THE MORXTXG OREGONIAN, TUESDAY, JTILT 16, 1913.
PORTLAMJ. OREGON
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: PORTLAND, JTESDAT, -TLY 1. 1812
WE'LL AIL BE TAX EifM"-
The conscientious Oregon voter
the working, delving, siuqious vu.
who does not liKe to do
initiatlve legislation will undoubtedly
become a profound authority on most
phases of the tax question before the
riw of election day. All who live in
nthnr than Multnomah.
Clackamas and Coos will have eight
tax measures on which to apply their
intellect, to say nothing of the small
lob of passing on twenty-eignr. msu
ures of other kinds. Those who live
in the three counties named will have
nine tax laws or amendments to or
gest, and also the twenty-eight mis-
.1iananiia m PfLSU TPS.
ii. -i nni.t imts Intelligently
ought to know something about the
arguments for and against single tax,
inheritance tax. taxation of moneys
enri credits, exemption of non-produc-
tre nersnnal nrooerty. taxation of in-
ennntv ontlon taxation, di-
vnnumtnt of state and local taxation,
taxation by classification, the putting
of the sole power to tax in the hands
of the whole people, graduated taxa
tion of land holdings, and possibly a
few other branches of the question.
t cntm)3 formidable. It is formid
able. There is enough in the taxation
measures alone to keep the conscien
tious voter of ordinary attainments
fairly busy from now until November.
The following is a statement in brief
of the measures that will be on the
ballot:
An amendment repealing the
amendment which now gives the
people sole power to regulate taxa
tion and exemptions and permits
county tax rule.
An amendment permittting state
and county to levy and collect taxes
on different classes of property. (Di
vorcement of state and local taxation.)
An amendment requiring that all
taxes shall be uniform on the same
classes of property.
An amendment providing for the
taxation of incomes.
An amendment exempting from tax
ation all household furniture, cloth
ing and other non-productive personal
property.
A bill exempting from taxation bills
of exchange, mortgage notes and
other credits.
A bill revising the inheritance tax
laws.
An amendment establishing single
tax accompanied by a graduated tax
on land holdings, franchises, etc.
A bill (in Multnomah. Coos and
Clackamas counties) establishing sin-
iic OA.
The approval of some of these
measures would in themselves defeat
others. For example, the repeal of
the county option tax amendment, if
successful, would defeat single tax in
the three counties where it comes up
in county measures, no matter what
the vote of each county was on the
Issue. On the other hand, approval of
the state-wide single-tax measure
would put single tax into effect in all
counties, including the three where it
comes up in county measures, no mat
ter how the voters in the three coun
ties voted on the local measures.
Of the state-wide measures, none is
antagonistic of others except the sin
gle tax-graduated tax measure. All
others may be adopted without seri
ous legal entanglement- It is possible,
of course, that all eight state-wide
measures may carry. In that event
the ones receiving the highest affirm
ative vote would prevail as to all con
flicting phases. This result would es
tablish a chaotic condition as to taxa
tion that could only be unraveled by
the Supreme Court.
The thing that the voter needs to be
most wary of is the attempt of single
taxers to becloud the issue by talking
graduated tax. There is no gradu
ated tax provided in any measure ex
cept the one which, if adopted, would
establish single tax. Call it gradu
ated or any other Inadequate name, it
is the product of the Fels Fund Com
mission, which is pledged to establish
single tax In some community within
a period of time that has now almost
elapsed. Its presentment In Novem
ber will be the culmination of an ef
fort in which approximately $50,000
collected in this and other countries
will have been expended in Oregon.
If it Is defeated it will probably be
the final effort of the Fels Fund Com
mission to establish single tax in Ore
gon. If adopted, it will be'followed
by other measures designed to confis
cate for the state by means of high
taxation all privately-owned lands in
Oregon. j
It Is the duty of the opponent of
single tax to consider more than the
one measure, however. There Is quite
a variety of combinations to be an
ticipated in the action of the people
on the eight measures. Approval of
the county option repeal and defeat
of all other measures would put the
state back exactly where it was be
fore the last election in the matter of
taxation laws and constitutional pro
visions. Defeat of all measures would
leave it where it now stands, with the
Legislature deprived of authority to
regulate taxation or exemptions. The
wisdom of the rule "When in doubt
vote no" is not affected by the tax
complication. But to it might be add
ed the advice "Don't be in doubt."
The telephone has come to the front
as one of the most valuable of life
savers. By instantaneously carrying
news of the approach of a flood. It
gives the people of a town In Its path
time to flee to safety. It did this serv
ice at Johnstown, though the people
had been given so many false alarms
that they refused to credit the news
and thousands of them lost their lives
In consequence. It rendered the same
service at Denver on Sunday, saving
hundreds who would have perished
but for the warning. On numerous
occasions similar warnings have been
telephoned along the path of a flood,
the prospective victims of which have
watched its progress from a refuge on
the adjoining hills.
STEALING AND TRYUfQ TO STEAL.
