I
THE SrORXIXO OREGOMAX, MOXDAT, DECEMBER 18. 1911.
s
M)t (DrejpPMttnn
' PORTLAND. OBECOX.
Tmmr3 at Portland. Oregon. Poetefflc aa
coo4-o:aaa Matter. .
luMciiusa Uats Invariably tm i4-
i (BT MJUU)
re!:y. Bandar lnrlu1ei. one year ...
X-e..y. Sunday Included, sis months.,
fcal y. frunday Included, three monlBS
I'ai:y. fcaaday Intiudrd, ont moota..
rei:y. aritnout funOay. year . ...
.a.""
t :s
I'ai.y. without SuaUay. oca monta...,
We-kly. on year . .
BuBdar. on y.af -
kuauy and WHkij. od year
l
I SO
1M
1 (BT CARRIER.)
rally, Sander Include, one- year...... -SJ
Xelly. Sunday Included, on month '
. Haw a KDlt-od poatofftra money Or
der, express srdar or personal neck on ou
local sank. Stamps, coin or curT"c,,r
at I ha cndrr I rles. Civa poatotlira address
la f-j I. Inc'-j'll-.g county and slat.
Postage Kalea 19 to 14 pit". 1 cent,
to 2s !.(. 2 cents; s to 4- pag'S. s cants.
to at pages. ceata. Foreign poeiage.
doub.. rata. .
. .. . a Cna
(I!B Nr Yora. hransolcs, bulidiase Cnica-
grwMa lintce No. S Rag-ant street. 8.
.. Londto.
PORTLAND. MONDAY. DEC IS. lail.
the uoHfHi njiru.
"Home, sweet home" has many
meanings, but to none does it mean
more than to the man and woman
who have built their own home. To
'them It Is the realization of the desire
"to have one spot on earth from which
they cannot be driven, and is the fruit
iOf self-denial, economy, hard labor
'and Ingenuity.
These truths are brought out in
their full force by the stories of their
'own . experiences told by Portland
'horaebuilders in the prize essay con
tent of the Portland Realty Board and
published in The Sunday Oregonlan
.These stories portray In Ua brightest
Might one of the strongest character
'Istlca of the builders of the West
self-reliance. They portray men and
women who have given the strongest
pledge of good citizenship a stake In
the good order and stability of the
state and Nation. They display the
.highest qualification for active mem
bership In a great democracy ability
to build successfully for that mlnia-
ture republic called the family.
These stories of the homebuilders
are proof that it is within the power
of the poorest to own a home. A
,flrst payment as low as 110 Is often
'enough to obtain a lot. If followed by
monthly payments of 15 to $10. The
first payment made, payment of rent
In many eases stops at once. A small
'space is cleared and a tent pitched
a temporary habitation. For the first
Mummer the family camps out while
tasking the beginnings of a house
Man and wife unite their labors in
.clearing brush and burning stumps
The wife cooks the meals at a camp
fireplace made of stones. The husband
devotes his Saturday half-holiday and
Sunday to building a couple of rooms
a shack sufficient for shelter during
the first Winter for It Is considered
'tin desecration of the day of rest to
devote It to the making of a home.
The entire Summer vacation Is thus
spent, the couple cheerfully depriving
themselves of the pleasures of the sea.
shore, of theaters, of evenings down
'. town of new clothes, that every pos
sible penny may go into the home.
They endure many discomforts In
rough, cramped quarters during that
first year and work ceaselessly at the
one task, the wife helping and putting
the finishing touches on what the hus
band has done. By degrees they add
more rooms and more comforts and
i conveniences until, as described by one
'writer, a two-room shack grows Into
a well-finished eight-room house with
, concrete basement, open fireplace, fur
nace and all other accessories of a
modern home.
, . But owning the house and saving
'rent are nut all that Is gained. On
the average lot a man has ample room
. to grow hla own vegetable and ber
ries, raise a few fruit-trees and on
some lots In the suburbs he may keep
chickens. Thus he can. to a large
degree, scare away the cost-of-living
bugaboo. His wife can grow flowers
and. thereby help to make the place
tok cheerful.
'. As "ail the world loves a lover," so
all the world is ready to help a home
builder. No sooner does a man evince
purpose to help himself by building
for himself than everybody rallies to
help him. The landowner sells a lot
on such easy terms as to put It within
reach of the poorest wage-earner. The
lumberman sells material for the first
shack "on time.' The neighbors lend
him tools and also lend a hand at
. work w hich is too heavy for one man.
AH cheer the couple on with encour
aging words and with reminiscences
of their own and others' first strug
gles. The homeowner is regarded as a
permanent member of the community,
the renter as a mere bird of passage.
It is a proud saying of our cousins
that "An Englishman's house is his
castle." The American can say the
Mine with double cause for pride, for
in many more Instances he built
it himself, with his own hands, and
the driving of every nail was a labor
sf love for his family.
IT MAKES CRIMINALS LArt.lL
Suspension of the writ of habeas
'corpus by which all persons deprived
of their liberty are guaranteed a
speedy trial, ls an extreme measure
adopted for the public safety only in
'times of great public disturbance, riot
or civil war. Governor West, in time
ft peace and perfect tranquillity, has
practically suspended the entire crim
inal law of Oregon, which was passed
,for the protection of those who obey
the law. In the one case the rigors
-of the law are increased in the lnter
"est of public peace: In the other they
.are released. In the interest of the
.vnrmlfj of public peace and personal
safety.
