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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1913)
12 ftp; rOKIWUi vimmn. , I Kntered at Portland. Oresot, Po.omc a. Subscription Rte Invariably la Adranc. (BI HAIL) Pally. gnnday Included, ona year. Dally. Sunday lncluaeo. ia mom"- Iaily, Sunday Included, three montna 4.1 1.25 .7 laily, Sunday incluaea. on. i""0"' r".1- " .,Dta::::: r.L..r,,Il th nullifications of the m wunoui dudu., .v. 1 7fi ZllSSuJ ii7'-SSil.::: : ekiy. one year Iff .o kuaday and Weekly, ona year. . BT CARRIER) Dally. Sunday Included, oca year Dally. Sunday Included, one raontn 78 How to Remit Send poatoftlca money or der, expreai order or personal cneck on your local bank. Stamp, coin or currency ara at sender's rUk. Give poatoffl addraaa in full. Inrlndlng- county and atata. foetace Ratea Ten to 14 pace, 1 cant, 14 to 2a paa-ea. t centi; to 40 Pas", cent.; 40 to page 4 cent. roreln poaia.se, doubla ratea. Eastern Business OfHcea Verree , Conk Jla. amm fork, Brunswick bulldlns caxo. Steser building-. Baa Francises Oil lea R. J. BldwaU Co, T41 Market atreet. European OIXlco No. t Resent atreet & . W lndoo. rOBTLAJTO, WEDNESDAY. MAX U, OIR M1UTAKT FLAWS. Secretary of War Garrison in point ing: to the inefficiencies of coast de fenses merely put his finger on one of our many military sore spots. He might well have directed his criticism to the entire military policy, military system and military establishment of the United States. If our coast de fenses are bad, our interior defenses are worse and our mobile Army be yond comparison. This must not be construed, how ever, as indicating: that we are in a hopeless or precarious plight in event of war. We have potential military strength of the first magnitude. We have limitless financial resources and we have those staunch virtues as a people that would carry us In unbend ing determination through any war, no matter how formidable. But our mil itary shortcomings would cause tem porary embarrassments and enormous unnecessary losses in life and property. The military preparation that today should be complete would have to be worked out In the heat of battle. In the pitting of Inexperienced recruits against trained soldiers, provided we met a first-class power. From the survivors of our first armies would have to come the seasoned force that ultimately would win. Mr. Garrison, in noting the weak nesses of coast garrisons, dwelt at length upon their vulnerability in the rear. Built to resist naval invasions of harbors, attention was not given to land works, with the result that a few platoons of infantry might readily capture a garrison that could stand off a whole fleet. Take the fortifica tions at the mouth of the Columbia River, for example. The greatest fleet in the world would hardly essay to pass In under the ten and twelve-Inch rifles and mortars. Tet a brigade would find nothing particularly ardu ous in effecting the capture of the huge batteries from the rear. HUwever, the matter of land works In itself Is of secondary importance insufficiency of men is the great - vote shortcoming At all our t Karrons or third choice for any can whole batteries are in charge of mere not Jn fact care-taking squads. In event of wa judsrment qualified to be Mayor, recruits and raw levies would have to i J dTd not approximately repre be hurled Into the gap. Civilians, in a . ,,. ,, ta. week, world have to be developed Into expert artillerists and mimia wouia have to be employed for infantry sup ports to furnish protection at the rear The regular Army could not respond to the call for the simple reason tnat the Army cannot assemble more than 15.000 men in the United States today. Such is our military system. Our toasted oo.oou men are maimy on p.- per or on foreign outy v ar ou.a bring to us commotion confus on and pitiably feeble errorts to moonize an elective Army should there come sud. den invasion at either tne Atiant c or Pacific Coast. Should a powerful en Pacific Coast. Should a powenui en-1 frTy capture on. of ojr coast garrisons from the rear they would have a base from which dis lodeement would be difficult inasmuch as no first-class hostile force would be apt to take such chances as we do with a strategic point. . But let no one, either individual or nation, draw from these unfortunate facts a wrong deduction. We might be temporarily embarrassed, but not conquered. We are vastly greater than our military weaknesses and can rise above them. This may be said in the most impartial and analytical spirit- The unortunate thing is that we persist in displaying weaknesses which one day may invite attack from some misguided foe who falls to guage the potential strength of a sleeping giant. THE RECAU, AND WHEX TO CSE IT. Experience of Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane with the recall proves that that Instrument of popular govern ment does not immediately settle down into its proper place in the govern mental machinery. People are Inclined to be so elated over this newly gained power as to wish to use it on every occasion. Just as a child devotes his entire attention to the newest toy. Ex tremists of any stripe move to recall an official whenever he runs counter to their peculiar opinions. Thus in Spokane It is proposed to recall the Mayor and several Commissioners be cause they reduce wages of teamsters, while in Tacoma, a referendum Is pro posed on an ordinance raising city em ployes wages. In Seattle a few years ago the Mayor was recalled for pursu ing the very policy he had