THE MORNING OKEGOMAN, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 1913.
PORTLAND. OREGON.
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PORTtASn. TTESDAT, MAT 1Bls-
TESTTiOMil. FOR A GOOD MAST.
The official report of the proceed
ings of the seventh annual convention
of the Oregon Federation of Labor,
at Portland January 10, 11, 12. 13.
110, has this paragraph:
Senator A 1 bee A Portland Insurance man;
yd runt on all labor lawe: a ood man;
waa with us on the employers' liability.
Tet an unscrupulous effort Is now
being made by the newspaper organ
of .Mr. Rushlight Uie Portland News
to make It appear that Mr. Albee is
a creature of the corporations and a
servitor of Big Business. One of the
anomalies of the present campaign is
the successful strategy of Mr. Rush
light In procuring and holding to
gether the agitators and the inter
ests. How has he made oil and water
mU? How has he yoked the News
and the public utility corporations to
gether in his support? How does it
come that all are satisfied?
... Mr. Albee stood straight up in the
Legislature and voted hla convictions.
- Tet here also is Dan Kellaher, who
,' proposes insane and impossible
schemes for baiting the corporations,
as&alling Mr. Albee because Albee did
not stand in with him In the Legisla
ture. Kellaher says Albee is no friend
of the people because he supported the
iniquitous ilalarkey public utilities
bill. Ah. indeed!
The Malarkey bill passed the Legis
lature in 111 by a practically unanri
mous vote of both House and 8enate.
; None but Kellaher and one or two oth
' 'era remained faithful in opposition.
But Kellaher appealed to the people
. through the referendum and the bill
was sustained.
If Albee Is no friend of the people,
Ihe people are no friends of themselves.
For the Malarkey bill was upheld by
the overwhelming vote of 65,985 ayes
against 40.956 noes. In Multnomah
County the vote was 21.515 ayes and
11,917 noes. Here in Portland, then.
In the Kellaher view, every two out
of three persons "will bear watching,
for two-thirds of the people are no
friends of the people. Only Kellaher
and the other third.
The friends of Mr. Albee can afford
to be calm under the preposterous ef
fort to fasten the onus of friendship
for the wicked corporations on him.
There is nothing to be said derogatory
to Mr. Albee unless it shall be Invent
ed; so a lot of cheap and poor stuff
Is being deliberately invented. It is
the only thing to do.
"A good man," says the State Fed
eration of Labor. He is.
OREGON SYSTEM AX ISSCE.
Illinois has had a stubborn fight in
the Legislature over the proposed sub
mission of an initiative and refcren
. dum amendment to the constitution.
"The advocates of the Oregon system
lost by the lack of one vote necessary
to make two-thirds of the entire mem
bership of the House. The lines were
tightly drawn, but not entirely on party
lines. The Progressives were all in
favor of the submitted resolution ex
cept three, who were absent from the
decisive vote. The Republicans were
divided, fourteen voting against the
resolution, thirteen for it and twenty
tive being absent, an attempt to unite
them by caucus action having failed.
The Democrats tvere also divided,
though the entire power of Governor
Dunne was exerted In favor of the
; resolution. Two of them voted no and
eight did not vote.
Illinois is peculiar in that, though
Bull Mooselsm became more rampant
there last year than in .almost any
other state, it has a constitution more
difficult of amendment than that of
any other state. An amendment can
only be submitted by affirmative vote
of two-thirds of the entire membership
of each house of the Legislature, and
' no more than one amendment can be
submitted at one election. Efforts are
being made to submit an amendment
; on some other subject in order that
the initiative and referendum may be
shelved for two years at least.
Before the final vote, substitutes and
amendments were offered by the Re
publican leader restricting the use of
direct legislation. A substitute would
have required a majority of all votes
cast at an election, instead of a ma
jority of those cast on a proposition,
to insure adoption. This was rejected.
r The original resolution provided that
at least 50 per cent of the signatures
on an initiative petition must come
from outside Cook County, the pur-,
pose being to prevent Chicago from
forcing a vote of the state on any prop,
osition tt fathered. A Chicago Demo
crat moved to emit this restriction, but
his amendment was tabled, the rest
of the state lining up against Chicago.
An attempt to increase the restric
tion by requiring that 70 per cent of
signatures must come from outside
Cook County also failed of adoption.
The "I and R issue," as it is called,
will be fought in Illinois for several
years. It Is welcomed by the Progres
sive party as proving the reactionary
tendencies of the Republican party,
notwithstanding the fact that the
members of that party voting against
the amendment numbered only -one
more than those supporting it. The
Chicago Evening Post dilates on Re
publican opposition as disproving the
claims of the progressive Republican
leaders, who met in Chicago about the
time the vote was taken, that their
- party is genuinely progressive. There
' may develop from this controversy a
- movement to amend the constitutional
, provision - which permits only one
'. amendment to be aubmltted at an
election.
