6
THE MORNING OREGONI4.N. MONDAY, JULY 23, 1910.
PORTLAND. UKEOOX.
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; PORTLAND, MONDAY, JULY !5, 1910.
. THE NEW NEW YORK BOSS. "
I The current number of the Outlook
t(Theodore Roosevelt, contributing edi
tor) has an editorial article on. "News
paper Accuracy." It is not, however,
; might readily be supposed, a gen
eral or critical discussion by the great
journalist of the many faults and
Shortcomings of the newspapers, but it
"is an official explanation of a recent
utterance of the contributing editor
that some irreverent journals had ven
"tured to animadvert upon sharply. An
important office of the Outlook, by the
way. is to inform an eager and unen-
: lightened world just what the Colonel
, really said on any given topic, in due
l.'correction of what the newspapers
may say he said. Now is the time to
-subscribe.
In this particular instance the un
fortunate substitution of one little
Wprd for another little word led to
embarrassments on the part of the
-contributing editor that it takes no less
c than two columns of the Outlook's
; valuable space, in its best minion style,
X6 straighten out. In a public in
terview Colonel Roosevelt had been
quoted as follows:
J J My position in regard to the Oovernorship
i, ,thls Fall Is this: I want to find the best
J 'man for the office: the man who Is most
'acceptable to the rank and file of the Re
s iPubllcan party and Independent voters. I
r 'Intend to do everything in my power to see
.that such a man is elected.
J j This modest emanation from Oys-
-ter Bay led to the following caustic
J ;remark from the New York Times:
J Are we to understand, then, that the- Re-
publican party in the State of New 'York
.Is in such a condition of helplessness and
'servility that Mr. Roosevelt and none other
must pick out Its candidate? "I want to
'find the best man." After the public has
'come to a realizing sense of the meaning
'.of this amazing statement, if the Democrats
t -cannot elect their candidate for Governor
'this FaJl they may as well go out of busi
, jness forever.
J ' "As a matter of fact," explains the
Outlook (which ought to know), "Mr.
f .Roosevelt made use of no such expres
J si on. What he did say was that WE
must find the best man for the office."
5 That the public may not be left in
J 'doubt as to -who "we" are. the Outlook
.declares that all who heard the orig
1 inal conversation agree that Mr.
Roosevelt's statement was. really sub-
stantially as follows:
" l do not know whether I shall be consult-
ed about the nomination for Governor: if
J 'consulted, I do not know yet whether I
n shall take any active part in the campaign:
i but If I am consulted, my position in re-
gard to the candidates for the Governor
I ship is that we must find, not only the
man best fitted for the office, but the man
J "most desired by the great bulk of the Re
i publican and independent voters.
', It is pleasant to note that the Out-'
look excuses the reporter from any in-
tentional misstatement of the Roose-
velt remarks by saying that unless a
reporter "has a stupendous memory, it
t Is naturally impossible, even "with the
J best intentions in the world, to quote
verbatim words and sentences which
have been uttered an hour before." It
j is a subject of felicitation all around
that the Colonel's memory is so per-
feet and his candor so impeccable that
his own recollection of what he said an
i hour before is Infallible. It is this
marvelous facility for remembering
words and repeating conversations
with absolute exactness that has on
various notable occasions enabled him
'to swell the membership roll of the
Ananias Club.
The public understands perfectly
who "I" is that now declares with
great emphasis he will not select the
Republican candidate for Governor in
Npw York; but it would like to have
something a little more explicit as to
the company of which "we" are com
posed. Yet it knows. Nominally all
Republicans are meant; actually the
various Republican leaders who have
seen fit to consult Colonel Roosevelt
on the troubled situation in New
York are included. They have can
vassed the whole field and they agree
that without his powerful help the
New York campaign this Fall will be
hopeless. Therefore they have passed
the problem up to Roosevelt for so-
4ution. and the candidate for Governor
I ,arid the entire ticket must have his
J "O. K." or it will not be nominated,
t i Here, then, we have the unofficial
'direct primary with directed nomina
; tlons already in actual and successful
. operation in New York. A coterie or
J clique of politicians meets behind
closed doors, fixes up a slate, passes
the word down the line, and the party
is called upon to ratify meekly the ac
tion of its bosses. There is no pre
tense whatever Of consulting the rank
J and file of voters in arranging the or-
ganizatlon or machine programme.
' The thing Is done for them, without
J conference with them and with & view
solely of determining what will suit
1 the general plans of the self-named
! leaders or bosses. The direct primary
In New York today consists of Theo
! dore Roosevelt and such other gentle-
men as he sees fit to take into his con-
fldence. -It does not alter the situation
2 that Colonel Roosevelt is moved solely
J by a high purpose to benefit the Re
j publican party and the state in dlrect
, .ing the nomination of candidates and
J exercising the power ot approval or
' veto over all Important acts of the
J 'orner New York bosses; the obvious
and significant fact is that the Roose
J velt autocracy exists, and there is no
J denial whatever that it is doing busi-
ness.
