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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1913)
THE MORNING OREGOXIAX. MONDAY, MAY 5, 1913. PORTLAND. OSEGOX. Entered at Portland. Oresoa. Postoffle 'eond-claM natter. Subscription Kale Invariably la Advaae-. BT MAIL) DsflT. Sunday Included, one year ......SSJ Vml.j. Sunder Included, six months ... -- Iiailjr. Sunday Included, three month.. X." Ially. Sunday Included, on month .... . , Dally, without Sunday, one year ...... - . Ialiy. without Sunday. x montna -- J , Dalijr. without Sunday, three mootlu Dally, without Sunday, on month J? e Weekly, on year -- Sunday, on year...... Sunday and Weekly, an year... ....... " i 1BT CaRRUB) Dally. Sunday included, on year J Calljr. Sunday Included, on month ' w . u-i. . .iuinitm money or ' ir. ezpreaa order or personal check on your ' Jocal bank. Stamp, coin or currency are a 4 the sender- risk. OI poatolllc addresa m , lull. Including county and stat. foot as Kate Ten to 1 pae. 1 real. . I to ii pas. 1 cents; Sri u 0 t cents; 0 to SO pas, 4 eanta. ForlT postaf. double rat. to Eastern Business OITVee TrtM co"V 1 fin v-, Vark krunavlck buildlhS. B cazo, Sieger building. ; gas Fraadsca Wfliea R. J. BidwU C " mVH - itw t . TtfM R.Mnt trt . TV.. London. I FORTLAXD, MONDAY. MAT 8, 1M THE FIRST STEP OXLT. A few more than 23 per cent of the J voters of Portland cast ballots in favor lawlnn charter Saturday ! The total number of those who ex- pressed themselves one way or the other was adoui o.b per wm "- ; electorate. These figures are cited not for the purpose of raising doubt as to w hether the real will of the people ; was indicated, but to press nome me 'JUilv 1 1 1 c wsd B . ie attained under any system if many "voters remain away from tne pom when th offices are to" be filled The value of the new charter will be measured by the character of the men who administer it. One or the first .ntial in reform of municipal af fairs is to get away from the idea that a good system of government win run itself In proper manner without at tention by the public. ', In adopting the charter Portland 'has provided for centralization of au thority In a Mayor and four Commis sioners. As has heretofore been sug gested, the throwing of large responsi bilities and the light of publicity upon an offlce will often keep an incumbent of weak morals straight and prod an IndlfTerent one into activity. But neither element -will enlarge the ca pacity of the man who is mentally un fit for the place. Commission govern ment will not be an improvement over the old system if men are elected to office who are not properly equipped for it. Moreover. It Is far short of wisdom to be reckless of the candi date's moral sense or his industry sim ply because we have prepared places where dishonesty and laziness cannot be concealed. The man who must be encouraged to do right or watched Jhat he be not neglectful of duty can not be expected to be as capable an official as one who requires no spur ring. - It Is safe to assert that honest, capa ble officials under the commission charter adopted In Portland will give the people a better and more econom ical administration than could honest, capable officials under the system Just abandoned. It is also true that a ma jority of the commission, if it be a combination of Incompetent and dis honest members, can work more harm o the city than can a similarly. con stituted majority under the old form . of municipal government. In short, if as small a percentage of voters par ticipate in the selection of candidates -as took part in the charter election, there will be small likelihood that bet- "'terment will be accomplished in city affairs and some danger that a retro- -grosslon will be noted. Whether the preferential election system provided in the new charter - will aid the choosing of honest and ca pable officials will depend partly upon -the sincerity of the voters In register- - ing second and third choices. Accord ing to present prospects there will be a - large number of candidates from - which to elect Mayor and Commission, crs. Already there la an undignified scramble for places on the ballot. Of- ' Ore-seekers who rely more on the ln- - difference of the public than upon Z their own attainments naturally seek V precedence on the ballot. They want the vote of the know-nothings "who, I they fancy, exist among the electorate the men and women who make no -study of candidates but plug their votes for the first name they see be fore them. Scrambling for places at the head of the ballot Is not compll- mentary to the intelligence of the vot ers, and we think the advantage the ' petition-rushers expect is overesti- mated. ' It is possible, however, that in the I earlier experience with the preferen- tlal system many voters will not rec ognize the effectiveness of their second and third choices. It must be remem I tiered that in the event no candidate receives a majority of first -choice votes . the second-chloce votes count Just as strongly as do the first-choice; that if a combination of first and second , choice votes gives no candidate a ma ' Jority the third-choice votes are as " valuable as first or second-choice votes. The fact that' second or third-choice votes cannot be safely thrown to un '. suitable candidates merely as compli- ments or to oblige a friend ought to be ' thoroughly recognized. It ought to be ' realized that it is dangerous to good government to attempt to "throw : away" one's second or third-choice votes by casting them for candidates -that seem to have no chance of elec tion. Hundreds may do the same thing and the nonentities may slip through. To attain the real purpose of the, preferential system the voters must register their honest opinions