesmanship or of popular craze.
It is no answer to say that settlers
are land thieves. This is not true, and
persons who assert it throw most un
worthy aspersion on a most stalwart
element of American citizenship. The
pioneer settlers of the Far West have
not been thieves nor robbers, nor
were their forefathers in the Middle
West and on the Atlantic side of the
continent.
The Government should continue
to llow its citizens to make homes
on the public domain. Mr. . Hill's
judgment of this matter is sound.
Who dares call AmeTlcan settlers
"Guggenhelms"? ...
This Western country has been
"conserved" since the morning: -stars
first sang together. It is time to let
settlers turn Its wild resources to civ
ilized uses. '
DOCK. BONDS AND OTHERS.
Just as well, and better, that the so
called dock 'bonds have not been of
fered for sale. So bad a time is it for
selling bonds that even tenders "for
water bonds best of all descriptions
of bonds offered are far below par;
and bridge bonds bring no offers at
all.
This is admonition that the finan
cial world does not like the situation
as here presented. The intimation is
that the city has sufficient amounts of
outstanding- bonds for the present, and
would better wait a while. But
money for further water supply, and
for Broadway bridge, is necessary;
which it is most , probable would be
supplied at home if 5 per cents were
offered at par.
Moreover, Eastern -buyers have dis
like of bonds issued under the initia
tive voting system prevailing- in Ore
gon, and prefer bonds authorized di
rectly by the Legislature. This is one
reason why offers for our bonds do not
come freely. Use of initiative and ref
erendum, as a method of lawmaking. Is
supposed to indicate a spirit, among
those who employ the system, not fa
vorable to investments and securities.
CANDOR AS TO PROHIBITION.
The Oregonian has not said state
prohibition would "ruin" Oregon, Dr.
Clarence True Wilson and , similar
goodly men to the contrary, enotwith
standing. Nor has it said local pro
hibition would ruin any community;
instead, it has commended prohibition
by local option. But this paper has
remarked that state prohibition would
be injurious to Oregon, and it repeats
this declaration with full confidence in
the facts and reasons supporting- it.
Traffic in liquors in large popula
tion centers is not suppressed
In . any large municipality of
a prohibition state. Make-believe
prohibition of liquor In Portland
and in the larger towns of Ore
gon would put this state in the cate
gory of such commonwealths as Maine,
"Vermont and Kansas, whose names
are synonyms of intolerance, irration
ality and folly the country over.
This would be real injury to Oregon.
This state is now entering upon a ca
reer of new activity and progress, and
it ought not to be displayed before the
Nation and the world as a common
wealth of crankiness, hypocrisy and
hateful strife. Oregon will continue
to grow with or without the sham of
prohibition in its leading cities, but its
rising greatness will strike newcomers
and neighbors more favorably with
honesty of law and sincerity of citizens.
Oregon has nothing to gain and much
to lose from the farce of prohibition.
It will not even gain as increments
of Its population the ranters and
brawlers of prohibition;' for tfiey will
go elsewhere tomorrow or soon there
after, whether they shall engraft their
hobby on Oregon or not.
Oregon will preserve its self
respect and the respect of its neigh
bors by repudiating this humbug of
liquor suppression. This common
wealth now has a local option law
which enables any community to pro
hibit the saloon. If this law cannot
be successfully applied to prohibit li
quor traffic In Portland and the lesser
cities, none other can be. Liquor will
continue to be sold in Portland no
matter what the pretense of law may
be. Just as it is sold in every large
town and city in every prohibition
state. - .
A LESSON FOR WOMEN.
The highwayman who attacked the
Montavilla schoolteacher, a night or
two ago, departed from the ethical
code of his profession in two particu
lars at least. No self-respecting- hold
up man ever tries to rob a woman,
for one thing, and in the second place
he never uses blows upon either a man
or a woman. If it is essential to ac
complish his purpose, your ethical
highwayman will kill, but he will not
strike a person with a vulgar weapon
like a hammer. ,
From the circumstances surround
ing the attempted robbery of this
young woman and many other things
which have happened lately, the sus
picion is inescapable that the highway
man's profession in Portland has
fallen to a low estate. It is clearly in
the hands of a depraved gang who
care not for" the noble traditions of
their calling. They seem to be a
greedy crew who are satisfied to get
money, no matter, how they come by
it. If they do not take care, they will
soon be classed with our pre'datory
millionaires and then what will the
shade of Dick "" irpin have to say to
them? .
