TIIE MORXIXG OREGOXIAX, MONDAY. MAY 8, 1911.
rORTLAXD. OUGOX.
J drastic action in quelling a protracted
i fight that has been disturbing the
neighbors for a lone; time.
In
Eaier4 at Pert lane, Orasoa. PoatoffWe as
BuLacrisuoa Kataa Inrartably la Adraaca, .
BT MAIL) I
Fal!r. Sarday Inclined, en year. . . ...-00
V:.y. sundae Included. six month..... 4 23
I'aily. 6uny Included. thrae months... 3.23
La:ljr. Sunday tn-ia3l. on month... ... .73
Zi;y. without run-lay. on year. SOO
Ial y. wlihoul Sunday, m'n month.. .... S 25
Ia!ly. without Sunday, three roJnit..... LTJ
L-ai.y. without hunday. on mouth 0
Wely. an year 1.3' .
S-jaday. on year...... J-
ftufida ad sraealy. ona yaar...
BT CARRIER)
Tl!y. Sunday Included, ona year t.no
1aily Sunday Included, on month TJ
How I Ramit Sad Poalofflce money
order, aapreaa order or paraonal check on
your local bank, stamps, com or currency
ar at tha Sander's ria. Give postoffic
address la full. lncud.nc county and atata.
Peetaaa Rate 10 t- u pagea. 1 cant; 14
14 p-icea, 2 cnta; 30 to o paces. S cent:
sou a
Kaatara Boaiaees OfTleea
l'n w ork. ilrunaalca,
"H. fetcger building.
19 per cent in rural population
Hood River-Wasco Counties.
There. Is room for practically un
limited expansion on these lines, where
a few acres of land will support a fam
ily and intensified farming with a
large population in a small area en
able the country to enjoy the advan-
tatram A rn Bdn I AnAO nf lh i!ir Tha
-ffc. H.lhe P1Is- "dKa phenomenal growth of Oregon cities
one-third the remainder brought about been attended by any oad
his nomination. This minority frae- ' ..,. v.. .., -v.
a disease. The most that a careful SPUDS AXD POLITICAL FODDER.
person can admit is that it is a dls-
ease sometimes. Usually it is an ac- s" Clackamas Cora era Prefers
cident. a misfortnnA nr tha r-nna I Garden Truck to Printed Tracts.
Timely Tales of the Day
T1IK BTAY-AT-IIOMIS.
11 r. Rushlight s triumph was
achieved through the scay-at-home
vote. Half the Republican voters did
quence of an unfavorable environment.
Perhaps if crime is described as a
dlsease.it must be with reference to
society rather than the individual.
Social maladies produce more breaches
LACKAMAS CORNERS, May 7. (To
the Editor.) Abner Heppner read my
piece that you printed last Monday (I
read it twice myself) and Abner he
says it sounded all riirht. only he
tioa of the so-called Republican party
was the accumulated and organized
strength of the various elements push
ing Rushlight's candidacy, brought to
gether by the cohesive power of prac
tical politics played by practical poli
ticians with a common aim and in a
common cause. They have demon
strated what can be done In tha direct
primary through organization and a
pooling of interests and a united effort
all along tha line
seeming disproportion between the city
and the country population should be
equalized.
THE DCTtES OF JTOfitJ.
In America we have the bad habit
of calling the trial judge a tyrant If
he takes an effective part in a case.
What we ask of him is to maintain
the dull indifference of an umpire. To
They proved once satisfy custom he must neither think, I -in i. or not. it must maintain . th iot
more that one candidate can always speak nor act except to decide dls- J safeguards against lawbreakinz- lust as ' mighty tiirht to any loose bits of capi-
ueai two. jk. uiviuuu opposition ia . puted points or law or procedure.
of the law than any individual ail- ( couldn't for the life of him figure out
ments. Mr. MacDonald is inclined to j what kind of "monsters" folks kept
take this view of the problem. But i chicken-yards. I told him, before
even If we grant that crime flows he had a chance to get funny, that I
largely from Imperfect social arrange- ; wrote it "roosters" In my piece, and
ments it does not follow that criminals that its gettin' printed "monsters" was
need not be restrained, or occasionally i probably due to one of them typo
put out of the world. The community ' graphical terrors they have in printing
must protect itself even from the con- shops But Abner he says if the truth
,, i,, ,., was known it was more n likely an-
sequences of its own shortcomings. producin' class
Similarly -it Is idle to discuss the ques- by thfl capltalistlc press.
tion of the freedom of the will In con- Abner is powerfud down on eapital
nection with delinquency. It makes no j its. but I have noticed that he has
difference to the state whether the i neglected mighty few opportunities in
40 years to glue hlmseir ai
a "rat 4 caUa isa poia the good fortune aod tho opportunity j in England tha trial Judge really con
-Varra A Conk
bulldlng. Cnl-
of the gang.
Mr. Rushlight he (000 odd Repub
lican, votes out of 28.000 or more
half rif trijtm a,ftva half ,iUn t n n
POKTLAXP. MONDAT, MAT s. Mil. . be become- the party nominee. Yet '
Mr.