as to the fitness of the candidates In the order that those opinions are held first, second and third. Moreover, there Is an undesirable phase of the charter that can be over . come only by an arousing of wlde- - Fpread. earnest effort among the vot .. ers. The office of Mayor, by reason of the supposed additional honor con ferred upon that official, the higher salary and the greater authority, is likely to concentrate Interest on May oralty candidates to the neglect of four Commisslonershlps. A strong Mayor cannot accomplish a great deal with a mediocre commission. Selection of men of Integrity and capability to every post is essential to the success of the charter. The change in the sys tem of government, however strongly it may have been advanced within the last few weeks as the palladium of effective government. Is - in fact "but one step toward real reform. We shall have done nothing worth while unless apathy be thrown off and care and intelligence used in electing the men who will make the city laws and administer them. The Japanese land tenure contro versy In California haa served one use- ful purpose to the country at large. It has practically demonstrated the Impracticability of the state rights doc trine and the danger of international complications to which its extreme application exposes us. Fence as he may, Mr. Wilson will be driven by tlv: necessities of the situation to take ac tion limiting the rights of states to legislate on matters vitally affecting our foreign relations. AX CXHOLY BOND 18 CUT. Almost every investigation of the affairs of a great corporation prior to the passage of laws forbidding corpor ate donations to campaign funds and requiring publicity of campaign sub scriptions has helped to reveal the ex tent to which parties were financed by organized capital. Such revelations were made at the Insurance inquiry and at every search into the general subject of campaign funds. Now the probing of stock manipulations by the Xew Haven road has shown that $102,000 was given by that road to the Republican campaign fund of 1904. So carefully was the fact hidden that only the necessity of clearing himself from the suspicion of grafting, to which the records gave rise. Induced President Mellen to tell the facts. Cessation of such relations between corporations and parties has opened a new era in American politics. So long as parties were Indebted to corpora tions for the sinews of war, nothing short of almost unanimous public sen timent could extort from Congress needed reforms. Behind the open, re sponsible Government there stood a secret, irresponsible government, the presence of which was felt, but which could not be dragegd into the day light. The bond between politics and busi ness has been cut by the campaign publicity laws and by the prohibition of corporation subscriptions and we are beginning to get real government. That reform is greater than has been effected even by the secret ballot or the direct primary. It compels par ties to go to the people for their funds. A man who gives large sums to a party from sinister motives is prevented by this publicity from securing the equivalent for his money, for the knowldge that he has given provokes suspicion as to his motives, which drives votes away from the cause he has espoused. To insure that the tie will remain cut. we need closer super vision over and greater publicity of the affairs of railroads and interstate Industrial corporations. OVR WOMEN PIONEERS. Many may have noticed that at the Champoeg meeting last week women took no part in the speechmaking. On the platform, with Father Matthleu and John MInto, were Mrs. C. Ma theny Klrkwood and Mrs. M. J. Hem bree, two of the real "mothers of Ore gon." But they were in slight evi dence aside from their appearance and a word of salutation from some of the men speakers. Not all of the speakers, however. even addressed them as they began their remarks. It seemed to be the idea of the talkers that It was a cele bration to do honor to the men pio neers, and deeds of valor were re counted. As it was the first meeting held since the women of the state were enfranchised, many thought it would be but an act of simple Jus tice to have said a word along that line. Assuredly Oregon owes as much to our women pioneers aa-io their male companions considered from any angle or standpoint. Our men pioneers were very brave, no doubt. The trip across the plains was most trying. The Indian-fighters deserve every recognition that can be given them. But how about the trials of the women? Scarcely any of them were used to "roughing it" before they began their Journey here, few of them were Inured to. want or priva tion. But how nobly they accommo dated themselves to circumstances, how uncomplainingly they put up with the trials and hardships on the way here and after their arrival! Mr. Charles B. Moores, in his ad dress, disclaimed any credit as a pio neer. He was born in Missouri and as a baby "was thrown Into the tail end of a wagon, a real Impediment to his parents, and thus brought to Ore gon." So were many, many others, and scores, perhaps hundreds were born on the way. Upon whose shoul ders rested the burden of these chil dren? Was it not the mothers who gave them sustenance, who watched over them In the silent vigils of the night, who caressed and fondled them when in good health, who laughed with them In the bright hours and cried with them in the hours of trou ble, who ministered to them in sick ness, who bore at all time the full bur den of their care? During the Indian wars were not the women left at home real sufferers and real heroes? The men were with their fellows, they were marching, bivouacking, skirmishing and fighting under excitement and