6
- THE MORNING OltEGONIAJT, MONDAY. NOVEMBER 23, l0l4.
Wit
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PORTLAND. MONDAY, NOV., 23, IBM.
PRESIDENT WILSON.,
"The Oregonian gives the Wilson
A.d ministration credit now,'. says the
Salem Journal, "for one great bene
ficial act, though. It could not before
the election find anything connected
with it worthy of commendation."
The reference la to the new currency
act. -
The Journal's statement Is false.
The Oregonian has many times, be
fore election and after, commended
the. currency act as a great and valua
ble piece of constructive legislation,
for which the President is entitled to
unqualified praise. It has given en-
dorsement of the original Wilson anti---trust
measures, though it knew that
Industry was sick and business every
where weary of constant legislative
agitation; but it has disapproved the
measures as finally modified and
weakened by Congress, with the
President's consent. It would ap
prove other Administrative policies, if
It could, for .It has a greater Interest
Jn the prosperity of the country and
the wellbeing of Its people than it has
in the fortunes of any political party;
but it must say that President Wilson,
handicapped-, by a Democratic Con-,
gress, and influenced by Democratic
leaders, has fallen far short of its ex
pectations. The President " and his
Administration cannot escape respon
sibility for the depressed industrial
condition of the country today, except
In so far as the foreign war divides the
burden, and he can hardly point to
one important act where he has risen
above the requirements of the nar
rowest and strictest partisanship.
A striking illustration of President
Wilson's complete subservience to the
Democratic party was afforded in the
recent campaign when he. wrote let
ters of Indorsement for various Demo
cratic candidates because of their sup
port of "me" the word is the Presi
dent's and gave a blanket approval
to all the rest. In Alaska, for example,
he gave specific indorsement to the
Democratic : candidate for Congres
sional delegate against James Wick
ersham, independent, who had gen
erally taken a stand with the Fresi
ment in Congress; , and in Washing
ton he found a way of sending word
to the people that he desired the
Democratic candidate for Senator, of
wnom ne naa proDamy never perore
heard, to be elected. So It was every
where. There was not a syllable of
pnrnlra.fipmnt for nnv PpnnhHcfln nr
any Progressive" who had Ignored
partisanship, and had supported the
President in his trust bills, currency
measure and the Mexican war. Not
a (word.
Probably it will be said, that the
President was Justified in asking the
country to elect a Democratic Con
gress, for the return of a Republican
or a Progressive majority would have
been a distinct repudiation of him and
his Administration. So it would have
been; arrd so indeed it was, in so far
8s there was a great reduction in tht
Democratic majority. But that doesi
not excuse the definite descent of tho
President into personal politics, whloli
he displayed by his participation In
Individual campaigns, nor his failure,
or refusal, to credit any others but
Democrats with useful and disinter
ested public service. We doubt If any
other President in recent years has
permitted his office and his Presi
dential influence to be -used to the
same unlimited extent, and in the
same wholesale way, for various can
didates, no matter whom, so long as
they were Democrats. Not Roose
Tyelt, nor Taft has given any such ex
hibition of definite partisan feeling
and purpose.
It will not be forgotten that Presi
dent Roosevelt publicly refused to go
to a banquet at Chicago unless Sen
ator Lorimer were excluded; but no
one has heard that President Wilson
refused to break political bread with
the unsavory Sullivan, Democratic
candidate for United States Senator In
Lorimer's state. " If President Wilson
has at any time appointed a member
of any other political party to promi
nent place, as President Taft and
President Roosevelt repeatedly did.
we should be glad to -be corrected by
our little Salem critic. None but
Democrats are now on Ernnrri anH fw
uui ooucnern uemocrats. Yet Presi
dent Taft appointed a Democrat to the
greatest office within his gift the
Chief Justiceship of. the United States.
The Oregonian has a clear convic
tion that the Democratic tariff policy
is a disastrous mistake; and it is sure
that the majority of the people share
its opinion. It believes' a moderate
protective tariff not a high protective
tariff, nor any partisan tariff is
necessary to our prosperity. A sclen
tlfic tariff, framed by experts, who are
not controlled by politics, is the
greatest need of the day, except inter
national peace. Both Taft and Roose
velt urged a non-partisan tariff board
on . Congress. President Wilson has
done nothing of the kind, but helped
to frame, and signed, a tariff meas
ure, largely favorable (o Southern in
dustry, and prepared by the same
rlurasy and discriminative methods
followed In previous years by all po
litical parties. "
The Oregonian believes in peace,
but deplores and condemns peace at
any price. It believes in peace with
Mexico, but it would not obtain pres
ent peace with Mexico at- the cost of
overwhelming Vuln of that country
and future necessity by this country
to save what Is left of the wreck, for
our own security and protection. It
thinks the Wilson policy toward Mex
ico has been marked by deplorable
vacillation and by lamentable and In
excusable evasion of, our clearduty
before the world. No weak nation!
can be a great nation; and a nation's
strength or weakness is to be meas
ured exactly by the strength, or weak
ness of its foreign policies. We shall
pay for Mexico in the end.
