TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN. TUESDAY, SEPTE3IBER 5, 1911.
.8
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PORTLAND, TUESDAY, 6EFTEMBEB 6.
J THE BLESSED RAIN.
Ever since last March the earth
, has been thirsting for rain. There
was a snack in June, but not nearly
! enough. July gave a meager shower
;or two, and In August there was a
'misty downfall for a little while, and
;that was the end of It. All Summer
' long the fields have been- swept by
'drying winds. The roads have been
,' ground into dust ever deeper and finer
until at last it was a woeful experi
ence to drive to the postoffice for the
mail. One traveled like the Israelites
accompanied by a pillar of cloud, but
ours enveloped us. Instead of kindly
going before to show the way, it com
passed the traveler round about to
hide it, and when he got home and
took his belated bath there was a
noble deposit of fertile soil at the
bottom of the tub. How things man
sged to live and grow during the long
drouth is a mystery, but they did it.
The abundant showers which are now
falling bring to light marvels of per
severance in every field and garden
Where did those big yellow squashes
come from on the misty hillside T
During the dry spell they kept
themselves hidden under the leaves
shunning! the sun and wind as much
as they could, but now in the wealth
of gracious drops, they come it in
broad daylight, with all their golden
corpulence. The apples which were
inclined to shrink up Inside their
skins all through August now seem
suddenly to swell and magnify them
selves. If they do not drink in the
rain and grow as one looks at them
then appearances are deceptive. As for
the prunes, tfiey have thriven In spite
of the brazen sky and robber winds.
and now when the rain descends
upon them there are so many that the
.branches break from the trees. The
t good husbandman has not really cared
J much whether it rained or not so far
' as his orchards were concerned. He
' has kept the soil 6tlrred with the har-
row bringing up stores of moisture
from the depths of the earth, and his
,' trees have prospered just as well as
. If the skies had been more generous.
J ; Upon the whole, the water under
: the earth Is more to be depended upon
; than that above It. He who has pro-
vided his fields with a soil mulch
frets very little over what happens In
the clouds. By digging down two or
j three Inches with his toe he finds the
i soil perennially damp and knows
: that the roots of -his trees are not
t thirsty. But woe to the farmer who
' neglects his soil mulch in a dry spell
' like the one we have Just passed
a through. The sun and wind strike
udown ever deeper and bake the earth
even to the end of the taproot of the
hardy oak. It Is wonderful what a
difference a thin layer of dry dust
jaa the surface will make in what
jfoes on below.
But grateful as the apple and
prune trees are for the September
showers they are not half so Joyous
, as the weeds. The pigweed is the
. wisest herb of the field. Its seeds
do not sprout until August. They
, -linger dormant in the ground until
, the husbandman In his pride thinks
he has killed every pest that grows.
Then in a day when he thinks not,
behold a billion pigweeds spring up
over night. All through August the
, dew nourishes them. They cling
closely to the surface of the ground
So escape the hot winds and keep
themselves as Inconspicuous as possi
ble to avoid the farmer's notice. Peo
ple who want to talk about "brute
and unintelligent nature" may do so,
but their folly is amazing. Nothing
can exceed the astuteness of the pig
weed except that of the pig himself.
Day after day under the blazing sun
It lies In wait, biding its time. Then
comes the rain, and in a night it rears
Its head and towers aloft. Why do
not the seeds of the pigweed sprout
In Spring like other plants? Who
taught them to wait until August
when the husbandman is too tired
with his Summer's toll to plow them
jinder or pull them up?
. Apple trees that have been well
tilled during the drouth begin to
show tender green shoots at the end
of their large boughs since the rain
;"came. They will keep on growing un
, til the hard frosts of November nip
1-them If the aphis do not suck too
much of their sap. This little pest
which has sorely beset the orchardist
"all Summer becomes his friend in the
late Fall, checking the formation of
wood which is not ready for Winter.
There ought to be an aphis for the
walnut tree on this very account.
That tree is as cautious as one could
aesire in Spring. It holds back its
foliage until long after everything else
Is in full panoply. But in the Fall it
teems never to think of getting ready
"for frost and snow. It keeps on form
ing tender wood until it Is caught and
ometimes fatally pinched by the fall
ing mercury.
All living creatures rejoice in the
Tain. . It washes the air. It lays the
"dust. It revives the verdure of the
woods. It brings forth a new harvest
of roses and greens the brown pas
tures for the hungry cattle. Dairy
men predict' a profitable Fall because
Ihe rain has come soon enough to
make grass grow a month or two be
fore the hard frosts kill it for the
Winter. No matter If they do lose a
few tons of late wild hay, the fresh
pasture will pay for it ten times over.
Life begins anew with the Fall rains.
Everybody draws a sigh of relief, bids
cood-by to heat, dust and languor,
"nd girds up his loins for the work of
another year.
