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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1914)
16 my MORNTXG OPKrtONIAX. VlllDjiY, MARCH 6, 1914. (Ufa Stmttt PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon. Postoffice itcond-clas matter. Subscription Rates Invariably in Advance: (BY MAIL) Dally, Sunday Included, ona year J8.00 Dally, Sunday included, six months 4J3 Daily. Sunday included, three months ... 1E.-5 !aily, Sunday included, one month 73 v ally, without Sunday, one year 6.00 Da lly. without Sunday, six months 3.2. tjally, w Ithout Sunday, three months ... 1.7-J Daily, without Sunday, one month 00 'Weekly, one year 1.50 Sunday, one year 2.50 Sunday and weekly, one year 3.&0 (Br CARRIER) Dally, Sunday included, one year $9.00 Daily, Sunday included, one month ..... .o Huw to Remit Send postoffice money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank. Stamps, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give postoffice address In full, including county and state. Postage Rates 12 to' la pages, 1 cent; 18 to R2 paes, 2 cents: 34 to 48 pages. 'A cents; 60 to 80 pages, 4 cents; 02 to 76 pages, 5 cents; 78 to t)2 pages, 6 cents. Foreign post, age, double rates. Eastern BusLnesM Offices Verree & Conk lin. New York. Brunswick building. Chi cago. Steger building. ban FranciM-a Office R. J. Bldwell Co., 742 Market, street. PORTLAND, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1914. CONFESSION OF FAILURE. President Wilson's appeal to Con stress for repeal of the toll exemption clause oT the Panama Canal law Is a confession of failure in the manage ment of our foreign relations. What other conclusion can be drawn from his asking this voluntary surrender of a right we have formally claimed and a. policy which his own party has in dorsed? What else is meant by this sentence In his address? I shall not know how to deal with other mattjerj of even greater delicacy and nearer consequence if you do not grant it to me In ungrudging measure. This is the language of a man who Is bewildered by the entanglements in which he has involved himself. The greatest of these entanglements is in Mexico. Mr. Wilson's dictation by whom and how that country shall be governed without adopting the only practicable means of enforcing his de crees has aggravated and prolonged a condition of anarchy through which the interests of every other nation suffer. Yet he asks those nations to five him a free hand in working out his policy and as an Inducement to them to be patient he proposes that we abandon. the position we have taken on canal tolls, and that his par ty rip one of the planks out of Its platform. He has served notice that the United States will refuse recognition to American rulers who gain power by revolution the only means by which many American republics ever change rulers and has announced his opposition to granting concessions to foreigners. He has put this policy in effeui by preventing Colombia from granting a concession to a .British syn dicate. His devotion to the state rights has permitted California to wound the susceptibilities of Japan with the alien land law end he has reached a deadlock in negotiations for an am Icable settlement. He inherited from his predecessor strained relations with Russia, due to the abrogation of the commercial treaty. Wise policy dictated Hhat a skilled diplomat should be sent to ne gotiate a new treaty, but after long delay he attempted to send Mr. Pin dell, editor of a newspaper in a third rate city, with an understanding that Mr. Pindell was to perform none of the duties of his office, ,a condition which Russia would naturally resent as a slight. Nothing appears to have been done toward making a treaty which is necessary to the smooth working of commercial relations with Russia. He has made a treaty with Nica ragua, which has intensely irritated the other Central American states, because it ignores rights they claim and places an obstacle in the way of the federation to which they look for ward. His Secretary of State, inexperi enced in foreign affairs, has been busying himself In making one-sided peace treaties with minor nations, with which we have no controversies of consequence, while he should have been occupied in removing causes of discord from our relations with the great powers. Congress has contributed its share to the number of our foreign troubles. It included in the administrative sec tion of the Underwood tariff law pro visions which require inquisition into the business affairs of European mer chants. France and Germany have been antagonized by this law. The Senate has passed a bill abrogating treaties with sixteen nations in re gard to shipping and creating regula tions against which the shipowners of the world are up in arms. The Sen ate proposes that the United States legislate alone on a subject with which we, as one of the smallest ship owning nations, have relatively small concern and which is properly a sub ject for international agreement. The House has passed a 'law for the re striction of immigration, which con tains provisions extremely offensive to the nations w-hence immigrants come, and Italy