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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1913)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, TUESDAY. JANUARY 21, 1913.. rOKTLAXD, OBZGOX. ' Entered at Portland. Oreloo, Postofflea aa Fseond-clssa matter. . Subscription Rates Invariably la Advnnea, BT MAIL) Dally. Sunday Included, one year Daily. Sunday Included, alx montha.... rkfltlv Snndiv Inelnoed. tiire month.. -20 . riadw fiunil.. InrlndM! one month..... - Dally, without Sunday, one year J-J Daily, without Sunday, alx montha -- Duly, without Sunday threa montha.... LIB : Dally, without Sunday, ono month ' WMklv. bb. . i Sunday, ona year Sunday and Weekly, ona year n (BT CARRIER.) ' Daily. Snnday Included, ona year . Dally, Sunday Included, ona month How to Remit Send Poatofflce money or der, express order or peraonal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency axa at the aender-a risk. Olva poatonTiea addroaa In full. Including county and state. Poataco Ratea 10 to 14 pases. 1 cent: 18 to 28 pages. 2 centa; SO to 40 pases. S cents: 40 to CO pacea, 4 centa. Foreisn poataaa, aonbie rata. Eastern Boatneea Office Verrea Conk lln New Tork. Brunawlck buHdin. Chi cago. Stccer bulldlnff. baa Francisco Office R. J. BIdwall Co.. T42 Market street European Office Mo. S. Recent atrat, 8. W. . London. PORTLAND, TUESDAY. JAN. 1, 1813. ALARM WITHOUT CAUSE. New York newspapers, the Times In particular, are much perturbed by Wil son' Chicago speech. They do not like his declaration that honest busi - ness men are not trusted, that equality of opportunity does not exist and that business must be set free from every feature of monopoly. Least of all do they like his allusion to "the whip of the laws," or the following statement made by him after the audience had failed to applaud his declaration against monopoly: I nottro vou do not applaud that. I am somewhat disappointed, because, unlesa you feel that way. the thing Is not going to hal- pen except by duress, which la the worst " way to brine anything about, because thero will be monopoly In this country until there are no important bualneaa men who in tend to brine It about. Now what is there about this to alarm any honest business man who sincerely endeavors to live up to the Jlaw? Wilson frankly invites business ' men to dispel the suspicion which fills '. the public mind by voluntarily coming within the law and helping him to ' bring others within It. He expresses unwillingness to compel them by using the whip of law, but warns them that, if they render this necessary, he will use compulsion until he has rooted out monopoly by curing Important business men of the purpose to bring It about. The Times says that this speech be trays "only too clearly not only a lack of Intimate knowledge of the proc esses of business, but a certain con fusion of mind as to the fundamental conditions under whioh the affairs of the American people are conducted." It attributes what it calls "the vague ness of Mr. Wilson's ldoas" to the fact that "he has lived Intensely for many months in an atmosphere of grievance, complaint and suspicion. He has come to feel, if not believe, that there are great wrongs to be righted and great ' blessings to be conferred, and that it is his duty, his mission, to bring this about." How could he help living in this at mosphere of suspicion when it is about him-everywhere, except in the financial districts of New Tork and Chicago? It produced the progres sive movement in both the old par ties and the organization of the Pro gressive party. Its existence is rec ognized by Senator Root, for whose Judgment the New Tork papers have always shown profound respect, in the following passage from a speech he delivered in New York: The cotton planters underJtand each other, the wheat farmers understand each other, the Importers understand each other. the bankers understand each other, but there ara vaat masses of the people of our country who totally misunderstand others of our people, and that misunderstanding Ilea at the bottom of the spirit which 1 have . attempted to describe as ao necessary to real aelf-covernment. The misunderstanding, and when I say the misunderstanding It implies erroneous ideas, for there ara hundreds ot thousands of peo ple, outside the great industrial communi ties, who think you are a den of thieves, and there are hundreds ot thousands of peo ple who think that the manufacturers of the country ara no better than a aet of con fidence men. Why. we have before us now creat and serious questions regarding the financial problems of the country, and this is wha stands In the way of their aolutlon: It Is that the men who understand the finances of the country, the bankers, and the mer chants engaged In great operations, are un der suspicion, tlreat bodies of people will not accept what they say regarding the aubject of finance, a subject compllcatec by all the currents and movements of finance throughout the world; they will not accept what the experta say. what the men who understand the aubject any, because they do not believe their motives are honest. So that the onlv one who can be heard la the man who does not understand the subject. Wilson's language Is vague only so far as definite measures are concerned, , for It is too early for him to use more explicit expression until his Cabinet . is formed, the new Congress organized and his policies set forth after coun sel with his advisers. But his general purpose is obvious enough. He will continue in his own way and in prob ably a somewhat different way the policy which has been pursued with such success by Taft In compelling business to submit to the law. It Is useless to complain of gov ernmental Interference In estab lished Industries to say that the net result has been to Increase the cost, that there has been no tangible benefit and to cry out for a business man for President. By their votes in successive elections the people have shown an earnest, fixed opposition to monopoly and special privilege, and Wilson is evidently de termined to execute the people's man date. The trusts are the