A like radical fight for the Oregon
' system has begun in New Tork. Gov-
' ernor Sulzer has appealed from the
- Legislature to the people in support
of a direct primary bill which follows
the general lines of the Oregon law
In abolishing the caucus ana the con
ventlon and intrusting nominations to
the voters themselves. The conserva
tive newspapers condemn the bill, but
Colonel Roosevelt has pledged the sup
port of himself and his party to it.
The issue of direct nominations and
direct legislation having been raised In
the most populous states of the East
and the Middle West respectively, we
may expect much attention to be
turned to Oregon methods in the next
few years. Our experience will be fre
quently quoted and all the advantages
and disadvantages we derive from
those methods will be brought under
Keen scrutiny.
PETTY TVAR OX JUDGE CHADWICK.
At the risk of being subjected to the
crave charge of uniting with other
disinterested newspapers and individ
uals to interfere in the family affairs
of the Democratic party, The Ore-a-onian
renroduces this sharp para
graph from the North Taklma Repub
lic:
The tlitht against Judge Chadwlck for
the appointment as Federal Judge Is merely
. k. itl....nrAM nf t h m m-jill-known ISOt
that the Pemocratlo "organisation" In this
state lan't worth much respectful consider
ation In any quarter. Chadwlck la one of
the best men who ever claimed to be a
Democrat In these parts. He la one of the
best Judges who ever sat on the Supreme
Bench. He Is in every way better fitted for
Federal judge than any other man who
wants the place. The only reason why there
should be any objection to his appointment
- .- i. V. - I. mutnher or hungry
Job-hunters will continue to be hungry. The
signs that the Frearaent intenas to omr
gard the clamor of so-caiieu ofmwi.wi
v. i . Hnan't . m. mattfir of fact, repre
sent anything out here, ara encouraging.
We hnnn It is true that- the Presi
dent will not listen to the outcries of
the anguished Democrats Joined with
th lamentations of the near - Demo
cratic Senator, Mr. Pelndexter. For
Senator Poindexter professes to be
greatly offended because Judge Chad
wlck has somewhere spoken dispar-acinc-lv
of the Initiative and referen
dum. He has; but so has President
Wilson. There Is somewhere in litera
ture a character who addressed some
r-nntemntuous remarks to the equator.
Judge Chadwick"s offense Is Just about
as serious.
Judze Chadwlck la an able and up
right lnde-e. a verv important figure
in his own state, and a Democrat who
remained a Democrat when it mlgnt
have advantaged him to change his
politics and his beliefs, as Poindexter
did. Probably that ia the reason Poin.
dexter will not forgive him.
riCKXNO THE RIGHT MEN.
Th Committee of One Hundred de
sires to have it made clear that the
himrmnhips of the candidates for
Commissioner now appearing in the
columns of The Oregonlan are not the
product of that organization's investi
gation. The. nree-onian has already maae it
plain; and it makes it plain again that
nn sjociAtv or ctoud or association or
Individual is responsible for the print
h Hit hut The Oreeonlan. It as
sumes that the result of the commlt-
r.' work will not be ereatly differ
ent, even In detail; for The Oregonlan
hue mllated the facts ana presentea
them concisely, carefully and consid
erately. They represent an effort to
weigh the availability of the candi
dates, and thev Klve enougn oi meir
histories and records to make the esti.
TTiatce hnth reasonable and conclusive.
There are many candidates, indeed,
who have made a moderate success
in tti.ir nrlvatp endeavors, and Who
are yet unquestionably unfit or un
eiiireri to th lare-e olace of Commis
sioner. With some of these it is easy
to deal; with others it is not so easy,
without running the risk of doing in
justice.
The cit zen who sets himself up to
be a candidate submits his personal
character and his individual qualifi
cations for appraisement by the pub
lic. Just now there is no authorized
agency to determine these matters ex
cept some volunteer organizations or
the newspapers. It is a responsibility
the newspaper cannot avow, tnougn
the task is not agreeable. The news
nanur thnt mnk a. conscientious ef
fort to gather and present the facts.
however, has none its duty, ana no
less; and it may be conteut to leave
the consequences to take care of them
selves.
it nuc-ht to he rasv to resolve the
list of suitable candidates who have
not only efficiency, but the necessary
(dements of Dersonal and political
strength, down to a small number. It
iu ,iaei it Is foolish and even repre
hensible for the citizen to throw
iwir his vote on some friend, or on
some candidate who may indeed be
suitable, but who may have no possible
chance of election.
Tli onlv safe wav is for the respon
sible citizenship of Portland, men and
women, to unite on a plan to sclera tnc
rnmmledAnm from a. .Rtrietlv limited
group of candidates. Let all vote for
first, second, and third choice no less.
, WHY THREE CHOICES.
PORTLAND. May 19. (To the Editor.)
May I ask why and what la the reason for
advocating three men for each place, that
ia on preferential votes, or that each person
vote three times for Mayor, Commission
ers and Auditor? If there are good men
named, as there are, would It not be Detter
to concentrate the votes on first choice, as
second-choice men are mostly undesirable?
If the votes are for the six good men first,
then they should be the governing body.
