10
THE 3rOKI"G OREGOXTAX, "VTEDXESDAT, MAT 31, 1911.
tilt (f)tt$nmn
tnfmd at Nrt?aa4, OrtfOK .reetaffiee ee
-ftl-c.ae Matter.
tdK(UM aaMe lavai-ieai la Ad'
rBT HAIL)
rarTv. Pon4ar tsaladsd. era yawr.......
1 s iB-l J ln-lud4. Di moatlil ...
X allr. -.,n4v tacia threw KMtla..
I i - T . fur liT IB-ln'1(l. en moato. . .
Tl-V. ltb3t fuBltr. or.a yar. .......
1 ai-y. without S-inir. s SBaatne. ....
X :tT. witr-.ovt Sua.lsr. lre moetha...
X itvc Suaaay. ewe aaai.
V. : r. ! yr. ........ I S
dy. -, rear .
uaa enA vMkir.
BT CARRIER)
Tv-ifT. Wneeav t-lj44. rear.......
Ie::y luar lelwl.'M mMtk .TS
"w HiIt ea roatorru naewav
erer. npm order T srMsal cbace
local Mnk Stamp. Co. ee ciirwCF
bi tie a J r'... H-w postofflce
dirwm la full. Iarlvtf:c ce-antr eae state,
hitiw Ratae le to r r-. l eaet: 14
M riM a cati; miom paaa 1 eants:
to aasaa, 4 eeata. rtrl(a poslas-e
eWtsbta rata,
. aw-a i IWIni Ttftt Cask.
tor, rituiul, baUdlng. CA4-
ftlogvr Sul-a'aa-.
l"OATTA.VD, MCnXEAOAT. MAT Si. U1V.
TU UtOBT BALLOT UJUIX.
Tb Short Ballot League of Ore
gon hma tAkea An extreme!? Judicious
tap by declaring It friendliness to
the Oregon System at the outset. The
league, aa a body, and each of its In
dividual members go on record as be
lievers In the Initiative, referendum,
Statement No. 1. the direct primary
and the corrupt practices act. Hence
It la Impossible to accuse the league
of a secret Intent to destroy these pop
ular measures. More or less suspicion
of this sort has haunted every effort
Heretofore made to restrict the Bum
bar of Initiative proposals at any elec
tion or to make other desirable
chances In the system. The charge
always goes out that the changes
some sinister purpose) lurking In
tha dark. The number of Initiative
measures en tha ballot must remain
unlimited because. If a definite num
ber la fixed, the "interests- will rush
In fraudulent proposals op to the limit
and there will be no room for the
well Intended. This Is a sample of
the objections which have been made
to every proposed reform In the sys
tem. But now that Its declared
friends have taken the matter In hand,
we may hop for something more en
couraging. It Is Idle to expect the ordinary
Toter to understand the full bearing
of the dosen or more measures which
cumber the ballot at successive elec
tions. Nor can he form a rational
Judgment npon the merits of the
multitude of candidates m hum he Is
asked to Tote for or against. Necee
aarily he acts in the dark. It la fully
aa Important to lessen the number of
candidates on the ballot as the num
ber of Initiated and referred measures,
la both cases there should be a limit.
The matter of candidates Is easily
disposed of by making many of the
minor officials appointive. The peo
ple gain nothing but corruption by
electing them. To limit the number
ef Initiative measures on the ballot
Is more d.fftcuit. Still It can be done.
No problem Is too difficult for human
Ingenuity o solve If It goes honestly
to work. In this particular time It
self will no doubt exert a certain cor
rective Influences
When the regular legislative bodies
have been so disciplined that they
function properly the people win look
to thrm for d -alrd laws Instead of
resorting to the Initiative. The same
cause will greatly diminish the use
of the referendum. Hut In the mean
time some regulation of these salutary
processes la essential to prevent abuse.
The man who devises a plan which
wi:i prevent excesses) and not hamper
the proper use of the Initiative and
referendum wl.I deserve well of his
countrymen.
go on as they are and fear nothing
front the Sherman an tl-trust act
unless Congress Intervene. Those
which restrict competition stand on
exactly the same footing as those
which restrain trade. The first sec
tion of the act forbids the one kind,
the second section forbids the other.
The court holds, however, that It Is
only "unreasonable Impairments of
trade and competition which are pro
hibited. The New Tork Times. In upholding
the decisions of the Supreme Court,
draws an Illusory distinction between
the restriction of competition and the
restraint of trade. The anti-trust act
forbids the latter, says our contempo
rary, but not the former. It forbids
both with the same rigor, as anybody
can sea for himself by perusing the
statute. Moreover, the Supreme Court
finds the same guilt In limiting com
petition as In hampering trade. It ac
cuses the Tobacco Trust ef doing both
and make both equal grounds for
the order of disintegration. It la al
together chimerical to claim that Con
gress In passing the anti-trust act In
tended to forbid the restraint of trade,
but not to forbid the restriction of
competition, and It Is untenable to
argue as the Times does that the Su
preme Court permits the reetrlcilon of
competition by Its decree and bans the
restraint of trade. It treats both sub
jects exactly alike. Naturally If Con
gress had Intended to permit the de
struction of competition and the Su
preme Court had done nothing more
than carry out that Intent Justice
Harlan would be mad to accuse It of
legislating, as he did In both the dis
senting opinions. But Congress had
no such Intent and the court has done
something essentially different from
carrying out the purpose of the law
It has vitally altered the law by In
serting a word which reverses its
meaning. To call this anything elee
than legislating Is to juggle with
words. The court has obviously legis
lated. That the legislation la salutary
and will promote the public welfare
does not alter the fact. Nor Is It cer
tain that In the end the public wel
fore will be promoted. It might have
been better for the Judges to point out
the defects of the law and leave the
correction of them to the constltu
tlonal lawmaking body.