Only In cases of extreme necessity
1oes the constitution allow the execu
tive to suspend the operation of any
law and then on!y to protect the law
abiding. The Governor has suspend
ed without warrant the law or consti
tution, the law invposin capital pun
Uhment. and has atretchej the power
of parole until a sentence of Imprison
ment is mere form. He has swung the
pendulum so far to the side of len
iency as to necessitate a corresponding
swing to the side of extreme severity
at no distant day. He Is by hls.acts
anrltirg society to follow his example
ncl set aside the law.
The effect of the Governor's policy
Is illustrated In the case of two Salem
shoplifters in a manner which would
be laughable if it were noc so serious
In its effect on the minds of those who
-are predisposed to crime. He begins
by paroling them on condition that
they return to their Mexican homes,
but In a further access of generosity
I promise them a full pardon if they
rritcn lexicu. a nc) rryair
Diego, close to the Mexican border,
perform a feat of shoplifting which
puts their Salem exploits In the shade,
and cross the boundary, thus earning
the promised pardon. They then write
to the Governor, than kins; him for the
parole which has afforded them, the
opportunity to commit this latest
crime.
In releasing these unrepentant and
impudent thieves, the Governor has
done a wrong to the State of Oregon,
whose laws they violated: he has also
done a w rong to the State of 'Califor
nia, "whose laws he has enabled them
also to violate: he has further done a
wrong to the Republic of Mexico by
offering them 'a reward for making
Its territory their field of operations.
There is a a-olden rule for states as
well as for individuals. It forbids i more useful to thousands of young
Mexico to send back to the United 1 people than a facile mastery of Ger
States Americans who have committed man. French, or. say, Japanese? The
crimes in her territory. Just as it for- I common schools are not Intended for
bids anv state of the Union to return the sole purpose of teaching the use
to Mexico Mexicans who have of- J of the muscles. Some of the "com
fended against American law. mon people" must earn their living
Th.i h.r. i. a Hrht whv to dis- : by their brains, or at least by their
pense the parole privilege is shown
by the record of the United States Attorney-General
for the last fiscal year.
He paroled 203 prisoners out of 866
applicants. So wise a discrimination
does he show that only one of these
102 violated the conditions of his pa
role. So indiscriminately does Ore
gon's Governor release prisoners on
parole that scarcely a day passes with
out the announcement that some mem
ber of his Legion of Honor has violat
ed the conditions. There is a differ
ence 'between cool Judgment exercised
in strict conformity with law and mis
guided sentiment exercised In defiance
of the spirit and purpose of law
THE DISEASE Or THE SCHOOLS.
The New Tork Board of School Di
rectors presents an instance where In
a multitude of counsellors wisdom is
not found. At least that Is Mayor
Gaynor's view of the matter, if one
may Judge from what he had to say
to the new appointees whom he in
ducted the other day. Of these new
directors there were eleven, enough
in ail conscience, one would think, to
run a system of city schools, but they
were merely a drop In the bucket. In
the course of his exhortation Mayor
Gaynor told them that they comprised
"nearly one-fourth of the entire
board." which indicates that the total
membership of the Sanhedrim or par
liament or "gabble shop," to quote
Carlyle. which presides over the for
tunes of the New . York schools is
about fifty. Under t his multitudinous
management Mayor Gaynor asserts
that the public schools are pining.
Were they blessed with a hundred di
rectors, they would probably pine still
more. The rule applicable In such
cases runs about In this way, "The
efficiency of a board of directors or a
city council ls inversely as the square
of the number of its members." A
board of fifty members, for example,
will be only one I-I500th rart aa effi
cient as a single person would be.
It appears that New Tork ls mak
ing one of those elephantine efforts
which it sets on foot from time to
time, and which usually come to noth
ing, to diminish the size of its school
board. Both the charter commissions
from which the metropolis has recent
ly suffered thought that there were
too many directors for the good of the
schools, and one of them even went
so far as to cut the membership down
to five. The paternal Legislature at
Albany In Its solicitude for the wel
fare of Tammany raised the estimate
to seven, and that will probably be
the new limit when after the lapse of
sufficient time New Tork gets its re
vised form of city government.
Mayor Gaynor. however, does not
believe that diminishing the corpu-
ency of the school board will help
the schools much. He told the eleven
new appointees that If there were only
seven members they ought to be paid
for their time, and if they could not
be paid he "thought we had better
keep the present large board. It ls
pretty safe to say that if It ls kept
the schools will not Improve a great
deal, no matter how earnestly Mayor
Gaynor may exhort. A few men la
boring zealously for the good of the
schools could do all the necessary
business In far less time than fifty
consume, and do It Infinitely better.