has already protested. While we have thus created a state of feeling towards us which may cause art otherwise slirht quarrel to become acute and while we have been pro voking disputes which will need the highest diplomatic skill to adjust, our inexperienced Secretary of State has dismissed most of the trained men from the diplomatic service and filled their places with men as "green" in the business as himself. He has alienated the one man in his depart ment, Mr. Moore, who is equipped to steer it on a safe course; has ignored that man's advice, and has been de prived of his aid. Having set the world against s, we are asked to conciliate it by con ceding for all time, without contest and without condition, a right the enjoyment of which was a prime in centive to our great investment at Panama. We are told by the Presi dent that everywhere else the Hay Pauncefote treaty is given a different interpretation from that put upon it by both parties in the last Congress, by ex-President Taft and his advisers, by the convention which nominated President Wilson and by Mr. Wilson himself until he found how sadly he and Mr. Bryan had boggled our for eign relations. He neglects to say what Is obviously true, that other na tions interpret the treaty in accord ance with their own interests. Why should we not do the same, and then submit the interpretation to a gen uinely impartial tribunal, not one drawn from those nations with which we have differed on the question? It will be time enough to yield when the decision goes against us. Our honor will be far better preserved by con fessing a wrong after it has been proved than by confessing .it as soon as we are accused and without mak ing defense. Because we have heedlessly stepped on other nations' toes, we are asked to mollify them by giving up a right which we have formally asserted. That Is the price We must pay for Mr. Bryan's amateur diplomacy. This great evangelist of peace and concord among nations has so embroiled us on questions whereon our position is at best doubtful that, we must aban don the principle for which we have stood since we have been a nation that Our coastwlst commerce is our own concern, to be fostered as we see fit. Whether we wish alwayB to ex ercise the right we have asserted is not in question, as Mr. Wilson seems to suppose. We should maintain our freedom of action, not be tied down by International obligations in a. purely domestic concern. The surrender Mr. Wilson proposes will not increase Europe's respect for us as a Nation. The spectacle . of Uncle Sam as a penitent sinner on the mourner's bench will exefte secret de rision and the foreign offices of Eu rope will echo with laughter. CORRECTING THE PRESS. There is a man in England who has won fame as a "corrector of the press." His name is Algernon Ash ton. He is not himself a newspaper man. He seems to be a. musician by profession, but in his leisure hours. which have been many during a long life, he has diligently corrected the blunders of the daily papers by writ ing a vast multitude of letters. In this way Mr. Ashton has saved man kind from believing innumerable falsehoods, for the best of newspapers make slips now. and then. One of our contemporaries had oc casion a day or two ago to quote the observations of a learned physician upon the new cure for the cigarette habit. As all the world knows this extraordinary blessing is either ni trate of silver or nitrite of silver. The medjeal profession does not seem quito to know which it is. It may be both. At any rate the. physician in question was discoursing eruditely upon these chemicals and in the course of his remarks said that "ni trate of silver was made from sul phuric acid, while nitrite of silver was made from sulphurous acid." At any rate that is what the paper made him say. Here was a glorious opportunity for the vigilant letter writer. If he had lived up to his opportunity he would have written an elaborate epistle to the sinning newspaper, explaining that it is not sulphuric, but nitric, acid that makes the nitrate of silver and not sulphurous, but nitrous. acid that makes the nitrite. With this .valuable information the zealous letter-writer would have sent a ser monette upon the Indispensable ne cessity for accuracy in the public press, which is the leader and guide of public opinion. His attitude is a good deal like that of a kindly mother of the old-fashioned variety, who ex plains to her little boy how much she loves him while she is applying her rubber shoe at the most available point. Newspaper writers, being human, will make as many blunders as they dare. It is a good deal of work to consult a reference book every five minutes. The watchful letter-writer acts therefore as a wholesome stimu lant to the journalistic conscience and saves mankind from swallowing many a slipshod blunder, not to say many a lie. 1U2REPITY AND IMMIGRATION. A few days ago we wrote dispar agingly of Professor Kroeber's re marks about eugenics. He spoke as if he thought the laws of heredity did not apply to the human species and went to the length of saying that "man has stood still since the ice age and probably will always remain