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DUCaME'l RtTTM TO Oin(X
The. most significant Incident In the
lucent French Cabinet maneuvers la
th return of M. Delcasee to the For
eign Office- During the late difficul
ties with Orrmany over Morocco thl
energetic and competent statesman
was ostensibly Secretary of the Navy,
but his real duty was to tell the Cabi
net what to do In the German nego
tiations. This duty he fulfilled with
admirable ability. T'nder the guid
ance of his courage and wisdom
Franco held her own In Morocco at
the comparatively trifling cost of sac
rificing some territory at the mouth
of the Congo, territory which Is not
essential to the development of her
African empire. The outcome of these
negotiations was unsatisfactory to the
general public both In France and
tiermany. Each nation shrieked that
the other had cheated It. In France
the outcry, with other matters, has
finally turned out the Cabinet, and In
the shuffle M. Delcasse has been re
stored to his proper post at the head
of foreign affairs. This was his posi
tion In 10S when the Emperor Will
iam made his bullying visit to Morocco
with the intent to frighten the French
away from that region. In the Euro
pean hubbub which ensued M. Del
casse maintained an attitude so firm
that Germany threatened war. The
French were' not then quite ready to
fight and so he was .removed from
the Foreign Office and the Kaiser was
sufficiently pacified to assent to the
Algeclras agreement.
The later disturbances over Morocco
have ended In a decided growth of
French power and prestige In that
section. She has secured the practical
ownership of It. Germany retains
tome commercial privileges, but they
amount to very little more than other
nations enjoy as a matter of course.
The French position In Europe Is also
appreciably stronger than It was six
years ago, and If It came to the pinch
the would probably feel able and will
ing to fight Oermany. of course with
the aid of Great Britain, which la at
her disposal when she needs It. But
'.he French people are fond of colonics,
ihough they never have been very
successful In holding them. They look
upon their African Empire as a far
more precious possession than it really
Is. and the sacrtflce of a fraction of It
to satisfy "German greed" has not
pleased them. The Ministry which as
ented to the bargain has had a
ttormy time ever since, and now It has
definitely gone under. President Fal
lieres has had so much trouble In get
ting a new Cabinet together that ex
citable men like Henry Rochefort have
begun to talk of revolution and the
downfall of the republic, but that is
lolly. The republic never was so
table as It Is now. and its European
prestige never was so Imposing.
France stands In less danger of revo
lution than Germany.
The loss of the territory at the
mouth of the Congo doe not Interfere
with French colonial plans very much,
though It la of the greatest strategic
advantage to Germany to have ob
tained It. The natural path of French
advance In Africa is by way of the
Sahara from the North. Along thlf
route her progress will be sure, though
perhaps a little slow, and there Is no
power to Impede her pioneers. Quit
unlike traditional conquerors and em
pire builders, she makes the earth
green as she advances. The weapons
by which France Is conquering her
empire In Northern Africa are wells
for irrigation and houses for settled
colonists. Germany, on the other
hard, already has a colony on the
east coast of Africa between the Equa
tor and the parallel of 10 degrees
south. This is the latitude of the
mouth of the Congo. Naturally she
wishes to extend her possessions across
the continent and thus Include the en.
tire course of the Congo. A railway
parallel to the great river Is already
projected. With this belt across Af
rica at the Equator Germany would
effectually divide the British colonies
in the North from those at the Cape.
The, only break la British territory
froc the Mediterranean to the Cape
ef Good Hope is the German colony,
which la about BOO miles wide. Its
arestern boundary is Lake Tanganyika,
erhlch is the source of the Congo.
Along the eastern shore of this long
lake runs the route of the "Cape to
Cairo" railroad which England has de
termined to build. If German plans
f aggression are carried out this road
must ran for some 500 miles through
the Kaiser's dominions, and will thus
lose a great part of Its military value.
Hence we perceive that the real
clash in Africa Is between Germany
and Great Britain. Germany wants to
stretch her colony from the Indian
Ocean to the Atlantic. England wants
to run without a break from Egypt
to the Cape. The two nations stand
aquarely In each other's way. In the
past such colonial conflicts have al
ways been settled by war. Perhapr
some better way out of this difficulty
will 'be found. If England can oust
Germany from East Africa the vast
Indian Ocean will be surrounded on
three sides by her possessions. The
Arabian peninsula seems to be an ex
ception, but really it is not. British
territory Just about encloses Jt. and If
the region had any value England
would take it forthwith without effec
tive deposition. Abyssinia, at the foot
of the Red Sea. does not come down
to the coast. It la cut off by a petty
French colony and the remnants of
Italian holdings, which Great Britain
does not dislike. Both Italy and
France are her firm friends and both
ef them detest Germany. ' The Impor
tant point to remember is that French
and British colonial Interests la Africa
do not conflict at all, while between I
those of England and Germany a clash
Is probably Impossible to avoid. If a
colonial and commercial war should
break out. therefore, between the Kai
ser and King George. It Is not difficult
to foretell what France would do. The
firm stand which England took for
rr.nr)i claims in the late Moroccan
trouble would no doubt be richly re
paid in troops for African service.
