8
TTTE MOmSTNG OREGONIAN, WTTOXTTST? AT. NOVEMBER 11, 1914.
mm
FOBTLAXD, OBEGOK.
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rOBTLaXD, WDXE8DaX. NOV, IX. 191.
LET JUKI DECIDE.
The people of Oregon, as Indicated
ty the vote In the recent election.
are nearly eauallv divided on the
Question of abolishing capital pun
ishment. Only a small majority fa
vors retention of the death penalty
The Legislature is bound to respect
the will of the people, but it could
adopt a middle course that -would
doubtless gain the approval of many
who are opposed to the existing rigid
law and stUl not be displeasing to
those who voted to retain capital pun
ishment.
There Is now but one penalty
fixed for murder in the first degree.
It is death. For the man convicted
of the crime there is but one chance
to escape the gallows. That is through
the leniency of the Governor. The
law, therefore, finds considerable op
position because of its rigidity. It
Is known and understood that occa
sionally there are mildly mitigating
circumstances that would Justify the
lesser penalty of life imprisonment
for first-degree murderers.
The proper agency to decide be
tween the two penalties, it seems to
ua, is the trial Jury. In certain other
states, If the jury returns a verdict
simply declaring the accused guilty of
murder in the first degree the penalty
automatically becomes, death. If the
Jury deems the milder penalty a proper
one it so declares.
This plan relieves the jury of what
to some members would be the
distasteful necessity of declaring af
firmatively that the accused shall
hang. On the other hand. It opens
the way for recognition of circum
stances which, while they do not de
fine the crime as murder in the second
degree, seem to make life Imprison
ment a sentence nearer in accord with
exact Justice.
The suggested change In the law is
commended to the consideration of the
Legislature as an act not only self
Justified, but as one that would partly
meet the desires of nearly one-half
the people of Oregon without violat
ing the instructions given by the ma
jority.
States purchased more than five
times as many shingles from British
Columbia as it purchased in the cor
responding nine months of the preced
ing year. In the same later period it
purchased nearly seven times as much
lumber. These are Government sta
tistics.
But wherever lower prices in behalf
of the consumer now rule the mischief
is that our people are less able to
pay the lower, prices than they were
to pay the higher prices under the
Payne-Aldrich tariff, for their earn
ings are reduced. Of what benefit in
It to a sawmill employe to reduce the
price of eggs and butter and at the
same time to take away his job?
The Tribune flatly contradicts the
Democratic platform when it says:
"The fact of the matter is the tariff
has but little influence on the price
of commodities." The platform says:
"We charge that excessive prices re
sult In a large measure from exces
sive tariff laws." The Democrats
have repudiated this plank, for they
have been boasting that their tariff
has not reduaed prices. It has reduced
prices on some commodities, but it has
been prevented by extraneous causes,
such as the wool shortage, from re
ducing them on others. Had not the
war intervened, prices would possibly
have continued to fall and wool would
soon have been cheaper.
American industry has been saved
for the time being from the calamity
arising from the Underwood tariff by
the much greater calamity which has
befallen Europe. We prefer to escape
that calamity by wise legislation, not
by other nations misdeeds or misfor
tunes.
seeks the clearest expression ho can
And.
Conrad fills his elect band of ad
mirers with joy by his difficulties. In
this respect he is like Browning, who
might have beenv among the greatest
of poets if he had been able to put
his thought Into Intelligible language.
The trouble with such men as Brown
ing and Conrad is that they do not
themselves fully know what they are
thinking. They feel that there Is some
vague and formless thought in their
minds and, without taking the pains
to work it out into clarity they daub
it down on paper. The result is such
books as we all know and shun.
now to save ix rcisxjc printing.
The glad tidings is sent out from
Salem that the saving in state print
ing during the past thirteen months
will approximate $30,000. That period
represents the new regime in the state
printing office. The days of "fat
rake-offs" to a proft-taking1 public
officer are said to bo over. The era
of the flat salary and the "lean take"
are here. Perhaps.
But the announcement of this
mighty saving Is accompanied by
numerous explanations. Explanations
are not wanted, but results. The re
sults ought to show in reduced de
mands upon the Legislature for print
ing appropriations. If the money
spent in printing shall be less, the
tax burden will be cut down propor
tionately. If the Legislature Is required
for any reason to Increase the ap
propriations, how Is the taxpayer benefited?
A real saving in state printing can
be made, undoubtedly, if there shall
be less printing. There is, and long
has been, great waste in the publica
tion of numerous documents , not
worth attention and in th free use
of the state printing facilities by all
kinds of public officers. It ought to
bo stopped. Then we shall have real
economy in the state printing office.
TARIFF fTUi HURTS.
Request is made by a Sclo reader
that The Oregonian reply to the tariff
article from the Sclo Tribune printed
on this page. Inasmuch as the Tribune
possesses a false notion of what The
Oregonian will say after election and
as its arguments are founded on false
premises. The Oregonian Is only too
willing to reply.
Like the Democrats in Congress the
Tribune insists that the Democratic
deficit was due to the war, not to
Democratic extravagance. ' Facts are
against it.
