Morning Oregonian., June 21, 1913, Page 8, Image 8

8
THE MORNING OREGONIAX. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 191b.
PORTLAND. OREGON.
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PORTLA-r. SATURDAY, JUSB 31, 1913.
PATCHING THE CURRENCY SYSTEM.
The Democratic currency bill, pro
duced after endless labor, is an at
tempt to patch the present banking
and currency system. Some of the
patches are good, but these are all
taken from the much-contemned Mon
etary Commission plan. Where the
new plan departs from that of the
Monetary Commission it is not so good.
Strive as they "would to steer clear of
the plan which bore the hated name of
Aldrlch, the Democrats could not keep
entirely away from it in some- of -the
main- features of their scheme. The
reason is that the plan drawn up by
the Monetary Commission was the re
sult of exhaustive study of all the
financial systems of the world and was
carefully buttressed against every ob
jection which partisanship could sug
gest. The plan of twelve regional reserve
banks, the stock of which Is held by
the banks of the region and which are
rediscounting centers for their mem
bers, is taken bodily from the Com
mission plan. , It is so good that the
Democrats could find little excuse for
change. They have deviated from the
Commission plan in substituting for an
elective board of governors chosen by
the regional reserve banks, with a
few ex-offlclo members to represent
the Government, an appointive board
composed entirely of Government offi
cials, and in doing .away entirely with
the proposed central reserve bank.
Business between various regional re
serve banks is to be governed by this
board Instead of being transacted
through a central reserve bank. No
provision appears to have been made
for commercial and agricultural in
terests to have a voice In management,
as was the case with the Commission's
scheme. Thus the regional banks
would be more fully under the control
Of the bankers, of whom the Demo
crats . harbor such suspicion, than
would have been those proposed by
the Commission, except for the general
control of the board a step in the
tin-Democratic direction of centraliza
tion. No provision appears to have been
made for retirement of the present
bond-secured currency, which is one
- of the worst features of the present
system. It seems to be proposed only
f to supplement this currency with a
'i further issue of Federal reserve treas.
J airy notes, to the amount of $500,000,
j 000. This does not meet any of the ob-
Sections to the present archalo system.
; We shall still have about $700,000,000
in old-style currency, an amount
Jwhich cannot shrink "when too large,
nor expand when too email. Issue of
the proposed Federal reserve notes
' will be a signal of alarm, for It will
be notice that an emergency exists.
'The effect of appearance of such notes
J ; will be the same as was that of Secre--tary
McAdoo's recent announcement
J; that, if It became necessary, he could
issue $500,000,000 of emergency cur
ii'rency. Promptly every banker and
2. business man sat up and said: "Is it
as bad as that?" Issue of notes ex
.;pressly and on their face designed
'! 'to meet an emergency will aggravate
V the very situation It is designed, to re
"Mieve. ' All currency should be alike, its
-; volume expanding nd contracting
J automatically with the needs of busi
j ness and no means of knowing that
- an emergency has caused an Increased
JI; issue should exist, except examlna
tion of bank statistics. That policy
would almost abolish emergencies of
J-1 the kind in question. It can be oar
; ried out by gradual retirement of
J' bond-secured currency and gradual
J , substitution of new currency with the
. full public knowledge that the one
, was replacing the other.
; The provisions for rediscount of
i notes and issue of foreign exchange by
reserve banks are good as far as they
go, but they do not go far enough.
; What we need is a system by which
- money will automatically flow from
sections where it is abundant to sec-
tions where it Is scarce. That system
was provided by the Commission's
plan. That plan would have rendered
Z' possible the discounting in New York
of a note issued by an Oregon lum
. berman, of whom no New York
' banker had ever heard, with assur
' ance that the note was good. That
i',; note would have been discounted by
f-the lumberman's own bank, redls
V counted by it with the local reserve
i: association, rediscounted again with
J the district reserve association, and
k again by it with the central reserve as
i' sociatlon, each, bank and reserve asso-
elation adding its indorsement.
.. If money should be scarce in Port
land, it would be scarce through the
. whole section of which Portland was
,'! the center, and a business man would
be compelled to go into the district
of another reserve bank for .rediscount
facilities. The whole Northwest calls
at the same time for money to han
dle wheat, the whole South to handle
.cotton. Banks in those sections could
not at such time rediscount for each
." other; they must go to other sections
to supply their needs. The Demo
crats seem to have made no provision
for such conditions.
No relief seems to be offered from
the ironclad reserve rule. A bank
r must still keep from 15 to 25 per cent
m of its resources locked in an immova
. Dle mass in Its vaults or in reserve cen.
ters. What is a reserve for but to use
in emergencies, just as a man draws
on his reserve strength? But the in---
stant a bank draws on its reserve the
Controller closes its doors. It should
be allowed to use its reserve on condi
Z tlons which will insure replenishment
as soon as real need has passed.
t.' After all their crusade against Wall
street, the Democrats have not taken
- as stringent precautions against ab
;. sorption of money in stock speculation
f as the Commission took. That body
expressly debarred notes given for
carrying stocks, bonds or other iirvest
ment securities from rediscount. The
statement made by Representative
Glass says that National reserve banks
will be permitted to rediscount such
paper "on rare occasions, under care
fully prescribed conditions."
