THE MORNIXO OREGOXIAX. MONDAY. DECEMBER 25, 1911.
13
TO BiTLA TO. OIKKW.
tan4 at Portland. OniMi PostolT.oe as
oti-c:m Matter. . .
twclpUM )Ulw-Invariably' ta Aa-raaee.
(BT atAU-
Srr. p-msa? meiaied. rer
J. Sander mo.uoe.1, els months.... -J
pair, fgitar Included. three months.. Z-J
tei:r. Bandar Included, oae month . -if
li:r. oltaout Bunder, one rear J
Xei:r. witnoac sunder. a-z moetne ?:?
Iiry. without Sunder, three mooUH.. -.
iai.y. without Sunder, ut month J'
Week:,, on reer i
Suedes, ooa rr J-JTf
u44f sad Wa-klr. veer
(BT CARRIIB-)
rPr. fonder included, aaa year
a!'y. Sunder lnc:uded. ooa month...- '
Maw I kte-mlt fand Poatofflca m""""
er. expreoo ordar er personal check an your
local bank. Stamps, cola or currency or
at iha aondora risa. Ce poelofrice attareee
In fu.I. lacla-tlcs county and state.
Paataca Haloo lo to 14 paee. cnt
ta ZS paste. 2 ceola; to ta 40 pesea.
40 ta tu paea, 4 casta, roreisa poatase.
rata. , w
Eastern Bu.tm.a OtTWo Vrre Cx
I! Now fork. Brunswick buUdloc Chica
go. ator bu::d1n. . -Ianom
OSlce Hoi t Reeot street.
Loodoa.
PORTLAND. MOND.tr, DEC . -
IATT 0 POl-mClAJt.
Tart la no politician." la the ofV
repeated criticism of the President by
the pollticiana Well, la that any dis
qualification for the Presidency T
"He. doea not know how to play the
same and he doea not want to; his
only aim la to aerve the people, says
8. A. Perkins, of Tacoma. Ia not that
what the people consider the first
qualification for the Presidency T
If the recent hlatory of this country
teachea one thing- ao plainly that It
cannot be gainsaid. It ia that the peo
ple are tired of seeing pollticiana play
politics with public office. The aver
age voter has a fixed Idea that a man
Is elected to office to perform certain
duties for the people, to do what Taft
alma to do "serve the people."
Through many yrara the voters have
seen politicians make platform pledgee
to do what the people want done and
nominate men for office who were pre
aumed to be tinder obligation to carry
out those pledgee. They have aeen
those pledges violated with such regu
larity that It haa come to be an axiom
that platforms are made to get In on.
not to stand on. They have aeen a par
ty pledged to economy gain control of
Congress, only to pasa "pork-barrel"
bills. They have seen a party pledged
to tariff reduction try how lltUe It
could reduce the tariff. They have
aeen a party pledged to reciprocity
pigeonhole reciprocity treaties in the
Senate. They have aeen every agency
created to aerve public Interest per
verted to private ends.
They grew tired of this game of pol
itics, which waa nothing but a game
of bunkoing them. They expressed
their disgust ao plainly that they
forced the pollticiana. against their
will, to adopt the direct primary, and
are about to force the adoption of di
rect election of Senators. They are
turning for relief to the devices of
direct legislation and the recall In or
der to aecure the measures they desire
and to get rid of officials who play
politics. What are the short ballot
and the commission form of city gov
ernment but devices by which the peo
ple may weed out those men who play
politics? What else la the Civil Serv
ice reform law? All these are eigne of
the times ao plain that any man can
read them.
That Taft refusea to play politics
and alms simply to serve the people
will be his strongest recommendation
In the eyes of the people. He can
afely plead guilty to thin Indictment,
for It redounds to his highest honor.
Had he been willing to play politics,
he would have sacrificed Balllnger
when that official was made the object
of a campaign of calumny almost
without precedent. Being no politi
cian, he manfully stood by a lieuten
ant whom he believed to be shameful
ly wronged. Had he been a politician,
he would not have dismissed Plnchot
and left Garfield out In the cold, there
by causing a coolness on the part of
Koosevelt and antagonizing an Influ
ential element.
Had he been a politician, he would
have Joined In the hue and cry against
the Payne-AIdrlch tariff, though he
knew he had wrested It to hla purpose
to Increase Federal control over cor
porations and revise the tariff on the
basis of facts ascertained by the Tariff
Board. Had he been a politician, he
would not have praised the public
services of Aldrlch In devising a
scheme of monetary reform which haa
commended itself to the good active of
every business man who haa studied
It. for he would have recognised that
to do so was to bring upon himself
much of the 111 will provoked by Ald
rlch'a handling of the tariff.
Had he hern a politician, he would
not have called an extra eesslon to
pa's the Canadian reciprocity bill,
knowing that he would thereby divide
his parly and give the Democrats an
opportunity to appropriate a large
share of the credit and to pass pop
gun tariff bills for political purposes.
Being no politician, he forced the
measure through, because the people
and, the people's Interests demanded
It. and waa only thwarted by the
looae-tongued , Jingoism of Champ
Clark and the misguided loyalty of the
Canadlana
Had he been a politician, he might
have been scared by the Democratic
Insurgent alliance Into approving some
of their blacksmith work on the tar
iff, but he knew It was blundering
work, that the Tariff Board'a report
would prove It blundering work, and
he was content to endure the attacks
c-f Its authors until the production of
the facta should vindicate hla action.