the came." This is true only so far as man s bones, muscles and other phys ical organs are concerned. It Is cer tainly not true of his mind, which is his most important part. But Professor Kroeber made an other point that should not be over looked. It pertained to the distinc tion between inheritance and hered ity. Inheritance comes to us through the environment. Heredity goes on without -regard to externals. Now some of those differences between man and man which we call "racial" are not transmitted by heredity at all. , They are mere matter of inhert tance just as property is. As soon as we admit this fact how much is left of the foundation on which the gory structure of race prejudice is built? What becomes of "the white man's burden" and the right of the superior race to exploit the inferior? Much of Professor Ross' magazine argument against immigration Is based upon a- totally false theory of races. He tells us that the differ ences between ourselves and the Rus sian Jews, for instance, are so deep seated that intermarriage is out of the question and therefore we cannot, expect that mingling which we all know is essential to the welfare of 'the country. Professor Kroeber's sound er doctrine makes short work of all such nonsense. Those who have read Steiner's "Tide of Immigration, Its Ebb and Flow," will recall a remark able passage in which he narrates how rapidly "racial traits" disappear in our atmosphere. The bones of the face change their form. The shape of .the skull alters. The voice and manner of the man become some thing new and better. It ' appears therefore that . many physical traits which' have been sup posed to be transmitted by heredity- are mere matters of the environment, and what Professor Krober says sus tains this view. We are not confront ed, it appears, with any such Insol uble immigration problem as some have imagined. One of the most prosperous rail roads in the United States is the Pennsylvania,, but record gross earn ings in 1913 accompanied a decrease in net earnings. This Is attributed by President Samuel Ilea to what he calls "adverse legislation" and en forced wage advances. Under the former head he mentions the extra crew law, which ' added $850,000 a year to expenses, while wage in creases added $730,000 a year. Mr. Rea comments: It is evident, therefore, that the ability to regulate wages and working conditions, and other heavy operating expenses, has, as t result of Federal and state legislation, arcely passed from the control of your management, as has also tfie power of your company and other railroads to charge "rea sonable rates for the public transportation service rendered. Public opinion will hardly class the extra crew law as adverse legislation, but, as it Increase J expenses, equity demands the railroad be permitted to increase revenue accordingly. If we continually enfo.ee better and more costly service without added revenue, the time may come when the railroad companies, deprived of profit on their capital, will ask the Government to take the roads off their hands. BISHOP BOWMAN. Bishop Bowman, whose death is an nounced at the age of 94, belonged to the older and more primitive school of"Methodism. The bishops and great preachers who were his con temporaries in another generation held a totally different view of the Christian life and the mission of the church from the one prevalent among their younger successors. During the almost complete century of his life Bishop Bowman witnessed the development of the United States from a feeble power whom France and England wronged almost as they liked to a station in .the front rank of peoples. He Kved through the most significant periods of our history and took a man's part in everything that happened since his years matured. For him the . rpecific work of the church was . to convert individuals. His appeal was always to the solitary sinner and souls must be saved by personal effort alone. The newer so cial philosophy of salvation was alto gether strange to him. and to his school of evangelists. Of course, in his later years he must have felt the inadequacy of individual methods and mourned over the diminishing power of church revivals, but very likely he was past the time of life when he could sympathize very deeply with the "social gospel," as it is called. Church workers have now come to acknowledge the overwhelming im portance of the environment for sal vation or perdition. Not only will a change of environment transform the outer man, modifying the form of his body, the features of his face and the shape of his skull, but it will also radically alter the disposition of his soul. It will give him a new psychic as, well- as a new physical character. These biological truths are destined to play an increasingly Important part in the efforts tf the churches.' Bishop Bowman saved thousands of men by preaching to them. His successors will save tens of thousands by better ing their environment. SEVENTY IER CENT WRONG. The New York Times Is moved to sarcasm by Senator Chamberlain's de tense of canal toll exemption and, as usual, assumes that the "plain mean ing and intent" of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty is the one adopted by the Times and those who agree with it. The majority of the last Congress; com posed of nen of both parties, the then President and his Cabinet, be lieved that the "plain meaning and intent" wtis consistent with coastwise exemption. The Democratic and Pro gressive platforms of 1912 declared for exemption, and the candidates who stood on those platforms received 10.350,147 out of the 14,720,037 votes cast, or about 70 per cent. But, ac cording to the Times, all the men in Congress who voted for toll exemp tion, the President who approved it and the voters who indorsed it up held by so doing the theory '"that the United States always signs contracts with a mental reservation, and with a clear purpose to break any contract lisllked after reconsideration." The men In Congress who made toll exemption law and the men who ap proved it at the polls are. in the view of the Times, all callously indifferent to the National honor, all unblushing ly ready to violate the plain intent and meaning of a treaty. The Times and its, friends' have come to the res cue of the Nation, hastening to pre vent its mad plunge into the" abyss of shame. But in its love of the literal Inter pretation of treaties without regard to the conditions to which they are to be applied, why did not the Times go furth'er? It assumes that the words "all nations" exclude special treatment of American coastwise trade, though all the nations engaged in this trade are given equal treat ment. All other nations - being ex cluded by American law, "all nations" in this case means only the Ameri can Nation. The tolls clause of the treaty says: "The canal shall be free and open to the vessels of commerce and of war of all nations." Why not interpret the word "free" to mean that no tolls shall be charged to ves sels of any nation? True, the context forbids such an Interpretation, for the 'clause continues: "On terms of entire equality, so that there shaJJ 'be no discrimination in respect of the conditions or charges of traffic." But the separation of the words first quot. ed from the context would have been as justifiable as the ignoring of con ditions governing coastwise shipping. PARCEL POST ANOMALIES. If, as is predicted, the parcel post should show a profit of J30.000.000 this year, that profit will not have been made legitimately after paying full value for all service rendered. It will have been accumulated by bank rupting star route contractors and rural carriers and by insufficiently paying the railroads. This fact was brought out beyond dispute by Sena tor Bristow in the recent debate on the proposal to take away from the Postmaster-General power to change rates, zones and weight limit". As first established, the parcel post was designed to carry small parcels of" mailable size. Rural carriers had nowhere near a full load, and it was assumed with some reason that the parcel post would make up a full load without imposing added expense on them. But Mr. Burleson has raised the weight limit to fifty pounds and has consolidated the inner zosjes without proportionate increase in car riers' compensation. They are to have a flat rate of $12Q0, regardless of the quantity carried. The changes have made the rates absurdly low and the carriers' pay so inadequate that they are throwing up contracts by wholesale. For example. Senator Clark, of Wyoming, cited a case in his own state. "A tie camp in the mountains closed and the employes wished to send their bedding to the railroad, eighty or ninety miles'distant. The stage company charges 5 cents a pound, but by making 50-pound bun dles the tiemakers got their bedding carried by parcel post for 1 cent a pound, though, as a letter read by Mr. Clark said, they "filled the postoffice to overflowing with mail matter and the postmaster sprained his arm sell ing stamps." An Idaho star-route con tractor was called upon to carry three carloads of ore In 5-i-pound packages, though he had been using only a lightwagon. On a mountain route in Idaho, sixty miles long, the parcel post rate was only 54 cents for fifty pounds, yet a train of auto trucks would be needed to do the business. By consolidating the inner zones without changing the rates on outer zones, Mr. Burleson has produced in- equalities between express and -parcel post rates and has defeated one main purpose of the zone system-j protec tion of country merchants against competition of mail-order houses. Mr. Bristow showed that a New York mail-order house could ship a thousand 20-pound parcels to Des Moines by express for 82 cents each against a parcel post rate of $1.61. It then could distribute these parcels In the vicinity of Des Moines by parcel post at 24 cents and save $150 on the whole transaction. This is no imaginary case; it has been done. The people desire the largest ex pansion of the parcel post consistent with fair play to those who carry it and to the country as well as the city merchant; also consistent with sur vival of express service for that busi ness which the malls cannot carry. But they do not desire Its conversion into a freight service, nor do they desire cheapness by, as Mr. Bristow