10
.THE 3IORNTXG OTIEGOXIAN, FRTDAT. JANUARY 12, 1912.
STfr (Dwircmtan
Bntered at Portland. Oregon. Poatofflce as
cond-c!us Uautr.
SuDecnpUoa Kiw Invariably Advaata
(Err mn.)
rM!:r. gaaa'af' faaiade4. an aemr. ...... M.M
Da.:r, lunlay include. a:x montha .... 4.21
Ia:7. Sunday kneaded, thrao moatal. . 1. -S
Ia;.y. Sunday Included, oaa aosca..... .TS
Daily. w::Aoul Suatlar. oae rear. ....... IM
Da.;r. witaeut Sunder, eta naaf ha . . . . a-3
Pally, without Suiwlay. three months... 1.
pe::y. without Sunday, ana moata 60
W oaa rear. ........ ...... ....... 1-43
r0lr. ona rear. ........ J.a
tSandas aad Weekly, oaa yamy. . ... ..... S
tT CABJUiat)
De !y. flandiy Included, ana year. ......
e!,y. Sun Jar Included, ona month .l
Haw ta Itesmle aand Poateffjc manor or
aW. exsreoa nlr ar nayaoaal caeca oa raal
aal aar.k. stamps, outa or currency ara
a taa mqiti rc uiva poetorrica auui
la fa.L fnclu.ifi count and stata.
riataie Baaaa la to la aaaea. 1 coat; 1
ta Duel 1 aaata: t ee aaaoa. mu
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oauole rata.
Eaaura Biilml OffWaa Varra J One
lm w Tork. HrunewM:' bull Jlnc Chlr-
aero. staves' kulldlas.
Ennan OCAae Xa. 9 Bnnl ecreot.
W, London.
IQaTLaAO, WDir. JAJtl ART IS. 111.
' WBT T V1T 19 "COMIX! B.CK.
' Protor Arnold HaJI. of the
trnlveraity of Wisconsin. Is a Lav Fol
lette man In Wisconsin, but a. Tart man
In the country at large. Stung to
speech by a ruimlng Are of criticism,
of the President, he mad a a telling
rrotv which baa set many a man to
thinking; along now lines. The Oat
tk. I. vhtlt ttnm mv "hoeitafoii ta
criticise TaXt when criticism seemed
to it ta be due. has nothing but praise
for his tariff policy and for the many
measure proposed in hia recent mea
miM. The Washington correspondent
of the New Tork Tlmos. Philadelphia
Ledger and Springfield Republican all
sea that Taft la coming back into pub
lic favor. The Times correspondent
applauds his fearless enforcement of
the law against friend and foe alike,
and cites as illustrations the Indict
ment tinder the anti-trust law of a
member of Toft's class at Yale and the
fining under the same law of a Na
tlonal committeeman who had pre
sumed so far on his political services
to Tsft as to svek his advice on the
legality of some- monopolistic con
tracts. He cites also Taft'a refusal to
pardon Morse In spite of tremendous
pressure, in some cases expressed in
insolent terms.
Taft'a position ia well slated in the
following words of the Ledger corre
spondent:
Mr. Taft la e-ndently determined base?
kis appeal ta tlia Banpt of tha Inrted
state upon tha record of bis actual arbleve
eaaata. upon tha aa-nlty of hia profraajw for
ine conduct of at f sirs of the Nauon. . .
Tie country la areaiU'y drtftlns ta Atr. Taft'a
punt of view oa tha majority of tha Uaura
aooa which tha Presidential campaign moat
ee fousht.
"The rebound toward popular favor
aad prestige of live President" ta at
tributed by tha TTCpondent of tha
Republican to reabxatlon "that much
of the alleged dissatisfaction with tha
President and hia Administration was
daa to a great deal of selfish talk for
mi Dvuaill VI prievuu (ur auu ure
progressive cause and Its Presidential
aspirants." He sayas that "it la being
more and mora felt that a square deal
has not been given tie President" and
that this has served tu torn the tide In
his favor.
Taft's methods have been such that
be has not secured Immediate credit
for his good work. He has left his
good work to speak for him, and,
though it gains a m n due credit In
the end. that end is sometimes long
delayed. Ia the mcauytime tha public
ear Is filled with the clamor of self
seekers and those who cannot conceive
of a publlo servant tuurlog no other
motive than to render good service to
the people.
Aa with ona of hia predecessors, tha
people should love Taft for the ene
mies he has made. Con over the list
and see If they are not the right kind
af enemies for a man whose sole aim
Is to enforce the law as It stands and
amend It In such fashion that it shall
nore closely conform to Justice.
He has prosecuted violators of the
in II-trust law with such impartiality
'.hat political associates and college
classmates are not spared. He has
put such life Into this law that these
oi en. who sroffed at It as a dead letter,
sow beg to have It extended, that the
Government may protect them against
their own tn-oneness to wrong-doing.