; Here in Oregon it is the same, except
J ;:hat there is no Theodore Roosevelt to
. Assume authority over the Republican
J party, and there is no frank admis-
sion that such control or direction is
expedient or advisable. So everything
J is left to Bourne and Hofer and ITRen
t and McCusker and other little bosses
who meet secretly and act silently
(when they can), and stealthily offer
their "slate" containing the names of
sundry shining lights of the "system"
to the voters for indorsement at the
primary. And the voter fancies there
are no bosses!
IS THE PRIMARY FORGOTTEN?
The excitement of th TTRen-Bourne-Chamberlain
newspaper or
gans over the recent state and county
assemblies does not abate. Indeed,
their alarm over the gloomy future
of the Republican party grows in exact
proportion with the spread of the as
sembly idea and its general acceptance
by the mass of Republican voters.
The stale falsehoods about the assem
blies being "fixed" and under "cor
poration control" and being "self
named" are repeated ad nauseam.
Now, suppose these assemblies were
the criminal affairs these inspired pa
pers and procured orators say they are
which they are not all is not lost.
Indeed, here is the opportunity and
now is the time for the people to rise
in their might at the primaries and
smite the assemblies through their
nominees. Have these noisy jeremiahs
forgotten the primary? Does not the
primary render its judgment on the
assemblies? Where is that rare and
discriminating intelligence of the plain
people of which we have heard so
much, and, in the plurality primary at
least, seen so little? Can it no longer
be depended on to do exactly the right
thing?
What difference does it make what
an assembly does, or a . back-room
clique of Statement One slate-fixers
does, haven't we the primary to settle
the whole .business and settle it right,
BLod thus satisfy everybody?
IMPORTANT KING CORN.
James A. Patten, erstwhile wheat,
corn, oats and cotton king, has sailed
away for Europe after another per
manent retirement from the specula
tive markets of this country. Prior
to his departure Mr. Patten ventured
the opinion that the crux of the finan
cial situation lay with the grain crops,
particularly corn. Admitting that
oats, wheat and hay are somewhat
short of former years, Mr. Patten ex
presses fear that, if the corn crop
should fail, we might have a period of
dull times. There is still ample time
for the corn crop to recover from most
of the damage It has suffered. Even
should it fail to do so. it is highly
probable that there will be a sufficient
amount raised to meet all require
ments. The estimated output for
1910, based on the Government figures
of July 1. was 3,166,374,000 bushels,
or practically the same as the Gov
ernment reporfindicated July 1, 1909.
Last year this estimate of July 1
was reduced by the actual out-turn to
2.772,376,000 bushels, and there was
still a sufficient amount to meet all
home requirements, afford 34,000,000
bushels for export, and leave enough
of a carry-over to prevent prices from
soaring as high as they were last Fall,
when the crop-killers (were busy.
Should the damage to the crop reach
such alarming proportions that the
final out-turn will fall below a year
ago, the effect would, of course, be
felt throughout the country. It should
be remembered, however, that for
nearly a year the banks, the railroad
presidents and the merchants every
where have been cautioning the people
against extravagance, and this advice
has been acted on to such an extent
that a "period of dull times" would
mean less now than it ever did before.
The farmers have saved enough from
the proceeds of the many "fat" years
of high prices to render them immune
from anything but a protracted period
of poor crops and low prices. Even
if the crops should turn out better
than now seems possible, there will be
no hilarious waste of money. The
people have gained wisdom with years,
and they are prepared for emer
gencies. REFORM IX RIVER AND HARBOR BIIX.
'If the management "of a railroad
company engaged in constructing a
new line through a country where
traffic was plentiful were to appropri
ate each year a sum inadequate to
complete more than a small section of
the line, the men responsible for such
a -f asteful policy would be promptly
retired by the indignant stockholders
supplying the money. The United
States Government in its river and
harbor work has been endeavoring to
supply the country with new facilities
for transportation. In this work it
has wasted millions by the penny-wise-pound-foolish
policy of inadequate ap
propriations which would not admit of
improvement sufficient in most cases
to prevent the loss of the money pre
viously expended on the uncompleted
projects. For this reason the an
nounced policy of President Taft to in
sist on abandonment of the old method
of making river and harbor bills will
be welcomed.
Under the old system by which mil
lions were wasted annually on un
worthy projects, legitimate improve'
ment work was not infrequently neg
lected. This policy was responsible
for the great delay in improving the
entrance of the Columbia as well as in
deepening the channel farther up the
river. Our project of great merit was
obliged, session after session, to take
its chances along with numerous oth
ers which never by the widest stretch
of the imagination could be considered
of value. Out of these abuses arose
that objectionable term the "pork bar
rel" as the river and harbor bill be
came known. But there will be no
more "pork barrel" if the President is
sustained by Congress, and every item
that cbmes up for consideration in the
bill must stand on its merits and not
on the ability of its sponsor as a log
roller. All of which is exceptionally good
for the Columbia River and other
Oregon streams. The Columbia drains
a territory of about 250,000 square
miles of the richest country on earth.