TKOCBIJs IN TRS I" AMI L Y.
Professor Wilson's unflllal treat
ment of his political parent. Colonel
Harvey, has naturally made a great
commotion In the Democratic family.
Colooel Watterson has to explore his
extensive vocabulary In order to ex
press himself with sufficient modera
tion. Here Is one guarded paragraph
from the Colonel's long letter:
That Ontrnor Wilson, without the leaat
ha of compunction, should spras or
yield to nrh an opinion and permit . olonel
Harvey to consider blmeelf dlscharsed from
Iba poaltlon of trusted Intimacy ha Baa
up to this inomnt hold, loft mo little room
to douht that Ooaraor Wllaoa la not a
man who inakoa common cauaa erlth Bin
political associate, or la deeply eensltlTe or
hie political oMIcatlona. bocaueo It to but
trua and fair to say that aic.pt for Colonel
Harroy bo would aot bo la tba running
at alL
On would Imagine, from th Colo
nel's parliamentary, though explicit,
language, that he had never befor
met a politician with a yellow streak.
TT.tUiECnTSO THE KETTUCK.
Senator Borah's protest against the
persecution of the settlers on the pub
lic domain could not hav overstated
the facts, no matter how strong the
language he used. Th worst conse
quence of the land fraud trials and of
the conservation campaign In the East
Is the general assumption that every
man In the West who tries to secure
title to a piece of public land Is, by
that very fact, a thief, liar and per
jurer, to be hounded by special agents
and forest rangers until he files to
Canada. There he Is welcomed, shown
every confidence which his own good
faith merits, ahd given title to land
without any of the exasperating and
humiliating conditions to which he is
subjected in the United 8tates.
Even if the land laws wer admin
istered only In exact accordance 'with
their terms and with only as much re
gard for Justice to th settler as they
permit, they would be overexactlng. A
man Is required to make his horn on
a piece of land which must be partly
cleared of heavy timber and thick
brush before he can begin to make It
produce a living for htm and hla fam
ily. If he absents himself more than
a certain length of time to earn a liv
ing elsewhere during this period of
preparation, a special agent Is at his
heels and he must endure a contest
which may end In the forfeiture of his
claim. In brief. If he remains on hla
homestead, he will starve: if he goes
away to avoid starvation, he loses the
homestead. '
But his position is aggravated by th
manner in which, he law Is adminis
tered. So convinced are the conserva
tionists of the East, who have long ago
wasted their share of the -public do
main, that every Western settler Is a
prima- facie thief and perjurer, that
the Interior Department Is deiven by
misguided public opinion to keep the
West swarming with special agents.
Th one idea of these men Is to make
a record by tripping up th settler at
every turn of the legal road. Their
fidelity to duty Is measured not by the
number of settlers who are making
homes in their district, but by the
number they can nag and worry with
contests In th land office.
The settler escapes th clutches of
the special agent only to fall Into
those of the forest ranger. If he se
lects a tract of agricultural land in a
National forest, he risks a contest on
the ground that the land is not agri
cultural or is needed as a ranger sta
tion or la a future power site. There
may not be enough timber on it to
build his cabin, but that makes no
difference. 11 becomes an object of
suspicion from the moment he enters
the National forest.
Secretary Fisher has shown a sym
pathetic understanding of the needs of
the West, but he Is hampered by obso
lete laws, which were drafted tty men
who knew not the West. He is ham
pered most of all by men through
whom he must work men whom he
has inherited from his predecessors.
They are slaves to bureaucracy and
red tape. Ignorant of the West and out
of sympathy with It.
The land laws need reform and ad
ministration In the Interest of the
West, as understood by men who know
Western conditions.
BALTIMORE. THK COJrTEjrTIOX CITT.
Baltimore, the seen of th first
political conventions. Is coming into Its
own again. After being displaced by
Western cities, usually Chicago, the
Monument City Is to have th Demo
cratic National Convention for the
first time In 40 years. In making this
selection th Democrats set at naught
the unhappy associations growing out
of the convention they held at Balti
more in 180, when the party hope
lessly split and mad Lincoln's election
possible.