Had he been a politician, he would
have gone elowly with his prosecu
tion of the trusts and would not
have wounded the vanity of his pred
ecessor by accusing the steel trust of
deceiving him. Believing that all
laws should be enforced, he went ahead
without hesitation. Indifferent to the
storm he raised.
Had he been a politician, he would
have concealed his opposition to the
recall of the Judiciary In Arizona rath
er than antagonize the Insurgents. Be
ing simply an honest man, he pro
claimed his opinion and left Arizona
free, as a state, to adopt the measure
without hla sanction.
Had he been a politician, he would
have often sacrificed hla convictions
to conciliate the Insurgents. Not be
ing one. he left the Insurgents them
selves to betray their factional spirit
and their versatile principles. This
they have effectually done, with the
Tesult that Taft haa weaned away a
larre proportion of their following.
Those cf the American people who
are fair-minded and not blinded. by
partisanship and an Increasingly
large majority can be thus described
recognise that Mr. Taft haa usually
shown great wisdom and haa always
acted honestly with a single eye to
the interests of the people: tnat
he haa been progressive without being
radical, conservative without being re
actionary. They believe he wouia
rather be right than be President
again, and that, because he holda to
that poaltlon, he is the right man 10
be President.
THK tWETT OLD BTObVT.
It waa the Wlntar wild
w-,i.a t K hHian-hnrB child.
All meanlr wrapped, la the rods manger
Ilea;
Nature, ta awe of Mm.
Had doffed her vaudy trim,
with her great maater ao to ermpathlse.
Thus opens the beautiful hymn on
the Nativity aung in the dim past d
John Milton, the blind bard of Eng
land. Replete to the end with the
lofty imagery of the first stanza, thla
hymn atands. after the lapse of two
centuries and a half, an Incomparaoi
presentment of the simplicity and
beauty and pious, unquestioning be
lief In the atory of the Nativity. And
today, while aome will deny the state
ments ao Doaltively made, there la to
all exaltation of spirit in these woras,
set to music or read by the fireside of
home on Christmas eve.
Lovely visions of childhood and
dreams of home are called up by these
line, even thourh cold, material lawa
discard the thread of miracle that
runs through the sweet old story of
the babe of Bethlehem, "wrapped in
swaddling clothea and laid In a man
ger."
And peaceful was the nls-ht
tl h.ln tha lrlna nf I.lvht
Thla reign of peace upon tha earth began.
So will sing the many-voiced her
alds of Christmas in choir lofts
throughout Christendom on the re
turn "bf thla precious festival of "peace
on earth, good will to men.- .Ana
as imagination Boars with the sacred
strains heavenward it will not be dif
ficult to realize that
Wnlte-wtnsed leglona from oa nigh
la dazzling glory nil the sky.
While thla mood lasta the simple
belief In the miracle of the virgin birth
held by the shepherds that watched
their flock by night on the plains
of Bethlehem will be explained.
WHAT IS HINTE-MEAT?
The Pure Food Board haa per
formed another great service to the
public in telling us what la mince
meat. Thua It la aolving the mysteries
of what we eat and drink, one by one.
For years It waa struggling with the
seemingly unsolvable problem: "What
la whiskey?" It haa cleared up the
mystery of how rotten fruit and vege
tables are prevented from revealing,
through taste or smell, their decayed
condition. It haa decided what are
the effects of benzoate of soda as a
preservative. But greatest of all its
achievements la the answer to the
question: "What Is mincemeat?"
Those of us who have recklessly tak
en our lives In our hands and eaten the
mince pie served at the restaurant had
about decided that the only answer
was: "Indigestion and nightmare
and had given up the attempt to trace
any affinity between the mince pie
of the twentieth century and the
mince pie our mothers and grand
mothers used to make. All we could
aee waa a mixture of everything in
general chopped up together and laid
on a crust heavy enough to alnk
ship, with another crust almoat
heavy laid above it. With a faith as
great aa that which movea mountains
we ate it and. with agonies equal to
those of appendicitis, gout or cancer,
we endured Its passage through our
digestive organs. Far from home and
driven to recall memories of home by
partaking of the cold hospitality of
hotels and restaurants at holiday sea
sons, we have eaten mince pie at
Thanksgiving and Christmas more
through a sense of religious devotion
than because we enjoyed It, We have
found only, a melancholy pleasure In
speculating' what In thunder it w
made of.
Now we know, at least, what It ought
to be made of. for Dr. Wiley haa told
us. That champion of the poor op
pressed, that enemy of canned indi
gestion and baked cramps, haa gone
further and warned the manufactur
ers of mincemeat that they must not
make It of any other lngredlenta or
must ahow cause why not. How he
will distinguish the ingredient when
they have once been chopped and in
dUtingulshably mixed Js beyond any
ordinary comprehension, but he has
performed so many other miraculous
feats that we are ready to believe he
will even dissect and analyze.a mince
pie and draw up one of those porten
tous tables ahowlng the percentage,
even to one-hundredtha of one per
cent, of apple, meat, auet and all the
other component parta. Then he will
call on the manufacturers to chop
to the line, let the mincemeat fall
where it may.