Mr. Roosevelt preaches again from
the familiar text "Thou Shalt not
steai," in the current number of the
Outlook, reviewing the contested cases
of Arizona, California, Texas and
Washington and reaching the usual
conclusion that each of these cases.
from the Roosevelt viewpoint, was
without a "flaw. "Thou shalt not
steal": certainly not. But how about
ME stealing? The decalogue is hap
pily silent on that subject.
Let us go back to McHarg, the use
ful and not-too-nice McHarg, who in
vaded the South, backed by some one's
money and some one else's authority,
and returned with a waste basket full
of contests against the regularly elected
Taft delegates. McHarg did his work
well. He stirred up a lot of post
mortem activity for Mr. Roosevelt,
causing conventions to be held where
regular Republican conventions had
been held long before and producing
results on paper that boded well for
the Colonel at ghicago. When the
convention opened at Chicago there
were more than 240 contests for
Roosevelt delegates. More than 150
of them were rejected by the National
committee, commonly by unanimous
vote, and all of the 150 were finally
abandoned by the Roosevelt people. It
was clear that they were spurious or
fictitious or bogus, or without merit.
or all together.
If the Taft offense In taking uexas,
Washington, Arizona and California
wa a. steal, the Roosevelt project' of
capturing Alabama. Georgia. Louisi
ana. Mississippi and Arkansas was a
bold and unblushing conspiracj to
steal. If one was morally reprenensi-
ble, the other was morally inaeiensi
hle. What has Colonel Roosevelt
tn sav about the procured Southern
vote at Chicago and the Roosevelt ef
fort to get it?
TOM MARSHALL'S DERELICTION.
"The Democratic platform ignores
the riT-ee-rtn Kvstem. but Candidate Wil
son has approved it, except the recall
of judges." is the apologetic outgiving
of one of the thlck-andjthin Wilson
newspaper ' boosters in Oregon. This
in response to the reminder by The
Oregonian that these are the same
little Journalistic yelplets that hound
ed President Taft on his Oregon trip
because he did not indorse the Ore
gon system.
The Oreeonian has not ODserveu
that Mr. Taft has anywhere, since he
was President, discussed any feature
of the Oregon system, except the re
call of Judges, and he has vigorously
opposed that original Oregon scheme
for the same reasons that Woodrow
Wilson has opposed it. Mr. Wilson's
commendation of the Oregon system
has been coupled witn me corrcti
qualification that it is, or ought to be.
a club behind the door" to maue rep
resentative government more repre
sentative. He has mildly commended
the Initiative and referendum on that
basis, but up to the hour of going to
press the initiative and rererenaum
have not been adopted in New jersey
of which Dr. Wilson is the great re-
he for the recall?
But how about that other great
Governor. Tom Marshall, co-partner
of Dr. Wilson in the confidence of
Democracy, and co-candidate on the
Presidential ticket? Is he for the
Oregon system? Is he for the initia
tive? Is he for the referendum? Is
he for the recall?
The Oregonian will answer Its own
question by saying i that he is not.
What are the little Democratic papers
that were so highly incensed at Pres
ident Taft's failure to go on record,
and so deeply convinced that he thus
forever disqualified himself to be a
patriotic and people-loving President,
going to do about Tom Marshall?
EXPRESS AND PARCELS POST.
No stronger argument for a parcels
post has been presented than the facts
stated by Interstate Commerce Com
missioner Lane in his report on ex
press rates. While this report is con
fined to a sweeping revision of ex
press rates and practices without
proposing to take the business out of
private hands, it reveals between the
lines how much greater economy and
efficiency could be introduced in the
carrying of parcels by the Postoffice.
It Indicates one of the many ways in
which lost motion duplication of
work has added to the cost of living.
It is most llluminatng as to the degree
of economy which may be effected
by combination. When such combina
tion is organized by private corpora
tion's, this economy Is capitalized and
the benefits accrue to the stockholder.
When the combination is the Govern
ment Itself, the benefits accrue to the
people. The only objection to Gov
ernment ownership is that the men
operating the combination have not
the same direct interest in effecting
economy which prompts the corpora
tion to save the pennies.
Mr. Lane, however, clearly shows
that the express business, as now con
ducted, is wasteful in the extreme
from the standpoint of the patron.
Division of the business among a num
ber of companies and their contracts
with railroad companies cause more
rates to be made, more bookkeeping
to be done, parcels to be carried by
circuitous routes, discrimination to
be practiced. The public pays for all
this waste: it is all added to the cost
of living. The tariffs Include 600.000.
000 rates, though the aggregate busi
ness Is only half as many parcels. The
clerk must wade through this volumi
nous tariff to find the rate for each
parcel and the consignee pays for his
wasted time. The method of handling
the business, the diversity ot owner
ship and the relations of express to
railroad companies require no less
than eleven different pieces of clerical
and accounting work fbr each ship
ment, no matter whether the charge
be 25 cents or $25. Again the con
signee pays.