The deficit which made emergency
. taxes necessary is estimated for the
current fiscal year at $100,000,000. The
Democrats appropriated for this year
$103,000,000 more than was ap
propriated by the last Republican
Congress. Had they saved that $103,
000,000, there "would have been no
deficit and no emergency taxes would
have been necessary. It was almost
all waste.
Our neighbor tells us that the Re
publicans should have been pleased
by the embargo placed upon European
Importations by the war "because it
- served the same end as a prohibitory
tariff would." If the Republican
party stood for a "prohibitory tariff"
and was Inclined to justify human
slaughter with the realization of its
economic policies the Republicans
might have been pleased. But the
party platform does not declare for a
prohibitory tariff. It seeks to pre
vent by Imposition of the tariff un
equal competition with ' American
products by cheaper foreign products
and moreover It is not unmindful of
customs receipts. The war seems to
have been a welcome relief only to
the Democrats. It has saved them
1 from the dissatisfaction of those who
are ready to accept any excuse for a
failure of policy and has offered a
convenient pretext for the imposition
of a deficiency tax.
The Oregonian will not cease to
"howl" about Chinese eggs and New
Zealand butter now that the election
Is over. The price paid the producer
for butterfat has been uniformly
lower since importations began under
the Underwood tariff. The figures
are available to every one. If the con
sumer is still paying as high a price
for butter, then who in the world
has been benefited other than the far
off dairyman of New Zealand? Cer
tainly we have sufferers in our midst.
And if Sclo consumers are still
paying as high prices for eggs as they
ever did they might try the Portland
markets. Chinese eggs have been on
sale In this city In the past week at
20 cents the dozen. It may be ad
mitted that during the slack laying
season in Oregon the Chinese impor
tations do not materially affect the
price paid by the consumer for
strictly fresh Oregon eggs. There is
demand for all the eggs Oregon pro
duces at this period of the year from
those who will not buy Chinese or
storage eggs at any price when they
can get fresh eggs. The real competi
tlon occurs In the Spring and Summer,
when Oregon eggs are plentiful and
are going into storage. The Chinese
egg competes primarily with the stor
age egg. It bears the price paid the
Oregon egg producer by the storage
houses and cuts the price of the stor-
age eggs to the consumer in the
"Winter.
It is true that the war has shut off
the European market for lumber, but
it has not shut off the Eastern and
Middle Western markets. Under the
Underwood tariff those markets are
largely supplied by British Columbia
mills, while the Oregon and Wash
ington mills are working only to half
capacity. During the first nine months
of the Underwood tariff the. United
THJS BOT FROBLBSL
The Reverend Dr. Bryant does not
agree with Bernard Shaw and some
other great authorities about "the boy
problem." In his speech to the Inter
national Purity Congress at Kansas
City he advised fathers to "go swim
ming with their boys, run races with
them, play marbles with them i and
help them about the chores." This
course of strategy, he promised,
would smooth away the difficulties
with growing boys which beset every
household.
Booth -Tarklngton has elaborated
these difficulties amusingly in his
"Penrod." Anybody who does not feel
himself an adept In the psychology of
urchlndom is earnestly advised to
peruse that erudite story with fast
ing and. if necessary, with prayer.
Bernard Shaw gives advice exactly
the opposite of Dr. Bryant's. Accord
ing to him boys are the natural foes of
their fathers. Friendly advances from
the parental quarters are sure to be
misinterpreted as insidious ambushes.
It is almost as scandalous, he believes
for a youth to be on good terms with
his father as to be a favorite with
his teachers. It is well understood
by all red-blooded people that boys
who are not in perpetual trouble with
their teachers are milksops, mollycod
dies and weaklings. Much the same
rule applies to their relations with
parents.
How to reconcile these conflicting
views we cannotJ4magine, but it is
hardly likely thatb1he constant com
panionship of am adult Is best for a
growing boy. He needs the society
of his equals, partly for discipline,
partly for entertainment. There are
certain lessons which boys must learn
from boys or not at all. Among these
Is the Invaluable one of self-control as
well as that of "playing fair." A boy
who thoroughly learns to "play fair"
and live up to the rules in his games
is pretty certain to make a decent
member of society.
Adults have usually forgotten how
to teach this and other great moral
lessons to their boys. They make a
sad mess of It as often as they try,
Everyhody knows what a failure so
called "moral Instruction" often is in
schools. It is apt to be worse still in
the family. The best possible environ
ment for a growing boy is a group of
his own brothers and sisters with
plenty of wild young friends. -
JOSEPH CONRAD.
Literary exquisites are filling the
world just now with noise over
Joseph Conrad. Have you ever tried
to read any of his novels? Those
who have tried must understand ex
actly why people of superior taste
rant and rave about them. They are
ponderous, dull and perplexing. No
doubt Conrad is a great artist, but
he belongs to the school which is never
appreciated except by a precious an
vociferous few. His art is so esoteric
if it exists at all, that a person must
be born with a sixth sense to enjoy it
This is not the kind of art which
the world values permanently. Writ
era of the first rank appeal not to
an especially illuminated coterie, but
to all mankind. Such was Shakespeare
and such was Homer. The thin
voice which pipes to a chosen few in
a chastely darkened parlor may be
delightful in Its way, but it is not for
eternity. It will soon sink into silence.
