TITE 3r01?XT'G OKEGONTAX. FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1911.
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tbi mm uj.i t.
Every city has tmor. its residents
Lars dan of ciilicn known par-
a ;a fr wont of a mora definitive
trm as tha better tlemesL It would
indeed ba difficult to say who makt
up the better element, for i l rood
rt'.lzrcs Toalong; but It Is not difficult
to ay who do not belong to tt. Tha
raloon frequenter, tha clgir stora hab
itue, tha street-oraer lounger, tha
I-ark Idler, tha habitual visitor of tha
disorderly house, tha chronic bor
rower of small sums, tha never-work
And tha ne'er-dc anything, tha drunk
ard, tha gambler, tha fellow who lives
by his wits, and ail that (Teat class
which banders to tha dissolute, tha
Jlnreputabla and tha vtrlous are out
aide tha decent boundaries of tha bct
tr clement. Tha associate, accom
plice, and beneficiary of thesa tar
rLxhed and unsavory classes Is tha
man who works politics through them
and makes his living; at It.
Tha batter element does cot haunt
raloons nor regularly visit the red
3 ht district. It does not necessarily
proscribe tha saloon, but It believes
and Insists that tha saloon. If It has a
legitimate placa la the social order,
should perform Its function quietly
and Inoffensively, and should obey tha
law. The better element frown on
tha disorderly housa and would extir
pate It If it could be dona: but It can
not see that tha social evil become
1 objectionable by persecuting; un
happy and unfortunate women, by
permitting private police to blackmail
them, or by driving in em from pillar
to post In a hypocritical outburst of
spurious virtue. The better element
buys a cigar at any cigar store If
it buys at all and passes on. It pays
the taxes that support the Institutions
that care for the criminal, the seml
riimlnal. the Inebriate, the inefficient,
the helpless, and all the more or less
deserving subjects of charity. It builds
churches and maintains them; It
builds cities and polices them, and It
settles on the farms and cultivates
them. The better element Is the con
trolling and Indispensable force of all
civilization. Society never got along
without It. and never could. But so
ciety would be far better off without
the nndealrad and undesirables) who
defy the better element, affect to
despise it and secretly respect and
envy It.
The better element has more at
stake In every question or movement,
or issue that concerns soclry and
government than the other element.
Therefore It ourht to have more tt
ay. Hut does It say and do more 7
Not always: Indeed, seldom. It Is cot
always agreed on any given plan or
policy or purpose. Tha division and
disruption of the better elemnet are
the opportunity of the other element.
The better element frequently splits
over trifles or non-essentials: the
e:b-r element never does. The better
element often chases the shadow while
the other element feeds on the sub
stance. The better element does not
alays know what It wants and Is
entitled to have; the other element
knuas what tt wants and goes after
It. Itut when the better element
unit.- It is Irresistible: the other ele
ment, being greatly outnumbered, has
no chance then.
Now the other element In Portland
Li pretty well lined up behind Rush-lla-ht
the other element and tha allied
forces that employ It practically for
thair oan.ends. The better element
the averase cittsen. the home-owner,
tha character-builder, the real moral
e.-wence of tha community Is to be
outvoted and overridden if It shall not
support Mr. Simon. Some of the bet
ter element will throw Its vote away
on Thomas. Some Indeed have been
persuaded that thetr Interest lies with
Mr. Rushlight; but the great bulk of
the better element is with Mr. t-.tnoo
and it must be If Mr. Rushllcht
ar.d the cUairs that most d!re and
win most benefit by his election are
to be defeated. There is the Issue. It
cannot be dodged or evaded, mini
mixed or hidden. What will the bet
ter element the average citlxcn who
Is the bone, sinew and moral fiber of
Portland and who wants Portland to
grow and prosper do about It?
TltS MEXICAN CTUIS.
TVhen the victorious German army
forced its way Into the I'rench capital
and fed fat tha ancient grudge asrainrt
the French, an appeal was made to
Von Moltk to check tha slaughter,
rerhapa ha realized the futility of en
deavoring to hold In check the fierce
Teutons, who were drunk with the
wine of victory. Perhaps the atlng of
past insults and aggressions also
rankled In his own breast, but the
great Odd marshal's answer to the en
treaties was: "My hound want blood."
On a smaller scale and from similar
motives the Mexican traredy Is being
Bedles!y prolonged. Not only are
deadly riots taking place In the capital
ilty. but throughout the country there
1 murder ar.d bloodshed, with some
ft the insurrectionists declining to ac
cept peace a the term arranged by
Aladero.
