THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, APRIX 27, 1914.
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' i"OItTLAXI. MONDAY,. APRII. 7, 1814.
; " A B C ALLIANCE AS MEUUTOBS.
; j By accepting the offer of Brazil,
; 'Argentina and Chile- to mediate be
l tween the United States and Mexico.
1 President Wilson has taken a step
;towards putting in practical effect an
; "idea which has often been suggested.
,'This is the formation of a concert of
j .America by the strong, stable govern
i 'ments of this hemisphere, which will
'-. 'labor for the peace of America, as the
': 'concert of Europe labors for the
;. peace of that continent. Such a com
; Iblnatlon would in itself constitute a
pledge that any interference in the
J Jaffairs of a troubled state, such as
i SMexlco, was designed to promote its
irrtrt 1 n rwl nrkt trt '- ppi".i n rl -i a nnv rf
; jthe mediating powers. It would al
; ;lay the suspicion which prevails in
South America that our motives in
5 : recognizing the republic of Panama,
? iand in interfering in Cuba, Santo
; Domingo, Nicaragua and Mexico
J were not purely altruistic. It would
; free us of the implied charge that un
, .der the cloak of a benevolent purpose
: 'we are seeking to extend our domin
, Ion, and that we have distorted the
. 'Monroe Doctrine from a shield against
S, aggression from Europe into a pre-
text for United States aggression.
; All South American statesmen do
J not pretend that danger of European
i aggression has entirely passed. They
' do not all consider that the Monroe
Doctrine is obsolete. They do hold,
a however, that some South American
'' republics have become strong enough
t-to share the responsibility of its
. maintenance wun me united states.
' ;If some great power of Europe were
to attack even the greatest republic
1n South America, that republic might
not alone be able to defend itself, but
..-its neighbors could join it and the
;: United States in driving out the in
" vaders. Brazil, Argentina and Chile,
which have formed what is called
"I the ABC alliance, consider them
', selves no longer in need of this coun
'I try's paternal care; they consider that
. they have reached maturity and that
they are able to share the burdens of
. maintaining a democratic form of
I government in this hemisphere.
': If we were to admit these powers j
j' to partnership in our task, our politi- j
cal prestige would be diminished, but
our greater wealth, population and
military and naval strength would
'': continue us as the paramount Nation
.'; of America. The necessity of recon
" ciling differences among the allies
..' themselves would take from the
' force, decision and promptness with
which this Nation could act alone.
We should, however, promote a mu-
tual confidence and friendship with
'- our Latin allies and should remove
ground for suspicion as to the disin
.' terestedness of our motives. This is
particularly important at the present
j time, when we anticipate that the Pa
; nama Canal will greatly expand our
commerce with Latin America.
A concert of America, composed of
the United States and the ABC al
liance, would have another advantage.
It would assist the United States in
looking at Latin-American problems
; from the Latin viewpoint. We look
. upon a nominal republic as not truly
democratic unless it comes up to our
. standard. We are mentally incapa-
ble of putting ourselves in a Latin na
tion's place and viewing affairs as
;J it does. President Wilson's course
in refusing recognition to Huerta and
. ..in insisting that a President of Mex
ico, in order to obtain recognition,
-jTiust be elected according to a con-
; stitution which has always been in-
; operative, proves this statement as to
. : his administration. Had a concert of
I America existed at the time when
1 Felix Diaz rebelled against Madero,
the subsequent horrors and the pres
'. ! ent danger ,of a war with, Mexico
' might have been averted. Our allies,
J ' looking, at the affairs of a Latin state
5 ! from the Latin viewpoint, would pro-
bably have, been able to find a satis
'; ; factory way out, for they would have
I shown greater capacity to quiet the
suspicions ' and not to hurt the pride
1 of the Mexican people. They would
j 1 not have ignored the character of the
, people and attempted the impossible,
, as did Mr. Wilson.
I : If the mediators can find a basis
; j of agreement whereby atonement can
1 j be made for Huerta's offense to
" : American honor, whereby amends
ir; can be made for the wrongs done by
5. ; his adherents to American citizens
I 'and whereby a government can be
established in Mexico with the assent
and support of all factions, the Amer
ican people will owe them deep grati
tude. The United States has no de
" "sire for war on Mexico or on any of
,;;Jts factions, but is prepared for war
. if that prove to be the only way out
of an intolerable situation. If we
once fairly begin, we shall not draw
,Jback until we have made a complete
Job of establishing orderly govern
ment south of the Rio Grande. We
claim the right to this as we claimed
1he right to interfere In Cuba the
.right to abate a public nuisance which
our neighbors maintained at our
doors. But we should undertake the
. : task with great distaste and we shall
;rejoice if any other honorable means
v"can be found of gaining the same
Z end.
The New York Herald, .referring to
the opposition to execution of the
"gunmen, asks' if it is not' time to ask
ourselves what will happen if we abol
ish capital punishment, and says:
Experience has shown that human life be
' comes cheap Just in proportion as the prtn-
. ciple of & life for a life falls Into desuetude.
1 We have now the highest murder rate in
he world because our murderer so often
escape Justice, and next to us in this "bad
eminence" Is Italy, where there is no capital
"punishment.