These men who have felt the scourge
jf the law are his enemiesi
Ife has consistently adhered to a
:riff policy which will cut out tha
graft without Impairing the rational
protective features of the tariff; which
III relieve tha consumer from extor
tion without hardship to the producer;
which will make each schedule stand
on Its merits, as defined by an Impar
tial bo.vd. instead of allowing those
Interested in exceswlve duties to pool
their Interests In order to perpetuate
such dutl.ts. Py securing the Insertion
In the Fayne-Aldrlch law of provision
for the Tariff Board he Insured that
that should be the last tariff bill pre
pared under the eld-log-rolling system
nd that all future tariff bills should
be based on ascertained facts collected
by a non-partisan body. So clearly did
ha sea that this was the only rational
policy that he did not fear to awaken
s roar of denunciation by vetoing the
Democratic bills which did not con
form to tt. The general approval with
htch th report of the wool tariff has
met. Its a."cevtanee by the standpatters
as a guide, tbe embarrassment of tha
Irreconcilable- Insurgents and the cries
of Democrats for the abolition of the
Tariff Board are the vindication of
Taft's policy. But he haa made ene
mies) of the manufacturers, who sea
the end of their tariff graft approach,
ing. and of the politicians, who wish tp
keep tha tariff in politics for political
purpose. Are they not tha tight kind
af enemies for a faithful public serv
ant T
Ha baa conserved the public, domain
bv setting aside forest, coal and phos
phate land and water-power sitae, and
has proposed reform in tha land laws
which will conserve this wealth from
the exploiter, but will permit Its use.
He has thus made enemies of both the
exploiters of the publlo domain and
the conservationists, who would pre
vent Its use.
- Ha has approved a plan of mone
tary reform which has won the In
dorsement of bueineea man. little as
well as big. but by so doing he haa In
curred tha enmity of those who "see
red" at every mention of money, and
cX all those in whose disordered
brains the greenback and free silver
crazes still linger.
Ha has secured tha creation of pos
tal savings banks In face of bankers
protects, and proposes a parcels post,
thereby making enemies of tha express
companies. He has given a free hand
to Colonel Goethala, the canal-digger,
at Faoama. and urgeev Congrese to
hasten settlement of tolls and manage
ment. Ha proposes to abolish use
ness navy-yards and custom-houses,
though he thereby antagonizes a num
ber of petty local Interests and their
re presents trees In Congreee. He pro
poses a wholesale extension of the
civil service system, which would de
prive Congressmen of much power and
patronage. He saves millions by econ
omy in administration and proposes to
pot system into the National finances
by means of an annual budget.
President Taft's enemies are those
he has made by dpina- his duty to the
X at Ion those who have fallen foul of
him because they are enemies of the
public good. The kind of enemies he
has made are his strongest recommen
dation to the publlo confidence. Be
ing unpopular with such mew, be
should be popular with alL the rest of
os. As the people review his work,
they more and more realise this fact.
That Is w hy he Is "coming; back."
oTDtTlAI. WISDOM.
TAa may have thought we had
something unique when we discovered
that in Oregon It ia a crime for a
public officer to accept a bribe but
not a crime for him to soloclt one.
But fully as strange an anomaly exists
In Indiana. A dairyman there, we
learn from tha Journal of the Ameri
can Medical Association, has escaped
the penalty Imposed by the pure food
law for the sole of filthy milk because
the milk In that particular instance
was purchased by milk inspectors for
purposes of analysis. The Legislature
foolishly made It a crime to sell filthy
milk "for food." The officers whose
duty it was to enforce the law pur
chased a bottle or milk to test It, not
to drink It. .And so, forsooth, the
dairyman committed no crime.
The Oregon and Indiana cases are
very similar. In each the plain pur
pose and Intent of the law is sacri
ficed to the sacrednesa of phraseology
and the fetich of technicality. There
Is very little demand for milk except
for use as food. Probably the use of
the word In the statute was wholly unnecessary-
But there It was. It gave
Just as great a psychological tempta
tion to the judge to smash It as does
the high hat to the boy with a snow
ball. Human nature simply overrode
common sense. And so, while Indiana
has a very good pure milk law appar
ently the only way to catch a trans
gressor Is to clout some dairy patron
over the head and take away for-test-
lng purposes the milk the dairyman
has sold to him for food.
In Oregon the Legislature enacted a
statute declaring it a crime for a judge
to accept a bribe. Obviously the pur.
pose of the law was to Insure Justice
to litigants or persons sccused of
crime. The Judge who solicits a bribe
from a litigant closes his eyes to jus
tice. If the litigant pays, the de
cision is favorable to him. If he de
clines to pay the decision is against
him. Justice Is mocked, derided, cast
down and trampled upon whether
money passes or Is withheld. Tet we
are told by a learned and upright court
that It Is not a crime, under the Ore
gon statute, for a judge's decision to
be Influenced by the refusal of a liti
gant to pay. It Is only a crime when
the decision Is Influenced by his will
ingness to pay.
Of course this was never the intent
of the Legislature. But what does
plain Intent signify in the face of un
skillful phraseology T Tbe error, when
the light of profound judicial wisdom
is cast upon it. appears almost ludi
crous. Our lawmakers had sought to
aafesnaard Jtastice virtue. Instead they
enacted a law to prevent wear and tear
on United State currency.
