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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (July 7, 1914)
TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN, TUESDAY. JULY 7, 1914. xmratt PORTLAND. OREGON. Entered at Portland. Oregon, Postofflce as b-cona-clM matter. , . . nh.,rnrinn Rates Invariably In AdTance. 1ST UlII.) Datlr. Sunday included, one Tear ??? bally, Sunday Included, six months .. pally, Sunday Included, three months.. 4.25 2.J5 .75 Isally, Sunday included, on montn Dally, without Sunday, Daily, without Sunday, tally, without Sunday, Dally, without Sunday, one year IX months . . three months. one month - 6.00 823 1.75 .60 weekly, one year ........ Eunday, one year bunday and Weekly, one year (BY CARRIER) Dal!y, Sunday Included, one year .. Tiuflv. Kiin.lnv Included, one month . . 1.50 . 2.50 . 1.50 .S9.00 Hnw uemlt HrnA Postofflce money or der, express order or personal check on your local bank, titumpi, coin or currency are at sender's risk. Give postoirice aaareaa m , to.!.. Umtm i to la oares. 1 cent; Is 0 to W pises. 4 cents; 2 to .78 .se"i6 tents; 78 to a pases, tf cents. Foreign post age, douoie rales. . Hn. 'w Yoik. Brunswick building. Chi cago. Stager building. dan fruclM Office R. J. Bldwell 743 .Market street. Co., ' PORTLAND. TCESDAY. JTLY 7, 1914, ' i . . STATE'S INTEREST IX WATER-POWER. One fact stands out clearly in the ! exhaustive report of Colonel I. N. Day on the water-power of Oregon. That is the wretched inefficiency of i the Federal Government in carrying ' out or controlling public work. It appears in the record of reclamation i work, of river and harbor improve ' ment and of public building construc ; tlon. Yet the Ferris water-power ' kill, which i3 backed by the Admlnls- tratlon, evidently alms at the largest measure of Federal and the smallest . measure of state control, though ez- perience proves that Federal control militates against efficiency. While ; the Government's ownership of pub ', lie land and its right to sole control ; of that land, free from state taxes, ; renders a measure of Government ! control unavoidable, the states' own- ership and control of the water give ; them a right to a powerful voice in the matter. The best results will be attained, both in rapid and friction less development of water power and In good, cheap service to the public If the states have the most and the : Federal Government has the least to ; say in the matter. ; In irrigation the Reclamation ; Service has shown the largest ex penditure and the smallest results. Until 1909 it had become entitled to ; credit for only 2.9 per cent of the : irrigated area, or 395,646 acres. In I 1912 it had increased this total to '- 1,193,374 acres, of which only 641,397 acres were cropped. When so vast a : sum as $77,000,000 has been expend f ed in reclaiming so relatively small an area, one would expect to find some warrant for the high cost in : high productivity, but land which cost ""an average of $134.17 an acre to irri ' gate up to July 1, 1910, produced only "-J22.60 per acre in 1912. As the area under water has increased, the yield - per acre has decreased, falling from 129.10 in 1909. The ever-sanguine . Reclamation Service estimated that, when the total area included in proj ects had been irrigated, the cost per acre would be reduced to $48.14, but computations based on later reports than that of 1910 indicate that a final cost of $118.85 per acre is more near ' ly correct. This Is a very small result to come from so great an Investment. It is ' conceded that the projects undertaken ; by the Government have been those . which, on account of their high cost, were not likely to be undertaken by private enterprise. No good busi i ness man, however, would have em barked on an enterprise which yleld "ed - such small returns for so large -an investment. Even accepting the Government's own estimate of cost per acre after all projects are fully watered, this is more than double the cost by any other agency and is near ly three times the cost of commer cial enterprises, which have been ac cused of watering stock as well as land. The Carey act, being a device of Congress, is partly an example of the efficiency of Federal control, though Jts execution has been in the hands of the states. As a means of getting large bodies of arid land watered, it must be pronounced a failure, for of 2,573,87.4 acres included in projects only 288,553 acres had beeiv irrigated In 1909. Of the Oregon land for which application had been made by irrigation companies less than 4 per cent and of that segregated less than 8 per cent had been irrigated to June 80, 1912. What the states have suc ceeded in irrigating has been im proved at less cost than half the cost per acre of Reclamation Service proj ects. The failure to obtain larger re sults seems to be due rather to in herent defects in the scheme itself than to faults in execution. AVhen the mountain after such pro digious labor has brought forth so insignificant a mouse, we are Justified in doubting its ability to give birth to mountains in the handling of avater-power. We may well seek other means not only of power devel opment but of irrigation for the vast areas of arid land in Oregon, which Mr. Day finds can be watered by pumping if cheap water-power be used to operate the pumps. Since the Reclamation Service has taken out of Oregon $10,317,387 and has put : back in Oregon projects only $3,057, '086, we have some reason to doubt : whether Oregon would ever receive I the 50 per cent of water-power rentals ; which the Ferris bill would give the : state after the money had been used I in reclamation work and had been