.The' Owen-Glass bill, as we presume
the Democratic scheme will be called.
Is good as far as It goes, and that
means so far as it is taken from or
copied after the Monetary Commission
plan. It does not go far enough, and
that means it does not go as far as
the Monetary Commission plan.
Against their will the Democrats are
vindicating Republican policy in this
Instance, as in their attempt to revise
the tariff without the aid of a com
mission. FEELING THE PUBLIC PUXSE.
If those two words, "single tax." could
be annihilated and that close relative "con
fiscated" could be forgotten for a little
while, Oregon voters would g-et over their
fripht and work out some system that would
take taxation off of industry and put it
vii weann ana maoience. Oregon City Cou
rier. Leave it all to Brother U'Ren. He
will find a way to sugar-coat the odi
ous single-tax pill and pull the claws
of the dreadful word confiscation, so
that the single-tax rose by some other
name will smell sweet. (The meta
phor is slightly mixed, but the mean
ing is clear.)
The Courier is the one avowed single-tax-organ
in Oregon. There Is an
other one in Portland, but it lacks the
Courier's courage, and awaits the day
when" success is probable before It
avows its real beliefs, if it has any.
But the Courier usually speaks by the
card as to what is going on in the
Oregon City law factory.
Will the Courier relieve our miser
able suspense by letting us know at
the earliest convenient date just what
kind of a single-tax campaign we are
next to have? The "feeler" put out in
the notice above quoted indicates that
some great strategic single-tax move
ment is about to be launched.
RETUKIf OF THE BOOMERANG.
The Salem: Messenger, an orthodox
Democratic newspaper It is .some
thing of an achievement to attain and
maintain orthodoxy In these sad
days of political heterodoxy mourn
fully confesses that it has "but little
regard for the non-partisan, generally,
as the term is understood in Oregon
politics." The considerations that have
inspired the Messenger to these .sharp
reflections are the Woodburn postmas.
tership. Mr. Guiss, who is not a Demo
crat, has been appointed and con
firmed, and there is great anguish in
the Democratic organization. For it
has been able to show conclusively
that Mr. Guiss registered as a Repub
lican in 1910 and in 1912. Yet he gets
& job from an unfeeling Democratic
Administration.
We are not able to share the Mes
senger's view that one Democratic
swallow makes a, Republican Summer;
not at all. Thousands of Democrats
have registered as Republicans in
Oregon, and have don it repeatedly,
defiantly, notoriously, without a word
of protest from any Democratic lead
er or organization or follower. It was
a great joke on the Republicans in
deed. But now when it is proposed to
give a single job to a single Republi
can, whether actual or spurious, the
boot is on the other foot. There are
thousands of Democrats for false reg
istration, but not a Job for any of
them unless they keep the true faith.
Except Guiss. He has managed to
put something over. ' Though far be it
from us to Intimate that he was
moved by any unholy purpose to make
trouble for Republicans by registering
as a Republican. Just what his serv
ices to the public or to Our George,
Senator at Washington, have been, so
that he has been given a fine fat
place, we do not know. But George
knows. You may depend on that.
Thus the non-partisan chicken has
come home to rooet. But the game is
over. It cannot be played again in
Oregon.
TILB ENGU8K WAY OF DOING IT.
The action of the British House of
Commons on the Marconi scandal is
Of particular Interest to this country,
because of the marked difference be
tween British and American treatment
of attacks on the integrity of publio
officials; If such charges as have been
made against Sir RufU3 Isaacs, Mr.
Lloyd George and Lord Murray had
been lodged against members of the
American Cabinet or Ipaflora ap tv.,
majority in Congress, the minority
wouia nave made the very most of
them. That was our experience with
the Credit Mrhilifr arnnrioi ami -rt-tw
the attacks on Secretary Ballinger.
xne minority insists upon full public
inquiry, digs out every detail and pub
lishes everything broadcast. It draws
the most unfavorable inference from
the slightest shred of fact. It spares
no effort to discredit th noi-nn
sailed, to prove him destitute of hon
or ana to create the impression that
he is a fair representative of his whole
party.
It is not so in England. Eager as
are the Conservatives to make politi
cal capital by discrediting their op
ponents, they are restrained bv n
higher motive, which governs all par
ties alike regard for the reputation of
Parliament in the eyes of the nation
and of the world. Knowledge that
they could not utterly discredit Lib
eral leaders without bringing a large
measure of -discredit on the institu
tion of which they themselves were
members held them in check. While
the opposition insisted that the three
Marconi speculators were worthy of
censure, they charged only indiscre
tion in buying the Marconi shares
and lack of frankness in telling the
House of the deal last October! thv
admit that no corrupt act was done.