The Mayor's belief ls that the New
Tork schools try to teach too much
and by thus scattering their labors
ever a wide area they get nothing
done well. "I have a notion which I
have long entertained." he ' told the
chosen eleven, "that those in charge
of the common schools here, and I
suppose elsewhere to some extent, are
trying to do too much. What I pre
cisely mean ls there are too many sub
jects taught to the children. They
have more than they can do. W e try
to teach them too much, and the re-
ult is that they come out with a su
perficial knowledge of many things
and an accurate knowledge of noth
ing." To these observations the Mayor
added, not with entire consistency.
perhaps, that the school children of
New York are "overedueated." We
suppose he meant by this somewhat
vagus, term that their mental stom
achs are stuffed and distended with
a great variety of Intellectual food
most of which proves indigestible.
The effect of the process, he thinks.
Is to fill them with a dislike of work.
The poor little things "are taught so
much and think they know so much
that they won't work any longer with
their hands." Puffed up with Intel
lectual pride, they are satisfied with
nothing lesa sumptuous than a Job in
some office. "Unless they can get a
Job where they can sit on a high stool
at books or at a typewriter they sim
ply won't work.'
One might remark here that the '
predilection of the boys and girls of
New Tork for easy Jobs is nothing
strange In the world. We have ob
served similar phenomena in ' other
cities. Indeed it is a common failing
of human belng-s whether they have
ever been to school or not. Manual
toil has never" been loved from the
day when the AlmiRhty visited it as
a curse on our first parents to the
present moment, and one can hardly
hope that it ever will be loved. But
ir. truth the schools have been guilty
of a great blunder by so framing their
courses of study as to Intensify the
Inbred dislike of their pupils for work.
It would have been far wiser to turn
their Influence In the opposite direc
tion. Mayor Gaynor is disposed, as we
gather from his remarks, to hark
back to the "three R's" by way of re
form, but we are not entirely con
vinced that cube rot and compound
Interest tend to make boys and girls
love manual toil. It is difficult to
discern in the old-fashioned fourth
and fifth readers anything which cre
ated a desire In the youthful heart to
go forth and flow or saw wood. It
would require some lithe argument to
convince us that a return to the "three
R's" and a wholesale abandonment of
what Mayor Gaynor. with striking
originality, calls "fads and refine,
ments" would produce any marked
Improvement In the schools. Among
the fads are manual training and the
teaching of agriculture, which look
more hopeful to some eyes than either
denominate numbers or the rules of
prosody as mental pabulum for the
young.
Languages are an especially hateful
"refinement" to Mayor Gaynor. He
Ls of the opinion that they have no
place in the public schools. And yet
if boys and girls do not learn lan
guages in their youth they never will
do it at all. Laying theory aside and
speaking practically, what could be
tongues.
There is no manner of "question that
trie public schools fall to accomplish
what they ought In the way of thor
ough instruction. Swiss children know
more at 8 than the average Ameri
can does at 10 years of age. Our fail
ure to reach the ideal In public edu
cation ls confessedly egregious, but
Mayor Gaynor has discovered neither
the cause of the failure nor the rem
edy for it. One thing is certain, what
ever else may or may not be true, the
American people will never consent
to have the public schools limited to
those branches which make useful
servants and nothing else.
A LEGITIMATE INFERENCE.
Many years ago, while yet Oregon
was a beautiful wilderness. Rev. Har
vey Clark, of sacred memory, and his
associates of the missionary era. In
cluding Mrs. Tabitha Brown, con
ceived the Idea of founding a college
at Forest Grove. In order that temp
tation through strong drink might not
come to the students who In future
years might gather there, a donation
of land was made to the' school with
the proviso that no Intoxicating liquor
should ever be sold within the limita
of the town. Every deed to a lot in
Forest Grove, whether for a home or
business purposes, that has been con
veyed since that time has contained
the proviso or restriction then set up.
Tears have passed, and, though the
terms of this restriction have been
very generally observed. It has been
found that this proviso has not at all
times fenced against the evil feared,
though in the main and to all out
ward appearances Forest Grove has
been and still is a temperance town
Now, however, we note a statemen
made by a good and conscientious man
a minister widely known for good
words and works within the church
and out of It, expressive of his belle
that twenty licensed saloons in Forest
Grove were better than a place where,
under the lure of soft drinks, the mor
als of the college youth are" Jeopar
dized through the lack of what
known as Instruction in sex hygiene.
The implication is plain. There is
danger in fancied security that doe
not exist .where the possibility of evil
ls recognized. In other words, the
plain inference ls that a score of men
made responsible by the community
and held by It to s strict accountabll
lty as liquor sellers are less a menace
to the morals of the young than ls a
single man who keeps open house
here no responsibility to the public
Is exacted, because of a specious pre
tense of decency through dispensing
soft drinks" to the unsupervised
young or botn sexes, xne statement
Is a plain one; the Inference Is legiti
mate. But the situation does not de
mand the admission of twenty saloom
or one saloon. We take It that public
sentiment in Forest Grove reflects the
will and desires of those who founded
the university. That sentiment now
simply needs an awakening to the
dangers of the unsupervised soft drink
dispensary.
PLAN TO PRETEXT PANICS.