We should be pleased to be in
formed by our Salem neighbor, or by
any one, what President Wilson has
done for . the civil service, and what
he has done against the spoilsmen.
What has he done for economy in
public administration? What has he
done to destroy the pork barrel?
What has he done to prevent the
gross discrimination against the negro
in public office? What has he done
for the landless people of the country,
who are trying to get homes on the
public domain? What has he done
for National preparedness for possible
war? What, above all, has he done
for a Greater America?
- NO HOPE COR WETS.
Enter technicalities into the prohi
bition question. Mr. Oak Nolan, a
Portland lawyer,' has discovered a
mare's nest of them Which he presents
for general edification of the public in
a letter printed on this page today.
Mr. Nolan reasons that the people
in adopting the home rule amendment
conferred upon municipalities exclu
sive power to permit or prohibit the
manufacture or sale of liquor with
in their limits; that this was a consti
tutional grant under which numerous
cities have acted in good faith; and
that it would be retroactive and there
fore ineffectual legislation to attempt
to prohibit the manufacture or sale of
liquor in those cities which have af
firmatively permitted it by charter or
ordinance.
But it so happens that the state
cannot surrender its sovereignty to the
municipalities and that that sover
eignty in this state resides in the peo
ple. The Supreme Court in construing
the home rule amendment has said in
one case:
"They (the people) have retained
unto themselves, under the initiative
and referendum provisions of the con
stitution, power to create, amend or
annul a municipal charter, though de
nying that privilege to their represen
tatives through which they commonly
speak." In other words, the Legis
lature may not amend or annul a city
charter, but the people of the whole
state may. The prohibition amend
ment specifically repeals all city char
ter and ordinance provisions in con
flict therewith. The grant of exclusive
authority over liquor regulation was
subject to the sovereign right of the
people and that sovereign right they
have now exercised.
Without a doubt every city and
town in Oregon will go dry January 1,
1916, regardless of its charter or or
dinance provisions. '
COME TO THE AID Op BELGIUM.
Oregon must not be behind other
states in the work of relieving the
dire need of Belgium. The move
ment begun by the local relief com
mittee, of which Samuel.Hlll is chair
man, should receive the united, whole
hearted 'support of every Oregonian.
Support should take the practical
form of donations to the extent of
each- person's. ability. If a ship loaded
with Oregon's bounty can arrive in
Belgium about Christmas it iwlll cheer
many a sad heart la the brave, war-
stricken little country and will evoke
blessings on Oregon which will en
hance the Christmas joy of every
giver.
It is Badly true that 'we have at
home many in need and that our own
prosperity is at a low ebb," but by
comparison with Belgium's plight,
Oregon Is revelling in abundance.
While not neglecting to care for our
own . poor, we ' should share in the
work of providing for people reduced
in a few months from prosperity
to utter destitution many without
homes, ' many "without clothes suffi
cient to combat frost and snow, many
without fuel and almost all dependent
on the world's bounty for food.
The United States as the greatest
and richest neutral nation gladly takes
the only part it can in this hideous
war the part of the one who, with
out inquiring into the merits ,of the
quarrel, strives to alleviate its horrors.
Our surgeons and nurses are on every
battlefield, our Ambassadors and Con
suls have become ambassadors of
mercy, our citizens abroad .are labor
ing continuously to relieve suffer
ing. Those, wjio remain snug in their
own homes'- Mtnnot do less than put
the means in the hands, of these noble
men and women to rout hunger, cold
and disease when they attack the in
nocent victims of war.
Portland, as the metfopolis of Ore
gon, should lead the way by giving
without stint and by enabling the
Belgian relief committee to charter a
ship and to load it to the guards with
Oregon's gifts. . Through the proposed
public meeting, through the churches
and through every public organiza
tion, the people of all creeds and
races should do their prt. There is
no occasion to wait v for the public
meeting or for Belgian Sunday at the
churches. Donations should be sent
now to Samuel Hill at the Home Tele
phone building.
IKE COMMONWEALTH ' CONFERENCE.
By preliminary discussion of three
of the most important subjects with
which the Oregon legislature will be
called upon to deal,. Bie Common
wealth Conference at Eugene will
crystallize public opinion and will lay
down the lines upon which the men
most deeply interest in and most con
versant with those svjbjects believe
that legislation should be drawn. The
subjects are all pressing for action.
We have unemployment every Win
ter, but in the coming Winter ,lt
threatens to come in aggravated form.
The need of economy in public affairs
was never more acutely felt, and the
pledges of Governor-elect Withycombe
and of the elected legislators Justify
belief that much practical gain can
be made. Development of hydro-electric
power promises to proceed rap
idly, for the powersite leasing bills
are likely to become law before March.
The' three topics are closely allied,
for power development win, by in
creasing manufactures and by improv
ing rural conditions, go far to reduce
unemployment. Public economy will
be promoted, for expansion of indus
tries will add to the resources which
contribute to maintenance of the
state government. The burden of
taxation can be lightened by direct
reduction in state expenses, but It can
be lightened still further by increas
ing the aggregate wealth which car
ries it.
