12
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PORTLAND. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. IS, 1911.
WET T8. DRY IN MAINE.
The deplorable feature of the .latest
bitter Maine contest over prohibition
Is that Its results are Inconclusive,
whether the official returns shall show
the state to have voted wet or dry.
The margin is very small. If the drys
have -won, they have achieved a poor
victory, for the most obvious conse
quence is that 60,000 people will have
undertaken to enforce their will as to
the sale and consumption of liquor
upon a vigorous protesting minority
of nearly 60,000. Sixty thousand can
not vote 120,000 dry in Maine or any
where else. The prohibition law will
be more than ever a mock and a bur
lesque. The towns voted wet and the coun
try dry in Maine. In other words,
the country has attempted to prevent
sale and use of liquor in the larger
centers of population. Experience
shows that it cannot be done. The
people of Maine know it and show it
in increasing numbers. A tie vote on
prohibition is a mighty change from
the 46,000 dry majority in 1884. It
would seem that many had changed
their minds more probably than
have admitted it by their votes.
Why do many people vote dry who
know " that state prohibition Is not
practicable? It is a puzzle. Some,
no doubt probably many vote
against their own Judgment to ease
their conscience, which will not per
mit them to align themselves with
the saloons. Yet they bring into be
ing an institution infinitely worse than
the saloon the blind pig, run by the
lawless and criminal rum - seller.
Others think that a poor law is bet
ter than no prohibitory law. Others
think i a moral question admitting of
no compromise. Tet there is noth
ing intrinsically Immoral in either the
use or sale of liquor.
If Maine should be able to get out
from under the blight of an ineffec
tive constitutional prohibition, and
enact a practicable local option law,
it would give the authority of law and
of a reasonable popular sentiment to
real prohibition for communities that
want it, and official and honest regu
lation of liquor-selling for communi
ties that do not want prohibition and
will not have it. How can the cause
of temperance be better, or so well,
promoted?
AS THE "HEATHEN" SEE 18.
Mr.. Saint Nihal Singh, . a well
known Hindu Journalist, traveler and
contributor to London newspapers,
writes of Americans most unflatter
ingly. "A stranger meets with im
pudent notice in the United States,"
he says. By strangers he means
Asiatics since in his scathing criti
cism of American manners he men
tions onlr his own countrymen and
the Chinese as "strangers" to be sin
gled out, stared at or hooted as they
pass along the streets.
Upon landing on the Pacific Coast
of the United States he complains
that he was followed by boys and
girls In droves along the sidewalks,
"yelling, screaming and calling him
ail manner of names." As he was
bearded he was advised by these un
disciplined young Americans "to get
a shave;" he was told to "skidoo,"
and greeted with shouts of "23 for
you." Being only a heathen, albeit
a pundit of high degree, he did not
understand the meaning of these Im
pudent words and phrases, tuit he
subsequently learned that they meant
"get-ye-gone." ' This information In
spired Mr. Singh to write as follows:
Get ye gone! That was. the welcome
America cave me when I landed on the
continent: but that was not the last of that
kind of welcome that the people of the
Unlted States were to accord me during
my extended sojourn In the land or the
Stars and Stripe. Tha very first impression-
I formed of America was its rude
ness to strangers of different appearance
from the citizen of the land. The vcry
first conclusion I arrived at In the Vnl
ted States was the fact that I would have
to put up wlUi a great deal of Impertinent
notice. It was providential that the very
first day of my arrival on the continent, I
registered a vow not to permit myself to
be tormented by the ungentlemanly. and lol
tha ungentlewomanly attention paid to my
brown visage and raven-black hair; for had
1 allowed myself to be dlsoomfortad
by American rudeness. I certainly would
have seen the Inside of a lunatic asylum
within the first six months of my residence
In the United States.
Specifying further of the ignorance
and rudeness with which he -was
treated in this land of the free, this
eminent Journalist tells of a woman
who mistook -his turban for a surgical
bandage and asked him the nature
of the accident that had befallen him.
Another an "oldish woman" -brought
a wet towel and .rubbed his
forehead in the attempt to "cub off
the brownish black stain."
After further rehearsal of his in
dignities which he suffered wherever
he went, Mr. Singh, charitably and in
a Christian spirit which is supposed
to be quite foreign to the heathen
breast, cvoncludes that "refinement
cannot be expected In men and wo
men whose parents were backwoods
people, cut off from communication
with old civilizations, engaged in
rudimentary farming In a fierce
struggle with nature, and who them
selves have no time for anything else
save chasing madly after the al
mighty dollar." He adds: "When
Americans have a little leisure and
some .inclination to be Introspective
they will doubtless outgrow their
burly manner oul am ueiuro.
We rise from a perusal of the esti
mate that is placed upon Americans
vby this proud representative of an
older civilization, profoundly thankful
that there is some hope for us as a
people though the 'leisure' neces
sary to bring about a reformation in
our burly manners is not yet In sight.