An author must live in millions of
souls to make sure of immorality.
No artist is ever too great to be un
derstood and loved by the multitude.
If he stands aloof from the common
mind it is because of littleness, not
greatness.
The greatest novelists, like the
greatest poets, have been direct, simple
and intensely human. Balzac . and
Dickens were shining examples of
these qualities. Perplexities, obscuri
ties and riddles creep into the work
of pigmies. - The giants feel no need
of such helps. When a writer over
flows with his subject he has no
time to cultivate ponderousness. He
AN ENGLISH WAR, MANIAC.
An -Englishman named Wyatt, the
head of the British Navy League, has
a good deal to say In the Nineteenth
Century about war as the favorite
pastime of the Almighty. Mr. Wyatt's
intimacy . with the divine councils is
something astonishing. He not only
knows exactly how the Lord regards
war, but he also understands to the
last iota his reasons for encouraging It
"Efficiency in war," says Mr. Wyatt,
"Is God's test of a nation's soul." It
undoubtedly does test a nation's soul,
or rather its body, but we are in
quisitive to learn how Mr. Wyatt dis
covered that- it is the Almighty who
applies the test and delights in it-
Is he perfectly certain that It Is not
his Satanic Majesty? With which
potentate is war likely to be more
in harmony, the Prince of Peace who
romises in his own good time to
wipe away all tears from their eyes"
and provide a world where there Is
no more sorrow, or the monarch of the
inferno, who revels in evil?
My Wyatt, like all his kind, has
much to tell us about the "spiritual
qualities" which war enhances. Among
these are, if w may believe him.
intelligence, purity of public life.
chastity, industry," with most of the
other Christian virtues.
If you really want to make a man
tender-hearted, kind and pitiful, Mr.
Wyatt advises, set him at the business
of wholesale slaughter. It is wonder
ful what a refining effect bloodshed
will exert upon his baser nature. - We
should like to hear the apostles of
butchery explain how war does this,
and also how it promotes intelligence.
"Theirs not to reason why, says
Tennyson of the troops, "Theirs not
to make reply." The best soldier is
one who does not use his mind at
all but simply "does and dies." Doing
and dying are the soldier's business.
ot thinking. His superiors attend to
that for him. How can intelligence
grow if it Is never used?
We know far too well, moreover,
how warfare promotes "purity In
public life." Every big war recorded
in history has been followed by a
perfect orgy of public dishonesty. It
was so even in Japan, a nation which
had become famous for its. honesty be
fore lts war with Russia. Our own
Civil War preceded the worst out
break of domestic corruption we have
ever seen. History fails to sustain
Mr. Wyatt on any of these points, but
that will probably not worry him
much. War is the great maker of
history and militarists of the fanatic
kidney seldom shrink from doing the
same on their own account.
case of Belgium. Only superior force
would avail to ward off aggression.
France and Great Britain have been
unable to save Belgium from conquest
and devastation, though they are its
close neighbors, and, combined, have
a far more powerful army and navy
than the United States has. The Phil
ippines are 7000 miles distant from
the United States, across a. great
ocean. Japan, a great military and
naval power, is their close neighbor.
If Germany should come out victor
ious in the war, she would regain the
closely adjacent Caroline Islands and
might take such neighboring British
colonies as Hongkong, the Malay Pen
insula and Borneo. Should the allies
win, either Great Britain or Japan
would take the Carolines. China may
soon develop into a great military
power. The Philippines If independ
ent would thus be in constnt danger.
Such a state would be likely to give
frequent offense to its neighbors,
whose resentment would combine with
cupidity to prompt invasion.
It would then be incumbent upon
the United States to maintain a suf-
flcient naval and military force within
striking distance of the Philippines to
ward off invasion. A much larger
force than we now maintain in the
Orient would be necessary. Unless we
placed an army on the islands or in
close proximity, we should be at Ira
mense disadvantage In defending
them. They might be overrun and
subdued before our army could reach
them from the Pacific Coast. The
only alternative to a large increase in
our Army and Navy would be the
frank confession that the treaty guar
anteeing Independence was but a
"scrap of paper." Belgium's sad ex
perience proves that, in the absence of
a supporting force superior to that of
any nation disposed so to regard it.
the treaty would be nothing else.
Hence our own Interests as well as
those of the Filipinos dictate that we
should retain our present full control
over the Island until they have made
much progress In self-government and
until the world has much more regard
for the sanctity of treaties.
Half a Century Ago
From The Oregonian. November 10. 18M.
Found "not guilty" of tearing down
the American flag suspended In front
of the McClellan headquarters, Edward
Gibson, who says his grandfather
served on Washington's bodyguard dur
ing the Revolution, was yesterday sent
to jail for contempt of court. He was
Intoxicated at the time of his trial and
used abusive language to the complain
ing witness.