. Free discussion .by such a body as
the Commonwealth Conference should
lead to conclusions which will serve
as a useful guide to legislation. The
work of the conference is In the line
of true progress, as distinguished from
spurious progress which consists in
tearing up the defective machine we
have and putting a worse In its place.
j.It will bring to light what steps are
real progress and what steps would be
actual retrogression.
v
. THE OREGON AND THE CANAL.
There is little incongruity in a man
of peace like President Wilson open
ing the Canal from the; deck of a bat
tleshipv With half the world at war and
the other half wondering when it shall
be dragged into the conflict, the bat
tleship properly must displace the
merchantman, and in this event it
will, for the leader of the armada
will be the Oregon on what is to be
her final cruise.
Justly It may be said .the Oregon
built the Canal. Harking back six
teen years, men will recall her as she
lay at Bremerton, fitting for the long
est cruise of her class, and nobody
can forget the interest in her trip
from San Francisco, down the west
coast, through the Straits of Magellan
and north to Key West, where she
arrived " fit as a fiddle " in time to
take part in the battle that settled
the war.
That trip was forceful presentation
of the need of the Canal and it was
built. Now the time of her passage
from ocean, to ocean of sixty-eight
days is reduced to much less number
of hours, and". the glory is hers. She
made a chapter of history of the
United States and she will be remem
bered . a -thousand years after "her
tattered ensign" shall be lowered.
ONE BABBIT; J100.
Oregon has more rabbits than the
state wants. There is even a demand
that a bounty be put on scalps. In
some sections they are not merely a
nuisance, they are a costly evil.
New Jersey, however, loves rabbits.
The state has gone in for rabbit con
servation. There Is an open season
on rabbits and also a closed season.
The bloodthirsty culprit who destroys
a long-eared bunny in closed season
may be fined J100 or sent to Jail for
ninety days. He will get worse punr
ishment if he slays with a repeating
rifle instead of a shotgun.
If a rabbit is destroying cabbages
in a New Jersey garden the owner of
the premises may write to Trenton for
a permit to trap the animal. He may
get the permit and he may not. If he
receives the permit he may capture
the rabbit alive, provided the rabbit
has not by that time eaten all the
garden truck and gone elsewhere. If
captured . the rabbit must be turned
over to the state. - '
There our information ends. What
the state does with the live rabbit 4s
not told by the exchange which gives
us this valuable information, for there
seems to be more interest in the rigors
of the law just now than in the fate
of the rabbit. The finger .of scorn is
pointed at New Jersey because a
Plainfield boy has been sent to Jail for
120 days' for killing with a repeating
rifle one rabbit that was digging up
hi3 mother's garden.
The facts are chiefly valuable in
offering a possible ' solution of the
ribbit problem in Eastern Oregon. If
New Jersey wants rabbits, New Jer
sey may 'have ours. Let the New
Jersey rabbit commission or whatever
they call the distinguished body which
rules over the destinies of the pests
which New Jersey thinks are game
animals, come to Oregon and .get "em.
They are theirs for nothing.
MILL MAN WHIPSAWED.
The comforting thoughts come from
the Scio Tribune that the increase in
Importations of Canadian lumber are
not due to tariff revision, but to ex
haustion of the forests of the North
Central states and to prohibitory
prices demanded for timber by the
forest barons of Oregon ' and AVash
lngton. But is It not somewhat strange that
these factors became influential ex
actly at the time the Underwood law
became effective. That was on Oc
tober 3, 1913. In the nine months of
1913 ending September 30, or three
days before the new tariff law became
effective, the British Columbia ex
ports of timber products to the United
States had a total value of $1,325,023.
In the corresponding" period of 1914,
under the operations of the Under
wood law, British Columbia exported
timber products to the United States
having a total value of $4,021,635.
Here is disclosed an increase of
lumber imports from British Colum
bia of J2.696.612, Immediately follow
ing the enactment of the new tariff
law. ,
Our contemporary Is reminded that
attempt to exact an excessive price for
a product, of which crime he accuses
the Oregon and Washington "timber
"barons," is only profitable in event
there is a monopoly or a prospective
one In that product. That there Is
not a monopoly .is indicated by the
inroads of British Columbia lumber
manufacturers at the American mar
kets. The case proves itself. British
Columbia has enough virgin timber
to defeat any profit from hold-up tac
tics in this country" during a period
that will outlast the lifetime of any
of our "timber "barons." - Nobody will
hold timber for fun. Moreover, the
depression in the lumber industry is
affecting as seriously those American
mills which own their own timber and
bought when it was much cheaper. -
Our kind neighbors across the line,
too, have whipsawed us by making It
impossible for our mills to buy,thelr
cheaper logs. They have put an ex
port tax on logs that is practically
prohibitive, while they absolutely pro
hibit the export of unmanufactured
cedar. This .practice tends to make
logs stilll cheaper for the British Co
lumbia millman, while his cheaper
labor and open American market put
him in clover.