IRELAND- EW 1EW9 OF ItOMB RI LE.
With the passage of a home rule
bill through the British Parliament
practically asaured at the approaching
aession, there has been a great modi
fication in the tone of Irish opinion on
the relations of Ireland and England.
Formerly Irish newepapers asserted
with much heat that nothing short of
complete separation from England
would satisfy Ireland. Today the cham
pionship of the cause of home rule by
the English and Scotch Liberals ha
aenslbly cooled Irish animosity and
the near approach of the realization
of moderate Nationalist hopes haa led
Irishmen to consider the advantages
a well a the drawbacks of the con
nection between the two kingdoms.
They now turn to a federal union of
the three kingdoms and their colonlea
aa offering benefits far surpassing
those of total aeparatlon.
This Is the view taken by the Chica
go Citizen, which voices I rlJi -American
opinion In the Middle West. Thla
paper reaffirms Ireland right to na
tional Independence aa a separate na
tion, but doubts Ireland's ability to
stand alone and denies that ahe would
Invalidate her right if she were to
secure by co-operation the strength
she lack individually. Thla paper
quotea with approval Grattan'a asser
tion "that the crown of Ireland la an
Imperial crown inseparably connected
with the crown of Great Britain, on
which connection the interests and
happiness of both nations depend." It
continues:
Some hot-headed r-ader will Jump up
with the question: "Io rem believe that
lro'and a interest depend on an Inseparable
connection with Croat Britain T Yve do;
the form of connection through what Is
ca:led the golden link of the crown la only
a figure of speech, but tha connection la
demanded by the situation In which both
Islar.de and tbemeelvee. They are lnter
denedent on each other. For that reason
thry must be friends Mutual enmity la
mutual weakness En her both ulanfia mut
he Interlocked In bonda of mutual love and
confidence, or one must exterminate tha
Deputation of be other.
Nature dug the trenrh of the aea between
them eo that each ehould po-aese Its own
Individuality ta perfect freedom, but mads
It ao narrow that ths bonda of friendship,
Intermarriage and tntertraoe snouia
hnrh la anil. Ana In mutual ini.raila 1 1 1 1
either Island In posoeaalon of a continental
power, the other could not long maintain
Ita aeparata Independence with au in"
oepenaenca Implies.
The Citizen recommends the adop
tlon of a federal system like that o
the United States, but holds It vital
that Ireland control her own customs
duties. It predicts that, if Ireland, i
given tha powers and privileges of
Canada, ahe will distance all competl
tore In agriculture, lines of freight
levlathlan will sail from Queenstown
and Galway for American and Cana
dian ports and a large transfer o
capital from Great Britain to the sis
ter Isle will take place. It concludes
Thaw la nmhln, I. nrartnt Ireland DC'
coming one day the predominant Instead
of the junior partner In tha firm of Ureal
Britain ana. Ireland.
This is a glorious vision, well worth
striving to realize, and it puts to shame
those narrow Englishmen tvho see in
an Irish parliament nothing but aepa
ratlon. The Irish writer sees, on the
contrary, a federation of kingdoms,
each under the democratic rule of Its
own parliament. Such a federation
may easily expand Into a federation of
the whole British Empire patterned
after that of the United States, each
kingdom and colony aoverelgn within
ita own boundaries, but all bound to
gether by common nationality, the
pledge of mutual defense, common ln-
teresta and aspirations. Thla la
nobler vision than that of Ireland as a
petty. Independent republic or king
dom, living only to herself and
nursing the memory of ancient wrongs.
COMB TO THE Bl'SIXESS.
There Is a mistaken impression in
such cities as Spokane and Tacoma
that the Interstate Commerce Com
mission waa created for the purpose of
adjusting railroad rates to overcome
the disadvantages of location. V hen
the people of Spokane planted them
selves, they knew full well that Na
ture had neglected to put navigable
water at the falls of the Spokane Riv
er and that rail transportation costs
more than water transportation. The
founders of Tacoma knew that Na
ture had placed a lofty range of
mountain between them and the
stockralslng country, but had cut It
with a gap leading to Portland. Tet
these people ask that Portland people
be deprived of the benefits of their su
perlorlty in location by meana of a
reduction of rates proportionate to the
natural handicap under which the peo.
pie of Spokane and Tacoma volunta
rily placed themselves. To grant their
request would be to penalize good
Judgment in the choice of locations
for business and to offer a premium
on ignorance of. or blindness to, the
working of natural law.
If the merchants of Spokane wish to
do a wholesale business, they should
do as everything In nature does fol
low the lines of least resistance. These
lead to Portland. If the butchers of
Tacoma wish to do a packing bus!
ness, they also should follow the lines
of least resistance and come to Port
land, whither the cattle come. They
should not ask the law to compensate
them for their mistakes. The remedy
Is In their own hands. If business will
not come to them at Spokane and Ta
coma, let them come to Portland,
to the business.
SOTIETT'S
RIGHT OF
nox.