Death rides on every passing breesa.
He larks in every Uower;
He pops the Cops from right to left
To show his wondrous power.
Kentucky's "moonlight schools" con
tinue to shed a mild and beneficent
radiance. Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart
founded them. Grown men and
women attend them along with the
children. There are now 2000 of these
schools in the Kentucky mountains,
with 100,000 pupils, old and young.
Mrs. Stewart evidently knows how to
break the bread of life for the hungry.
Mcdellaiiltee.
E. S. McComaa, of La Grande, was In
town for a few days last week to se
cure press materials for a paper in that
city.
The excitement Incident to election
being over, our city has relapsed into
Its usual quietness. Campaign orators
have departed and bands of music are
heard no more.
Despite the stormy weather there was
a good crowa at the Willamette The
ater last night to see "Peer and the
Pedler."
The last day or two we have been
having a foretaste of coming events
in the shape of downpourlng rain. Our
streets are very muddy and there are
many places where an Inventive mind
might suggest Improvements.
Olympla, Nov. 9. Information has
been received from the Snohomish
River to the effect that three white
persons and one Indian have been
killed in Indian troubles in that vi
cinity.
The Oregonian has a larger circula
tion than any other paper In the states
and is the only newspaper which pays
the Internal revenue tax required from
papers with a circulation greater than
2000 copies.
Mrs. Elizabeth C Dodge, wife of John
W. Dodge, died suddenly Wednesday
morning. Mrs. Dodge was 30 years
old. With her husband 8he came here
from New York City.
V
Th counties giving majorities in fa
vor of Lincoln loot up 2100 In favor
of the Union cause, less the small
Democratic majorities in Linn, Ben
ton, Jackson, Josephine and Lane
counties.
COURTS DEVOTED TO BUT ONE EXD
Feellniro of Witness Subordinate, to
Troth and Justice Toward Accused.
PORTLAND. Nov. 10. (To the Ed
itor.) If there Is any man who de
serves the confidence of this commu
nity it is Judge McGinn, always sympa
thetic with the unfortunate and op
pressed; always fearless to do his duty
politically, socially or Judicially. I am
a believer In giving a man credit for
his life record. Of what value Is char
acter If It Is not to count in a moment
of excitement.
The people have their eyes focused
on a little girl witness in a delinquency
case. she Is hysterical and it seems
to me the public is becoming so. The
vital point is overlooked that the courts
of justice have only one end in view:
Truth and the protection of the inno
cent. That is supreme. Witnesses and
their feelings are nothing compared to
the truth and to giving the accused
such a trial as will prevent the convic
tion of the innocent.
No witness has a right to more than
protection from abuse and unlawful
questions. I would absolutely and im
plicltly trust Judge McGinn to Bee that
any witness before him was protected
so far as the law permitted in the in
lerest of truth, but I repeat, the object
of a trial Is not to spare the feelings of
witnesses, but to elicit truth and pro
tect the accused, who Is presumed to
be Innocent until proved guilty. To
Twenty-Five Years Ago
CONSEQUENCES OP TARIFF CHANGE
Contemporary Places) AH Failures at
This Is an age of experiment with
courts. We have grown familiar with
public defenders, juvenile courts and
courts of morals. Now comes Cleve
land with a "court of concilliation.
It is the old-fashioned arbitration
process between neighbors reduced to
a system, and it is said to save law
yers fees and reconcile enemies.
Our farmers need no longer fear
Australian competition In the food
market. That loyal colony now de
clines to ship grain, and coal, too, any
where outside the British Empire.
England owes a heavy debt to her
colonies in this war, and the hope of
their disloyalty has been a false lure
for her foes.
WARNING IN BELGIUM'S FATE.
Belgium's experience with neutral
ity guaranteed by all the powers of
Europe has a direct bearing on Demo
cratic policy toward the Philippines.
It is proposed that we give the Islands
self-government under an American
Governor, who is to have a veto on
the acts of the Legislature, while the
President Is to have a second veto
This Is little more than the suzerainty
under which Great Britain placed the
Transvaal and which culminated in
the Boer war. But this form of con
trol Is admitted to be only a prelude
to Independence under a guaranty in
which the United States is to ask the
European powers to join. The
experience of Belgium shows of how
little value are such guaranties.
Belgium la a highly-civilized, peace-
loving country, which had scrupulous
ly regarded the obligations imposed on
it by the guaranty of its independ
ence. When war between France and
Germany impended, Belgium called on
both powers to renew their pledge.
France did so, but Germany did not.
Germany's plea of military necessity
and her description of the neutrality
treaty as a "scrap of paper" prove to
be mere afterthoughts of her charges
that Belgium was already acting in
concert with France and Britain to
violate the treaty. In resisting Ger-
Men who should be better employed
splitting wood, for example are fig
uring the increase in the cost of liv
ing since the war began. Just for a
change, they might estimate "the In
crease in cost of dying in Europe
since the war began.