.-. Dry weather is all very well In va
cation time, but when one has' to go
'l4 work he wants rain. In particular
5be. wants the Oregon kind of rain,
which falls bewitchlngly in slow, gra
.cious drops that kiss the earth as they
bring down their blessings upon It.
When the rains come we are all good
natured. The September showers
wash away our crankiness and tan
trums. Nobody could be cantanker
ous as the drops play their soft music
on the roof. It stills the heart's com
plaining. It hushes the vcloe of care
and the heart that heeds its teaching,
as all hearts do for a while at least.
wears the grace of angels.
AMBASSADOR HILL. AND POTASH.
Any criticism which the potash
importers may make of Ambassador
Hill will be of no effect when set
I against the emphatic expressions of
conjiaence wnicn come irom x-resi
73 ' dent Tart and the tokens oi esteem
I he has received from Emperor Will'
i . Tk lattaw hoa ronr thin atoned
for the wrong he did by objecting to
Mr. HIirs appointment, for he has
gone out of his way to do honor to
the Ambassador. That the Eroper
or"s attentions were not prompted by
any lack of fidelity to American In
terests on Mr. Hill's part is attested
by Mr. Taft's words.
It remains, then, to discover the
Intriguers and their motive. That
they have some connection with the
notash controversy Mr. Hill makes
plain. That controversy grew out of
an Increase in the German tax on pot
ash, the production of which in the
empire Is in the hands of a syndicate
Before the tax was Imposed the syn
dicate had made contracts for the
sale of potash to American firms at
prices which would have involved a
loss after the tax was imposed, uney
refused to carry out the contracts on
the terms arranged, and the Amerl
cans called In the aid of the State De
nartment to adiust the affair. It was
placed In the hands .of 'Mr. Hill, who
has been negotiating for a year or
more. The importers have expressed
dissatisfaction with his course, for
they have shown a disposition to in
sist on the letter of their contracts.
They have even sent pamphlets to the
newspapers of the United States set
ting forth their version of the con'
troversy.
Mr. Hill's action may now have the
effect of causing a thorough ventila
tion of the whole subject, which he
evidently courts'.
HELPING CXKAN THE CITY.
Dr. HInson's sermon has aroused
the ire of some of the friend of
Mayor Rushlight. We are told that
the public expects the pulpit to be
fair. The pulpit did not ask for Si
mon's recall, therefore it should not
hint at Rushlight's recall. Simon's
administration was Just as bad as, or
worse than Rushlight's, it Is asserted,
The pulpit then kept silent. It should
do so now. The recall should be gov
erned by precedent. If one man is
derelict in official duties and Is not re
called, his successors are forever af
terward to be Immune from publio
wrath if derelict In the same way.
The theory is not new. Most of
us first heard It when we were in the
primary grades of the public school.
Willie Jones pleaded Immunity from
nunishment because Johnny Smith
had done the same thing and escaped.
It is a companion of the plea that
two wrongs make a right.
Tet we do not understand that Dr.
Hlnson is proposing the immediate
application of the recall. He has
spoken In behalf of good citizenship
and has offered its best aid In clean
ing ud the city. He has demanded
that the Mayor make some show of
earnestness In his professed effort to
subjugate vice. He Is willing and
anxious to work with the Mayor to
this end. He suggests the recall only
as a final resort If it be found that
the Mayor is making an empty show
from tome ulterior motive.
, The pulpit has good cause to ques
tion the sincerity of Mayor Rush
light. He waJ heralded as the choice
of the North End in the primary elec
tion and. he got the solid North End
vote. He was again heralded as the
choice of the North End when he ran
against Simon who as Mayor, we are
now told, did nothing to" clean up the
city. Again Rushlight got the solid
North End vote. Odd. wasn't it, that
the man who had tolerajted vice for
two years was turned down for the
silent Mr. Rushlight. Tet the pulpit.
as represented by Dr. Hlnson, pro
poses to be fair. It offers to aid
Mayor Rushlight to make good. It
will give him the benefit of the doubt
and assist him to overthrow any
prejudice that may have arisen from
the manner of his election. Nothing
could be fairer.
It Is not strange that the two
months of the new administration
have brought forth speculation and
inquiries from press, pulpit and pub
lic. What mean these terrific shake
ups In the police department, the rat
tle of which- cannot be heard across
the street? What stunning blow to
vice is to follow the raid of a Chinese
den and the fining of a few Orientals
$7.50 apiece? What portentous event
is to attend the open order against
macquereaux other than the shaving
of Parisian mustachioa and the en
joyment of fishing trips by certain
Frenchmen while the clouds hang
low? Doea some political or other
move call for a big bluster, or are
these the opening guns of a real bat
tle against prostitution, gambling and
graft? The minister, we take It,
thinks he knows what the answers
ought to be, and no doubt a large part
of the public agrees with him. If
the Mayor Is sincere, there Is no cause
for his supporters to- resent the re
marks of Dr. Hlnson.