Tha course cf these hound who are
still thirsting for blood of course doe
not meet the sanction of tha better ele
ment of the revolutionists, but they,
like Von Moltk. may be nnable to
hold in check the murderous bandit
and soldier of fortune who are In the
revolutionary game for the excitement
anl profit it supplies. The difficulty
that confront Madaro, like that which
confronted IHax. Is the character of
the people involved In the trouble. Ac
cording to the last census, the popula
tion of Mexico was mad up of IS per
rent Indian and 1 par cent half
.breed. T.e lauar, as a rule, posses
all of tha iniquities an but few of the
virtue of either strain of blood that la
in their veins. Control over such peo.
pie under most favorable circum
stance 1 not easily maintained. In
view of the happening in the capital
i Wednesday, it I questionable whether
Madero ha accomplished very much
toward the restoration of peace In
Mexico.
Under the agreement reached the
affairs of the nation are to be con
ducted nnder what might be termed a
"Joint regency until a new general
election can be held, about lx month
banc. With so much hostility In
evidence in all quarters. It is question
able whether anything bearingr much
semblancerOf peace can be maintained
for six month. Perhaps the most
hopeful sign lies In the fact that both
sides In the controversy recocnUe the
right of other nation In their af
fair. Accepting a responsibility of
thi kind, they wllL of course, make
an unusual effort to retain the good
will of their foreign creditor by
keeping; god order.
The Mexican atmosphere ha been
cleared sllg-htly by the events of the
past week, but so long as uch affairs
a that which disgraced the capital
Wednesday r permitted to take
place, the future of the country must
remain obscured In a hare of doubt.
M T HA Tat CHEAT RTIU
War In the steal trade is threatened.
John W. Gates, the most aggressive
operator the steel trust ha ever had
to contend with. Is now a leading spirit
In the Republic Iron & Steel Company,
and he does not think that his com
pany has been receiving a fair share
ef the business. The chairman of the
board of directors or Kepuouc Dieei
states that, on account of the low
prices of Iron and steal bar made by
soma of the smaller manufacturers,
his company had been unable to se
cure what It regarded as "a fair pro
portion of current tonnage and had
been unable to maintain an econom
ical operation, and that the board had
therefore dotermlned on a more ag
gressive sale policy." This will be
pleasing news to tha consumers of
steel products, which thus far have
utterly failed to follow other commod
ities in the recent decline in prices.
Since the steel trust, by the aid of
tha panic of ISO", and with tha per
mission cf ex-President Roosevelt, ab
sorbed the Tennessee Coal A Iron
Company, there ha been no acriou
competition in the steel business. The
recent entry In the field of John W.
Gates has made "Republic Steel"
much more of a factor in the trade
than it ever was before, and it is not
improbable that some good may come
out of the competition. The Incident
show that thl country 1 producing
new million and new millionaire so
rapidly that It la extremely difficult, in
fact almost impossible, for any one
man, corporation or trust to monopo
lize any field of industrial activity.
No trust Is big enough to take in all
of the millionaire who have money to
invest. Those who are on the out.-lde
will find a way for breaking Into busi
ness In spite of the effort of the trust
to keep them out. The most uncer
tain feature of thl Republic compe
tition Is that Mr. Gates, the ruling
spirit, ha for years made a buslnes
of forcing trusts to quiet hi opposition
by the application of cash In large
quantities.
Tint VOtHJBT WORK OT COIX
In the course of hi refusal to par
don the convicted banker Walsh and
More. who are serving terms in
prison. President Taft went rather
deeply into some questions of ethics.
The bankers made the pica that they
had restored the money plundered
from their depositors. One of them
declared that he had committed hi
breaches of the law In the promotion
of large enterprise for the publlo
good. But Mr. Taft brushed all this
aMJe. He was not persuaded that
mere restitution of the plunder atone
for the crime of a man who wrecks
a bank. It doe not make rood the
hardship which befell the depositor
ho were robbed of their funds, nor
a i n I thi Bu.rttrlon of finan
cial Institution which naturally arise
from conduct like that of Walsh and
Morse. Something more than the bare
restitution of the plunder Is necessary
in order to Impreea a salutary lesson
upon other financial adventurers and
especially to re-establish the confi
dence of society In It trustees.
There Is another reason why It Is
well to punish such men a Morse and
Walsh with omethlng like rigor,
thouzh the President doe not em
phasUe it. The country Is permeated
with the belief that" the severities of
the law exlat only for the poor and
humble. This, of cotire. la an error,
but It is an error which may do a
great deal of harm and it is wi.-e to
let pass no opportunity to correct It.
Mr. Taft ha done good service to
morality by helping discountenance
the notion that a good citlsen may
break the law without offense In the
course of conducting a vast business
or In order to advance ome great
undertaking. The feeling is far too
common that the law is a minor mat
ter in comparison wtih large flnancUiI
Interests and if it happen to stand
In the way it may be broken without
guilt, perhapi even with merit. The
old-fashioned Idea that It is the first
duty cf a citizen to obey the law of
hi country ha become somewhat dim
In our day. W have substituted for
It the more convenient theory that
the law Is to be obeyed when it does
not pay better to break it.
If a man bribe a city council to
obtain a franchise or a legislature to
enter the United State Senate we
smoothly say that "he had to do it."