MXO CXJLLECIC
Reed College takes another forward
step today. Work will begin opon the
first of its permanent buildings situat
ed on the grounds where it is hoped
the Institution will remain and flour
ish as long as people dwell in Port
land. The trustees of Reed - College
have waited until they were thorough
ly prepared before beginning the
library and other buildings In which
tbe Institution will be housed. Noth
ing has been done hastily either In
laying plans or in carrying them out.
The Reed bequest was secured aftei
a tedious legal contest which was
conducted with admirable skill to
complete success. The president was
rhosrn solely because of his fitness
for the work which lay before him. A
man of great promise and consider
able achievement. Dr. Foster has an
opportunity to work out a problem
which will make him remembered
forever. The members of the faculty
are distinguished for their ability- to
teach. No college in the world aver
set out on Its career with fairer pros
pects. To none has the future ever
ofi'ered a more inviting task.
Much independent courage has been
displayed In the preliminary organiza
tion of Reed College. The resolution
to exclude intercollegiate athletics will
naturally turn to other Institutions
students who care more for sport than
for study. Wholesome athletics are
encouraged by the faculty, but the
mmoraJ rivalry which arises from In
tercollegiate games has wisely been
precluded. There Is nothing In inter
collegiate athletics which can claim
approval from a real teacher and a
great deal which he must deplore.
So far as a spectator on the outside
of Its counsels can perceive. Reed Col
lege will make Intellectual and moral
culture Its aim and purpose. Students
will be held to the good old Ideals of
intellectual accomplishment. It will
be emphatically a place for study.
Literature will be esteemed above
football and science will be of more
Importance than college politics. We
suppose there Is something in the
common talk that the best thing a
student gets from college la associa
tion with comrades and the friend
ships he forma, but why can he not
get all this and at the same time do
a lot of studying? Is It not rather a
confession of failure on the part of
the colleges to admit if they admit
It that their teaching ta a thing of
minor Importance only? At any rata
Reed College makes no such admis
sion and we expect that its history
will demonstrate the correctness of its
position.
Mrs. Eva Emery -Dye, of Oregon
City, Is weaving a tender chapter of
historical romance about the name and
endeavor of Charlotte Cauthorn, the
first wife of Peter H, Hatch, an early
missionary of Oregon and for many
years a resident of Oregon City. Char
lotte Cauthorn Hatch, hailed by Mrs.
Dye as a "forgotten heroine," passed
out in her early womanhood a victim
to tha hardships and trials incident to
the lot of the pioneer mother and mis
sionary. Two Infants survived her a
daughter, who died many years ago
at her father's home in Salem under
the tender care of her second mother,
and a son who died at Stevenson,
! Wash., a few years ago. Early stu-
, rnu u. "'J - -
! University at Forest Grove will recall
the weatherbeaten paling fence -tipped
with faded black that marked the early
grave of Mrs. Hatch on the college
campus. A heroine this young woman
undoubtedly was. and "forgotten"
from the fact that of her co-laborers
of that far-away time when Oregon
was still a beautiful wilderness, not
one survives. But her memory, ten
derly resurrected by Mrs. Dye, will
"smell sweet and blossom In the dust."
SOMR FACTS BUT.! lOXORES.
W. J. Bryan continues to assail
President Taft's appointees to the Su
preme Court as friends of the interests
regardless of their record as judges.
In Mr. Bryan's estimation any lawyer
who has ever taken a fee from a cor
poration or who has ever opposed a
bill aimed at a corporation is thereby
proved a lifelong slave of corporations,
with a bias In their favor which can
not be overcome.
He finds In Judge Van Devanter"s
seven years' service as attorney for the
Union Pacific Railroad ground for the
statement "that the Impression then
made upon his mind in favor of the
railroads has not had time to wear
off." Tet Judge Van Devanter, sitting
in the Circuit Court at St. Louis. Joined
in the decision dissolving the Standard
Oil Company, which was affirmed by
the Supreme Court, Frank B. Kel-
Iork's experience as counsel for sev
eral railroads did not prevent him
from prosecuting that suit for the
Government to a successful conclusion.
P. C. Knox' services to largo corpora
tions in Pittsburg did not' prevent him
from forcing the dissolution of tbe
Northern Securities merger. Attorney
General Wlckersham's mind did not
become so warped while he was attor
ney for the sugar trust and the steel
trust as to prevent him from prosecut
ing both those trusts and becoming
the most successful "trust-buster" In
history. Nor was J. jr. Dickinson's
long service aa counsel for the Illinois
Central Railroad any deterrent to his
becoming special counsel for the Gov
ernment against the steel trust.
It would seem from the record that
long service for corporations gave
them such an aversion to their em
ployers as to create a bias and Inspire
a desire to change sides and "swat"
ths corporations.