It Is pretty certain that the recent
decisions will now become a political
Lssue. not so burning as the Dred
Scott decree, but resembling It In
many respects. The people under one
pretext or another are sura to vote
upon the Supreme Court's opinion
and either approve It or obtain its
modification. A court In politics Is
an unfortunate spectacle. In our
opinion the consequent evil will be far
greater than could have arisen had the
Judges waited for Congrese to amend
the anti-trust act even If the wait
ing had been long. But Rome has
spoken. The die Is cast and for the
next 10 years we must expect to hear
the spellbinders of one party accusing
the highest court in the land of usur
pation, while those on the other side
do the best they can to defend It. The
end does not always Justify the mean a.
I to arouse anything but the friendliest needed to assist in paying expenses,
feeling between Southwestern Wash- ' But whether these tolls are to be high
ington and the other cities which with
Portland have a common interest la
the prosperity of all of the North
west.
NON-F AKTtSA NSKIP.
The essence of the movement for the
commission form of city government
throughout the United States Is non-
partisanship and non-polltlcal con
trol and direction of municipal affairs.
The public has come to see the folly
and stupidity of electing any man
Mayor, or City Councilman or SchccI
Director, merely because he Is a Re
publican or a Democrat. There Is
a story about the old-time Iowa
politician, who was deploring the pass
ing of the good old days. "Why," said
he. "it used to be here that we could
elect a yellow dog on any Republi
can ticket; but we can't now." "Why
notr "Well I suppose," was the re
ply, "we elected too many yellmr
dogs.
The temper of the times Is to dis
courage political activity and partisan
ship where there are no clear politi
cal or partisan Issues. The public has
wisely concluded that It Is better off
with less politics and more sanity and
sound business Judgment In municipal
administration.
If Portland shall adopt the commis
sion form of government it will neces-
or low, it Is time that the schedule
was being made up. Much of the
transportation business of the world
Is handled on contracts made many
months, or years In advance, and it
Is due our prospective customers that
they should know at the earliest mo
ment what they may expect In the
way of canal tolls. It should not re
. quire a very great knowledge of math
ematics or of the world s commerce
to enable Congress to frame up a
schedule that would make the canal
attractive to much shipping that is
at present following other trade routes.
If the proposed "no seat, no ride
measure is adopted the street rail
way company will be within the law
if It supplies a sufficient number of
cars to provide seats for all persons
who have waited not more than five
minutes. But if the number of cars
Is provided and the persons who have
been waiting four, three, two or one
minute are stronger, more energetic
or more determined than those who
have been waiting five minutes they
will get the seats to which the five
minute crowd Is entitled. The street
car company will not be able to dis
tinguish between them. It will have
provided the seats. No more can be
demanded of It. The burden of tn-
definite waiting will devolve prtn-
sarlly drop party nominations for city cipsaiy on tne gin cierns, me snop
..n pki mi w. - - n wti ' Ders and the women with children.
MR. KIESLA.VD DEFEXDS MEASURE
OYS BT Sat TKat TRCT AM COIX&
The decree by which the Supreme
Court brings to an end the K-ng trial of
the Tobacco Trust Is In full harmony
with the recent order for the dfcvolu
tt"H of the Standard Oil Company and
la based on similar reasons. The court
finds that the trust has been a com
bination In restraint of Interstate and
forrlgn trade, and that It has been a
monopoly, thus violating both ef the
prohibitory sections of the anti-trust
act. Moreover. In the opinion of the
court, the conduct of the trust has
ben so high-handed. It has com
mitted deeds so ruthless In grasping
bnitneaa and throttling competition,
that there la no possibility of bring
ing It under the category of "reason-!.:-
combinations. It must therefore
dissolve. But on the other hand, six
months, or even more, are to be al
lowed for the dissolution, and It Is
to be performed under the supervision
ef the lower court from which the
case was sent up. The hope Is that
from the constituent elements of the
trut Mint new condition can be cre
ated which shall be In a.-conlance with
tbe law. The lower court Is to lend
Its good offices for this purpose and
possibly suggest measures which may
help make the last agonies of the
combination less painful than they
might otherwise be.
The Supreme Court does not leave
us entirely In the dark as to the na
ture of the "new condition" which Is
to arise from the nebulous fragments
of the Tobacco Trust. In the lan
guage of Justice White. It Is to be
"a condition of disintegration." We
infer from this that the lower court
will not permit a new trust to pro
ceed from the remains of the old one,
since that would be a condition of
combination and not of disintegration.