Aimoufrn me iiouse divided on party
lines, this was merely on the alter
native between accentanco of tvn
ministers' confession and denunciation
of the charges as false on the one
hand and censure of the ministers for
their conduct without imputation of
corruption on the other. Their se'.f
restraint was due to regard for the
reputation of Parliament and to the
possibility of retaliation by raking up
old scandals reflecting on members of
the Tory party.
" Of COUSe. there was n.n wrrrt i nn
Just to prove the rule. Lord Robert
uecu, an embittered Tory, who was a
member of the committee of Inquiry,
had concurred in rh malnritv t-onnrt
clearing the ministers of charges of
corruption, DUT, naa made a minority
report censuring them for lack of
frankness and for srrn.v Imnrnnriihi
Yet, in the course of debate, he said
he could have made "a really flaming
report," and continued:
I eould hava said a great many mora
things, and I am quite ready to tell any
member privately of some things I rejected
because 1 did not consider that the evidencs
Justified mo In putting them befora the
House or the country.
When challenged to say what he
intimated, he replied:
I do not think It fair to stats In publio
thinga which there is not enough evidence
to Justify.
If there was not evidence enough
to justify the charges which he hinted,
why did he even hint at them? His
own admission condemns him. In this
country, a Senator or Representative
would have openly made such charges,
investigation would have been made
and their truth or falsity would have
been proclaimed. Congress would
have silenced a man who acts as does
this noble lord.
In holding full Inquiry and then
meting out the measure of blame due
to the accused with proper regard for
the good name of Parliament as a
body, the House of Commons has fol
lowed a course worthy of emulation in
this country. By hinting at charges
which he admits his inability to prove.
Lord Robert Cecil falls below the low
est standard ever set in America and
shows he has no perception of that
fair play whereof Englishmen in gen
eral boast.
AT FORT STEVENS.
Let us state briefly the facts, as re
ported in the newspapers, about an
amazing series of events growing out
of the spread of anarchistic propa
ganda at Fort Stevens, a Government
military post at the mouth of the Col
umbia River, in Oregon.
About May 4. Private Waldo H.
Coffman, described as a "socialist
writer of radical tendencies," was
placed under arrest by the military
authorities on a charge of "spreading
seditious literature."
The Army authorities appear also
to have sought to apprehend one
O'Leary, an electrician sergeant, on a
similar charges. But he disappeared,
and thus contrived to elude arrest. It
1b said, In a Fort Stevens dispatch to
The Oregonian. May 4, 1913, that "It
is charged that this (O'Leary) circu
lar is defamatory of the United
States Government and all its insti
tutions; that it is the occasion of dis
gruntled soldiers being induced to de
sert, and that in its general purport
it is a malicious slander on the United
States and the principles upheld by
the United States military forces."
The trial of Coffman began at Fort
Stevens on June 5, 191J. A principal
witness against him was Private
Crawford and another was Private
Lowe, who are said to have started
from San Francisco in time to be
present at the trial. Lpwe did not ap
pear at Fort Stevens and his where
abouts was long a mystery. Now he
is said to be ill in a Government hos
pital at the Presidio, and he will In
time be available as a witness.
Private Crawford was seen at Ham
mond, near Fort Stevens, about June
4. He disappeared and has not been
heard from. A dead body has Just
been taken from the iwaters of the Pa
cific, near Grays Harbor, Wash., and
the identification marks "J. A. C." on
the collar and other marks on the leg
gina justify the opinion that it is
Crawford.
Corporal Schade, another Govern
ment witness, gave testimony at the
trial and thereupon disappeared. He
said at the trial that he had been of
fered $100 to desert; and the assump
tion Is that he may have yielded to
inducements of that kind, or to coer
cion. There have been several assaults of
soldiers opposed to the Coffman fac
tion, and a state closely akin to terror
Is said to exist among the soldiers and
the communities in the neighborhood
of Fort Stevens as an outcome of the
affair.
Who murdered Crawford, if be has
been murdered? Who kidnaped him,
if he has been kidnaped? Who be
guiled him away from Fort Stevehs,
if he has been beguiled?
Where is Schade, and why is he
gone?
Colonel Straub, at Fort Stevens, has
taken hold of a grave situation with
a firm hand. He appears at the same
time, so far as the public is aware, to
have kept his own counsel. It may be
hoped that he has the vigorous and
sympathetic support of the Govern
ment at Washington. It is no time
nor occasion for prattle about peace,
nor for animadversions upon the
military authority. If we are to have
bedlam in the Army, let us do away
with the pretense of having an Army.
A IX ARITHMETIC.
The Portland election gave Albee for
Mayor a total of all choices of 27.2H6, while
the total of his opponents aggregates 58.238.
This shows that he was elected by less than
one-th.rd of the total vote, and this was
done In spite of The Oregonian's support or
with it. Just as that big paper chooses to
select.