Through the mouth of this river the
products of that "vast region can reach
the high seas more economically than
by any other route. It is for this rea
son that the Pacific Northwest will
welcome the new policy by which we
may reasonably expect to have the
necessary improvement of the Colum
bia and its tributaries completed with
the same degree of promptness notice
able in similar undertakings by private
individuals. All unworthy projects
should be abandoned and the closest
scrutiny made- of any new schemes of
which there will always be many offer
ing. The late E. H. Harriman, when
asked if he regarded the Columbia
River entrance as a menace to Port
land's greatness as a shipping port,
was quite emphatic in his statement
that he did not regard it at all serious
ly, and he supplemented his answer
with the statement that if the river
and bar were the property of a rail
road company which needed them for
transportation purposes they wpuld
dump in a few million dollars and
dredge out the bar to any desired
depth. This could en done
long ago by the Government, had we
got away from the piecemeal policy
which was a part of the old "pork
barrel" system.
OCBAX CARRYING PROFITS.
London Fairplay, the British ship
ping publication, has taken the trouble
to answer some of the wild statements
made by Representative Humphrey in
his campaign for ship subsidy. ""From
statements which are continually
being made by United States Senators
and others, one would imagine that
British and other shipowners made
huge profits in carrying cargoes to
and from the States," says the British
paper. "A study of the balance sheets
of those companies which are engaged
in the cargo-carrying trade would,
however, convince them that American
cargoes have for some years been
carried at an absolute loss." This is
a statement of fact that could easily
be verified by almost any of Congress
man Humphrey's constituents who are
in the shipping business at Seattle.
The very fact that these foreign ves
sels are carrying American products
to market at a loss is one of the
principal reasons why the ship subsidy
seekers are endeavoring to discover
some method by which the cost can
toe Increased.
The shippers will not pay higher
rates for the service, and the only
manner in which the cost can be in
creased is to extract money from the
Treasury to make up the deficiency.
This would be very profitable to the
American shipowners, but not to the
people, who are willing that Great
Britain should continue to carry
freight at less than cost. It might be
stated that it is not philanthropy or
patriotism that is causing the British
to act as our benefactors in the ocean
carrying trade. Europe is now, and
will for many years continue to be,
the headquarters of the world's carry
ing trade. The British vessels carry
the traffic of the. United Kingdom and
continent to all parts of the world.
The States' as yet do not supply
enough cargo for all the vessels that,
after discharging European outward
cargo, are within easy reach of Amer
ican ports.
The rate on outward - cargo is ac
cordingly placed high enough to cover
the possible loss on being obliged to
return in ballast or take a chance in
the fierce competition that is always
in evidence for all freight shipped
from American seaports. Our states
men, who orate learnedly on matters
of this kind, should get out of the
kindergarten class and take up the
economic side of the ocean-carrying
trade. It is instructive and even in
teresting. BBOWSgnLLE AM) PORTLAXD.
The Brownsville Times asks The
Oregonian to take note of the fact that
"Brownsville, a dry town for the past
fifteen years, entertained no less than
20,000 visitors during the Linn County
pioneers' reunion, and not a single ar
rest was made for drunkenness." By
which we may be led to suppose that
nobody was drunk. Good record for
a sober and steadfast community,
which has prohibition through local
option. So may every other town, or
city, or county, in Oregon have' prohi
bition under present laws if It desires.
But if it does not desire, what then?
The point the Times seeks to make
doubtless Is that under state prohibi
tion every part of Oregon could be
made as dry as Brownsville is now.
In other words, Brownsville would
vote Portland dry. under the "mistaken
belief that Portland would remain
dry at the dictation and direction- of
Brownsville. Never, unless Portland
wants prohibition, votes prohibition,
elects local officers who will enforce
prohibition, and itself expels the sa
loons. Portland is satisfied for Brownsville
to remain dry and congratulates that
town on Its happy condition. Why
should Brownsville undertake to en
force its own method of controlling
the liquor problem in Portland against
Portland's protest? It cannot be done.
That is the reason The Oregonian is
not for state-wide prohibition.
POOR COUNTY ROADS.
Washington County is one of the
oldest-settled and most prosperous
counties in the Willamette Valley.
Crop failures are unknown, and the
evidence of general prosperity is
everywhere visible except on the coun
ty roads. These roads are a standing
reproach to the Washington County
officials who are entrusted with the
duty of providing suitable highways
for the people. With bottomless pools
of mud in the Winter time and count
less billows of dust in the Summer,
the..rqads-or Washington County are
shunned toy all who can find any other
route for getting across or through
the valley. Even Tillamook, in its
splendid railroadless isolation, has
miles of finer roads than can be found
anywhere in Washington County, and
both Columbia and Yamhill Counties
are also in a position to cry "shame"
to their unkempt sister, reveling in
wealth and wallowing in dust and
mud. . "
To the wretched condition of the
roads more than to any other factor is
due the clamor that is almost con
tinually heard for annexation of a
portion of Washington County to
Multnomah County. While MuW
nomah has not yet made the progress
in road building that her position
warrants, improvements have been
coming fast within the past few years.