However, there are many signs in the
process of the court's argument which
seem to ln.ltcs.te that the dissolution
need not be complete. The clear In
tent Is to brtng about a state of af
fairs In the tobacco business which
shall work Justice to the public while
It does not needlessly Impair exist
Irg property rights. Whether as one
ef the consequences of this decree we
shall again see small firms venturing
Independently Into the Interstate to
bacco business, and prospering, time
wlil teX Justice White's language
1b the course of the decree makes no
distinction between stifling competi
tion and restraining trade so far as
criminality Is concerned. Both acta,
he holds, are well within the Intent
of the anti-trust law. It may be.
therefore, that any attack upon the
prosperity ef a competing firm, even
at small one. would bring down npon
th aggressor the penalties of the law.
It Is perfectly plain beta from the
present decree and that by which the
r-tandaxd Oil Company was ordered to
dissolve that the Supreme Court wta
clscrlmlnate sharply between trusts.
Those which are unreasonable must
() cr exisrsnct. i nsa Qica
uvi. -i;.U; the rule cX reason may i
re
BIWOX AXD TIIK BUDGE.
The Broadway bridge has had a ca
reer of vicissitude, vexation and ob
struction. But It Is to be now a real
ity, and not a hope or a dream or an
aspiration. Scinsh opposition has
made Its last effective stand. It has
been routed completely. It may whine
and bluster and fuss a little more: but
It can do nothing to hurt. The bridge
will be built.
The successful termination of tbe
Broadway bridge troubles la due large
ly to the persistence and superior di
plomacy of the Simon administration.
The Mayor has waged a determined
battle for the bridge. He has bjifflcd
the objectors at every point. He has
sold the bonds In face of contemptible
and Ingenious efforts to hurt the city's
credit. He has at last got the finan
cial status of tbe bridge firmly and
favorably fixed, so that the work will
now go on.
The success of Mayor Simon In the
Broadway brlJre Is a vindication
of his methods and a triumph
of sagacious and effective manage
ment. It Is a timely Illustration of
the value to Portland of such a Mayor.
mRTLAXD AXD Rig VT.Ki flBOKs.
The attitude of Portland at the
meeting of the Southwestern Wash
ington Development Association at
Chehalls this week will be the same
as has characterized the policy of this
city towards all adjacent territory In
which Portland does business. There
has never been a time In the history
of Portland, when It has been either
necessary or advisable for Its business
men to take advantage of tbe misfor
tunes of rival ports. The unparal
leled prosperity which we are now
enjojing Is sufficient testimony as to
the merit of that policy. The people
of Southwestern Washington, since
the earliest settlement of the country,
have always found In Portland a very
satisfactory trading point, and Port
land capital has done more to develop
that portion of the Evergreen State
than has been performed by all other
North Pacific ports combined.
Kor that reason, and also because
the Inhabitants of Southwestern Wash
ington Include thousands of ex-Port-tanders
or ex -Oregon la ns, the most
cordial commercial and social rela
tions have always existed between thl
city and the rich region from which
we are separated by a state line. Port
land has not always been In a posi
tion to lend all of the assistance that
was needed In public and private en
terprises In that region, but It has
never shirked, when It was possible
to render any assistance to a reeion
which In turn has long paid tribute
to Portland. It would be useless to
deny that there has been a trace of
selfishness In this attitude of Portland
toward the Southwestern counties In
Washington. The same selfishness.
however. Is found In the expenditure
by this city of millions In Columbia
River Improvements which will bene
fit the entire Columbia basin.
If the expenditure by Portland of
one dollar In the cause of publicity,
or In Improving the river channel,
makes Indirect returns of the dollar
expended and an additional dollar,
Portland Is perfectly satisfied to per
mit any other portion of the state
ollices. There will be no Republican
or Democratic nominees for Mayor or
other political offices. There will be a
general primary wherein any . citizen
may run for any office without refer
ence to party affiliation or designation.
Candidates receiving smaller votes are
eliminated. Candidates receiving larger
votes are eligible for the election. The
commissioners are chosen from ehe
survivors. There Is no talk or discus
sion or consideration of party matters.
The nomination of Mr. Simon as an
Independent candidate for Mayor la
quite In accord with the general senti
ment for non-partisanship In local
contests. The effort to elect Mr. Rush
light as the Republican nominee does
Persons who will not or cannot en-
gage In a riotous rush and Jostle will
stand on the street corners until the
evening rush Is over. It would be
great stuff to hand It to the corpora
tions In this way.
"We will go right along doing busi
ness, and everything will be straight
ened out," said one of the principal
defendants In the tobacco trust case.
This seems to be about what happened
in the Standard Oil case, and what will
probably happen In the other trust
cases. Judged by precedent, the cele
brated Union Pacific-Southern Pacific
merger will receive an admonition
not harmonize with his professions for similar to that which Is now occupy-
a commission government. The local i lng the attention of the Industrial
political Republican machine does not
want the commission government, nor
do the active politicians, nor do the
seekers of special privilege, nor thu In.
tercets, nor the contractors, nor the
saloons, nor any of the other associ
ated workers who are trying to push
Rushlight In, In order to get something
out for themselves.