If our friend Is in doubt" about the
accuracy of the statements herein let
him apply to the Department of Com
merce at. Washington for the report
of Consul Mansfield, of Vancouver, on
the subject. Mr. Mansfield, after dis
cussing the embargo on log exports
from British Columbia, remarks that
"The removal of the duty on shingles
and certain grades of lumber Import
ed into the United States has enabled
the British Columbia manufacturers
to compete successfully -with the mills
of the Pacific .Coast states, and has
been a factor in Increasing the export
trade in this class of products."
But possibly our Scio neighbor does
not care anything about It. He asks
"If they (shingles) have been sold at
prices which have caused the Oregon
and Washington shingle weavers to
limit their output, who but the North
west consumers have been benefit
ed?" As for ourselves, our sympa
thies extend not solely to the lumber
consumers, but to the grocer, the
Dutcner, tie shoe dealer, the ' dry
goods merchant, the farmer, the fruit
grower, and. the many others whose
prosperity is diminished by the paraf
ysis of one of our most important In
dustries. ,
Yes, we even have some sympathy
a
for the carpenter. Cheap lumber and
cheap shingles have not made times
better for him. Generally he Is look
ing for a Job. Building has greatly
fallen off in spite of the fact that "it
is a good time to build." The con
sumer who is benefiting from cheaper
shingles and cheaper lumber is mighty
rare, and those ..who are suffering
from the same causes are without
number. -
RUSSIAN EGGS, NOT SOLDIERS.
An musing explanation is offered
of the rumor that Russian troops had
passed through. Great Britain to
France. It is that a London provi
sion merchant was expecting a large
consignment of, eggs from Scotland.
Not receiving them, he telegraphed to
his Scotch agent: "Have not received
any eggs." The reply was, "Fifty
thousand Russians arriving tonight."
A clerk who saw the telegram is sup
posed to have assumed that the 50,000
were soldiers, not eggs, and to have
spread the news.
The false rumor grew and gained
circumstantiality as it spread. Defi
nite statements were made that the
Russians had embarked at Archangel,
landed at Aberdeen and been trans-'
ported by rail to the English. Channel.
Private letters were received in this
country stating that the writers had
actually seen trainloads of Russians.
Perhaps they did, but the Russians
seem to have been eggs, not soldiers.
As implements of offense dirigible
balloons have achieved nothing of
military value. France sent a fleet
of Clement-Bayards over the frontier
when war broke out, but they accom
plished nothing except the dropping
of bombs in Nurnberg and the killing
of civilians, which gave the -Germans
an excuse for reprisals at Paris and
Antwerp. The Zeppelin, Parseval and
Schuette-Lang airships have nothing
to their credit in the shape of offensive
ar except the killing of non-combat
ants and the destruction of houses in
those two citrus. Such acts are re
volting to the moral, sense of mankind
and render no aid to an army except
to terrorize the . civil population of a
besieged city.
How could any man expect the pure
fabrics bill to pass a Congress con
trolled by the South? Yet all it 'does
is tocdVnpel cotton to sail under its
true colors. Cotton manufacturers
would do weir to exploit the merits
of cloth made of mixed wool and cot
ton instead of attempting, to pass it
off as " all wool." They would then
permanently enlarge their market.
Reduction of standard of height to
five feet three inches is not bringing
the number of 'recruits the Brtish of
ficials expected. However, patriotism
Is not measured with a yardstick and
when the average Britisher gets over
his conceit that Great Britain can
"lick" the world he will rally to the
colors.'
The French'soldier is said to wear
four of five shirts, adding a3 the
weather gets colder. Whether this
aids or deters his fighting qualities
can be told only by the tables of
losses, and these are censored.
Link by link the Pacific Highway
through Central Oregon is growing.
When the Willamette Valley wakes up
we can have two, Pacifc highways
thrdugh Oregon. Until then traffic
will follow the good roads.
Arizona will hang them by whole
sale in a few weeks, . although the
warden of the penitentiary declares
he iwill resign If compelled to act as
executioner. Wardens have upon oc
casion put up that bluff.
It is said ne Germans are seen
among the prisoners going eastward
on the Siberian railway. Only Aus
trlans are in evidence. What becomes
of the- Germans captured Is Russian
mystery.
With a Democratic Governor and a
Legislature Republican by so . small a
majority as to be vexing, Idaho will
figure in political history during the
next few months as the bargain state.
Two million Chinese are on the
verge of starvation and $2,000,000 is
needed to save them. The . United
States Is the only great -Nation that
can be charitable this Winter.
Having made his name famous by
his writings, Reginald Wright Kauff
man perhaps wishes he could change
it without sacrificing his stock In
trade.
The difficulty about the, school tax
appears to be that everybody wants
economy except in his own district.
Economy, like charity, begins at home.
Vera Cruz Is In what the Mexicans
call " the hot country." The name
will be doubly appropriate after the
American troops withdraw..
This Is the- beginning of the season
when, country roads must be kept in
repair' and stoppage of wprk on them
is of doubtful wisdom.
Completion of the Vale irrigation
work will make homes for 1000 more
families on Oregon farms. They are
the state's greatest need;
Turkey explains to the satisfaction
of Uncle Sam and will be absorbed
by proxy Thursday. All is well that
will end well. ' "!-
Discovery of alum stone and potas
sium and sodium nitrates inMalheur
simply - adds to that county's list of
possibilities.