Of course he had to do it or sacrifice
hi immediate object, but would not
a true sense of his obligation to the
public ,and his own conscience have
bidden him to make the sacrifice? He
was nnder no other compulsion to
break the law than the love of gain
or the call of ambition, precisely the
motives of the burglar and the mar
tial filibuster. The world ha been
treating the commercial pirate far too
leniently In recent years. Essentially
he differ not at all from other pirate
and deserve no other treatment than
wa accorded to Captain KIdd. When
ordinary teacher recite this lesson to
us we are not apt to pay much atten
tion to them, but coming from the
President It may be heeded.
When Socrates was awaiting the
messenger ef death In hi unjust Im
prisonment h! friend contrived a
method of escape for him. All being
in readlnee. th plot was explained
to him and he was urged to flee from
the ungrateful city which had repaid
hi philosophy with persecution. But
he refused. "Athena," he said. "Is
more to me than a mother. I am
here In prison by her command and
evea. If It la unjust it la my duty as
a loyal son to obey." Perhaps his
submission went farther than the
Christian conscience demand of us.
W are forbidden to resist injustice,
but not to escape from It if we can.
There are even circumstance in which
our code of morals does not forbid
resistance to the law. The voice of
conscience Is, by common consent,
looked upon as superior to the com
mand of the legislature, and If a man
choose to suffer rather than submit
he Is not condemned ty public opln-
, Ion. The doctrine of rebellion 1
taught in the IecIaratlon of Inde-
nendence. but It 1 only "Insufferable
evils' which are said to Justify It, One
of Macau lay's most Instructive pages
discusses the lengths to which a good
citizen ought to be expected to go in
obedience to law which hi con
science disapprove, but these ques
tions do not concern the ordinary con
duct of life. No man' conscience ap
prove of bribery, nor is it an insuf
ferable evil to be required to refrain
from robbing th depositor in a
bank.
That we respect some men who are
habitual lawbreaker shows how far
w have strayed from the simple code
of. Christian morality. The man in
the New Testament who averred that
he had kept all tha law from his youth
up wa told that he sstill lacked some
thing of perfection. Much farther
from perfection are those magnate
of our who have violated the law
from their youth up for the sake of
amassing wealth. Bare obedience to
the letter of the law doe not make
a man honest, to ay nothing of mak
ing him an exemplar of morals. The
law Is by nature an encourager of sin
uosities. It permit and even Invites
venturesome expeditions along the
rarged edge of crime.
Too much study of what the law
does not forbid la not a sign of integ
rity. It rather Indicates a disposition
to practice trickery. The truly honent
man rarely thinks of what tho law
barely permit. He consults his own
conscience. Nay. he sometimes con
sults his generosity. Certainly he does
not break the law for the sake of fur
thering big enterprises. He admit
that it is better for his ambition to be
bounded than for the authority of his
country to be Insulted.
IKLAY ABOUT BLOCK "S."
The United States Government
oujtht to quit It dilatory and improper
tactic over Block "S." accept the ad
judication of tha court and get down
to business. The public Is not so
much Interested in a quarrel over a
mere question of price a It is in the
construction of the new postal station,
and the orderly and expeditious Uls
pach of the mall. The station is need
ed badly; present quarter are over
crowded; Congres has given the
money for the new site; but the Treas
ury Department (why the Treasury
Department, which ha nothing to do
with the malls and epparently care
nothing?) Is fussing and procrastinat
ing and Involving the whole business
in rrotracted litigation.
The appropriation for the site by
Congress was 1500.000. Block 'S"
was declared by Government experts
to be the best location. The price
asked by the owner did not satisfy,
and the Government appealed to the
courts. Impartial Juries, made up
of farmers and others not Interested
In Inflating the values of Portland real
estate, appraised the block and fixed
the total price at 1340.000. It la a
reasonable valuation. But whether or
not reasonable, why does not the Gov
ernment accept the results of it own
arbitration, release the owners from
vexatious and costly litigation, and
go on with the project Congress has
authorized and the public wants and
Is entitled to have? It U not fair and
It is little short of Indecent that the
Government should bulldoze and
browbeat private citizens who happen
to own property In Portland In a
ptcayunlsh endeavor to shave down a
fair award made In an impartial court
of its own selection. The property
owner Is helpless because he must ac
cept the award; the government may
do a It pleases, leaving the property
owner to hold the empty sack.
WHKRB THE 1JM 13 DRAWN.
The communication of Mr. C. A.
Berry, published elsewhere, naturally
cause inquiry as to what ha led Mr.
Berry to believe that The Oregonian
refuse to publish argument ubmlt
ted In favor of the single tax. Does
he know how many artlcleshave been
submitted? Has the Fels single-tax
press bureau complained?
The Oregonian has published nu
merous communications written in an
attempt to put the single tax in a
favorable light before the public. It
has rejected several, but not one half
nor one-third so many as it ha pub
lished. Two in answer to an article by
Mr. A. B. Wldney were rejected a few
day ago because of the personal lur
and indiscriminate abuse employed in
lieu of argument.