companionship. But think of the mothers left at home! Think of their silent sufferings, alone or with their children to care for and worry about! Why cannot the women pioneers have a day of their own at Champoeg or some other .place, and all of us to take a day off and consider the claims of the "mothers of Oregon?" NEW-STYLE SENATORS. Direct election of Senators will force many old-time leaders In the Senate, whose re-election has hitherto been about a foregone conclusion and who have not found it necessary to give the voters directly an account of their stewardship, to retire or go through the labor of a campaign. Such men as Senators Brandegee of Connecticut, Dillingham of Vermont, Fletcher of Florida, Galllnger of New Hampshire, Overman of North Carolina, Penrose of Pennsylvania, Perkins of Califor nia, Root of New Tork, Shlvely of Indlarra, Smith of South Carolina and Stephenson of Wisconsin, whose terms expire in 191 5. will hardly relish the tight In the open In place of the lin ing up of legislators. Others whose terms expire at the same time, like Senators Bradley of Kentucky, Bris tow of Kansas, Burton of Ohio, Cham berlain of Oregon, Clarke of Arkan sas, Crawford of South Dakota, Cum mins of Iowa. Gore of Oklahoma, Gronna of North Dakota, Johnston of Alabama, Jones of Washington, New lands of Nevada, Brady of Idaho, Smith of Georgia. Smith of Maryland. Smith of Arizona, Stone of Missouri and Thornton of Louisiana have al ready gone through such campaigns and may not flinch from them again. Unless a great alteration in the present strength of parties should come about in the next two years, di rect election will bring many changes in the composition of the Senate. Sen ator Bradley, of Kentucky, gained his seat when Republicanism invaded the solid South and will have a hard fight to retain it. Senator Bristow rv,,,Cf Austria iwhether. his chances will be better by calling himself a Republi can or a Progressive. oenaiur un lingham must face a constituency much of which broke away to the new Progressive party at the last elec tion. Senator Galllnger can hardly enjoy the prospect of seeking re-election in a state which has revolted against the machine. The same state ment applies to Senators Penrose and Parkin.. With his state under Demo cratic control and with a record of having led the opposition to direct election, Senator Root has an interest ing time before him, if he should seek to succeed himself. Possibly "Uncle Ike" Stephenson may not care t .n.Hr another S100.000 in a state as wedded to progressive ideas as v isconsln. Many of the old-style Senators will nrnhnhlv retire rather than face the new-etyle methods of election. The patrician, such as rsew .cngiana anu ih. old South have hitherto sent to represent them, will give place to the popular tribune, whose opinions more closely represent prevailing public sentiment and who is more of a "mirtr" Vumr Senators may care less for prerogative, dignity and prece dent and more for applause from the masses. Senators are not likely to be re-elected for term after term for twenty or thirty years. This will de prive us of the ripe experience of the veterans, but it will give to men who voice the latest popular cravings an earlier opportunity to push themselves to the front and gain positions of influence. While the conservative tendencies of the Senate will be diminished by the new method and while the type of men hereafter elected will more closely resemble that which fills the House of Representatives, the six-year term will give Senators an opportunity to live down antagonisms they may arouse in their early years and to let time vindicate the wisdom of their action. . For this reason, greater cour age may be expected from Senators than from Representatives in running counter to passing waves of passion and prejudice. TARIFF KEVOLmOS, NOT REVISION. The Democracy makes great profes sions of having constructed a tariff which wipes out the hated, trust breeding protective duties, gets the tariff down to a revenue basis and re lieves the consumer by putting the necessaries of life on the free list, thus reducing the cost of living. It has done nothing of the kind. . It has de vised a tariff which removes almost the last vestige of protection from the producer of natural commodities and brings us very close to the Bryan basis of free raw material. It thus cuts down the cost of production for the manu facturer, but it does not reduce the duties on his product as heavily as this cut in his expenses would Justify. It not only leaves him a large measure of the protection he previously en Joyed, but it compensates him for whatever reduction is made by cheap ening his raw material. The Western woolgrower Is to be turned out shorn of all protection into the wintry winds of competition with the wool of Australia, Argentina and South Africa, while the woolen manu facturer is comfortably blanketed with protective duties and is relieved of the load of duties he was carrying for the benefit of the woolgrower. This relief probably compensates him fully for the cutting of duties on his own product. One class of producers of raw ma terial has been an object of tender so licitude on the part of our Democratic brethren, namely, the farmers. Their product Is carefully protected, though commodities' made from that product, such as flour, oatmeal and breakfast foods, are to go on the free list. In their Interest exceptions are made to the general rule of protecting manu factures, for agricultural implements, binding twine, cotton ties, fencing wire and lumber are to come In free. The Democracy needs the farmer vote and Is going after it with a well-baited hook. This is not tariff revision, it is tariff revolution.. The people expected the