FINDING THINGS.
Mr. J. Clifford Austen may thank
his stars that he found his wife's ring
in the Willamette after fishing for it
only two hours. If he had not been
enviably lucky he might have fished
two years and been no better off than
when he began. Still there were cir
cumstances in his favor. A ring, es
pecially a diamond set In gold, is
likely to fall vertically through the
water, while an object formed like a
dlso will waver and wander about,
going anywhere but to the place
which seems natural for It A twenty-dollar
gold piece Is liable to slide
sideways like a leaf falling from
a tree, and if the water is deep it may
travel in this manner a long distance.
Of course much depends on the way
it strikes the surface,
Everybpdy has tried the experiment
of throwing a flat stone aslant
through water. The sinuosities It
describes and the winding path it fol
lows are extremely Interesting. A
double eagle may.be made to skip
along the surface of a pond, if a per
son has one which he wishes to use
in that manner, but a ring cannot. It
will sink in spite of your deftest
manipulation.
A flat object falling Into the water
from a height is harder to find than
one which slips In from a point near
the surface, because the former
strikes more violently and is, there
fore, diverted by stronger reactionary
forces. Violent Impact excites oppo
sition, a fact which contains a use
ful lesson for reformers, though they
will not heed it. Very likely dry sand
is the most confusing substance to
drop an object int6. A bolt or nut
falling Into sand on a slope will wan
der to the ends of the earth, seem
ingly, before it stops. Worse still the
sand hastens down in a stream to
cover and hide it so that finding be
comes next to impossible. The best
way to proceed is to move your fin
ger very gently down the slope, tak
ing the greatest precaution not to
set the sand running, and If you are
exceptionally fortunate you may find
what you are looking for. But a
needle in a haystack can be found
much more readily than one in a heap
of dry sand.
LABOR DAT.
The hosts of labor made merry yes
terday in spite -of the rain. While
programmes could not be carried out
as planned, the change from work
to play, from strenuousness to re
laxation, from routine to diversity
was greatly enjoyed. Briefly stated
the time of men and women of labor
belonged to themselves and they used
or abused their freedom as they saw
fit.
To some perhaps the day was not
a profitable one, but whether so or
not. It was of their own ordering.
And whether good or bad the under'
lying principle upon which a grand,
universal holiday for labor rests is
the same, establishing as it has and
does the right of labor to a holiday
distinctly its own, which the business
interests of the community must re&
ognize, and to which, as far as is pos
sible, they must conform.
Some men and many women were
compelled to work, of course. Other
wise the hosts of labor would not
have been able to get to their pleasure
grounds, or be fed, even in their
homes; children would have been
neglected and the domestic machin
ery would have stood still; railroad
trains would have stopped and the
business of many tomorrows would
have been dela)-ed.
But Labor day served Its purpose
if It gave thousands of hands but
cease from toll and freedom to work
the Individual will wisely or other
wise for a single working day in
the year.
JOKERS IN TUB PUBLICITY LAW.
When Congress undertakes to pro'
vide a remedy for its own shortcom
ings it shines brightest. It undertook
to put a stop to the spending of lavish
sums upon the election of its mem
bers by the dark, designing interests,
when the Democrats, fresh from the
people, with laurels of victory on their
brows and a new access of virtue in
their hearts, took control . of the
House. As a preventive of the evil
mentioned, the Democrats adopted
simple publicity of the widest kind
They were not afraid to tell where
they got their campaign cash or what
they did with it. The machinery of
the House was in good condition, so
the bill went through without objec
tion.
But the Senate," having reason to re
member the Lorimer $100,000 "slush
fund," and Stephenson's scattering of
$107,000 all over Wisconsin, thought
the bill did not go far enough. At the
instance of Reed of Missouri, a new,
direct-primary Senator, who knows
how much money a man is -tempted
to spend under ."progressive" meth'
ods, a limit for candidates for Repre
sentatives of 16000 and for Senators
of f 10,000 was inserted. This amend
ment was adopted, with the aid of
the Republicans, regulars Included,
and the country was impressed with
the great wave of reform which had
wept over Congress and with the sur
prising fact that the Senate outshone
the House in its reform tendencies.
But at this point the evil one went
silently and secretly to work. While
the bill provides that the statements
of contributions and expenditures of
House candidates should be public
records and open to inspection, an
amendment was slipped In providing
that a candidate for the Senate should
simply file his statement with the sec.
retary of the Senate, who carefully
guards the secrecy of all documents
which he is not specifically author
ized to make public. Hence the Sen
ators would be compelled to tell their
campaign secrets only to each other.