Sad as one must feel over the vul
gar rudeness of this, Montavilla high
wayman, still the attack upon the
young- schoolteacher is Illuminated by
one circumstance, brilliantl. illumin
ated, .one might say. That Is her val
iant defense of herself, or at any rate
her valiant determination not to be
robbed. So far as one can discern
from the account of the affair, her re
sistance was merely passive, "but it was
effectual. Although the robber struck
her several times over the head with
his unspeakable . shoemaker's ham
mer, nevertheless she was so protected
by her hat and hair that she seems to
have 'suffered no great harm before
help arrived and the wretched miscre
ant had fled.
Let us all rejoice that the robber es
caped, so that the precincts of our Po
lice Court need not be defiled by his
insufferable presence. Can we not dis
era in this event a lesson which every
woman ought to heed? Those who
have hitherto neglected to provide
themselves with wide and ample hats
should do so without delay, and those
whocs hair is by nature too scanty to
ward off the blows of a shoemaker's
hammer ought to fortify themselves
with wigs.
THE HOCSE OF LORDS.
A reader of The Oregonian who lives
in Boise. Idaho, wishes to know
whether or not the House of Lords has
given up its hereditary right to rule,
and, if it has not, what the effect
would be if it were to do such a thing-.
The House of Lords in England has
not given up any part of its power as
yet. , The late election turned on the
question whether or not the Lords had
the right, to reject a budget which the
Commons had adopted. The voters of
Great Britain sustained the budget,
and the Lords, accepting the result of
the referendum, passed it without
much delay.-. .. ..-..
But in the debate over the budget
the fundamental question came .to the
front whether or not it Is wise for a
civilized country like England to per
mit a body of hereditary legislators to
exist. The bitterness of the question
is intensified by the fact that, while
the Lords retain their power in full, it
is impossible for any measures of radi
cal reform ever to be passed. Such
bills "as that for Irish home -rule, the
reform of ' the poor laws on radical
principles, and" the like, will always be
rejected by the peers, who. are fixed by
their economic interest in reactionary
prejudices. -
It is highly probable thta the pres
ent Parliament will be dissolved within
a few months, and in the new elec
tion which must follow the principal
issue will be the regulation of the
power of the House of Lords. Even
the Lords themselves do not expect
that they will escape some restriction,
and they have proposed various meas
ures of reform on their own behalf.
The Liberals, however, win not be sat
isfied with anything which hereditary
Tory legislators are likely to propose,
and will frame some restrictive, or
perhaps revolutionary, measure of
their own.
Still, it Is not by any means certain
that the great body of the British peo
ple wish to make much change in the
House of Lords. The rural voters are
deeply attached to the territorial
magnates, who in a certain way have
been a civilizing influence In the coun
try and have performed a number of
feudal duties with commendable zeal.
They are the natural leaders of the
rural population, and upon the whole,
so far as one can discern, their leader
ship seems to have been satisfactory
to those who are most concerned.
FAR EASTERN PROBLEM.
Negotiations are proceeding- between
Japan and Russia for a Far-Eastern
policy adapted to the usages of both
countries. Advices from St. Peters
burg are that while the matter has as
sumed definite form, "there is reason
to 'believe that Japan is seeking- to ne
gotiate a convention on broader lines
than Russia now wishes." It Is, of
course, not at all surprising to learn
that Japan is not thoroughly in
accord with Russian ideas- regarding
a policy for the Far East. Nor Is it
surprising that Russia is, backward
about meeting the Japanese views.
The Japanese made history at a rapid
gait when they lowered the flag of the
Czar a few years ago, but the great
contest was one of those affairs which
terminates with both of the contest
ants dissatisfied.
Japan was at first contented with
the glory of the achievement. But
as glory does not pay war debts or
taxes, a feeling of resentment ap
peared. Since the close of the war
Japan has been endeavoring to secure
by peaceful diplomacy and cleverness,
some of the spoils of war that escaped
her clutches at the Portsmouth settle
ment. For a time there were Indica
tions of a tacit understanding between
Japan and Russia by which it would
be possible for each country to do po-.
lKica! prospecting and exploitation In
Manchuria. The famous "opendoor"
in Manchuria . was so thoroughly
choked and .jammed with Japanese
tradesmen that those of other coun
tries had extreme dllticulty in edging
in.. Russia was apparently assigned a
certain portion of the field, and all
went well until England, Germany and
the United States sent up a protest
against the aggressions of both Japan
and Russia in trade territory in Man
churia. It has since become necessary for
the two powers to maintain a fairer
attitude toward the rest of the world.