The small upstate newspaper which
printed the foregoing is a genius at
mathematics. If it will turn Its atten
tion to other peculiarities of the elec
tion it can probably satisfy Itself that
Mr. McKenna ought to take the office
instead of Mr. Albee. Mr. McKenna
received 7 per cent of first-choice
votes, 50 per cent of second choice
and 28 per cent of third choice, a
total of 85 per cent. Figuring Mr. AI
bee's vote on the same basis, the suc
cessful candidate got only 72 per cent
of the vote. But behold: Mr. Mc
Kenna is not only unjustly deprived of
office, honor and salary, but is rele
gated to third place in the contest.
The trouble with our fond contem
porary is that It either does not Un
derstand the working of the prefer
ential system, else its grammar school
education In arithmetic has been sadly
neglected. Its calculation is about as
far from giving the correct result as
the fanciful calculation supplied above.
Let us figure it on a true basis.
The number of voters participating
in the election was 45,521. Of these,
21,653, or 47 per cent, voted for Mr.
Albee on first choice. What sort of
crazy system is it that figures out a
reduction in percentage of vote for
every second and third choice given
Mr. Albee? Each one of the 27,226
votes represented in Mr. Albee's total
of all choices represents an Individual
voter. As there were but 45,521 vot
ers, Mr. Albee received the approval
of almost 60 per cent of the voters.
Percentage of the total of all
choices signifies nothing in respect to
majority or minority rule. The Ore
gonian urged every voter who had a
second and a third choice to vote
them. .If every one of the 45,521
voters had had three choices and each
had voted them, no candidate could
have received more than one-third of
the total of all choices. The reason
for this is that the voter Is prohibited
from voting more than once for any
one candidate. The maximum total
that any candidate can receive is,
therefore, the equivalent of the num
ber of voters. If all voters vote three
choices the total of all choices iwill be
three times the number of voters. Q.
E. D.
He who wails about no one getting
a . majority of all choices is plumb
dotty.
Tiie cost of running an automobile
for a year is discussed by the Inde
pendent. It places the minimum for
a $1000 car at I860, and quotes some
makers to the effect that It should not
exceed 50 per cent of the cost, But
that depends on the owner's speeding
proclivities, on the recklessness of the
chauffeur's joy rides and on how often
the car turns turtle in the ditch on a
dark night. One might as well ask
"How long Is a piece of string?" as
"How much does it cost to run ac
auto?"
TAMMANY'S FIGHT FOR LIFE.
New York City is preparing for a
Mayoralty election in which the effort
Is to be renewed once again to throw
on Tammany - domination. The ma
chine is the common object of attack
on the part of Republicans, Progres
sives, Progressive Democrats and re
formers who owe allegiance to no par
ticular party, but is Intrenched in
power by the prestige of long control,
by perfect organization and by the
lines of Influence which it has thrown
off from its many members to their
friends and dependents.
But Tammany has to contend
against as great a combination - of
forces as it ever faced. Both the Na
tional and state administrations are
openly hostile, the up-state Democrats
are being stirred- by Governor Sulzer
to fight it, and recent revelations of
police murders and graft have pro
duced a profound impression in the
metropolis. District Attorney Whit
man's success in bringing criminal po
licemen to justice has given him great
strength with people of all parties.
President McAneny, of the Board of
Aldermen, has won high prestige by
finding a solution of the subway prob
lem. Both these men are foes of
Tammany, as is Controller Prender
gast, the Progressive leader.
In opposition to any one of these
men or any other candidate who may
be put forward by the forces behind
them, Tammany has the choice be
tween Mayor Gaynor and some other
man who will carry its standard. The
present Mayor is the only man avail
able who has made any marked record
in municipal service, but that has
many blemishes. His defense of
Becker, the convicted murderer, and
of Hyde, also convicted of crime, and
his attacks on Mr. Whitman and Al
derman Curran, chairman of the com
mittee which investigated the police
force, have injured him in the public
estimation and have turned almost all
the newspapers against him. He has
engaged in bitter controversies and
thus added to the number of his foes.
He seems to despair of Tammany's
support, for he plaintively exclaims:
"Unless the fusionists nominate me, I
am out in the cold." But the World
consoles him by saying: "Tammany
needs him almost as much as he needs
Tammany, which means neither has
very brilliant prospects without the
other."
More than ever, Tammany's best
hope rests In the division of Its ene
mies. The anti-Tammany forces are
willing to fuse and Mr. Prendergast
urges the Progressives to Join this
combination, but many of the latter
Impose conditions for their support.
One is that all anti-Tammany or
ganizations fuse; another that the
candidates promise to accept Progres
sive principles. Such impracticable
terms may prevent fusion. If insisted
upon, but it is hardly Conceivable that
any considerable number will be so
unreasonable. If all the forces which
favor good government get together,
and If they play the political came
Lwith some approach to Tammany's
skill, tney have as good a chance to
win as they have had In many years.