With the continuation of the present
systematic work we will soon be able
to reach the boundaries of the county
over a good road in almost any direc
tion. The trouble with Washington
County, according to a communication
in The Oregonian yesterday, is said to
be lack of enterprise on the part of
some members of the Board of County
Commissioners. Some one seems to
have fallen into a rut. In the belief
that the trails, which were made forty
years ago, will still answer the pur
pose for roads, an effort is being made
to save the money that should be
spent in building roads. This is a
penny-wise and pound-foolish policy,
very much at variance with the spirit
of enterprise displayed by the men
who are spending money in exploita
tion of the resources of one of Ore
gon's richest counties.
It w-ould have a tendency to de
crease the enthusiasm which a new
comer might display over the fact
that he could produce more fruit, hay,
vegetables, etc., on a five-acre tract
in Washington County than he could
on five times as much land in the
East, if he noticed that the condition
of the roads was such that it would
cost five times as much to haul his
1 products to market as it would In
localities already reached by the
gospel of good roads. Washington
County should wake up. If her present
County Commissioners are unable to
build roads fit to travel over, they
should step aside and give someone
else a chance.
Some "bold bad Bowery boys" or
other inmates of New York held up
a train at Weehawken Saturday night
and robbed a carload of newly arrived
immigrants. The name of the town
where the affair took place sounds
suitable for such a happening, but it
appears strange that the village con
stable did not interfere with the "cut
ups" who were involved in the pro
ceedings. If this train holdup had'
happened in the wild and wooly West,
and New York had received the news,
old Father Knickerbocker would
probably have shivered at the law
lessness of the country. But down in
"little" old New York" the business
of holding up the newcomer is less
noteworthy. It does not matter much
Whether the aforesaid newcomer is
from across the water or across the
plains. He is expected to "come
across" for the needy New Yorkers,
even if it becomes necessary to take
his money away at the point of a gun.
The plundered immigrants in the case
last reported certainly found that the
new world lived up to part of its repu
tation. Andrew Furuseth, the most prom
inent professional jawsmith that has
ever inflicted his presence on San
Francisco, has sailed for Liverpool to
take charge of a strike of British sea
men, which is scheduled to take place
July 29. Andrew is trying a danger
ous experiment. In this land of the
free and the home of the brave, the
Furuseth jaw-tackle was given much
"slack," but over In England things
are different. John Bull may decide
to tighten it up a little. Down on
the 'Frisco waterfront, Andrew could
talk of "yobs" and "inyunctions" as
glibly as any Anarchist who ever left
the old world for the old world's good,
but John Bull never did take kindly to
this interference, and it will not be
surprising if he is invited to go back
where he is needed. The last time
Furuseth visited Portland he came for
the purpose of convincing Portland
that it would be a good plan to have
the Legislature pass a bill giving the
Coast Seamen's Union the right to
steal sailors off foreign vessels enter
ing the port. The bill did not pass.
Andrew did.
When a poor man dies, his financial
rating, as a rule, is correctly stated.
With the rich man it is different, and
the tendency to overestimate his
w-ealth' is always noticeable. The
wealth of the late E. H. Harriman
was. shortly before his death, esti
mated at from $200,000,000 to $500.
000,000, with some eminent muck
rakers throwing in a few more ciphers
for good measure. Even at his death,
the most modest estimates credited
him with property worth $150,000,000.
Now comes the administrator of the
estate with a report showing the value
of the estate to be $71,000,000. A
million dollars is so much money that,
when a man obtains possession of It,
It becomes a very easy matter for
an envious, admiring or curious public
to apply the magnifying glass. What
is true of over-estimated fortunes is
also true of the census of a city. For
particulars see Seattle. '
Editor Hearst, that graceful and
daring performer who has been riding
the bareback labor forces and turn
ing flip-flops while tearing through
the National arena at full speed, seems
to have lost some of the resin off his
moccasins, or else someone has slipped
a burr under the tail of his mount.
The Western Federation of Miners
has declared that the Hearst string
of papers are "unfair." This will be
a hard blow for Mr. Hearst, but the
Western Federation of Miners are not
the first to discover that Mr. Hearst
is unfair. As the bhampion of any
old issue that would raise trouble and
increase the sale of his papers, Mr.
Hearst long ago secured a reputation
for being unfair to nearly everyone
except Willie Hearst. .The result of
his numerous sorties into the political
field shows that even Willie did not
always get what the "sports" term an
"even break."
" They' are taking advantage of Mr.