SELK-FKOTEC-
A letter on tne "Accountability of
Murderers." which was printed last
Thursday on the editorial page of The
Oregonlan, should not be permitted to
pass, perhaps, without further com.
ment. We will quote a few sentences
from the letter to refresh the reader a
memory: "Should aoclety seek to
punish the Individual who commits a
crime because of debased and pervert
ed passion? Is the mentally deficient
or perverted individual responsible for
his deficiency or perversion? vvould
It be Just to hang an Insane criminal V
This is not the whole of the letter, but
it is enough to base our comment on.
In our opinion the man who wrote
the letter misapprehends the true rea
son why society wages warfare on
crime. The purpose is not to punish
the criminal ao much as to protect
itself. The right of the state to put a
man to death. If It exist, does not
flow from his responsibility at all, but
from the necessity of preserving the
social organism from destruction. The
common saying that the state "has no
tight to take what It cannot give'
sound pretty, but It Is fallacious on It
face if we stop to reflect a minute.
Should we accept the doctrine that
Individuals and states have no right
to take what they cannot give, we
shoujd be obliged to cease killing flies,
rats and wolves, because we can no
more give back the life of a fly than
we can that of a human murderer
after he has been executed. A similar
reductio ad absurd um can be carried
out with pretty nearly every one of
those ao-called "humanitarian princi
ples" which forbid the state to take
life. They are in reality not humani
tarian at all but grossly cruel, alnce
they aeek to deprive the virtuous ele
ment of aoclety of the effective right
to defend Itself from the vicious.
Should we look a little more closely
at the maxim "that society has no
right to take what it cannot give." new
absurdities would break out of Its
ample bosom every second. For-example.
It forbids us to Imprison a man
just as much aa to hang him. We
know of no "humanitarian who fan
cies that the state can give back the
years of a prisoner's life which have
been passed In confinement. In all
general principles of that order there
is a substantial proportion of folly
which it doea not require a great deal
of acumen to bring to light.
It amazes one to see how frequently
the opponent of the death penalty
base their argument on "responsibil
ity." If a man Is not responsible for
his acts, they contend, then It is wrong
to put him to death for them, no mat
ter how hideous his act may be. But,
on the other hand, if a man Is not
responsible, can It be right to throw
him Into prison and keep him there
for year after year deprived of the
beautiful light of the sun and the con.
olatlons of his family? If he acted
as a mere machine, la there not some
thing grossly repulsive in the thought
of penalizing him In any manner or
degree? Would It not be fantastical
to penalise a saw for cutting off a
man's arm? In the Judgment of some
of our friends who write letters on
capital punishment a murder ia a
mere aaw or hammer, nothing more.
"Back of every human action there
la a sufficient cause," quotes our pres
ent correspondent. Just as there is a
ufflclent cause back of the saw s mo
tion, and the man Is no more to be
blamed or punished than the machine.
Thla raises, of course, a disputed
point in philosophy. Whether we real
lv possess free will or are nothing
more than automatons "acting," as 1
Froebel says, "under the form of free
dom." nobody haa yet been able to
decide. But ao far aa the right of ao
clety to punish criminals Is concerned
the decision is of no consequence. A
man may be a free moral agent or he
may not. but the moment he makes
himself a peril to the community, or
ia made a peril by causes beyond his
control, the right of society accrues
either to put him to death or confine
him in prison. And which it shall do
la not a question of metaphysics, but
of expediency. Society has the right
to protect itself from the Individual
or it haa not. There la no choice be
tween these akernatives. If It pos
sesses the right at all It la possessed
In all passible completeness. We can
not say that society has the right to
protect itself only In some ways and
by some methods. The choice of the
method is left wholly to the state.
There la absolutely no rational ground
upon which the right of organized so
ciety to chooso any device which suits
it in handling criminals can be logical
ly, contested.
Of course we , must restrict this
statement by adding that there is no
Justification for cruelty, but it lacks
Justification not on philosophical
grounds, but because experience haa
shown it to be useless. If the lessons
of history taught us that cruelty tend
ed to prevent crime and establish the
welfare of society, then we shou!4 be
perfectly Justified in using It. Neither
the life of the individual nor his sen
sations weljrh an atom against the gen
eral good. Could it be demonstrated
that capital penalties did not upon the
whole tend to protect the state we
should then be estopped by our own
argument from favoring them, but as
long as the facts seem to prove- that
they are efficacious the plea that the
prisoner is not responsible. Is of no
avail. The rattlesnake Is not responsi
ble for Its bite, but we extirpate it all
the same.
The point we wish to make ia that
It is utterly unscientific to bring the
concept of "responsibility" In. between
the state and its delinquent citizens.
Responsibility is at best something
vague and metaphysical. Nobody has
ever yet succeeded In showing exactly
what it is or even whether it exists or
not. To base the conduct of society
upon a concept so illusory is to com
mit a folly which is beyond pardon.
Answering the last question which we
have quoted from our correspondent
we should say, therefore, that if It
promoted the general welfare to hang
insane criminals it ought to be done.
but whether it does or not is, of
course, a wholly different matter.
Perhaps Mra. J. P. Morgan think
her husband gets enough publicity to
serve both of them. But what will
Mrs. August Belmont say to the re
mark that It is dreadful for a woman
of refinement to find things in the
newspapers about herself? That seems
to imply that Mra. Belmont lacks re
finement, for she ha been much in
the newspaper, and with her own
consent.