Justice Hughes is held up to repro
bation because, as Governor, he vetoed
the 2-cent-fare bill. His persistence
In securing the passage by the New
Tork Legislature of the bill creating
the Public Utilities Commission,
which has slashed fares, freight rates
and gas rates, prevented stock-watering
and enforced adoption of safety
appliances and track Improvements, is
ignored. So also is Justice Hughes"
record In divulging the sins of the
New Tork gas trust and the Insurance
companies. Hughes once upon a time
vetoed a bill reducing fares that Is
enough in Mr. Bryan's estimation;
what else he did counts for nothing.
By such assaults Mr. Bryan once
more vindicates the wisdom of the
people in thrice refusing to elect him
President. They prove him to lack
one of the qualities requisite In a man'
big enough and broad enough to be
President. That is, that he should be
a fair fighter.
CHILnREX Or TtTB RICH.
The world accuses America of mak
ing at least two bad failures. One per
tains to city government; the other
to rearing children. We seem to be
learning gradually how to eliminate
waste and corruption from our mu
nicipalities, but so far as the child
problem is concerned, our Incapacity
becomes worse and worse apparently.
The St. Louis steel magnate who gave
his son a 130,000 playhouse for a
Christmas present Illustrates a com
mon tendency which flows from a
common error. The error consists In
believing that the more elaborate and
expensive playthings a child has tha
happier he will be with them, or that
the more he Is coddled and indulged
the more he will enjoy life. The con
sequent tendency Is to heap on chil
dren everything that money can buy,
to gratify all their whims, to give
them their own way in everything and
to leave out wholesome hardship and
discipline altogether. The $30,000
playhouse which the St. Louis million,
aire gave his spoiled son is described
as a miracle of luxury. It has a ma
chine shop, which of course the flabby
little fellow will never enter, a sun
parlor, a billiard room and marble
baths such as the degenerate sons of
the Old Romans used to loll about In
with their female slaves for company.
This pampered urchin will play with
his costly toy for a while and then get
tired of it. Just as he would with any
other Christmas present. Where a
boy obtains everything under heaven
without thought or effort he cares for
nothing very long. A crowd of farm
ers boys will get more fun on a Sum
mer afternoon at the old swimming
hole In the back pasture than this
young mollycoddle ever tvIII from his
marble bath. A playhouse made with
his own hands out behind the barn
would give him more enjoyment than
the sumptuous structure which his
foolish father has given him. If all
the good things of life are thrust upon
children as soon as they are past
babyhood, what Is there left to interest
and amuse their riper years? The
world is a sucked orange to them. Life
becomes stale, flat and unprofitable
at the very period when it ought to be
rich with new experience and passion
ate zest. Nothing so spoils life for a
human being as to live prematurely.
Paul tells us that when he was a
child he thought and acted as a child.
It was only when he became a man
that he began to look at things man
fashion and do the deeds of a man.
Our American practice with children
is not to make them wait till they are
men for mature experiences, but to
toss everything before them In their
babyhood. What comes of it is shown
by the conduct of the millionaire's son
at Orange, New Jersey, whose father
gave him a big and powerful automo
bile for a Christmas present. The
Springfield Republican narrates the
sequel. The boy invited his chums
into the car and down the street they
started full tilt, in defiance of the law
and reckless of the safety of footmen.
Their first exploit was to run down a
young woman. As might have been
expected from their training, they did
not stop to see how badly she was In
jured or to help her If she was dying.
On they rushed and shortly after
wards ran down and killed a little boy
whom they left lying in the road. It
was only when they collided with the
curb and wrecked their machine tha
the youths were seized by the police.
We hope not many millionaires' sons
are as bad as this, but it is only the
native goodness of the human heart
that keeps them from it and not the
training they get. The common opin
ion seems to be that the luxurious
American home Is about the worst
place In the world to bring up a boy
in. His mother spoils him, body and
soul, and his father, who sometimes
has more sense, is too busy to bother
about what is going on. The result is
a youth who thinks of himself and his
wishes as the sole affair of any im
portance in the universe, a world
weary, pelf-Indulgent, prematurely old
young man for whom nothing Is new,
nothing Is true and nothing matters
except the gratification of his pam
pered senses. The foolish American
mother thinks, of course, that she Is
following the habits of the old world
aristocracies when she coddles her son
to his ruin, but she Is mistaken. It Is
a rule which aristocracies have always
observed that boys shall be reared
ascetlcally and made to feel the hard
contact of real things. Girls may be
babied and pampered, but boys, who
are depended upon to do the severe
duties of the state, must learn to suf
fer without complaint and bear up
under deprivations. This was the rule
in ancient Sparta, which held the
headship of Greece for eight centuries
without fortifications and It Is the rule
In England today.
Whatever faults the British aristoc
racy may have It does not spoil its
boys. They are bustled away from
home to austere public schools where
their fond mammas have no chance
to baby them and they are obliged to
hold their own in a rough, unflinch
ingly democratic environment. This
experience makes the bone and sinew
of the British nation, which never has
bowed to a foreign foe for a thousand
years. What Is to become of the
United States if those of our citizens
whom fortune favors most, who ought
to be our thinkers and leaders, are
blighted in their boyhood and turned
into cruel sensualists by parental In
dulgence? The exact Justice of the
universe requires much of those to
whom much is given and if in the long
run they prove unworthy of their trust
the pitiless process of evolution has
an effectual way of obliterating them.