If Rushlight shall be elected, we
shall hear nothing more of tbe com
mission form of government for two
years, except humbug professions that
he Is doing all ha Judiciously can to
bring It about.
MR. RTCAtAXD'S IJTTI.E BILL
The communication from Mr. Ben
Rlesland published elsewhere In The
Oregonian reveals chiefly what trivial
notions burden the mind of the spon
sor for the local public utilities bill.
It Is Illuminating to that extent and no
further.
While It may be comforting to Mr.
Rlesland to know a competent attor
ney drafted his measure, the people,
we take It, should look to the text
of the document and not rest content
with Its authorship. The measure In
a doscn particulars contains provisions
hlch even Mr. Rlesland ought to
know are Inoperative and unenforce
able. The city of Portlind has no
more authority to direct the Supreme
Court, the Circuit Court, the County
Grand Jury, the Sheriff or the Gov
ernor what they shnll do under given
circumstances than it has to direct
the Sultan or Sulu. If Mr. RIesland's
attorney Is competent then he Is also
either careless or has assumed for
Portland authority which he knows
It does not possess probably under in
structions to make the measure a good
vote catcher. New Tork City, true, has
what amounts to a local commission.
But It Is a body, created by state law
and Is delegated with powers by the
state which the city of New Tork
could not give It- The Oregonian has
no knowledge of the Commission in
the cities of Nebraska and, we opine,
neither has Mr. Rlesland.
The Oregonian has never expressed
a doubt that a few remnants of the
Rlesland bill will still stand after the
courts get through with it.
The Oregonian In the one article
did not attempt to give all the fea
tures of the Rlesland bill. It had
mentioned, theretofore, the matters
whose omission Mr. Rlesland criti
cises It has stated clearly and dis
tinctly that the referendum has been
Invoked against the Malarkey effec
tive state measure and that this ref
erendum will undoubtedly fall, there
by causing the failure of the Rlesland
bill It months hence If It shall now
be approved. ,
Mr. RIesland's attitude concerning
the gross earnings tag measures di
rected against public utilities is the
Identical thing The Oregonian has of
ten decried and denounced. Certainly
these measures If adopted will bring
In a large revenue to the city. But
why spend that revenue for an in
effective Commission when we can get
an adequate one for a fraction of the
cost? The sacrifice of needed things
for extravagances is reprehensible,
even In the face of added Income. We
can use the proceeds of the gross
earnings taxes to better purposes than
promoting the political fortunes of Mr.
Rlesland. Mr. Kellaher and like dema
gogic guardians of the public welfare.
Weaksew of Cewimlaalow Bill
Over by Invoking Attoraey'a Sue.
PORTLAND, May 29. (To the Edi
tor.) In The Oregonian of May 2 an
editorial la printed which makes re
peated reference to me and my work in
connection with the Portland Public
Service Commission act. which will be
voted on June 5. I wish to correct
few of the statements made in this
editorial article.
In the first instance, the bill referred
to, being No. 132 on tbe city ballot, was
framed by a committee appointed from
the different Improvement clubs of the
City of Portland. We employed a com
petent attorney. Mr. A. E. Clark, and
every section of this bill was framed
to receive the shafts of the opposition,
vis.: the public service corporations. As
chairman of the committee which
created the same. I feel it my duty to
state that the Indeterminate franchise
provision which Is Inserted In the act
was taken from the Wisconsin law. It
Is a necessary safeguard to the work
of any commission and the public serv
ice commission act. Without it. It is
Incomplete.
Again, section 58 of the act provides
that any provision of the act in con
flict with existing law shall in no way
Interfere with the operation of tha bal
ance of the act. Consequently, the con
clusion In your editorial on this par
ticular point is without reasonable
foundation.
Again, we do not claim that our act
will regulate the public service cor
porations outside of the city. That
power should Justly be in the hands of
the State Railway Commission, where
It belongs, and I do not see as the City
Of Portland Is much concerned as to
the regulation of corporations outside
of Its corporate limits, except in an
Indirect way, but Portland is concerned
with the effective regulation of public
service corporations in the city limits,
and that can only be done by a local
commission, as it Is In New York City,
which Is simply a city commission in
effect, although created by the legis
lature, there being no Initiative law
under which the City of New Tork
could or can create a local public' serv
ice commission. We are favored In
having this privilege under the Initia
tive as applied to our city. St. Louis
has a city commission and an effective
one. The citizens of Nebraska enjoy
the same privilege, and last Winter a
strenuous effort was made In the Ne
braska Legislature to take this privi
lege from the citizens and place It In
the hands of the State Railway Com
mission, but -the attempt was over
whelmingly defeated.
The editorial Is again wrong in say
ing that the Board of Commissioners
is unlimited In the amount of its ex
penditures. This is not true, as the
commission must get its money through
the city machinery, the same as any
N
OT since the time when "David
trusts. These roads, even if they are
divorced, will, however, "go right
along doing business." It will be nec
essary for the roads to employ more
officials and to rent more high-priced
ticket and freight offices, but the
dividends of both roads, which will
still be paid by the public, will con
tinue to flow into the same coffers as
are now receiving them. The advan
tage to tha public by compelling some
of these trusts to keep their profits In
two safes Instead of one la not very
clear as yet.