growth of over forty years and the actual work of dissolution Is only well started. It is absurd to expect very clear, tangible results within two years after the dis solution of the oil trust, though com petitors of both the oil and the tobacco trusts have testified to the actual ces sation of the practices which destroyed or restricted competition. The Stand-' ard Oil Company may need further discipline to convince It that the Gov ernment Is In earnest. The financial organs seem to need further demon stration that the people are not to be frightened into tolerating monopoly by the Assumption that monopoly and business are synonymous terms. The people believe that business can thrive, and thrive better, without monopoly, and they are determined that it shall be so. The results will chow as the good work goes on. This is no party question. The pur pose of both Republican and Demo cratic parties ts the same. Whatever difference exists is as to details and methods of execution. The Republi can party may, and probably will, criticise Wilson's methods, but It will continue to approve his purpose. Succor for Professor Patten, of Pennsylvania, comes from an unex pected source. No less a magnate than James J. Hill Is preaching. In the Mothers' Magazine, the same crusade against penurious saving from which Professor Pattan has been bo reviled. Mr. Hill rebukes women for their habit of buying cheap goods. He says this is the worst kind of economy, thereby upholding Poloniua. who urged his son Laertes to wear raiment as "costly as thy purse can buy." RIGHTING A REAL WRONG. The Grants Pass Observer Is printed on the banks of the Rogue River. Its testimony on any subject affecting the welfare of the district tributary to the river ought to be credited with being informed. That the people of Oregon may know how one witness of the facts feels about the dedication of the Rogue River to sportsmen and idlers, and the ruin of the salmon in dustry, consequent upon the passage of the initiative cloture act four years ago, The Oregonian herewith reprints what the Observer has to say: It Is reported that at the current session of the State Legislature the matter of re opening the Rogue River to commercial sal mon fishing will be taken up and probably favorably acted upon. The closing of the river four years ago waa a public outrage. It waa accomplished by a atate vote on a local question. Only three counties are di rectly concerned, and all the other coun ties voted blindly. The result was to rob some W fishermen at Granta Pass of the means of livelihood, and to closa down the big cannery at the mouth of the river, which employed many more. The closing of the river to the salmon fishing Industry accomplished no good what ever. It was harmful in every way. .t wasted a considerable natural resource of this part of the state, and It polluted the Rogue River, from which several towns take their water supply, with dying, dead and decomposing fish. In Justice to the several Interests involved. Rogue River should be opened . to com' merclal fishing its whole length, and also Its tributaries. The members of the Legislature from the territory concerned are said to have agreed that a measure open ing the river to commercial fishing at certain seasons should be adopted They recognize that a great wrong has been Inflicted, and no public benefit whatever has been done by expelling the seine fishermen and shutting down these canneries. No panicky fears about "interfering with the peo ple's laws" are now expressed. The clear duty of the Legislature is to do the right thing by Rogue River. TRUTH AND SOCIETY. "Why," asked a Tacoma editor at a recent newspaper gathering in Seattle, "whv la it that a newsDaDer cannot cover a society function in the same way it would any other story?" The ensuing discussion is reported by a ve racious Seattle paper to have devel oped a "small, orderly and wholly un-e-mecteri riot." For the Tacoma journalistic outlander's supporters there were some who agreed win him are said to have declared that "all brides are not 'beautiful : their weddlne- a-owns are not always 'ex- nuiaitA nr lo-elv': every home where some affair is held is not 'prettily dec orated. The Oregonian hurries to the de r.naa nf th enr-ietv rennrter. who seems to have been lamentably friend less among the ungauant wasmngton editors. They ought to be ashamed of themselves for their failure to see in weddings and society affairs of all irinria thn heatitv. brightness and per fection vprv one else sees, instead of getting together and hypocritically ad mitting to eacn otner mm iney ate afraid to tell the truth. One Tacoma f.i,ii-nnitt lamplv said he had orinted the facts about a society affair, and he had not heard the last yet or tne general public Indignation. We don't wonder, if his conception of the facts was as awry and hideous as we sus pect it was. an hrMpa nrp beautiful even in Se nt , i anA Tui'nms although the Se attle and Tacoma editors Insinuate that they are not. All social functions are pleasant and all social gatherings are happy. We know it. We declare it. We are ready to point out the ex act paragraph wherein it all is writ ton Hnwn in Maim a Charta and our own revered Constitution: and there is a reference to the suDject in tne immortal Declaration which has some thing tn sav about everybody's right to the pursuit ot happiness. It is high treason to say that weddings ana so cial events are not exactly what they purport to be. Th moral of this little homily on society Is, of course why cannot these Washington editors see it, for they practice it and unconsciously sub scribe to it? that the purpose of all wedding ceremonies Is happiness, love nnrt life- and the creneral intent of all social events is pleasure, light, good feeling, good ,wm. neignoornness uu fraternity, as well as forgetfulness and oTKhminn of the sordid affairs and many vexations, large and small, ol everyday existence. What business has a mere newspaper to seek to ln mA,ifa in nuch comrjanv the red devil of petty gossip or the hideous skele ton in many a closet or tne haunting emptiness of many a