How great ls the Interest of not
only the large, but the small business
men, not only the capitalist, but the
worklngman, in the reform of the
monetary system was brought out
with much force by Professor J. Lau
rence Laughlin In his address before
the Trans-Mississippi Congress. He
thus graphically described the evil ef
fects of our rigid currency system:
Whan exceptional demand lor cash are
made In tha Autumn for moving- cotton and
grain, there Is an Increase In th demand
on tha banka for loans, and the cash re
serves decline. Likewise, but on a greater
scale, when a commercial collapse comes.
tae pressure on the banks to meet excep
tional demands, either for extensions or new
loans, ls appalling and dangerous. The pro
ducer, who has borrowed to pay tor his ma
tertals or payroll, cannot meet his debt. If
he cannot collect from tha jobber; the Job
ber, who has borrowed to pay for th fin
ished goods, cannot meet his note. If he can
not collect from th retailer; and the re
tailer, who has borrowed to pay the Jobber,
cannot meet his note. If goods are not
salable. Henoe. If loans are stopped, the
whole machinery of exchange comes to
practical atandstlfl. Just aa an engine would
s:op ir a crow oar were tnrusi into ine cylin
der. There is just as much money as befora
In circulation. There la no lacK ol a me
dium of exchange. If a man has funds on
deposit, they can be transferred by a check.
What. then, la wrong? The rigidity of our
organization of banking and credit.
In the United States In times of
alarm, he said, there was no other
recourse than to heap up reserves and
banks find it impossible to lend when
loans are most needed. He continued:
In Europe, yin an merrencV. tha banks
Increase their loana and their deposit (or
note) liability, and at th same time pay
out their reserves: that Is, they work to aid
slam the door in the face of th borrower
Just when n la In th greatest need. Ihls
la why we have panics which other countries
escape. This fs why the great business world
la now demanding a reform In the Intereat
of tha borrower and of the worklngman.
He contended that "we have a sit
uation in which, unquestionably, the
strong more or less dominate the
weak; In which central control over
credits ls a practical fact; and in
which this central control, being un
authorized and irresponsible, is diffi
cult to locate and iwrness. Now and
then we hear opposition expressed to
a central bank; but, curiously enough,
we do not seem to realize that we
have today a centralization of the
most effective kind. Because ave have
no regulation of credit, we have no
liberty for the small borrower. There
fore, what we must now strive for
as in all other great democratic move
ments ls liberty under law. to the
end that all banks large and small
shall be placed on an essentially equal
footing."
He declared that the National re
serve scheme "does not propose cen
tralization of our credit system," and
continued: "On the contrary, Jt aims
to create co-operation among all the
banks, for the common defense. It ls
a co-operative agency, aiming- at a
decentralization of credit and the
preservation of the individuality of
the small bank."
After explaining that the organiza
tion proposed for the National Re
serve Association would make control
by "the money-power" -practically Im
possible, he showed that this "money
power" could not use that control be
cause loans on securities are expressly
forbidden and therefore that the in
stitution could not be used In floating
any stock or investment. The scheme
would also destroy the dependence of
small banks on large banks, to which
they have to go for favors and would
thus destroy the injurious financial
control now held by large banks.
The terrible series of crimes which
the McNamaras capped with the Los
Angeles explosion, the outrages com
mitted by the Black Hand in all parts
of the country and the similar deeds
of a gang of gamblers perpetrated in
Chicago call attention to the need of
rigid regulation of the sale of explo
sives. Legal provision should be made
for tracing every stick of dynamite
and every sale of any other explosive
from the time it leaves the powder
mill until it is consumed. We have
laws restricting the sale of drugs
which destroy men and women by
slow degrees. We need equal restrlc
tfbn of the sale""of the explosives with
which such monsters as the McNa
maras can blow people to pieces by
wholesale. We are as free and easy in
our handling of such means of de
struction as we are in our handling of
firearms.
The war on tips has been extended
by the Railway Age-Gazette to Christ
mas gifts by railway supply agents to
railroad officials. The Age-Gazette
contends that in the end the railroad
pays for such gifts and that they are
often the precursor or cloak of theft
or graft. If a purchasing" agent were
to suggest to a supply man that he
omit the Christmas gift and deduct its
estimated cost from the price of goods
to be sold, he would be considered too
good to stay on earth, but he would
really be refusing to buy things for
himself with the railroad's money by
means of subterfuge.
Russia sees that the abrogation of
the broken treaty ls unavoidable, but
she tries to save her face by inducing
us not to say that It ls abrogated be
cause it has been broken. Russia has
no scruples about breaking faith, bu
she shrinks from being branded by
the United States In the eyes of the
world as a faithless nation. The Sen
ate may be more diplomatic and sup
press the reason, but the House ls
more straightforward in frankly stat
ing it.
It is a very qualified recommenda
tion for a candidate when his support
ers say, as the insurgents will say, in
substance, of LaFollette: "You can't
have Roosevelt, so the best you can
do ls to take LaFollette." That is to
damn a man with, faint praise indeed
It will take the enthusiasm out of the
Insurgents and will deeply wound the
vanity of the aspiring "Little Bob."
It is in order for Gifford PInchot
to accuse Secretary Fisher of releasing
powerless power sites and coal-less
coal land in pursuance of a heinous
conspiracy with "the Interests,", if he
follows the precedent he set when Mr.