Vale retains the county seat of Mal
heur, and Ontario must get along
without whatever advantages accrue
to possession of offices and office
holders. As a .lively commercial town
this should be easy.
That Harmony Club of gubernatorial
candidates must not dissolve. It can
be the nucleus for a grand organiza
tion in 1916, when Oregon shall go
Republican "from top to bottom."
The commander at Beirut, who
threatens to kill three Christians for
every Mussulman killed in bombard
ment will find himself boiling in oil
just after the allies get him.
Fond parents are admonished
against using baby . talk to their
tender progeny. When we recover
from that habit we'll be admonished
against monosyllables.
The catch of cod around the Grand
Banks this season is about 20 per cent
short, but there is enough to let the
many. Belgium was only performing brain-forming flshball penetrate to this
rir rtntv n a. nentrnl- 1unt A i Swit?.pr- I vOiou
land performed hers in 1870 by dis
arming Bourbaki's army when it en
tered Swiss territory.
Judge Peter S. Grosscup's plea that.
although Belgium was under no duty
to Germany to grant her transit, she
was under no duty to England or
France to resist it by force" is refuted
by the historians and text-writers of
Germany. Oppenhelm says the rights
and duties of neutralized states in
time of war impose "not only the ob
ligation not to assist either belligerent.
but likewise the obligation to prevent
them from making use of the neutral
territory for their military purposes."
Professor Bluntschll, of Heidelberg,
even held that a neutralized state
which was powerless to defend Its own
neutrality lost by that fact its charac
ter as a neutral. Aside from the spe
cial treaty of neutrality signed in 1831
and reaffirmed in 1839 and 1870, Bel
gium was bound by The Hague treaty
of 1907. The fifth article of that
treaty reads:
A neutral state ' shall not allow on Its
territory any of the acts mentioned in arti
cles 2 to 1
Article 2 reads:
Belligerents are forbidden to send troops
or convoys either of munitions of war or of
provisions tnrougn ine territory ot a neutral
state. ,
Article 10 Justifies the resistance of
Belgium to German invasion, not only
by organized troops, but by popular
uprising of civilians, for It reads:
The act by a neutral state of resisting any
violation of Its neutrality, even by force of
arms, cannot be regarded as an act of
hostility.
When the rights of a neutral, so
highly civilized, so carefully observant
of its obligations, as Belgium
are violated by one of the signatories
of the neutrality treaty and of The
Hague treaty, what assurance should
we have that a treaty guaranteeing
the independence of the Philippines
would be observed whenever the inter
est of any power required its violation ?
Unlike Belgium, the Philippines would
be a semi-barbarous state most of its
people uneducated, and would prob
ably be careless of international obli
gations. Its rulers would be likely to
give frequent cause of complaint to
other states, and any nation with ag
gressive designs against it would have
little difficulty in finding far more
plausible cause for violation of its
neutrality than Germany found In the
The supreme agony in Nevada cen
ters on the count in which Newlands
Is two votes ahead of his Republican
opponent and all returns not in.
Henry Lane Wilson says a Re-
publican administration alone can
straighten .Mexico out. But can
Mexico survive two years longer?
Few signs of war are visible in
Berlin. However, the Czar is going to
do his best to change the " aspect of
things In the Teuton capital.
Oregon will continue to hang some
of the people who deserve hanging,
barring temporary aberration around
the executive's office.
The Emden did not last. So will it
be with the Leipzig and Karlsruhe
and others, for the British navy is
bulldoggy.
Door of European War.
Sclo Tribune.
In the campaign ot two years ago.
all parties demanded a reduction of
the tariff. President Wilson owes his
election to the fact that the Republi
can party, when Mr. Taft was their
nominee, had promised a reduction and
had failed to make the promise good.
Everybody remembers the Payne-Aldrich
tariff which, instead of a reduc
tion, was an actual increase.
When the Democrats came Into
power they actually made their prom
lses good by reducing the duty on im
ports substantially 50 per cent. By
the time the reduced tariff was in full
operation, the European war was on
and which placed an embargo upon the
importation of European-made goods.
This should have pleased our Republi
can friends, because it served the same
end as a prohibitory tariff would. It
protected the American manufacturer
in that he had exclusive control of the
American markets.
But this is not what the American
manufacturer wanted. He wanted the
European market open to his wares at
the world's established prices and the
American markets at the world prices
plus the tariff.
Wool was placed on the free list, yet
owing to the demand the price went
up instead of down. Likewise lumber
was placed on the free list. But as
the war shut off the European market
the demand for lumber is limited to
domestic consumption. As a conse
quence, some of our lumber plants
have closed down. The same Is true
of Canadian mills. Whenever the Eu
ropean market for lumber Is open
again our mills will have all they
can do.
The Oregonian has been howling Its
head off because Chinese eggs and
New Zealand butter has been sold in
our markets. At the same time we
people who have to buy butter and
eggs are paying as highly as before
these commodities were placed upon
the free list.
The fact of the matter is. the tariff
has but little influence in the price of
commodities. The law of supply and
demand controls prices. With a good
demand good prices prevail and vice
versa. A high or low tariff makes but
little difference.