At Baltimore was held th first Na
tional political convention in the
United States that of the Antf-Ma-sonlo
party In September, 1831. This
was followed In December of that year
by the first National convention of
the Whigs, which nominated Henry
Clay for President, and by that of the
Democrats in 183!, which renominat
ed Andrew Jackson. The first six
conventions of the Democrats and
three of the five conventions of the
Whigs were held In Baltimore. In
1858 th Democrats met at Cincin
nati, but - In 1880, after meeting at
Charleston, they adjourned to Balti
more, where the nomination of Doug
las caused the Southerners to bolt and
nominate Breckinridge.
That split caused the election of
Lincoln, secession and th Civil War.
It caused the exile of the Democratic
party from control of National affairs
for a quarter of a century. So low had
It fallen In Its own estimation that in
1873 it met In Baltimore only to In
dorse tfl nomination of Greeley by
the bolting Republicans. The last Re
publican convention in Baltimore was
held In 1864, when Lincoln was re
nominated. The last Democratic convention held
In any Atlantic Coast city was that of
1872. and only one Republican con
vention has been held In that section
that of 1800. Chicago has become
the chief convention city, having been
the scene of nine such gatherings since
1864. St, Louis -and Cincinnati have
most frequently been her successful
rivals.
Selection of Baltimore, an Atlantic
Coast and Southern City, is significant
of th growing Influence of the con
servative elements of the East and !
South and of th waning or raaicai
Western power In the Democracy.
Bryanlsm took the convention of
1908 to Denver, where Guffey and his
contesting delegation of Pennsylvania
machine men were thrown out. The
Eastern Democracy, mostly friendly to
Harmon, and the Southern Democracy,
whose idol Is Underwood, have taken
this year's convention to Baltimore,
where Bryan and his followers may be '
given a dose of their own medicine. J
The platform and nominations at j
Baltimore are apt to be dictated by a
conference of the powers which took
th convention there by Murphy.
Roger Sullivan, Taggart, Guffey and
TTncJenarAad'a Southern friends. The .
West may be given something- to paci
fy It and prevent a repetition of the
disastrous split of I860.
THE T. M. C A.
Tk Portland Toung Men's Chris
tian Association gained 1834 new
members last year? The attendance
at th gymnasium Increased by about
8000. These figures illustrate the
magnitude of the work which th as
sociation Is doing, but they give no
notion of Its. variety. Some careless
people suppose that the T. M. C. A
is a fanatical, club of distractedly
pious youths who spend the day
preaching to one another and praying
for their neighbors' sins.
Many of the members, we dare say.
are pious. We wish they all were. But
it Is far from the fact to believe that
preaching Is their only occupation.
They pray, of course, but a great deal
of their devotion Is of th practical
kind which Paul had In mind when
he said that faith without works is of
no account.
The Y. M. C. A. is a great educa
tional organization. It alms to edu
cate the entire man, soul, body and
Intellect, and so far as we can see It
places these three departments pretty
nearly on the same level. Just as the
Almighty did when he created us.
The night and day schools of the
association, as Mr. Ladd says in his
annual presidential report, "have de
veloped Into a veritable university."
Most subjects that any human being
could wish to know about are taught
there by competent Instructors. The
night classes are a particular advan
tage to worklngmen who are busy by
day and th branches are such as prac
tical people wish to study. Th fees
which the association charges for In
struction cannot begin to meet the ex
penses, but still they amount to a neat
sum In the course of the year, for
1911 they came to about 820.000.
XhA hat kind of charitv Is that
vhlrh touch a man tn helD himself.
and this is what we find constantly
practiced at the T. M. C. A. A year
ago, in speaking of this wholly praise
worthy institution, we suggested mat
It ought to receive an ample endow
mont tmm some deD&rtlne: millionaire.
The suggestion has not yet been fol
lowed. Perhaps no millionaire oi sur.
flclent wealth has died. Perhaps our
hint has been overlooked. In - any
case we put It forth again, hoping for
better luck this year. We can think
of no Institution which better deserves
a rich endowment than the T. M. C. A.
TirE OREGON PLAN IN OHIO.
Rev. Herbert S. Blgelow, who has
been elected president of the new Ohio
Constitutional Convention, Is a pro
gressive, with some slight mental res
ervations. Th convention Is in the
hands of the liberals and the progres
sives and the Reverend Herbert was
elected as a result of a coalition be
tween the two. The liberals, it seems.
are an element that concern them
selves chiefly with devising ways and
means to prevent Ohio going dry.
Brother Bigelow evidently found that
the Demon Rum, on close Inspection.
was not without one or two redeeming
qualities, chief of which was his politi
cal influence.
President Blgelow Is. strongly in
clined toward the Oregon plan of gov
ernment. First and foremost he Is for
the Initiative and referendum. "But."
so It Is reported, "he is not yet ready
to take a stand for the recall, at least
as It applies to Judges."