.- The term, "a life for a life," does
-not exactly express the principle be
i hind capital punishment. It is "the
life of a bad citizen for the life of a
Jirood citizen." We do -not take the
life of a murderer In revenge, but be
cause of the fact of hlsi taking one
life proves him unfit to' live and that
there is danger lest he take another
life.
THE "SELF-SUPPORTING" OFFICE.
Tbe first cry that Is put up by some offi
cial who sees his favorite and especial pub
lic tea about to be pulled out of his mouth
is: "it doesn't cost the state anything, the
office is self-supporting." They seldom say
the office Is necessary, or one that is benefi
cial to the state, but just fall back on the
proposition that It is not costing the tax
payers anything, as they collect their sala
ries and sometimes more In fees that are
paid by individuals. Whenever an official
puts up thst kind of a. defense. the thing to
do Is to trest him as though he were a fly
and swat him Salem Capital' Journal.
Nor is it necessarily true that an
office or department that is indirectly
self-sustaining through the collection
of fees and is also beneficial to the
state ought to remain as at present
constituted.
The real test is whetlier the serv
ice. If there be one. is rendered at the
least possible cost. If two or three
commissions' or offices or departments
can be combined Into one at a saving
in maintenance expense they should
be combined.
There is no justification in impos
ing on any business, industry or pro
fession fees for this, that or the other
thing if a large part of the fees goes
merely to sustain men in office. The
state's business should be so con
ducted either that as much as possi
ble of the income from fees benefits
the whole people rather than an army
of unnecessary officeholders or that
the fees shall be held to the lowest
point of economy consistent with ef
ficient service.
VEGETABLES BT MAIL.
A writer in the Baltimore Sun ex
presses the opinion that the parcel
post will not appreciably affect the
business of the commission house. In
the effort to establish his point he re
fers to the experience of the postoffice
in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which was
one of the first places designated by
the Postmaster-General for a test of
the farmer-to-consumer plan. There
the postmaster was supplied with
names of many farmers anxious to
supply produce direct by parcel post,
but after eight days not one order
had been placed. This writer blames
the lack of response on the prices set
by the farmers. He says:
The difficulty is to get hold of a farmer
who is not persuaded that the Government's
parcel post plan was not entirely devised
for his personal benefit. And this will con
tinue to be the difficulty. Tou may shift the
responsibility and plan elaborate systems of
legalized trading, but you cannot eliminate
cupidity from human nature. A farmer can
be as "near" as the most unscrupulous mid
dleman. Yet it Is doubtless a fact that there
are many consumers who would gladly
pay as much as the retailer charges
or even a little more for vegetables
fresh from the farmer's garden.
Everybody knows that even one day's
storage mars the flavor of garden
truck. Moreover the history of pub
lic markets where the farmer drives
his wagon load of produce to a free
location and sells direct to the con
sumer opposes the Idea that there . Is
not a saving in direct transactions.
A period of eight days does not
furnish a test of the parcel post as a
medium of produce shipment. The
people are accustomed to making per
sonal selection in groceries or markets
or from the huckster's wagon, or to
giving orders to solicitors or to util
izing the telephone. In most cases
they order in the morning for the
day's consumption.
Use of the parcel post in most cases
means a new method of ordering. The
housewife will not be able suddenly to
compose herself to the task of writ
ing a note one day to Farmer Jones
ordering peas "and asparagus for de
livery by next day's post. Old cus
toms are not readily abandoned for
new. ' ' '
The parcel post win not wholly
drive out the middle man nor will it
end the utility of the -public market.
But we can see; no .reason- why it
should not be an active - competitor
of both when the public becomes ac
customed to it and particularly if a
convenient system of ordering Is de
vised to accompany the convenience
of the delivery.
OFFENSIVE SAVT NEEDED.'
The "little Navy" men are having
their innings in the House in the de
bate on naval appropriations, and
Representative Witherspoon became
positively witty at the expense of the
big Navy men. He went into most ab
struse calculations - to prove that our
Navy was superior to that of Germany
in ships, guns and speed. He argued
that it is to 'no nation's interest to
make war on us, because of the in
jury to their trade relations; that dis
tance renders it almost impossible for
any nation to get at us and that, if
one did,' it would find our coasts
defended With mines, torpedo-boats,
destroyers and submarines. He quoted
Colonel Goethals as saying that if
Panama were defended by an ade
quate number of submarines and de
stroyers, no nation would dare to
come within 500 miles of us. He
quoted Admiral Dewey as saying that
if the Spaniards had had two subma
rines In Manila Bay he could never
have taken it, because of the moral
effect of those invisible foes.
According to Mr. Witherspoon's the
ory, all we need to do is to guard our
shores with mines, destroyers and sub
marines; then we could dispense with
battleships entirely. Then why do
other nations continue to build bat
tleships, though each knows that the
others are well equipped with all
these means of defense? Have they
all gone insane, that they spend money
on ships which could not get through
these lines of defense which Mr. With
erspoon considers impregnable?