Another of The Oregonian's griev
ances is the war tax in time of
peace. To get a revenue from the tar
iff foreign-made goods must be Im
ported. The war. prohibiting the Im
portation of these goods, bars all reve
nue therefrom. Hence, the money to
replace this falling off of Importations
must come from some other source.
Now that the election is over. If The
Oregonian Is honest, it will admit this
fact and so state the same in its columns.
A tariff may be either too high or
too low to be a revenue producer. If
too high, no goods will be Imported
and no revenue will be produced. If
too low, the cost of collecting the rev
enue will consume all of the money
arising therefrom. Hence a middle
ground Is necessary to produce a prof
itable revenue. The Oregonian knows
this statement is true and will admit
its truth when the partisan campaign
Is over.
President Wilson and a Democratic
Congress have endeavored to make
their campaign promisee good. They
are not to blame because an European
war has defeated what, under ordinary
conditions. would have resulted in
lower prices to the consumer and an
abundant revenue for the Government.
The foregoing article and the com
ment appearing In another column are
printed by request.
From The Oregonian of November 0. 1SS9.
President Harrison has slsrned and
issued a proclamation admitting Mon
tana to the Union. Governor-elect
Joseph A Toole was inaugurated No-
vemDer o at Helena.
New York Solomon Hirsch. of Port
land, Or, United States Minister to Tur
key, sails tomorrow on the Etruria for
his new post of duty. Among those woo
sai-a rarewell in New York, last nleht.
was Judge Lachman. whose mother is
a sister of the new Minister.
A banquet was given to P. T. Barnum
last night in London. Among those
present were Lord Randolph Churchill,
i-ri Charles Beresford, the Roth
schilds. Sir John Faller. George Au
gustus ala and many others of prom
inence. Mr. Gladstone and Lord Aber
deen sent letters of regret.
Olympia. Wash. Governor Uilea C.
Moore has issued a Thankssrivlnz nroc
tarnation, it Is the last that will ever
te issued by the territorial Governor.
O. C. White, Secretary of the Territory.
eiccuiea me document
Among others who will pontrihnta
articles to The Sunday Oregonian next
ounuay are Andrew Lang. Bret Harte,
Professor Georee Evem Prnf.nr v.
this end tho law. th rnnnsol and th I H- House, formerly of the Roval Collesra
court are often pitiless and it is right ano. v rank li. carpenter.
tbey should be so.
Pity for a witness cannot be allowed
to prevent justice. This girl was a
part of the whole transaction and
though she may suffer in a public ex
posure it cannot be supposed the truth
will De lost because she testifies alone.
Surely she can tell the whole facts and
that is the whole point of the matter.
On the other hand, I can well see that
If supported in the courtroom by women
in official position, or of Influential po
sitlon. the weight of their presence and
sympathy would be added to her testi
mony before the jury. I can see she
might be strongly tempted to justify
herself before her guardians and per
haps to stick to a garbled version she
had once privately told them in at
tempting to justify herself to them.
These are mere assumptions on my
part. I can see If the bars are let down
for one it -opens the way for all.
My two points, however, are: First,
that the law is made for the accused,
not for witnesses: second. I trust Henry
McGinn implicitly.
As to what is a public trial within
the meaning of the constitution; as to
the wisdom of excluding the public -in
order to spare a witness or to preserve
the public themselves, I say nothing.
To me this case is but as a grain of
sand on the ocean beach. There are
millions of delinquent girls and boys:
millions of wretched homes unfit for
girlhood or manhood and without a
ray of Joy. These trials and the laws
from which they spring deal with ef
fects. They do not even touch or hint
at the root cause: Poverty enforced.
degrading, sunless poverty, impossible
to avoid. Abolish poverty, reconstruct
society on the lines of economic jus
tice; give the boys and girls every
where an equal chance In life not the
fictitious equal chance which cheap
iaisity is prated about by wordy ora
tors, but a real economic equal oppor
tunity at the earth and all the sources
of wealth. In a word, abolish law-made
special privilege everywhere. But in
ll this hysteria over one poor. little
grain-of-sand witness, the millions of
cases of degradation and their cause.
enforced poverty, are lost sight of: the
radical cause of enforced poverty in the
masses law-given monopoly of natural
opportunities Is not even mentioned
The world always acts upon emotion
never on reason. C. E. S. WOOD.
Bryan's candidate. Villa, will be
president yet. That's the only way
Mexico will ever get rid of the pest.
The Belgian relief commission now
has 50,000 sacks of wheat on hand.
Enough to feed the chickens.
Place It in "Bob" Burdette's epi
taph that he did good, in the world in
light and serious veins.
Great Britain Is ready to fight In
definitely. The war bids fair to last
that long.'
Buena Vista School Not First.
EUGENE, Or., Nov. 9. (To the Edi
tor.) Under date of November 7 there
appears in The Oregonian an article In
which the Buena Vista school In Polk
County claims to have the first standard
school In the state this year. On No
vember S Lane County had 12 standard
schools that the writer knows of. The
first was Wendling- which was
standardized on September 17.