. Humbly we must admit the truth of
the ill-manners of our boys and girls j
as displayed toward the Asiatics who I
tnii ,,nnn mir shores: the ungentle- I
" . . . i i
womanliness of the attempt to ruu
away the racial stain upon the pun
dit's forehead with a wet towel; the
Ignorance that mistook his turban
for a surgical bandage and the "male
nonchalance" with which any opinion
that is not original in America was
Of course, we cannot be expected
to plead guilty to all the sins or omis
sion and commission with which this
learned Hindu charges us, but we
cannot ignore the fact that Asiatics
are treated, at least upon the Pacific
Coast, in most unmannerly fashion,
and that our children, reflecting the
temper of their elders, treated the
dignified scholar from the Far East
with scoffing and derision that ill be
o, ,h r-hiiriron of a people that
has spent millions of dollars in the .
attempt to educate "the neatneji i"
manners and morals. But we are
duly grateful for the possibility, as
suggested, that when our civilization
Is older we will know more.
TIIE TWO CHARTER COMMISSIONS.
The propasal to harmonize the work
of the two charter commissions should
receive respectful consideration, from
both bodies. It has been made with
the greatest sincerity, and with no
other purpose than to promote the
success of commission government in
Portland. Everybody can see for
himself that two oposing charters are
likely to defeat each other. The vote
which favors commission government
will be divided between them, while
the vote which is hostile to the plan
will be cast solidly against both. The
result cannot be doubtful. The com
peting charters will be rejected and
the city will continue under its present
defective system.
Harmony between the two commis
sions does not appear to be impossible
by any means. There ls agreement to
begin with upon a number of funda
mental points. Each board hag fixed
upon five commissioners. The sal
aries are not very far apart and the
terms of office and elections are about
the same. This furnishes an excellent
basis for consultation and possible
compromise.
It is fair and right that the people
of Portland should have an opportu
nity to vote upon the question of a
commission government pure and sim
ple. This 13 more important than any
of the other questions which have
been discussed by the respective
boards, and if It is not carried at the
election, all the rest will be of no con
sequence. OONM'IriAn f-S AMONG THE STATES.
The Medford Mall-Tribune ought to
be happy. It has succeeded In Inveig
ling The Oregonian into a discussion
of its fantastic and impossible scheme
for railway-rate regulation through
the initiative with much consequent
free advertising for the Medford pa
per. It makes no difference to the
Mall-Tribune, of course, that the en
terprising and entirely sane people of
Medford are likewise being widely ad
vertised as being behind an absurd
and preposterous proposal, for rail
way rate-making by the initiative Is
the very last word in legislative de
mentia. The people of Medford can
of course approve no such-thing. That
traffic bureau must be either a myth
or a Joke.
The Medford paper now has a double-column
editorial page article on
the rate situation'in Oregon. It is a
great deal longer than it is wise. Its
quality may be Judged from Its cita
'tlon of the Federal Constitution as
expressly prohibiting conferences be
tween the state railway commissions
and the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. This from the Mail-Tribune:
What does the Federal Constitution say
about this? Why. this: "No state shall
enter into any treaty alliance or .confedera.
tlon and no state shall, without -the consent
of Congress, enter Into any agreement or
compact with another state." According to
the columns of The Oregonian such a con
ference has taken place, and this Is with
out the consent of congress, as Congress ha
not given such right to the Interstate Com
merce Commission, who must determine the
reasonableness of freight rates -rafter full
hearing upon a complaint" either by a com
plainant or upon its own motion, and not
bv "executive session." a In the case of the
reported rate conference referred to by The
Oregonian. Treason Is defined In the Con
stitution as "adhering to their enemies, giv
ing them aid and comfort," and is not such
"executive sessions." as commended by The
Oregonian. as ends to fixing reasonable
freight rates in enmity to the United States,
therefore treasonable?
All this is outright idiocy. If there
is the slightest sense in or validity to
this extraordinary assumption that
the states have no right to confer
through their delegations or commis
sions, the House of Governors, in ses
sion in New Jersey, is a conspiring
board of traitors, the Pacific Highway
Commission a company of outlaws
and the Legislatures of Oregon and
Washington, which pasesd uniform
fish laws, a body two bodies of
enemies of their country.
WtTS THE DEATH PENAXTTf
The Oregonian and Mr. Kern, who
writes from Cottage Grove, ought to
have no great difficulty about agree
ing on the question of capital punish
ment. Mr. Kern Is kind enough to
say that he finds his views In har
mony with much The Oregonian says.
That is pleasant and not unmerited,
we think. The Oregonian Is glad to
say that It Is in entire harmony with
much that Mr. Kern says.
But The Oregonian will venture to
suggest to Mr.' Kem that he read
again the article which he criticises;
then we rather think he may coincide
with all The Oregonian says. The
Oregonian did not. and does -not, in
sist upon capital punishment for all
murderers, as Mr. Kem appears to
think. It did not in that article make
any argument for capital punishment.
On the contrary, it expressly based its
nhivptinn to ' the commutation of
Webb's sentence on the - everlasting
meddling" with the course or justice
by sentimental Governors and techni
cal courts.
The Oregonian would not have its
correspondent thus to Understand that
it does not favor capital punishment.
It thinks there should be a death pen
alty for crimes of peculiar atrocity
and calculated horror, or of treason
able significance and National conse
quence. It is not easy for The Ore
gonian to concede that anything less
than the death penalty should have
been inflicted on John Wilkes Booth,
or Gulteau, -or Czolgosz; and It feels
that not the slightest hesitation
should be manifested or expressed
about the ' extermination of such
monsters as the murderers of little
Barbara Holzman, or the Hill family,
or Mrs. Wehrman and her Innocent
child.