announced in his campaign, the people having changed their minds. Such use of the recall was not con templated when it was adopted in Ore gon. It was designed as a reserve power of the people, to be used only against flagrantly Incompetent, cor rupt or despotic officials, or those who proved false to their platform pledges. Used frequently and on slight pretext, it causes constant unrest and public expense, may drive good officials out of office and may prevent good men from seeking office. That this is true may be inferred from the statement of Mayor Hindley, of Spokane, giving his reasons for almost deciding not to seek re-election if a recall petition is filed against him. He said: l m as 1swalti aVinnM or 6O0O voters In thl city who will ask a PUDIIO OETICimi W buhh iw rw-iecnun hKiuM h did what he deemed to be hla Hn thn 1 am readv to itet down. The only" condition la that the latuea are too much confuted and an effort made to de ceive the public in which event I may feel It my duty .to jco before the electorate and tea inam iho troth. Durinsr the vear nre- cedinir my election aa City Co mmlsa loner the financial returns from literary and plat- W r..ttv .nnalarl thA salirv nm tA Ha. ' the elty. and I think I will have no trouble In taking up thia line or work afain. Ko man cams to work for an em ployer who Is continually criticising and nagging at him, whether that em ninv hn tha npnnlA or an individual. Hence the recall may deprive the peo V" -- - -- ----- and t ple of the services or vaiuaoie men oi public servants, although It was de signed to Improve the quauty i worn done for the people. Prtrf IjhH r 1fi7pn. mav well learn from the experience of their neigh bors. They would do wise to iuuj WHO seen, ineir votes t tvi election, and. having chosen to refrain from disturbing: their Mayor and Commissioner with frequent threats of recall, xne recall win men do . measure of salutary discipline for bad officials, and will not hinder competent men from seeking office at future elec tions. fl'HY ALBEE? tr Alhf. nurht to be elected Mayor of Portland because he is equal to the Job. Mr. Albee would elevate tne ad ministration of public affairs in Port land to a high plane of efficiency, decency, and order, and keep it there. Mr. Albee would devote nimseii ear. neatlv to the task of giving a square deal for all persons and interests. It is his way. Mr AihPA would creditably repre sent the dignity and importance of Portland on public occasions. That la something. Mr. Albee will traffic with no politi cal machine or organization or clique or faction to make him Mayor; and he will have no entangling pouucai or corporate or socialistic or I. W. W. alliances to embarrass him after he shall be Mayor. He is no man's man. Mr. Albee will bargain witn no ona for Jobs before he shall be Mayor; and he will reward no one for political or personal services, after he shall be Mayor. He has no favors to sell. Mr. Albee will accept the Mayoralty as a trust from and for tne wnoie people, and as an opportunity to per form a great public service. He takes his duties seriously, and discharges them fully. Mr. Albee has courage, fidelity ana ability. He is a clean man and a good man. He is a sensible man and a fair man. He holds his head up, and hews to the line. No lawful in- a-Aa nAAf? n-nrrff n Vnil t htm: no li censed industry need fear him; no un. fortunate class need expect tnai ne will exploit them or permit them to be exploited; - no privllege-seek- m vxaA lnnlr fnr favora from him: no public service concern need distrust him. Mr. Albee will, if elected, serve four years. It Is a long time. Portland ought not to make a mistake. TOCB BECONO OR THIRD CHOICE, r tMnir iii. wnirtt of the charter Is that every voter should vote three choices, yet I also feel that, tjecaune the three-choice vot ing is not made obligatory by the charter, sts framers thought It would be unwise to compel everyone to vote three choices; there tore, should there ever occur a ease whers could not rind the right people to repre sent me If they did not represent my principle, I would not vote for them tor second or third choice. For example, should there be three candidates lor an omce uu should there be but one man there who -rnm m- .Hiulnl.i I would not. In that case, vote tor either of the othera. Gener ally speaking, however, I advise a complete vote. From a public statement by H. R. Albee. candidate lor Mayor. Admirably stared. It would be ab tC voTer" " -- " tvia mnn whn votes, for example. 1,. iihA. flt-At hnlc Rushliffht sec- v.,,.;., ,ird choice - . . . , he beUeves - . candidates, but the " "".an tha the -- - - Rush,iKht can- y - or Kellaher cannot be. should n , V " -,, ,,-, v.lp man o as definitely - y -- - - . . . 