In single tax and all other contro
versies Th Oregonian will decline to
open It columns to personal attack
on the authors of communication that
have heretofore been published. It
will also decline to be the mean of
supplying the bread and butter of
agents paid by the Fela fund commis
sion to get single-tax matter into the
newspapers. These agents, according
to evidence at hand, have prepared
letters to The Oregonian and signed
fictitious names thereto, or induced
other to sign them, and have even had
them mailed from outside points, in
an effort to make them appear genu
ine. Another single-tax writer we
don't know whether Mr. Fela par him
or not write under one or more
aliases.
The whole object of this policy 1
to give the false impression that there
is a genuine Interest In and a demand
for the single tax in Oregon. The Ore
gonian declines to assist tn such meth
ods of promoting the interest of a
Philadelphia soap manufacturer. It Is
willing, however, to publish communi
cation favorable to single tax if they
are free from personal abuse and writ
ten by Oregou citizens who are above
suspicion a to their motives, and are
genuinely interested in the subject.
But The Oregonian draw the line at
the Fel publicity bureau.
Greater London continues to main
tain its long lead over all other cities,
the 111 figure of the census office
showing a total population of 7.252.
3. or a gain of 671. S1 in the past
decade. Thl gain represented nearly
one-fifth of th total gain that was
returned for th entire territory of
England and Wales, where the popula
tion Is given as 36.075.000. The den
sity of the population can best be un
derstood when it Is considered that the
entire area of the two countries is but
fc g.000 square miles, or leas than two
thirds the area of the State of Oregon.
The crusade against congestion in the
older-settled portions of London
seems to have borne fruit, for practi
cally all of the increase in the past
decade has taken place in the suburbs.
In old London and the metropolitan
boroughs Immediately adjacent there
has. been a decrease of nearly 15,000
population since the 1S01 census was
taken. At the present rate of gTOwth
another thirty-five years will witness a
population In the world's greatest city
of more than 10.000.000 people.
"TO THE QCEEX'8 TASTE."
Much ado is being made over the
passing of the harem skirt. In point
of fact, this style of dress, the ex
treme of which was represented by a
baggy pair of trousers of diaphanous
material, never had vogue among
modest, self-respecting American
women at home.
While skirts have been more scant,
both In width and length, and for that
matter are so still, those desiring to be
becomingly dressed either stout or
thin women nothing like the frights
in trousers thSjt are said to ' be
under taboo by Queen Mary nave
been generally, or even occasion
ally, donned by sensible American
women. Hence, except among the ex
tremists in dress, who follow fads from
Paris If they lead them to semi-nudity
in public, the interdiction of Queen
Mary, which forbids women gowned,
or trousered, in the harem skirt to at
tend court functions In Great Britain,
incident upon the coronation, will not
cause dismay.
As for these women, they are suffi
ciently supplied with unearned incre
ment to make the matter of a sudden
and complete revision of their ward
robes Immaterial. The snub of royalty
amounts to little to them, since they
can cancel Jt by changing their apparel
to conform to the Queen' taste.
Mrs, Hetty Gredn has succumbed to
the lure of a million dollars for her
holdings so long and tenaciously
maintained to 4 50 acres In Gage
Park, a waterlogged suburb of Chi
cago. The area transferred is de
scribed as "a village of gondolas,
houses on stilts, wide expanses of
water and corrugated by bottomless
dltchea." For many years Mrs. Green
had been urgently solicited to sell or
Improve this marshy, steaming, mias
matic land, but until now has steadily
refused to do so. The tract will now
be improved, made fit for human hab
itations and children's playgrounds,
and become a park in fact as well as
in name. The transfer may ba regard
ed as a conquest of time rather than
of money, the aged woman probably
realizing that this was one of the ma
terial things that she would have to
relinquish her hold upon, however re
luctantly, in a fw years at most.
What about that crematory? Has
fit been accepted? Who has so much
to lose If it shall be rejected as the
contractors? There has been a lot of
sensational talk about the crematory
and the more or less direct intima
tion is offered from Rushlight sources
that Mayor Simon had an Improper
motive in throwing the award to the
present builder. It Is an outright
falsehood. The contract went to the
lowest bidder and was given him for
that reason only, after the usual pre
liminary Investigation and due consid
eration. The crematory does not sat
isfy the city experts, and they will re
ject it unless its imperfections are cor
rected and it doe its work after suit
able trial. This is the purpose and
the policy of Mayor Simon and it will
be rigidly carried out without regard
to consequences. Who could , ask
more?
The Wyoming, the world's greatest
battleship, was launched at Philadel
phia yesterday. The biff sea fighter is
(50 feet long and has a displacement
of 26,000 tons. When completed she
will carry 62 officers and 1030 men.
and If the peace movement does not
move too rapidly she may get a chance
to fire a hostile gun before she Is sent
to the scrap heap or used as a target
for the new battleships which, like
Spring bonnets, appear in advanced
and different styles each year.