KISBUGffI FOR MAYOR.
Rushlight was nominated
perhaps those 13.000 or 24,000 stayed ! hand.
ducts the trial. He asks questions of
the witnesses freely. He makes such
cursory comments on the evidence as
he thinks proper and keeps the law
yers to their business with a stern
for
I at home because they cared nothing
about party and less about the avail-
Vayor of Portland at the Republican abl candidates. They may have
primary mainly through the organized . aomethlng to say on election day In
and directed support of the saloons.
the street railway corporation, the
paving companies and the political
element of the labor unions. It may
be supposed that these combined In
fluences will be able to elect him In
June, unless an aroused and enllght-
BIO BCXLDENO BCSEYESS.
Portland building permits for the
1 first five days of May were in excess
of .200,000, with no single permits
ned public sentiment is able to pro- for Ur amounts, nearly all of them
- ' 1 1 .. . i rrV. kii.ln.i
June.
duce an Indeoenriant ca.ndlris.ta of I being for residences. The business
character and record for achievement for tn month quite clearly points to
who will command the general respect
and confidence.
Is there such a man? If there Is he
need have no fear that the mere des
ignation "Republican nominee" added
to the name of Mr. Rushlight will be
potent, as it formerly would have been
potent, against him. The time has
passed when the public, made up of
unlu from all parties and no party
totals In excess of tl, 000, 000 and that
the high average shown in the first
four months of the year will be main
tained. Very few cities in the United
States, for the first quarter of 1911.
have shown an Increase in building
operations over the same period a
year ago, but Portland with more
thaji $1,000,000 in permits for the
first quarter Is among the select few.
carrs anything about party in any : or Iour monma enaing pni ju,
local or munirinai n,ntt Th. arinrv. the value of the permits issued In
tion or the direct primary marked tha
deony of party spirit and partisan
prejudice and feeling, so that In the
contest Saturday members of all par
ties mingled freely in the Republican
primary without objection or resent
ment from any source. Now the tics
of party obligation rest lightly on
Portland was IS.S41.S29,' compared
with I2.C3S.S85 Issued In Seattle for
the same period.
Building operations throughout the
United- States for the first quarter of
the year show a total of $175, 195,968.
compared with $192,689,030 for the
first quarter of 1910. Such a large
participants in the primary, and they I proportion of this loss was due to a
will support or oppose Mr. Rushlight ' decrease of 24.2 per cent In Greater
or any other at the election without New York alone that the showing for
reforence to their action last Saturday. 1 ,h resl ot the country is on the
The chief service cf the primary to hole fairly satisfactory, the decrease
Mr. Rushlight, it may be assumed. Is l outside of Xew York being less than
that It was a mere contest of elimlna- 35.000.000. The figures outside of
tion. It disposed of Mr. Lombard and New To" ave been fairly well main
Mr. Werleln. and gave him a free field r heavy gains In Boston. New
to face any new candidate In the elec- Haven, Washington. Baltimore, Phlla
tlon. In that contingency no serious delphla and Pittsburg in the East.
consideration reed be given to the can- j nl Portland and Los Angeles on the
flidacy or the IJemocratlc nominee, Mr.
Thomas. The fight will be between
Rushlight, with the breweries, saloons,
paving companies, street railway cor
poration and their labor allies on the
one hand, and the forces that desire
a free, clean, untrammeled and unin
spired municipal administration on tha
other.
This Is not a mere party contest. It
will be futile for Mr. Rushlight and
the associated elements that through
co-operation and systematic endeavor
have contrived to bring about his nom
ination, to invoke the name of party.
They care nothing for party. They
u. rarty merely as the instrument
of their obvious advantage. It Is the
handiest way to get their man In.
Tht-y have got him.
Possibly the public w!U "fall- for
It. It surely will unless there shall
be concert and harmony and mutual
understanding and concession among
the many who do not want Rushlight
for Mayor and have reason not to
want him. but want a Mayor who. will
ewe no allegiance, open or secret, to
any Interest or Influence or purpose
not wholly the public's but solely de
voted to its private concerns.
MEXICAN INTERVENTION.
"The Inexplicable ambition of Pres
ident Diaz" Is the reason given by
General Madero for the failure of the
Mexican peace negotiations. He holds
that Diax "will be alone responsible
before the civilized world and in his
tory for all the misery which the war
may cause." With this parting shot at
the reigning despot In our neighbor
ing republic. Madero has again let slip
his dogs of war and more bloodshed
and pillage will result. The stubborn
attitude of President Diaz In refusing
to make public announcement of his
Intention to resign has not only caused
a renewal of hostilities between tho
opposing forces In Mexico, but It has
tightened the strain that has been no.
tlceable since the United States Army
was sent down to the border line for
the purpose of engaging In military
maneuvers and maintaining neutrality
along the line.
Arcordinr to Washington dispatches.