said, "loading tons of Iron ore and groceries Into the mail and breaking down the rural contractors, who con tracted to carry letters and papers and simply incidental small pack ages." Senator Brady suggested the equitable adjustment when he pro posed that the Government pay so much per pound per mile. The Sen ate would have done well to restrain the enthusiasm of Mr. Burleson for a big showing by restricting his power to change the regulations. What is the mother tongue of New York City? One-fifth of its popula tion were horn to English. Irish Scotch or Welsh parents. All these tongues we may generously call Eng lish. Another fifth are Yiddish by birth, while German is the native lan guage of 18 per cent. There are two- thirds as many Italians as Germans and 116,000, Poles. Add to these the scores of other less numerous nation alities and we have a queer mixture. It would be interesting to hear the speech that will be formed from it in the ccurse of the next 'century. ' William Deveny is a corn doctor and for his water pays a flat rate of 75 cents a month. He was active in the plan to build a road through Bull -Run reserve, the source of Portland's water supply. Portland .Jour nal. Mr. Deveny's name appeared in the petition for opening up the Bull Run reserve to construction of the Hood River road alongside the name of the publisher and editor of the Journal, who signed, however, in his private capacity, reserving, of course, the right to denounce and belittle in his newspaper all others who may have been persuaded to sign with him. Robert Laboreau might have spared himself the labor of carving on an oak slab the information that he was "a failure." His suicide told it plain ly enough. A man who takes his own life has usually no very good excuse for living and his departure is no great loss to the world. Laboreau was a tombstone carver of Los Angeles. His occupation may have made him gloomy. Perhaps the climate also contributed to weary him of the world. He has gone where he never will be asked to admire the weather. Only a few weeks ago Roosevelt said in a magazine article that Brazil need dread no more revolutions. It had advanced. .beyond the stage of vi olent outbreaks and now enjoyed a stable government. So much for prophecy. Hard upon its heels comes news of a revolution at Rio de Ja neiro and a military dictatorship. Can it be Roosevelt's presence that has set the pot boiling again when everybody supposed' the fire was out for good and all? Compulsory insurance is not as popular in England as Mr. Lloyd George anticipated, for the people do not like being compelled to register their abodes, especially as it is hinted that the register is a preliminary to conscription. The Unionists are clev erly turning the opposition to public supervision to account by advocating voluntary Insurance and have won several recent elections partly on that Issue. The prospect of votes for women in France within a few months must startle some of our "antis." They should hasten to that erring land and correct its politics before it is ever lastingly too late. French women ure witty, sensible and energetic. They will make excellent voters and set an example of progress which American women will do well to emulate. A worthless husband in Los Ange les has lost much of his worthlessness for the time being. After having eloped with another woman he was arrested and sent to the rockpile for two years, during which time the abandoned wife draws pay from the county for his work. .That is practi cal justice. Senator Vardaman is negro-baiting again. He opposes the confirmation of Judge Terrell, of the District of Columbia, because of the judge's race, but If the Senator behaves himself he will not suffer the indignity of -being arraigned before the negro judge. An Illinois woman urged artistic beauty in political addresses. Most of 'em are mere idle vaporings that do little more than set ether waves in motion. Marconi has a device for lighting a lantern miles away. But the real need Is a device for lighting the furnace without leaving a warm bed. The "other matters" President Wil son hints at in his address against free tolls are but the fruits of shallow and stupid diplomacy. Scientists report that Spring- frosts have nipped Mars. That ought to cause a flurry in me cnicago wneai market. Mexico can have plenty of space until April 1, when we will forget it again until the baseball . season' is over. i The Governor of Massachusetts de clines an advance in salary. Possibly doesn't want to increase his income tax. With Moore out of the State De partment, our diplomacy bids fair to become more hopeless than ever. Diaz is now planning a revolution One right after another. What will , the harvest be? A wealthy Mexican must pay 500. 