It would be well, we think, to leave
to the courts the Jury the deter
mination of the punishment for mur
der in the first degree. Some states
give the Jury that finds the murderer
MORNING OREGOXIAN. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. 1911.
TIIE
guilty the option of saying whether
he shall die or go to prison for life.
Who so well qualified to aeienmuo
the special circumstances of a crime,
and the exact accountability of the
homicide, as the men who try him?
If Mr. Kem will examine the
wlrTa Almanac (tia.ee 342) he will
find the statistics for which he asks.
There is a shocking disparity between
the percentages of murderers convict
ed In the United SUftes and on the Eu
ropean continent. In Germany the
convictions average 95 per cent; in
the United States 1.3 per cent. What
can have made this awful difference
but the universal tenderness in this
country for the murderer, the toler
ance of the courts for the tricks, shifts
and evasions of lawyers, and the gen
eral public tolerance of such toler
ance? If the United States could
achieve a record of 95 per cent of
convictions in homicide trials, there
.i.i i vnstlv fewer murders.
whether the penalty were death or
mere imprisonment.
IMMIGRATION NOW AND FIFTY TEARS
AGO.
Immigration was the topic of The
Oregonian fifty years ago, as it is to
day. The Oregonian told or aa-
vanced parties of emigrants arrivms
at The Dalles and said they had not
been so far troubled by Indians. A
large body of immigrants was then
coming west under military escort and
was expected in the Willamette Val
ley some time in October. The arti
cle says further:
Ainnma that some will Stop On the
east lde of the mountains. There 1 some
good farming country, ooin m
Territory and Oregon, east of the Cascades.
' . .v. Min.. wtii hrlne farmers
las opeuuiB ..,..- ... ,
east of the mountains a good market. . . .
We suppose me largest yl
grants will come to this valley. They can
make themselves more comfortable here lor
the Winter than In any other part of this
Coast. Provisions are cheap, good and
plenty, and the emigrant can And employ
ment. Most of them should push up Into
the valley. They will find cabins and houses
where they can stay for the Winter make
themselves comfortable, and then look round
and see what they best can do to further
their design in coming here. Farms can
be bought cheap: wild lands can be had
from S3 to S7 an acre. If purchasers should
appear, the great claims whloh Injure the
country can be bought up and divided
among Industrious beginners a thing we
should be very glad to see. . . - The
mania for mining, which carries off old
settlers to the mines, will give an oppor
tunity to. rent farms to advantage or buy
them. . , - , ,
Wo caution our emigrants from indulging
too much in the picture that fancy has
painted on thelrmind In regard to the ap
pearance of this valley and the Improve
ment of the country. We certainly have
a 1 1 ntimat excellent timber.
WU MTUO, ...... '
water and a great many other advantages.
but we require laoor to u,o,u,
of Oregon.
Th arir-i erne on to say the Wil
lamette Valley can furnish homes for
200,000, but has only 3,oou. it tens
v. nnontntr fnr Immigrants in
Ul t"0
Washington Territory and Incidentally
mentions that there is only one saw
and flour m ill In the Gray's Harbor
country, and that on the Chehalls.'
Though conditions have changed
nmnrirftiiiv in tiftv vears. thev are the
same in two respects that labor is
essentlai to success snu
holdings of land need to be broken
up into small ones. The population
of the Willamette Valley has far sur
passed the estimate of 200,000 which
it would support, and now we have
raised the figure to 5,000,000 as the
possible population. In another fifty
years it may have passed 6,000,000
and a new limit far beyond that fig
ure may have been set.
A FOOLISH CONTROVERSY.
A regrettable difference has arisen
between Governor Cole L.. Blease, of
South Carolina, and our highly es
teemed contemporary, the New Tork
Times. The fons .et origo ot tne
trouble seems to have been some sen
timents to which Governor Blease
gave utterance In an address before
the state convention of Confederate
Veterans at Columbia. It was this
city, the reader will remember, which
burst into flames one night when
Sherman was on his march northward
from the penetration of the South, and
there has been controversy ever since
as to who started the conflagration.
Some say the Confederates set fire to
the town for reasons similar to those
which made the Russians burn Mos
cow when Napoleon was in Winter
quarters there. Great quantities of
cotton were amassed at Columbia
which it was feared might fall into
the hands of the hated Yankees.
Hence there was a motive for kindling
the fire, but it may not have been suf
ficient to induce any of the. Confeder
ates actually to apply the torch. The
other story is that Sherman's troops
burned Columbia either under orders
from their officers or because they
wished to vent their passionate ani
mosity against the city and the state
of which it was the capital.