'ZJSZ n nnnrpnt In the Commisslonerships The man who votes for four only is airninst thn xeventv-ooa otners. J3ui the man who. votes all the choices very sensibly says that any of tne twelve men are fit for the Commis- ionershtps in the order designated. PREDICTING THE FUTURE. H n Wells, tha Dhilosophical nov elist, who is always charming and often wise, has favored the world with a new speculation. "Why Is It not possible," he inquires, "to apply the laws of cause and etlect to tne fore-knowledge of the future as well a. to the recovery of the past?" A century and a half ago, he reasons, men did not even dream of a past be yond the 6000-year limit of Genesis. The famous Dr. Johnson, for ex- nmnln with nil hla acaulrements. knew less of the earth's real nistory than a. modern schoolbov. Science has conquered realms of knowledge extending millions or years Daca into ihs dark abysses of time preceding the Biblical "Creation," and has done It nil hv roasnnlnsf from cause to ef feet, or more frequently, from effect In anmm Th rArnrrln of an almost endless succession of events are writ ten in the geological strata, in tne structure of the stars, in the organi zation of living creatures, and by suit able application of the intelligence it is possible to read tnem. v ny may we not search out coming events by the same process? No doubt the law or cause ana eneci win annlv. nartially at least, to every event of coming time. Given all the causes contributing to any nhnnnmenon either Of the past or fut .ira onA tiA rthArtomenon itself ouerht to be as well understood as a product La when we Know tne iactors. oumc eyiontifitf. Yin An have even Imagined that an oic-AhrAlr puliation will be de vised some time or other, from which. the entire ruture or tne worm can do nrorlir-ted s astronomers predict eclipses. We may certainly antici pate a great extension of our power to foresee the future as we apply our reasoning powers more faithfully to Its problems. The art of doing this Is not yet much developed, but there m manv mon whn ran foretell com ing events of a certain kind with fair accuracy. It is these individuals who make fortunes where their rivals fall. Their empirical habits of prophecy will by and by be made to yield sci entific rules from which all intelli- Mnt nArsrtnfl mav rjrofit. But there is one element In the future which makes it greatly unlike the past- Trial element is tne numan win Tn be sure, the will has been acting In bygone years, but what it did is now a matter of record and pre sents no especial uncertainty. But what the will may do tomorrow or next year is absolutely uncertain. Be THE MORNING ing free, its activity is absolved from the ordinary succession of cause and effect. There is no equation by which Its choice in any dilemma can be pre ,ii.tAt nnri triArefora a large and prob ably the most momentous part of the future must always remain unicnown. It Is this Incalculable element in to morrow's programme which makes it so alarming to the timorous conserva tive, and so fascinating to the man of creative spirit. To the former it ho. ah rtA t.rmr of adventures in strange lands, to the latter all the romantic charm of a voyage or aiscov ery. LET HIM STAT THERE. ur TfAllaher handles the dilemma over the liquor business In his own Ingenuous way. If he shall be elected nfomr- nf Portland, he says in effect. it will take him out of the liquor busi ness. Actually he says: iieip me out of the business by taking me out of it." ... Evidently Mr. Kellaher is mamns an attempt at a Joke. But it Is not a very good Joke. JNO man ougni iu be in any business it is necessary for him to make excuses for, In private or in TinMio Tfo llmior dealer who de sires the respect of the public or of his patrons will assume mat it is noi a decent occupation. If Mr. Kellaher Is ashamed of the liquor business, it will be seemly for Mm to get out oi it, whether or not he is elected Mayor of Portland. The people are noi in a humor to trifle on the subject or to bargain with him as to a way 10 s him n rf it Tt would be an un heard-of method of destroying the iinnor business to bestow the nignesi civic honors on the men in it. But of course, under our present system, somebody will run the liquor business. It might as wen oe iveiiii her. We think the people are minded to leave him to his groceries and his bottles. MODERN BABY 81IOWS. ThA TirnmAn'fl Homa Companion. s-hi.h makAa anmethincr of a hobby of better babies, publishes an entertain ing disquisition . on mat aiiratii.c .oota in fta TnnA number. The artl- i.i. i nnrtlfiilarlv asrreeable to Ore- gonians because it compliments this state upon the baby show at the State Fair last Fall. If we construe the Home Companion's observations accu rately, it takes this show to nave dccii the best thing of the kind ever seen anywhere. The arrangements were not so convenient as they might have been, perhaps, but that is to De rem AriiAri not time, and the babies them selves, as well as the rules by which they were Judged, are held up ior imi tation to an admiring world. It was a little remarkable that the two babies who won the highest prizes at the Salem exhibit were both named Ricnnn Tn fact thev had the same grandparents, a fact which shows that heredity is of some consequeuL-e m men as well as dumb brutes. It is pleasant to notice that the Woman's Home Companion gives adequate credit to O. M. Plummer for his exer tions to establish the baby show ana niits it nf onlpntlftf! value instead of a mere sop to the vanity of foolish uncles and aunts. Tha hnhiAa were ludsed on strictly eugenic principles. Dimples counted for less than muscles, ciraigm uuu and sound lungs were marked fully as high as cherubic eyewinkers. The truth of the matter Is that Mr. t-ium-mer .and his faithful allies ft the uhw rnh with their steadfast friends, effected a substantial service to the cause of improved nuraauiw by the baby show which they con ducted. So valuable were their labors esteemed that the Legislature has granted J1000 for better facilities this ttaii with this heln. the coming baby show will be made fully as scientific as the former, while the surrounaings will be more comfortable and there will be fewer chances of endangering the health of the exhibits. Many other states have caught the fine in f.Minn inrmiv from O re STOn' s