000 pesos to Villa or be shot. Literal ly, life is dear. We truly hope the Colonel isn't mixed up in that Brazilian revolution. OUR RIGHT President Is Breaking; Faith by Hia Stann, says Correspondent. TACOMA, Wash.. March 4. (To the Editor.) It seems to me that there is a disposition in our country to give too much consideration to protests and de mands emanating from English gov ernments. Many Americans appear to believe that the British foreign office is conducted on a plane of lofty moral ity. If they will examine the record of that country, they will come to a con trary conclusion. The foreign transac tions of England are quite generally stained with injustice and sordid dis honor. Her present attitude in respect to the Panama Canal is simply another instance of unconscionable conduct. England Insists that existing canal legislation exempting from tolls Amer ican interstate commerce must be re pealed. It is demanded that water borne commerce between Oregon or be tween any Pacific state and states on the Atlantic and Gulf coast shall pay the same charges as British foreign commerce. American coast shipping, using the canal, is to be sub jected to the Eame tax as an English shin Knund frfim T.iv,pnnAl , ;Dta a- --' - -. . (J ... , . , .... . ' front Vancouver, B. C, to New York Jr to Galveston. 1 The chief factor in bringing into k eration our present Rational Constix tton was the desire to establish forev free commercial intercourse betwe the states of the American Union. nion. J Slish .I the Congress surrenders to Eng mands, tnat means a reversal long-established domestic policy. means that our domestic trade usi an American canal will be taxed favor of English shipping. Canal legislation to which Engla objects was passed by a Democra House in 1912. The Democratic pla form, adopted at Baltimore, contain a pledge to" the American -people t'.i free tolls for coastwise ships would maintained. President Wilson h broken faith with his countrymen this matter of canal policy. He is nr in favor of an English policy in th respect, and is urging! Democrats Congress to betray the plattorm their party. By means of caucus n and official patronage the President e pects to force his party Into line a compel it to legislate in conform with foreign dictation. T noticed that J. N. Teal, of Portia when In Washington. D. C, expref the opinion that the attempt to tarn with the present canal legislation -fall. On the other hand, the Presid and all who are supporting English terests are confident they will succH They may well feel that way, for p erful pro-English influence In United States is co-operating with British foreign office. Waiier P; appointed by the President to the I don embassy, recently stated ( "Americans are English led and 1 glish ruled " It has been charge the United States Senate that the ; 000.000 "peace" foundation of Mr. -negie lias been used to influence pi opinion in favor of English sche( Senator Root, one of the Carn trustees, is appealing for "fairr toward England, and is denoui' Americans as dishonorable and f; less. Senator Williams, another negie trustee, is hot-footed for tt. LAmerican coastwise shipping. Tli material, because Sir. Carnegie has licly stated that he will work to end of his days in an effort to 1 what has been accomplished in! wars with England. He tells us he will devote his life to bring a the reunion of the United States the empire. He believes what pened in 1776 was a great mistake Without doubt, the English inter oubt, the English interJ mal neutralized. To I an. they will bring arlfa have the can neutralizatio tion or The Hague tribunal into play. It does not require much intelligent- to forecast the decision which an ar bitral court would render on the ques tlon of American rights in the Panama Canal. Of course, such a court would be controlled by European and Asiatic judges. - In the end, the United States would find itself merely a lock-tender at the canal. Our country would have no privilege or power in respect to the waterway not enjoyed by every other Nation. JAMES HOYE. MV EVE ONCE ON . PERFECT SCENE DID REST. My eye once on a perfect scene did rest, . When, in the radiant brilliance of the west. Bright Phoebus' chariot had traveled far. So that the rays which 'lumed his blaz ing car. Cast on the ground a broad and slant ing beam: I saw Columbia's wide and mighty stream All shining and reflecting glorious light. A second Phoebus In its splendid might. Upon a large rock, hanging from the bank. One end which In the clear still water sank. 1 - There might some river God sit on his 'throne. And loudly blow his shell horn's reach ing tone. Far up the side of the steep, rugged hill. Where feil a small, clear mountain rill Unto its instant death far, far below. The river, passing solemnly and alow. Received Its corpse into its bosom deep; While Its fond spirit gently seemed to , weep. As passing off in glistening silver spray. Kissed the sad leaves on its upward way To join the mystic vapor high above, That rested on a stately forest grove Of green fir trees high on the rnoun tain side. Extending in a green belt, long and wide. Down by the river's deep indented ed ge. Where the water lapped a mossy ledge. A single robin hopped from stone to stone. And a wild white trillium all alone Bent its dear head as if to fondly stare At Its own image found reflected there. In such a quiet luscious fairy place, A nymph could bathe her beautiful sweet face. Or lie half hidden in the drooping fronds And twine her brow with verdant bonds. For countless