Driving a heavy train at high speed
round a sharp curve on a new track
cost the engineer of one of the new
Milwaukee & St. Paul trains his life
near Maiden, Washington, yesterday.
The fireman was also killed, but tha
steel coaches which are now becom
ing deservedly popular on all first-class
roads prevented any loss of life among
passengers. The accident on the Mil
waukee, like that of the day previous
on the Burlington line, seems to have
place among the "preventable" dis
asters of the rail. The Burlington
wreck was due to a misunderstanding
of orders, and the Milwaukee wreck
acnarentlv to bad Judgment on the
part of the engineer who paid the Malarkey state wide commission
penalty with his life. The ingenuity
of man has thrown a great many safe
guards around modern railroading,
but It has not yet succeeded In mak
ing mortal man Infallible, and until
this Is done, accidents will happen
American storyville have readers come
across such refreshing originality and
crispness of personal comment as have
Just come to light In Kate Langley
Bosher's novel "Miss Glbbie Gault." It
Is good to know what the novel is
selling very well, and that many of
those who have bought copies have
been waylaid by economical souls who
wish to borrow the book. Here are
bits of wordly wisdom from Mary
Carey and her other friends in "Miss
Glbbie Gault":
Ancestor worship Isn't all Chinese. An Ill-
bred gentleman-bora Is still welcomed where
an ill-born well-bred man la not Invited.
I couldn't see a dog hit his tail on a
fence and not tell bun It was barbed if I
knew It and he didn't.
Major Aides didn't really belleva the
Almighty made common people. Ue thougrht
ther came up like weeds and underbrush
and. though you couldn't cut them down
exactly, you must keep them down somehow.
Younjr people have very different Ideas
from their parents. They plank themselves
risht straight alontreide of men and say
they are just aa smart aa men are. Of
course they are. Women have always known
It, but they used to hava too much sense
to tell It.
I often think of what my old mammy
told me tha day I was married. "Don't
never forg-et. honey, that what you's mar
ryin' Is a man." she said, "and don't be
expectln' of all the heavenly virtues In him.
They ain't thar."
There Is nothlnjc a man can stand so much
of as praise.
w 1th ' only occasional excentlons a woman
has just about the kind of husband she
makes the man who marries her become.
Throuch tha aires man has been too sen
sible to wear petticoats and pink ribbons
himself, but llkins to see them worn, he
put them on woman and told her she was
pretty with rhem.
An Irishman can talk a eabbare Into a
rose any day. And when he's got a rose
to talk about, his own tongue couldn't tell
what It might say after It starts.
e
New stories, and also others which
are so good that they will bear repeat
ing, appear In Archibald Henderson's
new and critical estimate of "Mark
Twain," Just issued. For Instance,
there is Twain's "doubles" story.
Like some famous men. Twain had
doubles," knd about once a month he
received a letter from some new
double," enclosing a nhotograDh. To
one these doubles. Mark wrote:
My Dear Sir: Many thanks for vour let
ter, with enclosed photograph. Your re
semblance to me is remarkable. In fact,
to be perfectly honest, you look more like
me than I do myself. I was so much Im
pressed by the resemblance that I have had
your picture framed, and am now using It
regularly, in place of a mirror, to shave by.
xours gratefully,
8. L. CLEMENS.
Twain complained bitterly that when
Advertising Talks
By William C Freeman
Recent experiences with business
placed in the chain of newspapers
printing these stories, have taught me
how hard it Is to do anything that
does not call forth criticism how hard
It is to make an advertiser feel that re j
has done the best ha could for the
amount of money he has expended.
Representatives of newspapers of big
circulations are apt to think that news-;
papers of smaller circulations are not
entitled to the Intelligent consideration
of the advertiser.
I. am very proud of the newspapers .
printing these stories. Not all of them'
have the largest circulation in their
respective communities, but each has :
a circulation sufficiently large to pay
any advertiser, because each news-:
paper bases its advertising rate on the
quantity and character of the circu
lation it has. (
A collection or chain of the biggest
newspapers in big communities would
cost the advertiser a proportionately'
higher rate that is, a combined cir
culation, of 4,000,000 win cost, rela
tively, twice as much as a circulation
of 2,000,000.
If the advertiser buys the 2,000,000
circulation at its price, why should
he be criticised for not buying the
4,000.000 circulation at its price?
The publishers who have this 2,000,
000 circulation are Important factors
In their respective communities and
they furnish, collectively, a medium of
publicity for any National advertiser
at about half the rate he pays for
publicity In the great weeklies and
monthlies.
If the big newspapers want their
share of business, let them go after
It In a legitimate way. We welcome
honorable and intelligent competitors.
That will help the cause of adver
tising. But Just because publishers are big
they must not think that publishers of
honest daily newspapers with smaller
Circulations are not capable of giving
advertisers a full return for their
money.