Like Colonel Roosevelt, Dr. Wilson
and other eminent friends of the Ore
gon plan. Dr. Blgelow evidently does
not car a peppercorn1 for logic. He
Is for the Oregon plan with a large and
obstructive "If." The Oregon plan in
cludes the recall and the recall in
cludes the Judges. It Is a fundamental
part of the system.
The people elect the Judges and
doubtless Dr. Bigelow and his illustri
ous compeers would aver warmly that
the people can make no mistake. If
the people are qualified to elect them,
why are not the people fit to recall
them If they are fit to recall anybody T
Why should an exception be made
against th people's recalling Judges
if it Is not to be made against their
electing Judges?
FHILAXTITROFT FOBS WASTRELS.
A correspondent, who is Interested
In the single tax and its application,
has submitted to The Oregonlan the
following concrete example which we
shall try to answer briefly for the ben
efit of htm and such others as may
be studying the question:
Portland. Or.. Jan. 18. (To the Editor.)
A and B own adjacant lota valued at
110.000 each. A haa no means to Improve
hla; B has $3000, with which he builds a
tore build Inc on hla lot and rents It for
.-0 per month to C. who puts In a fSOoO
stock of merchandlae. - Under the present
eratem of taxation we will aaaume that A
pays $200 taxea. B $300. and C f 100. Un
der the aingie tax system would It be the
logical conclusion to aay that As taxea
would be $300. U's $300. and C's nothing?
SUBSCRIBER.
Under the workings of th prelimi
nary single tax measures to be pre
sented In the next election C would
pay no direct tax and A and B would
pay equally. Their tax might be 8300
each. It might be more. It might be
less. The amount of improvements
and personal property excluded from
taxation and the amount of license
taxes and other revenues abolished
throughout th county by the law
would affect- the amount A and B
would pay.
Any figures purporting to' show In
advance what any individual's taxes
would be under the proposed scheme
ar valueless. A great deal of Im
provement on land is now lumped in
with real property values on th tax
rolls and would be excluded under sin
gle tax. The amount cannot be ascer
tained from the present rolls. Clear
ing, grubbing and grading of a lot, for
example, are improvements and are
not now listed on the tax rolls as im
provements, but are included In as
sessed lot values. Someone might es
timate their value, but there Is no as
surance that his estimate would be th
same as th Judgment of an assessor
valuing property later under a single
tax scheme.
It should be remembered in study
ing results that the single taxers do
nnt nronose to aton at raising the pres
ent current revenues. All or nearly all
the rental value of land Is ultimately
to be taken. In the example given, B's
lot Is Inadequately Improved. He is
receiving only 4 per cent income on an
investment of $15,000. If 8 per cent
were considered the rental basis on an
unimproved lot A's bare $10,000 lot
would have a rental value of $800
per year. Most single taxers
would let the owner retain enough
of this $800 to pay him for act
ing as the agent of the Govern
ment in ' collecting the rent. If this
were 5 per cent, which Is what rental
agencies exact, A and B under the full
application of single tax would pay In
taxes about $760 a year. . Single taxers
argue that the community has made
the lan.d values and therefore the com
munity should receive the benefit.
Surplus revenues would be expended
on public Improvements, purchase of
public utilities and for a. number of
other things w do not really need but
which would be nice to have.
D, who has come to town in recent
years, who has never deprived himself
of anything in order to lay by for th
future and who has no ambition, but
a full supply of envy and covetousness
-D by mere presence In the commu
nity and th fact that he buys food
and clothing and rents a room, we are
told, becomes a creator of land values.
For D's benefit A's lot, for which h
has sacrificed comforts and luxuries
that D has enjoyed, must yield up all
Its rental value for D's further com
fort and pleasure.
Thus single tax Is a very pleasant
dream for D. In fact, single tax phil
anthropic interest for him Is a kind
of fellow-feeling. It Is very much like
the sentiment of the generous charac
ter In "The Mikado,': whose song was
of this Import:
If I'd the power, which I've not,
D should enjoy A's happy lot.
And A should die In misery
That Is, assuming I am D.
Tou will not find many single taxers
on the real property rolls. In fact,
several whose names are appended to
articles appearing In Portland news
papers are not so fortunate, even, as
to be listed In the city directory.
Th death of Herman Wittenberg
deprives the community of one of Its
most public-spirited and energetic
citizens at what seemed the height of
his career. He was aggressive and
broad-minded, not only In his own
business but in public affairs, in which
he was always active. As a member
of the School Board,4jhe Interested
himself greatly in extending and Im
proving education, and for that alone
deserves to be remembered with grat
itude. Such men can be ill spared in
any community.
Say what you will, a ball Is a so
ciety function and those who attend
feel an irresistible Impulse to wear
society clothes. The movement at
Eugene to exclude dress suits from
certain hops is not well considered.