Pending the transfer to the Gov
ernment of the whole parcel-carrying
business, Mr. Lane has done a valu
able service In reducing the tariffs to
so small compass that they can be
printed on a sheet one-fourth the size
of a newspaper. His plan of labels
reduces the amount of bookkeeping
and clerical work. The economy in
operation thus effected for the express
companies will go far to offset the
sweeping reduction made in their
rates. The stimulation of business
resulting from greater simplicity and
better system, as well as the increased
volume resulting from the reduction
itself, will offset the rest. Although
the express companies may complain,
they will benefit by the drastic re
construction of their business.
Although the new system of rates
and practices will redound greatly to
the benefit of the public and Is prob
ably the best that could be done with
a privately-owned parcel-carrying j
business, the limitations on what can
be accomplished are a forcible argu
ment for a parcels post, or what Rep
resentative Lewis calls a postal ex
press. That would extend the system
to every remote hamlet, every isolated
house on a rural route, to. which an
express company cannot be compelled
to carry parcels. For the time-con
suming. money-wasting system of way
bills, of accounting between express
companies and between express com
panies and railroads, there would be
substituted the simple weighing of the
parcel and the attaching of a stamp
with an accounting of each day's
business in, bulk between each post-
office and the department. There
would be no favoring of the big ship
per at the expense of the small one
whereby the commission business is
fostered, though but a fifta wheel to
the coach. Every city dweller could
have his supply of butter, milk, eggs.
vegetables and fruit sent direct to
him by the farmer. The glut of such
produce tn one market, the famine in
another, would be largely relieved.
The revision of express rates is a
long step tn the right direction, but it
is only a step. The goal is the par
cels post.
SMALL WORRIES OVER NOTHING MITCH.
The Oregonian would suggest to the
good old New York Republican, who
writes a heated letter today, that it
might have been well enough to wait
until President Taft turns somebody
or other out of office for "disloyalty'
before Invoking all the ghosts of his
many political misdeeds to haunt him
Yet we have no great hope that any
thing we might say, or anyone might
say, would reclaim this lost New York
Republican sheep. The letter of Mr.
Metcalf bears Intrinsic evidence that
he thinks he has been a loyal Repub
lican, in New York and elsewhere
long enough. Now there is to be an
end of loyalty, all owing to Ballinger,
Pinchot, Glavis and the rest. Mr
Metcalf Insists also upon the supreme
right of disloyalty among Governmen
officials to President Taft and his
administration.
If President Taft has heretofore dis
charged anybody for disloyalty to him
and his policies, we cannot now recall
his name. To be sure, there is Pin
chot, who was dismissed for offensive
and notorious insubordination, and
there is Garfield, who was not
engaged as Secretary of the Interior.
But that was hardly disloyalty, though
some think, indeed, it deserves to be
called high treason.
Apparently someone is urging Pres
ident Taft to get rid of certain mem
bers of his immediate official family,
who are not only out of sympathy
with him and his purposes, but are ill
more or less definite alliance with Mr.
Roosevelt. Does Mr. Metcalf think
President Roosevelt would hesitate to
act. In such circumstances, by cutting
off the offender's head and casting
his body to the wolves? Hardly. Why
should not President Taft insist upon
loyalty and service to his own ad
ministration from among his own high
appointees?
It would be absurd, of course, and
Indefensible, for the President to dis
miss any subordinate or anyone under
civil service, or any other official or
head of department, for friendliness
to Roosevelt that stopped short of
pernicious activity. But must he keep
the members of his own Cabinet who
are secretly conspiring with -bis ene
mies, or the heads of various bureaus
who are striving to defeat the policies
upon which he relies, for the success
of his administration and are con
spiring to elect another his successor?
But Mr. Metcalf need not worry
President Taft will not dismiss any
body, or at least not very many any
bodies. That Is the trouble. He never
did. He never will.
ROBERT
WIEDEMANN
BARRETT
BROWNING.
By all the common rules of heredity
Robert Wiedemann Barrett Browning,
who has Just passed away, ought to
have been a highly gifted man. His
mother, Elizabeth Barrett, was one of
the most precocious little girls who
ever lived. At the age of 6 or 7 she
was caught reading books on philoso
phy and at 11 she composed an epic
poem entitled "The Battle of Mara
thon." For the next few years she
occupied herself reading Greek, and
when she was 20 she published a col
lection of poetry called "An Essay on
the Mind and Other Poems." Most
girls at 20 are just beginning to dis
cover that there is such a thing as
mind. Elizabeth Barrett married
Robert Browning In 184S, when she
was 40 years old. He was In his 84th
year at that time. The disparity be
tween their ages was on the wrong
side according to the popular belief,
but it led to no undesirable conse
quences. Their marriage was cele
brated all over the world for its Ideal
harmony and spiritual graces. Eliza
beth passed most of her life reclining
on a couch. She was an Invalid at
the date of her wedding and remained
in delicate health as long as she lived.
She died In 1861, when Robert Wiede
mann, their only son, was 12 years old.
Robert Browning, the poet, was al
most as precocious as his wife, but not
quite. When a girl's intellect sets out
to develop prematurely It usually out
strips anything the male sex can do.