Portland's method of collecting gar
bage Is primitive. There .is no doubt
about that. Neither Is there any doubt
but a change In this method Is the
first requisite In the extermination of
the pestiferous housefly. This ques
tion of change Is worth considering in
connection with the necessity that we
are told exists to give no quarter what
ever to this filth-breeding, disease-carrying,
disgusting and tormenting Insect-
Owing to weather conditions, the
Lebanon strawberry festival which
was to be the biggest affair of Its kind
ever pulled off (and which will be, as
well) ha been - postponed three
weeks, to give the berries a chance to
ripen.
More confusion for the soap-box
orators. President Taft has declined
to' pardon Bank Wreckers Morse and
Walsh, thereby exploding that fond
theory that any one wo Is rich and
influential can escape punishment for
violating the law.
Just pass the no-seat-no-ride
amendment, men and brethren, and
the volume of complaint against our
streetcar service will speedily be re
vised and enlarged.
Let nobody be deterred from coming
to the Rose Festival through fear of
lack of accommodation. Portland al
ways has cared for her guest and al
ways will.
The word "rushlight," according to
Noah Webster, means "a small, feeble
light.." But perhaps Noah didn't
know.
During these piping days of cam
paigning it is easy to make a ques
tionable transaction of an ordinary
affair.
Bourne, too, la said to be lined up
with Rushlight. It might have been
expected. He's a mighty reformer.
Secure your seats early on the hill
sides and bankslde for the aviation
meet Sunday.
Portland set the price of 1911 hop
for the world yesterday.
Pleasant and harmonious family,
those Seattle editors.
Mealek Bees a Great Ligkt.
London Ttt-Bits. -Munich
ha a museum in which tha
development of illumination from tha
pine spllntar of eenturies ago to tha
most modern electrical devices may ba
studied.
Questions toa Technical far Prepara
tion Given, Saya Writer.
JUNCTION CITY. Or., May 15. (To
the Editor.) The Oregonian' editorial
of May 23, and a general Interrogation
on the part of many citizens of the
state as to the cause of the failures in
the recent state eighth-grade examina
tions In the schools, have prompted me
to offer a few opinidna and suggestions
concerning tha matter.
rw - M I . Hn 1 1 . M at the
door of either pupils or teachers. The-
chief reason wa me iauure oi wo
tion to conform to the preparation of
the pupils. Much of tho technical and
mora difficult grammatle construction
has. in tha past, been left for high
school study and more mature minds.
Close classification of the parts of
speech, such as "the perfect tense of
burst" and 'get,' the difference beween
'compare to' and 'compare with.' " has
in the past been reserved for mora ad
vanced English classes.
As to the civil-government questions,
we find tha same condition. No text is
used in this subject in Oregon in the
elementary schools, it being taught in
connection with United States history,
the questions being based in general on
tha United States Constitution. Noth
ing but a general knowledfre of tha sub
ject being required in the elementary
grades. But such questions as, "What
does the Constitution say relative to
writ of habeas corpus, expost facto law,
direct tax, titles of nobility, persons ac
cepting presents from a foreign state?"
etc, requires almost verbatim knowl
edKe such as the teachers were not.
Judging from the past, led to expect.
Of course, many of the pupils who
. , . , . - ...hi..,. .Ill rait tn thi
lauca in Kiinor: duuj,., ..... ,
June examinations, and it may be con
sidered a good thing by some for tha
examiner to hit in unexpected quarters
occasionally; yet, u u mm a
. i. - aTM-lr it look like beirln-
ning at the wrong end and thereby caus
ing a great aeai oi DBiiweaeaij
throwing the whole state system in a
condition of doubt and disrepute both at
home and abroad.
One point lurtner concerning mo
C1KUIU-S.I Jfc,..,o...w.., .
The rural schoolB and all of the schools
of the state except fortiana, saiem unu
several of tha larger cities, take these
examinations gotten up by practically
outside authority with results as you
have seen. These larger places have a
i- ... v.nn. I.. c ? eatrlnff thpm-
ruia uuiu i.i.ii' ..v.., a
selves on their exclusive pedestal, look
. . . . ii. . i- Iw. t t a.,l,,wila
vim a Eiuue at lucuo uiiriiui - '
trying to make a general test a test
from which they are excluded, and in
most cases afraid to try. Is this equal
ity? Is it Justice to the country? If
our State Superintendent and Board of
Education think it la good for part of tho
pupils of the state to take their exam
ination before passing Into the high
school, why Is It not good for tho rest?
We have always thousnt it the duty
of state authority to determine the
standard and classification of all the
schools and pupils of the state, in fact,
such is the authority and duty as sei
forth by law, and we believe It is about
time to have uniform regulations and
apply them uniformly. Isn't it time to
give both goose and gander tha same
teed? 8. L. MOORHEAD.