repaid by the settlers. In view of the : Government's showing, wo maintain . that the state is at least as efficient an instrument for controlling water- power as. the Government. For these reasons we view with J favor the provision of the Ferris bill ; giving preference in leasing power sites to states, counties and munici palities and giving states control of rates and terms of service within their borders, but we view with sus picion the inclusion among those hav ing the right to lease of "any associa tion of such United States" as point ing to future Federal incorporation of all power companies under exclu . sive . Federal control. The provision that at the expiration of a fifty-year lease the Government may acquire a Tlant should be modified to read that the state shall have the first right of acquisition at the appraised value, not only of the plant, but of the site. Instead of 60 per cent of the rentals ;belng paid to the state after it had Ibeen expended by and returned to "the Reclamation Bureau, this money should be paid direct to the states. The states could be trusted to apply this money to development of power they had leased and to reclaim, by . pumping, the arid land which lies too high to be reached by gravity. Since the Government withholds from state taxation 17,816,094 acres of the area of Oregon and since by Irrigation alone can the bulk of the unreserved and unappropriated 16,545,522 acres be made taxable, though the state is responsible for enforcement ' of the criminal law within this vast area, we think this is not an unreasonable request. This is asked not in hostility to the conservation theory, for it would promote conservation in the highest form. Mr. Day' has shown that neg lect to use water-power causes enor mous waste of coal and oil. These latter means of generating power may become exhausted, but so long as we protect the streams by proper care of forests and watersheds water power will last forever. States can develop it to water elevated land by pumping, cities for all municipal and private uses, and industries can grow up along every stream and power line. Since Congress has now taken up' the subject of water-power with an .si.lv nrxinvt nf lesHslatinn. it la im- . . .w0 , " - peratively necessary that the Western states should move to have the terms of the proposed law accord with tneir most vital interests. The states' own ership of the water and the fact that the otatoa mimt look to water-power tn-r a laro-o nart of their development entitle them to the larger, share of control. They can obtain tnis onij by making their united voice heard hv Cnnexess in such tones as will command attention. That voice must 1. 1 . 1, tttr ami n thnt Tl H should come from the authorized rep resentatives of the states. The Legis lature of each one or tne pudiic lanu states at its forthcoming session should, appoint one or more delegates to a conference which, will formulate th.lr demands and which will repre sent them before ConeTess and its committees. Chosen by the Legisla tures with a special view to mis pur pose, these delegates would more truly speak the will of their states than any conference of Governors or of men appointed by Governors. The time to move is now. that the Legis latures may act in concert next Winter. HCERTA AGAIN. thA Administration had to have fresh hope that diplomacy would ' effect the with drawal of Huerta from Mexico some thing happened to upset the calcula tions of the White House and State Department. That something was Huerta. He had called an election, rnminsr on the heels of mediation and rebel military successes it was taken to indicate that Huerta was aeelrlnir dia-nlfied WIT OUt. His successor was to fill the provisional Presidency ana nueria was w s oht-noiT nr a forele-n mission. Such an arrangement, while it might have proved quite empty of results so far as the actual pacification of Mexico is concerned, would nave oeen wucu nnn II a a. victOrV fOT the ShallOW 01- plomacy we have been practicing upon Unhappy Mexico. nut tha usual thing happened. Huerta dominated the situation. Whether or not he -was a candidate, it appears that he received nearly all the votes cast Tor fresiaeni a nuns he could have prevented had he so minricri- . for the Mexican election is only a shallow pretext. Thus - the hope that Huerta was to yieia tu uur inane diplomacy vanished in the air. Huerta is again aictaior. ii no iiru it will be because the rebels drive him out at the point of the bayonet. If this is. finally achieved and a semblance or oraer is resioreu in Mexico without our intervention it will be in spite of our meddling, rather than because of it. The Mex ican situation is exactly where it -was when the Administration .began "reg ulating" the difficulties, except that nearly all Americans have been driven penniless out of the country and a few thousand more Mexicans have been killed in the eternal quarrel over division of spoils. WHY CLAFLUf COMPANY FAILED. The failure of the H. B. Claflin Company is remarkable through the fact that so large a house could go down without causing more disturb- Anna. 13 1 1 dl n : in ceneral must have been on a sound basis, or it would have been more severely snaicen, ana the unsoundness of Claflin is made the more marked by contrast. In truth, Claflin was a survival of out-dated conditions and methods of k.in.E, Tk drv eoods trade had drifted away from it uptown in New Tork City and to new iirms in xne West. The old wholesale house, tnus ...u.nt.A triod to strenethen ltseir by means which really weakened it yet more. It gainea nnanciai cgntrui o ohoin nf retail department stores throughout the country and united them and Itself under xne flame i holding company the United Dry r-nmnanv and extended un limited credit to the retail stores. In other words, after the supports of the structure had become weak, it added to the load they must carry Instead of adding new supports. While extending its naDume nu it. i- r-rortit. the Claflin Company neglected to Introduce modern effi ciency methods, either in the parent house or in the suDstaianes. u" Veen rlniB Witch Oil StOCk in order to unload slow-selling goods, but waited until the annual stocktak ing, when such goods had become dead, before getting rid of them. It employed salesmen maimy on cum n that thev neglected slow- .