Instead of being first. Buena Vista
would have guessed closer if they said
12th .in the state. Lane not only had
the first standard school in the state,
but is leading the state in the number
of such schools by a wide margin.
A. L O'REILLY.
British trade Journals predict a
great trade revival. Well, we hope so.
Be careful, Mexico, or we may have
to resume our watchful waiting.
Society Note From Boston.
- Boston Transcript.
"There's only wan thing Ol hov
against liquor." "An phwat's that.
O'Brien?" "Enure, if -1 dhrink beer Ol
get full before O'm dhrunk. an' If Ol
dhrink whisky Oi get dhrunk before
O'm full."
Anyway, the next Legislature Is one
of which we need have no fears.
The competent person is well along
with the Christmas shopping.
Vertical Circles Guide Aviators,
London Telegraph.
Vertical circles of electric lights
have been erected at Berlin to guide
aviators, who can tell how near they
are to the ground by observing the
angles of the circles.
GREAT RIDDLE NEAR SOLUTION
Atomic Chemists at Point of Important
Discovery Concerning Life.
PORTLAND, Nov. 10. (To the Edl
tor.) Relative to your very interest
lng article in The Oregonian Sunday
entitled "All Is One." nerailt me to sav
that it is. a long reach in the scientific
world from the hypotheses of Leibnitz.
Spinoza, Spencer and Haeckel and the
actual scientific demonstrations made
possible by the recent discovery of the
atom of chemical reaction a particle
of matter so lnf initesimally small that
50,000,000 of them can rest comfortably
in a one-nan ounce bottle of uncom
pressed air.
This discovery has opened up a new
rieia in tne investigation of cosmical
energy which has made it possible for
tne, atomic chemist to unravel many
phenomena concerning matter that
were in the realm of speculation but
yesterday. So rapidly are the atomic
chemists wresting the secrets from
Mother Nature's laboratory it is Impos
sible for a layman to keep pace with
mem, out tne following facts concern
lng the atom of chemical reaction
might prove of interest to your readers:
It is known that each of these atoms
contains one or more corpuscles of
hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and electric
ity, respectively, and it is hypothecated
that traces of all the other elements
are Inherent in each of these atoms.
Because these atoms of chemical reac
tlon are found to be the same in both
organic and inorganic matter.
It is known that the hydrogen of
tnese atoms nas DOtn an acid and a
negative reaction, and that the oxygen
has both a positive and an alkali re
action, and these conditions make pos
siDie an tne energy of the cosmos.
wnetner that energy be expressed in
the lightning's flash, the trolly wire.
the steam engine, the ether waves, or
tne metaDOiism or organic bodies.
This chemical law that each atom
possesses a definite capacity for com
blning with other atoms is known to
chemists as the law of valency, and
the atom of chemical reaction that has
the combining power with only one
atom or nyarogen is termed, "nnlva
lent ; if with two atoms of hydrogen
It is termed "bivalent"; if with three
atoms of hydrogen, "trivalent." and
with four atoms of hydrogen, "quadrl
vaient.
Hydrogen is taken as the bas In the
law or valency because of its great
ainnity tor ail compounds of the ele
ments.
I his brings us to your question
riow can tne state of consciousness
within one atom be transferred to an
other?" It Is surely no more of a phe
nomenon for the atom of chemical re
action to transfer consciousness and all
it implies life and intelligence than
for it simply to transfer energy. The
most advanced students of the atomic
theory are now convinced that life is
latent in inorganic matter, and Pro
fessor Henderson, of Harvard. n
nounced in a lecture before a body of
scientists, not long since, that he ex
pected to furnish absolute proof of
this in the near future. The writer has
long known this to be true, and has a
hypothesis of his own to prove it, but.
as Kipling would say. "That's another
story." so we win let that pass. But,
wum x uo wiBa o empnasize here is
that mysticism In all its forms is
rapidly being cleared away before the
crucible, test-tube and microscope of
the scientist, and that the human un-
aerstanaing mind, lr you please is
infinite in its possibilities, and that it
is only limited by its environments In
cluding superstitions, fossilized cus
toms and asceticism.
ALVTN HECKETHOEX,
Z11H second street.
Al Werlein. secretary of th Owl hi.
Issued a call for a special meeting for
Sunday afternoon.
The President Is awaltlner the arrl-val
of Binger Hermann to make a lot of
Federal appointments in Oregon.
Under the auspices of th Tounz-
Men's Christian Association a week of
prayer has been inaugurated at the
tabernacle. Tenth and Morrison streets.
Senator" Morgan yesterday signed
articles for a ten-mile race with A. G.
Kennedy, a trick bicyclist
J- W. Casey has been appointed trav
eling passenger agent of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul In the North Pa
cific territory with headquarters in
Portland.
Nellie Blackburn has offered her res
ignation as a teacher in the seventh
grade. Park School.
Sunol, the celebrated Palo Alto three-
year-old. trotted a mile In 2:10 V, In
San Francisco, yesterday, beating the
time of the great AxtelL Axtell's time
was 2:12.