The conclusion is that they' con
sider it necessary to be prepared for
offensive as well as defensive warfare
and that they believe it possible to
break through defense lines. The great
powers have not abandoned thought
of conquest or they would -not pre
pare so elaborately for offensive war
fare. Even if they engaged in a war
Of self-defense, they would carry the
war to the enemy rather than wait
for him to bring it to them. Ger
many professed to fight France in
1870 in self-defense only,, but when
she whipped the French on the boun
dary she did not stop, but carried the
war across France. So should we do,
and we should be prepared to do so.
That may be barbarous,, but it's hu
man nature, from which barbarous
impulses have not been entirely elim
inated. The nation, like the man, which re
lies entirely on an impregnable, guard
and equips' itself solely for defense
will find itself in a sorry plight. The
assailant will persist in seeking a place
where its enemy's guard is weak, or
for a time when its enemy is off
guard, and then" will rush in. The
only safe course is to be ready to re
taliate so vigorously that the enemy
will be too busy in self-defense to
make much of an attack. Then, too.
means of offense are being continually
improved to meet Improved means of
defense. As fast as Ehip's armor has
heen improved; guns, powder and
projectiles ' have been improved to
pierce it. If Mr. Witherspoon's. theory
were sound, the invention of the tor
pedo would have stopped the build
ing of warships, but modern navies
date from about that time and have
continued to grow, though the sub
marine has followed the torpedo. -
In short, self-defense makes readi
ness for offensive warfare necessary.
The best way to defend oneself is to
"hit the other fellow first' when one
knows he intends to strike. No guard
is too strong to be broken down, and
the best precaution against discovery
of its ' inevitable weak points is to
keep an enemy so busy that he can
not seek them out.
WHERE OKRMS COME FROM.
One of the curiously unpleasant
facts which medical science has never
been . able to explain is the sudden
appearance of epidemics over great
areas of country. Cholera, the vari
ous forms of "plague" and other pes
tilences break but in places hundreds
of miles apart under conditions
which make it almost incredible that
ordinary Infection could have been
the source. We are therefore obliged
to resort to extraordinary infection to
explain them, since there is no dis
ease without an adequate cause.
Scientific men now suggest that
these widespreading epidemics may
often be traced back to the effects
of "cosmic dust." This is dust which
settles down upon the earth's surface
from the regions of the upper air. It
may have come to us across the gulfs
of space and it 'may not. Very often
cosmic dust is thrown up from our
terrestrial volcanoes. Now and then
it is swept up from desert places by
high winds and carried far and wide.
But beyond all question it comes in
part from outer space and there may
be dust showeres which have trav
eled all the way from another planet.
Many thousands of tons of cosmic
dust fall on the earth's surface every
year and a great deal of it is charged
with disease germs. Darwin describes
a dust shower which covered more
than a million square miles and
brought down with it a host of
strange organisms. Whether any
creatures of exactly the same sort
ever existed on tjie earth before is a
question. In the year 1755 there was
a fall of yellow snow in Northern
Italy. The color came from little
yellow organisms which had been col
lected by the snow crystals, some
where in the" upper air. Where had
they come from? There have been
heavy showers of dust freighted with
organic life in Kentucky and many
other places.
If the dust comes from other
worlds, so do the germs which it
brings .along. It used to be said that
such germs were certain to be killed
as they traversed the abysses of
space. Either the bitter cold or. the
ultra-violet rays would put an end to
their existence. But this is now de
nied. - It is perfectly 'possible that
simply organized creatures should
migrate to the earth from Venus "or
Mars and the fact that so many of
them are found in cosmic dust makes
it altogether likely.
-A DEFENSE OF THE COLLEGES.
These are exciting times for the
colleges. Warlike missiles assail
them from every point of the com
pass. The hoary old institutions seem
to be fighting what oar German fel
low citizens call a "Kampf urns Da
sein," which means in the vulgar
tongue a struggle for existence. Per
haps it is not quite so bad as all that
but really they, are passing through
a lively experience. One writer in a
highbrow periodical seriously tells
students how "they can educate them
selves at college in spite of their pro
fessors." Another, perhaps even
more erudite, explains to the palpi
tating public "why he is badly edu
cated." The reason Is very plain and
simple. He was made to study Latin
and Greek, he shrieks, when he ought
to have been learning something of
practical use Hence his tears. The
college enticed him to . its venerable
bowers under false. . pretenses. It
promised to prepare him for "the bat
tle of life." What It really did was
to stuff him with a windy mass of
pretentious foibles. At the first touch
of actual affairs the bladder burst and
he was left - lamenting. Would he
were the only person to whom this
disastrous experience has been meted
out by the solemn-eyed fates.
An audacious writer in the May
Century, - Harold C. Goddard, under
takes to tell us in plain English why
It is that colleges are making so tre
mendous a failure in their special
task. It Is not for lack of money or
learning. Certainly it is not for lack
of pomp and parade, as anybody can
see for himself as the grand days of
commencement week draw nigh. To
introduce his readers to the inner
mystery without too much of a shock,
Mr. Goddard describes a high school
debating club of which he was a mem
ber in the blessed days of his youth.