ex ample,' be it said with pride and proper acknowledgments to ine muc-r-otiirahiA Mr. Plummer. and during tv.A Autumn we shall hear of dozens of baby shows, all conducted with an eye to sane minds in sane Doaies ior hA iHcino- erAneration. The great les son for parents to draw from these shows Is that tne weaxesi DaDy may uo so Improved by wise attention to nour lahmAnt snrl all-round hvciene that it can compete with the most fortunate rivals. The maxim or progressive noruni, la not to tolerate defects in fAU- .0 their offspring or bemoan them as Irremediable dispensations, nut to sei about curing them. Many great men novo. rAn miserably puny infants, and the chances are that they would have been still greater had their parents known enough to attend more wisely to their Infantile defects. Those who dread the reduction of the human race to "a dead .level of perfection" ih,Anffh thA oonseauences - of baby shows, may as well leave off worrying. Perfection Is a long way aneaa as yei, particularly for the native American stock. All the high prizes thus far Ha torn aa well as in a recent baby show at New York, have gone to in fants of foreign antecedents if we may trust the Woman's Home Com panion. SOME POSSIBLE PAGEANTRY. The practice of exhibiting "pa geants" In New England towns has nMV .AjnmA o wlrlpcnrearl that it is said a traveler may ' spend a month this Summer going from one. to an nih, and flnrl himself well entertained all the time. The growing splendor of the Portland Kose f estival snows that the pageant habit has taken a sturdy hold in the West as well as the Hast- The most successful ones every where are those which are deeply tinged with local color. A pageant which borrows its features from other lands and times may astonish and transiently please, but its ' survival power can be but slight. Portland has the great advantage of being able to focus its festivities ground the rose, which it produces in such abundance and perfection. The mythological fea tures of the show which have been made so prominent on some occasions cannot be expected to attract perma nently, i Something must be produced which belongs to Oregon life and his tory as intimately as the rose does to the soil. It ought to be easily possi ble to arrange a beautiful pageant from the abundant material of Oregon pioneer history, which Is full of Inspir ing Incident and romantic adventure. The Willamette River, which is Portland's most impressive ' scenic treasure, has never been utilized as It might be In the Rose Festival. Per haps some day the managers will let us see a reproduction of Hudson's Bay express canoes setting out on their an nual voyage to the East. Nothing could be more picturesque. Followed by an Illumination of the lovely waters it should delight thousands. Then we OREGONIAN. WEDNESDAY. might have another scene showing how Joe Meek and his friends carried thA nt. fnr thA nrovisional govern ment. The surroundings were roman tic to the last degree and tne momem was as dramatic as anything in his tory. These suggestions are offered with the utmost modesty. No doubt great deal better ones will occur to dozens of minds, but something of the sort ought to be taking shape 'by this time in the progress of the Festival. One of its missions is to satisfy the dramatic sense of the people, and that can best be done by appealing to their histy. Says the Buffalo Express: Lincoln Beachsy, the most darlnr of fly ing men, is leaving the Kama because he realizes, as do other aviators, that some time or other a blood-thirsty crowd would toad htm Into trying some tatal feat. Mr. Beachey evidently draws a dis tinction between flying subject to the unavoidable risks of the air and doing sensational stunts which Involve reck less taking of avoidable risks. As fly ing becomes more and more an every day affair, spectacular aviators at pub lic exhibitions are compelledto take new risks in order to draw er paying crowd. Such men are akin to circus performers and are in a class distinct from those who are interested in de veloping a new means of locomotion. The threat of the Illinois manufac turers to flee from the women's eight- hour law with all their belongings sounds terrifying, but where will they go? The same legislation is threat ened, or promised, in every state of the Union but the most benighted. &o they are likely to Jump out of the fry ing pan Into the Are. Short hours and good pay for working women are part of the accepted programme for forti fying the home and protecting chil dren. These things must come because the welfare of the race demands them and inasmuch as they are coming everywhere they will give no advan tage to any competitor and injure none. The late Chuck Connors, the China town tough, was not great, but he was picturesque, hence the long oDiiuanes published by New Tork newspapers. inmoQ Ttnmilton Lewis la ETeat in his own estimation, -but nof in that of many others. Yet he renders himself picturesque with his flowing hair, his nhnnrlant auburn whiskers, his spats and his fashionable garb, which earned him the sobriquet "Dude Lewis" in his Seattle days. His pic- turesqueness aided him much in win ning the great office of Senator, Irre spective of whether he is great. What a big town Roseburg "must be getting to be." Two rivals for the queenship of the Strawberry Festival received 320,261 votes between them, which, by the usual rule of one vote to five inhabitants, gives a population of 1,601,305. We congratulate Rose burg on its rapid growth and trust we have not