He read the Iliad at 8, but we are
happy to say that it was in Pope's
translation. - There Is a story that
Pope himself could read Greek at
about that age. If he could he was
ahead of Browning, but then he had
a humpback, which may have stimu
lated his brain a little. Browning had
a volume of poems ready for publica
tion when he was 12, but fortunately
for himself and the world he could
not find a publisher. He had an in
dulgent father who let him do about
as he pleased and his preferences ran
to study, particularly the study of
medieval subjects. Browning was the
most medieval poet of the Victorian
age, not excepting uante Gabriel
Rossetti. The medievalism of the
latter was a mild and gentle mono
mania, but Browning's was of a ro
bust sort backed up by a stern phi
losophy. The ' only modern deed he
ever did was to run away with the
Invalid Elizabeth when he married
her. The scheme of his poetic ex
pression is borrowed from Thomas
Aquinas' philosophy. Both are as in
volved and obscure as possible, but
both mean a good deal after one has
taken the trouble to unravel their
enigmas.
The boy Robert Wiedemann was
educated about as one' might have
expected with such parents to coddle
and spoil him.- At 2 years old he was
"a blue-eyed, golden-haired boy," who
never had played in the dirt or re
ceived a spanking. - The most notice
able thing about him was hia "ethe
real appearance." The most noticeable,
thing about a normal boy. of that age
ought to be his ruddy cheeks and his
grimy fingers, but poor little Robert
Wiedemann -never knew what it was
to have a good time in the open air.
He was predestined to be a prodigy.
and, worse luck, ah angelic prodigy.
Both the Brownings reveled in the
decadent medievalism of Italy under
Austrian domination, a medievalism
which Italy herself has rejected with
encouraging scorn. They made their
home at Florence and did not permit
their cherubic son to learn a word ofj
English until he was adept in the lan
guage of Dante. At the age of 8 the
unhappy little urchin could read Eng.
lish, Italian, French and German and
play on the piano. But he couid not
ride horseback and he never had en
joyed a fight in the whole of his pale
and flabby boyhood.
His mother was proud of him
prouder, she told Leigh Hunt, than
of her poem "Aurora Leigh." He dis
played some artistic gifts early In life
and they do not seem to have been
quite blighted afterward, though he
did not by any means fulfill the prom
ise of his monstrous babyhood. He
lived to be 63 years old, but the story
of his career contains little that is in
spiring. One feels all the time in
reading it that he was a sort of hot
house plant lacking the true stamina
which makes capable men. He did
not marry until he was 38 and then
chose a rich New York woman with
whom he did not live happily. At that
time of life of course his habits were
too rigidly formed to allow him to
adapt himself to a wife's tastes. She
pulled her way with some vigor, ac
cording to the story, and he pulled
his with all the, feeble obstinacy of
pampered and petted selfishness.
The consequence was that they could
not live together, and when things be
came too hot for him at his own house
Robert Wiedemann fled to Asolo,
where his aunt livedo and sought
consolation on her bosom. It Is said
that he produced now and then a
painting which had some merit, but,
upon the whole, the product of his
life was far from repaying the care
he received or fulfilling the expecta
tions which naturally arose .from his
heredity. It wolud be harsh to speak
of him as a failure, but he was not a
success by any means. Still no argu
ment can be drawn against the sci
ence" of eugenics from his case.
Eugenics teaches that parents ought
to supplement each other. The hus
band should seek in his wife the qual
ities which he himself . does not
possess. Robert Browning sought
in his wife exactly the qualities which
he did possesss, the poetic gift, the
artistic temperament and the lneffec
tive love of the dead past. In their
son these traits were united and some
of them Intensified. If their poetic
power had been transmitted we might
have had another Shakespeare, but
unhappily it was their other and less
valuable gifts which passed to their
son. He was a temperament without
a motive power to set It going, a beau
tiful spirit without a will to make it
effective.
Gooseberries proved a profitable
crop in Oregon this season, but there
is more money in currants, only i
fraction of - the demand being sup
plied. A small white worm is an al
most ineradicable pest of the currant,
but the Washington State College, in
an official bulletin, says the worm
does not affect the quality of the
Jelly, which makes It all right for
non-particular people.
Publicity has done much to stop
the atrocities committed against the
natives of the Congo State. We shall
see whether it will be as efficacious
in checking the cruelties perpetrated
on the natives of the Peruvian rubber
country. The story of horrors pub
lished in the British blue book Is en
ough to make one shudder at the
sight of any article made of rubber.
Miss Crocker, who does not need
them, will receive wedding gifts of the
value of $100,000. They form part of
her life. The little girl who goes
from the counter of the department
store to share the home of the gro
cery clerk aspires to none of those
things, for the light of love sparkles
In. her eyes more bright than scintilla
tions of the other girl's diamonds.
Should King George fulfill the pre
diction that he will Induce the House
of Lords to pass the Irish home rule
bill, he will come to be regarded as a
radical monarch. Should he visit Ire
land, Dublin would go crazy with loyal
enthusiasm, while the boasted loyalty
of Belfast would be subjected to a
severe strain.