Democrats to substitute the rev enue for the protective basis, but thy will not get it under the Underwood bill. The tariff will still be protective, but for the manufacturer and farmer alone, not for the raw material man. It will make of the woolgrower, the lumberman, the miner and the miller hewers of good and drawers of water for the manufacturers; that Is, for. those of them who do not make things the farmer uses and who have not in curred the displeasure of the Democ racy by offensive partisanship. HUM AX QUINTESSENCE. Siguard Ibsen's book, "Human Quintessence," has now been trans lated into English and will soon be in all the libraries. People who admire Henrlk Ibsen will read it to see if the son inherits any of his father's genius. They will then read It again for the sake of its deep interest. The book is a treatise on philosophy In four parts. The elder Ibsen threw his philosophy Into dramatic form. His son prefers the essay. The quintessence of hu manity, as he sees it, is the sense of values of which there Is no trace in Nature. Of course a person might quibble at this point that man him self Is part of Nature. Perhaps he is and perhaps not. At any rate he Is so different from the rest of the world that he may be put in a section by himself. Even If it be a little inac curate to speak of man as if he were outside the realm of nature the mean ing of the expression is clear enough. The forces by which the world is gov erned are literally blind. They have no purpose. They do not discriminate between what Is precious ana what is worthless. Nature expends as much Ingenuity on a grasshopper's leg as on Shakespeare's brain. We mean as much mechanical Ingenuity. And she kills a saint with as little compunction as a fly. Nature Is neither kindly nor cruel. neither moral nor vicious, neither re ligious nor Impious. All of that kind of qualities are outside her domain. In our human love of making everything as much like ourselves as we can we attribute sympathy, kindliness and cruelty to the elements and natural forces. Old-fashioned novelists used to set their weddings in a flood of sun shine and .their tragedies in thunder storms, which accommodating nature supplied as they were needed for the exigencies of the tale, but that is an fanciful. Nature is as apt to send an earthquake on a king's wedding morn as she is to shed bright sunshine over his funeral. She let Curie, the scien tist, be run down by a cab and gave Washington a cold that killed him in his prime. We look through nature in vain for anything like the feeling for values. Everything is alike to her. The process of evolution depends on the survival of the fit, but what is fitness? It is adaptation to surround ings and nothing more. The adapted survives and flourishes. The unadapt ed perishes. In this there is no con sideration whatever of worth. Adap tation implies evil as often as good, and perhaps more often. . The rattle snake offers an example of the sur vival of the fit So do the wolf and the yellow fever germ, which, as far as man is concerned, are unmitlgatedly evil. So we must abandon once for all the fancy that there is the slightest sympathy between man and nature or that anything in the universe was cre ated to serve the human race. There are, qf course, an infinity of relations between man and other creatures, but nothing like mutual helpfulness. , If wheat was created for our food we were created as food for fleas. Every search for purpose in nature leads to an absurdity. The concept of pur pose and values is wholly human. It Is man alone, who affixes the attribute of worth to objects and estimates them according to their standing in a moral scale. He has been waging a double warfare upon nature. His first effort has been to master and .use her blind forces to carry out his own projects. His second, to rearrange the natural world according to the moral law, that Is, according to a scale of values. This is "human quintessence. No other creature wages war upon nature. All of them submit to her without resist ance and either adapt themselves to her or perish. Man does not submit. He does not adapt himself to nature, but bends her to hls own will. He re sists her In every direction and in such resistance he has found his sur vival power and highest good. Ad vancing civillgatlon has meant pro gressive conquest over nature. It has not followed nature an inch. The farther we go away from her the bet ter for us. Artisans' tools, wagons, ships, medicine, cooked food, clothing, houses, are all as contrary as possible to the ways of nature. Bathing, decency, kindly language are all out side her code. In the struggle with nature which has led him on to civilization with all Its moral virtues and pity for suffer ing, Sigurd Ibsen goes on to teach us, man has had no help from without. "Our only providence lies in our selves." There have been plenty of revelations concerning another world and its. affairs but never one that taught a solitary useful fact about thjs world. The properties of the metals, the art of agriculture, steam, elec tricity, all these things man has dis covered by the help of his own intelli gence, and that alone. What sacred book ever revealed one poor fact about Iron, quinine or antitoxin? How long should we have had to wait for the law of gravitation had we depended on sacred books for it? What we do find In the sacred books of all nations is a statement in divers forms of the law of moral values. In some cases this law was laid down for us long before we were ready to apply it. We cannot attend to moral values until the con quest of physical forces has been well advanced so that we begin to feel our superiority to nature. When that has been done then we can look with scorn upon