This" club "had the knack" of taking
a green youth fresh from the plow or
the desk and instilling into him "a
literally furious interest in all sorts
of questions political, social and eth
ical and an equally "furious desire to
discuss hem endlessly." The college
of our days does not do this. Far
from it. Our colleges do not kindle
the sacred spark like that. They put
it out. Sacred sparks are bad form
in those classic precincts.
Tfie colleges of today arouse "a lit
erally furious interest," but it is not
in anything so vulgar as political, so
cial and ethical questions. It Is in
the serene and aristocratic subject of
muscle. Nothing In this world is so
utterly aristocratic as brawn and our
college students have found it out.
Hence, with the laudable desire to be
genuinely noble, which every true
democrat feels, they turn away with
disgust from such common things as
mathematics, literature and history
and betake themselves with burning
zeal to the development of their arms
and legs. Brains are dirt cheap" in
the markets of the world and always
have been, but the man of expert
muscle commands any salary he has
the "sand" to ask. Is it any wonder
that our thrifty youth scorn the im
pecunious Muses and cultivate the
opulent biceps?
Mr. Goddard admits that the sum
total to concrete gain from the dis
cussions of his little club may not
have amounted to much, but he thinks
there was "a spirit" back of it all that
was worth more than gems and gold.
This spirit, he cries with crude en
thusiasm, "was authentic. It was and
is a living thing." "I use the word
'spirit,' " he continues, "but no one
word will do. It was an atmosphere,
a tradition, a grip, a pressure, an ur
gency, an uplift, a quickening of the
will, an intellectual enthusiasm, an
esprit de corps." The good land only
knows what it was in its complete
ness, but we are in no doubt , at all
as to what It was not. It was not
the spirit of athletics, it was not the
grand and glorious ideal of hazing.
In spite of Mr. Goddard's somewhat
ill-mannered warmth over it, we can
discern that it was a mere matter of
brains. Money had nothing to do with
it, nor had family connections. Any
person, no matter how low his origin,
could have belonged to this oddish
club and have shone In it perhaps
even more brilliantly than his gilded
fellow-students.
Happily, the modern college has
traveled far, far away from all such
provincial ideals. Mr. Goddard thinks
it has been traveling toward failure,
but evidently he does not know what
true success means. Is it not success
in the full and joyful sense for an
individual to acquire the power to
live without work? And is it not just
as truly success for a college to at
tach to Itself .the patronizing affec
tion of those who can and do live
without work? And finally, could a
college ever expect to attain to this
splendid Ideal if it made its young
men and women study their lessons?
They go there to have a good time
and the faculty is wise in its genera
tion for letting them get what they
want. This perpetual thwarting of
the sacred longings of youth is intol
erable in the free and gracious atmos
phere of the modern college.
D. Ward King, of Kansas, who in
vented the split-log road drag and re
fused, to patent.it that its use might
become general without cost, is dem
onstrating the implement . in. Eastern
Oregon this week. Much has been said
of Mr. King's invention and its prac
ticability has been shown on thou
sands of roads; but Us use cannot
become general in Oregon without lo
cal demonstration. If one -enterprising
man in a township were to make
one and drag the highway in front
of his farm at the proper periods, the
example would be followed and Ore
gon's good roads would soon become
as famous as are now its bad roads.
Last week the HillSboro Independ
ent began Its forty-second volume.
The Independent is a good paper, dig
nified, conservative and reliable. Re
publican in faith, it has an Independ
ence of opinion that places it in an
enviable position. During the many
years of its existence it has had many
owners and directors and its career
has been varied; but its oldest sub
scriber must admit that never had it
been so well edited and conducted as
during the past six years byMr. Kil
len. He faced a problem, which he
overcame; with rare ability and judg
ment.
Governor Glynn, of New York, has
earned praise for his veto of a bill
which Is believed to shave been de
signed to liberate Stillwell, the bribe
taking legislator, but which would in
effect have limited the terms of first
offense convicts to one or two years.
This would have been a further step
in the rapid transformation of .the
administration of Justice to all citi
zens into administration of mercy to
criminals.
King Charles, of Roumania, who
celebrated his 75th birthday and the
forty-eighth anniversary of his elec
tion to the throne on April 20, had to
enter. Roumania in disguise, because
of Austrian opposition to a Hohenzol
lern ruler in 1S66.- He has overcome
Austrian dislike and now lives in har
mony with the dual empire and in
enmity to its small enemy, Servia,
which is a thorn in Austria's side.
"What has become." demands the Cincin
nati Enquirer, "of the old-fashioned states
man who used to point with pride and view
with alarm-?" We understand that he is
Just getting ready to run for the Senate out
in Ohio. Boston Transcript.
This seems to refer to our old
friend, "Fire-alarm Foraker," but he
was always too bellicose to view any
thing with alarm, though he did not
point with pride to those Archbold
checks.
One good effect of the Mexican
troubles Is Increased respect for the
American flag among the American
people. This is shown by the action
of the Massachusetts House in pass
ing a bill forbidding use of the flag
Lfor party purposes. As the emblem
of the Nation, it should be sacred
against any other use.
A Boston recruiting officer says he
shall give preference to outdoor men
in enlisting rrfen for the Army.' He
might give indoor men a chance to
go outdoors into Mexico. They need
the fresh air and may be Inclined to
stay outdoors when they come home.