This subject will be continued In to
morrow's story. i
(To be Continued.)
other department obtains funds for he was In his most serious moods, peo
Sir William 3. Gilbert, whose un
happy death happened the other day,
began life as a lawyer. More British
men of letters have graduated from
that profession than from all others
together. Is there something In the Eugene
running Its business. Is t reasonable
to suppose that because the act allows
additional remuneration of the City At
torney. the commissioners will squan
der the city funds in unnecessary
vouchers to that office? The act has
a strong recall provision, and If the
commissioners do not do their duty
they can be removed from office and
honest and efficient men put Into their
places.
The Oregonian has failed to mention
the two sister acts taxing the electric
light and power and gas companies 3
per cent of their respective gross In
comes. This will place probably 1200,
000 into the city treasury annually and
after paying for running the city com
mission, will be a material factor in
the reduction of general taxes.
Again, It falls to mention that the
referendum has been placed ,on the
bill
and that it Is up to the people to say
whether the city shall be denied local
regulation.
With a local commission and a 3 per
cent tax as heretofore stated, the city
will be equipped to get the maximum
of service for the minimum cost from
the public service corporations that are
now operating with absolutely no dl
rect regulation.
BEN RIESLAND.
law which Inspires latent genlusT Or
does it provide that distaste for chi
canery and deceit which is needed to
make men face without shrinking the
hardships of a literary career and con
tents them with Its meager rewards?
TRAFFIC IN THIS RFERCNITJSf.
Newspaper Declares Direct
Legislation Has Market Value.
Eugene Register.
While we do not see referendums
quoted on 'Change, we find they have
a market value. They are bought and
sold a form of merchandising that has
become exceedingly popular in Oregon
under the Bourne-u Ren regime. As a
sample of how "popular government"
Purchase of dynamite or other ex
plosives Is too easy. Why place re
strictions on the sale of poison and al- I is trafficked in and made merchandise
low anybody with the price to buy the I of. by the purveyors of putrid political
deadly stuff unquestioned t The fa- I perfidy, note the following explanation
tal Injury of a peace officer In Oak- " offered by one Van Orsdal as to why
I the rafarsfiH 1 1 rv as rr o tint si a t fall
land as result of an effort at revenge
by a divorced man on his former wife.
should lead California and other
states to do something toward pro
tection of life and property. No one
Is safe under present conditions.
The two desperadoes who, with the
help of a woman, routed a posse of
thirty men In Oklahoma and escaped
to the mountains would have been
heroes In more primitive times. Now
they are simply criminals. Some day
society will discover how to utilize the
wild energies of this sort of men, as it
has made fire and electricity its do
cile servants.
the referendum against O. A C. failed
of the required number of signatures.
He says:
"Some time ago we placed an order
with H. J. Parkison. of Portland, for
signatures to the (O. A C.) petitions.
expecting to secure the required num
ber. After realizing the difficulty in
securing the names of petitioners, we
placed an order of 2500 with a man In
Portland. He was unable to take up
the work until after the primary and
did little after that time."
Here we luive a fine example of how
Oregon politics is made merchandise
of. "We placed an order with Parki
son for signatures." says Van Orsdal.
Are referendums to be bought and
sold as you would buy and sell dry
goods and groceries? Did Parkison
pie refused to take him seriously. "It
has been a very difficult matter." de
clared Mark Twain, "to doff the mask
of humor with which the public is ac
customed to see me adorned. It is the
Incorrigible custom of the publlo to
see only humor In the humorist, how
ever serious his vein- Not lone- aero I
wrrote a poem, when I never dreamed
of giving to the public, on account of
its seriousness: but on beinsr Invited
to address the women students of a
great university I was persuaded by
a near friend to read this poem. At
the close of my lecture, I said "Now,
ladles, I am going to read you a noem
of mine' which was greeted with
bursts of uproarious laughter. "But this
Is a truly serious poem," I asseverated
mly to be greeted with renewed
laughter. Nettled by this misunder
standing I put the poem In my pocket,
saying 'Well,, young ladies, since you
do not believe me to be serious, I shall
not read the poem," at which tho
audience almost went into convulsions
of laughter."
e
Miss Susan Glaspell, the author of
'The VIsioning," Is planning to spend
another Summer in a quiet canyon in
Colorado. It was here, and in Idaho. 1
40 miles from a railroad, that Miss
Glaspell became acquainted with the i
work of the Government Forestry
Bervice, or which Captain Wayne Jones,
character In "The VIsioning." savs
that this is a greater, more construc
tive and comradely service than his
own, the Army.
a
In his delightful, new book of essays.
entitled "Prejudices," Charles Macomb
Flandrau sketches the careers of some
very Interesting dogs he has known.
Jiggers" was one of them. "Jifrsers"
was a Dachshund who believed in the
efficacy of prayer. When he wanted
anything he assumed the attitude and
waited for results. If he was thirsty
one came upon him appealing to a
wash stand or a bathroom faucet. If
he wanted a cracker, he was to be
found, tired but patient, believing and
erect, on his hind legs In front of the
cupboard. Once In the country he
longed for a porcupine that seemed to
him a congenial companion and begged
at the foot of a tree until the porcu
pine responded by coming down and
shooting 24 quills Into Jiggers' lovely
plush muzzle. It took, affirms Mr.