That kind of secrecy Is not very effec
tive, but It renders obtaining the in
formation a somewhat roundabout
process, like that of learning pro
ceedings of executive sessions.
That was the first Joker and may
be comparatively harmless, but at a
later stage of the proceedings, prob
ably in conference, another Joker was
slipped in, more far-reaching and of
large dimensions. After the provision
fixing the amount which a candidate
for either House or Senate might
spend was inserted, a proviso was
added exempting from its restrictions
all a candidate's expenses except for
employment at speakers and assist
ants, newspaper advertisements and
entertainment of voters or legislators.
He may spend any amount of money
he pleases on state fees levied on can
didates, personal expenses for travel
and subsistence, stationery, postage,
writing, printing and distributing let
ters, circulars and posters, telegraph
and telephone service. As well pass a
law effective throughout the United
States and then insert a proviso ex
cepting all the states and territories
except Rhode Island.
Democratic House leaders and Re
publican Senate leaders must have
had their hand in the manufacture of
this gold brick, for the bill went
through conference, where they had
the final shaping of it Senators
Kenyon and Kern, who drew the orig
inal Senate amendment making the
law really effective, were too busy
digging for truth about Lorimer to
watch proceedings closely, and their
amendment was changed beyond rec
ognition. Just who converted the law
into a practical Joke is not known, but
no matter which party was primarily
responsible, the other consented to it
and was therefore equally guilty.
The stoning of Reyes In Mexico sup
ports the plea of Dlas in favor of his
despotism, that the people were not
capable of self-government The first
essential of successful democratic rule
is a willingness to let all parties make
their plea to the voters unhindered.
The second is a ballot free from brib
ery or intimidation. The third is a
prompt acceptance of the result by
the defeated party. By their conduct
in Mexico City on Stmday the Mexi
cans showed themselves lacking in the
first essential and gave rise to suspi- .
cion that they lack the other two.
Madero will have to hold a tighter (
rem if he expects to ride the revolu
tion to orderly liberty instead of to
anarchy or a new despotism.
What! Canadian wheat grading
low? Of twenty-four cars of new
wheat that reached Winnipeg from
Southern Manitoba a few days ago
only four graded No. 1, the rest being
No. 4 or poorer. This means that
rust and smut and frost broke in
upon the dreams of Canadian wheat-
growers, as they have done now and
then upon those of farmers of pre
sumably less-favored localities. It also
means that, taken by and large, one
section of the great Pacific Northwest
does not differ greatly from another
in the grade of wheat produced.
Boundary lines do not figure to any
great extent in this matter.
Governor Hay, of Washington
shows a sense of Justice, as well as
of the fitness of things in his proposal
to add a Just proportion of women
who are electors in his state, to the
committees which will be appointed
to welcome President Taft at various
points in his Journey through Wash'
lngton next month. Since the women
of that state will, or may vote for
President Taft or his rival, as, the
case may be, at the Presidential elec
tion in November, 1912, there Is no
reason why representatives of this
voting class should be excluded from
any public political function or occa
sion in the state.
The sudden and unexplained end
ing of a young life of promise was
recorded in the death of J. Lloyd
Magness. Regarded from the stand
point of usefulness this death rep
resents waste; from the standpoint of
family affliction It represents a loss
that, cannot be computed, and from
the sudden blight of high hopes and
fair promise In the individual it
mocks at the philosophy of existence.
Such a loss is more than a personal
one and may well bo deplored by an
entire community.
The sickening slaughter of miners
In the cage of a Butte mine furnishes
the key to many a mine disaster.
Miners are so familiar with all kinds
of danger powder explosions, gas
explosions, falling rock, breaking ca
bles that they become as indiffer
ent as a veteran soldier is to artil
lery fire. These Butte miners broke
a rule made for their own safety.
even after they had been personally
warned, and were chopped to mince
meat, purely through their own reck
lessness. A man who marries his nurse is
pretty certain to get a good wife. He
has enjoyed the best of opportunities
to test her temper and endurance,
and knows a great deal more about
her than the ordinary bachelor ever
learns of his Intended bride. On the
other hand, a woman who can put up
with a man when he is sick ought to
find him a perfect angel when he is
well. On these grounds we predict
a blissful future for Mr. Keefe and
Miss Stone, of Los Angeles.
The large increase in the number
of corporation shares owned by small
Investors is coincident with a heavy
falling off in Wall-street trading.
There are not nearly so many
"lambs" as formerly, and a great
many more hard-headed Investors.
People are learning to buy securities
for an income Instead of rushing into
"get-rich-quick" schemes. America
has known for a-long time how to
make money. We are now learning
how to save it
A few years ago it was said that
there was nothing in prunegrowlng In
Oregon. Now we are told that more
than forty cars of green i. e., un
drled prunes will be shipped from
Salem to Sacramento by the Salem
Fruit Union this year under a guar
antee of $460 a car, with all the net
balance that the prunes will bring a
pick-up of something like $20,000 to
prunegrowers who have learned how
to handle the crop.