larder? ECLIPSE OF THE LAWGIVKR. Somebody has taken pains to come to the rescue of Mr. U'Ren's standing as a lawgiver. Mr. U'Ren's reputa tion as a constructive statesman has blossomed and flourished In certain Eastern communities, and, lest It be damaged by the fact that not a single measure which he actively and openly advocated was adopted in the last elec tion, the Eastern public is reassured by the Buffalo, N. T., Enquirer. It ap pears to the marvelous insight of that newspaper that, Inasmuch as seven measures that he opposed were de feated, the people of Oregon are still taking orders from ITRen. The En quirer prints the following: A few years ago William Simon U'Ren made a practically single-handed begin ning at making things over In the State of Oregon. The character and purposes of ITRen are best disclosed briefly by reciting his con neetlone organixer and aecretary of the Oregon Direct Legislative League, 1S2 1902! organiser and aecretary of the Ore gon Direct Primary Nominations League. 1004. and People's Power League, Oregon, 196 and lttoo; aecretary of the Oregon Single Tax League. U'Ren waa ona of the authors of measures for direct control of atate government by the voters through the initiative and ref erendum, recall, proportional representa tion, amendments to the constitution, di rect primary and rigid corrupt practicea laws. The official count on the vote 'on taxa tion and electoral questions, submitted to the people of Oregon at the last elec tion, has appeared. Th statement includes the leading advocates and opponents ot the measurer. The people defeated seven propositions opposed by U'Ren. They adopted two that he disapproved and turned down two that he advocated. Two of the propositions on which the people disagreed with U'Ren related to the single tax. They also exempted house hold furniture, wearing apparel and per sonal effects In actual use from taxation against his will and refused to approve abolition of the atate Senate, proportional election of members of the House, proxy system of voting on bills and other radical propositions in accordance with hia advice. Nevertheless, acceptance of seven orders out of eleven Indicate that the people of Oregon are taking a great deal from U'Ren. There were twelve, instead of eleven, measures that Mr. ITRen either per sonally or as a member of an organi zation expressed opinion upon in the official pamphlet. But his chief effort was to prevent the passage of the amendment repealing county tax op tion and to obtain approval of gradu ated single tax and the so-called U'Ren constitution. He was the author of the county op tion amendment, which carried in 1910 through tricky wording and lack of understanding by the people. He was rebuked by Its repeal In 1912. 'He had presented a form of single tax in 1908 to have it go down to defeat- In the last election his single-tax amend ment was defeated by a larger major ity ono hi? a a-renter nercentatre of the total vote than In the first instance. In 1910 he presented a proportional representation plan and it was defeat ed by about 7000 votes. He presented proportional representation again in 1912 with additional frills and It was defeated by 40,000 votes. The people of Oregon In the recent election approved such important measures as woman's suffrage, regu lation o nnhiio utilities, eight-hour day on public works, employment of convicts on road work ana limitation of bonded indebtedness. What was the attitude of the constructive states man from Oregon City on these meas ures? Nobody knows. Seven of the measures on which he was officially recorded in opposition were tax measures opposing his pet scheme of single tax. Five failed of approval, not because Mr. U'Ren had given advice, but largely because the tax issue was so confused by multiplic ity of measures that many voters voted against every tax bill or amendment to be sure that they defeated his single-tax amendment. Thft two tn-r measures that carried "were the well-advertised repeal of the notorious county option ana tne ex emption of household furniture, which was so simple in form that all could understand its import at a glance. Two other amendments he opposed related to "majority rule." They pro posed unreasonable restrictions on di rect legislation, and everybody who had ordinary comprehension of public sentiment in Oregon knew from the day of their Initiation that they would be overwhelmingly defeated. On these and on the bill providing a millage tax for the benefit of the two educational institutions the opposing Influence of Mr. U'Ren was negligible. The day of personal lawgiving In Oregon is passed. The distinctive TrTtenlo nipAsnre has no standing with the people. Increasing majorities against. them on ineir resuDmission show very clearly that the voters of Oregon are not taking orders from U'Ren. EUGENICS AND ENVIRONMENT. Professor E. G. Conklin, of Prince ton University, touched upon the sub ject of eugenics, not without wisdom. In his presidential address before the National Society of Naturalists at Cleveland a few days ago. His main point was that, at present, it is not best to try to regulate the heredity of ordinary human beings by Imposing restrictions upon marriage. The most we can safely do. in the light of our present knowledge, is "to attempt to eliminate from reproduction the most unfit members of society." By far the larger number of active eugenists ir with Professor Conklin upon this point. They have told the world through every possible medium mat it Is not by legal enactment but by the slow process of education that people must be brought to regard the race Ideal in contracting marriages. This ia nni nMrlv ao hoDeless as it might at first sight appear, because history teaches us that the instinct wnicn prompts- to matrimony is one of the . Jni.ll In the TX-Vl nl H list. Tf can be trained to take almost any direc tion 'which is thought fitting m any rivAB enr-lal state. It is amenable to religion, custom, parental guidance and even to law, though perhaps less to the last than to any of the other factors. tjnt Professor Conklin urges the world to give up the