The Secretary of the Treasury "ays
that Government assay , offices have
been outgrown, that they are a need
less drain upon the Treasury and
should be abolished. He supplements
this assertion by many and good rea
sons, chief and sufficient of which Is
that there Is no longer any call for
their existence or maintenance. All of
which bring true, they ought to be
abolished.
Could not some of the unemployed
workmen be set to work charplttlns
atumpa on logged-off land near Port
land? Property-owners would confer
a triple benefit on the workmen by
providing a living, on themselves by
making the land marketable for farm
ing and on the city at large by help
ing to Increase the supply of produce
in the market.
A descendant of Daniel Boone, in
obtaining divorce from the great-great-grand
niece of Thomas Jefferson,
alleged she often told him her family
was better than his. This will bring a
smile to the milliona of men who have
been the object of similar reflection
without calling for aid of the law.
Now that Food Commissioner Bailey
has received advice from Dr. Harvey
W. Wiley aa to what mince meat
should be, hia attention is called to
various concoctions of dried fruit mas
querading under the name that be
longs to the proper article.
Howard S. Reed and his ex-wife
seem to consider the honeymoon the
only good part of married life, for
they have had one every year for five
years. The world awaits news of an
other reconciliation and another hon
eymoon. One of the papers to be read aVthe
meeting this week of the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science will be "The Structure of an
Atom." This may or may not be an
elucidation of the La Follette can
didacy.
The Oregon Immigration Bureau
should secure that Jackson family In
Oklahoma. Any couple that can add
thirteen to the population la five
years will make a grand filler for this
growing state.
When there ta nothing else to do.
Seattle can always make-life interest
ing by electing or recalling a Mayor.
With "Hi" Gill In the race, there will
not be a dull moment in the cam
paign. .
When the New York reporters in
terview the Colonel they should enlist
the aid of the dictaphone ami avoid
these misunderstandings and additions
to the membership roll of the Ananias
Club.
Warrlnsr element in China may be
starved Into "agreement by refusal of
the Occidental powers to lend them
money. Even the Chinese cannot car
ry on war with empty treasure-cheat.
The ruling ' that only Marasca
cherries shall be labeled "Maraschino"
does not affect the Oregon product.
which la in a class of its own.
: a
When the Canal 1 ready fox busi
ness its owner may ask other nations
who is running It.
La Follette aa a candidate may be
loke. but as Mr. Bryan discovered.
publicity payt
Dense fog. la a scheme of nature to
sidetrack intense cold.
Epicures who eat game out of aea-
son find it high, .
THE STAR.
Tha moon rose o'er the purple height.
Flooding the desert with silver iignu
Three shepherds. rsch his eye intent
Vpon the myatlo eaat had bent.
And as the three tall figures sped.
On and on with soundless tread.
T.11te epeetree fleeing from pursuit
Of hateful shadows, dark and mute.
A lambent flame of dazzling light
Waa ahot athwart tha natal night.
And aa they gazed, athrob with fear.
It ahaped a atar. sharp focussed. clear.
Prone to the earth the wise men fell.
For la their hearts they knew full well
This was the algn. to them God-given.
To guide them to the Son of heaven.
The Star! The etarl They cried aloud:
Then, in God's presence, humbly bowed.
Then, aa they eastward swiftly rode.
Their hearts with pureat love overflowed
For him. whoae.love had guided them
To Christ, the Child, at Bethlehem.
And If we seek, with hearts contrite.
Aa ttiey did on that joyous night,
s
Ws too will find the Ssvlor desr
And In our hearts the message hear.
As precious now as 1t was then:
"Peace on earth, good will toward men.
BfKI K- KXAPP.
Portland. Or.. Dec. 22.
THE YI t.E TIED.
fCnc'.e Ike. having went to a Christmas
tree In Loo Aneeles. telle what he seen, and
throws In a few novelties in metrical con
etructlon. Reading will convince the doubt
ful that Callforniana don't tie their Utile
Tulo outside.)
The Tule tied season it has came.
And Christmas cheer abounds:
Old "Santy" looks about the same.
And slyly makes his rounds.
The missel toe hangs on the wall.
The holly wreaths is green:
The Christmas tree, though rather small.
Is purtiest ever seen.
Just "fir" the limb they had to pay
Four dollars and a bit;
" Titis brung from Oregon," said they,
"Where one bit could buy It."
The tree Is full of shiny balls.
And popcorn strings and sleh;
Red and blue candlles. inglnes. dolls.
And this and that and wulch.
All kinds of presents they are got,
Suspenders and silk hoes;
So many things. I don't know what
Which has been careful chose.
Red berries in big bunches hang.
Agin the winder pane:'.
And gewgaws which are a new fang-
Eid kind are now the reign.
The gas stove tries to ive a heat.
(No fireplace is thar);
The Yule log Is asbestos cheat.
And freezing's do- -n to par.
A thousand chunks of cotton bat
Ting makes us think of snow:
But none to it dare touch at mat
ch and watch it melt and go.
Oh, merry Is the Tule high tide.
And happy are the kids;
But let me in a old sled ride
Where there is snows and skid.
So let the Tule tied hifh be gay.
And nnnrta be nnened wide:
Let good deeda t...n this Christmas
day.