The most deadly missile which Rus
sian artillery could hurl at- the' Ger
man army would be a Polish name.
" Painless " Parker is convalescent
and again, able to elucidate the horror
of ethics.
The war tax comes In time to trim
the amount to be spent on Christmas
gifts.
City In Two Counties.
PORTLAND, Nov. 21. (To the Edi
tor.) To settle a dispute I would lik'e
to know if it is illegal for a town or a
city to occupy territory in two or more
counties? Also the method, of paying
tity and county taxes In-a city situated
on both sides of a county line.
4 INTERESTED.
City Attorney La Roche sayB, no, it
Is not illegal. The (Assessor in each
counts assesses the propery within his
county and when the County Treasurer
collects the, tax levied by the city with
in his county he pays It over to the
city, so that the city would receive
taxes collected by Treasurers of both
counties, each collecting- for the part of
the city lying wlthing his county.
GT7JT LAW DESTROYS PROTECTION
Argimeot- Against Statute Sees In
Murder of MIm Ulrich.
JUNCTION CITY, Or., Nov. 18. (To
the Editor.) The sad case of Miss
Emma Ulrlch, which has occupied the
columns of the papers, prompts me to
voice my sentiments on a few subjects.
Having a, slight acquaintance with Miss
Ulrich, which was acquired while
serving as lettercarrier in Portland
three years ago, this shooting incident
has struck me more forcibly than it
otherwise would. It is the same old
story of the crook and the degen
erate with a gun, taking advantage of
the law, and "putting it over" on the
unarmed law-abiding citizen.
The Journal and Telegram have
fought for this anti-gun law for years,
and. now they have it, but, what did
they get? The law simply takes away
the protection of the peaceable citizen,
and gives the crook and thug all the
advantage. The latter two have and
will continue to carry a gun, as long
as the -world stands, regardless of all
your freak, laws: while the law-abiding
citizen, who goes unarmed in fear of
the law. Is the victim. Result the
murderers go on murdering and the
legislators settle back in their chairs.
Imagining they have accomplished
something for the' good of the people.
The authorities say "Let the law take
Its course, and the -murderer will be
punished (?)." That may be all well
and good, but will that bring back
to life the loved one who has suffered
death at the hands of that fiend, and
will it right the wrongs that have
been committed, and restore happiness
In that blighted home? No, most em
phatically no!
The proper way was for someone, for
instance Miss Ulrich herself, to have
had a gun and let daylight through
that man - before he had a. chance to
do his work. Such a person would
have been doing the community a world
of good a thousand times more good
than all the police departments can do
now, after the deed is done, and when
it Is too late. If I walk down the
street and a policeman sees a gun in
my pocket he arrests, me for carrying
concealed weapons: It a crook Is caught
"pulling off a Job," and Is arrested,
even if he has a dozen guns in his
pocKet, Is he ever prosecuted on that
extra offense? No!
Why did the Police Department per
mit Tronson to run at large after he
had threatened the girl several times,
and she ' reported his advances, and
made known her fears? Can't decent
people even get protection in such
cases? If I was the parent of the girl,
the Chief of Police and I would "mix"
right shortly.
A section of the Constitution of the
United States says: "No lawmaking
Doay or individual state shall have
power to enact- a law which is In
conflict ' with ' said Constitution."
Another section says: "The right of the
people to bear arms' shall not be In
fringed upon." Note what the Sullivan
antirgun law has done in New York!
Crime has increased 20 per cent ac
cording to police recordsand the law
is probably doomed to- defeat in the
next Legislature. Anti-gun laws have
been tested and declared unconstitu
tional by the United States Supreme
Court, in seven states, within the last
year, and it is only a question of time
when . ajl other "civilized" states will
follow suit, and the constitutional right
of self-defense wjll be given to the
American citizen: During the month
of. September, the Supreme Court
erased the anti-gun laws off the books
or tne States of Colorado. Kentucky.
Tennessee and Wyoming, and there is
ou per cent less -crime carried on in
those four states today than there is
right here in ..Oregon. I have always
carried a gun when I deemed it neces
sary, and always will, regardless of
all the "freak" laws that were ever
iramea. E. D. LEPPERT.
IK ROOSEVELT HAD KEPT STILL
How He Would Rout tne Democrat In
1016, Exclaims Correspondent.
ROSEBURG, Or., Nov. 21. (To the
Editor.) One great mistake our Grand
Old Party made when our Theodore
Roosevelt the stateman. Teddy the
peacemaker and easily the foremost
figure in the world, stripped and ready
to beard the lion in his den in the
jungles -of Africa, was not to have
placed a Maxim silencer on his frontal
piece with time attachment to open in
1916. We could have had him groomed
and in the midst of his political oppo
nents when the happy moment should
arrive when the familiar click, so
common to bankers, should announce
"ready for business." The exDlosion
that would follow" would clear the
trenches of the enemy; those that were
not. mangled Deyona recognition would
be overcome with gas.'many of them
left in standing positions as they were
trying to explain "Why Is a Democrat."