We dare say the controversy will
never be settled. ' The event happened
a long time ago. As the Times re
marks, the city has been rebuilt in
much better style than it ever knew
before the war, and Its inhabitants are
thrilvng, partly by the aid of North
ern capital. A In these circumstances
it seemslike a work of superfluity to
revive the old dispute and seek to ex
cite the fierce old passions. But Gov
ernor Blease belongs to a class of men
who thrive on dead disputes and fat
ten . on animosities which more civil
ized persons wish to see buried fath
oms deep. Southern politics has
passed through several interesting
stages since the close of the war. Im
mediately following Lincoln's death
there was what amounted to an at
tempt to enslave .the blacks again by
indirect methods. Then came recon
struction, whose barbaric reign of
thievery was only brought to an end
by the more savage barbarism of the
Ku Klux Klan, combined with a grow,
lng inclination to Justice and, common
sense in the North. With the final
mithirjiiial of the Federal troops by
President Hayes the South began a
new life. The consequences or the
war were frankly accepted by the nat
ural leaders, who tried to turn the
people into the almost forgotten paths
of peaceful industry.
These natural leaders were the
members of the old Southern families
who had been slaveholders, owners of
large plantations and foremost in poli
tics up to the end of the war. But
they were not to have their will with
out opposition. In antagonism to
them arose a new set of leaders of a
far more demagogic and less admira
ble type. These were men of the Till
man, Vardaman, Jeff Davis and Blease
variety. Originating from the "poor
white" "class, they detested the old
aristocracy and appealed to the baser
passions of the ignorant whites for
support. The men of. the best fami
lies were never vindictive toward the
negroes. The Vardamans and Bleases
made negrophobla the foundation of
their statesmanship. If It can be called
by that name. Race hatred was their
one and only theme. Everlastingly
and continually they have yawped
about the danger of "social equality," I
the evils of "miscegenation," the pros-
pect that the daughters of the whites 1
would be forced to wed negroes, and
so on through the whole miserable
catalogue of false apprehensions in-
tenaea to aeceive. tace naireu
race pride have responded to their
wretched appeals, as might have been
expected. When a poor white has
nothing else to be proud of. you can
always win his heart by talking about
"the great white race" of which he is
such a lovely sample. It is this kind :
of rubbish which has made Tillman,
Vardaman and Jeff Davis Senators.
Blease expects it to serve him in
South Carolina as well as it did Till
man. Mingled with Blease's hatred of the
blacks is an equal hatred for the
"Yankees," though policy compels him
to keep the latter under, a more or
less decent veiL At a meeting of Con
federate veterans he could permit it to
appear In the form of a half-forgotten
accusation against Sherman and his
troops, in the hope that It would win
votes for him without exciting much
contempt. In the course 6f his ad
dress Governor - Blease took occasion
to berate Sherman for all the havoc
his soldiers wrought on their march
through the South. Such talK is non
through the South, sucn taia is non-
sense. Sherman was waging war, not
i ii,v. 1,- 4.it atiil wnr
n.iHntr'Q To.rTn Vioriv visit, and war
- -J . -
means devastation. His declared
purpose", approved by Lincoln, was to
tear the heart out of the Confederacy,
and he did It. To execute his mis
sion he necessarily destroyed property
and deprived a great many people of
their means of subsistence. But' his
mercllessness was the truest mercy.
Inasmuch as It brought the war to a
close, or helped materially to do so.
The Southern Brigadiers had taught
their dupes tne aecepuvo wtictum
that war could be waged without loss
. Mr ; en.
or property or suu-emis,
row. Sherman taught the pitiful truth
of the matter.
Rnr m w have said, all that was
half a century ago. "he past is past.
Why continue to harp upon it and tear
nn,n tha Vioolinc -nrotinds? Let "Old..
far-off, forgotten things and battles
long ago have their place m poetry
and history, but there is no reason
in the world why neighbors should for
ever wrangle over them. Let the dead
past bury its dead.
Senator Bailey will return to Texas
a sadly disappointed man.- xxis aaiiii-
atfons7 to thP? Democratic leadership
were blighted at the last regular ses-
sion, even if they had not already
been destroyed Dy tne taint oi omuu-
ard Oil. He was out of harmony with
. ... v, oif anA iiio f-riam-
His renewed attempts to unt aim- ;-;,'"D i ti, law of this state per
self 'at the regular session failed for aoter. u holding the ofrice of
he was turned down as to the Lortmer
inquiry ana was given uic,i.s
down by John Sharp Williams which
mortlfled him deeply. He sees that
the Democrats refuse to follow him
and that they are inclined to turn to
WIC. .
tvi2 miiint Miasissinrjlan as a Moses
though Williams In the eyes of the
though Williams in tne ej i
Senate is but a youngster. Therefore
Rniiov -r-111 eo to New York and con-
Bailey will go to wew lorn auu tun-
sole himself with fat Jaw lees ior nis
obscurity
Tne prediction mat tne f"" ""
would bring hoarded money to light
...m. tn ho vprtfipri In Portland. Moldy
coins from damp hiding places are
flowing In. Perhaps if the $600 limit
were raised a little the effect would be
more noticeable. In time the present
restrictions will be eased up perhaps
and the banks will become as useful
as they are In England. But, after
all, postal banks are a minor affair.
They afford a grain or two of comfort,
but the parcels post ls what we really
need.
The .easy virtue of his parishioners
has compelled the minister who mar
ried Astor and Miss Force to leave
his pulpit. The righteousness which
consists in condemning other people
is facile and cheap. Persecution lends
it a shade of meanness which it might
otherwise lack. Dozens of men more
wicked than Astor are married every
day by ministers, but since they are
too inconspicuous to shed notoriety on
their critics, no clamor arises.