-inns. lititni It sent half a dozen salesmen, handling different lines , of goods, to the same oepanmeni Bioro --j ..eniiireri no team-work among them, while an up-to-date firm sends one man to sen an imes m 6i of towns. "7 it .it a -V, i-miire efficient account ing, stockkeeping and other modern methods in its suDsiaiaries, ana .cpi .v.ot nn their onerations. One in particular became unprofitable, but the firm did not learn wny nu apfj a remedy. Excessive credit was given j v.e r!fHn Comnany indorsed the United Dry Goods Company's notes. but did not see that credit, was prop used At a time when retail stores were cutting out the jobber and buying direct from tne manuiaciurer, the Claflin Company permitted sub sidiaries to buy from others than itself when they could buy cheaper, but did nothing to improve its meth ods so that it could undersell other houses. This failure may be said to nave been an aftermath of the panic Of 1907, for the Claflin Company would have' failed then but for the aid of J. P. Morgan & Co. The United Dry Goods Company was organized in 1909, but the Morgans injected no efficiency together with their new capital, and the concern dragged along to inevitable disaster. Its fate is cause for a certain degree of satis faction rather than sorrow, for a weak spot is removed from business, and the old concern may rise to new J strength if reorganized with new brains and new capital. TRAUMKL'S WHITMAN. Horace Traubel's life- of Walt Whitman has been called "the most truthful biography in the English language," but this description is probably somewhat misleading. Mr. Traubel has not written more truth fully than rriany others, but he has told truths that most biographers would have deemed it discreet to omit, as readers of the volume just pub lished will discover. The ordinary "Life" of a literary man discloses words and deeds which his loving admirers believe will en hance his fame. Nothing is modified, but much is concealed. Horace Trau bel conceals nothing. He knew Walt Whitman intimately, lived with him in the same apartment "for a long time and performed the duties of a secretary and ministering friend -for him. In this way he came to know the minutest details of the aged poet's life and none of them are omitted Tmm h!a Imnnaln; volumes. In his youth Whitman was a wanderer and a student of men. In his declining years he became a philosophic, hu morous, patriotic and tolerant friend of the race. He had few theories to exploit and no dogmas to maintain. The mnst absorbing: passion Of Whitman's life was his love for the United States. He habitually spoke or the country as "these states" and a great deal of his most insplring'poetry prophesies their future greatness and happiness. He believed, with Wash intnn that the final hoDe of man- & . "- - - kind was based upon the success or our governmental experiment auu never tired of foretelling the wonder fi hino-o tn onme when our destiny should have been worked out to its Next to his imaginative patriotism Whitman believed in friendship be tween man and man. This ideal of comradeship was more vivid to his imagination than that of love between man and wife, and, like his patriot ism, it Informs pretty nearly all his poetry. Horace Traubel is not an unques tioning disciple of Walt ' Whitman, but he reports his opinions with un deviating accuracy. His intimacy with the aging poet did not diminish his reverence for him. On the con trary, the better Traubel knew Walt Whitman the more devoutly he wor shiped him, retaining only the right to think his own thoughts. The huge volumes of Traubel s biography are a tribute of love. They aim to do what Boswell did for John son and a great deal more. The re ports of conversations are complete. Events are faithfully recorded, even down to trifles w'hich one might sup pose were better forgotten. But his rule is to report everything that was said and done and let the reader make his own sele"cions as he must in life. Perhaps this is as good a way to write a biography as any other. The only serious objection we can think of is that if every "life" was composed on the same plan the world would not hold the books. We should have to rent shelf-room in Mars. HOWEXIS AND THE BACONIANS. W D. Howells, the novelist, has taken a hand in the Shakespeare Bacon controversy. In a tale which he entitles "The Seen and the Un seen at Stratfordson-Avon" he re ports an imaginary conversation be tween the ghosts of the two great contestants for the authorship of the plays. On one occasion Howells sat just behind the two disembodied spir its and listened to their remarks, of which he now gives the benefit to his readers. At another time he sat near them in a railway train and again eavesdropped, if one may employ a term so undignified with reference to a performance so exalted. It appears from Mr. Howells' re port of these momentous dialogues that Bacon is offended at the theory that he wrote Shakespeare's plays. Howells makes him particularly