Flandrau, a quart of ether, a surgeon
and a good many dollars to extract the
quills.
a
Pemberton How about that poem
you sent to Anybody's Magazine-has
It appeared yet? Penley (gloomily)
Yes; it appeared in the mail this morn
ing. Boston Transcript.
The recent serious accident to Ernst
Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe
(Copyright, 1911, by George
Adams.
Honesty pays twice as well as
honesty.
Matthew ,
half
A circus wagon has a rich rumble
that no other wagon can successfully
imitate.
It is better to stay at home than it
Is to go to soma places.
When you have anything to say in a
business office, fire and fall back.
Your surplus talking should be dona in
society.
Never take any man's word for any
thing that refers to anything about an
election.
A man eats first, in order that he
may hurry away to his work; but a
dog can wait, as he has nothing to do.
When a man marries a woman who
suits him. a woman is the greatest in
stitution in the world: Everyone en
vies a man who is in love with his
wife.
How people love a little excitement!
"Well," the women have a habit of
saying, after a marriage, "she finally
got him; but she didn't get much."
When in trouble, you hate your
friends for not helpins you.
Half a Century Ago
get some other offer that looked better Helnrlch Haeckel, the famous writer
to him than the pay for circulating I and professor of zoology at Jena, has
said petitions? How much nrlnciDle I emphasized the fact that Professor
Is there involved In this kind of re- Haeckel is universally regarded as one
The appointment" of Mr. Chapman
as State Immigration Commissioner
. . . iw. is mere invuiveu ui bins kiuu ui i i 1 J
puts the right man In the right place, fQrm lltlCBT la Oregon henceforth of the foremost thinkers of his time,
although he has long been filling the to be bampered, held back, reviled and He is now 77 years old, and the frac-
poslUon as puDlicity manager 01 ino mauje toe laughing-stock of the nation I tunng 01 nis njp-oone. wnicn nappenea
Commercial Club. His action noi
will bear the official brand, minus any
"booster" flavor.
by allowing such procedure to con tine.
or will It proceed to probe to the bot
tom sueh methods and lay them, bare
before an outraged public that they
may proceed to correct the practices
that are working Irreparable injury to
the state?
Oregon Is the only state In the Union
so far as known to allow scheming
opening the canal Is still some distance
In the future. It Is time some con
sideration was given this Important
matter by the Government. Thus far
the only bill introduced In Congress
touching on the matter of fees is that
of Mr. Fordney, and this measure pro
vides only for exempting American
merchant marine vessels and war
ships from canal tolls. As any fav
oritism shown American vessels in
tolls would be a direct violation of the
treaties we have with foreign coun
tries, the Fordney bill attempts to
evade this danger by a system of re-
or the great Northwest to reap even ' bates or subsidies covering the amount
FIX THE CANAL DTO.
The most Important feature In con
nection with the operation of the
charged shipping. While the date of ' "n ,thls camf Xtt'Lt
Honestly, now, does anyone suppose
Senator Bourne really wants to dis
place Marshal Colwell? To do so
would remove the oft-recurring oppor.
tunlty of appearing In the news dls- I manipulators to hold up an appropria
Datches. "" I tlon ot an educational Institution. In
UlllCt Dloll. . ...... .-.u
L .U A
. . ..-,-nl nm I 111 U U -jO fiAUS " " " wrww.u u.iuc, .ana
m iuitiuuiiu.il .- i -,,h . thine-, whether or not thev were
mlttee. If It has any duty to perform I part and parCei of or working in har-
Is very Industriously dodging it to
the benefit of all concerned.
mony with an opposing college.
A Show and a Yellow Dog.
Detroit News-Tribune.
The small amount needed for ex- I The small boy stood In front of the
penses of the Corvallis regiment at dazzling lights of the cheap theater
larger profits as a direct result of
the Portland Investment. The policy
of some ef the short-sighted people
of Puget Sound In withholding from
the Southwest support needed to se
cure proper highways naturally awak
ened resentment among the people
In the affected territory. The capital
which Portland could make out of this
resentment Is so amail. however, thai
It would have no place In the broad
policy which this city exercises toward
all of lis neighbors. There wt:l be
no attempt oa the part of Portland
paid by the American vessels.
But before this can be done. It will
be necessary to establish a schedule
of rates. It will be a difficult mat
ter at the beginning to make the tolls
high enough to enable the canal to
be anything like a paving proposition.
If the tolls are too high, the advan
tare of distance saved will lose its at
tractiveness for shipowners, and they
will continue to use the present routes.
Even the attempted exemption from
tolls of American vessels may drive
away from the canal business that is
the Rose Festival will be money well
spent, even though salaries be trimmed
to provide It.
John W. Gates asserts Mr. Roosevelt
Is a prevaricator in the steel trust af
fair. Mr. Roosevelt's reply will be
characteristic if not satisfying.
Lemons are quoted higher on Front
street and many who get them next
Monday will find them still higher.
with a yellow dog under his arm.
Are you the manager or the show?"
the boy asked of a well-dressed man
standing near.
I want to see the show, but I haven t
got no money. I II tell you what 1 11
do. I'll give you this dog if you'll let
me In."