And ev'ry day beside.
.SAAC BLUM.
Los Angeles, Cal.
A LOGGER'S ACCEPTANCE OP"
CHRITMAS FHED.
I accept your lnvlt&Jon, friends,
To coire and cet a square.
When o'd Santa Claus his greeting
nends
To bless the Tuletide fare of
The man that has the price!
So let Rena do her nicest, then;
I'll promise to be near
To the thing that looks the biggest
when
We Join your Christmas cheer
It's name, that cuts no ice.
Be It beast or bird or swimmer, Walt,
ril helo you fifrht the thing:
If it kicks or squirms or shows revolt
, When landed in the ring
Of the Christmas-feed brigade.
Be it clothing hair or bristles rongh
Or fur or feathers nne.
It's got to make me yell "Enough!"
Before I quit the line.
Of the knife and fork- parade.
Tho' It may have sung the gobble gay.
And danced the "TurKey Trot. -I'll
wipe with bread the china clay
Where Mr. Turk is not
Or break some Bible text.
Tet, tho' it have no tuneful boast
And no disgraceful poise.
Til let" it speak and let it roast!
And J-idge it by its noise
As follows in the next:
If It squeals, Til have some spareribs
rich;
Or crows, I'll take a wing;
If it swims, I'll get some brain food
Which I need like everything
To help me get the goods.
If it ba-aa. I'll think its phony, tho
I'll eat It Just the same;
If It barks, I'll eat bolbpna not
Don't try that little game
On yours truly from the woods.
J. F. T.
. CHRISTMAS AND JTHTS.
Nesclus Nltts,' he whose wisdom ranka
hluh
In Punklndorf Station. Zeanea back
with a sigh.
Chewed out of his quid the rich nico
tine dye.
Observed a lone spider its spinning
stunt ply.
And aimed at the Insect with unerring
eye.
The spider spied doom In the aim of
the chewer; s
A cold chill of terror went vibrating
through 'er;
She clung to her strand with a grip of
despair.
Intent to run up and duck Into her latr.
Where she had lived safe for a full
week or more
In a holly wreath hung up In Hlgglnaes
store.
W 1th desperate speed up the thin
strand she clawed.
While Nltts still held aim. and while
aiming, still chawed.
Compounding a douche that should
scatter the wider
And be the more certain of nailing the
spider;
And atill, as the Insect strove madly to
fly, ,
He kept her well covered; with unerring
eye.
And now she waa climbing a bare foot
beneath
The haven of "refuge, the big holly
wreath.
When Neeicius noted the bright Christ
mas token.
And Just at that Instant the silence waa
broken
By entrance of Bprigga and another or
two.
Dropped in for their diurnal eonfab and
chew.
"WaL now, merry Christmas.
chorused aloud.
The eye of the sage turned and
the crowd:
. 1 -V, 1 ft -ft the hulk of his
they
noted
chew,
"Wail, howdy now. boys, and the
thing to you."
The spider ducked Into the -
same
holly
thing
24.
wreath, free.
And muttered in spiderese, "same
to me."
Dean Collins, Portland. Dee.
SERVANTS SHOIXD TTPHOI-D LAW.
If Opposed to Law's Enforcement
Should Decline Office.
PORTLAND, Dec 12. (To the Edi
tor.) Let the agitation go on, the mat
ter is too serious to, ignore. Those
criminally inclined can hardly be ex
pected to advocate capital punishment
Many good men. through the softness
ef their hearts and lack -of Investiga
tion oppose it. But the people of Ore
gon have said it is the law. The most
humane government In the world was
a theocracy, and the laws governing
it are commonly called the laws of
Moses. Centuries before that God had
said: "Whoso sheddetb man's blood,
by man shall his blood be shed." The
law of Moses embraced that funda
mental Idea and provided the forms
by which it should be carried out, pun
ishing with death more than one kind
of crime. But the objector, says the
ten commandments say "Thou shalt not
kill." So it does. But that command
ment, like the balance of them, is ad
dressed to the Individual, and not to a
community or state or nation.
The whole tenor of scriptural teach
ing la to regulate society by. law in
stead of individual vengeance. If the
people of Oregon in their law-making
capacity say that the murderer shall
hang, it Is their right, and every citi
zen is notified to that effect. If any
one, prefers to violate that law, he
should take his medicine like a man
and not whine about barbarism.
. When Major Andre was arrested as
a spy, tried and condemned to be shot,
an effort was maie to get General
Washington to spare him because he
was a gentleman of culture and refine
ment and an officer in the British
army. But Washington said no; pub
lic safety required his execution. Does
anyone think Washington had murder
in his heart?"
After the kind-hearted Abraham Lin
coln was inaugurated President of the
United States one of his earlier official
acts was to call for 75.000 men to go
South and kill their brethren. I be
lieve this act was never called brutal.
Neither can It be called brutal for the
state, through Its constituted authori
ties, to execute the penalties of the
law upon a brutal murderer.
If Governor West is opposed to capi
tal punishment he should not have run
for Governor until the law was changed.
Then he could honestly and consistently
have taken the oath to execute and up
hold the laws as he found them. If
the law is wrong, the people are the
guilty ones, not the servants of the
people.