scan dalized at the supposition that he could have manufactured such repro bates as Falstaff and his loose asso ciates. The Implication is, of course, that It Bacon really had written plays the characters would all have been grave and dignified. They would have talked nothing but philosophy. Under the farcical fiction of a dia logue between two disembodied spir its Mr. Howells makes a serious argu ment against the Baconian theory. One of his most interesting points, as we gather from a review of his story in Current Opinion, touches upon the i Mt that little is known common ul-uv,. about Shakespeare. "If he actually had written the plays, ' lans contend, "how is it possible that more facts of his life should not have come to light? He would have been the best-known man of his day and .k.,, t think that nobody would have written about him for posterity. , . . . ti ii toVe. the wind out ol IY1 r. nuitciw - this argument by maintaining that we know a great aeai atjouv Du.., i , An nhout most other more me.i , . . authors. Ben Jonson and Vergil .for .. ti... n faltd In example. ir tne paucnj . shukMTieare Droves circulation iuv.uv , , that he did not write the plays, Mr. Howells argues, tnen on j cf .nnrhirte that Vergil grounua e muov - --- - - . did not write the "Aeneid." Candid students will proDaoiy conccuo w tt .u 1,91 strained the circum- stances a little to make out his case in this particular. Most biographies of Shakespeare, as Mark Twain insisted, are made up of pure suppositions instead of facts. "It might have been. It was ex tremely likely. We are forced to be lieve There is nothing to hinder us from assuming." Phrases of this sort make up the warp and much of the woof of the common biographies of Shakespeare. It Is hardly admissible to say that we know as much about him as we do about either Vergil or Ben Jonson, and the quality of what we do know Is entirely different. All that has come down from the Augustan age concerning Vergil rep resents him as a master poet. W know of his habits of work, of his associates, . of his patron and his standing among his contemporaries. Much the same is true of Ben Jon son Everything that has survived concerning him speaks of him as a man of letters and a "poet. With Shakespeare - the case Is utterly dif ferent. Nothing among the few facts that- wo really know about his career represents him as a man of letters. In his will, which disposes of a num ber of trifles, there Is not a- word about his library and it Is impossible to prove that he ever owned a book or wished to own one. Mark Twain makes this point with great force in his little volume, "Is Shakespeare Dead?" We do not wish to take sides in the Bacon-Shakespeare controversy. The great scholars of this generation all favor Shakespeare and ridicule the hypothesis that Bacon wrote the plays and we are not particularly concerned to oppose their views. Still facts are facts and we cannot see that Mr. Howells strengthens his case by twisting them out of plumb. No doubt Shakespeare's fame will stand unshaken through the ages, but it will not stand any more firmly for being buttressed by foolish arguments. The-Democratic leaders In Congress continue to economize at the expense of the West, while grabbing every possible piece of pork for the East and South. On motion of Chairman Fitzgerald, of the appropriations committee, the continuing annual appropriation of $100,000 for surveys of railroad land grants was repealed by the House and an appropriation of only $35,000 made for the next year. In consequence the states mtist wait longer before railroad land be comes taxable and settlers on alter nate sections must wait longer for patents. Yet some people in Oregon continue to gloatover the great work Democracy is doing for the West. There is nothing new in the so called discoveries by an English scholar of Babylonian accounts of the Flood and the Fall of Man. The clay tablets and inscribed stones contain ing these accounts have been famil iar to savants for a long time. The fleT-m An. Dr. Delltzsch. described themMn his "Bible and Babel" years ago. They seem to show that some parts of Genesis are edited from Babylonian records. This is made more likely when we remember that the Jews were captive in Babylon for a generation or two. . The proposed state investigation of the loan sharks would bring out some exasperating circumstances, but the principles upon which they do busi ness are perfectly well known already. They bleed their prey relentlessly and never let go as long as there is an other drop of blood to be drawn. Much of their evil power depends upon the employers of salaried men. The victims are afraid to fight lest their employers should be harassed with garnishment proceedings and the like. This fact must be faced be fore their cruel work can be ended. Tears ago when an epidemic broke out in a city it was common to "hush it up." The facts were concealed, the danger minimized. New Orleans deals with the bubonic plague in a better way. All the circumstances are pub lished. The disease is fought with scientific measures instead of menda--t... .in.inng TCven the pulpit as sists. Last Sunday all the ministers preached "war upon tne piaguo. Under such a campaign the plague .will not last long. Dr. Lee's views of conversion are stimulating. They run in this wise. "The Lord doesn't convert a man. He merely supplies the regenerating im pulse and under Its actioh the man converts himself." In the same way we may prove that a woodman does not cut down a tree. He merely chops through it and the tree then falls ot itself. Likewise the gas in an engine furnishes the moving impulse but the engine really runs Itself. 