expectation of ever doing a great deal to Improve the race through regulating marriage. He seems to think that the elements en tering into the problem are so nu m I. a t n mftU anv real solution out of the question. He states his conclusion in this rather aiscouraging way:i "Society can safely eliminate its worst elements from reproduction, but it cannot wisely go any farther than that at present." We read between iho Unoa that he believes we never can wisely go any farther. He Im plies pretty clearly That It would oe fivino- In the face of Providence to attempt any such task as the improve ment of human beings through heredi ty. The subject is so .complex, tne nmhiotn Is so dark that we must leave It to the powers above if we do not wish to incur their wratn. There was a time when men fully vi.. a- anv Princeton nrofessor gave substantially the same pessimis tic advice about tne laws ot tne pnjs i,.ot i.nivorw Socrates, in fact, taught that it was impious to pry into the secrets of inanimate nature. "The sub ject is so complex and difficult, ne said almost in Professor Conklin's lan guage, "that It is plain to be seen that the gods do not wish us to investi gate it. If It had been their will for us to understand the laws of nature they would have made the matter more simple and better adapted to our Intelligence." Thus Socrates held forth to the young men of Athens In regard to physical science. If the world had followed his counsel we should never hax.-A known anvthine about astron omy or electricity or the laws of sound. There never would have Deen any printing press, steam engine or flying machine. The work of the world would still have been done by slaves, as it was in Socrates' time. Professor Conklin. and a number of savants who think as he does, now caution us In the same way concerning the laws of heredity. All sorts of strange and unexpected things happen in that mysterious realm, they tell us warningly. The child born with a good heredity and reared in an Ideal environment often turns out a blockhead or a rascal, while the sons of poor blacksmiths and ignorant farmers become the princes of Industry and the kings of science. "Could anyone have predicted Abra ham Lincoln from A sturlv of his An- cestry? Can anyone now predict from what kind ot ancestral comoinauons the great scholars, statesmen, men of affairs of the next generation will come?" Certainly not, but a hundred years ago no one could have predicted u.-hat wonlri hnnnpn vhn a core of soft Iron wound with insulated wire should be rotated in a magnetic Held. At tnat time magnetic induction ana electrical energy were fully as mys terious as heredity Is now. The fact that the former mysteries have been Monlvail Bnnnnn raa rational mAn to believe that the latter are neither In soluble nor does divine Providence op pose meir investigation. Practical eugenics must, of course, be based upon the science of heredity. Baffling as the laws which govern the transmission of human life and facul ties now appear, we have not the slightest doubt that they will some day be as familiar as the laws of sound and that desirable types of men and women can hp produced according to the needs of'society. But we agree with Professor Conklin so far as to admit that all this Is rather remote. Of course it is an obvious duty to take care of the genius that happens into the world by the current hit-or-miss process instead. of letting it starve, as we often do, or persecuting it, which Is another favorite amuse ment of mankind. The Princeton man in this connection makes one remark which strikes us as extremely convinc ing. Why Is it, he inquires, that in all the crises of history' the right man appears to take the helm of affairs? It must evidently be because the race is always producing many possi ble great men. But they are bdrn Into an environment which is unfavorable to their development and so they never "find themselves," or too often they are starved and dwarfed. We find pick pockets in our Shakespeares and edu cate our Newtons to be hodcarriers. It was only by a lucky throw of fate's dice that "Newton escaped being an obscure farmer, Farady a bookbinder and Pasteur a tanner." The task to which we ought to address ourselves exclusively for a long time to come, thinks Professor Conklin, is so to re form educational methods that we shall preserve and develop our acci dental geniuses instead of killing them off. Certainly that duty Is pressing, but what Is there to hinder the ra tional Investigation of the laws of heredity at the same time that we in ject a dose of common sense into the schools? Rovelatlons about the arson conspir acy in Chicago help to explain the high fire loss of the United states as com pared with that of European countries, though the more inflammable charac ter of many of our buildings is the main cause. A crime which is so pre valent in Chicago is likely to be more or less prevalent in other cities. Arson is particularly difficult to detect, for its success usually destroys the evi dence. Even when it is patent that a fire is caused by this means, the cap ture and conviction of the incendiary are next to impossible, for he can usu ally be far from the scene before the fire breaks out At best only circum stantial evidence can be obtained, and acquittals because of reasonable doubt are unusually numerous among the few cases brought to trial. Probably American county govern ments are, upon the whole, the worst of all our 'bad experiments In ruling ourselves. With shining exceptions they are thriftless and Incompetent and occasionally dishonest. The glare of publicity seldom reveals their trans gressions and they do about as they please. From this fruitful source come bad roads, among lesser ills. There is now on foot a movement to haul coun ty government over the coals every where and make it more efficient. No task could be more useful. Some of our Eastern contemporaries begin to discern the promise of the parcel post as a distributor of farm produce to the city consumer. In sight of that kind is not to be scorned even when it Is a little belated. "The bane of the producer