Explanations Are Keeded-
PORTLAND, May 21. (To the Kdl
tor.) If it Is not encroaching upon
the Incomparable time and the Inestim
able allotted space of The Oregonian,
would you kindly present your opinion
as to merit of the following verse?
Here encompassed by the stately oak
Green sentinels of Spring their vigil
keep.
Their cooling shade affording as a
cloak
O'er Flora's bed in her refreshing
sleep.
C. B. M.
Before venturing an opinion upon
this stranger The Oregonian begs for
instruction upon the following points:
1. How a single oak can "encompass"
anything.
2. Why Flora takes her "refreshing
sleep" in the daytime. '
3. How the sentinels of Spring con
trive to keep their "vigils" by day. The
trick is usually turned at night.
We Infer that the poem is set in day
light from the mention of "cooling
shade." If this is incorrect, of course,
pertinent explanation is desired.
Slnsie Tax A rgumenta.
McMTNNVILLE. Or, May 18.-(To
the Editor.) The last State Grange
urged on all the people to study the
taxation question. It is going to be
discussed in every grange in Oregon.
The Oregonian is not giving us a fair
deal. It publishes attac" s on the single
tax and does not publish the answers.
This is not fair. Some of the grangers
of Oregon are susplcous of this method
of handling the tax question. They
think The Oregonian Is holding things
back and giving only one side.
I am not educated enough to write
fine on the subject, but at times have
seen articles against the single tax In
The Oregonian that were unjust. I
am not a single taxer, either. Then
no answer would appear in The Ore
gonian. Why not Invite discussions and
publish both sides? &hake the moss off
the old system and let us hear some
thing better. The present system Is
making the farmers pay the heavy end
of taxes.
C. A BEKRT.
Cruelty ta Animals.
PORTLAND. May il. (To the Editor.)
Does the city of beautiful and enlight
ened Portland allow a strolling fakir,
dragging after him in the streets a
bear, and forcing him to do certain
tricks from 7 AM. to IS midnight,
without food and rest, without public
remonstrance-from the Society for tha
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the
police? The bear can't protect him
self and has no way of telling his tale
of woe; but to sea him bite at the strap
and snarl as he Is Jerked at the mouth
Is remonstrance enough for lovers of a
square deal to the animal kingdom to
stop such brutal treatment from men
who need the hand of the law placed on
their shoulders.
REV. J. C F. GRUMBTNB.
Hotel Lenox.
Letter to Congressmen.
PORTLAXD, May 25. (To the Editor.)
An old-time Republican resident of
this district would ask whether the fol
lowing would be a satisfactory' way of
addressing our present member of Con
gress: "Honorable A period W period paren
thesis Walter parenthesis Lafferty pe
riod." As it is somewhat of a serious
matter I trust that The Oregonian will
favor ma with its opinion before I
have occasion to write to him.
"ONE OF THE CONSTITUENTS."
A letter so addressed, with "Wash
ington. D period C period" "added,
would undoubtedly reach Mr. Lafferty.
Soap and Wateji-Cleanlns;.
Philadelphia Times.
When Theodore Wilson returned to
his domicile in Bryn Mawr, Pa, the
other day he complained to his wife
that his watch seemed to be out of or
der. "I missed the train this morning, and
I found my watch had stopped. I can't
imagine what's wrong with It, unless it
needs cleaning."
"Oh, no, fadder," spoke up his five-year-old
girl, "sistuh an' me tleaned it
yesthub-day wlf soap, and lots of soap,
too."
Two Polk.
Tour face Is like an open book," he
said, with ardent look,
"I don't believe you." said the maid;
"you'll have to kiss the book."
Houston Post,
SENTIMENTAL cynicism, clever
studies of German society, and the
Inevitable discussion of the marriage
problem, are principal features distin
guishing Gustav Frenssen's new novel,
"Klaus Hinrich Baas," from dozens of
other good stories that fairly beg for
attention. Why? Because.it is the un
usual that attracts. Strong, boastful,
heroic and often silly, Klaus Hinrich
Baas has In his mate-up that myste
rious romantic quality out of which
come Jean Valjean and tho Three Mus
keteers of Dumas.
"Klaus Hinrich Baas" Is stated to be
an authorized translation, from the
German, by Esther Everett Lape and
Elizabeth Fisher Read. Klaus makes
his first great mistake in life when no.
sober and otherwise in the full pos
session of his senses, marries a pretty
girl whom he has only known a few
weeks. She is a pale, anaemic, semi
invalid, withoqt any of the emotional
capacities of wifehood. Two of her
brothers are wastrels and one of her
sisters is feeble-minded. This sick
room life our arrogant young man en
dures for four years. On the occasion
where Klaus and his wife are taking
her sick sister to an asylum, they stop
at an inn where they meet "the" girl
of the story. Doris Rotermund, by trade
an expert goldsmith. Doris looks at
the young husband "with bis question
ing eyes."