There are many people talking about this
and there Is much confusion. Mostly they
say why shouldn't they vote for one person
Instead of three for each omceT we are
all Interested In this. O. T.
The object of voting three choices
is to insure the election of men of
whom a majority of the electorate ap
prove. The preferential plan does not
imply, as this correspondent supposes,
that a second choice vote "will be cast
for an undesirable. The Oregonlan
concedes that if after a voter has
voted first choice he cannot find in
the list remaining any man or men
he deems fit for office, he should not
vote second or third choice. But in
the list of candidates for Commis
sioner the voter who investigates rec
ords will be able to discover at least
twelve for whom he can conscientious
ly give first, second or thIrd-choic(e
votes.
A few statistics may illustrate bet
ter the menace of voting but one
choice for Commissioner. There are
approximately eighty candidates, and
there are four places Co fill. The
total vote may safely be estimated at
about 50,000. Voting only first choice
means that plurality candidates will
be elected. An average division of the
50,000 votes gives each of the eighty
candidates 2500 votes.
It may be conceded that several can.
didates would receive less than 2500
and some receive more than 2500
votes, but the figures given ought to
make it plain that if only first-choice
votes are cast some of the three Com
missioners will be elected by a very
small minority of the electorate.
What kind" of Commissioners will a
plurality election give Portland? Let
us examine the strength of Ralph C.
Clyde. Mr. Clyde has obtained a large
following among those "who pay greater
heed to words than to execution. In
the recent primary election, at which
he sought nomination as Councilman-at-Large
under the old charter, he re
ceived IS. 647 votes out of 34.000 cast,
or about 40 per cent. Very likely in a
larger field of candidates and with a
more representative vote cast he will
not attain the same percentage, yet
here is a totally unfit candidate who
will undoubtedly be elected if the
thoughtful and observant voters di
vide their strength among the desira
ble candidates and vote only one
choice. If he merely holds his U.OOO
votes and gets none of the 16,000 oth
ers who will likely participate in the
coming election, iwhat chance of get
ting more votes than he have four
out of a dozen good men running
against htm in a field, of eighty when
concentration of the thoughtful ele
ment on candidates is neither proba
ble nor possible?
The preferential system provides for
neither nominating conventions nor
direct primaries. There is no prelim
inary iftine of asDirants for office.
The eirtlng must take place at one
election if at all. and the only method
provided for accompllsning it is con
tninaii in ihA second and third choices.
Neglect of second and third choice
simply means a haphazard plurality
election accompanied by unmistakable
dangers.
To urge the voting of first choice
only Is equivalent to advising the
voters whose preference in a primary
ixtinn i iefi&terl to refrain from
participating in the general election
which follows.
ORAL TEACHING.
The oral method of teaching lan
guages Is said to be coming into high
favor In the-East. All the larger pub
lic schools in the State of New York
are using it, with a fair prospect that
It will m in mnldlv in other states. This
is encouraging news. The true way to
learn a language Is, or course, Dy me
nr. Tt is thus that we all acquire our
mother tongue, and if other languages
were presented through the same sense
they would be mastered far more ef
fectively than they usually are.
Th trouble is that in order to teach
a language by the oral method the in
structor must know it himself, while
if a tuxthook is used, a superficial
knowledge will suffice. John Wesley's
mother taught him Latin by keeping
a page ahead of him in the grammar.
Hw Instruction must have been purely
mechanical. In a language like Latin,
where nothing but mechanics is com
mnnlir snns-ht. that certiaDS was of
small consequence, but in languages
like German and urencn, oi wnicn a
living mastery is sought, it is of vital
KnnwntianM Tf hooks were discarded
altogether and the modern languages
taught wholly by word or mourn, me
results would be far better than those,
habitually observed.
The same may be said of other sub
infts hpslrips laneruaees. The great
majority of mankind are "ear-minded."
They learn what they are tola more
easily than what they read. This Is
the reason why lectures survive in col
leges in spite of their frequent dull
ness and formality. The students
really get more from a stupid lecture
than from the best text-book because
their brains depend upon the sense of
hearing more than upon that of sight
for the reports from the outer world.
This common disposition of human
halnn will ha taken advantage of in
the elementary schools come time.
Children will not always be sent to a
hnnir to learn with Dain and uncer
tainty what the teacher could tell them
with exactness In half a minute, ine
former dismal practice depends upon
tho helief that iwhat we learn with
most toil we remember longest, which
Is nonsense, we rememDer longest
what we learn with most jpleasure.
The ' Joys of childhood are the last
things we forget at the very gates of
death.
SETTLING LGGED-OFF LAND.
Kale of 'small tracts of logged-off
land in the Humptulips Valley to set
tlors 1 a small bearlnnlns: In practical
carrying out of a movement 'which Is
occupying more . and more attention
every year. Great areas of rich land
in thn vallevs of Oreeon and Wash
ington lie waste because they are in
cumbered with the debris ana stumps
left by the loggers. There is abundant
room for manv farmers, dairymen and
fruitgrowers In these valleys, but the
first work to be done is the DacK
breaking work of clearing. Apparently
the settlers who have bought tracts
near Grays Harbor are not appalled by
this prospect, but settlement could De
hastened If capital would Join hands
with the settler in clearing the land. .