and consumer alike has for years been the difficulty of getting into direct touch with one another." Thus sagely reasons one Eastern paper and It discerns the rem edy for the trouble in the parcel post It is a debatable question whether on inmate discharged as "cured" really is sane. For example, there is the Toledo; Wash., farmer who ex ploded dynamite as best means of com mitting suicide. A man in nis rigm mind would not have the necessary nerve. should th iwomen of the Eastern states be granted the franchise before 1916, Wilson can count on tne unneu opposition of the dressmakers. They mill never forelve him the loss of prof its on Inaugural ball gowns. Tf the cstrfkintr waiters In New Tork continue to tell tales out of school about the dirty hotel and restaurant kitchens and the impure food, there mav he an invasion of sanitary Inspec tors and pure food experts. Every good American rejoices that Helen rjonld ia "very, very happy" at the prospect, of- marriage and thinks that Mr. Shepard should De very nappy also. All hope that their happiness will continue through life. Opposition is developing In Washing ton to the appropriation of two million for a Lincoln monument Probably the spirit Is right, for Lincoln is less in need of that kind of glory of all men, living or dead. Every young woman in Oregon who hopes to "go down to Portland" to bet ter her condition should read the re port of the committee of the Consum ers' League. Taft and Wilson have each been re minded that greatness is not always recognized, Taft by Phipps' lapse of memory and Wilson by a Janitor's snub. T h e one convincing point In making genuine the spirit communication from Professor James is the signature. There is no gainsaying that "Bill." Land in London sells at five and one-half million an acre. There Is a hint to the Portland owner Just mere matter of time. The Elder's passengers have learned that they, that go down to the sea In ships at this season must expect to get their feet wet. ,Castro's candid opinion of our im migration laws would make Interest ing reading, but it might not be fit to print. Having shed their artillery, the row of members of the Wyoming House was trivia The Balkan allies have sent Turkey so many ultimatums that one grows impatient for the ultimate ultimatum. Election of 'Senator at Salem today and the lack of excitement are like unto the dull thud in a vacuum. January thaw is polite term for the Missouri classic "Hell and high water." "Brisk southerly winds" mean the welcome Chinook. MAKE XO PLEDGES FOR FUTURE Roosevelt Max- HotBe at All Desirable In 1910. PORTLAND, Jan. 1. (To the Edi tor.) An Illinois paper says that at the close of the recent Progressive meeting at Chicago, in a spurt of en thusiasm. Rev. B. Fay Mills nominated Theodore Roosevelt as the candidate of the Progressives for President in 1916, and that the suggestion was unani mously adopted. This may have been well enough as a bit of play, but If taken seriously would, in my judg ment, be a decided political blunder. No one can tell what changes may take place In men and measures the coming four years, and promises and pledges that may hamper free action, when the tiine for action comes, ought not to be made. Mr. Lincoln never said a wiser thing than in the remark that we ought not to cross a stream until we come to it Four years from now Mr. Roosevelt may be the fittest man In the Nation as a Presidential candidate: but, on the other hand, he may be entirely down and out. and other men may have Corged to the front. Nobody can tell. Measures, too, may change in four" years. The only promise any man (or party, either) ought to make for fu ture action is that he will do the best possible for the right when called upon to do something. Those who believe In better govern ment ought at present, and for some time to come, be wise, careful and dis creet They must refrain from any thing that will cloud the issues or con fuse the public mind as to what is the one thing to be done. That one thing Is to deal with "monopoly." wherever that monster chooses to show its head. Monopoly has been the one curse of the ages. Monopoly never had a con science,' or pity, and monopoly is the same today that It ever was. It rules by the power of might: It never con sults Justice. Its purpose is that of the pirate and its practice that of the holdup man. It claims the right to tax without limit, and through this power, if it has its way, the great body of mankind is to be reduced to servitude and bondage to Its Immeasurable greed. It is with this "monster of such hideous mien, that to be hated needs but to be seen," that all fair-minded people of. whatever name or cult are called to battle. The Interests of monopoly are united, ano confident and accustomed to rule. Those who oppose this monster of the ages must stand together. They must put It down or it will put them down. It Is the old struggle over again tot lustice and right, and it cannot cease. It must go on until victory perches upon its banner. The great majority of the people are on the right side of this issue, and they will win the battle ere long, if they are not divided into factions and parties, that resist each other and de stroy each other's work. Monopoly will play the game lta devotees have always played. That game has been to divide and conquer its opponents, and it has lost none of its cunning. False and petty Issues will be trumped up, and there will be cries here and there for the purpose of breeding dis sension and confusion in the ranks of those It cannot control. But these well-known devices, must not be al lowed to succeed. This monster enemy of human well-being must not be al lowed to hide its deformity behind se ductive promises, but must be made to appear as it really is, and be made responsible for what it does. To secure this end the hosts of re form and of progress must not be con fused and divided by petty personal Issues and Interests, or by premature commitments and unnecessary prom ises of a personal and transient nature. It will be time enough to consider such matters as they come up for decision, so that when