What would have become of the
Goulds If their great fortune had been
destroyed in the Equitable .building
fire? They have shown incapacity to
prevent it from shrinking, and If they
had to begin again at the foot of the
ladder, they could not progress very
far In acquiring a new fortune. The
three brothers would not be able to
give their wives $500,000 necklaces or
to give their daughters dowries with
which to buy English titles. The Duch
ess de Sagan could no longer "make a
splash" in Paris society nor Lady D fi
des in English society. What would be
truly regrettable Is that Helen Gould,
the angel of the family, would be
compelled to cease her work of practi
cal philanthropy.
Like other trust magnates, Andrew
Carnegie did not know that pooling
was illegal. until the courts had so de
cided. Tet It was obvious that pools
were combinations in restraint of
trade. Too many men of his class
make it a rule not to obey a law until
they have made a determined efTort to
have it annulled by the courts. Then,
if they fail, they complain that it in
terferes with what they are pleased to
call business, and agitate for its re
peal. How can we expect the law to
be respected by the poor and Igno
rant when many of the rich and edu
cated set such an example of law
lessness. The one appeal that should be met
promptly and that can be met without
the least individual deprivation is that
which is made for magazines and oth
er periodicals for men who go down
to the sea In ships. The Seaman's
Friend Society makes this appeal in
behalf of sailors as a relief from the
dull monotony of long voyages. In
view of the fact that magazines cum
ber and clutter the closets and attics
of almost every home, this plea should
meet with prompt response.
It Is not often that a great drama
tist has a wife who can sing as won
derfully as he writes. Maeterlinck is
fortunate In this respect, as he is In
many others. Shakespeare's wife
seems to have been a commonplace
woman more given to scolding than
singing. Maeterlinck's plays set to De
Bussy's music have become world
wonders. Some time Portland may
have a chance to hear them.
No American city is really comma il
faut without a crime wave now and
then. So Portland naturally feels a
little complacent over Its deluge of
murders and burglaries. It would be
shockingly ungrateful to hang or im
prison any of the heroes who thus
benevolently contribute to swell the
city's pride and therefore if any of
them are arrested the courts will
probably let them go again.
Wifely devotion can reach no greater
height than in the case of the St. Louis
woman who yielded a piece of her shin
bone to repair her husband's damaged
leg. The probability Is, however, the
first time the man feels a twinge of
rheumatism he will blame It on tha
graft.
There Is nothing superstitious in
Reed College, which will begin work
on its first building today. Come
to think of it, Columbus broke ground
in America on Friday, and there is
nothing unlucky about this great
Nation.
Scarcity of street lights, due to the
tearing down of wires by the silver
thaw, is a boon to highwaymen. With
streets dark as pitch and the earth
blackened with fog, thugs can appear
and disappear in a flash.
Watch old- Dr. Stork 'carry excess
baggage by and by. Twin brothers in
an Oklahoma town married twin sis
ters and a few hours later the bride
grooms had twin baby brothers.
When male students learn to cook
and women become Deputy Sheriffs
and mallcarriers, the occupations of
the sexes are becoming sadly mixed.
' Suppose, by way of diversion, the
police arrest a few criminals and let
innocent people alone.
Brander Matthews' war that is to
come in 1930 will find many of us
dead.
Send a "Don't Worry" card
Brander Matthawav
to
Taft's Detractors Rebuked
One of the most powerful speeches
In support of President Taft was made
before the Saturday Lunch Club at
Madison. Wis., by Arnold B. Hall, as
sistant professor of political science In
the University of Wisconsin and a
strong supporter of Senator La Follette
In Wisconsin affairs, but a Taft man in
National affairs.
The Saturday Lunch Club Is a pro
gressive organization, generally in
sympathy with the La Follette: faction
in Wisconsin. Several speakers im
pugned the motives of President Taft,
made light of his law enforcement
policy and declared he was too judici
ally minded even to make a President.
Although he was not on the programme
as a regular speaker, these spo-'rcheo.
moved Professor Hall to protest.
He first showed that by favoring the
corporation tax. In securing seme Ju
dicial reforms and advocating others.
In securing the postal savings bank,
in championing and getlng through
Congress Canadian reciprocity, in lead
ing all the rulers of the world in the
cause of international peace, in his
fearless demands for tbe parcels post,
in his support of the ideas of a tariff
commission and absolute refusal to
sign log-rolling measures on tae tariff,
Taft bad made more real and lasting
progress than any two Presidents since
the Civil War. That was the kind of
progressiveness he was willing to fight
for.
As to Taft's law enforcement policy.