Christine Nillson will probably make
a farewell tour of the United States
this Winter.
George W. McCoy, the job printer.
says hundreds of lots are being sold in
Wheatland Addition on Mount Tabor.
A meeting of Englishmen was called
by Charles Williams last night for the
purpose of organizing a lodge of the
Sons of St. George. F. Vivian was ap
pointed treasurer pro tern.
Ray W. Steel, youngest son of Mr.
and Mrs. David Steel, has been criti
cally ill for several days.
The transcript of the will of Mrs.
Anna Ferry was filed for probate yes
terday. The deceased was the first wife
of Clinton P. Ferry, the "Duke of Ta-
coma." The will was admitted by Judge
Catlin and, as the Rev. T. L Eliot, H.
W. Corbett and C. P. Ferry, named as
executors, had declined to qualify, T.
W. Gillette was appointed in their
stead.
And Just as the world, had forgotten
Australia was on the map.
The naval trouble Is beginning
range into the canal region.
to
Peaceful Mexico, how tranquil &he Is.
, Glass Mirrors of Long Ago.
London Chronicle.
The discovery in an Austrian ceme
tery of glass mirrors dating from the
second or third century upsets the
theory that the ancients depended on
polished metal to see themselves.
PARK BLOCKS BELONG TO CITY
t'ae as Flayarround While School Yard
Is Protected Is Opposed.
PORTLAND, Nov. 10. (To the Edi
tor.) The plaza block opposite the
Ladd school does not belong to that
school, but to the city, and citizens
who pass through it daily have some
right to consideration as well as the
school children. It was most gratify
ing to see that lately the Park De
partment had the ground seeded and
protected so that the grass might grow.
because during the time it was used
unrestrictedly as a play place for the
school children its appearance was a
disgrace to the city and to the sur
rounding property and certainly no
credit to the schools, as it was badly
kept and used and looKed like a
neglected chicken yard. At the same
time the grass on the ground sur
rounding the school Is in good condi
tio", the children evidently not being
allowed to run and play on it. Why
not let them do so for awhile and give
the plaza block a chance to recover?
The plaza blocks are under the care
of the Park Department, and the re
buke administered to "the unsatisned.
at the recent recall election, should
prove to even the densest mind that
the great majority of the people of
Portland are wining to allow tne
Mayor and Commissioners to run the
city, and that they have faith in their
ability to do so without the aid or
suggestions or oratory from 7-year-olds.
The principal ana teacners wno leu.
the delegation" to the City Hall might
be better employed than in wasting the
time of the city officials in this aosura
manner. The School Board had a 7Vi-
mill tax with which to run the schools
last year, and isn t this enough to
enable them to furnish breathing places
for the children without trying to
take the plaza blocks for the purpose?
TRANSLATED BY THE WAITER.
The Order Is Repeated to the Cook in
Sllshtly Different Lananage.
The Advance.
"Mutton broth In a hurry." says the
customer, "baa-oaa in tne rain: juaae
him run!" shouts the waiter.
"Beefsteak and onions, says tne
customer. "John Bull! Mane nim a
ginny!" shouts the waiter.
"Where s my Daxeo potatoes.' asxs
a customer. Airs, wurpny m .
skin coat!" shouts the waiter.
"Two fried eggs. Don't fry 'em too
hard." says the customer. "Adam ana
Even In the garden! Leave their eyes
open!" shouts the waiter.
"Poached eggs on toast, says mo
customer. "Bride ana groom on a rati
in the middle of the ocean!" shouts tne
waiter.
"Chicken croquets," says the custom
er.- r owl Dan: snouts tne iuiei.
"Hash," says the customer, "uentie-
man wants to take a chance!" shouts
the waiter. "I'll have hash, too, says
the next customer. "Another sport!"
shouts the waiter.
"Glass of milk," says a custonver.
'Let it rain!" shouts the waiter.
"Frankfurters and sauerkraut, good
and hot," says a customer, "r iao, fanep
and a bale of hay, shouts the waiter.
'and let 'em sizzle!"
Suffrage in Other States.
CAMAS. Wash.. Nov. 9. (To the Edi
tor.) Kindly advise me if Colorado is
a women 8 suffrage state, and, if so.
how long It has been. Also if Idaho
women had a right to vote in muni
cipal affairs 20 or S3 years ago?
RALPH M. SCOTT.
Colorado has had woman's suffrags
since 1893; Idaho since ISSt,
Charm of a Salesman.
Washington (D. C.) Star.
"Do you find that set of books you
bought interesting?" "Not very." con
fesssd the man who tries to improve
himself. "Do you regret yeur bar
gain?" "A little, rd feel better about
It if the man wno comes around to
collect were as good an entertainer as
the one who sold me the books."
Rent-Raisins; and War.
Puck.
Gaspard (the landlord) I've got to
raise your rent. Mr. Sullivan. Tenant
(sarcastically) I suppose the war is
to blame? Gaspard Certainly. Haven't
you read of the wholesale destruction
of houses in Belgium and the suburbs
of Paris?
i