There Is & statewide, 'screaming,
"courtesy Tom Lawson" demand that
a 42-centimeter silencer, with perma
nent attachment, hermetically sealed,
be left at Oregon City; the one de
livered November 3 will answer tem
porarily x
Never mind; 1916 will- soon be here,
the two Democratic hard years not
withstanding Intervening. When we
have seated Senator Borah with the
greatest vote ever given a President
and are busy taking stock among the
wreck left by the Democrats, we likely
will find a few thousand cases of Chi
nese eggs, which, contrary to the
"victor belong the spoils" will be
passed back to them "one at a time."
Here are a few questions:
1 Do women vote no when they
mean yes?
Brewers' Association flfst guess.
2 Do women vote as their husbands
do? If sov how many very dry men does
Oregon contain?
Taxpayers' League answer.
3 How many Democrats and sore
head Republicans does it take to make
these strenuous times? '
Any business man may answer.
4 How many of our leading citizens'
husbands voted the same way as their
wives?
Juveniles may answer.
When I think of Roosevelt It always
recalls avcase of mistaken identity that
occurred in Iowa several years ago.
A wealthy man suddenly disappeared.
A lone daughter offered ' a large re
ward for his finding. A few days later
a body was discovered answering his
description whiskers, clothing and all.
The daughter visited and thought'she
recognized in the somewhat decom
posed body, her father, and gave orders
for a coffin and burial In keeping with
his means. After the undertaker had
added a thousand to the expense and
her supposed, father was presented in
an elegant coffin, it was necessary to
put a band around, his head and jaws
to keep his mouth closed, and Just as
they were saying the last words before
lowering him-xin his satin-lined grave,
the band slipped off, letting the lower
Jaw drop, exposing a mouth full of gold
teeth. . ',
The daughter, surprised, exclaimed:
"That is not papa, he had no gold
teeth."
The funeral was halted, the under
taker returned the body to his parlors,
dumping it in a back room with: "You
old fool, had you kept your mouth shut,
you could have - had a respectable
funeral." JOHN W. TOLLMAN.
To Stop Continuing Appropriations.
LEBANON. Or., Nov. 21 (To the Edi
tor.) I have read with much Interest,
and have put away, your, editorial of
the-. 17th ins., in regard to "The In
sidious Annual Appropriation." I hops
that every member of the Legislature
will read the editorial. I will try to
do something to bring the subject
matter of your editorial before the Sen
ate, of which I am a member-elect, in
the hope that these continuing annual
appropriations may be stopped. -I
thank you for your editorial.
LAXDON GARLAND.
SOME CITIES TO REMAIN WET T j
Mr. Nolan Argues That Prohibition Law
Cannot Affect Certain Municipalities.
PORTLAND. Nov. 22. (To the Ed
itor.) I have been asked a number of
times as to the legal construction and
effect of the prohibition amendment
which was passed by the people at the
recent election and I take this means
of expressing my views.
-ine amendment slmnlv nrfrie eo-i..r.
36 to article 1 of the constitution,
which article is known as th hill rt
rights.
The amendment Drovide th.it nr. in.;
toxicating liquor shall be manufactured
or sold in the state after Januarv 1.
1916, and undertakes to. repeal all laws
of the state and of the cities and mu
nicipal corporations which conflict
with It.
Article' 1 of the constitution Is rnn.
fined to reserving certain rights to the
peopie and prohibits the state from do
ing certain acts In derogation of those
rights. It reserves to the people the
right to trial by Jury and It provides
mat no ex post facto laws shall be
passed. In other words, that article
Is a restriction as against the state and
has no application to .the Individual.
Section 2 of article XI rjrohibita the
Legislature from i incorporating .any
city or town and vests that right in
the legal voters of each" city or town."
It also vests in the legal voters of each
city or town the exclusive right to reg
ulate or to prohibit the manufacture or
sale of intoxicating liquors within their
corporate limits.
Many cities and towns of the state
have exercised their constitutional
right to incorporate under that law
and have adopted charters and made
laws regulating or prohibiting the
liquor traffic within their corporate
limits. This has become In the nature
of a constitutional grant or the delega
tion of an exclusive authority. The
grant is exclusive aad the people at
large have waived any and all right to
pass a valid law which would prohibit
the manufacture or sale of Intoxicating
liquors within the corporate limits of
those cities or towns which have exer
cised the right to regulate their own
traffic. It might be otherwise if those
cities and towns would cancel or relin
quish that grant to the state, but it can
not be done without the consent of such
cities or towns. It might be said that
the City of Portland has exercised its
constitutional right to open and use
Washington street. Could it be claimed
that the people at large would have the
right to pass a valid law which would
compel the City of Portland to close
up that street? Or could it be said that
the people at large could compel the
City of Portland to abolish the office
of Mayor? Such an act. would be in the
nature of an ex post facto law, which
is expressly prohibited by the consti
tution. Perhaps the people supposed and be
lieved that they were in fact passing a
law tto prohibit the manufacture and
sale of intoxicating liquor by the indi
vidual, but the intent of that law must
be determined by what It says. It does
not purport to make it unlawful to
manufacture or sell intoxicating liquors
in the state it any time. It does not
purport to be a criminal law and no
penalty is provided for violating the
same. The most that could be said of
thev amendment would be that such
manufacture or sale would be uncon
stitutional, but that could only apply
to the State of Oregon and not to the
individual. For that reason it is very
clear that no one but the State of Ore
gon is prohibited and if the state in
dertook to indulge in the liquor traffic
it could be enjoined by the courts.