The disturbances made by aero
planes In the vicinity of London and
Paris have caused so -many protests
that a demand for a noiseless airship
will soon arise. Ia there any wonder
that the Spanish eagle attacked Ved-
rlne when it heard the hideous
whirring of his motor and propeller?
What a contrast between the silent
movements of the king of birds and
the ceaseless racket of man's imita
tion! Upton Sinclair's theory of "free
marriage" seems to lose some of Its
brilliant fascination In practice. He
is perfectly willing that other men's
wives should leave them for any pass
ing fancy, but when his own voyages
to other harems he is angry. The
shoe which pinches another man's
foot is far easier to stand than one
that pinches your own.
Representative Stanley ridicules E.
H. Gary's plan for Government con
trol of trusts, and says the only dif
ference between Gary and Victor Ber.
ger is that Gary doesn't know he Is
Socialist. There is another airrer-
ence Gary wants Government con
trol of trusts on the trusts' terms.
The Oregon onion crop was never
better. It represents intelligent,
painstaking Industry as applied to a
soil that responds generously to the
care of the husbandman.
With a long Winter in sight, the
coal bin to be filled, sugar going up
and other commodities on the teeter
board, arbitration Is the better course.
One of the common puzzles of city
life is how a man can appear on the
streets early Monday morning in an
intoxicated condition.
This richest country on earth will
keep Imitative nations poor by build
ing 40,000-ton battleships to handle
16-inch guns.
Could those who mourned the
wreck of the old wooden Tallapoosa
see the new battleships, Florida and
Utah, they would be comforted.
The men obliged to work yesterday
really enjoyed the discomfiture of
their friends who rested.
Mrs. Gotch thinks the champion is
all right, and Is proud of him.
At last the motorcycle maniacs are
to receive police attention.
This Is clearing weather for State
Fair week.
Gleanings of the Day
Efforts are to be made by the Audu
bon Societies to save from destruction
the flocks of wild doves which will
fly from the North Atlantic to the
Southern - States this Fall. Almost
every agricultural society is backing
them, for doves are heralded as the
greatest destroyers of weed seeds in
existence. Millions of doves are killed
by Southern Hunters every year -and
the Audubon are after the hunters.
That each wild dove can destroy more
weeds in a day than the most vigorous
farmhand equipped with a hoe, has
been demonstrated to farmers in vari
ous sections by investigations of the
Government Biological Survey. In the
stomachs of three doves, 23,100 seeds of
hawkweed, foxtail, wood-sorrel, pas
palum and other damaging growths
were discovered. They had been
plucked from the fields as one dinner
by each feathered weeder. Every day
in the year the doves take 64 per cent
of their food in weed seeds from farm
land. Much of the $500,000,000 that
the farmers of America pay each year
for labor might be saved by the nat
ural increase of the dove weed-killers,
it is argued. Tet in peanut and wheat
fields of the South as many as 4000 of
the birds are known to have been
butchered at a single shooting. Some
times they are lured by illegal baiting.
In Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma a fight
is being made by the farmers to have
them protected, while the people of
California have defeated an attempt to
abolish the closed season on shooting
them.
It is very amusing to see the way
in- which some New York papers are
frowning down upon the Presidential
candidacy of Woodrow Wilson, of New
Jersey, says the Boston Transcript
They are niacin? him in the same
category of disappointed hopes as Mr.
Bryan for the reason that he is espous
ing some of the progressive principles
for which they say Mr. Bryan ha
stood. Yet as a matter of fact Gov
ernor Wilson in coming out in favor
of the initiative, referendum, recall
and some of the other reforms that are
in practical and successful operation
in Western States is not following Mr.
Bryan at all. Mr. Bryan has never
been active in urging these
things. In fact Mr. Boyan's agi
tation for reforms has always
been in the direction of some tremen
dous cyclonic and National reform that
Is as unworkable as it Is fantastic
such as free silver or imperialism.
Governor Wilson is urging reforms
that are practical, have worked, and
he is conservative enough to go on
record as opposed to the recall of
Judges. If the New York papers wish
to defeat Mr. Wilson in his candidacy
for the Presidency they will have to
find some other weapon to use, be
cause it is Just his advocacy of these
progressive policies that are advancing
his cause throughout the United States.
No man can run successfully for Presi
dent on the platform that is built -by
the New York press.