"She certainly isn't your wife?" ahe asked
in a low voice.
"No." said Kiaua.
"Thank God:" ahe said, looking at him
with evident Joy. 'Tour wife la healthy?"
"Oh, yea. Indeed." he aald.
Oh. I'm glad," aha ald, absolutely with
out embarrassment-
As he stood there close to him In the
narrow hallway. Klaua looked straight into
her glowing eyes. "Are you so much In
terested In me as that?" ha asked, with
tome emotion.
Sae met his glance valiantly, although a
light flush spread over her cheeks. "Oh,
I Just mean you certainly ought to have
a strong, healthy wife, otherwise "
Otherwise what?" he said.
She drew back a little toward the wall.
"Oh. because." she said, superb In her
tempting beauty, "otherwise I would make
you torget your wife."
He looked at her with a sudden over
mastering passion. "What your aunt said
Is true," he said; you are pretty downright
and pretty audacious; do you know it? But
I'm glad I met you," and he held out his
hand.
Similar scenes are related, with zest.
The novel is, at last analysis, able and
wicked. The world will call "Klaus"
shocking, and the novel ought therefore
to have a lively sale,
e
Henry Sydnor Harrison's novel,
"Qued," is meeting with unusual suc
cess for tho work of a new author. One
competent literary critic in Boston says
that the novel "has opened new. possi
bilities In American romance," and that
"the story represents American fiction
of today at its beat."
"Two Great Rivals: Francois I of
France and Charles V of Germany," by
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew C. P. Hag
gard, is a notable study of sixteenth
century history, and has 21 illustra
tions. "The House of Hohenzollern," by E.
R. Brayley Hodgetts, Is an entertaining
Englishman's story of the Prussian
Kings since the days of the Great Elec
tor. see
"What cured him of flirting?" "He
started a flirtation with a young wom
an ;who turned out to be selling an en
cyclopedia at 200 a set." Louisville
Courier-Journal.
Mrs. Heibrau Don't you Just love
Browning?
Mrs. Rufnek Sh! I might, but my
husband has such a Jealous disposition.
Er have I been introduced to this Mr.
Browning? Toledo Blade.
The Bronte birthplace at Thornton,
Bradford, and the original Bleak House,
Broadstairs, England, are for sale, re-,
marks a London correspondent. Doubt
less both will be acquired by some
syndicate for tourist exploitation pur
poses. That Is the evil of this age. The
Lichfield Jonson Society visited Lon
don, looked about, recently, and put a
wreath on Jonson's statue In St. Paul's.
One of the party told an interviewer
that what his society was out for was
to make people talk about Lichfield.
"We want to turn Lichfield into a
pocket Stratford. They say that Strat
ford makes $200,000 a year out of
Shakespeare. Well, why shouldn't we
make our little bit out of Jonson?"
How some people do wish that Jonson
could have come from beneath the cor
onation stand around St. Clement
Dane's Church (even in Percy Fitzger
ald's semblance of him) and spoken a
few words in emphatic English to that
pilgrim!
' Harvard University announces the ad
vent of a new book by Theodore Roose
velt, entitled "Applied Ethics," being
one of the William Belden Noble lec
tures delivered n December, 1910.
The English translation of Dr. Georg
Kerschensteiner's prize essay on "Edu
cation for Citizenship" has been secured
by the Commercial Club of Chicago and
is being issued in book form.
m
New poems that have never previous
ly appeared in book form, according to
J. H. Whitty, editor, appear in his edi
tion of "Poe's Complete Poems," and
the statement is also made that in this
book will be found six authentic and
hitherto uncollected Poe poems. When
Foe was in tho office of the Richmond
Examiner in October, 1849, a few weeks
before his death, he had all his major
poems and several of his minor ones
put Into type, and revised them more or
less extensively. Changes in punctua
tion have now been made in almost all
of them. In two instances several lines
have been added, and two poems have
been entirely rewritten. With so ar
tistic and painstaking a poet as Poe,
even an added comma is important, and
the altering of lines and verses makes
this edition, representing his final
Judgment and taste, notable. On Poe's
death these revised proofs came into
the possession of a Mr. Thomas, a
member of the editorial staff, who. in
turn, committed them to his successor,
Mr. Whitty. In addition to being a lit
erary investigator of remarkable acu
men and success, Mr. Whitty, by a .co
incidence, is also a life-long student
of -Edgar Allan Poe.