Being deprived of the advantage they
sought to exercise it Is now advisable
to formulate a new policy. Anything
like a permanent or satisfactory pact
between Russia and Japan does not,
however, seem possible. Japan is so
hopelessly involved with the weight of
her war debt, with her ship subsidies
and other forms of graft, that she
might be willing to fight again for the
chance of getting something besides
glory out of it. Russia, still smarting
from the wounds of conflict, has been
gathering in gold and strengthening
her war chests until, with the financial
aid of her creditors, she is again in a
position to dictate the breadth of the
lines on which the Far Eastern con
vention shall be negotiated.
The Muscovite and the Japanese are
both too greedy to remain at peace in
the same field unless that field is well
policed by other nations.
THE PANAMA EXPOSITION.
If there is any good reason why
Washington, D. C, should be consid
ered in any way eligible as a site for
the 1915 Panama Exposition, it is not
easily discernible. The Panama Ex
position is to be held for the purpose
of celebrating completion of a water
way between the Atlantic and the Pa
cific Oceans. Washington is on neither
the Atlantic nor the Pacific, and is not
even accessible to the big ships which
will form such an important part of
the celebration. "Viewed from either
a historical or a commercial stand
point, no reason exists for considering
Washington as a site for the great
show. The contest is accordingly nar
rowed down to San Francisco and New
Orleans. Both of these cities are mak
ing a strenuous fight for the honor,
and there Is so much money and so
much public pride behind the move
ment in each of these cities, that it
will not be an easy matter to dislodge
either of them from the position they
have taken.
New Orleans has a strong lobby at
Washington, and the merits of the
claim of'th Sm,ihn ... r
J nltion by the Government will be con
sidered by the House foreign affairs
committee Thursday and by the Sen
ate expositions committee a day later.
California has 'already made a strong
demonstration and the Kahn resolu
tion now before Congress, if it passes,
will give the Pacific Coast city liberal
Governmental support.
Naturally' Oregon, Washington and
all other Pacific States and territories
will lend unqualified support to San
Francisco. This Is assured by geo
graphical location, even were there no
other conditions to influence the de
cision. But there are other influences
and they are powerful and pertinent.
The Panama Canal is being construct
ed for the purpose of bringing closer
to the old-settled regions of the East,
including New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, Boston and even Wash
ington, a new empire on the Pacific.
The people of the United States as a
rule are familiar with the older-settled
regions along the Atlantic Coast-and
as far inland as the Missouri River.
There are in such regions no new fields
f-r commercial or industrial exploita
tion, and nothing of interest that the
public Is not already familiar with.
The Panama Canal is not being built
for the purpose of making these old
and highly developed". regions accessi
ble for the sparsely settled new West.
Instead It is to open up for the "over
flow" from the East new territory of
surprising natural wealth.
- Visitors to the Panama Exposition
at San Francisco will get glimpses of
a wonderland that extends all the way
from Panama to Alaska and thence
across the Pacific. Nearly every diplo
mat, warrior or financier who has
mentioned the subject within the past
five years has stated that the Pacific
will .be the scene of the world's great
est conquests, both industrial and po
litical. The Pacific is the natural lo
cality for the Panama Exposition, and
the American people will come West
to view it because they have great in
terest in learning more of thlsi land of
old romance and new wealth.
Some of the oldest highways in ex
istence were built . by convict labor.
Along many of these world-famous
thoroughfares internal commerce has
followed the line of least resistance for
more than a thousand years. It was
not the excellence of the convict-built
roads of the Old World that started
Washington on the work of securing
first-class highways by the same meth
ods; but our neighboring state is now
following the system of the" ancients
with results that are In every way sat
isfactory. Not only is the state secur
ing fine roads at small cost, but the
work is beneficial to -the health and
morals of the convicts who are doing
the work. The success of , Washing
ton In roadbuildlng by convict labor is
so pronounced that it should be fol
lowed by other Pacific Coast States.
Thousands of miles of these roads are
needed, and there are thousands of
convicts who should be working on
them.
Upland tracts nrar Dayton, Wash.,
are selling as high as $140 per acre,
while in the valleys as high as $450
per acre is being paid. This is the
land which a few years ago made Co
lumbia County, Washington, famous
for its great yields of wheat and bar
ley. But not even big crops and high
prices for grain warrant farmers to
continue growing it on land that will
turn off from 250 to 1000 per acre
when planted in fruit or vegetables.