Professor Hall contended that It was
unsurpassed, both In its impartiality,
its consistency and its success. Three
years ago the owners of trusts scouted
the idea of publicity of big business
and Federal incorporation, while today
they have abandoned their dictatorial
attitude and are offering to stand for
either or both, if only allowed to exist,
with the result that we are having
some sane discussion of the trust prob
lem, and a possibility of getting a good
measure through Congress. This has
been due to Just one thing. The cour
age and fearlessness with which Presi
dent Taft has enforced existing law.
He has brought big business to a
realization that it must ba conducted
according to the law. They are the
ones asking tor mercy, and not the
public It is the difference between
the methods of the agitator and the
statesman.
Finally he said that what this ooun
try needed was not the bigotry of the
demagogue, not the blind devotion to
partisan expediency of the politician
not the short-sighted and narrow
vision of the one-idea reformer, but
the capacity to see all sides and all
interests, the patience to examine all
the evidence before acting, and the
judicial poise to weigh carefully and
discover justice. We have had enough
of the man who makes his appeal to
sectional pride, we have had enough
of the man who appeals to the pas
sions and the cupidity of our people,
and we want, and the times and the
problems demand, a man who will ap
peal to democracy, not monocracy, who
will appeal to reason, not to passion
who will appeal to patriotism and not
to greed.
Our people are damning Taft be
cause he does not play to the gallery.
If he stands the slander of his ene
mies Instead of organizing an Ananias
Club, it Is because he lacks the cour
age to lose his temper. He stops to
carefully consider a question In order
to pass intelligently upon the merits
of it, and he is declared to be a spine
less wonder. He has approved and dis
approved of measures of both sections
according to what he has thought was
right and wrong, and each has damned
him for not having the nerve to be a
partisan, vve have had too much par
tisanship, too many appeals to the
superficial, too much vaudeville. we
need men broader than tbe factions
of his party or the sections of his
country, courageous enough to spurn
the unjust demands of either and
brave enough to give Justice where it
is due. regardless of its political ef
fect Professor Hall's speech has opened
the eyes of many men who have been
strong opponents of Taft, and be him
self has expressed surprise at the no
tice given It. The fact that It has
had such effect has caused him to
think that we need a Taft campaign of
education, which will educate the peo
pie to a new era, an era In which we
want justice, and not party triumph.
deeds and not words, altruism and not
greed, scientific analysis and solution
of publio problems Instead of log
rolling makeshifts.
Year of the Ceatnxy.
LEBAM. Wash, Jan. 10. (To the
Editor.) A question has arisen among
the people of Lebam whether .or not
we are Just beginning- the 12th year
of this 20th century or have we lived
the U years and now beginning in the
13th year? Is time reckoned as our
ages are? For Instance, when a child
reaches his 12th birthday he has lived
his 12 years and is then in his 13th
year; still he is called 12.
LEO MORRISON.
Anyone who admits that this is the
20th century ought also to admit that
this is the ISth year of that century.
Why use a different reckoning for
years than for centuries?
The Ornatraeatal Second Husband.
Maria Thompson Daviess in "Rose of
Old Harpeth."
"I look on a second husband as a
good dessert after a fine dinner, and a
woman oughter swallow one when of
fered without no mincing. Of course,
there never was such a man as Mr.
Satterwhlte, but he was always mighty
busy, while Cal Rucker is a real pleas
ure to me, a-settlng around the house
on account of his soft constitution. Mr.
Satterwhlte, I'm thankful to say, left
me so well provided for that I can af
ford Mr. Rucker as a kind of orna
ment' Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe
The trouble is not in making an ex
planation, but in having it accepted.
People love to attribute their mis
fortunes to others; nor are they very
fair in doing it.
This is the year you expected so
much of last year.
That which is known as public sen
timent is three-quarters wasted, be
cause it demands too much, and is too
indignant,
A man Ti'ho does a really charitable
act is as modest about it as though he
were receiving charity.
Little questions are sometimes set
tled; big ones rarely are.
A man may not know how to make
money, and may not know how to save
it even if able to make it; but he
promptly knows It Is when the laugh
is on another man.
A man seldom buys life insurance of
the agent who convinced him that he
should have it; he finally patronizes an
agent who bothered him less.
How soon after has a widower a right
to take notice again? Or should he
remain crushed all the remainder of his
life?
Old people are usually less confident
than the young; probably because of
long experience with themselves and
JLnthars,
SEW PKOXOITXS OBJECTIONABLE.
Inaoyatloai In I-a n x MKr Moat Be Eb
paonlous Te Sveceed.
PORTLAND, Jan. 10. (To the Edi
tor.) The Oregonlan says: "Teaching
children the meaning and proper use of
old words would be a more appropriate
occupation for the schools than Inven
tion of new words such as 'he'er,
'him'er or his'er.' " Agreed! Allow me
to elaborate.
Grammatical accuracy demands a sin
gular personal pronoun for both the
masculine and the feminine genders.