mistaken strawberries for human beings in this computation. At any rate, those must be rarely beauti ful girls who could get so many votes. If the Roseburg berries tastees sweet as the festival queen looks, what a Joy it will be to kiso we mean eat them. Barbara Fritchie's work is o'er and the rebel rides on his raids no more, but her soul goes marching on, and now. her body, what there is left of It, is to march to a new and more com modious tomb. , Barbara never leaned far out from her window sill to shake the starry banner at Stonewall Jack son with a royal will and his dust brown ranks never riddled the banner with seam and gash, but the story is Just as thrilling and the poetry Just as fine as if it had all happened. So why bother to dispute the tale? Rogue River Valley expects to ship 1000 cars of apples and 400 cars of pears this season, and thus break the Southern Oregon record. This is the estimate of Professor O'Gara after a tour of the orchards. That district has the advantage of putting Its pears on the market as the California crop passes off. Rogue River has gained a name among the famous districts of the country. So long as it maintains a high standard of quality, the name will go far to sell the fruit. All reports considered, there is like lihood of a short Oregon prune crop this year. There will be enough, how ever, to tickle the palate in danger of being satiated by overabundance of all the other fruits. The president of the Skamokawa Bank gets a term in the penitentiary, while the cashier goes to the reforma tory, probably in the Idea that there is hope for one and not any for the other. , At last vene-eancn has overtaken one villain, a dog poisoner in St. Johns. Many will think the punishment too light, as it does not include hanging. Having provided ample moisture for a bumper rose crop, the weather will now provide the necessary sunshine to develop a few billion blooms. What Mayor Rushlight thinks of Senator Kellaher would make as inter esting reading as what Kellaher says he thinks of Rushlight, no doubt. Attention Is again called to the dan. ger of germs in old paper money. We're willing to assume any amount of danger.' Sir Thomas Lipton feels already that he has won the race. Anticipa tion may prove his only Joy in the matter. King Peter wants to abdicate. The King business is growing more and more tiresome and unpleasant every day. . ' i London militants are forming arson squads. Straight Jackets for women is the slogan they should adopt. Negotiations with Japan will be conducted with extreme caution until some one steps on a match. The most Important foreign news to be expected Is that the Kaiser has kissed King George. Publicity. That is the solution of the problem of eliminating the unfit from local politics. While Toklo is having brain storms we are still concentrating on the base ball scores. 1 The Cincinnati car .strike burned it self out with, intense violence. Still, who sold those Japs the land? Too much Johnson, MAY 21, 1913. SEX EQUALITY IN MAN-MADE UW That Male la Natural Protector Proved 1A irimiuve June. PORTLAND, May 18. To the Edi tor.) It Is very evident from the em bittered expressions of R. O. McFar- lane, in regard to- the "unfair aa- vantage taken of man by our man- made laws" that he has not attamea full growth in the knowledge of the workings of our universe. Let us go, for instance, to any uncivilized coun try where there exists no social law. What do we find? Extreme passivenesn of the female, and shall we say less aggressiveness of the male? Less bru tality? Not at all. Man should be the natural protector In every sense of the word, so more shame to us in our civ ilized regions that we find less pro tection to the weaker sex than among our savage brothers. Compare our lady and gentleman of means who have leisure for whatso ever they may choose. For Instance, let us consider the butterfly of fash ion's social whirl. We find the woman's aim Is to surpass her kind in beauty and attraction. "Ah! there," you say. "she uses the charms as allurement for the opposite sex." To what end? Wait a moment. Remember that woman falls and follows the downward path, not from choice, but from necessity, while man does no such thing. It Is his pleasure, and ever will be, so long as he remains the superior in strength. An allusion was made to Kipling's diseased Idea .that the "female Is the most dangerous of the species. bo she is, when protecting her young from possible danger. I do not believe it possible that any right-minded, intelli gent young man resident in Portland or any other city remains single from any fear of being "eaten up" by one of these dangerous ones. Indeed, were he so inclined, he undoubtedly would Dresent some more plausible excuse. Does this not bring before you Walter Somerville's elder McTavlsh (a bcot too. by the way), who would have torn his own fair daughter's life from her with his "own bare hands" because of her beautiful golden hair, with which he feared she might lure some good man to his destruction. Innocent as she was? Then take a picture in your mind of the black-hearted brute McDonald, who was the possible vic tim. We might well say bah! and keep It up, thereby making veritable goats of ourselves in our belief. We must admit that there are some of Kipling's "enemies" who are very deserving of his wrath. Yet how few thesa are compared to the best which we find rocking our cradles, keeping our homes cheerful and bright and clean and aeainst what odds, too! There are among us good, whole some men