It was a year or two after the farmers
in the vicinity of Milton and Free
water, Or., abandoned wheatgrowbig
before land sold as high as it is now
selling near Dayton. Today the land,
which was formerly considered valua
ble .only for wheatgrowing, is paying
good dividends on a valuation of more
than J1000 per acre.
The suburban trolley line is still
reaching out and drawing the country
closer to the city. A new line was
opened from "Vancouver to" Orchards,
Wash., Sunday. For the entire dis
tance of six miles are fine farms and
fruit ranches whose owners will now
have all of the conveniences of the
city added to the comforts of the coun
try. Land along the line to Orchards
has doubled and trebled In value since
the coming of the North Bank Rail
road made it so easily accessible from a
good shipping point, and now the trol
ley line will make it still more desir
able and valuable. All of Clark County,
Washington, is in such .close touch
with Portland that the building of an
electric line or any other improve
ment is of great value to this city.
It certainly should not be necessary to
Indict the old pioneers and upbullders of
the State of Oregon. In order to advance
and carry out the theories of the men of
the East, who have done nothing for the
country, their state, or their communities.
, This remark from Louis W. Hill,
president of the Great Northern. Nor
were the early pioneers who subdued
the wilds of Pennslyvania and Illinois
thieves of the public domain and crim
inals, although conservation faddfsts
in those Btates argue as If they were.
Te church people of California who
are so eager to stop the proposed
prizefight no doubt are wise in appeal
ing to the law, but, after all, there is a
better way. If nobody bought tickets'
there would be no fight. Why not
persuade everybody to boycott It?
Surely here is a boycott which no
court would condemn.
- Judge Burnett en joy s an enviable
reputation for doing a good deal of
business in a short time. His visit to
Portland may therefor do more than
merely relieve the local judges of their
accumulated work. It may give them
useful hints upon the value of indus
try and orderly methods.
Pinchot. Garfield, Glavis, Kerby, et
al., are great conservers, and now the
public sees some of the things they
have been conserving lies, scandals,
conspiracies, spy workings, etc., all for
the purpose of "getting" Balllnger.
Conservation is a big subject.
The drydock Dewey seems to have
followed the example of the man it
was named after. Neither of them
was able to keep afloat, though both
took up a good deal of space.
In bidding the comet farewell polite
ness 'forbids vain allusions to unful
filled promises, but we cannot help
hoping that the. next one will bluster
less and show more.
Insurgents are laying claims to
Roosevelt. But the Colonel is too
strong a fighter to believe in the rule
of the majority by a minority.
Certain persons say the earth passed
through the comet's tall, but they are
the ones who know least about it.
DEMOCRATS AFRAID OF" VICTORY.
Fear . Party May Not Make Good ' Bad
May Lose In 113.
Washington Dispatch to New York Mail.
Some of the longest heads' in the
Democratic party are credited with a
singular lack of eagerness to have their
party carry the electrons this Fall and
control the Sixty-second Congress.
These men it is asserted for them;
they do not say it themselves bold
that there is everything to lose and
nothing to gain from a Democratic vic
tory in November.
With a Republican Senate and Presi
dent standing between any measure and
its enactment. It is urged that a Demo
cratic House could do nothing; except
make a record for itself.
It is just of that record that some
big Democrats "are alleged to be afraid.
There is a fair prospect now for
the nomination of a 'conservative
Democrat in 1912 Judson Harmon, of
Ohio, or some man like him. Such
a man would not care to have a Dem
ocratic House write his platform for
him in advance.
Wealthy Democrats, it is asserted,
will be" chary of contributions to the
party cause this Fall.
The mere possibility of success has
brought back Intimations of the old
Democratic discord. Champ Clark, the
minority leader, hopes to be speaker
of the next Congress. But he is a
Bryanite. and as such unacceptable to
a considerable number of his colleagues.
It is declared that already 34 Demo
cratic votes- are pledged against the
fulfillment of his avowed ambition.
Whether Democrats wish it or not,
they may find' themselves morally
bound by the circumstances of their
Fall campaign to bring in a new tariff
bill, if they carry the House, even al
though they know it will not get past
the Senate.
Tariff revision, futile or otherwise, it
is asserted, means business unrest and
factional dissension, as the Democrats
can learn from their own experience In
1894, if they' are indisposed to take
the present troubles in the other camp
as a typical revision aftermath.