the hour for battle comes, four years hence, there can be com plete harmony and co-operation among all those who stand on principle and for better things. If Wood row Wilson can make good, If he can give the people the reforms they ask for and must have, well and good. In that case, and to him and to the men who aid him, due praise will no doubt be awarded. At present he talks right, and I believe means right, and I believe in his having a fair field and an open opportunity to do his best for the Nation. But if he should fail for any cause, then the ele ments of progress and of betterment must unite in 1916 and sweep the country on the one great issue of curbing or controlling or destroying monopoly in all of its pernicious forms. LEVI W. MYERS. BROTHELS ENTICE SOLDIERS' PAY Farmer Soldier Tells of Evils' That Took Place of Canteen. MONMOUTH, Or., Jan. 19. (To the Editor.) Aa one having had more or less experience as a soldier, I have been interested in the canteen ques tion, and unqualifiedly agree with The Oregonian that your correspondent Ruggles has a "curious view of the canteen." I have a rather intimate knowledge of Army posts from Gov ernor's Island and Fort Hamilton, N. Y., to the Presidio. Cal., and the Philip pines, and have never yet seen a "well regulated" saloon that catered to the enlisted man's trade. A special post I have in mind Is Fort Douglas, Utah, on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. I can remember when there was but one saloon between Salt Lake City and the mouth of Emigration Canyon, the soldiers of the Fifteenth. Sixteenth and Twenty-Fourth infantry, when stationed there, were held high in the esteem of the citizens. There was a canteen at the post Very seldom did the city police have trouble with the soldiers. The canteen, was abolished; hell holes of the worst possible descrip tion sprang up like mushrooms from the city limits, clean around the military reservation up into Emigration Canyon, and they were still there the last time I saw the post. The police records are filled with arrests of soldiers on all possible charges, and this same condi tion is or was true in Havre, Mont, Miles City, Cheyenne, Wyo., and every spot in the West where an Army post existed. I wonder where your correspondent got so much inside information as to "upkeep" and maintenance of officers' clubs and to their use of company funds. I admit that several officers, being but human, have been "cashiered" for the good of the service, but noting that his letter gives the impression that the average officer in the regular serv ice is a "bad un," I respectfully call his attention to the records' of the War Department, which will show that almost without exception the officers that have been in trouble, either for conduct unbecoming an officer, or em bezzlement, or this or that, have been officers who have entered the Army from civil life. I of course refer to the Army service of the Spanish War. The record of the West Pointer is singu larly clean. The regular does not like his "booze" any better than the volunteer or the National Guard young man, but he will have it as long as it is sold, so if our prohibition friends really want to accomplish wonders, have a law passed that will "sap a $500 blind" on any one selling liquor to a man in uniform; make it just as dangerous to sell whisky or beer to a soldier, as It is to sell it to an Indian. It may be an im practical suggestion, but it was just as impractical to close up the canteen, as far as results go for temperance. "Millions of dollars for the Army, but not a drop for booze." Sure, put it all In circulation in the channels where It will reach brothel keepers, panders and prostitutes. F. B. EVERETT. The Load of a CauneL. Baltimore Evening Sun. A camel with an average load will travel 25 miles a day ana wnen unin cumbered it will reach 90 miles a day sometimes. PRAISES FOR COUNTY HOSPITAL Patient Hljtkly Commends Treatment of Multnomah's Sick: Poor. PORTLAND, Jan. 20. (To the Edi tor.) In the minds of those who have never visited a county hospital, and the very large majority have not, the hospital is composed of large, dreary wards, with whitewashed walls, long rows of cots, filled with groaning and moaning patients, inexperienced doc tors experimenting in surgery, and a stuffy atmosphere, redolent of drugs and nauseating smells. But it isn't At least not in the Multnomah County Hospital. Instead, it is a large and commodious dwelling, with three acres of grounds, situated In South Portland, formerly the residence of Charles E. Smith, one of Portland's earliest wealthy men. The wards are the same rooms as when the owner lived here, good-sized, airy and well lighted, the walls kalsomined and the ceilings tinted, absolutely clean and free from all bad odor. The staff of doctors is composed of the best surgeons and physicians in the city, who are able, gentle and con siderate, and no better service could be rendered, no matter how much was paid for it There are also three house doctors, one of them, at least, being quite equal and, perhaps, superior to many practicing physicians. The patients are decidedly a mixed lot 50 per cent foreign and 45 per cent of the balance have not lived in Oregon a year. Almost every nation ality is represented, men, women and children, some ignorant and dirty, with no respect tor themselves or anybody else, and some decent people, more or less refined, who, through misfortune, are unable to pay for treatment. Still, all are treated impartially, some of the worst cases receiving better care than they would in a private institution. And yet in the majority of cases, no gratitude is shown, not even a thank you, a number acting as if they were paying for It and were determined to get every cent of their money's worth. The nurses are all sweet intelligent womanly girls, working hard 10 and 12 hours a day, and then putting in a few more attending lectures and study ing. Three years of this for their training and what amounts to carfare (if they don't rtde too often), always having a smile and a cheerful word for the patient, whether they feel well