It is no kindness to a young man to
encourage him to be clownish In cos
tume and manners. If he cannot
dress properly for a ball let him stay
away until he can. In the meantime
he may study his lessons, an exercise
which does not require any particular
garb.
If representative government has
fallen somewhat into disrepute in the
United States. Senator Bailey, of
Texas, is as much responsible for It "as
any other man. He lays the blame to
"demagogues," but demagogues al
ways bray in vain when they have no
facts to bray about. In this case Mr.
Bailey has supplied the facts.
Like an Ill-behaved child,' Cuba can
be good when she has to. Which is
better for that tumultuous Isle, to have
a "liberty" which means endless blood
shed or to suffer a "tyranny" which
keeps the peace and makes the people
happy? A people which cannot gov
ern itself ought to bo governed b
somebody else.
There will be very little kissing
done If kisser and kissee must have
their mouths sterilized. That will
bring the act Into the range of pre
meditation, and the thought of pro
grammed osculation will drive away
all desire. Some scientists are crazy.
It la war to the death between mon
archy and republic, between Manchu
and Chinese, in China. The attempt
to assassinate Tuan Shi Kai and the
massacre of 10,000 Manchus are signs
that the conflict is irreconcnapie.
If Draeger, inventor of the pul
motor. would us his machine to pump
the hot air out of the lungs of some
Congressmen, we might get some of
th much-desired legislation at this
session. .
Again has the City Jail been found
unfit by a grand Jury that Is, unfit
for prisoners who, really, hav a rem
edy within their reach. The pity be
longs to officials, not criminals.
With the price of butter soaring
towards 60 cents a pound, the Mis
souri dairyman need not worry about
the means of providing for his sixteen
living children.
Harmon has added one more to the
explanations offered for the panic of
1907. In Democratic eyes the tariff Is
the scapegoat for everything which
goes wrong.
Warned by the looting during the
foreign occupation of Pekln In 1900,
th Manchus sell their treasures be
fore the foreign troops arrive.
Mrs. Evans Is to be commended for
her effort to suppress the frozen or
ange. Oregon has enough good fruit
to supply the home market.
Salem barkeepers would better
await the psychological moment In
seeking more pay. They are a year
ahead of the session.
This is a little bit of Eastern weath
er that flipped over the mountains and
comes at the right time.
Mor schoolhouses are needed and
must be built. They ar a condition
of Portland's growth.
The spirits needed only to ask from
Mrs. Thurston and theV earthly repre
sentatives received.
The distance from Oyster Bay to
Washington is too great for even fifty
foot Jumps on skis.
A roll call of the Democratic Colo
nels on Wilson will make it unanimous.
SINGLE TAX IS MENACE TO STATE.
Oregoa'a StreasTth Shown by Ability t
Take Punishment, Says Asaeaaor.
PORTLAND, Jan. 17. (To the Edi
tor.) It haa seemed somewhat strang-e
to me that In all the articles which
have appeared from the advocates of
single tax, no reference has been made
to the tax burden Itself. I have always
supposed that any one who is really In
earnest about tax reform must be deep
ly interested in this phase of the tax
problem, it being by far the most Im
portant one before the people of Ore
gon today. During the past month re
ports have been coming In from the
various tax-levying bodies: they all tell
the same story. And In addition, the
state Is calling on each county for
more than double the amount of last
year.
It would be supposed that the single
taxer, his heart apparently so torn and
rifted with sympathy for tho home
owner of this country, would be plead
ing for a reduction of expens.es. but
never a word of protest, so far as I
have noticed. It has been my mission
to go forth annually and make an at
tempt at apportioning this tax load
among the people in a county, where
the burden Is among the lowest, and
where the people certainly complain
the least. I have noticed this growth
from year to year and have fe-lt for
the taxpayers, but to suppose that any
relief can be obtained by wholesale ex
emption Is absurd. And no one, as a
rule. Is asking for It, It Is surprising
to see how cheerfully the) people shoul
der the burden, heavy as It Is, only
asking In most cases to be spared from
single tax.
Who Is there but can offer a good
reason why his particular species of
property should not be taxed? We have
heard many euch. For example, an
article recently appeared in The Ore
gonlan, offering a good reason why
growing timber should not be assessed.
I have also heard the same claim made
for over-ripe timber. It has even been
asserted that land should not be taxed,
that dogs and swine should be exempt.
"Every family needs a dog to at Its
bones and a pig to eat its slops."
In view of the heavy Increase In ex
penses, generally speaking, throughout
the state, I think there has never been
a time when the tax rolls needed all
forma of property as they do today, and
I shudder to think of the result should
the entire load be shifted to the land
alone.