But Tammany will fight desperately,
for It is In the last ditch.
Representative Slnnott scored a point
in the tariff debate when he contrast
ed Democratic falsity to the platform
pledge not. to Injure any legitimate in
dustry with the fidelity of Oregon leg
islators to their pledge that they would
vote for the people's choice for Sena
tors, though the majority of those leg
islators were Republicans and the
people's choice at the last two elec
tions has been a Democrat. Ha re
called Senator Lane's frequent allu
sions to the platform pledge in ad
dressing Eastern Oregon voters and
invited that gentleman to follow the
Oregon trail traveled by the Republi
can legislators. He showed the wool
industry to be legitimate and that It
cannot survive In Oregon with free
wool, but he could hold out no hope
that Dr. Lane would break from cau
cus rule and vote against free wool.
But the Oregon trail, under the Seven
teenth amendment, is not likely to
lead to the election of another Demo
cratic Senator In Republican Oregon.
One can Judge of the amount of
graft In the sugar tariff from the
amount of their own money the sugar
men have spent, aside from the ex
pense they grafted onto the Govern
ment printing office and the Post
office Department. They did hot
spend so much money without the ex
pectation of gaining many times as
much" through the tariff.
China has made a new alphabet. If
it is anything like the one now in use
the present generation of Chinese will
take the rest of their lives to learn It
and the next generation the whole of
theirs to get through the first reader.
Science is urged by G. K. Chesterton
to concern Itself with the distinct dis
abilities of the parasitic rich. But do
the rich desire to be relieved of these
disabilities'? It Is doubtful whether
they would even thank science.
The great loss of life afVallejo is
the cost of hurry in this rapid age.
The traveler by electric car wants all
the speed the power will give him, and
considers not a chance of calamity.
Recognition of electrical locomotive
engineers bv trtt ntoa.m man i. -
but Just. Theirs is a calling that re
quires an me skiu or the others, and
perhaps a little more.
Pernicious activity of the Food
Commissioner assures the consumer
the blar fruit will not ha oniv nn
top of the box.
Sheriff McKean, of Sherman, has the
saving grace of the olden time. He
caught a horsethief he was trailing in
six hours.
Now that Congress hu turned from
the tariff to the currency, ,lt may toe
tney ii nx it so we'll all have money.
Yes, the horse is going. The rob
bery by auto bandits In Malheur
County is convincing.
more than ever resembles her gracious
grandmother.
As the sun starts toward the emialnr
it is time to count the weeks until
Christmas.
RIGHTS 'OP SOVEREIGS PEOPLE
Principles Laid Dons 1st Respect to
Treatment of Aliens.
PORTLAND, June 20. (To the Ed
itor.) It Is a pleasure for me to say
that not only have I often said it my
self, but all I ever talked to about the
subject indorsed the statement, that
The Oregonian is one of the best edited
newspapers In the country. While 1
am writing you, I am tempted to call
attention to one or two points regard
ing a subject you have written fre
quently about that is the California
Japanese matter.
It seems to me that no American
should have any doubt of these propo
sitions: That it is the inherent right of every
sovereign people, to say that none but
citizens of the country, or those eligi
ble and intending to become such,
should own real estate therein. Deny
this, and a case is conceivable where
the sovereign people of an entire state
would be the mere tenants of foreign
ers. That it is also the inherent right of
such a sovereignty to say who shall be
eligible to citizenship. Deny this also
and a case is possible where foreign
ers could crowd In and completely over
shadow the people of the country in a
few years, and this even against the
will of the people of the invaded Juris
diction. That allegiance or adherence to gov
ernment or a country is a personal
matter, a fundamental human right
belonging to every human being, which
follows him through life. That there
fore anyone can change his or her alle
giance whenever he or she desires. If
the government sought to be joined
permits it.
That because a desire to be natural
ized in the United States is a personal
attribute of such human being, the
government ' of which he is or. was n.
subject or citizen can have no interest
in the matter whatever, save to ore
vent him If it can from forswearing
.negianca to it. and therefore:
For any foreign government to de
mand of us that its subjects or citi
zens be permitted to become citizens
of the United States smacks of, in fact
is, a piece of international diplomatic
Impertinence. It can have no basis
save a belief that its citizens or sub
jects will, in bad faith, go through the
lorms or becoming American citizens
while still remaining loyal to their for
mer King or Emperor!
I also notice that most of our edi
torial writers seem to be laboring un
der the belief that a treaty is of su
perior binding force to an act of Con
gress, under our Constitution, even
though the latter Is of subaeoupnt data.