her ntri - hr fifhlpss cruelty, her want of sense. Where the feeling for values, which Is the soul of all sacred books, came from Sigurd Ibsen does not undertake to say. Where, for that matter, did anything come from? But it is cer tainly here and it distinguishes man from every other living creature The birds do not have sacred books, neither do the ants, though perhaps they, have some equivalent. We must not be too dogmatic about these mys teries. But Nature herself, the inani mate universe, knows nothing of love, pity or hate. She simply Is and that is the end of it. And because we pos sess these unique feelings we have more substantial ground than mere vanity for setting ourselves apart, Man on one side and Nature on the other. The municipal market at Los Ange les cut prices to the consumer more than 50 per cent. As the producer gets about as much or as little eitherway, all must be satisfied, espe cially the retailer, who is said to make the big profit on everything he han dles. The marriage of Princess Idira, only daughter of the Gaekwar of Baroda, and Prince Jitendra, son of the Ma harajah of Cooch Behar, to take place today, has been broken off. The Prince is too proud to clean the fish for din ner. The possibility of opera at popular prices is mainly a question of build ing theaters large enough to hold a vast audience and with means of con veying sound to their remotest parts. The portrait of the Texas girl to ornament the new currency really should be taken In sombrero and chaps to match the bison on the nickel. A plant that produces over 30,000 pounds of butter weekly, such as that at Independence, is a factor in Oregon economic life worth talking about. By unmerging with the O.-W. R. & N., President Strahorn will be in posi tion to do some intensive railroading with his electric system. Even the losers seem pleased. Nulli fication of nominations by passage of the charter had an element of humor for them. By destroying the food supply the utImti mn v comoel themselves to stop fighting and go to work. The more often Barbur runs the faster he goes. Like Chehalls of long ago, Barbur is Oregon raised. In five short weeks Portland will be reveling in all the glory of its annual Rose Festival. If the Beavers do not grope out of the cellar, their name may be changed to Moles. tr.aa wnnl nsssed the House, but wait until Chamberlain and Lane tackle it. A tour of the city in all directions shows the usual May activity In home building. It would seem that the citrus fruit Interests have been handed a tariff lemon. Now It is a free-for-all in a fair field, with no favors. . Nevertheless we should like to see Nat in Henry VIII. Let's see, did the handsomest men win? SPECIAL ELECTION XOT IiEGAI.t Promoters of Refereadnm Plaa to Teat Matter In Courts. HOOD' RIVER. Or May 2. (To the Editor.) There Is being made a big howl by many newspapers throughout the state against those who are sign ing any referendum petitions, on ac count of throwing tne state into an exnense of S100.000 for a special elec tion. Let us see if this accusation is true. The last Legislature created several hundred good, bad and Indifferent laws. One of them provided for a special election to be held this Fall and to this law was attached the emer gency clause. But said special election was not to be called, unless some one of these bills was referred to the peo ple. Why was the emergency clause attached to this special election bill? It was done so the people could not stop the holding of this special elec tion. Now we are told we are to blame for it. In other words, if we do not like any or all of the laws created by our last Legislature, we are to be accused of costing the state J100.000 for using our constitutional rights. It is a 1100,- 000 handicap on the referendum, It was my pleasure to attend a meet in: of the executive board of the Ore gon Higher Educational Betterment League, held In Portland a few dayB ago. At this meeting were three of Portland's best attorneys, and each of them was of the opinion that a spe cial election this Fall was not neces sary, was a needless expense and would be entirely illegal. Our state constitution gives the power of call ing a special election to the Legisia ture only. There la no special elec tion called as yet, and a certain act of the people does not give them (the people) the power to call said special election. The Higher Educational Bet terment League, by unanimous vote, has instructed its executive board to secure legal assistance and enter suit against the holding of a special state election this Fall. The relerenaum netitlons now being circulated on the University of Oregon appropriations provide for referring them at the reg ular election to be held in November, 1914, Referendum petitions on at least six different bills passed by our last Leg islature are now being circulated. If we cannot knock out the special elec tion to be held this Fall, we shall have an extra expense of $100,000 forced unon us by our last Legislature ana not by those who are signing any ref erendum petitions, for they are simply using their constitutional right. If our last Legislature violated its duty and tried to abridge the state consti tution, should our loyal citizens be blamed for their act? In conclusion I desire to say to my fellow citizens. If there is a single act of our last Legislature on which a ref erendum is being invoked and you feel that such meets your approval, you are not doing your duty as a citizen if you do not sign it. It is Just as much your sacred duty to assist in correct ing a public wrong by signing a ref erendum petition as it is to cast your vote at finy general election. A. I. MASON. DEMOCRACY AND UNREADINESS They Are the Cause of Oar Present