It is certainly very unfortunate that
the leaders In this movement should
have turned their attention to tax mat
ters at this particular time, as there
can be little doubt that this agita
tion is keeping people out of the coun
try. Oregon is a strong state, and
nothing proves her strength more than
her ability to take punishment and yet
keep coming. We are told that Port
land, being a fresh water harbor, all
seagoing vessels are anxious to put
into her waters to clear their hulls of
barnacles, but if Multnomah County
ever allows herself to get into the
clutches of single tax, Portland will
have a barnacle on her hull that all
the fresh waters of the Willamette and
Columbia will not soon wash away.
Let every man that takes his dinner
pall and goes to the mill or factory,
and every man that labors on the
street or on the farm, let us each and
all bear in mind that when they bar us
from the tax roll of our county we will
pay dear for the whistle. I believe in
allowing every man a right to make
himself a voter at a school election, and
a right to be drawn on the Jury list of
his county: In fact, I want to allow
him all the privileges of citizenship.
Therefore, to preserve these rights, vot
ers of Oregon, be on your guard, relin
quish not a alngle gift that Is your
heritage from a glorious east; battle
for the rights the Constitution has giv
en you and never weary of the strug
gle. The shadow of single tax hangs
like a black pall over every Oregon
home. Never cease till the dawn breaks
and the shadow flees.
v D. B. M'KNIGHT.
Assessor of Linn County.
Country Town Sayings by Ed Howe
When a spoilt boy Is away from his
imtuicant anl arlmirlnsr mother, what
a spectacle he makes of himself!
Too much business makes a man
cranky, and too little makes him worry.
People are ashamed of the clothes
they wore last year and of their last
year's habits.
If a man Is not found out, be will
finally tell on himself.
Probably the author of a book reads
It after a year or two with as much
regret as he reads an old love letter he
has written.
When your brother comes to town to
visit you, and you Introduce him to
your friend, your friend will say: "He
Is a better-looking man than you are."
It Is a way friends have.
A man never forgives his wife for
having kin, unless they are rich or dis
tinguished. Never do what an enemy wants you
to do. An enemy wants you to be idle,
unreliable and Impolite; and you will
particularly please him If you ar a
drinking man.
Th man who works forgets that he
waits.
If the marriage service specified all
the little details that are Included In
the word "cherish," who would be brave
enough to marry?
THE CALL OP THE HILLS.
Oh, comrade, dear old comrade, don't
you hear th measured beat
Of the pack-train's steady climbing up
the rocky, endless steep?
Don't you feel again the hill wind on
your heated, aching brow,
As you listen to the camp-bird calling
from the nearest bough?
Oh, comrade, dear old comrade, don't
you mind when day was done.
How we reached the time-worn camp
ground with the setting of the
sun?
How we ate our pan-cooked supper,
with the starlight over head.
And before the ruddy campflre piled
our spring hemlock bed?
Oh comrade, you remember with the
first streak of the day.
How we grabbed our rods and baskets
for a speedy get-away.
Through the tangled rhododendron,
white-trunked alders, firs and
brake.
To the lonesome stream that wanders
from the placid, smiling lake?
Oh, comrade, dear old comrade, how we
wandered many days
Till the dusky shadows lengthened In
the waning Summer's haze.
Where the lurking trout grew wary as
we cast the tempting hooks
In the dark green waves that rippled
o'er the alder's submerged roots?
Oh, comrade, dear old comrade, don't
you hear the mountains call?
Don't you see the moonlight dancing
down the forest's shadowy hall?
Don't you see the speckled beauty dart
across the sun-flecked stream?
Don't you feel all nature calling to the
land of life and dream?
So comrade, dear old comrade, pack
your blankets, gun and rod;
Let us leave this stifling city for the
fresh and dew-kissed sod;
Let us hike back to Got's country
where a man can be a man.
With our hearts atune to nature's and
the everlasting plan.
N. A. BARHAN.
WOMEN WOULD ENFORCE LAWS.
Mother Who Believes la Protecting So
ciety Challenges "Effeminate" Men.
PORTLAND, Jan. 16. (To the Edi
tor.) A bit of Ed Howe's philosophy,
found In The Oregonlan today, seems
specially timely and appropriate to
present conditions in Oregon:
For the benefit of the public, and as a
welcome lesson, it Is occasionally neces
sary to kill a sheep-killing dog. In spite
of protests of sentimental people who have
lost no sheep and are therefore charitable.
Mr. Howe hits upon a fundamental
principle of social law and - common
sense which some of our Oregon
theorists seem to overlook.
It is told of Mel)amet All that on one
occasion when rumors of popular dis
content reached his ears, he ordered
that all persona found speaking ill of
him or his policies should be hanged in
the public garden of Cairo. On the fol
lowing morning an English diplomat
saw 40 bodies hanging in the garden.