The owner of a large tract of cut
over, land has a dead investment. He
can only make it pay by adding to it,
unless he is content to wait for stray
settlers who do not flinch from the
arduous preliminaries. By clearing
the land himself on a large scale, he
nan An thn work more economically
and can add the cost with interest to
the rrlce of each tract, to be paid in
installments, or he can hire out the
nlant to settlers. The land
can then be sold more rapidly and a
dead converted Into a live investment.
The existence in the fertile valleys
of large tracts of logged-off land is an
indictment of the Plnchot policy of
reservation. Until that policy gained
control of the Land Office, timbered
land which, when cleared, would be
more valuable for agriculture than for
timber, was classed as agricultural
land. Mr. Fisher and his subordi
nnt invented for such land the new
classification "timbered Jiomesteads,"
and Mr. Pinchot would, if ne couia,
reserve it, replant It and make it per
petual forest. Yet such land would
produce In ten years agricultural crops
worth as much as a crop of timber
which would take a century to reach
maturity. The basis of true conserva
tion Is that land shall be put to the
most productive use consistent witn
tha nrswrvntlon of its Tjroductlveness.
Tried by this test, the Pinchot theory
Is not true conservation.
An agent of the Land Office in a let
ter today defends this policy on the
tn-rtnnd that manv of what mieht be
termed "timbered homesteads" here
tofore entered - have passed into the
possession of timber speculators and
9TA now abandoned in an agricultural
way. That fact does not Justify reser
vation of agricultural lands in tne ior
ests. Rather it Indicates a need for
amendment of laws or regulations
which would inspire that Government
land shall be used for the purpose for
which It is taken by the settler. The
Pinchot policy might be likened to that
of a merchant who, because thieves
have stolen goods at times, denies ad
mittance to his store of honest. cus
tomers. - -
The Balkan war has given Germany
en opportunity to strengthen her grip
on Turkey and she is making the most
of it. Sale of German guns and loans
of German money to Turkey mean
more concessions to German capital
ists in Asiatic Turkey, which is about
an there ia left of the Ottoman Empire.
That may soon be as completely under
German domination as Egypt is under
British and Persia under Russo-Brit-Ish
control. Having been deprived by
forehanded rivals of much share of
the undeveloped parts of the earh, Ger
mans may turn their energies to re
generation of Western Asia, the birth
place of ancient civilization.
The Japanese Issue calls attention
to the need of definition of the term
"white person." The lower Federal
courts have admitted Parsees and
high-caste Hindus to citizenship as
white persons, one Judge conceding
that the Hindu Is of the Aryan race.
The Japanese maintain that they are
of that race, while the lower courts
hold them to be Mongolians. The Su
preme Court of the United States
should settle the whole question. If it
should hold that the Japanese are
Aryans and that all Aryans are white,
all the labor of the California Legisla
ture with the anti-alien bill wilr have
been wasted.
The man who plays "on Sunday" Is
Just as much a Sabbath breaker as the
man who plows," says the Rev. J. H.
Bennett. Doubtless he is right. But
there are many estlmablo persons
whose work gives them no time for
recreation except on Sunday. Would
Mr. Bennett forbid them to play at
all? Some churches do not frown
on Sunday sports after the close of
religious services. John Calvin played
hall with the bovs on Sunday after
noon. Was Calvin a Sabbath-breaker?
Just as a man with great affairs on
his mind is apt to neglect trifles, so
Congress neglects Washington City.
The National capital depends upon the
National Legislature absolutely. Its
citizens are disfranchised and helpless
in their own concerns. The natural
consequence la corruption relieved by
agreeable parks and showy architec
ture. Mrs. Wilson's foray upon the
Washington slums will be helpful as
far as it goes, but what the city needs
for its troubles is self-government.
If the late John W. Fletcher, of Bos
ton, resembled some other mediums
and palmists whom we know, there is
no great mystery about his "vaji
ished" brain. He never had any. His
skull is no emptier now than it always
was. We commend this easy solution
of the mystery of his vacant brain pan
to the spiritualists who are seeking
light on the subject from the evergreen
shore.
The berry-grower or gardener
crowded out of occupation, market and
home is not contemplating the refer
endum with any degree of compla
cence, nor Is he fearing the conse
quences of war. He knows it Is a long
trip across the Pacific, during which
many things might happen. He is
banking on Washington diplomacy to
do some stalling, and he will not be
disappointed.
Colonel Roosevelt and Judge Parker,
between whom there has been a cool
ness ever since they called each other
names in 1904, met on friendly terms
at the peace conference in New York
and the Judge's resignation from the
Ananias Club is understood to have
been accepted. The peace conference
has accomplished something.