Confidence in Uncle Sam as a bank
er was exemplified both in this city
and Seattle by the eagerness with
which depositors sought the security
and benefits of the postal savings
bank. Our venerable Uncle is the one
custodian of savings who is not In the
least influenced -by hard times and
who is superior to the wiles of de
faulting bank presidents and cashiers.
If United States soldiers obey or
ders given in a tone of military com
mand without knowing the giver has
authority, they may find themselves in
the ridiculous position of the German
troops who meekly obeyed the orders
of a burglar to march away while he
robbed a whole town.
Anxiety of children to learn trades
is a good sign of the times. A trade
at one's fingers' ends is always a good
thing to have, whether it is followed
or not. .
Germany proposes that France do
all the hard work of subduing and
governing Morocco and let her reap
most of the harvest. Germany was
never noted for her modesty.
In getting rid of his wife by di
vorce rather than hatchet, a Chicago
Chinaman shows the merit of Chris
tian Influence. :
It .might be advisable for the soci
ety raj;n and women to open a card
index of their ex-husbands and wives.
Real estate sales of business cor
ners In. Portland at $250,000 show
there is life in the Pacific Northwest.
When even lcw J. wi r. uaia mo iJiii
ford moving pictures, they must be fit
subjects lor a moral oiauiiecca.ru.
J .
Why talk against child marriage in
" , , T
India when a Georgia woman ia
grandmother of three at 307
Fall weather has begun early, but
cheer up; Indian Summer may be so
much, longer when it comes.
Plans for a city beautiful would
better contain a scheme or portable
roofs ror rreaay weatner.
... , .
Well, the rams win maae tne grass
SOoTand the stock will be fat,
"we 11 all have money.
Late figures indicate that Maine will
continue to be the "wettest" dry state
In the Unlon-
lis DEATH PENALTY WARRANTED
Mr Kem Doubts It, and Wants to Be
' shown.
pottage GROVE. Or., Sept. 11.
jfha T Editor.) I have Just read
wlth mucn interest The Oregonian's
reDiy to Humanitarian, relative to the
pardoning oi jesae -
ernor. If certain things you allege are
true I agree wlth you
The Oregon an ays.. ThOr
f nne "f hanging Webb; it does
nQt want any one hanged. But It Is
sure that certain and swift punish-
ment of murder and of all Brartor"
lenses is a oeierreui
protection to society."
The sole purpose of the law is to
protect life and property. In order to
protect life the law should hesitate
at nothing that will accomplish that
end. If the hanging of a murderer
will protect society, then, without ques
tion, murderers should be hanged.
But does it? The Oregonian seems
to be sure that it does. It evidently
has facts and figures upon which to
base such a positive conclusion about
so grave a matter. I have never been
able yet to secure statistics that con
vinced me that the hanging of mur
j - u .... t rr .vpn anv. saie-
Ucrera ' as wie u----i w.
guard to society. However, I am open I
to conviction. If The Oregonian nas
evidence showing conclusively that
murder is more prevalent in states that
have aoousnea uiAyiu ; -
... .1. a. r ha nOflf n
than in those that still visit tne uei
penalty, I, with thousands of others
T,,,,-lrl Hto to have it. and The Ore-
would like to have it, and The Ore
gonian would be doing -the public a
real favor by publishing It.
Again, you say, "The consequences
of manslaughter ought to be sure and
terrible; there would then be as little
homicide in America as there is in
England and Germany."
Will you kindly give through- The
Oregonian the number of capital ot
fenses, per capita, committed in Eng
land and Germany and the number
punished bv death, also the same in
the United States? ,
j agree with mucn oi tne tsunuw
article and with more information
I m.ltV, all nf it
I agree with much or tne eauoruu
may agree -wim ,r -rrr,
GRANDSTAND PLAY BY GOVEJRNOR
Swedish Correspondent Condemns Com
motatton of Webb Sentence.
PORTLAND, Sept. 11. (To the Edi
tor.) I have read The Oregonian edi
torial comment on the late action of
the Governor of this state, Oswald
West, in commuting Murderer Webbs
sentence at the last moment to prison
Instead of permitting the law to be
carried out First I want to assure
The Oregonian that every good citizen
u. """" , , ,.
j TtJ can
of this state agrees witn nm
who ls temporarily holding
the offlce of Governor avail himself of
tnS grandstand play and set asioe mo
verdict of the courts and Juries of this
I trinViiir cniiE-hten many of your
CtA1dVi roaArn on the laW Of thlS
, I .t.t, in urimm Instances of this char-
Governor to make t a mockery of the
verdict of courts and juries anu to wait
untu the last moment to attract at-
tention dramatically to himself by set-
ting aside the righteous Judgment pro-
Bounced
and jury and shielding him from paying
the penalty ror nis aiirutiuua i.n.c.
Ad now iisten to the explanation
and reason given by Governor Oswald
w fnr interfering with the law and
west for interfering wun tne ia.w aim
justice In this case: e aia it on o-
I ,,t anneals made to him by his
count of appeals made to him by his
little daughter, and he further adds
Ll.i.w th, nooniA of this state dis
approve of his action they must maae
tne)r COmplalnt to his daughter. What
I . n-io-ht t-intesmnnllke utterance this.