President Taft Is so averse to Inter
fering In the disastrous warfare In
Mexico that ha Is quoted as saying
that "blood would have to be so deep
In Mexico that a man could wade
through It" before the army would
cross the border. The language quoted
In not In keeping with the usual Taft
ut-.cra.ncts. but It Is to a degree In
accord with the policy that this coun
try has always pursued regarding the
quarrels of our neighbors. It is ques
tionable how far we can follow this
strict observance of the rules of Inter
national etiquette without conflicting
with the demands of humanity. The
peace-loving citizen who happens to be
the Innocent bystander, where two In
dividuals are engaged In a Kilkenny
cat affray, theoretically has no right
to Interfere, and ordinarily might be
expected to let the battle proceed un
til one or both of the contestants were
dead or unable to show further fight.
And yet If the fighting Is offensive to
the bystander and the sight of blood
affects him. It Is possible that he may
have a right to step In and stop the
fray.
The Mexicans, with their protracted
struggles, are not only making them
selves offensive as a spectacle, but
they are also killing American citizens
and soldiers of fortune, and are de
stroying property, the payment for
which will place heavy toll on the in
dustries of the country, after peace Is
restored. It would be a very distaste
ful and expensive matter for this coun
try to Interfere In Mexico, and It may
not be necessary for this country to
take the momentous step. But the
strength shown by the rebels and the
stubbornness shown by President Diaz
are so much more favorable to a war
of extermination than to the re-establishment
of peace, that the affair may
yet reach a stage where the United
States will be forced to take some
Pacific Coast. While there has been
a notable decrease In a number of the
cities, not all of which has been made
up by the Increases In more fortunate
cities. It is not improbable that the
lower cost of building material this
year has been a factor In the slight
decrease In totals. In other words the
loss of 2.5 per cent In 112 cities out
side of New York may have been due
to reduced cost of building Instead of
the smaller volume of business.
In Portland an unusually large
number of residence permits have
been Issued this year, but the large
permits for office buildings are not so
much In evidence as they were a year
ago. This Is a good sign of the
healthy growth of the city, for despite
the large number of new residences
that have been added within the past
two years, the demand is not yet satis
fied. While building statistics for the
smaller cities of Oregon are not ob
tainable, all commercial reports Indi
cate building activity throughout the
state proportionate to that which has
kept Portland in the front rank of
American oitlos. As the city merely
reflects the prosperity of the region on
which It draws for sustenance, there
will be no lessening of the building
activity In Portland until there Is a
slackening In the smaller cities.
The results are worth comparing. In
this country lawsuits and criminal
trials drag out to all eternity, while In
England they are finished promptly.
Here the courts are chronically con
gested with unfinished work. Verdicts
are perpetually being reversed and new
trials ordered on trivial technicalities.
The less the trial judge counts for the
more some lawyers make of his little
errors of etiquette. In the face of
professional determination to reduce
the ludce to a cipher no wonder that
j he shrinks from doing anything more
than Is literally forced upon im.
' Judges are haunted by dread of "re
versal." A trial Judge who has a
number of rulings reversed by the Su
preme Court loses caste. It begins to
be whispered about that he has not
"a Judicial mind. He does not know
the law." He may know more law
than the entire bench of Supreme
Judges, but that makes no difference.
They are in a position to discredit him
and he is helpless. So his mind is bent
upon attending to the little technical!
ties of procedure since It Is these
technicalities which will weigh heaviest
before the appellate tribunal. He does
not dare to let etiquette sink to a sub
ordinate place and fix his attention
on truth and justice for It is etiquette
which will seal the fate of his rulings
and make or mar his reputation.
No doubt all this will be changed
sometime and our judicial procedure
will approach more . nearly to that
standard of efficiency which has been
attained in England, whose law Is
often the model for ours. Of course,
there Is such a thing as making too
much of mere expedition in trials. Just
os obstruction and delay pervert Jus
tice so haste may do the same thing.
The list of Innocent men convicted of
crime Is far too long already and
speedier trials might stretch It out
still farther. We must remember.
however, that these unjust convictions
have occurred under the reign of teoh
nlcalltles. In spite of the claim that
endless ritualistic ceremonies -make
for the safety of innocence we behold
Innocent men too frequently sent to
prison. The fact soems to be that effi
cient work In court protects the un
justly accused better than too much
technicality.
TRBAN AN D KI RAX POFTXATION.
Much unfavorable comment is being
made over the fact that the growth
of population in the rural districts in
Oregon in the past decade was but
29 per cent, while In the cities there
was an increase of more than 70 per
cent. With such an Immense area
of tillable land available for country
dwellers it would of course be highly
advantageous to the cities and to the
state as a whole to have a larger pop
ulation making use of our resources.
The figures returned by the census
bureau, however, are susceptible to
varying Interpretation. To begin rlfrht
at home we find that the population
of Multnomah. County, outside the
cities, has increased but 29 per cent,
while the gain in the city for the same
period has been more than 120 per
cent. This discrepancy In the country
growth, as compared with that of the
city, is due to the position which Port
land holds as a great shipping and dis
tributing point for a vast territory,
DISEASE AND CRIMK.
The Oregonlan has received from
Mr. Arthur MacDonald, of Washing
ton, a pamphlet In wftlch the question
whether or not crime is a disease is
discussed among others. The author
Inclines to the opinion that' crime is
not a disease in most cases, though It
Is in some, but he admits that the
subject could be dealt with more prof
itably if he knew more about it.