Many Democrats seem afraid of the
bill the House would bring in under the
leadership of Champ Clark, afraid of its
effect on public opinion. They recall
what the Mlssourian has said.
"If I had my way, I would tear them
(the custom houses) all down from tur
ret to foundation-stone, for' from the
beginning- they have been nothing- but
dens of robbers."
Responsibility as- a House majority
will bring with it also the necessity
of getting along under the new rules,
of demonstrating that the uprising
against "Cannonism' was well founded
and not like the prior uprising- against
"Reedism," mere claptrap.
PORTLAND, SEATTLE AND CEN9V1
Suggestion That They Unite In Cele
bration Over Their Great Growth.
Christian Science Monitor.
Portland, Or., and Seattle, Wash., are
Involved in a rivalry very similar to that
which existed between Chicago and St.
Louis 30 years ago and between Minne
apolis and St. Paul at a later date. Each
is claiming, in advance of the census re
turns, to be the larger city, and as in
the case of the other rivalries referred
to, it is quite probable that the census
returns will not be permitted immediately
to settle the controversy. Already there
are charges and countercharges with ref
erence to the correctness of the enumera
tion Just taken.
Without going into the merits of the
case, and without taking sides in the
contest, it will not be out of place for an
observer at this distance to say that even
at the lowest estimate that one city places
upon the population of the other, each
has great reason to be satisfied with the
progress it has made, and both, should
be proud of the splendid showing their
growth is making for the new Northwest.
Tacoma, which is not a competitor for
first place, may well be taken into con
sideration in this connection. Assuming
that the population of both Portland and
Seattle exceeds 200.000, which seems like
a conservative estimate, and that Taco
ma's population exceeds 100.000, we have
three cities in the Columbia-Willamette
and Puget Sound region of a size and
character that speak volumes for the ad
vancement out that way during the last
25 years,, and, more, that give promise of
still greater advancement . in the next
quarter of a century. Portland has about
10 times the population that It had in
1885. Seattle has about 20 times the popu
lation it had then. Tacoma in 1880 had a
population of 720. These cities need not
grow at any such rate in the next 25 or
30 years as in the past to attain metro
politan proportions.
Instead of wasting their time and their
energy and their enthusiasm In efforts to
prove that each is claiming greater
growth than it is entitled to, they might
well unite in a celebration over the
growth which all are able to exhibit and
over the wonderful development of the
country round about, which has made this
growth possible.
Poe'a Name Leads In Hall of Fame.
Baltimore News.
In the first Installment of answers in
the popular canvass being conducted by
a New York newspaper may be ' ac
cepted as a ' dependable criterion of
public opinion, Edgar Allan Poe is gen
erally considered more deserving of a
place in the Hall of Fame than any
other famous American of native birth.
From the official list of 206 nominations
for the honor, 19 of the representative
men and women who were asked to vote
put the author of "The Raven" ahead of
all the others. These voters Included prom
inent educators, ministers, writers, edi
tors, painters and sculptors, as well as
United States Senators, Cabinet members
and Governors. This feeling of the popu
lar pulse is not confined to any one or
two sections of the country.
Ranking next to Poe in favor with the
voters so far is Patrick Henry, who re
ceived 16 votes. William Cullen Bryant
gets 15. George Bancroft and General
Philip H. Sheridan 14 each.
An election for the Hall of Fame is
held every five years. A total of 40 names
is to be selected from the nominations
26 Americans of native birth, four Ameri
cans of foreign birth and 10 famous
American women.
Prohibition That Doeist Prohibit.
(Roseburg Leader.)
Let it be here stated that Roseburg
has never been voted "dry" by a ma
jority of the residents of the city. This
majority came from people living out
side the limits of the town and whose
farms ' were not affected either way.
The facts are many and solidly against
prohibition. When they are all sum
marized they mean a bonded debt of
about $75,000 that the saloons would
alone have paid by this license, the loss
of thousands of dollars of money each
year to our business men, and money
always in circulation, and a. gain in the
number of bootleggers and an increase
in the number of drunks from the sale
of illicit whisky, not fig-uring the loss
to property owners by the decrease in
earning value of their property.
Under these, circumstances is there
any wonder that there Is opposition to
prohibition that does not prohibit and
causes an annual loss to the legitimate
citizen and the property holder.
Acquired in Germany.
Washington Star.
It would not be surprising if Colo
nel Roosevelt came back home with a
pronounced liking for frankfurter sau
sage and potato salad.