The War Department recognizes
that the place where trade concen
trates is the place where the Army
should concentrate; that the place for
rapid mobilization of troops Is oh the
main lines of rail and water traffic.
Therefore, it considers Vancouver an
ideal spot for a brigade post.
Variety may be the spice of life, but
not for the Portland man who com
plains in action for divorce that his
wife hired and discharged eighteen
servants in seventeen months. When
the moving picture gets into the
kitchen, the head of the . family has
ground for objection.
From the viewpoint of fourth place
n the standing table, the Beavers are,
after all, doing very well. Now and
then they play great ball, but only
Giants and Athletics can do that all
the time. Portland is xpecting too
much big league action in a Coast
league game.
Of course New York society could
not resist the power of the Astor mil
lions and had to open its doors to Mrs.
Astor and her beautiful sister. With
all its pretensions, the exclusive set
yields to money.
The block signal is air right. The
fault always lies in the engineer who
runs past it and invariably is killed.
The Spokane man who at the age of
82 essayed to climb Tillamook Head
had more ambition than discretion.
Hammerstein loses a quarter million
in a season of grand opera, a mere
bagatelle to a man with large Ideas.
Portlanders who can get away will
show Seattle a neighborly spirit by at
tending the Potlatch.
New Bedford corporations must
have large unsold surplus, as the
weavers are on strike.
Dried loganberries and apples will
fill the void caused by a prune crop
one-fourth normal.
Cherry Creek is in the scheme of
nature and bound to defy the efforts
of man.
If the weather is too warm. Join the
Mazamas on Mount Hood.
The hops need the heat and sun
shine to kill tha loose.
WHAT ROOSEVELT SAID OP CANXON
Caange In Leadership Oppoaed by Colo
nel In i son.
President Roosevelt in 1906 wrote a
letter to Representative James E. Wat
son, of Indianat indorsing Speaker Can-
non and the Republican Congress. That
letter was dated Oyster Bay, N. Y., Au
gust 18, 1906. President Roosevelt said
"If there were only partisan issues
involved in this contest I should hesi
tate to say anything publicly in refer
ence thereto. But I do not feel that
such is the case. On the contrary, I
feel that all good citizens who have
the welfare of America at heart should
appreciate the immense amount that
has been accomplished . by the present
Congress, organized as it is, and the
urgent need of keeping this organiza
tion in power, With Mr. Cannon
Speaker, the House .has accomplished a
literally phenomenal amount-of good
work. It has shown a courage, good
sense and patriotism such that it would
be a real and serious misfortune for
the country to fail to recognize. To
change the leadership and organization
oT the House at this time means to
bring confusion upon those who have
been successfully engaged in the steady
working out of a great and compre
hensive scheme for the betterment of
our social, industrial and civic condi
tlons. Such a change would substitute
a purposeless confusion, a violent and
hurtful oscillation between the posi
tions of the extreme radical and the
extreme reactionary, for the present
orderly progress along the lines of a
carefully thought out policy. . . .
."Perhaps the peculiar merit of these
laws is best shown by the fact that
while they have aroused the deepest
anger of the reactionaries, of the men
who make a fetish of wealth, they have
not satisfied the unwise extremists;
and the present Congress, in achieving
this merit, has acted in the exact spirit
of Abraham Lincoln, who was never
to be frightened out of going forward
by the cries of those who feared prog
ress, nor yet to bo hurried into a pre
cipitate advance by the demands of
the crude thinking, though often well
meaning, men who are not accustomed
soberly to distinguish between phrase
making and action. To the men who
come in the latter category all we
need say Is to bid them possess their
souls in peace. They have advocated
action; but we have taken action; and
the fact that this action has been sober
and temperate has been in no small
degree the cause of its. far-reaching
efficiency.
"We stand unequivocally for a pro
tective tariff, and we feel that the
phenomenal industrial prosperity which
we are now enjoying is not lightly to
be Jeopardized; for it would be to the
last degree foolish to secure here and
there a small benefit at the cost of
general business depression. But when
ever a given rate or schedule becomes
evidently disadvantageous to the Na
tion, because of the changes which go
on from year to year in our conditions,
and where it is feasible to change this
rate or schedule without too much dis
location of the system, it will be done;
while a general revision of the rates
and schedules will be undertaken when
ever it shall appear to the sober busi
ness sense of our people that, on the
whole, the benefits to be derived from
making such changes will outweigh the
disadvantages: that is, when the re
vision will do more good than harm.
Let me add one word of caution, how
ever. The question of revising the tar
iff stands wholly apart from the ques
tion of dealing with the so-called
trusts' that is, with the control of
monopolies and with the supervision
of great wealth in business, especially
n, corporate form. The only wiy in
which it is possible to deal with those
trusts and monopolies and this great
corporate wealth is by action along the
line of the laws enacted by the pres
ent Congress and its immediate prede
cessors. The cry that the problem can
be met by any changes In the tariff
represents, whether consciously or un
consciously, an effort to divert the pub
lic, attention from the only method of
taking effective action.