The pekin-Kaigan Railway runs
from the capital of the Empire to the
chief city on the caravan route to Rus
ala, says the Railway Age-Gazette. It
is now 130 miles long and is being ex
tended. It was built from the surplus
earnings of the government-owned Im
perial railways of North China, and
from the first reconolssance to the
driving of the last spike no foreigner
had anything to do with its construc
tion. Today its operation is entirely
in the hands of the Chinese. That it
was built in spite of natural obstacles
to construction which foreign experts
declared were absolutely prohibitive
to any Chinese engineer and possibly
even to themselves, is a personal
triumph of no mean magnitude for the
chief engineer, Jeme-Tien-Yu. That it
was built at a cost almost witsout
parallel for similar construction at a
lower figure per mile even than some
of tle foreign-built roads on the level
floor of the Yangtse Valley is a
striking object lesson for Europe and
America, and will be a powerful
weapon for the Chinese in their con
tention for fairer terms in borrowing
foreign money. The road is now op
erating at a profit, so the directors of
the Imperial Railways of North China
have succeeded not only in providing
their government with a line that Is
strategically valuable, but with one
that earns a return on the money in
vested. From first to last from what
ever viewpoint it is regarded, the
Pekin-Kalgan line is a great triumph
for the Chinese. The name of Jerae-Tien-Yu
stands out above all others in
the record of the Pekin-Kalgan Rail
way, and his achievements in connection
with that enterprise alone are suffi
cient to have won him the undisputed
title of China's leading engineer. He
was one of a number of Chinese stu
dents who were sent to America about
1880 to receive university educations.
Jeme-Tlen-Yu was the only one who
undertook a oourse in engineering.
The islands of Naos, Flamenco, Cule-
bra and Perlco, In the Pacific Ocean
near the western end of the Panama
Canal, have been acquired by the United
States Government for the purpose of
using the Islands, by a series of con
necting embankments, to form a great
breakwater for the Paclflo end of the
"big ditch." The embankment from the
mainland to Naos, begun three years
ago. Is nearly ready. But for the em
bankments. It Is asserted, the canal
outlet would be menaced "with great
danger in case of storms, due to the
heavy currents off shore.' Canal engi
neers assert that these currents would
have had the further drawback of fill
ing in the canal mouth with the sedi
ment they carry In large quantities.
Culebra already Is in use as a quar
antine station. It Is expected that the
Islands will serve an additional purpose,
as the site for forts to protect the
L canal, but nothing has been given out
upon this point The destruction of the
embankment by a hostile force, while
it would prove a serious blow, could not
wall be accomplished hurriedly, and it
would take several years, or long
enough to rebuild It for the canal
mouth to fill up.
A new era has begun In the naviga
tion of the Missouri River. Beacon
lights have been placed by the Govern
ment at difficult points in the channel.
These beacons are merely large lamps
set on high poles and the Government
employs farmers In the neighborhood to
take ear of the lights and keep them
filled with olL
I. O VEX! ROVE RULING DENOUNCED
I Washington Writer Condemns Law-
Twisting; for Benefit of Criminals.
SOUTH BEND. Wash., Sept 3. (To
the Editor!) Should we throw the ten
tablets with the commandments to the
winds, lead a life of unblushing shame,
degenerate the white race and lower
our standard of morals beneath that
which led the Roman Empire to de
struction? Which is best: vice or
virtue? The latter beyond a doubt
In all civilized nations adultery Is a
crime it has been so since "the mem
ory of man runneth not to the con
trary." Mr. Hume wants some fitting
enquiries made in this case regarding
the Tazwell court decision and the
writer -of this commends it to the
bands of the grand Jury. The Oregon
law on this point is absurd.
The case involved- a clear violation
of the seventh commandment, but a
clsconcelved lawyer assured the Judge
that the Oregon law on adultery was
tied up, so the poor, deluded Judge
conceded the point and did not punish
the offenders. In this way he created
a new code of morals. He should have
punished them because public prudence
teaches us so, and because the welfare
of the people is the supreme law.
Speaking In a general way of Judges,
they should not be misguided in their
understanding by twisters of law, but
should, establish for themselves ex
amples of the best principles and live
up to the best precepts that are in
them, maintain virtue and what is
right. This should also apply to law
yers. Virtue is a necessity in every suc
cessful life; to acquire It our morals
must be pure and receive the support
of the law. Society should not suffer
the Infliction of a lot of flagitious
criminals, or a diseased class of de
praved animals turned loose on us by
weakness in wording the law. There
Is a large number of unscrupulous
lawyers who try to beat laws by
intrigue with the tainted and espouse
lawlessness by acquitting them. That
class of lawyers violate every known
moral law and would murder their
dearest friend for a penny. A parallel
case to that of the Tazwell court oc
curred In Cincinnati some 25 years
ago. A riot followed with death in
its frightful wake. From 20 to 30
lawyers and 6cores ot raise women
were driven out of that city by the
shotgun route. N. K L
AIRINGS FOR AGED AND INFIRM
Part on Home Inmate Asks Antolsta to
Show Generosity.