Prospects for a Long Session.
Indianapolis News.
The President is firm, the standpat
ters are firm and the Insurgents are
firm. T.noW. HIta a lik-.. ....!..
.vuq SVDDIWU v-
Congress, doen't it.' ,
RECTOR FIGHTS PROHIBITION"."
Lens; Island Preacher ttnlts Pnlplt to
3iak War on "False Temperance."
New York World.
The Rev. Dr. William A. Wasson, rec
tor of Grace Protestant Episcopal
Church, Riverhead, L. I., has resigned
his pastorate in a letter to Bishop Bur
gess, and will give his. whole time to
fighting prohibition and "temperance,
falsely so-called, and advocating the true
temperance, which means moderation
and self-control."
The resignation is to take effect on
September 1.
The decision of Dr. Wasson to fight
against prohibition and for licensed sa
loons is a climax to a contest of several
years, which has given him a Nation
wide reputation. Four years ago he
caused a furore at Riverhead and else
where on Long Island by publishing a
letter on the license question, whlcli was
at that time engrossing the attention of
the people of Riverhead, which had been
"dry" for several years. As a result It
became "wet" again and it has been
"wet" ever since.
Because of his working: openly against
"temperance, falsely so-called," there has
been constant friction in the Riverhead
church. While a large part of the com
munity supported the minister in the
stand he took, some of his parishioners
disliked the notoriety brought on the
church and others disliked his utterances
on the liquor question. Notwithstanding,
there has been no effort to get Dr. Was
son to resign and he has been successful
In his church work.
e
. Dr. Wasson. sets forth his reasons for
giving up his ministerial work and fight
ing the prohibitionists and other temper
ance workers in his letter to Bishop Bur
gess, which follows: 1 '
t "Grace Church Rectopy,
"Riverhead. L. I., May 14, 1810.
"To Right Rev. Frederick Burgess, D. D.,
. Bishop of Long Island.
"My Dear Bishop: I hereby tender you
my resignation of the rectorship of Grace
Church, Riverhead, to take effect on Sep
tember 1 next.
"This is a step that I have had under
serious consideration for some months. It
does not mean that I have less regard
for the Church or her work or less ap
preciation of my duty and privilege as
her minister. On the contrary, it is these
very considerations that are determining
my course that I may serve the Church
more effectually. I see an ampler op
portunity than a local pastorate can -afford
of preaching the Gospel as this
Church hath received the same; and I
feel that I am "thereunto called.'
"The supreme immorality that con
fronts and threatens the Christian
Church in this country is that which
masks and misrepresents itself under the
guise of that noble word temperance.
The prohibition movement is more dan
gerous than commercialism, for the lat
ter, .at least, makes no pretenses. If It
demoralizes, it does not deceive.
"The poisonous influence of this hum
bug 'temperance' is more disastrous than
that of drunkenness, for the latter is seen
and loathed for what it is, whereas the
prohibition propaganda parades in the liv
ery of heaven.
"This spurious temperance' slurs, not
always covertly, our Lord Jesus Christ,
because, In his own words, he came
drinking.' A copy of the Prohibitionist;
the official organ of the National Prohi
bition party, is before me, containing an
editorial in this very strain, the gist of
which is that if Jesus did drink wine he
was Ignorant of the fact that he was
setting a bad example to all future agesl
Jesus Christ must sit at the feet of these
blasphemers to take lessons in good
morals! And these modern scribes and
Pharisees have the brazen nerve to call
themselves Christians! Calling the mas
ter of the house Beelzebub, how much
more then of his household. ,
"This perfidious crusade denies and.
where it can, tears away and destroys
the lawful liberty, wherewith Christ hath
made us free. Our own -branch of the
one universal church, in agreement with
all the other ancient divisions of the
same, expressly and formally places the
wine cup in the hands of every com
municating member and commands:
Drink this. Indeed, it looks on this
sacrament as at once the consummation
and the wellsprlng of the Christian's
spiritual life. Our church, in so many
words, in the Catechism, teaches that
wine (and by analogy other alcoholic
Deverages that may be no more daneer
ous than wine) has an even stronger
claim than that of legitimate indulgence.
It teaches that wine is a food: 'Our
DOdies are strengthened and refreshed
by the bread and wine. How far, or
whether at all, the individual members
of the church shall commonlv use these
beverages, the church leaves to the con
science and the good sense of the mem-
Der.