There is no limit to the "ginger"
of tbe Eugene Radiators. Hereafter
they will evolute to the sound of the.
bugle. The Radiators, by the way.
purpose to be a feature of Rose Car
nival week.
There will be no rough riders In this war.
the circus people having got them all under
ironclad contracts. Boston Transcript.
Don't be so sure. The Colonel's
coming home to raise a cavalry
brigade.
It cannot be that the women of
Oregon are td blame for the laxity in
registration, but if such is the case,
they have a few days in - which to
show their appreciation of civic duty.
The Mexicans will wonder what or
der of calamity has struck them if
General Funston is turned loose with
his brigade at Vera Cruz.
It develops that the President him
self ordered seizure of the custom
house at Vera Cruz. Well, no one had
suspected Bryan of it.
Discovery of a skeleton 150,000
years old in Africa may help sustain
the contention that Adam and Eve
were "cullud folkses."
Sympathy must go to the Texas
Guardsmen, who are chafing under
the leash.
(,
The heroic work will be done by the
subsistence department, for the boys
must eat.
Perhaps te showers were a bless
ing in disguise to the Beavers.
Portland's new Industry gives it a
lead-pipe cinch.
Will Bryan resign? Well, not if he
knows it.
The army with the best cooks will
win.
Will not somebody send an aero
plane for Roosevelt?
POPVLARITV VOTEX TEACHERS.
Student Defends) Hlllshoro Sackool- In
cident as Merely Advisory.
HILLSBORO. Or., April 25. (To the
Editor.)-Anent the high 'school mud
dle at Hlllsbor6, as appears from your
news item April B4 and editorial April
25, you have fallen into the same error
as many others by jumping at conclu
sions and passing judgment- without a
full knowledge of all the; facts.
tl Authority was not ' delegated to
the student body to "hire and fire" the
teachers.
(2) The school has not closed, but is
running along apparently as smooth
as before In charge of Professor Mc
Kay and advanced pupils. So far as
anyone is advised, none of the teach
ers, save one, had Indicated a desire
to be considered an applicant for re
election and the vote which has caused
the "tempest in the teapot" was taken
with the distinct understanding and
ov loiuoii u nuui vna DUKra mat ino re
sult would not be binding: on the Board
nor control in the selection of the
teachers, but was taken merely to de
termine how the teachers stood with
the pupils, and when the result waa
announced the teachers were advised
of these facts. The pupils, before vot
ing, were thus advised 'and knew then,
s now, that the Board was not surren
dering its prerogative, but were merely
seeking to ascertain the attitude of the
pupils toward the teachers.'
The vote, with ; one exception, was
very complimentary, btit the teachers.
after finishing the day, filed their res
ignations and failed to 'appear next
day. '
Without- commending or criticising
anyone, there is evidently ''much ado
about nothing." .
.ONE OF THE STUDENTS.
Whether the vote of the students
was to be advisory or determinative as
to future employment of the teachers
does not alter the opinion of The Ore
gonian that the procedure was detri
mental to the interests of the school
humiliating to the teachers, and that
the teachers were right-in resenting it.
HUMANITY TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS
Observation and Friendship of Them
Would Make World Better.
PORTLAND, April 26. (To the Edi
tor.) Regarding the recent attempts
to malign birds, fowls and domestic
animals in general, and does in car
ticular, I would say that from the
dog s standpoint there are others some'
what more filthy. We will take the
chicken. Avery one knows how they
reea, etc yet the exacting housewife
will buy a dead one, that possibly is
from one week to one year in and out
or a cold storage every working day,
(.ater this figures as the piece de re
sistance at the festive board. .
The comfort of the brutes has been
studiously arrived at In the installa
tion of so-called sanitary street- foun
tains. There are two brilliant excep
tions, however, but they were not built
as sanitary ones. Look at the streets!
Horses cannot use many of them. If
tney could the Humane Society would
not be called upon to throw sand
around. The world would be better if
the people could step back a little and
look around at nature, watch the birds,
have a kind look If not a word for
the dumb brute, whether dog, cat or
horse. Suppose some dog digs for rats
in your lot; no great harm has been
done and, perhaps, your own perfect
child put him up to it.
Do not get the idea that the writer
thinks dogs, etc., are indispensable.
Nothing to it. I might as well say that
we could not exist without automobiles,
elevators and flying machines. The ani
mals are here and it is our duty to
treat them humanely. We are not forced
to care for them if we do not desire.
Some one says that human beings are
vaccinated for various diseases; it
might be a good plan to deal with
brutes the same way. This would be
more consistent than to muzzle
healthy animal and cause it to become
rabid. Personally, I do not own any
animal, for the good reason that I can
not look after it, and, further. I would
not allow any person to handle any
animate thing belonging to me.
The attachment of a dog to his mas
ter is second only to the solicitation of
a mother lor her offspring. -
E. C. WHITE.
MISTAKE TO HALT AT "VERA CRCZ
Seaport Unhealthy (spot With Blountali
" Climate Near.
PORTLAND, April 25. (To the Edi
tor.) Our troops are now in Mexico.