Fisher eliminated the treeless tide-
land of Controller Bay which ls not a
bay from the Chugach National for
est. It is a debatable question whether
it is better for the passengers on
runaway car to be killed wholesale or
by installment when dropping off, so
the act of the conductor in locking the
doors of the car on the New West
minster line Saturday and bringing his
fares through to safety, can bo cred
ited to good luck.
That the Interstate Commerce law
works for the protection as well as
the regulation of the railroads appears
from the Indictment In New Orleans
of a shipper for false valuation of his
goods by which he obtained a lower
freight rate.
Merely to show what Irrigation of
a region will do, it may be stated that
the salary of the Postmaster of Nyssa,
which not many years ago was a sid
ing on the Oregon Short Line, has
been raised to J 1100 for the coming
year.
Judge Landls' Idea of Justice is ex
pressed in the (29,200.000 fine of the
Standard Oil Company, which was
never paid, and the one-cent fine of
the peculating bank clerk who fell
into the snare of the loan shark.
One of the mysteries of life is why
a woman will attempt to commit sui
cide when she cannot marry one cer
tain. Identical man, while there are
twenty million better men in the land.
A member of Parliament touring
this country predicts war between
Great Britain and Germany within
six years. That is time enough for
him to get over his indigestion.
Slsson of Mississippi wanted to fight
for his "honah," and Mann of Illinois
was ready, but the dispatches say both
members kept aloof the remainder
of the day." Both are good bluffers.
The prisoner in the Federal. Court
at Salt Lake, who swallowed all the
evidence, a bad bill, is in a bad way,
for the Judge gave him three and one-
half years in addition.
Honorable Milt Miller thinks all the
big Democrats have good chances but
the Senator from Linn is not taking
any chances himself by going East to
the big powwow.
From their cells In San Quentin the
McNamaras now realize that the
country sat up and took notice when
their dynamite blasts were heard.
Who dares call woman defenseless
when a hatpin will put to flight a
highwayman armed with a weapon
as dangerous as a revolver?
When threats of physical assault
are made this early in the. session, we
can foresee a very warm session of
Congress.
More honor men are leaving their
regrets at the state prison.
Shop early and often this week.
PROPOSED RECALL IX LINCOLN.
Dlaa-raiaitle-d Politicians, Not Socialists,
Bark of It, Says Writer.
CORVALL1S. Or- Dec 15. (To the
Editor.) I can hardly apree with The
Oregon lan's correspondent from New
port, that the recall petitions against
the County Judge and Commissioner
of Lincoln County are the work of So
cialists. In view of the opinion of the
Attorney-General on the subject, it
probably amounts to little what is back
of this recall, for to get it through the
Supreme Court, after the usual delays
on the road, would probably well eat
up the time of the present incumbents.
But looking at this case from some
little distance, and yet familiar with
its details, one ls Impressed with tha
feeling that possibly the recall Itself
is on trial In this matter.
The obvious Intention of the recall
I is to enable the voters to undo what
they have done. If they nave electee
men to office who prove unfit, or un
faithful, or dishonest, then the recall
would be a good means of withdraw
ing them from the public service. But
if. on the other hand, a lot of disgrun
tled people dissatisfied with the results
of an election should endeavor to take
the officials in the midst of a pro
gramme incomplete, when they are un
organized, and urge the recall, then
the recall would not be exactly re
sponding to its obvious intention.
The judge and commissioner com
plained of were In office during the last
term, the Judge filling, by appoint
ment, the unexpired term of a former
Judge. There was a measure of sur
prise at his appointment, for he had
not been exactly fining Judicial posi
tions in the past. But he had at a
former time been a county clerk in an
Eastern State, and being an energetic
man, was well posted on county af
fairs. He served a considerable time
as Judge.' when the election came on,
and he was nominated and elected after
a hot fight. He had a good majority.
The opposition largely emanated
from two men, one a Republican arid
one a Democrat, As soon as they found
they were defeated at the polls they
began to shout recall. But you have to
wait a while before you can recall of
ficials, so they waited. But it takes
something more than dissatisfaction to
induce people generally to support a
recall, so they waited for some act
upon which to hypothecate the pro
ceeding. The election went against
them. But It had been hotly contested,
and, as a matter of fact, the essence
of the objection now was threshed out
in the election. The people of Lin
coln County well know that they must
have good roads. Roads are the chief
expense In that county. To build roads
they have to pay money and to get the
money they have to be taxed.
There is nothing behind this recall
but the animus of a couple of dlssatisr
fled politicians. They know it, and
everyone else in Lincoln county Knows
or suspects it. These dissatisfied poi
iticlans are not bad men. either, as
men go. They bear examination very
well. Possibly some would disagree
with me on this proposition, but I firm
ly believe that, as men go. these ob
jectors ere fairly good men, no mat
ter what they may think of me.
This appears to be a case where no
especial unfitness occurs. The people
of Lincoln County knew all about the
Judge when they elected him. They
knew the same facts now. There has
been no change in his programme. He
was Just the same before his election as
he Is since the election.
The recall ls one of the most valued
of Oregon's progressive systems. It is
a sheet anchor to the ship of state.
Perhaps I have become partizan in
mentioning the claims of the judge, and
possibly this Is not a trial of the re
call Itself, but it seems to me that
It is. J. H. WILSON.