1 i The general Weather Bureau pre dicts that a "disturbance now over the Northwest will move slowly east ward." The only disturbance we know anything about is confined to the Democratic party and has nothing to do with the weather. A girl is on her way here from Pennsylvania to marry a man she has never seen. Still she Is amply forti fied by woman's proud prerogative of changing her mind in such matters at the last moment. The fire at Stevenson is all the more deplorable for the small amount of insurance. Rates are high, to be sure, In the smaller cities, but a pol icy always Is a good Investment. Ananias has some claims in the matter but the most persistent pre varicator of the age is the corre spondent who has had Huerta fleeing every few days for nearly a year. A Greek vessel is reported to have been captured by a Turkish destroyer Just wait until -those American naval antiques reach the scene I The $100,000,000 crop of the Pa cific Northwest means automobiles th Exowers. Let us hope they buy something for their wives. That bush league in the Inland Em. plre is playing good ball during hot weather and may develop something for the big leagues. The hoop skirt is the latest. That's we were beginning to fear that they were going to do away with skirts altogether. when ail the evidence in the Free- port murder have been sifted to the essence, the result will disclose tne same old cause. Henry Ford will dine with the President, Thursday. Wonder if the President is about to purchase a new car? The Colonel shut himself up in Sagamore Hill for a whole , day. Something's about to drop.- Bl-ickberry time is here, with the harries covering every hill and crowd ing every gulch and swale. It would seem inm jonu aj. charmed life in addition to all the loose change In the world. -The deputy sheriff east of the mountains is some man. McDnffe and Batchelor are samples. Villa agrees to recognize Carranza as chief. But Carranza must be con tent with the mere title. . v.t hsia stenned into the breach so effectively that we can't escape prosperity and plenty. Train robbery is a lost art and the amateur merely tickets himself for the grave or Jail. Good team-work now will put the Beavers Into the first division. It Is very plain that the day of the successful train robber Is past. The Mayor of Butte is a good shot His assailant is dead. Millions for the farmers and plenty for everyone! . MEUELY PARTY OP TRADITIONS Democracy Has No Cardinal Prlnclpleai HIatorr One of Compromise. PORTLAND, July 6. (To the Edi tor.) If M. A. Miller, Democratic Fed eral office holder, is competent to give a resume of the history and deeds of the Republican party, then it will not be amiss for a Republican to do like wise with reference to the Democratic party. Prior to 1881 it was the dominant political party of the Nation. During a period of 32 years it had charge of the affairs of state for 24 years, but not consecutively. It was organized in 1828. Its master builders were astute politicians. Instead of being pro gressive and "forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forward to those that are before," they went Into the archives of a dead past, brought forth the saying of a New York politician viz: "To the victors belong the spoils." This declaration was made the chief cornerstone in the political structure they were building. Thev also went into the past and brought forth the abominable Missouri Compromise measure and made that infamous document article 1 of their political faith. Thus equipped they went forth to guide the destiny of this Nation. They were successful in three con secutive elections, a period or la years, whiah was the longest period of time that party ever had control of the Government. Before the first four years had passed, serious trouble of National Importance arose trouble that shook this Government to Its very foundation. At this crisis. Instead of enacting con structive legislation and settling the difficulty, it was postponed by a com promise measure, and that measure be came article 2 of their political faith. Five years thereafter the American people witnessed their first serious financial panic. Ruin and desolation were on every hand and the Democratic party was in full charge of affairs. In 1850 another National disturbance arose, and the great Henry Clay "poured oil on the troubled waters" by offering another compromise measure. This measure was eagerly accepted by the Democratic party and made article) 8 of their political lalth. At each of the above named critical periods of our National life there are no records containing any constructive legislation enacted by the Democratic party. On the other hand there is abundant testimony to prove that the old. historic Democratic party enjoys the unlquo distinction of having Its political gospel lurnlshed it many years by Its strongest political op Donent After advocating, defending, cherishing and nourishing article 1 of their political faith for 16 years and without any demands from 'the people. the leaders of that party repealed the cherished measure, and tne party said "Amen, be it so." The repeal of that measure made human slavery possible upon soil which had been dedicated to freedom. That may have been con structive legislation but we of today think not. In 1857 the Democratic party had absolute control of the Government. It had the President, the Senate, the Con gress and the Supreme Court. The peo ple were industrious; a bounteous harvest had been garnered; no foreign complications of any kind to adjust, yet a fearful financial panic came as suddenly as a blizzard. It wrought havoc with the agricultural