The so-called science of criminology
Is still In that primitive stage where
the guesses of its cultivators take the
place of ascertained facts. They spec
ulate boldly but they do not relish the
patient investigation which alone pro
duces reliable results. More than half
the time of our courts is taken up
with criminal trials but It Is only now
and then that a lawyer thinks it worth
while actually to study the living, re
pulsive criminal. He prefers to study
books about the criminal and these
books are assembled from the dissected
remains of older books and so on as
far back as you please to go. Crimin
ology and criminal law are in about
the same condition as theology was In
the middle ages. Anybody could sit
down in his cell and produce a com
plete system from his unaided brain.
It was not till Bishop Butler wrote his
famous "Analogy" that theology was
brought face to face with the facts
of the world. Criminology still waits
for Its Butler.
Of some crimes it Is manifestly ab
surd to say that they arise from dis
ease. Any person in the heat of pas
sion la liable to commit an assault or
even a murder. He then becomes a
criminal, not at all because he Is ab
normal, but because he Is normal. It
Is entirely normal to get angry under
provocation and strike an aggressor.
The propensity verges toward disease
much if we are all automatons as
if we are absolutely free moral agents.
No doubt in a state of society where
everything was rational and justice the
rule there would be far less crime than
we see now. It may be considered that
crimes against property arise for the
most part from our present imperfect
distribution of the products Of labor.
So much of what Is produced flows to
a small class of extremely fortunate
people and so little of it to the great
mass of tollers that discontent is the
natural consequence. Often the law
Is broken under stress of hunger or for
lack of shelter. Society has always
permitted Itself to look with more or
less horror upon the criminal and the
vicious classes, but. after all. if we
were strictly honest we should blame
ourselves largely for what they are and
do. The shopgirl who lapses into vice
on a salary of $3 or $4 a week could
make many excuses' if she had the
chance. The man who steals coal to
keep his new-born babe from perish
ing with cold might plead with fair
success before the bar of heaven.
At bottom the subject of crime Is
economic rather than pathological.
Anybody who wishes to study it prof
itably must begin by studying the pro
duction and distribution of that
whereon we live.
More than one-half of the regis
tered voters In the city remained away
from the polls Saturday. There was
a good turnout of taxeaters and non
taxpayers, and a few property owners
took the trouble to go to the polls and
vote for the men who In the next two
years are to spend many millions for
expenses of the city. A large number
of good citizens and taxpayers who
remained away from the polls were
so dissatisfied with the result of the
election that yesterday they were emit
ting warwhoops of disgust over the
outcome. If the city administration
under which we must live for the next
two years is not satisfactory to the
17,000 voters who remained away from
the polls Saturday, they can console
themselves with the thought that their
responsibility for the result was onlj
indirect. They did not vote for the
objectionable candidates. They slm
ply remained away and gave the
friends of the successful man an op
portunity to do as they pleased.
tal strayln' around his vicinity. Abner
says that him and Alfred D. Cridse
has figured out that four hours' work
per day is all that the bloated recipi
ents of tariff favors should be allowed,
to work their miserable bond-slaves.
I always take a quiet snicker when
Abner gets through with his labor talk,
for it reminds me of a story they tell
on Abner, probably for the same rea
son that old man "Dong" Simpson says
a monkey makes him think of a
cherubim because they're so different,
a a a ..
The way they tell this story there
was a young city fellow bit these parts
one time flat broke, and not knowln'
no better be hired himself out to Abner
for his board and bed. First mornln',
long about 2 o'clock, Abner pounds on
the young fellow's door to wake him.
Young fellow gets up, kind of dazed
for want of sleep, and Abner hustles
a brief breakfast Into him by candle
light and then gives him a lantern and
says:
"See that field of oats out there?"
"I see a field." says the young feller,
"but it's too dark even to guess whether
It's oats."
"Well, It's oats," says Abner, "and
you take this scythe and go and be
gin cuttin' em."
"Say," says the young feller, "Is them
wild oats or tame oats?"
"Wild oats!" snorts Abner. "Who
ever heard of wild oats In my field?
Them's tame oats, of course."
"Well," says the young fellow, confi
dential like, and hangln' up the scythe,
"what's the matter with waltin' till
daylight? If they're tame, what's the
use of sneak In' on 'em?"
The other night Homer Davenport.
the cartoonist, was with a party of-
friends and a series of old reminiscent
experiences out of their respective ear
Her careers were related.
"I guess the most humiliating thing
that ever happened to me," said Daven
pert, "occurred a few years after I had
gone East and was working for the
Hearst syndicate of newspapers. I drew
a fine assignment, that of gqing abroad
to interview and make intimate nersona
sketches of numerous men ct world-wide
renown. One. of the. niimhAr n.'a(i AVil.
j liam E. Gladstone, who was then alive,
but who had practically retired from ac
tive public life to his estates at Havar
den Castle.
"I had been warned by friends in Lon.
don that Gladstone was not the most
approachable man in the world, espe
cially where newspapermen were con
cerned. but I decided to brave the lion
in his lair.