TERRIBLE OUTRAGE IS FEARED
Old New York Republican Denonnces
Hoasecleaning by Taft.
PORTLAND, July 15. (To the Edi
tor.) Noting an article on the front
page of The Oregonian Sunday, I would
Ike to suggest I have sever been
anything in life but loyal to Repub
lican doctrines and always held that
loyalty was an obligation of life Itself.
But, under the heading,- "Taft Urged
to Insist on Loyalty," it is stated a
housecleaning" is coming or casting
out of office of all who oppose Taft
this year.
What is Taft loyalty, and to whom
is that programme loyal? As a staunch
and old New York Republican here only
a short time, I wish to state that Re
publicans and all from Atlantio to Pa.
cine, from Canada to Gulf, welcome
further action of that kind in attempt
ing to kick out all voices of the people
in offices and legislation of all kinds.
It would only be in keeping with a
series of blunders inaugurated years
ago to dig the graves of the Chicago
nominees.
The time is at hand when loyalty to
country and true freedom established
by George Washington is demanded in
this land and not loyalty to privileged
classes who, greedy for Alaska coal and
other land areas, including Mexico and
some others, are to be served under the
cloak of progressivlsm.
The Ballinger, Glavis, Pinchot and
like episodes are alive over this coun
try, and a voice will be heard next No
vember. Start the ousting episode as
one other Btep toward oblivion!
OLIVER METCALF.
Where Johnson Learned to Read.
YAMHILL, Or., July 14. (To the Edl-
tr.) In The Oregonian July 11 you
refer to the illiteracy of President An
drew Johnson, you say that he learned
to read while an apprentice. This is a
matter which many, including myself,
seem to be Interested in. Now if this
subject Is worth discussing it Is well
to state the facts In the case. I am in
possession of undoubted facts concern
ing his early lire, wnicn tew n any
others possess, and for the benefit of
those concerned I aesire to state them,
giving the source of my information.
I was one ot snerman s army wnicn
happened to be at Raleigh, N. C, at
the time of Lincoln s assassination.
Before acquainting the soldiers of Lin
coln's death, safeguards were placed at
everv residence and business place in
the city. It fell to my lot to guaro
the old gentleman who taught Andrew
Johnson his trade of tailor. He was
ntelligent and seemed well to do; was
free to enlighten me.
Pointing out the building in which
they worked, among many other things,
he said that Andrew Johnson, at the
age of IS, got into trouble and ran
away. That at that time he did not
know the letters of the alphabet He
went to Tennessee and was there edu-'
cate'd by the woman whom he married.
J. A. .HHJK ,n Afl.
A Soothing; Telephone Message.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Host Excuse me. That's my phone.
At Dhone: "Oh, yes. What's that? You
can't give me the hour you promised I
could have tomorrow? Oh, that's all
right. No, no. It doesn't incommode me
in the least. Any other time will do.
Don't mention It. Good-bye."
Friend That must nave been your
dentist.
Host It was.
Tbe Burden of Identity.
London Tit-Bits.
Gentleman (who has Just picked up
a sovereign (J4.87), to tramp who
claimed it) But how can you prove it
belongs to you?
Tramp Why, gu-nor, you can see for
yerself I've got a 'ole in me pocketl
LEAD BACKWARD
Correspondent Discover
Dangers In
Oregon System.
PORTLAND, July 16. (To the Edi
toi ) "Whither are we drifting in our
Qovernmental polity." This is a ques
tion ever present in the mind of one
who cast his first vote in the Presi
dential election of 1848, and has voted
at every general election since. At an
early age he became familiar with the
history of the organization of our Gov
eminent, its system of checks and
balances, and the history of political
parties wKh the issues pn which they
divided.
In organizing our Government the
fathers were trying an experiment,
departure from all previous forms. At
that time all known jtovernments were
monarchies. Mostly despotisms, which
the free life ot the fathers led them
to reject, and their choice lay between
a democracy in which the supreme
power is in the hand of the people and
exercised directly by them, ana a re
public, in which the sovereign power is
exercised by representatives elected py
the Deonle.
The fathers chose the latter and
framed the Constitution upon that plan,
with its three co-ordinate departments.
makinir careful provision for great de
liberation in amending that Constitu
tion, and as the state constitutions were
obliged to conform to the National,
thev have all contained similar sale
eruards. in conformity with which both
National and state constitutions have
been amended from time to time as
chanBTincr conditions required.
After more than 120 years of such
unexampled progress and prosperity,
with Tin svmntoms of halting or retro
gression, it would seem the part of
wisdom to maintain in its integrity a
system that has proved so entirely
suited to the genius of ionr people in
the past. Is still working smoothly and
keeping us in the Iront rann ot nations,
and to make changes wnen tney oe
come necessary in the orderly way
provided in our organic law.
But during the last decade there has
arisen o set of self-constituted law
and constitution tinkers, who, under
the soundinK name of "Progressive,
and the taking motto of "let the people
rule." are ranldlv overturning our well
tried representative system-, and would
relegate us to the status of the democ
racies of ancient times, that always
ran into anarchy and ended in despot
Ism.