John Lind's absence in Portland to
give him the Democratic nomination
for Governor of Minnesota. If there
is a hint in this otherwise harmless
remark for Doc Lane, or Jeff Myers,
or Os. West, let him, or all of them,
make the most of it.
Undoubtedly there are hundreds of
young women in Chico who will tes
tify that that normal school president
never hugged them. But the skepti
cal public does love to believe a
naughty yarn about a school profes
sor. A trust company in Louisville dis
covers now that its treasurer has made
away with its entire surplus, consisting
of over a million dollars, after several
years of speculation. Where did the
company suppose the' surplus was dur
ing that time?
The Broadway bridge won't be built
now and Kiernanism has won a great
triumph. The bonds cannot be sold.
It is quite an achievement for one man
to reduce the credit of a great city, say
about 10 per cent. ,
Senator Gore has everybody's con
sent to run for President, though we
haven't yet heard from Mr. Bryan.
Anyway, no one will object to his run
ning all this year.
Little Eddy Flagg, who runs the St.
Helens Mist, says the assembly was "a
roaring farce." Little Eddie wasn't in
it. So it was no farce.
Speculator Patten has again gone
to Europe and left the crops to take
care of themselves. They can do it, if
there's enough rain.
Jack Johnson is not a natural
fighter, says Mr. Corbett. It makes a
difference, we suppose; but not in
Reno.
Hold-up - artists are in New York
showing everybody how it is done. So
that Is where they have all gone?
The anti-fly crusade' has diminished
the fly supply by several billions. No
ticed the difference, have you?
Boss Cox Is still doing business in
Ohio at the old stand. Ohio does love
a lJoss.
All Mr. Pinchot wants Just new is to
write that Ballinger report
HERB 18 A PAIR SUMMARY'
SMmatloa la orearosi mm Vlcvred From
Washington.
Centralia News-Examiner.
The Republicans of Oregon seem to
have adopted a plan of choosing can
didates that will counteract the evils
Of the direct primary law. If the prin
ciples of the assembly system are car
ried out at the polls the election of
Democrats to office in a Republican
state, will be impossible.
The old convention plan of choosing
candidates was in accordance with the
American system of representative
government; but the system was
abused, making it possible for the will
of the people to be overruled by pro
fessional politicians and political ma
chines. The people themselves were
responsible Tor the abuse that crept
Into the convention ays-tern, but In at
tempting to correct the abuse by adopt
ing, the direct primary law. they
jumped from the frying pan Into the
fire. The abuse was made possible by
the indifference the people Showed in
those preliminaries that provided for
the choosing of convention delegates.
The primaries 'were ignored, and. in
fact, were only kept open for a few
minutes, and. in many cae.es, at a time
of the day when a full attendance of
the voters could not be secured. Con
sequently, a handful of men In a pre
cinct could nominate delegates, making
the ultimate convention a. farce, so far
as representation was concerned. The
convention became merely a medium
of exchange of candidates between the
various precincts or counties.
The initiative and referendum is an
other political absurdity that must be
got rid of before Oregon can return to
sane methods in state government and
legislation. The people of Oregon will
be. called upon to vote at the coming
election on something like 30 or 40
legislative measures. Few will give
the proposed laws much thought before
they enter the polling booths, and then
their verdict will be simply yea or nay.
They will have no chance to con
fer with their fellow voters in
other booths; they will- hot be
able to suggest minor or radical
changes; there will be no opportunity
to discuss amendments: they will be
only allowed' to express their opinion
by marking "yes" or "no" on their
ballots.
The assembly plan seems to be a
return to the convention system with
out any of the old abuses. To make
the local assemblies representative the
delegates should be voted for in pri
maries remaining open the entire day,
precautions being taken to prevent the
adherents of one party voting at. the
primaries of another party. Anyway,
the delegates should bo obliged to pass
muster politically be.fore a credentials
committee of the assembly.
Washington has certainly had an
object lesson in her sister state of things
to be avoided in attempting to reform
present political proceedings. Whether
Washington will profit by the object
lesson remains to be seen.
Democratic Frauds Here, Too.
Yakima Republic.
Democrats will not be deterred by
extracts from the law from voting as
Republicans at the direct primary
election. They will, as a rule, call for
Republican ballots, and they will vote
for Poindexter. Why? The reason is
plain and simple. If they can secure
his nomination by the Republican
party, and the nomination of enough
pledged Republican legislative candi
dates to elect him. they will make rea
sonably certain the election of a Demo
cratic Legislature in case the Demo
cratic party is able to make the show
ing they expect at the polls in NoVem
ber. They figure that the West Side
will not elect Republicans pledged to
Poindexter when by putting in Demo
crats it can elect a Senator who, even
though a Democrat, is a West Side man.
This Is the reason Democrats all over
the state are going into the Republican
primary, and it is one reason why so
many West Side Republican legislative
candidates are refusing to take the
pledge.
Alas, the Poor Votrrl
The Dalles Optimist.