"I took the Journey to the historic
little town in ales, and unon reach
ing the estate my nerve failed me a lit
tle and I began strolling around the
grounds, for the purpose of evolving
some new method of approaching my
distinguished victim. All at once I noted
an aged man coming down one of the
waixs. At the first glance I recognized
Mr. Gladstone and most of my courage
fled, but I walked up to him, saluted
Introduced myself and remarked in an
off-handed manner:
" 'Mr. Gladstone, I have come all the
way from America to have an interview
with you and make a few sketches.'
"The Grand Old Man eyed me fiercely
for a moment and then remarked:
" 'Well, young man, you are very fond
of traveling.' Whereupon he turned
upon his heel and strode away.
"I fell down miserably on the assign
ment, and it was some time before '.
accomplished my purpose. I always be
lieved that Gladstone enjoyed the Joke
on me more than he ever outwardly
showed."
The 1911 list of accidental drown
Ings has already been started. A
twelve-year-old boy at Roseburg and
a ten-year-old girl at Lebanon were
the first victims, each falling into a
mlllrace. The State of Oregon Is ex
ceptionally well supplied with streams.
lakes and bays, and for that, reason
the opportunities for drowning acci
dents are much more numerous than
they would be where water courses
were less numerous. The frequency of
these distressing, tragedies calls atten
tion to the necessity of young people
being taught to swim. Where there
are so many places In which they may
drown not much difficulty would be
encountered In finding a few in which
many could be taught to swim. In this
respect, the city youngsters have some
advantages over the country young
sters, but the needs of the latter
should not be overlooked.
Ralph Clyde, too, got in, and Beld-
1 Ing and others of the ' gang. They
have different names and different
political complexions and objects, ap
parently, but their real purpose is
the same. They are self-seekers, 'all
of them, and when the test of real
public service comes the public can
go hang. What kind of Councllmen
does the public really want that It
should nominate such men as these
to office?
We also have here an Immense turn- only when there Is unusual lack of
ber Industry. There are a number of
mills In this city employing several
hundred men each and most of the
employes have families. An urban
population of this type can be easily
sustained without In any manner over
balancing the much smaller country
population, for the reason that It is
here because we have the Industries
to support It. The lumber Is manu
factured, sold and shipped here; the
population necessary to carry on the
operations is here because it cannot
be used to advantage in the country
Down In Clatsop County there has
been a substantial growth In the cities
but an. actual decrease In the country
population. This also Is largely due
to the milling, logging and to fLshlng
Industries, each of which hss head
quarters in cities Instead of in the
country.
In Baker County, where mining and
stock growing are the principal In
dustries, the growth of the cities has
far outstripped that of the country for
similar reasons. A city or town al
ways grows up around a successful
mine or in a mining district and the
stock business encourages Instead 'of
discourages Increases In population.
The same is true of bonanza wheat
farming which has hampered the
growth of many rural districts In East
ern Oregon.
These conditions show that In Ore
gon It is possible for cities to bear a
topheavy appearance In comparison
with the 'country population without
actually suffering an economic disad
vantage thereby. The kind of rural
growth which possesses the greatest
advantages for the state as a whole is
the type reflected In an increase of
Woodrow Wilson, Governor of New
Jersey, and William Jennings Bryan,
of Nebraska, have posed together for
a photograph, copies of which appear
in newspapers throughout the land. To
a casual observer there Is a far-away
look In the eyes of the subjects, as that
of men who are anxious to unravel
the political riddle of next year, each
If possible to his own advantage.
Things, Indeed, look bright for a re
organized local Republican party next
year bright with the glare of a large
conflagration.
self-control, when a person habitually
flies Into a rage over trifles or allows
causeless wrath to carry him beyond
bounds. There Is almost as much rea
son to assert that crime Is the conse
quence of health as that it arises from
disease.
Still there are some violations of
the law which no normal person would
ever commit, while there are also some
habitual criminals who are certainly
sufferers from disease of the mind or
body, occasionally of both. On the
other hand, if is pretty safe to lay
It down that some abnormalities pre
dispose the patient to submission. They
make him meek, law-abiding, resigned
to wrong. Some writers go so far as I
to say that crime may be beneficial to
society and the Individual too in ex
ceptional cases.
It is easy to Imagine an Instance
where a respectable citizen ia forced
to choose between breaking the law
and seeing ruin fall upon himself and
his family. Sometimes he decides to
break the law and, according to our
authors. If he does It with some skill
and keeps the affair secret nobody is
the worse, while he may reap Inesti
mable advantage.
Of course, this Is a dangerous doc
trine. It reminds us of such medicines
as arsenic and nltro-glycerlne. How
ever, let the reader ask himself if he
has not known of emergencies where
the principle might have been applied
with good results, nay If, In his se
cret heart, he does not remember
cases' where It has been applied. In
strict course of justice who of us
would see salvation?
Considerations of this sort Illustrate
the risk of saying flatly that crime Is
A counterfeit double-eagle Is in cir
culation and the strictly honest man
will pass it up as fast as received.