Comment at this time will be con
fined to the much-vaunted "Orejron sys
tern." consisting of the "nominating
primary," the "initiative." the "referen
dum" and the "recall." The Oregon prl
mary law forbids naming of candidates
by caucus or convention, therefore
candidates are self-nominated, and the
voter is limited in his choice to one
among a lot of self-promoters, not one
of whom would be his real choice, and
in the end a plurality may be but
one-fourth of the votes cast and mere
fore not a majority choice. And the
law 1r bo looselv framed that an un
popular and easily beaten candidate
may be foisted upon a party by its
opponents, who have .no intention of
supporting him in the election.
Law making by initiative compared
with that by Leglslatve action shows
this strong contrast: in the Legisla
ture a bill must receive the assent
of both houses after close scrutiny by
a committee of each, and he approved
hv an executive before It Becomes
law. This elves opportunity for
amendment and elimination of crudi
ties, and of possible conflicts with
other law-i in force. Under the Initia
tive, however, a bill may be, and often
is drafted bv designing persons, placed
on the ballot with no possibility of
examination and amendment, or or od
iep.tion hv an executive.
Consider also the large number of
nronosed acts placed on the ballot in
addition to tne long list oi ranojun
and a condition is created that may
well dmint the most intelliirent citizen,
null ntterlv confound the mass of
voters. That the average voter either
realizes his lack of ability Tor legisla
tion daclines to accept the responsi
bllity involved, or is disgusted with
the whole svstem. is evidenced by the
fact that the vote upon an Initiative
nrnnoRltion is so small that tne num
ber cast in its favor is but a fraction
nf the whole cast at that election.
The referendum may be classed wltn
the Initiative, but it goes a step further
by nullifying representative legislation
by direct legislation, as lying up us
operation until another general elec
tion, keeping the public mind in a state
of uncertainty and unrest, a fertile field
for the aeitator and demogogue.
This entire theory of direct legisla
tion is based upon the proposition
that the people lack the intelligence
requisite for the selection of honest
nnd eanable representatives, but the
same unintelligent people can be fully
trusted en masse to perform all leg
islative functions.
This seems the argumentum ad ab-
Hnrdtim. so transparent in fact that
comment would be useless.
A nuerv arises: If initiative legls
lation be the wisest, why not do away
with the Legislature? Economy alone
would lead a man to discard an in
ferior machine for a better one, and
certainly deter him from running the
two at the same time and at double
expense. We should possess business
sense at least.
Of the recall: Taking into considera
tion the short term of our elective
offices, it would seem better to abide
by the result of an election during so
short a term rather than subject the
public to the expense, excitement and
bitterness always attending a recall
campaign, And the possibility of gain
ing nothing ih the new deal.
Another point in the system is
Statement No. 1. which requires a can
didate for Legislative honors to pledge
himself that, if elected, he will in the
Legislature vote for the self-nominated
candidate for United States Senator
receiving a plurality of the popular
vote, thereby signing away in advance
his independence and manhood, the
most valuable of all assets of citizen
ship. Let us examine what the people of
Oregon have gained in this new deal,
ostensibly for the good of the people,
the obvious results of the system:
I was about to ask: "What of our
Congressional representation," but let
that pass and leave our citizens to
"point with pride" if they feel able. We
have a Governor whose lips are scarce
ly dry from taking his oath to execute
the laws, ere he gratuitously declares
that one statute legally enacted shall
not be executed during his term of
office.
A nominating primary under which
men of real ability decline to allow
use of their names, and voters are con
fined to a choice between several self
nominated candidates of inferior leg
islative qualifications, emasculating
themselves by Statement No. 1, and a
Legislature composed of such material
becomes an object at which to point
the finger of scorn.
A rapid disintegration of our state
constitution by direct vote of the whole
people, instead of the deliberate man
ner prescribed in that Instrument.
A like plan of direct legislation by
vote of the whole people, a small
portion only of whom are qualified to
exercise that function wisely, and
which reduces the ballot of the wisest
to a level or value witn mat or tne
latest naturalized immigrant from the
most undesirable regions of the Old
World.
With this cheapening or the legisla
tive function has-come loss of respect
for law, a weakening and f labbiness of
moral fiber, an Increase of crime and
Increased coddling of criminals, a loss
of the feeling of responsibility by the
individual and the official, that taken
together, bode ill for our future hap
piness and make pertinent the ques
tion. "Whither are we drifting in our
Governmental polity."
GAVIN E. CANKIN.
LAW TINKERS
In the Pause
Br Dean Collins.
Last week were the streets of the city
awhirl
With rush and excitement terrific;
Today they present, as a contrast to
one, --
A character quite soporific
The Elks that were out for a week
full of fun,
Have drifted and scattered away.
And the festival uproar has 6hrunk
to the drone -Of
the things that we do every day.