He asked the Pasha how he had been
able to convict so many so promptly,
and received the . astounding repily, "I
do not know that those particular men
were guilty but there will be no more
criticism," This 1b carrying repressive
measures to an extreme, but it is never
theless the fact that Mehamet All es
tablished social order in a country
where he found absolute chaos.
Government Is not child's play, and
the security of a commonwealth cannot
be sacrificed to the cowardly scruples
of a sentimentalist. It may sometimes
unfortunately happen, in a very strict
enforcement of law, that an innocent
man is punished, but even that should
not be altogether regretted. If it serves
to enforce a salutary lesson of respect
for law; but In Oregon we have had no
such question arise. We have the spec
tacle of criminals convicted absolutely,
by evidence acceptable' to a court of
law and the common sense of every
well-balanced individual, escaping the
Just penalty of their crimes, to be cod
dled and feted by the man who through
some misapprehension considers him
self, not the Governor, but the govern
ment. The strongest nations have always
been those having strict laws, rigidly
enforced.
Among the ancient Gauls it was the
custom to put to death by torture, in
the presence of the army, the last man
to respond to the trumpet call to arms.
A strenuous method for securing
promptness, but effective. In the early
daya of our own country many were
found who could "endure hardness."
Have we entirely degenerated? Have
we no more red blood left In us? Is It
so terrible a thing that an abandoned
criminal, a man who- has deliberately
broken the laws of God and of man,
should enjoy the blessing of a quick
and painless death?
We do not hesitate to shoot one of
the rabies-Infected coyotes of Eastern
Oregon. Should we not, considering the
poor beasts' early disadvantages in ed
ucation and environment, "give him an
other chance"?
In the news of today one may read
between the lines the story so often
repeated, of homes devastated by a
beast more dangerous than any to be
found In the cattle ranges of Eastern
Oree-on. Such men carry on tneir oas
tardly work boldly, for they know there
Is a very little chance of being caught,
onri vn If c.ausrht and convicted they
have only to expect a short period of
healthful outdoor employment, on good
fare, frequently shared ny tne pan
whnM nresence at any dinner table
should be an honor, representing as he
iints our noble commonweaitn.
I am a mother with growing sons and
ciaiiarhters. I do not think l am nai
urally cruel or vindictive, but for my
part, I would say inai n mo meu wo
grown so weak and "effeminate" that
they cannot enforce the laws society
has found through many centuries of
experiment to be necessary, they might
better allow the women a chance at
the problem. We may forgive Kipling
tnr hl lack of arallantry, and admit
that when t comes to protecting our
young "the female of the species Is
more aeacuy man mo
L. P. M.
Swedenbore's Works.
PORTLAND, Jan. 17. (To the Ed
itor.) I notice in an article headed,
"Mrs. Tingley and Theosophy," it is
stated that anyone Interested in Swe
denborg's -works or books can obtain
same by applying to some Philadelphia
"iave enclosed herewith a stamped
envelope, and if It Is possible for you
to give the address of this firm.
M. S.
New Church Tract and Publication
Society, Twenty-second and Chestnut
streets, Philadelphia.
Votes For Women In Sight.
PALO ALTO, Jan. 15. (To the Ed
itor.) in The Oregonlan of January 7
I found an article on "Women and the
Ballot." I was delighted to know you
have taken the stand you have, and
now the women of Oregon will surely
get the suffrage at the next election.
Oregon Is ahead of California In many
reforms but we are a year ahead In
"votes for women."
Give your women the ballot. Tou
can do it. I lived In Oregon 40 years.
MART F. ROSEBROOK.
From Coast to Coast
the Morning Paper
Is Supreme
Start in with Boston and think of a newspaper in that
city. Then think of every city you can from Boston to
Portland. Think of any papers you can that are pub
lished in these cities. You will find that they are all
morning papers.
In Boston they are Globe, Post, Herald, Journal; New
York, Herald. Times, World. Tribune. American, Sun;
Philadelphia. Inquirer. North American, Record, Ledger
and Press; Pittsburg, Dispatch, Post and Gazette-Times;
Baltimore, American and Sun; Cleveland, Plain Dealer
and Leader; Chicago, Tribune, Record-Herald, Inter
Ocean and Examiner; St. Louis, Globe Democrat and
Republic; Minneapolis, Tribune; Milwaukee. Sentinel.
And so on right straight through to the Coast where we
have the Los Angeles Times and Examiner; San Fran
cisco Call, Chronicle and Examiner; the Tacoma Ledger;
Seattle P.-L; Spokane Spokesman-Review.
In Portland it is The Oregonian. In every city there
is always ONE great newspaper. One paper that is the
power in its city. One paper that has the greatest circu
lation, carries the greatest amount of advertising. That
paper is the one which pays advertisers best. In Portland
this power is THE OREGONIAN.