Lookin' around in a unprejudiced
sort of way, I have often noticed how
real homely kind of work seems to dls
agree with the Friends of Labor. Not
that the most of 'em are afraid of
work not a bit. Almost any of 'em
can He right down beside work and
go to sleep without a quiver. But 1
never seen a bond-slave yet. addressin
a audience of fellow bond-slaves, whose
hands showed evidence of any harder
manual labor than helpin' schooners
over the bar.
Half the energy one of these fellows
puts into saving society would grow
a mighty respectable crop of garden
stuff and the older I get the more I
am led to believe that the wosld needs
garden stuff a lot more than It does
saving. I'd rather have a few bushels
of potatoes laid away in the cellar any
day than a thousand tracts on the
"Iniquities of Politics, Past. Present
and to Come. You can eat potatoes.
Congratulations to Colorado from
Oregon, which once upon a time suf
fered from a deadlock and consequent
limited representation.
These people who are making Ore
gon a great fruit state must bear In
mind that some ground Is needed for
hay.
Election-mad Tacoma voted right
Saturday in deciding to bond for
$690,000 for educational purposes.
The holes which autoists find In
downtown streets are put there to dis
courage speeding.
James Whltcomb Riley.
CATHLAMET. Wash., May 3. (To
the Editor.) Please give me a short
tch of the life of James Whltcomb
tne
I ske
Riley. Where was his childhood
passed and has he a family?
A SUBSCRIBER.
James Whltcomb Riley was born at
Greenfield, Indiana, in 1853, and has
always made his home in his native
Btate. He Is unmarried. He was edu
cated in the public schools, but has had
honorary degrees conferred on him by
Yale and other universities.
Public Utilities Bill.
PORTLAND, May 4. (To the Ed
itor.) Kindly advise when the Rail
road Commission will assume regula
tion of publlo utilities under the Ma
larkey bill. SUBSCRIBER.
The law will go into effect June 7
if not held up by referendum.
Speakln' of potatoes naturally brings
to mind a whole lot of patent recipes
beln" printed now-a-days on how to
get people back to the land. Wagnon
and Crldge and McAllister held a love
feast in these parts not long ago, and
Abner Heppner he drug me over by
main strength and violence, so to speak,
to hear 'em. The principal complaint
of these gentlemen seemed to be that
the land robbers had got hold of the
whole earth and there wasn't no place
left any more where a-roan could pro
duce food and clothes without payln'
tribute to the lords of the soil "bar
ons they called em.
Now, I own quite a bit of farmln'
land myself, but I never knowed before
what a wicked, aristocracy I belonged
to. Nobody around these parts ever
called me "Baron Mossback." and' I
never, wore no diamond crown on my
head, which is the way I am told for
eign nobles usually dresses for break
fast. Folks about here usually say.
Mornln', Squire," or -"Howdy. Jedge."
But Abner Heppner says I am a lord
all right, and a useless grabber of un
earned increment, because since I've
got old and a bit rheumatic, I let my
farm to the Graham boys on shares.
whereas Abner lets his to his wife fer
the privlleg of doln" the work and
sharln' the boss' bedroom.
Anyhow, I told Abner to make an of
fer to these poor, oppressed slaves of
the landlords, with no soli to raise food
on. I've got a mighty sightly forty, all
good garden land, and I told Abner to
tell 'em to peel their coats and get to
work. I'd furnish 'em a grubstake and
take a share of the crop for the ad
vance and the use of my capital tied
up In the land.
If these patriots," says I. "are
yearnln' to get back to the land, here's
the land yearnln for some active man
to git back to It." What do you think
Abner says He says. "You're a durned
old fool."
No, sir," says Abner. "do you think
these men, who make more money
practlcln' their varied professions in
town and savin' the Ignorant country
as a side issue. In a month than you
do In six do you think they are goln'
to come out here and grub a llvln' out
of your durned old 40 acres of beaver
dam land?"
TVell," says I. "no offense meant.
But if they don't want land to work
on. and won't have land to work on.
and are makln' more workln' off the
land than they could on it. In the name
of George Washington," says I, kind
of riled, "what are they klckln' about
the other fellow havln' the land for?"
'"Can't you get it through your thick
noddle." says Abner, "that It's the un
earned Increment they're klckln' about.
You are a robber, you and your 40
acres you don't work yourself."
"Mebbe I am." says I, "but I ain't
never found anything in the law books
nor in a good deal of miscellaneous
reading otherwise, that makes a man
who come out here when they was
Injuns left to fight, and grubbed stumps
and broke the land and cultivated It
for 40 years, a thief because he's srettin'
old and a trifle rheumatic and offers
another feller a chance to work the
place on shares."
That's what I told Abner.
A. MOSSBACK, J. P.
Corea and Japan.
MEDFORD.- Or.. May 2. (To the Ed
itor.) - Kindly inform me as to the
present political relations between
Japan and Corea. I. W. W.
Corea is now a part of Japan, having
ceased io exist as a distinct nation on
August 29, 1910, under the terms of a
treaty of annexation to Japan.