Helpless Plight- PORTLAND, May 2. (To the Edi tor.) Behold Mr. Bryan scampering to California, because fearing a foreign power will resent America's exercise of its land sovereignty and may be peeved, thereat, to "fight." But why is Mr. Bryan afraid? Is it because he and his party have ham pered effort of the United States to make itself strong with large Navy and efficient Army? People of the United States think themselves sovereign in government of their land. In last resort that Is the one sovereignty worth asserting and defending. But our country will not uphold it without strong arms of Navy and Army. Aggrandizement and absorp tion is the law of the universe in vege table and animal kingdoms, in growth of peoples and nations, in suns and Stardust. Japan is expanding, just as a grow ing people must. The United States has been expanding since Jamestown and Plymouth. Its people, whether colonists, patriots, nationalists in view, American "citizens" have always as serted the right to govern the land of this country as they will. But they win not continue so to do without the might wherewith to do it. Janan would not now be peeved nor insulted had America a mighty Navy. Nor would Mr. Bryan be rushing to California to appease foreign wrath. But Mr. Bryan and his party have steadfastly opposed a mighty Navy. So did the founder of the Democratic Darty. Thomas Jefferson. And just after Jefferson's work as President a handful of the enemy took and burned the National Capital.- Mr. Bryan, as Secretary of State, is now one of the world's diplomats. He needs a mighty Navy and the means of an efficient Army. During many years he railed at both as "imperial ism." Peorile of the Pacific Coast will keep their land for themselves and will not ask "please" of any nation. But they will not keep their land if disarmed by our apostles of "peace." Foreign na tions will not "protest" if our people have means to fisht, to defend and to attack. Mr. Bryan went on a humble mission to California because he and his party have weakened the strong arm of our Government. biurMA. HOW TO AID GROWTH OF RACE State Maternity Hospitals for Women Suggested by Writer. WHITCOMB, Wash., May 2. (To the Editor.) If women, in bearing and rearing children, are fulfilling their highest destiny and doing a life work for the state in providing citizens, why is it, when they are disabled In .per forming this duty, the state does not pay for their surgical operations, or at least provide a maternity hospital, where the danger of death and dis ability would be lessened, and thereby remove some of the terrible burden of surgeons' and doctors' bills from the struggling heads of families, who also put their life's earnings into the rearing of citizens for the state? If motherhood is -such an honorable calling and such a real service to the state, why not offer something more than empty honors for this calling, which often goes with a hut for a home and untold sufferings from lack of medical attention, and poverty? Why must the few honorable mothers of large families suffer the most of any women in every way? The honor is scarcely a recompense for the teeth that are lost because the dentist can not be consulted the wreckage to the health and temper from much suffer ing and the hopeless estate of a poverty-stricken home, full of children, with an overworked father providing,, or trying to provide, for all. If soldiers are pensioned for injuries and wounds, why not pension mothers, who are giv ing their whole lives to the rearing of citizens for the state and who die in shoals In this perilous occupation? It is all very well to shout, "The woman's place is in the home," but if the same ones who make this shout were called upon to stay in a hut and bear children and suffer and toil in poverty, to lose their teeth, their looks, their freedom, I think they might see the matter differently. When all women that bear children are sure of care and protection in this fine and noble calling, more of them may forsake the honors that the world gives the women who work. ' OMJS WHU HAS X-Tvir.L'. Defense of Friend. The Optimist Hewitt Gruet doesn't know enough to go in when it rains. Jewett Well, he's all right in a dry season. JAPANESE ARE A REAL MENACE Civilisation ana Habits of Life Are In Conflict With Onrs. M'MINNVILLE, Or., May 2. (To the Editor.) I have been reading with Interest the comments, editorial and otherwise, in The Oregonlan and note they are all from outsiders. Every Californlan is sure that the anti-alien bill is all that will save California for Americans. Japanese have forced themselves into every occupation, resi dence district, and agricultural com munity in the state. They are highly Insulted if white people resent their intrusion into the best residential sec tions. They do not hesitate to put on all the airs of white men, yet they never can mix witn whites. There are Japanese employment agencies by the hundreds where they are trying to take away the occupation of white working men and women. This is in the cities. In the fruit districts they are taking the occupations, such as orange pick ing and packing; lemon packing, olive picking, in fact all such work in the fruit as it is called, and they are in the vegetable and berry growing busi ness in opposition to white men. They never patronize white men's stores they have their own, and their food supplies mostly come from Japan. If they lease a piece of land they take every bit of nutriment out of it by the end of their lease and it is forever after useless and worthless. v They are heathen in their religion, have a code of morals utterly at vari ance with the American's idea, and vice and immorality always abound where their women are. , The potato market