SoOn we must begin the study of the
measures we are to vote upon in No
vember. Each voter will have some
thing' like 40 or 60 names to ballot for
for the various offices, and it will take
some little erudition to vote intelli
gently for them. - But in addition there
will be pages and pages of "laws" to
vote, up or down-initiative. referen
dum and and, well, we forget what
else but there are 32 of these measures
to be decided at the polls. Nobody will
understand them all, not one in a thou
sand will understand the half of them -but
they will be adopted or defeated
Just the same, for better or worse,
mostly for the worse. The voters will,
as a rule, vote blindly, which is the
first essential of these damfool laws
We are doing business under.
Matrimony In Missouri.
Kansas City Star.
The Carthage Democrat is conducting
a matrimonial market, in an effort to
marry off all the bachelors of the town.
It' has a bunch of remnants, left over
from June, that it is offering cheap.
Walter Hubbard Is one of the "rem
nants." The Democrat touches him up
in verse: .
Little Walt Hubbard
Went to the cuoboard
To aet some butter and bread;
V hen he eot there
The cupboard was bare.
"I'll have to get married," he said.
Gross Injustice.
Grants Pass Observer.
It is said that the State Tax Commis
sion is issuing instructions to County
Assessors to Include mortgages on the
assessment roll. This is a moral crime.
It is always the mortgagor who has to
pay this tax, and it amounts to double
taxation. Every newspaper in Oregon
ought to place Itself in evidence against
this rank Injustice. .
Adjustable Speeches).
Christian Science Monitor.
From this time on until after the
holding of the November elections it
will not be difficult for the promoters
of social functions to secure the at
tendance of men who are running for
office, each of whom will'e armed
with a. speech deliverable on any and
all occasions. The sociability and
affability of the ante-election states
men can always be counted on.
Most Powerful of Dictators.
Paris Opinion.
The art fit cooking and the art of
eating are not on the wane. The
hostess who has not only a pleasant
and brilliant salon, but also offers an
ideal dinner, remains the most power
ful of dictators.
When Noah Was a Sailor.
New York Sun.
Noah was appalled.
"Gee," he muttered, "suppose T&ft
conserves all this for water power?"
Herewith he made haste to land.
CLEAR FORESTS OF UNDERBRUSH
Oalr This Indian I.eues, It la Araracd,
Can Prevent Ruinous Forest Fires-
ASHLAND, Or., July 23. tTo the Ed
itor.) The violation of natural law
brings its own punishment. The pres
ent forest fires all over the West are
the result of neglect due to the igno
rance of the white man as. compared
with the wisdom of his predecessor, the
red man; the administration of the for
ests of the Pacific Coast by bureau
crats located 3000 miles away In Wash
ington. D. C, with theories that have
long since gone to seed in older agri
cultural countries, or propounded from
a study of water conservation in South
ern California, where these chiefs
usually study forestry conditions in
Oregon, and while conditions are as
different as Coos County and In the
Colorado desert. The same rules and
regulations that are a great success in
Southern California are just, the oppo
site in Western Oregon. The fool idea
being put Into law and backed by our
state and National Governments, that
brush and debris can be permitted- to
accumulate year after year in our for
ests, and the same be protected from
fire by a few fire wardens and big.
cloth, fire-warning notices tacked up
on trees and posts along the roads, is
like a drunken man sitting on an open
powder keg as he smokes a pipe. Fires
might be kept out. if a system of wide
fire trails were built and 100 wardens
put on guard where now there is but
one. If such fires were not kept out,
they might In some instances be con
fined to .small areas.
. The early settler In the West would
have burned all the timber if he could
nave done so, as he saw no value in it,
but he could not then burn it. The In
dian had kept the forests sq fri- of
underbrush that no big fire could be
started. He burned the surface when
ever it would burn, and I am told by
early settlers that it. was all burned
over every two years on an average.
While the Indian never heard of the
word conservation, he has done ore
towards conserving the 'forests of the
West than the white man has done.
The Indian had no fine offices in ritie
and large Government appropriations to-
pcna on iooi theories and forestry
fads, but we have the forests as a re
sult of his methods, and we have al
lowed them to get in such bad condi
tion that there is a grave danger of
them all burning up, unless something
worth while Js done, and that without
delay.
An old settler tells me that 35 years
ago. he rode horseback from where
Glendale now stands to Coos Bay in one
day. straight through the mountains.
To do it now would require a big gang
of men a whole Summer to clear a
trail that could be ridden over, if the
same route taken 35 years ago were
followed. This is an example of the
Jungle that exists, as a result of our
policies since we drove the Indian but.
I have for five years argued with
e forestry department on the folly
or their ways, as applied to the Pacific
Coast forests, and each year tends to
prove my predictions that unless a
change is made soon and something
worth while done, nine-tenths of all
our fine timber will never see a saw.
Burning out the debris and underbrush
fvS!e,n neSlected for so many years
that it is now a big undertaking to do
It without destroying the timber at the
same time. But it can be done between
October 15 and June 15, and the sooner
it is done the better.