No man, ever aeservea biiiis iu .
gallows more than this murderer, Webb.
The crime which he committed In the
City of Portland, and County of Mult
nomah, cries to heaven for vengeance.
Can the public conceive of a more
diabolical crime than the one com
mitted by this same murderer who has
been spared from paying the penalty.
Poor Johnson, lured to a room, plied
with liquor, murdered, cut up and his
body packed in a trunk, and carted to
the depot to be shipped away, to avoid
detection. This is the foul crime com
mitted by Webb for the $1600 that
poor Johnson possessed and which, rep
resented his life savings. For this
crime Webb was sentenced to be hanged
and rightly so after trials which cost
the taxpayers of this county many
thousands of dollars, but West, the
Governor, . steps in and prevents this
murderer from paying the penalty. Has
he by law a right to do this? We ask
The Oregonian to publish this letter
and answer this question, and oblige
many of its Swedish readers.
Kindly answer also in your paper
when the term of office of Oswald
West expires as Governor of this state.
ALFRED PETERSON.
The Governor has the legal right to
commute the sentence of a murderer
no matter how atrocious - his crime.
Governor West's term of office expires
January 11, 1915.
Election Rlshts of Convicts.
WOODBURN. Or., Sept. 10. (To the
Editor.) Please answer these ques
tions: SUBSCRIBER.
Has a convict on parole the right to
vote at the city election?
No.
Has a convict who has been pardoned
without having his citizenship rights
restored, the right to vote on any muni
cipal law? '
Yes, unless the pardon shows on its
face that It does not restore his voting
right. m . .
If complaint is made against such
convict's registering, should the com
plaint be made against Che registrar
also?
If there ls objection to his register
ing, it should be made to the County
Clerk.
TVatn Snltleet to Lien.
PORTLAND. Sept 10. (To the ErH'
tor.) Please answer mo iuuuwm6
questions In The Oregonian.
OLD SUBSCRD3ER.
Can a man driving and tending to a
team take a lien on or attach the team
to collect wages overdue, provided said
team has already been mortgaged by
another party?
Jn order to collect the wages he can
attach It subject to the mortgage, the
same as any other kind of personal
property can be attached.
Is there.any military organization or
society known as veterans of foreign
service, or veterans of Philippine serv
ice in Portland?
menj 1 J .
Veterans and Order of the Carabou.
There are the United spanisn war
i
I T.ntiA Grant Anneal.
PORTLAND. Sept JO- (To the Edl-
tori Please state whether or not the
tor. I Jf... .a ,nn(1 .nt caaa haB
wr.i DO .
Oregon-California land grant case has
been appealed it so, to wnai ram i.
SUBSCRIBER.
The case has not been appealed, but
probably will be after It comes to trial.
The a P. Company filed Its answer laBt
I week.
Many Kinds of Lsod Scrip.
, n . , -k-,- 11 ITn rhA 7TH ( .
i , v -Diaae., atnta whn.t use can he
i wr.j " . , j i r7,i
tB35tittZ
land scrip by paying for it with cash?
SUBSCRIBER
What kind of land scrip? There are
probably 100 kinds.
VERY soon F. Hopkinson Smith, au
thor, artist and the engineer who
built a Government lighthouse ana iw
sea walls, and the foundation for the
Bartholdi statue of liberty, will cele
brate his 73d birthday. He has again
come into .the limelight Just now. as
the author or a iirsim u IXiZ-i,
the South. "Kennedy Square." in which
he pictures the South of 60 years ago
Baltimore of his boyhood. He ,
r" j.h. ,h tmosohere
Has caugni very " ' 1
of Southern gentility, and has a more 1
than interesting u ; .
character remarkable for his strength
being the hero's uncle, St. George Wil
mot Temple. It ls refreshing to read
of tha delightful relations existing be
tween the oid-fashloned bachelor Tem
ple and a nephew whom he practically
adopts as his own son. Together they
read the poems of Edgar Allan Poe,
Ind entertain the poet-who is drunk
TemiVie'sr'bank fails, and he is com
.. . .ih iii favorite hunt-
pelleu co pan. -7- - .
ins guns. he family loving cup and
his dogs. This latter scene has . real
nobility in it:
bounding- o,li- naws scrap-
his lap Dig J-"--J .n a. row
to the carpet. -
lowing his evory movement.
Tnriri savs you eat too mucn, uu " "
rascals"' Temple cried lu enforced sayety.
leanTne fofwJrd shaking his finger in their
faces. B "What the devil do you e":0
inic into a. gentleman's private aP"tments
and eating him out of house and homel
and that's what you re u '"-,; '"no J- to
; mLT8a'i that's what you deserve:
to aea. fc Fl0e you dear old dog
gie you nice Floe! . . . Here. Dd
flupert Sue!" They were all In his arms,
their cold nose, snuggled under his warm
chin. But this time he dldn t car e w oat
they did lo his clothes nor what he did to
them. He was alone Todd had gone down
to the kitchen only he and 'he four com
ianlons so dear to his heart. "Come here,
you imp of the devil." he continued rubbing
FloV. ears-he loved her bet-Pinn her
nose until her teeth showed patting her
flanks, crooning over her as a.,wma.0"?
over a child, talking to himself all the time.