The amendment purports to repeal
all laws in conflict with it, but we have
no laws regulating the manufacture or
sale by the state and for that reason
no laws whatever are repealed and
none could be repealed except by im
plication. It is quite probable that the persons
who framed the amendment Intended
to tlx it in such a way that the Legis
lature would have no authority to make
a change, but after they found that the
law was defective, they are preparing
to ask the Legislature to act. They
have tied the hands of the Legislature,
because that body has no authority to
change the constitution in any way,
and it cannot take away the constitu
tional right of the cities and towns to
regulate their own traffic. It will
therefore be impossible for the Legis
lature' to pass any valid law In favor
of prohibition and contrary to the ex
press provisions of the constitution.
The result Is that the - prohibition
measure which was passed at the re
cent election has no force or effect as
against the cities and towns which
have exercised their exclusive right and
the same should be disregarded.
OAK NOLAN.
LET OFFICIAL PAY BE REDUCED
Taxpayer Suggests This as Way to
Balance. Effects of Hard flmcs.
SALEM, Or., Nov. 21. (To the Edi
tor.) Your somewhat vigorous edi
torial in The Oregonian of November
17, under title of "The Insidious Annual
Appropriation," is timely and is preg
nant with some suggestions that nat
urally put the taxpayer to thinking
about the approaching taxpaying day
some time early in 1915. The farmer is
fully alive to the fact 'that hops are
half price; cloverseed hardly half a
crop; prunes one-third of a crop, and
the wheat yield short; no price for
fruit and no money being made in the
dairy business. The lumber business
is prostrate; not 10 per cent of the mer
chants of the Willamette Valley will
make any money this year, and manu
facturers are pulling along from month
to month as best they can.
Therefore, with the entire income
producing element of our state, which
Includes the taxpaying portion", are all
pulling against the tide with shrunken
Incomes, why would it not be ,fair to
ask the entire ofilceholding , element,
especially those holding lucrative posi
tions, to cut their salaries about one
fourth? Begin with the Secretary of
State. State Treasurer, Railroad Com
missioners, Judges of the Supreme
Court, all Circuit Judges, the heads of
all commissions? Let no ofllce In the
state pay over $3000 except the Gov
ernor. Why should the officeholder not feel
the depression of the times the same as
the taxpayer and producer? If the dif
ferent granges in the state would ask
the different county delegations in the
coming Legislature to pass such a bill
several hundred thousand dollars in the
way of relief of taxes to the people and
all the people of the state would feel
the depression alike.
TAXPAYER.
How to Introduce.
PORTLAND, Nov. 22. (To the Edi
tor.) Kindly tell a young bride how
to introduce her husband to her friends
whom he has never met, and how to
Introduce her brother and sister to her
friends. YOURS IN IGNORANCE.
Just say simply. If to a girl or wom
an friend, "Miss S., allow me to in
troduce (or present) my husband, Mr.
J." If the introduction is to a man,
say, "Mr. B., I want you to meet my
husband, Mr. J." If the friend is Inti
mate you may of course say, "George,
I wish to introduce my husband, Rob
ert J." The simplest forms of intro
duction are always in the best taste.
A gentleman should always be pre
sented to a lady. The same rule ap
plies for your brothers and sisters.
You might say. for instance. "Mrs.
Brown, I wish to introduce my sister.
Miss Nellie A.," or to a man, "Mr. H..
I wish to introduce you to my sister,
Miss A." If two men, ojse your broth
er, are being introduced, say, "Mr. B.,
I want you and my brother Tom to
meet-"
LIEN LAW CHANGE ILL-ADVISED
Business Legislation Should Emanate
From Business Intellects, Says Carr.
PORTLAND, Nov. 22. (To the Edi
tor.) In The Oregonian of November
13 under the caption "Legislature May
Ghange Lien Laws," you voiced an at
tack calculated to discredit the exist
ing lien laws, which for more than 20
years have afforded adequate protection
to the building business of this state.
If this prelude discloses the permanent
attitude of The Oregonian upon that
question you certainly stand upon dan
gerous and untenable ground. Under
the pretense of "protecting innocent
owners" and "curbing dishonest con
tractors" a similar attack was made
upon these laws in thejast legislative
session, but interested business men
discovered the incendiary proceeding in
time to squelch it. This effort to strip
the building business of lien protection
was purely selfish and utterly devoid of
merit. '
The business men of Oregon are not
unseemly clamorous: any one of the
"lobby of dealers" who went to Salem
to defeat the mutilation of the lien
laws could comprehend the merit of
legislation for the protection of busi
ness better than the real estate .dealers,
their lawyers and many of the lawmak
ing theorists whom we met there. Laws
for the protection of business should
originate with the business men actu
ally engaged in the particular business.