"The moral influence of this tyran
nical, unscrlptural and unchristian pro
hibition propaganda is wholly and many
sidedly bad. While the masses of its
adherents are no doubt sincere and hon
est, its protagonists, as a class, assault
all who differ from them with savage
and venomous ferocity. They admit no
difference In judgment. Even to ques
tion their wisdom argues moral deprav
ity. In addition, they slander and fal
sify. They browbeat. They set wicked
traps to entice to sin. Where they pre
vail, there begins an orgy of hypocrisy
and law-breaking: and the last state of
the community Is worse than the first.
"I believe there is a great and urgent
work for the Church and her Master to
be done in exposing and combating this
threatened reign of terror. In this work
I propose to do my little share by giv
ing up my whole time to it. I shall op
pose that menace to true religion with
voice and pen.
"With my brother I -am now collabo
rating on a book aiming at once- to ex
pose the real character of this mis
called temperance movement and to
show how Intemperance can be met
and overcome, here a little and there a
little, by ' methods that approve them
selves to the reason and Invade no in
herent rights. I am writing for the
periodical press as well. And I am pre
pared to speak wherever men will listen
to the voice of the church and the mes
sage of the everlasting gospel that has
been intrusted to her care.
- "Henceforth I shall give my time and
thought to fighting temperance falsely bo
called and advocating the true temper
ance, which means moderation and self
control. Yours sincerely,
"WILLIAM A. WASSON."
Explanation Eaoash.
New York World.
No one can quarrel with Professor
Laughlln's list of causes for high prices,
so far as it goes. It includes: the
tariff, the advanced value of good farm
lands, the movement of farm population
to the cities, the rise of wages, the dis
appearance of range-fed beef, civic and
national extravagance, the cost of mili
tarism here and abroad, the monopoly
methods of trusts, costly trouble-saving
methods of retailing, growing extrava
gance in the standards of private life.
Here is food for thought in directions
where remedy is possible, without wor
rying overmuch about gold production
which cannot be controlled.
Accommodating; the Film Man.
St. Paul Dispatch.
"Hold, man! What would you do?"
"I would die! From this bridge I will
leap into yon mighty torrent and end it
all all!"
"Heavens! But if you must, wait 20
minute until T nnn Mnd ... i
,iijr muvinjs
picture machine; this will make a cork-
i"S nun.
One Office He Doesn't Want.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
There ma v hn whni. a -
w - - -J aui. Lt L UlllCeS
that Mr. Roosevelt might be induced to
take, but we feel quite certain ha will
never run for the .Vlce-Presldencyv
LIFE'S SUNNY SIDE
- Robeson L. Low. manager of the bank
ing department of the Title Guarantee &
Trust Company's Jamaica branch, prides
himself upon the fact that one of his
forebears was a signer of the Declaration
of Independence.
Several days ago Alfred Cohen, a
wealthy young man of Jamaica, walked
into the Title Guaranteo & Trust Com
pany's office and found Mr. Low sighing
checks. He watched him a few moments
and then said:
"You're quite a signer, aren't you?"
, "I ought to be." replied Mr. Low,
straightening up a bit: "one" of my an
cestors was a signer of the Declaration
of Independence."
"Huh!" remarked Cohen, "I guess you
haven't got much on me. One of my an
cestors signed the Ten Commandments."
New York World.
A man in Ohio recently sought an ex
pert in oil, because he believed that he
had struck oil on his land. He brought
a sample in a bottle.
Evidently he had been in a great hurry.
and had hastily grabbed the first bottle
at hand, for when the chemist had duly
analyzed the sample submitted, he sent
the following telegraphic report:
"Find no trace of oil. You have struck
paregortc" Youth's Companion.
e e e
"The teacher in one of the classes ia a
school in the suburbs of Cleveland had
been training her pupils in anticipation of
a visit from the school commissioner."
said George Si Wells, of Pittsburg. "At
last he cam and the classes were called
out to show their attainments. The arith
metic class was the first called, and In
order to make a good impression the
teacher put the first question to Johnny
Smith, the star pupil. 'Johnny, if coal 1
selling at $6 a ton and you pay the coal
dealer $24. how many tons of coal will
he bring you? 'Three,' was the prompt
reply from Johnny. The teacher, much
embarrassed, said, "Why, Johnny, that
isn't right.' 'Oh. I know it ain't, but they
do It, anyhow.' "Kansas City Star,
e ' e e
The farmer marched Into the little, gro
cer's shop with a firm step. "I want
that tub of butter," he said, "and that
lot of sugar, and all that other stuff."