PATTON HOME, Sept. 4. (To the
Editor.) Some weeks ago a gentleman
came to the home for the purpose ot
consulting the authorities with refer.
enoe to the making of a bequest to
the home. In the absence of anyone
else, one of the Inmates seated on the
porch entered Into conversation with
him and In behalf of the many excel
lent women and men, too In the In
stitutlon who, by reason of bodny in
ftrmities are utterly unable to get
about unaided, suggested- that It would
be a very Christian act if some of these
citizens who possess automobiles or
carriages would, once in a while, offer
their less fortunate brothers and sis
ters a free ride and a breath of God's
fresh, air.
That's a good idea," answered the
well-groomed stranger. "My auto is
at present undergoing repairs and as
soon as it comes home I will put your
suggestion Into .effect"
From the fact that the automobile
has not yet shown up here I infer that
It is still at the "doctor's"!
Now are- there not In this city many
good people who, having automobiles
and carriages, need only this sugges
tion to cause them to turn them loose
In this direction? And will they
please, phone Woodlawn 1700, naming
tne nour or tneir arrival and the num
ber of persons they can accommodate.
so there need be no delay?
A scholarly gentleman at my elbow
reminds me that the automobile deal
ers of Portland have given the children
of some of our orphan homes an outing
and that possibly tjey might deal as
generously by the Inmates of the Pat-
ton Home. AN OLD ONE.
Work and Holidays.
BAKER. Or., Sept 2. (To the Edi
tor.) A. a merchant doing a general
dry goods and furnishing business in
this state, says that there is a law
that compels him to close his place
of business on a legal holiday L e.
Labor day, etc
B, an employe, says that A can keeD
his store open 24 hours every day in
the week. Sundays Included, providing
tnat tne law relating to the ten-hour
day for women Is In no way defied, and
women are not worked more than six
days in any one week.
SUBSCRIBER.
The statute Imposes no penalties for
working on legal holidays, such as
Labor day. The keeping open on Sun
day for the purpose of labor or traffic
of any store, shop, grocery, bowling
alley, billiard room, tipping house or
barber shop Is prohibited by law, but
this provision does not apply to thea
ters, drugstores, doctor shops, under
takers, livery stables, butchers or
bakers.
Tme American Way.
Pittsburg Post
"Father, the Duke has proposed and
we want to be married Immediately I"
'All right. Here's a check for your
million. Tell the Duke to step In and
I'll give him a dolar to get the license."
J. B. PUZZ1E.VAKER.
Oh, rarer than exotio flowers
From India, or Orinoco,
The weird ideas that bloom forth
In J. B., Jr.'s, subtle coco
Strange blooms of varied thought
anent
Togas and plans for President.
"Though from the camp Republican,"
Saith he, "lam. Indeed, no quitter.
Tue thought of Its upholding Taft
Is, to my tender palate, bitter."
But will those scruples have a place
Within his local toga chase?
How will the same constituents
Construe the statement he has
made, or
How can they figure out to cross
At once the zenith and the nadir.
And how be made to see each man
A typical Republican?
Sooth, he hath sprung some paradox.
If both should land upon the ticket,
To cause the simple voting man
To scratch a bit his hirsute thicket
When in the booth he comes to note
Both asking the same party's vote.
Methlnks 'twill take some maglo
charm
To reconcile these paradoxes.
If he would exorcise away
His Jonah from the voting boxes,
And make the voters see aright
The semblance 'twixt blaok and white.
Soon then he must, I have no doubt.
Begin' the voting people cramming
With abracadabral argument
And hyper-fancy algazamlng,
To show how he can whaok the fort
Of Taft yet claim the same support
Oh. stranger than the hlppogriff,
Or other things or ancient fable.
Is that new combination beast
That seeks the Grand Old Party's
stable
Is it plain mule, or elephant?
Name It yourself I By Jove, I can't!
Dean Collins.
Portland, September 4, 1911.
Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe
Copyright, lull, by Georga Matthew Adams.
Nothing makes a man feel more un
comfortable than to be unjust to a
friend.
You can make up a quarrel, but It
will always show where It was patched.
Do a creditable thing and nobody
cares much; but if there Is a "Joke" on
you. everybody will be interested at
once. .
It is about as much trouble to get
a girl ready to go away to school as It
is to get her ready to be married-
Every favorite should remember that
a rival la liable to appear at any time.
Is there a tradition that a barn must
be painted red? Ever sea a barn paint
ed any other color?
Nothing makes me so mad as for a
man I believe to be badly mistaken,
to say to me: "O, well, it's too bad
you are ignorant, and cannot recognize
the truth but I can't help it."
There are a number of disagreeable
things to step in. But did you ever
have experience with chewing gum? I
also hate to step on a cat
Occasionally a man finds his wife
looking in a certain queer way, and
when he asks: "What is the matter?"
she bursts into tears, and replies:
"Nothing."