When the blood of the Briton runs
hot in war, his adversaries know
naught but defeat. What tetter illus
tration Is there than in the' case of
John Walker, mineowner in Zacatecas,
whose wife stood with him, shoulder
to shoulder, and killed five and wound
ed three? "Rule, Britannia!" means
much to children of the dominant race.
Is It possible that the Government's
decision to paint mail boxes Is intended
as a compliment to the Irish and that
the discarding of red is Intended as a
repudiation of Socialism?
Second-choica votes elected Samuel
G. Cosgrove Governor of Washington
not many years ago. He was a good
man and the great majority were
proud of him.
"Why don't the Republican office
holders resign?" asks a Southern news
paper. Because they prefer to give
the Democrats the trouble of remov
ing them.
Possibly our coast defenses are ex
posed in the rear. What of it? We
never contemplate retreating. The
National Guard is the backstop in the
game.
Reckor.ir.s; on a sure thing, the Ore
gon will not soon become a target for
American practice. When she seeks
missiles, they will be of another color.
Old auxiliary cruisers are being
groomed at the Philadelphia Navy
Yards. Why not let their ancient
bones rest in peace?
A lnrni swimmer, tied in a sack.
will leap Into the Willamette. We
know of others we snouia hko to see
try that feat
cins.A will ranlnoe Cunid. savs a
Harvard eugenlst. The mischievous
little wretch deserves to lose out, any
way. '
The Postofflce Department 'believes
ill "the wearing of the green." The
red letter boxes must go.
With'Japan and Mexico both erupt
ing, these are hopeful days for the
ardent military fan.
Invoking the referendum will pocket
the law until a few necessary things
are done.
Germany is said to be aiding Turkey.
That's what has ailed Turkey from the
first.
Many will pick the winners with
their eyes shut politically and morally.
It will be a dead heat between Ore
gon strawberries and roses this season.
Of course, if it gets real serious
we'll send Bryan to Toklo.
Doubtless some of those candidates
are now sorry they spoke.
How Dennis Kearney would revel In
the new ruction!
Rosebuds greeted the warm May sun
yesterday.
Crowd the work on the Canal.
So the Krupps are corrupt?
Land Office Agrent Declares Complain
ants Tell Bnt Half Truth.
HILLSBORO, Or, May .18. (To the
Editor.) The Oregonlan's editorial,
May 12. "Wrong Done Landless Poor,"
prompts me to offer a few words In
defense of the Government's policy In
this respect.
First and foremost, let me say that
a very large share of the information
reaching the newspapers and the poli
tical officials is not strictly in accord
ance with the actual facts. Much of it
is biased, by actual design, and much
of the balance colored through misin
formation. It has been my fortune to have vis
ited a laige share of the National For
ests of the Pacific Northwest and make
examination of the ground with a view
to Its availability for agriculture. Sena
tor Borah is partly correct when he
says that none bat a rich man can
comply with the Government's condi
tions, but he is far wrong when he
gives out the idea that the difficulties
are, to any great extent, the result of
the Government's policies.
The simple truth is that the land on
which poor people can, or could, make
homes In this country Is gone gone
Into private ownership and beyond the
reach of any who have not the price.
Notwithstanding all the clamor about
the good land tied up in the National
Forests, X Bay, and from extended ex
perience, that after the land that is
much more valuable as timber land
than for agriculture Is eliminated, the
balance becomes negligible. But It is
argued that even though It bears heavy
timber It Is yet valuable for agricul
ture, so why not permit the settler to
enter It and reap the benefit of what
ever timber he may sell while clearing
the land. This argument might be un
answerable, were it not in direct op
position to the experiences of the past.
Any one who will take a trip into
the forest lands of this country will
soon see that it requires but little tim
ber to render the fitness of land for
agriculture a matter of no present im
portance. Before there were any Na
tional Forests the timber was of little
value: there was a claim for all com
ers and many were taken. In good
faith, the settler cleared a portion of
the land, builded a home with all the
simple concomitants, private and pub
lic. But a change has come; timber be
came more valuable, and the "woods
pasture" Is worth more than all the
balance and the timber speculator Is
now the owner. Now the buildings and
fences are in ruin, orchards unkempt,
the clearings fast returning to their
original wilderness condition, and the
timber-man maintains his agent, whose
business is to resist taxation and
prosecute trespassers. Meanwhile the
settler who happened to have no tim
ber has found himself isolated and
without neighbors, schools, etc.
But to return to "The Landless
Poor." Very, very many, who have
not tried it, believe that a foothold
on the soil Is all that an Industrious
man needs, to place himself on the
high road to Independence. It. may be
for a few, but for nine-tenths of the
poor of the cities to undertake to make
homes on the land in this country
not now in private ownership would
mean nothing short of failure, if not
actual starvation. Conditions have ma
terially changed In the last 30 or 40
years. The people who settled the
Northwest, who dug homes out of the
Oregon forests, were not only Indus
trious and frugal, but they had the
advantage of better soil, land that waa
more easily cleared, lower cost of ne
cessities and a lower scale of living to
meet. Any one of these four conditions
would have turned the tide against
many of our hardy pioneers. Besides
these, they had another and a very
great advantage over most of the city's
poor. They knew the rules of the
game: knew how to clear and cultivate
the soli.