Vhether or not this might have been
avoided, this is not the time nor the
place to discuss. There is one thing,
however, that it seems to me might yet
be avoided by a concerted effort. The
dispatches Irora Washington say that
it is the policy of the Administration
now simply to sit down and hold the
position at Vera Crni and a small part
of the railroad near there, and wait
for Huerta a next move
To any one who knows Vera Crus
and the country around it this state
ment would cause a shudder. If our
boys are compelled to sit down there in
Vera Cruz for two or three months,
they will die like sheep with the rot.
They will soon be so debilitated with
malaria and fevers . of various kinds
that they will have to be brought
north, and that in a hurry, to save any
ol them.
If they are advanced out northwest
to Jala pa, they will be In the health!
est country in Mexico. To have them
settle down for a protracted stay at
Vera Cruz is terrible to contemplate.
It were far better to push westward
into the mountains, even at a loss of
lives in battle, than to have a third or
a half of their number die of fever.
and the balance have their health de
stroyed for the rest of their lives. To
sit down and wait is like beginning a
surgical operation and then waiting .a
few hours to Bee how the patient
stands It. I sincerely hope that the
Government will not make this -mis
take. ' ' S. B. HUSTON.
Career of P. II. MeEnery.
KLAMATH FALLS, Or., April 24.
(To. the Editor.) It is with more sad
ness and regret than I can well ex
press that I note the announcement
in the daily papers of the death of P,
H. McEnery at Forest Grove. I had
known Mr. McEnery for several years
and to know him intimately was to
appreciate the fact that he was a man
of brilliant talents, and of more than
ordinary ability as a newspaper writer.
He seemed to possess, to an extraordi
nary degree, the newsgatherer's ap
preciation of values, and with It a rare
skill In expression. He was an e-lu
cated gentleman and his unselfish loy
alty to friendship was so unswerving
as to be almost an obsession.
I regretted to observe that one or
two of the papers attributed his death
to chronic alcoholism. Upon the post
tiT assurances of those who were in
daily contact with him I am in a post
tin to say that this is a grave error.
It is uue that in days gone by M
Enery had been seriously addicted to
drink. Hut. ur.ike many brilliant in
tellects who fall through this unfor
tunate habit, he had been making a
splendid fight to "come back," and was
making a success of It- There is mo
doubt that former dissipation had
weakened his physical resistance, but
for months prior to his death he- had
been a total abstainer and had been
doinc splendid work in the- line of his
chosen profession.
Now that his pathetic - struggle' is
ended, let us cast the mantle of charity
over his weakness and recall only his
splendid ability.'
HENRY L. BENSON.
Bxstruaest and Invention.
London Standard.
"He's an inventor."
"What did he invent?"
"A muffler for noodle soup."
TRIED A.D TRUE MAX IS NEEDED
Place-Seekins So Soon After Flop "by
Mr. Ackeraon la Criticised, t '
SALEM. Or.. April 25. (To the Edi
tor.) Under date of April. 19 I notice
a communication to The Oregonian
from J. C Hayter. of Dallas, referring
to the candidacy of Charles W. Acker
son for Republican National commit
teeman from Oregon. As a lifelong
Republican who has aided in lighting
the great battles of that party in this
state, I desire to add my Indorsement
to the sentiments expressed in Hayter'3
letter:
I do not believe that the Republicans
of this state are going to deliver their
party into the. hands of its enemies. I
firmly believe that the great majority
of the Republican electorate Is fully
aware of the close connection that has
existed between Dr. Henry Waldo Coe.
self-styled Progressive leader in this
state, and the said Charles W. Acker
aon, but yesterday, so to speak, a reg
istered progressive.
Air. Ackeraon left the Republican
party two years ago and cast his lot
with the Progressives. This year he
registered as a Progressive. After do
ing so evidently a great light came to
nlra. Perhaps he saw what he believed
an opportunity to put the finishing
touches to the G. O. P. In this state.
In any event, he changes his registra
tion from Progressive to Republican.
and the next day files his petition for
one of the highest and most Important
offices in the gift of the party In Ore
gon.
But Mr. Ackerson has wholly failed
to take into consideration the fact that
this is a Republican year. He has not
seen the handwriting on the wall,
which in no uncertain terms Indicates
Republican success and supremacy In
November- He will find that instead
of being dead or dying. - the Repub
lican party is aliva and strong, and, as
an indication of its strength, he will
be one of those who in the past have
done their utmost to destroy the party,
wno win nrst be marked for defeat
With Ralph E. Williams, present Na
tional committeeman and a Republican
who has been .tried and never found
wanting, as a candidate to succeed him
self, Mr. Ackerson will learn to his own
sorrow that the Republican party would
just as soon have him remain where he
was two months ago. a Progressive
at least, they will give his political
aspirations a jolt that may bring him
Dack to earth.
It is just such politicians who have
placed the Republican party in the sit
uation it now occupies in this state,
and given control of the state to the
Democrats; have given us Democratic
United States Senators and a Demo
cratic Governor. It is high time to put
a stop to it, and this is the year to do it.
WALTER L. TOOZE.
WHV EUROPE DOES NOT LIKE US.