Although the late General Summers,
who commanded the Second Oregon regl
ment in the Spanish War, was known
as a rather strict disciplinarian, there
was one occasion when he let his sym
pathies master his ideas of military
duty.
When the regiment was en route to
the Philippines, the soldiers suffered be
cause of poor fare served to them, while
the officers, who paid for their food
from their own pockets, enjoyed good
meals. A. Hansen, a private in Com
pany K, now an attorney of this city,
was one day placed as guard at the
entrance to the officers' dining-room, and
the smell of the good food proved almost
more than he could stand.
A waiter passing saw the hungry-looking
soldier, who had been suffering with
seasickness much of the voyage, and
taking pity on him offered him a piece
of pie. Although a soldier on guard Is
subject to being courtmartialed if found
eating anything while at his post, Han
sen accepted the offer.
Then the steward passed the hungry
looking man, and offered him half a pie.
This was also accepted.
Hansen had deserted his gun to. enjoy
the repast when, to his horror, who
should appear in the doorway bnt Colo
nel Summers.
"Don't you know that you might be
courtmartialed and severely punished
for eating on post?" the Colonel said
sternly.
"I know it. Colonel," said Hansen, sa
luting respectfully, "but If you will only
let me eat the rest of this pie, I won't
care what you do with me."
"Eat it." said the Colonel briefly, as
he passed out.
Ralph C. Clyde, a candidate before the
primary for the nomination for Councll-
man-at-Large, was making a personal
campaign among members of the police
force a few days ago, meeting the offi
cers at the station door as they reported
in. Clyde has a loud voice, and he was
making a strong card of the measures
he Intended to advocate in the Interests
of the policemen.
I am In favor of giving two days off
in every month to ail members of the
force," he said.
Just as he made the announcement for
the 51st time, an officer came up, towing
a very much inebriated citizen, destined
to be Incarcerated. Clyde intercepted the
pair and repeated:
I am in favor or giving every police
man two days off In the month."
The prisoner suddenly showed signs
of animation, and in a thick voice muttered:
"I've got you beat; I am in favor of
giving them 30 days off every month."
Advertising Talks
By William C. Freeman.
Albert B. Kelley, who writes adver
tising copy for the United Gas Improve
ment Company, of Philadelphia, made
a speech before the congress of gas
men at Atlanta recently, In which he
paid a glowing tribute to the Value of
newspaper publicity for a corporation
or a product.
He said that as far as his company
was concerned, publicity attracted the
fteneral public to the commodity and
the Investment public to the securities
that It educates the public to an un
derstanding of the difficulties that even
big corporations encounter, and if the
advertising is constant and friendly and
sincere, it engenders a feeling of friend
liness and leniency toward reasonable
shortcomings.
This column has often urged corpor
ations to advertise, and the success of
the U. G. I. advertising in Philadelphia
Is an Indication of what other corpor
ations can accomplish through the same
aid.
Mr. Kelley further said that there
are over 800 uses to which gas may
be put every one of them to the ad- ,
vantage of the publlo and the Gas In
dustry. 9
Mr. Kelley is telling about these uses
In newspaper advertisements in Phila
delphia, with the result that the busi
ness of his company Is increasing all
the time.
As a concrete illustration of how the '
advertising pulls, the company opened
a new store for the sale of gas appli
ances and used a full page display ad
vertisement In the newspapers to an
nounce the fact.
As a result, on the opening day the
store was visited by over 12,000 peo
ple.
This is an unusual response to an
advertisement of a gas company, but
modern advertising Is so unusual in Its
force that It of necessity brings un
usual results.
Gas companies in every community
can use the advertising columns of their
home newspapers with profit to them
selves.
Why not try It, gentlemen?
(To be continued.)
Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe
C. G. Sutherland, assistant general
manager of the o.-w. t. st J., nas
been in Alaska for a number of weeks
recuperating after a long spell of poor
health. While in the north he visited
Wrangel, one of the "dampest" spots on
earth, and where it rains at least 13
months in the year without any particu
lar favorites as to the months when 4t
does rain.
It comes down so strong up there.
he says, "that it makes a SJd degree
web-footer from Oregon feel as If home
was a Sahara aesert. it is one ius,
continuous splash, and it is pretty hard
to impress the natives in that part of
the country that an outsider knows what
real rain Is.
"While at Wrangel one or tne citizens
there told me of the difficulties of mis
sionary work among the Indians. The
young evangelist had ben told that one
of the chief problems before the minis
ter of the gospel was to secure and hold
the attention of the average Indian,
who, under ordinary conditions, is per-f-ti
wllllne to bo to church but is not
disposed to accept everything he is told.
"The missionary thought the thing
over carefully and at the first meeting
told his congregation of aborigines the
story of the flood, now it naa ramea lor
40 days and 40 nights, until the waters
covered the entire earth and forced Noah
to seek refuge in the ark he had built.
"As the missionary sought to point
some lesson from the Biblical deluge,
one big buck got up and shuffled down
the aisle toward the door and muttered:
" 'Rain '40 day. 40 night, cover every
thing. Huh, heap damn lie. Rain all
time Wrangel, no flood.' " .