I have visited many of the "bona
fide" settlements on' the public land in
whose favor so much has been said
from platform and press, and such
anathemas hurled at the Government
and its agents: have seen men who
knew how to fell a tree or grub out
a stump well able to buy and pay for
good land making a pretense at good
faith in settlement on land which Is
absolutely unfit for agriculture, and
to clear which would cost twice as
much as' good land was selling for in
the open markets. These can excite
the sympathy of the official In his
office, and their stories of their patri
otic endeavors are true in detail, ex
cept that they tell only half the truth.
A practical man will see at a glance,
when actually on the ground, that
there Is no Intention to render to the
Government its stated price a per
manent home for the land they hope
to obtain.
It may. not be amiss for me to state
more fully my claim to experience in
this matter. With memory covering
over 40 years in Northwestern Oregon,
one may pretend to know something
of the difference between the virgin
forest and a cultivated field. Grub
bing, slashing. ditching, plowing
stumps, hauling over primitive roads
make lasting impressions on the youth
ful memory. I knew the men and
women who have wrought the chanpes
here. I love the Oregon pioneers and
feel a kinship with every one who has
in the past or is now pioneering in this
or any other country. But I have no
sympathy for those who try to gain
bv stratasrem and intrigue the land
of the Government, without paying
the above-stated price. I have never
seen the time when a rich man could
afford to make a home on Government
land, merely for the value of the land.
The people who made this country
what it now is were poor people who
could live only by the hardest of work
and the extremes of frugality.
For the last 25 years I have followed
land surveying, and for the last ten
years have been In the employ of the
General Land Office. In the latter my
duties have been, largely, examinations
of settlements on unsurveyed lands,
with a view to Government action.
With a knowledge of the vicissitudes
and hardships which are inseparable
from the upbuilding of any new coun
try, it Is enough to shake one's faith
in humanity to witness some of the
miserable subterfuges employed to get
hold of a piece of Government land.
However, there are yet many who are
acting in good faith, but these occupy
but very little space in the news
papers. I have never seen a man whose
actions were ' plainly. In good faith,
harrassed by Government agents: all
statements of their over-officious ac
tivity notwithstanding. But I have
seen the Government spend over 11000
to permit a man to obtain title to a
tract of land within a National Forest,
when he could never have held It at all
under a strict construction of the laws.
And this was during the regime of the
despised Pinchot and his agents.
Neither have I ever seen any but a
liberal construction of the laws, and
never saw a doubtful case decided
against the settler.
L. E. WILKES.
Elate Ia His Sister.
Chicago Record-Herald.
"Johny," said his mother, severely,
"someone has taken a big piece of gin
ger cake out of the pantry."
Johnny blushed guiltily.
"Oh, Johnny." she exclaimed, "I didn't
think it was in you."
"It ain't all," replied Johnny; "part
of It's In Elsie."
Clans A In Hard Luck.
Detroit Free Press.
"My grandma," said the oflfce boy,
tremulously.
"Nothing doing," said the manager,
shortly.
"Died before I was born." the boy
went on, "and I ain't never had an ex
cuse for going to the opening game."
Tain Fact Held to Be Against Worth of
Vocational Training In Schools.
PORTLAND, May 17. (To . the Edi
tor.) Mr. Mitty's letter, published In
The Oregonlan today, expresses my
view that you cannot put the world
into the schoolroom. The subjects
taught In the schools such as spelling,
English, reading, arithmetic, chemistry,
physics and all the material relating
to the same have to be put to the
pupil in an exact and steadfast man
ner as against anything doubtful or
dubious. No matter what is presented
to pupils, except in the most advanced
work of the higher institutions, it must
contain the element of security and
unchangeability. All vocational matter
is presented in the same manner.
Whereas in life, outside of the school
room, it Is the variations that are the
problems of life. We say when leav
ing school, life Is so different from
what we thought-
When I was training to be a teacher
in a normal school (we were required
to teach two years in a country school
before beins qualified for a position
in a city school) the principal had
placed in the training department a
class representing all the grades, simi
lar to the country school where we
were to spend our first years. I did
not find it of any practical use, and
such were the expressed opinions of
my feOlow-Btudents. who had likewise
to teach in the country school. We
were all trained to systematic work
by the methods the instructors used
In conducting their line of work in
presenting It to us. Our problems
were such that no teacher could give
Instructions In for they varied In each
locality and had to do with our en
vironments and the mental status of
the community.
To illustrate, I taught in a district
where the majority of the parents read
The Commoner and Socialistic papers
to such an extent that to mention Grant
or Roosevelt as worthy types of Ameri
can citizens brought discord. The prob
lem of that district was an Immense
proposition no normal school could
have guided me in except in the quali
ties that are abstract and go to make
personalities. And so it is, in a meas
ure, with all lines of work. The con
ditions are never the same; the soil
may be too wet, which wasn't taken
account of In the calculation when cer
tain properties were necessary in the
soil to obtain aimed-at results. And It
seems that except for a few funda
mental principles' the remainder muM
be learned In a natural way outside
of school.