commer cial and industrial interests. The mone tary system was in such a wretched condition that bonds of the Govern ment did not bring as much money on the market as the bonds of the single State of New York. If Mr. Miller will consult the records he will find that precedents for panics were created by the Democratic party. To sum up what is to the credit of his party's leglsia tlon for 24 yeafrs, we find two com promise measures two destructive financial panics, the Fugitive Slave Law the destable Dredd Scott decision, all 'of which were settled by "the boom of the cannon and the wall of the dying." Is it any wonder the peo Dle Drevented Mr. Miller's party from legislating for almost a third of a century? The first National campaign of the Republican party was in 1866. It was organized by representatives of the people. The chief cornerstone of the political structure they bullded was the rights of man. Their articles of uolltical faith were: First, tne union; second, the public credit; third, the plighted faith; fourth, a protective tariff. In . 1860 the people voted for these principles. The Republican party was in power 24 consecutive years. On March 4, 1885, when ex-President Arthur turned over tne affairs of Btate to the Democrats, he as leader of the Republican party could have said to the American people: "We have kept the faith and flnihsed the work thou eavest us to do. The Union is pre served labor is free the public credit is unimpared every pledge the Matlon gave has been redeemed and our cur rency Is "as national as our flag." Under our fiscal policy the Nation has enjoyed its greatest prosperity. We have made more progress in agricul ture in education, In commerce. In manufacturing, in finance and religion than in all the other years of our Na tional life." If there ever was a time in our history when the angel chorus of long ago could be sung "in spirit and in truth" is was on March 4, 1886. Such great results must have been the product of constructive legislation. The success of the Democratic party In that year in no wise signified that the people were in any measure dis satisfied with Republican policies or the manner in which the Republican party managed the affairs of state. A mere accident on the eve of the elec tion, or it might be called an egregious blunder on the part of an over-zealous person that unfortunate occurrence was the sole cause of Democratic suc cess. When they took charge of the Government at that time there was no criticism offered on its condition. The facts are, they proclaimed everything to be In fine shape. A Republican Senate prevented any "pernicious leg islation" and this fact gave some prestige to Cleveland's first Adminis tration. The i wavering and careless citizens concluded the Democrats could not do much harm, therefore they gave them full sway In the election of 1892. Their regrets are shown by reference to the results of the Congressional elec tions in 1894. So disgusted were the people with Democratic efforts to run the Government they kept Congress Republican for 16 years thereafter. Present Indications are that history will again repeat itself in the coming election. As a rulo the Democratic party never refers to its cardinal principles. It has none. Its leaders universally refer to the "traditions of the party." The one great tradition Is compromise. Its posi tion on the tariff question is of that sort It denies the principles of free trade and professes to hate the prin ciples of protection. Those are the only two principles taught in the schools of political economy. A tariff f6r revenue only is a misnomer. A party with a fiscal policy partly free trade and partly protective tariff cannot bring stability and success to a big Nation like ours. It must have one or the other of these principles. The cardinal principles of the Republican party were enacted into the public law of this Na tion, hence its greatness and world power The heritage of every genuine Demo cratic regime is hard times and war. The former we have now and the signs of the times clearly indicate the latter is not far away. It is true that his tory repeats Itself. A. L. MASON. 390 Morrison street. Words Mispronounced. PORTLAND, July 5. (To the Editor.) Give a dig to the people who don't know any better than to put the ac cent on the first syllable of the word "address." A. B. COLLINS. WEAPONS TWO MILLION YEARS OLD Age of Flint Implements Estimated kr Thickness of Patina. New York Herald. Flint implements which because of the thickness of the patina given to them by exposure are estimated to be at least 2.000.000 years old and believed to prove that man existed at that re mote time in the Valley of the Nile, with sufficient intelligence to fashion stone into weapons, were recently shown in the Ehrlch Galleries, ibl Fifth avenue. In a collection of more than 6000 items excavated in Egypt by Robert de Rustafjaell Bay. The excava tor, a fellow of the Royal Geograph ical Society, is at the exhibition. Exposure to the elements for a hun dred thousand years leaves a patina on flnt the depth of a man's fingernail. The patina on some of the weapons shown, dating back to the paleollthlo and mesolithio periods, is nearly half an inch thick. These relics form the be ginning of a display which has been arranged In chronological order, show ing the art of Egypt down to the pres ent day. One of the most interesting things is a flint 'weapon on which the finger print of a man made in slime 260,000 years ago appears. The flint was cast aside and as there was no rain the particles of silica In the slirge hardened and made a "Bertlllon" record of the man's thumb and finger. There