The present excuse of forester for
trying to protect the accumulation of
brush and dead leaves, limbs and ferns
In our forests is. that it is necessary
to conserve the stream flow and that
it is necessary to protect the small
trees for a future growth of timber.
W estern Oregon will have plenty of
water in its streams and Just as much
rain If all the forests- are kept clean
of underbrush and debris, and it is
better to save the present stand Of
timber than lose bdth the present ma
tured forest and the rising generation
of trees at the same time. It is known
that all cut-over areas in Western
Oregon will reforest themselves, after
slashings have been burned, previded
there are seed trees in the vicinity.
Let us wake up and make some laws
requiring timber-land owners to keep
the surface burned over. Under present
conditions it will have to be done
during the Spring and Far, but later
on when -we get back to where the
Indian left the forests, we can burn
over the surface in the dry season, with
safety to lives and property. Proper
handling of the debris- in logging op
erations should be required to lessen
the loss of lives and timber in such
fires as are now occurring, and pro
vision should' be made for carrying
out the provisions of such a law or
laws as will bring about a different
condition than now confronts us every
dry season, with increasing losses. Bad
fires have started much earlier this
year than in the past. Usually, there
are very few f'res until after the hunt
ing season opens, when hunters find
themselves unable to get through the
jungles of brush and debris and the
heat of their language sets the woods
on fire. One might as well try to leg
islate instinct out of animals as to leg
islate fires out of the tinder beds which
our forests, have become through pres
ent laws.
I am a timber-land owner and have
had seven years' experience in West
ern Oregon forests.
N. F. THRONE.
- Oregon aa a "Horrible Eranmple.
Boston Herald.
Under the initiative and referendum
system of Oregon. 32 distinct measures
have been filed for presentation to the
people on their November ballot. The
simplified ballot reformers have been
telling us that one reason for the failure
of the franchise in the election of popular
governments has been that the ballot
was so cumbersome and complicated that
it could not be marked intelligently.
What is to be said then of the Oregon
ballot? Does any one reasonably believe
that competent judgment can be rendered
on 32 legislative matters by any percent
age of the electorate not to speak of a
majority in the time spent in the poll
ing booth? Oregon bids fair to become
the "horrible example" of excessive in
dulgence in direct legislation.
What nn Open River Docs. .
Kennewlck (Wash.) Reporter.
It is npt difficult for us to appreci
ate the value of the river as a com
mercial asset. We are told that river
navigation Is in its infancy; that the
river will bring terminal rates to Ken
newlck; that the river will influence
greatly, the upbuilding of Kennewlck;
that eventually the river will bring
us Into water connection with the great
ports of the world. ' All- these we be
lieve and rejoice. But do we not, as a
community, lose sight of another great
and peculiar benefit accruing to us be
cause of our location on the bank of a
great river?
CURRENT NEWSPAPER JESTS.
'A fool and his money are soon parted."
"Tel. but you never call him a fool till
the money is sone." Cleveland Leader.
"Was your husband kind to you during
your illness" "Koind? Ah. indade, mum!
Moike was more like a nelshbor thon a
husband." Life.
The Loafer Alast my ship 'doesn't come
in. The Real Man Then set a move on
and help some other fellow unload his.
Boston Transcript.
"What monorram would "you like on your
stationery, madam?" "Why. I don't know;
but the one that Is most in fashion, of
'course." Buffalo Express.
"Some of de smartest men,'" said Uncle
Eben. '"pears to use up delr smartness in
makln' mistakes dat nobody else could have
thought of." Washington 8tar.
"That pedicurist is quite a literary char
acter and especially fond of old Eng
lish writers." "Then I suppose his favor
ite authors are Foote and Bunyan." Balti
more .Americas
LIFE'S SUNNY SIDE
The late O. Henry. whose flippant
and slangy stories- gave him a greal
reputation as a humorist, was, in prl.
vate life, a serious student.
A visitor to the library of Mr. Por
ter's New York residence was amazed
t the ponderous histories and biogra
phies on every side.
"But don't you read." said the vis
itor. "Ellis Parker Butler and writer
of that sort?"
"Well, no," said Mr. Porter.
He laughed and added whimsically:
"I make fanev Va 1 1 . ,
. I 1 1 it-in,
it I only eat bread and meat." Wash
gton Star.
During the recent financial rtT.rc-
sion in England. Pat. and Mike enlisted
in ine British army. After their first
drill the captain, thinking the circum
stances opportune for a little lecture
On patriotism. demanded eloquently:
cuiuicto, wny soouia a man ale tor
his king and country?"
mis struck Pat as a nroner ones.
tion. Turning to Mike he said:
"aitn, Moike. the Caritain is rnirhtl
Whol?"
e -
In a speech In the Senate on Ha
waiian affairs. Senator Depew, of New
York, told this storyt
v hen Queen Lilluokalanl was in
England durina- the Ensrlish Oueen'a
jubilee. She Was received at Bucking-
nam faiace. in the course of the re
marks that pasred between the two
queens, the one from the" Sandwich isl
ands said that she had English blood la
her veins.