who are wideawake, make our good laws and break them never, whom any and every good woman ad mires yes, worships because they are exceptions, and she can and does ap preciate them. Who does blame any right living, in telligent young man, or old one, either, for rhaflnir under laws which unfairly inp.lndA him with the guilty ones? It should anerer him. At-the same time, could he submit to a law which would also include his sweetheart, sister or some sweet girl he may happen to know, undergoing such an embarrass ing suggestion in accordance with our laws? I think not. Mn made these laws. They know. Let us reanect them, and if our brave "Scotchman" doesn't liKe our laws, let him go back to Edinborough, where ne won t have to aDide Dy tnem. HARRIETT BEECHER STONE. DISCONTENT AMONG THE 'COMMONS' Writer Denies Tbat It Can Be Traced to School Training Inequalities. PRATUM, Or., May 18. (To the Ed-, ltor.) A letter in The Oregonian May 17 is remarkable chiefly for the economic conditions it hints at but fails to analyze. Mr. Mitty seems to grasp the fact that the common labor er is the foundation of all our present day institutions, but farther than this h cannot Droceed: a blank wall of mystery looms up and bars the' way. The lower class is becoming discon tented, it is true, but not simply for the reason that others nave receivea vocational training, as Mr. Mitty would have us believe. Then, what Is the rea son for this discontent? Let us answer this question straight from the shoul der. . There are three reasons for this dis satisfaction, and we state them, briefly in their natural order: The low wages paid to common labor is the principal cause of . complaint. The wage rate rises painfully and slow ly, while the price of necessities mounts up with alarming rapidity. Measured in the commodities the labor er must purchase, his wages are con siderably lower than they " were ten years ago. The second cause, as has already been intimated, is the high cost of liv ing, there being no Immediate hope of relief. The third cause is the long hours constituting a day's labor, leaving little time for rest or recreation. If wages are raised, the cost of living must be advanced simultaneously or dividends will be endangered. And if the cost of necessaries of life are how ered, wages must come down also, lest dividends should suner. The hours of the work day cannot be reduced, but stocks may be watered with impunity. In spite of all tariff tinkering, In snlte of all alien land laws, in spite ol all the utterances, even of the Peerless One, the cost- of living Is continuing and will continue to advance. The ad vance of the price of necessaries is world wide, and the discontent follow ing in Its wake Is world wide. If ary one doubts such obvious truths as those set forth above, I, for one, would be pleased to learn the color of his wnisKers. Vocational training in the schools Is not the cause of the discontent among the commons, "not on your tintype. LOWELL M. SHOEMAKER. THE T1DELESS SEA. In strange solemnity it broods Along the frosty edge of barren shore. It knows no flash of foam no laugh ing moods. Nor feels the quiver of a breaker's r oar. Lost of all life. It simmers in the sun And sheds upon the land It's poisoned ' breath While all the ocean hordes are keen to shun Its prisoned depths that hold the chill of death. Like some pale hag, it sends a frozen stare Into the sky to mock the stars that shine. And on its breast a harpy, gray and bare. Disturbs the air with its uncanny whine As closer to a victim does it draw To tear the quivering flesh from every bone And thus defy the universal law And gather death around it for its own. And yet, despite the terrors of this place, -1 see men come to sip the murky brine And for the moment smiles illume each face. But soon are gone, for horror crowds the line. And then I see them fall into the dust And cry aloud their walls of misery. Then pass in death to Join the frosted crust i That forms the shoreline of the tide less sea. Glenn Norbrey Pleasants, Portland, Or. TRAGEDY OP FANCY EDUCATION It Leave" Stndent. Wholly Unfitted for Life, Charge Mr. McNnlty. I PORTLAND. May 20. (To the Ed itor.) The discussion in The Oregon ian relating to whether vocations should be taught in public schools or not are useful. I note Mr. Jiitty s ideas and this morning those of "B. M." Mr Mitty certainly is correct in that we cannot squeeze the world into the schoolroom. The Idealistic policies of B. M. are also of the stuff that should be clothed, over the minds of the young. iTrom such practice comes good citi zens, lenient-minded folks. Mowever. as to B. M.'s idea of leav- . phnnrA outside the Dubllc schools the picking up of vocational training I onnnt nirree. This has Deen tne pol icy in education ' for a half century. 