Writer Saya'riur Tariff. Shipping and
Immlgratloan Laws Offend.
WINBERRV.. Or.. April 25. (To the
Editor.) I have read your editorial
stating belief that Europe s dislike and
distrust is mainly their ruling classes'
dislike for a republic. Having seen
much and read much of Europe, I will
state that all classes there dislike and
distrust us, to a certain extent, because
or our, to them and to their belief, un-
just and discriminating tariff laws
shipping laws, immigration laws and
our way of enforcing these laws. Many
of our tariff and immigration laws re
flect on their honor and morals, such
as excluding child labor products.
while exporting them in great quanti
ties, such as cotton and canned fruits,
etc; excluding people from traveling
here, people who are free to travel
anywhere else in the world, even In
Russia. We are touching both their
pride and their pocketbooks, and both
count, even if we have some right and
might to do it.
Our newspapers are continually men
tioning their poverty, still we go there
for money. Our outspoken determina
tion to replace European business and
influence with ours In South America
is also cause of dislike; so is the Mon
roe Doctrine, which, in fact, made all
America dependent to us and independ
ent of Europe, and Europe has many
billions of dollars invested there, and
millions of her people living there
much more in every line than we.
There are many more reasons for
Europe's distrust and dislike, but I
have space to mention only the most
important reasons. And to conclude,
I do believe that they are in a way
right to expect us to treat them with
consideration and kindness as long as
they do the same, not do like Speaker
Clark tells, to be no longer modest be
cause we are strong and rich!
ARTHUR HARTMAN.
SPECIAL AGENTS UNDTJLY ACTIVE
Unnecessary Contests Add to Hardships
of Homesteader.
PORTLAND, April 25. (To the Edi
tor.) Is there no relief for the set
tlers of Eastern Oregon, or no protec
tion apalnst the special agent who
comes periodically with good weather
and contests the entryman regardless
of improvements or conditions that
may prevail? The settler is invited to
come into the interior and take up land.
He comes, has a small amount of money,
builds a house and continues to im
prove his home until his money la ex
hausted; then attempts to make proof
if his time has expired. There stands
the ever-ready special agent who files
a contest in favor of the Government,
and if a homesteader has not the money
to go probably 100 miles and hire an
attorney, bring witnesses and other
wise defend his - home, he loses the
same.
I have in mind a place where the
family moved off the ranch to town to
send the children to school. The fam
ily being poor, the two daughters
worked in the telephone office during
the night and attended school during
the day. The mother worked in a res
taurant to help support the family. At
the end of the term of school they
moved back on the dry ranch and were
contested by apecial agent. The case
was decided after an expensive trial in
favor 'of the homesteader, and he had
to mortgage the home to pay costs and
attorney's fees, and will lose it, as he
has no way of paying off the mortgage.
This is only one of the many cases
where the settler of Eastern Oregon is
wronged. The Government fails in a
large per cent of the cases, and Chief
Sharp told me he had enough cases to
occupy his time for four years to come.
There should be a new investigation
of the major part of the contests filed
by the Government, and' it sh6uld be
by new men. and there should be a
vigorous pruning of the . entire existing
crowd of special agents. '
A. VENATOR; Venator. Or.
Onr Last Fights In Mexlca.
Exchange.-,
there- were some- sharp engagements,
and hard fighting, "but ndthing compar
able to our Civil War battles. The
war lasted two years, and the Ameri
cans were victorious in every engage
ment. The principal battles were Mon
terey. September 21. 1846. between 6645
Americans and 10,000 Mexicans, Ameri
can loss 120 killed, and 368 wounded;
Palo Alto, 2288 Americans and 6000
Mexicans. American loss nine killed and
41 wounded: Resaca .de la Palma, May
9, 1846, between 1700 ' Americans and
6500 Mexicans. American loss 89
killed and 82 wounded Buena Vista,
February 22, 1847, bettveen 4759 Ameri
cans and 18,000 Mexicans. American
loss 267 killed. 456 wounded; Cerro
Gordo.. April 17. 1847, . between 8000
Americans and 15.000 Mexicans, Mexi
cans routed and 6000 prisoners taken,
American loss 42 killed and 250
wounded; Churubusco. August 20, 1847,
between 9000 Americans- and 32,000
Mexicans, American loss in killed and
wounded about. 1100. These were the
principal battles, buvt there were many
skirmishes with smaller losses. In all
the battles the Americans were out
numbered, but the Mexicans were out
classed. . .
Twenty-five Years Ago
From Tha Oregonian of April 27. 1SST.
Seattle, April 26. E. O. Tiraves. chief
of the Bureau of Engraving and print
ing, win resign to engage' in business
witn tne wasnington national Bank, .
Just organized by him.
i '
Salem. April 26. Articles of Incor-'
poration were filed today by the Baker;
City Street Railway Company. John
Geiser, Henry Rust. E. Silver. 11. Dale
iiui TV Calvin i v- . Inpnrnnrfltn.. -
Salem, April 26. The students of"
Willamette University have organized a
band and tonight received 14 new brass
instruments.