The manager's heart melted. He re
membered that he, too, bad been a boy.
You may go In. he said, "but never
mind about giving me the dog. Take
the dog along with you.
Tbe lad went In with the yellow dog
under hie coat. After the performance
The emblem In bronze on the dark I the manager was etlll standing In front.
blue uniform was the medal of honor and he happened to see the urchin come
yesterday.
Vacant lots overgrown with weeds
are no part of the City Beautiful.
The Milwaukee road had Its baptism
In wreckage yesterday.
out.
"Well, sonny, he remarked, "how
did you like the show?"
"Oh, pretty well, he said, "but I m
glad I didn't have to give you the dog."
Decoration day became Desolation
day in several places.
Men and Girls.
Puck.
"Are men as black." she queried.
"As they are painted, do you think?"
In Yankee style I answered her:
"Are giria, 1 aaltetw as plnj7
through the breaking of a stool on
which be was standing to reach down
book from a high shelf. Is no tri
fling matter. Professor Haeckel. be
sides being prodigiously thorough, has
shown a marked faculty for making
himself understood by the man in the
street, and his "The Riddle of the Uni
verse" and "The Wonders of Life1
have been widely read through their
English translations In this country.
H. Perry Robinson, whose novel,
"Essence of Honeymoon," was pub
lished two weeks ago, comes of a
famy of distinguished English news
paper people. iis Drotner, .rnu ttoo
inson, who died a year or two ago.
was a famous war correspondent, and
another brother still living in Eng
land is also a well-known writer. Mr.
Robinson has spent a good portion of
his life In America, and much of the
fun in "Essence of Honeymoon" shows
a decidedly American point of view.
For many years' he lived In Minne
apolis, where he was engaged in news
paper work, and later he moved to
Chicago. He made a thorough study
of railroad matters, and is now In this
country as a special representative
of the London Times, with a roving
commission.
. a
There will soon be published an
English translation of Dr. Rudolf
Bteiner's "Mystics of the Renaissance,"
bv Bertram Keightley, a volume of
essays on Meister Eckhart, Johannes
Tauler. Nicholas of Cusa, Theophrastus
Paracelsus, Jacob Boehme, Giordano
Bruno, and others. Other notable new
books are "A Chinese Appeal to Chris
tendom Concerning Christian Mis
sions," by Lin Shao Yang, an arraign
ment of the church's attitude in try
ing to force certain primitive Christian
ideas upon the East, and "Aspects of
Religious Belief and Practice in Baby
lonia and Assyria," by Professor iiorris
Jastrow. 11
From The Oregonian, May 31, 1861.
On account of the low prices of cattle
In California the papers state that on
several ranches the owners are slaugh
tering large bands for their hides and
tallow.
The Dalles, May 2$: The scalps spoken
of yesterday as being In possession or
the Warm Springs Indians were taken
by a band of about 75 of them from three
Snake warriors and an old squaw. The
Warm Springs warriors found these
four alone and killed them.
San Francisco. May 26: A duel was
fought yesterday in Marin County be
tween Show-alter and Piercy. both mem
bers of the last Legislature. Percy was
shot dead at the second fire. It is re
ported that Show-alter was arrested to
day. When the Xolse Brigade Works.
Answers, London.
Many brain workers find at times a
distinct need for some violent frolic or
escapade to relieve their pent-up feel
ings and overstrained nerves.
One such man has a preference for
banging doors; another for playing the
"Dead March in Saul" with one finger;
a third, after a heavy day's work, will
go round the neighborhood ringing
door bells; whilst a fourth, to steady
his nerves, will dash a teacup against
a wall.
It seems an Idiotic thing to slap a
cabman's face to relieve one's feelings,
yet this Is what a well-known actor
does; and he does lit in such a gentle
manly fashion, and pays so liberally,
that the driver eeldom takes offense.
A Prosperous Business Look Out.
Stray Stories.
T heard you have left Slogger
Co.'s office."
"Yes. I'm in business for myself
now."
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for another job."
One Good lUeal Is Assured.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mistress I have some friends com
ing to dinner today, Mary, so I want
you to cook your very beet-
Cook You can depend on me, ma am;
I've got some friends of me own com
ing, too.
The Beadjasunent.
Washington (D. C.) Star.
We'll have a new procession in tha pagean
try that eaes
To make our place In history one of its
greatest shows.
"Vox Populi" has spoken, and we're much
disturbed to find
Some marchers going on too fast and soma
too far behind.
There's a general readjustment, though our
glories will not fade.
The sands of time are ready for tha great
and grand parade.
But we'll have to change our paces. Thus
decrees the latest news.
And everybody's trying on soma other fel
lows shoes.
It's a weird and wondrous shifting m the
matter of attire.
Soma hats have grown too small for heads
whose thoughts wa etiu aamire.
Soma togas that were neatly filled hang
wrinkled now ana siacK.
And some of them, alas, ar ripped en
tirely up the bacKi
But the world must keep on moving and
tha marchers must proceea.
Though some be lame and footsore, there
are others lor eacn neeo.
Tha trouble with a misfit is tha tlma it
makes you lose.
So everybody's trying on soma other fel
low's shoes.