The exact reverse is true In that eort
oi a case. 'iney are. so far as the
courts are concerned, of eonal tiirniiv
and the courts will follow the latest
voice or its own government. Th
claiming to be injured are relegated
i mtjir diplomatic remedy. If any they
have. This was settled by the Su
preme Court of the United Stato ir
Botiller vs. Dominguez. 130 U. S.. years
ago, in a case that went up from Cali
fornia, where the contention was that
the act of Congress had contravened
r.ne treaty or Guadalupe-Hidalgo with
Mexico. p t
The Oregonian cheerfully concedes
every point made by the correspond
ent except one which he possibly did
not intend to Imply. That one is that
a state has a right in dealing with land
tenure or other subject to pass a law
which violatese a treaty obligation en.
tered into by the National Government.
inis we do not concede. The Ore
gonian has called attention to Japan'a
peculiar attitude in apparently demand
ing that we adopt her citizens. It hai
seemed, however, that the Japanese
question was one for the Federal Gov.
eminent to handle, particularly in view
of Secretary Bryan's definite promist
to the Legislature of California that
the Government would proceed in the
matter. There is not satisfactory evi
dence that the Japanese are acquiring
land holdings in California to such an
extent as to menace the welfare of th
white population, and certainly not to
an extent that justifies California in
embarrassing the National Government.
ILLITERACY AJIOSG IMMIGRANTS.
Average Is Much Higher Than That
of Xatlve-Bora Americans.
PORTLAND, June 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Your advice in The Oregonian
regarding "knocking" Is. it seems to
me, applicable to the remarks or Mr.
Planpied on Immigration reported yes
terday. I agree with him that one of the
best ways to 'assimilate the newly ar
rived immigrant is to win his friend
ship, end certainly that cannot be done
by calling him names. I am puzzled
however, to know how he makes out
from the census that the Americans
are more illiterate than the Immi
grants.. He is reported as saying that the
percentage or literacy among immi
grants is 13 per cent higher than
among native-born Americans. M.
Blanpled must have misread his census
returns, for the 1910 figures on immi
gration show that the percentage of
illiteracy among native American is
10.7, Including negroes; among native
whites, and this is the true criterion,
5.7 per cent, whereas the percentage
of illiteracy among our immigrants
taken as a whole during the 10 years,
1899-1909, is given by the Immigration
Commission as 26.6.
Of Course it Is true that Illiteracy
Is less among some or our immigrants
the Swedes, for instance, with .4 per
cent thin among native Americans,
but it is not with these Northern Euro
pean Immigrants that we are con
cerned, but with those from the south
of Europe, among whom the percentage
of illiteracy ranges from 25 to over 50.
By all means let us eschew paroch
ialism end ethnocentric tendencies;
let us look the immigration problem
squarely in the face and tell the truth.
HERBERT B. AUGUR.
960 Savler street..
WEEDED LAW THAT DID NOT PASS
Bill to Prevent Dark Lantern Refer
endum Died Without Action.
OREGON CITY, June 20. (To the
Editor.) I read The Oregonian's edi
torial yesterday with much interest on
the needed amendment to the initia
tive and referendum law. House bill
No. 865, introduced in. the last Legis
lature by Mr. Latourette, read as fol
lows: Before beginning- to solicit signatures on
any Intltlatlva or referendum petition for a
constitutional amendment or a general law
or for anjr local law for a county or dis
trict composed of more than one county,
the person, committee or organization proposing-
the same shall file ten printed copies
thereof with the Secretary of state, and also
the name and postofflce address of the per
son, the members of th committee, and of
the organization, and the amount contrib
uted or promised by every person contributing-
or promising to contribute towards
paying the expenses of auch Initiative or
referendum petition and campaign for the
measure.
And it also required that the Attorney-General
shall furnish a ballot
title With the nATrtA n n.l
tributed; said ballot title, names an
information shall ho ri-ino nn v.
outside front cover page in type not
smaller than 14 point. By section 2 of
the bill no one was permitted to verify
more than 200 signatures on any such
petition without an appointment from
the Governor made in like manner and
subject to the Bame conditions upon
which he appoints notaries public
This bill was reported out of the
committee on elections on February
- - - - '..uuuijriiuaiiuii ana re
ferred to the committee on judiciary.
It appeared on the Calender, but was
never heard of afterwards. If this bill
umu uwn p&saea mucn or the evils
from secret petitions and unresponsi
ble Circulators would hava hi.
rected. w. S. U'REN.
VIEWS" OP FESTIVAL SUBSCRIBER
Shorter Carnival Period and K'tw Fi
nancial Basis freed.
PORTLAND. June 20. (To the Edi
tor.) Assuming that suggestions in
connection with the handling of the
Rose Festival Association are In order
from a subscriber to the fund. I want
to give my impressions as they oc
curred to me during the festival week.
In the first place, looking at the
situation from a commercial standpoint,
a weeks festivities is too long a time
for the best interests of business in
this city, and is longer than is neces
sary for the purpose intended. 1 believe
that three days' celebration is suffi
cient; that the festival-should start on
Wednesday night with an electrical pa
rade, or something of like nature, and
continue through Thursday, Friday and
Saturday.