"Good gracious!" said the widow who
kept the shop. "Whatever do you want
with all them goods?"
"I dunno." said the farmer, scratching
his head. "but. you see, I'm the executor
of your husband's will, and the lawyers
told me I was to carry out the pro
visions." Tit-Bits.
e e e
"John D. Rockefeller, Jr.." said a New
York banker, "asked me one Saturday
afternoon a good Biblical text to base an
address on. Tm thinking.' he said, 'about
that beautiful verse from the 23d
Psalm "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not want." 'Beautiful and appropriate.'
I agreed. 'But. Mr. Rockefeller, there is
even a better verse in the same psahn
"Thou anointest my head with oil; my
cup runneth over." ' "
see
Miss Fanny Crosby, the hymn writer,
overflowed, on her 90th birthday, with
wisdom and humor. Apropos of sight,
the blind poet told a reporter a story
both pretty and pathetic. "A little boy,"
she said, "once took up his grandmother's
spectacles and put them on his nose, as
children will. Then, peering through the
glasses, he frowned, and said: 'But I
can't see, grandma! There must be some
thing between my eyes and the glasses!
What is It?' 'It is 70 years, my child.
the old lady answered.
Can Jeffries Get Barkf
Philadelphia Press.
A wide range of men, not Individually
or immediately interested in the prize
ring, will watch with keen personal at
tention to see if James Jeffries "can get
back."
Her is a man once doing with amaz
ing success the most difficult, dangerous
and taxing of physical tasks. A fight
calls for the highest physical endurance,
supreme strength, even temper, quick
ness, dexterity and skill, all exerted after
months of patient preparation, whose
fruits must be plucked or Tost In mo
ments of extreme tension, when seconds
are as long years. In their earnings.
Can he "get back?" Experience is all
against him. The moral and physical
laws are both inexorable. WJiat a man
sows that shall he reap. What a man
builds into body, nerve and mind that
will he find when he draws on his re
serve. No one can restore to him the
years that the locusts of leisure and
pleasure have eaten. He may. like Esau,
seek his early birthright of strength,
nerve and decision, but he will not ob
tain it again though he yearn for it with
tears and with training.
Sentence Sermons.
Chicago Tribune.
Perspiration for better things on earth
is the best aspiration for heaven.
Giving my imagination a rest often
Improves my neighbor's reputation.
To know yourself may not rev.eal all
truth, but It may prevent some lies.
The suffering of the saints under the
sermon does not augment their grace.
Many preachers think that arRuinK over
the tools is the same as building the
house.
No feeding is more delusive than that
you are raising yourself by despising
others.
It is better to be a fool seeking wis
dom than a wise man satisfied with what
you have.
There are too many who would rather
go over the falls than not seem to ba
in the swim.
Children would be more truthful if wa
were less anxious to make lying profitable
to them.
Many think they have the faith that
is ready to die when they have only the
fanaticism that is anxious to kill.
Divorce Cards,
Chicago Record-Herald.
A Cincinnati woman has Issued divorce
cards explaining that she cannot see why
It is not as proper to do that as to make
formal announcement of engagements or
births. The Cincinnati woman probably
got her idea from John Jacob Astor. who.
a few months ago, gave a notable divorce
supper In New York.
Divorce cards will. In addition to the
Information they convey, be useful in
showing the social standing of the di
vorced lady and gentleman. For those
who make fine pretensions handsomely
engraved cards will have to be useTT.
while people in the humbler walks of
life may be expected to get along with
mere printed cards. It might be sug
gested that a particularly dainty grass
widow might add a pleasing touch bj
havlng her divorce cards adorned with
baby ribbon and sent out in sweet-scented
envelopes.
- The Co ed Problem.
Kennebec Journal.
One of Harvard's professors says thai
co-education is bad and that women oXten
break down from the strain of trying to
keep up with men.
This should quiet the suspicioin that
has gone abroad that the men frequently
break down from trying to keep up in
the race for scholarship honors with th
women.
Tfew Definition of Financier.
Chicago News.
Little Willie Say. pa, what is a finan
cier? Pa A financier, my son. is a man who
can separate other people from thell
money without the aid of a sandbag.
Adjunct to the D. A.. R.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
"What's the latest D. A. R. news?"
"Oh, they are talking of forming a Ben
adJct Arnold chapter for traitoresses."
i