Anthony Hope, whose latest novel.
"Mrs Maxon Protests," was published
last May, has returned to London from
a tour of the Continent. This month
he goes to Overstrand, where he has a
small house, and will occupy it with his
family for the next two weeks.
Anne Warner French, of St. Paul,
Minn., who ls preparing to take up her
permanent residence with her family
in England, has written a love romance
called "When Woman Proposes,"
which will be brought out with col
ored Illustrations and decorated text
pages for the approaching holidays.
Anne Warner's best known book ls
"The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary."
Margaret Deland'is in the heart of
the Maine woods, and will not leave
camp life for her Boston home until
after her new novel, "The Iron Wo
man." is published.
In less than three months since its
publication, Henry S. Harrison's novel,
"Queen," haa reached 60,000 copies, al
though it is the first book by this
author and has had to sell on its own
merits.
Wells Hastings is an example of the
business man in literature. He ls di
rector in four manufacturing compa
nies. He wrote in collaboration with
Brian Hooker, his classmate at Yaie,
"The Professor's Mystery," one of the
fictional successes of the spring season.
Another mystery story, the exclusive
work of his pen, will probably be ready
for publication late In the. FalL
"So you have had a long siege of
nervous prostration? she said to the
haggard author. "What caused it?
Overwork?"
"In a way, yes," he answered weakly.
"I tried to do a novel with a Robert
W. Chambers hero and a Mary E. Wil
kins heroine." Life. '
"Which would you rather be, a poet
or a musician?" "A poet. People aren't
so liable to be disturbed while you are
practicing." Washington Star.
,,
Jeffery Farnol, author of "The Broad
Highway," 'is at work at his home in
Kent, England, on a new novel, but this
probably will not be ready for book
publication until the autumn of 1912
and it must appear serially in some
American maganine.
William Dean Howells is dividing his
vacation between Kittery Point, Me.,
and Europe. He expects to reach Spain
a country he has not visited for years.
"A Living Without a Boss," by an
anonymous author, is brought out this
week by the Harpers. It is a message
of hope for the unsuccessful profession
al man growing old in the city, with
the fear of the future always before
his eyes. The book is a human docu
ment of the experiences of a man who
left behind him the slavery of a city
life. His trained mind found over
looked opportunities in the country,
where his activities, met with little
competition. The author points out in
a helpful, practical manner paths to
independent living in the country.
Howard Pyle is in Florence, where
he exoects to remain several months,
devoting most of his time to writing
rather than painting. He ls engaged
upon a series for "Harper's Magazine,"
which he will illustrate.
Hundreds of children have writte
'to Mrs. Burnett expressing their appre
ciation of "Little Lord Fauntleroy," but
she says that she has never before re
ceived so many letters regarding a
book as are now coming to her In re
gard to "The Secret Garden." These
letters began with the first install
ment of the serial In a monthly maga
zine ahd have continued in an unin
terrupted stream. A few of them are
the usual crank letters, but most are
from children, full of artless enthus
iasm, while a considerable percente
comes from adults who like the opti
mistic thought of the book.
The fifth anniversary of Garibaldi's
entrance into Rome falling September
20. it is hoped to bring out by that
date the concluding volume of George
Macaulay Trevelyarr"s biography of the
great Italian liberator.
Sir Arthur Clay, Bart., has completed
"Syndicalism and Labor in Europe and
the United Kingdom." The object of
the book ls to ascertain what effect
"Syndicalism" (the French doctrine of
the general strike) is likely to have
upon labor disputes in England.
William F. Kirk, a New York news
paperman, the poet laureate of those
famous aggregations of baseball play
ers known as "Giants" and Yankees,"
has prepared a volume of poems and
imitation poems based upon baseball
life that will be found highly amusing
by devotees of the National game. The
volume, which bears the exciting title.
"Right Off the Bat," is illustrated by
H. B. Martin, an associate of Mr. Kirk
in his newspaper work, as well as in
this literary venture. The book is ded
icated to John McGraw, "the school
master of baseball."
William De Morgan's forthcoming
novel, which has been announced as
"Blanca." will appear next month un
der the title ol "A Likely Story."
VEHICLE LAWS ARB CRITICISED
Contempt Proeeedln.? Not Inspired Br
Enemies of Administration.
PORTLAND. Or., Sept. 11. (To the
Editor.) It has been suggested that
the recent -contempt proceeding grow
ing out of the enforcement of the ve
hicle ordinance, which involved three
of the city officials, was brought about
by enemies of the present administra
tion. Inasmuch, as the writer was one
of the attorneys in the attack on the
ordinance and who instituted the con
tempt proceeding, he knows such a con"
tention to be erroneous and absurd and
serves only to prevent the responsibil
ity for the city's troubles from settling;
where it should.
The merchants who operate free de
livery wagons for the benefit of the
publlo have fought these ordinances be.
cause they have uniformly violated
practically every principle of taxation.
If vehicles of all descriptions must be
licensed, there ls.-no Just reason why
the burden so Imposed should not be
distributed in proportion to the benefits
received. The merchants who operate
free deliveries for the accommodation
of their customers should not be com
pelled to nav as much proportionately
as the man who charges B0 cents or $1
for the same service. Neither is there
any reason why one merchant should
pay for operating free delivery wagons
and another merchant pay nothing for
the same privilege, yet this is the effect
of the ordinances that have boon de
clared invalid.