(Copyright, 1611. by George Matthew
Adams.)
An old-fashioned woman who admires
her husband says, "Let a preacher or
lawyer drop his Grammar, and Da
will pick It up for him."
When a married woman abuses men
great deal, people know what it
means: that she hates her husband.
Country people shake hands harder
than town people.
Every man does a little Olrtlng. or
tries to.
It takes longer to do everything than
you expect.
When you go fishing or huntlnc. con
ditions are never right: It is too dry
for the dogs to work, or there is too
much wind. But it never occurs to
people that fish and birds are scarce.
It takes a widow properly to handle
Lady Killer.
Chickens are so high-priced hero of
late that I am expecting some legislator
to include them in the game laws.
The most thankless task Is to ba a
mother; after that, it is to be a father,
and after that It Is to be a preacher.
I don't know how it Is In other towna.
but in towns where I have lived, the
uccessrul men began to work as bovs.
and learned their business from the
ground up.
WHERE THE LOCKSMITH PROSPERS
Half a Century Ago
Real Estate Advertisement.
PORTLAND. May 5. (To Clie Editor.)
What does the illuminated shield on
the Heights south of Council Crest
stand for? A READER.
As ImpreMlon.
Beneath the moon, he told his love;
The color left her cheeks;
But on the shoulder of his coat
It showed up, well! for weeks.
The Club-Fallow.
From the Oregonlan May 8, 1861.
The following Oregonians are among
the passengers who sailed from New
York on the steamer of April 11: Hon.
t T rrvr and wife. K. P. Isaacs, wife
and brother, Stephen Coffin. James P.
Huntington, B. J. Pengra, Capt. J. C.
Ainsworth, A. N. Gringbach and wife,
G. H. Belden. wife and child.
,
A letter" from Olympla says the cap
ture of Sumpter produced considerable
excitement there, and the prevailing
sentiment among the people was to
stand by the Government and the Ex
ecutive forever.
ST. LOmS, April 16. The Secretary
of War yesterday issued a call on the
respective state governments for.
troops to serve as infantrymen or rifle
men for a period of three months, or
less if discharged. It is ordered that
each regiment shall consist of an ag
gregate of 780 officers and men. The
total thus to be called out Is 78,991.
The war feeling is intense through
out the West. Dispatches from almost
every town in Illinois. Wisconsin and
Iowa that can be reached by telegraph,
represent - the people as very deter
mined to sustain the Government in
the enforcement of the laws and up
hoiAlns the honor of the National flag.
Trade Still Important In Germany
Hlg Keys Carried.
Dally Consular and Trade Reports.
An interesting- feature of German
life Is the fact that. In spite of the
tremendous progress of the country,
mediaeval customs are still In evidence
here and there, side by side with all
the adaptations to the necessities of
modern life.
Locksmlthlng in Germany is today
as Important a trade as plumbing,
blacksmlthing, or the vocation of the
barber. The first lock and key was in
troduced Into Prussia in the 14th cen
tury and caused a considerable sensa
tion at the palace of the Elector of
Brandenburg. He found that by this
device he could do away with the
guard- at his private doors and thus
materially reduce his household ex
penses. Since that day the "schlosser,"
or locksmith, has been a most essen
tial factor in German life.
The present German house key could
be used as a weapon of attack and de
fense, besides serving Its original pur
pose. It weighs on an average about
one-eighth of a pound; and as each
person entitled to carry a house and
corridor key has nearly a quarter of a
pound of soft iron in his pocket, it Is
conservatively estimated that the
amount of iron In circulation in Ger
many In the pockets of the men and in
the handbags of the women amounts to
2695 tons, besides an additional 2560
tons for the keys to the interior of Ger
man homes. Thus something over 6000
tons of iron are put into keys of a
size to be found nowhere In America.
However large the house or numerous
the apartments, the outer door is
locked promptly at 10 o'clock: and,
as the German spends- many of his eve
nings out, every person carries at least
one of these massive keys to effect an
entrance. Bells at the outer doors are
uncommon except at the homes of
doctors.
The modern scientific locks and small
tight keys manufactured and used In
America ought to appeal to the Ger
man. A business of this sort could
doubtless be developed by the Ameri
can manufacturer.
She Indorses a theck.
Southwest Magazine.
She advanced to the paying teller's
window and, handing in a check for
$50, stated that it was a birthday pres
ent from her husband and asked for
payment. The teller Informed her that
she must first Indorse It.
"I don't know what you mean," she
said hesitatingly.
"Why, you see," he explained, "you
must write your name on the back, so
that when we return the check to your
husband, he will know we have paid
you the mor.ey."
"Oh, la that all?" she said, relieved.
One minute elapses.
Thus the "Indorsement:" "Many thanks,
dear, I've got the money. Your loving
wife, Evelyn."
School of Domestic Science.
STLVERTON", Or., May 5. (To the
Editor.) Is there a school of domestic
science In 'Portland, and if there is,
where is it located?
NIXI KLEINSORGE.
The Y. W. C. A. conducts a depart
ment of domestic science in its building
at Seventh and Taylor streets.
4
i
I.