themselves or not, always having to watch in case some friendly word might be construed by some fool as familiarity, and always trying to treat everyone the best they know how, and with the utmost imDartlality. The superintendent of this hospital is Mrs. A. B. Spalding, ana ner very able assistant Miss E. D. Mucks. Mrs. Spalding is a woman of large experi ence, having had charge of large In stitutions in the East; a rigid disci plinarian, absolutely Just, showing no favoritism, and not sparing herself to live up to her loftiest ideals, and large hearted enough to sacrifice ner own leisure and pleasure to making the natient more comfortable ana nappy. Anyone who stops to think what a mass of work there is In-connection with an institution of this kind, the responsibility, the endless petty an noyances, the planning It must take to make meager supplies and equipment meet reouirements. besides all tne worn of general supervision, will see that Mrs. Spalding's position is no sinecure. A lady visitor some time ago asked me how the orderlies treated patients. One Instance will suffice: In the ward where I am confined with a broken leg a man of 45 years lay six weeks slowly dying of cancer, some times having to be waited on 10 and. 15 times in one night hiB bed having to be made up several times in the same period. The night orderly is an old man, and with two nurses has the whole hospital to look after during the night from 7 P. M. to 7 A. m- Yet he never failed to come when I rang for him, and with infinite pa tience and gentleness, accompanied with soothing and kind words, attended that man to the end. The last words that man spoke to me, a week ago, were: "Please ring for Jimmy." When Jimmy came the patient asked him not to leave him. A half-hour later, without a single strug gle, as peacefully as a child going to sleep, he died. And this is only one case of many. If that is not charity in its broadest sense, what is? If there are any who think there is nothing much done for the sick poor in Portland, they should visit the Multnoman county nuspiuu, and they will be speedily convinced to the contrary. A PATIENT. METAL PRODUCTION IJf OREGON Increased Output oiGold, Silver, Cop per and Lena In ivij. For several years there has been a decline in the metallic output of the State of Oregon, more especially in its gold and sliver, Dut preliminary re turns for 1912 show that this has now in a- to Charles G. Yale, of the United States Geological Survey. The mine report or uie oi vey for 1911 showed an output of gold at t?3q Am ano 45.221 ounces of silver. The preliminary returns for 1912 indicate that tne uregon yieia was about $657,000 in gold and 86,951 ounces of silver, a marked advance In the sil ver output Moreover, the smelters re ceived about 100,000 pounds of copper, compared with 93,196 pounds In 1911, j OQ ABA nmmria of 1 P H (i whereSS dull ao.vvv . there was no yield of lead in 1911. More placers are being woraea tnan lonnenj 4n r maiBtv hv hvdraultc meth ods. The grade of ore In the deep mines has been much lower than for merly, although more of it is treated, n-k. i ....... i.- ,,f the averaae tonnage value is due to the large quantities ot old tailings handled, ineir average yieia being taken with that of the new ore in making up the totals and average values. 'i-v. ln.n.t ni-onncer of e-old in Ore gon is Baker County, as has been the case for some years. roitowing in order of rank are Josephine, Jackson, Grant, Lane and Malheur Counties. . . , nnn-iiAo of the stAte are now i n rr o-nlfl .Tnsenhine leading in the production of placer gold and Baker In that from aeep mines, ia nnver yiciu Baker County holds first rank. Most . v, ...... tn Oppnn 1q milled, verv lit tle of It being shipped to smelters for reduction. J.eitner tne souinweoiern nor the northeastern counties of Ore gon are producing as much gold as a few years ago, although the estimated figures for 1912 show that some little advancement is in progress. The state badly needs the adve.nt of capital to open and develop its deep-mining prop erties, many of which are lying idle for want of means to place them on a pro ductive sianains. Tbe Sacredness of the Jnry, Cleveland Plain Dealer. We overheard this conversation down at the old Courthouse the otner aay, and we nrint it as an example of the loyalty and Intelligence of the average member of that much mangnea dui wark of our liberties, the American Jury- Listen to this: "Well, old fellow, glad to see you loose at last What was the verdict?" "The Jury was unanimous for find ing the prisoner guilty." "How lone did it taker' "He was found guilty on the first ballot" "You were on the Jury, weren't you?" ."I was." "How did you vote?" "Pardon me, but we jurors are not allowed to tell these things. They are the sacred secrets of the Jury room." i Two Women Confer. Judge. "I asked your husband last night if he had to live bis life over again if he would marry you, and he said he cer tainly would." "He certainly, wouldn't"; Half a Century Ago From The Orefonlan of January 21. 186S Dr. Bellows says that $393,470. out of a total contribution to the sanitary fund of $566,294. has ben given by the Pacific States and Washington Terri tory. If other states had given in like proportion, not less than $9,000,000 would have been raised. E. L. McGraw, Esq., of this city, has been appointed United States District Attorney for the District of Oregon. Washington. Jan. 12. The court martial ot General Fitz-John Porter closed last night. A verdict was agreed upon, sealed and sent to the President. Washington, Jan. 13. Stevens intro duced a bill that it be enacted that the President shall be authorized to raise, organize and equip 150,000 persons of color for five years. We call the attention of our readers and the authorities to the danger of the smallpox being communicated to the inhabitants of this country from the infected district covering nearly the whole of the British possessions in the Northwest. The weather at Florence on January 7 was mild. The morals of the place were improving. Our correspondent at that place says that "Cherokee Bob" and his mate