I believe that the funds should be
raised by a general contribution, as the
people who have been called upon since
the inception of the carnival are getting
rather tired of assuming the burden of
the expense, particularly as many of us
are not benefited, but our business af
fairs are rather retarded by the festival
week. I would recommend and urge
that a sufficient amount be stipulated
to carry along a first-class celebration,
and my information is that $100,000
would finance the affair in excellent
shape. This amount would provide
plenty of money for decorations, and
liberal prizes to be competed for in the
automobile, horse and carriage parades;
and It would- be an incentive to get
people to compete.
My Impression of the show this year
is that it was mediocre, and without
any reflection on the management
whatever. I believe It is due to the fact
that they tried to spread the butter
too thin and had not funds enough to
make a week's celebration interesting.
I heartily favor the continuance of
the Rose Festival In the modified form
suggested as to time, and a better pro
vision made for the funds, and I be
lieve, if a slight tax on the city prop
erty could be carried through, that
no one would feel the expense it
would he so very slight and $100,000
would be raised very easily, in fact, I
am of the opinion that if this plan was
submitted to the people through the
initiative it would carry by a safe
majority among the inhabitants of
Portland.
The impression is gaining ground all
the time that the interests which sub
scribe to the Festival fund are benefited
only very indirectly, and that there is
a good deal of talk amongst the com
mercial houses in this city that they
do not Intend to subscribe to the fund
in the future, unless through some plan
as I have outlined.
I hope that the policy of advertising
Portland as the Rose City will continue,
and I do not know of anv better axaot
which a city could have than that it
Is a spot where beautiful flowers may
be raised, and this should appeal to
anyone living In the arid wastes who
Is looking for a livable location. I hope
that the affair can be arranged that
everyone in .Portland may contribute
their mite to the general fund, and
that the duration of the Festival may
be limited to a point where the festivi
ties will not lag, as apparently they
mis year. h. a. o.
CRITICISM IS 2SOT ALL KXOCKIXG
Admirer of Bryan Confounds One V Ita
the Other.
RAYMOND, Wash., June 20. (To
cne u;aitor.) The editorial In Th
Oregonian "Silence the Knockers" is
worthy of favorable comment. It is
for another purpose, however, that I
aaaress you.
In your editorial columns recently
you nave seen rit to criticise quite se
verely our Secretary of State, W. J.
Bryan, reasoning that, owing to his po
sition, he Should be extremely Cautious
in his remarks.
Now, do you not think that, if his
position is such as to cause the eyes of
the world to turn toward him. it would
be quite as politic tor you as a loyal
citlaen either to maintain silence or to
defend hlra as it might be for him to
refrain from expressing his views of
matters on which other nations are
sensitive? Otherwise we need have no
worry about complicating our diplo
matic relationships, for if we show
disrespect for our Secretary of State,
other nations will have no need to re
spect him or his utterances, and we
thereby belittle both ourselves and
him.
may do lnierrea, i am an admirer
or Mr. Bryan, and -so far am not dis
appointed in him, but it is from a
standpoint of consistency that I take
this Issue with you. Your editorial on
knockers so ably outlines my own
opinions that I feel as though you will
not take it amiss If I recommend to
you your own. physic.
A READER.
The Oregonian has criticised Mr.
Bryan for the very reasons for which
It condemns the knockers that his
utterances and his policy tend to be
little this Nation in the eyes of the
world. Abstinence from knocking does
not include abstinence from criticism
of our public officials. Such criticism
Is practiced in the very countries which
we cited as examples in the article re
ferred to by our correspondent. Our
criticism has been aimed only to uphold
and strengthen the position of the
United States among nations, which we
consider Mr. Bryan's conduct to have
weakened. There Is certainly not the
same obligation of silence on the part
of a newspaper, whose function is to
discuss publio affairs, as on the part
of the Secretary of State, who will In
variably be taken In foreign Countries
to speak officially for this Nation.
MORXIXG BELLS A SONG OF ORE
GON. Over the mountains,
Out of the sky.
Bells of the morning
Floating by!
Wake and a-wlng, bird,
Joy has begun
Joy of the valleyi,
Joy of the sun!
Riding the ribbons
Aurora has spread,
Carol the day-bells.
High overhead.
Night was a-Weary,
Daytime la strong;
Night was a-dreamlng.
Day is a song
A song for the sower.
And for him who reaps;
A song to summon
The heart that weeps;
. A song to open
Tha eyes, and hark!
Mounting the senith.
Thrilling the dark.
Over the mountains.
Out r the sky.
Bells of the morning.
Floating by!
MABLE HOLMES PARSONS.
Eugene, Or.
More Happy Than Sad People.
London Mall.
"At any given moment I will pro
duce nine happy persons for every mis
erable one." said the Bishop of Lon
don In an address at Queen's College
for Women recently.
An Estimate of the World.
Florida Times-Union.