is a flint hoe the age of which is estimat ed at 160,000 years and a stone dagger that was used 100,000 years ago. A set of serrated tools was used by prehis toric jewelers to saw ornaments out of shells. Two perfect flint bracelets il lustrate the highest art of tilnt knap ping. A feature of the exhibition la the earliest known example of a painting on canvas, more than 1600 years old, found on the site of a temple at The bes. It is a symbollo representation of the goddess Hathor, in the form of a cow, before whom seven Egyptians are about to perform an act of veneration. Its colors are brown, red, green and blue. An inscription translated reads: "Hathor, the Lady of Heaven in the Midst of Thebas. Adoration to the Lord of the Two Lands, bowing down In the midst of Thebes, that she may grant life, prosperity and health, fitness for service, favor and love to the spirits of the favorites of Hathor; Tcha-nefer, her sister, lady of the house Mernuft, her mother: sent his son Huy, his own beloved son Mahula, her beloved daugh ter Thet-Amentet." There are painted and Inscribed shirts 3000 years old; a set of Intricate bronze surgical instruments, including probes and tweezers, 8000 years old, and bronze fish hooks of the same period made with a barb exactly as they are today. Examples of wlckerwork of the same period contain mummified fruits and eggs. Vases of alabaster antedat ing the Invention of pottery have great beauty of form. The collection of pot tery begins with predynastio tiles and extends down to the Ptolemaic period. Mingling of Church and State. SALEM, July 6. To the Editor.) A news special from Eugene announces the second annual conference of min isters to be held "in connection with the University of Oregon Summer School, July 13 to 16.' The statement is made that the conference will be "Interdenominational." Rev. Mr. Boyd, of the Presbyterian Church, will pre side, but it is announced that speakers of "all other leading demonlatlons" will take part. "Greater ministerial efficiency" will dominate the four days' sessions, and it is announced that pres ident Campbell and Professor Schafer are actively co-operating, etc. Efforts to hold similar ministerial conferences during Summer schools at other state colleges have been made, and at least one state Institution turned down the proposition as mingling the affairs of church and state. As strong an organization as the Grand Army of the Republic has found that it must hold its Memorial day exercises at ar mories and DUbllc halls In large cities. Holding Its services at this church or that tends to divide tne memDersnip. it would seem that for the "loartlng de nominations" to discuss the affairs of tholr churches in the State university and during the Summer school Is open to the same obiectlon. While all tnat is lone hv the management f the State University is above criticism, and th neonle fall easily for all that Is done In the name of relicrlon. this Is a clear case of mixing the babies and it will not work In the long run. - A state university Is in no way con cerned with the efficiency of the mln lstry. That might have been the case In the old colonial nays wnen lbubb Mather could reprimand a (jovernor and he had to stand humbly rebuked before the servant of the Most High. But it is not in good taste today. Let us fight to keep clear the line of de- markatton between cnurcn ana sii AN AMERICAN. A Popular Opera. Philadelphia Evening Telegraph. t.a nnSw nicrht an esteemed citizen uaiv " ''r"- - named Jones rambled into a cafe In a metropolitan city ana iouna am ineuu Johnson Seated alone at a table. Sound like ordering something and then came the question as to where Johnson had been. "Thought I would give myself a treat." answered Johnson, "and went to the opera." ' "The deuce you did!" was the inter ested rejoinder of Jones. "What did you hear." ... "I heard," smilingly returned John son, "that the Bright-Browns are about to get a divorce; that the Snyder c., .re .nin to nenarata and that the Benton-Sweets Intend spending a season in Europe. A BUTTERFLY. 'Tls warm, and the hot sun of later June Beats down upon the sweet green countryside And bids the butterfly from his cocoon To sail the hills and valleys far and wide. While each fair rosy blosaom hides Its face From the soft breeze which oe er tue meadow blowa In Jealousy to force away the gentle, lovelike, soft embrace. That on each bloom this bright winged thing bestows. How soft are those light fluttering wings of blue, Whose leaflike frailness buoys thee through the air Like silky thistledown of.sllver hue That skims o'er hills and vales and everywhere. In clouds, on which small fairy spirit ride O'er the tops f laden cherry trees. Or dangling In fern brakes. Or sailing low, oft bumps the hill smooth side, -- j-ittinr nff asrafn unon the breeze. Seems not to care what waving path it takes. . O, for an hour to spend In chasing tnee: Through sunshine's brightest light Or with thee rest bentath the spread ing im", And there the heart of a wild rose In- Quite greedily I watch you sup the sweet That gathers In a snow-white lily's bell. O, that I too might live on food o rn re Or that I too could meet 1 The lovely wood riowers in inr mossy dell And pass a never-ending hour there. WILLIAM MILTON JOHNSON, j Twenty-Five Years Ago From The Oresonlan of July T. New York. July Jake Kllraln ar. rived today for his fight with John U Bulllvan. Duluth, July . The lumbermen's strike culminated this afternoon In a bloody war between the strikers and the policemen. Thirty policemen were pitted against 1000 strikers armed with pistols, stones and clubs. The strikers forced sewer