Feel ashamed of all your misdeeds;
not only of those the people have
found out.
Brad's Bit o' Verse
(Copyright. 1911. bl W. D. Meng.)
We live in an age of hurry, ot
bustle and toll and sweat; but what
Is the use to worry, and why should
we fuss and fret? For never since
primal ages emerged from their fields
of ice has the world in its upward
stages been filled with so much ad
vice. You see it in all the papers, you
hear It upon the street, you get It
with curious capers from every friend
you meet; the trend of the latest fash
Ions, the nobbiest thing? to wear, the
size of the baby's rations, the cut of
old Rover's hair, the right way to
raise a gardon, the food that is bost
to eat, and (begging your humble par
don) how to caro for your hands and
feet- Oh, we live In an age of lec
tures, where they force us to hear and
learn; they hand us first aid conjec
tures no matter which way we turn;
they sit In the sweet seclusion, afar
from the madding crowd, and drive the
world to confusion by the noise of
their warnings loud. So why should
we fret and worry, and why should
we feel so blue, when everyone's in
a flurry from tolling us what to del
But I womler how people flourished,
and were able to exist before they
were fed and nourished on ' a dally
free guide grist.
Half a Century Ago
(From Tha Oregonian, September B. 1861.)
Messrs. E. D. Buchanan and M. Ped
dler, of this city, returned night be
fore last from the Oro Fino gold mines
by water In a small boat constructed
by them at Starr & Co.'s sawmill, re
cently erected in the Nez I'erce coun
try. The distance from Oro Fino to
this city, is some 480 miles and they
occupied about two weeks in making
the trip, Including portages.
A campmeetlng will be held t
Father Kelly's camp grounds, com
mencing tomorrow afternoon and con
tinuing over Sunday.
The steamer Cortes sailed yesterday
evening at 5 o'clock with $20,000 worth
of dust.
For a Cat Ranch In Umatilla.
Major Lee Moorhouse, the well
known photographer of Indian life at
Pendleton, is endeavoring to start a
cat ranch and in a recent issue of the
Live Wire prints the following pros
pectus: "I have not given up tho hope or in
teresting you in something worth
while and make you the following
proposition:
That we start and operate a cat
ranch in or near the city.
"We will have 1.000,000 cats to Btart
with, you to procure them; each will
average 13 kittens a year. The skins
run from 10 cents each for the white
ones to 75 cents for the pure blaok.
This will give us 12,000,000 skins a
vear to bpII at an avernge of 30 cents
apiece, making our revenue about $10.
000 a day gross. A man can skin SO
cats a day for 13. It will take 100
en to operate the ranch, and the net
profit will thus be $8800 a day.
"We will foed the cats on rats, and
will start a rat ranch next door. Rats
multiply four times as fast as cats, if
we start with 1,000,000 rats we will
have, therefore, four rats a day for
each cat which is plenty. We will feed
the rats on the carcasses of the cats
from which the skins have been taken.
giving each rat a fourth of a cat
"It will thus oe seen mat tne ousi-
ness will be self-acting and automatic
all the way through. The cats will
eat the rats and tho rats will eat the
cats."
Old Nicknames of Newspapers.
London Daily Chronicle.
Nicknames for newspapers have gone
out of favor. While the Times was
formerly "Granny" and afterward the
"Thunderer," the Morning Post used to
be known as "Jeames," that generic
name for flunkeys being attaohed tu
it In allusion to Its specialization on
society news. When the Morning
Herald and Standard had the same pro
prietor and to a large extent the earns
staff, and used to appeal to each
other as Independent authorities, they
were familiarly known as "Mrs. Har
ris" and "Mrs. Gamp." . The Morning
Advertiser, as the organ of the trade,
has at various times been dubbed the
"Barrel Organ," the "Tap Tub" and
the "Gin and Gospel Gazette." The
"Pink 'Un" scarcely counts as a nick
name, being officially adopted as an
alternative title for the Sporting
Times.
City Ownership In Charter.
PORTLAND, Sept. 4. (To the Ed
itor.) The Oregonlan reports that the
committee on municipal ownership of
the East Side charter commute recom
mends that the city have power to
construct and operate water-works,
eleotrlc lights, gas and power plants.
By specifying these. It may be in
ferred that the committee would ex
clude other important public utilities,
such as telephones and street railways.
The charter beln& fundamental should.
In my humble opinion, contain a pre
vision broad .enough to permit the city
to own and operate any and all public
utilities that the -people In their wis
dom may decree desirable.
L. J. DAVIS.
Vacation Complaint.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
"Had a queer complaint today."
said
the landlord.
"What about T'
"A guest said tho meals were ill
right but the -sunsets weren't up to
I expectations."
I