"Rn von xlilm h. .i j . j
sneered the sceptic: "how do you know'
mai ii ia not eijuarer tsecauso I have
had too manv deallnara with 11" o-rimiv
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian of June 22. 1S03.
New York, June 13. The Times says
that information reached this citv that
Lee's army of 00,000 men were this side
of the Rappahannock, marching north
ward. Hooker's army is hastening
north to prevent the rebel advance.
Harrisburg. Pa., June 14. Dis
patches from Chambersburg, Pa., and
Hagerstown. Md., sive information of
rebel cavalry arriving at Herrvvllle
and Martinsburg.
Harrisburg, Pa.. June 15. Governor
Curtin has issued a proclamation call
ing upon all those capable of bearing
arms to enroll themselves under tlie
Government for the salvation o the
commonwealth.
Washington, June 15. The President
has issued a proclamation saving that
the rebels threaten to invade Mary
land, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and
Ohio and calls into service 100,000 men
from those states, to be mustered into
service forthwith and to servo for six
months unless sooner discharged.
The cornerstone of the First Presby
terian Church, on the corner of Wash
ington and Third streets, will be laid
this afternoon.
The brig Crimea, Captain James
Lassen. 14 days from Mendocino, ar
rived on Saturday with a cargo of
280,000 feet of dressed lumber, con
signed to Alexander Dodge.
On Saturday evening there was a fair
house to witness the celebrated drama
"Belphegor, the Mountebank." Mr. G.
B. Waldron. Miss Mitchell and Mrs.
Waldron played the leading parts.
Twenty-five Years Ago
From The Oregonian of June 31. 1SSS.
Walla Walla, June 20. The City
Council last night granted a franchise
for electric light works to Colonel Bar
rows and also granted a franchise to
the Walla Walla Light, Power & Fuel
Company for an electric light system
and street railway.
Seattle, June 20. For some time the
Council has been considering a fran
chise granting a right to San Fran
cisco capitalists to build a cable road
on Front street.
Judge O. N. Denny has written a long
letter under date of Seoul, Corea. May
9, to a friend In this city.
The tingle scull race between James
Seeley, the Portland oarsman, and L.
Stevenson, of San Francisco, came oft
last nii;ht. Seeley won; time, 19:33.
The distance was three miles.
Rev. J. A. Cruxan, who for several
years filled the pulpit of the First Con
gregational Church, returned yesterday
morning after some years' absence, ac
companied by his wife. They are the
guests of Mr. and Mrs. James Steel.
Captain II. M. Denniston, U. S. N., and
wife are at the Esmond.
Mr. Albert Feldenheimer -0:111 arrive
In New York this week from Europe.
Mr. A. II. Johnson, who has been
6lck for a week, was able to be down
town yestercay.
His Father-ln-Law-to-Be.
Answers, London.
"Sir," began the young man nerv
ously, "I wish to ask your consent for
my marriage with your daughter."
"Eh?" quickly rejoined the parent.
"What of your income? Is it sufficient
to support a wite?"
"It is,"-boldly returned the slightly
nettled aspirant; "and, what is more,
it's sufficient to stand an occasional
touch from my wife's father!"
"Then she's yours, my son!"
No Excuse In Breaking; Engagement.
Boston Transcript.
Ethel I can't understand why she
broke the engagement.
Marie Perhaps she got "cold feet."
Ethel That's no excuse. Jack of
fered to lay his burning heart at her
feet when he proposed to her.
Many Features of
Interest in the Maga
zine Section of The
Sunday Oregonian
Jane Weddings A timely
story of. many varieties of mar
riages in different parts of the
world. Profusely illustrated in
colors.
Should Kissing Be Prohib
ited? An expert discusses the
subject from a practical stand
point. "There's danger," he
says, "but there is no substi
tute." Some new hints on au
old subject.
King George London corre
spondent declares that hardly
any of the Kinjrs like George.
Some interesting reasons why.
Also some interesting piclurtj
on the same subject.
Where Canine Pets Are Laid
to Rest Oregonian correspond
ent visits the land where fash
ionable dogs are laid to rest and
secures some information . and
pictures.
Seeing Noise It's possible
now to see a noise. An Indiana
University professor sees some
funny sounds and gets pictures.
An unusually interesting half
page feature.
Dresses in. New York A few
slants at the latest styles by an
observer.
Should the Wife Promise to
Obey? Here is a puzzle which
is stirring the world of philoso
phers. Ritta Reese gets some
inside information and presents
it in a new way.
Colonel Roosevelt Another
installment of "His Own Story
of His Life." This Sunday ha
deals with the cowboy and bis
unusual life. Some good pictures
of the real frontier doings.
Study of Love Philosophers
are delving into the scientific
reasons for the decrease in the
amount of love in the world.
Some astonishing revelations.
The Coming of Aunt Cordelia
Another lively story by Anna
A. Merriam.
Among the Funny Men An
other half page of the latest
jokes with caricatures.
Many other interesting features.
Order from your newsdealers
today.
replied Columbus.