All who have aspired to accurate ex
pression of their thoughts have serious
ly needed it and have been provokingly
disconcerted by its absence. But cus
tom, not theory, determines grammati
cal authority. For "divers and sundry
reasons" as in Lord Dundreary's co
nundrum of the ducks, the plural form
has been used for the singlar. as you
for thou, the official and editorial we
for L etc So, the plnral pronoun their,
which is the same for all genders, could
with equal propriety be used for either
his or her(s). Many do carelessly so
use it who know better. Many more
who do not, follow them. Now, it
would seem, that the recognition by
grammarians of that as a legitimate
substitute would solve the difficulty in
the most direct way.
Miss Eila-Flagg Toung's efforts to
supply the need ls commendable, and,
coming from her',, any educational
proposition would receive respectful
consideration. But any innovation in
the English language from any living
person must possess transcendent merit
and fitness to be accented by the Eng
lish speaking world. Such a pronoun,
to be popular; must be a short, crisp,
euphonious, phonetically spelled or else
a familiar monosyllable.
In the nominative case, for the phrase
he or she, "he'er" (If such be its pro
posed use) seems a far cry. For the
possessive phrase his or her(s) "hls'er"
doesn't sound right. What's the matter
with hls'n? Neither does the objective
"him'er" sound nice, and it will prob
ably fall of adoption for that reason if
for no other.
Many also would reject for such use
any hyphened contraction of two
syllables that could be made. But if a
hyphen Is to be used at all in the pos
sessive, why not press into service our
old familiar word self In its possessive
case for the desired word thus: Let
everyone buy self's ticket. Likewise in
the objective, omit both him and her,
saying, for Instance: Let each provide
for self.
We might do worse than to continue
the ancient custom of understanding
the masculine form . to Include both
sexes in a mixed company: or, if In
social and intellectual evolution the
masculine form has lost its ancient
precedence, substitute the feminine and
let everybody, regardless of sex, do her
duty. EDWARD D. CURTIS.
EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE CITED
"Aggies" Are Moo-ed at Wlsconaln TJnl
verslty, Says Writer.
MEDFORD, Or, Jan 11. (To the Ed
itor.) I was glad to see Superin
tendent Stone's article in The Ore
gonian opposing the consolidation of
the two schools at Eugene and Cor
vallis. I am a comparative strang
er here, and have no leanings toward
either institution, although I am preju
diced in favor of agricultural colleges.
I can corroborate everything that Mr.
Stone said by my own personal experi
ence, and if the friends of the Oregon
Agricultural College are wise and real
ly care for their school, they will
strenuously fight against any consoli
dation of the two colleges.
Mr. Stone made reference to Wiscon
sin. I was a student there In the agri
cultural section of that Institution, and
was literally driven away from there
by the taunts of the "literary fellers."
Whenever a few of us "Aggies" or
"Hayseeds" appeared anywhere, we
were saluted with a lot of "Moo Moos"
or "Baas," or there was an occasional
change to the crowing of roosters or
clucking of hens. The literary people,
as a rule, looked upon us as an Inferior
set of fellows and rarely associated
with us, and very few, if any, of us
were considered eligible to fraternities
or sororities.
This treatment became so galling to
us that several of us left and went to
the Agricultural College at Ames. The
feeling there is Just as strong against
the State University as It seems to be
here, and as it is everywhere between
the two institutions. If they were ever
united, do you suppose luat any of the
Aggies would go to the State Uni
versity, or vice versa? If the university
should be moved to Corvailis, hew
many of the Eugene students would go
there? Human nature everywhere is
the same, and I think you would find
that fully 0 per cent would go to
Berkeley or Seattle. And the same
thing would happen If the Corvailis
school were to be united with that at
Eugene.
In California, a short time ago, the
State Grange passed a resolution ask
ing for a separation of the two schools,
as the agricultural part of it seems to
be entirely lost in the scuffle. In
Idaho, where I spent a year before
coming to Oregnn, they have the two
institutions united, and u. you want to
see what it means, send a committee of
citizens up there to investigate, and
they will certainly report against con
solidation, for the feeling there Is so
bitter that It is likely to disrupt the
entire institution. New Hampshire
tried consolidation and. after a dozen
years of union, the feeling had become
so hostile that the two schools were
separated as far as possible, one being
placed in the extreme 60uth and the
other In the extreme north. Friends of
either institute want to go slow in this
matter. L. MARVIN.
After Coffee and Cigar.
Departing Guest rd gladly give you
a tip, waiter, but I find I've only cab
fare left.
Waiter (benignly) Ah, sir, you don't
appreciate the beneficial effect of a
good after-dinner walk!
The Oregonian a Home Paper
There are about 40,000 homes in Portland. This
estimate includes all classes of people in all quarters of the
city. One hundred and forty-nine boy carriers deliver
The Oregonian every morning into most of these homes.
Every one of these homes would feel lonesome if The
Oregonian failed to arrive. The housewife looks for the
advertisements, almost, before she does the news. She
wants to know what the stores are offering today.
We shall be glad to show any advertiser or prospec
tive advertiser just where our circulation is. We will
show him district by district even block by block.
The Morning Oregonian is probably the greatest sales
force in the City of Portland. It carries the merchant's
message right into the home of his clients, both present and
prospective. The Oregonian's readers are as much in
terested in the news of its advertisers as they are in the
news of the world. Advertising is news. And if you
would spread your news to the homes' of Portland you
may do it most economically and thoroughly through the
columns of The Oregonian.