Last week we were really too busy to
think
Of aught but the Elks and their fun;
The week before that. Baltimore vexed
us all
With tha problem of "Who is to run?"
The week before that, toward Chicago
we turned
Our eager, inquisitive hoses;
The week before that, far to busy to
think.
We were having our sport 'mid the
roses.
The tumult and shoutings have died.
and the kings
And captains have beat it away;
The average man may have time now
to think
For the first time In many a day.
And what are the images formed In his
mind.
From fabric of dreamy creation?
The pictures that fit with the Joys ot
the time
Of midsummer days and vacation.
And fishes, as big as the Jonah-fed
whale.
Will flop o'er his desk: or some bee
Drone round in his bonnet, with som
nolent roar
Like the roar of the soft Summer sea.
And. slave to his fancies, the average)
man.
Will merrllv die- In his ieans.
For purchase of rifles and flies and of
rods.
Of reels and canned bacon and beans.
For midsummer moments a madness
prepare
TTnr everv fanciful jrink.
Who gains soft respite from the midv
summer rusn
To sit for a moment and think. -
Portland, July 15.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oreeonian of July 18, ISM
We have news from Fort Benton
that the steamers have arrived there
with 850 passengers and freight bound
for Oregon and Washington Territory.
The Omaha Republican of May 23, says:
E. Creighton, superintendent oi tne
Pacific Telegraph line. Informed us
last night that ho met 4z teams Be
tween the Klkhorn River. 20 miles dis
tant, and this city, on his return from
Fort Kearney. Between the last named,
point and Omaha Mr. C. met 1400
wagons.
General o. M Mitchell recently tele
graphed to Secretary Stanton for in
structions in regard to bridge-burners
and guerillas. The secretary's answer
was specific: "Let them swing."
About 20.000 Enfield rifles have re
cently been captured by our Navy, to
gether with the vessels coniainins
them, while in the act of attempting
to run the blockade. It Is said that
English speculators In arma have
shiDDed about 20.000 Enfield rifles to
Nassau, where they dispose of them to
rebel agents, who reship them with the
expectation of running the blockade.
The contractor to build rebel gun
boats at New Orleans was driven from
that city because he failed to com
plete them in time and was hanged on
a hotel piazza at Natchez. He is re
ported to have defrauded the Confed
erates of some I600.U00, which he in
vested In English and French funds.
Wa have seen several of our ac
quaintances who have returned from
the Salmon River country, many of
whom do not give very encouraging ac
counts from there, but large quanti
ties of gold dust still continue to ar
rive. But meaerre returns of the election In
Washington Territory have as yet been
received. We are inclined to the
opinion, however, that the Dixie ticKec
has been elected in Clark County, but,
as far as heard from, the Union ticket
has carried Cowlitz County by a
handsome majority. Mr. Cochrane, the
Union candidate for Councilman from
the district of Clark, Cowlitz and Pa
cific counties, has aoupuess peen
elected.
THE FAILURE.
Poets have sung of various themes.
Of tha man with the ax and hoe.
The man who schemes and the man who
dreams.
And tha man of the long ago;
But hearken to this, an oft-told tale.
Of the man you meet every day.
The man who knows what it means to
fail.
Who labors for dally pay.
The man in the -rae" jo- has given
place.
To those who are not his peers.
And struggled on tnougn ionun
frowned
Throuerh weary, wasting years;
He hitched his car to a lofty star.
Feeling sure or his strengtn ana
worth.
But fate decreed there was other need,
And anchored him fast to eartn.
There are those who lack ambition'
goad
Tft nre-a them on their way.
Who meekly plod along the road.
From dreary day to day.
Nor strive to rise above the dust
That cloea their weary feet.
Indifferent to misfortune s thrust.
Or lure of triumph sweet.
While all deplore their lowly life,
And wish them a nigner pi,
Hero is he who in valiant striia.
Has fallen behind in the race:
To him alone Is honor due,
He planned and woricea dui iiimu.
Though sore beset ne struggled uuugiu
Hard pressea. ne never w""-'"-
Wlth sighs and fears beset by fears.
He trod the upward road.
And murmured not nor mourned his lot
Though heavy was the load;
But in the end this common man.
Who labors aay ny o,
Is destined In God s periect plan,
To bear tne crown awa.v.
FRANK W. STONE.
Vancouver, Wash.
Limitations of Mother Love.
Earl Barnes in the Atlantic Monthly
Magazine.
ah inMc hreaks down In the presence
of growing things, as inexperienced
Ity farmers . anu uhcji
know. Little cniiaen neea iov auu
constant personal adjustments. Love
does for them what sunshine does for
plants; it is an indispensable condition
of good growth for minds and feeling.
So, too, the social Instlnet, being among
the earliest and most important of our
powers to develop, -needs constant per
sonal adjustment as the condition of
its best growth and realization. Nine
hundred and ninety-nine mothers out
of a thousand give these conditions
to their babies, while the best-trained
and most sanitary nurse cannot secrete
love for several children any more than
one mother can secrete milk for a group
of children. It is not a matter of good
will: it i matter of human "limitations.
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