There are other crimes almost aa
vicious as murder that the people have
not yet provided a sufficient punish
ment for, and perhaps will not until
the ballot is given to the women. It
may seem very nice to talk about safe
guarding a man In prison for life; it
can't be done. Too often, like that
man Tracy, they break out and kill a
number of innocent people before they
can be recaptured. The Oregonlan is
right: degenerates are responsible, and
it is a vicious indictment of the law
abiding people of Oregon, whether
Christian or non-Christian, to accuse
them of voting for the death penalty
in a spirit of revenge or economy.
J. B. WRIGHT,
438 East Thirty-seventh Street.
WHO THE STATE'S FIGHTERS ARB.
H. D. Wagnon Discusses Patriotism and
Argues for Single Tax.
PORTLAND. Dec 22. (To the Edi
tor.) May I reply to our lawyer
friend, E. F. Riley, who has toll the
public what he does not know about
the single tax. He has missed the
truth, like the man he quotes from, he
tel'.s us that Colonel Ingersoll once said,
"Most men will fight for their homes,
but who ever heard of a man who
would fight for his bSardlng-house?"
Would Mr. Riley have us to believe
that all the men who went to the front
In 1861 were larraowners? As a mat
ter of fact not one in ten had any land
of hla own. Then, aa now, the men
who own the valuable land do not do
any fighting. The fighting in all ages
has been done by the "landless man,"
and after every war the landlord haa
reaped all the benefit from the war.
If our country was to get Into a war
ten hobos would be found on the fire
line to one lawyer, and you would find
100 labor union men on the fire line
to one member of the Employers' As
sociation. Land-value and patriotism
do not always go together.
Mr. Riley speaks of "confiscation" as
though It wag a dreadful thing, and so
it is. I am opposed to confiscation as
now practiced by our landlords'They
take J20.000.000 every year from the
industrious people that are tributary to
Portland for the use of the downtown
land that the people have made valu
able by their collective labor. This
value created by the community aa a
whole belongs to the community and
should be taken by the community for
Its common needs. '
What the individual makes is his,
and It should be held sacred, and no
part of it taken for taxes so long as
the community has a value that It has
made by its common labor.
If our lawyer friend would tninK
lust a little he would see that the
merchants use more land-varue than
the farmers. The Holtz Bros, have to
pay more than $200 per day for the
use of the 100 by luu-ioot square on
the corner of Fifth and Washington
streets over J6000 per month, and It
is all community value and should be
taken for the common needs. That
value has been made by all the peo
ple, even the "hirelings and tenants
have helped to make It.
H. D. WAGNON.
HOME BUILDING IS NOT RISKT.
Realty Owners Ready to Help B try era
en Installment Fran,
PORTLAND, Dee. 4. (To the Edi
tor.) The editorial article In The Ore
gonlan last Monday, relating to home
builders was one of the best on the
subject I have read. Naturally, we
would be Interested in a matter of this
kind and think whatever la said on the
subject would be for the good of the
country. But this article Is especially
srood because It relates to tne oppor
tunities afforded the poor man.
There Is an idea among tne laboring
classes that the capitalist is always
ready to take advantage of the poor
man and take his few dollars away
from him on the installment basis, and.
If he defaults on thirty days' demand.
to 1umD on his few nara-earaea dollars
and squeeze him out.
On the contrary, any one who Is
really Interested in the growth of the
country and wishes to continue in busi
ness and help the growth of the com
munity, cannot anora to De small ana
unreasonable in hla dealings with the
Door man. Tne tacts are, we are con
fronted with this proposition almost
daily, and in the last five years, han
dling suburban property, as we have,
we have disposed of perhaps over 6000
tracts of land, mostly to small home
builders. With the exception of one
case, not a single mortgage has been
foreclosed, and in that particular case,
after three years of attempting to se
cure a proper adjustment and being
unable to locate the party, who had
evidently left . this country, we were
compelled to foreclose the mortgage.
Even to this day, we would be very
glad to remit the payment made by
that man. If he should return, as he
had only paid 10 per cent of the total
amount of purchase price.
There are more people who are ready
and willing In a conscientious manner
to help the poor man to get on his feet
than the majority of people realize.
E. L. THOMPSON. .
. -'
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonlan of Deicember 25. lPfll.
' Funeral obsequies of Colonel Baker
took place In the City of San Francisco
on the 11th insf. The Herald says that
"never in the history of California has
there been witnessed a civic and mili
tary display equal to that paid to the
memory of Colonel E. D. Baker." We
need not repeat the great points In the
character of the fallen Senator. The
hall was crowded and Montgomery "
street was densely lined with people.
The funeral ceremonies at the hall
were performed by the Rt- Rev. Bishop
Kip, the oration was pronounced by
Honorable Edward Stanley, and the
solemn and plaintive music of Mozart's
Requiem was most Impressively per
formed. The most telling and effecting fea
ure of the occasion was the appropriate
and feeling address of Rev. T. Starr
King, followed by an eloquent and
beautiful prayer.
After the ceremonies at the hall, es
corted by several companies of troops,
the procession moved to the burial
ground. During the procession the sol
emn tolling of the bells, minute guns
from the Alcatraz Battery and the Rus
sian corvette were fired.