seasons have the hem lock trees Been swayed by all the passing breeze, And e'en the fallen larch that once was green. A hundred years has all these beauties seen. Since I so short a time the scene did -iew. That only once I saw its changing hue: Then let me close my outward eyes up tight And dream again of that most glorious sight William Milton Johnson. Portland, Or. Women Ursred to Attend. PORTLAND. March 5 (To the Edi tor.) Kindly allow me space to urge the women voters of the city to at tend the meeting of the Council Cham ber (City Hall). Friday evening. March 6, at 2 P. M.. to hear the ar guments pro and con upon a proposed ordinance to appoint a city meat in spector to pass judgment upon all meats that come into Portland for home consumption. The story Is cur rent that much lumpy-jawed beef is being sold to cut-rate dealers, and that diseased sheep and other animals are j beinir slaughtered and sold to families and restaurants. This is a question that appeais especially to mothers the home, who are, as voters, in a po sition to assist good men to remedy this evil. ABIGAIL SCOTT DUNIWAT. Some Friend Mill Save Money. Boston Transcript. "Bulger has stopped drinking." "His friends will save money." free: tolls is only WHY NOT CHI RCH EVERY SUNDAY t "Begin to to Church" Movement I'rged More Desirable. PORTLAND. March 5.- (To the Edi tor.) The "Go to Church" movement evidently is coming to Portland. Will the movement mean going to church by the almanac? Will it be considered a mere special day like Easter? How would it do to call the "Go to Church" Sunday the "Begin to Go to Church Sunday?" How would It please us to call every Sunday a "Go jfto Church Sunday?" There are many excuses given b7 people who do not attend church serv ices for their absence. Largely it is a matter of habit in not attending church. There are other reasons. The Sunday paper scattered over the floor of the living-room is a rival of the pulpit. People are weary from hard toil, either physical or mental, and in many instances have to work on Sun days. Some go visiting on Sunday, or ride out into the country for recrea tion. Some play the delightful game of golf. The preacher is no longer in command on Sunday. It Is asked how shall we keep our Sunday? It has al- Of jau tne pi uptriy in case of a lawsuit? WEBFOOT." (1) The wife would inherit all the property, if there is no will. (2) No, not from the National Gov ernment. Some of the Southern States grant pensions to Confederate vet erans. (3) This question is now pending in the courts. ' Honevt-lfe DreailM Meter. PORTLAND, March 5. (To the Edi tor.) Apropos to the water nvter dis cussion, especially to that feature of it requiring the owner to pay the water rent. My mother resides In Plainfield, N. J., and pays semi-annually a flat water rate of $5.63 f$11.3U per year). This Includes all she uses for her large grounds, 300 by 125 feet. She also owns a two-family apartment house at East Orange, N. J., where the meter system is used. Althcugh the lower apart ment has been vacant since September 1, her water bill for three months was $18.24 and for the following three months $24.75. This excessive charge was probably due to the illwill of the upstairs tenant, for the agent has kept close watch of the plumbing.. The owner of property is helpless against a tenant's carelessness or re vengefulness in the matter of water usage. Moreover, what housekeeper wants an added worry? I feel that my hair will speedily turn gray if I add the constant watching of water waste to that of electric light and food and fuel. Let us not have water meters. Mr. Daly. HOUSEWIFE. Contract to Buy Books. ASTORIA, Or.. March 4. (To the Editor.) An agent comes to B's house and talks her Into buying: books. B must sign contract and does so with out first asking husband. B pays $3 down. Then B gets sick and husband does not take booKs out or express office, for he is unable to make monthly payments. He is a poor man and B must have a doctor. B wrote and told book company all about it, and also told express com pany to send books back. Now, since B is sick and husband unable to pay for books, the company is demanding settlement. What should we do? Or what can book, company do. J. A. S. The wife is legally bound by the contract but it is her personal lia bility. The husband cannot be com pelled to pay for the books. Breaking; Over Party Lines. CLARNO, Or., March 4. (To theEdi- tor.) I am a registered Republican. There is a friend of mine running on the Democratic ticket. I would like to see nominated and elected. If I write his name in or use a sticker with his name on it, now should it be counted if I don't vote for any of the candidates for that same office on my ticket? A SUBSCRIBER. The vote would be counted as one In favor of nominating the Democrat to a place on the Republican ticket, and it would not aid him in gaining the Democratic nomination. Oysters In Kejiw. PORTLAND. March 6. (To the Edi tor.) A few days ago an articie ap peared upon the editorial page relative to the "canning Industry, and the writer claimed it had its origin in the canning of oysters in Baltimore, Md., soon after the Civil War. Is there any one living in Portland who can support e In the belief that oysters were sold In wooden kegs of a quart each, before they ever were canned? I recall my father purchasing them in that form, but cannot tell at what date, nor where they were first marketed. MK8. 