WRITER SCOFFS AT HYDROPHOBIA
Suggestion Made That Health Board Is
"Stumped" by Sick Cattle,
ARLETA, Or., Dec. 16. (To the Edi-
tor. Is hydrophobia going to fill a
nisra In the medical world like that
malaria has occupied in fche past? That
la. to serve as a mask for ignorance ;
Formerly when a aoctor was puzziea
as to what to call a chronic ailment he
would look wise and say malaria.
Now our State Health Board secretary
"stumped" by the symptoms of sick
cattle In Eastern Oregon, looks wise
anil savs "hydrophobia."
Learned doctors long ago pokea
fun at the idea of a disease that could
be named malaria. Learned doctors
have repeatedly declared hydrophobia
to be either a myth or so rare as to De
not worth :botherlng about. A Penn
sylvanla doctor by the name of Dulles
was asked by his state medical society
to investigate hydrophobia and report.
After some 15 years he reported that
he had done his best, but had never
been able to find a single case of tne
disease, and had doubts that It existed
Dr. J. W. Hodge, of Niagara Fans,
also ls skeptical. He thinks that the
genuine cases are. most of them at any
rate, made to order in tne fasteur in
stitutes. In an article in the Dog Jour
nal for October h- offers a letter from
the Denver dogcatcher, Herman earns,
who says he has been bitten probably
2000 times during his term of service
and has never seen or been afraid of
hydrophobia. Dr. Hodge also quotes
the Animal Rescue League of Boston
as reporting the handling of 40.000 or
so dogs, sick and well, without aiscov
erlnsr a single case of hydrophobia. He
winds up saying ne aouDts wnetner
there is such a specific disease commu
nicable to man by the bite of an animal
When we see how cannlly Dr. V hlte
explains how all those ailing Oregon
cattle became infected, by assuming it
was through coyote bitej, we must take
off our hats to the resourcefulness of
medical officials.
F. J. EvERITT.
Hnntins; Government Land.
M'MINNVILLE, Or., Dec. 16. (To the
Editor.) Could you tell me where
could get Information as to homestead
lands in Oregon, Washington and Mon
tana? W. R. KANZELMAN.
Information as to location pf open
public lands can be obtained at the
Government Land Office in each dis
trict, but the Government does not at
tempt to advise prospective settlers as
to fertility or character of the soil. 1q
obtain a good homestead one must elth
er make a personal inspection of open
tracts or employ a professional land lo
cator. Men who will guide one to till
able open lands for a fee are to be
found in nearly every town within rea
sonable distance of vacant Government
lands.
There are United States Land Offices
t Burns, La Grande, Lakeview, Port
land. Roseburg and The Dalles, in Ore
gon: at North Yakima, Olympia, Seat
tle, Spokane, Vancouver, Walla Walla
and Waterville in Washington; at .kill
ings. Bozeman. Glasgow. Great Falls,
Helena. Kalispel, Miles City ana Mis
soula, Montana.
Defining; the Oregol Plan.
PORTLAND. Dec. 18. (To the Edi
tor.) Please publish the explanation
Lof "Initiative and referendum for the
State of uregon, in a very simple man
ner. We are studying civil government
and are much discouraged over the dif
ficulty of describing it.
R, H-. G. P. and M. K.
Section 1, article 4 of the state con
etitutlon defines the Initiative and ref
erendum in about as simple a manner
as it is possible to do it,
. Death of "Ansel of Crimea." .
ROSEBURG, Or., Dec 16. (To the
Kaitor.) Is Florence Nightingale still
living? If not, when did she die. and
where? INQUIRER.
Florence Nightingale died In London,
Vugust 13, 110.' ,
Half a Century Ago
From The ?egonian. December IS. 1WJ.
On the 26th we received a dispatch
announcing that a great battle had
been fought in Pike County, Kentucky,
between General Nelson, in command
on the loyal side, and a large rebel
army. The Cincinnati Times of No
vember 7 gives the following account
of the previous move of General Nel
son: "The command of General Nelson,
now marching on Prestonburg, con
sists of the following regiments: Sec
ond Ohio, Colonel Harris; Twenty-;first
Ohio, Colone) Norton; Thirty-third
Ohio, Colonel Dill: Fifty-ninth Ohio,
Colonel Fife, and the Kentucky troops
under Colonels Metcalf. Marshall, Ap
person and Griggsby,. with a battery of
six guns in charge of one company of
the First Ohio Artillery regiment. On
the 28th the headquarters were at
Camp Wadsworth, Hazel Green. Colo
nel Marshall in command of 350 men
as the advance, took possession of the
passes over Licking River, near Lick
ing Station.
"The people In the mountains, under
the protection of the Federal volun
teers, are coming forward In great
numbers to renew their allegiance to
the Government, especially those who
have been tinctured with secession. The
proclamation of General Nelson is a
sufficient guarantee of immunity for
past errors and they have readily been
misled by wicked leaders and seem
anxious to return to their homes in
peace.
"Among these people. Bays our in
formant, who is Just from that section,
the most ridiculous fears were felt of
abuse from the Ohio troops, whom they
regarded as fanatical abolitionists. The
excellent behavior and courtesy of our
boys, however, ls fast dispelling these
fears and winning for them many
friends among the mountaineers.