LAWS FOR THE GENERAL GOOD
Attorney Raises Qnestlena as to Dtveree
TILLAMOOK. Or, Jan. 11. (To the
Editor.) In The Oregonian December
29, under the head, "Laws for the Gen
eral Good." I note two queries by your
readers. One is:
Aatorla. Or, Dec 27. (To the Editor.)
(1) Does the owner of land bordering on
a river own the water front, or riparian
rights, where h knowa tha river haa
washed away the banks? (2) Haa any per- .
aon a right to file on this water front aa
lata land? I. U.
To -which you anawer. (1 Whera a river
cuts Into a man's land he certainly owns
that part of th river frontage- (2) No.
These answers are Riven with tha under
standing that the land In question is up
land, and not tide-land or accretions.
It seems to me that your answer la
correct in part only, and may be true
as to lands in Oregon, but how about
the State of Washington? The same
rule does not apply there. Then, have
we in Oregon any riparian rights as
owners of the uplands on water courses?
Have not late decisions of our Su
preme Court, divested all lands in Ore
gon of riparian rights as understood
under the common law? The other
query is:
Newberg. Or, Dec. 26. (To tha Edi-tor.)-tl
How long .must a person reside tn
this state before he or s'he can bo granted
a divorcer (2) How much time, must elapso
before either can legally marry again? (3)
Can a person divorced in this Stale of Ore
gon go to an adjoining state and legally
marry In a shorter period than that named
by Oregon'a law? (4) If the defendant in
divorce proceedings should tail to appear
against plaintiff, does that instance allow
plaintiff to remarry at an earlier date than
if suit had been contested? CONSTANT
READER.
To which you anawer: (1) plaintiff, ona
year. (2) Six months. (S) No. (-4) No.
To these answers I take issue as fol
lows: (1) Is correct All the others
may or may not be correct, and no
lawyer in Oregon knows whether you
are correct or not. The Supreme Court
of the State of Oregon has recently de
cided a case, that of Wallace V. Mc
Daniel et al, 117 Pac. p. 31.4. which
does not carry out your contention, and
Just what the Supreme Court has de
cided in this case is past all finding
out. Lawyers do not know now wheth
er to advise a client that he or she
can marry within the six months' pro
hibitory period or not, or whether a
decree procured on default makes the
parties free to marry any time after
the entering of the decree. As this is
a matter of great moment to the public,
I wish you would pursue the question
further, and get the opinions of other
lawyers, and let us see if we can find
out what the law is. I confess -1 do'
not know what it Is.
JOHN LELAND HENDERSON.
The Astoria question was incomplete
ss to facts, the inquirer not stating
whether the stream was navigable or
subject to tidal flow. If not navigable
he would own to the center of the
stream. It is true that under the re
cent decision of the Supreme Court any
person who gained legal access to the
stream could appropriate for beneficial
uses all the unappropriated water
therein. It was inferred that the writer
wanted to know about Oregon laws.
The Oregonian admits that there la
controversy among lawyers as to the
right of divorced persona to marry
within six months after a default
decree has been entered. Some con
tend that there is no appeal from a
Judgment by default and that there
fore the judgment of the lower court
is final. But how about the period In
which an original action may be com
menced to set aside a Judgment on
the ground of fraud? What of section
69, Lord's Oregon laws, which in the
event summons is by publication, gives
the defendant the right, upon good
cause shown within one year after
entry of Judgment, to defend? The
theory that divorced parties may not
remarry is based on the assumption
that a decree of divorce is not a final
Judgment until the right to reopen the
case or appeal has expired by time
limit. In the case Mr. Henderson
mentions the court in effect denied the
state the right to appeal unless it had
been entered as a party in the lower
court. Lawyers had theretofore con
tended that the right of the state to
appeal from a default judgment with
held the finality of the divorce de
cree for six months. There are still
other obstacles to dispose of, as pointed
out. As it Is a matter of some doubt
and one of grave Importance to
divorced persons contracting new mar
riages, it would seem wise to advise
postponement of ceremonies in all
cases until six months have elapsed
from date of the decree.
Queer Tale of Lost Amethyst,
New Tork Tribune,
"Almost too- strange to be true,"
said a woman who had lost and found
again a piece of jewelry a few days
ago. On arriving at her husband's of
fice in the Wall street district she dis
covered that an amethyst was missing
from an ornament which she wore. The
prongs which held it had evidently
worn away and the stone was given up
for lost. She went on a shopping tour,
and when leaving the Seventy-second-street
subway station on her way
home dropped her muff. She stooped
to pick it up, and close to one of the
iron pillars saw her lost amethyst. "I
was so glad to find It," she said, "but
people don't believe the story even
my husband made a queer face when
I told it."
A Sermon en the Mayflower.
Life.
"You can carry germs across the
ocean, can't you?"
"I should say you could; look what
the Mayflower did to this country!"