THAT FAMOUS FRICTION THEORY.
Human Nature Censes at the Polls is
Bourne Idea.
New York Evening Sun.
When the facts of the Oregon ex
periment annoy the Hon. Jonathan
Bourne, Jr., he Is not cast down, tie
dmnlv retires from the field with dig
nity and plucks from his bosom the
famous "friction theory" of community
endeavor. We believe this great truth
to h the Senator's own cr.lld. Cer
tainly he Is its only authentlo nurse.
It Is the higher mathematics of pro
gressive thought, and few there be
who can expound its iormuiw. -lho
mere mention of it has been sufficient
to rout an entire audience.
The aim of the theory is simple and
obvious: To prove that a thousand
-..lftoW ii..i..ni .!! vntn tinsftlf ishlV
when using the initiative, referendum
and recall. But how complex mo
supporting argument may be seen from
the following exposition of the doc
trine contributed by Senator Bourne to
the Atlantic Monthly.
v , . ...... ..i i .. in tvi ii7 r,-r A nm ex
actly alike; consequently each Individ
ual lias a dinerent point oi view or iu
na r n.liat nnnutit'it h I O r,VLn nflrtlCU-
lar personal or unselfish interest.
Where Individuals act collectively or as
a community as they must under the
Initiative, referendum and recall an
infinite number of different forces are
set in motion, most of them selfish,
AnrV. atrniraltnff tfr filinPOmflrV. Vlllt S.11
different because of the difference in
the personal equations or tne anierenv
Individuals constituting tne commum-
UnfiDiioa rt turtle HlfforPtlCft friC-
tion is created each different selfish
Interest attacks tne otners Decause oi
ib iffapanpa x" n firm Kplfish Interest
Is powerful enough to overcome all the
others; they must wear each other
away until general welfare, according
to the views of tne majority uums, '
substituted for the individual selfish
Interest."
t . no eopti that a fundamental
truth is involved. The old Idea that
little drops of water make tne mignty
ocean and little grains of sand our
pleasant earth is left behind for all
time. The little drops make Stardust
and the sand a soaring sun. The citi
zens of Oregon when assembled at the
polls are no longer plain John Smith
and Peter Robinson. Their common
selfishness has been worn away by
friction and they stand angels of light,
eyes fixed on ths common good and
chanting the praises of that perfect
altruist, the Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr.
There are difficulties in the applica
tion of the friction theory to certain
conditions. It would seem that a verj
excellent grade of friction would b
found in the prlzering. Yet we have
never heard that bruisers displayed anj
vast altruistic yearnings after a heart
felt contest. Similarly with a peact
meeting. The results of friction
among a thousand pacifiers assembled
for an evening's sport are sometimes;
anything but Impersonal and unselfish.
But such apparent exceptions are
doubtless due solely to our blindness.
We should be poor in spirit indeed not
to welcome heartily the great friction
theory, child of the great Bourne brain.
We are glad to record it as the belicl
of the progressives that human nature
ceases at the polls. '
NEW PROCESS OF ELIMINATION
Cocked-Hat Democrat Proposes Teat foi
District Attorney Candidates.
PORTLAND, Jan. 18. (To the Edi
tor.) As a Democrat perhaps It's nona
of my Colonel Harvey, yet after read
ing Justice Olson's suggestion to the
many Republican aspirants for the
office of District Attorney, that Is to
say, that the number be reduced by
a voluntary meeting of the competi
tors, and that they all proceed to toss
a coin to determine who among them
Is the most fit to serve the "cause of
right and good morals," I confess that
even the writer, a knocked-into-a-cocked-hat
Democrat, became possessed
of a tremulous thrill, coming up some
where out of his amor patriae, but
Quickly dampened by Judge Hennessy s
opinion that such conduct Is unlawful
and amenable to arrest, being nothing
short of vulgar gambling.
This really Is too bad. We have tried
so long and so hard to invent some
simple method, without the aid of
bosses and assemblies, to do something,
I don't know Just exactly what, that
It Is a pity we cannot now do some
thing just exactly warn vo .
through the modus operandi of tossing
a coin.
Rather than witness a brilliant Idea
perish, and go entirely to the devil In
a mesh of legal quibbles, as Is some
times done in the United States Senate,
I respectfully suggest, as a Democrat,
a gentleman and a patriotic neutral,
that instead of tossing a coin to ascer
tain and verify the business in hand,
all the gentlemen concerned meet
in Judge Kavanaugh's court, during
the noon recess, and that the fellow
who can hold his breath the longest
be declared the Ideal Republican to
serve the "cause of right and good
morals." J- M-
Speaking and Talking
Houston Post
"Papa, Is a good conversationalist a
man who talks a great deal?"
"No, he is a man who says a great
deal.