"The triumph of Harris' regiment at
West Liberty was a brlllant one. The
regiment marched 27 miles in 13 hours,
mostly in the night to surprise the
rebels. The road, too, was one almost
impassable to horses and the regiment,
be it remembered, was in a drenching
rain without overcoats. In the en
gagement 23 rebels were killed and
not a loyal soldier scratched."
We yesterday passed the house occu
pied by the men enlisted in this city
for the Oregon cavalry regiment By
invitation we stepped in and found the
men busily engaged in preparing their
supper. There are about 20 of them
and they are all healthy looking men.
They expect in a day or two to receive
an additional number of about 30 men,
who have enlisted on the east side of
the river in this county, when the
coniDany will be mustered In the serv-
jce.
We are Informed that the members
of the Washington Territory Legisla
ture, who convened at Vancouver, left
the latter place yesterday morning for
Olympia,
The newly-erected St, Peters' Church
(Catholic) at The Dalles, is to be ded
icated on Sunday next. The Rev. Father
M. O'Rlley, of thiB city, will officiate.
The Lafayette prisoners have been
sent to Fort Warren, in Boston Har
bor. They were a motley set. Among
them were ex-Minister Faulkener, Mar
shal Kane, Colonel Pegram, Comman
der Barron, Colonel Tyler and 42 of
ficers from Hatteras and a good many
other notorious individuals. They do
not expect to remain at Fort Warren
for any great length of time, under
standing that they are ultimately to be
sent to some port on Lake Erie.
Walla Walla, Dec. 8. Our town
ls filled with a variety of characters.
Almost all grades and professions are
represented. I think 'the Pacific coast
must be well near purged of this class
of persons: at least, there appears,
when congregated here, more than a
fair proportion of the sports. All kinds
of devices are resortea to to enuce poi
sons to "buck" at their games.
The recently acquitted slayer of Cap
tain Staples is here, dealing out red
eye to his brother confederates. A
large proportion, of the sports and pa
trons of such institutions here are "se
cesh" in principles and the ballads and
music furnished at the saloons are ex
ceedingly Dixie. There are many hard
cases here from California.
The disposition to steal cayuses has
greatly increased since the breaking
out of the Salmon River mines. Persons
are arriving and departing every day
for Salmon River and its tributaries.
Gold has ceased to be estimated by the
ounce; It goes now by the pound and
days' work is received by the latter
process.
LAW REGULATING SPEED GEARS
No Tax Will- Be Voted tor Roads Till
Scorchers Are Curbed, Says Farmer.
EOLA, Or., Dec. 16. (To the Editor.)
One of the most vital necessities in
maintaining our public highways is to
stop effectvally the excessive speeding
of automobiles. The present law ls in
effectual and should be changed. We
have a state law regulating the con
struction of dangerous machinery in
our mills and factories; a Federal law
regulating the construction of hulls and
boilers of our boats, and providing for
state and Federal Inspection, with the
object of protecting life. The same
principle of law should be extended to
apply to the construction of the speed
gears, the dangerous parts of automo
biles. . , . . . .
Such a law would De iair ana jusi m
the law-abiding automobile owner, as
such excess speed power is usable at
present only In violation of the law. It
would effectually stop all excessive
speeding, and by allowing a reasonable
ti. tn tnaka the change, it would not
interfere with the automobile business
to any extent, as sucn spwu e -"
be changed at a slight expense com
pared with the saving to be gained in
oir,t.iT,in!r our roads. The roads are
of more importance to the general pub
lic than high-speed gears are to the au
tomobile speed maniacs.
Such a law must be passed -before the
thinking farmer class can be induced
to assume the tax necessary to build
good macadamized roads.
Good Place for Married Men.
PORTLAND. Dec. 14. (To the Ed
itor). A visitor and prospective settler
in this city, from Michigan, writes to
the Oregonlan that he is most afraid
to settle here, as he thinks life is not
as safe here as in Michigan since the
rivarnor oaroled a wife murderer. He
says he has several daughters-and he
ls afraid that ir tney get. mirneu iicm
their husbands will be tempted to kill
them when the novelty of the thing
wears off, without the death penalty
hanging over their heads.
But he has overlooked that side of
the question that should be In favor of
his locating here, viz., that he could
kill his own wife and have a chance
to escape hanging. Since he thinks
that the fear of death is all that deters
other men from murdering their wives
when the novelty wears off, there is
no reason why it should not apply
equally to himself.
Information on South America.
BURNS. Or., Dec- 13. (To the Edi
tor.) Can you inform me to wnom one
ihould write Tor lnrormauun cuueoru-no-
work in English-speaking schools
n Argentina, South America?
e
Write to R. M. Bartleman, United
States Consul, Buenos Ayres, or Thomas
B. Van Home. United btates consul,
Rosario.'
Ishi and the Shoppers
By Dean Collins.
List, another Ishl ditty. He had moved
into the city
From the haunts within the wildwood
where he erstwhile, had his station.
And this uncontaminated man grew
quite sophisticated
In the varied things that constitute
the paleface civ'llzation.