1 have felt its effects. Those who have held the reins of education in an iron grasp have been teachers who- stand for what I term a "decorative educa tion." I was quite plastic for this pleas, ant system of study when a boy. In the town where I came from the very atmosphere was tinged with the schol astic classical colorings. Our mental pilots were high of aspiration, moved with all the "sympathies" which ab sorption of music and the poets could give. The men nao. uuneucm mmi.,. fAminlTiA and the ladles were ,i...,,hw inrilps- too much so in fact. Many became old maids; of course this was far East. The result of all this was many ao timllv did become sort of loving pets, sweet little things, and always had high marks. Those who were pro-Doy were of the stuff of which rebels are made of and were constantly In trouble with the ladylike pedagogues of both sexes. Take it all around, looking upon those same boys today, I am or the opinion that the boy boys were of the best material. Several of us entered active lire to- .hA. t .emAmhA. wa suffered for our idealistic education. Some of them were soured and are so yet, are pessi mists, unsatisfied folks. Life comes h-4 'with mnnv And their families. They are fitted for soft spheres of life. moneyed classes, planes wnere art aim philosophy are usual, but owing to lack of vocational training they are forever sentenced to work their days out as clerks, drummers, laborers, rarm nanas, streetcar men, etc They are fitted for French salons and they must live in common places. Their pride is ever being touched and poverty is ever at the door. Is this right? Oh, yes, you may explain, point out and discourse on their shortsightedness, but the Met re mains that they are not laborers by .,..hah ha. millionaires bv fortune. They are unfitted to work and they can not shirk. Life is short Most of us. have to rA-ir vrnm to work fa a verv imror- i.inr with thA monev earned in a calling which Is pleasing to tne ioi- lower the things or lire can oe pur chased. A home suitable to his tastes can be bought. His family will be there. Time can he puronaspo. ano vac- thtrf,, of Arorative life" he will then seek and without sacrifice of time or opportunity. Will this not oreea a better citizenship? with vAnrs as n hnv in a state normal school, the best in New York State, which Is saying something, with all the brain enlarging studies rrom men school as taught in the past, I could not earn a living. I was not a brick layer nor admlssable to the Bricklayers' Union. The laborers, both skilled and meiriiioii wniiln' snv I was a crentlr- man. most likely. I was not an expert clerk, telegrapner. newspaper repuriei, druggist, carpenter nor anything on earth aside from a pleasant companion, depending upon how my friends liked the looks of my face, which had been hivAiin thA Icpii of the educational sys tem. Thus I was thrown out to not only feed, clothe and bouse myseir. But mv newly widowed mother and two brothers. After a few months I naturally won- ! dered why I was taught all the fixin's and none of the gist or lire, l nave won- 1 a In A A that this thine was allowed to run along at the public expense. Later a sohool was established by a wise and practical millionaire in which technical engineering was taught. All the boys who longed to escape from .1 matYnm lift On A bMa of thA Street and went over to the other new school. Those boys are men now ana most oi them draw from $100 per month to well over $500 as doers in life, not talkers. They build railways, buildings, bridges, look Into the constitution of things chemically, invent and draw. They are men. Their families are well cared for and most of them are happy. The study that which they like. From Wat. son's Physics is but a step to theology. Practical astronomy in geodetic sur veys is the seed for higher desires. Geology, history and biology Is but a short way to diamonds, parlor society and gentility. The things of lesser worth are hard to point out, but the things of immediate necessity they have taken first and everything else comes with them. Why Invert the order as in the past? I favor amputation of about 50 per cent of present grammar and high school work, the establishment of use ful work In their place and the adjust ment of education with the needs of life. The converse has proved a fail- ur re. JOHN M'NUMY. A GRAMMAR OV LOST LANGUAGE Signs of Ancient Cultured Sogdlan Race Found In Central Aula. Paris Correspondent Chicago News. R. Gauthlot, the French savant, has presented to the Sorbonne the first grammar of the Sogdlan language, which was lost to the world 1000 years ago. The Sogdlans are supposed to have been a powerful and highly cultured race, Inhabiting Central Asia, where now there is merely a sandy desert. Their language, it is declared, shows that they were the parents of all the present European and Indo-European races, though the method of writing this language resembles Semitic rather than Arabic. The land which the Sogdians in habited formed a link between Siberia on the north, China on the east, Tibet and India on the south and Irania and Persia on the west. Before the de velopment of sea commerce the cara vans disseminating the riches of the Orient all passed through Sogdla, the last vestiges of which are supposed to have been destroyed by the Mongols in the 11th century. Within a decade travelers and explorers have found traces of great cities buried in the sand, with Buddhist art workers of considerable beauty and at least two libraries of manuscripts, while re mains of canals indicate that the Sogdians well understood irrigation. Although the modern Persians are believed to have descended directly from the Sogdians, whose language is supposed to have disappeared during the Mohammedan renaissance in the eighth century, only one miserable tribe dwelling in a rocky valley in Central Asia namely, the Tagnobis is thought to preserve some character istics of the lost race, whose redis covery is expected to clear up many problems in history. Professor Gauthiot hopes to depart soon to study the Tagnobis among their native cliffs. His Wife's Own Buslneas. Philadelphia Inquirer. "Another new dress? Where do you think I can get the money from? Do you suppose I can pick it up in the streets?" asked an angry husband. "Excuse me," responded the wife; "it Is not within my province to give you financial advice!" Twenty-five Years Ago From The Oreionlan of May 21, 1SS8. Mrs. Grant has received $411. 