11. B. Tax and Real Values. VANCOUVER. Wash.. March 5. (To the Editor.) Please state what propor tion the assessed valuation is of the true valuation of property in Port land. A READER. The State Tax Commission dfclred the Multnomah County ratio of valua tion to be 60 per cent. JJV. I J i Twenty-five Years Ago From The Oregonlan of March 6. 18Sfl. Washington. March 3. President Harrison today sent to the Senate his nominations for the Cabinet and they were confirmed. Washington. March 5. The United States Supreme Court declared invalid the lease of the Oresonian Railway to the Oregon Railwuy & Navigation Company. Washington. March 5. President Cleveland today signed the bill order ing suit for forfeiture of wagon road land grants in Oregon. Port Townsend. March a. Tb.e Brit ish bark Port Gordon, from Liverpool for Puget Sound, was wrecked last Wednesday 40 miles south of Cape Flattery and four seamen were lost. The cargo was owned by Balfour, Guth rie & Co. The water committee yesterday con sidered the building of a large reser- oir in City Park, as proposed by W. S. .add. A meeting of citizens of East Port- mi. at which Dr. S. E. Joseph pre- dad, was held last night to protest jainst the advance in rates on the orrison-street bridge and the Stark reet ferry. A committee was ap- ointed to organize a boat club. Mayor De Lashmutt returned yester y from Spokane. H. F. Williams, railroad secretary of a Y. M. C. A., is expected in Portland out March 10 to look over the lines th a view to establishing railroad nches. stockholders of the A. O. U. W. Tem- Assoclatlon elected the following 3durs: John Kiernan, H. D. Rams 1. S. Mitchell. E. H. Stolte. James el. J. Abrahnmson, J. Bi Bennett. Ed ind n, J. A. Strowbridge. W. B. r-ublo. C. C. Phillips, William Koen f. A. W. Witherell, B. P. Cardwell. B. f Nicoll, D. Soils Cohen, U. S. G. Mar- im. I. M. Leiter. a capitalist of Wapa ueta. O.. T. W. Brotherton. an attor ' of Dayton. O.. have been in the city ing in the sights with Colonel J. P. tw. Alley inuy luciiitj iicru peiiim tly. M. Hannaford, traffic manager of Northern Pacific Railroad, is in the 'ie monthly meeting of the State rd of Immigration was held yes f.y. There were present C. H. Dodd. f. Arnold. Ellis G. Hushes. D. r. hant, T. A. Wood and Secretary laca R. Struble. mployes of the O. R. & N. Com- K-'s steamers have struck and eight s are now tied up ut the Ash-street rf. T.avr of Descent. .NDLETON, Or.. March 4 (To the :or.) A . man while a widower e a will, willing all he had to his dren, but in a short time after his e's death he married again. If he uld die before his wife without king another will, what would his iow. get if anything, or wotild the .' see she got her part? What is dow's share in this state? If any ildren by last marriage, would they get anything? Who does personal property (if any) go to the widow, or is it classed in with real estate? A SUBSCRIBER. The will of the husband, made be fore his marriage, was revoked by the birth of issue. In Oregon the wife is allowed a life interest in one-half of the real estate and one-half of the personal property. The . child by the last marriage would share alike with the rhildren by the first mi.rriatr''- Features of The Sunday Oregonian Breezy Suzanne She is a htenoarapher and she eonies near to marrying the boss but doesn't. A delightful story by Ellis Parker Butler, author of "Pigs Is Pigs." Saved by Wireless The fact story of how a surgeon at sea directed a serious operation on a lonely . island hundreds of miles away. Spare the Rod? Or shall we spare the child f A frank discussion of the question of whether the bad boy shall be switched. The Servant Problem It's not new. But George V. Hobart has a few new reflections to present on the topic in his usual inimitable vein. Choosing What sort of girl does the mod ern man choose, and why? Rita Reese goes into this intricate ques tion in an illuminating half-page article. 1 - Pamous Gowns A full page in colors on gowns that have been worn by wives of American Presidents, from Mrs. Washington to Mrs. Taft. A cen tury of change in dress on review. Character Analyses , Another page bv Edith Macom- ber Hall in response to handwriting specimens submitted by readers of The Oregonian. Some 3000 of these letters have been received and are necessarily being taken up in rotation. Nobby Hands American girls are ruining their once beautiful hands, laments a celebrated artist. He blames out door sports. The Black Flag A little tragedy in real life, an absorbing story by Mabel Jaques. Roosevelt's Own Story Chapter 51, in which Colonel Roosevelt discusses social and in dustrial justice as regarded and treated during his tenure as Presi dent. Grandmother Gocse. and 'a host of other interesting illustrated features of the sort children delight in. A full page for the little ones. Many other features. Order early of vunr newsdealer.