The function of the school should
be to make a well-balanced, reasonable
creature, sympathetic, idealistic and
one far enough advanced in the natural
sciences and social problems to make
the last half of life one of study and
appreciation of the conditions in which
they live, and some particular line of
interest that they feel secure in hav
ing a fair knowledge of and what it
constitutes. A well, hearty, wholesome
person can always find something to do
to supply the necessities of life, but
the larger life and wiser aim which
some one wrote about comes not
through the teaching of vocations
which can be taught outside of school.
Most of our great men of all times were
students of life who, in a material way,
had nothing and were not aware of it.
That is the secret. To teach the com
ing generation to do without, except
the necessities of life, and still be able
to count themselves rich, honest, char
itable. But now, "How to get on in a
material way," seems to be where the
schools are placing their efforts.
Mr. Mitty quotes the saying about
knowledge being of two kinds, know
ing the subject matter ourselves or
where we can find information on It
As I told my county superintendent,
when questioned as to what I consid
ered the most essential properties of
education. It Isn't the subject matter
but a condition to be developed In
pupils who, given a certain amount of
work to do, know how to go about
getting it dono clean and in a satisfac
tory manner and to know that they
didn't know and how to obtain that
knowledge to cultivate proficiency in
every simple thing. When this Is taught
with what the schools have always
laid most stress on, I think that we
shall find no fault In the old men and
T,rnmon n-ho are the result of this edu
cation, and it is for them to say what
has been most productive oi a nappy
life. . B. M.
DRAWBACK VS MONDAY nOLIDAY
Meat nnd Produce Dealers, and Con
sumers, Too, Would Suffer.
PORTLAND, May 18. (To the Edi
tor.) In reference to the editorial in
The Oregonlan entitled "All Holidays
on Monday." I would like to say a
few words as to its bearing on cer
tain, lines of business. Take, for in
stance, the meat and grocery business,
especially In the Summer, and for the
sake of argument, in these days of
equal privileges to all, say these call
ings close at noon on Saturdays, and
in the case of a holiday on Monday
remain closed until Tuesday morning
following. The difficulty of providing
and preserving in an edible condition
- - . nanv afHolAS nf fOOd. eSDO-
gicai .-
daily fresh meat, for that space ot
time, is apparent.
The number of people who would
welcome the proposed combination of
week-end vacations would be legion,
but I have reason to believe there
would be found among them a goodly
number who would like to get their
meat "as late as possible Saturday
night," and who would say: "Why,
we cannot get anything now that will
keep for Monday," or "we have no
place to keep it."
Of course I may be like Vice-President
Marshall "out of order." This
proposed change may be Intended only
for boot and shoe people and bankers.
And again my brothers in the business
may be so enamored with the money
making idea that the reproach of
being slaves to the cause would fall
on deaf ears. This latter applies
especially to those engaged in the
meat business. At the present time
the emoluments are so great that they
constitute one grand, continuous
round of pleasure stowing them away.
Of course the los3 of these pleasure
would, in a measure, be offset by a
trip to the country, or In the case ot
those who had no rural inclinations,
the opportunity of three visits to
Twenty-fourth and Vaughn streets
might suffice.
In conclusion, put me down for a
mid-week holiday from June 1 to Octo
ber 1. E. H. DEERT.
PAY - AS - YOTJ - GO POLICY DESIRED
Correspondent Wants City Officers Who
Will Not Issue Bonds.
PORTLAND, May 17. (To the Ed
itor.) Multnomah County built a ru-w
Courthouse at an expense of $1,600,000
and paid for it in cash.
The city built Broadway bridge at
an expense of $1,600,000 and owes every
dollar of it, besides a large additional
amount for discount on bonds suffered
because of our depreciated credit.
When we were issuing bonds for
bridges. City Hall and other Improve
ments, the plea was made that pos
terity would be benefited let them
share the burden. Well, we have worn
out two bridges (which had to he re
placed from sales of more bonds),'-an-other
one has nearly reached the limit
of Its usefulness; we have used the
City Hall to the point of extensive re
pairs, and are nearing the time when a
new building must be erected; we have
paid in interest on some of these Items
more than their original cost, and will
leave posterity to pay for a miscel
laneous lot of dead horses.
Give us officials at this election who
can pay as they go, and retire those
who are responsible' for a large lot of
this mismanagement.
J. W. CAMPBELL.
1573 East Fifteenth street.
In Private Life
By Dean Collins.
With heart from envy free.
Upon the world I blink;
No other's lot appeals to me;
I am a care-free gink!
At politics I look;
It3 tumult and its strife.
It pleaseth me, indeed, to be
Mixed up in private life.
I see each candidate:
I watch his chances dim;
And I am very free to state
I do not envy him.