Lawyers and legislators may frame and
enact measures, but the character and
nature of the legislation should ema
nate from practical business Intellects.
Only by complying with the practical
demands of business men can the law
maker satisfy the wishes of his con
stituents. In recent years we have had a super
abundance of legislation. Laws have
been enacted which hamper and pros
trate business, and it is the sense of
the sensible masses that the coming
Legislature will be less prolific and
wise enough to let well enough alone.
"Labor only lien basis!" When the
industrial concern which employs labor
is protected then labor is protected, and
to strip such concerns of legislative
protection is to strike a. cruel blow at
labor. The best way to patronize home
Industry Is to relieve it of the burdens
of excessive taxation. Give it a chance
to live by removing legalized restric
tions. ' -
A mortgage is only a lien, though
erxective ana exhaustive, the quintes
cenc of legal protection. The real es
tate dealer wants it for his property,
but in his eyes the property of the
material' man is not quite so sacred.
He wants the privilege of placing his
mortgage - lien upon a vacant lot for
twice the actual value of the lot, and
then have an impecunious owner erect
a building upon it which will make it
rent-earning and adequate security un
der such a legislative scheme as will
make his mortgage a prior lien and
force the material man to turn for pay
ment to an execution-proof decoy called
"the owner." JAMES 13. CARR.
5US Everett street.
The Oregonian expressed no opinion
In the article mentioned by Mr. Carr.
It was a news story of a movement to
amend the lien laws.
WHY WORRY ABOUT THE UNREAL?
Dr. Illnnon Quotes Mrs. Kdily on Noth
ingness of Sin. -
PORTLAND, Nov. 21. (To the Edi
tor.) I observe by The Oregonian that
Mr. Seeley objects to my representa
tion of the attitude of Christian Science
towards sin. And he says the attitude
of Christian Science towards sin is
other than that which I have described.
Well, there is a simple way of set
tling the matter: Appeal from Mr.
Soeley und W. B. Hinson to the founder
and hijrh priestess of Christian Science,
even Mrs. Eddy.
Now she says. "Man is Incapable of
sin." Just that. identically that.
-Surely if I am "incapable of sin" 1 am
warranted In giving myself slight con
cern regarding it. For why worry
about that which I am "incapable" of
performing?
She further declares that "all sin is
unreal." We bid the child give Itself
no concern about the "bogy," because
It is unreal. And if sin be unreal, why
be concerned about it? In addition,
she asserts sin to be but "a false be
lief." A man came to me a while ago
saying he believed he was getting so
tall he should soon be unable to enter
his house. I told him it was a false
belief, and bade him enteriain it no
longer.
"Kin can do nothing," says Mrs.
Eddy. If it can "do nothing" it cer
tainly cannot affect either myself, my
brother, or God. Evil is "but a. delu
sion." she affirms. And delusions are
to be explained away, and disregarded,
and destroyed. She speaks of "th1
nothingness and unreality of evil." But
that which is unreal, and which is
nothing, need not seriously concern us.
That she means this is evident from
her additional statement that "the
sinner and sin are alike, simply noth
ingness." And surely nothingness will
care naught for nothingness. In addi
tion, she teaches that we should "de
stroy the sense of - sin, and then sin
itself disappears," for It is the sense
of sin and not the sinful soul which
must be lost."
Now all of this is to be "undorstand
ed of the people"; and it is all flatly
contradicted by the word of God. as
all Bible readers know; and as I show
in a book- soon to be published by me."
entitled "Christian Science Versus the
Bible." W. B. HINSON.
Who J to Blame f
DUNSMUIR. Cal.. Nov. 20. (To the
Editor.) It is surely a laughable farce
to read how the recallers put it over
on our Mayor and Commissioners.
It was certainly "some .one's busi
ness" to find out? what they were doing.
Who authorized the election? Who or
dered the ballots printed? On or by
whose authority did they do so? Where
was our wise Commissioner of Finance?
Would The Oregonian kindly let the
public know really who Is to blame in
this matter, and why such carelessness
is shown when $25,000 city money i3 at
stake?
This is written at the solicitation of
a number of traveling salesmen out of
Portland. RALPH PERRELL.
Belgian Refugee Fund.
PENDLETON, Or., Nov. 21. (To the
Editor.) Please give me the address
of the Dutch committee In Portland
that is to Jiold a collection for the
Belgian refugees in Holland, of which
a picture appeared in The Oregonian
a few days ago.
JOHN RIEPEX, JR.
Write to John H. Hartog. care Hart
man & Thompson, Portland,. Or.
1-j it From Where
the Hand Is
A successful pugilist in telling
of his methods said he always
"hit from where the hand 1
When an enterprising retaljitr
gets behind National products
advertised In his home newspaper
"he is hitting from where the
hand is."
He is putting In the business
blow that counts. He is pulling
customers to his own store
Retailers are coming to see
this more and more. They are
backing up -the National products
in the newspapers with displays
of the goods.
They are cashing in on the
manufacturer's business enterprise.