workmen to strike and broke the police rontons. A bsltle last ing an hour followed. In wlil.h two men were killed and 25 wounded. A company of mllltla with fixed bayonets then dispersed the crowd. Work on the new boot and shoe fac tory at Sunnyslile is well under way. A plat of King's Heights was filed yesterday. Dr. John A. Prooks, lute Prohibition candidate for Vice-President, prearhei at the Christian chapel this morning. Charles J. Whalen, city passenger auent of the Northern Pacific returned from Man Francisco laet week with a bride, whose maiden name was .Miss Kittle Asmussen. D. Dalglelsh. the retiring business manager of the Hrownsvllle Woolen Mills, accompanied by his wife, son and daughter, left Monday for Europe. A concert In the City Park will be given this afternoon. Mrs. W. I.. Archambeau. of Holladay's Addition, East Portland, has gone to Eugene. Louis Dammasch left last night for II waco Beach to Join his family. The plans and specifications for J. II. Baylor's new hotel on Fifth and H streets. East Portland, csll for a build ing 50 by 86, three stories high, to contain 10 rooms. Kx-Councllman Merrlok, Joe Paquet and L. Btoper have returned from their mountain trip. Friday night the relatives and friends of Rev. John W. Scllwood. rector of St. David's Church, and of his wife, gave them a surprise on tha 24th an niversary of their wedding. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonlaa of July 7, 1844. Gawley, Va., Juno " Hunter's Army reached Lexington on the 11th and after fighting a few hours the rebels left. We burned the Virginia Military Institute and Governor Letch er's house. Captain Bleasser's scouts captured seven cannlboats, containing four cannon, ammunition and com missary stores'. Uenernl IMiffle cut the Charlottesville &. Lynchburg Railroad at Amherst. Washington. June 28. General Wil son burned Burkcsvllle and destroyed the track. He Is still pushing south. All the rallromls leading Into Rich mond are destroyed. New York. July 1. The Herald's correspondent wlfh . Sherman's com mand gives the following account of the battle of Kenesaw Mountain: On the 17th heavy skirmishing opened on the right. Soon heavy musketry fir ing was heard and the rebels made re peated onslaughts upon the position our troops had taken trom them, but were repulsej each time. Early In th morning Howard ordered forfcard his line and drove the enemy ellmc!l out of their new rolt'on. whl h wss found to be of great strength. By pushing troops In various directions and bring ing to bear a concentrated fire, they were forced to rail back araln. leaving a lurgs number of prisoners In our hands. On the 19th the enemv were again found strongly posted In thslr works on Kenesaw nidge. Our bat teries opened on them at short rsnge and the troops hustled up so close that the rebels made an attempt to pierce our center. Nightfall found no mater ial advantage gained on either side. Early next morning fighting was re newed with Increased fierceness and was still going on at the close of the correspondent's letter. I-ater advices by telegraph say that the rebels were compelled to fall bark. riacervllle, Idaho, June !6. From a private letter from St. Joseph. Mo., I learn that 20.000 wagons crossed the Missouri at that point, westward bound. How delighted the old bache lors will be when the buxom maids arrive in our mlist. willing to ex change their hands and hearts for a mountain home and a miner In IL The first two teams, loaded with the Alnsworth mill, arrived in Owyhee on tha 24th ult. II. Mansfield, an old and experienced auctioneer, proposes on Friday after noon to offer to the public at the Denl son House corner, a fine, heslthy rooster of the game net-lee. which Is ready for a fight at any moment; to be sold at auction, the proceeds to be given to the Sanitary Commission. A footrace was. run on the'Plasa Wednesday evening. In which two or three entries were made. The distance was 100 yards; purse about (16; won In 11 seconds. Mr. Kalloch, proprietor of the new enterprise of obtaining salt from the salt springs below the city, showed us samples of the product yesterday. He has christened the new establishment Willamette Halt Works, and will be able to produce two to three tons dally. The springs hnve been deepened to about SS feet and have a flow of about 12,000 gallons daily. A skiff went over the falls and rapids at the Cascades on Tuesday, resulting In t drowning of "Happy Jack" and the miraculous escape of a man named Brown. They had attempted to cross the river above the falls when they were drawn Into the current Jack leaped out and in trying to swim ashore was lost. Brown clung to te skiff, passed the entire rapids and was picked up by Indians about a mile be low. He returned to the Cascades un harmed, declaring that he "wouldn't go over again for 125." The dangers attending the running at large of horned cattle In the streets are numerous. Besides the nuisance. It Is apt to result tn the loss of life. as was neaTTy the case when a raving cow pitched at a small child on First street near the National Hotel and was narrowly prevented from killing it. Dead te the Werld. Exchange. Isn't a living man whe is dead to the world lucky? The Port of Profit No advertising campaign Is a sue cess unless It sails the product isfely into the "Port of Profit." Manufacturers are turning wore and more towards newspapers, be cause their columns seem to wash the desired shore. Newspapers afford the most econ omical medium to the National ad vertiser. They eliminate waste. They not only reach the consumer but they win the support of the local dealer. They move the goods from the dealers' shelves.