for several years in California has been completely con trolled by a Japanese by the name of Shima who lives in the heart of fashionable Berkeley. They are exceed ingly shrewd, quick to see the advant ages of California's wonderful soil and climate, where many an Eastern and Northern visitor simply kicks at the country. Californians once loved the Japanese and admired them, but now they dislike them, for all these very good reasons. There are many, many fine sections in both business and resi dence that the Japanese have com pletely spoiled foT their white neigh bors, and It Is to prevent the com plete monopoly of all such all over California that such stringent laws are demanded. I am a Californlan, and all these statements are absolute facts. LOS ANGELES WOMAN. EAST SIDE IS URGED TO UNITE Twenty-one Organizations Now Favor Cross-town Line on Twenty-eighth. PORTLAND, May S. (To the Ed itor.) I feel fortunate that I was pres ent at the meeting of the Greater Irv ington Association last Tuesday. The business of the association was very entertaining and! Instructive, but the real meeting began when Mr. L. M. Lepper began his lecture on the cross town carllne. He had not proceeded far when a great many questions were propounded to him, all of which he an swered, but the line of questions soon develped the fact that there was some objection to "the construction of the cross-town line on East Twenty-eighth street. In fact, the assertion was made that the line, if built on East Twenty eighth street, "was not a cross-town line," but that it should be constructed on East Twentieth street and cross the East Twenty-first-street bridge. Mr. Lepper advised that as the lo cation on East Twenty-eighth street had been definitely settled and that the Portland Railway, Light & Power Com pany was committed to construct the line on .ttast xwenty-eignin nireei i t hava a laree DOrtion of the line com pleted this year, all should join hands and urge tne company to cumnwit: me proposed line as expeditiously as possi ble. Mr. Lepper made the statement that there had been zi ooosiing or ganization advocating that the cross town line be located on East Thirty ninth street, but when the company in vestigated and found East Twenty eighth to be the line of least resistance they definitely committed themselves to the construction on that street, which was acquiesced in and accepted as sat isfactory to the 21 organizations, in nnitv there is strength." Every Faat Side organization should Join hands in an effort to secure betterments and Improvements of such general in terest as the first cross-town line. C. B. LAFOLLETTE. What Is Manhood Suffrage! JIEDFORD, Or., May 1. (To the Ed- I- V T.-! 1 1 . . a-nlnin Ihrllllirh thA I'll - lior.j aiiiuij . . . . umns of The Oregonlan the meaning of the so-called "manhood suffrage," as demanded Dy tne oeigmn "ireu, C. E. WHISLER. In Belguim each man over 25 who has resided one year in his commune has one vote. Each man over 35 who is married or is a widower with legiti mate offspring and pays five francs a year in direct taxes has one addi tional vote. Those possessing certain qualifications of property, official status or university diplomas have two ad ditional votes. Thus many men have from two to four votes each. The So cialists struck for abolition of these plural votes and for a law giving each man only one vote. This is called man hnvrt ennVaa-e. The Belgian govern ment has agreed to Inquire into the subject with a view to adopting man hood suffrage. Voters Said to Want Law. BEAVERTON, Or., May 3. (To the Editor.) I have been taking a keen interest in, though a contrary view of, most of The Oregonian's articles in regard to the anti-alien law in Cali fornia, In which articles you censure that body for their action. Although we all have that right to state our opinion, I believe that if you should canvass the sentiments of those in the rural districts, you would find a solid vote in favor of such a law being passed. This view is not merely a race orejudice, but the Japanese, by their - o -inif ni-p hnvfl brousrnt about a very dull condition In a great many articles in mat une, or, jh unc. words, the American farmer cannot comDete with them. compete d LUNSDTROM. Stolen Property McCORMICK, Wash., May 2. (To the Editor.) Suppose that "A" should steal or obtain by crime some money or property, and be convicted of the crime by trial or confesses, and be sentenced and serve the full term of his sentence; in the meantime noone has been able to locate the money or property which he stole. When he is freed does the money or property belong to him? R. AXTELL. The person from whom the property was stolen retains title to It regardless of what is done with the thief. A PROTEST. Last night In blissful reverie I sat, with lights turned low. And she I loved so close beside t uieeesi hr cheeks acflow. I took her tiny hand in mine; Mnr fslt than heard her sigh. And saw by the dying embers , A tear-drop in ner eye. I gazed into her upturned face She gave a frightful scream. That froze the blood within my veins, And put to flight my dream. "Ye gods," I wailed, " 'tis suffrage!" Then ran for paregoric. For wlfey was out precincting. And baby had the colic. WILLIAM V. DOLPH. Portland, May 4, 1913- The Common Aim By Dean Collins. Breathes there a man in all the town Who does not feel he can hold down, With credit, honor and precision, A place upon the new Commission, Which was made possible at last When the commission charter passed! Breathes there such man, I ask anew, Who does not hear, clear, strong and true. The People's call: "Fill your position And seek a Job on that Commission!" Who does not figure, as It were. He'd make a great Commissioner? Breathes there a man, 