A recent magazine writer, says the
Chicago Evening Post, recorded that in
the last two years he had sold 40 short
stories to Munsey, Black Cat, Blue
Book, Leslie's Weekly, Red Book, New
Idea, etc, had run three newspaper
serials in most of the large cities of
the country, and had published two
textbooks and a romance thraugh two
of the most important publishing
houses In the United States. For all
this he had received altogether about
tloOO, and had to depend on a Govern
ment position for his main support. The
author closed by begging some one to
show him the way into the promised
land. But the writer was too candid
for his Identity to remain hidden. He
was recognized as Crittenden Marriott,
author of 'The Isle of the Dead Ships,"
"Out of Russia," etc. Letters came In
from all over the country. Merely on
his record, as set forth In the article,
three positions, were offered him, all
at salaries far higher than the one he
was earning from the Government. One
of them that of editor and press agent
for the Hudson Motor Car Company of
Detroit he accepted, nearly doubling
his income.
Advertising Talks
By William C. Freeman.
The New York Evening: World re
cently touched upon a phase of fraud
ulent advertising. Their comment is
reproduced herewith for the lesson it
teaches: Frauda I'pon Uomeseekera.
A recent decision of the United
States -Circuit Court of Appeals that
persons advertising waste and worth
less lands as good home sites, through
the mails, are liable to arrest and im
prisonment, will go far toward put
ting an end to one of the meanest of
swindles practiced by sharpers uoon
the credulity of human hope.
Not much sympathy is felt for a
man swindled by the offer of a gold
brick for $10, or of an investment that
will pay 500 per cent.
Such cheating can be successful only
when It appeals to avarice or to a
blind folly that really needs a costly
lesson. But to swindle a man or wo
man through their natural desire to
own a home of their own is to take
advantage of one of the commonest
and most prized hopes of humanity at
large. It is also one of the most easy
to accomplish, for many homeseekers
are not able to go out of town to
inspect the sites offered. They trust
the descriptive pamphlet mailed to
them.
When that is fraudulent, the Gov
ernment ought to be swift and severe
in dealing with the rascals that cir
culate it.
I do not agree with one statement of
the above; that is the one reading:
"Not much sympathy is felt for a
man swindled by the offer of a gold
brick for $10, or of an investment that
will pay 500 per cent. Such cheating
can only be successful when it appeals
to avarice or to a blind folly that
really needs a lesson."
People responding to suoh advertise
ments do not deserve much sympathy,
it is true, but should a newapaper
ever print any advertising that prom
ises its readers a sold brick for $10 or
a 500 per cent return on an invest
ment? Should a newspaper ever allow ita
readers to be cheated throurch an an
nouncement In their columns, even if
they are avaricious and need a costly
lesson?
Why print that kind of advertising
at all why tempt people to respond
to such advertising?
(To be continued.)
Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe
(Copyright,
1911. by Georg- Matthew
Adams.)
Everyone with a little money is
usually a little offensive with it.
Some people are so foolish and easy
that a really smart agent could sell
them a contagious disease.
, If you have to be poor, he poor in a
small town.
One of the greatest consolations of
poverty Is the enjoyment of making
fun of the rich.
Why is It you can tell a preacher as
far as you can see him?
Don't build a story-and-a-half house,
or plant soft maple trees.
The great trouble In America Is that
the fool-killer Is lazy.
There are three things that all men
are afraid of: A church, an angry
woman, and a labor union.
A man was in trouble. "Is there any
thing I can do for you?" a neighbor
asked. "No," the man replied, wearily;
"that Is, nothing you would do."
In "thinking things over" at the be
ginning of a year, cut off half your
probable income, and double your prob
able expenses.
Special Featuf es
Of Next
Sunday's
Oregonian
Sherlock Holmes, Sir A. Conan
Doyle's famous detective charac
ter, takes up a new skein of mys
tery to unravel. The Adventure
of the Red Circle'.' is one of the
best of the Sherlock Holmes tales.
Of particular interest on the
Sunday preceding Memorial Day
will be the third installment of
actual Civil War Pictures. An
even half-dozen of these remark
able action pictures, the films for
which were but lately unearthed
from musty vaults, are used to
illustrate a" gTaphic special arti
cle prepared bv Dr. Francis Tre
velan Miller on "Brave Enlisted
Men of the Civil War."
Starving to Death as a Poet is
one of the most interesting of the
local features. In an illustrated
half -page a Portland writer
frankly confesses the bitter de
feat he has met in a life devoted
to writing poems and prose.
Portland's Rose Festival, now
so near at hand, is made the sub
ject of a full page, with illustra
tions. You will get complete in
formation in this page as to what
is in store for the Portland Festi
val crowds during the gay holiday
week.
Everyone should read the half
page on houseflies. As a matter
of fact flies are more dangerous
than rattlesnakes. What's more,
there's no more need for flies
about the house than for snakes.
False impressions about the
press of the country are set to
rest in a half-page article by Don
C. Seitz, of the New York World.
Colonel Crowe turns his mildly
cynical humor loose this time on
"Bill" Burns, the detective.
The Bone of Contention, the
whimsical tale of a lost knife,
has been selected for the week's
short-story offering.
The Widow Wise, Mr. Twee
Deedle and Sambo disport them
selves in new fields. Two pages
for children, departments foi
women and all the world's news,
accurate, reliable and up to the
minute.