"How so?" Inquired Victoria.
'My ancestors ate Captain Cook.""
Everybody's.
e
"Drink," said Robert Edson. beckon
ing to the waiter, "is a great evil. Both
my father confessor and my barber
agree on that.
"The father went in the other day
to get a shave. He observed that the
barber was suffering from a recent
celebration, but decided to take a
chance. In a few moments the bar
bers razor had nicked the father's
cheek.
" 'There, Pat. you have cut me. said
the priest as he raised his hand and
caressed the wound.
" "Yis, y'r riv'rance,' answered the
barber.
" "That shows you,' continued the
priest. In a tone of censure, 'v-hat the
use of liquor will do."
",'Yis, y'r riv'rance,' replied the bar
ber humbly: 'it makes the skin tinder.' "
Young's Magazine.
A diplomat was talking in Washing
ton about the late Hon. Auberon Her
bert, son of the Sari of Carnarvon.
"Mr. Herbert was always original. I
once heard him address a New Year
banquet of clergymen. I'll try and re
peat the address in his owp words. It
ran:
" 'Meeting this morning the gentle
man called Mephisto or Beelzebub, I
greeted him politely and said:
" "How are things down your
wayf "
" 'He grimaced, and shook his head.
He pointed to the mud on his hoof And
tail.
" . Vv-e are n a fleuoe of a mess down
there," he said. "This is- the season,
you know, when our pavements are be
ing laid." "Washington Star.
DEMOCRATS BOOST POINDEXTER.
Plan to Throw Hint Nomination In Be
publican Primaries
Tacoma Tribune.
Even if Miles Poindexter should re
ceive a majority of votes at the pri
mary election, he would he disqualified
in the Legislature, because Poindexter
agents are going about the state or
ganizing Democrats to vote at the pri
maries for Poindexter. A Tacoma
Poindexter follower has just returned
from Lewis County, and is boasting
that while there he obtained the signa
tures of some 700 Democrats to an
agreement to vote in the primaries and
vote for Miles Poindexter as the choice
of the Republican party for United
States Senator.
Under the primary law it is not in
tended that Democrats should select
Republican candidates or assist in the
selection. That Poindexter campaign
managers are engaging in this sort of
work should be sufficient warning to
the Republicans of Washington to
watch the voters until the day of the
primaries arrives, and make a note of
the Democrats who cast their unfair
ballots. The Legislature will do the
rest.
In addition to continuing the dem
onstration of the story that Theodore
Roosevelt indorsed his candidacy,
Poindexter is resorting to every polit
ical trick known td betray the people
into voting for him. Elected as a Re
publican by the people of the Third
Congressional District of the State of
Washington, he has turned against the
party which honored him with office,
and today the Democrats of Tacoma, as
well as of the state, are those men act
ive in the promotion of Poindexter's
candidacy. From Tacoma a Poindex
ter lineup of the Democratic voters of
the state Is being sought to be made.
It will bring the plotters no reward,
for Miles Poindexter cannot and will
not be elected United States Senator
by the Republicans. Those who are
pledged will cast their votes for the
Republican candidate who receives the
larger number of votes, and that can
didate will be James M. Ashton, of Ta
coma. Truly Representative.
Grants Pass Observer.
The Republican assembly for Jose
phine County was the largest and most
representative political gathering ever
held in the county, notwithstanding
that some of the northern precincts
were not represented. There were 100
delegates present, and all were enthu
siastic in the Republican cause, and
strongly in favor of the assembly. The
county ticket chosen will appeal to the
people of Josephine, for it is thorough
ly representative, the nominations be
ing spread over the county. There was
nothing cut and dried in this assembly.
No one knew what was going to hap
pen until it did happen, and every dele
gate was free to express his views and
vote the ballot for the candidate of his
choice.
What Pinchot Tried to Do.
Lewlston Tribune.
Pinchofs wall against the explora
tion and entry of lands for miner
alogical operators, which he tried to
prevent, is correctly stated. Mr.
Pinchot did try to procure the total
exclusion of those lands from pros
pective useful service, and was de
feated through the efforts of Senator
Heyburn, who was able to modify the
bill so that under certain circumstan
ces Industry might be pursued there.
It is a great pleasure to corroborate
Hon. Gift, as to the facts In this case,
tempered only by regret that there is
not more of the same to report.
Those Wicked Republ leans.
Hillsboro Independent.
Now that the assembly has been held
and the call issued for another to con
sider indorsements of candidates for
county offices, doesn't all this hysteria
about the wickedness of members of
the parly getting together and recom
mending a ticket to be voted at the
primaries strike you in Its true light
as an attempt to magnify a very sensi
ble procedure into a crime and an en
deavor to befuddle the voters Into con
tinuing a practice profitable to oppo
nents of the party