hunted industrlously-for a fight and at last found it. They were both killed. Chicago, Jan. 12. Jeff Davis made an' address to the Mississippi Legisla ture on December 20. He said when he arrived in the state General Grant's army was prowling on the people of Mississippi, but when they went to Grenada nothing was seen of the enemy but tracks. He has discovered that the real point of attack was Vicks burg and Port Hudson, and all who de sire safety to th Southern Confederacy must hasten there and lend a helptnsr hand. These places must be saved at all hazards. DENIAL MADE DIVORCE IS F.VIlj Writer Declare It Proper Menus to Cure Kvll Condition. PORTLAND. Jan. 20.' (To the Ed itor.) Some days ago the newspapers published the opinions of a number of our newly-elected state lawmakers on the subject of divorce, and what they intend to do to correct tho evil. Ono legislator brought out the whole sum and substance so clearly that it seemed there is little to add. His position is this, if I understand his epitome: Matri mony is a sacred institution; to grant divorces severs the sacred tie; hent'e. is wicked. He would have his constitu ents to understand that while he Is a member of our lawmaking body he. will do all he can to make matrimony something sacred. To arrive at such conclusions and form such premises requires neltlirr experience, observation nor knowledge: all we need Is authority that some one has told us about It. I protest against this old humbug. All I agree to is that matrimony is an institution, recog nized by law and custom, hut that It Is sacred I deny. I mean that It may be sacred the most sacred tie I can con ceive of on earth, but It Is not always so. Where a man and woman fight, quarrel, hate each other and abuse each other, no amount of mummery can make It appear sacred to a rational be ing. It is sacred where there is love, peace, good will, "not mine, but thy will be done." cheer and that Inner glow of Joy which to understand must be experienced. A beautiful homo where mother, father and a few chil dren live, work, love and are happy you never created such a scene by au thority, by law, by regulation, by out siders butting In with their many in terferences. Such a home is sacred. To have been a guest -there is to have come away with a blessing. Such a family does not worry over the divorce evil. That divorce is an evil I also deny. It is a means to cure an evil condition. To err is characteristic of humans. Men make more mistakes than beasts. How ever, a beast has sense enough to undo a known mistake. Man alone is blind enough to stay by his mistake, stick it out to the end, Imposed on by self-appointed guardians of his happiness. There are many tragedies in life; one Is a helpless child, another a crippled or maimed person: but no tragedy is quite so pathetic as a man and a woman, both up to the average, or above, in intelligence and virtue, but wholly mlsmated. continuing through youth, past the meredian into old age without one day of happiness; where the heart yearns for higher things, better things; where the very aspira tions are used to becloud their judg ment and hold them in bondage. And then the children of unhappy parents: How often do we not hear the old threadbare absurdity that a divorce would be the thing if it were not for the children. Here is an additional crime commit ted against society; not only do wo seek to keep Incompatibles yoked, but we are so unjust that little children, the dear little human in his innocence and natural sweetness before spoiled by vice and tommyrot, that such shall be doomed to a childhood of fear, sor row and heartaches. No, my dear Dracos, let well enough alone: make It easier to obtain a dlvorw, not harder. No person will leaye a mate beloved: no person has any -right- to fill my life with wormwood by preventing me to correct an acknowledged mistake. Rather have the authorities cry out every so often: "Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All who are miserable by virtue of mistaken choice, separate! Do not increase the misery of the world by continuing a path you know to be bad!" ERNEST BARTON. As to Cleaning Sldewnlks. TORTLAND, Jan. 19. (To the Edi tor.) I thank you sincerely for the in formation asked for In my communica tion regarding sidewalks. The long and short of the matter is that It is the duty of the police to enforce an ordi nance enacted for the purpose of main taining clean thoroughfares. This be ing a fact the question naturally arises why don't they get busy? for there is an abundance of first-class material for them to work on. I can point out a lo cation on Belmont street from Sixty third to Sixty-eighth, which is sorely in need of attention, and, by letting no guilty man escape, that avenue would be, as designed, an ornament to the city, instead of a disgrace, as it is now. As conditions now are, it seems to be a case of the public versus indifferent property owners, with the police hold ing the balance of power and not mak ing use of it as servants of the people. The law is Ignored, sidewalks are im passable, citizens outraged and indig nant, condemning both lot owners and administration. Either the ordinance or the .police is defective or Inoperative. If the former. It should be annulled and expunged from the records and a bind ing one substituted; if the latter, they should be arraigned and disciplined. H. H. DELANO. It should have been said in reply to Mr. Delano's other letter on the same subject that the police encounter the same difficulty in keeping sidewalks clear that they do In enforcing the weed Avtnnnee. When the owner of the ad jacent property is a non-resident he is without the Jurisdiction of tne city ana -nnnnt he nnninhed if he nefflects to clear the walks. A city ordinance gives authority to tne ponce aeparimem employ men to keep such sidewalks In proper condition and assess the costs to II.. rtrnnevt. hilt tt l RXfr ted bv the liio '"l' -J I - .. - department that there Is no fund avail able for the initial cost of the wora. t.uAaf.ra the tear 1 in oner At i ve as to the sidewalks fronting property owned by non-resiaents.