Astoria, April 26. P. W. Weeks, of
Alert hook and ladder company, was
elected chief engineer of the fire de-.
partment. -' :
Albany, "April JS. A company is be- f
IngJ organised for the purpose of erect
lng a four-story -brick hotel.
Albany.. April 26. Edward Goins,
proprietor of the Scio mills, says ef- -
forts are being made by himself and
others to build a street railway from
that place taMnnkeri. to connect with
the Southern Pacific Railway.
San Francisco, April 26. Patsy Car
diff was knocked out by Peter Jack,
son In 10 rounds tonight. (
Washington, April 26. William II.
Coote has been appointed postmaster
at Stayton, vice A. D. Gardner, re
signed. The new Union freight depot on -North
Front street is completed.
The teachers of the Zion Evangelical
Sunday School of East Portland sur
prised the pastor, L S. Fisher, with a
purse presented by George Ormsby on
behalf of the male members, and the
pastor's wife with a purse presented by
Mrs. Minnie Freeman on behalf of the
female members.
The crosswalk at Salmon and Fourth
streets Is In a dangerous condition.
.Tonauschck, tho great German trag
edienne, will open at New Park Theater
May 6. Her repertoire will consist of
"Meg Merrllies." "Mary Stewart" and
"Macbeth."
The 20th anniversary of Professor I.
W. Pratt's connection with Park School
as principal was celebrated yesterday.
Dr. F. B. Eaton has returned from
Europe.
Archbishop William II. Gross will
leave tomorrow night for Rome, to pay
his ad llmina visit. to Pope Leo.
Jack Dempsey arrived from New
York yesterday and announced his
readiness to meet Charlie Mitchell.
There is a scheme on foot to build a
$100,000 hotel in Holladay's Addition on
the avenue near Fourth street.
W. H. H. Grant accused W. D. Pape
of violating the rules of the insurance
compact and Pape caused Grant to be
fined $10 for soliciting Insurance with
out a license. Grant yesterday met
Pape on the street In front of Lambert
& Sargent's office and knocked him
down. I
Half a Century Ago
From The Orcsonian of April 27, 1S64.
Fortress Monroe. April 24. General
Wassels surrendered Plymouth. N. C.
after four days' fieri tine:, to the rebels
under General R. F. Hoka Hoke cap
tured about 2500 prisoners, 300 or 400
being negroes, r.nd SO pieces of artil
lery. Portland has a shipyard where a
schooner is building. Captain Clinton,
for use by Warren & Stephens in the
oyster trade between Shoalwater Bay
and Astoria.
The following were elected directors
of the Oregon City Woolen Manufac
turing Company: Joel Valmer. L D. C
Latourette. Daniel Harvey, W. C. De
ment, J. L Barlow, John Myers and
Arthur Warner. Bids are Invited lor
the erection of a building 188 by 52
feet and two stories high.
?
Rev. C. S. Kingsley had his feet bad
ly frozen near Idaho City while getting
timbers for the erection of a Metho
dist Episcopal Church.
The delegates to the Union County
convention are: Sandy precinct, R. Wll.
mot; St Johns precinct, C. B. Corn
stock; Sauvles' Island. Leonard Jewett:
Wilmot. Tomlinson; Powell's Valley. M.
Wing, James Royal. J. Powell.
Sanitary fund receipts From Fort
Simcoe. W. T.. by William Wright, 60
In currency, given as follows: Mrs. I-A-
Wilbur, 20; Miss M. M. Bancroft
and Alex Grant, $10 each: A. A. Ban
croft, James McGraw, J. H. Foster and
H. C. Thompson, to each. From Aid
Society near Matlock schoolhouse.
Clackamas County. $9 in coin.
Value of Advertising to Colleges.
New York Times.
Should our universities be advertised
like -socks, soap and pickles? Should
billboards blazon forth the excellences
of "cosy Cody College?" Do we need
barkers and battalions of peripatetic
tramps carrying red posters bo that In
stitutions of learning can vie in pop
ular interest with the side show and
the movies? The Columbia Alumni
News.
These questions answer themselves.
Nevertheless, the Columbia periodical
predicts that we shall see more and
more of a dignified purveying of facts
through the social medium of the press,
to be assimilated by an inquiring, in
telligent community. It quotes from
President Pritchett's latest report to
the Carnegie foundation: "An honest,
interesting account of what is done in
an institution can do only good, and
the wider the circulation the better."
Among Those Present.
Pathfinder.
"Will you give me your name, please?"
asked the young lady who was mak
ing a list of those present.
"Excuse me," said he between blushes,
"but I will have to plead that this is
not leap year."
CarefalneSa ef n Waiter.
London Sphere.
Customer Is there any soup on the
bill of fare? 1
Waiter There was, sir, but I wiped
it off.
The Short Cut For Men
"We keep pretty accurate records
of the results of our newspaper ad
vertising, and we find that men are
In many cases as quick to respond
as women."
So said the advertising manager
of one of our big stores the other
day.
"Men have little time for shop
ping. They usually come in with
their minds pretty much made up
They are quick buyers. They know
what they want."
"With this idea in view much of
our advertising is prepared for men.
It Is surprising htfw many men come
into our store and ask for things
we have, advertised in the newspapers."