Instead of the city profiting by the
errors pointed out in the first ordi
nance, the two subsequently drafted
and passed were subject to the same
criticisms. In fact the manner in which
the latter were passed manifested a
wilful disregard for the court's decrees
declaring them unconstitutional. For
Instance, one of the grounds on whii'ti
Judge Gatens declared Ordinance No.
22.9S5 Invalid was because it excepted
those persons having paid and obtained
a license under Ordinance No. 14,053.
Even before the decree was formally
entered the Council passed another or
dinance, No. 23,56::. containing the same
clause, with a word or two added,
which did not change the effect.
Now who Is responsible for these
blunders which have proved expensive
to the people on both sides of the fight?
And were the blunders repeated
through wilfulness, ignorance or In
difference? The last three attempts have been
masterpieces of discrimination and in
equality. Of course It is difficult to
conform to all the principles of taxa
tion in this kind of a tax, and for that
reason the Council as a body could not
be expected to go Into the legal phases
of the question. However, it occurs to
the writer that If the City Attorney,,
who, we will assume, ls an honest and"
patriotic public official, had devoted as
much time to these ordinances before
they were passed a he did afterwards,
the difficulty would have been elimi
nated long ago. Let It be eald that the
three officials who were haled Into
court, were In the performance of their
duty. as they saw it. They were merely
the victims of bad advice.
Of course the public burdens must be
met and the streets must be kept up,
but there ls a right way and a wrong
way, and If the City refuses to see the
light there are breakers ahead. It
might be suggested further, that there
are other methods of taxation and
other property that might be taxed,
that would not only raise a generous
revenue but would be far less oppres
sive and obnoxious. The telephone,
telegraph and electrlo light companies
are using the streets more than vehicle
owners and It ls to be regretted that
they are not paying a license tax for
scarring the landscape of our olty with
unsightly poles. M. W. SEITZ.
EDUCATING DAUGHTERS OF -400n
Occasional Deterioration of Young
Women on Leaving School.
Miss Clara B. Spence. head of the
fashionable school which Miss Made
leine Force, Colonel Astor's fiancee,
attended, has written this letter to the
New York Evening Post:
"Permit me to thank you for your
editorial in regard to the 'selling of
daughters to worthless Inheritors ot
wealth or rank.' Not only should we
be Indignant with the arranged mar
riage of a young girl with a 'notorious
roue," but the so-called leaders of so
ciety, who, perfectly understanding the
terms of the marriage, continue to send
flowers and congratulatltons, must
share with parents the responsibility
of encouraging a marriage which can
lead only to unhappiness and scandal.
"Many schools in our country are
earnestly and fearlessly trying to de
velop In their students the virtues that
it seems impossible to graft upon tha
character of some of their parents.
One of the most pathetic results that
a ' faithful teacher occasionally pees
(one. ls grateful that it occurs so tc,l
dom) is the deterioration that comes to
a young woman after she has been for
some time in the worldly environment
of her mother.
"With indignation and sorrow the
teacher sees the pupil who in Bchool
was so receptive, so responsive to every
good and high resolve, brought Into a
world of fashion and vulgarity, and
whose daily life is made a round of
display and amusements, both degrad
ing and wasteful of energy.
"Every good school is trying to train
Its students so that their lives in the
future may be of service in their hormrs
and in the community in which they
live. Although every earnest teacher
has this idea in mind, unless the home
gives co-operation it is alt .ost impos
sible for a pupil, on leaving school and
its standards, to take a worthy part in
the great struggle' between good and
evil.
"With deep gratitude we recognize
those parents of high standard and no
ble life who do keep the young com
mitted to their care unspotted from the
world, and who gladly Join with our
noblest teacherB in imparting to them
the principles on which right living
rests."
Deportation of Foreigners.
ASTORIA. Sept 10. (To the Edi
tor.) Can a foreign-born sailor, dis
charged from a vessel in an American
port, after taking out the first citizen's
papers, be exported from this country?
Furthermore will the State of Oro
gon recognize a declaration of inten
tion made in California, and after
compliance with the requirements, is
sue full citizen's papers? T. B.
A foreigner can be deported at any
time within three years, if it is found
he has violated the immigration laws.
He can be deported for a crime at any
time within the statute of limitations,
which varies according to the national
ity. To the last question, yes.
Licenses for Private Still".
BUXTON, Or., Sept. 10. (To the Edi
tor.) I would like to ask if a person
ls allowed iy law in this state to dis
till his own products for his own use
without a license, and if not, what is
the price of a license? C. H. S.
A person may not distill without a
Government license. The price of a
Mcense varies according to the capacity
of the still. Information can be ob
tained from David M. Dunne, Collector
of U. S. Internal Revenue, Portland.
A Child's) View ot It.
Chicago Record-Herald.
The childish daughter of the house
had been sent into the" parlor to enter
tain the unexpected guest. The woman
Inquired, by way of making conversa-
tlon, where was the child's brother. ;
"He's gone to the school of ministers
to be pastorlzed." she was respectfully;,
informed.