The last rites at the grave were per
formed by Rev. T. Starr King and the
three rounds were fired over the last
resting place of the departed hero.
He sleeps alongside the lamented
Broderick. the -8ung Senator from the
Pacific Coast, whom he so eloquently
eulogized. Kindred spirits In death,
they are not divided. Requiescat in
pace.
The news (from the East) leads us
to believe that the country is on the
eve of great events. AVe have not sup
posed that General McClellan was de
sirous of a battle on the Potomac but
that his policy was to keep a large
rebel force In the neighborhood. In
Kentucky the Union troops were
strong and confident and a collision
seems to be inevitable there. The ex
pedition for the Lower Mississippi was
expected to move soon. A reinforce
ment of 25,000 men had rrlved at
Beaufort, S. C, which betokens warm
work in that quarter. There are ac
counts that the Union troops have
taken possession of New Orleans, but
we are not certain it is so. Charleston
has been fired by the slaves and a good
portion of it burned. This must be a
terrible fact, for the reflection of South
Carolinians. There is no disposition
to flinch from the prosecution of this
war by our Government or people. It
will be finished and well finished.
John Bull seems to be disturbed by
the. taking from one of his vessels of
Slid'ell and Mason. War is even threat
ened. We, however, suppose this has
come from newspaper blusterers and
not from the Government. In the act
complained of we have only copied the
practice and doctrines oftentimes re
peated and set forth by John Bull him
self; and If he chooses to fight us, we
shall have a busy time, more especially
if Johnny Crapeau should take a hand
In the melee.
John Bull has permitted the Nash
ville steamer to repair at Southampton
and to go out thence for the destruc
tion of American commerce. The Mex
ican government, anticipating diffi
culty with England, is disposed to
avail itself of the same privilege to
prey on English commerce, by fitting
out ships of war in our harbors, that
the English government accords to Con
federate ships.
At a meeting of Harmony Lodge, No.
12, A. F. and A. M., held on Monday
evening, 23d Inst, the following officers
were elected: John McCracken, W. M.;
Thomas H. Rearne, S. W.; Albert G.
Walling, J. W.; S. :A Lyon, T, and
Henry Law, secretary.
Christmas being the great feast of
the Catholic church, the customary
services were held in this city at mid
night. High mass was celebrated by
Rev. P. Macken, and an eloquent dis
course delivered by Rev. M. O. Reilly
The Episcopal Church, on Second
street, was well filled last night with
the children and teachers belonging to
the Episcopal Sabbath school. The
building was decorated with ever
greens and a large Christina tree was
erected at the western end of the
church, festooned with fruit, cakes and
many other nice things in which chil
dren generally take delight. The sing
ing by the choir and a host of boys
and girls was truly charming.
The Sunday school of the Methodist
Episcopal Church had a pleasant time
last night. A gigantic Christmaa tree
was erected In front of the pulpit, lit
erally covered with presents candles,
cakes, fruits, flowers, etc Smiling
faces, pretty girls, social- Intercourse,
happy reunions and general good feel-
inpr were tne oraer v. tuo -
Ccimtry Town Sayings by Ed Howe
When a mother is indulgent with
her little son. he kicks her on the shins
when she mildly corrects him. -rent
you a little that way. with your friends
who are good to you?
... i i ,1 ,i 1 - tn Ufa that cannot
inro is 1 , .
b solved by practicing the simple vir
tues more patiently, that it may be
said of you after you are gone: How
patient he was In his sufferings!
Probably we are all too Indignant
when we dislike a thing.
I'm always glad when Christina is
over with. I am never satisfied with
my Cirlstmas conduct.
Of all the people I know anything
about, telephone girls are the most
polite and patient, although treated
more impatiently and unjustly than
any other class. I recommend that
young men marry telephone girls.
T note that some' of the women have
determined to obtain the right to vote
at the point of the bayonet. Let no
- KnvnnAt into me: I hereby
HUlUail jav - ' '
give notice that I surrender.
..l.ti... nt a mAan man. In giv
ing excuses for him, always say the
same thing: "He'a so nervous."
r 1 that bit likes and dls-
X -
... . . .. aw errant AYCltej-
HKeS UO Jl"- ""J 0
ment And how people struggle to get
away when 1 try to taia.
mA nsll "nerva haa a
inai w 11 11. 11 no . -
habit of deserting all of us when ths
occasion is Just rignt 10 use it.
- nn. nannla hnTA not tO
take great Interest in a great many
others.
Seal Not Kaaentlal.
nnoTT ivn Tier. 22. (TO the Edl-
. vioau, inform me if a will with-
.v.. ...1 will manii In Oregon. If a
husband and wife hold a Joint deed
can the survivor noia tne wuuu i 1
Dronerty without a will.
Absence of a seal does not invalidate
rin Tha Ordgon State Supreme
Court in the case of Oliver against
Wright, reported In the 47tn Oregon,
page 322, decided that "a conveyance
.--t npnnnrtT to a husband and wiAe
m , , . " .
creates a tenancy by the entirety, a .d
upon tne aeatn ui cimor duubo n,o
survivor takes the whole of the estate." ..
New-Old Idea In Telephony.
Indianapolis News.
am vnriih inventor has conied an
old idea in the history of telephony
by designing a transmitter shaped like
the human ear.
L