1 still repeat. Who lets the grass grow 'neath hi feet. And dallies, while some other slob Files a petition for the Job; Nor hastens until like to burst In the mad rush to get there first? "Breathes there such man?" I sternly cry. "If bo, where breathes such man, and why?" And from my inner soul I hear The answer coming low and clear: "There may breathe some such man, 'tis true. In Portland but they're doggone few." Twenty-five Years Ago From The Oregonlan of May 5, 1SS8. Commencing Monday, the Multnomah Street Railway Company and the Port land Street Railway Company will again exchange tickets. Hon. Elwood Evans, of Tacoma, who is engaged in the preparation of the "History of the Pacific Northwsst, Ore gon and Washington," visited Portland this week. Hon. George H. Williams will ad dress the voters of SUverton and vi cinity on Wednesday. The concert given by the Orchestral Union last night at Masonle Hall drew out a large and critical audience. There were only two soloists. Miss Annie Fyfe and Fred M. GUmore. The dwelling on the northwest cor ner of Clay and First is being placed on rollers preparatory to removal via Jefferson street to Fifteenth and Co lumbia. This building was considered one of the finest in the city 20 odd years ago and prior to 1870 was occu pied and owned by Charles Hopkins, then a First-street merchant, after ward United States Marshal for Wash ington Territory. Of late years the homestead has been occupied by Miss Rachel Manclet and. brothers. - Yesterday 17 more citizens sub scribed for stock in the Portland Ho tel Company. There are now 130 sub scribers. The subsidy of $150,000 is a gift outright to the stockholders. The bare ground of the Pittock block. If the hotel is finished. Is worth $100,000: the present foundations, if used as they stand, are worth $150,000; the subsidy, $150,000; popular subscriptions, $200, 000; pledged subscriptions. $150,000; to tal value of hotel completed, $750,000. Now what does the above cost the company to which the stockholders are subscribing? Popular subscriptions, $200,000; pledged subscriptions, $150. 000; total, $350,000, leaving a net gain to the company of $400,000. Half a Century Ago Frora The Oregonlan of May 5, 1883. The whole country has been surprised by the proof recently brought to light of a conspiracy on the part of certain Democratic politicians, calling themselves conservatives, to secure for eign intervention and such action on the part of European powers as would compel the National Government to consent to negotiation with the rebels. Auburn, April 26. I have visited Burnt River and am satisfied that rich and extensive mines will keep developing In that and the still more southern part of Baker County. I have now to record rich discoveries made In the Eagle Mountains. The election at Oregon City yester day resulted In victory for the entire Union ticket. The following were elect ed: For Mayor, A. Warner; Recorder, J. E. Hanford; Councilmen, F. Barclay, J. M. Barlow, W. W. Buck, D. Harvey. J. M. Fraser, J. Dement. William Whit lock; Assessor and Collector, J. E. Han ford; City Attorney, J. D. Lacey. Harrlsburg, Pa., April 28. The rebels have taken Morgantown, W. Va., and occupied It with from 4000 to S010 troops under Jenkins. Washington, April 28. General Hook er commenced a forward movement on Monday. Heavy masses of artillery and other troops were crossing the Rappa hannock. It is with sorrow that we have to chronicle the sudden death of our es teemed fellow-townsman, Mr. James Levy, merchant on First street. At a regular meeting of the Protec tion Company, Nft. 4, held last night at their nglne room, the following gentlemen were chosen to fill offices made vacant by resignations: First as sistant foreman, D. J. Malarkey, vice J. H. Roekford; delegates. A. Rosen helm and J. W. Sutton, vice F. W. Bell and J. II. Roekford. . "Ten Nights In a Barroom." This great moral drama was repeated lost night at the Willamette Theater before an Immense audience and we can only say that Miss Mitchell. Mr. Waldron. B. S. Mortimer and others, not excepting Miss Minnie Gillespie, won admiration and rapturous applause. A company of prospectors, five in number, who left Canyon City a week ago, were attacked by a band of In dians the next morning about 15 miles from the south fork of John Day Riv er. They were all asleep. Three suc ceeded in making their escape. All were more or less wounded by shots and arrows. The other two are sup posed to have been killed. The persons who escaped are Rutherford and Mar cellus, from California, and Vincent Band, of Portland. The men supposed killed are Hiram Talcot, of California, and William Gallagher, of Salem. Sex Distinctions In White Slavery. PORTLAND, May 4. (To the Edi tor.) Much is being said now about the white slave traffic and in all the wide discussion I have noticed . that one point has never been mentioned. Why is it that a woman white slaver is never convicted and though she be as guilty as a man and in many cases wholly to blame and alone In her guilt, she does not seem to cme under the same law that man does, so Is allowed to go free? I have always noticed that when a man and woman were found equally guilty that the man got the limit or the law and the same men and law turned the guilty woman free to al low her to entice some other man in her scheme and to continue to help ruin girls. There are thousands of these women nawKs, but the law ooes not bother them and when it does it never convicts. One girl told me that three of these women hawks tried their best to en tice her into a life of slavery and that in all her life not one man had ever suggested that way of making a livinar. Can you tell me why the law does not convict these women hawks? JUSTICE.