0ft s her share in the profits of General Grant's memoirs, of which 310,000 sets have been sold. . The general committee of the Grand Army of the Republic, having in charge the arrangements for the memorial celebration, met yesterday afternoon in the G. A. R. Hall, corner of First and Taylor streets. Comrades Kapus. McMasters, Pierce, McDevitt, Northup, Dubois, Summers, Chamberlain, Eaton, Dugan and Neal were present, with Department Commander Bortliwick in the chair. Captain of Police W. H. Andrus I3 ill. The Transcontinental Street Hallway Company has begun extending its track on S street from its present terminus at Sixteenth street to 1 wenty-thlrd street. A regular ferry has been established between this city and St. Johns, mak ing four trips daily. This brings our sister city into close connection and may necessitate Including St. John with East Portland and Alblna in tho pro posed consolidation. Mr. J. W. Ogllbee, the real, estate agent, has returned from a trip to Iowa, his native state. Last Sunday MrT" L G. Pfunder, the florist, treated his children and a few invited friends to a Hay day party, it being the anniversary of the birthday of two of his daughters. The headquarters of the Oregon Dem ocrats in St. Louis during the National convention will be In the Laclede Ho tel. The Oregon delegates. T. J. Black, H. Klippel, John F. Miller, James K. Kelly. M. S. Hellman and N. Davis, will leave for St. Louis on tho 28th. Half a Century' Ago From The Oregonian of May 21, 1.SK3. Some half dozen or moTe of the peni tentiary convicts made a dash yester day away from the guard, and two or three succeeded in making their es cape. We understand that there is a rumor in circulation among the people of the Upper Willamette Valley to the effect that the conscription act Is to be im mediately enforced in this state. Wo are assured by the Governor that no such orders have been received. Washington, May 15. The President received from headquarters. Army of the Potomac, an original letter from Jeff Davis, addressed to one of his Colonels, in which he speaks very dis paragingly of affairs in the southwest and on tho Rappahannock. Washington, May 15. Evidence in General Buell's case has arrived here. There is reason to believe that the find ing of the court is such aa to show that the President had ample cause for removing Buell from command. ' Yesterday afternoon was tho occa sion of quite a lively turnout of our fire boys and citizens generally to greet the return of Columbian Engine Company No. 3 and invited guests, who had been on a friendly visit to Dalles City. The lecture of Prof. Belew, the fa mous American horse-tamer, yesterday, was Interesting and instructive. An other lecture and instruction will bo given by tho professor this afternoon at Sherlock & Bacon's livery stable. RAILROAD BRIDGE BUILT ON ICH Engineers Accomplish I'nununl Feat In Copper River valley, AlaxKa. "Alaska, an Empire in the Making," by John J. Underwood. Along the Copper River Valley H' a standard-gaupe railroad, 191 miles in length, the building of which was filled with romance. Its construction is re garded as a distinct feat in world's engineering. The road crosses tlio river between the two glaciers IChilils and Miles). Tho false wo,-k for the bridge wns laid on the ic in Winter. Men were hired to work night and day. M. .1. Heney, the contractor, the man who built another "lmpossllile" road across the mountains from Skagway, and his chief engineer, E. C. Hawkins, con ceived the idea of using the river ice for the bridge scaffolding. As the Spring approached hundreds of men were kept busy every minute of the day and night, for, it not com pleted by the time the ice burst, all the work and material would have been lost. The ice went out, carrying the false work with it, less than an hour after the spike was driven in the connecting span and the work was completed. Tha bridge cost $1,400,000. Aeroplane of the Fnture. Life. "Well, Jones, this is a great im provement over the old-fashioned auto mobile." "Oh, I don't know; it's a bit monotonous; there's nothing to prevent your going as fast as you like, no old woman awaiting you 'round the bend tn the road, no stray cows, chickens, and so on. There's nothing much can happen unless you fall and break your own neck. 71 More Communities Should Advertise A current newspaper para graph informs us that $32,000 was spent by the Atlanta, Ga., Chamber of Commerce last year in . advertising that city to the world. Every dollar spent, ac cording to the report filed, made a fine showing. There is food for thought in this. Municipalities everywhere could advertise with great ad vantage to themselves. In many sections "booster clubs" are 'even now doing fine work, but the number of communities that would profit handsomely by waging the right kind of adver tising campaigns are legion. It is just as appropriate for a town or city to advertise its attractions and commercial ad vantages as it is for a merchant to tell the people about his business. There are many fine cities in the United States that are known to hundreds of thousands of people, but only by name. The Nation should know more about these municipalities, more about their natural advantages and resources, more why capital should locate there. And there is no better way than by using the newspapers.