Saw the towering skyscrapers, saw the
streetcars, saw the capers
Of pedestrians, who dodged the speed
ing auto on its way.
Saw the. multitude go hopping to com
plete its Christmas shopping;
And spake in antique jargon on the
white man's Christmas day.
Murmured Ishi. standing gazing, "What
a rumpus they are raising!
Pray, what may be the meaning of
this rush and hurly-burly?"
Quoth his keeper, "You're observing
folks who get what they're- deserv
ing. 'Cause, they heeded not the call to do
their Christmas shopping early."
Ishi sighed. "Mine ancient nation like
wise had a dispensation
Of gifts, they called a 'potlatch in the
good old days of yore,
But compared with this before us
well, the white, man puts it o'er us
About a mile or maybe two, or maybe
even more.
"We had no week of rushing, of beat
ing it, and mushing
From store to store, to get our gifts
for 'Potlatch day' picked out;
We missed this roar and rattle of the
bargain-counter battle;
We missed the Christmas shopping
stunt, and all Its merry rout.
"Our chiefs laid out the presents, wam
pum, hides and tails of pheasants,
And any other things, and if we took
a fancy to It,
We followed out the habit to walk right
up and grab it
But we did no last days' shopping,
as the paleface people, do it.
"Behold. I see them fix up, a hyas
scrummasre mix-up.
For full two weeks beforo they give
their Christmas gifts away.
Late shopping rush and riot, to prepare
for Christmas quiet;
Great tomahawks: Us Injuns were
the slow ones in my day."
Portland. December 17.
Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe
If a man hires a servant girl he
doesn't think his wife has anything to
do.
A pretty man always believes he ls
entitled to extra privileges, and ls mad
half the time because he doesn't get
them. For It is always the case that
the ugly men get everything away
from the pretty men.
Even the wives of the very best hus
bands are eager to earn a little money
for themselves.
There is no remedy for most of the
public ills of which we all complain;
but you can help yourself some, by at
tending strictly to your own business,
while your opponent is looking for a
remedy.
In most newspapers you will find
this line: "Keep something going on."
Is this the reason so much goes on?
We all are looking for more money
and less work: but what we actually
find is that more money means more
work.
You have a remedy for folly if you
acquire more sense than others, and
learn how to use it-
If there is a way of manufacturing
prosperity. let us experiment until we
find it; but I find I am able to accom
plish mighty little with my vote.
People have trimmed the orthodox
hell until it is rather a comfortable
place. They have done the same thing
with unfairness; they have made it al
most respectable, but they can never
make it comfortable or profitable.
Pension Statistics.
GOLDENDALE, Wash., Dec. 14. (To
the Editor.) (1) What amount, if any,
Is paid by the Government to pension
ers of the Revolutionary War?
(2) What amount is paid by the Gov
ernment to pensioners of the Mexican
War?
(3) What amount is paid to pension
ers of the Civil War?
(4) Is the annual amount paid to
pensioners of our wars increasing or
decreasing at the present time?
N. L. WARD.
(1) There was but one pensioner of
the Revolutionary War, a daughter, at
the close of the fiscal year In 1910.
Available statistics do not give the
amount of the pension.
(2) In 1910 it was il. 463.984.
(3) In 1910 the amount paid in Civil
War pensions granted under the three
general pension acts was $119,104,060.
This sum does not include pensions
granted under special acts, of which
there is a large number.
(4) The general tendency since 1865
has been toward an increase in pension
totals, although some years show tem
porary decreases. The highest total was
reached in 1909 at 1161.973,703. The ag
gregate In 1910 was 1169,974,056.
Proposed Bridge Site Opposed.
PORTLAND, Dec. 16. (To the Edi
tor.) I am surprised at Dr. Raffety
and a few other property-owners on
Woodward avenue, which was former
ly Ells-worth street, in trying so hard
to get the proposed "Greater South
Portland" bridge located on that short
and narrow street which terminates on
a double car track at Milwaukee ave
nue, where it is impossible to extend
it farther on account of the city barns
and children's playgrounds.
It would cost more to condemn the
property for the widening and extend
ing of Woodward avenue than to build
the bridge.
Why not save this expense to the
taxpayers by locating the proposed
bridge on Division street, which is one
of the finest on the East Side, 60 feet
wide, open from the Willamette River
to Mount Hood and hard-surfaced to
Sixty-sixth street?
Division street is Jnst ten blocks
south of Hawthorne bridge, which Is .
about the right- distance between the
bridges of a large city. We should plan
for the future as well as the present.
M. E. WHITEHEAD.
Tentative.
PORTLAND, Dec 16. (To the Edi- .
tor.) Please note the following ex
amples showing the use of the word
"tentative." and explain the meaning
of the word and say if correctly used:
"He made a tentative offer."
"The doctor made a tentative diag
nosis." "It was a tentative proposition."
CHAS. BASEY.
The meaning of "tentative" is "ex
perimental," or subject to revision. A
synonym is "provisional." The word ls
used correctly in the sentences given.
Those Powers
Houston (Tex.) Post.
When they've divided Persia,
For which they seem to have an Itch,
What then will happen to his nibs.
King Peter Karageorgeovltch?