I hear his thronging foes
Each whet a thirsty knife
And sing with glee: "It pleaseth me
To be in private life."
Oh. valiant elshty-three.
What lies for you In store?
Out of the bunch can only be
Commissions found for four.
For Auditor and Mayor,
Eight candidates in strife.
"Hilo! Hilee! It pleaseth me
To be In private life."
With heart from envy free,
I see the searchlight hit
The candidates. It soems to me
It makes them squirm a bit.
Oh, let its rays stream forth!
I whistle as a fife.
And sing with glee: "It pleaseth mi
To be In private life."
Twenty-five Years Ago
From The Oresonlan of May 20, 1SS8.
Salem, Or., May 19. Today a picnlt
was given by the military company ot
Macleay, eight miles east of Salem and
an Immense crowd was present. An ad
dress was made In the morning by
Professor M. Ci. Lane and In the after
noon Honorable John Mlnto and vari
ous county candidates had a Joint de
bate. James B. Metcalf, Attorney-General of
Washington Territory, Is hard at work
setting up pins for his nomination as
delegate to Congress.
Yesterday the new, elegant and rapid
steamer Telephone made her maiden
trip from Portland to Astoria and re
turn. At the special meeting of the immi
gration board yesterday State Superin
tendent E. B. McElroy was voted $100
to aid in defraying the expenses of a
special Oregon Department in San
Francisco during the coming National
Teachers' Institute.
Honorable George W. McBrlde and
Edward Giltner have gone to St
Helens, Columbia County.
Yesterday forenoon a 12-year-od son
of S. B. Riggen. the well-known insur
ance broker, was thrown from a horse
near the corner of Third and Morrison
streets.
An Infftrmol t-rto ontinn wilt ci V n
byterian congregation, corner Slxtli
and Montgomery, on Monday evenins.
Corporal James Tanner, of Brooklyn.
K. Y., spoke to an audience of about
1000 at the Tabernacle last night.
The Willamette Bridge Street Rail
way Company have commenced laying
tracks along- Ilolladay avenue.
Rev. H. IC. Ilines will dedicate a
church at Viola today.
Half a Century Ago
From The Orrgonlan pf May -0, 1S63.
Mr. Jf. Mltter has just arrived at
Letvlston from lloise and reported pro
visions of all kinds abundant and at
low prices for that country.
At Placerville and Bannock City
there Is quite a spirit of rivalry on the
subject of the location of Idaho Terri
tory. The Idea that Lewtston has any
claims Is Ignored altogether.
Mr. Mossman. of Monsman & Co.' Ex
press, between Boise and Walla Walla,
states that new dierKlnBS have been dis
covered In the vicinity of Eagle Creek,
about 60 miles from Auburn.
Philadelphia, May 14. A special to
the Enquirer says Vallandlgham wu
convicted of the charts anainst hini
and sentenced to the Tortugas until tin;
close of the war. General Burnside
approved the sentence, but the Presi
dent changed it to sending him South
Memphis, May 12. The Jackson Ap
peal Eiys Grant proceeded toward?
Port Gibson with tlio main body ot his
army and that lie Is throwing up en
trenchments. At a meeting of tho ladies of Port
land for the organization of a Ladles
Sanitary Aid Society, the following of
ficers were elected: President, Mrs. H
W.- Corbctt; vice-president, Mrs. II
Wynian; secretary. Mrs. A. C. GIbbs
treasurer. Mrs. J. C. Ainsworth. Mrs
Wakefield. Mrs. Howe and Mrs. WU
son wero appointed collectors of con
tributions and Mrs. T. H. Hoarne. Mrs
Frazar and Mrs. Williams were selected
as executive committee.
Perpetual Pensioners In Luck.
London Chronicle.
Perpetual ponsionerB are to be found
in France as well as in Great Britain.
August 21. 1755, the Dauphin, son o(
Louis XV, when out rabbiting, accident
ally shot Yves de la Boissiere, one ot
his suite. As a compensation a pen
sion of $1200 was conferred on Bois
siere, with remainder to his heirs In
perpetuity. Despite the many changes
in the form of government this pen
sion has bene paid ever since, and no
member of the budget committee has
ever suggested stopping it.
Information In
Good Advertising
"I never realized until the
other day how much informa
tion you can got out of adver
tising," remarked a well-known
man. "I picked up a paper
and began to read a rag adver
tisement. The headline, being
unusually attractive, caught me
quickly. Then I read on, and
I was nstonished to note how
much information that adver
tisement contained concerning
rugs.
"It went back centuries in a
few sentences, and when I got
through in less than 5 minutes
I knew more about rugs than I
ever did before."
"I read an advertisement of
silks the other night," said a
woman, "and when I finished
I knew more about silks than I
ever knew before. There wasn't
much to read, but what there
was was well written and full of
useful facts. Of course, I
bought, silk just as you bought
rugs."
Well-written advertising is a
delight.
You have simply to read
some of The Oregonian's ads to
appreciate that fact.